common in all their Authors When they cite any of the Doctors of their Schools they commonly use these words Amern rabbothenu Zicceronam libhracah in four letters thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus say our Doctors of blessed memory But when they speak of holy men in the Old Testament they usually take this Phrase Gnalau hashalom on him is peace in brief thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus when they mention Moses Solomon David or others this is the memorial they give them The Arabians have the like use in their Abbreviation of Gnalaihi alsalemo on whom is peace The words in Hebrew want a verb and so may be construed two ways On him is peace or on him be peace The learned Master Broughton hath rendered it the former way and his judgement herein shall be my Law To take it the latter way seems to relish of Popish superstition of praying for the dead which though the Jews did not directly do yet in manner they appear to do no less in one part of their Common Prayer Book called Mazkir neshamoth the remembrancer of Souls which being not very long I thought not amiss to Translate out of their Tongue into our own that the Reader may see their Jewish Popery or Popish Judaism and may bless the Creator who hath not shut us up in the same darkness CHAP. XL. Mazkir neshamoth or the Remembrancer of souls in the Iews Liturgy Printed at Venice THE Lord remember the soul or spirit of Abba Mr. N. the son of N. who is gone into his world wherefore I vow to give Alms for him that for this his soul may be bound up in the bundle of life with the soul of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Sarah and Rebecca Rachel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which be in the garden of Eden Amen The Lord remember the soul of Mrs. N. the Daughter of N. who is gone to her World Therefore I vow c. as in the other before Amen The Lord remember the soul of my father and my mother of my grandfathers and grandmothers of my uncles and aunts brethren and sisters of my cosens and consenesses whether of my fathers side or mothers side who are gone into their world Wherefore I vow c. Amen The Lord remember the soul of N. the son of N. and the souls of all my cosens and cosenesses whether on my fathers or mothers side who were put to death or slain or stabd or burnt or drowned or hanged for the sanctifying of the Name of God Therefore I will give Alms for the memory of their souls and for this let their souls be bound up in the bundle of life with the soul of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Sarah and Rebecca Rachel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which are in the garden of Eden Amen Then the Priest pronounceth a blessing upon the man that is thus charitable as it followeth there in these words He that blessed our father Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses and Aaron David and Salomon he bless Rabbi N. the son of N. because he hath vowed Alms for the souls whom he hath mentioned for the honour of God and for the honour of the Law and for the honour of the day for this the Lord keep him and deliver him from all affliction and trouble and from every plague and sickness and write him and seal him for a happy life in the day of Judgment and send a blessing and prosper him in every work of his hands and all Israel his brethren and let us say Amen Thus courteous Reader hast thou seen a Popish Jew interceding for the dead have but the like patience a while and thou shalt see how they are Popish almost entirely in claiming the merits of the dead to intercede for them for thus tendeth a prayer which they use in the book called Sepher Min hagim shel col Hammedinoth c. which I have also here turned into English Do for thy praises sake Do for their sakes that loved thee that now dwell in dust For Abraham Isaac and Jacobs sake Do for Moses and Aarons sake Do for David and Salomons sake Do for Jerusalem thy holy Cities sake Do for Sion the habitation of thy glories sake Do for the desolation of thy Temples sake Do for the treading down of thine Altars sake Do for their sakes who were slain for thy holy Name Do for their sakes who have been massacred for thy sake Do for their sakes who have gone to fire or water for the hallowing of thy Name Do for sucking childrens sakes who have not sinned Do for weaned childrens sakes who have not offended Do for infants sakes who are of the house of our Doctors Do for thine own sake if not for ours Do for thine own sake and save us Tell me gentle reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. whether doth the Jew Romanize or the Roman Judaize in his devotions This interceding by others is a shrewd sign they have both rejected the right Mediator between God and Man Christ Jesus The prophane Heathen might have read both Jew and Papist a lecture in his Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Jovem propitium habeam which I think a Christian may well English let go all Diminutive Divinities so that I may have the great Jesus Christ to propitiate for me CHAP. XLI Of the Latine Translation of Matth. 6. 1. ALms in Rabbin Hebrew are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedhakah righteousness which word the Syrian Translator useth Matth. 6. 1. Act. 10. 2. and in other places From this custom of speech the Roman vulgar Translateth Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis One English old manuscript Testament is in Lichfield Library which hath it thus after the Latine Takith hede that you do not your rightwisnes before men to be seyne of hem ellis ye shullen have no mede at your fadir that is in hevenes Other English Translation I never saw any to this sense nor any Greek copy It seems the Papist will rather Judaize for his own advantage than follow the true Greek The Septuagint in some places of the Old Testament have turned Tsedhakah Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almsdeeds or little or to no sense As the Papists have in this place of the New Testament turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almsdeeds by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness to as little purpose In the Hebrew indeed one word is used for both Tsedhakah for Almsdeeds which properly signifies Righteousness upon what ground I know not unless it be to shew that S◠Chrysostom hath such ◠touch Alms must be given of rightly gotten good or else they are no righteousness or they are called Zadkatha in Syrian Hu ger zadek le mehwo they are called righteousness because it is right they should be given and given rightly The Fathers of the Councel of Trent speak much of the merit of Alms whom one may
went thither he saith not at all And now to take up what we have to observe upon these things that have been spoken 1. It is true indeed as Tacitus witnesseth that Pallas the brother of Felix who had been Claudius his great favorite and so Nero's also in Claudius time did wane and decrease somewhat in his favour in a very short time after his entrance into his reign but he was not utterly laid flat and out at all till after Poppaea came into favour and amorousness who forwarded the death of Agrippina and the bringing down of those that were of her party as Pallas was Therefore the power of Pallas with the Emperour seemeth to be expired in Nero's fifth year in which Agrippina was slain And by this account we cannot extend Felix his escape for his brother Pallas his sake beyond Nero's fourth Year For considering Poppaeas prevalency with the Emperour when once she became his Paramour and considering her detestation of Agrippina and her faction of which Pallas was the chief we cannot cast Felix his discharge for Pallas his sake beyond Nero's fourth 2. Paul lay two years prisoner at Caesarea under Felix Acts 24. 27. After two years Portius Festus came into Felix room Many are the conjectures about these two years Baronius saith it was Expleto biennio Neronis Magister Historiae Scholasticae saith it was Biennium ab accusatione Felicis a Judaeis A Lapide cares not to think that Biennium hoc inchoandum a praefectura Felicis in Judaea nam ante illud praefuerat Trachonitidi Batanaeae Gaulonitidi c. But it is most proper to hold that these two years mean the time of Pauls being a prisoner under Felix from the time of his apprehension under Lysias the chief Captain till Felix his going out of his Government and so it is held by Beda Beza Salmeron Onuphrius and others And this is so proper and suitable to the intent and discourse of Luke that it needeth no illustration or proof of it and it is most agreeable to the Scriptures manner of accounting in all other places These two things then being thus concluded on it will follow that Pauls apprehension was in Nero's second and Felix went out of Office in Nero's fourth before Poppaea was yet got into her potency And the accounting of Pauls two years imprisonment under Felix to be thus At Pentecost in Nero's second he is apprehended and at Pentecost in Nero's third he had been a year prisoner and at Pentecost in Nero's fourth his two years are up and that spring it was that Felix went out of Office and went to Rome to make his answer and Pallas his brother not yet utterly out of favour makes his peace And now let us draw up the Chronology of Nero's time to the full according to these evidences and as referreth to our occasion CHRIST 55 NERO. 1 Paul at Ephesus Goeth to Macedonia Creete Greece to Macedonia again and wintreth in Nicopolis CHRIST 56 NERO. 2 Paul at Macedonia till Easter then goeth up to Jerusalem and is apprehended at Pentecost and from that time till the year go out is a prisoner CHRIST 57 NERO. 3 Paul a prisoner all this year under Felix CHRIST 58 NERO. 4 Felix removed Festus cometh in Paul shipped towards Rome but wintreth by the way Poppaea in Nero's eye and becomes his Minion CHRIST 59 NERO. 5 Festus Governour of Judea Paul after wintering in his journey cometh to Rome and this is the first year of his imprisonment there Nero killeth his Mother Agrippina CHRIST 60 NERO. 6 Festus Governour of Judea Pauls second years imprisonment at Rome CHRIST 61 NERO. 7 Festus Governour of Judea CHRIST 62 NERO. 8 Festus Governour of Judea Nero marrieth Poppaea CHRIST 63 NERO. 9 Festus Governour It may be Albinus came in sometime this year and then was James the less slain this year CHRIST 64 NERO. 10 Albinus Governour of Judea CHRIST 65 NERO. 11 Florus Governour of Judea CHRIST 66 NERO. 12 CHRIST 67 NERO. 13 Florus Governour of Judea The Wars begin CHRIST 68 NERO. 14 Nero dieth having reigned 13. years and 8. months ACTS Chap. XXI from Ver 17. to the end of the Chapter PAUL cometh to Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost when the City was now full of conconflux to that festival He resorteth instantly to James the residentiary Apostle of the Circumcision for holding correspondency sake and there he shews him the manner and fruit of his Ministry among the Gentiles Which both by James and the Elders that were with him is well approved of as to the thing it self but they certifie him of what complaints they heard from the Jews against him for crying down the rites of Moses especially Circumcision That thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their Children ver 21. Now because thousands of the Jews which believed were yet zealous of the Law this gave much offence But did Paul teach thus or not No doubt he did and it behoved him so to do nor does nor can James except against the Doctrine for though it is true that he and Paul and the other Apostles permitted compliance with some of the Jewish rites for peace sake for a while as there is an example in this very place yea Paul himself circumcised Timothy upon that reason yet the use of Circumcision as these that stood upon it used it was utterly inconsistent with the Gospel Hear this Apostles Doctrine Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to the whole Law Gal. 5. 2. A converted Jew would have his Son circumcised Paul asks him a reason what can he answer but it looks after some justification by it as their own Authors speak their thoughts He that is circumcised is perfect And He that is circumcised shall not go to Gehinnom And I said unto thee in thy blood live Ezek. 16. 6. This is the blood of Circumcision c. Tanchum in Gen. 17. 18 c. They looked indeed upon Circumcision as an admission into the Covenant and thereupon the Father of the Child at his Circumcision constantly used these words Blessed be thou O Lord our God who hast sanctified us by his Commandments and commanded us to bring the Child into the Covenant of our Father Abraham And they that stood by said As thou hast brought him into the Covenant so bring him into the Law and into the Bridechamber Jerus in Beracoth fol. 13. col 1. But withall they looked upon this Covenant as a Covenant of works for as we observed before they reputed Abraham himself so justified Good cause therefore had Paul to stand out against the convert Jews Circumcising their Children as whereby the Doctrine of Justification by faith was utterly enervated and made of no effect And here by the way let us conceive we
only asks How shall this be c Doubtless she took the Prophecy in its proper sense as speaking of a Virgin untoucht She knew nothing then nor probably any part of the Nation at that time so much as once thought of that sense by which the Jews have now for a great while disguised that place and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 II. Give me leave for their sakes in whose hands the book is not to transcribe some few things out of that noble Author Morney a a a a a a De Verit. Christ. Relig. cap. 28. which he quotes concerning this grand mystery from the Jews themselves b b b b b b Moses Haddarson in Psa LXXXV Truth shall spring out of the earth R. Jotten saith he notes upon this place That it is not said truth shall be born but shall spring out because the Generation and Nativity of the Messiah is not to be as other creatures in the world but shall be begot without Carnal Copulation and therefore no one hath mentioned his Father as who must be hid from the knowledge of men till himself shall come and reveal him And upon Genes Ye have said saith the Lord we are Orphans bereaved of our Father such an one shall your redeemer be whom I shall give you So upon Zachary Behold my servant whose name is of the branch And out of Psal. CX Thou art a Priest after the order of Melchizedech He saith R. Berachiah delivers the same things And R. Simeon Ben Jochai upon Genes more plainly viz. That the Spirit by the impulse of a mighty power shall come forth of the Womb though shut up that will become a mighty Prince the King Messiah So he VERS XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath also conceived a Son in her old age THE Angel teaches to what purpose it was that Women either barren before or considerably stricken in years should be enabled to conceive and bring forth viz. to make way for the easier belief of the Conception of a Virgin If they either beside or beyond nature conceive a Child this may be some ground of belief that a Virgin contrary to Nature may do so too So Abraham by Faith saw Christ's day as born of a pure Virgin in the birth of his own Son Isaac of his old and barren Wife Sarah VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. She went into the hill Country c. THAT is to Hebron Jos. XXI 11. For though it is true indeed the Priests after the return from Babylon were not all disposed and placed in all those very same dwellings they had possest before the Captivity yet is it probable that Zachary who was of the seed of Aaron being here said to dwell in the hill Country of Judah might have his House in Hebron which is more peculiarly said to be the City of Aaron's off-spring VERS XLI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Babe leaped in her Womb. SO the Seventy Gen. XXV 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Children leaped in her womb Psal. CXIV 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mountains skipped That which is added by Elizabeth Vers. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The babe leaped in the womb for joy signifies the manner of the thing not the cause q. d. it leaped with vehement exultation For John while he was an Embryo in the Womb knew no more what was then done than Jacob and Esau when they were in Rebecca's Womb knew what was determined concerning them a a a a a a Hieros Sotah fol. 2. 3. At the Red Sea even the infants sung in the wombs of their Mothers as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. LXVIII where the Targum to the same sense Exalt the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye infants in the bowels of your Mothers of the seed of Israel Let them enjoy their Hyperboles Questionless Elizabeth had learnt from her Husband that the Child she went with was designed as the fore-runner of the Messiah but she did not yet know of what sort of Woman the Messiah must be born till this leaping of the infant in her womb became some token to her VERS LVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abode with her three Months A Space of time very well known amongst the Doctors defined by them to know whether a Woman be with Child or no. Which I have already observed upon Matth. I. a a a a a a Iâ—â—â—moth fol. 33 2. 34. â— 35. 1 c. VERS LIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they called it c. I. THE Circumciser said a a a a a a Schabb. fol. 137. 2. Blessed be the Lord our God who hath sanctified us by his precepts and hath given us the Law of Circumcision The Father of the infant said who hath sanctified us by his precepts and hath commanded us to enter the Child into the Covenant of Abraham our Father But where was Zachary's tongue for this service II. God at the same time instituted Circumcision and changed the names of Abraham and Sarah hence the custom of giving names to their Children at the time of their Circumcision III. Amongst the several accounts why this or that name was given to the Sons this was one that chiefly obtained viz. for the honour of some person whom they esteemed they gave the Child his name Which seems to have guided them in this case here when Zachary himself being dumb could not make his mind known to them Mahli the Son of Mushi hath the name of Mahli given him who was his Uncle the Brother of Mushi his Father 1 Chron. XXIII 21 23. b b b b b b Cholin fol. 47. 2. R. Nathan said I once went to the Islands of the Sea and there came to me a Woman whose first born had died by Circumcision so also her second Son She brought the third to me I bad her wait a little till the blood might asswage She waited a little and then Circumcised him and he lived They called him therefore by my name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nathan of Babylon See also Jerusalem Jevamoth c c c c c c Fol. 7. 4. d d d d d d â—ab Jevam. fol. 105. 1. There was a certain Family at Jerusalem that were wont to die about the eighteenth year of their age They made the matter known to R. Johanan ben Zacchai who said perhaps you are of Elie's Lineage concerning whom it is said The increase of thine House shall die in the flower of their age Go ye and be diligent in the study of the Law and ye shall live They went and gave diligent heed to the Law and lived They called themselves therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Family of Johanan after his name It is disputed in the same Tract e e e e e e Fol. 24. 1. whether the Son begot by a Brother's raising up seed to his Brother should not be called after the
had seen the figure and pattern of a glorious Tabernacle so now in this second forty days fast he desireth to have a sight of the glory of God On the thirtieth day of the month A◠he goeth up again with the two Tables and beginneth another forty days fast and seeth the Lord and heareth him proclaim himself by most glorious attributes and receiveth some commands from him On the tenth day of the month Tisri he cometh down with the glad tydings that all is well betwixt God and Israel with the renewed Tables in his hand and with commission to set about making the Tabernacle CHAP. XXXV XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII XXXIX XL. World 2515 Moses 82 Redemption from Egypt 2 AND so do Israel fall about that work which by the first day of the month Abib the first month of the next year is finished and it begun to be erected when it is set up the cloud of glory filleth it and God taketh up his seat upon the Ark in figure of his dwelling amongst men in Christ. The Book of LEVITICUS OUT of the Tabernacle newly erected God giveth ordinances for it and first concerning Sacrifice to represent Christs death as the Tabernacle it self did represent his body The whole time of the story of Leviticus is but one moneth namely the first month of the second year of their deliverance and not altogether so much neither for the very first beginning of the month was taken up in the erecting of the Tabernacle of which the story is in Exod. 40. CHAP. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII RUles given for all manner of sacrifices This is the first Oracle given from off the Mercy-seat There is the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first word of the Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written less then all his fellows and it seemeth by such a writing to hint and intimate that though this were a glorious Oracle yet was it small in comparison of what was to come when God would speak to his people by his own Son whom the Ark Mercy-seat and Oracle did represent CHAP. VIII IX THE seven days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons follow after the time of the setting up of the Tabernacle and were not coincident or concurrent with that time as the Jews very generally but very groundlesly do apprehend as Seder Olam Tanchum ex R. Joseph Baal Turim Ab Ezra R. Sol and others For 1. this command for their consecration is given out of the Tabernacle now erected as well as the rules for sacrifice were And 2. they abide the seven days in the Tabernacle Chap. 8. 33. and the very first day of the seven the congregation were gathered to the door vers 3 4. which undeniably shew that it was finished and set up when these seven days of consecration began CHAP. X. THE death of Nadab and Abihu was on the very first day that the service of the Altar began namely on that eighth day after the seven of the consecration when Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices for themselves and the people This appeareth plainly by comparing the third and fifteenth Verses of the ninth Chapter with the sixteenth Verse of this tenth Chapter and thus the service of the Sanctuary by an accident began with Death and Judgment NUMBERS IX to Ver. 15. AFter the end of the tenth Chapter of Leviticus in the proper order of story are the first fourteen Verses of the ninth Chapter of Numbers to be taken in which treat concerning the Passover For the Tabernacle being reared on the very first day of the second year of their coming out of Egypt namely on the first day of Nisan these orders and rules concerning Sacrifices and the Priests consecration were given and the eight days of Priests consecration and Sacrifices were accomplished before the fourteenth day of that month came when the Passover was to be kept by an old command given the last year in Egypt and by a second command now given in the wilderness so that this order and method is clear Now the reason why this story of this second Passover is not only not laid in its proper place in this Book of Leviticus but also out of its proper place in the Book of Numbers for the Book beginneth its story with the beginning of the second month but this story of the Passover belongeth to the first month The reason I say of this dislocation is because Moses his chief aim in that place is to shew and relate the new dispensation or command for a Passover in the second month which was a matter of very great moment For the translation of that feast a month beyond its proper time did the rather inforce the significancy of things future then of things past as rather recording the death of Christ to come then their delivery from Egypt when it hit not on that very night This story therefore of the Passover transferred to the second month upon some occasions being the matter that Moses chiefly aimed at and respected in that relation and history he hath set it in his proper place for so is that where it lies in the Book of Numbers and intending and aiming at the mention of that he hath also brought in the mention of the right Passover or that of the first month as it was necessary he should to shew the occasion of the other LEVITICUS XI XII XIII XIV XV. AFter the rules for things clean and fit for sacrifice the Lord cometh to give rules for things clean and fit to eat and clean and fit to touch for this was the tripartite distinction of clean or unclean in the Law Every thing that was unclean to touch was unclean to eat but every thing that was unclean to eat was not unclean to touch every thing that was unclean to eat was unclean to sacrifice but every thing that was unclean to sacrifice was not unclean to eat for many things might be eaten which might not be sacrificed and many things might be touched which might not be eaten And under the Law about clean and unclean there is exceeding much of the doctrine of sin and renovation touched considerable in very many particulars 1. By the Law of Moses nothing was unclean to be touched while it was alive but only man A man in Leprosie unclean to be touched Lev. 13. and a woman in her separation Lev. 12. but Dogs Swine Worms c. not unclean to be touched till they be dead Lev. 11. 31. 2. By the Law of Moses uncleanness had several degrees and Leprosie was the greatest There was uncleanness for a day as by touching a dead beast for a week as by touching a dead man for a month as a woman after Child-birth and for a year or more as Leprosie 3. Every Priest had equal priviledge and calling to judge of the Leprosie as well as the the high Priest 4. The Priests that were judges of Leprosie could not be tainted
wandering in the wilderness Here at Kadesh they continued a good space before they removed for so Moses saith Ye abode in Kadesh many days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the days that ye had made abode namely at Sinai as ver 6. and so they spent one whole year there for so they had done at Sinai and whereas God bids them upon their murmuring to turn back to the Red-sea Deut. 1. 40. his meaning was that at their next march whensoever it was they should not go forward towards Canaan but clean back again towards the Red-sea from whence they came Moses 84 Redemption from Egypt 4 And so they do and so they wander by many stations and marches Moses 85 Redemption from Egypt 5 from Kadesh Barnea now till they come to Kadesh Barnea again some seven Moses 86 Redemption from Egypt 6 or eight and thirty years hence Their marches mentioned in Numb 33. Moses 87 Redemption from Egypt 7 were these from Kadesh or Rithmah to Rimmon Parez to Libnah to Moses 88 Redemption from Egypt 8 Rissah to Kehelathah to Mount Shapher to Haradah to Makheloth to Moses 89 Redemption from Egypt 9 Tahath to Tarah to Mâ—â—hcah to Hashmonah to Moseroth to Horhagidgad Moses 90 Redemption from Egypt 10 to Jotbathah to Ebronah to Ezion Gaber to Kadesh again in the Moses 91 Redemption from Egypt 11 fortieth year And thus whereas it was but eleven days journey from Horeb Moses 92 Redemption from Egypt 12 by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea Deut. 1. 2. they have now Moses 93 Redemption from Egypt 13 made it above three times eleven years journy The occurrences of all Moses 94 Redemption from Egypt 14 this time were but few and those undated either to time or place some Moses 95 Redemption from Egypt 15 Laws are given Chap. 15. Korah Dathan and Abiram rebel Chap. 16. Moses 96 Redemption from Egypt 16 Korah for the Priest-hood from Aaron as being one of the Tribe of Levi Moses 97 Redemption from Egypt 17 and Dathan and Abiram for the principality from Moses as being of Moses 98 Redemption from Egypt 18 Reuben the first-born An earth-quake devoureth them and all theirs Moses 99 Redemption from Egypt 19 and a fire devoured the 250 men that conspired with them only Korahs Moses 100 Redemption from Egypt 20 sons escape Chap. 26. 11. and of them came Samuel and divers famous Moses 101 Redemption from Egypt 21 Moses 102 Redemption from Egypt 22 singers in the Temple 1 Chron. 6. 22. c. Aarons Priest-hood that was Moses 103 Redemption from Egypt 23 so opposed is confirmed by the budding of his withered rod and upon Moses 104 Redemption from Egypt 24 Moses 105 Redemption from Egypt 25 this approval divers services for the Priests are appointed Chap. 17. 18. Moses 106 Redemption from Egypt 26 19. and so we have no more occurrences mentioned till the first day of Moses 107 Redemption from Egypt 27 Moses 108 Redemption from Egypt 28 their fortieth year They went under four or five continual miracles Moses 109 Redemption from Egypt 29 as the appearing of the Cloud of glory the raining of Manna the following Moses 110 Redemption from Egypt 30 Moses 111 Redemption from Egypt 31 of the Rock or the waters of Horeb the continual newness of Moses 112 Redemption from Egypt 32 their cloaths and the untiredness of their feet yet did they forget and Moses 113 Redemption from Egypt 33 were continually repining against him that did all these wonders for them Moses 114 Redemption from Egypt 34 Moses 115 Redemption from Egypt 35 They repined when they came out of Egypt that they must come out of Moses 116 Redemption from Egypt 36 Egypt Exod. 14. 12. They repined when they came near Canaan that Moses 117 Redemption from Egypt 37 Moses 118 Redemption from Egypt 38 they must go into Canaan Numb 14. and so they repined all the way between Moses 119 Redemption from Egypt 39 Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee c. Deut. 32. 6. CHAP. XX. World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 ISRAEL is now come to Kadesh Barnea again an unhappy place for there they had been eight and thirty years ago and received the doom of not entring into the land and the same doom falleth upon Moses and Aaron there now It is said They came into the desert of Zin to Kadesh in the first moneth but nameth not the year for it referreth to the decree made in that very place of forty years wandering and this is the first month of the fortieth year and so Numb 33. 8. and Deut. 2. 7 14. make it undoubted Miriam dieth at Kadesh and is buried there being a great deal above 120 years old The people murmur here now for water as they had done here before about the land and the Holy Ghost by a most strange word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most sweetly sheweth their confusedness They had lain here a whole twelve-month at their being here before but then no want of water for the rock or the waters of Horeb had followed them hither but how World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 that was now departed is not expressed Moses and Aaron are excluded Canaan for not believing the Lord and not sanctifying him before the people their particular fault is diversly guessed at it seemeth to me that it was this What say they ye rebels must we bring water out of this rock as we did out of Horeb Is all our hopes and expectation of getting out of the wilderness come to this We never fetched you water out of a rock but once and that was because ye were to stay a long time in the wilderness and that was to serve you all the while as we have seen it did by experience Now that water is gone and must we now fetch you water out of another rock O ye rebels have you brought it to this by your murmuring that we must have a new stay in the wilderness and a new rock opened to yield you water for your long stay as Horeb did Are we to begin our abode in the wilderness anew now when we hoped that our travel had been ended and so we shall never get out And so he smote the rock twice in a fume and anger And thus they believed not the promise of entring the land after forty years and thus they sanctified not the Lord in the sight of the people to incourage them in the Promise but damped them in it and thus they spake unadvisedly in their lips and so they were excluded Canaan It was a sign that the Promise aimed at better things then the earthly Canaan when the holiest persons in all Israel are debarred from coming thither from Kadesh Barnea they turn back toward the Red-sea again as they had done before Deut. 1. 40. because Edom would not now give them passage Aaron dieth in
them to be humbled some for their fathers guilt some for their own and some for both and to acknowledge that their being alive till now and their liberty to enter into the Land was a free and a great mercy for their own and their fathers faults might justly have caused it to have been otherwise with them 2. They had imitated their fathers rebellion to the utmost in their murmuring at Kadesh at their last coming up thither and in the matter of Baal Peor and therefore he might very well personate them by their fathers when their fathers faults were so legible and easie to be seen in them 4. He reckoneth not their second journy to Kadesh by name but slips by it Chap. 2. 1 4. Nor mentions their long wanderings for seven and thirty years together between Kadesh and Kadesh but only under this expression We compassed mount Seir many days Chap. 2. 1. because in that rehearsal he mainly insisteth but upon these two heads Gods decree against them that had first murmured at Kadesh and how that was made good upon them and Gods promise of bringing their children into the land and how that was made good upon them therefore when he hath largely related both the decree and the promise he hastens to shew the accomplishment of both 5. In rehearsing the Ten Commandments he proposeth a reason of the Sabbaths ordaining differing from that in Exodus there it was because God rested on the seventh day here it is because of their delivery out of Egypt and so here it respecteth the Jewish Sabbath more properly there the Sabbath in its pure morality and perpetuity And here is a figure of what is now come to pass in our Sabbath celebrated in memorial of Redemption as well as of Creation In the fifth Commandment in this his rehearsal there is an addition or two more then there is in it in Exod. 20. and the letter Teth is brought in twice which in the twentieth of Exodus was only wanting of all the letters 6. In Chap. 10. ver 6. 7 8. there is a strange and remarkable transposition and a matter that affordeth a double scruple 1. In that after the mention of the golden Calf in Chap. 9. and of the renewing of the Tables Chap. 10. which occurred in the first year after their coming out of Egypt he bringeth in their departing from Beeroth to Mosera where Aaron died which was in the fortieth year after now the reason of this is because he would shew Gods reconciliation to Aaron and his reconciliation to the people to Aaron in that though he had deserved death suddenly with the rest of the people that died for the sin of the golden Calf yet the Lord had mercy on him and spared him and he died not till forty years after and to the people because that for all that transgression yet the Lord brought them through that wilderness to a land of rivers of waters But 2. there is yet a greater doubt lies in these words then this for in Numb 33. the peoples march is set down to be from Moseroth to Bene Jahaan ver 31. and here it is said to be from Beeroth of Bene Jaahan to Moseroth there it is said Aaron died at mount Hor but here it is said He died at Moseroth now there were World 2553 Moses 120 Redemption from Egypt 40 seven several incampings between Moseroth and mount Hor Numb 33. 31 32 c. Now the answer to this must arise from this consideration that in those stations mentioned Numb 33. From Moseroth to Bene Jaahan to Horhagidgad c. they were marching towards Kadesh before their fortieth year and so they went from Moseroth to Bene Jaahan But in these stations Deut. 10. 6. they are marching from Kadish in their fortieth year by some of that way that they came thither and so they must now go from Bene Jaahan to Moseroth And 2. how Moseroth and mount Hor Gudgodah and Horhagidgad were but the * * * As Horeb and Sinai were though they be counted two several incampings of Israel Exod. 17. 1 6. and 19. 1. compared same place and Country and how though Israel were now going back from Kadish yet hit in the very same journies that they went in when they were coming thither as to Gudgodah or Horhagidgad to Jotbathah or Jotbath requires a discourse Geographical by it self which is the next thing that was promised in the Preface to the first part of the Harmony of the Evangelists and with some part of that work by Gods permission and his good hand upon the Work-man shall come forth 7. It cannot pass the Eye of him that readeth the Text in the Original but he must observe it how in Chap. 29. ver 29. the Holy Ghost hath pointed one clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To us and to our Children belong the revealed things after an extraordinary and unparalleld manner to give warning against curiosity in prying into Gods secrets and that we should content our selves with his revealed will 8. Moses in blessing of the Tribes Chap. 33. nameth them not according to their seniority but in another order Reuben is set first though he had lost the birth-right to shew his repentance and that he died not * * * So the Chaldee renders ver 6. Let Reuben live and not die the second death the second death Simeon is omitted because of his cruelty to Sichem and Joseph and therefore he the fittest to be left out when there were twelve Tribes beside Judah is placed before Levi for the Kingdoms dignity above the Priest-hood Christ being promised a King of that Tribe Benjamin is set before Joseph for the dignity of Jerusalem above Samaria c. 9. The last Chapter of the Book was written by some other then Moses for it relateth his death and how he was buried by the Lord that is by Michael Jude 9. or Christ who was to bury Moses Ceremonies The Book of JOSHUA THIS Book containeth a history of the seventeen years of the rule of Joshua which though they be not expresly named by this sum in clear words yet are they to be collected to be so many from that gross sum of four hundred and eighty years from the delivery out of Egypt to the laying of the foundation of solomons Temple mentioned 1 Kings 6. 1. for the Scripture hath parcelled out that sum into these particulars forty years of the people in the wilderness two hundred ninety and nine years of the Judges forty years of Eli forty of Samuel and Saul forty of David and four of Solomon to the Temples founding in all four hundred sixty three and therefore the seventeen years that must make up the sum four hundred and eighty must needs be concluded to have been the time of the rule of Joshua CHAP. I. World 2554 Ioshua 1 JOSHUA of Joseph succeedeth Moses the seventh from Ephraim 1 Chron. 7. 25. and in him first appeared Josephs birth-right 1 Chron. 5. 1. and
Ephraims dignity Gen. 48. 10 He is called Jesus by the LXX and by the New Testament Acts 7. 45. Heb. 4. 8. a type of him that bringeth his people into eternal rest He is installed into the authority of Moses both to command the people and to work miracles and the Book of the Law put into his hand by Eleazer as the manner was at Coronations 2 Chron. 23. 11. He foreseeth the dividing of Jordan and gives charge to provide to march through it CHAP. II. RAhab an hostess of Jericho hath more faith then 600000 men of Israel that had seen the wonders in Egypt and the wilderness Two Spies that were sent out the sixth day of Nisan come out of Jericho again that night the seventh day they lie in the mountains and the eighth day they return to the Camp here are the three days just so counted as the three days of our Saviours burial CHAP. III. IV. ON the ninth day the people march along upon Jordans banks till they come over against Jericho The Ark leads the van for the Cloud of Glory which had been their conductor hitherto was taken away at Moses his death On the tenth day the Ark divided Jordan there are 4000 cubits dry land in the midst of Jordan between the two bodies of the armies that marched on either side of the Ark as it stood in the middest of the river the Ark pitcheth besides Adam Chap. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 78. 60. CHAP. V. THERE is a general circumcision now of the people as there had been at their coming out of Egypt and as God then closed the Egyptians in three days darkness that they could not stir so now he striketh the Canaanites with terrour that they dare not stir to hurt the people while they were fore Circumcision sealed the lease of the land of Canaan and therefore as soon as they set foot on it they must be circumcised the eleventh twelfth thirteenth days of Abib or Nisan are spent about this business and on the fourteenth day they kept the Passover and so are sensible of both their Sacraments at once It is now forty years to a day since they came out of Egypt Christ appeareth weaponed and is Lord General in the wars of Canaan CHAP. VI. JEricho strangely besieged incompassed seven days according to the seven generations since the land was promised counting from Abraham by Levi and Moses Israel marcheth on the Sabbath day by a special dispensation The walls of Jericho brought down by trumpets and a shout in figure of the subduing of the strong holds of Satan among the heathens by the power of the Gospel the spoil of the Town dedicated to the Lord as the first fruits of Canaan Rahab received as the first fruits of the Heathen she afterward marrieth Salmon a Prince of Judah Matth. 1. 5. Joshua adjureth Rahabs kindred for ever building Jericho again CHAP. VII World 2554 Ioshua 1 AChan by one fact maketh all Israel abominable the like thing not to be paralleld again The valley of Achor is now the dore of discomfiture and discontent in time to come it must be the dore of hope Hos. 2. 15. fulfilled to the very letter Joh. 4. CHAP. VIII AI taken and the spoil given to the souldiers and here they have the first seisure and possession of the Land for in the spoil of Jericho they had no part And then Joshua builded an Altar vers 30. and writeth the Law upon it and the blessings and the curses are pronounced and now it was full time for now had the Lord by the sweet of the spoil of Ai given the people a taste of his performance of his promise to give them that land and now it was seasonable on their part to engage themselves to him and to the keeping of the Law CHAP. IX X. XI XII XIII XIV Ioshua 2 A Great delusion of the Church by the colour of Antiquity the Gibeonites Ioshua 3 made Nechenims for the inferiour offices about the Sanctuary the Ioshua 4 Sun and Moon do obeisance to a son of Joseph as Gen. 37. 9. thereupon there Ioshua 5 is a miraculous day of three days long In seven years is the land conquered Ioshua 6 as Jericho had been seven days besieged that this was the date of Joshua's Ioshua 7 battles appeareth from the words of Caleb Chap. 14. 7 10. he was sent one of the Spies of the land in the second year of their coming out of Egypt and had lived five and forty years since viz. eight and thirty years in the wilderness and seven in Canaan CHAP. XV. XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX. XXI XXII XXIII XXIV Ioshua 8 JUdah the royal Tribe first seated the taking of Hebron and Kiriath Sepher Ioshua 9 are mentioned here by anticipation for these occurrences came Ioshua 10 not to pass till after Joshua's death because the Holy Ghost in describing of Ioshua 11 the inheritance of Judah would take special notice of the portion of Caleb Ioshua 12 who had adhered to the Lord. Then Ephraim and Manasseh seated the Ioshua 13 birth-right of Joseph is served next after the royalty of Judah The Tabernacle Ioshua 14 set up in a Town of the lot of Ephraim and the Town named Shiloh Ioshua 15 because of the peaceableness of the land at this time The Temple Ioshua 16 was afterward built at Salem which signifieth Peaceable also that in the lot of Benjamin this in the lot of Joseph both the sons of beloved Rachel The rest of the land divided Simeon though he were of the same standard with Reuben and Gad yet consenteth not with them to reside beyond Jordan but is mixed in his inheritance with the Tribe of Judah as Gen. 49. 7. The rest of the Tribes seated agreeable to the prediction of Jacob and Moses The taking of Laish or Leshem by the Danites is related here by anticipation for it was not done till after Joshua's death Judg. 18. 29. because the Text would give account of their whole inheritance together now it is speaking of it From this mention of an occurrence that befel after Joshua's death and the like about Hebron and Kiriath Sepher it may be concluded that Joshua wrote not this Book but Phineas rather Joshua himself is inheritanced last Three Cities of refuge appointed within Jordan one in Judea another in Samaria and the third in Galilee and three without Jordan in the three Tribes there Eight and forty Cities appointed for the Priests and Levites as so many Universities wherein they studied the Law It is not worth the labour to examine because it is past the ability to determine whether the two Tribes and an half returned to their own homes assoon as ever the land had rest from the wars which was in the seventh year or whether they stayed till the land was divided and the people settled which took up a long time more howsoever it was the two and twentieth Chapter that containeth that story is laid
from any other 1. Because just now was the middle time betwixt the revolt of the ten Tribes and the burning of the Temple which whole sum and space was three hundred ninety years so summed Ezek. 4. 5. and so shall the Reader see by them when we come there If any will strictly have these sixty five years reckoned from the time of Esays uttering the Prophesie in the time of Ahaz we shall lend them a conjecture hereafter AFter the death of Jeroboam World 3216 Uzziah 16 the Throne of Israel Division 187 Uzziah 17 Interregnum 1 was empty twenty two Division 188 Uzziah 18 Interregnum 2 years for Zachariah the son Division 189 Uzziah 19 Interregnum 3 and next successor of Jeroboam Division 190 Uzziah 20 Interregnum 4 beginneth not to reign till the Division 191 Uzziah 21 Interregnum 5 thirty eight year of Uzziah Division 192 Uzziah 22 Interregnum 6 2 King 15. 8. The reason of this Division 193 may be supposed to be partly World 3223 Uzziah 23 Interregnum 7 Interregnum 8 sedition and disturbance in the Division 194 State for when a King doth reign he is presently slain 2 King 15. 10. and partly the bitterness of the Plagues which had begun in Jeroboams time ESAY I. 2. The people of Jerusalem much more of Samaria were now become so abominable that they are as Sodome and Gomorrah vers 10. full laden with iniquity vers 4. nothing amended by the sad judgment past vers 5. and therefore now determinately given up vers 7. 24. And Heaven and Earth called to witness these things as they were called to witness when these things were foretold Deut. 32. so that this is a proper place to count the ruine of the ten Tribes when it was a time of fixing the ruine of Jerusalem 2 CHRON. XXVI VI. VII VIII World 3224 Uzziah 24 UZZIAH overcometh the Division 195 Uzziah 25 Philistims and dismantleth Division 196 Uzziah 26 their chief Garrisons of Interregnum 9 Interregnum 10 Division 197 Uzziah 27 Gath Jabueh and Ashdod Interregnum 11 Division 198 Uzziah 28 and buildeth Cities and Garrisons Interregnum 12 Division 199 Uzziah 29 of his own in the midst of Interregnum 13 Division 200 Uzziah 30 them He subdueth the Ammonites Interregnum 14 Division 201 Uzziah 31 and some Arabians and Interregnum 15 Division 202 Uzziah 32 here some part of the Prophesie Interregnum 16 Division 203 Uzziah 33 of Amos against the Philistims Interregnum 17 Division 204 Uzziah 34 and Ammon beginneth to Interregnum 18 Division 205 Uzziah 35 take place Amos 1. 8. 13. but Interregnum 19 Division 206 Uzziah 36 to be accomplished in a more Interregnum 20 Division 207 World 3237 Uzziah 37 compleat desolation by the Assyrians Interregnum 21 Division 208 and Babilonian afterward Interregnum 22 the waters of a great flood that swept down all before them as Esay 8. 8. World 3224 Uzziah 24 THE vacancy still continueth Division 195 Uzziah 25 in the Kingdom of Division 196 Uzziah 26 Uzziah 27 Israel Interregnum 9 Interregnum 10 Division 197 Division 198 Uzziah 28 Interregnum 11 ESAY II III IV. Division 199 Uzziah 29 Uzziah 30 Interregnum 12 Interregnum 13 Esay the Evangelist is a Prophet Division 200 Division 201 Uzziah 31 Interregnum 14 at Jerusalem He foretelleth Division 202 Uzziah 32 Interregnum 15 Interregnum 16 the beginning of the Gospel Division 203 Uzziah 33 Interregnum 17 in the last days of Jerusalem Division 204 Uzziah 34 Interregnum 18 and the conflux of people Division 205 Uzziah 35 Interregnum 19 to that light of the Lord Division 206 Uzziah 36 Interregnum 20 and to that Law that should Division 207 World 3237 Uzziah 37 come from Sion as a Law of Division 208 Interregnum 21 old had done from Sinai that Interregnum 22 there should be no longer that quarrelling that had been by all Nations against the Jews because of their Religion for now Religion should be imbraced by all Nations that mens reliance upon their own righteousness should be abolished and the doctrine of Repentance take place That Christ the Branch shall be glorious and the members of the new Jerusalem holy but the people of the times of his Prophesying so abominable that he prayeth against them Chap. 2. 9. as Elias had done against the ten Tribes 1 King 19. 14. and threatneth sore destruction and judgments both upon men and women Thus was it with the people in manners though it were so prosperous with Uzziah for Victories the Lord intended to try Judah with kindnesses still as he had done Israel in the days of Jeroboam the second He fore-saw the issue he would leave them without excuse and had something yet to do for the glorifying of his Name and his Ordinances before he would deliver his people into his enemies hand 2 CHRON. XXVI from vers 9. to vers 16. World 3238 Uzziah 38 UZZIAH keepeth up Division 209 Zechariah 1 an Army of 307500. Builds Towers and Forts and maketh warlike Engines and groweth exceeding strong and feared of the Kings round about him ESAY V. Shallum 1 World 3239 Uzz. 39 Shallum 40 ALthough the Prophet Esay Menahem 1 Division 210 Uzz. 41 prophesied almost thirty Menahem 2 Division 211 Uzz. 42 years in the time of Uzziah Menahem 3 Division 212 Uzz. 43 yet have we no more but the Menahem 4 Division 213 Uzz. 44 five first Chapters left of all his Menahem 5 Division 214 Uzz. 45 Prophesies in so long a space Menahem 6 Division 215 Uzz. 46 and of those we have not the Menahem 7 Division 216 Uzz. 47 certain years neither but must Menahem 8 Division 217 take them up at conjecture Menahem 9 Division 218 In this fifth Chapter he singeth a Song for Christ his beloved concerning his beloveds Vineyard as they used to â—â—ng at their Vintages but it is a dolefull ditty concerning the unfruitfulness and wilde Grapes World 3248 Uzz. 48 of the Vineyard of Israel after Menahem 10 Division 219 so much husbandry Some of those sour Grapes he reckons up under several woes after his Song From this place Christ useth the parable of the Vineyard and the Jews from hence do soon understand it Matth. 21. 34 45. 2 KING XV. ver 5. to ver 23. World 3238 Uzziah 38 ZECHARIAH the son Division 209 Zechariah 1 of Jeroboam reigneth six months and is slain and here endeth Jehues house and here Hosea's Prophesie taketh place Hosea 1. 4 5. Shallum 1 SHALLUM reigneth a moneth having slain Zechariah Uzz. 39 World 3239 Uzz. 40 MENAHEM slayeth him Menahem 1 Division 210 Uzz. 41 Menahem 2 and reigneth ten years he rippeth Division 211 Uzz. 42 Menahem 3 up the woman with child Division 212 Uzz. 43 Menahem 4 of Tiphsah Ammon like Amos Division 213 Uzz. 44 Menahem 5 1. 13. Menahem doth evil in Division 214 Uzz. 45 Menahem 6 the sight of the Lord following Division 215 Uzz. 46 Menahem 7 Jeroboams Idolatry He is Division 216 Uzz. 47 Menahem
these learned and great men of the Nation who had gone into the service of Herod the Great and now of his son mentioned before SECTION XXVII LUKE Chap. VI. from Ver. 12. to Ver. 20. MARK Chap. III. from Ver. 13. to the middle of Ver. 19. MATTH Chap. V. Ver. 1. The twelve Apostles chosen LUKE and Mark do methodize and fix the time of the Sermon in the Mount which Matthew hath laid very early in his Gospel because he would first treat of Christs Doctrine and then of his Miracles In a mount neer Capernaum he ordaineth a Ministry for the Church of the Gospel and delivereth the doctrine of the Gospel as Moses at Sinai had done the like for the Law The number of the present Ministers appointed whom he calleth Apostles was twelve agreeable to the twelve Tribes of Israel that as they were the beginning of the Church of the Jews so are these of the Gentiles and to both these numbers of twelve joyned together the number of the four and twenty Elders the representative of the whole Church Rev. 4. 5 c hath relation Rev. 21. 12 14. The Text allotteth these ends of their appointment 1. That they might be with Christ to see his glory Joh. 1. 14. and to be witnesses of all things that he did Acts 10. 39 41. Luk. 24. 48. 2. That he might send them forth to preach 3. To heal diseases and cast out Devils Before they were completed in all their divine endowments they grew on by degrees They were auditors a good while and learning the doctrine of the Gospel that they were to preach before they set upon that work for though Christ chose them now yet it is well towards a twelve month before he sends them abroad a preaching as will appear in the process of the story So that besides the time that they had spent before this their choosing they also spent that in hearing and learning from the mouth of their Master what they were to teach when he should employ them So that even the Apostles themselves at the first setting forth into the Ministry did not preach by the Spirit but what they had learned and gotten by hearing study conference and meditation As the Lord under the Law and from the first founding of that Church did set apart a peculiar order and function of men for the service of the Sanctuary so did he under the Gospel a peculiar order and function for the Ministry of the Gospel and this no more to be usurped upon then that Now as under the Law there were several sorts of men within that function as High-Priests Chief-Priests ordinary Priests and Levites but all paled in with that peculiarity that no other might meddle with their function so likewise at the first rising of the Gospel there were Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers according to the necessity of those present times but all hedged in with a distinctive ministerial calling that none other might nor may break in upon All the Titles and names that Ministers are called by throughout the new Testament are such as denote peculiarity and distinctiveness of order as Wise men and Scribes Mat. 23. 34. Now the Jews knew not nor ever had heard of Wise men and Scribes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the learned of their Nation distinguisht for others by peculiarity of order and ordination And if they understood not Christ in such a sense namely men of a distinct order they understood these Titles Wise men and Scribes in a sense that they had never known nor heard of before Ministers in the new Testament are called Elders Bishops Angels of the Churches Pastors Teachers now all these were Synagogue terms and every one of them denoted peculiarity of order as might be shewed abundantly from their Synagogue antiquities The Jews knew no Elders but men by their order and function distinguisht from other men A Bishop translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chazan An Angel of the Congregation translates the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shâ—liach isibbor A Pastor translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parnas And a Teacher translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity Reader Now these terms had never been known by any to signifie otherwaies then men of a peculiar function and distinct order SECTION XXVIII MATTH Chap. V. and VI and VII LUKE Chap. VI. from Ver. 20. to the end of the Chapter The Sermon in the Mount THe proof of the order doth not need to be insisted upon Luke doth manifestly assert it It had been foretold by the Prophet All thy children shall be taught of God Isa. 54. 13. which if applied to the Gentiles they had been taught by the Devil his Oracles and Idols If applied to the Jews they indeed had been taught by the Lord in his Prophets but these were but men like themselves but this Prophecy foretells the preaching of Christ who was God himself he teaching and conversing amongst them he then the great teacher of the world Isa. 2. 2. and 51.4 doth from the mount neer Capernaum deliver his Evangelical Law not for the abolishing of the Law and Prophets but for their cleering and fulfilling He first beginneth with pronouncing blessings as the most proper and comfortable tenour of the Gospel and hereby he calls us to remember Gerizim and Ebal Deut. 27. For though Israel be enjoyned there to pronounce both blessings and curses upon those mountains yet are the curses only specified by name and number for the curse came by the Law but he that was to bless was to come which thing taketh place very comfortably and harmoniously here Luke addeth that he also denounced woes as Blessed be the poor Blessed are ye that hunger now c. But wo unto you that are rich Woe unto you that are full c. according to which form the Jews conceive the blessings and curses were pronounced by Israel from those two mountains mentioned Talm. in Sotah per 7. Tosapht ibi per. 8. How did Israel pronounce the blessings and the curses Six tribes went up to the top of mount Gerizim and six to the top of mount Ebal the Priests and the Levites and the Ark stood below in the middest between They turned their faces towards mount Gerizim and began with blessing Blessed is the man that maketh not any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord c. And both parties answered and said Amen Then turned they their faces towards mount Ebal and began with cursing Cursed be them an that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord c. and both parties answered Amen And so of the rest 2. He proceedeth laying out of the latitude of the Law according to its full extent and intention and sheweth the wretchedness of their traditional glosses that had made the Law of no effect They understood the Law Thou shalt not kill only of actual murder and that committed by a mans own hand for if
any want of power but it relateth to his will and to the rule by which he went in doing his works such another phrase see Gen 19. 22. When it is said by the same Evangelist He marveled at their unbelief it meaneth not that he marvelled because they had not saving faith but he marvelled because they believed no more then they did SECTION XLIV MATTH Chap. IX Ver. 35 36 37 38. Another perambulation of Galilee MATTHEW himself joyns this portion to the stories in Sect. 42. and the last words of Mark in the Section preceding he went round about the villages teaching are concurrent with the first words in this and so do assert the connexion CHRIST at his former rejection at Nazaret begins to go abroad preaching through their Synagogues as in Sect. 18. and so he doth now and so great multitudes resort unto him that he now resolveth upon sending forth his Disciples to preach abroad also SECTION XLV MATTH Chap. X. all the Chap. And V. 1. of Chap. IX MARK Chap. VI. V. 7 8 9 10 11. LUKE Chap. IX Ver. 1 2 3 4 5 6. The twelve Apostles sent out to preach THe order in Matthew and Mark shews and clears it self The twelve had been ordained for Apostles a great while since and all that while had been with Christ as probationers to see his works and to learn his Doctrine and since their pointing out to be Apostles it is observable how much Christ hath applied himself to Doctrine that they might learn the Gospel of the Kingdom and be stored with what to preach when he should send them forth Hitherto they had been learners and as for the gifts of the Spirit they as yet differed nothing from the rest that followed him but now he gives them power of healing and casting out devils and now is the power of miracles restored So that they cured diseases by the Spirit but they preached not by the Spirit but taught that only which they had learned from the mouth of Christ. He sendeth them out by two and two and so it is like the twelve spies divided themselves when they went to search the Land It may be the Apostles went in these couples that Matthew had reckoned them in What Christ forbiddeth them to take with them for their journey was 1. to inure them to depend upon his protection and not upon their own carefulness And 2. He hereby intimates that they should find such good entertainment in their Ministry that they should find safety and maintenance wheresoever they came Therefore when in Luke 22. 6. Now take purse and scrip c. he thereby would not signifie that his care of them was any whit abated of what it was now but that they should meet with worse times and worse entertainment then they had had now Whereas in Matthew and Luke they are forbidden to take staves in Mark it is said they should take nothing for their journey save a staffe only not staves for weapons or for their defence but a staff for their resting on for their ease in the journey as Gen. 32. 10. They are confined to preach to Israel only though many Gentiles dwelt intermixedly with them in their Cities because the Lord would own the peculiarity of the Nation in the first preaching of the Gospel as he had done all along in the Oeconomy of the Law when they had forfeited their priviledge of being a peculiar people by crucifying him that sent the Gospel amongst them then is the Apostles commission inlarged to go to the Gentiles Matth. 28. SECTION XLVI MARK Chap. VI. from Ver. 14. to Ver. 30. MATTH Chap. XIV from the beginning to Ver. 13. LUKE Chap. IX Ver. 7 8 9. JOHN beheaded his Disciples come into Christ. MARY and Luke do justifie the order for both of them have laid this story next to the story of Christs sending forth his Disciples Matthew when he saith At that time he useth the word in its latitude as it is often used in Scripture not precisely or determinately for the very day or season when a thing wasdone but in the current of time then in being And yet in this expression he seemeth also to have respect to the story that he had related next before though that were some reasonable space of time before this For there he had told that Christ coming into his own Country was slighted and undervalued and they were offended in him yet Herod was amazed at the wonders that he heard of him Here are two times regardable in this Section namely the time of John Baptists death and the time of Herods hearing of the fame of Jesus and the juncture of the stories is very close As the Disciples were preaching up and down according to Christs mission Herod beheaded the Baptist and by their preaching in the name of Jesus the fame of Jesus cometh to Herods hearing and the Disciples again hearing of the murder of John get in to their master So that the story of Johns death is related here in the proper place and time when it did occur And from one passage in John the Evangelist in the next following Section there is the ground of a fair conjecture of the time of his beheading For we shall see in the beginning of the next Section that all the four do speak of Christ departing privately into a desert place Matthew particularly gives the reason namely because he had newly heard by Johns Disciples of the death of their master Now John the Evangelist in giving that story of Christs retiring hath inserted this passage And the Jews Passover was nigh whereby we may conclude that the Baptists death was a little before the time of the Passover And from hence we may take up the whole space of his Ministry and imprisonment He began to Preach and Baptize in the year of Christ 29 at the spring of that year or about Easter Half a year after Jesus is baptized by him about the Feast of Tabernacles Till after the Feast of Tabernacles come twelve month viz. in the Year of Christ 30 he is still abroad baptizing in Bethabara and Aenon About October in that Year he is imprisoned and so lieth in restraint till almost Easter twelve month which was in the Year of Christ 32. And so his story is of three years space the better half of which he preached at liberty and the other half he lay in prison Herod upon the hearing of the fame of Jesus is struck with horror of conscience upon thought of the murder of John and if the leaven of Herod was Sadduceism his horrour makes him deny his Sadducaical principles and to think that John was Risen from the dead SECTION XLVII MATTH Chap. XIV from Ver. 13. to the end of the Chapter JOHN Chap. VI. from beginning of Chap. to V. 22. MARK Chap. VI. from V. 30. to the end of the Chap. LUKE IX from V. 10. to Ver. 18. Five thousand fed miraculously Christ walketh on the Sea ALL the
this which was more needful for the Disciples present condition were agreeable to the great occasion now at hand and most beneficial for the Church in time to come SECTION LXXXVI MAT. Ch. XXVI from V. 30. to the end Ch. XXVII all MAR. Ch. XIV from Ver. 26. to the end Ch. XV. all LUKE Ch. XXII from V. 39. to the end Ch. XXIII all JOH Ch. XVIII Ch. XIX all the Chapters CHRISTS Apprehension Arraignment Death and Burial THrre is no difficulty in the connexion of the beginning of this Section to the preceding but only this that the rest of the Evangelists make mention of Christs singing of an hymn as the last thing he did before his setting out for the mount of Olives but John maketh his speech and prayer to be last and speaketh not of his singing a hymn at all Which indeed is neither contrariety nor diversity of story but only variety of relation for the holding out of the story more compleat The three former Evangelists have recorded how Christ did celebrate the Passover and ordain the Sacrament at the end of it and therefore they properly speak of his singing an hymn for that was ever an unseperable piece of service at the Passover Supper and constantly used at the conclusion of that meal But John had made no mention of the Passover Supper or Sacrament at all and therefore it was not only not needful but also not proper that he should mention the singing of any hymn at all But he relateth the last speech and prayer of Christ which the other had omitted And whether this speech recorded by him or the hymn mentioned by them were last done by Christ is not much material to the order of the story I suppose the speech was later The hymn that they sung was Ps. 115. 116. 117. 118. which was the later part of the great Hallel as they called it which was constantly sung at the Passover and their other great Solemnities and with this later part was this Solemnity concluded His Prayer in the Garden CHRIST rising from Supper goeth forth of the City over the brook Kidron to the mount of Olives Compare Davids case and journey 2 Sam. 15. 23. Judas when they rose from the Table slips away into the City and there hath his cut-throats laid ready by the chief Priests for the cursed design that they had compacted about As Christ goeth along he telleth the eleven that were with him of their trouble that night by his apprehension and their scattering from him but he would be in Galilee before them and there they should meet again And so he directeth them which way to betake themselves after the Feast and what to do when their Master should be taken from them by death He foretelleth Peter again of his denial of him that night which Peter now armed with a sword cannot hear of but promiseth great matters He cometh to Gethsemany A place of Oyl Presses at the foot of Olivet into a Garden The Talmudists speak of the Gardens here and tell how the Gardiners used to fatten their grounds with the scouring of the sink that carried the blood and filth of the Temple Court into that valley Leaving eight Disciples behind he taketh Peter and James and John with him and imparteth to them the fears and sorrows that now seized upon him and leaving them also about a stones cast behind charging them to watch and pray He prays thrice for the removal of this Cup if possible c. and in an Agony he sweats drops like blood Remember Adams fall in a Garden and the first doom In the sweat of thy brows c. Now was the power of darkness Luke 22. 23. all the power of hell being let loose against Christ as it was never against person upon Earth before or since and that from the pitching of this field of old Gen 3. 15. Thou shalt bruise his heel So that it was not so much for any pangs of Hell that Christ felt within him as for the assaults of Hell that he saw inlarged against him that he was so full of sorrow and anguish His desiring the removal of the Cup was purae humanitatis but his submitting to the will of God purae sanctitatis As when a gangrened member is to be cut off pura natura â—elucts against it but right reason yields to it He prayed thrice and after every time came to his three Disciples and still found them sleeping His apprehension He had scarce awakened them at the third time when the Traytour and his Assasines are upon him to apprehend him At their first approach Judas according to the sign given that his fellow-villains might know Jesus from the rest steppeth to him and kisseth him And thereupon the rest draw up near him Jesus steppeth forward to meet them and asketh Whom seek ye They say Jesus of Nazareth he saith I am he and thereupon they went backward and fell to the ground And his thus confounding them with a word shewed that none could take his life from him unless he laid it down of himself While they lie on the ground and he hath them thus under him he indents for the dismission of his Disciples and having agreed for their safety and discharge he yields himself So up they got and lay hold upon him and Peter to shew some of his promised stoutness cuts off Malchus ear but Christ heals the wound With this wretched crue that apprehended him there were some of their Masters that set them on Luke 22. 52. To all together he telleth that it was plain it was now their hour the and power of darkness for that they had him so oft among them in the Temple that they were never able to lay hands on him till now Upon these words the Disciples think it time to shift for themselves And one flees away naked His appearance before Annas Besides the ill account that these men could give of this nights Passover no sooner eaten but their hands in blood and besides the horrid offence they committed against the Lord and against his Christ in this fact that they were upon they doubly transgressed against their own Canons namely in arraigning and condemning a person upon a holiday for such a day was now come in and arraigning and judging a person by night both which are directly forbidden by their Law Tal. in Jom tobh per. 5. halac 2. They first bring Christ to Annas And why For he was neither chief Magistrate but Gamaliel nor the Highpriest but Caiaphas He was indeed Sagan and Father in Law to Caiaphas but by neither of these relations had he Judicial power as a single man But as the Chief Priests had a special hand in this business and Annas was chief among them by his place and relation to Caiaphas and so had had no doubt a singular stroke in contriving this business that was now transacting so upon his apprehension he is first brought thither
from this first mischief of faction and schisme 1. A member of the Church had married his fathers wife yea as it seemeth 2 Cor. 7. 12. his father yet living which crime by their own Law and Canons deserved death For he that went in to his fathers wife was doubly liable to be stoned both because she was his fathers wife and because she was another mans wife whether he lay with her in his fathers life time or after his death Talm. in Sanhed per. 7. Maym in Issure biah per. 1 2. And yet they in the height of the contestings they had among themselves did not only not take away such a wretch from among them nor mourn for the miscarriage but he had got a party that bolstered him up and abetted him and so while they should have mourned they were puffed up His own party in triumph that they could bear him out against the adverse and the other in rejoycing that in the contrary faction there was befallen such a scandal Or both as taking this Libertinism as a new liberty of the Gospel The Apostle adviseth his giving up to Satan by a power of miracles which was then in being So likewise did he give up Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. The derivation of this power we conceived at Act. 5. in the case of Ananias and Saphira to be from that passage of Christ to the Disciples John 20. 22. He breathed on them and said whose sins ye retain they are retained c. and so were the Apostles indued with a miraculous power of a contrary effect or operation They could heal diseases and bestow the Holy Ghost and they could inflict death or diseases and give up to Satan Now though it may be questioned whether any in the Church of Corinth had this power yet when Pauls spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ went along in the action as Chap. 5. 4. there can be no doubt of the effect 2. Their animosities were so great that they not only instigated them to common suits at Law but to suits before the tribunals of the Heathen which as it was contrary to the peace and honour of the doctrine of the Gospel so was it even contrary to their Judaick traditions which required their subjection and appeals only to men of their own blood or of their own Religion The Apostle to rectifie this misdemeanour first calls them to remember that the Saints should judge the world and this he mentioneth as a thing known to them Chap. 6. 2. and it was known to them from Dan. 7. 18 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High How miserably this is misconstrued by too many of a fifth Monarchy when Saints shall only Rule is to be read in too many miseries that have followed that opinion The Apostles meaning is no more but this Do you not know that there shall be a Christian Magistracy Or that Christians shall be Rulers and Judges in the world and therefore why should you be so fearful or careless to judge in your own matters Observe in what sense he had taken the word Saints in the former verse namely for Christians in the largest sense as set in opposition to the Heathen And he speaks in the tenour of Daniel from whence his words are taken that though the world and Church had been ruled and judged and domineered over by the four Monarchies which were Heathen yet under the Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel they should be ruled and judged by Christian Kings Magistrates and Rulers Secondly He minds them Know ye not that we shall judge Angels ver 3. Observe that he says not as before Know ye not that the Saints shall judge Angels But we By Angels it is uncontrovertedly granted that he meaneth evil Angels the Devils Now the Saints that is all Christians that professed the Gospel were not to judge Devils but we saith he that is the Apostles and Preachers of the Gospel who by the power of their Ministry ruined his Oracles Idols delusions and worship c. Therefore he argueth since there is to be a Gospel Magistracy to rule and judge the World and a Gospel Ministry that should judge and destroy the Devils they should not account themselves so utterly uncapable of judging in things of their civil converse as upon every controversie to go to the Bench of the Heathens to the great dishonour of the Gospel And withal adviseth them to set them to judge who were less esteemed in the Church ver 4. Not that he denieth subjection to the Heathen Magistrate which now was over them or incourageth them to the usurpation of his power but that he asserteth the profession of the Gospel capable of judging in such things and by improving of that capacity as far as fell within their line he would have them provide for their own peace and the Gospels credit We observed before that though the Jews were under the Roman power yet they permitted them to live in their own Religion and by their own Laws to maintain their Religion and it may not be impertinent to take up and inlarge that matter a little here As the Jews under the Roman subjection had their great Sanhedrin and their less of three and twenty Judges as appears both in Scripture and in their Records so were not these bare names or civil bodies without a soul but they were inlivened by their juridical executive power in which they were instated of old So that though they were at the disposal of the Roman Power and Religion and Laws and all went to wrack when the Emperour was offended at them as it was in the time of Culigula yet for the most part from the time of the Romans power first coming over them to the time of their own last Rebellion which was their ruine the authority of their Sanhedrins and Judicatories was preserved in a good measure intire and they had administration of justice of their own Magistracy as they injoyed their own Religion And this both within the Land and without yea even after Jerusalem was destroyed as we shall shew in its due place And as it was thus in the free actings of their Sanhedrins so also was it in the actings of their Synagogues both in matters of Religion and of civil interest For in every Synagogue as there were Rulers of the Synagogue in reference to matters of Religion and Divine worship so were there Rulers or Magistrates in reference to Civil affairs which judged in such matters Every Synagogue had Beth din shel sheloshah a Consistory or Judicatory or what you will call it of three Rulers or Magistrates to whom belonged to judge between party and party in matters of money stealth damage restitution penalties and divers other things which are mentioned and handled in both Talmuds in the Treatise Sanhedrin per. 1. Who had not power indeed of capital
of the work of the Masorites for this purpose who altered not added not invented not a tittle but carfully took account of every thing as they found it and so recorded it to posterity that nothing could be changed We shall only bring in their own expositions which will attest to this truth to both those words that our Saviour hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is little to be doubted that Christ speaking in their language meaneth the letter Jod which is far the least of all their letters And about this letter the Jerusalem Talmud hath this passage Sanhedr fo 20. col 3. The book of Mishneh Torah Deuteronomy came and prostrated it self before God and said unto him O Lord everlasting Thou hast written thy Law in me A Testament that fails in part fails in the whole Behold Solomon seeks to root Jod out of me viz. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall not multiply wives The Holy blessed God saith to it Solomon and a thousand such as he shall fail but a word of thee shall not fail R. Houna in the name of R. Acha said The Jod that the blessed God took from the name of our mother Sarah was given half of it to Sarah and half to Abraham There is a tradition of R. Hoshaiah Jod came and prostrated it self before God and said Lord everlasting thou hast rooted me out from the name of a righteous woman The holy blessed God saith to it Heretofore thou wast in the name of a woman and in the end of it Henceforward thou shalt be in the name of a man and in the beginning This is that which is written Moses called the name of Hoshea Jehoshua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Tittle It most properly means those little Apiculi that distinguish betwixt letters that are very like one to another You may have the explanation of this in this pretty descant of Tanchuma fol. 1. It is written saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You shall not prophane my holy Name He that makes the Cheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the world for he makes this sense You shall not praise my holy Name It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord He that makes the He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the world for he brings it to this sense Let every thing that hath breath profane the Lord. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They lyed to the Lord He that maketh Beth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroyes the world for he maketh this sense They lyed like the Lord. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is none holy like the Lord. He that makes Caph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the world for he maketh this sense There is no holiness in the Lord. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord our God is one Lord. He that makes Daleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the world for he bringeth the sense to this The Lord our God is a strange God c. In Chagig fol. 77. col 3. they speak more of the letter Jod and so doth Midras Tillin in Psal. 114. In Deut. 32. 18. this little letter is written less then it self in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet preserved in that quantity and not altered and observed so by the Masorites 2. Yet could they not for all their care but have some false Copies go up and down amongst them through heedlesness or error of transcribers In Shabb. fol. 15. col 2. they are disputing how many faults may be in a part of the Bible and yet it lawful to read in The books of Hagiographa say they If there be two or three faults in every lea◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He may mend it and read The Books of Hagiographa they read not in their Synagouges as they did the Law and the Prophets therefore this is to be understood of a mans private reading and of his own Bible which if faulty there were true Copies whereby he might mend it and so read Nay in Taanith fol. 68. col 1. there is mention of a faulty Copy that was laid up in the publick records They found three books in the Court of the Temple The book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In one they found written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in two it was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 33. 27. And they approved the two and refused the one In one they found written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in two it was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 24. 5. They approved the two and refused the other In one they found written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in two it was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They approved of the two and resused the other That alteration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the second mentioned the Babylonian Gemarists and Massecheth Sopherim per. 1. say was one of the thirteen alterations that the Septuagint made in the Law for Ptolomy King of Egypt Which seems to argue that as they translated the Bible into Greek in which they made thousands of alterations from the text so that they copied an Hebrew copy for him and in that made these and this that was found in the Court of the Temple a transcript of that Copy 3. In every Synagogue they had a true Copy And it was their care every where to have their Bible as purely authentick as possible as may be seen by the curious rules that are given to that purpose in Massecheth Sopherim newly cited and Megillah For this they accounted their treasure and their glory And in the reading of the Law and the Prophets in the Synagogue it was their great care that not a tittle should be read amiss and for this purpose the Minister stood over those that read and oversaw that they read aright and from this as Aruch tells us he was called Chazan that is Episcopus or Overseer In Jerus Sotha fol. 21. col 3. the Samaritans are blamed by the Jews for wilfully corrupting their own Pentateuch R. Eliezer ben R. Simeon said I said to the Scribes of the Samaritans You have falsified your Law and yet reap no advantage by it for you have written in your Law By the plain of Moreh which is Sichem And was it not manifest enough without that addition that it was Sichem But you construe not a pari as we do It is said here The plain of Moreh and it is said elsewhere The plain of Moreh there it is no other but Sichem no more must it be here The addition cavilled at which is Sichem is so in the Samaritan Pentateuch now extant at Deut. 11. 30. But amongst all the wickedness that Christ and his Apostles laid
coming unto her in visible appearance as Chapter 18. 14. At the time appointed I will return c. Or it may be taken in connexion to the sense of the Verses preceding That after the defect of Prophecy the dawning of that gift and after the darkness of the Doctrine of Salvation as it was in the Law the day-spring of it from an high came now to visit us in the brightness of the Gospel Vers. 80. And was in the deserts Of Ziph and Maon 1 Sam. 23. 14. 25. which were places not far from Hebron where John was born Josh. 15. 54 55. His education was not in the Schools at Jerusalem but in these plain Country Towns and Villages in the Wilderness Till the day of his shewing unto Israel That is when at thirty years of age he was to be brought to the Sanctuary service Numb 4. 3. to which he did not apply himself as the custom was but betook himself to another course SECTION VI. S. LUKE CHAP. II. CHRIST born published to the Shepherds rejoyced in by Angels circumcised presented in the Temple confessed by Simeon and Anna. AND it came to pass in those days that there went out a a a a a a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek in Dan. 6. 8 12. a decree from b b b b b b Câ—sar the common name of the Roman Emperors as Abimelech of the Philistims Kings Ols. 34. in tit and Pharaoh of the Egyptians from Julius the first Emperor who was of this name but the name Caesar was long before him see Plin. l. 7. cap. 9. Caesar Augustus that c c c c c c As Ezr. 1. 2. all the World should be taxed 2. And that taxing was first made when d d d d d d In the Roman Historians he is called Quirinus Cyrenius was Governor of Syria 3. And all went to be taxed every one into his own City 4. And Joseph also e e e e e e Taking a journy in Scripture be it whither soever it will is called indifferently a going up or going down as Numb 16. 12 14 Jer. 21. 2. Judg. 16. 18. Gen. 42. 3. Judg. 15. 8. 1 Sam. 26. 10. went up from Galilee out of the City of Nazareth into Judea unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the stock and linage of David 5. To be f f f f f f This word here and in vers 1. 3. hath various translations That they might be enrolled Syr. Arab. Rhem. That they might profess Vulg. Eras. That they might be taxed Erasm. again and our English All these laid together make up a compleat description of the manner of their taxing First They were taken notice of who were in every Town and City and were Inrolled upon their inrolling they professed subjection to the Roman State and upon this profession they payed some money at which they were assessed taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with Child 6. And so it was that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered 7. And she brought forth her first-born Son and g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Gr. in Job 38. 6. and Ezek. 16. 4. some deriving the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To reâ—d conceive that is meant that his swaddles were poor and ragged and that this is expressed as a particular of his abasement wrapped him in swadling cloaths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inn. 8. And there were in the same Country Shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock h h h h h h Christ born by night for if he were born by day why should the revealing of it be forborn till night by night 9. And lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid 10. And the Angel said i i i i i i This message of the Angel as it was full of comforts so also was it of plainness according to the condition of the men to whom he spake Fear not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people 11. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you ye shall find the babe wrapped in swadling cloaths lying in a manger 13. And suddenly there was with the Angel k k k k k k Or the multitude a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying 14. l l l l l l Or the good will of God towards men is glory to God in the Highest and peace on the earth Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men 15. And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the m m m m m m It hath been held that these Shepherds were about the Tower of Edar Gen. 35. 21. and that this was about a mile from Bethlehem Shepherds said one to another Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us 16. And they came with hast and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger 17. And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child 18. And all they that heard it wondred at those things which were told them by the Shepherds 19. But Mary kept all these things and pondred them in her heart 20. And the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them 21. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child his name was called Iesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb 22. And when the days of her purification n n n n n n Levit. 12. according to the Law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23. As it is written in the Law of the Lord o o o o o o Exod. 13. 1. every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. 24. And to offer a Sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord p p p p p p Maries poverty in that her hand could not reach to a Lamb which was the proper offering that the Law required Levit. a pair of Turtle Doves and two young Pigeons 25. And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and the same Man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and q q q q q q The spirit of Prophesie It had been long a stranger among
the Nation even ever since the death of Zachary and Malachy but is now begun to be restored to speak of the great Prophet near at hand the Holy Ghost was upon him 26. And g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used again in this sense Mat. 2. 12 22. Act. 10. 22. Heb. 11. 7. and by the LXX 1 King 18. 27. and in another sense Act. 11. 26. it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ. 27. And he came by the Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Child Iesus to do for him after the custom of the Law 28. Then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said 29. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30. For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation 31. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel 33. And Joseph and his Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him 34. And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his Mother Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against 35. Yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed 36. And there was one h h h h h h Compare 1 Sam. 1. 2. Anna a Prophetess the daughter of i i i i i i In Hebrew it would be written Penuel as Gen. 32. Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser she was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her Virginity 37. And she was a Widow of about fourscore and four years which departed not from the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day 38. And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Ierusalem 39. And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own City Nazareth Reason of the Order THE dependence of the beginning of this Section upon the end of that that went before doth even prove and confirm it self For after the story of the birth of Christs forerunner and the relation of what happened and befel at that time what could be expected to come next in order but the birth of Christ himself Especially since none of the Evangelists mention any thing that came between Harmony and Explanation Ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim and shall afflict Ashur and shall afflict Heber Numb 24. 24. THAT by Chittim is meant Italy or the Romans it is not only the general opinion of the Jews as may be seen in their Targums and in other writers but of the most Christians also yea of the Romanists themselves whom the latter part of the verse doth so nearly pinch As see their vulgar Latine and Lyranus upon the place This Prophesie was fulfilled when the power of Rome first set her foot upon the neck of the Hebrews by the conquest of Pompey but especially when she tyrannized over Christ the chief child of Eber even before and at his birth as in this story but chiefly in condemning him to death as in the story of his passion As Jacob had before told that the Jews at Messias his coming should be under the Subjection of a Forain Nation so doth Balaam in this Prophesie shew who that Nation should be And this the more ancient and more honest Jews took notice of and resolved that Christ should come in the time of the Roman Empire and near to the destruction of the Temple by it So in the Talmud they question What is the name of Messias Some answer Hhevara Leprous and he sitteth among the poor in the gates of Rome carrying their sicknesses Sanhedrin The Chaldee Paraphrast likewise on Esa. 11. 4. readeth thus With the speech of his lips shall Messias slay Romulus the wicked one or the wicked Roman shewing at once his opinion of Christs coming in the time of the Romans and also of the Romans being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one after a singular manner Augustus was the second Emperor of the Romans or rather the first that was intire Monarch for Julius Caesar his Uncle and Predecessor had hardly injoyed any Monarchical government at all nor did Augustus of many years neither till he had outed Lepidus and overcome Anthony which were copartners with him in the dominion His name Augustus was given to him for his worthy administration of the Common-wealth For before-time he was called a a a a a a Dion Caepias and b b b b b b Sueton. Thurinus and Octavianus and had like to have been named Romulus as a second founder of the City but by the advice of Munacius Plancus he was named Augustus which importeth Sacredness and reverence § That all the world should be Taxed To so vast an extent was the Roman Empire now grown from Parthia to England and they two also included that it was a world rather then one dominion And so did their Virgil Ovid Florus own Authors boast it in those times as Caesar Regit omnia terris Divisum imperium cum Jove Totum circumspicit orbem Terrarum orbis imperium and such like speeches usual among them both in Poesie and Prose This huge and unweldy body of so large and spacious a dominion Augustus had now reduced to the healthful temper of peace and quietness which is the more remarkable by how much the more wars had been more frequent and more bloody but a little before For never had that Empire felt so great distemper within it self as it had done of latter times in the civil wars betwixt Sylla and Marius betwixt Julius and Pompey betwixt Augustus and Antony not to mention the continual wars that it had abroad It had not been very long before this time that the Evangelist speaketh of when both Rome it self and the rest of the world was at that pitiful plight that Polybius speaketh of That the Romans were forced to send to Ptolomy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 2. King of Egypt for a supply of corn because there was a great scarcity and dearth among them For in Italy all their corn was destroyed even to the gates of Rome by the Souldiers and abroad there was no help nor supply to be had there being wars in all parts of the world But now is there an universal Peace not only in the Roman Empire so that the Temple of Janus was shut up which it never used to be when any wars at all were stirring but if we will believe Crantzius even in those parts and Countries where the Roman power had not yet set her foot as Denmark Norway
and those Northern Climates there was so great a peace that in some places there Money and Jewels were hung up by the high way and there was neither Theif nor Enemy to take them away Such times became the coming of Shiloh the Peaceable one Isa. 6. 9. And such a beginning was befitting the Gospel of Peace Augustus having brought the Empire under this quiet obedience like a politick Prince will have it all taxed and brought into the Subsidy Book that he might know the extent of his command of his strength and of his revenues And thus we see and may observe Rome come to its intire and absolute Monarchy but at this time and the state and power that should persecute Christ in his Members to the end of the world beginning and born as it were at the very same time when Christ himself Augustus as c c c c c c Annal. lib. 1 Tacitus recordeth of him did cause an account to be taken of all the Empire and himself had a Book and Record of it written out with his own hand Opes publice continebantur quantum civium sociorumque in armis quot classes regna Provinciae tributa aut vectigalia necessitates ac largitiones quae cuncta sua manu perscripserat Augustus which contained the publick revenue the number of Citizens or confederates in the Armies what Shipping Kingdoms Provinces Tributes or Subsidies and relief money and beneficences Dion also in the life of Augustus and much also about this time mentioneth a tax laid by him upon those that dwelt in Italy whose estates were not less then five thousand Sesterces and poorer then these he taxed not Ver. 2. This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria The Tax is dated by the time of Cyrenius his Governing of Syria First Because Judea was annexed to Syria as a member of it and in naming the one the other is included Secondly Hereby the loss and want of the Scepter and Law-giver in the Tribe of Judah is the better seen for the subjection of the Jews by this is shewed to be in the third degree They subject to Herod Herod to Cyrenius and Cyrenius to Augustus Thirdly From Syria had Israel had their greatest afflictions that ever they had in their own Land as by Gog and Magog Ezek. 38. or the house of the North Dan. 11. And Luke deriving the taxing of the Jews from Syria calleth those things to mind and layeth as it were the last verse of Dan. 11. and the first of Dan. 12. together The taxing is said first to be made in his time As first Denying that ever there was such an universal taxation in the Empire before for the Empire was never in that case of universal quietness to be taxed before And secondly Importing the taxes of that Country that followed after Augustus at this very time laying the platform subjection and submission of the Empire for succeeding posterities And here let it be said again in exact propriety beginneth the Roman Monarchy and is far from being any of the four mentioned Dan. 2. or 7. Josephus c mentioneth Cyrenius his coming into Syria after Archelaus his death To do d Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 1. justice and to assess and tax every mans goods and he came into Judea which was now annexed to Syria and did so there Now Archelaus reigned after Herod Matth. 2. and reigned till Christ was about ten years old for ten years he reigned as saith the same d d d d d d Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 15. Josephus and therefore either Cyrenius came twice into Syria to lay taxations as Funccius concludeth or else Josephus faileth here as he doth not seldom elsewhere in Chronology Ver. 3. And all went to be taxed This taxing was first by Kingdoms and Countries then by Cities and Towns and then by poll First Kingdoms and Provinces were divided one from another Secondly Cities and Towns in every Kingdom and Province were also particularized and notice given that every one should repair to the place to which by stock and descent they did belong Thirdly The people being thus convened in their several Cities their names were taken and inrolled and so the Greek word here used doth signifie in the nearest propriety Then did they make profession of Subjection to the Roman Empire either by some set form of words or at least by payment of some certain sum of money which was laid upon every poll And now first are the Jews entring under the yoke of that subjection which they never cast off again but it pressed them into a final desolation even to this day Secondly They had voluntarily brought this misery upon themselves in calling in the Romans in their civil wars Thirdly No spark of their former freedom and authority is left among them for their King and Law-giver is clean gone Fourthly They are now to be inrolled and registred for vassals to all succeeding generations Fifthly They must now leave their own occasions and many of them their own houses to attend their own bondage and misery And thus It is in the words of our Rabbins if thou see a generation that hath many afflictions then look for the Redeemer from Isa. 59. 17 18. Jer. 30. 6 7 c. D. Kimch in Isa. 59. Ver. 4. And Ioseph also went up from Galilee c. Whether it were for the fear of Herod that had a murderous spite at the stock of David or for the more commodiousness for his trade or for whatsoever else it was that Joseph a Bethlehemite became a resident in Galilee surely it was the wondrous disposal of the Lord that a decree from Rome should bring him now from Galilee to Bethlehem that the Prophesie of Christs being born in that place might take effect Ver. 7. She brought forth his first born This is to be understood according to the propriety and Phrase of the Law agreeable to which it speaketh Now the Law speaking of the first-born regardeth not whether any were born after or no but only that none was born before As Hur is called the first-born of Ephrata 1 Chron. 2. 5. and yet no mention of any child that she had after So Christ is here called the first-born not as though she had any children besides but to shew that in him was fulfilled what was typified by the first-born under the Law who was as King Priest and Prophet in the Family and holy to the Lord. And so likewise in that speech of Matthew chap. 1. 25. He knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born it implieth not that he knew her after for the word till inforceth no such thing as see the Geneva notes upon the place but the Evangelists intention is to clear the birth and generation of Christ from any carnal mixture of Joseph and Mary before he was born And here it is not unseasonable to look a little narrowly into the time of our Saviours birth namely the time of the
the clouds by that is used here namely Heaven As The Lord that gave the Law out of a cloud Exod. 19. 16. is said to have spoken from Heaven Exod. 20. 22. So the like voice to this here that came out of a cloud Luke 9. 35. yet is said to come from Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 18. And Elias that by his prayer shut up the clouds that there was no rain is said to have shut up Heaven Luke 4. 25. The opening of the Heavens then was the renting of the clouds as we see them rent when the lightning comes forth and out of that rent came the Holy Ghost in visible shape and the heavenly voice And thus did the Gospel or Preaching of Christ begin with the opening of the Heavens which the Law had shut and thus were the heavens shaken when the desire of all Nations came first to be revealed openly as Hag. 2. 6 7. The very same difference of expression that is betwixt Saint Mark and the other Evangelists is betwixt the Hebrew and the LXX in Isa. 64. 1. for the Original readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou wouldest or hast rent but the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou open the Heavens c. Matth. 3. ver 16. The Heavens were opened to him To him to whom To Christ or to John Why to the eyes and beholding of them both for in that John saith he saw the Holy Ghost coming from or out of Heaven like a Dove Joh. 1. 32. he maketh it past denial that he saw the opening of the Heavens but the word to him in this place must be reserved and referred in a singular peculiarity to Christ and the opening of the Heavens to him importeth a more emphatical propriety than their opening to his sight For the Syntax and Grammatical construction that Mark useth maketh it impossible to fix the words to him any other ways than upon Christ And straightway saith he coming up out of the water he saw the Heavens rent or cloven c. This then being the propriety of the words that the Heaven was opened to our Saviour and yet since it was also opened to the sight of John it doth necessarily inforce us to understand it otherwise than only to his view or beholding namely to his prayer as the phrase is used by him himself Knock and it shall be opened unto you For had the Evangelist intended only to shew how he saw this apertion in the Heaven he might have joyned John with him in the same sight but he would give us to understand by the phrase that he hath used singularly of Christ alone that the Heavens were not only opened to his sight but for his sake And from hence may be confirmed what was spoken before concerning his prayer namely that it aimed at such a thing as Elias prayed and the Heaven was opened and fire came down upon his Sacrifie Thus Heaven that was shut to the first Adam because of his sin is opened to the second because of his righteousness and to all that by faith are partakers of it Mark 1. Ver. 10. He saw the Heavens cloven This is to be understood as that before of Christ only and after the same sense or to the same purport But since it is certain that John saw this as well as he as is also observed before and yet none of the three Evangelists that record the Story have given any undoubted or plain evidence of any such a thing it may likewise be questioned whether the rest of the people which were there present did see this sight as well as Christ and John Theophylact is peremptory in the affirmative For all of them saith he saw the Spirit coming upon Jesus lest they should think that the voice This is my beloved Son had been spoken concerning John but upon the sight of the Holy Ghost they might believe that that voice was concerning Christ. And of this opinion are very many others with him and no marveil for who could conceive any other thing And yet upon the weighing of these Reasons following we may very well be perswaded to believe the contrary or that this Heavenly spectacle and divine voice was conspicuous and audible to none but only to Christ and John First Because John after this doth himself tell those that were present at this time that there had stood one among them but they knew him not that that was he that was to come after him For the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1. 26. must of necessity be rendred in its preterfect signification for John spake not those words till after Christ was baptized and gone for he was at that time in his temptation in the wilderness Secondly Because Christ himself also telleth the Jews that they had never heard his Fathers voice John 5. 37. and among those to whom he speaketh were divers that had imbraced the doctrine and baptism of John ver 35. and it may very well be supposed some that were present at his baptism at this very time The maintainers of the contrary Opinion have spied this scruple and difficulty arising upon that Text and have gone about to salve it but with a very improper and dangerous plaister holding that though they heard this voice yet they heard not the voice of the Father but of an Angel which spake in his Name which shall be examined by and by Thirdly It is improbable that when Christ had such another testimony from Heaven at his transfiguration that he should conceal it from nine of his Disciples and charge the three silence that heard it and saw what was done Matth. 17. 9. and yet should let this voice and vision from Heaven be so publick as to be heard and seen of all the people Fourthly John himself telleth that this Revelation was given chiefly if not only for his sake John 1. 33. Fifthly The preaching of the Baptist was the means that God had ordained to bring the people to the knowledge of Christ John 1. 7 31. and this Revelation to bring the Paptist to it Sixthly Had all the people been partakers of this sight and voice John had needed no more to have pointed Christ out but the people would have known him as well as he nor could the opinion have ever prevailed as it did that valued John above him Seventhly When John shewed him forth with the finger with Behold the Lamb of God presently Disciples followed him which they would have done much more had they thus seen and heard him pointed out from Heaven but it is plain they did not the one and thereupon it may be boldly concluded that they did not the other Eighthly To which may be added that God ordained preaching partly of John partly of Christ himself and partly of his Disciples the way to bring the world acquainted that he was Messias And these divine Revelations were for the instruction and confirmation of them his preachers who were chosen witnesses for such a purpose
the Holy Ghost doth now reveal himself now when his sway of spirituality and dominion by sanctification is to begin Secondly The Holy Ghost was departed from Israel after the death of the last Prophets as was observed before and now he is to be restored again therefore himself cometh visibly and apparently at this his restoring and lighteth upon him to whom it belonged to give and distribute the gifts of the Spirit to whom he pleased For as John had told that Christ should baptize with the Holy Ghost so is that power and priviledge now sealed unto him in the sight of John when the Holy Ghost cometh down upon him and there abideth §. Descended in a bodily shape God is said to descend not that he moveth from place to place or cometh where he was not before for he is incircumscriptible and every where and filleth all places but in that he sheweth this his presence upon Earth in such or such a place by some external sign and visible appearance And so he is said to come down to see whether the wickedness of Sodome were according to the cry that was come up unto him because he revealed himself to Abraham Lot and the Sodomites in the visible and conspicuous representation of men So is he said to have come down upon Mount Sinai because of the outward revealing and expression of his presence there And so the Chaldee Paraphrast understandeth the Trinities descending Gen. 11. 5. for a conspicuous appearance of it for he translateth The Lord revealed himself to take vengeance c. And so is the Holy Ghost said to descend in this story and in that in Act. 2. not but that he was present in the same places before by his power and Godhead but that he revealed and expressed his presence by so sensible an evidence and by and in so revealed a work §. In a bodily shape First It was convenient that the Holy Ghost should reveal himself at this time First for the sake of John who was to have a sensible sign whereby to inform him which was the Messias as Joh. 1. Secondly In regard of the Holy Ghost himself whose work in the Church was now in a more special and frequent manner to be shewed under the Gospel namely that he might be expressed and revealed to be a personal substance and not an operation of the Godhead only or qualitative vertue For qualities operations and acts cannot assume bodily shapes nor ought but what is in it self substantial Thirdly That a full and clear yea even a sensible demonstration of the Trinity might be made at this beginning of the Gospel For it may be observed in Scripture that the Holy Ghost hath a special regard to express this mystery upon singular occasions that we might learn to acknowledge the three Persons in one Godhead as he also doth the two natures of Christ that we might acknowledge them in one person So the very first thing that is taught in all the Bible is this very mystery For when Moses beginneth the Story of the Creation he beginneth also to teach that the three Persons in the Trinity were co-workers in it God Created there is the Father God said there is the Word or the Son And the Spirit of God moved there is the Holy Ghost And the very same mystery is intimated by the Prophet treating upon the very same Subject Isa. 42. 5. Thus saith God the Lord he that created the Heavens and they that stretched them out That we might learn that Of him through him and to him the Father Son and Holy Ghost are all things Rom. 11. 36. So Moses also when he is to teach concerning the creation of man he first teacheth that it was the Trinity that created him Gen. 1. 26. And God said Let us make man after our Image He saith Let us to shew the Trinity of persons and he saith In our Image not in our Images to shew the unity of essence That every man even from the reading of the story of his Creation might learn to remember his Creators in the days of his youth as Solomon with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boraiecha answereth the same mystery Eccles. 12. 1. So likewise at the confusion of Tongues the Trinity is expressed Gen. 11. 7. Let us go down and confound their Language as it is also at the gift of Tongues I will send the Comforter from the Father Joh. 15. 26. Act. 1. 4. Such a one also was the blessing pronounced by the Priest upon the people when he dismissed them from the daily service of the Temple in the name of the Trinity Numb 6. 24 25 26. the name Jehovah or the Lord three times repeated for denotation of the three Persons as Paul explaineth it 2 Cor. 13. 13. When Moses also beginneth to rehearse the Law to Israel and to explain it the first thing he teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Deut. 6. 4. Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one Three words answering the three Persons and the middle word our God deciphering fitly the second who assumed our nature as is well observed by Galatinus To these may be added the entrance of Moses his revelation with the Name of the Lord three times rehearsed Exod. 34. 6. The Vision of Esay with three Holies Isa. 6. 3. The beginning of Psal. 50. and of Psal. 136. and many of the like nature which the heedful reader will observe himself How fitting then was it that at the beginning of the new world and the new Law and the baptism of Christ the three Persons should be revealed especially since he ordained baptism to be administred in their Names Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28. 19. §. Like a Dove It is thought by Austin and after him by Aquinas that this was a very living Dove not of the flock indeed of common Doves but immediately created by God for this purpose but created as true a living Dove as any of them and the reason they give for this their opinion is this Because it is not to be said that Christ alone had a true body and that the Holy Ghost appeared deceiveably to the eyes of men but that both those are to be said to be true bodies for as it was not fit that the Son of God should deceive men so was it not fit that the Holy Ghost should deceive them neither But it was no difficulty to the Creator of all things to make a true body of a Dove without the help of other Doves as it was not hard for him to frame a true body in the womb of the Virgin without the seed of man So they too punctual where there is no necessity nor indeed any great probability For First What needed there a real living Dove when an apparent only would serve the turn For the descending of the Dove was that there might be a visible
far from this kind slay my two sons that is slay two of my sons for Reuben had four sons at this time Gen. 46. 9. these stones be made bread 4. But he answered and said It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by h h h h h h In the Hebr. in Deut. 8. 3. from whence these words are quoted it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By every thing that cometh out of the mouth without any determinate naming of a word but the Chaldee and the Seventy have rendred it by every word that proceedeth or cometh forth and Matthew useth the very words of the Septuagint Luke gives the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than the very construction or translation of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Gods promise Psal. 89. 34. every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God 5. Then the Devil taketh him up into the i i i i i i The holy City was the common and ordinary name of Jerusalem as Esay 48. 2. 52. 1. Dan. 9. 27. Nehem. 11. 1. Matth. 27. 53. c. yea even when it was full of all abomination and corruption yea even when the story is relating that it is crucifying Christ as in the place last cited yet is it so called in regard of Gods presence and his worship which he had placed there Separists might do well to meditate a little upon this consideration The shekel of Israel had an inscription on the one side of it carrying this same title though not in the very same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerusalem the holy The Turks own the place by the same name and title at this day and the Papist in the same notion and nature But when that worship and religion and presence of God in them which he himself had planted there was removed then was Jerusalem no more holy than other places nay more accursed for their other abominations and especially for crucifying the Lord of Life And the Lord buildeth up for himself a new holy City a new Jerusalem when the old one is destroyed namely a spiritual building a City not made with hands a Church under the Gospel when that under the Law had undone themselves Rev. 21. 2. c. holy City and setteth him on a k k k k k k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is understood variously but it seemeth to mean the battlements of the Temple wherewithal it was ledged round about as Deut. 22. 8. called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hedge or inclosure as R. Sol. renders it the Chaldee expresseth it by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a case The Seventy by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crown The Vulgar and Erasmus use Pinnaculum here as our English doth meaning some spire or broach that shot up from the roof Camerarius indifferently takes it for the top or highest part of the Temple be it pinnacle battlement spire fane or what else it would The Priests used to go to the top of the Temple Talm. in Taanith R. Sol. on Esay 22. 1. pinnacle of the Temple 6. And saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up left at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone 7. Iesus saith unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8. Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them 9. And saith unto him l l l l l l This helpeth to construe the phrase in Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is to be taken for the Realms and Kingdoms themselves which Satan shewed him rather than for the dominion and rule over those Realms For that expression which Matthew useth All the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them of which Satan saith All these things will I give thee Luke uttereth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship o o o o o o The two Evangelists expressions laid together may make this useful result and observation That if to worship before the Devil be to worship the Devil for whereas Matthew saith if thou worship me Luke expresseth it if thou worship before me sure to worship before an Image is to worship an Image whatsoever evasion Popery would make to the contrary or else let it shew a reason of the difference me 10. Then saith Iesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written p p p p p p In the Hebrew in Deut. 6. 13. 10. 20. from whence this citation is taken it is 1. Thou shalt fear the Lord which the Evangelist renders thou shalt worship 2. The word only in the second clause is not extant But first our Saviour applies the Text close to the present occasion for the Devil had perswaded him to worship him and he retorts the Scripture so as to face the temptation most directly and since the fearing of God contains and includes all mans duty towards God be it what it will whether in affection or action and whether in worship or in holy conversation our Saviour doth reduce it to such a particular as was most pertinent and agreeable to the thing in hand And so parallels might be shewed in great variety where one place of Scripture citing another it doth not retain the very words of the portion cited but doth sometime change the expression to fit the occasion as Matth. 2. 23. translates Netzer a branch in Esay 11. 1. A man of Nazareth And that which is sorrows in Esay 53. 4. he hath rendred sickness Matth. 8. 17. because he is there discoursing of Christs healing diseases And divers more of this nature will the Reader take up by his own observation so that it is needless to insist upon examples Secondly Although the word only be not in the Hebrew Text yet is it in the Septuagint in the place first cited and it is most ordinary for the Evangelists to follow that copy And that translation hath warrantably added it seeing as Beza well observeth so much is included in the emphatical particle him and is also understood by comparing other places Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve 11. Then the Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him St. MARK CHAP. I. AND immediately the Spirit a a a a a a Each Evangelist hath his peculiar expression and each expression its peculiar meaning though some Translators do not much mind their differences as the Syriack that useth the same word in Matthew and Luke and the Arabick the same in Matthew and Mark only either of them take it actively in the one and passively in the other 1. Luke saith
3. 15. Vers. 21. Art thou Elias When he hath resolved them that he is not the Messias they presently question whether he be not Elias Messias his fore-runner for their expectation was of the fore-runners bodily coming as well as of Christs Their opinions concerning Elias his first coming and who he was then and of his latter coming and what they look for from him then it is not impertinent to take up a little in their words and Authors Some of our Rabbins of happy memory saith Levi Gershom have held that Elias was Phinehas and this they have held because they found some correspondency betwixt them And behold it is written in the Law that the blessed God gave him his covenant of peace And the Prophet saith My Covenant was with him of life and peace And by this it seemeth that God gave to Phinehas length of days to admiration And behold we find that he was Priest in the days of the Concubine at Gibeah and in the days of David we find it written And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them of old and the Lord was with him 1 Chron. 9. 20. And he was the Angel that appeared to Gedeon and to Jephthah and the Spirit of the Lord carried him like an Angel as we find also of Elias And for this it is said They shall seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Angel of the Lord and for this cause also he saith Before time and the Lord was with him And behold we find Elias himself saying unto the Lord Take now my life from me for I am no better than my fathers meaning that it was not for him to live always in this world but a certain space after the way of the earth for he was no better than his fathers We find also that he died not after he was taken away from the head of Elisha for there came afterward a writing of Elias to Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat as it is mentioned in the book of Chronicles Thus Ralbag on 1 King 17. And thus the Jews hold Phinehas and Elias to have been but one and the same man And what they held concerning Elias his singular eminency for Prophesie whilst he lived it appeareth by R. Samuel Lanjado in his Comment on 2 King 2. Elias saith he was so indued with Prophesie that many of the children of the Prophets prophesied by his means Our wise men of happy memory say Whilst Elias was not laid up the Holy Ghost was in Israel as it is said the children of the Prophets that were at Bethel said to Elisha To day God will take thy Master from thy head they went and stood afar off and they passed over Jordan It may be because they were but a few the sense telleth that there were fifty men of the sons of the Prophets It may be they were private men The text saith Thy Master It is not said our Master but thy Master shewing that they were wise men like Elias When Elias was taken up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 treasured up the Holy Ghost departed from them as it is said And they said Behold there is with thy servants fifty men men of strength let them go and seek thy Master c. And concerning the departure of Elias and his estate after the same Author giveth the opinion of his Nation a little after in these words I believe the words of our wise men of happy memory That Elias was taken away in a whirlewind in the Heaven that is in the air and the Spirit took him to the earthly paradise and there he abideth in body and soul therefore they say that Elias died not and they say moreover that he went not into the firmament And they say that some have seen him in the School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that he shall come before the great and terrible day of the Lord come Now his coming before the day of the Lord they hold to be twofold one invisible as that he cometh to the circumcision of every child and therefore they set him a chair and suppose he sitteth there though they see him not And the Angel of the Covenant which you desire behold he cometh Mal. 3. 1. The Lord shall come to his Temple this is the King Messias who also is the Angel of the Covenant or he saith The Angel of the Covenant in reference to Elias And so it is said That Elias was zealous for the Covenant of Circumcision which the Kingdom of Ephraim restrained from themselves as it is said I have been exceeding zealous for the Lord God of Israel for the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant He saith unto him Thou wast zealous in Shittim Phinehas in Numb 25. and art thou zealous here concerning Circumcision As thou livest Israel shall not do the Covenant of Circumcision till thou seest it with thine eyes From hence they have appointed to make an honorable Chair for Elias who is called the Angel of the Covenant Thus Kimch on Mal. 3. 1. Of this matter and of the Jews present expectation of Elias at every circumcision learned Buxtorfius giveth an ample relation in his Synagoga Judaica cap. 2. On the eighth day in the morning saith he those things that are requisite for the Circumcision are duly prepared And first of all two seats are set or one seat so made as that two may sit one by another in it covered with rich coverings or cushions according as every ones state will bear In the one of these seats when the child cometh to be circumcised sitteth the Sponsor or Godfather of the child and the other seat is set for Elias For they conceive that Elias cometh along with the Infant and sitteth down in that seat to observe whether the Circumcision be rightly administred and this they conceive from Mal. 3. 1. And the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye seek behold he cometh when they set that seat for Elias they are bound to say in express words This is the seat of the Prophet Elias That seat is left standing there three whole days together Rabbi Juda the holy once perceived that Elias came not to one Circumcision and the reason was because the child circumcised should once turn Christian and forsake his Judaism They use to lay the child upon Elias his cushion both before and after his Circumcision that Elias may touch him Thus he and more largely about their fancy of Elias his invisible coming upon that occasion And in the thirteenth Chapter of the same book he relateth how they expect him visibly at the other Sacrament even every Passover when among other rites and foolish customs they use over a cup of wine to curse all the people of the world that are not Jews as they are and that they do in this prayer Pour out thy wrath upon the Nations which have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name Pour thine anger upon them and let
that they are wrought in God 22. ¶ After these things came Iesus and his Disciples into the i i i i i i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is into Judea country meaning in opposition to Judea City For the story next before of the conference with Nicodemus came to pass and was acted in Jerusalem and there had Christ kept the Passover and done divers miracles and stayed some time and after these things mentioned before saith the Evangelist Jesus leaveth the City and goeth into the Country leaveth the chief City of Judea and goeth into the Country of Judea for to this sense do the Evangelists words mean if they be taken up at large And therefore I see no reason why Beza should confine this place to the country that lay near Jerusalem translating it Judeae territorium and expounding it to that sense Nor do I see that it is any such great matter as he makes it to give a reason of this unusual phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 country of Iudea and there he tarried with them and baptized 23. And Iohn also was baptizing k k k k k k Aenon The Syriack and Arab read it in two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some would have to mean the Well of the Greeks as if in the times of the Grecian and Syro-Grecian Monarchies some Greeks had digged and laid up these waters we shall enquire after this place in the exposition of the verse in Aenon near to Salim because there was much f Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The voice thereof For even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things without life are said to yield a voice 1 Cor. 14. 7 8. As blood Gen. 4. 10. waters Psal. 93. 3. miracles Exod. 4. 8. thunder Rev. 19. 6. c. And whereas the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth indifferently signifie either an articulate voice or any other sound the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also used very commonly in the Scripture to the same signification and extent water there and they came and were baptized 24. For Iohn was not yet cast into prison 25. l Therefore there was a question of Iohns disciples with the Iews about purifying 26. And they came unto Iohn and said unto him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Iordan to whom thou barest witness behold the same baptizeth and all men come to him 27. Iohn answered and said A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven 28. Ye your selves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ but I am sent before him 29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth greatly because of the bridegrooms voice This my joy thorefore is fulfilled 30. He must increase but I must decrease 31. He that cometh from above is above all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that cometh from above is above all 32. And what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and no man receiveth his testimony 33. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true 34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him 35. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Reason of the Order THE subsequence and jointing of this story of Nicodemus unto that which is recorded in the latter end of the second Chapter of Christs doing many miracles at Jerusalem at the Passover is so apparent out of Nicodemus his own words ver 2. and out of the words of the Evangelist ver 22. that it needeth no proof and evidence but only to point at these verses for the proving of it Yet that we may observe both the connexion of this Chapter with the former and also the times and juncture of this Chapter within it self let us view it a little at large and take our prospect from the three and twentieth verse of the second Chapter Now when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover on the Feast day many believed in his name when they saw the miracles that he did This feast day at the Passover may best be conceived to be the first day of the festival week or the day after the Passover was eaten for on that day was the appearance of the people in the Court of the Temple as the Law appointed that thrice every year they should appear before the Lord. For that appearing mentioned in the Law saith Rambam was that every one appear in the Court the first holy day of the festival and bring an offering In Hagg. per. 1. On that day therefore the concourse of the people being the greatest it is most proper to suppose that Christ began to shew himself in his miraculous power as he had done a day or two before in his Prophetick zeal in driving the market out of the Temple What miracles they were that he wrought is not mentioned it is most rational and most agreeable to his workings afterward to hold that it was healing of diseases and casting our Devils but whatsoever the miracles were for particular and distinctive quality the power shewed in them was so great that it made Nicodemus confess and others acknowledge that none could do such but a teacher come from God and it made the Galileans who were spectators now to receive him when he came amongst them afterward Joh. 4. 45. Such works had never been done in their sight till now and they had never had such miraculous spectacles at their appearances before and so he shewed them at once that it is not in vain to wait upon God in his appointments and that the great Prophet was come among them and yet on that very day come three years they put him to death Nicodemus undoubtedly was a spectator and witness of what was done and so the Syriack translator seemeth to conclude when he rendreth the beginning of this Chapter thus Now there was one of the Pharisees named Nicodemus there and so his own words seem to argue as spoken not upon hearsay but upon ocular witness we know thou art a teacher come from God for none can do such miracles c. He having seen those wondrous workings by day came to Jesus that night as may in most probability be conjectured and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very properly rendred in such a definite and determinate construction For there can be no doubt but he would come with the first conveniency he could being taken with those miracles and desiring to have some communication with Christ and not knowing how soon he might be getting out of Town However if he did not come that night yet doubtless he would delay as
into the state of Grace must be born of the Spirit Baptism is Gods Ordinance for the former purpose and it is necessary for that end ratione praecepti and we must obey God in it The Spirit is Gods operation for the latter purpose and it is necessary ratione medii and we must attend on him in his way for it Vers. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh Christ in the former words had declared the manner of the New birth and here he speaks of its dignity comparing it with the birth-priviledge of descent from Abraham For though as to outward honour and prerogative that had something and that not a little in it yet that birth was but according to the flesh and what conduced it towards entring into the Kingdom of Heaven which was spiritual But he that is born of the Spirit is spiritual c. And thus he is still winding up Nicodemus higher from his gross and carnal apprehensions concerning the Kingdom of God and days of Messias Vers. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth c. For the clearing of our Saviours argumentation here which is somewhat obscure we are to observe these things 1. That by this comparison he goeth about both to confirm the truth of the doctrine of the New birth which he had delivered and also something to clear the manner of its being or coming to pass 2. The comparison seemeth not made between the wind and the new birth but between the wind and one anew born for observe the application So is not the birth of the Spirit but every one that is born of the Spirit yet is the application to that work it self not to be excluded The comparison therefore runneth thus As the wind blowing at its own liberty thou hearest the sound of it and so art sensible of the stirring of such a thing but knowest not how it blows or what becomes of it even so is every one that is born of the Spirit the Spirit worketh this product of the new birth in whom and when it pleaseth and he upon whom the thing is wrought findeth by the change and effects in himself that such a thing is done but he cannot tell how it is come to pass and actuated and to what progress and efficiency it will grow And so doth Christ explain to the sensual and gross understanding of Nicodemus the truth of the things that he had spoken in as plain notions as they could be uttered First He asserteth the truth and reality of the New birth a thing to be as well perceived by the fruits and consequences of it as the wind by the sound 2. That the Spirit doth work this by as free an agency and unlimited activity as the wind doth blow at its own liberty without confinement or restraining 3. That this work is inscrutable and past the fadoming of humane reason as is the way of the wind where it begins and where it terminates Vers. 10. Art thou a Teacher of Israel c. Talmud Torah or the teaching of the Law in Israel was in so high esteem amongst them and that most deservedly had they gone the right way to work that they prized nothing at a higher value nay nothing of an equal dignity with it They esteemed it the most precious of all the three Crowns that the Lord had bestowed upon Israel The Crown of the Kingdom the Crown of the Law and the Crown of the Priesthood They weighed it against any one of the Commandments nay against all the Commandments and it out weighed them all For they had this received position 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst all the Commandments there is not one Commandment that is parallel to the learning and teaching of the Law but that is equal to all the Commandments put together Maym. in Talm. torah per. 3. Now there were four sorts of Teachers and teaching of the Law among them 1. In every City and Town there was a School where Children were taught to read the Law and if there were any Town where there was not such a School the men of the place stood excommunicate till such a one was erected 2. There were the publick Preachers and Teachers of the Law in their Synagogues Act. 15. 21. most commonly the fixed and setled Ministers and Angeli Ecclesiae and sometime learned men that came in occasionally as Act. 13. 14. 3. There were those that had their Midrashoth or kept Divinity Schools in which they expounded the Law to their Scholars or Disciples of which there is exceeding frequent mention among the Jewish writers especially of the Schools of Hillel and Shammai Such a Divinity professor was Gamaliel Act. 22. 3. 4. And lastly The whole Sanhedrin in its Sessions was as the great School of the Nation as well as the great Judicatory For it set the sense of the Law especially in matters practical and expounded Moses with such authority that their gloss and determination was an ipse dixit a positive exposition and rule that might not be questioned or gainsaid Of this company of the great Doctors and Teachers of the Sanhedrin Nicodemus was one and it may very well be conceived that he kept a Divinity School as other of the great Doctors did and so he was doubly a Teacher of Israel and yet knew not these first principles of Religion But whether he kept a Divinity School or no as he was a member of the Sanhedrin he was in place of the highest Teachers of the Nation and this retortion that our Saviour puts upon him is parallel to that that the Apostle useth Rom. 2. 21. Thou that teachest others teachest thou not thy self §. And knowest not these things The Divinity of the Jews which they taught and heard in their Schools was as far out of the rode of such doctrine as Christ teacheth here as it is from England to Jerusalem For though some of them stuck not to say that the Law might be expounded 72 ways yet in all their Expositions the Doctrine of Regeneration and the work of Grace was little thought on or looked after To omit their manner of expounding by Rashe sophe tebhoth Gematria Notericon Atbash Kabbalah and such wild kind of commenting as was ordinary among them the best Divinity that was to be had with them was but to instruct them in carnal rites and to heighten their Spirits to Legal performances They would speak and teach indeed concerning repentance and mortification and such kind of Doctrines but all was to promote their own Legal righteousness in such things and actions the more Their Divinity that they taught and learned was generally to this tenour To build upon their birth priviledge from Abraham Mar. 3. 9. To rest in the Law Rom. 2. 17. To rely upon their own works Mark 19. 20. Luke 18. 11. Gal. 4. 21. 5. 4. To care for no other faith but historical Jam. 2. 19. To patter over prayers as efficacious ex opere operato Maym. In
into an hotch-potch of Religion in some things like the Jewish in many things exceeding Heathenish And the people sometime shewed friendship to the Jews sometimes enmity sometimes claiming kinred of them when they saw them in prosperity pretending to have been descended from Joseph but sometimes again scorning and despising them when they saw them brought to any ebb or in calamity Jos. Ant. l. 9. c. 14. lib. 12. cap. 7. 3. When the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin were brought to the lowest ebb and captived out of their own land into Babel then did these Samaritans get elbow-room and insolency against them against their coming to their own land again These were the main opposers and hinderers of the building of the Temple Ezra 4. called the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin vers 1. and the people of the land vers 4. yet pretending to seek God and to sacrifice as well as the Jews vers 2. c. Here the fewd and hatred began to be more apparent and as the Samaritans were thus bitter to the Jews so the Jews to their power were not behind hand with the Samaritans For if we may believe their own Authors Ezra Zorobabel and Joshua gathered all the Congregation into the Temple and brought in three hundred Priests and three hundred books of the Law and three hundred Infants and they blew Trumpets and the Levites sung and chanted and cursed excommunicated and separated the Samaritans by the secret Name of God and by the glorious writing of the Tables and by the curse of the upper and lower house of Judgment that no Israelite eat of any thing that is a Samaritans for he that doth doth as if he eat swines flesh Nor that any Samaritan be proselyted to Israel nor have any part in the Resurrection as it is said what have you to do with us to build the house of the Lord our God Nor have you any part or right or memorial in Jerusalem And they wrote out and sent this curse to all Israel in Babel and they added thereto curse upon curse and the King fixed a curse everlasting to them as it is said And God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hands to alter it Haec R. Tanchuma fol. 17. 4. Hitherto the Samaritans after the captivity of the ten Tribes were Heathenish and no Jews among them save one or a few Priests to teach them the Law according to the ten Tribes usage of it and as it seemeth by Aben Ezra on Esth. 1. they had the book of Moses law among them but in so wild a translation that the first verse of it was read thus In the beginning Ashima created heaven and earth What Ashima meaneth see 2 King 17. 30. but from the times of Ezra and Nehemiah exceeding many Jews began to be mingled among them and became Samaritans The main occasion was this One of the sons of Jojada the son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite a chief man among the Samaritans for which cause he was driven from the Priesthood by Nehemiah Neh. 13. 28. Josephus nameth both the man and the woman and relateth the full story to this purpose Manasses saith he the brother of Jaddua the High Priest had maried Nicasso the daughter of Sanballat Which thing the Elders of the Jews taking exceeding ill as a violation of their Laws and as an introduction to strange marriages they urged that either he should put away his wife or that he should be put away from the Priesthood Yea and Jaddua his brother drave him away from the Altar that he should not Sacrifice Whereupon Manasses addressing himself to his Father in Law Sanballat tells him that it was true indeed that he loved his daughter Nicasso most dearly but yet would not lose his function for her sake it being hereditary to him by descent and honourable among his Nation To this Sanballat replied that he could devise such a course as that he should not only injoy his Priesthood still but also obtain an High Priesthood and be made a primate and metropolitane of a whole Country on condition that he would keep his daughter still and not put her away For he would build a Temple on mount Gerizim over Sichem like the Temple at Jerusalem and this by the consent of Darius who was now Monarch of the Persian Empire Manasses imbraced such hopes and promises and abode with his Father in Law thinking to obtain an High Priesthood from the King And whereas many of the Priests and people at Jerusalem were intricated in the like marriages they fell away to Manasses and Sanballat provided them lands houses and subsistence But Darius the King being overthrown by Alexander the Great Sanballat revolted to Alexander and did him homage and submitted both himself and his Dominion unto him and having now gotten an opportunity he made his Petition to him and obtained it of building this his Temple And that that helped him in this his request was that Jaddua the High Priest at Jerusalem had incurred Alexanders displeasure for denying him help and assistance at the siege of Tyrus Sanballat pleaded that he had a son in Law named Manasses brother to Jaddua to whom many of the Jews were very well affected and followed after him and might he but have liberty to build a Temple on mount Gerizim it would be a great weakning of Jaddua for by that means the people would have a fair invitation to revolt from him Alexander easily condescended to his request and so he fell on to build his Temple with might and main When it was finished it caused a great Apostasie at Jerusalem for very many that were accused and indited for eating of forbidden meats for violating the Sabbath or for other crimes fled away from Jerusalem to Sichem and to mount Gerizim and that became as a common Sanctuary for offenders To this purpose Josephus To which it may not be impertinent to add the relation of R. Abrah Zaccuth about this matter When Alexander the Great saith he went from Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite went forth to him with some Israelites and some of the sons of Joshua the High Priest who had made marriages with the Samaritans and whom Ezra and Nehemiah had driven from the house of the Lord and he desired of Alexander that the Priests his sons in law might build a Temple in mount Gerizim and the King commanded that it should be done and so they built a Temple Thus was Israel divided half the people after Simeon the Just and Antigonus his scholar and their society following what they had received from the mouth of Ezra and the Prophets And the other half after Sanballat and his sons in Law and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed out from the house of the Lord and made ordinances of their own invention And Manasseh the son in Law of Sanballat the son of Joshua the son
My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that willingly offered themselves bless ye the Lord glosseth thus I am sent to praise the Scribes of Israel who when this affliction was ceased not from inquiring after the Law and now it is comely for them that they sit in the Synagogues likely and teach the people the words of the Law and bless and praise the Lord. It cannot therefore be otherwise imagined to spare more words upon this proof but that seeing the use of Synagogues was of so absolute and inevitable necessity for the maintaining of Religion as that in a very short time there could be no Religion without them they were not only of ancient use among the Isralites even from their first setling in Canaan but that they had also so warrantable an original as could not be less than Sacred for if their founding were not appointed articulately by Moses or some other Prophet yet was their erecting written so plainly in a most religious necessity that if they had not a divine Law in terms they had a divine necessity indeed for their foundation Sect. II. Of the Synagogues in those latter times after the return out of captivity However corruptions and vain fancies were crept into and mingled with the worship and carriage in their Synagogues in the latter days of Jerusalem when sin folly and traditions did abound as what hath there been even of the holiest use and institution which by the wretched folly or daring of men hath not been abused either besides or contrary to the proper end and use of it yet because the New Testament doth speak of the Synagogues as they then were better or worse and hath occasion often to relate to their customs which were now traditional and mingled with humane inventions It is agreable to the work that we have in pursuit to give account and relate the story of them accordingly out of their own antiquities and traditions In which if we find that their fond and foolish inventions had spoiled the Synagogue service yet had it no more nullified the necessary being of Synagogues than their Traditions had done the Law We will first therefore look upon the places that were capable and fit to have a Synagogue builded and erected in them as their traditions ordered and those were not every Town or Village that was in Israel but only those that were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great Cities Now what one of these was is determined by the Talmud in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is meant by a great City Such a one as hath in it ten men of leisure Less than thus it is a Village Megillah per. 1. And to this sense is Maymonides to be understood when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every place where there are ten men of Israel there it is requisite to build an house whither they may resort to prayer at every time of prayer and this place is called a Synagogue And the men of the City are to urge one another to build a Synagogue and to buy them a book of the Law Prophets Hagiographa Maymon in Tephillah per. 11. Not that every Town which had ten men or ten idle men in it was capable presently of a Synagogue but these ten men that they mean must be men of some fashion and quality Their preciseness for this number of ten arose from this because they held not that to be a lawful Congregation nor pleasing to God in which there was not ten persons And they read not in the Law nor in the Prophets in the Synagogue nor lifted up their hands c. unless there were ten persons present Megillah per. 4. For they thought not that God was present there if there were not so many men present The Divine Majesty dwelleth not among less than ten Nay R. Jonathan saith that when the Holy blessed God cometh into the Synagogue and findeth not ten there he is presently angry as it is said Wherefore came I and there was no man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But whence ground they this opinion that a Congregation consisteth of ten and must not be less This is the Talmuds question in Sanhedrin per. 1. and they give there this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it is said How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 14. 27. Take Joshuah and Caleb out and there remainded but ten namely the rest of the spies which caused the people to murmur for of them only they understand these words to be spoken The words of our Saviour in Matth. 18. 17 20. seem to have reference to this opinion Dic Ecclesiae Tell the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Congregation and that is not ten or many as they held but when two or three are gathered together in my name if no more may be had Now upon this traditional construction of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of a Congregation that it must consist at the least of ten they only erected Synagogues in those places where there were ten men that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or still at leisure and uningagad from other imployments to go to Church at every time of prayer to make up a Congregation Poor labouring men and men of great imployments in the world could not be at this leisure always and therefore those men that must be continually the makers up of a Congregation at every pinch must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Rambam stiles them ubi supra per. 12. Men of rank and quality Not so much of rank and greatness in regard of outward possessions wealth and honours as in regard of Study in the Law and Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there is no Ben horin or man of rank but he that is versed in the study of the Law Avoth per. 6. Sect. III. Of their Synagogue days or time of their meeting there Where a City or Town was stockt with ten such sufficient men there they built a Synagogue and according to the number of such men and populousness of the place they increased the number of their Synagogues sometimes to a very great multitude The treatise Beracoth saith there were twelve Synagogues in Tiberias fol. 8. And Rabbi Solomon speaketh of four hundred and eighty Synagogues in Jerusalem on Esay 1. Now their Synagogue days or the times of their publick prayers there were three every week setting holy days aside namely on the Sabbath and on the second day of the week which answereth to our Munday and on the fifth day which is our Thursday Their meeting there on the Sabbath and praying and reading the Law was ordained by Moses Maym. Tephil per. 12. But on the second and fifth day of the week was appointed by Ezra Talm. in Bava bathra per. 4. There the Gemarists and Glossaries debate the maâ—ter why on these two days rather than on any other two of the week and some
by such like passages as these All the commandments of the Law be they preceptive or prohibitive if a man transgress against any of them either erring or presuming when he repents and turns from his sin he is bound to make confession Whosoever brings a sin or trespass offering for his error or presumption his sin is not expiated by his offering until he make a verbal confession And whosoever is guilty of death or of whipping by the Sanhedrin his sin is not expiated by his whipping or his death unless he repent and make a confession And because the Scapegoat is an atonement for all Israel the High Priest maketh a confession for all Israel over him The Scapegoat expiateth for all transgressions mentioned in the Law be they great or little Maym. in Teshubah per. 1. This their wild doctrine about repentance and pardon being considered in which they place so much of the one and the other in such things as that the true affectedness of the heart for sin or in seeking of pardon is but little spoken of or regarded we may well observe how singularly pertinent to the holding out of the true doctrine of repentance this word is which is used by the Holy Ghost which calleth for change of mind in the penitent and an alteration of the inward temper as wherein consisteth the proper nature and vertue of repentance and not in any outward actions or applications if the mind be not thus changed And thus as our Saviour urging the duty of repentance upon them from this reason because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand argueth to them from one of their own confest opinions so in this original word by which repentance is called for another opinion of theirs seemeth also to be looked upon but with gainsaying and confutation because they placed so much of repentance if not all repentance in outward things And so when the Ministery of the Gospel calleth for Repentance and in such a word as betokeneth a change and alteration of the mind it doth at once confute the double error that was amongst them which was either about not needing of repentance but insisting upon legal righteousness or if they were to repent it was to be chiefly performed by confession or offerings or some outward action III. Thirdly It is observable in this preaching of Christ that to his admonition to repent he also adjoyneth the other To believe the Gospel which John the Baptist that we read of had not done Matth. 3. 2. And yet John preached the Gospel too for his Ministery is called the beginning of it Mark 1. 1 2. and he preached that they should believe Joh. 1. 7. But his doctrine did mainly aim at the declaring of him that was to preach the Gospel that when he came to preach it he might the more readily be believed Joh. 1. 31. Act. 19. 4. Johns chiefest and most intended task and purpose was to point out Christ and to bring the people to be acquainted with his person and to take notice of him as the Messias the great Prophet to whom it was reserved to publish the great things of the Gospel that when he came openly to preach it as now he doth he might be the better intertained and hearkned after And thus John makes ready a people prepared for the Lord Luke 1. 17. And now that this great Preacher for whom attention and regard was prepared by all the bent of Johns Ministery is come to preach and publish the Gospel in its full clearness and manifestation He calleth for repentance and belief of it as Act. 20. 21. Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith or believing in order of the work of grace is before repentance that being the first and mother grace of all others yet is it here and in other places named the latter 1. Because though faith be first wrought yet repentance is first seen and evidenced both to the heart of him that hath it and to the eyes of others 2. Because a poor broken and penitent heart is the most proper receptacle of the Gospel Esay 61. 1. Matth. 11. 5. Now by the Gospel is not only here meant the good and glad tidings of Salvation as the word signifies in the original and as it is taken in other places but it is also held out here by our Saviour with a singular emphasis and circumstance namely as the new Law and Covenant which God had promised to give unto his people and which they expected from the Messias The Gospel as it signifies the good tidings of Salvation and Salvation by Christ was very abundantly held out in the Law and the Prophets and if Christ proposed the word here but in that sense he proposed his Ministery but like unto theirs But as in the Synagogue of Nazareth he had begun to assert himself the highly anointed one of the Lord for the singular work of publishing the new Law Luk. 4. 18. so now and forward he doth openly proclaim himself to be he whom the Lord had appointed and anointed for that end and that his Ministry and doctrine was that Gospel or glad tidings which God had promised to send by the Messias And in this sense it is that he calls upon them to believe the Gospel not only in regard of the tenour but also in regard of the dispenser and dispensation of it he the great Prophet and that according to the promises of God and the expectation of the Nation The Lord had foretold them copiously by the Prophets that Messias should be the great Teacher and Lawgiver in the last days and this had put them in expectation of a new Law and doctrine when he should come Esay 2. 1 2 3. In the last days the mountain of the Lords house shall be established on the top of the mountains c. And many people shall say Come and let us go up c. And he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths c. This Teacher saith David Kimchi is the Messias And wheresoever it is said in the last days it meaneth the days of Messias And so in Esa. 11. 4. With righteousness shall be judge the poor and reprove with equity This the Chaldee Paraphrast expresly and nominatim understandeth of Messias And so he doth that in Esa. 42. 1. c. And so in Esa. 52. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings or that preacheth the Gospel which though the Apostle in Rom. 10. 15. apply generally to the Ministry of the Gospel yet doth the Context in the Prophet shew that it is primarily and especially to be understood of Christ whom the Chaldee Paraphrast nameth Syllabically at vers 13. Such another Prophesie of Christ being the great Teacher when he should come is that which is so much retched and abused towards the countenancing of Enthusiasm Esa. 54. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of God where
the Prophet setting forth the glorious state of the Church in the days of the Messiah and so the Rabbins understand the place he addeth this as a singular and eminent privilege those times should have above the times that had gone before and that was that whereas they had been taught by Prophets and by men in those times God himself in visible appearance conversing among men in humane nature should be their Teacher From such prophesies as these whereof there is great store in the Old Testament the expectation of the Nation was raised to look that Messias when he came should preach the glad tidings of deliverance should give a new Law as Moses at Sinai had done the old and should be the great Teacher and Instructor of the people So the Chaldee Paraphrast glosseth the two and twentieth verse of the 2d Chap. of the Lamentations Thou wilt proclaim liberty to thy people the house of Israel by the hand of Messias as thou didst by the hand of Moses and Aaron on the day of the Passover And the Jerusalem Targum on Exod. 12. Moses came out of the midst of the wilderness and King Messias out of the midst of Rome The one spake in the head of a cloud and the other spake in the head of a cloud and the Word of the Lord speaking between them and they walking together And the Targum on Cant. 8. 2. When King Messias shall be revealed to the Congregation of Israel the Children of Israel shall say unto him Come be with us as a brother and we will go up to Jerusalem and will suck in with thee the sense of the Law as a child sucketh his mothers breasts c. And I will take thee O King Messias and will bring thee to the house of my Sanctuary and thou shalt teach me to fear the Lord and to walk in his Law King Messias shall say to them I adjure you O house of Israel my people c. Stay here a little till the enemies of Jerusalem be destroyed and after that the Lord will remember you with the mercies of the righteous and it will be his good pleasure to deliver you To such promises of the Prophets and such expectation of the Nation examples of which might be given many more if it were needful that Messias when he came should be as another Moses not only a Deliverer but also a Lawgiver and the great Prophet and Teacher after the great decay of Prophesie and instruction it is that Christ looketh and hath reference when he calleth on them to believe the Gospel As if he should have spoken thus at large You expect according to the prediction of the Prophets that when Messias comes he shall be another Teacher and Lawgiver to you as Moses that he shall preach and proclaim to you deliverance and redemption that he will instruct you in the ways of the Lord and shew you how to walk in his paths Behold this doctrine that I shall now teach is that great promise and expectation I am he whom the Lord hath anointed and sent to preach these glad tidings believe ye therefore the Gospel which I preach and as it hath been your great expectation when it would come so let it be intertained and received now it is come among you And here is the reason why John the Baptist joyned not this admonition to believe the Gospel to the other of repenting because John was not to be the preacher of the Gospel in this sense but he that was to publish it so was then to come Now though both these parts of Christs doctrine Repent and believe the Gospel were levelled so directly and pertinently toward the Jews in reference to their opinions about these things yet are the doctrines and duties of that perpetuity and necessity that they reach both Jew and Gentile to the end of the world And then the word Gospel doth not only signifie the good tidings of Salvation nor only as published and preached by Messias two high and eminent excellencies but also as the clearest and last way of God for mans Salvation IV. And lastly whereas he saith The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be questioned whether he mean it was now come or near in coming And indeed it was both For the term The Kingdom of Heaven hath a latitude in its signification as was observed before and according to that latitude is the sense of that word also dilated That meaneth the revealing of the Messias and the state of Church affairs and dilating of the Church under his revealing Now the revealing of Christ was by degrees as is the dawning of the morning growing to a perfect day The first Epocha of his revealing was from the beginning of Johns baptizing Matth. 11. 12 13. Mark 1. 1 2. Because then he began to be preached as near at hand and some change in the Church Oeconomy began by the introduction of Baptism But from his own Baptism his revealings increased more and more in the power of his preaching and infinite miracles but most especially in his resurrection So that when he saith The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand he meaneth the revealing of the Messias in such evidences and demonstrations especially by his rising again from the dead as Rom. 1. 4. that they that were not wilfully blind might have seen the Salvation of God to be then revealed For conclusion of this discourse concerning the great doctrine of the Gospel repentance and believing take one Maxime of the Jews more The day of expiation and sin offerings and trespass offerings do not expiate but only for those that repent and believe their expiation Maym. in Shegagah per. 3. Luke 5. vers 1. As the people pressed upon him to hear the Word of God There were two things that caught the people and made them thus importunate to hear him and those were the tenor of his doctrine which proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven which they so much expected and the authority of his person whom they looked on as a Prophet at least if not as Messias When it is said they pressed upon him to hear the Word of God the expression The Word of God hath its singular Emphasis and those passages They were astonished at his doctrine for he taught them as one that had authority and not as the Scribes Mark 1. 22. Mark 7. 28 29. do readily tell us in what sense the people take the Word of God namely in a higher strain and signification than the Doctrines and Preachings of their Pharisees and Scribes for these look upon Christ as a Prophetick teacher and from him they desire to hear the Word of God as from a Prophet And if they took him not for the Messias yet do they look upon him as one sent from God and another kind of Teacher than all their Doctors The long absence of Prophesie and the present expectation of Messias did easily beget this opinion when they also
order of the next following Section Harmony and Explanation Luke 5. vers 17. As he was teaching there were Pharisees and Doctors of the Law sitting c. OUR Saviour having walked and preached through Galilee for a good space doth now near Passover time betake himself to Capernaum to his own home again that he might provide there for his journey to Jerusalem to the Feast To Capernaum there had followed him besides others that fell to him in his Galilean perambulation Pharisees Scribes and Doctors of the Law for all the three are mentioned by the three Evangelists in the relation of this story and it will not be amiss nor much besides our business to look a little distinctly what kind of men the Scribes and Pharisees and Doctors of the Law were seeing there is so frequent mention of them in the Gospel §. 1. The distinction and division of the Jewish Nation For the proceeding in which inquiry it may not be impertinent in the first place to look upon the division of the whole Nation of the Jews as it is held out very ordinarily and commonly in their own writers And that was into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scholars or Disciples of the wise and The people of the land or the learned sort of people and unlearned or those that were men of breeding and that were not Examples of this dichotomy might be produced by hundreds out of the Jewish Authors I shall only offer these few Massecheth derech arets Zuta per. 4. The Scholars of the wise are comely in a society but the people of the land are not comely in a society Juchasin fol. 22. Rabbi Akiba said when I was of the people of the land I said Oh for a Scholar of the wise how would I kiss him c. Maym. in Talm. Torah per. 4. Is there a matter of controversie between a Scholar of the wise and one of the People of the land They adhere to the Scholar Idem The Scholars of the wise might not eat in an Inn nor in the streets nor with the people of the land Idem in Tephil per. 12. A Priest of the people of the land readeth in the Synagogue before a great wise man an Israelite Id. in Talm. torah per. 3. A bastard if a Scholar of the Wise is of more value than an High Priest of the People of the land Where by a Priest and High Priest of the People of the land he meaneth such as indeed was a true Priest or High Priest but such a one as was unlearned For They called every one that knew not the doctrine of the Law The folk of the land Elias Lev. in Tishb §. 2. The division and distinction of the learned of the Nation Thus was the first and general division of the Nation into learned and unlearned men bred up in the study of Law and men that were not and to this division doth that speech of the Pharisees themselves refer Joh. 7. 48 49. Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believe in him But this people which know not the Law c. Now the learned of the Nation which were called The wise and The Scholars or Disciples of the wise were parted and even crumbled into many sub-divisions Scribes Pharisees Sadduces Herodians mentioned in Scripture and Esseans Chasidim Jechidim Zelotae Therapeutae in Jewish writers Now the reason of this their division was in regard of some of them holding to and others of them warping from the National and State Religion some more some less some one way some another For if their own Authors did not tell reason it self and common sense would do it that that Nation which only of all others had Religion among them had some common and set Rule for their Religion by which they were to go and to be guided in the practise of it The Rule was Moses and the Prophets the setting of this rule for practise that is giving it its fixed and determinate sense for that purpose was by the Sanhedrin or great Council and according as any one kept exactly to the rule so determined or swarved from it by excess or defect he came under one or other of these titles and recognisances §. 3. The National and State Religion of the Jews in the times of Christ. Their Religion in these times howsoever they pretended to the Scriptures for their rule yet lay in a manner all in traditions which they not only valued above the Scriptures but by them they made the Scriptures of none effect at all Mark 7. 7 8 9. They held That the Lord made his Covenant with them according to the Traditional Law Baal Turim on Gen. 1. 3. They held The written Law scant and narrow in comparison of the Traditional Tanc. fol. 4. And that the written Law might be taught for hire but the Traditional might not Maym. in Talm. torah per. 1. Now their Traditions were twofold either those that they called and accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unwritten Law given to Moses at Sinai and handed by Tradition from generation to generation or the practical Glosses and Canons which were made upon that unwritten and traditional Law in the several generations as they passed Both these were called The Traditions of the Fathers and of the Elders Matth. 15. 2. Gal. 1. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. The deliverers of the Cabbalah or unwritten Law which they say came successively from Moses they will name you as directly from generation to generation as the Papists will name you Popes successively from Peter Moses say they received this Traditional Law from Sinai and delivered it to Joshua Joshua to the Elders the Elders to the Prophets and the Prophets to Ezras great Synagogue Talm. in Avoth per. 1. The particular hands through which it passed thither we observed at Matth. 3. v. 7. After the return of the Captivity they derive its pedegree thus Simeon the Just received it from Ezra Antigonus of Soco from Simeon Joses the son of Joezer of Zeredah and Joseph the son of Johanan of Jerusalem received it from Antigonus Joshua the son of Perakiah and Nittai the Arbelite received it from them Judah the son of Tabbai and Simeon the son of Shetah received it from Joshua and Nittai Shemaiah and Abtalion received it from Judah and Simeon Hillel and Shammai from them Rabban Simeon the son of Hillel and Rabban Jochanon ben Zaccai received it from Hillel and Shammai Rabban Gamaliel called the old Pauls master received it from Rabban Simeon his father Rabban Simeon the son of Gamaliel received it from Gamaliel he was slain at the destruction of the Temple After him was his son Rabban Gamaliel of Jabneh who received it from his father and after him was Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai who had received it from Hillel and Shammai c. Avoth ubi supr Maym. in praef ad Madda Juchasin fol. 13 14. c. Thus is the Tradition concerning the descent and conveyance of the traditional
Law of which persons and of which Law these two things are to be taken notice of 1. That all those that are named single in this succession were the Heads or Presidents of the Sanhedrin and where they are named double or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paires the first named of the two was Nasi or President and the second named was Ab beth din or Vice-president 2. That this Cabbalah or traditional Law whose conveyance they thus pretended from Moses might not be disputed as concerning the truth or certainty of it though it received in every generation some illustration and practical Gloss for the laying out of its latitude and extent They that fixed these positive practical senses upon it were the Elders of the great Sanhedrin concluding thereupon in the Councel and commenting this traditional Law into particular Laws and Ordinances as rules to the nation whereby to walk and the Sanhedrin of every generation was adding something in this kind or other And so they hâ—ld That the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem was the foundation of the traditional Law and pillars of instruction and from them decrees and judgements went out unto all Israel And whosoever believed Moses and his Law was bound to rest and lean upon them for the matters of the Law Maym. in Mamrim per. 1. Now the way or manner of their legislative determining upon this unwritten Law was thus 1. The general rule by which they went to work was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make a hedge to the Law that men should not break in upon it to transgress it And this was a special ground and rise and a specious colour for all their traditions for they pretending to make constitutions to fence the Law from violation and to raise the observance of it the higher they brought in inventions and fancies of their own brains for Laws and so made the Law indeed nothing worth Take a patern of one or two of their hedges that they made to this purpose The written Law forbad Thou shalt not seeth a kid in her mothers milk Now to make sure as they pretended that this should not be broken in upon they fenced it with this tradition Thou shalt not seeth any flesh whatsoever in any milk whatsoever All things that were appointed to be eaten the same day the command taught till the dawning of the next morning If so why do the wise men say but till midnight namely to keep men far enough from trangressing Beracoth per. 1. And such another hedge they made to the times in that story that is mentioned by Tanchumah fol. 37. A man in the time of the persecution in the days of the Greeks rode upon a horse on the Sabbath day and they brought him before the Sanhedrin and they stoned him not because it was fit to do so but because of the times it was necessary to do so 2. This then being the ground upon which they went to work with an aime to this hedge as they pretended in all their constitutions they hammered their Cabbalah or unwritten Law into these three parts or forms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitutions Decrees and Customes or practices vid. Maym. in Mamrim per. 1 2. I shall not be curious to give the exquisite difference of these three in this place they were in a few words Laws which they hewed out of their Cabbalah injoyning some things to be done or forbidding others or prescribing the manner of doing We shall take up one example or two to this purpose It is a command to pray every day as it said Ye shall serve the Lord your God They learned by Tradition that this service is prayer because it is said Ye shall serve him with all your heart The wise men say What service is that that is with the heart It is prayer Now there is no number of prayers appointed by the Law nor no fixed time for prayer appointed by the Law nor no obligation to this prayer set down in the Law that is no mention of persons tied to it Maym. in Tephillah per. 1. Therefore the Sanhedrin in several generations made Canons and constitutions to decide and determine upon all these particulars as their own reason and emergencies did lead them and give occasion As in one generation they prescribed such and such times for morning and evening prayer In process of time they found these times allotted to be too strait therefore the Sanhedrin of another generation did give inlargement as they thought good And so concerning the number of prayers to be said dayly one Sanhedrin appointed so many but time and experience found afterwards that these did not answer such or such an occasion as it seems was not observed when they were appointed therefore the Sanhedrin of another generation thought good to add more and more still as occasions unobserved before did emerge and so the number of their dayly prayers grew at last to be eighteen And in the days of Rabban Gamaliel saith my Author last cited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereticks increased in Israel he meaneth those that from Judaism turned to Christianity and they vexed Israel and perswaded them to turn from their Religion He seeing this to be a matter of more import than any thing else stood up he and his Sanhedrin and appointed another prayer in which there was a Petition to God to destroy those Hereticks and this he set among the prayers and ordained it to be in every ones month and so all the dayly prayers were ninteen ibid. per. 2. Sect. IV. The Scribes and Doctors Thus was the State Religion of the Jews and thus stated and setled The ground-work was pretended traditions from Moses expounding the written Law delivered from hand to hand in the Sanhedrins of several congregations the superstructure was legislative and practical senses made hereupon and determined for the use of the people by the Sanhedrin Now they that had to deal in these determinations were called The Scribes and those were divided into four ranks 1. The Nasi and Ab deth din that is President and Vice-president who were the special Treasurers of the Cabbalah which they pretended did descend from Moses 2. The whole Sanhedrin it self which made their Canons and constitutions out of this Cabbalah and did impose them upon the people 3. Those men of the Sanhedrin or others that kept Divinity Schools and read publick Lectures in explication of these traditions as Hillel Shammai Gamaliel Tyrannus or Turnus Acts 22. 3. 19. 9. c. And 4. Those that expounded these Laws as the publick preachers in their Synagogues According to which several acceptations the word Scribe is to be construed in the New Testament sutable to the scope of the place and to the occasion whereupon the word is used As 1. in that division of the Sanhedrin into chief Priests and Scribes and Elders Mat. 26. 3. the Scribes are here peculiarly to be understood either for the President and Vice-president the Receivers and
Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son This is but the same in sense and substance with those many places of Scripture where the Lord setteth up Christ as King and Lord of all things as Psal. 2. 7 8. c. Psal. 89. 27. Esay 9. 6 7. Heb. 1. 2 6. c. Dan. 7. 13 14. Esay 42. 1 2. c. Jer. 3. 9. Mat. 28. 18. Rev. 16. 19. c. It pleased the infinite wisdom of God to use this most divine and mysterious dispensation that the Son of God should become the Son of man and this God-man the Lord Christ should be set up the head of all Principality and power Col. 2. 9. and King and Ruler and Judge of all things And this dispensation the Scripture ascribeth to divers reasons 1. To Christs natural and essential interest as I may express it for he was the only begotten of the Father and so necessarily the heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. 2. To Gods love of the Son because he laid down his life for mans redemption Joh. 10. 17. Philip. 2. 8 9. He became obedient to the death c. Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him 3. To Gods willingness and contrival that man should have the utmost means of the knowledge and for the honouring of God that was possible namely by revealing his Son in humane flesh yet in the highest evidence of Divine power Matth. 21. 37. Heb. 1. 1. When men for all the means that he had used for the bringing of them to the knowledge of himself yet would not know God nor worship him as God but doted after Gods that were visible the Lord sends his own Son in visible shape and in visible demonstration of his Divinity in that he raised himself from the dead Rom. 1. 4. and setteth him up as Lord of all things to be worshipped as God blessed for ever and in and through him the Father to be worshipped who sent him 4. The Scripture holdeth out Christ as the arm of the Lord Esay 53. 1. 40. 10. the Combatant and Champion against Satan and all the Lords enemies Gen. 3. 15. Revel 19. 11. c. And the Lord hath set him up to reign till all these enemies be put under his feet 1 Cor. 15. 24 25. 5. God hath given him authority to execute judgment Because he is the Son of Man John 5. 27. which we shall speak to when we come to that verse Vers. 23. That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father The great design of the blessed Trinity was to reveal it self the eternal God-head to be worshipped Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity In the times of the Old Testament the Father was worshipped and acknoweledged dispensing indeed his administrations by the Son the Angel of the Covenant and the Arm of the Lord but himself more especially owned as the Fountain and Original of all Divine dispensations as Psal. 2. 6. c. Exod. 23. 20 21. Prov. 8. 22. Esai 42. 1. c. Under the New Testament the Son was visibly exalted and set up as the Lord to whom every knee should bow and every tongue confess in that he gave the Gospel as the Father had done the Law subdued Satan triumphed over death ascended visibly by his own power into heaven and did as visibly pour out and send down the Holy Ghost which he had promised That as all men had honoured the Father under the Old Testament so all men should equally honour the Son under the New The Arian in denying the God-head of Christ and his coequality with the Father is not only injurious to his person but also contradicteth the highest and greatest design of heaven for Christs exalting And the Jews Turks and whosoever take upon them to honour God and acknowledge not Christ their undertaking is but vain since they honour not the Son whom he hath set up and exalted over all Vers. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me These words and those in the verses following have their rise from verse 21. and lie in connexion with the sense of those words and are in explanation of them There he had said that As the father raised the dead so the Son quickneth whom he will and in these verses he speaketh to that point and in this verse he sheweth how he quickneth spiritually and in the following how he quickneth bodily and both his assertions he setteth on with this asseveration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The matter of this verse seemeth to be taken from those words in Esay 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me Hear and your soul shall live Upon which last words Aben Ezra giveth this gloss It meaneth that the soul abideth though the body dye or it meaneth that the Messias shall revive those that turn to the Law of God And so likewise do other Jews confess there that those words and the context before do speak of the teaching of the Messias Our Saviour in the verses before had pleaded his equal acting as he was Messias with God the Father as he shewed himself in the administration of the Old Testament that as the Father raised the dead by Prophets then so he quickened whom he pleased and as the Father had judged so now he had committed all Judgment unto him and here he cometh on with a third parallel and that is that as the Father had given the Law or the Word of the Old Testament so he should give the Gospel the Word of the New And as it was life to hearken to the Work of the Father Deut. 30. 15. 20. so he that heareth his Word hath life everlasting c. He was the Word of the Father that came out of his bosom to reveal him Joh. 1. 18. He was the great Teacher promised and expected Deut. 18. 15. Acts 3. 23. and sealed and proclaimed Matth. 17. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 17. He was to be the destroyer of the works of Satan the hearkning to whose word had been mans confusion and therefore it would not only be their piety to hearken to him who revealed the Father nor would it be only sutable to their expectation who looked for the great Teacher and were resolved to be taught by him but it would be eternal life and everlasting healing to the Soul against those wounds that hearkning to the words of the Tempter had made in it Now in that he saith And believeth on him that sent me 1. He doth most properly center the ultimate fixing and resting of belief in God the Father For as from him as from the fountain do flow all those things that are the objects of Faith in its living and moving namely free Grace the gift of Christ the way of redemption the gracious promises c. So unto him as to that Fountain doth Faith betake its self in its final repose and resting namely to God in Christ as 2 Cor. 5. 19. and he
Cains and his desert of punishment proportionable for Cain had slain but one man and but the body but he by his evil example had killed old and young and their very souls and therefore he maketh his complaint to his two wives that had brought him to it CHAP. V. A Chronicle of 1556 years and all the years are reckoned compleat but only Noahs five hundreth year in vers 32. Vers. 3. Seth born in Original sin the Father of all men in the new world after the flood Numb 24. 17. Vers. 23. Enoch liveth as many years as be days in a year Those that lived nearer the flood lived the longer unmarried because they would not generate many children for the water Vers. 29. Noah a comforter because in him liberty should be given to the World to eat flesh CHAP. VI. In the general corruption of the World Noah the eighth person in descent from Enoch in whose time profaneness began as 2 Pet. 2. 5. Escapeth the abominations and desolation of the times CHAP. VII VIII IX The flood the Beasts in the Ark live without enmity which sheweth how the words Gen. 3. 15. about enmity with the Serpent are to be understood the Serpent and Noah are now friends each to other this is alluded to Esay 11. 6 7. Noah is in the Ark just a compleat and exact year of the Sun but reckon'd in the Text by the Lunary Months Universal darkness all the forty days rain The door of the Ark under water The Ark draweth water eleven cubits The waters when they came to abate while they lay above the Mountains fell but one Cubit in four days but far faster afterward After their coming out of the Ark for a whole half year together Noah and his family and all the Creatures live upon provision that was still in the Ark for they came out just upon the beginning of Winter when there was neither grass corn nor fruits till another spring The forbidding to eat flesh with the blood condemneth the Doctrine of Transubstantiation CHAP. X XI Seventy Nations dispersed from Babel but not seventy Languages the fifteen named in Act. 2. were enough to confound the work and they may very well be supposed to have been the whole number Sem as he standeth in the front of the Genealogy of the new world hath neither Father nor Mother named nor beginning of days nor end of life Nahors life is shortned for Idolatry CHAP. XII Abraham at 75 years old receiveth the promise and cometh into Canaan and just so many years did Sem live after Abrahams coming thither and so might well be Melchizedeck in Chap. 14. Vers. 6 7. Abraham buildeth an Altar near if not upon Mount Gerizim the hill of blessing and vers 8. Another Altar he buildeth near unto if not upon Mount Ebal the hill of cursing Deut. 27. And so taketh possession of the land by faith in the very same place where his sons the Israelites did take possession of it indeed Josh. 8. 12. c. 30. Vers. 11. When he is ready to enter into Egypt whither famine drave him as it did his posterity afterward he is afraid of his life in regard of Sarah who being a white woman would soon be taken notice of by the Egyptians who were Blackmoors This was one main inticement to Josephs Mistress to cast an eye of lustfulness upon him because he was a white Man and she a Moor. Of the same complexion was Pharaohs daughter whom Solomon took to wife of whom that in the first and literal acceptation is to be understood which spiritually is to be applied to the Church Cant. 1. 5 6. I am black but comly and I am black because the Sun hath looked on me and that Psal. 45. 13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within for she was a Blackmoor without Vers. 20. Pharaoh plagued for Sarah's and Abrahams sake who was an Hebrew Sheepherd giveth charge to the Egyptians making it as it were a law for time to come that they should not converse with Hebrews nor with forrain Sheepherds in any so near familiarity as to eat or drink with them which the Egyptians observed strictly ever after Gen. 42. 32. 46. 34. CHAP. XIII Abraham and Lot quarrel and part in the valley of Achor and this is at the very same time of the year that Israel came into the Land viz. in the first month of the year or Abib CHAP. XIV Noah in the blessing of his son Sem maketh him in a special manner Lord of the Land of Canaan Gen. 9. Hither therefore came Sem and built a City and called it after his own peaceable condition Salem here he reigned as a King but so quietly and retiredly as that he was a Priest also In this sequestration of the father from worldly cares and affairs Elam his eldest son and heir apparent though he were seated far distant in the East yet it concerneth him to have an eye to Canaan and how matters go there for the land by bequest of his grand-father Noah descended to him as by the Common Law This title bringeth Chedorlaomer an heir of Elam from Persia into Canaan when the five Cities of the plain rebel Into this war he taketh three partners younger brothers of the House of Sem Amraphel of Arphaxad King of Chaldea Arioch of Lâ—d King of Ellasar bordering upon Babylonia and Tidal of Assur King of Nations and late built Niniveh These four thus banded together and all children of Sem and all in claim of his land against the usurping Canaanites are resolved to march over and so they do all that Country both within Jordan and without Their first inrode is upon the Rephaims that lay most North and lay first in their way and so over run the Zuzims in Ammon Emims in Moab Horites or Hivites that were Troglodytes or dwelt in the rocky Caves of Mount Seir in Edom as Jer. 49. 10. Obad. ver 3. And all the Canaanites South-East and full South to Hazezon Tamar a point below the dead Sea There they turn in to the land of Canaan properly so called and as they had subdued all the Countries from North to South without Jordan so now they intend to do from South to North within And so they did but when they were come to Dan the North out-going of the land Abram overtaketh them and conquereth the conquerors and now he is doubly titled to the land namely by promise and by victory This Sem or Melchizedeck observeth upon his return with triumph and perceiveth that it was he and his posterity to whom the Lord had designed that Land in the prophetick spirit of Noah and had refused the heirs that were more apparent in Common Law and reason and therefore he bringeth forth bread and wine the best fruits of the land and tenders them as livery and sâ—isin of it to him whom he perceived that God had chosen and pointed out for the right heir CHAP. XV. All fear of claim
had joyned to them and came out with them On the second day of the month and of their arrival there Moses goeth up into the mountain being called up by the Lord vers 3. and when he cometh down telleth the people the words of the Lord vers 5. If ye will hear my voyce indeed and keep my Covenant ye shall be my peculiar people To which the people even before they know what the Commandments of the Lord would be do promise to obey and hearken not by rash undertaking to perform they knew not what as some have been bold to tax them nor yet presuming upon their own ability to keep the Law as others have concluded upon them but having been trained up from their infancy and instructed in the doctrine of Faith they piously conclude when God cometh to give them a Law and to make a covenant with them that God would not cross himself in the Doctrine of salvation but that the Law that he would now give them should be a Law conducing and leading to Faith still a Schoolmaster to Christ and not an extinguisher of the doctrine of Salvation by him On the third day of the month Moses goeth up into the mountain again vers 9. and is charged to sanctifie the people which accordingly is done on that day and on the fourth and fifth and on the sixth day in the morning the ten Commandements are given SECTION XXVI The Iews Tenet concerning the Law Talm. in Maccoth Rab. Abhuhahh Ner. 1. THE whole Law say they was given to Moses in six hundred and thirteen precepts David in the fifteenth Psalm bringeth them all within the compass of eleven 1. To walk uprightly 2. To work righteousness 3. To speak truth in the heart 4. Not to slander 5. Not to wrong a Neighbour 6. Not to entertain or raise an ill report 7. To vilisie a reprobate 8. To honour them that fear the Lord. 9. That altereth not his oath 10. Not to lend to usury 11. Not to take bribes against the Innocent The Prophet Isaiah brings these to six in Chap. 33. 15. 1. To walk justly 2. To speak righteously 3. To refuse gain of oppression 4. To shake hands from taking bribes 5. To stop the ears from hearing of blood 6. To shut the eyes from seeing of evil Micha reduceth all to three Chap. 6. 8. 1. To do justly 2. To love mercy 3. To walk humbly with God Isaiah again to two Chap. 56. 1. 1. Keep judgment 2. Do justice Amos to one Chap. 5. 4. Seek me Habakkuk also brings all to one Chap. 2. 4. The just by his Faith shall live Thus the Jews witness against themselves while they conclude that Faith is the sum of the Law and yet they stand altogether upon works A Testimony from Jews exceedingly remarkable SECTION XXVII Articles of a believing Iews Creed collected out of Moses Law 1. I believe that salvation is by Faith not by Works WHEN the Talmudick Jews make such a confession as is mentioned instantly before wherein they reduce all the tenor and marrow of the Law under this one doctrine of living by Faith Hab. 2. 4. The just by his Faith shall live it is no woader if the more ancient and more holy Jews under the Law looked for salvation not by their own merits and works but only by Faith This fundamental point of Religion they might readily learn by these two things 1. From the impossibility of their keeping the Law which their consciences could not but convince them of by their disability to hear it and by their daily carriage 2. In that they saw the holiest of their men and the holiest of their services to receive sanctitie not from themselves but from another So they saw that the Priest who was or should be at least the holiest man among them was sanctified by his garments and that the sacrifices were sanctified by the Altar From these premises they could not but conclude that no man nor his best service could be accepted as holy in it self but must be sanctified by another 2. I beleive that there is no salvation without reconciliation with God and no reconciliation without satisfaction The first part of this Article is so plain that nature might teach it and so might it the latter also and laying hereto Moses his lex talionis eye for eye tooth for tooth it made it doubtless 3. I believe that satisfaction shall once be made This they might see by their daily sacrifice aiming at a time when there should full satisfaction be made which these poor things could not do No less did their Jubilec year intimate when men in debt and bondage were quitted The very time of the year when the Jubilee year began calling all Israel to think of a Jubilee from sin and Satans bondage into which mankind fell at the same time of the year 4. I believe that satisfaction for sin shall be made by a man This is answerable to reason that as a man sinned so a man should satifie but Moses's Law about redemption of Land by a kinsman taught Israel to expect that one that should be akin in the flesh to mankind should redeem for him morgaged heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew is both a kinsman and a Redeemer 5. I believe that he shall be more than a man This they learned from the common service about the Tabernacle wherein the high Priest a man as fully hallowed and sanctified as man could be for his outward function yet did he offer and offer again for the people and himself and yet they were unclean still This read a Lecture to every ones apprehension that a meer man could not do the deed of satisfaction but he must be more 6. I believe the redeemer must also be God as well as man The disability of beasts to make satisfaction they saw by their dying in sacrifice one after another and yet mans conscience cleansed never the better The unability of man we saw before The next then that is likely to do this work are Angels But them Israel saw in the Tabernacle curtains spectators only and not actors in the time and work of reconciliation From hence they might gather that it must be God dwelling with man in one person as the cloud the glory of God never parted from the Ark. 7. I believe that mans Redeemer shall die to make satisfaction This they saw from their continued bloody sacrifices and from the covenants made and all things purged by blood This the heedless man-slayer might take heed of and see that as by the death of the high Priest he was restored to liberty so should mankind be by the death of the highest Priest to the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Their delivery from Egypt by the death of a Lamb taught them no less 8. I believe that he shall not die for his own sins but for mans Every Sacrifice read this Lecture when the most harmless of beasts and birds were offered
9. I believe that he shall overcome death This Israel saw by necessary conclusion that if Christ should fall under death he did no more than men had done before His Resurrection they saw in Aarons Rod Manna Scapegoate Sparrow c. 10. I believe to be saved by laying hold upon his merits Laying their right hand upon the head of every beast that they brought to be offered up taught them that their sins were to be imputed to another and the laying hold on the horns of the Altar being sanctuary or refuge from vengeance taught them that anothers merits were to be imputed to them yet that all offenders were not saved by the Altar Exod. 21. 12. 1 King 2. 29. the fault not being in the Altar but in the offender it is easie to see what that signified unto them Thus far each holy Israelite was a Christian in this point of doctrine by earnest study finding these points under the vail of Moses The ignorant were taught this by the learned every Sabbath day having the Scriptures read and expounded unto them From these ground works of Moses and the Prophets Commentaries thereupon concerning the Messias came the schools of the Jews to be so well versed in that point that their Scholars do mention his very name Jesus the time of his birth in Tisri the space of his preaching three years and an half the year of his death the year of Jubile and divers such particulars to be found in their Authors though they knew him not when he came amongst them SECTION XXVIII The Covenant made with Israel They not sworn by it to the ten Commandments Exod. 24. WHEN Israel cannot indure to hear the ten Commandments given it was ready to conclude that they could much less keep them Therefore God giveth Moses privately fifty seven precepts besides namely Ceremonial and Judicial to all which the people are the next morning after the giving of the ten Commandments sworn and entred into Covenant and these made them a Ceremonial and singular people About which these things are observable 1. That they entred into Covenant to a written Law Chap. 24. 4. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord c. Against traditions 2. That here was a book written forty days before the writing of the two Tables Against them that hold that the first letters that were seen in the world were the writing of God in those Tables And we have seen before also two pieces of writing before this of Moses viz. the eighty eighth and eighty ninth Psalms And of equal Antiquity with them or not much less was the penning of the book of Job most probably written by Eliâ—u one of the Speakers in it as may be conjectured from Chap. 32. 15 16 17. and some other probability 3. That this first Covenant was made with water and blood and figurative language For the twelve pillars that represented the people are called the people Exod. 24. 4. 8. As the words in the second Covenant this my Body are to be understood in such another sense 4. That the ten Commandments were not written in the book of that Covenant but only those 57. precepts mentioned before For 1. The Lord giveth the other precepts because the people could not receive the ten for could they have received and observed those as they ought they must never have had any parcel of a Law more as if Adam had kept the Moral Law he had never needed to have heard of the promise and so if we could but receive the same Law as we should we had never needed the Gospel Now it is most unlike that since God gave them those other commands because they could not receive the ten that he would mingle the ten and them together in the Covenant 2. It is not imaginable that God would ever cause a people to swear to the performance of a Law which they could not indure so much as to hear 3. The ten Commandments needed not to be read by Moses to the people seeing they had all heard them from the mouth of the Lord but the day before 4. Had they been written and laid up in this book what necessity had there been of their writing and laying up in the Tables of stone 5. Had Moses read the ten Commandments in the beginning of his book why should he repeat some of them again at the latter end as Exod. 23. 12. Let such ruminate upon this which hold and maintain that the Sabbath as it standeth in the fourth Commandment is only the Jewish Sabbath and consequently Ceremonial And let those good men that have stood for the day of the Lord against the other consider whether they have not lost ground in granting that the fourth Commandment instituted the Jewish Sabbath For First The Jews were not sworn to the Decalogue at all and so not the Sabbath as it standeth there but only to the fifty seven precepts written in Moses his book and to the Sabbath as it was there Exod. 23. 12. Secondly The end of the Ceremonial Sabbath of the Jews was in remembrance of their delivery out of Aegypt Deut. 5. 15. but the moral Sabbath of the two Tables is in commemoration of Gods resting from the works of Creation Exod. 20. 10 11. SECTION XXIX The punishment of Israel for the golden Galf. Exod. 32. ISRAEL cannot be so long without Moses as Moses can be without meat The fire still burneth on the top of mount Sinai out of which they had so lately received the Law and yet so suddainly do they break the greatest Commandment of that Law to extreamity of Aegyptian Jewels they make an Aegyptian Idol because thinking Moses had been lost they intended to return for Aegypt Griveous was the sin for which they must look for grievous punishment which lighted upon them in divers kinds First the Cloud of Glory their Divine conductor departeth from the Camp which was now become prophane and unclean Secondly the Tables Moses breaketh before their face as shewing them most unworthy of the Covenant Thirdly the Building of the Tabernacle the evidence that God would dwell among them is adjourned and put off for now they had made themselves unworthy Fourthly for this sin God gave them to worship all the host of Heaven Acts 7. 42. Fiftly Moses bruised the Calf to Powder and straweth it upon the waters and maketh the People drink Here spiritual fornication cometh under the same tryal that carnal did Numb 5. 24. These that were guilty of this Idolatry the water thus drunk made their belly to swell and to give a visible sign and token of their guilt then setteth Moses the Levites to slay every one whose bellies they found thus swelled which thing they did with that zeal and sincerity that they spared neither Father nor Brother of their own if they found him guilty In this slaughter there fell about three thousand these were ring-leaders and chief agents in this abomination and therefore made thus exemplary
are girded with strength And so doth the Targum on the Canticles apply the seventh verse of the sixth Chapter of that Book to the same House As a piece of a Pomegranate are thy Temples The Kingdom saith it of the Asmonaean Family was full of Judgments as a Pomegranate c. Not to be inquisitive after the derivation of the word which we find in Psal. 68. 32. and which is generally interpreted by the Jews to signite great Dukes and Princes Mattathias not living long after his first appearing a Champion for his distressed Country he left the charge of that War and Expedition to his sons after him amongst whom 17. JUDAS surnamed Maccabaeus from these four Acrostick Letters in his Ensign Ioseph Antiq. l. 12. c. 9 10 c. 1 Mac. 3. 4 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 15. 12. Lord who is like thee among the mighty undertook the quarrel of his People and of the Law Religion and Covenant and did very victoriously but at last was slain In these times when all things were in a combustion and confusion in the Land and in Ioseph ubi sup c. 15 16 17. 1 Mac. 7. 12. 13 14 c. 9. 1. 5 55. 1 Mac. 9. 10. 11. 2â— Iosep. Ant. â— 13. ad c. 11. Religion one ALCIMUS bare the name of High-priest being indeed of that Line but a man for mischief and impiety more like a Heathen than a High-priest of Israel doing much evil whilst he lived and coming at last to a most fearful end 18. JONATHAN succeedeth his brother Judas as chief Commander he was made High-priest by Alexander the son of Antiochus and confirmed therein by Antiochus the son of Alexander doth many valiant acts and at last is slain by Trypho 19. SIMON his brother succeedeth him valiant also and advantagious to his people 1 Mac. 14. 15. 16. Ioseph ubi sup c. 11 12 13. like his brethren but slain at last treacherously by his own son in Law 20. JOHN called also Hyrcanus or Hyrcanus Jannai He sacked Samaria destroyed Ioseph ubi sup cap. 18. Iuchasin â—ol 14 the Temple at Gerizim slew many of the wise men at Jerusalem was High-priest eighty years and turned Sadducee 21. ARISTOBULUS his son He first took upon him to be King Ioseph ib. c. 9. 22. ALEXANDER He bare also the name of King made many Wars and at Ibid. c. 22 23. last died of a Quartan Ague which had held him three years 23. HYRCANUS his son is made High-priest but his mother Alexandra by the Ibid. c. 24. support of the Pharisees sways the Kingdom 24. ARISTOBULUS younger brother to Hyrcanus after the death of their Lib. 14. c. 4 5 6. mother Alexandra maketh War upon his brother drives him from his Kingdom to a private life and takes both Kingdom and High-priesthood upon himself They both desire help and assistance from the Romans Scaurus and Pompey Aristobulus provoking Pompey by some dalliance causeth the sacking of Jerusalem and the subjecting of the Jews to the Roman yoke from under which they were never delivered Pompey restoreth the High-priesthood to Hyrcanus and carries Aristobulus and his son Antigonus prisoners to Rome and his two daughters 25. ALEXANDER the son of Aristobulus escaped the hands of Pompey when he Ibid. c. 10. captived his father and his brother to Rome and he in Judea raised divers stirs and tumults and affecting the Kingdom is twice suppressed by the Roman Gabinius 26. ANTIGONUS Aristobulus his other son escaping from Rome into Judea first Ib. c. 21. 25. by the help of the King of Tyrus and after by the help of the Parthians busleth for the High-priesthood and power out of the hands of Hyrcanus getteth Hyrcanus prisoner causeth his ear to be cut off and by that blemish or maim he maketh him uncapable of the Priesthood But as Hyrcanus lost his ears so at last Antigonus lost his head by the ax of Lib. 15. c. 1. Dion Cas. l. 49. Antony at Antioch having been first crucified and whipt 27. ANANELUS an inferiour Priest sent for out of Babylon is made High-priest Iosd 15. c. 2. by Herod Here Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus and wife of Alexander the son of Aristobulus took indignity and so did Mariam Herods wife who was Alexandra's daughter that an inferiour person should be preferred to the High-priesthood and Aristobulus Mariams brother and Alexandra's son be passed by These womens shifts and importunities Ibid. c. 2. obtain the High-priesthood for Aristobulus and the deposition of Ananelus 28. ARISTOBULUS a young man of a rare beauty is made High-priest being Ibid. c. 3. not much above fifteen years old after a years injoyment of it or little more he is drowned by Herods policy as he was swimming And then Ananelus becomes High-priest again 29. JESUS the son of Favens him Herod removed again Ibid c. 12. 30. SIMON the son of Boethus he was but a Priest before But Herod marrying Ibid. his daughter a woman of a rare beauty he made him High-priest 31. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus Herod deposed his father in law Simon Lib. 17. c. 6. from the High-priesthood because he thought both he and his daughter Herods wife were privy to the counsels of his son Antipater 32. JOZARUS the son of Simon Herods brother in law Matthias being deposed Ibid. c. 8. by Herod 33. ELEAZAR made High-priest by King Archelaus Jozarus being deposed Ibid. c. 15. 34. JESUS the son of Sie shoulders Eleazar out Ibid. 35. JOZARUS again He was now in the place when Judea was taxed under Cyrenius Lib. 18. â— 1. Luke 2. at the birth of Christ and when the people were ready to rebel rather than be taxed he overcame them with perswasions 36. ANANUS upon the removal of Jozarus made High-priest by Cyrenius Ibid. c. 3. 37. ISMAEL promoted by Valerius Gratus upon Ananus his removal 38. ELEAZAR the son of Ananus promoted by the same Gratus upon Ismaels removal Ibid. he injoyed the High-priesthood but one year 39. SIMON the son of Kamith advanced by the same Gratus The Jerusalem Talmud calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and relates this story of him that on the Eve of the day of Expiation he went out to speak with the King and some spittle fell upon his garments and defiled him therefore Judah his brother went in on the day of Expiation and served in his stead and so their Mother Kamith saw two of her sons High-priests in one day She had seven sons and they all served in the High-priesthood hence came up this Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All meal is meal but Kamiths meal is fine flower In Joma per. 1. 40. CAIAPHAS who was also called Joseph He was Gratus his creature too Ibid. and all these changes were made by Gratus in eleven years and now are
Rabbi Solomon upon the place It teacheth that they urged him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be whether he would or no. But the text saith he must do it of his own freewill How then They urged him till he said I am willing A second scruple about these sacrifices is concerning the time of their presenting and offering A man that lived at a great distance from Jerusalem was faln under such an offence as that a sacrifice was due from him what must he do Must he away presently thither to offer his offering Must he neglect his implovements at home and travel up to Jerusalem at a charge double and treble and more to the charge of the sacrifice that he was to offer and lay all things aside till that be done The Provision in this case was That he that became liable to any offering might stay the paying of it till the next solemn Festival of the three came when all must appear before the Lord at Jerusalem And so his pains and cost of going up thither did accrew upon that general and comprehensive Command for their appearance and not from his own private and particular occasion They make this one of the Two Hundred Eight and Forty affirmative precepts that they pick up in the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l Maym. in Prâ—f ad Iad That a man should bring all his offerings that are either due from him or voluntarily dedicate at the solemn festival that cometh next And so as the Lord by appointing those three solemn times in the Spring and Summer did provide for the ease and accommodation of the people in that general service so by this Law was provision made for every mans particular exigent and devotion And this command and practise they ground upon those words Deut. 12. 5 6. Unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes to put his name there even to his habitation shall ye seek and thither shalt thou come And thither shall ye bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices c. Eight things saith m m m Baal Hat in Deut. 12. Baal Hatturim are named here according to the eight times using the words Before the Lord in the Law concerning the three festivals And so would he construe that Text to the sense that we are discoursing of by a Massoretick Arithmetical collection as it is his common way and use to do but those that go more seriously to work conclude their bringing of their particular and occasional devotions at those general appearances from that Text by expounding the seeking and going to the habitation of the Lord of the most eminent and singularly commanded going thither According to this construction and practise the Chaldee Paraphrast understands what is said concerning Elkanah that he went up out of his City to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 1. 3. for he hath rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the time of one solemn Festival to another what exceptions there might be in this matter and whether and upon what occasions the bringing of those their sacrifices might be deferred beyond the next coming Festival to another and how those that were nearer to Jerusalem and were so minded might come with their gifts at other times it is not much requisite to insist upon CHAP. IX The manner and managing of the dayly Service ON the North-side of the Court of the Temple well towards the North-west corner of it as we have observed in its due place there was a great piece of building which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a a Talm. in Tam â—â—r 3. in Miâ—…oth per. 1. Maym. in Beth habbech per. 5. Beth Mokadh the fire room or the House of burning and the reason of the name was because in that room there was constantly a fire kept in all cold weather both by day and by night By day for the Priests to warm themselves by when they came from the service and by night for them to keep their guard by for this was the chiefest Court of guard of the Priests of all the three Here the Elders of the House of their Fathers warded and had the keys of the Court gates hanging by them being committed to them by Amarcalin If they had a mind to sleep at any time there were benches round about the room on which they laid them down and slept And the younger Priests that were with them for such also were there when they would sleep they laid themselves down on the ground and the holy garments in which they were to serve they wrapped up and laid under their heads as it were a pillow and slept in their ordinary wearing garments Now betimes in the morning against the President of the service should come they had bathed themselves in water and put on the garments of the service and made themselves ready against he came They had this Maxim concerning their bathing in water for the service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b Talm. â—â— Ioma per. 3. That a man yea though he were clean yet might he not go into the Court to serve till he had bathed himself in water And for this purpose they had their bathing places in several rooms some for the High-priest and some for the other Priests which places we have particulary observed in our survey Having bathed themselves in the morning they needed not to do that again of all the day unless upon doing their easments of nature by seige but they washed their hands and their feet upon their making of water and as oft as ever they came within the Court about the service did they go out and in never so oft And to this custom our Saviour seemeth to allude Joh. 13. 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit At last the President cometh and knocketh at the door and they open to him what President it was whether of the Lots or the Sagan we will not dispute c c c Maym. in Tam. per. 6. Maymony saith it was the president of lots but the Talmudick dispute about the time of his coming may be worth our marking d d d Tam. per. â— At what hour saith the Treatise Tamid did the President come And it answers thus Not at all times alike sometimes he comes at Cocks crowing sometimes near unto it sometimes before it and sometimes after which nominated uncertainty of the time and yet their readiness for him whensoever he came is so parallel to those words of our Saviour Mark 13. 35. that if those were not spoken in some allusion to this custom yet may they be well illustratedby it e e e Ibid. Out of the room Beth mokadh they go through a wicket into the Court carrying candles in their hands and there as soon as they were all come in they divide themselves and half of
Altar and thence took some burning coals and came down These two must go into the Temple now as they go there was a great vessel or instrument or what shall I call it they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Migrephah which being rung or struck upon made an exceeding great sound and so great that they set it out by this hyperbole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One man could not hear another in Jerusalem when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Migrephah sounded It was as a Bell that they rung to give notice of what was now in hand And the ringing of it as saith the Treatise Tamid served for these three purposes * * * Tam. per. 5. 1. Any Priest that heard the sound of it knew that his brethren were now ready to go in and worship and he made haste and came 2. Any Levite that heard it knew that his brethren the Levites were going in to sing and he made haste and came And 3. the head or chief of the Station hearing the sound of it brought up those that had been unclean and had not yet their atonement made into the gate of Nicanor to have them there atoned for The two men then that are going into the Temple to burn Incense ring upon this Migrephah as they go by it for it lay between the Altar and the porch to give notice to all who were to attend that now the service was in beginning and to chime them in As they go up the steps they two that had been in before to cleanse the Incense Altar and to dress the Lamps go up before them He that had cleansed the Altar goeth in and taketh up his dish Teni and worshippeth and cometh out He that had dressed the five Lamps before dresseth now the other two and taketh up his dish Coz and worshippeth and cometh out He that went in with the Censer of coals after a little office done towards the disposing of the Incense leaves the other there and he also comes out Now he that is left there alone for the burning of the Incense he offers not to kindle it till the president from without with a loud voice give him notice when he shall begin yea though it were the High priest himself that offereth the Incense yet he begins not to do it till the President have called to him Sir offer and assoon as he hath given the signal to the Incense offerer that he shall begin and offer all the company in the Court withdraws downward from the Temple and fall to other of their Prayers SECT VI. The rest of their Prayers BEsides the Prayers and Rehearsal of the Decalogue and of their Phylacteries mentioned before they had three or four Prayers more which they used at the morning Service and they were these * * * Tam. ubi supr The first they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emeth and Jatsib because it began with those two words and it referred to their Phylacteries and it was of this form Truth and stability and firm and sure and upright and faithful and beloved and lovely and delightful and fair and terrible and glorious and ordered and acceptable and good and beautiful is this word for us for ever and ever The truth of the everlasting God our King the Rock of Jacob the shield of our salvation for ever and ever He is sure and his Name sure and his Throne setled and his Kingdom and Truth established for evermore c. ‖ ‖ ‖ Ib. Maym. ubi supr The second is called by the Talmud Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Avodah but by Maymony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Retseh yet they both agree in one as to the prayer it self only the one names it after the first word in it and the other after one of the chiefest words in it The tenor of it was thus Be pleased O Lord our God with thy people Israel and with their prayer and restore the service to the Oracle of thy house and accept the burnt offering of Israel and their prayer in love with well pleasedness and let the service of Israel thy people be continually well pleasing to thee And they conclude thus We praise thee who art the Lord our God and the God of our Fathers the God of all flesh our Creator and the maker of all the Creation blessing and praise be to thy great and holy Name because thou hast preserved and kept us so preserve and keep us and bring back our captivity to the Courts of thy holiness c. A third prayer ran thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appoint peace goodness and blessing grace mercy and compassion for us and for all Israel thy people bless us O our Father even all of us as one man with the light of thy countenance for in the light of thy countenance thou O Lord our God hast given us the Law of life and loving mercy and righteousness and blessing and compassion and life and peace let it please thee to bless thy people Israel at all times In the book of life with blessing and peace and sustentation let us be remembred and written before thee we and all thy people the house of Israel c. And a fourth prayer was used on the Sabbath as a blessing by the Course that went out for a farewel upon the Course that came in in these words He that caused his name to dwell in this house cause to dwell among you love and brotherhood and peace and friendship Compare 2 Cor. 13. 11. Now whereas there is some seeming doubtfulness among the Talmudical writers about the time of these prayers they leaving it somewhat uncertain whether they were uttered immediately before the offering of the Incense or in the very time of its offering the Evangelist Luke hath determined the question and resolved us that the multitude was praying at the very time of the Incense Luke 1. 10. and even the Gloss upon the Talmud it self doth tell us that these prayers were the peoples prayers the last only excepted When those prayers were done he whose lot it was to bring up and lay the pieces of the Sacrifice upon the Altar did that business in that manner as hath been mentioned before namely first flinging them into the fire and then taking them up again and laying them in order After which things performed the Priests especially those that had been in the holy place with the holy vessels in their hands that they had used standing upon the stairs that went up into the porch lifted up their hands and blessed the people Compare Luke 1. 22. Not to insist upon the large disputes and discourses * * * Taanith per. 4 Maym. in Tephil Bircoth cohanim per. 14. 15. that are among the Jews about their lifting up their hands the blessing they pronounced was that in Numb 6. 24 25 26. The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be
tell particularly of the Wonders done in Egypt and of the manner of their deliverance and of Gods various goodness towards them and as the Talmud briefly relates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He began with their disgrace and ended with their glory and expounded from that Text A Syrian ready to perish was my Father even through out to the end of the Section which as the Glossaries give the sense meaneth thus that he began his discourse with the Idolatry of Terah and their fathers beyond the flood and he led on the story to their bondage in Egypt and the wonders done for their deliverance and the Lords giving them his Law and making them his People and particularly he took up that Text in Deut. 26. 5 6 c. and enlarged himself upon it and the more the more commendably Then are the Dishes that were taken away from before him set before him again and then he saith 15 15 15 Ibid. This is the Passover which we eat because that the Lord passed over the houses of our Fathers in Egypt And holding up the bitter herbs in his hand he saith These are the bitter herbs that we eat in remembrance that the Egyptians made the lives of our fathers bitter in Egypt And holding up the unleavened bread likewise in his hand he saith This is the unleavened bread which we eat because the dough of our fathers had not time to be leavened before the Lord revealed himself and redeemed them out of hand Therefore are we bound to give thanks to praise to laud to glorifie to extol to honour to praise to magnifie him that hath done for our fathers and for us all these wonders who hath brought us from bondage to freedom from sorrow to rejoycing from mourning to a good day from darkness to a great light from affliction to redemption therefore must we say before him Hallelujah praise ye the Lord praise ye servants of the Lord praise the name of the Lord c. And so he said over the hundred and thirteenth and the hundred and fourteenth Psalms and concludeth with this prayer Blessed be thou O Lord our God King everlasting who hath redeemed us and redeemed our Fathers out of Egypt and brought us to this night to eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs And then he and all the company with him drank off the second cup of Wine VII 16 16 16 Maym. ubi supr And now he washeth his hands again using the same ejaculation or short prayer that he had done at washing before And then taking the two cakes of unleavened bread he breaketh one of them in two and layeth the broken upon the whole and giveth thanks to God who bringeth bread out of the earth Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first giving thanks and then breaking as was the order of our Saviour Mat. 26. 26. Mark 14. 22. Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. for that action of Christ was farther in the supper than we are yet come but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he first brake and then gave thanks and the Jews do make a business of the method For he might not give thanks by their Tradition either over both or either of the Cakes whilest they were whole but over it when it was broken And they give this reason because it was the bread of poverty and affliction and the poor have not whole Cakes to give thanks over but are glad to do it over bits and pieces Hence the phrase and practice of breaking of bread seemeth to have its original I shall 〈…〉 follow the Dispute that is taken up by the Hebrew Writers about the number of these Cakes whether they were two or three for some assert the one number and some the other and I believe both the Opinions are true applied to different and several times for before the fall of the Temple or in those times to which our discourse pointeth 17 17 17 Vi. Maym. ubi supr there were but two used as may be collected by the best records of those times but in after times they used three 18 18 18 Vid. Buxt Lex Talm. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either in reference to the threefold division of the Nation into Priests Levites and People 19 19 19 Gâ—oss in Maym. in loc citat or parallel to the three cakes that a delivered captive was to offer for his deliverance for Israel was delivered out of slavery at a Passover It is more of import to look a little after that which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aphicomen about which one would think they had two positions one contrary to another The Mishueh of the Talmud hath this Tradition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 20 20 20 Pesach per. 10. halac 8. they dismiss not the company after the Passoever with an Aphicomen And yet this is a current saying amongst them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 21 21 21 Gloss. in Maym. ubi supr He breaketh one of the cakes in two pieces and leaveth one half for the Aphicomen Now the seeming difference of these two positions is reconciled by referring them to several times as the number of the cakes was before The word Aphicomen in their sense doth mean the last dishes they used at meals namely of Nuts Apples or Sweet-meats wherewithall they closed up their meals when they saw good but such a closure they might not make at the Passover supper and the reason was because they would eat some of the Paschal Lamb last and close up the meal with that as the chiefest dish Last of all saith Maymony he eateth of the flesh of the Paschal at the least the quantity of an Olive and he is to taste no other meat after it at all But now he eateth to the quantity of an Olive of unleavened bread and tasteth nothing at all after that that is while the Temple stood and they had a Paschal Lamb to eat that was ever the last meat they ate but in after times when they used no Lamb they closed the meal with unleavened bread in stead of it and after that might eat nothing And so the same Author relateth again when he saith It is from the words of the Scribes that they ate nothing after the unleavened-bread nor cracknels nor nuts or the like but if he eat unleavened bread and eat other meats after or fruits he must return and eat unleavened bread last to the quantity of an Olive and so he concludes Now when they ate unleavened bread for a closure of all in this manner the cake that was broken in two that we are speaking of was half of it after the breaking of it given to some one in the company to reserve for the Aphicomen or for the last bit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he laid it under his Napkin but the other half and if that were not enough the other cake also and if they reserved not an Aphicomen the
in hand namely the second day of the Passover week whatsoever else of extraordinary offering was on it there never failed to be the offering and waving of the first fruit sheaf before the Lord The Law for this is given in Lev. 23. 10 11. When ye be come into the Land which I give unto you you shall reap the Harvest thereof then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your Harvest unto the Priest and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it Where by the word Sabbath is to be understood not the Sabbath day in the proper sense but the first day in the Passover Week of which we have spoken which was so solemn an holy day And so the Chaldee Paraphrast and several other Jews do well interpret it The Rites about gathering and offering this first fruits sheaf are largely described by Tosaphta ad Menachoth to be after this manner a a a Tosaphta ad Menachoth per. 10. Rabbi Ismael saith The Omer or first fruits sheaf if it came on the Sabbath day properly so called as it did that very day that our Saviour rested in the grave it came in three Seahs but if on another day it came in five but the wisemen say whether Sabbath or other day all was one it came in three Seahs Abba Saul said On the Sabbath it was reaped by one man and with one sickle and in one Basket but on another day it was reaped by three men and in three baskets and with three sickles But the wise men said Sabbath or other day it was all one it was by three men and in three baskets and with three sickles The first fruits sheaf came out of the vale of the ashes by the brook Kidron c. The day of waving it lighting on the Sabbath the Sabbath was dispensed with for the reaping of it And how was it done Those that the Sanhedrin sent about it went out at the Evening of the holy day the first day of the Passover Week they took baskets and sickles c. They went out on the holy day when it began to be dark and a great company went out with them when it was now dark one said to them On this Sabbath on this Sabbath on this Sabbath In this Basket in this Basket in this Basket R. Eliezer the son of Zadock saith With this Sickle with this Sickle with this Sickle every particular three times over And they answer him well well well I will reap and he bids them reap And why do they thus Because of the Baithusaeans the Sadduces who said that the reaping of the first fruit sheaf is not on the end of the holy day They reap it and put it into the basket and bring it into the Court and pass it through the fire that they might answer the command about parched corn The words of Rabbi Meir But the wise men say That is not to be meant so but there was a hollow vessel full of holes so that the fire might go quite through it in the Court and the wind blew on it in which they put the Corn suddenly to dry it that it might grind and they put it on a Mill to get out a tenth deal c. One takes the tenth deal and puts its oil and frankincense on it and mingles them and waves it and takes out a handful and puts it on the Altar and the rest is for the Priest to eat As soon as the Omer is offered they go out and find Jerusalem streets full of Meal and parched Corn which was not according to the mind of the wise men The words of R. Meir But the wise men say that it was according to the mind of the wise men for as soon as the Omer was offered new Corn was permitted SECT IV. The Feast of Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FRom this day and occasion namely from the offering of the first fruits Omer they began to count the Weeks to Pentecost even seven Weeks forward This day was the first of the number and the next day after the expiring of seven Weeks being the fiftiethday from hence was Pentecost day as is imported in the very word It was dated from the offering of the first Corn because that Solemnity and this Festival had some relation one to another The presenting of the first sheaf was an introduction to Harvest and the Feast of Pentecost was a return or offering of their Harvest by that they had liberty to begin to put the sickle into the Corn and to reap and at this they offered an offering of their Corn now reaped and inned Therefore this Solemnity is sometimes called in Scripture the Feast of Harvest Exod. 23. 16. and sometimes the Feast of weeks Deut. 16. 10. because of the reckoning of the seven Weeks from that day to it and sometimes Pentecost Act. 2. 1. because it was the fiftieth day from that and so the Jews themselves call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a a Maym. in Talmud per. 8. R. Sol. in Lev. 23. the fiftieth day or Pentecost But the Jews in their Writings do most commonly call this Feast by the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atsereth and so do the Chaldee Paraephrasts use it in Numb 28. 26. although b b b Abarb. in Liv. 3. Abarbonel doth observe that this Feast alone of all the three is not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atsereth in the Scripture The word doth properly signifie a resraining or a shutting up and from that signification it is taken to signifie a solemn holy day or assembling as being interdicted and restrained from work 2 King 10. 20. Joel 1. 4. Amos 5. 21 c. But whether this Feast were so called by them in so singular a manner because that was the time of the restraining of rains it being the very middle of Harvest or because the offering of their first fruits was restrained till this time or because the festival joy of Harvest was yet restrained and not as yet full or for what cause else I shall not be much sollicitous to determine but certainly some of the Rabbins give such intimation as might seem to give some strength to the supposal upon one of the two latter For Maymony relateth c c c Maym. in Biccurim per. 2. that they brought not any first fruits before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pentecost because it is said the Feast of Harvest the first fruits of thy labours And if they brought any they received them not from them but laid them by till Pentecost And Baal Hatturim hath this saying d d d Baal Turim in Deut. 16. There is no rejoycing spoken of at the Passover because the fruits were yet in the field But at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pentecost when Corn is now reaped and Wine is now in the Grapes there is one rejoycing spoken of Deut. 16. 11.
Vid. Gloss. in Ioma in Talm. Babyl per. 1. Job Ezra Daniel and Chronicles places that might most affect and prepare him for the service The day being come which was so strict a Fasting day e e e Kerithuth per. 1. as that to eat any thing or to do any work on it fell under the penalty of being cut off the High-Priest is now to prepare himself for the business And first he puts off his ordinary wearing Cloathes bathes himself in water f f f Mid. per. 5. his bathing this day was on the roof of the room of Happarbah a fine Sheet hanging betwixt him and the sight of the People wipes himself dry with a Towel and puts on the rich Garments of the High-Priesthood washeth his Hands and Feet killeth the daily Sacrifice burns the pieces offers the Incense dresseth the Lamps and doth all the service belonging to the ordinary daily service And so he doth by the Bullock and seven Lambs of the extraordinary Sacrifice And when he had done with these he washed his hands and his feet again g g g Maym. ubi supra per. 4. Then put he off his rich Robes again and bathed himself and put on the white Linnen Garments appointed Levit. 16. 4. and performed the peculiar services of that day as first he goeth to his own Bullock Levit. 16. 6. which stood between the Temple and the Altar laid his two hands upon his head and made this confession Ah Lord I have sinned done perversly and transgressed before thee I and mine house I beseech thee O Lord expiate the sins perversities and transgressions whereby I have sinned done perversly and transgressed I and mine house as it is written in the Law of Moses thy servant saying for on this day he will expiate for you to purge you from all your sins before the Lord that ye may be clean h h h Id. ibid. per. 3. Then went he to cast the Lots upon the two Goats on the North-East part of the Court below the Altar The two lots were ordinarily of Gold pieces just of one and the same bigness on the one of them was written for the Lord and on the other for Azazel these were put into a Box into which the Priest could put both his hands this Box was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The two Goats were set before him one before the right hand and the other at the left and on his right hand stood the Sagan and on his left hand stood chief of his Fathers house He put his hand in the box and took out the lots and opening his hands if the lot for the Scape-goat came in his right hand the Sagan said to him Sir lift up your right hand and so the right hand Goat was the Scape-goat And if that lot came in his left hand the chief of his Fathers house said to him Sir lift up your hand and then that was the Scape-Goat that was on the left hand And he tied a Scarlet list upon that Goats head and set him there from whence he was to be sent away and the other Goat he sent where he must be killed This Scarlet list is called commonly by the Rabbins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lingula coccinea the Scarlet tongue because it was broad and fashioned like a tongue And they expected that when it was tied upon the Scape-Goats head i i i Ioma per. 4. in Gemara it should turn white And so they say it did k k k Iuchasin fol. 15. col 1. in the time of Simeon the just and that the lot for the Scape-Goat came still up in his right hand and this they ground upon Esay 1. 18. Having thus set the two Goats ready against their time comes he returned again to his own Bullock where he left him standing and lays his hand upon his head a second time and makes a second confession in the very same words that he had done the former save that when he had said wherein I have sinned done perversly and transgressed before thee I and my fathers house he added and the sons of Aaron thy holy people as it is written in the Law of Moses c. Then killed he the Bullock took the blood and gave it one to stir that it should not congeal He himself took a Censer full of Coals from the Altar and set them down upon a Bench in the Court and from a Vessel brought him he took his hands full of Incense and put it into a Dish The Censer of Coals he took in his right hand because it was hot and heavy otherwise he should have carried it in his left and the Dish of Incense in his left hand and so he went into the Holy of Holies and came up to the Ark and there he sets his Coals down empties the Incense into his hands again and so lay it on the coals and stays till all the room be full of smoak and then comes backward out from within the vail having his face still toward the Ark Being come out he made this short Prayer O Lord God let it be thy good pleasure that this year may have seasonable rains if it have been droughty And let not thy Scepter depart from Judah and let not thy people Israel want sustenance and let not the prayer of wicked transgressors come before thee and so he came out Then took he the blood of the Bullock which had been stirred about all this while for congealing and brought it within the most holy place and sprinkled of it eight times once upward and seven times downward between the bars of the Ark and having so done he came out thence set the rest of the blood in the bason in the Holy place and came forth Then slew he the Goat took the blood of it into the most holy place and sprinkled it there eight times as the other came forth and set it down in the holy place took up the Bullocks blood and sprinkled it eight times before the vail and so he did by the Goats blood then mingled he them together and sprinkled therewith the golden Altar going round about it He began first with the North-east corner so to the North-west and to the South-west and ended at the South-east then sprinkled he the body of the Altar it self seven times and so came out and poured the remainder of the blood at the foot of the burnt offering Altar on the West-side And now he goes about to send the Scape-goat away he first laid his hands upon his head and made this confession Ah Lord thy people the house of Israel have sinned and done perversly and transgressed before thee I beseech thee now O Lord expiate the sins perversities and transgressions which the house of Israel thy people have sinned done perversly and transgressed before thee as it is written in the Law of Moses thy servant For this day he will expiate for you to purge you from all your sins that
end of every seven years in the solemnity of the year of release in the Feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing The circumstances of time place and person for this reading the Jews do determine thus ‖ ‖ ‖ Talm. in Sotab per. 7. R. Sol. in Deut. 31. Maym. in Hagigah per. 1. The reader was to be the King the place in the Court of the women and the time towards the end of the first holy day in the Feast of Tabernacles weeks There was then a pulpit of wood set up in the midst of the Court of the women for thither might women and children come to hear as they were injoyned per. 12. which they might not do into the upper Court And the King goes up into the Pulpit and sits him down The Minister of the Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes the Book of the Law and gives it to the chief of the Congregation or Head of the Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chief of the Congregation or Head of the Synagogue for now they were in a Synagogue model gives it to the Sagan the Sagan gives it to the High-priest and the High-priest to the King The King stands up to receive it and standing uttereth a Prayer as every one did that was to read the Law in publique before he read and then if he thought good he might sit down and read but if he read standing it was thought the more honorable and so it is recorded that King Agrippa did when he was upon this imployment He began to read at the beginning of Deuteronomy and read to vers 10. of the 6. Chap. Thence he skipt to the thirteenth verse of the eleventh Chapter and read to the two and twentieth verse of the same Chapter There he skipt again to the two and twentieth verse of the fourteenth Chapter and read to the second verse of the nine and twentieth Chapter For they thought it was enough if he read those portions only that were most pregnant and pertinent for the stirring of them up to the observing of the Commandments and for the strengthening of their hands in the Law of truth And the Talmud relates of King Agrippa that when he was upon this Service and came to read that passage in Deut. 17. 15. One from among thy brethren thou shall set King over thee thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother his eyes trickled down with tears in remembrance that he was not of the seed of the Jews so that the people were glad to chear him up and cried out three times to him Fear not Agrippa thou art our brother The reading is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lection of the King and it is reckoned by the Jews to be one of those eight things that must undispensably be uttered in the Hebrew Tongue Those eight things are these 1. The words of him that presented his first fruits Deut. 26. 5. 2. The words of the woman that pull'd off the shoe Deut. 25. 7 8 9. 3. The blessings and the curses Deut. 27. 28. 4. The blessing of the Priests Numb 6. 24 25 26. 5. The blessing of the High-priest on the day of Expiation 6. This lection of the King 7. The words of the Priests incouraging to battel Deut. 20. 3. 8. The words of the Elders over the beheaded Heifer Deut. 21. 7 8. SECT II. The Priests burning of the red Cow THE Law about burning a red Cow to ashes and the use of those ashes for the purifying of those that were unclean by the dead is given and described at large in Num. 19. and the significancy of that rite and other sprinklings is touched upon Heb. 9. 13. The manner of their going about and performing this great business for so it was not unjustly held because it was for the cleansing from the greatest uncleanness was exceeding curious and their circumspection about the matter was so nice and great that in none of the Ceremonious performances they shewed more Ceremony than in this Not to trace their great curiosities in choosing out a Cow that was exactly fit for this business and how many exceptions and cautions and scrutinies they had about her which are nicely discussed in the two first Chapters of the Treatise Parah Nor to dispute whether a a a Vid. Iuchas fol. 13. R. Sol◠in Numb 19. this work of burning her belonged only to the High-Priest or whether another might do it as well as he the managing of that business when it came to it was after this manner b b b Talm. in Parah per. 3. in Mishueh Ioma per. in Gemarah Seven days before a Cow was to be burnt the Priest that was to burn her was put apart into a Chamber of the Temple which stood in the North-east Angle of the Court of Israel which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The house of stone meaning The house of stone vessels as we have cleared it in the survey and description of it And the reason of this his separation was that he might be sure to be free for all that time from any Pollution by a Grave or Corps For since the ashes of this burnt Cow was the great and only purger from that defilement it was their choise care and heedfulness that they should be clear from that defilement that went about the burning of her or sprinkling her ashes When the day of her burning came the Priest that was to do it and they that were to accompany him in that work c c c Middoth per. 1. marched out at the East-gate of the Mountain of the Temple which Gate was also called Shushan and went over the Valley of Cidron to Mount Olivet to a pitch of the Hill just over against the Gate where they had come out and in the face of the Temple d d d Maym. in Parah per. 3. Sheka im per. 4. Talm. in Parah ubi supr all the way over the Valley was a Causey made upon double Arches that is one Arch still standing upon two Arches and so levelied on the surface as made a plain and even way all along And the reason of this great cost and curiosity was that all the way might be secure against unseen or unknown graves by which these passengers might have been defiled the stone Arches not permitting to interre a Corps The like Arches for the like prevention we have observed in its due place were all under the Courts of the Temple and the like Archedness was there on Mount Olivet under the very place where the Cow was to be burnt for the same security The Elders of the People marched before the Priest and his company all along this Causey to the place of the burning and there when the Priest came up they laid their hands upon
New answers Holy is the Lord that hath performed The Old says Holy is the Father that gave the Law the New saith Holy is the Son that preached the Gospel and both say Holy is the Holy Ghost that penned both Law and Gospel to make men holy The two Cherubins in Salomons 2 Chron. 3. Temple stood so that with their outmost wings they touched the sides of the house and their other wings touched each other So the two Testaments one way touch the two sides of the house and the other way touch each other In their extent they read from the beginning of the World to the end from in the beginning to come Lord Jesus In their consent they touch each other with He shall turn the Heart of the Fathers to the children Mal. 4. 6 and He shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children Luke 1. 17. Here the two wings joyn in the middle Tertullian calls the Prophet Malachi the bound or skirt of Judaism and Christianity a stake that tells that there promising ends and performing begins that Prophecying concludes and Fulfilling takes place there is not a span between these two plots of holy ground the Old and New Testament for they touch each other What do the Papists then when they put and chop in the Apocripha for Canonical Scripture between Malachi and Matthew Law and Gospel What do they but make a wall between the Seraphins that they cannot hear each others cry What do they but make a stop between the Cherubins that they cannot touch each others wing What do they but make a ditch betwixt these grounds that they cannot reach each others coasts What do they but remove the Land mark of the Scriptures and so are guilty of Cursed be he that removes his neighbours mark Deut. 27. 17. And what do they but divorce the mariage of the Testaments and so are guilty of the breach of that which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder These two Testaments are the two paps of the Church from which we suck the sincere milk of the Word One pap is not more like to another than are these two for substance but for Language they vary in colour The Old as all can tell is written in Hebrew but some forraign Languages are also admitted into Scripture besides the Hebrew as forraign Nations were to be admitted also to the Church besides the Hebrews A great piece of Ezra is Chaldee because taken from Chaldee Chronicles Those parts of Daniels visions that concern all the World are written in the Chaldee the Tongue then best known in the World because the Chaldeans were then Lords of the World The eleventh verse of the tenth of Jeremy is in the same Tongue that the Jews might learn so much of their Language as to refuse their Idolatry in their own Language Other words of this Idiom are frequent in the Scripture as I take two names given to Christ as Bar the son in Psal. 2. 10. and Hhoter the rod of Jesses stem Isa. 11. to be natively Chaldee Hhutra used by all the Targums for a rod in divers places words and for that they do shew the greater mystery viz. that this Son and this Rod should belong to Chaldeans and Gentiles as well as to Jew or Hebrews Infinite it is to trace all of this nature and Language The Arabian is also admitted into Scripture especially in the Book of Job a man of that Country whether Philistin Phrases and other adjacent Nations Dialects be not to be found there also I refer to the Reader to search and I think he may easily find of the eloquence of some pieces above others and the difficulty of some books above others those that can even read the English Bible can tell I would there were more that could read it in its own Language and as it were talk with God there in his own Tongue that as by Gods mercy Japhet dwells now in the tents of Sem or the Gentiles have gained the preheminence of the Jews for Religion so they would water this graffing of theirs into this stock with the juyce of that Tongue thereby to provoke them the more to Jealousie CHAP. XXXIII Of the New Testament Language or the Greek THE Greek Tongue is the key which God used to unlock the Tents of Sem to the sons of Japhet This glorious Tongue as Tully calls it is made most glorious by the writing of the New Testament in this Language God hath honoured all the Thucyd. lib. 1 letters by naming himself after the first and the last as Homer shews the receit of all the Grecian ships by shewing how many the greatest and how few the least contained Javan is held both by Jews and Christians to have planted the Country The Tongue is likely to be maternal from Babel The Jews upon Genesis the forty ninth think that Jacob curseth his sons Simeon and Levies fact in one word of Greek Macerothehem that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their swords but all the Chaldees and other Translations render it better their habitations Gen. 49. 5. The ancientest Heathen Greek alive is Homer though the Tongue was long before and Homers subject of Ilias treated of in Greek verse by Evanders Wife of Arcadia as some have related Homer watered the Tongue and in succeeding ages it flourished till it grew ripe in the New Testament The Dialects of it familiarly known to be five The Attick the Jonick c. The Macedonian was something strange as appears in Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 5. Especially their devout Macedonian or about their oraisons How God scattered and divulged this Tongue of the Greeks over the World against the coming of Christ and writing of the New Testament is remarkable Alexander the great with his Macedonians made the Eastern parts Grecian The Old Testament at Ptolomaeus his request translated into Greek was as an Usher to bring in the New Testament when Japhet should come to dwell in the Tents of Sem. The Jews used to keep a mournful fast for that Translation but as Jews mourn so have Gentiles cause to rejoyce In like sort for the preparation for the Gospel of late which as far as Antichrist his power could reach lay depressed but not overwhelmed the Greek Tongue at the sacking of Constantinople by the Turks was sent into these Western climates that we might hear Christ speak in his own Language without an Egyptian to interpret to us as Joseph had to his brethren What need we now to rely upon a Latine foundation when we have the Greek purity Never did the Turk any good to Christianity but this and this against his will but God worketh all things for his own glory And we may say of the poor inhabitants of Grecia as of the Jews by their impoverishing we are inriched As Athens in old time was called the Grecia of Grecia so the New Testament for Language may be stiled the Greek of Greek In it as upon the
see the full setling of the Law in their houses And when God had fetched him a people out of Egypt and laid the foundation of a glorious Church with signs and wonders then he thought it fit for their restriction as also ‖ ‖ ‖ Vid. Jarchi on Ruth cap. 1. for their distinction from the Heathen to give the Law from his own mouth the more to procure reverence to him For Heaven and Earth must needs hearken when the Lord speaketh Isa. 1. 2. And thus did †††Numa Minos c. the Heathen fain they received their Laws from a Deity that was never seen and yet their Laws were the better observed for that reason CHAP. LIX Of the place where it was given and manner GOD gave the Law in Arabia so wicked Mahomet gave his Law in Arabia A worse and a better thing no one Country every afforded God gave his Law in Sinai a bushy place as it seems by * * * Seneh signifies a bush Exodus 3. the name agreeable to the giving of so perplexing a matter Carry along with thee gentle Reader as thou readest the Scripture thus much care at my request as to mark that the Law of Moses was given in two places Sinai and the Tabernacle as also to consider that some part of this Law did only concern the Jews and some part did also concern all the World The Ceremonial Law that concerned only the Jews it was given to Moses in private in * * * Levit. 1. the Tabernacle and fell with the Tabernacle when the veil rent in twain The Moral Law concerns the whole World and it was given in sight of the whole World on the top of a mountain and must endure as long as any mountain standeth The Judicial Law which is more indifferent and may stand or fall as seems best for the good of a Common-wealth was given neither so publick as the one nor so private as the other but in a mean between both The Law on Sinai was with fire and trumpets so shall Christ come with fire and trumpet at the latter day to take an account how men have kept this fiery Law as it is called Deut. 33. 2. Fiery because given out of the fire as the Jerusalem and Babilonian Targums hold though I think there is more meant by the words than so for it is Eshdath which may be rendred the fire of a Law CHAP. LX. Of the effects of the Law THE letter of the Law is death but the Spirit giveth life The Jews stand upon the letter and think to gain life by the works of it but them the Apostle frequently Vid. Hillar Hieron in loc confuteth And I take the aim of Christs Parable Matth. 20. about the penny to extend to no less Some came into the Vineyard at the Dawning of the Day or the Age before the Flood and some at the third hour or in the time before the Law and some at the sixth and ninth hour or under the heat and burden of the Jewish Law and some at the last under the Gospel Those under the Law plead for merit we have born the heat and burden of the day that is costly Sacrifices sore Ceremonies c. To whom the Master answers that his penny is his own and if he give it it is not for their merit but his good will St. Paul calls the Law a School-Master and so it is indeed and such a School-Master as that that Livy and Florus speak of in Italy who brought forth his children that were trusted with him to Hannibal who if he had not been more merciful than otherwise they had all perished So they that rely upon the works of the Law are in fine constrained by the Law to come to Christ who more merciful than the Law does deliver them And if you well weigh it you shall find that as the whole Law so every part from one to another brings us to Christ. The Moral Law shews us what we should do and with the same sight we find that we cannot do it This makes us to seek to the Ceremonial for some Sacrifice or Ceremony to answer for our not doing it There we see that burning a dead beast is but poor satisfaction for the sins of men living and that outward purifyings of mens selves can avail but little to the cleansing of a soiled soul this then delivers us to the Judicial Law and by it we see what we deserve and thus in fine we are constrained to seek to Christ * * * It was Jesus or Josuah and not Moses or the Law that brought Israel into the Land of Canaan Jesus for there is no other name whereby we must be saved The Parable that our Saviour propounds in the tenth of Luke I think tends somethink to this purpose A man saith he went from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among theeves and they robbed him of his raiment and wounded him and departed leaving him half dead A certain Priest came that way and when he saw him he turned aside A Levite came that way and when he saw him he passed by on the other side But a good Samaritan came as the Text imports and pitied him and salved him and lodged him and paid for him Such a one is man fallen among Satan Sin and Death and by them stopt stript and striped Satan dismounts him off his Innocency that should sustain him Sin strips him of all Righteousness that should array him Death strikes him with guiltiness and wounds him Here is a man in a woful case and none to aid him By comes a Priest that is first come the Sacrifices of the legal Priesthood and they may pass by him but they do not nor they cannot help him By comes a Levite that is the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law and they may pass by him but they do not they cannot help him Or by comes a Priest that is the Angels may see him thus but they let him lie for they cannot help him By comes a Levite that is Men and the World may see him thus but they let him alone for ever for they cannot succour him But by comes a good Samaritan that is our Saviour himself who is called a Samaritan and is said to have a Devil and he pities him salves him lodges him and pays for him He pities him in very bowels therefore he says as I live I would not the death of a sinner He salves him with his own blood therefore t is said By his stripes we are healed He lodges him in his own Church therefore the Church saith He brought me in the winecellar and love was his banner over me And he pays for him what he deserved therefore he saith I have troad the Winepress alone It is said in the Book of Kings that when the Shunamites dead child was to be raised Elisha first sent his staff to be laid upon him but that did no good but when Elisha
came himself and lay upon him with his mouth to the Childs mouth his eyes to his eyes and his hands to his hands then the Child recovered So when man was dead in trespasses and sin as it is Eph. 2. God lays his * * * Psal. 23. staff or rod of the Law upon him but what good did this toward his recovery Even make him to long the more for Elisha or Christ who when he came and laid his mouth to mans mouth and kissed humanity in his Incarnation and laid his eyes to his eyes and his hands to his hands and suffered for mans actions at his passion then is man recured God in the book of Isay when he is to send a Prophet to Israel says thus Mi eshlah whom shall I send or who will go for us Isa. 6. 8. Upon which words the Jew Kimchi paraphrases thus Shalahti eth Micah wehem maccim otho Shalahti eth Amos wehem korin otho * * * Amos in Heb. signifies one that is heavy tongued which Kimchi calls Peseleusa from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blaesus Pesilusa I have sent Micah and him they smote I have sent Amos and him they called a stammerer Whom shall I send or who will go for us Then says Esay Behold I am here send me Imagine that upon the fall of man you saw God about to send the great Prophet not to Israel alone but to all the World nor only to teach but also to redeem Suppose you heard him thus questioning whom shall I send to restore fallen man And who will go for us Should I send Angels They are creatures and consequently finite and so cannot answer mine infinite Justice Should I send man himself Alas though he once had power not to have fallen yet now hath he no power to raise himself again Should I send beasts to sacrifice themselves for him Alas can the burning of dead beasts satisfie for the sins of all men alive Whom shall I send or who will go for us Our Saviour is ready to answer with Isay Behold I am here send me Here am I that am able to do it send me for I am willing I am able for I am God I am willing for I will become a man I am God and so can fulfil the Law which man hath broke I will become man that so I may suffer death which man hath deserved Behold I am here send me Then as one of our Country Martyrs at his death so may we sing all our lives None but Christ none but Christ None but Christ to cure the wounded travailor None but Christ to raise the dead Shunamite None but Christ to restore decaid mankind None but Christ that would None but Christ that could No Angel no Man no Creature no Sacrifice no Ceremony that would and could do this for us which we could not do for our selves and say for us I have trod the Winepress alone When the Ceremonial and Judicial Law have thus brought us to Christ we may shake hands with them and farewel but for the Moral as it helps to bring us thither so must it help to keep us there For Christ came not to disannul this Law but to fulfil it He does not acquit us from this but furthers us to the keeping of it What else is the Gospel but this in milder terms of Faith and Repentance which is since we cannot keep this Law yet to strive to keep it as we can and to repent us for that we have not kept it and to relie upon his merits that hath kept it for us Thus as love to God and to our neighbours was the sum of the Old so true faith and unfained repentance is the total of the New This was the tenour of Christs first words after his Baptism Mark 1. 15. and of his last words before his Ascension Mark 16. 16. CHAP. LXI Of the Ten Commandments THE Ten Commandments may be called the Word of the Word of God for though all Scripture be his Word yet these in more special be his Scripture to which he made himself his own Scribe or Pen-man upon these Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets and these Commandments upon two duties to love God and to love our neighbour A shorter and yet a fuller Comment needs not to be given of them than what our Saviour hath given Luke 10. 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self The four Commandments of the first Table he expounds in four words The Lord thy God there is the Preface I am the Lord c. Thou shalt love the Lord c. with all thy Heart for the First Commandment Soul for the Second Commandment Strength for the Third Commandment Mind for the Fourth Commandment If we need any further Exposition upon this Exposition of our Saviours it is easie to find as thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart for it he hath Created Soul for it he hath Redeemed Strength for it he hath Preserved Mind for it he hath Inlightned And therefore thou shalt love him with all thine Heart without Only talking and no more Soul without Dissembling Strength without Revolting Mind without Erring This is the first and the great Commandment and the other is like unto this thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self This adds great light to the second Table for half of the Commandments of that Table want an object whereupon to fasten the duty The first hath one Honour thy Father c. the last but one hath one thou shalt not witness falsely against thy neighbour And so the last hath Thou shalt not covet ought of thy Neighbours But Thou shalt not kill steal and commit adultery these have no object viz. none named whom from whom and with whom we must not kill steal nor adulterate because we must make our selves also the object here and reflect the Commandments upon our selves as thus Thou shalt not kill first not thy self and secondly not thy neighbour and so of the rest The Jews have been too bold in adding too strict an object as you may see in their explaining these three precepts And some Hereticks have been too nice in giving some of them too * * * For Marcion held it unlawful to kill a beast because the command non occides hath no set object Aug. de Clv. Dei l. 1. cap. 20. large a one The fifth Commandment in the Ten is with a Promise and the fifth Petition in the Lords Prayer is with a Condition I omit the exquisiteness of the pricking of this piece of Scripture of the Commandments extraordinarily Some special thing is in it The Jews do gather six hundred and thirteen Precepts Negative and Affirmative to be in the whole Law according to the six hundred and thirteen letters in the two Tables and so many
man who shall make an Idol or molten Image and both the one and the other answered Amen And so of the rest And at last Turning their faces to Gerizim they began with the blessing Blessed is the man who shall continue in all the words of the Law and the Answer on both sides is Amen Turning their faces to Ebal they pronounce the curse Cursed is every one that shall not continue in all the words of the Law and the answer from both sides is Amen c. In like manner Christ here having begun with blessings Blessed Blessed thundereth out curses Wo Wo Luke VI. 24 25 26. That which many do Comment concerning the octonary number of Beatitudes hath too much curiosity and little benefit It hath that which is like it among the Jews For thus they write b b b b b b Midr. Tillin upon Psal. 1. R. Sol. upon Esa. V. There is a Tradition from the School of R. Esaiah ben Korcha that twenty blessings are pronounced in the book of the Psalms and in like manner twenty Woes in the book of Esaiah But I say saith Rabbi that there are two and twenty blessings according to the number of the two and twenty letters c c c c c c Baal Tâ—rin upon Gen. XII Abraham was blessed with seven blessings d d d d d d Targ. upon Ruth III. These six are blessed every one with six blessings David Daniel and his three companions and King Messias VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the pure in heart HArken O Pharisee all whose praise lies in outward cleanness How foolish is this boasting of a Jew e e e e e e Bab. Schaâ— fol. 13. 1. Come and see saith R. Simeon ben Eleazar how far the purity of Israel extends it self when it is not only appointed that a clean man eat not with an unclean woman but that an unclean man eat not with an unclean man that a Pharisee that hath the Gonorrhea eat not with a comon person that hath the Gonorrhea VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the Peacemakers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f f f f f f Peah cap. 1. hal 1. Making peace between neighbours is numbred among those things which bring forth good fruit in this life and benefit in the life to come VERS XVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law c. I. IT was the opinion of the Nation concerning the Messias that he would bring in a new Law but not at all to the prejudice or damage of Moses and the Prophets But that he would advance the Mosaic Law to the very highest pitch and would fulfil those things that were foretold by the Prophets and that according to the Letter even to the greatest pomp II. The Scribes and Pharisees therefore snatch an occasion of cavilling against Christ and readily objected that he was not the true Messias because he abolished the Doctrines of the Traditions which they obtruded upon the people for Moses and the Prophets III. He meets with this prejudice here and so onwards by many arguments as namely 1. That he abolished not the Law when he abolished Traditions for therefore he came that he might fulfil the Law 2. That he asserts that not one Jota should perish from the Law 3. That he brought in an observation of the Law much more pure and excellent than the Pharisaical observation of it was which he confirms even to the end of the Chapter explaining the Law according to its genuine and spiritual sense VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verily I say unto you I. SUCH an asseveration was usual to the Nation though the syllables were something changed g g g g g g Bab. Bâ—rac fol. 55. 1. A certain Matron said to R. Judah bar Allai Thy face is like to a Swineherd or an Usurer To whom he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In truth both is forbidden me The Gloss there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In truth is a manner of speech used in swearing II. But our Saviour useth this phrase by the highest divine right 1. Because he is Amen the faithful witness Rev. II. 14. 2 Cor. I. 20. See also Esa. LXV 16. and Kimchi there 2. Because he published the Gospel the highest truth Joh. XVIII 37 c. 3. By this asseveration he doth well oppose his divine oracles against the insolent madness of the Traditional Doctors who did often vent their blasphemous and frivolous tales under this seal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They speak in truth and wheresoever this is said say they it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Tradition of Moses from Sinai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One jot The Jerusalem Gemarists speak almost to the same sense h h h h h h Sanhedr fol. 20. 3. The book of Deuteronomy came and prostrated it self before God and said O Lord of the Universe Thou hast wrote in me thy Law but now a Testament defective in some part is defective in all Behold Solomon endeavours to root the letter Jod out of me to wit in this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall not multiply wives Deut. XVII 5. The holy blessed God answered Solomon and a thousand such as he shall perish but the least word shall not perish out of thee R. Honna said in the name of R. Acha the letter Jod which God took out of the name of Sarai â—ur Mother was given half to Sara and half to Abraham A Tradition of R. Hoshaia the letter Jod came and prostrated it self before God and said O eternal Lord Thou hast rooted me out of the name of that holy woman The Blessed God answered Hitherto thou hast been in the name of a woman and that in the end Viz. in Sarai but henceforward thou shalt be in the name of a man and that in the beginning Hence is that which is written And Moses called the name of Hoshea Jehoshua The Babylonians also do relate this translation of the letter Jod out of the name of Sarai to the name of Joshua after this manner i i i i i i Sanhedr fol. 107. 1. The letter Jod saith God which I took out of the name of Sarai stood and cried to me for very many years how long will it be ere Joshua arise to whose name I have added it You have an Example of the eternal duration of this very little letter Jod in Deut. XXXII 18. where in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is written even less than it self and yet it stands immortal in that its diminutive state unto this very day and so shall for ever k k k k k k Bab. Taanith fol. 21. 2. There is a certain little City mentioned by name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Derokreth which by reason of the smalness of it was called Jod in the Gloss. l l l l l l Fol.
repeat nothing here Which method I have taken in several places in this Evangelist where he relates passages that have been related before and which I have had occasion to handle as I met with them CHAP. XXII VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Captains THEY are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 52. Captains of the Temple And in the singular number the Captain of the Temple Acts IV. 1. but who should this or these be I. All know that there was a Roman Garrison in the Castle of Antonia whose charge especially was to suppress all Tumults and Seditions in the Temple But was the Tribune or the Centurions of that Garrison called by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Captains of the Temple Surely rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Captains of the Castle of Antonia And indeed it appears not that the Roman Captains had conspired against the life of Christ that Judas should betake himself to them to make a bargin for the betraying of him II. The conjecture might be more probable of those Rulers in the Temple concerning whom we have this mention a a a a a a Shekalin cap. 5. These are the Rulers that were in the Temple Johanan ben Phineas Governour of the Seals Ahijah set over the drink offerings Matthiah ben Samuel that presided over the Lots c. But to me it seems beyond all doubt that the Captains of the Temple were the Captains of the several Watches b b b b b b Middoth cap. 1. In three places the Priests kept Watch and Ward in the Temple viz. in Beth Abtenes Beth Nitsots and Beth Mokad The Levites also in one and twenty places more Whereas therefore these Watches or Guards consisted every one of several persons there was one single person set over each of them as their Captain or the head of that Watch. And this way looks that of Pilat Matth. XXVII 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have a watch of your own let some of them be sent to guard the Sepulchre III. The Captain of the Temple therefore distinctively and by way of eminence so termed I would suppose him whom they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ruler of the Mountain of the House who was the chief of all the heads of those Wards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c c c c c c Middoth ubi supr hal 2. The Ruler of the Mountain of the Temple takes his walks through every watch with Torches lighted before him and if he found any upon the Watch that might not be standing on his feet he said Peace be with thee but if he found him sleeping he strack him with a stick and it was warrantable for him to burn the Garments of such an one And when it was said by others what is that noise in the Court the answer was made it is the noise of a Levite under correction and whose Garments are burning for that he slept upon the Watch. R. Eliezer ben Jacob said they once found my Mother's Son asleep and they burnt his Cloaths Compare this passage with Revel XVI 15. Behold I come as a Thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame It is easie distinguishing this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Captain of the mountain of the Temple from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of the Temple or the Sagan The former presided only over the Guards the latter over the whole Service of the Temple And so we have them distinguished Acts IV. vers 1. there is the Captain of the Temple and Annas who was the Sagan VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is my body THE words of the institution of the Holy Eucharist throughout the whole contain a reflection partly by way of Antithesis partly by way of Allusion I. This is my body Upon the account of their present celebration of the Passover these words might very well have some reference to the body of the Paschal Lamb. The body I say of the Paschal Lamb. For the Jews use this very phrase concerning it d d d d d d Maimon in Hhamets Umatsah cap. 8. They bring in a Table spread on which are bitter Herbs with other Herbs unleaven'd Bread Pottage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Body of the Paschal Lamb. And a little after He eateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Body of the Passover From whence our Saviour's meaning may be well enough discerned viz. that by the same signification that the Paschal Lamb was my body hitherto from hence forward let this Bread be my body II. Which is given for you But the Apostle adds which is broken for you Which indeed doth not so well agree with the Paschal Lamb as with the Lamb for the daily Sacrifice for as to the Paschal Lamb there was not a bone of it broken but that of the daily Sacrifice was broken and cut into several parts and yet they are both of them the Body of Christ in a figure And although besides the breaking of it there are these further instances wherein the Paschal Lamb and that of the daily Sacrifice did differ viz. 1. That the daily Sacrifice was for all Israel but the Paschal for this or that Family 2. The daily Sacrifice was for the attonement of sin the Passover not so 3. The daily Sacrifice was burnt but the Passover eaten yet in this they agreed that under both the body of our Saviour was figured and shadowed out though in a different notion III. This do in remembrance of me As you kept the Passover in remembrance of your going out of Egyt e e e e e e Beracoth cap. 1. hal ult Thou shalt remember the day of thy going out of Egypt all the days of thy life Ben Zuma thus explains it the days of thy life that is in the day time all the days of thy life that is in the night time too But the wise men say the days of thy life that is in this age all the days of thy life that the days of the Messiah may be included too But whereas in the days of the Messiah there was a greater and more illustrious redemption and deliverance than that out of Egypt brought about with the Jews good leave it is highly requisite that both the thing it self and he that accomplished it should be remembred We suspect in our Notes upon 1 Cor. XI as if some of the Corinthians in their very participation of the Holy Eucharist did so far Judaize that what had been instituted for the Commemoration of their redemption by the death of Christ they perverted to the Commemoration of the going out of Egypt and that they did not at all discern the Lord's body in the Sacrament Under the Law there were several eatings of Holy things The first was that which Siphra mentions f f f f f f Fol. 24. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
speaking according to the vulgar conceptions of the Jews For whereas it had been plain enough to have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to day is the third day but he further adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beside all this and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this too there seems a peculiar force in that addition and an emphasis in that word As if the meaning of it were this That same Jesus was mighty in word and deed and shewed himself such an one that we conceived him the true Messiah and he that was to redeem Israel And besides all these things which bear witness for him to be such this very day bears witness also For whereas there is so great an observation amongst us concerning the third day this is the third day since he was Crucified and there are some Women amongst us that say they have been told by Angels that he is risen again VERS XXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He took bread and blessed it c. IT is strange that any should expound this breaking of bread of the Holy Eucharist when Christ had determined with himself to disappear in the very distribution of the bread and so interrupt the Supper And where indeed doth it appear that any of them tasted a bit For the Supper was ended before it began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If three eat together they are bound to say grace f f f f f f Beracoth fol. 45. 1. That is as it is afterwards explained One of them saith let us bless but if there be three and himself then he saith bless ye g g g g g g Ib. fol. 49. 1. Although I do not believe Christ tyed himself exactly to that custom of sayiny let us bless nor yet to the common form of blessing before meat yet is it very probable he did use some form of blessing and not the words this is my body VERS XXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Did not our heart burn within us BEZA saith In uno exemplari c. In one Copy we read it written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not our heart hid Heinsius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in optimis codicibus legitur It is written hidden in the best Copies Why then should it not be so in the best Translations too But this reading favours his Interpretation which amounts to this were we not fools that we should not know him while he was discoursing us in the way I had rather expound it by some such parallel places as these My heart waxed hot within me while I was musing the fire burned Psal. XXXIX 3. His word was in mine heart as a burning fire Jerem. XX. 9. The meaning is that their hearts were so affected and grew so warm that they could hold no longer but must break silence and utter themselves So these were we not so mightily affected while he talked with us in the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures that we were just breaking out into the acknowledgment of him and ready to have saluted him as our Lord That is a far fetcht conceipt in Taanith h h h h h h Fol. 20. 2. R Alai bar Barachiah saith If two disciples of the wise men journey together and do not maintain some discourse betwixt themselves concerning the Law they deserve to be burnt according as it is said It came to pass as they still went on and talked behold a Chariot of fire and Horses of fire c. 2 Kings II. VERS XXXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saying the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon I. THAT these are the words of the Eleven appears from the case in which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They found the Eleven and them that were with them saying They having returned from Emmaus found the Eleven and the rest saying to them when they came into their presence The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto Simon But do they speak these things amongst themselves as certain and believed or do they tell them to the two Disciples that were come from Emmaus as things true and unquestionable It is plain from St. Mark that the Eleven did not believe the Resurrection of our Saviour till he himself had shewed himself in the midst of them i i i i i i Mark XVI 11. 13. They could not therefore say these words The Lord is risen and hath appeared to Simon as if they were confidently assured of the truth of them But when they saw Simon so suddenly and unexpectedly returning whom they knew to have taken a journey toward Galilee to try if he could there meet with Jesus they conclude hence Oh! surely the Lord is risen and hath appeared to Simon otherwise he would not have returned back so soon Which brings to mind that of the Messenger of the death of Maximin k k k k k k In Iul. Capitol The messenger that was sent from Aquileia to Rome changing his Horses often came with so great speed that he got to Rome in four days It chanced to be a day wherein some games were celebrating when on a sudden as Balbinus and Gordianus were sitting in the Theatre the Messenger came in and before it could be told all the people cry out Maximin is slain and so prevented him in the news he brought c. We cannot well think that any worldly affairs could have called away these two from the Feast before the appointed time nor indeed from the company of their fellow Disciples but something greater and more urgent than any worldly occasions And now imagine with what anguish and perplexity poor Peter's thoughts were harrast for having denyed his Master what emotions of mind he felt when the Women had told him that they were commanded by Angels to let Peter particularly know that the Lord was risen and went before them into Galilee and they might see him there Mark XVI 7. That it seems to me beyond all question that one of these Disciples going toward Emmaus was Peter who assoon as he had heard this from the Women taking Alpheus as a companion of his journey makes toward Galilee not without communicating before hand to his fellow disciples the design of that progress They therefore finding him so suddenly and unexpectedly returned make the conjecture amongst themselves that certainly the Lord had appeared to him else he would never have come back so soon Compare but that of the Apostle 1 Cor. XV. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was seen of Cephas then of the twelve and nothing can seem exprest more clearly in the confirmation of this matter Object But it may be objected that those two returning from Emmaus found the Eleven Apostles gathered and sitting together Now if Simon was not amongst them they were not Eleven Therefore he was not one of those two Answ. I. If it should be granted that Peter was there and sate
became our Redeemer as in the beginning of time he had been our Maker Compare this with ver 14. Ver. 1. Ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning was the word The word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was with God Dwelt among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The word was God Was made flesh and we beheld c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the word There is no great necessity for us to make any very curious enquiry whence our Evangelist should borrow this title when in the History of the Creation we find it so often repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God said It is observ'd almost by all that have of late undertaken a Commentary upon this Evangelist that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of the Lord doth very frequently occur amongst the Targumists which may something enlighten the matter now before us a a a a a a Exod. XIX 17. And Moses brought the people out of the Camp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to meet the word of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the word of the Lord accepted the face of Job b b b b b b Job XLII 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the word of the Lord shall laugh them to scorn c c c c c c Psal. II. 4. They believed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the name of his word d d d d d d Psal. CVI. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And my word spared them e e e e e e Ezek. XX. 57. To add no more Gen. XXVI 3. Instead of I will be with thee the Targum hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my word shall be thine help So Gen. XXXIX 2. And the Lord was with Joseph Targ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the word of the Lord was Joseph's helper And so all along that kind of phrase is most familiar amongst them Though this must be also confest that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie nothing else but I Thou He and is frequently apply'd to men too So Job VII 8. Thine eyes are upon me Targ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again Job XXVII 3. My breath is in me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Targ. II Chron. XVI 3. There is a league between me and thee Targ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. XXIII 16. He made a Covenant between him and between all the people and between the King Targ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I observe that in Zach. VII 12. the Targumist renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his word if at least that may in strictness be so render'd for by what hath been newly alledg'd it seems that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated the Lord by himself or the Lord himself I observe further that the Greek Interpreters having mistaken the vowels of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Habbak III. 2. have render'd it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before his face shall go a word when it should have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the meaning of the Prophet there is before his face went the Pestilence VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In him was life THE Evangelist proceeds from the Creation by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word to the redemption of the world by the same word He had declar'd how this word had given to all creatures their first being v. 3. All things were made by him And he now sheweth how he restor'd life to man when he lay dead in trespasses and sins Adam call'd his wives name Hevah Life Gen. III. 20. The Greek reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam called his wifes name life He call'd her life who had brought in death because he had now tasted a better life in the promise of the womans seed To which it is very probable our Evangelist had some reference in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the life was the light of men Life through Christ was light arising in the darkness of mans fall and sin a light by which all believers were to walk St. John seems in this clause to oppose the life and light exhibited in the Gospel to that life and light which the Jews boasted of in their Law They expected life from the works of the Law and they knew no greater light than that of the Law which therefore they extoll with infinite boasts and praises which they give it Take one instance for all a a a a a a Bereshith rabba Sect. 3. God said let there be light R. Simeon saith light is written there five times according to the five parts of the Law i. e. the Pentateuch and God said let there be light according to the Book of Genesis wherein God busying himself made the world And there was light according to the Book of Exodus wherein the Israelites came out of darkness into light And God saw the light that it was good according to the Book of Leviticus which is filled with rites and ceremonies And God divided betwixt the light and the darkness according to the Book of Numbers which divided betwixt those that went out of Egypt and those that enter'd into the land And God called the light day according to the Book of Deuteronomy which is replenished with manifold traditions A Gloss this is upon light full of darkness indeed VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the light shineth in darkness THIS light of promise and life by Christ shined in the darkness of all the cloudy types and shadows under the Law and obscurity of the Prophets And those dark things comprehended it not i. e. did not so cloud and suppress it but it would break out nor yet so comprehended it but that there was an absolute necessity there should a greater light appear I do so much the rather incline to such a Paraphrase upon this place because I observe the Evangelist here treateth of the ways and means by which Christ made himself known to the world before his great manifestation in the flesh First in the promise of life ver 4. Next by Types and Prophecies and lastly by John Baptist. VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which lighteth every man that cometh into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. All the men that are in the world g g g g g g Hieros Sanhedr fol. 26. 3. Doth not the Sun rise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon all that come into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that come into the world are not able to make one fly h h h h h h Ibid. fol. 25. 4. In the beginning of the year 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that come into the world present themselves before the Lord i i i i i i Rosh Hashanah cap. 1. hal 1. There are numberless examples of this kind The sense of the place is that Christ shining forth in the light of the Gospel is a light that lightens all the world the light of the Law shone
them Their dwellings are clean So that he might enter thereinto eat or lodge there Their roads are clean So that the dust of them did not defile a Jew's feet The method of the Story in this place by compairing it with other Evangelist may be thus put together Herod had imprisoned John Baptist under pretence of his growing too popular and that the multitude of his followers encreasing tended to innovate c c c c c c Jos. Antiqu. lib. 18. cap. 7. Our Saviour understanding this and withal that the Sanhedrin had heard something of the increase of his Disciples too withdrew from Judea into Galile that he might be more remote from that kind of thunder-bolt that St. John had been strook with VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Near to the parcel of ground that Iacob gave to his Son Ioseph GEN. XLVIII 22. Jacob had bought a piece of Land of the Children of Hamor for an hundred Lambs Gen. XXXIII 19. But after the Daughter of the Sechemites he with his Family being forced to retire to places more remote viz. to Bethel Bethlehem and Hebron the Amorites thrust themselves into possession and he â—ain to regain it with his Sword and Bow VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Iacob's well was there OF this Well doth Jacob seem to speak in those last words of his about Joseph Gen. XLIX 22. Joseph is a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough by a Well For Joseph's Off-spring inceased to a Kingdom in Jeroboam and that in Sichem hard by Jacob's Well He adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where if you will render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Enemy as it is Psal. XCII 11. and perhaps Psal. XVIII 29. for it is from the Chaldee only that it signifies a wall as Buxtorf tell us then the words might be interpreted as a Prophecy concerning those Daughters of Joseph at Shiloh who passing over to the Enemy restored the hostile Tribe of Benjamin that otherwise were likely to have perished for want of issue Judg. XXI 19 c. I would render the words the Daughters go over to the Enemy and so in the verse are foretold two very signal events that should make the off-spring of Joseph more peculiarly illustrious partly that hard by that Well it should encrease into a Kingdom and that the daughters of that Tribe should restore and rebuild a Tribe that had almost perisht in its hostility against them The Greek Interpreters and Samaritan both Text and Version instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my youngest Son whether on purpose or through carelesness I know not so the Greeks instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read as it should seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turn thou unto me VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sat thus HE sat thus as one weary'd The Evangelist would let uâ—know that Christ did not seemingly or for fashion sake beg water of the Samaritan woman but in good earnest being urg'd to it by thirst and weariness So 1 King II. 7. Shew kindness to the Sons of Barzillai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so that is in a great deal of kindness they came to me Act. VII 8. He gave him the Covenant of Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so being circumcised he begat Isaac VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To buy meat IF the Disciples were gone into the City to buy food how agrees this with v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans and with that rule of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no Israelite eat one mouthful of any thing that is a Samaritans for if he eat but a little mouthful he is as if he eat swines flesh A mouthful that is of nothing over which a blessing must be pronounc'd d d d d d d Tanchum fol. 17. 4. Ezra Zorobabel and Joshua gather'd together the whole Congregation into the Temple of the Lord and with three hundred Priests three hundred Books of the Law and three hundred Children anathematiz'd shammatiz'd excommunicated the Samaritans in the name of Jehovah by a writing indented upon Tables and an Anathema both of the upper and the lower house Let no Israelite eat one morsel of any thing that is a Samaritans Let no Samaritan become a proselyte to Israel nor let them have a part in the resurrection of the dead And they sent this curse to all Israel that were in Babylon who also themselves added their Anathema to this c. But Hierosol Avodah Zara tells us e e e e e e Fol. 44. 4. R. Jacob bar Acha in the name of R. Lazar saith That the victuals of the Cuthites are allow'd if nothing of their wine or vinegar be mingled amongst them Nay further we meet with this passage in Bab. Kiddustin f f f f f f Fol. 76. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The unleavened bread of the Cuthites is allow'd and by that a man may rightly enough keep the Passover If the unleaven'd bread for the Passover may be had of the Samaritans much more common bread And grant that the Samaritans were to the Jews as Heathens yet was it lawful for the Jew to partake of the Edibles of the Gentiles if there was no suspicion that they had been any way polluted nor been offer'd to Idols as may be largely made out from Maimon in his Treatise about forbidden meats Which suspicion was altogether needless as to the Samaritans because they and the Jews in a manner agreed upon the same things as clean or unclean and they were very near as free from Idolatry VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Iews have no dealings with the Samaritans I. THAT translation The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans which the French and English follow seems to stretch the sense of the word beyond what it will well bear For 1. granting the Samaritans were meer Heathens which some of the Rabbins have affirm'd yet did not this forbid the Jews having any kind of dealings with them for they did not refuse Merchandising with any of the Gentile Nations whatever See Nehem. XIII 16 c. 2. But if the Samaritans were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true proselytes as R. Akibah asserts or as the Israelites in all things as Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith of them g g g g g g Hieros Shekalim fol. 64. 2. then much more might the Jews have dealing with them II. That Version non utuntur Judaei Samaritis as Beza or non contuntur as the Vulgar hardly reacheth the sense of the word or comes fully up to the truth of the thing h h h h h h Gloss. In Kiddush fol. â—6 1. It is lawful to eat the unleaven'd bread of the Samaritans nor is there any suspicion as to their leaven'd bread neither This is to be understood if the Samaritan should knead it in the house of an Israelite
affirmative precept vain But if he be studious in the Law and conversant in it and if he fears marriage lest the care of providing for his wife hinder his study in the Law he may still tarry Because he that is employed in the precepts is free from that precept much more he that converseth in the study of the Law He whose mind is always taken up in the study of the Law as Ben Azzai and he that is intent upon it all his days if he marrieth not a wife in his hand is no iniquity But if affection prevail upon him let him marry a wife although he have now children lest he fall into evil thoughts d d d d d d Jevamoth cap. 6. hal 6. Let not a man refrain himself from generation and multiplying unless he hath children already The Gemara upon this place thus If he have children let him refrain himself from generation and multiplying but from marrying a wife let him not refrain himself It is forbid him to be without a wife because it is said It is not good for man to be alone And whosoever e e e e e e Ibid. fol. 63. 2 gives not himself to generation and multiplying is all one with a murtherer He is as though he diminished from the Image of God c. The Apostle therefore determines against the Jewish Schools that a man is not bound by the Law to marriage but that he is in his own power in this affair to contract himself or not as he finds himself continent or not They said it is a Command that every one marry a wife but he saith I have not a Command VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is better to marry than to burn THAT you may apprehend the sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn hear a story f f f f f f Kiddushin fol. 81. 1. Some captive women were brought to Nehardea and disposed in the house and in the Upper room 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Rabh Amram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They took away the ladder or the stairs that the women might not go down for they were shut up there until they should be ransomed As one of them passed by the window the light of her great beauty shined into the house Amram taken with the womans beauty set up the stairs again which ten men scarcely could do that he might go up to the woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he was now got to the middle of the stairs he delayed his feet and stopped strugling with that evil affection to overcome it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And with a loud voice cried out Fire Fire in the house of Amram The Gloss saith This he did that the neighbours flocking thither he might desist from his purpose and from that affection out of shame The Rabbins run to him and seeing nothing of fire or flame say Thou hast disgraced us To whom he replied It is better that ye be disgraced in the house of Amram in this World than that ye be disgraced by me in the World to come He adjured that evil affection to go out of him and from thence it went out as a pillar of fire To which he said Thou art fire and I am flesh yet for all that I have prevailed against thee VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not I but the Lord. AND on the contrary Vers. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak not the Lord. I. Weigh first that distinction very usual in the Schools between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A text of Scripture and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Opinion g g g g g g Bava Bathra fol. 8. 2. Death by the sword is worse than death by the plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you will I will produce a Text of Scripture to prove this If you will I will produce reason or my opinion If you will I will produce an Opinion That renders one abominable but not this If you will I will produce Scripture Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death the plague of his Saints Famine is worse than the sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you will I will produce an opinion Famine afflicts a long while the sword not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you will I will produce Scripture It is better for them that dye by the sword than that dye by famine And A burnt offering that is killed not under its proper notion the blood of it is not to be sprinkled under a notion that is not proper If you will I will produce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my opinion or reason If you will I will produce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Text of Scripture And very many instances of that nature II. And now compare the words of the Apostle These things I say not but the Lord that is This is not my bare opinion but so saith the Scripture And on the contrary These things I say not the Lord that is This is my opinion although there be not some Text of Scripture which saith so in plain words Thus he explains himself Chap. IX 8. Say I these things and not the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not the wife depart from her husband Nor without weighty reason doth he admonish concerning this thing also since both among Jews and Gentiles the opinion was too loose concerning the firmness of the marriage bond and more loose among the Jews than among the Gentiles I. Think first of the toleration of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among them which take in their words h h h h h h Maimon Gerush cap. 11. If any marry a young maid and she afterward will not have him for her husband she may put him away and depart from him and there is no need of a bill of Divorse Hence this is the form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Bill of this kind of putting away when the wife put away her husband if it were demanded In the day N. of the week N. of the month N. of the year N. 〈◊〉 the daughter of N. put away before us and said My mother or my brethren deceived me and wedded me or betrothed me when I was a young maid to N. the son of N. But I now reveal my mind before you that I will not have him c. II. Among them also there was departing from each other by mutual consent i i i i i i Berish. Rabb §. 17. A good man had a good wife but because they had not children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They mutually put away one another That good man married a bad wife and she made him bad That good woman married a bad husband and she made him good They allow also the same license to the Heathen l l l l l l Id. §. 18. R. Jochanan saith The sons of Noah have not divorse but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they put away one
and Revelation in the knowledge of him And God gives this Spirit but in what sence Not to foresee things to come not to understand the Grammatical construction of Scripture without study not to preach by the Spirit but the Apostle explains himself vers 18. The eyes of their understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints So that the Revelation given to the Saints is this that God reveals the experience of those things that we have learned before in the Theory from Scripture a saving feeling of the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance Here let me speak three things 1. To feel the experience of Grace is not by new Light that was never known before but by application of what was known before As the Queen of Sheba first heard of the Fame of Solomon then found by experience Compare we our knowledge of Spiritual things to a Banquet to your Feast this day A man before Grace sees the banquet God hath provided for his people hath by the word learned the nature and definition of Faith Repentance Holiness Love of God and Love to God but as yet he does but see the banquet when Grace comes then he sees and tastes these things in experience and sence in his own Soul He had a light before from the Word now it is brought so near his heart that he feels warmness he feels life and sence and operation of these things is as it were changed into these things as in II Cor. III. 18. We with open face beholding as in a glâ—ss the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory Now this is noâ— the Spirit of Revelation in that sence that these take it in but t is so called because it is by a light and operation above natural light and operation As common grace is called grace because 't is above the ordinary working of nature so this is called revelation because above the work of common light 2. How do men come to assurance of pardon and salvation Not by the Spirit of revelation in their sence not by any immediate whispers from Heaven but another way As in Rom. XV. 4. Through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we have hope In Scripture is your comfort and in your own conscience and in them is your assurance A Saint makes this holy Syllogism Scripture Major He that repents believes loves God hath the pardon of his sins Conscience Minor Lord I believe Lord I love thee Saint from both makes the Conclusion Therefore I am assured of the pardon of my sins and my Salvation Thus Christ would bring S. Peter to assurance of his Estate after his denial by this trial Lovest thou me Not by any revelation that Christ loved him but it was assurance enough if he loved Christ. And here by the way let me speak one word for trial whether we have the Spirit of Sanctification that we be not deceived in the rest Never believe you have the Spirit of Sanctification unless your heart be changed to love God Among many signs this is the most sensible and undoubted I say unless the heart be changed and changed to love God Change of heart is the mother habit of all Graces God speaks enough in Ezek. XXXVI 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you In that question about perseverance and loss of grace as in the case of David Peter c. we say That the Act may be suspended and lost for the present but the Habit not Now by habit we mean not the particular seed of this or that Grace but the change of the Heart the materia prima of all Graces That is never unchanged back again the stone is taken away The heart indeed may freez into ice as Davids and Peters but never turn into stone again I say further To love God A man may feel some kind of change of heart in common grace Common grace is Gods ordinary way for working Saving grace his keys Illumination stirring of Conscience fear of Hell some kind of Grief Now though these go not so far as to come to saving grace yet saving grace comes not but by the inlet of these And here many are deceived if they have some such stirrings within them if startled pricked have some sorrow for sin though all from the Spirit of bondage yet think they have repentance godly sorrow enough And here were an insuperable difficulty of discerning a mans estate whether yet under common grace only but that this resolves it If I Love God Peters startling of Conscience grief tears were good signs but never sure signs had not this seasoned all Lord I Love thee So that a mans assurance of his happy estate is not by any Spirit of Revelation but of Sanctification not from Inspiration but from the work and testimony of a good Conscience the Spirit of God in grace bearing witness to our Spirits 3. I may add A Saint in Heaven finds nothing but what he knew before in little what he tasted before in little but then is filled As he hath heard so now he seeth in the City of God hath heard of the Beatifical Vision of partaking of God of Eternity now he enjoys it not by any new Revelation of the Spirit but by blessed experience So that the dearest Saint of God hath no further promise of Revelation then in this sence III. There is no promise in Scripture whereupon the Spirit of Revelation is to be expected after the fall of Jerusalem It is a delusion by which the men we speak of deceive themselves and others when they think and assert that what promises are made of Revelation or of great light are to be applied to these times How have these places been as it were worn thread-bare by them for this purpose Esay LIV. 13. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and Jer. XXXI 33 34. And this is the Covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts c. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me c. and others as if they had been directly aimed for these very times and as if directly for England whereas I say again there is no promise upon which the Spirit of Revelation is to be expected after the fall of Jerusalem This assertion is more important and proveable than seems at first sight I limit Prophesie to expire at the fall of Jerusalem Whosoever saith not so will not know where to limit it and what that age was wherein it was extinguished And if no limit than how great is the danger we are in who live in these times when so many of contrary minds pretend to Prophesie and then
there were no age but there would be some persons Oracular as Moses If any limit then where is it fixed I say at the fall of Jerusalem And I will prove it by what they bring to prove Prophesie for these days Act. II. 17. And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and their sons and their daughters shall Prophesie c. By the last days they would understand it of the World I of Jerusalem So in divers places besides That it is so to be understood in the place S. Peters application makes out Who applies this place of the Old Testament unto himself and the Christians at that time upon occasion of their speaking strange Languages What absurdity would there also be in his applying this place The old Oeconomy is as the old World the Evangelical is the new Heaven and the new Earth So that the last days of the old World are the last days of the old Oeconomy Hence the destruction of Jerusalem is spoke of as the destruction of the old World and Christs coming is said to be in the last days So that if we take not the pouring out of the Spirit in the last days in that sence we swerve from the sence of the phrase in Scripture And hence it appears that Spirit to be in those last days and that it was affixed to them from propriety of phrase To this we might add the manner of imparting the Spirit in those times It was either by effusion upon many together Act. II. X. or by imposition of hands upon some single ones Now who dares think that ever was since the fall of Jerusalem such manner of giving or ever will be And these are the only ways of imparting the Spirit that are spoke of since Christ ascended To all we might add that at the fall of Jerusalem all Scripture was written and Gods full will revealed so that there was no further need of Prophesie and Revelation Therefore those places they cite are misapplied both as to the time and also as to the proper sence of them So that here is a discovery of the third delusion that Prophesie still continues whereas it was to cease at the fall of Jerusalem and there is no promise whereupon any hath reason to expect it in these times IV. The standing Ministry is the ordinary Method that God hath used for the instruction of his Church It has ever been Gods way since he first wrote words to teach his Church by a studious learned Ministry who were to explain the Scripture by study not by the Spirit Mistake not this Ministry consisted not of Prophets they were occasional and of necessity but of Priests and Levites We are sent to them Hag. II. 11. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts ask now the Priests concerning the Law Mal. II. 7. For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts We have mention made of the sons of the Prophets in the Old Testament these were not inspired but understanding was instilled into them by Elias and they sat at his feet such were those of Issachar So the Disciples sat at the feet of Christ. The true Apostles indeed were inspired because there was a necessity of it But when the New Testament was written there was no further need of inspiration And then the Church was sufficiently instructed by ordinary Ministers therefore was Timothy left at Ephesus Titus in Creet Thefore was the Imposition of Hands Hebrews VI. 2. I conclude all with that suitable advise of St. John I Chap. IV. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE Staffordshire-Natives At St. Michaels Cornhil LONDON Novemb. 26. 1663. ROM V. Vers. 1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God THIS Text may seem very unsuitable to this occasion but certainly to no occasion no company no season can it be unsuitable can it be unseasonable to speak hear meditate of the infinite mercy of God in justifying men and of the unexpressible happiness of man in having peace with God But I have chosen this Subject to treat upon in a methodical succession to what I have discoursed upon heretofore being called to this Employment At my first being upon this task before you from those words in X. Joh. 22 23. which speaks of Christs being at Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication I shewed you at large how our Saviour held Communion with the Church of the Jews and thereupon I spake of such unity against Schism At my second from those words Jud. vers 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity I shewed that the spots spoken of were false Teachers that went abroad pretending to the Spirit and so deceiving and thereupon I spake of taking heed of such delusions against Heresie and Error And now what can I more orderly and methodically speak upon after speaking of keeping Peace with the Church and keeping Peace with the Truth than of having Peace with God Yes you will say To have taken in first having peace one with another True that might not have been immethodical But you speak that in my stead this Loving Friendly Brotherly meeting discourses that for me and makes a visible Sermon of your peace one with another And I have made that as it were a Text whereupon to raise an occasional meditation to the tenor of that which the Text that I have read speaks And let me raise it thus If it be so good and pleasant and happy a thing to see brethren thus live together in unity thus to meet together to walk together to Feast together in Love Unity and Peace Sursum corda lift up your hearts and from this lustre you see of the Sun shining in this water below look up to the light that is in the body of the Sun it self and meditate how excellent how pleasant how happy a thing it is to have peace with God to walk in peace with God in his own ways to converse in peace with God in his own House to Feast in peace with God at his own Table and at night to lie down and sleep in peace with with God in his own Bosom This is the last Epistle the Apostle wrote before his apprehension and imprisonment He wrote it from Corinth where he touched in his journy to Jerusalem his last journy thither He wrote it in the second year of Nero immediately after Easter when Claudius who had hindred the Mystery of iniquity from its working in its full scope by his discountenancing the Jewish Nation had now been taken away above a year and an half ago And now that mystery did find it self loose and acted in its full activity those of that Nation that had not embraced the Gospel persecuting it with all
2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World i. e. know ye not that there shall be a Christian Magistracy that Christians shall be Kings and Magistrates to rule and judge the World And the very same sense speaketh Dan. VII 18. 26 27. from whence both my Text and that passage of Paul are taken know ye not saith he that the Saints shall judge the World How should they know it Why Plainly enough out of that place in Daniel where in vers 18. it is foretold That the Saints of the most High should take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever and ever And in vers 26 27. The Judgment shall sit as in the Text and the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Two considerations will put the matter out of all question I. That the word Saints means not strictly nor really Sanctified in opposition to men not really sanctified but it means Christians in general in opposition to Heathens And so the Apostle himself clears it in the verse before that I cited Dare any of you go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints What is meant by the unjust there Heathens or Infidels as he calls them vers 6. And then what is meant by Saints But Christians in opposition to Heathens II. Observe the tenor of the contents in Daniel and that will illustrate the sense of these verses that I produced He speaks before of the four Heathen Monarchies the Babylonian Mede-Persian Grecian and Syrogrecian that had had the Kingdom and Dominion and Rule in the World and had tyrannized in the World especially against the Church that was then being but at last they should be destroyed and upon their being destroyed Christ should come and set up his Kingdom through the World and then the Kingdom and Rule and Dominion in the World should be put into the hands of Saints or Christians and they should Rule and Judge in the World as those Heathen Monarchies had done all the time before And thus you have the words unfolded to you and I hope according to the meaning of the Holy Ghost And now my Lords and Gentlemen you may see your own picture in the glass of the Text for you are of the number of those of whom it speaketh In it you may see your selves Imbenched Commissioned and your work put into your hands In the first clause The institution of the Function the ordaining of Magistracy and Judicature I saw Thrones set In the second The Commissionating of Christians unto that Office and Function They sat upon them In the last The end of this Office and the employment they are set upon in it Judgment was given unto them Thrones set by whom By him that had been the great agent in the verse before Christ that had bound the Devil and chained him up They sat upon them Who They that are the persons mentioned in the verse before Men of the Nations undeceived from the delusions of Satan and brought into the truth of the Gospel Judgment was given them for what end For Judgment sake that they might execute judgment and righteousness among the Nations And so I have my words fairly cut out before me and the matter and the method of the Text calls upon me to speak unto these three things I. Of the institution of Magistrates as an ordinance of Christ. II. Of Christian Magistracy as a Gospel mercy III. The great work the all in all of Magistracy The execution of Judgment I. Of all the offices of Christ he executed only one of them peculiarly and reservedly himself without the communicating of any acting in it to any other but as to the execution of the other two he partly acteth himself and partly importeth some acting therein by deputation to others His Priestly office that that most concerned and had the greatest stroke in mans redemption he executed intirely himself and no other had share no other could have share in the executing of that with him None could be capable of offering any of his all-sufficient Sacrifice with him none could be capable of offering the incense of mediation with him But in his Kingly and Prophetick offices he acteth himself and he deputeth others to act for him As the great Prophet he teacheth his Church himself by giving of the Scriptures and instructing his holy ones by his Spirit yet withal hath he deputed Ministers to be her Teachers And as the great King of the Church and of all the World he ruleth in both himself in the hearts of his people by his Word and Spirit and amongst his enemies with a rod of Iron yet withal hath he deputed Kings Judges and Magistrates to be Rulers for him These two great Ordinances you have couched in this very place In the verse before the Text Christ chaineth up the Devil that he should no more deceive poor men as he had done before And how did he this By the Ministry of the Word and Preaching of the Gospel And in the words of the Text he setteth up Thrones and sets men upon them for what To execute Magistracy and to administer Judgment And so likewise are they closely hinted in that place of the Apostle that I cited I Cor. VI. Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the World or Christians be Magistrates and in the next verse following know ye not that we shall judge Angels or we Apostles and Ministers judge Devils and overthrow their Idols Oracles Miracles and Delusions by the Ministry of the Gospel And so if I should take Pastors and Teachers Ephes. IV. 11. for Magistrates and Ministers I believe there were no soloecisme in the thing and I am sure the Jews called their chiefest Magistrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastores in their common speech And if the Apostle may be shewed there to speak in their vulgar dialect as he doth indeed all along his Epistles it would save a controversie and question that is raised upon that place These two Functions are the two standing Pillars and Ordinances the Jachin and Boaz that our great Solomon hath set up in his Temple to stand with the Temple while it standeth These are two choice strainings and distillings of the precious ointment that was poured on the head of our great Aaron that runs down upon the skirts of his clothing Yours my Lords and Gentlemen is a beam of that lustre that shineth in the Royal Crown of Christs Kingly office It is a coin stamped with the Image and superscription of the great Cesar of Heaven and Earth sitting in his Empire and Dominion over all I remember a Phrase of Pliny in his Epistles speaking of a vertuous and gallant daughter that imitated to the life the vertues and gallantry of a noble Father Filia patreni exscripserat the daughter had copied out her father to the life Magistracy is a daughter of
spoken in Scripture of this righteousness of God and indeed never enough My righteousness is never to be revealed To bring in everlasting righteousness New Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness c. Never enough spoken never enough conceived of this Righteousness the most mysterious acting of Heaven the wonder of wonders among men the Justice of God in justifying a sinner A Divine Justice that exceeds divine Justice Divine Justice turned into Mercy You may think I speak strangely if I do it I am something excusable with Peter ravished with the Transfiguration I am upon a subject that may swallow up all minds with amazement but I clear my meaning In Rom. I. 17. It is said Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Revealed in the Gospel not in the Law Was there no revelation of Justice till the Gospel came Yes the Law revealed Justice but it was condemning Justice as that Text speaks From faith to faith so from righteousness to righteousness Gods Justice was most divine that appeared in the Law to condemn but that Justice exceeded in the Gospel to justifie Where are they that talk of being justified by their own works Then must they have a righteousness of their own that must out-vy Gods condemning justice which is infinitely just But his own justifying justice doth out-vy it As it is said Where sin abounded Grace did superabound So where condemning Justice was glorious justifying Justice was much more glorious I said Justice was turned into mercy I say the greatest Justice into the greatest mercy How are we justified and saved By Mercy True and yet by Justice become mercy not ceasing to be Justice what it was but becoming Mercy what it was not Here is a lively Copy before you God so loveth so acteth justice that he will satisfie it upon his own Son that he might glorifie it by way of mercy on all justified His greatest mercy appeareth in this acting of his justice and you are the greatest Mercy to a people when you do them the most Justice A third and last Copy that I would set before you all that hear me this day is fairly yet seems strangly written with Gods own hand in the Gospel In divers places of the New Testament where mention is made of the Law and where you would think it meant both the Tables it comes off only with mention of the Second Matth. XIX 17. If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments You would look for all the Ten but look forward and he pitcheth only upon the second Table So Rom. XIII 8. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law You would look for the whole Law to be mentioned there but look forward in vers 9. and only the second Table is mentioned So Jam. II. 8. If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture c. you would look for the whole Law but he concludes all under this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Why where are the Duties of the first Table See how God put even all religion in the second Table As it is said Behold how he saved Lazarus so Behold how God loveth honest upright charitable dealing 'twixt man and man I shall not insist to shew you the reason of this strange passage I might tell you it is because whatsoever men pretend of Religion towards the Commands of the first Table it is nothing if it appear not in our obedience to the second I might tell you God puts you to that that is more in your own power as to obey the second Table is more so than the first But I leave the Copy in your own hands to read and comment on And when you have studied it the most you will find this to be the result how God requires how God delights in our righteous upright charitable dealings one with another A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise March 13. 1663. JUDG XX. 27 28. And the Children of Israel enquired of the Lord. For the ark of the Covenant of the Lord was there in those days And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days AND it was time to enquire of the Lord considering their present condition and exigent and it was well they had the Ark in those days to enquire at considering the evil of those days and their exceeding wickedness And it was strange that Phinehas was then there considering the time of the story when he is thus brought in The three clauses in the Text that hint their inquiring and the manner of their inquiring and the Person by whom they inquired of the Lord and they inquired at the Ark of the Covenant and they inquired by Phinehas require each one a serious explication and each one explicated it may be will afford something of information that every one hath not observed before I. They enquired of the Lord. And it was time to enquire indeed when business went so crosly with them that though the Lord himself had encouraged them to that war yet they lose so many thousands in the battel At their first mustering they ask counsel of God and he allows their quarrel and appoints their Captain vers 18. And the Children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said which of us shall go up first to the battle against the Children of Benjamin And the Lord said Judah shall go up first And yet when they come to fight they lose two and twenty thousand men vers 21. They ask counsel of God again and he bids them go up and yet when they come to fight again they lose eighteen thousand men more And now after the loss of forty thousand men they inquire again and indeed it was very full time But what was it they inquired about If why they thus fell when God himself had encouraged them to the War which was a very just Quaere Had I or you been there we might have resolved them without an Oracle There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel and a very strange accursed thing that it is not strange that thou canst not stand but fallest thus before thine enemies In the Chapter before a Levites Concubine plays the whore and runs from him and as he fetches her again she is paid in her kind and whored with at Gibeah till it cost her her life Hereupon all Israel musters in arms as one man and solemnly vows and resolves to avenge her quarrel But in the Chapter before that Idolatry is publickly set up in the Tribe of Dan. And in the Chapter before that it is publickly enough set up in the Town of Micah and yet not one man that stands up or stirs in the quarrel of the Lord. Oh Israel that art thus zealous in the quarrel of a Whore and hast been no whit zealous in the cause of the Lord it is no wonder if thou fall and fall
a Messias for their turn nor that he was likely to answer their expectation in what their wretched traditions had taught them to look for from Messias For I. From Messias they expected Pomp and Stateliness a royal and victorious Kingdom they see him appear in a low condition and contemptible poverty II. From Messias they expected an advancing and heightening the rites of Moses they saw that he began to take them down III. By the Messias they expected to be redeemed and delivered from their subjection to the Roman yoke He taught them to give Caesar his due and to submit to the government God had set over them IV. By the Messias they expected that the Gentiles should be subdued trod under their feet and destroyed He taught that they should be called converted and become the Church So that if they took him for Messias they thought he was a Messias that would mar all and was far unlike the Messias their traditions had taught them to look for And therefore be he Messias or no they will rather kill the heir than they themselves lose the inheritance which they thought they should have done if he should have liyed It were worth the labour if that were the task that were before us to trace these two Nations Jew and Roman after this fact as I may say by the blood and to consider as they made themselves yoke-fellows like Simeon and Levi in this guilt and evil so whether God yoked not them also together under the like curse and vengeance Yokefellows indeed are the Jew and Romanist above all the people of the World in a deluded fancying their own bravery and privilege above all the World besides He that comes to read the Jewish Writings especially those that are of the nature of Sermons will find this to be the main stuffing of them almost in every leaf and page How choise a people is Israel how dearly God is in love with Israel what a happy thing it is to be the seed of Abraham how blessed the Nation of the Jews above all Nations and such stuff as this all along And is not the style of the Romanist to the very same tune How holy the Church of Rome how glorious the Religion of the Church of Rome what superiority and preeminence hath the Church above all Churches and all the men in the World are Hereticks and Apostates and Castaways if they be not Romanists Whereas if both the Nations would but impartially look upon themselves they would see that there are such brands upon them two as are upon no Nation under Heaven now extant I shall but glance at these few particulars I Is not the Jew Antichrist viz. Thes. II Examine the place seriously and compare it with 1 Joh. II. 18. and with II. Joh. 7. and other places in the Epistles and you may see it plain And is not Rome Antichrist in the Revelations Rome her self doth not deny it if you allow her but her distinction of Heathen and Christian. II. Have you not observed a horrid Apostasie in the Apostles time in the Church of the Jews of those who had imbraced the Gospel Evidences are abundant in the New Testament I shall name but two 2 Tim. I. 15. All Asia is fallen away and departed from Paul at one clap This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me And in XII Matth. 49. our Saviour compares that generation to one that had the Devil cast out of him but he returns again into him with seven worse Devils so shall it be saith he to this wicked generation And who also hath not observed a horrid Apostasie in the Church of Rome They themselves only excepted who will not see from that Faith and Religion for which that City was once renowned through the whole World I. Rom. 8 And that direful Apostasie in the Christian Church of the Jews was never so matched and paralleld in the World as by the Apostasie in the Church of Rome III. Were there ever two Nations two Churches under Heaven so besotted with Traditions and the Doctrines of Men as the Jew and Roman Weigh them well together and is not that as true of the Roman to every tittle that our Saviour speaks of the Jew XV. Matth. 3 9. That they had made the Commandment of God of none effect by their traditions and that they taught for Doctrines the Commandments of men He that shall seriously compare their Doctrines together about Opus operatum Sin venial the merit of Works Purgatory Freewil the point of Justification and multitudes of other points in Religion and Divine Worship will see the Romanist has gone to School to the Jew and indeed the Scholar is not a whit behind the Master IV. And to spare more Is not the Jew doomed to a perpetual curse in that passage Esay LXV 15. Ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen And in other passages of like nature that might be produced not a few And is not Rome doomed to perpetual perdition in that passage Numb XXIV 24. Ships shall come from the coast of Chittim and shall afflict Assar and shall afflict Eber and he Chittim shall perish for ever Where Chittim is Rome or Italy by the consent both of Jews and Christians both of Protestants and even Romanists themselves And thus much concerning the persons before us Pilate and the Jews Representatives of the Jewish and Roman Nation Actors of the Jewish malice and Roman tyranny And now let us consider their words the handling of which will bring our discourse nearer the present occasion Pilate said Take him c. for he very well knew they might do so for any restraints the Romans who were their Lords had put upon them in that case Josephus tells us the Romans suffered them to live by their own Laws and Religion and he records a speech that Titus their Conqueror made to them while he besieged their City to perswade them to yield in which he useth this argumentation The Romans have always permitted you to live by your own Laws and why then should you rebel against them And he also records a speech that himself made to them to the same purpose to perswade them to yield in which he useth the very same argument And certainly Pilate did not speak it in a way of jearing of them when he bid them Take him c. as knowing they were restrained by the Romans They though such a restraint were not upon them yet answer It is not lawful c. It is not lawful i. e. we cannot we may not it is not in our power for such a construction will the Greek expression very well bear and if they used their own Jerusalem language I doubt not but their words were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an expression very obvious and frequent in the writers in that Language and signifies in that latitude as to mean we have not liberty power privilege Now how
distinction is taught by phrases that speak both parties viz. them that profess and them that do not and sometimes by a single word that speaks them that profess only I will mention these few 1. 1 Cor. VII 12 13. But to the rest speak I not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away And the woman which hath an husband which believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him Brother in opposition to unbeliever The Apostle here starts the point of Christians married with infidels whether they should divorse because of Religion and what rank their Children were in To the rest speak I not the Lord. He spake not without the Lord but he means that there was not a Text for this case in the Law See vers 10. And unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord. Let not the wife depart from her husband And see Chap. IX 8. Say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also If any brother i. e. Christian. See 1 Cor. V. 11. If any man that is called a brother be a Fornicator or Covetous c. whereby Brother is plainly meant a Christian. A wife that believeth not viz. a Pagan And so along The same case is handled 2 Cor. VI. 15. What concord hath Christ with Belial and what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel There Believer and Infidel are opposed Believer here is as large as professor in opposition to Jew or Pagan 2. Those Phrases Within and Without 1 Cor. V. 12. What have I to do to judge them that are without do not ye judge them that are within It is a Jewish phrase and they straiten the sence that take those that are without to be meant of Christians In one word sometime Believer alone the opposite not named Act. II. 44. And all that believed were together and had all things common And here whole families children and all are understood Sometime Disciples and Christians Act. XI 26. The Disciples were called Christians first at Antioch In this sence Church most commonly is taken viz. for the Professors of Christ in opposition to Jews and Pagans that professed him not XVI Matth. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church Which is meant of the Church of the Gentiles in general So III. Ephes. 10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God So by Saints are meant nothing else but Professors of Christian Religion 1 Cor. VI. 1 2. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to Law befare the unjust and not before the Saints Do ye not know that the Saints shall Judge the World And VII Chap. 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were their children unclean but now are they holy Now are they Saints answering to the usual Hebrew phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Sanctitate Here is a study for a young Divine to be setled in the sense of these words There are great divisions and great misconstruction of one another from mistake of these things II. That God hath appointed Sacraments as external and visible marks whereby to sign out this distinction Badges of Homage as in the Text Disciple all Nations baptizing them So under the Law Circumcision served for that end to be a mark of a Jew and therefore the Heathen are called uncircumcised And when some of the circumcised seed degenerated that they wanted that mark to distinguish them then God ordained the Passover So under the Gospel Baptism is the Mark as in the Text. Children are baptized that there may be none in our families that bear not the badge of Homage Christ ordained it for this end to badge out the owning of his Power and to introduce into the Profession of him III. Gal. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. See Joh. III. 5. Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Speech is there had of Christs Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth or the state under Christ. See vers 2 3. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said unto him Rabbi we know thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Where mark how Christs answer suits He observed in Nicodemus words signifying that he thought he saw the dawning of the Kingdom of Heaven and now it was that the Jews thought it would come upon them and this further confirmed him that Christ was the Messias To this therefore Christ answers and intimates to Nicodemus to be baptized Why would Christ himself be baptized Because he would own the proper way of introduction into the Gospel which he was now to preach So the Lords Supper is a badge of this distinction See 1 Cor. X. 14 16. Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ As much as if he should have said because we have the Sacrament of the Communion of the body and blood of Christ therefore avoid Idolatry It is the badge of those that profess Christ in opposition to Heathenism I might speak how the word Sacrament speaks such distinction but that is well enough known III. As Baptism hath several coordinate ends so all or most of them are suitable to that that we are speaking of viz. introducing into the Profession of Christ. Both Sacraments have several ends therefore it is proper in the dispute now about them to consider whether it is fit to apply them to one only end 1. Baptism hath a doctrinal end It is a visible word Loquitur Deus ut videas As it is a visible sign so a visible doctrine As God speaks in Jer. II. 31. O generation see ye the Word of the Lord. The Lord to come home to our capacity brings divine things to our eyes 1 Joh. I. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon Thus Baptism when we see it administred reads the doctrine of our natural defilement and purging from it Ezek. XXXVI 25. is so understood Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you So circumcision in the member of generation shewed a check to our
say unto him I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am come unto the Country which the Lord sware unto our Fathers for to give us And the Priests shall take the basket out of thine hand and set it down before the Altar of the Lord thy God And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Egypt and soiourned there with a few and became there a Nation great mighty and populous c. likewise there was a form appointed to be said over the beheaded Heifer XXI Deut. 6 7. c. And all the Elders of that City that are next unto the slain man shall wash their hands over the Heiser that is beheaded in the Valley And they shall answer and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it Be merciful O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy people Israels charge The Priests when they blessed the people had also a form prescribed them VI. Numb 23 24. c. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace And David appointed Psalms for the Tabernacle 1 Chron. XVI 7. And the Schools of the Prophets no doubt had Forms delivered to them So John and Christ taught their Disciples to Pray as wellas to Preach He had not been the Great Teacher had he not taught a Form of Prayer We should have been left untaught in not the least thing Consider also in the behalf of prescribed Forms that we poor creatures short fighted in divine things know not what we ought to pray for Peter at the Transfiguration prayed he knew not what IX Luke 33. We often as Adonijah are ready to ask our own Bane There is no man but if God had granted all that ever he asked it would have been worse with him Midas his wish may teach this But that place of the Apostle will be objected against me in Rom. VIII 26. The Spirit helps our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Therefore we need no forms as long as what we are to pray is dictated to us by the Spirit But I answer T is the Spirit not an Oracle within us to teach us immediately The Word teaches us what and how to ask But the Office of the Spirit is to help our infirmities in asking our infirmities of memory our want of application to ourselves of what we know to be our wants So in the application of Doctrines of Promises the Spirit teaches us no new thing but minds us and brings home to the feeling of our Souls those things we learnt from the Word Consider moreover we had need to be taught of God what language to use when we are speaking to God T is no small thing to betake our selves before him and to speak to him who is the great and living God Now is it an easie thing to speak as we ought to do unto him Jobs friends spake not right things of God XLII Job 7 8. For which God tells them his wrath was kindled against them and requires them to make attonement for it by offering up seven Bullocks and seven Rams Moses could not speak unto Pharaoh IV. Exod. 10. Much less how shall the poor creature address unto the great God Therefore we are advised by the Prophet Hosea when we approach unto God to take words along with us XIV Hos. 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips Where you see are express words put into our Mouths to use when we go and make our Confessions unto God Ah! Gracious God how ready art thou to give that biddest us Ak and teachest us to ask also That puttest Words into our Mouths and teachest us what to say to thee He must needs be ready to pardon sin that would prevent sin in our prayers that are begging for pardon Christ well knew the Majesty of God and the necessities of men the need of Prayer and our disability to pray and therefore he left not himself without a witness of infinite mercy and condescention nor us without one of the greatest things that we could have prayed for when he left us this Platform of Prayer When ye pray say c. And so I come to the Prayer or Form it self When ye pray say Our Father c. It is an opinion then that I can rather wonder at then understand that bids when we pray Say not Our Father As I have often grieved to see the neglect and disuse of the Lords Prayer and to hear the reproach that some have cast upon it so have I as seriously as I could considered what ground these have had for the disusing of it and to this hour I rest admiring and no way satisfied why they should refrain it when Christ hath commanded the use of it as plain as words can speak Matth. VI. 9. After this manner pray ye and again in the Text When ye pray say The Cavils that are made against the use of it are obvious I. To avoid superstition for unto such ends it hath been used Here I cannot but think how wild it is to extinguish a thing good per se because another useth it ill To cut down Vines to avoid drunkenness How subject is he that makes it all his Religion to run from a Superstition to run he knows not whether II. Such a narrow Form straitens the heart is too strait stinting the exercise of the gift of Prayer And here I cannot but think of Soloecisms in pride of apparel It is monstrous to make cloths our pride which are only a badge of sin and cover of shame So it is a Soloecism to cast away this Prayer upon presumption that we can pray so well when it is mainly given because we cannot pray at all III. It is generally questioned whether it be a Form of Prayer or a Copy to pray by IV. If a Form yet what warrant have we to subjoyn it to our Prayers as we usually do V. And if both yet that it is not lawful for every one to say Our Father I shall not dispute these Questions The words of the Text plainly answer the most of them Nor that I go about to give the sense of the Petitions There are many good Comments upon them I shall only consider the nature of the Prayer and the manner of its giving that we may be the better satisfied in the manner of its use First As the Ten Commandments are
when Nathan tells him the Lord hath done away thy sin but the punishment followed viz. the Sword which was not to depart from his house And the reason of his punishment was because he had given occasion to the enemy to blaspheme therefore God to vindicate his own honour and the honour of Religion punished him that men might see that God was righteous and hated iniquity wheresoever he saw it Secondly Let us remember here that strange passage Amos III. 2. You have I known of all the families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities You have I known owned chosen of all the families of the Earth What then One would think he should infer Therefore I will not punish you but he says the contrary Therefor I will The children of God are punished many and many a time as to temporal punishments when wicked and ungodly men scape This poor holy man falls under so sad a fate while Jeroboam the wickedest wretch upon Earth that made all Israel to sin eats and drinks and sleeps and no hurt comes to him Some will think that speaks strangely others will think it speaks as they would have it in Hos. IV. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your spouses when they commit adultery This is as they would have it for then they may whore and drab and adulterate and fear no colours But that is a sad Diapason Jer. V. ult What will you do in the end thereof And that 2 Pet. II. 9. God knoweth how to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished That of the Apostle may state the case on both hands 1 Cor. XI 32. When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the World When wicked men are not judged it is a sore sign that they are to be condemned with the World When God neither judgeth them nor they judge themselves there will be a judgment to come will pay for all For a man to go on uncontrouled in his sinning is the very preface of destruction and especially if his own conscience do not now and then controul him for that is sometime the whip wherewith God doth chasten God saith of some persons I will not punish I will not chasten him when he sins against me but Let Ephraim alone he is joyned to Idols so let him be Let the Scribes and Pharisees alone they are blind leaders of the blind and let them be so still Wouldst thou change thy afflicted state with one of these Wouldst thou part with thy smarting conscience for such â—eared stupid past feeling souls and such as God will have nothing to do withal God hath thee in hand and is chastening thee for thy good these he hath utterly cast off all care of and will have nothing to do with But what kind of chastening was this to this poor man that it cost him his life and cut him off whereas God useth to do good to his people by his chastisements Heb. XII 11. No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that be exercised thereby But what fruit was there with this man when the very chastening was his death A Jew will tell you that his death did expiate for his sin and was a means to attone for it and a Papist will almost be of the same opinion But Gods intention in the dispencing of this providence looked another way viz. to vindicate his own honour and to shew to the World how tender he is of his own commands And that is the third thing we may read in this great and dreadful severity viz. Thirdly That God will not abide to have his Commands dallied and trifled withal that we are not to account that common which he hath sanctified He is a jealous God that will not hold him guiltless that breaks his Commandments Hos. VIII 12. I have written unto them the great things of my Law The things of his Law and commands are great things and what one of them is little or so to be dealt withal Though they are one less than another if compared among themselves yet none of them are to be reputed little by us One is less than another in regard of their matter yet all alike of reverence and dread to us in regard of their Author A small business you would think for this man being hungry and weary to eat and refresh himself in Bethel and that being invited by another Prophet and told too by him that an Angel had commanded him to invite him But because he had a command from God to the contrary you see how dear it cost him A small thing you would think for Saul to save Agag alive and to bring away some of the Amalekites cattel especially when it was to sacrifice to God yet how severely doth he smart for it because in it he transgressed Gods command to the contrary How might the poor man have pleaded as he went to be stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day Alas this was not so great a crime to gather a few sticks especially when I wanted them for the necessity and benefit of my family But friend there is an express command and Word of God against it the Word of the Lord is sharper than a two edged sword That title of the Law is regardable and dreadful in Deut. XXXIII 2. From his right hand went a firy Law for them Or as it is in the Original the fire of a Law for them A Law not only given in fire as it was in Mount Sinai but a Law that it self is Fire to consume and destroy those that transgress it As our God is a consuming fire so his Law and Commandment is a consuming fire Hos. VI. 5. I have hewen them by the Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth His word is a weapon of slaughter to them that disobey and rebel against it And whereas it is said Man shall live by the Word of God if he obey it he shall die by the Word of God if he transgress it The Commandments of God are edged tools if slightly meddled withal they cut to the quick and prove as that stone if they fall upon one they will grind him to powder Not one command but the transgression binds over to eternal condemnation and therefore it speaks less to say it binds over to temporal punishment Fourthly and lastly This mans repentance so little a time before his death as we spake of before and obtaining pardon some may chance take hold of and use it as an argument for puting off repentance till his death bed and latter end For may his carnal heart thus argue if this Prophet repented of his transgression but an hour or two before his death and obtained pardon I hope I may do so too and obtain pardon as well as he
Yes it is like thou mayest if thou be like him He was a holy a good a righteous man all his time only he was now fallen into one transgression a little before his death and repents of it and is pardoned But thou who thinkest of putting off repentance till thy last time I doubt art in another case He had no sin unrepented of but only this that he had just now committed and that he repented of and is pardoned Thou wilt have all thy sins to repent of at thy latter end and that changeth the case not a little He walked in the ways of repentance and holiness all his life thou thinkest not to do so till thy death A SERMON Preached upon ACTS VII 53. Who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it I Concluded last day with mention how God would have none of his Commandments to be dallied and trifled withal from that dreadful example of the poor Prophet that broke Gods Commandment in eating and drinking in Bethel being cheated into that transgression by the lie of another Prophet and yet he escaped not though his ignorance might something excuse him but a Lion met him by the way and slew him I have chosen these words in the prosecution of that subject to consider a little upon Gods giving his Commands or Laws and mans too common violating them and misdemeanor against them The Law given by the disposition of Angels but men not keeping it The words are the words of Steven pleading for his life and answering that charge that his accusers laid against him of Blasphemy against Moses for that he had said That the rites of Moses should be changed and against the Temple for that he said That holy place and City should be destroyed How he answers particularly to this accusation I shall not trouble you with observing in the conclusion of his speech he comes to speak home to the persons both of them that accused him and of them that sat in judgment upon him He first calls them all stif-necked and uncircumcised both in heart and ears Then he chargeth them all with all resistance of the Holy Ghost speaking by the mouth of the Prophets chargeth their Fathers with persecuting and slaying the Prophets and them with the murther of the great Prophet Christ and concludes his speech with the words before us Who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it In the words is sweet and sower life and death light and darkness Ye received the Law by the disposition of Angels this is like Ezekiels book sweet in the mouth but ye have not kept it that is in the belly as bitter as gall In the former clause you may see Israel before mount Sinai in a happy condition receiving the Law in the latter you may see them a little from it undoing themselves by making a golden Calf And to that particular we might very well apply the words There were thousands of Angels in the Mount when ye received the Law but ye so little kept it that within forty days ye broke the two first Commandments of it viz. Thou shalt have none other Gods before me And Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image But it may be questioned whether he saying They received the Law by the Disposition of Angels means the Angels that were attending God when he gave the Law at Sinai True the Scriptures mention frequently the presence of Angels with God when he gave the Law Two only may serve instead of more Deut. XXXIII 2. He came with ten thousands of his holy ones at his right hand was a firy Law for them Psal. LXVIII 17. The charets of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai the holy place But what did the Angels that were there You read not nor hear of a word that they spake but it was the Lord that spake these words and said I am the Lord thy God For the understanding therefore of the Martyrs meaning First We may mention a wild conception of the Jews that say That all they that heard the Law uttered by God from Mount Sinai were by that very hearing made like unto the Angels that they should never have begot children never grown old never died but have been as the Angels had not that unlucky business of the Golden Calf fallen out and that turned them to sinful and mortal men again There is a strange construction in the original Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English renders By the disposition of Angels whereas the word in the strictest propriety should be read Unto the disposition of Angels As if Steven did rub their own opinion upon them as is frequently done by the Apostles and that his meaning should be this You say and conceive that the very receiving of the Law did translate and dispose them that heard it into the very predicat and state of Angels and yet this brave Law you have not kept The Law that you conceit made others Angels you have made but dirt and that that you think had so noble an effect upon them that heard it hath had no good effect upon you at all for ye have not kept it But this Interpretation I shall not insist upon though it be very frequent with the Apostles arguing with the Jews to confute them from their own Opinions and Tenets I shall name but two to you 1 Cor. XI 10. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the Angels Where the Apostle argues from their own concessions practise and custom And Jude vers 9. Yet Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses Not that ever such a dispute was twixt Michael or Christ and the Devil about Moses body but the Jews have such a conceit and story and we meet with it in their writings and the Apostle useth an argument from their own saying to confute their doing But Secondly If I should say that there were none but Angels on the top of Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law I should speak but the language of Steven that speaks the words that we have in hand at vers 38. This Moses is he that was in the Church in the wilderness with the Angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai It is said God spake all these words and said and yet Steven saith It was the Angel that spake to him in Mount Sinai But he means the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Christ the Arch-angel or the chief or Lord of all the Angels And here let an Arian or Socinian that denies the Godhead of Christ compare Moses and Steven together and learn to acknowledge the truth Moses saith it was God that spake to him in Mount Sinai Steven saith It was the Angel viz. The Angel of the Covenant Christ who as the Apostle saies is God
blessed for ever So that the great Angel Christ at the giving of the Law was the speaker and all the created Angels his silent Attendants And this Observation might be useful in some points of Divinity that Christ gave the Law as well as he gave the Gospel But Thirdly The Prophets and Ministers in Scripture phrase are usually called Angels Do I need to give instance Eccles. V. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say before the Angel or Minister at the Temple that it is an error Mal. II. 7. The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger or Angel of the Lord of Hosts And Chap. III. 1. Behold I send my Angel i. e. my messenger before thy face And to spare more you remember that in Revel I. ult The seven stars are the Angels or Ministers of the seven Churches So that the words before us may be reduced to this sense Ye received the Law by the disposition preaching and explaining of the Prophets and Ministers and have not kept it And to this sense speaks that Heb. II. 2. For if the word spoken by Angels that is Gods messengers the Prophets were stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord. That is If the word in the mouth of the Prophets might not be transgressed but there was a just recompence of reward paid to the transgressor much more he must be paid that neglects the Salvation spoken by the Lord Christ. And to the like sense may that be taken in Gal. III. 19. The Law was added because of transgression being ordained disposed of preached by Angels i. e. Prophets and Ministers in the hand of a Mediator And this sense of Angels in the Text agrees very well with the words of Steven a little before Your Fathers persecuted and killed the Prophets the Lords Angels or Messengers and ye have received the Law by such Angels or Ministers but have not kept it For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Angel in the Greek Tongue signifies any messenger among men as frequently as it does the Angels in Heaven And so taking all these constructions together the words do fairly lead us to consider what cause or reason God hath given men to keep his Law and Commandments but men will not keep them Some have written large and excellent Discourses concerning the equity and reasonableness of Christian Religion And how large a discourse might be made upon this particular in our Religion How it is agreeable to all the reason in the World to obey and keep Gods Commandments which he hath given The Socinian requires a natural reason for what is supernatural or else he must not believe it Because it cannot be demonstrated in Logick Philosophy Mathematicks how three should be one and one should be three therefore we must not believe that there are three Persons in the Trinity and but one God But the wiser and more solid discourse would be rather to shew a reason why we are to believe such a thing than to seek a reason why or how such a thing is For there may be a plain reason to believe an article of Faith the reason of which thing reason cannot fathom So it may be but a sawcy wild inquiry what reason God had to give such and such particular commands But it may be a pious and humble inquiry to search what reason we have to keep his Commandments now he hath given them I. And the first reason we meet withal in all regular method and order is because he hath given them therefore we should keep them Ye received the Law by the disposition of Angels therefore ye should have kept it The Command in it self does not only challenge our obedience of it but the very giving of it does also challenge it There is a bond in the giving as well as a bond in the Command it self viz. a bond of love and mercy that would impart his Will and Commands David in Psal. CXLVII ult accounts it an incomparable mercy that Israel had above other Nations That God made his Law known to Jacob and his statutes to Israel And dealt not so with any Nation besides neither had they knowledge of his Law And God himself instituted the Feast of Pentecost at that just time of the year when the Law was given that they might celebrate the Memorial of that great mercy as he had instituted the Feast of the Passover at that just time of the year when they were delivered out of Egypt that they might commemorate the memory of that mercy He would have them to own the giving of the Law an equal mercy with their delivery out of bondage And what was the treasure of the Ark or the precious things that were laid up there The two Tables and Pot of Manna The Pot of Manna that minded them of the merciful and miraculous food wherewithal the Lord fed their bodies and the two Tables which minded them of the divine and heavenly food of their Souls that Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God That passage is worthy a great deal of meditation Luke XII 47 48. He that knew his Masters will and did it not shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew it not and committed things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with a few stripes Now whether do you think it better to know our Masters will or not to know it To have God to impart his Commands to us or not to impart them Herein it might seem better not to know his Commands because it we keep them not not knowing them there will follow the fewer stripes but the more if we know them and break them But this weighs the ballance down on the other side that it is impossible to avoid stripes if there be not the knowledge of Gods Commands it is possible to avoid them if there be knowledge More stripes indeed will be added if we keep them not but if we keep them no stripes at all If we should dispute this question whether God shewed more mercy in giving his Law and Commandments or in giving the Gospel and promises This might make some stand about the determination because though the promises are given of an infinite mercy yet there is no possibility of coming up to the attaining of the promises but in the way of the Commandments In the Promises God shews that he would do good to us and save us and in the Commandments he shews that he would have us to do good to our selves and save our selves Say not therefore that it was any severity in God to lay any such binding Commandments upon men acknowledge it mercy that he would make known his Will and Commandments to thee Wouldst thou
change places with a Heathen or Pagan that never heard of the Law and Commandments of God Dost thou not think it an infinite mercy that God hath revealed them to thee and laid them before thee In that very thing he shews that he would not that thou shouldst perish without the knowledge of his Law but that thou mightest know and keep his Commandments and live His Commandments are not bonds of iron and fetters of brass but they are the cords of men and the bonds of Love God gives them in mercy that we might know what he would have us to do and that we may do it and be blessed in the deed and this may be a second reason to urge our keeping of Gods Commandments viz. II. Because God gave them that we might keep them He gave them in mercy that we might keep them for our own good God gave them with this intent that men should keep them and that keeping them it might be well with them both here and ever He speaks this once and again himself Exek XX. 11. I gave them my statutes and shewed them my judgments which if a man do he shall ever live in them And Deut. XXX 15. I set before thee this day in giving thee my Commandments life and death blessing and cursing that thou mayest obtain the one and escape the other And observe his pathetical and affectionate expression to this purpose Deut. V. 29. O that there were such a heart in this people that they would fear me and keep my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever So that these two things are observable concerning the Law and Commandments of God First That the Commandments of the Law were given for a Gospel end that though the Law be the ministration of death and condemnation 2 Cor. III. yet the direct end of it was for life and salvation Gal. III. 24. It was our School master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith The Antinomians sure little consider what injuriousness they offer to God when they say the Law to Israel was a Covenant of works as if God had given them a Covenant which should do them no good For by the Law how little could they be justified True indeed the Law is called his Covenant the two Tables the Tables of his Covenant but he means his Covenant of grace to which the Law aimed and directed And the Law was not a Covenant of works but a noble part of the administration of the Covenant of grace T is true that the Law killeth curseth condemneth but that is the first end of it not the last neither did God ordain it that it should only condemn and there end but by condemning it might drive men on to seek salvation Secondly That though the performing of the Law in one sense is impossible yet the keeping of the Law in another is not impossible It is impossible to perform the Law so exactly as to be justified by it yet t is not so impossible to keep the Law as to be saved in it Now what is it to keep the Law When a man makes it only and intirely his rule to walk by and as near as he can keeps from declining from it either to the right hand or left God never gave his Law to fallen man with intention that he should perfectly perform it when Adam did not who had power to have done it But he gave his Law to fallen man that he should make it his Law and that he should not walk lawless or after his own will but that the Law of God should be his Law and Rule And he that makes the commandments and Law of God his rule whereby he walks and keeps as close to that as he can this man keeps the Law of God though no man be able to perform it to justification Here then is a second inforcement to keep the Commandments of God because they were given us for that very purpose and there is a blessing and happiness in keeping them III. I might speak of the authority wherewith they were given and of the terror in which they were given fire and thunder c. Both of which speak the reason and obligation for our obeying them God commanded them and he requires obedience and he gave them in terror as intimating what must follow upon disobedience to them But I shall speak only to what the Text especially speaks viz. of his giving his Law and Commandments by the disposition of Angels i. e. Prophets and Ministers men like our selves You may remember that in Exod. XX. that when the people had heard God speak from Sinai in such dreadful terror they trembled and quaked and stood afar off And we are not able say they to hear this terrible voice of God any more if we do we shall die Take thou speaking to Moses the words from the mouth of God and speak thou to us Be thou the Angel or messenger of the Lord to us to tell us what his mind and commandment is and we can hear it but if the Lord himself speak thus to us any more we are but dead men And the Lord did accordingly first giving his Laws to Moses that he might give them to the people and afterwards raising up Prophets and Ministers among them that they might instruct them in his Laws and Commands And so in all succeeding generations So that his Commandments come now to us not in fire and thunder but in a still voice by men like unto our selves Thus God draweth near to men in mildness and softness that if it might be he might win upon them We Ambassadors of God beseech you in Christs stead that you would receive the Commandments of God and be saved IV. Lastly The reasonableness of Gods Commandments is reason strong enough to enforce our keeping of his Commandments and obedience to them for the keeping them Some of the Commands that God gave Israel in the Ceremonial Law were such as the reason of them was not so readily to be found out For why may not I wear linsey woolsey might a Jew say as well as other people Why may not I plow with an Ox and an Asse as well as other Nations do Why may not I eat such and such things good for diet as other countries do The reason of these commands and prohibitions lay deep and were not so easie to be discovered But God hath laid no such Commands upon us but whose very equity is not only a bond upon us to keep them but is a reason plain and apparent why they were given What more reasonable thing in the World than that we should all love God and our neighbour And what greater equity in the World than that we should believe in Christ deny the World mortifie corruption live holily and glorifie God and seek to save our own Souls Do we need to go to Heaven to fetch thence a reason
The whole Quire of Angels sang and shouted for joy to see that great work of the Creator to go so wonderfully And it was worthy of all their shouting and singing and rejoycing But here is a business that God himself joyns himself with the Quire and rejoyces and triumphs with Angels too And what can move God and Christ and Angels to rejoyce but this Think seriously of this question What could move them to rejoyce but only this Look all the World through and think what in it might move joy in Heaven but this Gold and silver and wealth and earthly pomp is but a drug as we say reputed there And bring tidings of that and what is that to Heaven That that we so dote on that we are ready to venture Soul Body Eternity all for i. e. the pelf and prosperity of the World offer it to God Christ Angels or glorified Spirits by bags barns by heaps by mountains what are all these to Heaven As much despised as Earth is below Heaven No it could be none of these earthly treasures that moved the joy of Heaven nothing but the repentance of a sinner Most true God and Christ would be never the less blessed and holy and glorious if never man in the World should repent For God receiveth no addition from man but man from God And the blessed Angels would be never the less blessed and happy if never Person should repent For their happiness is Primitive and Original to them and not Accidental If all the World were in Hell what were God less in Majesty and Glory And what were the Angels less in blessedness and purity And therefore it is the more ravishing a consideration that God and Angels should rejoyce when any come to Heaven But the Repentance and Salvation of men is not a thing that God could not be without For he was the same God before there was a World that he will be for ever Nor is it a thing the Angels could not be without For the Angels were what they are before man was in being But God would not Angels would not be without mens repentance and salvation and as I may say with reverence they are not satisfied will not be satisfied without mens salvation The principle of this desiring is in the goodness of their own will not in any pinching urgency in their own want A poor miserable begger a poor miserable prisoner that the one should come to a better estate and the other obtain his liberty if we have any whit Divine or Angelick hearts we should wish it should be so and we should rejoyce if it were so but this not out of any pinching need we have of the bettering of their estate for we are not the worse while they are in poverty and prison and we should not be bettered by their being out But something within of Love Charity Pity and Goodness is that that moves us to desire their bettering at least should do And how many inward Principles as with reverence I may call them there are to move God and Christ and Angels so to desire mans repentance the way to his salvation not a small time would serve to discourse I shall only observe these two things concerning it First God created the World for Man and Man in the World more especially to shew and communicate his Goodness Consult Psal. CXXXVI and it will inform that the bottom of Gods design in creating all things was to impart his Mercy He made the Heavens Why Because his Mercy endureth for ever He stretcheth the Earth upon the Waters Why Because his Mercy endureth for ever That made two great Lights Because his Mercy endureth for ever c. Shewing all along that that which moved God to create the World was Mercy and because he would impart Mercy to the Creature especially Man for whom he created all things It is true that he Created the world to shew his Eternal Power and Godhead and so the Apostle intimates Rom. I. 20. But he created the World more especially to shew that which he meant to communicate which was his Mercy whereas his Eternal Power and Godhead he cannot so communicate But Secondly By the fall of man the brave workmanship and design of God is ruined Man that he created to be his servant is now become the Devils bondslave and he to whom he intended his mercy hath now utterly lost his mercy and is under the worst of misery Satan hath now got the day and all is his own but the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will not suffer it Mercy doth not forsake poor man in misery but doth double it self and become Grace Mercy had made him of a condition happy Grace restores him from a condition miserable Mercy had made him able to do for himself and when that was lost Grace raiseth up Christ to do and suffer for him Mercy had made him partaker of the Divine Image Grace makes him partaker of the Divine Nature There is a Principle in God as I may call it that cannot but be moving for the good of man And a Principle in Angels that cannot but delight in that Principle of God I say that cannot but be moving when indeed the wheel that stirs all and necessitates that notion is only the goodness of God and the Love of Angels to Men. As the moving so the reason of the moving is within themselves Object Why then are not all men saved If there be such an essential moving in God for the good of Man why do not all men partake of that goodness And if such joy in Heaven for a sinners repentance why doth not God bring all the World to repentance For if he would he could do it and if he so delight in it why doth he not do it Answer I remember the saying of the Prophet The Lord is pleased for his righteousness sake to magnifie the Law and make it glorious As the Lord is pleased to magnifie his Grace in mans Salvation so God is pleased to magnifie the means of Grace and that man should magnifie the means of Grace or no Salvation God never intended that men should leap into Heaven without more ado but that they should take Jacobs ladder the means that he hath appointed to get up thither In that opposition that God sets in the Prophet betwixt his ways and mens ways Are not my ways equal are not your ways unequal he plainly directs to take his ways whosoever intends to come to him For it is not mans ways it is no other way that will bring to him Now the means of Grace and Salvation we may distinguish into what God hath afforded for mans direction and forewarning and what a man is to practise according to that direction The Word and Ordinances of God is that that God hath afforded for direction and forwarding And for the Practical means I shall mention but these three instead of more A mans striving to get clear from Satan his labouring to
them Nor shall I insist to shew how far England may be called the spouse of God by his choise It is undenyable that we have all married our selves to God by our Baptismal Covenant and by our Sacramental and other engagements And then what doth the Lord require of us but that we should be faithful to our husband and not give our selves our hearts and affections to any thing besides him not our worship to an Idol not our affections to the World our hearts to pleasure or profit or earthly vanities which is to go a whoring from our husband The Lord our God is a jealous God and what can we expect if we serve him so but that his jealousie will break out in fire and vengeance By his Law concerning jealousie twixt man and wife he hath shewed thee O man what thou mayest expect twixt thee and God Numb V. 12. to the end He appointed that the suspected wife be brought to trial undertakes to work a miracle for her discovery and if guilty upon drinking the bitter waters her belly was to swell her thigh to rot and she to become a curse And doth not the Lord discover whether thy heart hath played the whore and will he not bitterly punish in his own cause as he did in the cause of men But to return to Gods jealousie against the sin of Idolatry particularly as this title of his that he is a jealous God is peculiarly affixed to the Command against Idolatry And here I shall shew some particular evidences and instances of Gods jealousie against this sin And I shall name three passages of the Spirit of God in his style in Scripture by which he doth hint his distast and abominating of this sin of Idolatry and three passages of God in his providence and disposal that intimate the same and all such as are not obviously observed by every Reader of Scripture First To mention the passages of the Holy Ghost's stile in reference to this sin I. Observe That in 2 Sam. XI 21. who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbosheth Abimelech was the son of Jerubbaal or Gedeon as you may see Judg. IX where you have Abimelechs story Why then does the Holy Ghost here misname Gedeon and instead of Jerubbaal call him Jerubbosheth The reason is because Baal was the general name of an Idol and the Holy Ghost in detestation of Idolatry changeth the name Baal which signifieth a Lord into Bosheth which signifies Shame And he calleth Gedeon Jerubbosheth instead of Jerubbaal because Gedeon had made an Idol that all Israel went a whoring after Judg. VIII 27. Of the same observation is that that the son of Saul whom his father named Eshbaal the Holy Ghost in his story nameth Ishbosheth You have a large story of Ishbosheth Sauls son in 2 Sam. II. Now look among Sauls sons where they be reckoned and you find no such name 1 Chron. VIII 33. Saul begat Jonathan and Malchishna and Abinadab and Eshbaal That Eshbaal is he whom the Holy Ghost in his story calls Ishbosheth as detesting the name Baal the name of an Idol changing it into the name Bosheth shame As the same Holy Ghost explains himself and this matter Jer. XI 13. According to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up Altars to that Shame even Altars to burn incense to Baal II. In reading Revelations VII where the Sealed of the Lord of the twelve Tribes are mentioned and numbred have you observed that the Tribe of Dan is wanting and the Tribe of Ephraim not named You will find Manasses there but not Ephraim by name but Joseph instead of Ephraim vers 8. And what is the reason of this Publick Idolatry first began in Dan Judg. XVIII And the golden Calves were set up by Jeroboam of Ephraim and the one in Ephraim and the other in Dan. And the Holy Ghost doth point as it were with the finger at those Idolatries and shew his distast and abhorring of them when he will not so much as name the names where they began among the Lords sealed for salvation III. As here mention is made of visiting to the third and fourth generation observe that passage Matth. I. 8. and see whether the stile of the Holy Ghost do not hint the very same thing Joram begat Ozias Now look in the story of the Kings and Chronicles and you will find that Joram begat Ahaziah and Ahaziah Joash and Joash Amaziah and Amaziah Ozias So that here three descents are wanting or dashed out and Ozias is grand child to Joram in the fifth generation What is the reason Look into the story of Joram and you will find that he married the daughter of Ahab the great Idolater and that he walked in the Idolatries of Ahab 2 King VIII 18. And here the Holy Ghost to hint his distast of such Idolatry blots out his children to the third nay fourth generation out of the Line and Genealogy of our Saviour These and other things of the like nature may be observed in the very stile and dialect the Holy Ghost useth in Scripture Whereby he setteth a brand upon Idolatry and Idols as things odious and abominable and abhorred of God in special manner Shall I also give you three like passages of Providence which it may be all of you have not observed in your reading which speak the same thing and proclaim the jealousie of God against Idolatry I. Observe that Deut. IX 21. And I took your sin the Calf which ye had made and burnt it with fire and stamped it and ground it very small until it was as small as dust and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount And why all this ado to burn stamp grind it And why cast the dust into the brook and not on the earth or into the air Why not into the dunghil rather than into the water that the people must drink By this very thing God would shew that he was a jealous God against Idolatry by putting the people to the very same trial for this Idolatry that the wife suspected of Adultery was to be put to by the jealous husband Numb V. she was put to drink water and dust and if she proved guilty her belly swelled and her thigh rotted and so gave plain evidence of her guilt So in this cases Moses bids the Levites Exod. XXXII 13. Put every man his sword by his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour Now how could they know who had committed Idolatry among so many hundred thousands How could they pick out the men that were guilty Why the discovery is in the very same way The people drink the water in which was the dust of the Calf and thereupon those that were guilty their bellies swelled and some other miraculous evidence was given whereby they were discovered and whereby God discovered
all to pieces and the noblest Creature to whom God put all other Creatures in subjection was himself become like the beasts that perish the beasts that were put in subjection to him and when Satan the enemy of God as well as man had thus broke all to pieces the chief work-manship of God here the world was mar'd as soon as made And as God in six days made Heaven and Earth and all things therein so before the sixth day went out Satan had mar'd and destroyed him for whom all these things were created God therefore coming in with the promise of Christ who should destroy Satan that had destroyed all and having now created a new world of grace and brought in a second Adam the root of all were to be saved and having restored Adam that not only from his lost condition but into a better condition than he was in before as having ingrafted him and all believers into Christ a surer foundation than natural perfection which he had by Creation but had now lost then he rested as having wrought a greater work than the Creation of nature But then you will say that the first Sabbath was of Evangelical institution not of moral that then the law for keeping of it was not written in Adams heart but was of Evangelical revelation I may answer truly that it was both For though Adam had not sinned yet must he have kept the Sabbath And to this purpose it is observable that the institution of the Sabbath is mentioned Gen. II. before the fall of Adam is mentioned Gen. III. partly because the Holy Ghost would mention all the seven days of the first week together and partly to intimate to us that even in innocency there must have been a Sabbath kept a Sabbath kept if Adam had continued in innocency and in that regard the Law of it to him was Moral and written in his heart as all the Laws of piety towards God were It is said Gen. II. 15. The Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it Now if Adam had continued in innocency do you think he must have been at work dressing and keeping the Garden on the Sabbath day as on the other six He had Gods own copy so laid before him of working six days and resting the seventh that he could not but see that it was laid before him for his Example But you will say All the Moral Law was written in Adams heart as soon as he was created now the Law to keep the Sabbath could not be because the Sabbath was not yet created nor come And by then the Sabbath came the Law in his heart was blurred by sin and his fall I answer The Law writ in Adams heart was not particularly every Command of the two Tables written as they were in two Tables line by line but this Law in general of piety and love toward God and of justice and love towards our neighbour And in these lay couched a Law to all particulars that concerned either to branch forth as occasion for the practice of them should arise As in our natural corruption brought in by sin there is couched every sin whatsoever too ready to bud forth when occasion is offered So in the Law in his heart of piety towards God was comprehended the practice of every thing that concerned love and piety towards God as occasion for the practice was offered Under this Law was couched a tie and Law to obey God in every thing he should command And so though the command Eat not of the forbidden fruit was a Positive and not a Moral Command yet was Adam bound to the obedience of it by virtue of the Moral Law written in his heart which tyed him to love God and to obey him in every thing he should command And so the Sabbath when it came although you look upon it as a positive command in its institution yet was it writ also in Adams heart to obey God in that Command especially when God had set him such a Copy by his own resting II. A second thing observable in that first Sabbath and which was transmitted to posterity as a Law to keep is that now it had several ends As in man there is something of the perfection of every Creature a Spirit as Angels Life as Beasts Growth as Trees a Body as Stones so the Sabbath hath something of the excellency and of the end of every Law that was or could be given There are four sorts of Laws which God hath given to men Moral Commentorative Evangelical and Typical Moral Laws are given in the Ten Commandments Commemorative Laws as the Law of the Passover to commemorate the delivery out of Egypt Pentecost to commemorate the giving of the Law Typical as Sacrifices Priesthood Purifications sprinkling of blood to signifie good things to come as the Apostle speaks and to have their accomplishing in Christ Evangelical such as repentance self-denial believing c. Now the Sabbath is partaker of all these Ends together and hath the several excellencies of all these ends included in its self And so had that first Sabbath appointed to Adam First The Moral end is to rest from labours So in this fourth Commandment six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work c. So Jer. XVII 21. Thus saith the Lord Take heed to your selves to bear no burthen on the Sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem Neither bring forth a burthen out of your houses neither do you any work but hallow the Sabbath day as I commanded your fathers Oh! then I celebrate the Sabbath saith the Sabbath-breaker for I do no work but play and recreate and drink and sit still and do no work at all Friend dost thou think God ever established idleness and folly by a Law That he hallowed the Sabbath day to be a playing fooling sporting day But Christian how readest thou as a Christian The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God not a Sabbath for thy lust and laziness And in it thou shalt do no manner of work of thine own but the work of the Lord thy God And the rest that he hath commanded is not for idleness but for piety towards God for which end he gave all the Laws of the first Table viz. to leave communion with the world and worldly things that day and to have it with God as in Esai LVIII 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy will on my holy days and call the Sabbath a delight As Moses to betake our selves to the mount of God and there to have communion with him To get into the Mount above the world and there to meet God and converse with him To be in the Spirit on the Lords day and not to recreate the Body but the Soul
years Do we think Cain the Son of Adam that wicked wretch had such a long life Enos the Son of Seth the Grand-child of Adam in that holy line lived nine hundred and five years Think we Enoch the Son of Cain and Grand-child of Adam in that wicked line lived so long So after the flood Heber lived four hundred sixty four years Do we think that Canaan or Cush or Mizraim or any of that cursed line lived half so long a life There is some reason of this question because we see in other examples that vigor and strength of nature in some of the holy line because of the virtue of the promise which you cannot conceive to have been in any Heathen However if those in the wicked line before the flood and after did not live to that age that those in the holy line did yet it is doubtless they lived far beyond the age of men afterwards for the propagating and peopling of the world Ishmael if he were one prophane as he is commonly reputed to be yet he lived an hundred thirty seven years Gen. XXV 17. But Thirdly A chief reason of the long life of the holy Patriarchs that may be given is this That they might propagate Religion in their generations God gives testimony of Abraham that he hid so Gen. XVIII 19. And it was the care and work of the other holy ones to do the like Noah is said to be a Preacher of Righteousness and Henoch a Prophet And they and the rest were as a living Bible to instruct their Childred and posterity in the knowledge fear and service of God There was then no Scripture written but the knowledge of God and of the ways of God was conveyed from generation to generation by word of mouth of those holy men And therefore God carried them on to so very great an age that they might be props and pillars of Religion in their Families to the sound and sure establishment of it Now it pleased God by degrees to cut short the length of such lives but it was still in displeasure He shortned mans life after the flood because of the sinfulness of men in their long lives before the flood He shortned them again at the building of Babel for the sins of those wicked men that went about to build it And again in the Wilderness where he brought in the stint of seventy or eighty years because of the peoples murmuring and despising the pleasant Land Upon which Moses then present makes the ninetieth Psalm See vers 7 8 9. We are consumed in thine anger c. And all our days pass away in thy wrath We spend our years as a tale And why Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance So that by shortning lives in judgment or in way of judgment he shewed that that we are upon that prolonging of life is a mercy or blessing But this with including the proper end of this promise and of Gods prolonging life viz. That man may more serve and glorifie God in his generation and do more good to his generation and lay up the more stock for eternal life for himself Long life to many an one proves a curse and it would have been better they had never lived never been born Cain's life and preservation granted him by God proved but a sad curse to him and that indeed not so much upon the account that God prolongs his life as upon the account of his own abuse of Gods prolongation Observe that Gen. IV. 15. And the Lord said unto Cain Therefore whosoever sâ—ayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold And the Lord set a mark upon Cain leâ—t any finding him should kill him Cain in vers 14. reads in his own Conscience the Law of justice which afterwards was given by the mouth of God Gen. IX 6. Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed That made him say Any one that meets me will kill me God secures him against this and gives him a token that none should kill him Some think he set some visible mark or brand upon him to signifie to all that he was Cain but if God did not tell every man in the world that he should not kill Cain as well as he told Cain that he should not be killed this was the likeliest way to have him murthered when all that met him knew that he was the murtherer Therefore I should rather render it and so the Original doth very properly if not most properly bear it He sets or gave him a sign that any finding him should not slay him Cain take this for a sign that none shall kill thee that I denounce sevenfold vengeance to him that doth it Now this securing him against being killed and Gods prolonging and preserving his life was it in favour or punishment Compare the rest of the dealing and words of God to him and it will seem and appear the later viz. that God kept him alive to anguish of conscience and the longer misery here But how does Cain use this his prolonged time As much as he can to delude the intent of God he Marries builds Cities sets himself to have and reap content in this world and his portion here And this is the way of Cain Jud. vers 11. Had it not been better for him when all was done that he had never lived so long never been born So is it with the wicked of an hundred years old Esai LXV 20. The sinner of an hundred years old is cursed And so it is with thousands that spending their time in vanity and folly their life and age be it never so long proves but a sad curse to them and hath but heaped the more guilt upon them But where is the fault Not but that long life in it self is a blessing but that man by abusing it hath turned it to a curse There is no earthly blessing but by mans abuse may become a curse That is terrible in Mal. II. 2. I will ever send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings But that is because men make such things a curse to themselves Haman's honour an earthly blessing in its self because a curse to him but it was through his own fault Jeroboam's promotion an earthly blessing became a curse to him and his whole Family but it was through his own abuse of it And so may I say of any earthly comfort And so is long life to many through their mispending and abusing it This I have spoken to take off an Objection against long life's being a blessing There is undoubtedly a blessing in long life otherwise God would never have so frequently as he doth held it out as a Promise And that we may view the blessing the better we first consider upon those things that may be said against it that afterwards we may the better view the blessing it self Oâ—e Objection then is That long life to many
the Justice of God that Christ was to satisfie and if he could not have done that then there would have been some reason he should have suffered his wrath The Justice of God challenged obedience of men or no coming to Heaven satisfaction for disobedience or they must to Hell Here is enough saith Christ to serve for both ends They have disobeyed here is obedience more than all their Disobediences do or can come to They cannot obey as they should here is that that makes it out viz. Obedience infinite III. The truth was that Christ had to deal with the wrath of the Devil but not at all with the wrath of God Consider but these passages and see what was the stress that Christ had to deal withal in his Passion First That Gen. III. 15. He shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Satan the seed of the woman shall destroy thee This is explained Heb. II. 14. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And 1 Joh. III. 8. For this purpose the Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil And then observe that Joh. XIV 30. The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me And Luke XXII 53. When I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched forth no hands against me but this is your hour and the power of darkness While I preached there was a restraint upon you because my hour was not come but now you and Hell are let loose to have your full swing against me There was a Combate proposed in the sufferings of Christ before God and Angels Twixt whom Christ and the wrath of God No but twixt Christ and Satan and all his power What doth God in this quarrel Doth God fight against Christ too as well as the Devil Was his wrath against him as well as the Devils wrath What against his own Champion his own Son No he only tries him by affliction not overwhelms him with his wrath He only lets him alone to him to be the shock of Satan He little assists Satan by his wrath laid on his own Champion See the great Mystery of this great Dispensation in brief God had created the first Adam and endued him with abilities to have stood Thus endued he leaves him to stand of himself and permits Satan to tempt him and he overcomes him and all mankind are overthrown God raised up a second Adam endued with power to foil Satan do he his worst and not only with power to withstand Satan if he will but a will that could not but withstand Satan He sets him forth to encounter and leaves him to himself lets Satan loose to do his worst Satan vexeth him with all the vexation Hell could inflict upon him Did not God love his Son look with dear bowels upon him all this while It is a very harsh opinion to think that Christ undertaking the combate for the honour of God against his arch-enemy that obeying the Will of God even to the death that retaining his holiness unmoveable in the midst of all his tortures paying God an infinite obedience it is harsh I say to think that God should requite him with wrath and look upon him as a wretched damned person No it was the wrath of the Devil that Christ had to combate with not the wrath of God at all IV. Though Christ is said to bear sins yet for all that God did not look upon him any whit the more wrathfully or in displeasure but rather the more favourably because he would bear the sins of his people For God looked on Christ not as a sinner but as a Sacrifice and the Lord was not angry at him but loved him because he would become a Sacrifice Joh. X. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life Esa. LIII 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his Soul unto death Do those words speak the anger of God No his wel-pleasedness his rewarding him for that he would be numbred with transgressors being none but a Lamb without spot and blemish Some say That Christ was the greatest sinner murderer c. because he bare the sins of those that were so which words border upon blasphemy and speak besides a great deal of imprudence and inconsideration See Levit. XVI 21 22. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and consess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins putting them upon the head of the Goat And the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities Is it not sensless now to say That the Goat was the greatest sinner in Israel Was he any whit the more sinful because the sins of the people were put upon him And so of other sacrifices on whose heads hands were laid and sins put was the wrath of God upon the Sacrifice No the pleasure of God was upon it for attonement In such sense are those places to be taken Isa. LIII 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all 1 Pet. II. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree 2 Cor. V. 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin He bare our sins not as a sinner but as a Sacrifice And that Joh. I. 29. makes it plain Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World As a Lamb at the Temple bare the sins of the people so Christ bare our sins How Was the Lamb guilty or sinful No as an attonement and sacrifice And so God looked on Christ as a Sacrifice well pleasing to him not as sinful at all Need we any more illustration Observe that Exod. XXVIII 36 38. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it like the engravings of a signet Holiness to the Lord. And it shall be upon Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Holiness to the Lord because he bare iniquity It should rather have been Unholiness if Aaron had been any whit the more sinful for bearing the peoples iniquities But he is said to bear their iniquities because he by his office undertook to attone for them How did God look upon Aaron in his Priesthood With anger because he bare the iniquity of the people Nay with favour and delight as so excellent an instrument of attonement Such another passage is that Levit. X. 17 c. Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place
18. We look at things that are not seen 1284 5. 21. He hath made him sin for us 1243 GALATHIANS Ch. vers  Page 4. 6. ABBA Father what 354 EPHESIANS Ch. vers  Page 1 17. THE Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ. 1034 1047 2. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins 1057 1105 4. 9 Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the Earth 1342  24. The new Man is created in righteousness and true holiness 1152  32. Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind 1286 5. 18 19. Be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs 1160 PHILIPPIANS Ch. vers  Page 3. 19. WHOSE God is their belly 184 COLOSSIANS Ch. vers  Page 2. 13. YOU being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh 1057 1 THESSALONIANS Ch. vers  Page 4. 13 14. I Would not have you ignorant concerning them that sleep that ye sorrow not as others without hope c. 1087 2 THESSALONIANS Ch. vers  Page 2. 2. AS that the day of Christ is at hand 626  3. The day of Christ shall not come except there come a falling away first 626  4. Concerning obedience to Magistrates 230 Text and Marg. 1 TIMOTHY Ch. vers  Page 3. 13. OFFICE of a Deacon 133 4. 1. In the later time interpreted of the end of the Jewish State 1074 1117  3. Forbidding to marry 695  8. Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come reconciled with Heb. 11. 36 37. 1053 2 TIMOTHY Ch. vers  Page 3. 1. IN the later days not for the end of the World but of Ierusalem 1074 1117  9. Jannes and Jambres 404 HEBREWS Ch. vers  Page 2. 2. IF the word spoken by Angels 1129  12. I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren c. 1037  13. And again I will put my trust in him ibid. 8. 6. He is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises 1332  11. They shall teach no more every man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me 1071 9. 19. Moses took blood with water 619 10. 26. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin 1095 1096 1146 11. 32. Gedeon Sampson Japhtha 1215  36 37. Concerning the sufferings of Gods people in this life reconciled with the 1 Tim. 4. 8. 1053  40. That they without us should not be made perfect 1089 12. 11. Chastening yeildeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness 1226 13. 20. Christ was raised from the dead by the blood of the Covenant 1257 JAMES Ch. vers  Page 5. 9. BEhold the Iudge standeth before the door 626  14. Let the Elders of the Church pray for him that is sick anointing him with Oyl 162 343  17. Elias for the space of three years and six months 408 409 1 PETER Ch. vers  Page 1. 2. ELect according to the foreknowledge of God for the elect of the Jews 1146 2. 10. Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God ibid.  13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of God for the Lords sake c. 230 Text Marg. 3. 19. He went and preached unto the Spirits in prison 478 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand For the end of Ierusalem and the Jewish State 626 1074 1117  17. The time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God 241. Text Marg. 2 PETER Ch. vers  Page 2. 10. DEspise government speak evil of Dignities 230. Text Marg.  15. The way of Balaam the son of Boâ—â—r 1144 3. 3. There shall come in the last days For the days immediately foregoing the destruction of Ierusalem c. 1074 1117  10. The Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 626  13. We look for new Heavens and a new Earth 626 16. In Pauls Epistles there are some things hard to be understood 1243 1246 1 JOHN Ch. vers  Page 2. 16. THE lust of the eyes 162  18. It is the last time For the end of the Jewish State 626 1047  27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you 1071 5. 16. There is a sin unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it 1093 1904 JUDE  Vers.  Page  8. DEspise dominion speak evil of dignities 230. Text Marg.   Filthy dreamers 1297  12. Feasts of Charity 774 c. REVELATION Ch. vers  Page 1. 7. HE cometh with clouds c. 626 3. 17 18. Because thou saiest I am rich c. and knowest not that thou art wretched c. 1136 6. 12 14. The Sun became black as sackeloth of hair c. And the Heavens departed as a scroll c. 626 7. 14. They have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 1076 11. 8. The Streets of the great City which Spiritually is called Sodom 1109 13. 2. The Dragon gave his Power and Seat and great authority unto the Beast 1108 1165  4. The Dragon which gave his Power unto the Beast 614 20. 3. Satan should deceive the Nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled 1056 1057 1233  5. This is the first Resurrection spoken of the calling of the Gentiles 1057 1105  7 8. When the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go about to deceive the Nations Interpreted as fulfilled in the depth of Popery 1057   Gog an Enemy to true Religion 1247 22. 20. Behold I come quickly 626 An Appendix of some Places of Scripture differently Read from the ordinary Translation GENESIS Ch. vers  Page 1. 2. THE Spirit of God was carried upon the face of the waters 643  14. Let there be Light-fats or Light-vessels in the Firmament 1285 4. 1. Eve conceived and brought forth Cain and said I have possessed or obtained a Man the Lord. 792 DEUTERONOMY Ch. vers  Page 27. 4. IN Mount Gerizzim so read by the Samaritan Version 540 33. 2. From his right hand went the fire of a Law for them 1227 JOSHUA Ch. vers  Page 15. 61 62. DIfferently read by the Greek Interpreters 499 JUDGES Ch. vers  Page 4. 5. The Chaldee reads Deborah had white dust in the Kings Mountains 12 16. 3. He carried them to the top of a Mountainous place which is before Hebron 12 21. 19 c. The Daughters go over to the enemy 537 2 KINGS Ch. vers  Page 17. 18. THAT when my Master went c. 409 JOB Ch. vers  Page 19. 25. I Know that my Redeemer liveth and he
6. and then their Tongue shall revive again as they surmise But the divine Apocaliptick writing after Jerusalem was ruined might teach them what the second Jerusalem must be not on Earth but from Heaven Apoc. 21. 2. But to return to their Tongue The Characters we now have the Hebrew Tongue in Scaliger thinks are but of a latter hatch and not the same that the Jews used from Moses till the destruction of the Temple For that they used the Phaenician or Cananaean Character which now is called the Samaritan How truly I refer to the Readers judgment The Character we now have is either a set or a running letter the first the Bible is ordinarily Printed in in the latter the most of the Rabbins The whole Tongue is contained in the Bible and no one book else in the World contains in it a whole Language And this shews that the Scripture speaks to all sorts of people since it speaks of all sorts of things This Language is as God said the Jews should be if they would keep his Law A lender to all and a borrower of none All Tongues are in debt to this and this to none The Eastern most especially must acknowledge this Some men in the East saith Origen reserve their old speech meaning by likelihood the Hebrew and have not altered it but have continued in the Eastern Tongue because they have continued in the Eastern Countries No Eastern Tongue that I have heard of is Hebrew now so that what to say to Origen I cannot tell unless he mean that those that have continued in the East have kept nearest this holy Tongue because nearest the holy Land this to be true is known to the meanest Learned In their speech it is apparent and by their writing confirmed All of them have learned from the Hebrew to write from the right hand to the left or as we usually call it in England to write and read backward The China and Japan writing excepted which is indeed from the right hand to the left but not with the lines crossing the leaf as other Tongues do but the lines down the leaf A strange way by it self Again most of the Eastern Tongues do use the Hebrew Character for quick writing or some other end The Chaldee letter is the very same The Syrian though it have two or three kinds of its own yet is content sometime to take upon it the Hebrew Character The Arabian doth the like especially the Jews in Turky use in hatred of Mahumetans to write down their matters of Religion in the Hebrew Character though in the Arabian Tongue So do the Christian Arabians for the same cause in their holy things use the Arabian Tongue but Syrian Letter And I take a place in Epiphanius to be meant to this purpose also about the Persian Tongue His words out of another are these The Persians besides their own Letters do also use the Letters of the Syrians as in our times many Nations use the Greek though almost every Nation hath a proper Character I refer to the Reader to judge whether he mean not that the Persians as other Countries about them did did use the Hebrew Character for their quick writing which is called Syrian by Theodoret. To speak of the grace and sweetness and fulness of the Hebrew Tongue is to no purpose to relate for even those that cannot read this Tongue have read thus much of it CHAP. XXXI Of Vowels EAstern Tongues especially the Hebrew and her three Dialects Chaldee Syrian and Arabian are written sometimes with vowels sometimes without with for certainty without for the speedier writing we have Hebrew Bibles of both kinds The Septuagint it seems translated by the unpricked Bible as St. Hierome in his Commentary upon the Prophets seemeth to import and as to any one that examineth it is easie to find Instead of all other places in Gen. 4. 7. it is apparent where the seventy Translators reserving the Letters have strangely altered the Vowels The Hebrew hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo imtetibh Seeth weim lo tetibh lappethahh hhatath robhets which is in English thus If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted And if thou do not well sin lieth at the door they Translate it as pointed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo im tetibh seeth weim lo tetibh lephatteahh hhatatha rebhats Which is If thou do well in offering and do not well in dividing thou hast sinned be quiet This follow with one consent the Greek and many of the Latine Fathers They could not thus translate because they knew not the Text or because they wanted pointed Bibles but on set purpose to hide Pearls from Swine as the best Learned think But that they did always miss on set purpose where they missed their many lapses seem to deny but sometime they mistook the unpricked Text and so misconstrued A vowelled Bible they might have had but would not Some there be that think the vowels of the Hebrew were not invented for many years after Christ. Which to mee seemeth to be all one as to deny sinews to a body or to keep an Infant unswadled and to suffer him to turn and bend any way till he grow out of fashion For mine own satisfaction I am fully resolved that the Letters and Vowels of the Hebrew were as the Soul and Body in a Child knit together at their conception and beginning and that they had both one Author 1. For first a Tongue cannot be learned without Vowels though at last skill and practise may make it to be read without Grammar and not Nature makes men to do this and this also helped out with the sence of the place we read 2. That Masorites should amend that which the Septuagint could not see and that they should read righter than the other who were of far greater Authority I cannot believe 3. Our Saviour in his words of one Jota and one small kerai not perishing from the Law seems to allude to the least of the Letters Jod and the least Vowel and Accent 4. Lastly It is above the skill of a meer man to point the Bible nay scarcely a verse as it is The Ten Commandments may puzzle all the World for that skill CHAP. XXXII Of the Language of two Testaments THE two Testaments are like the Apostles at Jerusalem when the confusion of Tongues at Babel was recompensed with multiplicity of Tongues at Sion speaking in different Languages but speaking both to one purpose They differ from each other only in Language and time but for matter the New is veiled in the Old and Old reveiled in the New Isaiah in his vision heard the Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to Isa. 6. 2. another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of tsebhaoth So the two Testaments like these two Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to another the Old cries to the New and the New ecchoes to the Old The Old cries Holy is the Lord that hath promised the
of the Covenant I need not instance hundreds of places do evidence it But what could any one see in the Ark that might speak Gods Covenant There was indeed the Mercy seat upon it and the two Cherubims at the several ends of it and the cloud oft between and this was all that any Israelite could see that looked upon it But this was not that that intitled it to that Title but the two Tables of the Law that were in it And so Moses himself doth make the exposition Exod. XXXIV 28. He wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant the ten Commandments Deut. IX 11. At the end of forty days and forty nights the Lord gave me the two Table of stone the Tables of the Covenant And to spare more instances you find the terms Covenant and Commands to be convertible or to mean one and the same thing Psal. CV 8. He hath remembred his Covenant the word which he Commanded And Psal. CXI 9. He Commanded his Covenant for ever He Commanded his Covenant a strange expression and a comfortless expression as one would think his Covenant to be nothing but a company of impossible Commands his Covenant to be nothing but a Law the Ministration of which the Apostle tells us was the Ministration of death II Cor. III. As he I thought he would have stroked his hand over the sore and prayed and he bids only Go wash in Jordan So one would think it should be said He hath promised tendred ingaged his Covenant and it comes off only with this He hath Commanded his Covenant And here we are come to the great question Under what notion the Moral Law stands in the Covenant of grace You know who they were that have held and I doubt too many hold it at this day that to Israel it was a Covenant of Works and thereupon infer that Christians are delivered from the obligation of the Moral Law because they are not under the Covenant of Works but the Covenant of Grace And accordingly they understand that distinction of the old Covenant and new mentioned so much by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews that the old Covenant means the Moral Law and the new Covenant the Gospel To these men let me first speak in the style of God to Abraham Gen. XV. 5. Look up to Heaven and count the Stars if thou canst number them So look up to Heaven and see the old Moon and the new and observe them Are they really two several Moons No but one and the same Moon under various shapes Or look on the Earth upon a person now Regenerated he was before an old Creature now he is a new II Cor. V. 17. What is he now a really distinct person from what he was before No but of a different condition only the same man but his condition and temper changed So the Covenant of Grace is the same like Christ the chief Tenor of the Covenant yesterday and to day and the same for ever the same from the first day that it was given to Adam to the last day of the World and till Time shall be no more The same under the Law the same under the Gospel but clothed in different garments in administrations of various fashions The Covenant of Grace to the Jew was Believe in Christ and be saved as it is to us as the Apostle clears in all his Epistles more particularly in Heb. XI But to them God added thus Because the Doctrine of Christ is not yet so clear use these Ceremonies which figure out the actings and Office of Christ the Priesthood his Mediating the Sacrifices his Death cleansing with Blood his purging of Sin and the like And because no other people is yet to be admitted to the Church and true Religion but themselves use these Ceremonies to distinguish you from all other people till time come that the Gentiles come to be admitted So that these Ceremonies were not the Covenant of Grace to them nor a Covenant of Works to them but only the manner and mode of the administration of the Covenant of Grace till the Gospel should come which when it came and Christ was come then the Doctrine of Christ was clear and all Nations were come in then were these Ceremonies laid aside and a clean different administration of the Covenant of Grace brought in and under these reasons are these different administrations called the old and new Covenant So that the Ceremonial part of the Law is called the old Covenant but the Moral doth not fall under that title nor vanish as the other did And secondly To these that we are speaking of let me propose this question Did God go backward in his Covenanting first to give a Covenant of Grace to Adam when he had broke his Covenant of Works and after to give a Covenant of Works to Israel and to lay by his Covenant of Grace The Sun in the sky stood still once and went backward once but the glorious Son of Righteousness that rose in the Covenant of Grace the first day of Adam never stood still never went back but is still keeping his course to save by Grace to save in the Covenant of Grace and not by Works If I go to Jonathans house again saith Jeremy I shall surely die and if God send man back to a Covenant of Works when Adam himself failed in his Covenant of Works man is but lost for ever And thirdly Let us read the Draught of the Covenant it self This Indenture made betwixt the great God and poor dust and ashes sinful and miserable witnesseth That God of his infinite Love and Grace and Mercy doth promise and demise and let to this poor creature Grace and Glory interest in himself and Heaven Provided always That man keep his Law and do those Commands that God lays upon him For God could not make a Covenant of Grace but it must include Commandments and a Law unless he would have conditioned thus with him Do what thou wilt live as thou wilt Eat Drink Revel be Epicure be Atheist and yet thou shalt enjoy me for ever thou shalt be blessed for ever We may tremble at such Language The Stool of wickedness could do no more And how cheap and vile a thing were God if to be enjoyed on such terms as these Man as he is a Creature must have a Law from his Creator or else God should resign his authority and let man be his own God Our obedience to God is founded in God himself If God be God serve him an argument so urgent that t is never to be dissolved And therefore that clause is set before the ten Commandments and set after divers Commands afterwards I am the Lord as an argument sufficient to challenge obedience There is nothing can dissolve the bond of mans obedience to his Creator unless God would cease to be God for if God be God serve him And therefore the Covenanting for Grace is so far from abating of a
Law to be laid upon man that it requires it the more because in that he is not looked upon only as a Creature to serve his Creator but as a Creature that is to enjoy his Creator Accordingly when God created Adam he wrote a Law in his Heart and made a Covenant with him upon the full terms of the Law for perfect obedience and this is commonly called his Covenant of Works with Adam The short Draught of that Covenant is this If thou performest perfect obedience according to the tenor of this Law To love the Lord with all thy heart c. thou shalt be blessed and enjoy God for ever if not then thou shalt be cursed and perish for ever Now observe the two contrary parts of this Proposal of God which we cannot but conceive to have been the tenor of the Covenant of Works with him First The Promissory part If thou performest perfect obedience thou shalt be saved There is mercy that God promiseth Salvation as well as Justice that he requires obedience For Adams obedience was due from him as a Creature though there had been no Salvation for him But in the Threatning part there was nothing but Justice If thou performest not perfect obedience thou shalt perish and all the equity in the World in it For as such obedience was due from him to God so was he then able to perform it and deserved perdition if he did not But Adam fell and that Covenant of Grace came in and then what became of the equity of that Law Did the Covenant of Grace extinguish Gods just claim of mans obedience Nay of mans perfect obedience No for God must not lose one tittle of his right and due but that Grace that made the Covenant did contrive that Christ must pay the perfect obedience and the believer the best obedience he can As he under the Law that could not reach a Lamb c. his sacrifice was not remitted but that sacrifice abated and he was to bring what he could two Turtles So man is now grown poor and cannot perform perfect obedience yet the Covenant of Grace doth not remit his obedience but abates the execution takes perfect obedience in his behalf from Christ but requires the perfectest he can perform from him too So that a sinner though he cannot perform obedience is not therefore acquitted from the Laws challenge of obedience nor a Believer though Christ has paid perfect nay infinite obedience for him yet he is not acquitted from obeying the best he can And the reason is because nothing can disannul Gods just claim of obedience from his creature So that this Law of obedience being founded in Gods being God and in our being his creatures it is impossible that God should make a Covenant with man for Grace and Salvation and this not be included Now though in the Covenant of Grace it stands not as in Adams Covenant of Works as by the performance of which to be justified yet doth it so stand in it as without Works performed there is no participation of God nay without which the Covenant is no Covenant What is said of the Sacramental Elements the like may be said in this case Elementum adde verbum sit Sacramentum Here are the Elements add the word of institution and it becomes a Sacrament So hoc est promissum adde legem fit foedus Here is the promise add the Law and it is a Covenant For though Promise and Covenant be sometimes convertible yet the Promise barely considered is not the Covenant without the Conditions of the Law affixed to it And under this notion in Gods own Language the Commandments of God are the Covenant of God Psal. CIII 18. To those that keep his Covenant which is explained in the next clause which remember his Commandments to do them They that keep his Covenant One would think it should be To those to whom he keeps his Covenant But herein the main stress of the matter â—â—es if they keep his Commandments there is no doubt of the God of Truth performing his promise As the stress of Gods reconciliation to man is laid mainly in Scripture upon mans being reconciled to God II Cor. V. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself Col. I. 20. To reconcile all things to himself Not so much himself to the World as the World to himself not so much himself to all things as all things to himself for here is the great business to get man reconciled unto God and then no doubt of Gods being reconciled to man So there is no doubt of Gods performing his promise of Grace and Salvation but the great business is mans performing his part and keeping his Law And thus having spoken to that Question which in our enumeration came the second Why the Ark is called the Ark of the Covenant It hath made some way to answer the first How may Christians inquire of God in their doubtings as Israel did here and elsewhere in theirs I must answer briefly and that in the Words of Gods himself Esa. VIII 29. To the Law and to the Testament To the written Word of God Search the Scriptures As you might appeal to Balaam to bear witness concerning the blessedness of Israel whereas he was called forth to curse them So for the proof of this matter viz. That there is now no other way to enquire of God but only from his Word you may appeal to those very Scriptures that they produce that would maintain that there are Revelations and Inspirations still and that God doth still very often answer his People by them They produce that That they shall all be taught of God that is say they All the Saints shall be taught by the Spirit but that passage aims a clean other way as relating to the Gentiles as it doth in Esa. LIV. 13. hence it is quoted It means that whereas they in their Heathen blindness had been taught of the Devil by his Oracles Prophets Pythonesses and the like God would bring in the Gospel among them and so they now should be taught of God Or as relating to the Jews as Christ applies it Joh. VI. 45. the meaning is that whereas they had been taught by men either by Scribes and Pharisees which were evil men or by holy Priests and Prophets which were but men they should in time be taught and now were of God himself Christ Preaching among them as the Apostle observes Heb. I. 1. They produce that Heb. VIII 11. And they shall not teach every one his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest from Jer. XXXI whereas the meaning is but this that by the Word of the Gospel should come in so clear light and so great means of knowledge that none but might know God if they would seek to know him And to the very same sence and tenor speaks that strange expression Esa. LXV 20. There