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
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
Ismael 22 Isaac 8 league c. God had foretold Abraham of the Egyptian Abram 109 Ismael 23 Isaac 9 affliction and his affliction beginneth first by an Egyptian Abram 110 Ismael 24 Isaac 10 namely by Hagar and her son There is mention of Abram 111 Ismael 25 Isaac 11 a double space of his seeds sojourning in a land not Abram 112 Ismael 26 Isaac 12 theirs viz. 400 years Chap. 15. 13. which was from Abram 113 Ismael 27 Isaac 13 Ismaels mocking to their delivery out of Egypt and Abram 114 Ismael 28 Isaac 14 430 years Exod. 12. 40. which was from the promise Abram 115 Ismael 29 Isaac 15 given to Abram Gen. 17. 1. to their delivery Gal. 3. 17. Abram 116 Ismael 30 Isaac 16 Abraham consecrateth a grove at Beersheba that he Abram 117 Ismael 31 Isaac 17 might have hallowed wood for his sacrifices as well as holy fire see Chap. 21. 7. he had had fire from heaven at some time upon his sacrifice and he preserved it World 2126 Sem 568 Salah 433 Eber 403 Abram 118 Ismael 32 Isaac 18 SALAH or Shelah dieth being 433 years old read Gen. 11. 14 15. Abram 119 Ismael 33 Isaac 19 There is a good space of time passed over in silence Abram 120 Ismael 34 Isaac 20 concerning Isaac for from the time of Ismaels mocking Abram 121 Ismael 35 Isaac 21 which was at his fifth year till the time of his offering Abram 122 Ismael 36 Isaac 22 up in a figure which was at his thirty third as Abram 123 Ismael 37 Isaac 23 may be conceived there is no mention of him for as Abram 124 Ismael 38 Isaac 24 yet the story most especially followeth the Acts of Abraham Abram 125 Ismael 39 Isaac 25 Now it is very likely that as the offering up of Abram 126 Ismael 40 Isaac 26 Isaac was so plain and perfect a figure of the offering up Abram 127 Ismael 41 Isaac 27 of Christ in other things so also that these two things the Type and Antitype did agree in the time and that Isaac was offered when he was two and thirty years and an half old or three and thirty current which was the age Abraham 128 Ismael 42 Isaac 28 of our Saviour when he was crucified And the like concurrence Abraham 129 Ismael 43 Isaac 29 and circumstance of the time may be also well Abraham 130 Ismael 44 Isaac 30 conceived of Abel at his death who murdred by his brother Abraham 131 Ismael 45 Isaac 31 typified the same thing that Isaac did sacrificed by Abraham 132 Ismael 46 Isaac 32 his father CHAP. XXII Abraham 133 Ismael 47 Isaac 33 ISAAC probably offered up this year The mount Moriah Abraham 134 Ismael 48 Isaac 34 Ver. 2. the third day Ver. 4. His first bearing the Abraham 135 Ismael 49 Isaac 35 wood and then the wood bearing him Vers. 6 9. His Abraham 136 Ismael 50 Isaac 36 being bound hand and foot Vers. 9. do call us to remember such circumstances in the death of Christ. CHAP. XXIII World 2145 Sem 587 Eber 422 Abraham 137 Ismael 51 Isaac 37 SARAH dieth being 127 years old the only woman Abraham 138 Ismael 52 Isaac 38 whose age is recorded in Scripture A burial place is Abraham 139 Ismael 53 Isaac 39 the first land that Abraham hath in Canaan CHAP. XXIV XXV to Verse 7. and 1 CHRON. 1. Vers. 32 33. World 2148 Sem 590 Eber 425 Abraham 140 Ismael 54 Isaac 40 ISAAC is married to Rebeccah Abraham after Sarahs Abraham 141 Ismael 55 Isaac 41 death marrieth Keturah and hath divers children by Abraham 142 Ismael 56 Isaac 42 her those children when they come to age he sendeth Abraham 143 Ismael 57 Isaac 43 away into those countries beyond Jordan and in Arabia Abraham 144 Ismael 58 Isaac 44 which Kedarlaomer and the Kings with him had conquered Abraham 145 Ismael 59 Isaac 45 and by the conquest of them they descended to Abraham Abraham 146 Ismael 60 Isaac 46 There these sons of his grow into Nations and become continual Abraham 147 Ismael 61 Isaac 47 enemies to the seed of Israel Though Abraham were Abraham 148 Ismael 62 Isaac 48 very old at Sarahs death being 137 years old then yet is Abraham 149 Ismael 63 Isaac 49 he not past the strength of generation through the strength of that promise I will multiply thee c. The greatest wonder of Isaacs birth was that he was born of an old barren woman World 2158 Sem 600 Eber 435 Abraham 150 Ismael 64 Isaac 50 SEM dieth being 600 years old read Gen. 11. 11. the Abraham 151 Ismael 65 Isaac 51 same was Melchisedech the only man in the world greater Abraham 152 Ismael 66 Isaac 52 then Abraham For though Eber and Arphaxad and the Abraham 153 Ismael 67 Isaac 53 other Patriarchs had this dignity above Abraham that they Abraham 154 Ismael 68 Isaac 54 were his fathers yet he was dignified above them all in Abraham 155 Ismael 69 Isaac 55 this that he had the singular and glorious Promise made to Abraham 156 Ismael 70 Isaac 56 him which was not made to any of them but only Sem Abraham 157 Ismael 71 Isaac 57 Sem saw the two great miseries of the world the Flood Abraham 158 Ismael 72 Isaac 58 and the confusion of Tongues but he saw comfort in Abraham Abraham 159 Ismael 73 Isaac 59 and Isaac He lived as many years after Abraham came into the land of Canaan as Abraham was old when he came thither namely 75 years CHAP. XXV Ver. 11. and from Ver. 19. to the end World 2168 Eber 445 Abraham 160 Ismael 74 Isaac 60 JACOB and Esau born first he that was natural Abraham 161 Ismael 75 Isaac 61 Iacob 1 and then he that was spiritual These children Abraham 162 Ismael 75 Isaac 61 Iacob 2 strove in the womb and Rebeccah inquired after the Abraham 163 Ismael 77 Isaac 63 Iacob 3 cause and the Lord by an oracle it is like by Abrahams Abraham 164 Ismael 78 Isaac 64 Iacob 4 oracle at Beersheba resolves her of the difference of the Abraham 165 Ismael 79 Isaac 65 Iacob 5 children and of the Nations that should descend of Abraham 166 Ismael 80 Isaac 66 Iacob 6 them Esau is born all hairy over like a kid a strange Abraham 167 Ismael 81 Isaac 67 Iacob 7 birth and he is therefore named Esau that is Made Abraham 168 Ismael 82 Isaac 68 Iacob 8 for he had his beard and his pubes now even from the Abraham 169 Ismael 83 Isaac 69 Iacob 9 birth as if he had been a mature man The story is Abraham 170 Ismael 84 Isaac 70 Iacob 10 now to fall upon the acts of Isaac and Jacob and therefore in this Chapter it concludes the story of Abraham and Ismael reckoneth up the tearm of their lives and mentioneth their deaths by anticipation the Reader Abrah 171 Ismael 85 Isaac 71 Iacob 11 will readily reduce the Texts that mention these to Abrah
314 other lived longest of all the twelve The children of Israel after the Years of the Promise 315 Years of the Promise 316 death of the twelve Patriarchs do by degrees fall into all manner of Years of the Promise 317 abomination They commit Idolatry Josh. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 8. They forget Years of the Promise 318 and forgo Circumcision the Covenant of their God and this was Years of the Promise 319 Years of the Promise 320 the reproach of Egypt Josh. 5. 9. c. They joyned in marriage with the Years of the Promise 321 Egyptians Lev. 24. 10. Exod. 12. 38. and walked according to such Years of the Promise 322 wretched principles as these therefore the Lord casteth them into a furnace Years of the Promise 323 Years of the Promise 324 of affliction and now as in Abrahams vision Gen. 15. 12. when Years of the Promise 325 the Sun of Religion is gone down among them an horrid darkness of Years of the Promise 326 Years of the Promise 327 impiety and misery comes upon them Yet doth the strength of the Years of the Promise 328 Promise shew it self wonderful in both the sexes in the men that they Years of the Promise 329 Years of the Promise 330 are strong to beget children though overpressed with intolerable labour Years of the Promise 331 and in the women that they bare their children with less pain and tediousness Years of the Promise 332 Years of the Promise 333 of travel then other women did being lively and quick in their Years of the Promise 334 delivery and were delivered before the midwives came at them Pharaoh Years of the Promise 335 when over-labouring of the men will not prevent their increasing Years of the Promise 336 in children giveth charge to the midwives for the destroying of the children when they should be born but Shiphrah and Puah two of the midwives observing Gods wonderful hand in the womens delivery disobeyed the Kings command and by a glorious confession of Gods hand which they saw will rather venture the Kings displeasure then fight against God for Years of the Promise 337 Years of the Promise 338 which their piety God marrieth them to Israelites for they were Egyptian Years of the Promise 339 women and builded up Israelitish families by them ver 25. Because the Years of the Promise 340 midwives feared God he made them houses PSAL. LXXXVIII LXXIX IN these times of bitterness and misery lived the two sons of Zerah or the Ezrahites Heman and Ethan 1 Chron. 2. 6. who had the spirit of the Lord upon them in the midst of all this affliction and they penned the eighty eight and eighty ninth Psalms the former sadly mourning for the present distress and the latter cheerfully singing the mercies of God in the midst of this distress and prophecying of deliverance And here is the proper place and order of these Psalms The Book of JOB IN these times when it went thus sadly with Israel in Egypt there shone forth the glorious piety and patience of Job in the land of Uz and here in order of time doth his book and story come in It is not possible to fix the time of his great trial and affliction to its proper date but there are two or three considerations which do argue that it was about these bitter times of Israels sinfulness and misery As 1. to consider how suitable it is to the providence of God and agreeable to his dispensation at other times as in the matter of Elias and the widow of Sarepta for one instance that when Religion was utterly lost and gone in the Church of Israel where it should have been to find it in the family of Job in a place where it might have been little supposed to have been found 2. How Job is preferred for his piety before any man alive and that before his patience had given it such a lustre 3. If Eliphaz be called a Temanite as being the immediate son of Teman it helpeth to scantling the time exceeding much for then was he the fourth from Esau as Amram was from Jacob and so their times might very well be coincident The Book of Job seemeth to have been penned by Elihu one of the speakers in it as may appear by these two things 1. Because in Chap. 2. when Jobs friends that came to lament with him and to comfort him are reckoned and mentioned by name Elihu is not named in the number arguing as it may well be conceived these two things 1. That he came not to Job from a place far distant as the other three did but neighboured upon him And 2. that he himself was the Historian and Pen-man that made the relation and therefore he named not himself when he named others 2. Because in Chap. 32. he speaketh of himself as of the Historian ver 15 16 17. They were amazed they answer no more they left off speaking When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more I said I will answer also I also will shew my opinion Job was a son of Nahor Abrahams brother descended from him by his son Uz Gen. 22. 21. and so Elihu and he came to live so near together the one being of Uz the eldest son of Nahor and the other of Bus the second The order of the Book is facile and direct the Penman in the two first Chapters sheweth how Job fell into his misery who before was one of the richest and most prosperous men in those parts On a Sabbath day when the sons of God presented themselves before the Lord that is when the professors of the true Religion were met together in the publike assembly Satan was invisibly there among them but the Lord seeth him and upon some conference about Job the Lord letteth Satan loose upon him in reference to his estate and another Sabbath upon the like occasion and conference he letteth him loose upon him in reference to his body so Satan destroyeth all that he hath and all his children Read ver 5. of Chap. 1. not when the days of their feasting were gone about but as the days of their feasting went about â— and smiteth him with an intolerable itch that his nails will not serve his turn to scratch but he is glad to get a potsheard to scrub himself Then come his three friends to him from a far distance and Elihu his cousen that lived near to him and these in several speeches to him do but aggravate his misery and prove miserable comforters The dialogues or disputation between him and his three friends do hold this course that he answereth and they reply upon him in the course of their age and seniority Their greatest drift is to prove him extraordinary sinful because he was extraordinarily punished which incharitable errour when he cannot convince them of because of their prejudice he stoppeth all their mouths by a confident imprecation or execration upon himself if he be so faulty
as they would make him Chap. 31. Then Elihu the Pen-man undertakes to moderate but inclining to the same misprision with the others the Lord himself convinceth them all of the uprightness of Job which no arguments of Job could do and this not only by an oracle from Heaven but also by Jobs revived prosperity wherein every thing that he had lost was restored double to him but only his children which though they died yet were not lost His years were doubled for he lived an hundred and forty years after his trouble and so was seventy years old when his trouble came and died two hundred and ten years old the longest liver born since Terah CHAP. II. to Ver. 11. Years of the Promise 341 ISRAELS afflictions increase upon them the cruel King of Egypt commanding Years of the Promise 342 all the Male children to be slain Miriam was born not far from Years of the Promise 343 this time she was able to stand and watch Moses when he was cast into the Years of the Promise 344 river her name signifieth Bitterness and Rebellion both and it is not to be Years of the Promise 345 doubted but holy Amram when he gave her name had regard to that sad Years of the Promise 346 cause and effect of which they had so great cause to be sensible Miriam Years of the Promise 347 was a Prophetess Exod. 15. 20. Micah 6. 4. World 2431 Years of the Promise 348 AARON born a Saint of the Lord Psal. 106. 16. His name soundeth Years of the Promise 349 both of sorrow and joy as the tenor of Psal. 88. 89. made in these afflictions Years of the Promise 350 doth World 2433 Years of the Promise 351 Moses 1 MOSES born supernaturally his mother being exceeding old at his Years of the Promise 352 Moses 2 birth she was his fathers own Aunt the daughter of Levi so is Moses Years of the Promise 353 Moses 3 a Levite both by father and mother He is preserved in an ark like a Years of the Promise 354 Moses 4 second Noah his mother is paid for nursing her own child he is adopted Years of the Promise 355 Moses 5 by Pharaohs daughter for her own son and so the King is his nursing Father Years of the Promise 356 Moses 6 and the Queen his nursing Mother And in this doth Moses typifie Years of the Promise 357 Moses 7 Christ that his true Father is unknown to the Egyptians and he Years of the Promise 358 Moses 8 reputed the son of Pharaoh as the true Father of Christ unknown to Years of the Promise 359 Moses 9 the Jews and he reputed the son of Joseph Years of the Promise 360 Moses 10 Moses was educated and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Years of the Promise 361 Moses 11 Years of the Promise 362 Moses 12 Acts 7. 22. Stephen speaketh this from necessary consequence not having Years of the Promise 363 Moses 13 express Text for it for it could no otherwise be conceived of the adopted Years of the Promise 364 Moses 14 Years of the Promise 365 Moses 15 son of a King and of a King of Egypt which Nation was exceedingly Years of the Promise 366 Moses 16 given to learning and study JOB is yet alive and probably out-liveth Years of the Promise 367 Moses 17 Moses In the reading of his Book it may be advantagious to the Years of the Promise 368 Moses 18 Years of the Promise 369 Moses 19 Reader to observe how in very many places it toucheth upon the history Years of the Promise 370 Moses 20 Years of the Promise 371 Moses 21 that is contained in the Book of Genesis though that Book was not then Years of the Promise 372 Moses 22 written The creation is handled Chap. 38. The first Adam mentioned Years of the Promise 373 Moses 23 Chap. 15. 7. The fall of Angels and Man Chap. 4. 20. 5. 2. The miserable Years of the Promise 374 Moses 24 Years of the Promise 375 Moses 25 case of Cain that was hedged in that he could not die Chap. 3. 21. Years of the Promise 376 Moses 26 The old world and the flood Chap. 22. 6. The builders of Babel Chap. 3. Years of the Promise 377 Moses 27 Years of the Promise 378 Moses 28 15. 5. 13. The fire of Sedom Chap. 20. 23 26. and divers such references Years of the Promise 379 Moses 29 may be observed which are closely touched in the Book which Years of the Promise 380 Moses 30 Years of the Promise 381 Moses 31 they came to know partly by tradition partly by living so near the Hebrews Years of the Promise 382 Moses 32 and the places where these things were done and partly by revelation Years of the Promise 383 Moses 33 as Chap. 4. 12. 38. 1 Years of the Promise 384 Moses 34 Years of the Promise 385 Moses 35 The Pen-man of the Book before and after the speeches of Job and his Years of the Promise 386 Moses 36 friends often useth the name Jehovah but in all the speeches never but Years of the Promise 387 Moses 37 once and that is in Chap. 12. 10. speaking there of Gods giving the Creature Years of the Promise 388 Moses 38 Years of the Promise 389 Moses 39 his being CHAP. II. from Ver. 11. to the end World 2473 Years of the Promise 390 Moses 40 MOses by faith at forty years old Acts 7. 23. refuseth the Courts Years of the Promise 391 Moses 41 visiteth his brethren slayeth an Egyptian fleeth into Midian Years of the Promise 392 Moses 42 Years of the Promise 393 Moses 43 Heb. 11. 24 25 26. By faith Moses refuseth to be called the son of Pharaohs Years of the Promise 394 Moses 44 daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then Years of the Promise 395 Moses 45 Years of the Promise 396 Moses 46 to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ Years of the Promise 397 Moses 47 greater riches then the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence Years of the Promise 398 Moses 48 Years of the Promise 399 Moses 49 of the reward In Midian he marrieth Zipporah and hath a son by Years of the Promise 400 Moses 50 her whom he calleth Gershom which signifieth a desolate stranger because Years of the Promise 401 Moses 51 of his remote residence from his own people in a forain land Years of the Promise 402 Moses 52 Years of the Promise 403 Moses 53 Israel is not yet throughly humbled under their affliction and therefore Years of the Promise 404 Moses 54 it is but just they should continue under it they refused the deliverer Years of the Promise 405 Moses 55 Years of the Promise 406 Moses 56 when he offered himself unto them with Who made thee a Prince Years of the Promise 407 Moses 57 and a Ruler over us And therefore they are but answered according to Years of the
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
could not relieve themselves Issachar Iair 22 is sluggish and unactive at home as Gen. 49. 14. yet thus active abroad in Iair 23 Tola now and in Baasha in after times 1 King 15. 27. and both in and about the same place Shechem and Samaria CHAP. X. Ver. 3 4 5. World 2797 Iair 1 Iair 2 JAIR or Jairus a Gileadite judgeth two and twenty years he was a man Iair 3 of great honour having thirty sons that were lords of thirty Cities and Iair 4 that rode upon thirty Asses of state like Judges or men of honour as Chap. Iair 5 5. 10. This is not that Jair that is mentioned by Moses as if he had spoken Iair 6 of this man and these Towns prophetically but this is one of the same family Iair 7 and of the same name as Tola that went before him is of the same name with Iair 8 the first-born of Issachar Gen. 46. 13. And whereas it is said by Moses that Iair 9 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small Towns of Gilead and called them Iair 10 Iair 11 Havoth Jair Numb 32. 41. Deut. 3. And whereas it is said here that Jairs Iair 12 thirty sons had thirty Cities which were called Havoth Jair it is to be understood Iair 13 that thirty of those threescore Villages that old Jair had conquered and possessed Iair 14 in the time of the first plantation of the land these sons of this Jair being Iair 15 of this line had repaired and brought Iair 16 ELY born in the sixteenth of Jair into the form of Cities and dwelt in Iair 17 Iair 18 them and yet they retained their old Iair 19 name of Havoth Jair for the honour of him that first wan and planted them Iair 20 That old Jair was the son of Segub the son of Prince Hesron by Machirs daughter Iair 21 1 Chron. 2. 22. and so by his father side of Judah and by his mothers of Iair 22 Manasseh CHAP. X. from Vers. 6. to the end JEphtah a Gileadite ariseth a Judge after Jair but there is some scruple first to be resolved and removed concerning his time and the oppression that he was raised to remove It is said vers 6 7 8. that Jair died and the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and he sold them into the hands of the Philistims and that year they oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years Now the question is when these eighteen years began and whether they are to be taken for a sum of years apart from the years of the Judges or to be reckoned with them and what is meant by that expression and that year they vexed Israel Answer These eighteen years are to be reckoned together with the last eighteen years of Jair and they began with his fifth year for though he be said to have judged two and twenty years yet it is not to be so understood as if no enemy peeped up in all that time for we shall see the contrary cleared by the Judgeship of Samson but the meaning is that the Lord at the first stirred him up for a deliverer and wrought some great deliverance by him in the beginning of his time and afterward he continued a Judge and one that sought the reformation of his people but he could neither work that to keep them from Idolatry nor work their total deliverance to keep their enemies under but in his fifth year Idolatry broke out in Israel and continued to a horrid increase so in that very year that this Idolatry broke out their oppressours broke in upon them and kept them under for eighteen years and Jair could not help it but it continued so till his death so that the beginning of Vers. 6. is thus to be rendered in Chronical construction Now the children of Israel had done evil again c. This long oppression at last forceth Israel to seek the Lord and to forsake their Idolatry and the Lord findeth out Jephtah for a deliverer CHAP. XI XII to Ver. 8. World 2819 Iephtach 1 JEPHTAH judgeth six years subdueth the Ammonites sacrificeth his own Iephtach 2 daughter and destroyeth 42000 Ephraimites He was the son of Gilead Iephtach 3 by a concubine this was not that Gilead that was Machirs immediate son but Iephtach 4 one that bare the name of that old Gilead and so we observed of Tola and Iephtach 5 Jair before Jair was the chief man in one half of Gilead and Gilead in another Iephtach 6 Jephtah being expelled out of his fathers family for bastardy betaketh him to arms in the land of Tob in Syria and prospereth and thereupon his prowess being heard of he is called home again and made commander in chief in Gilead In his transactions with the King of Ammon he mentioneth three hundred years of Israels dwelling in Heshbon and Aroer c. in which sum five and thirty of the forty years in the wilderness are included in which they were hovering upon those parts although they dwelt not in them it was now three hundred and five years since their coming out of Egypt His vow concerning his daughter may be scanned in these particulars 1. That his vow in general was of persons for 1. he voweth that whatsoever should come forth of the doors of his house 2. Whatsoever should come to meet him now it is not likely nor proper to understand this of Sheep and Bullock for who can think of their coming out of his house much less of their coming to meet him 3. How poor a business was it to vow to sacrifice a Bullock or Sheep for such a victory Therefore his vow relateth to persons and so might it be translated Whosoever cometh forth 2. What would he do with his vowed person Make him a Nazarite He might vow the thing but the performance lay upon the persons own hand Dedicate him to the Sanctuary Why he might not serve there as not being a Levite Sequester him from the world He might indeed imprison him but otherwise the sequestring from the world lay upon the persons own hand still Suppose one of his married maid servants or man-servants or his own wife had met him first what would he have done with any of them Therefore I am inforced by the weighing of these and other circumstances in the Text to hold with them that hold he sacrificed his daughter indeed though I have been once of another mind And it seemeth that this was a part of the corruption of those times and was but mutato nomine a sacrifice to Molech the God of the Ammonites against whom he was now to go to sight when he maketh this vow The Sanhedrin undoubtedly was now sitting and there was the Priest-hood attending upon the Ark at Shiloh and yet is Israel now so little acquainted with the Law that neither the Sanhedrin nor the Priests can resolve Jephtah that his vow might have been redeemed Levit. 27. But they suffer her thus to be massacred
and from henceforth nothing can stand before it and to rebel against it is to rebel against Christ Psal. 2. 6 7. c. Now the Kings command was to be kept because of the Oath of God made to him Eccles. 8. 2. David subdueth Gath and her Towns called Metheg Ammah or the bridle of Ammah because there was a continual Garrison of the Philistims in the Hill Ammah 2 Sam. 2. 25. which the David 13 Philistims of Gath used as a bridle to curb those parts He killeth Moab to a David 14 third part laying them on the ground and measuring them with a cord who David 15 David 16 should be slain and who should live This he calleth The measuring of the Valley David 17 of Succoth Psal. 60. 10. He subdueth Hadadezer and taketh from him 20000 David 18 men and 1000 Chariots and 7000 Horsemen that attended them seven men David 19 to a Chariot He spoils them all but 100 Chariots and reserves 700 Horsemen David 20 for them Of Syria Damascus he destroies 22000 men PSAL. LX. AFTER the 12 verse of 2 Sam. 8. the sixtieth Psalm is to be taken in whose Title telleth that it was made by David when he strove with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah that is with Hadadezer King of Zobah when he went to fortifie himself with Aram Naharaim as 2 Sam. 8. 3. when Joab returned and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand Now this was a different victory from that which is mentioned in the very next verse of Abishai slaying of Edom in the valley of salt eighteen thousand For there is not only a visible difference between the persons Joab and Abishai and between the numbers 12000 and 18000. But the Text relateth expresly that before that victory of Abishai over Edom David had taken spoil from Edom and from Amalck which were of Edom. PSAL. CVIII AFTER the thirteenth verse of 1 Sam. 8. is Psal. 108. to be taken in being the very same in substance with the sixtieth And as that doth tell in the Title that it was made upon Joabs Victory of 12000 Edomites so may it be well conceived that this was made upon Abishai's victory of 18000. I KING XI ver 15. to ver 21. HERE cometh in this Story of Hadad c. the reading of vers 15. it helpeth to illustrate the matters mentioned next before CHAP. IX David 21 IT was about this time that David requites Jonathans kindness to his Son David 22 Mephibosheth Mephibosheth was five years old when his father died 2 Sam. David 23 4. 4. and so he was 25 years old in the twentieth of Davids reign he hath a David 24 son when David begins to own him which is committed to Ziba to be looked to and attended CHAP. X. I CHRON. XIX David 25 HANUN basely abuseth Davids Messengers They came to mourn with him and comfort him and he instead of rent Garments which was the garb of mourners cuts off their Garments to their buttocks and cutteth off half their beards whereas it was abomination to them to have any cutting of their hair for the dead at all Levit. 19. 27. Deut. 14. 1. Hanun hireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Chron. 19. 7. Thirty two thousand men with Chariots for so should it be rendred since it is apparent by 2 Sam. 10. 6. that 20000 of this number were Footmen After the foiling of this Army David again foileth Hadadezer and slayeth of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Chron. 19. 18. Seven thousand men with Chariots that is 700 Chariots 2 Sam. 10. 18. with ten men attending every Chariot He slayeth also 40000 Horse-men 2 Sam. 10. 18. which in the Book of Chronicles is expressed 40000 footmen that is so many men Horse and Foot which fought not in Chariots or with them but without CHAP. XI all I CHRON. XX. ver 1. to this Clause And Ioab smote Rabbah c. David 26 DAVID adulterateth Uriahs wife maketh him drunk and slayeth him Uriah was a proselited Canaanite some remnant of the sons of Heth about Hebron see Gen. 23. 2 3. Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam 2 Sam. 11. 7. or Ammiel 1 Chron. 3. 5. of Lodebar beyond Jordan 2 Sam. 9. 5. 17 27. CHAP. XII To Vers. 15. and the first Clause of that verse And Nathan went to his own house NATHAN the Prophet that had been sent to tell David of good things to his house is now sent to tell him some bad By an exquisite parable he bringeth him to condemn himself and by a terrible threatning to confess his sin c. PSAL. LI. DEsire of pardon of sin is the fruit of pardon of sin David had been just now told that his sin was forgiven and now he doth earnestly apply himself to beg the forgiveness of it The Title of the Psalm doth plainly speak for the time and place of it David nameth one of his sons by Bathsheba Nathan after the name of the Prophet 1 Chron. 3. 5. Zach. 12. 12. And this was that son of whom Christ descended Luke 3. 31. and thus David both shewed his belief of the promise that Nathan had told him of when he brought him good tidings and his repentance for that sin that Nathan checkt him for when he brought him bad CHAP. XII From vers 15. And the Lord strake the child c. to vers 24. David 27 THE child begotten in adultery dieth uncircumcised David had been certainly told by Nathan that he should die Yet he beggeth for his life CHAP. XII from vers 28. to the end I CHRON. XX. vers 1. And Ioab smote Rabbah and destroyed it and vers 2 3. JOAB taketh part of Rabbah namely that part where the Court lay and David comes and takes the rest and puts the Ammonites to exquisite tortures CHAP. XIII all David 28 AMNON defloureth Tamar his own sister Compare this incest of Davids eldest son with that of Reuben Jacobs eldest son Gen. 35. 22. And this rape of Tamar with the rape of Dinah Gen. 34. And this Tamar incestuated by her own brother with Tamar incestuated by her own father in Law Gen. 38. David 29 Absalom calleth Amnon Aminon scornfully ver 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath Aminon thy brother been with thee Absalom murdereth Amnon Here observe the hand and proceeding of justice As David had committed adultery made Uriah drunk and then murdered him so Amnon committeth incest is made drunk and then murdered And as Amnon had committed his villany at his meat so at his meat he is met with punishment Absalom upon the fact fled to Geshur to Talmai who was his Grandfather See 2 Sam. 3. 3. CHAP. XII vers 24 25. David 30 SALOMON born and called Jedidiah the Lords beloved The Story of his birth is joyned to the Story of the child that died that Gods reconciliation to David might be shewed instantly after the relation of his anger against him His anger was shewed in taking away that child that was
conceived in adultery His reconciliation is shewed in the Lords delighting in a child born in wedlock of the same woman His birth is mentioned before the taking of Rabbah though it were long after because the Text having Bathsheba's story David 31 in hand it would conclude it altogether Absalom in this year in exile at Geshur Absalom still at Geshur CHAP. XIV c. David 32 ABSALOM still at Geshur but this year begged home again by Joab and by a suborned woman Her speech to David is very obscure and intricate if not very well looked into and considered She first proposeth a story parable wise of one of her sons murdering another as Absalom had done Amnon and the danger of the slayer for the fact if the King should not remedy it To this the King answers her Go to thine house and I will give charge concerning thee ver 8. And the woman said unto the King The iniquity be on me and on my fathers house and the King and his throne be guiltless vers 9. Her meaning in plain terms was this Well thou givest me such an answer and dispatch as may possibly bring the blood upon thine own head and upon thy Throne for thou saist thou wilt give charge concerning me to prevent the mischief which may chance be done before thou prevent it And the King said Whosoever saith ought unto thee bring him to me and he shall not touch thee any more ver 10. She replies to this Let the King remember the Lord thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the multitude of avengers of blood to destroy and let them not destroy my Son That is Let the King for the Lords sake consider how many avengers of blood there are and whilest I am bringing one to thee another may chance kill him in the mean season Then the King swears her son shall not die And then she comes close up to her errand And why saith she hast thou such thoughts towards the people of thy Kingdom and thinkest not the like towards the people of thine own family so as to bring thine own banished back For we must indeed once die and when we are dead there is no recalling of us any more no more then spilt water can be gathered again off the ground But whilest the Lord doth not take away the life he hath contrived ways and thoughts that a banished man shall not be banished for ever from him c. David 33 Absalom is at Jerusalem but seeth not the Kings face He takes upon him to be a Nazarite for the present and under a vow that he may the better pretend the paying of a vow at Hebron yet is he forced to cut his hair before his vow David 34 be paid because it was a burden to him He brings Joab to him as God useth to bring men to him by affliction he fires his field and then comes Joab and brings him to the King CHAP. XV. David 35 ABSALOM rebels at the end of forty years after David was first anointed by Samuel at Bethlehem and puts David to flee for his life PSAL. III. WITH the thirty second verse of this chapter even with these words of it And when David came to the top of the Mount where he worshipped God read the third Psalm made as the title telleth by David when he fled from his son Absalom and poured out as may well be supposed in this Prayer that he made on the top of Mount Olivet where he worshipped God He complaineth sadly in it of the multitude of his enemies that were against him and of the multitude of his false friends that durst not be for him but yet assures himself of deliverance and of his enemies destruction and prophesieth of the very manner of the end of Absalom and Achitophel if you will take these words in the very letter Thou hast smitten mine enemies on the cheek bone Achitophel with the knot of the rope and Absalom with the bough of the Oak unless he allude to Samsons Victory with the jaw bone and foresee that by small means as that was the Lord will bring him a great deliverance Compare Christs going up to mount Olivet and there praying in the day of his bitterness with this type of David CHAP. XVI DAVID gives away and disposeth of Mephibosheths Land when he hath not power to dispose of his own Shimei flings curses and stones at David and barks like a living Dog though Abishai call him a dead one The only unjust act that ever David had done against the house of Saul he had but newly done that was giving away Mephibosheths Land and here a man of the house of Saul is soon upon him PSAL. VII BEtwixt the thirteenth and fourteenth Verses of this Chapter cometh in the seventh Psalm made by David upon these words of Shimei and sung by him even in this extremity He calleth him Cush by way of derision as alluding to Kish the father of Sauls family for Shimei was of the Family of Saul but turning it into Cush upon Shimei an accursed name Gen. 10. and a Black-moor Nation and of such a colour were Shimeis conditions CHAP. XVII AHitophels cursed spleen against David yet he as it is probable was Bathshebaes Grand-father Hushai foileth his counsel PSAL. XLII XLIII DAVID in his slight from Absalom stays not till he come close to Jordan and there he rests that if there be any necessity or danger he is ready to get over the water and be gone and so is that to be understood in 2 Sam. 16. 14. And the King and all the people that were with him came weary and refreshed themselves there that is a little beyond Bahurim which was close by Jordan and they had not staid nor refreshed themselves till they came there As David lies thus upon Jordan banks he makes the forty second Psalm and from the land of Jordan remembers the Lord ver 6. and by the observing of the waters of Jordan he remembers his own misery There he observeth the waves rolling one in the neck of another and the deep making a noise here and there in its channels and in its falls And so saith he all thy billows and all waves tumble over me one after another vers 7. c. The forty third Psalm seemeth also to have been made by him about the same time compare the last Verses of the two Psalms together PSAL. LV. BEtwixt the one and twenty and two and twenty Verses of this 17 Chapter of the second of Samuel upon the relation how tidings came to David of Ahitophels counsel against him take in the five and fiftieth Psalm in which David deploreth his misery caused by one of his guides and acquaintance and Counsellors ver 13 14. and prayeth bitterly against him His prayer took effect instantly in Ahitophels death CHAP. XVIII XIX ABSALOM hanged by the neck in the forked bough of an Oak His high head is now in its proper exaltation and his proud heart
from the time of Onias who built there a great Temple and an Altar and all the men of Egypt went thither c. And there was a great Congregation there double to the number of those that came out of Egypt Fol. 14. Of this Temple built by Onias in Egypt Josephus maketh mention Antiq. lib. 13. cap. 6. And the Talmud in Menachoth cap. 13. So that Christ being sent into Egypt was sent among his own Nation who had filled that Country The time that he was in Egypt was not above three or four months so soon the Lord smote Herod for his butchery of the Innocent Children and murtherous intent against the Lord of Life Joseph and Mary being called out of Egypt after Herods death intend for Judaea again thinking to go to Bethlehem but the fear of Archelaus and the warning of an Angel directs them into Galilee They knew not but that Christ was to be educated in Bethlehem as he was to be born there therefore they kept him there till he was two years old and durst not take him thence till fear and the warrant of an Angel dismisseth them into Egypt And when they come again from thence they can think of no other place but Bethlehem again till the like fear and warrant send them into Galilee There is none of the Evangelists that recordeth any thing concerning Christ CHRIST III from the time of his return out of Egypt till he come to be twelve years CHRIST IV old which was for the space of these years For the better understanding CHRIST V of which times let us take up some few passages in Josephus CHRIST VI Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. Herod saith he reigned 34 years from the time that CHRIST VII Antigonus was taken away and 37 years from the time that he was first declared CHRIST VIII King by the Romans CHRIST IX And again in the same Book cap. 15. In the tenth year of the reign of Archelaus CHRIST X the People not enduring his cruelty and tyranny they accused Archelaus to CHRIST XI Caesar and he banished him to Vienna And a little after Cyrenius was sent by Caesar to tax Syria and to confiscate Archelaus his Goods And lib. 18. cap. 1. Coponius was also sent with Cyrenius to be Governour of Judea And ibid. cap. 5. Coponius returning to Rome Marcus Ambibuchus becometh his Successor in that Government And after him succeeded Annius Rufus in whose time died Caesar Augustus the second Emperor of the Romans Now when Augustus died Christ was fourteen years old as appeareth from this that he was 29 years old compleat and beginning to be thirty in the fifteenth year of Tiberius the Emperor next succeeding Luke 3. 1 2. Reckon then these times that Josephus hath mentioned between the death of Herod and the death of Augustus namely the ten years of Archelaus and after them the Government of Coponius and after him Ambibuchus and after him Rufus and it will necessarily follow that when Herod slew Bethlehem Children Christ being then two years old it was the very last year of his Reign SECTION VIII LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 40. to the end of the Chapter World 3939 Rome 765 Augustus 42 CHRIST XII Archelaus 10 CHRIST at twelve years old sheweth his Wisdom among the Doctors At the same Age had Solomon shewed his Wisdom in deciding the Controversie between the two Harlots Ignat. Martyr in Epist. ad Magnos IT is very easie to see the subsequence of this Section to that preceeding since there is nothing recorded by any of the Evangelists concerning Christ from his infancy till he began to be thirty years old but only this Story of his shewing his Wisdom at twelve years old among the Doctors of some of the three Sanhedrins that sate at the Temple for there sate one of 23 Judges in the East Gate of the Mountain of the House called the Gate Shushan Another of 23 in the Gate of Nicanor or the East Gate of the Court of Israel And the great Sanhedrin of 71 Judges that sate in the Room Gazith not far from the Altar Though Herod had slain the Sanhedrin as is related by Josephus and divers others yet was not that Court nor the judiciary thereof utterly extinguisht but revived again and continued till many years after the destruction of the City His Story about this matter is briefly thus given by the Babylon Talmud in Bava Bathra fol. 3. facie 2. Herod was a servant of the Asmonean Family he set his Eyes upon a Girl of it One day the man heard a voice from Heaven Bath Kol which said Any servant that rebelleth this year shall prosper He riseth up and slayeth all his Masters but left that Girl c. And whereas it is said Thou shalt set a King over thee from among thy brethren which as the gloss there tells us their Rabbies understood of the chiefest of thy brethren he rose up and slew all the great ones only he left Baba ben Bota to take counsel of him The gloss upon this again tells us That he slew not utterly all the great ones for he left Hillel and the Sons of Betirah remaining and Josephus relateth also that he spared Shammai to which Abraham Zaccuth addeth that Menahem and 80 gallant Men of the chief of the Nation were gone over to his service and to attend upon him So that these of themselves and by ordination of others did soon repair that breach that his Sword had made in the Sanhedrin he not resisting its erection again when he had now taken away the Men of his displeasure Hillel was President and sat so forty years and died by the Jews computation applied to the Christian account much about this twelfth year of Christ. For they say that he lived an hundred and twenty years the last forty of which he spent in the Presidency of the Sanhedrin entring upon that dignity an hundred years before the destruction of the City Menahem was at first Vicepresident with him but upon his going away to Herods service Shammai came in his room and now two as eminent and learned men sat in those two Chairs as ever had done since the first birth of traditions Hillel himself was so deserving a man that whereas in the vacancy of the Presidentship by the death of Shemaiah and Abtalion R. Judah and R. Jeshua the Sons of Betirah might have taken the Chairs they preferred Hillel as the worthier person Talm. Jerus in Pessachin fol. 33. col 1. He bred many eminent Scholars to the number of fourscore the most renowned of which by name were Jonathan ben Uzziel the Chaldee Paraphrast and Rabban Jocanan ben Zaccai both probably alive at this year of Christ and a good while after The latter was undoubtedly so for he lived to see the destruction of the City and Temple and sat President in the Sanhedrin at Jabneh afterwards And till that time also lived the Sons of Betirah mentioned before Shammai was little inferior to Hillel
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
the beginning of time to this fulness of it hath laid this great wondrous and happy occurrence of the birth of the Redeemer in the year of the world three thousand nine hundred twenty and eight Which that we may make good and fixed among so much variety and difference may the Reader gently have the patience to see and to examine the particular sums by which the Scripture accounteth to make up this total and to study upon those scruples in the several parcels where they come that make the account intricate and doubtful and to judge upon those resolutions and satisfactions that shall be tendred for the cleering and untying of those scruples And surely though the business may be something long and difficult which we shall propose and lay before him yet doubt I not but the profit will fully countervail his labour when he shall not only be resolved of the certainty of the time which we now have occasion and every Christian hath cause to look after but when he shall also see and that I suppose not without admiration the wondrous and mysterious and yet always instructive stile and manner of accounting used by the Holy Ghost in most sacred Majestickness and challenging all serious study and reverence And though also this business may seem to be something too Parergon and excentrick to the main work that we have before us the Harmonizing of the Evangelists yet since a prime thing that we are to inquire after in the very entrance of this story of our Saviours life is the fixed and certain time of his birth the Reader will be pleased to excuse a fault on the right hand rather then on the left and to dispense with too much desire to give satisfaction rather then too little or with none at all SECTION I. From the Creation to the Flood were 1656. years as appeareth Gen. 5. 6. 7. by these parcels ADAM at 130 years old hath Seth ver 3. Seth at 105 years old hath Enosh ver 6. Enosh at 90 years old hath Cainan ver 9. Cainan at 70 years old hath Mahalaleel ver 12. Mahalaleel at 65 years old hath Jared ver 15. Jared at 162 years old hath Enoch ver 18. Enoch at 65 years old hath Methuselah ver 21. Methuselah at 187 years old hath Lamech ver 25. Lamech at 182 years old hath Noah ver 28 29. Noah at 600 years old seeth the Flood Gen. 7. 11. Total 1656. which whole year of the World was taken up with the Flood viz. from the 17 day of the second Month or Marheshvan Gen. 7. 11. to the 27 day of the same month come twelve-month Gen. 8. 14. SECTION II. From the Flood to Terahs death and the Promise then given to Abram were 427 years as appeareth Gen. 11. by these particulars SEM at 2 years after the Flood begat Arphaxad ver 10. Arphaxad at 35 years old begat Salah ver 12. Salah at 30 years old begat Eber ver 14. Eber at 34 years old begat Peleg ver 16. Peleg at 30 years old begat Reu ver 18. Reu at 32 years old begat Serug ver 20. Serug at 30 years old begat Nachor ver 22. Nachor at 29 years old begat Terah ver 24. Terah at 130 years old begat Abram Abram at 75 years old hath the Promise Gen. 12. 4. Total 427. Which sum being added to 1656 which was the age of the World at The promise given to Abram Gen. 12. 1. c. Anno mundi 2083. the Flood amounteth to 2083. and it resulteth that the Promise was given to Abram in the year of the World 2083. But here is the great question moved Whether Abram were the eldest son of Terah yea or no If he were then was he born when Terah was 70 years of age Gen. 11. 26. and not as this Table layeth it at his 130. And if he were not his eldest son why hath Moses named him first of all his sons Answer First He was not his eldest son for 1. He marryed his brother Harans daughter for so all men hold Sarah to have been and she was but ten years younger then himself Gen. 17. 17. which was impossible if her Father were younger then he 2. He is said to be but 75 years old when he departed out of Haran Gen. 12. 4. And this was after his Fathers death Act. 7. 4. Now had he been born at Terahs 70 he had been 135 years old when his Father died We must therefore compute and reckon backward thus that since he was but 75 years old when his Father died it must needs be concluded that he was born when Terah was 130 as is laid down in the Table Answer Secondly He is reckoned first of Terahs sons as Sem is of Noahs not because he was the first in time but the first in dignity For that Sem was not the eldest son of Noah is clear by comparing these places Gen. 5. 32. Noah was 500 years old when he begat his first son and Gen. 7. 11. when Noah was six hundred years old was the Flood of waters upon the Earth and then was one of his sons an hundred years old But Sem was not so till two years after Gen. 11. 10. And yet is he ever named the first of his sons Gen. 5. 32. 6. 10. 7. 13. 9. 18. 10. There are some that not content with this plain necessary and undeniable explication of the difficulty do hold that Abram took two journies into Canaan one before his Fathers death and another after whereas Moses and Steven well compared together do plainly shew the contrary and fully and sufficiently clear the matter under scruple That which hath made men to fall into the mistake of his two journies into Canaan hath been this that they have taken the words of God in Act. 7. 3. Get thee out of thy Country c. and his words in Gen. 12. 1. Get thee out of thy Country c to be of the same time and spoken in the same place whereas there is a vast difference in the words themselves and so was there of the time and place where they were spoken Steven telleth that while Abraham was in Mesapotamia or Chaldea as ver 4. before he dwelt in Horam God appeared to him and said unto him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred but not a word of departing from his Fathers house for he took his Father and his whole houshold along with him and dwelt with them a good while in Haran Gen. 11. 31. And Terah died in Haran ver 32. Then the Lord said unto Abram for so should Gen. 12. 1. be translated and not Now the Lord had said And his saying was this Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and from thy Fathers house too for that also he now left behind him namely Nahor and all his Fathers Family but only Lot and Sarah that were fatherless children And this difference considered as necessarily
verum bonum truth and goodness so the whole tenor of Scripture doth run upon these two and they are indeed the sum of all as Psal. 25. 10. and 40. 12. and 36. 5. and 138. 2. Hos. 2. 19. c. Now Christ being the substance of the promises which had the original from grace and their performance in truth they being in him yea and in him Amen the Evangelist saying that he dwelt among us full of grace and truth holdeth out that he was the performance and accomplishment of all the promises of grace and the truth of all the types and prophecies before the Law and under it that tended to such a purpose and in him was the fulness of that mercy and truth that the Patriarchs Prophets and holy men looked after and he the whole tenor scope and subject of the Scriptures SECTION III. S. LUKE CHAP. I. The Conception and Birth of Iohn the Baptist and of Christ foretold by the Angel Gabriel c. Ver. 5. THere was in the days of ††††††Herod written with Câ—eth in the beginning signifieth fear or trembling as the trembling cowardise of Gedeons souldiers named the well Harod Judg. 7. 1. c. But the Syr. Arab write this with He. Herod the King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the course of Abiah and his wife was of a a a a a a John Baptist of the Priestly line both by Father and Mother the Daughters of Aaron and her name was b b b b b b The Seventy call wife of Aaron the first Priest by the same name Exod. 6. 23. Elizabeth 6. And they were c c c c c c Such couples were Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebeccah Elkanah and Hannah both righteous and a long time childless both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 7. And they had no child because that d d d d d d Throughout the Scripture want of Children is ascribed to the woman Elizabeth was barren and they were both now e e e e e e An Hebraisme as Gen. 18. 11. 1 Kings 1. 1. c. well striken in years 8. And it came to pass that while he executed the Priests Office f f f f f f The Worship of God in the Temple was said to be before him Exod. 23. 17. Lev. 1. 3. 11. And the ark being the representation of Christ is called bis face Psal. 105. 4. yea even God himself Psal. 132. 5. before God in the order of his course 9. According to the custome of the Priests Office his lot was to burn Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the tine of Incense 11. And there appeared unto him an ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ Compare the appearing of the Angel Gabriel to Daniel about the time of Incense Dan. 9. 21. Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense 12. And when Zacharias saw him g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the LXX to express Pharaohs trouble upon his dream Gen. 41. 8. and his Servants upon theirs Gen. 40. 6. Compare Judg. 6. 22. 13. 22. Dan. 8. 17. Joâ— 4. 14. he was troubled h h h h h h As Gen. 15. 12. and fear fell upon him 13. But the Angel said unto him fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a Son and thou shalt call his name ††††††John the same with Jochanan so frequent in the Old Testament as 1 Chr. 3. 19. 6. 9. 12. 12. 26. 3. and 2 Chron. 17. 15. 23. 1. and 28. 12. Jer. 40. 8. John 14. And thou shalt have i i i i i i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 3. 22. The Arab addeth thou shalt have great joy joy and gladness and k k k k k k As Gen. 21. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the LXX for it Lev. 10 5. Numb 6. 3. Esay 5. 11. and 28. 7. c. which sometimes signifieth Wine as Num. 28. 7. but most commonly any thing that will cause drunkenness Wine of fourty days old is called Shekar saith R. Menohem on Lev. 10. and so the Chaldee paraphraseth it Numb 6. 3. and 28. 7. Judg. 13. 4. But any thing that will make one dunk is called Shekar whether it be made of Corn Honey or Fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on Lev. 10. D. Krinch in Miclol Brucioli his Italian and the French express it by Cervisia Ale or Bear many shall rejoyce at his birth 15. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor l strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses Act. 7. 20. Jer. 1. 5. even from his Mothers womb 16. And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God 17. And he shall go before in the spirit and power of m m m m m m Heb. Elijahâ— 1 Kings 17. c. and there turned by the LXXâ— Elion but in Mal. 4. 5. the Hebr. hath it Eliah and the LXX Elias Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In or by the wisdom to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18. And Zacharias said unto the Angel whereby shall I know this for n n n n n n As Gen. 18. 12. I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years 19. And the Angel answering said unto him I am o o o o o o Dan. 8. 29. 9. 21. Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and p p p p p p This relateth to his assuming a visible shape am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings 20. And q q q q q q So a sign is given to Ahaz with a Behold Isa. 7. 14. compare Ezek. 3. 26. behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled r r r r r r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 23. at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 23. in their season 21. And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the Temple 22. And when he came out * * * * * * At the first burning of Incense the Priests miscarried Lev. 10. and thus that right which the Jews value for the highest of all legal offerings beginneth
The Levites that served under the Priests Thirdly The men of the Station as the Rabins call them that is certain men that were to represent the whole Congregation in putting their hands upon the heads of the Sacrifices Fourthly Those whom devotion moved to leave their other imployments for that time and to be present at the service of God All these might amount to a great number indeed but the Text in naming the whole multitude of people seemeth to have some further meaning as if it would intimate that this was not upon an ordinary day of the week but upon the Sabbath day when the Congregation was full Not only of the Priests of the seventh course that went that day out of their service but also of all the multitude of the City which were tied that day in a more special manner to the publick worship Upon this day if we might conclude it to be a Sabbath the portions of the Law and the Prophets which were read in the Synagogues were excellently agreeable to the thing that was now in hand namely the Law of the Nazarites Numb 6. and the conception of Sampson like this of the Baptist Judg. 13. §. Were praying without When the burnt Offering began in the Temple the Trumpeters and Singers began to sound and sing and the whole Congregation to pray and worship and all this continued untill the burnt Offering was finished 2 Chron. 29. 27 28. Then the Priest took a Censer full of coals from off the Altar Lev. 16. 12. for by the custom of that day may be guessed the custom of the rest in this ordinary circumstance and went into the Holy place and burnt it upon the Altar Exod. 30. 7. In the mean time the people in the outer Court were imployed in prayer 2 Chron. 29. 29. And on the day of expiation they were in fear while the High Priest was within till he came out in peace and then there was great joy among them because they were accepted R. Tanchum on Ex. 33. Ver. 11. And there appeared an Angel c. As there were two great mysteries to be shewed in the birth of Christ First That God should become a man And secondly That a Virgin should become a Mother So the Lord to make way for the belief of these two when they should be exhibited did use two Harbingers or preparatives as if it were of old and of long time before First Apparition of Angels in humane shape Secondly Womens bearing children that were old and barren For it would be the easier believed that the invisible God might converse visibly among men in humane flesh when it was so ordinarily seen that the invisible Angels did so in humane shapes And it would not be so very incredible that a Virgin might bear a child though she were not come to it by the course of nature and though she had not known a man when it had been so often known that old women had done the same though they were past child-bearing by nature and even past the knowledge of man And this was the main reason why want of children is always in Scripture imputed to the defect of the women that the miracle appearing the more visible in them it might prepare belief the better for this As these two types and fore-runners of those two great mysteries were exhibited so often in the Old Testament that they might prepare credit and entertainment for the other when they should be exhibited in the birth of Christ so was it most fit that they should be declared in the birth of him that was to be Christs forerunner indeed and when the mysteries they aimed at were so near to be revealed On the right side of the Altar of Incense On the North side of it On Zacharies right hand and on the right side of the house as Ezek. 10. 3. compare Zach. 3. 1. Psal. 109. 6. 31. 142. 4. The appearing of an Angel in the Sanctuary with a message from God was a thing ever hardly seen or heard of before and it sheweth how Urim and Thummim the ordinary way of Gods revealing his mind in that place was now ceased For God used to reveal his will to the Priest by a soft voice from off the Ark but now both Ark and Oracle were quite gone and the loss the lesser when the true Ark of the Covenant and the Oracle of the will of God our Saviour Christ was so near at hand The second Temple wanted five things which were in the first as the Jews observe upon the want of the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hag. 1. 8. namely First The Ark. Secondly Urim and Thummim Thirdly The fire from Heaven Fourthly The divine presence or cloud of glory And fifthly The Holy Ghost or the spirit of Prophesie and power of miracles Massec Jom Yet was the glory of that house to be greater then the glory of the first because of the presence of Christ in it Vers. 13. Thy prayer is heard c. Not that he was now praying for a child for his age made him incredulous of having a child when the Angel told him of one and then it is not like he would pray for one and in this place and at this time he was a person representative of the whole people and therefore was not to make a private prayer for himself but either the prayers which he had before made to that purpose were now come into remembrance or rather he was now praying for the delivery of Israel the remission of their sins and the coming of Christ in which they without were joyning with him and this his prayer the Angel tells him is so ready to be answered that his wife should presently conceive a Son that should preach remission convert the people and go before the face of Christ. And now O ye Priests beseech God that he will be gracious unto you Mal. 1. 9. And so was Zacharias the Priest at this time doing And the Angel said unto him Thy prayer is heard and thy wife shall bear a Son and thou shalt call his name John this Name being interpreted importeth gracious as Esa. 30. 18 19. Vers. 16. And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn Many of Israel shall return when they shall see signs of redemption Whereupon it is said He saw that there was no man c. Esa. 59. 16. D. Kimch in loc Vers. 17. In the power and spirit of Elias John the Baptist did so nearly represent Elias that he beareth his very name Mal. 4. Matth. 11. 14. First They both came when Religion was even perished and decaying Secondly They both restored it in an excellent measure Thirdly They were both persecuted for it Elias by Ahab and Jezabel John by Herod and Herodias Fourthly They both conversed much in the Wilderness Fifthly They agreed in austerity of life Sixthly In the wearing of a hairy garment and a leathern girdle 2 King 1.
8. Matth. 3. 4. Seventhly Both of them had Heaven opened to them near Jordan To which two parallels more might be added if these two opinions of the Jews concerning Elias might be believed First That he was of the Tribe of Levi for they take him to be Phinehas as see R. Lev. Gersh on 1 King 17. Secondly That he restored circumcision when it was decayed from those words in 1 King 19. 14. They have forsaken thy Covenant To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children That is The hearts of the Jews to the Gentiles For first the hatred of a Jew against a Gentile was deadly and it was a special work of the Gospel and consequently of John that began to Preach it to bring both these to imbrace Christ and for and in him to imbrace one another Secondly Experience it self confirmeth this exposition for as the Gospel belonged to the Gentiles as well as the Jews and as John came for a witness that all through him might believe so did he convert and baptize Roman Souldiers as well as Jewish Pharisees Thirdly Baptism at its first institution was the Sacrament for admission of Heathens only to the Church and true Religion when therefore the Jews also begin to desire it and to consent to the Heathens in the undertaking of it then was the heart of the fathers turned to the children Fourthly It is the common and constant use of the Prophets to stile the Church of the Gentiles by the name of children to the Church of the Jews as Isa. 54. 5 6 13. 60. 4 9. 62. 5. 66. 12 13. Fifthly The Talmud expounding these words in Malachi seemeth to understand them of such a communion or reconciliation as is spoken of Vid. R. Sol. in loc Malach. Herod saith Josephus Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. slew John the Baptist being a good man and injoyning the Jews that exercising vertue and using right dealing one towards another and piety towards God they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convene or knit together in Baptism And the disobedient c. In Malachi it is And the hearts of the children to the fathers But first the Holy Ghost is not so punctual to cite the very letter of the Prophet as to give the sense Secondly It was not very long after the Baptizing and Preaching of John that the Jews ceased to be a Church and Nation nay even in the time of John himself they shewed themselves enemies to the Gospel and the professors of it as concerning the general or the greatest part of them therefore he saith not that the heart of the children the Gentiles should be turned to their fathers the Jews which should cease to be fathers and should cease to be a people but to the wisdom of the righteous ones The disobedient As in this clause he refuseth to use the term of Fathers for the reason mentioned so doth he also of the correlative children because of his refusing that And yet he coucheth the sense of that title under the word disobedient which word in its most proper and natural signification reflecteth upon untowardly children disobedient to their parents As therefore by his omitting to call the Jews fathers he insinuateth their opposition against the Gospel so by terming the Gentiles disobedient in stead of children he sheweth what they were before they imbraced it In the wisdom of the righteous For so is it in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in and not to Wisdom in Scripture is often taken for Religion As Psal. 111. 10. Deut. 4. 6. c. and so is it to be understood here And this Wisdom is not to be held the terminus ad quem or the ultimate end to which these disobedient Gentiles were to be converted but in this wisdom or religion unto God For first let the two clauses of this speech be laid in Antithesis or opposition one to another as naturally indeed they lie the one aiming at the Jews as the proper subject and the other at the Gentiles and it appeareth plainly that two several acts were to be performed by the Baptist as concerning the Jews and their conversion First That he should turn their hearts or affections to God as in the verse preceding He shall turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God And secondly That he should turn their hearts and affections also to the Gentiles whom they hated before as here He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children Secondly According therefore to this double work of John upon the Jews in that part of the Angels speech must the like duplicity be looked for in this that concerneth the Gentiles and to be understood though it be not expressed For the Angel in this part purposely changeth his stile and neither calleth the Gentiles children but disobedient because they were generally so before the coming of Christ nor the Jews Fathers because they ceased to be so shortly after nor mentioneth he the Gentiles turning to God but includeth it partly because he had set that as the chiefest work and bent of the Baptist of all to go before the Lord and turn men to him and partly he includeth it in this phrase In the wisdom of the righteous Thirdly It is not without divine reason that the hearts of the Gentiles are not said to be turned to the Jews as on the contrary it was said of the Jews to the Gentiles but that they should be turned in the wisdom of the righteous For the enmity feud and detestation that was betwixt Jew and Gentile and Gentile and Jew proceeded not from the same cause and Original The Jew abhorred the Gentile not of ignorance but of scorn and jealousie partly because they stood upon their own dignity of being the people of God which the other were not and partly because they were provoked with suspition that the other should be the people of God when they should not And therefore when the reconciliation is to be wrought between them it is said that their hearts or affections should be turned to them for they were point blank or diametrically against them before But a Gentile abhorred a Jew out of ignorance because of his Religion hating him as a man separate from and contrary to all men and accounting that to be singular and senseless superstition which was indeed the divine command and wisdom of God and not so much detesting his person for it self as for his religion and profession Therefore when the Gentiles must be brought to affect and to unite to the Jews it must be in the wisdom of the righteous or in the understanding knowledge and imbracing of that religion which the righteous ones professed which the Gentiles till they knew and understood what it meant accounted but vanity singularity and foolishness Ver. 18. Whereby shall I know this The Jew requireth a sign 1 Cor. 1. 22. And his so doing in these times when miracles had been ceased so long
a time sheweth his doubting to be the more and the appearing of an Angel when such apparitions were as rare as Miracles should have made it to have been the less For after the death of Zachary and Malachi and those later Prophets the Holy Ghost departed from Israel and went up and ceased to exhibite his familiarity among them in Vision Prophesie and the work of Miracles So that this apparition of the Angel and this sign given to Zachary and wonders done in the birth of the Baptist were as the very entrance and beginning of the restoring of those gifts and the very dawning to that glorious day of such things as was now to follow For I am old The very same was the doubt of Sarah Gen. 18. 12. And here first the distrust of Zachary doth shew the more in that he that was a Priest and should have instructed others was himself to seek in one of the first elements and Catechistical principles of Religion concerning the Almighty power and All-sufficiency of God Secondly The very place where the message came to him being the place of Gods immediate Oracles and the time being the time of his praying and who could have wished for a better return of his prayers Do aggravate his unbelief Ver. 19. I am Gabriel It signifieth A man of God being taken in the same form of construction with Malchizedek He breaketh out to utter his name which Angels at other times and it may be himself had refused to do because he would recal Zacharies thoughts to the book of Daniel and convince his hesitation by that very Scripture Dan. 9. That stand before God That is that minister to him as Dan. 7. 10. 1 Sam. 16. 22. 2 King 5. 25. c. Therefore those that from this phrase would collect that Gabriel is an Arch-angel or one of the prime order of Angels do build but upon a very sandy foundation Ver. 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb The sign given is in Zachary himself and not in any thing without him partly because his doubting arose from the consideration of himself and partly that he might carry about him a punishment for his diffidence as well as a sign for his confirmation Now his punishment was twofold deafness and dumbness both for because he had not hearkned to the Angels speech he was struck deaf and because he had gain-said it he was made dumb For first the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 22. and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the Syrian rendreth it do signifie both deaf and dumb And secondly in ver 62. it is said They made signs to him which had not needed if he could have heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This latter clause of the verse might not unfitly be rendered thus Thou shalt be dumb c. until the day that these things for which thou hast not believed my words shall be performed And thus is his dumbness limited or extended the clearer till the accomplishing of the things of which he doubted Ver. 22. He could not speak to them The Priest at the dismission of the people when the service of the Temple was finished was to pronounce the blessing in Numb 6. 24 25 26. Which when Zachary is now to do he is speechless and cannot perform it for the Levitical Priesthood is now growing dumb and he that was to bless indeed namely Christ is near at hand Ver. 23. Assoon as the days of his Ministration were accomplished The dumb and deaf Priest officiateth in that service which the lot had cast upon him a certain time either more or less after he was faln under this double imperfection For first neither of these are named among those defects and blemishes that secluded from the service in the Sanctuary Secondly The Priesthood of the Law consisted mainly and chiefly of manual actions or offices for the hands as offering sprinkling waving and such others to which sense the Targums expound The works of Levies hands Deut. 33. 11. and so it might the better â—e speechless But the Ministry of the Gospel cannot admit of dumbness because it consisteth of Preaching and for that purpose was furnished and indowed at the beginning and entrance of it with the gift of Tongues Ver. 24. Elizabeth hid her self saying c. This her retiredness and hiding of her self proceeded partly from devotion and partly from respect of the child that she had conceived For the words or thoughts that proceed from her at this her retiring must needs shew the reason why she did it Now she said Because the Lord hath done thus to me when he looked upon me to take away my reproach where two distinct things are plainly remarkable First Gods taking away her reproach by giving her a child after so long barrenness this is not the thing that she hideth for but Secondly His dealing thus with her when he would take that reproach away as to Thus Emphatical and giveth a clear resolution of this place which hath scrupled many into strange and harsh expositions for not observing it as that she should hide her self for fear that she should not prove with child Others that she did it for shame lest she should be reputed lascivious for being with child c. Judicet lector give her such a child that was to be of so eminent a calling and so great a Prophet And for this it was that she betook her self to this retiring and reclusiveness partly that she might ply her devotion so much the closer upon so great a benefit and chiefly that she might sequester from all occasions of uncleanness or defiling since she carried one in her womb that was to be so strict a Nazarite As see the like Judg. 13. 14. Vers. 26. And in the sixth month This sixth month from the conception of the Baptist was the tenth month of the months of the year or the month Tabeth which answereth to part of our December the time at which a long error hath laid the nativity At the very same time of the year Esther another Virgin had been promoted to honour and royalty by Ahashuerus Esth. 16. 17. Unto a City of Galilee Out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet the Jews said once in the scorn of our Saviour slanderously and very falsly Joh. 7. 52. For out of Galilee arose the renowned Prophet Jonah of Gath Hepher 2 King 14. 25. in the Tribe of Zebulon Josh. 19. 13. And in Galilee was much of the converse of Elias but especially of Elisha at Shunem 2 King 4. 8. in the Tribe of Issachar Josh. 19. 18. And all these three famous Prophets of the Gentiles And no place could be fitter for the bringing forth of Christ and his Apostles that were to be the Converters of the Gentiles then Galilee of the Gentiles Nazaret See 2 King 17. 9. the tower of Nozarim which if Chorography would suffer might be understood of this City which was built like a watch-tower on the top of a steep
Greek word to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Family of Ram. Job 32. 2. See a third sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Jam. 1. 23. 3. 6. of the generation of Iesus Christ the son of David the Son of Abraham 2. Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Iacob and Iacob begat c c c c c c Judas for Jeâ—udah in Hebrew For the Greek cannot utter h before a vowel in the middle of a word nor after one in the end therefore in the middle it leaveth out as in Josaphat Joram and this word Juda and in the end it changeth it in s as in this and may other words in this Chapter Iudas and his brethren 3. And Iudas begat Phares and Zara of Tamar and Phares begat Esrom and Esrom begat Aram. 4. And d d d d d d Or Ram. 1 Chron. 2. 8. Ruth 4. 19. Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat e e e e e e Called Salma Ruth 4. 20. Salmon 5. And Salmon begat f f f f f f He is held by the Jews to be Ipsan Judg. 12. 8. Boos of Racab and Boos begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Iesse 6. And Iesse begat g g g g g g David in the Arabick signifieth a worm to which he may seem to allude Psal. 22. 6. David the King and David the King begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias 7. And Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat h h h h h h Rehoboam in naming this his Son Abi-jah which signifieth God is my father seemeth to have had his eye upon the promise to David I will be his Father 2 Sam. 7. 14. which because he imbraced not by a lively Faith but challenged only by a presumptuous usurpation for he walked not in the ways of David therefore doth the text elsewhere conceal the name of God in the name of his Son and calleth him Abijam My father is a Sea For so unconstant in good was Rehoboam as Jam. 1. 6. being a child at forty years old 2 Chron. 13. 17. Abia and Abia begat i i i i i i The Arabick readeth it Asaph Asa. 8. And Asa begat Iosaphat and Iosaphat begat Ioram and Ioram begat Ozias 9. And Ozias begat Ioatham and Ioatham begat Achas and Achas begat Ezechias 10. And Ezechias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Iosias 11. And Iosias begat k k k k k k Called Conias Jer. 22. 24. For God by taking away the first syllable of his name sheweth that he will not establish the throne or race of Solomon any more upon it as his Father Jehojaâ—im bel ke in so naming him had presumed The Jews delighted to joyn the name Jehovah to their own names but somewhat shortned For in the beginning of the name it was but Jeho as Jeho-shaphat Jehoram c. And in the end it was Jahu as Mica-jahu Eli-jahu And sometime in the very same name it was set before or after indifferently as Jebo-achaz 2 Chron. 21. 17. is Ahaz-jahu 2 Chron. 22. 1. So Jehojachin 2 King 24. 8. is Jechou-jahu 1 Chron. 3. 16. Iechonias and his brethren about the time they were carried away into Babylon 12. And after they were brought to Babylon Iechonias begat Salathiel and Salathiel begat Zorobabel 13. And Zorobabel begat Abiud and Abiud begat Eliakim and Eliakim begat Azor. 14. And Azor begat Sadoc and Sadoc begat Achim and Achim begat Eliud 15. And Eliud begat Eleazar and Eleazar begat Matthan and Matthan began Iacob 16. And Iacob begat Ioseph the Husband of Mary of whom was born Iesus who is called Christ. 17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the l l l l l l The Captivity of the Jews into Babel was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flitting of their Families As Aristeas saith of Ptol. Lagus his captiving them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they returned ere long to their own home again But the ten Tribes captivated by Sbalmanezar are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX 2 Kings 18. 11. in a perpetual departure from their own houses And they and all the rest of the Nation are at this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a dispersion without any home of their own at all John 7. 35. Jam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 1. carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations 18. Now the birth of Iesus Christ was on this wise when as his Mother Mary was espoused to Ioseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost 19. Then Ioseph her Husband being a just man and not willing m m m m m m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath been thought saith Gellius that there ought to be three causes in punishing of offences The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishmenâ— is used for castigation or amendment of him that hath offended The second called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is used that the dignity and honour of him that hath been wronged may be maintained The third which is called II 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is inflicted for examples sake that others by the fear of the known punishment may be deterred from the like offences Noct. Att. lib. 6. cap. 14. to make her a publike example was minded to put her away privily 20. But while he thought on these things the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Ioseph thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost 21. And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes 22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying 23. Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and shall call his Name Emanuel which being interpreted is God with us 24. Then Ioseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him and took unto him his wife 25. And knew her not until she had brought forth her first born Son and he called his name Jesus Reason of the Order AFter Mary hath been three months absent from Joseph as in the last verse of the Section preceding upon her return he perceiveth her to be with child for which he intendeth secretly to put her away as Tamar after three months is descried to be in the same case and Judah resolveth publikely to put her to death Gen. 38. 24. This being considered it is plain to see how properly the eighteenth verse of this chapter followeth in order of time after the last verse
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
maintained upon the foundation or because she was a Prophetess and so lodged in some of the buildings or chambers belonging to the Temple For so might women do as 2 Chron. 22. 11 12. SECTION VII S. MATTHEW CHAP. II. Christ at two years old is visited and honoured by the Wisemen The Children of Bethlehem murthered Herod dyeth soon after Christ returneth out of Egypt NOw when Iesus was born in Bethlehem of a a a a a a Vulg. of Juda and this is conceived by Jerom to be the better reading because it is so written ver 6. But in this verse the Evangelist telleth it was in Bethlehem of Judea to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Galilee Joh. 19. 15. and in ver 6. he saith it was in the land of Judah to distinguish it from the lot of Benjamin Judea in the days of Herod the King behold there came b b b b b b Wisemen Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is reserved by the Syr. Arab. Ital. and generally by all Latines the French readeth it Sages in the sense of our English Wisemen from the East to Jerusalem 2. Saying where is he that is born King of the Jews For we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him 3. When Herod the King had heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him 4. And when he had gathered all the chief Priests and c c c c c c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX Exod. 5. 6. Joh. 1. 10. 2 Sam. 8. 17. Jer. 36. 10. Ezr. 4. 8. and 7. 12. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 1. 15. Scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born 5. They said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea For thus it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem d d d d d d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as John 1. 4. the Preposition is understood in the Land of Juda art not the e e e e e e the LXX in Mic. 5. use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of number but Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of bulk or dignity least among the Princes of Juda for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my people Israel 7. Then Herod when he had privily called the Wisemen enquired diligently of them what time the Star appeared 8. And he sent them to f f f f f f Bethlehem distant from Jerusalem 35 furlongs Just. Matt. Apol. 2. Four miles and almost an half Bethlehem and said Go and search diligently for the young child and when ye have found him bring me word again that I may come and worship him also 9. When they had heard the King they departed and lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with g g g g g g As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 61. 10. exceeding great joy 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts h h h h h h Gold and Frankincense they shall bring in Merchandize and also for a present to the King Messias and for the house of the Lord D. Kim◠on Esa. 60. 6. Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod they departed into their own Country another away 13. And when they were departed behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him 14. When he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt 15. And was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my Son 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wisemen was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time he had diligently inquired of the Wisemen 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremie the Prophet saying 18. In i i i i i i Rama was the birth place of Samuel 1 Sam. 1. 19. c. Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel mourning for her children and would not be comforted because they are not 19. But when Herod was dead behold an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20. Saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the Land of Israel for k k k k k k Compare Exod. 4. 19. they are dead which sought the young childs life 21. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the Land of Israel 22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his Father Herod he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee 23. And he came and dwelt in a City calleth Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarite Reason of the Order TO confirm and prove the Order of this Section and Story requireth some labour because of an opinion ancient and current among men that crosseth the laying of it in this place It hath been generally held and believed almost of every one that the Wisemen came to Christ when he was but thirteen days old and it is written in red Letters in the Kalendar as if it were a golden truth by the title of Epiphany at the sixth of January An opinion which if it were as true as it is common it were readily known where to place this Story of the Wisemens coming namely between the Circumcision of our Saviour and his Presentation in the Temple betwixt Ver. 21 and 22 of Luke 2. But upon serious and impartial examination of this opinion these rubs and unliklehoods lie in the way and make it as incredible for the improbability as it seemeth venerable for its antiquity First to omit the length of their journey from their own Country to Bethlehem their preparation for so long a journy before they set out and their stay at Jerusalem by the way for I cannot think that all that passed there while they were there was done in an instant Secondly how utterly improbable it is that after all this hubbub at Jerusalem upon the Wisemens
straining the utmost of their invention to gild over their Kalendar tenet of the Wisemens coming on the thirteenth day But first to omit the strange shape and uncouthness of this Exposition which easily sheweth it self to any eye that is not bleered with prejudice and partiality As also secondly their confident scrutiny and knowledge of Herods thoughts Let it but thirdly be weighed in the ballance of indifferency what colour of sense or equality of policy can be seen in this carriage of Herod to slay all that were born two years before the Star and none of a day after or very few For might he not suspect that the Star was a fore-runner of the birth as well as a consequent and that Christ might be born a week or fortnight after it as well as before Judge therefore how these men that hold and that truly that it appeared but just at Christs birth can handsomely stitch that opinion and this together Object 5. But the Wisemen found Christ at Bethlehem and what should hedothere at two years old For St. Luke also saith Chap. 2. 29. that when Joseph and Mary had performed all things according to the Law he meaneth at the time of her purification when Christ was now but forty days old they departed to Nazareth So that if the Wisemen came after these forty days they must have found Christ at Nazareth and not at Bethlehem Answ. And first to the question How came to be at Bethlehem at two years old An answer hath been framed to this long ago by some few that have been of this opinion that we imbrace namely that some of the three festivals in which every male was to appear before the Lord drew his Parents and him with them to Jerusalem and they took Bethlehem in the way and there the Wisemen find him A resolution with which if there were no other to be had one might rest satisfied reasonably well yet a more serious searching into the Text will give a more warrantable reason and better assurance then this which is but one mans supposal And that is this that as the parents of Jesus knew that it was necessary that he should be born in Bethlehem because of the Prophecy that had told of it before so also did they think it as necessary that he should live and be brought up there because of his alliance to the house of David And from thence they durst not remove him till they had special warrant and warrant they had none till the Angel dismiss them into Egypt This is not a groping of their thoughts only by surmisal as was theirs of Herods mentioned before but there is plain and evident demonstration for it in the text for when Joseph in Egypt was commanded by an Angel after the death of Herod to return to the Land of Israel it is said He was afraid to go into Judea when he heard that Archelaus reigned in stead of Herod Now what should he do in Judea Or why should he rather think of going thither then into his own Country Galilee But that he thought of returning to Betlehem again from whence he had come supposing that the education of the Messias had been confined thither as well as his birth But being warned and warranted by an Angel in a dream he then departed into Nazareth verse 22. By which words it is apparent not only that he durst not go to his own home till he had divine commission but also that he had never been in Nazareth since Christ was born till this his coming out of Egypt otherwise he would have addressed his thoughts thither and not to Judea And by this are we to expound the text of Luke alledged when they had performed all things according to the Law they departed to their own City Nazareth namely that he speaketh briefly in what he saw Matthew had handled at large before and not so much intending to shew Christs quick departure into Galilee after his presentation in the Temple as to draw you to look for him in Galilee at the next story following which fell out very many years after And that such brief transitions are no strange thing in Scripture might be shewed at large but more especially in the Evangelist St. Luke that we have in hand as to spare more in Chap. 4. 14. He bringeth our Saviour as it were from the Pinnacle of the Temple into Galilee as if his journey thither had been the first thing he did whereas he returned with the Devil into the Wilderness again and from thence came to John at Jordan before he set for Galilee And Acts 9. 18 19. c. where under these few words Saul was converted and baptized preached in Damascus a good season was laid in wait for and escaped over the wall and went to Jerusalem he hath comprehended a story of him of three years and hath omitted his journey from Damascus into Arabia and to Damascus again before he set for Jerusalem as Paul himself hath parcelled it out Gal. 1. Object 6. But why should the Wisemen stay so long after they had seen the Star as not to come to Jerusalem and to Christ of two years after Ans. So did Moses lie within a days journey or little more of his wife and children Exod. 18. c. a whole twelve month together within a few days and yet they came not at all together not for the distance of the places where they were but because of the divine disposal of the Lord for a special reason And so was it with these men It was not the distance of their Country from Judea were it either Arabia or Persia nay had it been the utmost India that kept them away so long for they might have travelled it in half the time but it was the divine dispensation of the Lord that detained them back for so long a time partly that Christs stay in Bethlehem may leave no excuse behind if they would not know him but chiefly that the child and Mother might gather some competent strength against their flight which God foresaw would follow upon the Wisemens coming Harmony and Eplanation Vers. 1 In the days of Herod the King THIS Herod was the Son of Antipater an Edomite or of the seed of Esau as was said before although Nicholas Damascen for which Josephus correcteth him averr that he was of the race of the chief of the Jews that came up out of Babylon His Father Antipater growing into acquaintance and favour with Julius Caesar had the government of Judea committed to him And he again substituteth his son Phasaelus in the rule of Jerusalem and of the Country thereabout and his other Son Herod who is here spoken of in the ruling of Galilee Herod by his prowess and policy indear'd himself to the succeeding Rulers of the Romane State but more especiall by observance and promises to Antonius and by his means to Augustus whilst they two kept correspondency in the swaying of the Empire These two
was both the expectation of the Jews and the fear of Herod that he would come with a conquering and victorious temporal Sword and restore them to a pompous Earthly State and expel him out of his Kingdom Now for the Evangelist to have directed in this quotation to look for Christ among the thousands of Juda had backed these Opinions for the term soundeth of War and it had been a direction where likelier to find an earthly Warrier then the Prince of Peace among the thousands or among the Militia And therefore he qualifieth the term to the best satisfaction of Herod and the People Among the Princes There is that saith it might be construed In Princes and not among them and the meaning to be this Thou Bethlehem art not the least in the Princes of Juda that is in breeding or bringing them forth but this relisheth more of wit then solidity and agreeth better with the Latin then with the Greek Original §. For out of thee shall come a Governor The Chaldee readeth it in the Prophet Out of thee shall come Messias and so is it expounded by Rabbi Solomon and David Kimchi And therefore that is most true which is inferred by Lyranus that those Catholicks that interpret it of Ezekiah do more judaize then the Jews themselves Some Jews indeed saith Theophylact do apply this to Zorobabel but as he answereth it is like that Zorobabel was born in Babel and not in Bethlehem And St. Matthew hath plainly taught both Jews and Gentiles to understand it in another sense But here again doth he differ from the Letter of the Prophet but cometh so near the sense that the difference is as no difference at all Vers. 7. Herod privily called the Wisemen Privily For had the Jews heard of his pretences they had so long been acquainted with his policy tyranny and ambition they could readily have descried his mischievousness and spoiled his bloody contrival by better information given to the wisemen §. Enquired diligently of them the time when the Star appeared Had they taken their journy instantly upon the Stars appearing Herod could easily have computed the time by the length of their journy but by this his enquiry it is apparent that they had told him of its appearance at some good space before which in ver 16. is plainly resolved to be two years by the Wisemens own acknowledgment and resolution Vers. 11. Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe The mysterious application of these presents as Myrrham homini uncto aurum c. be left to them that delight and content themselves in such things the plain and easie interpretation of the matter is that they tendred to Christ the chiefest and choicest commodities that their Country could afford which they carried in their treasures as the Text calleth it that is in and among those commodities that the men of those Nations used to carry with them when they travailed especially when they meant to present any one to whom they went as Gen. 24. 53. 1 King 10. 2. Vers. 15. Out of Egypt have I called my Son The two allegations produced here out of the Old Testament this and that out of Jeremy in Rama was a voice heard are of that fulness that they speak of two things a piece and may very fitly be applied unto them both and shew that the one did resemble or prefigure the other as this Text of Hosea aimeth both at the bringing of the Church of Israel in old time and of the head of that Church at this time out of Egypt Then a Joseph nourished his father now a Joseph doth so to his redeemer then was Egypt deadly to every male child that was born now is it a place of refuge and preservation to this child Ver. 18. In Ramah was there a voice heard c. Ramah stood not far from Bethlehem though they were in two Tribes and the cry that the poor Parents and children made in Bethlehem when this matchless butchery was in hand reach't to Ramah and was plainly heard thither Now observe the fulness of this Scripture as it is uttered by the Prophet and as it is applied by the Evangelist It was fulfilled in one kind in the time of Jeremy himself and then was the lamentation and weeping in Ramah it self for hither did Nebuzaradan bring his Prisoners after he had destroyed Jerusalem and there did he dispose of them to the Sword or to Captivity as seemed good unto himself Jer. 40. 1. And imagine what lamentation and crying was then in that City when so many were doomed there either to be slain in that place or to go to Babel never to see their own Land again Then was the cry in Ramah and it was heard no doubt to Bethlehem But now the Prophesie is fulfilled in another kind when Herod destroyeth so many Children in Bethlehem and in the Suburbs and Borders belonging to it And now the cry is in Bethlehem and it is heard to Ramah §. Rachel weeping for her children c. Rachels grave was betwixt Bethlehem and Ramah or at least not far distant from either of them Gen. 35. 16 20. 1 Sam. 10. 2. The Holy Ghost therefore doth elegantly set forth this lamentation by personating Rachel who died in the birth of her Ben-Oni the Son of her sorrow sorrowing for her Sons and Children that were thus massacred And this sheweth that the Text in the Prophet aimeth in the first place and intention at the matter of Nebuzaradan for in Bethlehem Rachel properly had no children at all that City being inhabited by the children of Judah which descended of Leah but in Ramah dwelt Rachels children that being a Town of Ephramites descended from Joseph Howsoever Rachel may be said to weep for the Babes of Bethlehem as her own children though they were not strictly and properly her seed in regard of the interest that she had in all the tribes of Israel as being wife unto their Father as Joseph is often called the Father of Christ being only husband to his mother And see such another phrase Gen. 37. 10. Shall I and thy mother come to bow down before thee Whereas Josephs mother was dead already Vers. 19. But when Herod was dead c. The end of Herod was not long after the massacre of these infants and his bloodiness which he had used all his life long and topped up in the murder of these innocents and in desire to have done as much to the Lord of life the Lord doth now bring upon his own head This matter with the children of Bethlehem we conceive to have been some three months more or less before his end in which space this was his behaviour as may be collected out of Josephus He had slain long before this his two sons Alexander and Aristobulus and now was he about to do as much by his Son Antipater a child too like the Father and one whom he left by will the Successor in his Kingdom Him suspected by him for
signifie a man second or third to the King §. And his brother Philip being Tetrarch c. Herod made Antipas whom he had intended for King but changing his mind he changed his last will Tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea And the Kingdom he bestowed on Archelaus And Gaulonitis and Trachonitus and Batanaea and Paneas he bestowed on Philip who was his own son and own brother to Archelaus to be a Tetrarchy Josep Ant. l. 17. c. 10. §. Of Iturea This Country seemeth to have taken its denomination from Itur one of the sons of Ismael Gen. 25. 15. and it lay * * * * * * Stra. lib. 1◠edging upon Arabia but ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ Plin. lib. 5. cap. 23. reckoned to Syria and upon that reference mentioned by the Evangelist here For he speaketh of these Countries and Tetrarchies because Syria and Judea were but one Province and under one Proconsul And therefore as he nameth the government of Canaan in the two Countries of Judea and Galilee so doth he also the government of Syria under three Ituria Trachonitis and Abilene And this is agreeable to what he had done in Chap. 2. 1. when he spake of the time of our Saviours birth for as he there dateth the Tax that then was by the time of a governor of Syria so doth he now the beginning of the Gospel by the time of the Rulers there as well as in Judea And this was also most sutable to the Roman Records where seeing that Syria and Judea were joyned together into one Province it is not to be doubted but their Governors were named together as members of one body §. And the Region of Trachonitis The name of this Country as it seemeth by Strabo was taken from two mountains or Strab. ubi suprae Plin. l. 5. c. 18. Rocks called Trachones and they very probably so called from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth wearisomness in regard of the irksom and tedious difficulty of passing over them as Strabo instantly after them speaketh of other mountains towards Arabia and Iturea which he titleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hills hard to travel over Josephus supposeth Uz the eldest son of Aram to have been the first Inhabiter of this Country Antiq lib. 1. cap. 7. but whether it were that son of his or no it is not so material to inquire as it is to observe that it was reputed a Country belonging to Aram or within the compass of Syria very theevish in the time of Herod and the Inhabitants living upon the robbery of the Damascens that lay near unto them Joseph Antiq. lib. 15. cap. 13. §. Lysanias He was not a son of Herod as is supposed by some nor an immediate son of Ptolomy Mennaeus neither as is held by others For though Josephus Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 23. and de Bel. lib. cap. 11. telleth that Lysanias succeeded his father Ptolomy Mennaeus yet it cannot be the same man possibly that St. Luke here speaketh of for that Lysanias was slain by the means of Cleopatra a good space of time before our Saviour was born Jos. Antiq. lib. 15. cap. 4. But the Lysanias here mentioned might be the great Grandchild of Mennaeus or some one of that house that bare the same name with Mennaeus his immediate son and successor §. Abilene This Country was so named from the City Abila which Ptolomy lib. 5. cap. 15. hath reckoned for a City of Caelosyria or as some Copies have it of Decapolis and with this title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abila surnamed from Lysanias see also Pliny lib. 5. cap. 18. This word soundeth so near to the word Havilah Gen. 2. 11. 10. 7. that it may very well be supposed to have descended from it and the name of the place from that son of Chush that planted with his brethren mentioned with him in Arabia and thereabouts Vers. 2. Annas and Caiaphas being the High Priest There could be but one High Priest properly so called at one time and that Caiaphas was he at this time it is most clear both out of Josephus and out of the Scripture Now Annas is said to be High Priest with him because he was the Nasi or head of the Sanhedrin and so represented Moses as Caiaphas did Aaron and he was of the seed of the Priests as well as Caiaphas was An evidence of his being the head of the great Councel is in that when our Saviour was apprehended he was first led to Annas Joh. 18. 13. and by him bound and sent to Caiaphas ver 24. and that Annas is first placed in the Councel Act. 4. 6. We shall have more punctual occasion hereafter to look after this man and then will we see what we can find spoken of him by Josephus §. The Word of the Lord came to John Such was the commission of the Prophets as Jer. 1. 2. Ezek. 6. 1 c. And this proclaimeth John a Prophet as well as they And here had he his warrant for his Ministry and this was the institution of the Sacrament of Baptism Now whether the word of the Lord that came to John and to the Prophets be to be understood of his personal and substantial word as Joh. 1. 1. or of the word of Prophesie suggested to them by the Holy Ghost and whether John had this word imparted to him by vision or dream or rapture or what other way it is not so material to inquire as it is difficult to resolve only this is not impertinent to observe That whereas the race of the Prophets that were sent to teach and to preach to the people by the word of the Lord was expired and extinguished long ago in the death of Malachy the last of that race there is now another race of such preachers to be raised again viz. John and the great Prophet and the Apostles and this is the entrance or beginning to that glorious generation For we are to distinguish betwixt having the gift and spirit of Prophesie and betwixt being sent by that spirit for a constant Preacher to the people Deborah and Barak and Huldab and Hannah and divers others both men and women had the spirit of Prophesie upon them but never had warrant to go and preach and to be constant ministers to the Church But Esay and Jeremy and Ezekiel and the rest of that form under the Old Testament and John and the Apostles under the New had not only the spirit of Prophesie upon them to foretel things to come but they had also the word of the Lord came unto them which gave them commission to be continual preachers and entred them into the function of a constant Ministry As see how the Baptist himself explaineth what is meant by this word of the Lord coming to him Joh. 1. 33. He sent me to baptize §. To John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness The children of the Priests when they came to age were to be installed
so long and not given to the World before Adam Enoch Noah Eber c. were not circumcised because to them a fixed and setled place for the Church to reside together was not designed but when such a one is designed to Abraham then circumcision is given also The Land of Canaan was bequeathed to Sem by his father Noah the occasion was because Cham and his Son Canaan derided Noahs nakedness as he lay asleep in the midst of his Tent when therefore that Land is to be setled upon the right heirs of Sem to which God in the Prophetick spirit of Noah intended it a seal and an assurance thereof is given in that member which had been derided by Canaan to his loss of that Land and to his perpetual slavery This was a main reason why Males alone were circumcised and why in that member because a male alone and that member in him was so derided Other reasons of the institution of the Ceremony and only for masculines and in that part might concur for instruction such as are given by Lumbard Aquinas Biel Lyra and others but that they were not of the nature or essence of the Sacrament and that this forementioned was the vigor and spirit of it may be concluded by these two things First That Circumcision concerned not the children of Israel only but the whole seed of Abraham For those children of his by his Concubines that lived in Arabia as Ismaelites Dedanites Medianites Midianites Shuhites Amalekites and the rest were circumcised as well as Israel in Palestina Those Countries whither Abraham had sent them to inhabite were once in the possession of Canaanites till he obtained them by conquest of the four Kings Gen. 14. and thither he sendeth them with the seal of Circumcision upon them which gave them interest in the Land there as well as Isaac had elswhere Abraham taught his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18. 19. which though this off-spring of his in Arabia did not long in other things yet in circumcision it did So that from hence may result the observation of another end and reason of the institution of this Ceremony namely for distinction not of Israel from other Nations as Lyranus would have it but of the seed of Abraham from all other people Secondly Howsoever all the Israelites dwelling before the coming of our Saviour out of the Land of Canaan as both of the Babylonian and Grecian dispersion used Cicumcision in Heathens Lands and used it lawfully yet it was because their claim and interest to the Land of Canaan did still continue nay this was one reason why it held up some store of years after Christ his coming and ascension but when Jerusalem was destroyed and their lease of that Land of promise either expired or forfeited or both then did this seal of it fall and come to ruine also and might not lawfully be used ever after and when they must for ever relinquish the Land they must for ever also relinquish this seal or Ceremony that had assured it This well considered will cause us also to observe First That the interest of Israel in the holy Land began to shake when baptism came to shoulder out Circumcision Secondly That John most properly preached much of the Kingdom of Heaven for their earthly one began to cease when baptism began to extinguish Circumcision As Circumcision it self had relation to the inheritance of the Land of the Canaanites so the fixed time for the administration of it namely the eighth day seemeth also to have some aim and respect to the same thing For seven nations were in that Land which the Children of Abraham were to subdue and dwell in their stead Canaanites Hittites Hivites Perizzites Girgashites Amorites and Jebusites Deut. 7. 1. Josh. 3. 10. In correspondency to this number of seven Nations that were to be subdued Jericho the first field fought in that Land is compassed seven days and seven times the seventh day And in like answerableness every child of Abraham for seven days was like the children of those seven Nations but on the eighth day he was to receive circumcision the pledge of that interest and claim that he had in that Land which those seven Nations had usurped This then was the ground-work and Original of that Sacrament that every Son of Abraham might bear in his body the seal of the inheritance of the Land of promise and the badge of distinction from all other people and that this visible sign might make him strive after the invisible grace which it sealed the inheritance of Heaven and walking as the peculiar of the Lord. From which appropriated and restrictive ends of the Rite the necessity of the changing of it at the coming of Christ doth plainly appear for when there was to be no more distinction betwixt the children of Abraham and other people and no one land more peculiarized then another but of every Land and Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him that badge of appropriation and seal of singularity must either clean come to nothing or become unnecessary Now that baptism did succeed in the stead thereof some reasons may be given As first because the Sacraments of the New Testament were to be gentle and easie in stead of the smart and burdensom ones of the Law Secondly Because God would comply with men even in their own common custom of washing children when they are newly born Ezek. 16. 4. 9. and turn the common to a sacred use thereby to catch and win them the more But thirdly this one main reason may serve for all namely the near correspondency that is between the Sacrament and the thing signified and the full significancy that the element beareth of the grace that it signeth forth To which fourthly might be added that baptism took place in the Christian Church to fulfil the types and predictions that had gone before of it under Moses Law and before As in the flood and Ark 1 Pet. 3. 21. in the passage through the red Sea and Jordan 1 Cor. 10. 2. in the purifications and sprinklings at the Sanctuary But especially in four remarkable particulars was this fore-signified and typed out in a special manner First In Jacobs admission of the preserved Sichemites to his family and communion Gen. 35. 2. And Jacob said to his houshold and to all that were with him Put away the strange Gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments Wherein he injoyneth them three things for their admission to his Church 1. To relinquish their idolatry 2. To wash or baptize their bodies for so must the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Make your selves clean be understood and so it is well rendred by Aben Ezra Especially 3. Since he giveth order for the changing of their garments All three containing the cleansing of their minds bodies and cloaths And there observe first that when Circumcision in the
Horeb or what else is but lost labour to make enquiry because we are sure we cannot find only this again is worth our thoughts to compare together the being of Moses in the mount with God and the being of Christ in a mount with Satan and the Lords shewing to Moses from an high mount all the Kingdoms of Canaan and saying All these will I give to the Children of Israel and the Devils shewing to Christ all the Kingdoms of the Earth and saying All these will I give thee c. § And sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world Here are two things mainly considerable 1. The object represented to the eyes of Christ. And 2. the manner of Satans representing it The first the text expresseth to be all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them upon which if we come to ponder by weighing and considering the state of the world at this time it will appear that the object that the Devil presented Christ withall in this spectacle was Rome her Empire and glory For 1. That Empire is called by the very name of all the world Luke 2. 1. and the very same word that Luke useth to express it there he useth here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here 2. Where was there any pomp or worldly glory to be seen any where upon all the earth at this time but what belonged to the Roman State nay where was there almost any Country or Kingdom but was within the compass and dominion of that Empire or where was there any power or rule as Luke uttereth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either comparable to the power and rule of that State or indeed where was there any power or rule that was not now under it The Roman stories that describe the State of Rome at these times do give an abundant account of her wealth pomp power revenues extent and largeness even to the amazement of the Reader they were all so vast and they do so commonly and familiarly call the Roman Empire the Empire of the whole world that scarce any thing is more ordinary among them Let but one be a tast of the rest and let us take up all in little in that prayer that Paterculus a man that lived in these very times makes in reference to Tiberins who was Emperour and Lord of this vast pomp and power at this very present in the conclusion of his Book Voto finiendum volumen fit Jupiter Capitoline Gradive Mars Vesta quicquid numinum hanc Romani Imperii molem in amplissimum terrarum orbis fastigium extulit destinate successores quam serissâ—nos sed eos quorum cervices tam fortiter sustinendo terrarum orbis Imperio sufficiant quam hujus suffecisse sensimus 3. If Satan had claim and interest in any place state or pomp under heaven it was in Rome and her appurtenances and if those words of his which Luke hath added All this glory will I give thee for that is delivered to me and to whomsoever I will give it were true of any place it was true of this For first observe the characters and dechipherings of Rome as it is set out in Scripture and see whether it carry not the very image and superscription of the Dragon upon it In Numb 24. 24. the first place that it is pointed out it is doomed to eternal perdition for both Jews and even some Romanists themselves understand Rome by Chittim in that place In Isa. 11. 4. it is called The wicked one as the Chaldee Paraphrase there And Paul 2 Thes. 2. 8. do expound it The abominable armies Dan. 9. 27. The abomination of desolation Matth. 24. 15. The mother of fornications and abominations of the Earth Rev. 17. 5. c. Secondly observe that in it was met together all the cruelty bloodines and persecution that was in the four bestial Monarchies that were enemies to the Church before Christs first coming Dan. 7. compared with Rev. 13. And thirdly observe that this was the seat of Satan Rev. 13. 2. and that he gave his power and seat and authority to the beast of this City That this was as his special heritage and his heir apparent the singular seed of the Serpent Antichrist was to arise here And lastly observe that the Kingdom of Christ and the opposite kingdom of Antichrist were both now beginning and that now the Serpents head began to be in danger according to the prophecy so long ago Gen. 3. 15. Now after all these considerations may the Reader take up some such hints as these and enlarge them in his own thoughts according as he finds them fixing on his thoughts and worthy meditation 1. How probable it is that Satan when he maketh this offer to our Saviour doth intentionally point out this very Antichristian City and her glory 2. How much truer he speaketh than he commonly doth or is commonly observed to do here when he saith that all power was delivered to him and he might give it to whom he would 3. How he doth offer to seat Christ in the very throne of Antichrist and would perswade the singular seed of the woman to become the singular seed of the Serpent and his own heir placed by himself in his own seat 4. How by this cursed overture he would have stopped and stifled the Gospel in the very beginning and rise of it by choaking the great Preacher of it with all the power and pomp of the Roman State 5. How that he might prevent the breaking of his own head by the Kingdom of Christ he striketh at the very head of Christ tempting him with the glory of the Kingdom of Antichrist and would have him to do as Antichrist would do fall down and worship the Dragon 6. How Rome is laid by the Devil for a stumbling block in the way of the Gospel as soon as ever Christ appeareth towards the preaching of it 7. How when Satan cannot at the entrance of Gospel perswade Christ by all the pomp of Rome to do like Antichrist he setteth up Antichrist at Rome to be an enemy to the Gospel in all the continuance of it 8. Compare Christs refusal here with the Jews choice hereafter John 19. 13. Here he is offered to be the Caesar and Lord of the Roman Empire which he refuseth there he is refused and Caesar preferred before him Now for the resolution of the second Quaere viz. After what manner Satan represented this object before him these things may be considered I. That it is not possible that this was a real and a very representation of these things indeed for divers things do contradict it For first there is scarcely any mountain under Heaven from whence any one kingdom can be viewed over and if there were there is scarcely any eye under heaven that could view it And whereas the Devil brought Christ into an exceeding high mountain when he would shew him this spectacle it was rather to colour the
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
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
regarded matters of an higher nature namely the coming of Christ and the conquest of the world by the Gospel which came forth from Judea and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem And to these might be added that Eclogue of Virgil which is titled Pollio in which he doth clearly speak of a new world then beginning of a child to come from Heaven of a wondrous repair of the world in point of happiness and the like that it cannot be doubted but this same opinion was got into the West also as well as in the East very many of the Jews being there also and raising this expectation as well as in the other place So that this expectation and thought being so general among all the Nations of the Jews yea among other Nations also that this was the time that the Kingdom of God in the coming of Christ should appear this was it that brought such multitudes to Jerusalem about this time out of all Nations under Heaven to see the accomplishing of those things that they so earnestly and eagerly longed and looked after and this made them to take up their dwellings and residence in Jerusalem and to resolve to settle there for that though they were acquainted with the time of Christs coming yet were they not acquainted with the manner of his Kingdom but expected that it should be earthly and pompous and his Royal seat in Jerusalem as the Disciples themselves opinionated yea even after long converse with Christ himself Matth. 20. 20. Acts 1. 6. And therefore these men make sure to get into Canaan out of other Countries and to get houses in Jerusalem that they might share in this pomp and prosperity which they expected It was not therefore Pentecost that brought them thither nor were they flitting Guests there to be gone home as soon as Pentecost was over but they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwellers and resident there and when they were converted to the Christian Faith by thousands they had their Congregations Vers. 9. Parthians and Medes and Elamites c. The Text speaketh of Jews of all Nations under Heaven now dwelling at Jerusalem and yet it reckoneth but fifteen here which were not all the Nations in the World no nor all that were in the Roman Empire by very many but to omit the Hyperboles that the Scripture useth very commonly as Cities walled up to Heaven shooting at an haire and not miss c. The languages here spoken of took up all the Nations where it is imaginable any Jews were scattered at this time through the world If so be they were not also all the languages that were spoken at Babel as to take example of one or two the Parthian Median Persian and Mesopotamian were the Tongues that served all the Eastern dispersion and all the Jews that had been Captivated by the two first Monarchies Babylonian and Persian wheresoever they were in East or North spake some of these Languages throughout the vast space of that their scattering For to instance in the Mesopotamian only how many large and mighty Countries spake that one Tongue Assyria Chaldea Mesopotamia Syria Caelosyria to inquire no further all these spake that Chaldee Language so certainly that there needeth not the least pains to prove it And Judea was faln into the same Tongue now also but with so much difference from the Mesopotamian Syriack or Chaldee that here it is nominated as a Language distinct And this sheweth the reason of the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might distinguish the Syriack of Judea and of Chaldea asunder that those that dwelt in Mesopotamia heard their Syriack and those that dwelt in Judea heard theirs Or if we should instance in the Cretan Tongue that is here intended the Island of Crete was but of a small compass but the Language of Crete reacht all over Greece not to search how far it reacht further And the like might be observed of other of the Tongues that are here mentioned So that it is hard to find if not impossible any Jews at this time under Heaven where one or other of these Languages here mentioned were not spoken vulgarly in that Country where they were and so may we very properly understand that phrase there were Jews of all Nations under Heaven now gathered to Jerusalem Now as it was impossible for these to understand one another in the Languages of the Countries where they were born for it was impossible an Arabian should understand a Cretan or a Cretan an Arabian a Parthian a Roman or a Roman a Parthian and so in the most of the rest so was it impossible they should all of them understand any one Tongue either Hebrew or Syriack which are the likeliest to suppose or whatsoever else may be supposed For first how easie is it to shew how the Hebrew Tongue was utterly lost among them from common use and how the Syriack which was in common use in Judea yet was unknown to them in other Countries as appeareth by the necessity of the Chaldee Targum by the most familiar use of the Septuagint by the writings of Philo and Josephus and others of the Jews themselves Secondly If they could have understood any one Language which was as the common Language of the Nation then was the gift of Tongues most utterly needless for why should the Apostles speak divers Languages to them that could have all of them understood one Tongue Tongues indeed were given for a sign 1 Cor. 14. 22. but this was not the proper end for which they were given but for instruction and edification and as was said before for acquainting those Nations with the knowledge of God which had lost it and him by the loss of the Hebrew Tongue And if the Jews had understood all of them one Tongue this gift had been needless to have been given till the Apostles were to go to preach to the Heathens This then being past all denial that these Jews of several Nations could neither understand one another in the Tongue of the Country where they were born nor understand any one Language as common to them all it is past all denial also that when they were converted to Christianity they were severed into divers Congregations for else it was impossible for them to joyn together in Publick Worship Vers. 13. Others mocking said these men are full of new Wine Malice is often sensless and reasonless in her accusations especially when it is bent against Religion Yet can I not hold these men so stupid and sensless or so shameless and impudent as either to think that drunkenness could make men speak Languages which they never understood before or if they thought not so yet to go about to perswade the people so But their words proceed from this occasion as I should suppose these Folks that mocked were Natives of Jerusalem or Judea and not understanding the Languages of the Nations there present they could not tell that the Disciples spake those
the Syriack translates it until the fulness of the time of all things c. And the Arabick did not much different until the time in which all things shall be perfected or finished c. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed signifieth a restitution to a former estate a repairing or an amending as might be frequently shewed in Greek Writers but in Scripture doth not so properly signifie this as what the Rabbins would express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulfilling or accomplishing and the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not so much stand in the force of Re or again but it stands in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privative in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth unsetled or unconfirmed and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polyb. Hist. lib. 4. Settlement of a City to tumult And to take up these two places where this word is used in the New Testament Matth. 17. 11. and here Elias indeed shall first come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall restore all things What To their former estate Nay that the Baptist did not for he brought them into a clean different estate to their former or he shall amend all things That is true indeed so the Baptist did but how will this place in hand bear that sense which speaketh not of the mending of all things but of their ending And how improper would either of these senses run in this verse Till the restoring of all things to their former estate which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets Or till the amending of all things which God hath spoken by his Prophets But clear and facil is that sense that is given Till the accomplishment of all things that God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets The things which God had spoken by the mouth of his Prophets from the beginning of the world were Christs victory over Satan in the Salvation of all his people his conquest of the last enemy Death the calling of the Jews the fulness of the Gentiles c. and how can these things be said to be restored or amended They may most fitly be said to be accomplished perfected or performed and so must the same words be rendred of the Baptist Elias truly cometh and accomplisheth all things that are written of him and so must the Son of man do all things that are written of him as Mark follows the sense Mark 9. 12. Vers. 24. All the Prophets from Samuel He is reckoned the first of the Prophets after Moses First Because Prophesie from the death of Moses to the rising of Samuel was very rare 1 Sam. 3. 1 2. Secondly Because he was the first Prophet after Moses that wrote his Prophesie From the beginning of Samuels rule to the beginning of the captivity in Babel was 490 years and from the end of that captivity to the death of Christ 490 years more and the 70 years captivity the midst of years between as I have shewed elsewhere But I must advertise the Reader here that the beginning of Samuels Prophetickness in this reckoning is not from the death of Eli but from one and twenty years after And here let me take up a verse of as much difficulty and of as little observing of it as almost any in the Old Testament as that is 1 Sam. 7. 2. And it came to pass while the Ark abode at Kiriath-jearim that the time was long for it was twenty years and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. Now the Ark was undeniably above forty years in Kiriath-jearim namely all the time from Elies death till David fetcht it to Jerusalem which was seven and forty years and somewhat above only that first excepted in which it was seven months in the Land of the Philistims 1 Sam. 6. 1. and a little time in Bethshemesh what then should be the reason that it is said to be in Kiriath-jearim only twenty years Why the meaning is not that that was all the time that it was there but that it was there so long a time before the people ever hearkned after it Their idolatry and corruption of Religion had so transported them that they thought not of nor took regard to the Ark of God for twenty years together Then all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord for so must it be rendred and not And all the house of Israel c. And so have we one and twenty years taken up from the Death of Eli till this time of Israels repentance which yet are counted to Samuels forty but are not reckoned in the account of Habakkuk of the extent of the race of the Prophets Upon this place therefore we may take up these pertinent observations First That God did now on a suddain pour a spirit of Reformation generally upon all the people of Israel after a long time of prophaneness and Idolatry They had been exceedingly prophane in the time of Elies sons And therefore the Lord in justice forsook his Tabernacle in Shiloh the Tent which he had pitched besides Adam when Israel passed through Jordan Josh. 3. 16. Psal. 78. 60. and he gave the Ark into the Enemies hand yet was not Israel humbled for it The Ark was restored to them and was among them twenty years together and they continued in their Idolatry still and never sought after it nor took it to heart At last upon a suddain and with a general conversion Israel begins to turn to the Lord and lament after him and forsake their Idols Secondly Here was a strange and wondrous spirit of conversion poured upon the people at the beginning of the race of the Prophets as there was at the end of it in these Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles Thirdly As the practise here in the Acts was to repent and to be baptized so was it then with Israel as that expression may most properly be interpreted vers 6. They drew water and poured it out before the Lord as washing or baptizing themselves from their Idolatry Vers. 25. Ye are the children of the Prophets That is the Scholars or Disciples of them as the phrase The children of the Prophets is ordinarily used in the Old Testament 2 King 2. c. and Amos 7. 14. I was neither Prophet no Prophets son that is nor Prophets Scholar And Matth. 11. 19. Wisdom is justified of her children that is of her Disciples ACTS CHAP. IV. Vers. 1. The Captain of the Temple THIS was the Captain of that Guard or Garison which was placed in the Tower of Antonia for the guard of the Temple This Tower stood in the North-east corner of the wall that parted the mountain of the House from the City It was built by Hyrcanus the Asmonean the High Priest and there he himself dwelt and there he used to lay up the holy Garments of the Priest-hood whensoever he put them off having done the Service of the Temple Joseph Antiq.
Passover that he might satiate himself with it Yet if he eat no more than what amounted to the quantity of an Olive he discharged the obligation of his duty These fourteenth days peace offerings were so called to distinguish them from the peace offerings of his Hagigah and rejoycing at the feast for those were offerings to which he was obliged of duty and were to be offered after the eating of the Passover most ordinarily but these were some thanks offerings or vows or free will offerings which being reserved to be offered at their coming up to the Festival they commonly did so offer them as that when the Altar and Priests had had their parts they had the other ready for this occasion to begin the meal on the Passover night And so here was one dish more than we find appointed for this time by the Law Now the Talmudicks speak of two more which if they were used in the time when the Temple stood may well be supposed to have been to supply the want of peace offerings in such companies as had not offered any nor had any ready for this occasion And they call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two boiled meats The Mishuch in that Chapter of Pesachin that hath been cited so oft delivering the Rubrick of the Passover saith they set before him unleavened Bread and bitter Herbs and charoseth and the two boiled meats making no difference of time between these and the other particulars named with them which undoubtedly were in those times of which we speak The Gemara thereupon hath these words It is a command to set before him unleavened Bread and the bitter Herbs and the two boiled meats And those two boiled meats what are they Rab. Hona saith Broth and Rice Ezekiah saith Fish and Eggs. Rab. Joseph saith two sorts of flesh were required one in the memorial of the Passover and the other in memorial of the Hagigah And with this last doth Maymony concur for he useth the very same words but he useth also the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this time they set upon the Table two sorts of flesh c. as making it questionable whether this custom were in use when the Temple stood or taken up afterward I shall not be sollicitous to dispute the case it seemeth for ought I yet see in the Talmuds or their Schoolmen that it was in the Temple times and that the Author cited doth not by the Phrase he hath used so much intimate that the custom was taken up after the Temple was fallen as he doth that after the Temple was fallen they were glad to take up with these two dishes only For whilest that stood peace offerings were in use and served for that occasion on the Passover night and these two boiled meats were only in request where no peace offerings were to be had which was but rare but after the Temple fell there were no peace offerings to be had at all and so they were constrained to take up only with these two dishes Let the Reader scan his meaning from his own words * * * Id. in Hhamets c. per. 8 They set before him the Officiator bitter Herbs and unleavened Bread and Charoseth and the body of the Lamb and the flesh of the fourteenth days Hagigah But at this time they set upon the Table two sorts of flesh one in memorial of the Passover and the other in memorial of the Hagigah And whether way soever he turneth the scales it is not much material 5. They had also a dish of thick sawce which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charoseth ‖ ‖ ‖ Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made of sweet and bitter things grown and pounded and mingled together †††Maym. Corban Pesach per. 8. as Dates Figs Raisins Vinegar c. * * * Haggadah Shâ—l Pesach And this was a memorial to them of the clay in which their Fathers laboured in the Land of Egypt They used Charoseth saith the Talmud although it were not commanded Rabbi Eliezer from Rabbi Zadok saith it is a command A command for what Rabbi Johanan saith it is a memorial of the clay therefore they make it of all kinds of sweet and bitter things with vinegar like clay in which there is a mixture of every thing The dish in which our Saviour dipped the sop which he gave to Judas is held by exceeding many to have been this dish of the thick sawce Charoseth which might be very well believed if it might be believed that that supper was the Passover supper which hath been much asserted but never yet proved VI. The Table thus furnished * * * Maym. in Hhamets ubi supr the Officiator takes some of the sallet of the Herbs and after he hath blessed God for the creating the fruit of the ground he dips it in something but whether in the thick sawce Charoseth or in Wine or in Vinegar is disputed and so we will leave it in dispute and he eateth the quantity of an Olive at the least of them and so do all the rest of the company the like ‖ ‖ ‖ Gloss. ib. Now this dipping and eating of Herbs was not under the notion of eating bitter Herbs which the Law enjoyned but is was some other of the Herbs as Lettice Endive or the like and it was for this and meerly that the children might begin to wonder at this strange beginning of a meal and might be incited to enquire about the matter And to put them on to this the more the company had no sooner eaten of this bit of the sallet but presently the dishes were all removed from before the Officiator and a second Cup of Wine was filled and brought unto him 14 14 14 Pesanh ubi supr And here the Children began to enquire about the matter and if he had no Children the Wife enquired and if there was no Wife the company enquired one of another And if none enquired yet he unasked began thus How different is this night from all other nights For on all other nights we eat leavened or unleavened bread indifferently but on this night unleavened bread only On all other nights we eat any herbs whatsoever but this night bitter herbs On all other nights we eat flesh either roasted or stewed or boiled but on this night we eat flesh only roasted On all other nights we wash but once but on this night we wash twice On all other nights we eat either sitting or leaning indifferently on this night we all sit leaning And according to the capacity of the Child he would address his speech to him if he were very young and slender of understanding he would tell him Child we were all servants like this maid-servant or this man-servant that waiteth and as on this night the Lord redeemed us and brought us into liberty But to the Children of capacity and to the rest of the company he would
and Delivery of Niniveh I cannot but admire a double mercy of God who to use a Fathers words Sic dedit poenitentibus veniam qui sic dedit peccantibus poenitentiam Who was so ready upon their Repentance to grant them Pardon who was so ready upon his Threatning to give them Repentance Other kind of entertainment than Jonah had had he that came from Gregory Bishop of Rome to Preach to our Realm of England The passage of which story our Countryman Bede hath fully related That when Austen had Preached the Gospel to the King and Dehorted him from his Irreligious Religion your words saith the King are good but I have been trained up so in the Religion â— now follow that I cannot forsake it to change for a new This Argument too many â—â—perstitious Souls ground upon in these days choosing rather to Err with Plato than to follow the Truth with another Desiring rather to be and being as they desire of a false Religion than to forsake the Profession of their Parents and Predecessors Not refusing like good fellows to go to Hell for company rather than to Heaven alone Such a boon companion was Rochardus King of the Phrisons of whom it is Recorded that whereas a Bishop had perswaded him so far towards Christianity as that he had got him into the water to Baptize him the King there questions which way his forefathers went which died Unbaptized whether to Heaven or Hell The Bishop answers That most certainly they were gone to Hell Then will I go the same way with them saith the wicked King and pulls back his Foot out of the water and would not be Baptized at all Hoc animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit CHAP. XXVI Of the Iews Sacraments Circumcision and Passover BOTH these Sacraments of the Jews were with Blood both in Figure the one to carry the Memory of Christ till he came and the other the Passion of him being come Abraham received the sign of Circumcision the seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had when he was Uncircumcised Rom. 4. The Israelites received the Institution of the Passover in Egypt Exod. 12. I will not stand to Allegorize these matters of the time and manner of receiving these two but only of the things themselves Circumcision given in such a place is not for nothing but in the place of Generation it is given Abraham as a Seal of his Faith that he should be the Father of all those that believe Rom. 4. And especially a Seal to him of Christs coming from those Loins near to which his Circumcision was And appertaining to this I take to be the Oath that Abraham gives his Servant and that Jacob gives Joseph with their Hands put under their Thighs * * * As the Iews think not to swear by their Circumcision but by Christ that should come from those Thighs Circumcision was also used for distinction of an Israelite at the first and hence were they distinguished but in time Ismael had taught his race so much and Egyptians Phaenicians Arabians and the Countries about them grew Circumcised So was Pythagoras Circumcised that he might have access to the recluse Misteries of the Egyptians Religion Circumcision was also used with the Jews as Baptism with us for admission into the Church of Israel And it was Gods express command that the Child on the eighth day should be Circumcised And on that day more than any other saith Saint Austen to signifie Christs resurrection who rested the weeks end in the grave and rose on the eighth day And if Aristotle say true one may give a reason why not before the eighth day because a Child for the seven days is most dangerous for weakness A stranger was so admitted to their Congregation Exod. 2. 48. And of this does Rabbi Eliezer fantastically expound that verse in Jonah 1. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifice whereupon the wandring Jew saith thus As soon as the Mariners saw when they drew near to Niniveh all the wonders that the blessed God did to Jonah they stood and cast every one his gods into the Sea They returned to Joppa and went up to Jerusalem and Circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin as it is said And the men feared the Lord exceedingly and sacrificed Sacrifices what Sacrifice But this Blood of the Circumcision which is as the Blood of a Sacrifice And they vowed to bring every one his Wife and Children and all that he had to fear the Lord God of Jonah and they vowed and performed This was indeed the way to admit Proselytes by Circumcision but in Salomons time when they became Proselytes by thousands they admitted them by Baptism or Washing as some Jews do witness Whether the neglect of Circumcision as I may so term it in the Wilderness were meerly Politick because of their more fitness for any moments removal and march or whether some Mystery were in it I will not decide Nor need I relate how the Jews use to Circumcise their Children for the great Buxtorfius hath punctually done it Nor can I relate how highly the Jews prise their Circumcision for one might gather volums out of them upon this subject For they consider not that he is not a Jew which is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one within and the Circumcision is of the Heart in the Spirit not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God CHAP. XXVII Of the Passover THE Passover was a full representation of Christs passion though to the Jews the Passover was more than a meer shadow To run through the parts of it might be more than copious A word and away At the Passover the beginning of the Year is changed So. At Christs Passover the beginning of the Week is changed The Passover was either of a Lamb to signifie Christs innocency or of a Kid to signifie his likeness to sinful Flesh as Lyranus The Lamb or Kid was taken up and kept four days to see whether he were spotless and it may be to scoure and cleanse himself from his Grass The Passover slain at Even So CHRIST slain at Even His Blood to be sprinkled with a bunch of Hysop So CHRISTS Blood sprinkled And of this I think David may be understood Psal. 51. Cleanse me with Hysop That is besprinkle me with the Blood of the true Paschal Lamb Jesus Christ. He was to be roasted with Fire So So Christ tried with Fire of Affliction These parts were to be roasted His Head His Legs His Inward parts So was CHRIST Tortured His Head with Thorns His Hands and Feet with Nails His Inwards with a Spear Their Eating of him as it concerned the Israelites in their estate so may it instruct Christians for the eating of the true Passover the Lords Supper The Passover Eaten Without Leaven With bitter Herbs With Loins girt With Feet shod With Staff
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
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
inimicis suis crediderunt qui persequebantur Aust. Ser. de Temp. 109. To omit the Jews fancy that the Israelitish women bare six at a birth and to omit questioning whether faetifer Nilus the drinking of the water of Nilus which as some say is good for generation did conduce to the increasing of Israel I can only look at God and his work which did thus multiply and sustain them in the furnace of affliction Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos God had promised this increase to Jacob as he fled to Haran Gen. 28. in a dream from the top of Jacobs ladder And here he proves faithful who had promised CHAP. LIII Israels Camp according to the Chaldee Paraphrast his description Numb 2. THE Chaldee is precise about pitching Israels Camp I have not thought much to translate a whole Chapter out of him that the Reader may see at the least his Will if not his Truth Numb 11. 1. And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron saying 2. Every one of the children of Israel shall pitch by his Standard by the Ensigns whereto they are appointed by the Standards of their fathers shall they pitch over against the Tabernacle of the Congregation * * * Chald. Round Round round about 3. The Camp of Israel was twelve miles long and twelve miles broad and they that pitched Eastward toward the Sun-rising the Standard of the Camp of Judah four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three Pearls that were in the brestplate or rational the Rubies Topaz and Carbuncle and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Judah Issachar Zebulon and in the middle was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And in it was drawn the picture of a Lions whelp for the Prince of the children of Judah Nahshon the son of Aminadab 4. And his hoast and the number of them seventy four thousand and six hundred 5. And they that pitched next him the Tribe of Issachar and the Prince that was over the Army of the Tribe of the sons of Issachar Nethaneel the son of Tsuar 6. And his Army and the number of his Tribes fifty four thousand and four hundred 7. The Tribe of Zebulon and the Prince that was set over the Army of the Tribe of the sons of Zebulon Eliah the son of Hhelon 8. And the Army and their number of his Tribe fifty seven thousand and four hundred 9. All the number of the hoast of Judah were * * * The Chaâ—â— numbers 〈…〉 wise but it 〈…〉 misprinting therefore I take the Hebrew one hundred eighty six thousand and four hundred by their Armies they went first 10. The Standard of the hoast of Reuben shall pitch Southward by their Armies four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three stones in the brest-plate the Emeraud Saphire and Diamond and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Reuben Simeon Gad and in the middle was written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And in it was drawn the picture of a young Hart but there should have been drawn in it a Bullock but Moses the Prophet changed it because he would not put them in mind of their sin about the Calf And the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of Reuben was Elitzur the son of Shedeur 12. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe fifty nine thousand and three hundred The Chaldee misseth the 11. 12. verses 13. And the Tribe of Gad and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of Gad Eliasaph the son of Devel 15. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe * * * The Chaldee cometh so short of the right number forty five thousand and six hundred 16. All the number of the hoast of Reuben one hundred fifty one thousand four hundred and fifty by their Armies they went second 17. Then went the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the hoast of the Levites in the Camps and their Camp was four mile square they went in the middle as they pitched so they went every one in his rank according to his Standard 18. The Standard of the Camp of Ephraim by their hoasts pitched Westward and their Camp was four mile square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three stones in the brestplate a Turky an Achat and an Hamatite and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Ephraim Manasseh and Benjamin and in the middle was written c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day when they went out of the Camp and in it was drawn the picture of a Child And the Prince that was set over the Army of the Children of Ephraim was Elishama the son of Ammihud 19. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe forty thousand and five hundred 20. And next him the Tribe of Manasses and the Prince which was set over the hoast of the Tribe of the Children of Manasses Gamliel the son of Pedah tzur 21. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe thirty two thousand and two hundred 22. And the Tribe of Benjamin and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of the Children of Benjamin Abidan the son of Gideoni 23. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe thirty five thousand and four hundred 24. All the number of the Camp of Ephraim one hundred eighty thousand and one hundred by their Armies and they went in the third place 25. The Standard of the Camp of Dan Northward and their Camp four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours according to the three stones in the brestplate a Chrysolite Onyx and Jasper and in it were deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Dan Naphtali Asher and in the middest was written and expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when it rested he said return O Lord to the ten thousand of Israel and in it was drawn the figure of a Serpent or Arrow-snake and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Children of Dan Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai From thence to the end of the Chapter he goes on just with the Hebrew Text so that I will spare further labour about Translating only I must tell the Reader thus much that the Pearls he speaks of I have not punctually followed the Chaldee in rendring their names but have followed the Geneva Bible which was at that instant the only English Bible about me As also for perfect and future tense I find the Chaldee confused and for this I have been the less curious CHAP. LIV. Of Iob. ABOUT Israels being in Egypt Job lives in Arabia a heathen
have bound leaven And i i i Tanch fol. 74. Col. 3. The wise men have loosed all fat things c. It were not a very hard task to produce hundreds of examples out of Jewish Writers to this purpose wherein their use of this expression of binding and loosing doth most ordinarily refer to things and to things lawful or unlawful as they were so held out by the Law and by their Doctors And particularly the binding and loosing of Firstlings and the binding and loosing of vows were of singular note and notice among them k k k Iâ—chaâ—â—â—â— 50. And the loosing of First-lings saith Abraham Zaâ—â—uth was a matter of more difficulty than loosing of vows where by loosing of vows he meaneth not that any one had power to absolve and acquit from lawful vows once made but that there were some appointed to judge of vows and to determine concerning them whether they were lawful or not lawful and whether they bound or bound not No Firstling must be kild or offered till it had been first viewed by the Mumcheh l l l Talm. in Becoroth per. 4. And he that was not a Mumcheh appointed by the Sanhedrin and yet would take on him to view a Firstling and so it was killed upon his approval he was to make it good and he that received a reward or was hired to view a Firstling it was not current unless he were authorised by the Sanhedrin so to do as Ailah a wise man of Jabneh to whom the wise men permitted to take four 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assarii for viewing a lean Firstling and six for viewing a fat c. A Firstling Lamb or Calf approved by the Mumcheh as fit for sacrifice and brought to the Temple for that purpose was slain on the South side of the Altar or at least on the South side of the Court The Talmudick tract Zevachin in the fifth Chapter doth purposely discuss what Sacrifices were to be slain on the North side of the Altar and what otherwhere And having nominated particularly what on the North side it saith m m m Id. in Zevachin per. 5. That a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving the Nazarites Ram the ordinary Peace-offerings the Firstlings Tithe and Passover were slain in any part of the Court where by any part of the Court it meaneth the South side in opposition to the North of which it had spoken before and it meaneth the South side in such a latitude as not only just over against the Altar but in a larger extent as we shall shew more fully when we come to survey the sides of the Court it self The Firstlings then being to be slain on this South side of the Court on which we are surveying the Gates and Buildings they were brought in at this Gate which we are upon and from thence it took the name of the Gate of the Firstlings The Water-gate indeed was nearer the Altar and a more direct way to it but to have killed the Beasts thereabout would have hindred the passage to the Altar from the Draw-well Water-gate and Wood-room unto which places there was very frequent recourse from the Altar and therefore the Firstlings and other Sacrifices that were to be slain on the South side of the Court were brought in at the Gate above as more out of the way and slain thereabout as in a place of less interruption Now whereas the Tradition mentioned doth allot the South side of the Court for the proper place of slaying those particular Sacrifices that it nameth yet doth it speak it in this latitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That their killing might be in any part of the Court because that though ordinarily and regularly they were to be slain on the South side of the Court yet if they were numerous and could not conveniently be slaughtered in that place they might be slain on the other side as the Passover were killed on both the sides because of their number whereas the Sacrifices that were to be slain on the North side must be slain there and there was no dispensation to remove them thence The presenting of the Firstlings at the Gate that we are about may put us in remembrance of presenting the first born All the males of Israel were to appear before the Lord thrice every year Exod. XXIII 17. now this command did not take in Children as their tradition did interpret it n n n Id. in Nagiga per. 1. till they were able to walk up out of Jerusalem to the Temple in their Fathers hand and the presenting of the first born to the Lord was not inforced by that command but by that Exod. XIII 12. XXII 29. where both the Targums of Jonathan and Onkelos do expound the setting apart of the first born to be before the Lord or at the Temple and so doth the Text of Scripture it self in Numb XVIII 15. Luke II. 23. The place where they were presented was in the Gate of Nicanor for that was both the most peculiar place of appearing before the Lord and there Women that had born Children did stand to have their atonement made for them And there it was where the Virgin Mary presented our Saviour Luke II. and there she payed five shekels for his redemption Numb XVIII And Hannah did the like at Shiloh 1 Sam. I. 34. only she had kept her Son longer than ordinary because when she did present him at the Sanctuary she meant to leave him there for ever and for that reason she redeemed him not neither but gave him to the Lord. CHAP. XXVII The Gate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hadlak or of Kindling or of the burning sire IT is easie to justifie and assert the translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by kindling but is not so easie to give a reason why this Gate which stood most West on the South side did bear this name The common opinion of Glossaries upon it is plausible enough but only for one objection that may be made against it a a a Bartener C. Lemp in Mid. Gloss. in Shekalim per. 6. They hold that it was called the Gate of kindling or Burning because through it wood was brought to the Altar to keep the fire continually burning according to the Law Lev. VI. 12. But why this way Since they might have gone a nearer way to the Altar by far either through the Water-gate or the Gate of the Firstlings seeing the Wood-room was between them two as hath been shewed and it is probable enough that the Wood out of the Wood-room was not brought through any of the Court Gates at all to the Altar but out at a Door which went out of the room it self into the Court To find out therefore a reason of the name I cannot but look over to the other side of the Court from this Gate that we are about to that Gate there that was over against it and there I observe the Gate to be called Beth Mokadh or
had it not been for that it had been all of brass as well as the outside And that that outside plating might be a warrant to Solomon to make his Altar of massie brass It is true indeed that there is a command of making an Altar of Earth or Stone Exod. XX. but it may very well be questioned whether these Altars meant not such as were made upon special and emergent occasions namely upon the Lords singular appearing to particular persons as to Gideon Manoâ—b and others who upon such appearances built Altars and sacrificed Judg. VI. 26. XIII 19. 1 King XVIII 30 31. There is but little to be discovered about the exact fashion and Fabrick of Solomon's Altar because the Scripture speaketh very concisely of it For it saith only thus He made an Altar of brass twenty cubits the length thereof and twenty cubits the bredth thereof and ten cubits the height thereof 2 Chron. IV. I. So that it was four times as big in its square as was the Altar made by Moses and three times as high and a cubit over but whether it were exactly of the fashion of that of Moses as whether the middle space within its square were hollow like his or made up with stone and whether it had a grated Hearth like his or a solid and what was the manner of the ascending and going up to it may be rather apprehended by supposal than certainly known by any scriptural description or demonstration The Sacrifices that are recorded to have been offered sometimes at once both upon the Altar of Moses and that of Solomon are exceeding wonderful and may cause a Man to marvail how so vast numbers should be laid and burnt in so little a space as even the larger of them was of though a very large time should be allowed for it as Solomon's thousand Sacrifices upon Moses his Altar 1 King III. 4. and the peoples seven hundred Oxen and seven thousand Sheep upon Solomon's 2 Chron. XV. 11 c. Moses his Altar was but five cubits square and how long a time might be required for a thousand Beasts whole Burnt-offerings for so they are called to be burnt in so small a compass David Kimchi upon that place and story Glosseth thus He offered not all these Sacrifices in one day but before he returned again from Gibeon to Jerusalem yet it seemeth by our Rabbins that they took it to be done at one time The greatest solemnities that ever were at Jerusalem lasted ordinarily but seven days or at the utmost but fourteen when they would double their Festivity as at the Dedication of the Temple 1 King VIII 65. now grant Solomon fourteen nay twice fourteen days stay at Gibeon yet will it seem difficult that he should dispatch so many Sacrifices even in that time And at his own Altar at Jerusalem how vast is the number of Sacrifices that is mentioned 1 King VIII 63. And Solomon offered a Sacrifice of Peace-offerings which he offered to the Lord two and twenty thousand Oxen and an hundred and twenty thousand Sheep so the King and all the Children of Israel dedicated the House of the Lord The same day did the King hallow the middle of the Court c. Allow the whole fourteen days that are spoken of in vers 65. unto this business and yet the Text seems to limit it to a shorter time and for all that a Man may rather stand amazed at such a thing as this doing than find out any satisfactory apprehension how it should be done Sure the divine fire upon the Altar was of a more singular quickness of dispatch than ordinary fires or else I know not what can be said to these things The Jews do reckon several wonders that were continually acted at the Temple as that no Flies infested that place though there were so much slaughtering of Beasts there and that the smoke of the Altar always went straight up and was never blown aside by the wind c. which though it may be they are the less believed for the relaters sakes yet certainly well weighed in themselves they carry very good sense and reason in them For who would have been able in the Summer to have stood in the Court near the Altar where there was so much blood shed and flesh stirring if the slaughter place there had been troubled with stink Flies and Wasps as our common Slaughter-houses are And how reekey and smokey a place would the Temple and all the places about it have been and how would those that attended the service have been choaked and stifled and no Man able to have indured in the Court if the smoke from off the Altar had been blown up and down with every puff of wind as we ordinarily see smoke to be So that for the prevention of such unconveniences as these which would have made the service intolerable and unaccessible we cannot but acknowledge a continual miraculous providence and dispensation And so in this particular that we have in hand that multitudes of Sacrifices such as were especially at the three Festivals should be dispatched by the fire within the time allotted for the offering of such Sacrifices is rather to be ascribed to miracle than to any thing else The Altar is called Ariel the Lords Lion as we shall observe by and by and it was a Lion of a very quick devouring Now whereas it is said That Solomon did hallow the middle of the Court that was before the House of the Lord for there he offered Burnt-offerings and Meat-offerings and the fat of the Peace-offerings because the brazen Altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive them lay this also in too and yet it will be difficult enough to apprehend the dispatch of so many thousand Sacrifices in so short a time if this consideration be not also laid in therewithal But the question that is most ordinarily raised out of these words is in what sense to understand this hallowing of the middle of the Court whether he burnt the Sacrifices upon the very Pavement as is the opinion of Rabbi Judah or whether he set up Moses's Altar by his own Altar and offered on it or whether he built an Altar of stone by his brazen one for these opinions are also held but methinks the greater question is about the place and what is meant by the middle of the Court Upon which quaere these two things may first be taken into observation 1. That fire from Heaven in the time of David had appointed out the exact place of offering Sacrifice or of the Altar 1 Chron. XXI 1. and to go about that piece of service in any other place of the Court required either a prophetical warrant or a dispensation through meer necessity both which dispensers concurred here 2. That this place which Solomon hallowed in the Court was hallowed by the very service performed upon it The Altar of Moses was hallowed at its first setting up by being annointed and so do
denomination from the last Letter of Arphaxad's Name 13 Chaldean and curious Arts what 820 Chambers The Chambers in Solomon's Temple their height breadth and evenness of them without notwithstanding they were not of the same dimensions within p. 1065. * overlaid with Gold 2 Chron. 3. 9. over the Holy Place what or whether any such thing p. 1085 1086. * The Treasury Chambers what 1097. * Changers of Mony or Mony Changers what 213 550 Chapiters belonging to the Pillars what 1074. * Chargers what and of what use in the Temple 2048. * Charming was much used among the Jews 371 Chazan that is Episcopus or Overseer 375 Chel what and how put for the Temple 1089 Cherubiâ—s what number of what resemblance and where placed 1086 * Chests in the Treasury where placed and for what use p. 1095 1096. * The Chest set in the Gate of the House of the Lord what 2022 * Chief Priests put for the Sanhedrim many of them being Priests p. 282. They were the Heads of the Families of the Priests or the chief of the 24 Courses c. p. 438 439 Children How an Holy Seed p. 203. The Infants of Believers were brought to Christ to be received as Disciples which he did declaring them to be such and blessed them 248 Children came under the Title of Believers when all things were in common or else they must have farnished p. 277. When a Master of a Family was baptised his Children though never so young were baptised with him as had been the Custom among the Jews and was in the times of the Apostles unaltered p. 277. What Children are to be taught by their Fathers p. 295. They were sometimes named by the Mother as soon as born sometimes by the Standers-by but the Fathers at the Circumcision had the casting voice Whether the Name should be so or no. 421 Children for Scholars or Disciples 759 Children begot by or on Angels or Devils a nonsensical story 995 Chochebas and Barchochebas the same with Ben Coziba coyned Mony with his own Stump tortured the Christians to make them deny Christ was at the head of a most desperate Rebellion p. 366 367. He reigned two years and an half 366 367 Christ how Abraham saw his day p. 13. How Isaac typified him p. 13 14. He gave the Ten Commandments p. 28. He appeared weaponed and was Lord General in the Wars of Canaan p. 40. When he ceased to be Israels Captain and Conductor p. 45. Glorious things are spoken of him p. 102. His Divinity shewed and his fitness to be Incarnate p. 201 202. He was born in Tizri about the Feast of the Tabernacles that is about the close of September at which time 30 years after he was baptised p. 204 210 c. We have no History of him for nine or ten years p. 206. When he was twelve years of Age and all the time of his Ministry he disputed with and proved his Doctrine against the most learned Sanhedrim p. 207. He came in a double seasonableness When Learning was at the highest And Traditions had made the Word of God of none effect p. 207 440. His Life from Twelve to Twenty nine is passed over by all the Evangelists in silence they having a special eye at his Ministry only so has the Angel Gabriel Dan. 9 24 25 c. p. 208. Those years in which we hear nothing of him he spent at Nazareth in his Fathers Trade of Carpentry which made the Jews stumble at him looking for a pompous Messiah p. 208. He appeared not till fully looked for what were the things did intimate his coming p. 209. The time when he was born and when he died were both eminent p. 210 211. He was circumcised into the Jewish Church and baptised into the Church of the Gospel p. 211. He was unknown to John the Baptist and those whom John had baptised into faith in Christ until Christ himself came to be baptised of John p. 212. He was admitted at Nazareth as a Member of the Synagogue to be a Maphteir or Publick Reader of the second Lesson in the Prophets for that day p. 215. His reading and interpreting the Original Hebrew shewed him to have a Prophetical Spirit he not being educated in that Language 215. At his second Passover he declares his Authority and Power before the Sanhedrim that being a time of Wonders p. 221. He was a great Priest and a great Prophet when and how p. 239. He did not so fully and openly reveal himself to be the Messias till he sent forth the Seventy Disciples p. 242. He could not be apprehended without his own leave p. 263. The Jews transgressed two of their own Canons in arraigning and judging Christ on an Holiday and by Night p. 263. He was had before the Sanhedrim in Caiphas his house p. 263. The Wine offered him at his Crucifixion was to intoxicate him p. 268. How bewailed when he went to Execution p. 268. The manner even of his friends burying him shewed the small expectation they had of his Resurrection p. 269. His Disciples and Mary Magdalen notwithstanding their saving faith in him neither of them believed his Death nor his Resurrection p. 270. His coming in Clouds in his Kingdom and in power and great glory all signify his Plaguing the Nation that crucified him p. 342 343. His birth was called The fulness of time p. 383. He was born in the year of the World 3928. about the close of September p. 390. He was not born at the later end of December but September a Month famous indeed p. 427. Why he would be baptized that needed no cleansing being purity it self eight Reasons p. 472. Why John refused to admit him to baptism p. 472. His Ministry was just Three years and an half p. 476. Why he was tempted p. 499. What were his Temptations and where and how tempted p. 503 to 511. In his Temptations his being hurryed about by the Devil does afford some material and profitable Considerations p. 506. He is shewed to be the Son of God p. 504. That he was the Messias he easily convinced the Mind by telling of secret things p. 535. He was the seed of the Woman illustrated from Lukes Genealogy and Christs calling himself the Son of Man p. 471 491 537. His Union of two Natures in one Person is plainly shewn with what refers thereunto p. 577 578. How he could be said to be in Heaven whilst speaking with Nichodemus on earth p. 578. The several Properties of the two Natures in Christ are sometimes indifferently applied to the whole Person p. 578. Believing in Christ for salvation excellently illustrated by being healed by looking on the Brazen Serpent p. 579. He is said to do what his Servants do p. 581. His anointing was his setting apart for Mediator and Minister of the Gospel c. also his apparent Installments into that Office by the Spirit p. 616 617. His Ministry had six parts in it p. 617 to 619. Why it was
514. Rabban was the highest Title the Jews gave to their Doctors p. 429 Rabbi Rabbi what p. 256. Rabbi was the distinctive Title of a Man ordained with which he was stiled when he became a Doctor or a Judge p. 566. What it intends as applyed to the Baptist and to Christ. p. 566. Raca a Jewish nick-name c. p. 1003 Rain the want of it often threatned as a Judgment 116 Rainbow a double sign Natural and Sacramental 9 Raka a Phrase of the Jewish Writers out of the New Testament 1005 1006 Ranges near the Temple what 1101 * Readers Reading of the Law and Prophets how ordained in the Jews Synagogues what Portion was read and what number of Readers p. 614. He that read began always with Prayer the Angel or Minister of the Church always looked over him that read whence he was called Episcopus or Overseer an Interpreter stood by him that read to tell the people the meaning p. 614. Any one a Boy or Servant might be called upon by the Minister of the Congregation to read p. 615. He that read might skip from passage to passage i. e. from one Text to another for Illustration of the Matter he read upon 615 616 618 Reaping put for cutting off with destruction 349 Rebels beating what 901 902 Records the Scripture often leaves Mens names out of certain Records because of some evil in them 417 Red Cow the manner of the Priests burning her p. 981. how the Priest was to prepare himself for the burning her 2024. * Redemption universal not rightly grounded upon John 1. 29. p. 514 Marg. Redemption of Christ was represented by the Jubilee year 619 Red Sea whence the name with a strange story about Jonas his Whale 1002 c. Reformation how performed p. 80. Why it did not remove Gods wrath in Josiah's time p. 115. Reformation or Conversion was once general and wonderful 758 Regeneration or the work of Grace a thing not known by the Jews 574 575 Registers Publick Registers were reserved in Captivity 416 Religion is the heart of a State p. 32. The State or National Religion in the time of Christ was Traditions rather than Scriptures 652 653 Remphan and the Star thereof what 784 Renting of the Garments when â—sed 263 Repentance and Conversion once came generally upon all the people of Israel p. 54. It was first preached upon the commencing of the Gospel and why and what it was p. 628. to 631. It is the way to pardon 1000 Repining frequent in Israel under Miracles of Mercy 35 Rsolution admirable 773 Resolution and courage of the Jews 773 Resurrection This was denyed by the Sadducees 655 658 Resurrection It was the Opinion of the Jews that there should be a Resurrection in the days of the Messias p. 676 677. Resurrection is Spiritual and Corporal both which Christ performed p. 676 677. Whether there shall be an audible voice of Christ at the general Resurrection 680 Resurrection of Christ the History of it as also of his several Apparitions after it p. 734 735. Resurrection held by the Jews 759 Revelation seven manner of ways did God use to reveal himself 844 Revelations pretended to by Theudas 765 766 Revenge and Vain-glory strange Page 797 Righteousness by Faith in Christ. p. 314 323. What that Righteousness was which Christ saith to the Baptist It becometh us to fulfil 474 475 Roman Eagle used in the Wars was not flying Colours like ours but a Golden Eagle Medal-wise c. 306 Roman State and Dominion in the time of Christ was very pompous p. 507. Roman Story several parts of it p. 710 c. 716 c. 795 c. 823 c. 831 848 849 851 862 865 to 871 887. Romans in Philippi a Roman City Pauls Preaching to them is ushered in with some Remarks 294 Rome Characterized and Decyphered and shewed to be the Head of that Dominion Satan boasts of as his own in his offer to Christ. 507 508. Eight Conclusions drawn hence p. 508. It s state from its first Original to the death of Christ its differing manner of Government 767 to 773 Room An Upper Room was an usual place to determine matters of Learning and Religion in p. 275. The Wood Room what the Priests did there p. 1093. * The description of it p. 2013. * The Draw-well Room described 2011. * Root of the Trees variously accepted 460 Rulers There were both Civil and Sacred Rulers in every Synagogue 302 Rulers what 760 S. SAbbath its Institution and Celebration by Adam p. 3. It was neglected in Egypt p. 27. Differing Reasons for its Ordination Additions to it p. 38. How the Jews observed it and what were the words of blessing it p. 218 222. The Jewish Writers shew plainly that their Sabbath was from Sun-setting to Sun-setting p. 218. 642. Why Christ enjoyned the man he healed on the Sabbath to carry his bed on that day being against the express letter of the Law answered p. 669 670. This was the first apparent Sign towards the shâ—king and alteration of the Sabbath Christ shews thereby that he was greater than the Sabbath and had a power over it p. 670 671. The Seventh day is not bounded with the same limits that the other six are because under the Gospel it was to have a new beginning and end p. 692. Sabbath Ceremonial and Moral what p. 715. It was not always the Seventh day for Pentecost was so called whatsoever day of the Week it was on p. 746. There was on the Sabbath an additional Sacrifice of the day p. 923. what Songs and Musick were then used 923 Sabbath second after the first what 222 Sabbath days journey what space it was 252 442. Sacrament of the Supper of our Lord is not to be received in the height of Heats and Contestations 303 Sacrament of Baptism carries an obligation with it and a Child is capable of being so obliged 319 Sacraments of the Passover and the Supper were very much alike but Circumcision and Baptism were vastly differing the reasons why 464 465 Sacraments both Baptism or entring into the Church and breaking Bread and giving Wine after the Passover were in use long before Christs time but he Instituted them Sacraments laying aside Circumcision and the Passover 526 527 Sacraments of the Jews viz. Circumcision and the Passover they were both with blood c. 1007 Sacrifice its practice among Jews and Heathens as old as Adam p. 1001 1002. Jephta's Sacrifice whether real or supposed the special end of Sacrifice 1001 1002 Sacrifices and Offerings how they became paid and when was their time to be presented and offered 940 Sacrifices what were used on the Sabbath-day p. 923. And on other days of the Week p. 924. Some were to be slain on the North others on the South side of the Altar some also elsewhere Page 2015. * Sacrificing was once done by one that was no Priest 54 Sadduces though they differed from other Hereticks yet they harmonized with the rest to
and Amazias sate during the space between yet their Names are not unfitly omitted by our Evangelist both because they were sometimes not very unlike Joram in their manners and because their Kingdom was very much eclipsed by the Kingdom of Israel when Ahazias was slain by Jehu and his Cousin Amazias taken and basely subdued by his Cousin Joas 2 Chron. XXV II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seed of the wicked shall be cut off Psal. XXXVII vers 28. Let the studious Reader observe That in the Original in this very place the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ain which is the last Letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wicked and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seed is cut off and is not expressed when by the rule of Acrostic Verse according to which this Psalm is composed that Letter ought to begin the next following Verse III. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. XX. 5. Joram walked in the idolatrous ways of the Kings of Israel according to the manner of the Family of Ahab 2 King VIII 18. Which horrid violation of the Second Command God visits upon his Posterity according to the threatning of that Command and therefore the Names of his Sons are dashed out unto the fourth Generation IV. The Old Testament also stigmatizeth that Idolatry of Joram in a way not unlike this of the New and shews that Family unworthy to be numbred among Davids progeny 2 Chron. XXII 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahazias the Son of two and forty years that is not of his age for he was not above two and twenty 2 King VIII 26. but of the duration of the Family of Omri of which Stock Ahazias was on the Mothers side as will sufficiently appear to him that computes the years A fatal thing surely that the years of a King of Judah should be reckoned by the account of the House of Omri V. Let a Genealogical stile not much different be observed 1 Chron. IV. 1. where Shobal born in the fifth or sixth Generation from Judah is reckoned as if he were an immediate Son of Judah Compare Chap. II. 50. In the like manner Ezr. VII in the Genealogy of Ezra five or six Generations are erazed VERS 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Iosias begat Iechonias THE Sons of Josias were these The first born Jochanan the second Joachim the third Zedechiah the fourth Shallum 1 Chron. III. 15. Who this Shallum was the Jerusalem Talmudists do dispute a a a a a a Shâ—â—al fol. 49. 4. R. Jochanan saith Jochanan and Jehoachaz were the same And when it is written Jochanan the first born it means this That he was the first born to the Kingdom that is He first Reigned And R. Jochanan saith Shallum and Zedekias are the same And when it is written Zedekias the third Shallum the fourth he was the third in birth but he reigned fourth The same things are produced in the Tract b b b b b b fol. 22. 3. Sotah But R. Chimchi much righter c c c c c c In Ier. xxiv 1 Chron. iii. Shallum saith he is Jechonias who had two names and was reckoned for the Son of Josias when he was his Grandchild or the Son of his Son For the Sons of Sons are reputed for Sons Compare Jer. XXII vers 11. with 24. and the thing it self speaks it And that which the Gemarists now quoted say Zedekiah was also called Shallum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because in his days Shalmah an end was put to the Kingdom of the Family of David This also agrees very fitly to Jechonias Jer. XXII 28 29 30. VERS 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iechonias begat Salathiel THAT is a son of the Kingdom or Successor in that dignity of the House of David whatsoever it was which was altogether withered in the rest of the Sons of Josiah but did somewhat flourish again in him 2 King XXV 27. And hence it is that of all the posterity of Josiah Jechonias only is named by St. Matthew Jeohonias in truth was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Children Jer. XXII 30. and Salathiel properly speaking was the Son of Neri Luk. III. 27. but yet Jechonias is said to beget him not that he was truly his Father but that the other was his Successor not indeed in his Kingly dignity for that was now perished but into that which now was the chief Dignity among the Jews So 1 Chron. III. 16. Zedekias is called the Son either of Joakim whose Brother indeed he was or of Jechonias whose Uncle he was because he succeeded him in the Kingly Dignity The Lord had declared and that not without an Oath that Jechonias should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without Children The Talmudists do so interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d d d d d d Hieros in Schabb. fol. 9. 3. R. Judan saith All they of whom it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Children they shall have no Children And those of whom it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall die without Children they bury their Children So Kimchi also upon the place The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he means this That his Sons shall die in his life if he shall now have Sons but if he shall not now have Sons he never shall But our Rabbins of blessed memory say That he repented in prison And they say moreover Oh! how much doth Repentance avail which evacuates a penal Edict For it is said Write ye this Man Childless but he repenting this Edict turned to his good c. R. Jochanan saith His carrying away expiated For when it is said Write this Man Childless after the carrying away it is said The Sons of Coniah Assir his Son Shealtiel his Son These things are in fol. 27. 2. Bab. Sanhedr where these words are added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assir his son because his mother conceived him in the house Haasurin of bonds or in Prison But the words in the Original are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are thus to be rendred Now the sons of Jechonias bound or imprisoned were Shealtiel his son Which Version both the accents and the order of the words confirm For Zakeph hung over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which Munach beneath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serves perswades that it is a conjunct construction to wit that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jechoniah and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bound should be joyned together that is a Substantive and an Adjective And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his son placed after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shealtiel not after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bound fixeth the genealogy in Salathiel not in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asir at all VERS XVI 〈◊〉
she was now returned home from her Cozin Elizabeth See Luke 1. 56. and compare Gen. XXXVIII 24. The Masters of the Traditions assign this space to discover a thing of that nature A Woman o o o o o o Maim in Geâ—â—â—hin cap. 1. â—aâ—â—â— in Ieâ—aâ—â—â—n cap. 4. â—â—etabboth cap. 5. largely say they who is either put away from her husband or become a Widdow neither marrieth nor is espoused but after ninety days Namely that it may be known whether she be big with child or no and that distinction may be made between the offspring of the first husband and of the second In like manner a husband and wife being made proselytes are parted from one another for ninety days that judgment may be made between children begotten in holiness that is within the true Religion See 1 Cor. VII 14. and children begotten out of holiness VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But Ioseph being a just man c. THERE is no need to wrack the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just to fetch out thence the sense of gentleness or mercy which many do for construing the clauses of the verse separately the sense will appear clear and soft enough Joseph being a just man could not would not indure an adulteress but yet not willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make her a publick example being a merciful man and loving his wife was minded to put her away privily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make her a publick Example This doth not imply death but rather publick disgrace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make her publick For it may not without reason be enquired whether she would have been brought to capital punishment if it had been true that she had conceived by adultery For although there was a Law promulged of punishing adultery with death Levit. XX. 10. Deut. XXII 22. and in this case she that was espoused would be dealt withal after the same manner as it was with her who was become a wife yet so far was that Law mollified that I say not weakned by the Law of giving a bill of Divorse Deut. XXIV 1. c. that the husband might not only pardon his adulterous wife and not compel her to appear before the Sanhedrin but scarcely could if he would put her to death For why otherwise was the bill of Divorse indulged Joseph therefore endeavours to do nothing here but what he might with the full consent both of the Law and Nation The Adulteress might be put away she that was espoused could not be put away without a bill of Divorse concerning which thus the Jewish Laws p p p p p p Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap 1 A woman is espoused three ways by mony or by a writing or by being lain with And being thus espoused though she were not yet married nor conducted into the mans house yet she is his wife And if any shall lye with her beside him he is to be punished with death by the Sanhedrin And if he himself will put her away he must have a bill of divorse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put her away privily Let the Talmudic Tract Gittin be looked upon where they are treating of the manner of delivering a bill of Divorse to a wife to be put away among other things it might be given privately if the husband so pleased either into the womans hand or bosom two witnesses only present VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold a Virgin shall be with child THat the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Prophet denotes an untouched Virgin sufficiently appears from the sense of the place Esa. VII King Achaz there was affraid lest the enemies that were now upon him might destroy Jerusalem and utterly consume the House of David The Lord meets with this fear by a signal and most remarkable promise namely that sooner should a pure Virgin bring forth a child thaâ— the family of David perish And the promise yields a double comfort namely of Christ hereafter to be born of a Virgin and of their security from the imminent danger of the City and house of David So that although that Prophesie of a Virgins bringing forth a son should not be fulfilled till many hundreds of years after yet at that present time when the Prophesie was made Ahaz had a certain and notable sign that the house of David should be safe and secure from the danger that hung over it As much as if the Prophet had said Be not so troubled O Ahaz does it not seem an impossible thing to thee and that never will happen that a pure Virgin should become a Mother But I tell thee a pure Virgin shall bring forth a son before the House of David perish Hear this O unbelieving Jew and shew us now some remainders of the House of David or confess this Prophesie fulfilled in the Virgins bringing forth or deny that a sign was given when a sign is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is being interpreted § In what language Matthew wrote his Gospel I. All confess that the Syriac Language was the Mother Tongue to the Jewish Nation dwelling in Judea and that the Hebrew was not all understood by the common people may especially appear from two things 1. That in the Synagogues when the Law and the Prophets were read in the original Hebrew an Interpreter was always present to the Reader who rendred into the Mother Tongue that which was read that it might be understood by the common people q q q q q q Bab. Megill fol. 25 c. Massech Sopherim cap. 11. 12 c. Hence those rules of the office of an Interpreter and of some places which were not to be rendred into the Mother Tongue 2. That Jonathan the son of Uzziel a Scholar of Hillel about the time of Christs birth rendred all the Prophets that is as the Jews number them Joshua Judges Samuel the Books of the Kings Esaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and the twelve lesser Prophets into the Chaldee Language that is into a Language much more known to the people than the Hebrew and more acceptable than the Mother Tongue For if it be asked why he translated them at all and why he translated not rather into the Mother Tongue which was known to all and if it be objected concerning S. Matthew and S. Paul that writing to the Jews one his Gospel the other his Epistle to the Hebrews must have written in the Syriac Tongue if so be they wrote not in Hebrew that they might be understood by all We answer First It was not without reason that the Paraphrast Jonathan translated out of the Hebrew original into the Chaldee Tongue because this Tongue was much more known and familiar to all the people than the Hebrew The holy Text had need of an Interpreter into a more known Tongue because it was now in a Tongue not known at all to the Vulgar For none knew the
guilty Let us see whether thou canst smell and judg And when they saw that he could not smell and judg they slew him VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By whom do your children cast them out BY your Children Christ seems to understand some disciples of the Pharisees that is some of the Jews who using Exorcisms seemed to cast out Devils such as they Act. XIX 13. and yet they said not to them Ye cast out Devils by Beelzebul It is worthy marking that Christ presently saith If I by the Spirit of God cast out Devils then the Kingdom of God is come among you For what else does this speak than that Christ was the first who should cast out Devils which was an undoubted sign to them that the Kingdom of Heaven was now come But that which was performed by them by Exorcisms was not so much a casting out of Devils as a delusion of the people since Satan would not cast out Satan but by compact with himself and with his company he seemed to be cast out that he might the more deceive The sense therefore of Christs words comes to this That your Disciples cast out Devils ye attribute not to Beelzebul no nor to Magick but ye applaud the work when it is done by them They therefore may in this matter be your judges that you pronounce these words of my actions out of the rankness and venom of your minds m m m m m m Bab. Joma fol. 57. 1. In the Gloss mention is made of a Devil cast out by a Jew at Rome VERS XXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in that which is to come THEY that endeavour hence to prove the remission of some sins after death seem little to understand to what Christ had respect when he spake these words Weigh well this common and most known doctrine of the Jewish Schools and judg n n n n n n Hieros Sanhedr fol. 37. 3. Bab. Joma fol 86. 1. He that transgresses an affirmative precept if he presently repent is not moved until the Lord pardon him And of such it is said Be ye converted O backsliding Children and I will heal your backslidings He that transgresses a Negative precept and repents his repentance suspends judgment and the day of expiation expiates him as it is said This day shall all your uncleannesses be expiated to you He that transgresses to cutting off by the stroke of God or to death by the Sanhedrin and repents repentance and the day of expiation do suspend judgment and the strokes that are laid upon him wipe off sin as it is said And I will visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with scourges But he by whom the Name of God is profaned or blasphemed repentance is of no avail to him to suspend judgment nor the day of expiation to expiate it nor scourges or corrections inflicted to wipe it off but all suspend judgment and death wipes it off Thus the Babylonian Gemara writes but the Jerusalem thus Repentance and the day of expiation expiate as to the third part and corrections as to the third part and death wipes it off as it is said And your iniquities shall not be expiated to you until ye die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold we learn that death wipes off Note this which Christ contradicts concerning Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost It shall not be forgiven saith he neither in this world nor in the world to come that is neither before death nor as you dream by death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the world to come I. Some phrases were received into common use by which in common speech they opposed the Heresie of the Sadducees who denied Immortality Of that sort were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The world to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paradise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hell c. o o o o o o Bab. Bâ—racoth fol. 54. 1. At the end of all the prayers in the Temple as we observed before they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever But when the Hereticks brake in and said There was no Age but one it was appointed to be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ever and ever This distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This world and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The world to come you may find almost in every page of the Rabbins p p p p p p Targ. in Râ—th Chap. II. 15. The Lord recompence thee a good reward for this thy good work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this world and let thy reward be perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the world to come q q q q q q â—aal Tâ—rim Tancâ— in Gen. 1. 1. It that is the History of the Creation and of the Bible begins therefore with the letter Beth in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bereshith because two worlds were created this world and a world to come II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The world to come hints two things especially of which see r r r r r r In Sanhedr Cap. Châ—lâ—k Rambam 1. The times of the Messias s s s s s s â—â—riâ— Cap. 1. Hâ—l ult Be mindful of the day wherein thou camest out of Egypt all the days of thy life The wise men say By the days of thy life is intimated this world By all the days of thy life The days of the Messias are superinduced In this sense the Apostle seems to speak Heb. II. 5. and VI. 5. 2. The state after death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t t t t t t 〈◊〉 fol. 5â— The world to come is when a man is departed out of this world VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign I. THEIR Schools also confessed that signs and miracles were not to be expected but by a fit generation u u u u u u Hieros Soâ—ah fol. 24. 2. The Elders being once assembled at Jericho the Bath Kol went forth and said There is one among you who is fit to have the Holy Ghost dwell upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that this generation is not fit They fix their eyes upon Hillel the Elder The Elders being assembled again in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an upper room in Jabneh Bath Kol came forth and said There is one among you who is fit to have the Holy Spirit dwell upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that the Generation is not fit They cast their eyes upon Samuel the Little II. That generation by which and in which the Lord of Life was Crucified lay and that deservedly under an ill report for their great wickedness above all other from the beginning of the world until that day Whence that of the Prophet Who shall declare his generation Esai LIII 2. that is his generation viz. that generation in which he
not hearken to my words which I shall put into his mouth c. 3. How the Heavenly voice went out of the Cloud that overshadowed them when at his Baptism no such Cloud appeared Here that is worthy observing which some Jews note and reason dictates namely That the Cloud of Glory the Conductor of Israel departed at the death of Moses for while he lived that Cloud was the peoples guide in the Wilderness but when he was dead the Ark of the Covenant led them Therefore as that Cloud departed at the death of Moses that Great Prophet so such a Cloud was now present at the Sealing of the Greatest Prophet 4. Christ here shines with such a brightness nay with a greater than Moses and Elias now glorified and this both for the honour of his Person and for the honour of his Doctrine both which surpassed by infinite degrees the Persons and the Doctrines of both of them When you recollect the face of Christ transfigured shining with so great luster when he talked with Moses and Elias acknowledg the Brightness of the Gospel above the cloudy obscurity of the Law and of the Prophets VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let us make here three Tabernacles c. THE Transfiguration of Christ was by night Compare Luk. IX 37. The form of his face and garments is changed while he prays and Moses and Elias came and discourse with him concerning his death it is uncertain how long while as yet the Disciples that were present were over-charged with sleep When they awaked O what a Spectacle had they being afraid they observe and contemplate they discover the Prophets whom now departing Peter would detain and being loth that so noble a Scene should be dispersed made this Proposition Let us make here three Tabernacles c. Whence he should know them to be Prophets it is in vain to seek because it is no where to be found but being known he was loth they should depart thence being ravished with the sweetness of such society however astonished at the terrour of the Glory and hence those words which when he spake he is said by Luke Not to know what he said and by Mark Not to know what he should say which are rather to be understood of the misapplication of his words than of the sense of the words He knew well enough that he said these words and he knew as well for what reason he said them but yet he knew not what he said that is he was much mistaken when he spake these words while he believed that Christ Moses and Elias would abide and dwell there together in Earthly Tabernacles VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. While he yet spake behold a cloud c. MOses and Elias now turning their backs and going out of the Scene Peter speaks his words and as he speaks them when the Prophets were now gone Behold a Cloud c. they had foretold Christ of his death such is the cry of the Law and of the Prophets that Christ should suffer Luk. XXIV 44. He Preaches his Deity to his Disciples and the Heavenly voice seals him for the true Messias See 2 Pet. I. 16 17. VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why therefore say the Scribes that Elias must first come I. IT would be an infinite task to produce all the passages out of the Jewish Writings which one might concerning the expected coming of Elias We will mention a few things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in passing which sufficiently speak out that vain expectation and the ends also of his expected coming 1. Let David Kimchi first be heard upon those words of Malachi Behold I send you Elias the Prophet God saith he shall restore the soul of Elias which ascended of old into Heaven into a created body like to his former body for his first body returned to Earth when he went up to Heaven each Element to its own Element But when God shall bring him to life in the body he shall send him to Israel before the day of Judgment which is the Great and Terrible day of the Lord and he shall admonish both the fathers and the children together to turn to God and they that turn shall be delivered from the day of Judgment c. Consider whether the Eye of the Disciples looks in the Question under our hands Christ had commanded in the verse before Tell the Vision of the Transfiguration to no man until the Son of man be risen from the dead But now although they understood not what the Resurrection from the dead meant which Mark intimates yet they roundly retort Why therefore say the Scribes that Elias shall first come That is before there be a Resurrection and a day of Judgment for as yet they were altogether ignorant that Christ should rise They believed with the whole Nation that there should be a Resurrection at the coming of the Messias 2. Let Aben Ezra be heard in the second place We find saith he that Elias lived in the days of Ahaziah the son of Ahab we find also that Joram the son of Ahab and Jehoshaphat enquired of Elisha the Prophet and there it is written This is Elisha the son of Shaphat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who poured water upon the hands of Elijah And this is a sign that Elias was first gone up into Heaven in a whirlwind because it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who poureth water but Who poured Moreover Elisha departed not from Elijah from the time that he first waited upon him until Elias went up And yet we find that after the death of Jehoshaphat in the days of Ahasiah his son It was written And a letter came to him from Elijah the Prophet And this proves that he then writ and sent it for if it had been written before his Ascension it would be said A letter was found or brought to him which Elias had left behind him And it is without controversie that he was seen in the days of our Holy Wise Men. God of his Mercy hasten his Prophesie and the times of his coming So he upon Mal. IV. 3. The Talmudists do suppose Elias keeping the Sabbath in Mount Carmel a a a a a a Hieros Pesach fol. 30. 2. Let not the Truma saith one of which it is doubted whither it be clean or unclean be burnt lest Elias keeping the Sabbath in Mount Carmel come and testifie of it on the Sabbath that it is clean 4. The Talmudical books abound with these and the like trifles b b b b b b Maimon in Gizelah c. 13. If a man finds any thing that is lost he is bound to declare it by a publick outcry but if the owners come not to ask for it let him lay it up by him until Elias shall come And c c c c c c Bava Mezia cap. 1. Hal. ult c. If any find a Bill of Contract between his Country men and knows
casting out Devils I. WIthout doubt he truly did this work whosoever he were He cast out Devils truly and really and that by the divine power otherwise Christ had not said those things which he did Forbid him not there is no man that doth a miracle in my name who can speak evil of me c. II. Whence then could any one that followed not Christ cast out Devils Or whence could any one that cast out Devils not follow Christ I answer We suppose I. That this man cast not out Devils in the name of Jesus but in the name of Christ or Messias and that it was not out of contempt that he followed not Jesus but out of ignorance namely because he knew not yet that Jesus was the Messias II. We therefore conjecture that he had been heretofore some Disciple of John who had received his Baptism in the name of the Messias now speedily to come which all the Disciples of John had but he knew not as yet that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messias which John himself knew not until it was revealed to him from Heaven III. It is probable therefore that God granted the gifts of miracles to some lately baptized by John to do them in the name of the Messias and that to lay a plainer way for the receiving of the Messias when he should manifest himself under the name of Jesus of Nazareth See Vers. 41. In my name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because ye belong to Christ and Chap. XIII 6. Many shall come in my name not in the name of Jesus but in the name of the Messias for those false Prophets assumed to themselves the name of the Messias to bring to naught the name of Jesus That Joh. XVI 24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name differs not much from this sense The Apostles poured out their prayers and all the holy men theirs in the name of the Messias but ye have as yet asked nothing in my name Jesus c. VERS XLIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cut it off a a a a a a Bab. Scabb fol. 108. 2. RAbh Mona in the name of R. Judah saith A Drop of cold water in the morning applyed to the eye and the washing of the hands and feet in the Evening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is good beyond all the Collyrium eye salve in the whole world For he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The hand applyed to the eye in the morning before washing let it be cut off The hand applyed to the nostril let it be cut off the hand put to the ear let it cut off c. VERS XLIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For every one shall be salted with fire THE great Scaliger is well chastized and not without cause by b b b b b b In Spicileg Scholae sacrific Problem 3. John Clopenberg because he changed the reading here into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every sacrifice shall be salted See what he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All is not to be understood of every man but of every one of them Whose worm dyeth not c. The sense of the place is to be fetched from those words and the sense of those words from Esai LXVI ult And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me for their Worm shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Upon which place thus the Jews write They shall go forth and look c. Is not the finger of a man if it be put into the fire immediately burnt But God gives power or being to wicked men to receive torments Kimchi upon the place thus They shall see the carcasses of them full of worms and fire burning in them and yet the worms dye not The words therefore of our Saviour respect this Their worm dyeth not and the fire is not quenched for every one of them shall be seasoned with fire it self so as to become unconsumeable and shall endure for ever to be tormented as salt preserves from corruption That very learned man mentioned before called the common reading very improper For what is it saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To season with fire Let me retort And what is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To fire with salt And yet that sense occurs very frequently in the Talmudists For in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to burn which signifies properly indeed and very frequently it is To corrupt any thing with too much salting so that it cannot be eaten To be fired with salt So in this place To be salted with fire that it cannot be corrupted or consumed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And every sacrifice shall be salted with salt Here the discourse is of salting which was done at the Altar See Levit. II. 13. c c c c c c Menacoth fol. 21. 2. In the ascent of the Altar they salted the parts of the sacrifice and on the top of the Altar they salt the handful of meal of frankincense of incense and the mincha of the Priests and the mincha of the anoynted Priest and the mincha of the drink offerings and the sacrifice of birds Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d d d d d d Fol. 20. ◠The very wood is a Corban of the Mincha and is to be salted But in the former clause the allusion was not to the fire of the Altar but to the fire in the valley of Hinnom where dead carcasses bones and other filthy things were consumed Carcasses crawl with worms and insteed of Salt which secures against worms they shall be cast into the fire and shall be seasoned with flames and yet the worms shall not dey But he that is a true sacrifice to God shall be seasoned with the salt of Grace to the incorruption of Glory Our Saviour speaks in this place with Esaiah Chap. LXVI 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall bring their brethren out of all the Nations for a gift to the Lord as the children of Israel offer their sacrifices to me with Psalms in the house of the Lord. And Vers. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And they shall go forth and look upon the limbs of the men that transgressed against me For their worm shall not dy and their fire shall not be quenched c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every sacrifice saith our Saviour concerning holy men seasoned with Grace So the Prophet They shall bring your Brethren for a gift to the Lord as the children of Israel do the sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be seasoned with fire saith our Saviour of wicked men in the same sense Esaiah They shall be in unquencheable fire and yet their worm shall not dye Their fire and their worm Whose Concerning the former t is somewhat obscure in our Saviours words and so indeed that it is without all obscurity that he refers his words
wide from the sense and meaning of Malachy as the Greek Interpreter who by a prodigious daringness in favour of the Jewish traditions have rendered it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I send you Elijah the Tishbite III. If I mistake not Elias the Prophet is but twice mentioned I mean in those very terms throughout the whole Book of God once in this place in Malachy the other in 2 Chron. XXI 12. And in both those places I believe it is not meant Elijah the Tishbite in his own person but some one in the spirit and power of him That the words in Malachy should be so understood both the Angel and our Saviour teach us and it seems very proper to be so taken in that place in the Chronicles IV. That great prophet that lived in Ahab's days is called the Tishbite throughout the whole Story of him and not the Prophet Nor is he called the Prophet Luke IV. 25. where yet it is said Elizeus the Prophet Nor by St. James Chap. V. 17. for the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tishbi which is his Epithet sufficiently asserts his Prophetick Dignity when it denotes no other than a Converter Whence can we better derive the Etymology to which indeed the Prophet Malachy seems to have alluded Behold I send you Elijah the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall turn c. V. But be it so that he might be called Tishbite from the City Toshab as the Targum and other Rabbins would have it which yet is very far fetcht that very thing might evince that it is not he himself that is meant by Malachy but some other because he does not mention the Tishbite but a Prophet Elias that is a Prophet in the spirit of Elias So among the Talmudists any one skilled in signs and languages is called Mordecai viz. because he is like him who lived in the days of Ahasuerus Menacoth fol. 64. 2. and the Glosse ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children John came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the power of Elias not that power by which he wrought miracles for John wrought none Joh. X. 41. but in the power of Elias turning the hearts of men c. Elias turned many of the Children of Israel toward the Lord their God 1 Kings XVIII So did John who over and above turned the hearts of the Fathers toward their Children Which what it should mean is something dark and unintelligible You will hardly allow the Jewish gloss upon this place who do so greatly mistake about the person and who will allow nothing of good to be done by the Elias they expect but within the compass of Israel But are not the Gentiles to be converted They in the Prophets dialect are the Children of Zion of Jerusalem of the Jewish Church nothing more frequent And in this sense are the words of Malachy we are now handling to be understood Elias the Baptist will turn the hearts of the Jews toward the Gentiles and of the Gentiles toward the Jews This was indeed the great work of the Gospel to bring over the Jew and Gentile into mutual embraces through the acknowledgment of Christ. Which John most happily begun who came that all men through him might believe Joh. I. 7. Yea and the Roman Souldiers did believe as well as the Jews Luke III. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The disobedient to the wisdom of the just The Greek in Malachy hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The heart of a man toward his neighbour The words of the Prophet having been varied the Angel varies too but to a more proper sense For the Gentiles were not to be turned to the Jews as such or to the Religion of the Jews but to God in the wisdom of the just The Children to the Fathers The phrase Fathers according to the Jewish state at that time was of doubtful sound and had something of danger init for by that word generally at that time was meant nothing else but the Fathers of Traditions to whom God forbid any should be turned to those Fathers in the folly of Traditions but to God in the wisdom of the just VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am an old man IF so old a man why then was he not sequestred from the service of the Temble by the Law of Superannuation Numb IV. 3. VIII 24 25. Hear what the Rabbins say in this case a a a a a a Chelin fol. 24. 1. There is something that is lawful in the Priests that is unlawful in the Levites and there is something lawful in the Levites that is unlawful in the Priests The Rabbins deliver that the Priests upon any blemish are unfit as for their years they are not unfit the Levites for their years may be unfit but by reason of blemish are not From that which is said that at the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting we learn that years may make the Levites unfit Perhaps the Priests also are made unfit through years And indeed does it not seem in equity that if the Levites whom a blemish doth not make unfit should yet be made unfit by superannuation should not much more the Priests be made unfit by superannuation when even a spot or blemish will make them unfit But the Text saith this is the Law of the Levites not this is the Law of the Priests The Rabbins deliver that what time a Priest comes to maturity till he grow old he is fit to minister and yet a spot or blemish makes him unfit The Levite from his thirtieth to his fiftieth year is fit for service but being superannuated he becomes unfit How must this be understood concerning the Levites To wit for that time wherein the Ark was in the Wilderness But at Shiloh and in the Temple they were not rendered unfit unless through the defect of their voice a a a a a a See Bemidbar rad 222. 3. VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They wondered that he tarried so long THere is something told of this kind of Simeon the just concerning whom we have made some mention already a a a a a a Hieros Joma fol. 43. 2. The High-Priest made a short prayer in the Holy place He would not be long in Prayer lest he should occasion any fear in the people There is a Story of one that tarried a long while at it and the people were ready to have entred in upon him They say it was Simeon the just They say unto him why didst thou tarry so long He answered them saying I have been praying for the Temple of your God that it be not destroyed They answered him again However it was not well for you to tarry so long VERS XXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He beckoned unto them THere is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 62. they made signs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deaf and dumb man 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he nods to them and they nod to him a a a a a a Gittim cap. cap. 5. Hal. 7. The Talmudists distinguish the judgments given by a dumb man into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the nodding of the head and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dumb mans making signs b b b b b b Maimon in Gerushim cap. 2. If any person be dumb and yet hath his understanding should they say to him may we write a bill of divorce to thy wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he nod with his head they make the experiment upon him three times c. And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they do not much rely upon the signs of the deaf and dumb man For as it is in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dumb person and the deaf and dumb differ Gloss. The one can hear and not speak the other can neither hear nor speak Amongst the Doctors the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deaf and dumb person is commonly lookt upon as one made so by some fit of Palsie or Apoplexy by which the intellectuals are generally affected whence the deaf and dumb are according to the traditional Canons deprived of several offices and priviledges of which others are capable This case therefore of Zachary might have occasioned a considerable question whether he ought not to have been sequestred from his ministry and deprived of all the priviledges of his Priesthood because he had been struck deaf and dumb but that it happened to him in so signal and extraordinary a way VERS XXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She hid her self five months SHE hid her self five Months saying Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men She was big with child it is plain because God had looked on her and taken away her reproach among men She hid her self because the Lord had dealt so with her till he had taken away her reproach giving her so remarkable a Son one who was to be so strict a Nazarite and so famous a Prophet Lest therefore she should any way defile her self by going up and down and thereby contract any uncleanness upon the Nazarite in her womb she withdraws and sequesters her self from all common conversation Consult Judg. XIII 4. There were several amongst the Jews that were wont to take upon them the Sect of the Nazarites by their own voluntary vow Three hundred at once in the days of Janneus the King came together to Simeon ben Shetah a a a a a a Hierosol Berac fol. 11. 2. Nazir fol. 53. 3. But there were but two only set apart by divine appointment Sampson and the Baptist. Whom the same divine appointment designing to preserve untoucht from all kind of pollution even in their Mothers Wombs directed that the Mothers themselves should keep themselves as distant as might be from all manner of defilement whatsoever Elizabeth obeys and for the whole time wherein she bore the Child within her she hid her self for her more effectual avoiding all kind of uncleannesses although it is true we have the mention but of five months by reason of the Story of the sixth month which was to be immediately related Vers. 26. There is mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a big bellyed Woman hiding her self for another reason b b b b b b Jevamoth fol. 42. 1. VERS XXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Angel Gabriel R. Simeon ben Lachish saith a a a a a a Hieros Rosh hashanah fol. 56. 4. The names of Angels went up by the hand of Israel out of Babylon For before it is said Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me the Seraphims stood before him Isai. VI. but afterward the man Gabriel Dan. IX 21. and Michael your Prince Dan. X. 21. The Angel calls Zachary back to Dan. IX where the prediction concerning the coming of the Messiah was foretold by Gabriel VERS XXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Was troubled c. I. IT was very rare and unusual for men to salute any Women At least if that be true in Kiddushin a a a a a a Fol. 70. 1. Rabh Judah the President of the Academy of Pombeditha went to Rabh Nachman Rector of the Academy of Neharde and after some talk amongst themselves saith Rabh Nachman let my Daughter Doneg bring some drink that we may drink together Saith the other Samuel saith we must not use the ministry of a Woman But this is a little Girl saith Nachman The other answers but Samuel saith we ought not to use the ministry of any Woman at all Wilt thou please saith Nachman to salute Lelith my Wife But saith he Samuel saith the voice of a Woman is filthy nakedness But saith Nachman thou maist salute her by a messenger To whom the other Samuel saith they do not salute any Woman Thou maist salute her saith Nachman by a proxie her Husband But Samuel saith saith he again they do not salute a Woman at all II. It was still much more rare and unusual to give such a kind of Salutation as this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hail thou that art highly favoured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which title Gabriel had saluted Daniel of old with this exception that it was terror enough so much as to see an Angel VERS XXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall be called the Son of the highest THAT is he shall be called the Messiah for Messiah and the Son of God are convertible terms Whether the Angel exprest it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is uncertain It is certain that both these words were very much in use in that Nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very commonly in use in the Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more frequently in Talmudick Authors As to the former we may take notice of that passage in Rosh Hashanah a a a a a a Fol. 18. 2. The Kingdom of the Greeks made a severe decree that the name of God should not so much as be mentioned amongst the Jews But when the Kingdom of the Asmoneans prevailed and overcame them they decreed that they should mention the name of God even in their writings of contracts for so they wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the year N. or N. of Johanan the High-Priest of the High God But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is much more in use amongst the Talmudists VERS XXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee c. I. THIS Verse is the Angel's gloss upon that famed Prophecy Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth The veracity of which Mary not questioning believing further that she her self was that Virgin designed and yet being utterly ignorant of the manner how so great a thing should be brought about she
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
of the Jews is born saith the Jew to him what is his name Menahem saith the other And what the name of his Father Hezekiah But where dwell they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Birath Arba in Bethlehem Judah He shall deserve many thanks that will but tell us what this Birath Arba is The Gloss tells us no other than that this Birath Arba was a place in Bethlehem which any one knows from the words themselves But what or what kind of place was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Birah indeed is a Palace or Castle but what should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arba be A man had better hold his tongue than conjecture vainly and to no purpose otherwise I might quote that in Sotah b b b b b b Fol. 37. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which speaks concerning a promise or a surety for the performance of the Law But I forbear VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And there were Shepherds keeping watch over their stock c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the sheep of the wilderness viz. those which go out to pasture a Schabb. fol. 45. 2. â—eâ—ah â—â—l 4â— 1. about the time of the Passover and are sed in the fields 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and return home upon the first rain b b b b b b Nedarim fol. 63. 1. Taanih fol. 6. 1. Which is the first rain It begins on the third of the month Marheshvan The middle rain is on the seventh The lâ—st is the seventeenth So R. Meir But R. Judah saith on the seventh seventeenth and one and twentieth The Spring coming on they drove their Beasts into Wildernesses or champagne grounds where they fed them the whole Summer keeping watch over them night and day that they might not be empaired either by Thieves or ravenous Beasts They had for this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Tower to watch in or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certain small Cottages erected for this very end as we have observed elsewhere Now in the month Marheshvan which is part of our October and part of November the Winter coming on they betook themselves home again with the Flocks and the Herds VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A multitude of the heavenly host praising God THE Targumist upon Ezek. I. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An host of Angels from above So in 1 Kings XIX 11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An host of the Angels of the wind An host of the Angels of commotion An host of the Angels of fire And after the host of the Angels of fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voice of the silent Singers VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Glory to God in the highest WE may very well understand this Angelick Hymn if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will toward men be taken for the subject and the rest of the words for the predicate The good will of God toward men is glory to God in the highest and peace on Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is put between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory and Peace not between them and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good will But now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good will of God toward men being so wonderfully made known in the birth of the Messiah how highly it conduced to the glory of God would be needless to shew and how it introduced peace on the Earth the Apostle himself shews from the effect Ephes. II. 14. Coloss. I. 20. and several other places VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And when eight days were accomplished for the Circumcision of the Child THE disciples of R. Simeon ben Jochai asked him why the Law ordained Circumcision a Pesikta fol. 16. 3. on the eighth day To wit lest while all others were rejoyeing the Parents of the Infant should be sad The Circumcision therefore is deferred till the Woman in Child bed hath got over her uncleanness For as it is exprest a little before The Woman that brings forth a man-child is prohibited her Husband the space of seven days but on the seventh day at the coming in of the evening which begins the eighth day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she washeth her self and is allowed to go in unto her Husband If she came nigh him within the seven days she made him unclean On the eighth day therefore Joseph addresseth himself to make provision for his Wife and to take care about the Circumcision of the Child VERS XXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When the days of her purification was accomplished c. R. Asai saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Child whose Mother is unclean by Child-bearing a Schabb. fol. 135. 1. is Circumcised the eighth day but he whose Mother is not unclean by Child-bearing is not circumcised the eighth day You will ask probably what Mother that is that is not unclean by Child-bearing Let the Gloss upon this place make the Answer She whose Child is cut out of her womb As also a Gentile Woman who is brought to bed to day and the next day becomes a Proselyte her Child is not deferred till the eighth day but is Circumcised streight-way And the Rabbins a little after One takes an handmaid big with child and while she is with him brings forth her Child is Circumcised the eighth day But if he takes a serving-maid and with her a child newly born that Child is Circumcised the first day They did not account an Heathen Woman unclean by Child-bearing because she was not yet under the Law that concerned uncleanness Hence on the other side Mary was unclean at her bearing a Child because she was under the Law So Christ was Circumcised because born under the Law II. After seven days the Woman must continue for three and thirty days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the blood of her purifying Levit. XII 4. where the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in her unclean blood far enough from the mind of Moses And the Alexandrian M. S. much wider still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She shall sit thirty and ten days in an unclean garment Pesikta as before Col. 4. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the blood of her purifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though she issue blood like a floud yet is she clean Nor doth she defile any thing by touching it but what is Holy For seven days immediately after she is brought to bed she lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the blood of her uncleanness but the three and thirty days following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the blood of her purifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To present him to the Lord. I. This was done to the first-born but not to the Children that were born afterward nor was this done to the first-born unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-born were fit for the Priest For in Becoroth a a a a
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
his wife Anobret he had one only begotten Son whom therefore they call Jeoud that being the term for an only begotten Son amongst the Phoenicians to this day Upon the breaking in of a very destructive war upon the Country he takes his Son and having decently adorned him and prepared an Altar for him sacrificed him on it This Israel by name was Abraham by the character from whom whether they derived by direful imitation this horrid usage of sacrificing to Moloch is no place at present to dispute the question rather might be whether the Israelites did act any such thing themselves in the wilderness whether with the Tabernacle of the Lord they also erected a Tabernacle to Moloch too whether having slighted the way of sacrificing beasts they instituted the offering up of their own children Which how unlikely it was that Moses should either suffer it to be done or having been done should pass it by in silence and make no mention at all of it any one may judg I shall conclude with that passage in Porphyrius quoted by the same Eusebius worth our taking notice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That these sacrifices of men were abolisht almost every where Pallas tells us who wrote excellently well concerning the mysteries of Mithra under Adrian the Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Star of your God Remphan In Amos it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chijun in the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan I would not in this place heap up what learned men have said in this matter upon these two hinges the whole difficulty turns First to reconcile the Septuagint with the Prophet Amos and then to reconcile St. Stephen or St. Luke with the Septuagint I. Forasmuch as the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chijun is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan in the Septuagint I would not look for any thing Gigantick in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan but something rather weak and infirm Any one knows that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie weak and weakness and from thence perhaps the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan may take its original and not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Giant And so the same thing might be done by the Interpreters in this name that had been done by the Jews in the name of Beelzebul viz. invented the name for meer contempt and reproach The naked and native signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chijun is firm upright stable and therefore is rendered by some in that place Basis or foundation a name indeed most unfit for an Idol which is a lye vanity nothing this the Septuagint being apprehensive of might translate it by a word perfectly contrary but more agreeable to the thing it self viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan that is in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weakness infirmity If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan does not denote Saturn in the Coptick language as Kircher tells us II. But how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan should be changed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there have been various and those not impertinent conjectures The Syriack and Arabick retain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as to the sense we have mentioned sound properly enough to Eastern ears And what if St. Luke or our Martyr that they also as much as might be might sound the same thing in the ears of the Greeks should pronounce it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remphan where the sound of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies wandring or tottering might be included Be it therefore that Molech is the Sun and Remphan or Chijun should be Saturn we read of the Introduction of Molech into the land of Israel but of Chijun not at all only in the Prophet Amos and here in the mention of Remphan When I read that in 1 King XII 30. That all the people went to worship the Calf in Dan. And observe further that Dan was called Panias I begin to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phan in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rephan and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remphan may have some relation with that name and that Dan is mentioned rather than Bethel because the Idolatry or Calf of that place continued longer than that of Bethel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will carry you beyond Babylon But the Hebrew words of Amos are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond Damascus so the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond Damascus I. Nothing was more usual in the Schools and Pulpits of the Jews than for the Reader or Preacher to vary and invert the Text of the Scripture to adapt and accommodate it to his own sense Hundreds of times we meet with this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Talmudick Writers and the Jewish Expositors don't read this or that word so but so or so Where forsaking the proper and genuine reading they put another in the stead that may better fall in with the matter they are upon Not that they reject or vilifie the original Text but to bring what they alledg more ingenuously to their own purpose I have known this done in some words wherein they keep indeed to the same letters but make the variation by the change of vowels Which shews in the mean time that this was neither any strange thing amongst them nor accounted any crime but received rather with applause to aliâ—nate the words of the Hebrew Text from their native and original reading to deduce something either true in it self or at least smooth and ingenious And if Stephen here after the usage of the Schools quoting this passage of the Prophet Amos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond Damascus had magisterially said as they were wont to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 don't read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond Damascus but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond Babylon it would have gone down well enough with his auditory both by reason of the usual custom of the Nation and principally because what he said was true For II. Let us consult another place in the same Prophet Amos IV. 3. And ye shall go out at the breaches one against another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ye shall cast them into the palace Where the Targum and Syriack They shall carry them beyond the mountains of Armenia And the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unto the mount Romman R. Sol. upon the place tells us that Jonathan paraphraseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beyond the mountains of Horman they are the mountains of darkness m m m m m m Beresh rab fol. 35. 4. Alexander King of Macedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 went to the King of Cazia behind the mountains of darkness Let me add one passage more n n n n n n Hieros Sanâ—eâ— fol. 29. 3. Israel went into three Captivities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one was within the river Sanbation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other
made to Edom and partly because in the Prophesie next following it is said There shall be no remnant of the House of Esau Obad. vers ult where they distinguish that also by rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that carrieth fire III. The Hebrew words of Amos quoted by James do suit very well with his design and purpose when to prove that God visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name he cites this I will build again the Tabernacle of David that they may possess the remnant of Edom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The remnant of â—â—om in the same sense with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remnant of Israel mentioned Rom. XI 5. And by naming Edom one of the bitterest enemies that Israel had from whom a remnant should be taken out and reserved the thing propounded is the more clearly made out viz. That God had visited the Gentiles c. The words also in the Greek Version which St. Luke follows do prove the thing too mention being made of all Nations seeking after the Lord and therefore he doth the more safely follow that Version here which indeed he doth almost every where and for what reasons he so doth I have observed in another place IV. I know that the Talmudic and other Jewish Writers understand by the Edomites commonly the Romans but why they do so does not so well appear But their impudence sufficiently appears when they introduce the Romans owning themselves for the Children of Esau or Edom and making their boasts of it h h h h h h Avodah Zarah fol. 11. 2. At Rome once within seventy years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They bring forth a sound man one that represents Esau 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make him ride upon a lame man that represents Jacob and by that they shew how Esau now ruleth over Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they cloth him with the Garments of Adam those were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Garments of desire that Esau had And they put upon his head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the skin of the head of Rabbi Ishmael He was the High Priest that had been killed by the Kingdom of the Romans but had so comely a face that Cesar's Daughter caused the skin of it to be taken off and preserved in Balsom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they hang upon him a Pearl of the weight of a Zuzee and proclaim before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The computation of the Lord of Jacob as one Gloss or of Isaac as another is falsehood That is his Prophesie by which he promised Redemption to his Children is a lye The Brother of our Lord i. e. of Esau is a deceiver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever sees this sight at present let him see it and whosoever doth not see it shall not see it that is till the seventieth year again What did thy deceiver get by his deceit and what did that falsifier get by his falshood And so at length conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Woe to this man when he shall arise Woe to Esau when Jacob shall arise I thought fit to transcribe these things only to give you a specimen with what confidence the Jewish Writers esteem the Romans for Edomites of whom they hardly ever speak without spleen and hatred curse and abhorrency The words shut within the Parenthesis are not mine but those of the Gloss. V. I do not belive that the Romans were thus taken for Edomites by the Jews when the Greek Version was wrote but yet I do believe that at that time the Edomites were as odious to the Jews so that it is no wonder if those interpreters from that hatred should envy them those things Amos had foretold should happen to them that remained of Edom and diverted his words another way i i i i i i Shemoth rabba fol. 152. 3. This is the offering thou shalt receive from them Gold Silver and Brass Exod. The Gold is Babel The Silver is Media The Brass is Greece Dan. II. But there is no mention of Iron Why so Because wicked Edom that wasted the Sanctuary is likened to that To teach us that God in time to come will accept an offering from every Kingdom except Edom. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they abstain from pollutions of Idols and from Fornication I. IT may with good reason be asked whether these four things were forbidden under one and the same notion namely this That the converted Gentiles might not give offence to the Jews if they should not abstain from all these things Or whether there might not be something else interwoven viz. that those converted Gentiles might not relapse into something of their former Heathenism the abstaining from pollutions of Idols and from Fornication seems to respect this later as that of abstaining from things strangled and from blood the former In the mean time one might wonder at the heart and forehead of the Nicolaitans who not only practised but taught diametrically contrary to this decree of the Apostles Revel II. 14 20. Those Balaamites and Jezebelites with what paint could they beautifie that horrid and accursed doctrine and practice of theirs was it the liberty of the Gospel they pretended or rather did they not abuse that love and charity commanded in the Gospel Namely making a shew of some more transcendent friendship amongst themselves they would eat any thing with any Man and lye carnally with any Woman I have oftentimes thought of those words of the Apostle 1 Tim. IV. 3. forbidding to marry Who were these that forbad to Marry but especially upon what account did they forbid it We know indeed upon what unreasonable reason Marriage is forbidden to some in the Romish Communion in these later ages of the world but to whom and upon what occasion it was forbidden in those lasts days of the Jewish Oeconomy to which times the Apostle referrs in this place is not easily determined As to the clause that follows immediately in the Apostle commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received c. that passage comes into my mind k k k k k k Bava bathra fol. 60. 2. When the Temple was destroyed the second time the Pharisees i. e. the Separatists were greatly multiplied in Israel who taught that it was not lawful to eat flesh nor to drink wine R. Joshua applied himself to them and said My Sons who do you not eat flesh nor drink any wine They say unto him shall we eat flesh that were wont to offer it upon the Altar and that Altar is now broken down shall we drink wine that were wont to pour it out upon the Altar which Altar is now gone If it be so saith he then we should not eat bread because the Offerings of bread-corn are ceased we should not eat any fruits because the offering of first-fruits is at an end We should not
Israelite and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An uncircumcised Priest R. a a a a a a Hieros Pesach fol. 36. 2. Jochanan in the name of R. Benaiah saith They sprinkle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon an uncircumcised Israelite b b b b b b Levachin cap. 2. hal 1. All the Sacrifices whose blood is received by an Alien 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The uncircumcised Priest lamenting c. are not approved R. Simeon saith They are approved And c c c c c c Hieros in the place before R. Lazar in the name of R. Haninah saith There is a story 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an uncircumcised Priest who sprinkled blood at the Altar and his sprinklings were approved d d d d d d Gloss in Zevachin An uncircumcised Priest is a Priest whose brethren died by circumcision And An e e e e e e Arâ—ch ex Câ—â—liâ— uncircumcised Israelite is whose brethren died of circumcision and yet he is an Israelite although uncircumcised For the Israelites are not bound to perform the precepts where Death will certainly follow For it is said Laws which if a man shall observe them he shall live in them not that he dye in them Hence if the first second third son should dye by circumcision those that were born after were not circumcised but were always uncircumcised and yet Israelites in all respects Priests in all respects f f f f f f Hieros Jevamoth fol. 7. 4. R. Nathan saith I travailed to Cesarea of Cappadocia and there was a woman there who had brought forth male children which had died of circumcision the first the second the third they brought the fourth to me and I looked upon him and saw not in him the blood of the Covenant He advised them to permit him a little while though not circumcised and they permitted him c. Now Jew tell me Whether Circumcision is any thing especially whether it be of so much account either to Justification or to Sanctification as you esteem it when an Israelite might be a true Israelite and a Priest a true Priest without Circumcision II. Circumcision is nothing in respect of the time for now it was vanished the end of it for which it had been instituted being accomplished That end the Apostle shews in those words Rom. IV. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A seal of the Righteousness of the Faith in uncircumcision But I fear the words are not sufficiently fitted by most Versions to the end of Circumcision and the scope of the Apostle while they insert some thing of their own The French Translation thus Scean de la justice de foy Laquelle il avoyt durant le prepuce A seal of the righteousness of Faith which he had during uncircumcision The Italian thus Segno della giustitia della fede laquale fu nella circoncisione A Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which was without circumcision The Syriac reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a sign of the Righteousness of his Faith The Arabic of the righteousness of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was in uncircumcision Others to the same sense as though Circumcision were given to Abraham for a sign of that righteousness which he had while as yet he was uncircumcised which we deny not in some sense to be true but we believe Circumcision especially looks far another way Give me leave to render the words thus And he received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which should hereafter be in Uncircumcision I say Which should be not which had been Not which had been to Abraham as yet uncircumcised but which should be to his seed uncircumcised that is To the Gentiles that should hereafter imitate the faith of Abraham For mark well upon what occasion Circumcision was appointed to Abraham laying before your eyes the history of it Gen. XVII First This promise was made him Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations in what sense the Apostle explains in that Chapter and then a double Seal is subjoyned to establish the thing viz. The changing of the name Abram into Abraham and the institution of Circumcision ver 4. Behold my Covenant is with thee Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations Why is his name called Abraham For the sealing of this promise Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations And why was Circumcision appointed him For sealing the same promise Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations So that this may be the sense of the Apostle very agreeable to the institution of Circumcision He received the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteouss of Faith which herafter the Uncircumcision or the Gentiles was to have and obtain Abraham had a double Seed a natural seed that of the Jews and a Faithful seed that of the believing Gentiles The Natural seed is signed with the sign of Circumcision first indeed for the distinguishing it self from all other nations while they were not as yet the seed of Abraham But especially in memory of the justification of the Gentiles by Faith when at last they were his seed Therefore upon good reason Circumcision was to cease when the Gentiles should be brought in to the Faith because then it had obtained to its last and chief end and from thenceforth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Circumcision is nothing VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye not the Servants of men I Ask whether the Apostle speaks these words directly and as his own sense or by way of objection to which he answereth in the verse following The Jews were wont thus to object concerning themselves by reason of their liberty obtained by the redemption out of Egypt so that they would not endure by any means to be called Not free Joh. VIII 33. Rabban g g g g g g Kiddush fol. 22. 2. Jochanan ben Zaccai said The blessed Lord saith The ear which heard my voice upon mount Sinai at what time I said For the children of Israel are my Servants and not the Servants of Servants but it goes and obtains to its self the Lord let that ear be bored Perhaps these new Christians that were of a servile condition laboured under this pride not as yet instructed concerning the true sense of Evangelical Liberty Or this scruple stuck with them whether it were lawful for a Christian to serve a Heathen An Atheist An Idolater c. such Questions are moved by the Masters Whether an Israelite is to be sold for a Servant to a Heathen Whether an Israelite that is a Servant is to be pressed with the same service as a Canaanite If the Apostle speaks directly he does not discourse concerning Servants particularly but of all Christians in general And it is far from his intention to take away the relation that is between Masters and Servants but he admonisheth all Christians that they serve not the evil lusts and wills of men
Law by it self and changed thirteen places in it the examination of the latter clause will yield light to the former and will give its vote to him that says that it does not appear in the Talmudists that the LXX translated at all but that they only transcribed the Hebrew Books in Hebrew CHAP. VIII Of the thirteen places that were changed BOTH Talmuds as also other Rabbins who relate the story of the LXX Elders add always this that they changed thirteen places in the Law which they also reckon up But now when those different readings are not found in the Greek Version that story is exploded by the most as a mere fiction when indeed the change was not in the Version but in the Hebrew Transcription Let the thing speak it self They wrote say they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God created in the beginning Gen. I. 1. not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning God created Lest the King should say Bereshith is God and there were two powers and the first created the later a a a a a a See the Gloss in Megill fol. 9. 1. But now in the Greek Version it was impossible that such a scruple should arise it could arise only from the Hebrew Text and it must necessarily be that this change intended for an amendment should be reckoned to be in the Hebrew words themselves They write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Sarah laughed among her neighbours Gen. XVIII 12. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within her self They wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatsoever was desirable I took not from them Numb XVI 15. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Ass. Now who will doubt but that the change was made in the Hebrew words themselves In the former from the affinity of the words in the later from the similitude of the letters But instead of more let this one Example serve They wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he sent worthy men of the children of Israel Exod. XXIV 5. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 young men Now if it be asked whether they wrote the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the sense of it in the Greek Language the Jerusalem Gemarists witness that that very same word was writ by them in this story Three books say they were found in the Court of the Temple In one of them was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. XXXIII 27. in two was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They received those two and they rejected the third In one was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sent worthy men of the children of Israel In two was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sent young men of the children of Israel They received those two and rejected the third In one was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nine In two was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eleven They received those two and rejected the third Now it may be asked What I pray were those two Copies in which it was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were Hebrew Copies without all controversie and so was that without all doubt in which it was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no reason therefore why that tradition of the thirteen places changed should bear so ill a report and be accounted for a fiction because those thirteen alterations are not met with in the Greek Version For the Talmudists plainly treat of the Seventy two not Translating out of Hebrew but transcribing the Hebrew Books themselves Let us also add the introduction that the Jerusalem Writers make to this history b b b b b b Megill f. 71. 4. The Jerusalem Talmudists say they wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerusalem Jerushlema Tzaphon Tzephona Teman Temna That is they changed the writing of these Hebrew words and immediately they add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wise Men altered thirteen places for Ptolomey the King Which is also to be understood of the Hebrew words themselves otherwise this does not suite with what goes before CHAP. IX In what value the Version of the Seventy as it is commonly called seems to have been among the Iews THUS it remains doubtful whether the Talmudists acknowledge any Version of the Seventy two Elders or no. Let it be granted therefore that they attributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine inspiration to them from hence that being put asunder yet they all conspired in one mind and sense nevertheless it will not at all follow thence that any honour was given by them to this Version which is carried about under that name One may much more readily perceive in it the breath of Jewish Traditions than any inspiration of the Holy Ghost And although their own Traditions were of account certainly to the Nation and for the patronizing them many things seem to be put into the Version which favour them yet this did by no means so much obtain with them as that they valued the Version above the Hebrew Original and that the casting away that made choise of this to themselves but they always reserved to the Hebrew Text its due honour I. What the Learned among them might judge of the Greek Version one may somewhat guess from hence that even a Christian himself seriously reading and viewing it may observe many things in it whereby he may discover by what counsils cautions and crastiness that Version was published especially if together with it he hath in his Eye the Manners Traditions Ordinances and State of the Jewish Nation to which allusion is very frequently made and respect had by those Interpreters The matter may be illustrated by one or two examples as to their Traditions Gen. XX. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because the Lord in shutting shut up all the Womb without Whence comes the putting in of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without It agrees with the Tradition that the Wombs were barred up against copulation a a a a a a Bava Kama fol. 92. 1. Exod. XXIV 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They saw the place where God had stood instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They saw the God of Israel Compare the Tract Kiddushin b b b b b b Fol. 49. 1. with this where the Gloss is this R. Hananiel saith He that renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They saw the God of Israel is a liar c. See the Notes before at Chap. XIV vers 2. Deut. XXX 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Lord shall purifie thy heart And Jos. V. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After which manner Joshua purified the children of Israel for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He circumcised in a sense too much inclining to the trifling praises of Circumcision among the Masters Whence are those words taken Jos. XXI 42. and XXIV 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There they laid
43. And he saith unto Iesus Lord Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Acts XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say That there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both John XI 51. This spake he not of himself but being High Priest that year he prophesied That Iesus should dye for that people Rom. IX 3. For I could wish that I my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Gen. III. 20. And Adam called his wifes name Eve because she was the Mother of all living 1 John III. 12. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him Because his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous Gen. IV. 15. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him Exod. XX. 5. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Exod. XX. 11. For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. XX. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee A Discourse upon the fourth Article of the Apostles Creed He descended into Hell A SERMON PREACHED AT St. Michaels Cornhil Novemb. 25. 1658. Before the NATIVES of STAFFORDSHIRE JOHN X. 22 23. And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication and it was Winter And Iesus walked in the Temple in Solomons porch THE Text is suitable to the occasion Here is a Feast as well as yours a Feast in Winter as well as yours and as I shall shew you anon a Feast on the five and twentieth day of November as well as yours If Christ will vouchsafe his presence at yours as he did at this in the Text the parallel will not be so pregnant as it will be happy Of all the four Evangelists John is most punctual nay he only is punctual to give account of the Festivals that intercurred between Christs entrance into his Publick Ministry at his Baptism and the time of his Death that renowned and signal space of time of half a week of years as they be called Dan. 9. 27. or three years and an half in which Christ performed his Ministery and wrought Redemption And this he doth partly that he might the more remarkably count out the time and partly that he might shew how careful our Saviour was to observe those Festivals He names you the four Passovers that intervened The first Passover after his Baptism in Chap. II. when he whipped Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple The second in Chap. V. when he healed the long diseased Man at Bethesda The third in Chap. VI. 4. a little before which he fed five thousand Men miraculously The fourth and last in Chap. XVIII at which he suffered He gives you also account of his being at the Feast of Tabernacles Chap. VII and of his being at the Feast of Dedication in the words that I have read To the expounding of which the very way that I must go cannot but mind me to Observe this to you That Humane Learning is exceeding useful nay exceeding needful to the Expounding of Scripture The Text gives the rise of this Observation and it gives the proof of it Here is the mention of the Feast of Dedication and not one tittle else in all the Scripture concerning it And so there is the bare mention of Solomons porch and indeed it is mentioned once again in Act. III. 11. but neither here nor there any more than the bare name Certainly the Holy Ghost would never have mentioned these things if he would not have had us to have sought to know what they meant But how should we know them The Scripture gives not one spark of light to find them out but Humane Learning holds out a clear light of Discovery Would you know what this Feast of Dedication was Upon what occasion instituted How celebrated At what time of Winter it occurred The Scripture speaks not one word of all these but Humane Authors the Talmud Maimony Josephus the first book of Maccabes tell you all fully And would you know what Solomons porch was and where it was and in what part of the Temple it was in Scripture you can never find it but consult Humane Learning and Writers and they will tell you it was a Cloister-walk on the East bound of the utmost Court of the Temple and they will tell you the very space and fashion of it Here is a Text fallen into our Hands occasionally a Thousand others of the like nature might be produced let any of those that deny Humane Learning to be needful in handling of Divinity but expound me this Text without the help of Humane Learning and I shall then think there is something in their Opinion Two things lead them into this mistake 1. Because they conceive the New Testament which part of the Bible Christians have most to deal withal is so easie of it self that it needs no pains or study to the Expounding of it 2. And the less because say they the Spirit reveals it to the Saints of God and so they are taught of God and can teach others Give me leave partly for our settlement in the Truth about this Point and partly for the stopping the mouths of such gainsayers out of many things that might be spoken to commend these four to you I. That in the time when Prophecy flourished the standing Ministery that was to teach the people were not Prophets but Priests and Levites that became Learned by Study And for that end God disposed them into forty eight Cities which were as Universities where they were to Study the Law together that they might be inabled to teach the people And you may see the very Prophets themselves sending the people to them to be Instructed Hag. II. 2. Mal. II. 7. It is but a wild thing now when Prophesie is ceased so many hundred years ago to refuse Learning and a Learned Ministery and to seek instruction we know not of whom II. There is no ground in Scripture to believe nor promise to expect that God doth or ever will teach men the Grammatical or Logical construction of the Scripture Text. T is true indeed that he gives to a gratious Saint the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ as it is Ephes. I. 17. But how Revealing to him by experimental feeling that which he knew indeed before in Scripture but only by bare Theory As for example A man before his conversion knows by reading and hearing what Faith and Repentance are in their definitions but when he comes to
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
eleven hundred shekels of silver of every Philistin Prince Chap. XVI 5. And then look at the eleven hundred shekels of silver consecrated for making Micahs Idol Chap. XVII 2. which was set up in the Tribe of Dan Chap. XVIII 29. And you may easily perceive that the Holy Ghost hath laid these stories thus together that their sin in Dan and shame in the fall of Sampson of Dan might be cast up together Their last Judge Sampson of Dan came to so fatal and unhappy an end and no wonder for their first Idolatry was in Dan. And thus you see how Phinehas is still alive in this story and he named because they inquired by him and the Ark named because he enquired at the Ark. Which is the third inquiry III. But how enquired he By Urim and Thummim So was Gods direction to them Numb XXVII 21. And Joshua shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall ask counsil for him after the Judgment of Urim before the Lord. As Joshua the chief Commander in his time did enquire by Eleazar the father so did the chief commander now by Phinehas the son and both by the judgment of Urim and Thummim But how was that There are so many opinions about what Urim and Thummim was and so great obscurities made how the Oracle was given by it that it may seem to require another Oracle to tell how that Oracle was given I shall not tire you with diversities of opinions I shall briefly lay down some particulars concerning this thing upon which I my self am abundantly satisfied about it and upon which I suppose any that is not over curious may receive satisfaction 1. None but knows the Dress of the High Priest Exod. XXVIII and particularly the brest-plate the twelve stones and the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in upon them And then it is said at vers 30. And thou shalt put in the brest-plate of judgment the Urim and Thummim By the brest-plate there is meant as in vers 15 16. viz. that piece of imbroidred work foursquare and doubled of a span square in which the twelve precious stones were to be set And by the Urim and Thummim is meant the twelve precious stones themselves which are called Urim or Lights or Brightness because of their shineing Lustre and Thummim or Perfections because with most exact and perfect compacture they were all set and fixed in a plate and border of gold in that embroidred piece or that piece of cloth of gold 2. The inquiry by Urim and Thummim was not upon any private occasion nor by a private man but by the Prince or Commander in chief and that in some matter that concerned the whole Nation This might be largely cleared but needeth not only this I cannot but observe that till Solomons time there is mention and example of this enquiring by Urim by Joshua here in the Text by Saul by David but after Solomons time no such mention not because the Oracle then failed but because till David had done the work the whole Land in the full extent that God had promised namely to Euphrates was not conquered And therefore in those times this Oracle was stirring for the direction of the Prince or chief Commander in that expedition and employment 3. There was no enquiring of any Priest by Urim who was not inspired by the Spirit of Prophesie And hence it is that as the Jews well observe after the first generation after the return out of Captivity the Oracle by Urim and Thummim was not under the second Temple at all because thenceforward there never was any High Priest that had the Spirit of Prophesie or divine Inspiration The case of Caiaphas was singular and it was but once XI Joh. 51. Being High Priest that year he prophesied The emphasis and main reason lies in that year that year when Vision and Prophesie should be sealed that year when the Spirit should be poured down in so abundant a measure as it was Act. II. He being High Priest that year had one drop of that showre of divine Inspiration that fell that year and he Prophesied But before him had there been no High Priest that was indued with the Spirit of Prophesie from the times of Nehemiah Chap. VII 65. and accordingly not the Oracle by Urim and Thummim 4. That Oracle therefore was not given by any audible Voice from off the Ark nor by rising of the letters of the Names of the Tribes in the precious stones that should spel out the answer for two or three letters in the Alphabet were wanting in those Names nor was it by change of Colour in the letters or stones as is conceited by some but the manner of inquiring and receiving answer was thus The High Priest with all his Habiliments on particularly the Brest-plate with the twelve precious stones in it upon his brest the Names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in the stones stood before the Ark only the Vail between and so he presented the Names and represented the Persons of the twelve Tribes before God He proposed the thing that was inquired as Phinehas here in the Name of the People shall I go up against my Brethren And the Lord presently inspired him with immediate Revelation discovering to him what was his mind in that case and so he told it the people As Phinehas here Go up now against Benjamin again and you shall prevail And thus have we done with the Historical concernment of the Text. And now instead of any doctrinal Observations upon it I might take into Consideration three material inquiries which lie fairly hinted in the three parts I have spoken to I. From the first part that speaks of the Children of Israels inquiring of the Lord we may be justly moved to inquire how the Children of England may inquire of the Lord in their doubtings or perplexities as Israel did II. From the second part that speaks of the Ark being there in those days it may justly call upon us to consider why or whereupon the Ark carried that Name and Title that it doth here and in many other places viz. The Ark of the Covenant III. From the third and last part that speaks of their enquiring by Phinehas the High Priest it may justly move this Quaere whether the High Priest were Prophetick or Oracular by his Function I take the hint for this from the Rhemists note upon Caiaphas his Prophesying Joh. XI 50. where they say that the gifts of the Holy Ghost followed his Order and Office though he were so wicked and so bring it home to Peters chair that the Pope sitting there cannot want the Spirit I shall especially pitch upon the two first Namely to take up that Inquiry Why the Ark was called the Ark of the Covenant And the resolution of that Quaere will help not a little to resolve the first as to the mainest things that we are to enquire of the Lord about How frequently the Ark is called by this title The Ark
are Seals Obligations and Privileges And upon every one of these children are capable of the Sacrament of Baptism First Why is it not lawful to imprint a Seal of Gods truth upon babes Memorials of Gods truth and faithfulness have been imprinted upon liveless and insensible things Thus the Bow in the cloud was set for a token of a Covenant between God and the Earth IX Gen. 13. And Joshua wrote Gods Law on the stones of the Altar VIII Josh. 32. It was imprinted on children by Gods appointment in circumcision why not now Why do we seclude children from that honour now Why uncapable now Mistake not in thinking that Sacraments seal his righteousness or interest in God that receives them no they seal Gods truth whosoever receive them Simon Magus received baptism and Judas the Lords Supper they were seals of Gods truth though not to their profit Peter Paul received them for advantage How As Seals Yes but not sealing their righteousness but as seals of Gods truth and so they confirmed their faith T is ignorance and a blind cavil to assert the Sacraments seals of his righteousness that partakes of them and therefore that Infants are not to be baptized Secondly Infants are capable of an Obligation A man may bind his heir though an infant So infants were bound by circumcision Why not now Nay see Deut. XXIX 11 15. You stand this day all of you before the Lord your Captains of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones c. That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath c. Neither with you only do I make this Covenant and this oath But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God and also with him that is not here with us this day Where you see that those that were unborn and distant when Moses made this Covenant were bound to this Covenant and children are no further off than these For the equity of the obligation lies not in the parties understanding the thing but in aequitate rei in the equity of the thing it self How come all men liable to Adams sin Aequitas imputationis the equity of imputing it to them makes them liable as they are in Adams loins and Covenant How do men become bound to perform their duty Not because able but ex aequitate rei because it is so equal and fit that they should So children at baptism may come under obligation not because they are able to perform their duty to know it but the equity of the thing lays it on They have this natural bond upon them as Creatures to Homage God if the Sacramental bond be added they are bound as Christians to Homage Christ. Why should this be so monstrous since they are as much capable to know one as the other I may add they are part of their Parents and therefore to be brought under the same Bond. So I would answer an Anabaptist I baptize my child because I am baptized my self A strange reason will he say Let him give me the reason of those two passages Gen. XVII 14. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my Covenant And Exod. XX. 5. I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children Alas what hath the poor child done Why doth God visit the iniquity of the Father upon the child He is part of his Parent and in the punishment of the child the Parent is punished Here then is the reason why Parents ought to bring their children to Baptism because they themselves are not whole under this bond and introduction if part of them viz. their children be out of it This is the reason of baptizing whole families Act. XVI 15. 33. c. Where you may see how they were first discipled by Baptism in a minute after hearing of Christ and also how the whole Family was baptized with the Parent It is childish to say it may be there were no children in those families and shews their ignorance that plead it For if never so many children they must be baptized For so was the Custom of the Jewish Nation in their use of Baptism when a Proselyte came in his children were baptized with him and all this upon this ground that all that were related to the Parent might come into Covenant But were succeeding generations of Proselytes children baptized I answer No but only the first generation was baptized Why then are we baptized after the conversion of our Nation I answer They had the Sacrament of admission Circumcision for true Israelites and that continued from generation to generation and Baptism being of the same nature and use requires the same continued practise Thirdly Baptism is for privilegial ends And a child is capable of privilege A child in the cradle may be made a King Children were capable of Circumcision that was a Privilege to be admitted into the Jewish Church why are they not capable of the like privilege now Talm. Bab. in Jeramoth Cap. 4. disputes this case and so resolves That one may be privileged though he know it not As one at a distance may be chosen Fellow of a College Why is not a child capable of receiving a badge of the privilege of being under the Covenant with his Parents Object But these Privileges come by birth of Christian Parents Answ. No not any privilege further than Baptism Birthright intitles to that and that admits to the rest of the privileges He that was uncircumcised was cut off though of circumcised parentage Gen. XVII 14. This argument the Apostle handles 1 Cor. VII 14. So that children are not only capable of Baptism as a Privilege but bound to Baptism as an Introduction to privileges and cut off without it as it was in circumcision We conclude with that remarkable passage Matth. XIX 14. But Jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Who brought these children Not unbelievers such to be sure would not they must therefore have been such as believed on him But what did believers bring them for Not to heal for if it were for that end why should the Disciples hinder them rebuking those that brought them vers 13. Christs answer to the Disciples shews that they brought them as children of Disciples and that Christ would own them as his Disciples which he by his words concerning them professeth them capable to be And the Disciples rebuked those that brought them not that they were ignorant that children were introduced into the Gospel bond and profession with their Parents but they thought this too much that they should desire so particular admission by Christ. It is observable that Baptism in the first times was the badge of Preservation from destruction See
him from death and was heard in that he feared It lies upon glorified Saints in one part of it viz. Thanksgiving It is so a Duty for the unholiest that though they sin in their prayers yet they sin worse if they pray not Your prayers are not sin as to the Act but because of other things External adoration is absolutely required to be given to God by all his creatures and if that be not yielded they doubtless sin This the wicked man when he prays gives to God They mistake foul that say Pray not till the Spirit move you Truth saith Pray because Duty requires you and in doing your duty wait for the Spirit 3. It is a Duty that makes out and sanctifies all our duties As 1 Tim. IV. 5. Every creature of God is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer So is every religious duty that we perform What is our hearing reading meditation if we pray not that God would sanctifie it and make it beneficial to holy ends and purposes to us 4. We had need to pray in reference to our Duty lest God turn us out of all and own us not for Tenants because we pay not our Rent You read in XXX Exod. 12. c. That every Israelite was to give half a shekel for the Redemption of his Soul the rich was not to give more nor the poor less This Christ himself paid Matth. XVII 24. c. Prayer is that half shekel to us The rich can give no more and the poor hath this to give viz. To make our humble acknowledgments to God for our lives and our comforts This is the greatest owning of our homage and none is so poor as to be without it The words that signifie Prayer speak this viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judging our selves and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depending upon grace We hold all upon grace The acknowledgment of this is the payment of our Homage to our Creator Would you comfortably enjoy your Houses Lands Studies Comforts pay your Rent Pray Pray Pray See what becomes of them that pay not this Homage Jerem. X. 25. Pour out thy sury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name Secondly We had need pray because of our wants This is the only way for our supply II. This is the bucket to draw our Water Ask and you shall have Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee Yea though God know our wants we must pray for the supply of them That is a strange motive to prayer in Matth. VI. 8. Your heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask them What need then is there to tell them If he will give he will give whether we ask or ask not Yes pray for what ye stand in need of though ye are sure of the grant of those things Daniel prayed for the restoration of the Captivity which he knew certain David for the pardon of his sin which he knew God would pardon And that for these reasons First God will have his Homage T is reason Elias should have his cake first that provides meal for the maintenance of the whole family 1 Kings XVII 13. Secondly We pray not to shew God our wants as if he were ignorant of them but to shew that we are sensible of them and to signifie that we know he only is able to supply them Saints are called poor because they know their wants and know they live on Gods Alms. See Rev. III. 17 18. Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsil thee to buy of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich c. God would that this Church of Laodicca should know her wants and buy by prayer the supply of them Thirdly I may add We had need to pray because of our advantage and benefit yea though we receive not particularly what we pray for Though as Psal. XXII 2. We cry in the day time and God heareth not and in the night season we take no rest Though God seem as in Psal. LXXXVIII 14. to cast off our Soul and hide his face from us yet we had need to pray still because we still want and if we never receive particularly what we pray for yet these benefits we shall reap by our prayers 1. We keep up and refresh our communion with God Constant prayer hath this advantage that it suffereth not God to forget us Lord why hast thou forgotten me saith David Prayer permits not God to forget no more than a Mother can forget a crying child He that prays is Gods Remembrancer and gives him no rest 2. The more we pray the better God will know our faces at the day of judgment I know you not shall Christ say to some why They never looked towards him Psal. XIV 2 3. The Lord looked down from Heaven to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside c. And I. Esay 4. There t is said of wicked men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are estranged backward or turned backward To these methinks the great Judge will say another day Ye were always strangers to me such as turned their backs upon me I could never see your face and therefore verily I know you not But on the contrary he that now confesses Christ and makes himself known to him by prayers and humble addresses he will know and confess him at the day of Judgment 3. The more we pray the more the heart is in Heaven and with God So that Prayer it self is a blessed benefit Phil. III. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven This of all other Conversations is the heavenly Conversation As Christ when he prayed was transfigured Luke IX 29. So in prayer the Christians heart is changed the soul is winged and mounts up till it gets hold of God as Jacob had him in his arms when he prayed 4. Time will come that all our prayers and tears shall meet us God puts our tears in his Bottle God reserves our prayers not one of them is left and we shall in time receive the fruit of them In 1 Kings VIII 59. There Solomon prays Let these my words wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night that he maintain the cause of his Servant c. Prayers are nigh unto God And thus I have finished the first Observation viz. That we had need to pray I come to the second II. That we had need to be taught to pray There is no doing spiritual work but according to the Patern in the Mount God prescribed Forms As at the offering of the first-fruits of the Land of Canaan XXVI Deut. 3 4. c. Thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those days and
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
most dearly beloved Truth thus to be abused and spurned against His most divine Truth sealed with the blood of his dear Son thus to be persecuted afflicted tormented The name of Rome in Rev. XVII is Mystery Babylon And that indeed not only because it is Babylon in a Mystery but that it is a great Mystery that God permits such a Babylon so cruel bloody inhumane a persecutor of his Truth so continual a disturber and vexation and firebrand to the World Such a Deceiver Seducer and Destroyer of Souls We may take up that Jerem. XII 1. Righteous art thou O Lord if I plead with thee yet may we plead with thee concerning thy judgments why doth the way of the wicked prosper And why is it so well with those that work iniquity Why is it so successful with Popery Heresie Error and Ignorance That that is aloft and prevaileth domineers and tyrannizes while Truth is troden down and the poor Gospel trampled under foot I might speak at large how God permits things to go thus upon very Divine reasons As First For the trial of his own people that profess his Truth how they will stick to his Truth under opposition how they will cleave to a poor persecuted despised Gospel how they will own a Truth that brings in no Mony no Worldly profit nor Honour nor Preferment but Loss of all things to gain Eternity The Gospel is the fan of Christ whereby he purgeth his floor and separates wheat and chaff asunder Secondly He permits wicked men to resist â—is Truth that they may make up the measure of their iniquities They think they avenge themselves of the Truth whereas God avengeth himself on them in giving them up to so reprobate a mind To refuse the Truth is bad enough to disobey the Truth this is worse to deny it and apostatize from it this is bad of bads but resisting and persecuting it this is worst of all Some count this the sin against the Holy Ghost In these men it might be for they had seen his miracles But however it was a sin unto death in them Thirdly God permits this because he knows Truth at last will conquer As God turned Christ loose to combate Satan and withdrew his Divine acting because he knew Christ would at last come off a conqueror As it was said of Gad Gad a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last XLIX Gen. 17. So it is with Truth it may be opposed oppressed trodden under yet it will overcome at last Truth is a heavy stone whosoever falls upon it will be broken but whomsoever it falls upon it will grind him to powder If Truth triumph not in the conversion of men it will triumph in their condemnation When there were persecuting Emperors how doth Truth triumph over them And so the time of Rome is coming when the Truth and Gospel which she hath so bitterly resisted and persecuted shall triumph and clap their hands at her confusion and ruine when Babylon shall sink as a milstone in the midst of the Sea and rise no more And all those divine Truths in the Gospel that she hath opposed resisted persecuted shall everlastingly rise up in judgment against her and load her with torments and condemnation So let Babylon come in remembrance before the Lord and he plead the cause of his Truth Gospel People Interest and reward her as she hath done to all these and as she would have done to poor England on the fifth of November And let all the people say Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge Novemb. V. MDCLXXIV ACT. XIII 9 10. Then Saul who also is called Paul filled with the Holy Ghost set his Eyes on him And said O full of all subtilty and all mischief thou child of the Devil thou enemy of all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord A Dreadful and dismal character to be given to a man by an Apostle and an Apostle now filled with the Holy Ghost to give it Take out but that little great clause Thou child of the Devil and there needs not much more to the picturing of the Devil himself in his proper colours and full proportion Full of all subtilty full of all mischief enemy of all righteousness and the uncessant perverter of the right ways of the Lord. How little needs there more to the limning out the Prince of darkness himself in his blackest complexion What is it for these titles to be given to any man But our Apostle could very well discern between a Brother and a Sorcerer between a true Christian and a false Prophet between a Professor of the Gospel and a professed perverter of the ways of the Lord. The Text tells us he set his Eyes upon him and sees him through he discovers what he is to the very bottom and accordingly is warranted by the Holy Ghost with whom he is filled to give him these brands O thou full of all subtilty and of all mischief thou child of the Devil and enemy of all righteousness The two Parties in mention were as different and contrary as light and darkness as Hell and Heaven the one an Apostle the other a Sorcerer the one a most near servant of God the other as near a servant of the Devil the one full of the Holy Ghost the other full of all subtilty and mischief and all the agreement that was between them if that be any was that either of them had a double name for Saul he was also called Paul and Bar Jesus he was also called Elymas The reason of the Apostles double name I should look no further for than to his double relation as he was a Jew born and as he was a freeborn Roman His Hebrew name Saul relates to his Hebrew original and his Roman name Paul to his Roman privilege And whereas he had been called by his Jewish name Saul all along the story hitherto while he had been conversing among the Jewish Nation he being now appointed Apostle of the Gentiles and now set out upon that employment he is called by his Gentile name all along hence forward Paul and Saul no more But the resolution about the Conjurers double name is not so easie and we shall not find Esau in this matter so smooth as Jacob. First As concerning his name Bar Jesus I believe it was almost as far from the signification of that Blessed Name that we adore as he himself was from adoring him and I believe it was a very great way from the letters of that Blessed Name In the Arabick translation indeed that we have in our Polyglot Bible it is written with the very same letters But in the translation in that Language published by Erpâ—â—â—us it is written otherwise and better I doubt not and yet I question whether with the letters proper for it or no I should devine his name Jesus from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ain inchoante which signifies
not received it When we see a person in worse state than our selves we commonly look upon our selves as some body whereas we should look up to him that hath made the difference And do we see a poor miserable creature and look upon him with scorn And do we not rather think Might not God have made me as poor and miserable as this poor wretch He might have clothed me with rags as well as this poor beggar He might have made me as silly as this poor Ideot Down great heart and proud and learn to ascribe all the comforts and benefits thou hast above any other poor soul where it is due and to ascribe nothing to thy self but guilt and sinfulness If we desire to be esteemed what is it to be esteemed by God He hath set all at one II. rate as men are in the lump if we desire to be of a better value it is wisdom to labour to be so in his eyes that so values all To esteem our selves is but a folly to labour to have others esteem us is but folly unless it be in an estimation that God will say Amen to it also Remember that of the Apostle It is not he whom man approveth but whom God approveth If we would be thought to be beautiful let it shine in the image of God if rarely decked let it be with his ornaments if to be learned remember that He that honoureth me I will honour A SERMON Preached upon JUDGES XI 39. And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned to her Father who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed THE Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. XI reckoning up that noble Catalogue of men famous for faith and great actions under the Law at vers 32. mentions three that may seem to be something questionable and those are Gedeon and Samson and Jephtha men indeed that had done great acts but that in the close came off with some foul blot Gedeon Judg. VIII 27. made an Ephod and put it in his own City Ophrah and all Israel went thither a whoring after it Samson pulled down the house upon his own head and so became Felo de se or guilty of his own death And was not Jephtha guilty of the death of his own daughter That is the question we are now to look into I have lately shewn you the Heathen sacrificing men and women to their Gods and Heathenish Israelites sacrificing their children unto Moloch let us now consider whether Jephtha a man of a better Name and Religion fell not under the like miscarriage in sacrificing of his Daughter The Text tells us He did to her according to his vow which he had vowed And the resolution of the question lies in the resolution of another verse what his Vow was That you have at vers 30 31. And Jephtha vowed a vow unto the Lord and said if thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands Then it shall be that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I come in peace from the children of Ammon shall surely be the Lords and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering A rash Vow as appears by his repenting and renting his garments vers 35. A rash Vow that he could not come off with either breaking or performing it but with sin If he performed it not he sinned in making a Vow that he might not perform If he performed it he sinned in performing a Vow that he might not make So that as the King of Syria once said Whether they came out for peace take them alive or whether they come for war take them alive So is Jephtha taken deadlily whether he hold his Vow or break it he is caught under a rash and sinful Vow as a man that hath a Wolf by the ears that whether he hold him or let him go he is in danger If he break his Vow how can he answer his taking such an ingagement upon him as not to keep If he hold it how can he answer making a Vow of so nice a performance The words of his Vow are read one way by some Interpreters and another way by others and there is one letter in the Hebrew Text breeds this diversity viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that may signifie either And or Or. And accordingly some read it Whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace shall surely be the Lords And I will offer it up for a burnt offering And others read it Or I will offer it up As meaning if it be fit to be offered in sacrifice I will offer it in sacrifice but if it be not fit yet it shall be the Lords So some of your Bibles give intimation of this diversity of reading having one in the Text and the other in the Margin But in the Text you see it is And I will offer it up And so it is in the Greek Vulgar Italian French and so rendred also from the Eastern Languages Now what could meet him out of the doors of his house that was fit for sacrifice Nothing to be expected to come out thence but Men Women and Dogs and any of these yea the very Dogs might come out to meet him and welcom home their Master but none of these were sit to be sacrificed Nay a Dog is not fit to be dedicated to God any way For though there is a supposal Levit. XXVII 11. and a permission of dedicating and sanctifying an unclean beast to the Lord that was not fit to be sacrificed and that it might be redeemed for a sum of mony to be given to the Priest yet a Dog is particularly excepted in that prohibition Deut. XXIII 18. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore nor the price of a dog into the house of the Lord for any Vow And do ye think Jephtha had his dog in his thoughts when he made his Vow That were more ridculous to imagine And if any were so simple as to imagine it it might be answered He could not think of his dog because he knew a dog could not be so consecrate to God Could he then think of a Bullock Ram Lamb Kid or Goat These were things indeed that were fit to sacrifice but a double objection lies against thinking that he thought of any of these The one is because he speaks of coming out of the doors of his house which no one will understand but of his dwelling house And it were ridiculous to think of Ox or Ram or Lamb or Goat coming out of his dwelling house And the other is that he speaks of coming to meet him which expression means to welcom him home as his Daughter went out to meet him to welcom him home Now it can little be imagined that he thought of any Bullock or Lamb or Goat coming out to meet him under any such notion Therefore these
things considered it is past all doubting that when he saith Whatsoever cometh out to meet me that he meaneth some man or woman or child of his family And child he had none but only this one daughter vers 33. And it is very like he little thought of her when he made his Vow but some of his men or maids And whereas our English hath rendred it favourably because of the great question that is raised upon his Vow Whatsoever cometh out the Hebrew original will most properly bear it He that cometh forth and so the Greek Latine and other Translations bear it For he was now upon an extraordinary and very great design viz. To go and fight with the potent army of the Ammonites his forces not being very great And therefore it is very likely that he makes an extraordinary Vow to his extraordinary design he was upon Now this had been but an ordinary and common business to Vow if I return from the children of Ammon with victory I will offer the first Lamb or Ram or Bullock I meet withal at my coming to mine own house Had this been any great Vow for the imploring his prospering in the great undertaking he went about But to dedicate a man or a woman to God spoke high and something like the greatness of the design And how he served his daughter when she came first to meet him is the great question and dispute Some tender of Jepthahs credit and reckoning it not fit to lay more hard things on him than the story will well bear therefore to make the best of it hold that he did dedicate to God not sacrifice his daughter he devoted her to God in keeping her a Recluse and Nun and never to be married though he had no other child and so his family was like to fall But on the contrary First Nunship and Vow of Virginity by the Papists indeed is pretended to be a great piece of devoting and consecrating the party to God But that it is so never was nor ever will be proved but only pretended and with a loud noise cried up as they did in the great hubbub at Ephesus Great is Diana of the Ephesians when none could understand or see any reason for such a hubbub and outcry Certainly among the Jewish Nation they were so far from accounting the Vow of Virginity a piece of Devotion and Religion that they accounted it a reproach for a woman to be childless nay a reproach for a woman not to be married You remember that saying of Elizabeth that had thitherto been barren Luke I. 25. Thus the Lord hath dealt with me in the days when he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men A great reproach for a woman to live and die childless but God hath taken away that reproach from me in giving me a child And a greater reproach it was for a woman not to be married And hence is that in Psal. LXXVIII 63. Their young men were slain by the sword and their maidens were not praised for so it is in the Original which our English hath rendred were not given in marriage For it was a dispraise for a woman not to be married Nay the Jews in their Traditional Law by which they were led too much did not only account it a shame not to be married but a sin and a breach of Gods command For those words Gen. I. 28. Be fruitful and multiply they account not only a blessing but a Command and reckon it the first Command of the six hundred and thirteen commands that are in the Law And to this opinion of theirs it is that the Apostle reflects 1 Cor. VII 25. Where treating concerning virginity and marriage he saith Now concerning Virgins I have no command from the Lord but I give my judgment as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful Secondly To this may be added that Persons dedicated to the Lord were not thereby bound to perpetual Virginity For we read of some that were so dedicated that yet for all that married As Samson a dedicate Nazarite yet took him a wife and that of the daughters of the Philistins And Samuel dedicated by his parents and yet afterwards married and had children So that whereas the Papists account vowed Virginity so great a piece of Religion and Devotion and thereupon their Nuns and their Priests must not marry they will hardly find the least warrant for it either in the Old Testament or the New It is meerly an invention of their own as indeed is most of their Religion and clearly without any warrant or allowance of God It is very unlikely therefore that vowed Virginity should be ever so much in fashion or request in the Jewish Nation as for them to account it so great a piece of Religion or that Jephtha should account that a noble performance of his Vow and account it a great Vow to devote his Daughter to perpetual Virginity But if that were not the intent and action of his Vow what did he to his Daughter Did he really sacrifice her and offer her up for a burnt offering Thaâ— was less Religion and less in custom in the Nation to sacrifice a person And can it be imagined that Jephtha that the Apostle reckons among the faithful should do such a thing I answer Very true But may we not think him though faithful yet for the present that he might fall under ignorance and a blind zeal It is indeed something hard and strange to think so uncharitably of such an one as he was But The Fathers of old were almost unanimously of the mind that he really sacrificed his daughter They that have purposely handled this question will tell you that Tertullian Athanasius Nazianzen Hierom Ambrose Chrysostom Austen Theodoret and others were of that mind Besides Jewish Writers that might be produced I will name but two the Chaldee paraphrase and Josephus And divers modern Christians are of the same mind But still the objection will return What such a man as Jephtha murther his own Daughter and offer her in sacrifice Would the Apostle ever have reckoned him among the noble army of Faithful ones had he done such a thing as this I answer First That comes but a little short of this that is said of Solomon 1 King XI 5. Solomon went after Ashtoreth the Goddess of the Zidonians and Milcom the Abomination of the Ammonites Let the Jews plaister the case the best they can and say that he himself did not worship these Gods but only suffered his wives to worship them and that he did not build those high places for Chemosh and Molec vers 7. but only suffered his wives to build them Yet how deeply was he guilty in suffering such a thing But the Text tells you that he himself went after these Gods which in Scripture language signifies commonly the real committing Idolatry with such Gods And do but remember what the service of Molec was and offering
children to him and observe that Solomon went after Milcom or Molec and built high places to Molec and how little short that does come of Jephtha's sacrificing his daughter And yet I doubt not of Solomons salvation for I doubt not of his repentance Secondly That it was now too common in Israel to worship Molec Now observe Judg. X. 6. The children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and served Baaliâ— and Ashtoreth and the gods of Syria Zidon Moab the children of Ammon and the Philistins and forsook the Lord and served him not An evil case were the people in when they were generally so idolatrous and so variously idolatrous Now among others observe that they served the God of the Ammonites which was Molec So that it was no strange thing with them to offer such barbarous and bloody sacrifices as their own children That you may guess that the corruption of the times might suggest to Jephtha the fancy of offering some such sacrifice of Man or Woman to God the rather since Thirdly That he was now going to fight against the children of Ammon who offered their children to their God Molec And it seems he thought he should speed better against Ammon who offered their children to Molec if he vowed and offered such another sacrifice to God We observed before that nothing could come out of the doors of his house to meet him that could be fit to be sacrificed by any warrant or allowance of God not his dog nor his servant and therefore that his words cannot but be conjunctive Whatsoever meets me shall be the Lords and I will offer it up And that the strictness of his Vow as he conceived it did put him on to the strictness of his performance It had been the part of the Priest and of the great Councel of the Kingdom to have prevented such a fact as this The Priests lips they should have preserved knowledge they should have taught him better and the great Councel that should have preserved righteousness and good order should have taken care against such an action But the Nation it seems was so overgrown with ignorance and idolatry and particularly with the serving of the Idol Molec that such a thing as this proved no regret at all to them The poor girle his daughter begged two months respit that she might go upon the Mountains and bewail her Virginity She might have hoped that in all that time some rescue might have come to her either the Counsel of the Priests or the authority of the State interposing with her Father But all was so out of tune and overgrown with Idolatry as may be seen in that Text I cited before Chap. X. that Jephtha that was too much led away with the evil example of the times is not at all restrained but rather encouraged by the negligence of those that should have directed and ordered better And to one that doth more narrowly search into the Bible I may recommend this observation to his examination That in the time of the Judges the High Priesthood was lost out of the line of the sons of Eleazar into the line of the sons of Ithamar from one family of Aarons to another And whether it might not be because the then High Priest did not better demean himself about this very matter let him seriously consider I am unwilling to charge Jephtha too heavily nor lay such a fact to his charge but I have given you the opinion of the greatest men of note that have written laying it to his charge and I have given you some reasons that might induce and move them to it But I dare say none of them that have so held but they thought that he had repentance proportionable to this miscarriage And so no doubt had Gedeon in setting up his Ephod in his City which caused all Israel to go awhoring after it And so repented Solomon after his building of Altars to Molec and so did Manasseh after his offering of his sons to Molec And such repentance of Jephtha I doubt not but the Aposte had an eye to when he reckons him among the faithful and those that died in the Faith I shall fix only upon one Observation which fairly offers it self unto us take we the story one way or other that he sacrificed his Daughter or only devoted her to perpetual Virginity viz. What care prudence and piety men had need to use about making of Vows Do you not think that Jephtha would have born witness to this when he found himself caught in the trap of his Vow and his daughter fallen into it which he little meant Could he not wish he had had more care in the making of his Vow when the keeping of it must prove so bitter Did not rashness go before his care when he vowed and considered not what might be the issue Did not his eagerness go before his prudence when he vowed some body but he knew not whom And did not his zeal go before his piety when he vows but violence to some or other on whomsoever it lights viz. either to sacrifice them or otherwise to devote them though against their will When he rends his garment upon his daughters meeting him and cries out that she was one that troubled him it might have been answered him as Elias did Ahab No I am not he that troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house No Jephtha it is not thy daughter that troubles thee but it is thy Vow that troubles thee that was made with no more consideration If more care prudence and piety had been there thy present grief and perplexity had not been here I name these three most deservedly and upon very good reason For as a Vow is a bond or cord whereby a man binds himself so these are as a threefold cord twisted to make up such a bond These are so essential to the constitution of a right and lawful Vow that let any of them be absent there will be a sad maim there Let Care be absent the Vow will be rash let Prudence be absent it will be impertinent and let Piety be absent it will be wicked and ungodly A Vow is a bond that binds the Soul and so the Scripture calls it Numb XXX 3. If a woman shall Vow a Vow to bind her Soul with a bond And a man had need to be prudent and careful how he binds his Soul It is a tender piece take heed the bond sit right lest it gall and fret it Take heed the bond be not such as to bind hand and foot and to cast into utter darkness What else think you was those forty mens Vow that bound themselves by an oath that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul Had not these men fettered their own Souls for utter darkness by the bond of their Vow Now because we have before us a remarkable case of a Vow let us a little consider of that subject and what
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
that was lost than for the ninety and nine that went not astray So I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than c. In the words you see there are two assertions The one Positive the other Comparative The Positive That there is joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth The Comparative That there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety nine just persons c. The former something strange but very comfortable The later more strange and something difficult It is something to hear of joy in Heaven for a sinners repentance But more strange to hear of any men on Earth that need no repentance There is nothing but joy in Heaven and one would think enough and enough again in the fruition of God It may seem something strange that any addition should be made to it by the conversion of men And it were no great news to hear of ninety nine thousand that did not repent but strange news to hear of any one person that needed no repentance The wisest of Men tells us That there is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles. VII 2. And then is there a just Man upon Earth that needeth no repentance for his sinning And the Apostle James assures us in Chap. III. 2. That in many things we offend all and that very thing may assure us that we have need to repent of many things For the apprehending of the meaning of our Saviour in this Comparison we may observe that he speaks either by way of opposition to something in the opinion of those to whom he speaks or directly in reference to the Persons of whom he speaks It was common with the Nation of the Jews to distinguish just Men into two sorts I. Those that had been sinners but had repented and were become new Men these they acknowledged to be just Men in comparison of wicked Men and in comparison of what themselves had been before But those that had not been sinners and faulty and vitious Men but had led a fair course of life all their time like that young Man Matth. XIX that had kept all the Commandments from his youth these Men they account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good or holy Men and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfectly just Men. And oh How far were these beyond those Men that had needed repentance How they speak plainly and copiously to this Tenor in their writings it were easie to produce I shall give you but two instances according to the two things I mention viz. Their making such a distinction and their under-ranking Men of repentance below the other As to the first I. At the Feast of Tabernacles while the Temple stood the Elders and Grandees of the Nation used to dance in the Temple every night and to sing these Songs Some of them this Blessed be my youth that hath no way shamed my old age These were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they good and holy Men and that had been Men of good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their first sprouâ—ing or growing The other sung this Blessed be my old age that hath made amends and expiated for my youth And these they say were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of repentance And II. How far they undervalued these Penitents and Repentance below the other they speak in their interpretation of those words Esa. LXIV 4. From the beginning of the World Men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neither hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him The good things say they that the Prophets prophesied of were for Men of Repentance and those things were revealed to the Prophets but the things that are laid up for those that are perfectly Just never Prophets Eye saw nor Ear heard nor were they ever known to any but God This distinction the Apostle alludes to Rom. V. 7. For scarcely for a righteous Man will one dye that is for one that is barely a righteous Man by repenting himself of his unrighteous ways yet peradventure for a good Man some will venture to dye that is for one that is perfectly just from the beginning and that needeth no repentance They do indeed prefer Repentance before perfect righteous ones in this one regard that Penitents have tasted the pleasures and sweet of sin and have forsaken them and cast them off when it is doubtful say they whether those perfect righteous ones would have done so if they had tasted the pleasures of Sin as the others did Yet howsoever they account it better always to have been of a holy conversation than once to have been unholy though now become holy And better never to have needed repentance than to have needed it and betaken to it And if you understand our Saviour as facing this Opinion of theirs there is no difficulty in his words but they are plain and easie As if he should thus speak out at large You think your selves very righteous and that ye need no repentance and therefore ye despise these poor creatures Publicans and Sinners as men of a hopeless and desperate condition but I say unto you There is more joy in Heaven over such an one repenting than over an hundred such as you conceive your selves to be not needing any repentance at all Or doth our Saviour speak of those that have been Good not in their own conceit II. but indeed and in reality from the very first and never run into any extravagancies from a child As Josiah sought the Lord from eight years old and so continued and as Timothy trained up in piety from a child and as others that have been so happy as to remember their Creator in the days of their youth and have begun to be pious and so have continued from their cradle Doth our Saviour speak of such as these on the one hand as well as he speaks of sinners that come at last to repent on the other Is there more joy in Heaven for a penitent Thief upon the Cross that had been a vilain to that very time than for a good Obadiah that had feared God from his youth More joy in Heaven for a Mary Magdalene repenting who had been an arrant strumpet a long time than for a holy Hannah that had never trod awry It seems so by the Parable of the Prodigal and his elder Brother more joy for the return of that mad rambling debauched vitious fellow than for his elder brother who had ever kept at home with his father and never transgressed his commands And how the Parable may admit this construction we shall observe afterwards However though as to the comparison there may be some difficulty and about the Person that is said to need no repentance yet as to the Positive and about a sinner that repents there is no scruple at all And so we will speak
owe and pay a duty that we owe to them and that upon as urgent obligations as likely can be and those are the duty of Charity and the preciousness of every soul or to knit them both in one Charity to every one because of his Soul If we should question why we are to love our Neighbour as our self What is the proper Answer Because God hath commanded it But did God command it without reason And what is the proper reason of the Command Does not that lye especially in reference to the Soul of every man David hath a saying Psal. XXXIII 13 c. The Lord looketh down from Heaven and beholdeth all the Children of men He fashioneth their hearts alike From whence some argue that the souls of all the Inhabitants of the Earth are alike And so indeed as to their essential constitution they are all alike That very thing may hush all exceptions against the loving of every man and may quell malice and enmity against any Consider these things First That man that loves not every man for his souls sake knows not the value and excellency of a Soul For did he that very thing would move affection in him towards it Beauty of it self is an Attractive of affection and it doth as it were charm the heart to love it and delight in it And if a Soul in its essential constitution be not beautiful and lovely what thing upon earth can be counted beautiful and lovely A Soul that carries the image of God in its very constitution a Soul that is like to the nature of Angels in its essence and being a Soul that is capable of the Divine Nature a Soul that is capable of Eternal Life and Glory If this be not lovely what is lovely It is accounted a great piece of Policy to study Men to observe and take notice of the tempers humors passions carriages of men and some have come to be great Statesmen by such observation I am sure it is a great piece of Wisdom to study Souls and to observe the nature worth price excellency both of our own and other mens And there is not a more general and comprehensive cause of the ruine of Souls than mens ignorance of and unacquaintedness with their own souls And it is no wonder if men be not tender of the souls of otherss when they are thus regardless of their own And the cause of that is because they are so unacquainted with the great value of any Soul Secondly I might insist to shew that he that is not tender of the Soul of another is not tender towards his own because he neglects so great a Duty viz. his being regardful of his Neighbours Soul the Duty of that great Command Thou shalt love thy Neighbour I might shew also that a heart that is right softned and made tender by Grace and Charity and Religion is soft and tender to every one towards every thing wherein Religion and piety and goodness may be concerned A heart of stone is a heart of stone throughout and no softness in it It is not softned toward God to love him nor toward its own Soul to love that nor to its Neighbour to love him But a heart of flesh is soft and tender throughout towards every thing toward which it ought to be soft and tender Yea as Solomon will tell you A good man is merciful and tender towasds his very Beast when the very mercies of the wicked are cruel But what affection is it that we owe to every Soul in the World Must we come up to write after this copy of the Apostle before us to be content and wish that our own souls should perish on condition other mens souls should be saved So far you will say he was within compass to tender their souls to desire that they might not perish and to mourn for their perdition this is something within reason But to wish that himself might perish that they might escape it to be accursed from Christ that they might not be so Who required this at his hands And must our Christian Charity come to that pitch or we come not to the right pitch of Charity Toward the answering this Question let me first ask another Would he have wished thus in behalf of any other Nation but his own Would he have been content to have been accursed from Christ for the people of Edom Syria Greece Italy or any other Country You will say It may be he would not for they were not so near akin to him as the seed of Israel was But kindred was the least thing that wrought with him here though that was somewhat but that his people perished the old people of God perished the old Church of God perished there was an end of the Covenant of God with them an end of the Promises to their Fathers and they that had been more to God than all the world besides were now to fall under his wrath and curse more than all the world besides this wrought deeply with him An Occurrence such as the like was never to occur again an Occurrence so strange and dreadful that the ruine and destruction of that Nation is commonly charactered in Scripture as the ruine and destruction of the whole world as if Heaven and Earth passed away when that Church and State passed away and as if Sun and Moon and Stars fell to the ground when the state and Ordinances of that Church fell Lay all these things then together as on heaps of misery and sadness and conceive our Apostle looking on them and we shall see both the reason of his extraordinary sorrow which we have in part seen already and warrant for his extraordinary Wish He sees with sad eyes and tears in them his whole Nation and blood and kindred to be rejected scattered destroyed ruined It fetcheth more tears to think that all those Souls must perish as well as their outward estate But it makes the tide flow above measure to think of a whole Church destroyed the Ordinances of God laid in the dust all the Providences of God for that people come to such an end The Children of the Kingdom cast into outer darkness and the Name of God blasphemed by the enemy for their sakes These indeed you will say were very just causes of his grief but were these just warrants for him to make such a wish against himself that he might be accursed for them This strange Wish I say again as I said before came not from passion or over-sight but from Charity and Zeal And it was Charity and Zeal above the ordinary measure as the man whose they were was a man above the ordinary state of men As he had more revelation from God of the things of the Gospel and Heaven than ever man had as having been rapt into Heaven to contemplate them So had he more Zeal and Charity we may justly say than ever man had Zeal for God and Charity for Souls And it were no
strength is firm But vers 19. How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors So God tells Pharaoh I have preserved thee alive that I might make my power known in thee II. Sometimes Gods forbearance to cut off the wicked is for their punishment not only when he strikes them with horror as he did Lamech but when they prosper Let Ephraim alone was Ephraim's punishment The Uses of this Discourse might be these 1. To Examine while we live and prosper whether it be for our punishment 2. To be jealous of an untroubled condition 3. This may teach with more patience and chearfulness to bear the Cross. For as Gods suffering men to succeed and prosper is sometimes a judgment a token of his displeasure so afflictions and troubles may be signs of his care and good will 4. Not to envy the prosperity of the wicked 5. To labour so to live as to be able to give a comfortable account of long life and age A SERMON PREACHED upon EXODUS XX. 5. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me THE first Commandment with threatning as Paul saith the first of the second Table was the first with promise Ephes. VI. And the threatning is most properly affixed to the Command against Idolatry Because God hath a special enmity and quarrel against Idolatry as one of the greatest derogations to his honour that can be in the World Observe in the Prophets the great complaint against the people is for Idolatry and unrighteousness The former the great injury done to God the later to Men the former the height of Impiety the later of Uncharitableness When man is bound to love his neighbour as himself to shew him mercy to be helpful to him and useful to him in all ways of charity how high an iniquity is it to defraud undermine oppress and deal injuriously with him And when bound to worship God alone as the great dreadful and glorious Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things in them how abominable a wickedness is it to give this honour to a piece of wood a stock or stone of our own framing How God detests this he hath uttered abundantly in Scripture partly by proclaiming Idols to be abominable to him Deut. VII 25. and XXVII 15. And by giving them names of the greatest abomination Vanities 1 King XVI 26. Jer. XIV 22. Lyes Esa. XLIV 20. Jer. X. 14. And so is that to be understood Rev. XXII 15. Without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Jonah putteth both the names together Jonah II. 8. They that observe lying vanities Nay the very name of abomination it self is given them 1 King XI 7. Nay the very name of Devils is given them Deut. XXXII 17. 1 Cor. X. 20. And as thus in his word he hath shewed his detestation against Idols and Idolatry so hath he also in his providence by those fearful judgments that he hath shewed against them that have been Idolatrous Witness Jeroboam and his house Ahab and his rooted out and devoured by this deadly canker themselves and their posterity undone according to the threatning here Visiting the sins of the Fathers upon the children It were a wonder and thing of amazement that the Church of Rome should ever be so zealous for Images were it not that there is something more behind the curtains than is seen They distinguish betwixt an Image and an Idol and say They worship not the Image but before it only for a memorandum But to omit the vanity of such a distinction which hath been abundantly confuted by our Divines where is their care of that rule of the Apostle To avoid all appearance of evil Certainly if there be not the appearance of Idolatry in worshipping before an Image what call you the appearance of Idolatry The Heathen persecutors of old thought their turn served if they could bring Christians to cast a little incense into the fire before an Idol Here the Christians might have pleaded it was not in worship to Idols but to please their Masters but they saw in it so much appearance of Idolatry that they gave up their lives rather than to consent to such an appearance of evil But that that is behind the curtains with the Papists is covetousness and gain of mony And if it were not that I make no question but they would be fâ—r cooler in pleading for their Images than they are It is upon very good reason that the Apostle calls Covetousness Idolatry for it is not only making mony our God but it is the very Father and Mother of Idolatry This is it that hath made these men so bold with adoring of Images so bold as to take away this Commandment against Idolatry out of the Ten though a Command so needful so dreadful and that hath so terrible a threatning with it For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God A Command that one might wonder at but that you can never enough wonder at the wickedness of mens hearts First One would wonder that ever such a Command should need Thou shalt not worship a stock or stone nor make that thy God which thine own hands have made Reason and light of nature and common sense one would think should so cry this down to men that have their wits about them that there might not any such Command from God be needful You may see how the Spirit of God does stand as it were wondring at the sottishness of those that make and worship Idols in Esa. Chap. XL. and three or four Chapters forward And did you see a Heathen or do you see a Papist worshipping and bowing down to the stock of a tree as he calls it there whether have you more cause to mourn to see God so dishonoured or to think what a stock and stupid thing sinful man is become to pray to or trust in a piece of wood or stone Secondly One might wonder that such a Law given should be so broken A Law so easie to keep and in so sensless a thing to break it Of all sins what easier to avoid than falling down to the stock of a tree And yet how were men infatuated with it as the Heathen and Israel were continually Who would have thought that Israel having seen the wonders in Egypt and the glory of God at Sinai should ever especially so suddenly have worshipped a golden Calf and said These are thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt What monstruous madness and senslesness is there in this Idolatry That 1. Whereas God made man for man to think that he can make a God 2. Man that can see and hear and speak and stir to think that his help should lye in that that can neither see nor hear nor speak nor
stir 3. For a man to fall down before that that he can cast into the fire water dirt and trample under feet and the Image not able to say What doest thou 4. It being in the power of man to make his image in the likeness of man or beast then when it is made to think it hath power over him and he to owe homage and duty and sacrifice and devotion to it So brutish foolish besotted a thing is man when left unto himself and his own wisdom And therefore there was need of such a Commandment against such sottishness and of tyes and terrors added to affrighten men from the folly as there are two you see in the words I have read I. That God proclaims himself a jealous God II. That he professeth he visiteth the fathers upon the children I. It is no wonder God proclaims himself a jealous God in this case when the love service and worship due to him is given to an Idol to a piece of wood or stone silver or gold Conceive in your hearts what jealousie is and you will find it no wonder he is so in this case or indeed in any other where his honour is given away and bestowed upon any creature This title is oft given him in Scripture and if we well consider what jealousie is in man or woman we will read terror in the tittle when God giveth it to himself He professeth it to be his Name Exod. XXXIV 14. The Lord whose name is jealous is a jealous God Read it again and tremble The Lord whose Name is Jealous is a jealous God Moses glosses upon it with a gloss of more terror Deut. IV. 25. The Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God As if he had said Does any ask what Gods jealousie means It means a consuming fire And so the Prophet Zephany explains it also Chap. I. 18. The whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie And again Chap III. 8. For all the Earth shall be devoured by the fire of my jealousie What fire was that that devoured Sodom and Gomorrha The fire of Gods jealousie What fire was that that consumed Jerusalem and laid it in ashes Was it the fire the Chaldeans put to it at the first sacking of it and the Romans at the second No it was indeed the fire of Gods jealousie What is that that consumeth ungodly men as stubble that unquenchable fire that devoureth the chaff when God cometh to purge his floor It is the fire of Gods jealousie The Prophet Nahum doth yet clear it further Chap. I. 2. God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance of his adversaries and reserveth wrath for his enemies The rest of the verse is an exposition of the first clause God is jealous What means that And read the first clause in the Text I the Lord thy God am a jealous God What means that An avenging God a God that avengeth in fury that taketh vengeance on his adversaries and reserveth wrath and vengeance in store for his enemies and them that hate him But that we may view Gods jealousie the better and with the more dread and trembling and oh that we could ever feelingly consider that the Lord our God is a jealous God let us first consider the nature of jealousie in men or women and by that arise to apprehend what this jealousie is in God Zealous and jealous are comprehended under one and the same word in the Hebrew Tongue and Zealousness and jealousie are uttered in that Language in the very same syllables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both In those allegations out of Zephany The land shall be devoured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the fire of his jealousie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the fire of my jealousie Now the same word is used elsewhere in a sense most sweet and comfortable That whereas it comes in some places like Elias his fire and earthquake and wind that rent the Rocks in terror and dreadfulness in other places it comes like the still voice in sweetness and comfort In Esa. IX 6 7. Where he is speaking of Christ his Names and Kingdom that he should be called Wonderful Counseller c. And that of the encrease of his government and peace there should be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order and establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth ever for ever he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And so Esa. XXXVII 32. where he promiseth comfortable things to his distressed people and saith Out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall do this And one for all Esa. LXIII 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where is thy zeal thy strength and the sounding of thy bowels In zeal is a fervent tincture of Love The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up that is the fervent Love I have to thy house And in jealousie is a high tincture of Love And accordingly Love and Jealousie are joyned and made as one thing Cant. VIII 6. In zeal is Love and forwarding that we are zealous of In jealousie Love and anger at that that provokes to jealousie A man is jealous of his wife or the wife of her husband the bottom of it is Love but the top is Anger The bottom Love How It is said that jealousie is too much Love But that rule fails For a man may be jealous of his wife he loves not And yet the bottom of jealousie is love For a man though he love not the person of his wife yet he loves to have the affection of his wife intirely to himself and cannot endure that her affections that are due to him should be given to another but disdains it and is angry at it By this we may conceive of the jealousie of God only adding the observation of that expression that is so frequent viz. Gods complaining that his people went a whoring from him Hos. I. 2. The Land hath committed great whoredom in departing from the Lord and so went a whoring after other Gods God takes it in anger and disdain that men should give away those hearts affections that love and service that is due to God to any thing besides God God doth very oft title the Church of Israel his children and oft his wife that he had married to himself Jer. III. 1. He had taken them for his wife she had played the harlot with many lovers yet if she would return he would take her again So Hos. III. 1. and in divers other places And the expression is very proper for he had forsaken all other Nations and clave only to her I shall not insist to shew how far the parallel fits any Christian Nation that God hath taken more peculiarly to himself by the administration of his Covenant among
son Amnon perished by the sword his son Adonijah by the sword and his son Absalom in as violent a manner Did not God remember Davids sin and his own threatning in this And yet did not all these perish for their own sins God visited their sin and withal remembred their fathers sin against them also God damned none of them for Davids sin Nor did God repute them sinful for Davids sin but if they were damned they were damned for their own sin and were reputed sinners in the sight of God for their own sin Yet in the external punishment that fell upon them there was a remembrance of their Fathers sin also Hophni and Phinehas perished together in battel their fathers sin was visited upon them which he is charged with 1 Sam. II. 29. That he honoured his sons more than God And yet they perished for their own sin If they were damned they were damned for their own sin and not their fathers and were reputed wicked in the sight of God for their own sin and not their fathers And yet in the external punishment that fell upon them their fathers sin was called to remembrance Objection But many a child is punished for his fathers sin that it may be is a good child or at least is free and innocent from the sin of his father Jeroboams son was taken away in his prime 1 King XIV was not that for Jeroboams sin that God cut off his child and he a good son and that had not consented to his fathers sin vers 13. In him there is sound some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel Here was justice indeed against the father but where was it to the son to cut him off so soon So Davids child begot in adultery must dye for Davids sin and what had the poor child offended Many first born in Egypt it is like were not guilty of their fathers cruelty towards Israel and yet they must all go to it they must dye It may be many a covetous unconscionable wretch hath a son that is more honest and yet the ill gotten estate moulders away and comes to nothing with an invisible canker Is here justice to the children to smart thus for their fathers fault To this I answer First We are to consider children as part of their Parents bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh And is it not justice in God to punish wicked Parents in what part of themselves he pleaseth It seems as lawful as for a King to punish a Traitor in what part of his body head or hand or foot it seems best to him If Jeroboams hand wither for the sin of his whole Person is it not just with God And is it not a penalty upon the whole person And upon this account it was not unjust with God when David had sinned in numbring the people to smite seventy thousand of the people if you consider David as a general father to all the people they part of him as he was King as being part of his Kingdom And such an answer if I had not other to give should I give to an Anabaptist that asks me why I baptize my child I should answer he is part of my self and so it is fit he be baptized because I am otherwise all of my self is not baptized And this gives some reason of what the Apostle saith That the child of a believing Father or Mother is holy that is is a Christian for the believing Parents sake because he is part of that Parent Secondly There are some punishments that descend as I may say naturally from Parents to Children nay I may say some sins that descend so naturally that God should invert the very course of nature if they stuck not to the children Original sin and guilt we derive not from our immediate Parents but from our first Parent Adam but some actual sins many children derive from their Parents When Parents from their childrens infancy let them run into lewd courses and either give them example of such courses or at least reprove and restrain them not the children grow lewd and wicked Whose sin is that lewdness It is the childs but it is the Parents also And many a Parent sees the just punishment of his own fault upon himself in the miscarriage of his child his coming to fearful wickedness and very oft to a fearful end Elias lenity to his wretched sons in not restraining them and so Davids to Adonijah did traduce and derive that sinful miscarriage into them And God even visited that sin of the Parents upon the children in suffering them to grow so abominably sinful Many a Parent is guilty of this and yet little considers it When their children prove debauched wild riotous they it may be will fret to see their expensive and destructive courses But let them reflect upon themselves and consider whether their children derive not that wickedness either from their Example or want of care for their Christian education Is it any injustice in God when Parents will have their children so brought up in wickedness to let them be wicked any injustice either to Parents or children that it is so when children will be so wicked and Parents will let them be so So some punishments descend naturally from the sin of the Parent as when children are made beggers by the riot prodigal lewd courses of the Parents when a whoring lewd Parent gets the foul disease and so traduceth it to his children when an unconscionable getter of an Estate leaves it to his children that like a Leprosie a Canker and a Curse sticks to it and it cannot but rot and come to nothing What should the justice of God do in this case Bless a cursed Estate preserve Children that the Parents will infect and keep them from beggery whom Parents will make beggers Shall God work miracles for these that only work rebellion and change the very course of the nature of things for them that will not change one lust Thirdly We are to distinguish between punishments and trials A good son of a bad father may come into affliction because of his fathers sin and yet that laid upon him not directly as a punishment but trial A good child of a prodigal riotous or unconscionable father may come to poverty when God aims it not as a judgment on him for his fathers sin but for trial and admonition to him against such sins The father indeed is so punished when his child comes to misery but the affliction in the mean time is to the child for his good The cutting off of Jeroboams son was a sad judgment to Jeroboam because the only hopeful child he had was so taken away but it was not intended as a punishment to his child but in mercy to take him away from wrath to come As in Esa. LVII 1. The righteous are taken away from the evil to come Fourthly and lastly The proper meaning is God visits upon evil children the
year shall all your men-children appear before the Lord God the God of Israel What objections might be made against that ordinance as that while they were absent from home their Lands might be invaded by their Enemies c. But he answers all in the next Verse For I will cast out the Nations before thee and enlarge thy borders neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year And so might they except at the costliness of the Sacrifices but his promise satisfied all Thou shalt be blessed in the fruit of thy body and land in the herds of thy Cattel and flocks of thy Sheep And so had God laid in stock in these promises for the Gospel Church when it should come in which required so much self-denial and forsaking House and Lands and which foretold of Persecution God had satisfied his people before that he would take care for their support that none for Obedience to his Commandments should be a loser And thus much of the first thing propounded viz. The Nature of the promise That it is Temporal We come now in the second place to consider the suitableness of the promise to the II. Command And what affinity then and agreement hath this promise with the Duty injoyned in the Command One would think it were more suitable to have said Honour thy Father and Mother that thou mayest be honoured of thy Children Honour thy Magistrate and thy Superiors that thou mayst also come to the like honour And such an agreement hath that saying of God 1 Sam. II. 30. Them that honour me I will honour And why therefore is it said Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land I Answer First There is this harmonious reason Thy Father and thy Mother under God gave thee being and if thou honour them thy being and well being shall be prolonged If thou desire long life honour them that under God gave thee life I remember here the Gloss of some Jewish Expositors upon these words of Eve Gen. IV. 1. When Cain was born she said I have gotten a man from the Lord. The Hebrew word that is rendred From in greatest propriety when it signifies any thing as sometimes it does not is With and so they render it I have gotten a Man with the Lord. Which they construe to this sense In the production of Adam God only had an Agency and Adam none and in my production out of Adam God only had an Agency and Adam none but in the production of this my Son I have been an Agent with God and I have gotten a Son with the Lord. But be it the one way or other though I should construe it a third way viz. I have gotten a Man even the Lord Or I have obtained the Lord to become Man as looking to the promise that Christ should be her seed It is very well known how much Parents contribute to the production and life of their Children And therefore it is but a just claim and a claim very suitable to that matter Honour thy Father and thy Mother that gave thee life that the life they gave thee may be prolonged But Secondly This promise is affixed to very many Commandments in the Law As 1. In General Deut. V. 33. Ye shall walk in the ways which the Lord your God hath Commanded you that ye may live and it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your days in the Land which ye shall possess And so Deut. VI. 2. That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God to keep all his Statutes and Commandments which I command thee thou and thy Son and thy Sons Son all the days of thy life and that thy days may be prolonged And so Chap. XI 8 9. c. And 2. As thus in general it is promised to the Obedience of all the Commandments so it is affixed to some special Commandments Deut. XXII 6 7. about the Dam and her young If a birds nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree or in the ground c. Thou shalt in any wise let the dam go and take the young to thee that it may be well with thee and that thou mayst prolong thy days Deut. XXV 15 Thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy days may be prolonged in the Land c. Now the reason of this affixing is because life is so desireable by all men and God useth arguments to perswade which are most feeling and come nearest and warmest to the heart And as that is a melting perswasive Rom. XII 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God so this is as melting an one in regard of mens tenderness to themselves I beseech you by the mercy to be shewed to your own selves And thus we have brought our selves down to the third particular to be discoursed III. and that is the matter of the promise length of life But is long life such a Blessing is it so desirable What say we to that passage Job XIV 1. Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble If of few days where is the long life that is here promised If full of trouble where is that desirableness of long life so as to account it such a Blessing If we well consider what the Scripture speaks of the shortness and misery of humane life it may seem to set us at a stand to think that God should so often promise long life when there is no such thing but as Psal. XXXIX 5. Behold thou hast made my days as an hand breath And that he should promise it as a blessing when as Psal. XC 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength labour and sorrow If we live to the utmost Nature can hold out it is but labour and sorrow To speak to these scruples and to reconcile the shortness of Man's life and the miseries of the longest life to the promise in the Text we are to consider life not comparatively but simply For 1. The longest life compared with the Eternity of God is nothing So David compares it Psal. XCV 5. Mine age before thee is nothing That is compared to thine Everlastingness and Eternity is a thing of nothing at all Though of the longest date that ever life was yet to thy years that fail not it is less than nothing So when the Prophet saith Esai XL. 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance This is not to be understood simply for all Nations are a vast bulk and mass in themselves but compared with God they are but as a drop but as a smallest grain of dust And so the Psalmist comparing the lasting of Heaven and
2 3. The great Angel is Christ the old Serpent is the Devil there Christ binds and imprisoneth him and that with the great chain of the Gospel Observe the passage He shut him up in the bottomless pit What In Hell for ever That he should never go abroad again Yea you have him loose again vers 7. and he hath been always going about as in 1 Pet. V. but he tyes him up that he should not deceive the Nations vers 3. and when he is loosed again vers 8. it is his being loose to deceive the Nations Observe by the way the phrase He shuts him up that is restrains him from deceiving and seducing people It is Hell and Prison to the Devil not to be doing mischief So the Psalmist speaks of the wicked children of the Devil They sleep not rest not if they do not evil It is a torment to them if they may not be sinning Well how doth Christ bind Satan that he do not deceive By sending the Gospel to undeceive them So that this is the Victory of Christ against the Devil The very telling of his Death and Merits is that that overcomes the Devil the very Word of his Death and Resurrection is that that overthrows the Devil and his power So is 1 Cor. VI. 3. to be taken Know ye not that we shall judge Angels Now needed Christs soul to go to Hell to tell the Devil these tidings and to triumph there He felt the building of his Kingdom fall about his ears every moment He needed no such message to go and tell him he had conquered him This is the Triumph of Christ over the Devil by the virtue and power of his death and not by any Vocal or actual Declaration of it by his Soul now separate from his Body IV. As to Christs Soul triumphing over the damned needed there any such thing Or could his Soul do any such thing Think you Christs Soul doth or could rejoyce in the damnation of the damned There is joy in Heaven when a sinner is saved Is there joy too when he is damned That tender expression of God As I live I delight not in the death of a sinner doth it give us any room to think that he can rejovce in their damnation That tender Soul of Christ that but six or eight days before wept for the destruction of Jerusalem with O! that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Can we think that that Soul could go to Hell to triumph and insult over poor damned Souls He had cause to triumph and rejoyce over the conquered Devils but had he the like cause or heart to triumph over damned Souls What was the reason of his triumphing over the Devils Because he had subdued themselves only He mastered them while alive in casting them out and commanding them at his pleasure He cast them into Hell by his Divine Power as soon as they had sinned but his triumph over them by his Death and Resurrection was for his peoples sake We cannot say Christ hath any pleasure in the damnation of the very Devils but he had pleasure in the Conquest of Devils because he had delivered his people from them Ah! most Divine Soul of Christ so infinitely full of charity that gave it self a Sacrifice for sin that men might not be damned can that rejoyce and insult over poor Souls damnation Look but upon Christs tenderness and earnestness for Souls here that they come not to damnation and then guess how little delight he taketh in it when they are damned Let us apply these two passages to this Ezek. XVIII 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye And vers 31. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth In the Hebrew it is in the strictest propriety In the death of him that is dead I have not pleasure that he dye and no pleasure in his death when he is dead What is there more plain in Scripture and in all Gods actings than this That God would not have men damned if they would embrace Salvation What speak these expressions 1 Tim. II. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Pet. III. 9. Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Certainly whatsoever else this is plain enough that God had rather men should be saved than damned How is this written in Scripture as in letters of gold that he that runs may read it How was it written in letters of Christs own blood that was shed that men might not be damned but that whosoever believeth might have eternal life And how is this written in Gods patience beseechings in his affording means of Salvation I need not to instance in particulars Well men will not be saved but choose death before life Doth Christ delight rejoyce to damn them when they must come to it Think ye he pronounceth Go ye cursed with as much delight as Come ye blessed That he insults triumphs over poor damned wretches in their damnation Read his heart in such passages as these Gen. VI. 6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart What Because he had made them No but because he having made them must now destroy them Lam. III. 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men So he doth not damn willingly nor destroy the children of men And once for all Esa. XLII 14. I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travailing woman I will destroy and devour at once I will cry and destroy but it is grievous to God as pangs of a travailing woman Thus much as hath been spoken may shew how unlikely and indeed how unchristian a thing it is to conceive that Christs Soul went purposely into Hell to triumph and insult over the miserable and damned And so you see that this Article cannot mean his Souls descending into the place of torment to triumph over the Devils and damned so that we must yet look for another sense of it III. A third interpretation then is this That it means the Torments he suffered in Soul III. upon his Cross. Some word it That he suffered the extream wrath of God some the very torments of Hell some that he was for the time in the state of the damned I reluct to speak these things but this Gloss some make upon this Article and while they go about to magnifie the Love of Christ in suffering such things for men they so much abase and vilifie his Person in making it lyable to such a condition The sense of the Article we must refuse unless we should speak and think of Christ that which doth not befit him The dearly beloved of the Soul of God to lye under the heaviest wrath of God The Lord of Heaven and Earth to
19. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise 590   And compared with Iohn 5. 20. Ephes. 2. 1. 1105 28. 16. I lay in Sion a foundation a stone c. 205 35. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief 1255 40. 3. Wilderness for Heathen World 296 45. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord. 1057 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs c. reconciled with Matth. 8. 17. 167  7. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter 680  8. Who shall declare his generation 1112 55. 3. Hear and your Souls shall live c. Even the sure mercies of David 1235 56. 1. Keep judgment and do justice 1114 63. 4. The day of vengeance is in my heart c. 351  8. Children that will not lye compared with Iohn 1. 47. 524 65. 13. Behold my servants shall eat but they shall be hungry 552  17. I create a new Heaven and a new Earth 244 626 1075  20. There shall be no more than an infant of days 573 1071 66. 7 8. Before she travailed she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered c. 244 350 351  20. They shall bring their Brethren c. 347  21. I will take of them for Priests and Levites saith the Lord. 1040  24. Their worm shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched 38 346 347 JEREMIAH Ch. vers  Page 2. 31. SEE the Word of the Lord. 1125 4. 23. Earth without form c. 244 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbour for they shall all know me 1071 EZEKIEL Ch. vers  Page 8. 17. THEY put the branch to their nose 602 15. 2. What is the Vine-tree more to me than any tree c. 602 27. 7. Wheat of Minith and Pannag 684 38. 39. 17. Concerning Gog and the Land of Magog 1173 1247 DANIEL Ch. vers  Page 7. 9. THrones were cast down c. 220  10. The judgment was set c. 220  13 14. Kingdom of Heaven 115  18 26 27. The Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom c. 1058 1059  24. The ten horns are ten Kings that shall arise 1035  25. A time and times and the dividing of times 1035 9. 24. Seventy years c. 116  27. He shall confirm the Covenant c. 117 12. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake 1085 HOSEA Ch. vers  Page 3. 5. IN the later days compared with Acts 2. 17. 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. 1 Ioh. 2. 18. 1 Cor. 10. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 7. and interpreted of the end of the Jewish State 1074 4. 8. They eat up the sins of my people 1243 5. 11. Ephraim is oppressed c. Because he willingly walked after the commandment 1098 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law c. 11â—7 AMOS Ch. vers  Page 3. 2. YOU have I known of all the families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities 1226 4. 3. And ye shall go out at the breaches c. 673 5. 18. Wo to you that desire the day of the Lord reconciled with Chap. 6. 3. 1120  25. Have ye offered unto me 671  26. The Tabernacle of Moloch c. compared and harmonized with Luke 7. 43. 671 to 673 6 3. Wo to you that put the evil day far away reconciled with Chap. 5. 18. 1120 OBADIAH vers  Page 20. ZArephath 368 HAGGAI Ch. vers  Page 2. 9. THE glory of this later house shall be greater than of the former 531 ZECHARIAH Ch. vers  Page 11. 8. THree Shepherds c. interpreted of Pharisees Sadducees and Esseans 1037 1102 11. 1 2 3 6 7 8 10 14. Concerning the great Shepherd 573 574 14. 16 17. It shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the Nations c. 107 MALACHI Ch. vers  Page 4. 5. BEhold I will send Elijah 382 c. MATTHEW Ch. vers  Page 1. 17. FOurteen Generations c. thrice said but squares not exactly Vindicated 99 100 3. 5. The Region about Jordan 43 298 c.  7. Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come 1128 4. 15. Beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles 362 6. 9. After this manner pray ye 1138 c. 8. 17. Himself took our infirmities reconciled with Isa. 53. 4. 167  28. The Country of the Gergasins reconciled with Mark 5. 1. 70 10. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles 273  29 30. The hairs of your head are numbred 1251  34 35. Think not that I am come to send peace on Earth reconciled with Isa. 2. 4. 11. 9. 1042 1061 12. 32. It shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come 1095  43 44 45. When the unclean Spirit is gone out of c. Even so shall it be to this wicked generation Meant of the Apostacy of the Jews from Christianity 1044 1096 15. 22. A woman of Canaan reconciled with Mark 7. 26. 202  39. Coasts of Magdala reconciled with Mark 8. 10. 307 16. 28. Shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom 625 1074 18. 17. Let him be to thee as an Heathen or a Publican 1097 19. 28. Ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 1057 21. 19. No figs but leaves why was the figtree cursed when as it was not time for figs 87 225 to 228  38. The Husbandmen seeing the Son said among themselves this is the heir let us kill him c. 654 23. 2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat Therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do 1038 1080 24. 22 24. For the Elect sake Deceive the very Elect. 1146  29 30. The Sun shall be darkned c. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven 608 1074 1201  31. Son of Man send his Aâ—geiâ— c. 1201 26. 6. And Iohn 13. 1 2. The Suppers here mentioned were the same however otherwise interpreted 252 to 254 260 261 24. This night before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice 1086  37. Thou art a Galilean for thy speech betrayeth thee 78 27. 33 34. Vinegar to drink mingled with Gall reconciled with Mark 15. 23. 267 617  48. Put it on a reed reconciled with Iohn 19. 29. 617 28. 19. Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 1122 to 1124 MARK Ch. vers  Page 1. 40. BEseeching him and kneeling to him 347 3. 28 29. All sins shall be forgiven c. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness c. 1130 5. 1. The Country
lost the power of Judging Malefactors p. 1111 1112 c. They had a high conceit of their own Nation p. 1112. They were highly severe and strict about little inconsiderable Customs but very remiss about things of great Moment and Necessity p. 1113 1114. They were rejected by God not only for putting our Saviour to death but before also for their cursed Traditions and crying wickedness p. 1114. The calling in of the Jews expected by some is not probable and why p. 1123. The Jews were dispersed before our Saviours time p. 1144. They were cast off to a reprobate sense before the destruction of Jerusalem p. 1145. They crucified the Lord of Life out of the very Principles of their Traditional Religion p. 1177. The Jews and the Jewish Religion were very corrupt under the second Temple p. 1199 1200. The Church of the Jews was only a child under age till Christ came 1334 Jezabelites impudently oppose the Decrees of the Apostles 695 696 Ignorance and Error the common cause of them is because Men will not know and embrace the Truth 1286 1287 Image of God in Adam what p. 1153. Image of God upon Man not lost by sin though the likeness of God be 1302 Images in the Church of Rome are Idols 1312 1314 Imposition of Hands in ordination a fundamental Point as well as the Doctrin of Faith and Repentance proved from Hebrews 6. 2. 1040 Imputation of the sins or good Deeds of Parents to the Children supposed by the Jews not to be in the days of the Messias p. 569. Imputation of Parents sins to Posterity is real and rational 1316 1317 Incense the way of burning it with the manner of the Priests and Levites getting ready in order thereunto 380 381 Indifferent Things and such as were not sinful of themselves although of humane invention and used in the Jewish worship did not cause our Saviour to leave that communion nor to forsake the way of Worship but he joyned therein rather than he would give offence 1037 1038 1039 c. Infant Baptism argued for 273 274 Infants in the womb supposed by the Jews to be in a capacity to commit some sin 569 570 Institution divine defiled by corruption but not extinguished Page 165 Intercallated Month or Year what 185 226 Interpretation of the Holy Text the judgment of the Jews concerning a just Interpretation 784 Interpreters in the Synagogues stood by the Readers of the Law and Prophets to turn the words of the Hebrew Text into the Language understood by the people at the same time Commenting or Preaching upon the words p. 132 134 707. Interpreters of the Law part of their work what 803 Invention humane less dangerous to be brought into Divine Worship under the Jewish Law than under the Gospel and why 1038 Invisible Things are the greatest things of our concernment 1284 Jod of it s not passing away or eternal duration 137 138 John Baptist in all probability was no Eremite 387 388 John the most punctual of all the four Evangelists especially in giving an account of the Festivals that intercurred between Christ's entrance into his publick Ministry and the time of his death p. 1033. John the beloved Disciple was him to whom the Revelation was delivered 1196 Jordan the waters thereof were opened twelve miles when Israel passed through p. 46. The Country beyond it what p. 363. Little Jordan was from the spring of Jordan to the Lake Samochonitis but from that Lake being much a larger stream it was Jordan the greater p. 62 63 64 298. Jordan had over it two bridges at least besides other passages 492 Jordan-transmarine its division 363 Jose and Joseph are one and the same Name 640 Joshua where buried 373 374 Jot of it s not passing away or eternal duration 137 138 Journey Sabbath days Journey the length of it was two hundred cubits or one mile 485 486 Joy wicked in a strange instance in the Gunpouder Traytors 1184 Joy in Heaven over a sinner that is converted what 1267 Isaiah the Prophet say the Jews was cut in two by Manasses the King 593 Iscariot a Name given to Judas the Traytor whether given before or after his death If after his death it emphatically shews his miserable end p. 176. As a Betrayer he was to have no part in the World to come his going to his place intends his going to Hell 176 177 Iturea its situation 365 366 Juda for Jehuda and why 97 Judaism the twofold sense of the Word p. 1051. The Jews held this Maxim That if a Jew forsook his Judaism he should have no part in the World to come p. 1087. Judaism and Nicolaitism were two Errors on each hand the Gospel into which some Primitive Christians did fall 1097 Judas was present at the Eucharist p. 261. He was carried by the Devil into the Air there strangled and then cast down to the Earth and there burst assunder 264 639 Judea a sight and division of it p. 9. It was priviledged above other Parts of the Land of Israel p. 10. A description of the Coast of it p. 10. The Mountainous Country of Judea what p. 11. The South Country of it what p. 13. The North Coast of it 19 Judges what Benches of them there were among the Jews 755 Judgment Judgment to him that is angry what p. 141 142. Judgment might be unrighteous when the Judging was righteous 1106 Judgment the Day of Judgment put for Christ's coming with vengeance to Judge the Jewish Nation six differing ways of expressing it p. 346. The Last Judgment proved p. 1101 1102 1103 The objections of the Sadducces and Atheists answered p. 1101 c. Noah's Flood was a prognostication and an assurance of the Last Judgment p. 1104. The destruction of Jerusalem is set forth in Scripture terms seeming to mean the Last Judgment p. 1104. The several and providential assurances that God hath given of the Last Judgment p. 1103 1104 1109. The prosperity of wicked Men is an argument of the Last Judgment p. 1105. Assizes are an assurance and a fit representation of the Last Judgment p. 1104 1117 1119. Conscience is an assurance given by God of the Last Judgment p. 1104 1119. The manner of giving the Law is an assurance of the Last Judgment Page 1119 Judgments Capital always began on the Defendants side among the Jews and not on the Accusers p. 609. Judgments were distinguished into Pecuniary and Capital among the Jews 754 Julian the Apostate part of his character or part of what he was and did 1238 Julias There were two Cities of this Name one built by Herod the other by Philip the later was before called Bethsaida where situate 83 Just a just person or the just two sorts of them p. 448. How distinguished from the Penitent p. 449. Just Men distinguished by the Jews into two sorts and to which of them they gave the preference 1266 Justification is a great Mystery in several respects p. 1051 1052. What it is