given unknown Tongues to be unknown to all besides those to whom they were given In what I have said of the Greek Version and of the not reading it among the Hellenists I know I have very learned Men differing in their opinions from me and heretofore I my self was of a contrary judgment Whence I hope the Reader will be the more easily perswaded that I do not speak these things from a desire of contention but from a serious enquiry as far as I am able into the thing from often repeated thoughts and a most hearty desire of searching after truth FINIS THE WORKS OF THE REVEREND LEARNED John Lightfoot D. D. LATE Master of KATHERINE Hall in CAMBRIDGE The Second Volume PART II. CONTAINING SERMONS and DISCOURSES upon sundry Subjects and Occasions A Catalogue whereof with their several Texts you will find in the following Pages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by William Rawlins for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXIV A TABLE of the Texts of the Ensuing SERMONS together with an account of the time when the places where and the occasions whereupon the more publick of them were Preached Sermons Preached before the NATIVES of STAFFORDSHIRE AT S. Michaels Cornhil London Novemb. 25. 1658. Ioh. X. 22 23. And it was at Ierusalem the Feast of Dedication and it was Winter And Iesus walked in the Temple in Solomons porch At S. Mary Woolchurch London Novemb. 22. 1660. S. Iude vers 12. These are spots in your Feasts of charity At S. Michaels Cornhil London Novemb. 26. 1663. Rom. V. 1. Being justified by saith we have peace with God Sermons Preached at the ASSISES at HERTFORD March 1660. Revel XX. 4. And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given unto them March 16. 1663. Iudges 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 March 29. 1663. 2 Pet. III. 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness March 17. 1664. Ioh. VIII 9. And they being convinced by their own conscience went out one by one beginning at the eldest even to the last July 16. 1665. Ioh. XIV 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions c. April 6. 1666. 1 Ion. V. 16. There is a sin unto death I do not say that he should pray for it March 27. 1669. Act. XVII 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness by the Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the dead August 6. 1669. Ioh. XVIII 31. Then Pilate said unto them Take ye him and judge him according to your Law The Iews therefore said unto him It is not lawful for us to put any Man to death A Sermon Preached at the ASSISES at ELY Septemb. 12. 1671. Iames V. 9. Behold the Iudge standeth before the door Sermons Preached at S. MARIES CAMBRIDGE Octob. 7. 1655. Matth. XXVIII 19. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost At Aspiden April 5. 1660. 1 Cor. X. 2. And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea Febr. 24. 165◠Luke XI 2. When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven April 9. 1658. 1 Pet. V. 13. The Church which is at Babilon elected together with you saluteth you Novem. 27. 1659. Rom. VIII 23. And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves grone within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body June 24. 1660. 1 Cor. XIV 26. How is it then Brethren When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation Let all things be done to edifying Sermons Preached on the Fift of NOVEMBER 1661. Dan. X. 21. And there is none that holdeth with we in these things but Michael your Prince 1669. At Ely Rev. XIII 2. And the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority 1670. At Ely Rev. XX. 7 8. And when the Thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle whose number is as the Sand of the Sea 1672. At Ely 2 Pet. II. 15. Who have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness 1673. At Ely 2 Tim. III. 8. As Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth 1674. At S. Maries Cambridge 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 Sermon Preached at Guild-hall LONDON before the Lord Mayor Jan. 24. 1674. Rev. XXI 2. And I Iohn saw the holy City the new Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven More private Sermons Exod. XXX 15. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a Shekel when they give an offering unto the Lord to make an attonement for their Souls Judg. 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 1 King XIII 24. And when he was gone a Lion met him by the way and slew him and his carcass was cast in the way And the Ass stood by it the Lion also stood by the carcass Act. VII 53. Who have received the Law by the Disposition of Angels and have not kept it Rev. XX. 5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished This is the first resurrection 2 Sam. XIX 29. I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land Dan. XII 12 13. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days But go thou thy way till the end for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of days Heb. X. 29. And hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing Heb. XIII 10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Luke XV. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance Luke XXIII 42
Solomon will spare me as he did Abiathar For that â—he laying hold of the Altar in this kind had a Vow in it for the future as well as a present safety might be argued from the nature of the Altar which made holy what touched it and from the very circumstance of laying hold upon it But Joab to the wilful murder of Abner and Amasa had added contempt and opposal of the King upon Davids Throne which figured him that was to Reign over the House of Israel for ever and therefore unfit to escape and uncapable to be any such votary 4. A cubit above the first rising of the horns of the Altar the square narrowed a cubit y Mid. ubi supr Ataym ubi supr again and so was now but four and twenty cubits every way and so held on to that flat of it on the top where the fire lay The cubits-ledge that the abatement made to be as a bench round about was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place whereupon the Priests went and stood about the Altar to lay on the pieces of the Sacrifice or to stir them as they lay in the fire And this helpeth us to judge concerning the manner and fashion of the horns spoken of last namely that they did not rise directly upright higher than the Altar it self for then it had been impossible for the Priest to go about the Altar upon this ledge for the horns would have hindred if they had risen a full cubit square up hither but their form is to be conceived as was said before namely that they rose indeed up even with this ledge but they so sharpened and bended outward when they came level with it that the Priests had passed between them and the Altar From the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Circuit of the Altar upward which was four cubits was that part which more peculiarly was called Harel and Ariel Ezek. XLIII 15. And Harel was four cubits and from Ariel upwards were the four horns He had described the gradual risings of the Altar hitherto in the Verses before in these characters and descriptions Vers. 13. The bottom shall be a cubit and the breadth a cubit This was the Foundation of which we have spoken a cubit high and a cubit broad And the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span The edge of this Foundation was not sharp as are the edges of stone steps but it was wrought as are the stone borders of our Chimney-hearths with a border of a span over and so the blood that was poured upon this Foundation could not run off to the Pavement but was kept up that it might run down at the holes fore-mentioned into the Common-shore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus was the top of the Altar The top of the Altar was also finished with such another bordering Vers. 14. And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle two cubits Not that the Foundation called here the lower settle was two cubits thick in the flatness of it as it lay upon the ground for the Verse before saith that the bottom was but a cubit but that from this Foundation there arose a slope rising a cubit height which was somewhat thicker than the body of the Altar presently above it and so from the ground to the top of this rising where the square narrowed were two cubits and from the top of this sloping where the square narrowed to the Circuit was properly but four cubits but from the Foundation five And so though the Talmud speaketh differently from the Prophet when it saith the Foundation or lower settle was but one cubit high and he two and when it saith the height from the lower to the higher settle or from the Foundation to the circuit was five cubits and the Prophet saith but four yet do they both mean but one and the same thing but understood as hath been spoken namely the one taketh the Foundation or lower settle barely as it lay flat upon the ground and the other takes it with this cubital slope rising from it made leaning a cubit height to the body of the Altar and this interpretation helpeth to understand that which David Kimchi professeth he cannot tell what to make of and that is why the upper settle which was narrower by two cubits in the square is called the greater and the lower which was larger in the square is called the lesser The reason whereof is this because the upper though it were less in compass yet was larger in bredth because this leaning slope rising that we speak of took up a good part of the bredth of the lower and so the walk upon it was not so clear and large as it was upon the other And then the Prophet tells us that when the body of the Altar was thus risen six cubits high to the upper settle which the Talmudicks call the circuit That thence Harel was to be four cubits and from Ariel and upward the four horns There a a a Kimch in loc â—â—â—â—t Lemp in Mid. p. 97. are some that conceive that Harel and Ariel are indeed but one and the same word though so diversly written from whom I cannot much differ as to point of Grammar because the Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do admit of such alternancy in the language yet me thinks the difference of the words should hold out some difference of the sense and Harel to signifie the Lords Mountain and Ariel the Lords Lion upon the Mountain the lower part at the horns more properly Harel and the upper more properly Ariel But since the Text gives the b b b Vid. R. Sol. ibid. name Ariel to all that part that was from the Root of the horns upward we shall not much stick upon it The word Harel if you will construe it the Mountain of the Lord David Kimchi tells you that it is as much as to say The House of the Lord and because they served other Gods in every place upon high Hills this which was the Hill of the Lord was but four cubits high And if you will take the word Ariel our Rabbins of happy memory saith he say the Altar was called Ariel or the Lords Lion because the holy fire that came down from Heaven couched on it like a Lion The word Ariel doth also signifie one exceeding strong 2 Sam. XXIII 20. and so doth Arel Esai XXXIII 7. But take it whether way you will here either for a strong thing or for the Lords Lion the Altar was very properly so called either because of the devouring of many Sacrifices Lion like or because of the great strength and prevalency the people had by Sacrifice the Lord owning them wonderfully in that service whilest gone about according to his Will or because of the strong Lion Christ whom the Altar and Sacrifices did represent Jerusalem and especially Zion the City where David Dwells is also called Ariel the strong one or the Lion of
shall be no more thence an infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days for the child shall dye an hundred years old That is there shall be so clear and great means of knowledge by the Gospel that none needed to be a child in understanding if they would but labour to know and that even the young child might speak it self to be as it were an hundred years old for knowledge if men would apply themselves to the means afforded for knowledge They produce that in I Joh. II. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you c. Whereas the Apostle himself doth explain what that anointing is namely Truth But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth which is the very common title of the Gospel in the Gospel To speak fully to this matter I should clear this I. That after God had compleated and signed the Scripture Canon Christians must expect Revelations no more It was promised by God that he would pour down of his Spirit in the last days but it means the last days of Jerusalem and when she had finished her days and seen her last the Spirit in such kind of effusion is to be looked for no more II. I should shew that the Scripture containeth all things necessary for us to know or to enquire of God about T is not for you to know the times and the seasons Act. I. T is not for Peter to enquire what should become of John What is that to him Joh. XXI 22. But what is necessary for us to know to the Law and to the Testimony there you may learn it I need not to tell you that you may enquire there and learn what to believe what to do what to avoid how to demean your selves towards God towards your Neighbours towards your Selves how to come to Heaven and the like For I hope none come hither at this time upon the present occasion but have consulted with this Oracle to direct them Whether to go to suite with their Neighbour or no how to bear Witness how to Counsil how to Determin But the common curiosity of men is ready to enquire how should I know my Fortune Why I may tell them from this Oracle if I may use the term Fortune in such a case Esa. III. 10 11. Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him But shall I propose a case of the greatest concernment that a man can possibly enquire about and that is How shall I know whether my sins are pardoned whether I have the favour and love of God whether I shall be saved At Urim and Thummim they never enquired about any of these things and I believe such questions were rarely proposed by any to any Prophet And yet this Oracle we are speaking of the Law and Testimony will resolve this Quaere as far as is needful for any man to know so little are we behind them in the advantage of inquiring of God Is there any here that proposeth this question from a good heart and for a good end Let me close with him in the words of God Esa. XXI 12. If ye will enquire enquire ye But first let me tell him That a man may be saved though he do not know he shall be saved till he come to Salvation And I doubt not but there are many in Heaven that were never certain that they should come there till they came thither A good man may die doubting fearing trembling and yet his estate be sure for blessedness though he be never assured of it till he enjoy it For it is Faith that secures Salvation and is absolutely necessary for it Assurance is not so absolutely necessary If he kill me yet will I trust in him saith Job A strong Faith but little Assurance and yet his eternal state secure enough Secondly A man may have Faith and yet not know that he hath it As how many of the dear Saints of God have groned under this doubtfulness And answerably a man may have Certainty of Salvation as to the thing it self though not Assurance as to his own apprehension I deny not all this while that Assurance may be had though it be not obtained by all and that it is to be striven after according to that give all diligence to make your calling and election sure But to the coming to satisfaction upon this inquiry do as the Priest in his inquiries put on the brest-plate and go and stand before the Ark of the Covenant and there inquire Bring your Covenant to face the Law and then consult with it For this purpose consider these properties of Conscience 1. The actings of Conscience are only about things twixt us and God 2. The actings of Conscience in this case and indeed in all are not directly but by reflexion the very name of Conscience imports no less a knowledge by reflection Thus a sinner by his Conscience knows he hath sinned How By reflecting on the Law knows he hath deserved wrath by the Law 3. As Conscience condemns in the same method it comforts and acquits In Rom. II. 15. Conscience accuses or excuses in the same way both by reflexion upon a Law For 4. The ultimate resolution in this inquiry must be from the Mandatory part of the Covenant not the Promissory Many a man deceives himself undoes himself by judging his case from the promises and not taking his Resolution thence whence it should come viz. his Conscience and Gods Commandments laid together God hath promised pardon mercy salvation therefore I doubt not saith a secure soul but all will be well with me But how knowest thou these promises belong to thee Go to the Mandatory part of the Covenant the Moral and Evangelical Law and lay Conscience to that as face and glass and there what seest thou The Law commands thus and thus look in Conscience hast thou done thus If so thou mayst conclude that thou shalt participate of the promises that are affixt to such Commandments Thou canst not look on the Sun in Heaven but mayst see it in a pail of water Thou canst not immediately discover whether God loves thee has pardoned thee intend thee for Salvation but thou canst do it by reflexion twixt Law and Conscience twixt this and the Conditions of the Covenant Peter does not conclude Lord thou lovest me but Lord I love thee Look on the Command Love the Lord then look in Conscience and that gives the reflexion and so thou mayest be secured A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise March 29. 1663. II. PET. III. 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnes IT is well they might so and had warrant of promise so to do
apparent that Abram was born to Terah when he was a hundred and thirty years old and therefore must that passage Verse 26. And Terah lived seventy years and begat Abram Nahor and Haran be understood that he begat one of these as the like expression is Chap. 5. 32. Noah was five hundred years old and Noah begat Sem Ham and Japhet Haran was Terahs eldest son though named last as Japhet was Noahs Abram is named first because of his dignity and because the story was to fall upon him And so is it with Sem in that place CHAP. XII XIII XIV XV. World 2083 Sem 525 Arphaxad 425 Salah 390 Eber 360 Abram 75 THE PROMISE given to Abram in Haran after Abram 76 his fathers death On the 15 day of the moneth Abram 77 Abib or Nisan Exod. 12. 41. He journyeth that Spring into Abram 78 the land of Canaan and at or near Abram 79 mount Gerizim and mount Ebal he buildeth two Altars and taketh possession Abram 80 of the land by faith Famine driveth him into Egypt Abram 81 where the Blackmoor Egyptians are soon aware of the Abram 82 beauty of Sarai a white woman and she is taken into Abram 83 Pharaohs house but redeemed by the Lord himself plaguing the Egyptians A type of things to come upon her posterity and upon the Egyptians for their sake Abram returning Sem 534 Arphaxad 434 Salah 399 Eber 369 Abram 84 out of Egypt into Canaan again riches suffer not Lot and him to dwell together in unity they part asunder in the valley of Achor and Lot separateth from Abrams family and chooseth residence among the Sodomites to his own danger and detriment when he is parted Abram hath a full promise of the land and thereupon flits his habitation to Hebron a place of singular eminency in time to come Then Abram that hitherto had the land by promise hath it now by victory For Kedorlaomer of Elam the eldest son of Sem and so heir apparent to Canaan in Noahs prophecy being now in the fourteenth year of his reign over the Country and being provoked by the rebellion of the five Cities in the plain of Jordan he bringeth three Kings more with him and conquereth all the Canaanites both without and within Jordan as first the Rephaims under Lebanon the Zuzims in Amon the Emims in Moab the Horims or Hivites in the caves of Edom and all the Canaanites in Hazezon Tamar at the point of the dead Sea Then turn they into the land within Jordan and as they had subdued all the Countries from North to South without so now they do the like from South to North within but when they were come with all their spoil to the out-going of the land upon the North border Abram over-takes them and so their victories are become his Sem or Melchisedech observeth this dispensation of God and his devolving the land by so special a providence upon Abram and therefore he meets him in his return with bread and wine as a King and with a blessing as a Priest and passeth the possession of the land and of the blessing upon him Afterwards Abram hath the promise of an heir out of his own loins God maketh a covenant with him by sacrifice passing in the appearance of fire between the parts of the slain beasts and consuming them four hundred years affliction and sojourning of his seed are foretold CHAP. XVI World 2093 Sem 535 Arphaxad 435 Salah 400 Eber 370 Abram 85 ABRAM marrieth Hagar that he might compass the promise of having a son of his own body he being not yet informed whither by Sarai or no Hagar through Sarai's harsh dealing is forced to return towards her own Country but by the way seeth the God of vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by him is instructed concerning the condition and name of the son in her womb and is sent back to Sarai again World 2094 Sem 536 Arphaxad 436 Salah 401 Eber 371 Abram 86 ISMAEL born the son of the bond-woman Abram 87 Ismael 1 born in the very latter end of Abrams eighty sixth year World 2096 Sem 538 Arphaxad 438 Salah 403 Eber 373 Abram 88 Ismael 2 ARPHAXAD dieth 438. years old read Gen. Abram 89 Ismael 3 11. 11 13. It is now 440. years since the flood for Abram 90 Ismael 4 Arphaxad was born but two years after it The Septuagint Abram 91 Ismael 5 makes him the father of Cainan which never was in being and yet is that followed by Saint Luke Chap. 3. 36. for special reason There be that suppose the Chasdim Abram 92 Ismael 6 or Chaldeans took their denomination from the last letters Abram 93 Ismael 7 Abram 94 Ismael 8 of Arphaxads name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this hath the more probability Abram 95 Ismael 9 because they are so called Chasdim Gen. 15. 7. before Abram 96 Ismael 10 Chesed which otherwise might have seemed to have given Abram 97 Ismael 11 Abram 98 Ismael 12 them their denomination was born Gen. 22. 22. CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX XX. World 2107 Sem 549 Salah 414 Eber 384 Abram 99 Ismael 13 IN this year these several occurrences came to pass Circumcision was instituted in the moneth Abib or Nisan and instituted in Hebron In which very place and at which time of the year John Baptist is born who brought in Baptism in stead of Circumcision Abram and Sarai have their names changed at the institution of Circumcision and Isaac is named before he is conceived Some three moneths after this the three Persons in the Trinity dine with Abraham and foretel the birth of Isaac again The Son and the Holy Ghost go down to Sodom but the first Person in the Trinity stayeth with Abraham and condescendeth to his prayer as long as he asketh Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim destroyed with fire and brimstone Lot escapeth but loseth two of his daughters in the flames and his wife by lightning his other two daughters help to undo him Abraham denyeth Sarah again the son of the promise being now in her womb but she not yet to be discovered to be with child CHAP. XXI World 2108 Sem 550 Salah 415 Eber 385 Abram 100 Ismael 14 ISAAC born the son of the promise Abraham in Abram 101 Ismael 15 Isaac 1 the supernatural birth of Isaac fore-saw the supernatural Abram 102 Ismael 16 Isaac 2 birth of Christ and rejoyced Isaac was not so Abram 103 Ismael 17 Isaac 3 named Laughter only because of Abrahams joy for him Abram 104 Ismael 18 Isaac 4 but also for his joy in Christ John 8. 56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad World 2113 Sem 555 Salah 420 Eber 390 Abram 105 Ismael 19 Isaac 5 ISMAEL mocketh Hagar and he is cast out of Abram 106 Ismael 20 Isaac 6 Abrahams family From hence begin the 400 years Abram 107 Ismael 21 Isaac 7 mentioned Chap. 15. 13. Abimelech and Abraham make a Abram 108
in its proper place and order cometh in the story of Jethro contained in the eighteenth of Exodus as may be evidenced by these observations First That that story lieth not in its proper place in the Book of Exodus may be concluded upon these two or three reasons first because there it is said Jethro took burnt-offerings and sacrifices for God ver 12. Now as the story lieth there the Law for burnt-offerings and sacrifices was not yet given 2. It is said that Moses sate to judge the people and made them know the Statutes of God and his Laws vers 13 16. Now as the story lieth there the Statutes and Laws are not as yet given to Moses and he himself knoweth them not 3. The chusing of Judges and Elders which was upon Jethro's counsel was not till their departing from Sinai Deut. 1. 7 8. And now as the story of Jethro lieth in the book of Exodus they are not as yet come to Sinai therefore that that story is misplaced as it lieth there there is evidence sufficient There remaineth only to see why it is laid there out of its proper place and where is the proper place to lay it the former may be resolved upon by looking back upon the curse that God denounceth upon Amalek in the 17 Chapter I will put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven And the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation ver 14 16. Now that the Holy Ghost might shew that Jethro who dwelt among the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. 16. did not fall under this curse he bringeth in the story of his coming into Israel in the very next place after that curse is related not thereby to conclude strictly that his coming was at that very time assoon as the curse was denounced but to shew that he once came and so avoideth and escapeth that curse Now that the proper place of that story is this that we have mentioned may be evidenced by these particulars First that Moses himself telleth Deut. 1. 7. that their choice of Judges which was by Jethro's counsel instantly upon his coming was so near their departure from Sinai which is metioned Num. 10. ver 11. that the warning of their departure was given him before 2. That the murmuring of Aaron and Miriam against Zipporah Moses wife which in all probability was upon her first coming among them and their converse with her or instantly after is set after their departure from Sinai 3. That the departure of Hobab or Jethro from them at Sinai is joyned so near to the place where we suppose this story of his coming is to be laid as that but a few Verses come between and compair that story with the latter end of Exodus 18. and it will help to confirm this place to be the proper place of its order CHAP. X. from Vers. 11. to the end World 2515 Moses 82 Redemption from Egypt 2 THE Cloud is taken up on the twentieth day of the second month and the Camp removeth from Sinai to the wilderness of Paran three days journy In the 35 Verse of this Chapter the letter Nun is written the wrong way in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Ark set forward and so is it also in the first Verse of the next Chapter in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became as murtherers In the former is hinted as the Jews observe Gods gracious turning back towards the people in the latter the peoples ungracious turning away from God CHAP. XI AT their first incamping after Jethro's departure Moses findeth an occasion to chuse Judges and Elders to help to bear the burden with him and therefore the 24 25 26. Verses of Exodus 18. are to be reputed coincident with this time The Sanhedrin chosen by Moses and indued with the Spirit by God six of a Tribe made up the number and two over and these two were Eldad and Mâ—dad who were written for Elders but the lot cast them out that there might be but seventy yet did the Lord honour them with the Spirit of Prophecy CHAP. XII ZIpporah Moses wife called a Cushite for Arabia was the land of Cush for her sake Aaron and Miriam begin to rebel against Moses authority for which Miriam is struck with Leprosie but Aaron is not because he was the Judge of Leprosie and could not be tainted with it Their sin causeth the Cloud of glory to depart as the sin of the golden Calf had done before there Aaron had a hand in the sin also Moses vindicated by God himself It is said They removed from Hazeroth and pitched in the wilderness of Paran ver 16. that is they marched and pitched in that wilderness see Chap. 10. 12. CHAP. XIII THEY are now come not very far from the South-point of the land of Canaan compare Ver. 26. and Deut. 1. 2 19. and Moses at the desire of the people Deut. 1. 22. sendeth twelve men to spy the land Sethur the man for the Tribe of Asher ver 13. his name is in number 666. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 666. and in signification hidden or mystical it is toward the end of the year Stilo veteri when they search the land for grapes and figs are then ripe vers 20. CHAP. XIV THE decree and oath in Gods anger that they should not enter into his rest cometh forth and beginneth to seize upon some of them for the ten men that caused the people to murmur died by the plague as they were forty days in searching the land so the people must wander forty years ere they came to enjoy it that is eight and thirty years and an half to make up the year and half that had passed since their coming out of Egypt to be forty and in that time must all the men that were numbred at Sinai the Levites excepted be consumed in the wilderness and here is mans age cut short again as it had been at the Flood and building of Babel PSAL. XC UPON this sad decree of God against the people and upon his cutting short mans age Moses maketh the nintieth Psalm whose proper order is coincident with this story and there sadly sheweth how they were consumed by Gods anger for their impieties that now mans age is come to seventy or eighty years from those hundreds that men lived before c. CHAP. XV. XVI XVII XVIII XIX World 2516 Moses 83 Redemption from Egypt 3 THE place where the people murmured upon the return of the spies was Kadesh Barnea Numb 13. 26. 32. 8. Deut. 1. 19. This place was called Rithmah before Numb 33. 18. compared with Numb 12. 16. 13. 26. and it may be it was so called from the Juniper-trees that grew there as 1 Kings 19. 4. but now named Kadesh because the Lord was there sanctified upon the people as Chap. 20. 13. and Barnea or the wandering son because here was the decree made of their long
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
them verified of himself to the utmost extent as being anointed Preaching the acceptable year of the Lord with an Emphasis put upon the word the and some other particulars as may be observed It is an ordinary style with the Prophets to speak things as in their own persons or of themselves which sometimes were not punctually and literally applicable to them only nay which sometimes were not so applicable to them at all but whose truth and sense was made good only in Christ as Psal. 16. 10. with Acts 13. 36. Psal. 22. 16. They pierced my hands and my feet Esay 8. 18. with Heb. 2. 13. Zech. 11. 12 13. with Matth. 27. 9. c. How the Spirit of the Lord came upon Christ and dwelt upon him in measure above measure hath been observed before only let the Reader observe how sutable this Text in the mouth of Christ is to the words of the Evangelist in the beginning of this Section Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit § Because he hath anointed me The Greek expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so rendred by some Expositors on the one hand some on the other that in a manner a clean contrary sense is put upon it Some thus The Spirit of the Lord is upon me therefore he hath anointed me and so they make the reason of his anointing to be because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him To this sense the Syriack renders it who utters it thus The Spirit of the Lord is upon me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and because of this he hath anointed me and so Beza Cujus rei gratia unxit me The Vulgar propter quod Brucioli Per cagione del quale c. But others amongst which is Erasmus and our English do read it The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me which though it speak not the literal construction of the Greek particle so very punctually yet doth it the Hebrew by which the Greek is to be stated and which the Chaldee so reads as that they do make the Lords anointing him to be the cause of the Spirits being upon him which is a far more easie and profitable sense Object But was not his anointing by the very coming of the Spirit upon him at his Baptism and so these two things are so far from being the cause and effect one of another that indeed they were but one and the same thing the holy Spirits coming upon him was his anointing and his anointing was nothing but the Holy Spirits coming upon him Answer If by anointing we will understand his exalting and setting up and apart as the Jews expound the word in the text of Esay for this office and work that the Text speaketh of than was his anointing before the Spirit of the Lord came upon him for he was set apart for Mediator and Minister of the Gospel before and so his anointing was the cause and reason why the Spirit came upon him namely to fit him and act him to that office to which he was set apart But if by anointing we will understand a visible and an apparent instalment of him into the present execution of that office unto which he was designed before than was his anointing and the Spirits coming upon him but the very same thing for the Spirits coming upon him was that anointing And in this sense are we to understand his anointing here and yet even in this sense are we to take his anointing to be the cause of the Spirits being upon him though the Spirits coming upon him was the very way and manner of his anointing but we are to understand it thus with difference and distinction of time At the very instant of the Holy Ghosts coming upon him at his Baptism that was his anointing and installment into the execution of his function but all the time following while he executed his function the Holy Ghost rested upon him why Because the Lord had anointed him with the Holy Ghost at his Baptism and so the Emphasis of the clause lies in the verb understood and limited to its time the Holy Ghost is now upon me and continueth still upon me because the Lord hath heretofore anointed me with the Holy Ghost And herein is the difference apparent of the measure and manner of the Holy Spirits being upon the Prophets and his being upon Christ They had not the actings of the Spirit alwas upon them nor are they visibly anointed with it as he was both § To preach the Gospel to the Poor c. Here are six particulars in this portion of Scripture as parts of Christs Ministery which though they may be all applyed to any one particular person to whom the Gospel and Ministery of Christ powerfully and effectually came for such a poor wretch had the Gospel preached to him his broken heart was heald he heard of deliverance from the bondage of Satan c. yet have they all their singular and several intentions and meanings and so are to be expounded and understood for the taking up of the verse in its full sense and life 1. Christ was sent to preach the Gospel to the Poor in the Text of Esay it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the meek or humble and accordingly rendred by the Chaldee Paraphrast and so the sense is made the readier namely that by the poor here is meant the poor in Spirit as Mat. 5. 3. Such as went out of their own righteousness and by the convictions of the Law did find themselves to be nothing and worse than nothing to such Christ was sent to Preach the Gospel and such received it Mat. 9. 12 13. 11. 5. Christ preached to to all that came about him to hear him but he speaketh here of his Preaching the Gospel in the proper power and fruit of it viz. so as that it was received Now this is the first composure to the receiving and intertaining of the Gospel when a soul by the power of the Preaching of the Law is thrust off from all security either in sin or self-righteousness and becomes so poor in his own spirit that he finds himself nothing but wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and in need of all things The title of poor is as common a name for the Saints of God especially in the Old Testament as any name whatsoever and that not only because of their depressed and oppressed condition by the wicked but because of their poverty of spirit and abasedness in their own eyes they knowing how poor they are and living by continual begging of grace at the hands of God The Hebrew word is sometime written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poor in the text and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humble in the margin as Psalm 9. 13. and sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the margin as in the same Psalme verse 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated poor by the
bear this sense for there he had tryed them The word Hhok is taken in a signification agreeable to this Psal. 2. 7. I declare it for a decree that since the Lord hath said unto me Thou are my Son c. That therefore ye Kings and Potentates c. submit to the obedience of him or else his anger will shortly kindle c. SECTION XXIII That this story of Jethro is misplaced and why THAT this story is misplaced is plainly by these things First Jethro Moses Father in Law took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God vers 12. Secondly Now on the morrow Moses sate to judge the people vers 13. and made them know the Statutes of God and his Laws vers 16. But as the story lyeth here there was no Tabernacle nor Altar for Sacrifice yet built Neither as yet did Moses know the Statutes and Laws of God himself for as yet they are not come to Sinai Thirdly Moses himself telleth that the choosing of Judges and Elders which was done upon Jethroes Counsel was not till their departing from Sinai The Lord your God spake unto us in Horeb saying You have dwelt long enough in this mountain c. And I spake unto you at that time saying I am not able to bear you my self alone c. Deut. 1. from vers 7. to 19. So that this story should lye at the 10 of Numbers and come in betwixt the tenth and eleventh verses of that Chapter and the story to be conceived thus When Moses had received all the Laws which God would give him at Sinai from Exod. 20. to the Law of the silver Trumpets which was the last Numb 10. then came Jethro and brought Moses's Wife and Children and seeing him toyling in judgment he adviseth him to chuse Judges to ease him which being done ere long the cloud removed and they must flit from Sinai vers 11. When they are ranked to march Moses desireth Hâ—bab or Jethro his Father in Law to go along with him which he denyeth but returneth to his own Country Numb 10. 29 30 31 32. compared with the last verse of this Chapter Thus lyeth the order of the story Now the reason why it is misplaced is this In the last verse of the preceding Chapter there is a perpetual curse decreed against Amaleck The Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amaleck from generation to generation Now the Midianites and Amalekites lived so promiscuously together that they were as one people and the Kenites or the family of Jethro dwelt in the midst of them 1 Sam. 15. 6. Therefore that it might be observed that Jethro fell not under that curse of Amaleck Moses bringeth him in coming to the Camp of Israel and to God as soon as ever the curse is uttered that every eye might presently observe that Jethro was exempted from it Object But Moses and Israel by this account lay almost a twelve month at Sinai before his Wife and Children came at him and can this be thought that they should be so unnatural one to another Answ. This was Moses his doing not of unnaturalness but piety to restrain their coming till his great task of receiving and giving the Law and building the Tabernacle was over Letters and Visits passed betwixt them there is no doubt and they kept at distance thus by consent for a season That letters passed may be collected from vers 6. 7. And Jethro Moses Father in Law said unto Moses I Jethro thy Father in Law come to thee And Moses went out to meet his Father in Law Jethro said not thus to Moses his face I am come to thee For then why or how upon this tidings could Moses go forth to meet him when they spake face to face already Nor could this speech be delivered by a messenger for it had been an improper and senseless speech of a messenger to say I Jethro come to thee but this Jethro himself telleth Moses by letter before he cometh at him whereupon Moses goeth forth to meet him SECTION XXIV Israels march from Rephidim to Sinai Saint Paul explained 1 Cor. 10. 4. Quest. HOW can it be said that they departed from Rephidim and came to Sinai whereas Rephidim and Sinai were all one For every one knoweth that the mountain whereon the Law was given is called Horeb and Sinai indifferently as Exod. 19. 18. compared with Malach. 4. 4. Now when they were at Rephidim chap. 17. 1. they were at Horeb vers 2. So that to go from Rephidim to Sinai is to go from Horeb to Horeb. Answ. The hill on which the Law was given had indeed two names and as Bellonius saith two tops the one side of it was called Horeb from the rocky drought of it being utterly devoid of water The other side was called Sinai from the bushes and brambles that grew upon it in one of which Moses saw the Lord in a flame of fire if so be it took not the name from Sini the Son of Canaan Gen. 10. Now when Israel lay at Rephidim they lay upon Horeb side and there out of the droughty rock Moses miraculously bringeth forth water Their march from Rephidim is at the skirts of the hill from Horeb to Sinai side of the mountain And in the same sense is Paul to be understood 1 Cor. 10. 4. They drank of the Rock that followed them Not that the Rock stirred and went along with them but that the water which miraculously gushed out of the one side of the hill Horeb ran along with them as they marched at the foot of the hill till they came to the other side of the hill Sinai And so is Moses himself to be understood I cast the dust of the golden Calf into the brook that descended out of the Mount Deut. 9. 21. Not that the brook gushed out of the mount on that side on which the Calf was erected but on the other and at the skirt of the hill came running to that SECTION XXV The Station and Posture of Israel before Sinai Exod. 19. ON the first day of the month Sivan which was towards the middle of our May in the year of the world 2513. they come from Rephidim to Sinai and pitch in their main body more especially on the South and South East side of the Mount See Deut. 33. 2. and compare the situation of Seir in the point of the Compass In three parts or squadrons did their Camp sit down before it 1. Next to the hill pitched the Elders or 70 heads of the chief families which had gone into Aegypt these are called the house of Jacob Vers. 3. as Gen. 46. 27. 2. Next behind them pitched the People in their main body consisting of so many hundred thousands these are called the children of Israel vers 3. And this distinction is observed vers 7. 8. And Moses called the Elders c. And all the people answered 3. On the outside of all lay the mixed multitude or the Aegyptians that
three reason First when they cannot carry their minds Aug. de Trin. lib. 1. cap. 1. further than their senses and so think God hath a Body as they have that is coloured c. Secondly when they measure God by themselves and so make him passionate like man For men not able to conceive what God is what his Nature what his Power c. fall into such opinions that they frame Gods of themselves and as is their own humane nature so they attribute to God the like for his will actions and intentions saith Arnobius Arnob. con lib. Thirdly when they mount above Nature and Sense and yet not right feigning that God begat himself c. Hence came the multitude and diversity of Deities among the Heathen minting thousands of Gods to find the right and yet they could not Hence their many names and many fames made by them that it seems thought it as lawful to make Gods as it was for God to make them At first they worshipped these their Deities without any representation only by their Names Caelites Inferi Heroes Sumani Sangui and thousands others the naming of which is more like conjuring than otherwise Nature it self taught men there was something they must acknowledge for supream superintendent of all things This light of Nature led them to worship something but it could not bring them to worship aright Hence some adored bruit Beasts some Trees some Stars some Men some Devils Some by Images some without some in Temples some without Thus was Gideons fleece the Heathen piece of the World all dry set in the darkness of the shadow of death But in Jury was God known and his Name great in Israel By his name Jehovah he exprest himself when he brought them from Egypt and his glory he pitched among them They knew him by his Names and Titles of Elohim Adonai El Shaddai Elion and his great Name Jehovah as the Jews do call it There the Scriptures of the Law and Prophets did teach them yet they thus nearly acquainted with the true God forsook him so that wrath came upon Israel The Rabbinical Jews beside Scripture words have divers Phrases to express God by in their Writings As frequently they call him Hakkadhosh baruch hu the holy blessed he in short with four letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometime they use El jithbarech the Lord who is or be blessed Sometimes Shamaiim Heaven by a Metonymy because there he dwelleth The like Phrase is in the Gospel Father I have sinned against Heaven Luke 15. 18. The like Phrase is frequent in England The Heavens keep you Shekinah they use for a Title of God but more especially for the Holy Ghost So saith Elias levita in Tishbi Our Rabbins of happy memory call the Holy Ghost Shekinah gnal shem shehu shaken gnal hannebhiim because he dwells upon the Prophets Accordingly saith our Nicene Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost who spake by the Prophets Shem a name or the name they use for a name of God and Makom a place they place for the same because he comprehendeth all things and nothing comprehendeth him Gebhurah Strength is in the same use They are nice in the utterance of the name Jehovah but use divers Periphrases for it Shem shel arbang the name of four letters Shem hammejuhhad the proper name and others One in Eusebius hath eloquently expressed it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seven sounding Letters ring the praise of me Th' Immortal God th' Almighty Deity The Father of all that cannot weary be I am th' Eternal Viol of all things Whereby the melody so sweetly rings Of Heavens Musick which so sweetly sings What these seven Letters are that do thus express God is easie to guess that they be the Letters of the name Jehovah which indeed consisteth but of four Letters but the Vowels must make up the number Of the exposition of this name Jehovah thus saith Rabbi Salomon upon these words I appeared to them by the name of God Omnipotent but by my name Jehovah I am not known to them Exod. 6. 3. He saith unto him saith the Rabbin I am Jehovah faithful in rendring a good reward to those that walk before me and I have not sent thee for nothing but for the establishing of my words which I spake to their fathers And in this sense we find the word Jehovah expounded in sundry places I am Jehovah faithful in avenging when he speaks of punishing as and if thou profane the name of thy God I am Jehovah And so when he speaketh of the performing of the Commandments as And you shall keep my Commandments and do them I am Jehovah faithful to give to you a good reward thus far the Rabbin The Alchymistical Cabalists or Cabalistical Alchymists have extracted the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or number whether you will out of the word Jehovah after a strange manner This is their way to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which great Mystery is in English thus Ten times ten is an hundred five times five is twenty five behold 125. Six times six is thirty six behold 161 and five times five is twenty five behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 186. Thus runneth their senseless multiplication multiplying numberless follies in their foolish numbers making conjectures like Sybils leaves that when they come to blast of trial prove but wind Irenaeus hath such a mystical stir about the name Jesu which I must needs confess I can make nothing at all of yet will I set down his words that the Reader may skan what I cannot Nomen Jesu saith he secundum propriam Hebraeorum linguam c. The name Jesu according to the proper speech of the Hebrews consisteth of two letters and an half as the skilful amongst them say Signifying the Lord which containeth Heaven and Earth For Jesu according to the old Hebrew signifieth Heaven and the Earth is called Sura usser Thus that Father in his second Book against Hereticks Cap. 41. on which words I can critick only wit hdeep silence Only for his two letters and half I take his meaning to be according to the Jews writing of the name Jesu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who deny him the last letter of his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they deny him for a Saviour So the Dutch Jew Elias Levita saith in express words The Christians say that their Messias was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the commandment of the Angel Gabriel because he should save all the world from Gehinnom but because the Jews do not confess that he is a Saviour therefore they will not call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jeshuang but they leave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last letter out and call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesu After this kind of writing as Irenaeus saith the word consisteth of two letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and half a letter that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be so called because it
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
I have of mine own proper good of Gold and Silver which I have given to the House of my God over and above all that I have prepared for the holy House Even three thousand talents of Gold of the Gold of Ophir and seventy thousand talents of refined Silver to overlay the Walls of the Houses withal where these two things are remarkable First That he saith this preparation was above what he had prepared for the holy House and yet he saith he had prepared it for the House of God And secondly That here is mention of Silver to overlay the Walls withal whereas it is plain that within the Temple it self all the overlaying was of Gold Therefore it is thus to be understood that beside the store of Gold that David had provided for the gildings of the House within in the Holy and most Holy place he had also laid by a stock of Gold and Silver both to gild and overlay the Chambers over the Porch for there were upper Chambers diverse in it the height of it being one hundred and twenty cubits and to beautifie the side Chambers and the other Chambers that were about the Courts Now in the Temple after the Captivity we do not find that they were so curious to reduce the compass of the most Holy place to a cubick form but that the height of it did exceed the breadth it being twenty cubits long and twenty cubits broad like that of Solomons but the height far more for ought I find determined to the contrary SECT IV. The Cherubims and Ark. AS there were two Cherubims upon the Ark it self so also did Solomon cause two Cherubims besides to be made to stand over the Ark it standing between them they are so plainly and facilely described in 1 Kings VI. 23. that I shall refer the Reader thither for the story of them and say no more concerning them but only this that as the two Cherubims upon the Mercy seat may very well be resembled to Christs two natures so these two that stood by to the two Testaments which in their beginning and end reach the two sides of the World The Creation and the last Judgment and in the middle do sweetly join one to another The Ark the strength and presence of the Lord Psal. CV 4. and the glory of Israel 1 Sam. IV. 22. the most pregnant and proper resemblance of our Saviour in whom God dwelleth among men described Exod. XXV 10 c. and XXXVII 1. c. a a a Maym. in beth babbech per. 4. was set upon a stone up toward the West-end of the most Holy place even under the middle wings of the two tall Cherubims that stood besides it For the Cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the Ark and the Cherubims covered the Ark and the staves thereof above And they drew out the staves that the ends of the staves were seen out in the Holy place before the Oracle and they were not seen without 1 King VIII 7 8. 2 Chron. V. 8 9. For before the Temple was built while the Ark was in a moving posture the staves whereby the Ark was born were of an equal length on either side it ready for the Priests shoulders when there was occasion for the Ark to flit but now when they had brought it into Solomons Temple where it was to fix and remove no more they drew out the staves towards that side that looked down the most Holy place b b b R. Lev. Ger. in 1 King VIII Levi Gershom is of opinion that these staves were not the same that were made by Moses but of a longer size and that they raught down to the very Door and that though there were Doors betwixt the Holy and most Holy place yet those Doors could not shut because of these staves c c c Kimch ib. K. â—ol ibid. And Kimchi and Jarchi come up very near to the same supposal conceiving that the Ark stood not up near the Western Wall of the House but more downward towards the Door and that the staves raught down to the Door and on the day of Expiation when the High Priest went into the Holy place he went up to the Ark between these staves and could not go off to one hand or other But that that hath strained from them this conception is 1. Because they have strictly taken the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text in the Book of Kings for the Holy place without the Veil whereas the Book of Chronicles doth expresly render it by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ark for whereas the one place saith that the heads of the staves were seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth not the whole room either of the Holy or most Holy place but that singularly Holy place that was under the wings of the Cherubims for of that place had the Text spoken immediately before when it said The Priests brought the Ark into the most Holy place under the wings of the Cherubims For the Cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the Ark c. and then he comes on and saith And they drew out the staves so that the ends of the staves appeared out of that holy place meaning under the wings of the Cherubims And 2. The Authors alledged have strictly taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mean so as one standing at the Door betwixt the Holy and most Holy place had the most Holy place before him whereas it signifieth in the same sense that it doth in that clause in Gen. I. 20. Let the Fowl flie upon the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English hath well rendred in the open Firmament of Heaven And so is it to be taken here and the verse in hand may be properly understood thus And they drew out the staves at length so that the ends of the staves were seen from that Holy place in the open face of the Oracle but they were not seen without The staves were the same that were made by Moses and their length not great but only so much as to fit a Mans shoulder on either side of the Ark and now when they had set the Ark between the two standing Cherubims on the Floor the Cherubims inner wings covered the Ark and the staves that were above at the ends of the Ark but the rest of the staves drawn out downward toward the Oracle Door shot out from under the Cherubims wings and appeared in the open Face of the most Holy place and the High Priest when he came to offer Incense at the Ark on the day of Expiation he stood before the Ark between the staves d d d Maym. ubi sap It is fancied by the Jews that Solomon when he built the Temple foreseeing that the Temple should be destroyed he caused very obscure and intricate Vaults under ground
and thirty cubits And therefore whereas it was said before that the bredth of the Altar and its rise was sixty two cubits from North to South it is to be taken as that the rise is to be accounted a thing different from the Altar it self and lying a great space further out than the compass of the Altar did as we shall see anon Now this Foundation which is said to be two and thirty cubits square every way did not hold the compleat measure of a cubit broad in every part of it but in the South-East corner of it it wanted somewhat to make the corner a perfect Angle answerable to the other corners And this is that which the Talmud meaneth when it saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m m m Mid. ubi suâ—â— The Foundation was a perfect walk all along on the North side and all along on the South but on the South it wanted one cubit and on the East one cubit That is were a Man upon the Foundation he might walk upon all the length of the North side and might turn at the North-West corner and so walk on the West quarter but would he do so to go off from the South quarter to the East he could not for when he was to turn at the South-East Angle there was no such Angle there as there was at the other corners for it was broken off and wanted a cubit on the South-side and a cubit on the East which two cubits should have met to have brought the corner into a sharpe point like the others Now the reason of the defect is given by them else where to be because that very corner only of all the Altar was not in the Tribe of Benjamin but in the Tribe of Judah For they held it necessary that all the Altars should be in the lot of Benjamin because of those words of Jacob a a a Gen. XLâ—â— 2â— Benjamin shall raven as a Wolf in the morning he shall devour the prey and in the evening he shall divide the spoil which how they understood of the Sanctuary and Altar being built within Benjamin's lot appears by the Gloss that the Jerusalem Targum and Jonathan put upon it Benjamin say they is likened to a devouring Wolf because he was a strong Tribe In his Country the divine Majesty of the Lord of all the world was to dwell and in his possession was the House of the Sanctuary to be built In the morning the Priests shall offer the daily Lamb till it be the fourth hour of the day and between the Evenings they shall offer the other Lamb and at Even they shall divide what remaineth of the rest of the Sacrifices and every one shall eat his portion But more copiously in the Treatise Zevachin or concerning Sacrifices where this very point about the want of this corner of the Altar is copiously discussed The fifth Chapter of that Book setteth it self purposely to describe the several places where the several Sacrifices were slain beside the Altar and after other things it falls upon the question that is before us about this desicient Angle of the Altar and it handles and determines it thus o o o Talm. Bak. in Zevachin per. 5. in Gemara The South-East corner had no foundation what was the reason Rabbi Eliezer saith because it was not in the portion of the Ravener As Rab. Samuel the Son of Rabbi Isaac saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Altar took up one cubit in the portion of Judah Rab. Levi bar Chama saith R. Chama bar Chaninah saith there went a line out of the portion of Judah and entred upon the portion of Benjamin And Righteous Benjamin was troubled at it as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Glossers render it He was careful for it every day Yet Righteous Benjamin obtained to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Host to the holy blessed God as it is said And he shall dwell between his shoulders The meaning of which passage is to this purpose that the line that parted the lots or portions of the two Tribes Judah and Benjamin came just over at this point of the Altar that if this Angle of the Foundation had been made like the other a cubit of the Altar would have been in the lot of Judah which they had no Scripture warrant for for the Altar was to be in the lot of the Ravenor that is of Benjamin that should raven as a Wolf therefore they chose rather to make no Angle at all at this point of the Foundation than to make it since it would fall in the portion of Judah As this South-East point of the Foundation was remarkable for this that it had no corner so was the South-West corner of it remarkable for another thing and that was for two holes that were in it near to the Angles point one upon the West Foundation and the other upon the South into which the blood that was poured upon the Foundation did run and so into a sink or common-shore under ground which emptied it self into the Valley of Kidron 2. The base or foundation having thus risen one cubit from the ground and carried a cubit bredth round about but only in the Angle that hath been mentioned the square of the body of the Altar was grown then a cubit narrower on every side and so it was but thirty cubits upon every side of the square and thus it held for five cubits high and then it narrowed one cubit more and this narrowing was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Circuit of the Altar And there the square was but eight and twenty cubits on every side But here the Talmuds measure differeth from the measure of Ezekiel which though Rabbi Solomon observeth yet he concludeth that the measure in the Talmud was the true measure in the second Temple Ezekiel saith That from the bottom upon the ground to the lower settle were two cubits whereas the Talmud saith but one and from the lower settle to the higher Ezekiel reckoneth four cubits but the Talmud five In which difference in the particulars yet there is agreement in the main summ and both of them do raise the Circuit of the Altar six cubits high and therefore we shall not spend time to reconcile them here but leave them to be taken up by and by only we cannot pass over the word that Ezekiel useth for both the Foundation and the Circuit and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azarah which is the common word that is used for the Court Because that as the people did tread in the Court at the time of the service so did the Priests upon these ledges or sides of the Altar especially upon the higher which was called the Circuit of the Altar when they went about it to besprinkle the horns of it with the blood of the Sacrifices The manner of which action the Talmudick Chapter lately cited giveth us the relation of in the Mishueh in these words p
Vessels nor Urim and Thummim to honor the Priests and yet was the Place and Service then as holy as it was before God by this abatement of those external advantages and excellencies and yet by the continuance of the honour of his Worship and Service making way to the dignifying of the Spiritual Worship under the Gospel when such external and visible appearances of his Presence were not to be looked for and when all Ceremoniousness in holy things should be abolished and laid aside With the holy Oil whilest it was in use and imployment was the High Priest anointed as well as other things and when the use of the Oil ceased then was he consecrated by the arraying of him in the Garments appointed for the High Priests wearing and he was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consecrated by the vestments as we have observed in another place The manner of his anointing whiles that was used is described by the Talmudists to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d d d Ibid. after the form of a Greek Chi They anointed the Kings say they after the form of a Crown but the Priests after the form of a Chi. What means after the form of a Chi e e e Talm. in Kerithuth per. 1. R. Menasses the son of Gada saith After the form of a Greek Chi. But what means this f f f R. Sol. in Lev. VIII R. Solomon saith It was first poured on his Head and then put between his Eyebrows and drawn this way and that way with the Finger of him that put it there which others express thus g g g Aruth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One poured the Oil upon his Head and it ran down this way and that way like two pearling droppings upon his Beard as Psal. CXXXIII 2. The Oil and anointing wherewith the Priests and the Vessels of the Lords House were sanctified did denote the Word and the Spirit of God whereby he sanctifieth the Vessels of his Election even persons of his Choice to his Service and Acceptance Oil and anointing do signifie the Word as well as the Spirit And in that sense should I interpret the anointing in 1 John II. 20. 27. Ye have an unction that is the word from the holy One and ye know all things by it And the anointing that is the Word which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye are not to seek for Teaching from any Man for the same Word hath taught you abundantly of all things c. CHAP. XXXVIII The Emblem of the Divine Glory at the Temple Ezek. I. Esay VI. Rev. IV. c. Explained THE Prophet Ezekiel saw the visionary Glory that he hath described Chap. I. and Chap. X. four times over 1. At the River Chebar among the Captives of his own Captivity Chap. I. 1 that is that Captivity which was carried away with Jechoniah for then was he himself Captived 2. In a plain among the Captives of the other Captivity that is Jehoiakims Dan. I. who dwelt indeed upon the Coasts of the same River but at some distance from the other Chap. III. 15 20 23. 3. In the Temple Chap. VIII 4. And 4. at the renewed Temple again Chap XLIII 2 3. The vision and Glory that he saw was thus Ezek. I. vers 4. Behold a whirle-wind out of the North c. Out of the North appeared a stormy cloud with fire wrapped in it which flamed into a brightness all about and in the middle of all was as a glowing fire For out of the North namely from Babel was a storm to rise and fire to come that was to destroy both City and Temple and that should cause the Glory of the Lord which dwelt there to come out thence as out of burning as this Glory that he saw which represented that came out of this fire Vers. 9. Four living creatures and this was their appearance they had the likeness of a Man That is in stature and proportion of Body Thighs and Legs they had the likeness and erect shape of a Man only their Head and Feet and some particulars else were different of which he giveth account in the following verses Vers. 6. But every one had four Faces c. I render the conjunction ◠But because the Particle bearing it it being so translated giveth the clearer and the readier sense They had the likeness of a Man But every one had four Faces And in vers 7. The same particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being Translated exegetically For doth also clear the sense Their Feet were straight Feet for the sole of their Feet was as the sole of a Calfs Feet And they sparkled c. that is their Feet sparkled like burnished Brass for the brightness of their Bodies is described at vers 13. Vers. 8. And the hands of a Man were under their Wings on their four sides so had they four their Faces and their Wings That is they had their Faces and their Wings on their four sides namely a Wing on their Breast and a Face that way a Wing on the Back and a Face that way and a Wing on either Shoulder and Faces likewise and under their Wings every way was a Mans Hand and Arm. Vers. 9. Their Wings were joining one to another This is explained at vers 11. They turned not about when they went they went every one straight before his Face Which way soever they were to go they needed not to turn their Bodies to set their Face that way as Men and other Creatures do who when they are to go this way or that way they turn their Bodies till their Faces stand the way they are to go but these did not nor needed they to do so for go which way they would they had a Face that led them that way Vers. 10. As for the likeness of their Faces c. Every one had the Face of a Man before and the Face of an Eagle behind the Face of a Lion towards the right Hand and the Face of a Bullock towards the left It is not much important to dispute whether they had four Heads as well as Faces or only one Head faced on every side I should rather hold for the former and could give some reasons that sway me to that opinion but I shall not insist upon them here Some there have been that have conceived that the quarters of their Faces are named in reference to their standing towards Ezekiel as that the Face towards Ezekiel was a Mans the Face which was upon Ezekiels right Hand which was the left Hand of the Cherub was a Lions the Face on Ezekiels left Hand which was the Cherubs right the Face of a Bullock and the Face of an Eagle behind but they that have been of that opinion have not observed that the four living Creatures stood not in a straight line all facing Ezekiel but in a square posture as shall be shewed by and by
Heads born up as it were with the points of their Wings which they held upright over their Heads covering their Faces with them Above that Sky a Throne on which sat the resemblance of a Man all fiery from his Loins upward like fire glowing and from his Loins downward like fire flaming and a brightness in the form of a Rain-bow round about him Compare Rev. IV. 2 3. And now to take up the moral or signification of this Emblem we will first begin with the consideration of the general Intention of it and then descend to the Application of particulars That it intends in general to signifie and character out unto us the Lords Glory and Presence dwelling at his Temple and among his People these Observations will make it past doubting or peradventure 1. The Temple is very commonly in Scripture stiled by the Name of Gods Throne as Jer. XVII 12. A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary Ezek. XLIII 7. The place of my Throne and the place of the soles of my Feet where I will dwell in the midst of the Children of Israel c. Which the Lord proclaimeth when his Glory was returned to the renewed Temple as is apparent in the verses immediately preceding And so the Prophet Esay saith I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple c. And the House was filled with smoak c. Esay VI. 1 4. Where he charactereth the Lords sitting parallel to his dwelling in the Cloud of Glory upon the Ark and from thence filling the whole House with the train of his Glory And so in the Book of the Revelation where the Lord is inthroned with such living Creatures attending him as are described here there are so plain intimations that it meaneth his Glory at his Temple that nothing can be plainer for when there is mention of a Sea of Glass before the Throne and of seven Lamps Rev. IV. vers 5 6. and of a golden Altar of Incense Chap. VIII 3. and of a voice from that Altar Chap. IX 13. c. the allusion is so clear to the Molten Sea seven Lamps of the golden Candlestick the Altar of Incense and the Oracle given from beyond it which all were before the Ark where the Lords Glory dwelt in the Cloud that the matter needeth no more proof than only to observe this And that the Throne and Glory of God throughout all that description meaneth in this sense there is evidence enough in that one clause in Chap. XVI vers 17. a voice came out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne 2. Ezekiel himself sheweth that this glory referred to the Temple because he hath shewed it pitched there flitting thence and returning thither again 1. He saith That the Glory of the God of Israel was at the Temple namely that that he had seâ—n and described in the first Chapter Chap. VIII 4. though he be there in numbring up the abominations that were committed in the Temple which were great and many yet doth he relate that this Glory was there still because the Lord had not yet withdrawn his Presence thence But 2. At the last the provocations in that place do cause it to depart and that departure he describeth in Chap. X. and there he setteth forth the very same Glory and almost in the very same terms that he doth in Chap. I. He telleth that this Glory of the Lord departed from off the Cherub that is from off the Mercy seat where it had always dwelt between the Cherubins and went out first to the threshold vers 4. then to the East-gate vers 19. then to the City and to the Mount Olivet and so departs Chap. IX 23. But 3. When he speaketh of and describeth a new Temple then he sheweth his Glory returned thither again Chap. XLIII 2 3 4. And upon these three particulars of its pitching at the Temple flitting thence and returning thither again we may take up these observations for the further clearing of this signification 1. That the Prophet maketh some distinction betwixt the Glory of the Lord dwelling upon the Cherub that is on the Mercy Seat over the Ark and the Glory of the Lord upon these Cherubins for he saith The Glory of the Lord went up from the Cherub and stood over the threshold of the House these Cherubins then standing on the right side of the House Chap. X. 3 4. and then that the Glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the House and stood over the Cherubins vers 18. The Glory of the Lord in the representation that the Prophet describeth in the first Chapter was upon the Cherubins already for he saith The Glory of the God of Israel was there according to the vision that I saw in the plain Chap. VIII 4. and yet he mentioneth another Glory now added to it namely the Cloud of Glory that dwelt upon the Mercy seat for he saith that upon the flitting of that Glory from off the Cherub to the threshold the House was filled with the Cloud the meaning of this we shall look at afterward 2. As to the flitting of this Glory from the Temple the Prophet saith He saw it when he came to destroy the City Chap. XLIII 3. that is when he came to foretel that the City should be destroyed And he dated the time of his first seeing of this Glory in the fifth year of the Captivity of Jehoiakim Chap. I. 2. which was the fifth year of the reign of Zedekiah 2 Kings XXIV 8 17 18. in which very year Zedekiah did rebel against the King of Babel which action was the very beginning of Jerusalems ruine 3. As to the returning of this flitted Glory again to the new built Temple Chap. XLIII it is observable that the Cloud of Glory which had descended and filled the Tabernacle and had done the like at Solomons Temple did never so at the second Temple or that built after the Captivity as the Jews themselves confess and that not without good reason Yet doth the Prophet as clearly bring that Glory into his new Temple as ever it had come into them but only that this was in a vision and so it shewed visionarily the Lords dwelling in his Ordinances and presence among his People under the second Temple unto which the People returned out of Babel and in the Spiritual Temple or Church under the Gospel for Ezekiels new Temple promised a bodily Temple to the returned and promised and typified a Spiritual Temple under the Gospel even as he had done visibly in his Cloud of Glory in the Tabernacle and first Temple And secondly he addeth further that when that Glory was entred the East-gate at which it came in was shut and never opened after Chap. XLIV 2. to denote the Everlasting dwelling of the Lord in the Church of the Gospel among his People and never departing as he had done from Hierusalem Temple This then
and the Thundrings and Lightnings and Voices do so clearly relate to the giving of the Word at Sinai that so to Allegorize it is without any straining at all especially considering how commonly the Word of God is compared to fire in the Scripture as Deut. XXXIII 2. Jer. V. 14. XXIII 29. XX. 9. 1 Coâ— III. 13. Thus were these living Creatures which did resemble and emblem the Lords Ministers the emblem of the People or the Congregation was two-fold in Ezekiel Wheels in the Revelation four and twenty Elders and these later help to understand the meaning of the former As the Ark and Cherubins upon it and by it are called the Charet of the Cherubins 1 Chron. XXVIII 18. the Lord there riding as it were in his Glory and Presence in the Cloud that dwelt upon it even such another composture doth Ezekiel describe here the Divine Charet of the Lord of his Glorious and Triumphant riding and sitting among his People in his Word and Ordinances and his Presence in them And it is remarkable what is spoken by Ezekiel in Chap. X. 4 18. of which mention was made before when he saith That the Glory of the Lord went up from the Cherub and stood over the Cherubins which meaneth but this that that Glory which had dwelt upon the Ark in the most Holy place did now depart and came to dwell upon this other Charet which he had described of living Creatures and Wheels denoting this that though the visible Presence of the Lord which had appeared in the Cloud of Glory upon the Ark were now departed yet was his Presence still among his People in that manner which he emblemed in that Scheme namely his Ministers and People attending him in his Word and Ordinances and acting and moving according thereunto And in the description of this Divine Charet you may observe that the living Creatures or Ministers are charactered out as both the Body of the Charet and they also that acted the Wheels for the Lord rideth upon their Ministry as it were and his Name is thereby carried where he pleaseth and they are those whom he useth by that Ministry to draw and move the People to Obedience and Conforming to his Word and there the Lord doth ride triumphantly among a People as Psal. XLV 4. where Ministers and People in joint and sweet harmony and consent do agree and concur to carry up the Word Name and Glory of the Lord and both do act in the Power of the Word and Ordinances the Ministers ministring and the People moving or standing according to the direction and influence of that Word What the Apocalyptick meaneth by the four and twenty Elders he himself giveth some explanation of in Chap. XXI 12 14. where he speaketh of the Gates and Foundations of the New Jerusalem parallel to the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And as these Twelve and Twelve were the beginnings as we may call them the one number of the Church under the Law and the other number of the Church under the Gospel so under the sum and number of both these united together or under the notion of these four and twenty Elders he intendeth the whole Church or Congregation both of Jews and Gentiles Both Wheels and living Creatures are described full of Eyes in Ezek. I. 18. Rev. IV. 8. because of the great measure of Knowledge the Lord vouchsafed to his People and to denote the heedfulness of the Saints in their walking before him The Lord himself is described dwelling upon them and among them in Bright Glorious and Majestick representations but withal incircled with the likeness of the Bow that is in the Cloud in the day of Rain Ezek. I. 28. Rev. IV. 3. which was the Emblem of the Lords Covenant with his People as Gen. IX 13 14 15. CHAP. XXXIX The motions and stations of the Ark and Tabernacle THE Tabernacle which in its time was as a moving Temple being brought into the Land of Canaan by Joshua a a a Maym. in Beth babbech per. 1. Ral. â—ag in Josh. IV. was first pitched and set up at Gilgal the famous place of their first Incamping Josh. IV. 19. but the Ark and it were parted asunder immediately after the pitching of it For that was carried into the field and marched with them in the Wars of Canaan Josh. VI. 12. VIII 33 c. while the Tabernacle stood without it at Gilgal and there the Sanhedrin sat near unto it with a strong Camp as a Guard for defence of both Josh. IX 6 15. XX. 43. The time of the Tabernacles standing there was till the Land was conquered and Judah and the Sons of Joseph were seated Josh. XVIII 1. which was seven years though b b b Maym. ubi sup Seder Olam some of the Jews do allot it fourteen in which time as they also assert high places were lawful and it was permitted to offer Sacrifices elsewhere than at the Tabernacle because in that time they were abroad in the Wâ—… and their condition was unsetled Before the Tabernacle was first set up c c c Talm. in Zevachin per. 14. say they high places were permitted and the Service was done by the first born But after the Tabernacle was erected high places were prohibited and the Service was performed by the Priest-hood The most Holy things were eaten within the curtains and the less holy in any part of the Camp of Israel When they came to Gilgal high places were permitted again and the most Holy things were eaten within the curtains and the less holy in any place The memorable monuments that had been at Gilgal did leave it as a place of honour and renown and did prove occasion in after times of exceeding much superstition will-worship and Idolatry there for there they sacrificed Bullocks Hos. XII 11. and all their wickedness was there and there the Lord hated them Hos. IX 15. d d d Kimch in Hos. IX either because they renewed the Kingdom in Gilgal 1 Sam. XI 12. and refused the Lord to reign over them or because the Tabernacle had been first set up at Gilgal and that was a choice place thereupon the Prophets of Baal perswaded them there to worship Baal When the Land was conquered and now at peace they removed the Tabernacle from Gilgal to a Town of Ephraim for his birth-right sake and set it up there and called the place Shiloh or Peaceable because the Lord had given them rest from their Wars and from their Enemies round about Here was built a House of Stone for the Tabernacle e e e Talm Maym. ubi supr as the Jews suppose but only it was not roofed over with any thing save with the curtains with which it had been covered from its first making and this they ground from 1 Sam. I. 9. because it is called a Temple and 1 Sam. III. 15. because it is said to have
f f f Parah cap. â— hal 10. The Waters of Kirmon and Pigah are not fit to sprinkle the unclean because they are muddy waters The waters also of Jordan and the waters of Jarmoch are not fit because they are mixt waters that is as the Gloss speaks mixt with the waters of other Rivers which they receive with in themselves To the seven Seas concerning which we have spoken those things which are said by Midras Tillin do refer g g g g g g Midr. Tillin fol. 4. 1. I have created seven Seas saith the Lord but out of them all I have chosen none but the Sea of Genesareth And of the river of Amana of which the Aruch speaks mention is made in the Targum upon Cant. IV. 8. They that dwell upon the river Amana shall offer thee a gift c. CHAP. V. The Sea of Sodom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE bounds of Judea on both sides are the Sea the Western bounds is the Mediterranean the Eastern the dead Sea or the Sea of Sodom This the Jewish Writers every where call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you may not so properly interpret here The Salt Sea as the bituminous Sea In which sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word Sodoms Salt but properly Sodoms bitumen doth very frequently occur among them The use of it was in the holy incense They mingled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a a a a a Maimon In Kele Mikdash cap. 2. Bitumen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Amber of Jordan and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an herb known to few with the spices that made that Incense b b b b b b Jos. Antiq. lib. 15. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lake Asphaltitis is distant from Jerusalem three hundred furlongs About eight and thirty miles c c c c c c Id. de Bell. lib. 4. cap. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is extended in length five hundred and eighty furlongs Seventy two miles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In bredth an hundred and fifty furlongs Eighteen miles Pliny speaks thus of it d d d d d d Nat. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 16. In length it is more than an hundred miles in its greatest bredth it makes five and twenty in its least six What agreement is there between these two I suppose Josephus does not comprehend within his mesure the tongue of the Sea of which mention is made Jos. XV. 2. and defines the bredth as it was generally every where diffused Concerning its distance from Hierusalem Selinus also speaks e e e e e e Solin Polyhist cap. 38. In a long retreat from Hierusalem saith he a sad bay oppresseth it self which that it was struck from Heaven the ground black and dissolved into ashes testifies There were two Towns there one named Sodom the other Gomorrha But that distance was not directly Southward but by a very long declination Eastward The Talmudists devote to the Sea of Sodom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing that is destined to rejection and cursing and that by no means is to be used f f f f f f Hieros Avoddah Zarah fol. 39. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him devote the use of such a thing to the bituminous Sea g g g g g g Hieros Sotah fol. 19. 1. Let the price of an oblation for sin the owner whereof is dead depart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the salt Sea Nazir cap. 4. hal 4. h h h h h h Hieros Demi fol. 25. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Proselyte Aquila divided the Inheritance with his brother a Gentile and devoted the use and benefit of it to the Salt Sea Of three Doctors one saith that he devoted the monies of Idolatry into the Salt Sea Hence is that allusion Revel XX. 14. And death and hell were cast into the Lake of fire It doth not please me that Sodom in the Maps is placed in the Northern bounds of the Asphaltites when it seems rather to be placed in the Southern extremity of it For I. The bounds of the Land are thus defined by Moses Gen. X. 19. The borders of the Canaanites were from Sidon on the North unto Gaza on the South as thou goest forward or until thou comest to Sodom Are not the bounds here bent from Gaza to the furthest term opposite to it on the East II. Josephus in the description of the Asphaltites which we quoted a little above hath these words The length of it is five hundred and eighty furlongs i i i i i i Ios. De Bell. lib. 4. cap. 27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is stretched out as far as Zoar of Arabia Note that the furthest coast of the extension of it southward is to Zoar. But now Zrar was not far distant from Sodom when Lot with his Company got thither before the rising of the Sun l Hieros Berach fol. 2. 3. Gen. XIX 23. It is written say the Gemarists the Sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entred into Sodome Now Sodom was four miles from Zoar. The Maps shew you Zoar and Lots Cave in Judea at the Nothern Coast almost of the Asphaltites By what authority I do not apprehend The Talmudists indeed do mention m Ievamoth cap. 16. hal â—lt a certain Zoar which they also call The City of Palms There is a story say they of some Levites who travailed to Zoar the City of Palms and one of them fell sick whom they brought to an Inn and there he dyed But I should sooner believe that there were two Zoars then I should believe that the Father of the Moabites were not conceived and born near Zoar of the Land of Moab See Esai XV. 5. Concerning the age of Sodom when it perished See the places in the n n n n n n Bab. Shab fol. 10. 2. 11. 1. Iucas fol. 8. 1. Margin and weigh them well CHAP. VI. The Coast of the Asphaltites The Essenes Engedi a a a a a a Plin. lib. 5. cap. 17. ON the Western shore of the Asphaltites dwell the Essenes whom persons guilty of any crimes fly from on every side A Nation it is that lives alone and of all other Nations in the whole World most to be admired they are without any woman all lust banished c. Below these was the Town Engadda the next to Hierusalem for fruitfulness and Groves of Palm-trees now another burying place From thence stands Massada a Castel in a rock and this Castel not far from the Asphaltites Solinus Plinies shaddow speaks the like things b b b b b b Solin cap. 3â— The Essenes possess the inner parts of Judea which look to the West The Town Engadda lay beneath the Essenes but it is now destroyed But its glory for the famous groves that are there doth still endure and in regard of its most lofty woods of Palms it hath received
Hebrew but such as learned it by Study However therefore all the Jews inhabiting the land of Canaan did not so readily understand the Chaldee Language as the Syriac which was their Mother Language yet they much readilier understood that than the Hebrew which to the unlearned was not known at all Hence it was not without necessity that the Prophets were turned into the Chaldee Language by Johnathan and the Law not much after by Onkelos that they might a little be understood by the common people by whom the Hebrew original was not understood at all r r r r r r Hierof Schabb. fol. 15. col 3. We read also that the Book of Job had its Targum in the time of Gamaliel the Elder that is Pauls Master the sense of the words yet they reputed it not for a prophesie because it was not uttered in the Language that was proper for prophetical predictions But we tarry not here That which we would have is this that Matthew wrote not in Hebrew which is proved sufficiently by what is spoken before if so be we suppose him to have written in a Language vulgarly known and understood which certainly we ought to suppose Nor that he nor the other Writers of the New Testament writ in the Syriac Language unless we suppose them to have written in the ungrateful Language of an ungrateful Nation which certainly we ought not to suppose For when the Jewish people were now to be cast off and to be doomed to eternal cursing it was very improper certainly to extol their Language whether it were the Syriac Mother Tongue or the Chaldee its cozin Language unto that degree of honour that it should be the original Language of the New Testament Improper certainly it was to write the Gospel in their Tongue who above all the Inhabitants of the World most despised and opposed it II. Since therefore the Gentiles were to be called to the Faith and to embrace the Gospel by the preaching of it the New Testament was writ very congruously in the Gentile Language and in that which among the Gentile Languages was the most noble viz. The Greek Let us see what the Jews say of this Language envious enough against all Languages besides their own z z z z z z Mâ—gillab fol. 9. 2. Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith Even concerning the holy Books the wise Men permitted not that they should be writ in any other Language than Greek R. Abhu saith that R. Jochanan said the Tradition is according to Rabban Simeon that R. Jochanan said moreover Whence is that of Rabban Simeon proved From thence that the Scripture saith The Lord shall perswade Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem The words of Japhet shall be in the Tents of Sem and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God shall perswade Japhet i. e. The grace of Japhet shall be in the Tents of Sem. Where the Gloss speaks thus The Grace of Japhet is the Greek Language the fairest of those Tongues which belong to the sons of Japhet a a a a a a Hierof Meâ—ill fol 71. â— Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith Even concerning the sacred books they permitted not that they should be written in any other Language than Greek They searched seriously and found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Law could not be translated according to what was needful for it but in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You have this latter clause cut off in Massecheth Sopherim where this story also is added b b b b b b Cap. 1. artic â— The five Elders wrote the Law in Greek for Ptolomy the King and that day was bitter to Israel as the day wherein the golden Calf was made because the Law could not be translated according to what was needful for it This story of the five Interpreters of the Law is worthy of consideration which you find seldom mentioned or scarce any where else The Tradition next following after this in the place cited recites the story of the LXX Look it When therefore the common use of the Hebrew Language had perished and when the Mother Syriac or Chaldee Tongue of a cursed Nation could not be blessed our very enemies being judges no other Language could be found which might be fit to write the New divine Law besides the Greek Tongue That this Language was scattered and in use among all the Eastern Nations almost and was in a manner the Mother Tongue and that it was planted every where by the Conquests of Alexander and the Empire of the Greeks we need not many words to prove since it is every where to be seen in the Historians The Jews do well near acknowledge it for their Mother Tongue even in Judea c c c c c c Hieros Megill in the place above col 2. R. Jochanan of Beth Gubrin said There are four noble Languages which the world useth The Mother Tongue for Singing the Roman for War the Syriac for Mourning and the Hebrew for Elocution and there are some who say the Assyrian for Writing What is that which he calls the Mother Tongue It is very easily answered The Greek from those encomiums added to it mentioned before and that may more confidently be affirmed from the words of Midras Tillin respecting this saying of R. Jochanan and mentioning the Greek Language by name d d d d d d Midr. Till fol. 25. 4. R. Jochanan said There are three Languages The Roman for War the Greek for Speech the Assyrian for Prayer To this also belongs that that occurs once and again in Bab. Megillah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e e e e e e Fol. 18. 1. In the Greek mother Tongue you have an Instance of the thing f f f f f f Hieros Sotah fol. 21. 2. R. Levi coming to Cesarea heard some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reciting the Phylacteries in the Hellenistical Language This is worthy to be marked At Cesarea flourished the famous Schools of the Rabbins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rabbins of Cesarea are mentioned in both Talmuds most frequently and with great praise but especially in that of Jerusalem But yet among these the Greek is used as the Mother Tongue and that in reciting the Phylacteries which you may well think above all other things in Judea were to be said in Hebrew In that very Cesarea Hierom mentions the Hebrew Gospel of S. Matthew to be laid up in the Library of Pamphilus in these words Matthew who was also called Levi from a Publican made an Apostle first of all in Judea composed the Gospel of Christ in Hebrew letters and words for their sakes who were of the circumcision and believed Which Gospel who he was that afterwards translated it into Greek it is not sufficiently known Moreover that very Hebrew Gospel is reserved to this day in the Library at Cesarea which Pamphilus the Marlyr with much care collected I also had leave
the Jews daily to be said at that time when Christ prescribed this form to his Disciples were eighteen in number or in a quantity equalling it Of this number of their prayers the Gemarists of both Talmuds treat at large p p p p p p Hieros Taanith fol. 65. 3. Bab. Beracoth fol. 28. 2. Whom consult Whether they were reduced to the precise number of eighteen in the order that they afterwards appeared in while Christ was upon earth some scruple ariseth from some things which are said by the Babylonian Talmudists in the place alledged but it might be plainly proved if there were need that little or indeed nothing at all wanted of the quantity and bulk of such a number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rabbins have a tradition say they that Simeon Pekoli reduced into order the eighteen prayers according to their course before Rabban Gamaliel in Jafne Rabban Gamaliel said to the wise men Is there any that knows to compose a prayer against the Sadducees Samuel the little stood forth and constituted one c. That Rabban Gamaliel which is here spoke of was Paul's Master For although Rabban Gamaliel who was commonly stiled Jafnensis of Jafne was the Nephew of Paul's Master Gamaliel and this thing is mentioned to be done in Jafne yet Paul's Master also lived in Jafne and that this was he of whom is the story before us sufficiently appears hence because his business is with Samuel the Little who certainly died before the destruction of the City Under Gamaliel the Elder therefore were those daily prayers reduced first into that order wherein they were received by the following ages Which however it was done after the death of our Saviour in regard of their reducing into order yet so many there were in daily use at that time when he conversed on earth Now he condemned not those prayers altogether nor esteemed them of no account yea on the contrary he joined himself to the publick Liturgy in the Synagogues and in the Temple and when he delivereth this form to his Disciples he extinguisheth not other forms II. When all could not readily repeat by heart those numerous prayers they were reduced into a brief Summary in which the marrow of them all was comprized and that provision was made for the memory that they should have a short Epitome of those prayers whom the weakness of their memory or sometime the unavoidable necessity of business permitted not to repeat a longer prayer or to be at leisure to do it This Summary they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fountain Rabban Gamaliel saith Let every one pray the eighteen prayers every day R. Joshua saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him pray the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Summary of those eighteen But R. Akibah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Prayer be free in his mouth let him pray the eighteen but if not let him pray the Summary of those eighteen q q q q q q Bab. Beracoth in the place above That our Saviour comprized the sum of all prayers in this form is known to all Christians and it is confessed that such is the perfection of this form that it is the Epitome of all things to be prayed for as the Decalogue is the Epitome of all things to be practiced III. It was very usual with the Doctors of the Jews 1. To compose forms of short prayers and to deliver them to their Scholars which is asserted also of John Luk. XI 1. whereof you will find some examples and they not a few in the Babylonian Gemara in the Tract Beracoth and elsewhere Not that by those forms they banished or destroyed the set and accustomed prayers of the Nation but to superadd their own to them and to suit them to proper and special occasions 2. To the stated prayers and others framed by themselves it was very usual to add some short prayer over and above which one may not amiss call the concluding prayer Take these Examples of these prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Eliezar when he had finished his prayers was wont to say thus Let it be thy good pleasure O Lord that love and brotherhood dwell in our portion c. R. Jochanan when he had finished his prayers was wont to say thus Let it be thy good pleasure O Lord to take notice of our reproach and to look upon our miseries c. In like manner 1. Our Saviour while he delivers this form to his Disciples he does not weaken the set forms of the Church nor does he forbid his Disciples not to use private prayers but he delivers this most exact Summary of all Prayers to be added over and above to our prayers his most perfect to our most imperfect 2. The Apostles sufficiently accustomed to the manners of the Nation could not judg otherwise of this form In interpreting very many phrases and histories of the New Testament it is not so much worth what we think of them from notions of our own feigned upon I know not what grounds as in what sense these things were understood by the hearers and lookers on according to the usual custom and vulgar dialect of the Nation Some enquire by what authority we do subjoyn or superadd the Lords prayer to ours and fain arguments to the contrary out of their own brain But I ask whether it was possible that the Apostles and Disciples who from their very Cradles had known and seen such forms instituted for common use and added moreover to the set-prayers and others should judg otherwise of this form given by our Lord which bore so great conformity with those and with the most received rite and custom of the Nation IV. That Church held it for a just Canon and that indeed no discommendable one neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r r r r r r Bâ—b â—eâ—â—â—â—th fol. 30. 1. He that prays ought always when he prays to joyn with the Church Which is not strictly to be understood only of his presence in the Synagogue that is elsewhere and otherwise commanded many times over but wheresoever in the world he be placed yea when he is most alone that he say his prayers in the plural number for thus the Gloss explains it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let none pray the short prayer that is one different from the set prayers in the singular number but in the plural In which number our Saviour teacheth us also to pray in this form and that upon very good reason when in whatsoever solitude or distance we are yet we ought to acknowledg our selves joyned with the Church and to pray for her happiness as well as for our own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Father which art in Heaven I. This Epithete of God was very well known among the Jews and very usual with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s s s s s s Maimon in Tephilloth Our Father which art in Heaven deal so with us as
the cloud of persecution at last he brake forth a revenger and cut off that persecuting Nation and shewed himself a conqueror before the eyes of all both Jews and Gentiles Let it be observed in the Text before us how after the mention of that judgment and victory against the Jews presently follows And in his Name shall the Gentiles trust VERS XXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils FOR the searching out the sense of this horrid blasphemy these things are worthy observing I. Among the Jews it was held in a manner for a matter of Religion to reproach Idols and to give them odious names a a a a a a Hieros Avodah Zâ—raâ— fol. 43. 3. R. Akibah saith Idolatry pollutes as a menstruous woman pollutes as it is said Thou shalt cast away the Idol as something that is menstruous and thou shalt say to it Get thee hence â—sai XXX 22. R. Lazar saith Thou shalt say to it Get thee hence That which they call the face of b b b b b b See Strabo â—iâ— â—â— pag â—pâ—â— mâ— â—â—4 God let them call the face of a dog That which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fountain of a â—up let them call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fountain of Toâ—l or of Flailes that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortune let them call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stink c. That Town which sometimes was called Bethel was afterwards called Bethaven See also the Tract c c c c c c Fol. 11. 4. Schabbath where these same words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d d d d d d â—â—◠〈◊〉 fol â—â—â— All jeering is forbidden except the jeering of Idolatry This also is repeated in the Tract e e e e e e â—ol 25. 2. Megillah Where this is added It is lawful for a Jew to say to a Câ—â—hite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take you Idol and put it under your buttocks II. Among the ignominious names bestowed upon Idols the general and common one was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zebul dung or a dunghil f f f f f f Hieros Bâ—â—aâ—â—â—â— fol. 12 â— Even to them who have stretched out their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a dunghill that is in an Idol-Temple or in Idolatry there is hope Thou â—anst not bring them into the Church because they have stretched forth their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a dunghill But yet you cannot reject them because they have repented And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that sees them dunging that is sacrificing to an Idol let him say Cursed be he that sacrifices to a strange God Let them therefore who dare form this word in Matthew into Beelzebuâ— I â—m so far from doubting that the Pharisees pronounced the word Beelzebul and that Matthew so wrote it that I doubt not but the sense fails if it be writ otherwise III. Very many names of evil spirits or devils occur in the Talmudists which it is needless here to mention Among all the devils they esteemed that devil the worst the foulest and as it were the Prince of the rest who ruled over the Idols and by whom Oracles and Miracles were given forth among the Heathens and Idolaters And they were of this opinion for this reason because they held Idolatry above all other things chiefly wicked and abominable and to be the Prince and head of evil This Demon they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baal-zebul not so much by a proper name as by one more general and common as much as to say the Lord of Idolatry the worst devil and the worst thing and they called him the Prince of devils because Idolatry is the Prince or chief of wickedness g g g g g g Hieros Peaâ—â— fol. 21. 2. We meet with a story where mention is made of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prince of spirits Whether it be in this sense let the Reader consult and judg Also in the h h h h h h Ex â—â—â—â—oth Aruch we meet with these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Demon Asmodeus the Prince of spirits IV. The Talmudists being taught by these their Fathers do give out horribly blaspheming That Jesus of Nazareth our Lord was a Magician a broacher of strange and wicked worship and one that did Miracles by the power of the Devil to beget his worship the greater belief and honour i i i i i i Bâ—b Sâ—hab fol. 104. â— Ben 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satda brought Magick out of Egypt by cuttings which he had made in his flesh By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ben Satda they understand Jesus of Nazareth as we have said before whom they dishonour by that name that they might by one word and in one breath reproach him and his Mother together For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satda or Sâ—ada sounds as much as an Adulterous wife which the Gemara shews after a few lines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She went aside from her husband k k k k k k Saâ—hedr fol. 107. 2. They seign that Jesus travelled with Joshua ben Perachiah into Egypt when the said Joshua fled from the anger and sword of Janneus the King which we have mentioned at the second Chapter and that he brought thence Magical witchâ—rafts with him but under the cutting of his flesh that he might not be taken by the Egyptian Magicians who strictly examined all that went out of that land that none should transport their Magiâ—k Art into another land And in that place they add these horrid words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus practised Magick and deceived and drove Israel to Idolatry Those whelps bark as they were taught by these dogs To this therefore does this blasphemy of the Pharisees come as if they should say He casts out Devils indeed but he doth this by the help of the Devil the Lord of Idols that dwells in him by him that is the worst of all Devils who favours him and helps him because it is his ambition to drive the people from the worship of the true God to strange worship VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Iesus knowing their thoughts BEhold O Pharisee a sign of the true Messias for a sign you would have He smells out a wicked man l l l l l l Bab. Sanheâ—r fol. 93. â— It is written of Messias The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall make him smell in the fear of the Lord. Rabba said He shall smell and judg as it is said He shall not judg by the sight of his eyes c. Ben Cozba reigned two years and a half and said to the Rabbins I am the Messias They said to him It is written of Messias that he shall smell and judg The Gloss is He shall smell of the Man and shall judg and know whether he be
all came to pass c. a a a a a a Jerusal Maasar Sheâ—â— fol 5â— 2. 3. You have R. Joses ben Chelpatha R. Ismael ben R. Joses R. Lazar and R. Akiba interpreting divers dreams and many coming to them for interpretation of their dreams Nay you see there the Disciples of R. Lazar in his absence practising this art See there also many stories about this business which it would be too much here to transcribe II. There were hardly any people in the whole World that more used or were more fond of Amulets Charms Mutterings Exorcisms and all kinds of Enchantments We might here produce innumerable examples a handful shall serve us out of the harvest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b b b b Shabb. chap. 6. hal 6. Let not any one go abroad with his amulet on the Sabbath day unless that amulet be prescribed by an approved Physitian or unless it be an approved amulet See the Gemara Now these Amulets were either little roots hung about the necks of sick persons or what was more common bits of paper with words writ on them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby they supposed that diseases were either driven away or cured which they were all the week but were forbid to wear on the Sabbath unless with a Caution c c c c c c Jerus iâ—id fol. 8. 2. They do not say a charm over a wound on the Sabbath That also which is said over a Mandrake is forbid on the Sabbath If any one say Come and say this versicle over my Son or lay the Book of the Law upon him to make him sleep it is forbid that is on the Sabbath but on other days is usual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They used to say the Psalm of meetings that is against unlucky meetings at Jerusalem R. Judan saith Sometimes after such a meeting and sometimes when no such meeting had happned But what is the Psalm of meetings The third Psalm Lord how are my foes encreased even all the Psalm and the ninety first Psalm He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High to the ninth verse * * * * * * Ibid. col 3. There is a discourse of many things which they used to carry about with them as remedies against certain ails and of mutterings over wounds and there you may see that while they avoid the inchantments of the Amorites they have and allow their own d d d d d d Bab. Joma fol. 84. 1. You have the form of an inchantment against a mad Dog And e e e e e e Avodah Zarah fol. 12. 2. the form of inchantment against the Devil of blindness f f f f f f Hieros Schab fol. 13. 4. Avod Zarah fol. 40. 4. You have mutterings and enchantments even in the Name of Jesus See also the Bab. Sanhedr g g g g g g Fol. 101. 1. concerning these kind of mutterings III. So skilful were they in conjurings enchantments and sorceries that they wrought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great signs many villanies and more wonders We pass by those things which the sacred story relates of Simon Magus Elymas the sons of Sceva c. and Josephus of others We will only produce examples out of the Talmud a few out of many You will wonder in the entrance at these two things in order to the speaking of their magical exploits and thence you will conjecture at the very common practise of these evil arts among that people 1. That the Senior who is chosen into the Council ought to be skilled in the arts of Astrologers Juglers Diviners Sorcerers c. that he may be able to Judge of those who are guilty of the same i i i i i i Maimon Sanheâ—r Chap. 2. 2. The Masters tell us that a certain chamber was built by a Magician in the Temple it self k k k k k k Gloss. on Middoth Chap. 5. hal 3. The chamber of Happarva was built by a certain Magician whose name was Parvah by art Magick l l l l l l Hieros Sanhedr fol. 18. 3. Four and twenty of the School Rabbi intercalating the year at Lydda were killed by an evil eye that is with sorceries m m m m m m Ibid. f. 25. 4 R. Joshua outdoes a Magician in Magick and drowns him in the Sea In Bab. Taanith n n n n n n Fol. 24. several miracles are related that the Rabbins had wrought o o o o o o Hieros Sanhedr fol. 23. 3 Bab. Sanhedr fol. 44. 2. Elsewhere there is a story told of eighty women sorceresses at Ascalon who were hanged in one day by Simeon ben Shetah and the women of Israel saith the Gloss had generally fallen to the practise of Sorceries as we have mentioned before It is related of abundance of Rabbies that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 skilful in working miracles thus Abba Chelchia and r r r r r r Juchas f. 20. 1 Chanin and s s s s s s Id. fol. 56. 2. R. Chanina ben Dusa of which R. Chanina ben Dusa there is almost an infinite number of stories concerning the miracles he wrought which savour enough and too much of Magick * * * * * * See Bab. Berac f. 33. 34. And that we may not be tedious in producing examples what can we say of the fasting-Rabbies causing it to rain in effect when they pleased of which there are abundaance of stories in Taanith What can we say of the Bath kol very frequently applauding the Rabbins out of Heaven of which we have spoke before What can we say of the death or plagues foretold by the Rabbins to befal this or that man Which came to pass just according as they were foretold I rather suspect some Magick art in most of these than fiction in all IV. False Christs broke out and appeared in publick with their witchcrafts so much the frequenter and more impudent as the City and people drew nearer to its ruine because the people believed the Messias should be manifested before the destruction of the City and each of them pretended to be the Messias by these signs From the words of Isaiah t t t t t t Chap. LXVI 7. Before her pain came she was delivered of a man child the Doctors concluded That the Messias should be manifested before the destruction of the City Thus the Chaldee Paraphrast upon the place She shall be saved before her utmost extremity and her King shall be revealed before her pains of child-birth Mark that also u u u u u u Bab. Joma fol. 10. 1. The son of David will not come till the wicked Empire of the Romans shall have spread it self over all the World nine months as it is said Therefore will he give them up until the time that she which
whence then had he that Greek name of his and the name of his Father Janneus was Greekish too It is much more probable what Eulogius hath in Photius Cod. CCXXX The Samaritan people having divided into various factions disagree'd amongst themselves and brought in forreign opinions Some were of opinion that Joshua was he of whom Moses spoke when he tells them A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your brethren like unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others rejecting this opinion cry'd up one Dosthai or Dositheus a native Samaritan and Contemporary with Simon Magus From Dosthai and Sabia the Dosthenes and Sabueans two Samaritan Sects originally Epiph. Hâ—res XI c. sprung 5. The language of Ashdod Nehem. XIII 24. whether the Samaritan language or no. And the children spake half in the speech of Ashdod and could not speak in the Jews language Nehem. XIII 24 What language was this at this time I. The Arabian Version tells us it was the Chaldee But was not the Jewish and the Chaldee tongue at that time all one It may be questionable whether it were so at that time or no but I shall wave that Controversie II. As to the question in hand it may not be amiss to consider that passage Act. II. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creets and Arabians Who are these Creets who would not think at first sight that by the Cretians were meant the inhabitants of the Island of Crete I my self have sometime fallen into this error but now I should be ready to say they were the Cherethims a Philistine Nation and Country 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Greek interpreters is render'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creets Ezek. XXV 16. Zeph. II. 5 6. and there is some reason to apprehend that St. Luke in the place above quoted understands the same people because he joyns them with the Arabians Targum on the 2 Chron. XXVI 7. And the word of the Lord helped them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the Philistines and against the Arabians dwelling in Gerar. Observe Arabians dwelling in Gerar a City of the Philistines and it is well enough known that Arabia joyns to the land of the Philistines And one may suspect the language of Ashdod might be the Arabian rather than the Samaritan tongue especially when as the name of Idumaea obtain'd as far as these places And was not the Arabick the language of the Idumeans SECT II. The Samaritan Pentateuch IN the Samaritan Version that I may still contain my self within our Chorographical Enquiry as to the names of places there are three things are matter of our notice and a fourth of our suspicion I. There are some places obscure enough by their own names which as they are there render'd are still more perplext and unknown Consult the names used there for the rivers of Eden and the Countries which those rivers run into and you will see how difficult it is any where else to meet with the least footstep or track of those names except Nat. Hist. lib 6. cap. 23. Straâ— lib. 15. Cophin only which seems indeed to agree something with Cophen mention'd by Pliny II. Places of themselves pretty well known are there call'd by names absolutely unknown such are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catephu for Assyria Gen. II. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lilak for Babel Gen. X. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salmaah for Euphrates Gen. XV. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naphik for Egypt Gen. XXVI 2. III. Sometimes there are names of a later date used and such as were most familiarly known in those days such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Banias for Dan Gen. XIV 14. that is Panias the spring of Jordan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gennesar for Chinnereth Numb XXXIV 11. Deut. III. 17. not to mention Bathnan and Apamiae for Bashan and Shepham which are so neer akin with the Syriack pronunciation and Gebalah or Gablah for Seir according to the Arabick Idiom Such names as these make me suspect the Samaritan Version not to be of that antiquity which some would claim for it making it almost as ancient as the days of Ezra IV. I suspect too when we meet with places pretty well known of themselves obscur'd by names most unknown that sometimes the whole Country is not to be understood but some particular place of that Country only The suspicion is grounded from the word Naphik for Egypt and Salmaah for Euphrates By Naphik probably they understood not the whole land of Egypt but Pelusium only which is the very first entry into Egypt from Canaan The reason of this conjecture is this The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anpak as we have elswhere observed was writ over the Gates of that City and how neer that word comes to Naphick is obvious enough to any one It is possible also that the mention of the Kinites immediately following might bring Salmaah to mind and so they might not call Euphrates it self Salmaah but speaking of Euphrates as washing some place call'd Salmaah Ptolomy in his Chapter concerning the Situation of Arabia deserta mentions Salma in degr 78. 20. 28. 30. and it is number'd amongst six and twenty other Cities which he saith are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latin interpreter translates Juxta Mesopotamiam neer Mesopotamia if this be true the Samaritan Version hath something by which it may defend its self For if those Cities mentioned by Ptolomy were indeed Juxta Mesopotamiam neer Mesopotamia the river Euphrates only running between then may the Samaritan Version be warranted while it renders even to the river Euphrates even to the river of Salmaah that is to the river Euphrates in that place where it washeth the sides of Salma SECT III. The situation of the Mounts Gerizim and Ebal The Samaritan Text upon Deut. XXVII 4. noted THAT Sychar is the same place with Sichem seems beyond doubt which indeed the Mount Gerizim pointed to by the Samaritan Woman sufficiently confirms A wily argument perhaps in Epiphanius his esteem who in his Samaritan Heresie gives us this account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two mounts neer Jericho beyond Jordan Gerizim and Ebal which look toward Jericho on the East c. So that we see he tells us Gerizim and Ebal were near Jericho not neer Sichem So also before him Eusebius de locis Hebraicis at least if he be the Author of that Book as Petavius noteth That clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over against Gilgal Deut. XI 30. hath deceived these Authors in that manner that they have removed the mounts Gerizim and Ebal to Gilgal by Jericho and it hath on the other hand deceiv'd some in that manner that they have brought Gilgal by Jericho to Sichem misunderstanding the word Gilgal for that place mention'd in Josh. V. when this which Moses speaks of is really Galilee as I have prov'd elsewhere On these two mounts it is well known were pronounc'd the Blessings and the
East c. If therefore the Temple was not finished till that time then much less was it so when Christ was in it Whence we may properly enough render those words of the Jews into such a kind of sense as this It is forty and six years since the repairing of the Temple was first undertook and indeed to this day is not quite perfected and will thou pretend to build a new one in three days VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he spake of the Temple of his body IF we consider how much the second Temple came behind that of the first it will the easilier appear why our blessed Saviour should call his body the Temple a a a a a a Hierosol Taanith fol. 6. 1. Bab. Joma fol. 21. 2. In the second Temple there wanted the fire from Heaven the Ark with the Propitiatory Cherubims Urim and Thummim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Glory the Holy Ghost and the Anointing Oyl These things were all in Solomon's Temple which therefore was accounted a full and plenary type of the Messiah But so long as the second Temple had them not it wanted what more particularly shadowed and represented him I. There was indeed in the second Temple a certain Ark in the Holy of Holies but this was neither Moses's Ark nor the Ark of the Covenant b b b b b b Joma fol. 52. 2. which may not unfitly come to mind when we read that passage Revel XI 19. The Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his testament It was not seen nor indeed was it at all in the second Temple The Jews have a Tradition that Josias hid the Ark before the Babylonish Captivity lest it should fall into the hands of the Enemy as once it did amongst the Philistines c c c c c c Joma ubi supra Cherithuth fol. 77. 2. But there is no mention that it was ever found and restored again II. In Moses his Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple the Divine presence sate visibly over the Ark in the propitiatory in a Cloud of Glory But when the destruction of that Temple drew near it went up from the Propitiatory Ezek. X. 4. and never returned into the second Temple where neither the Ark nor the Propitiatory was ever restored III. The High-Priest indeed ministred in the second Temple as in the first in eight several Garments d d d d d d Joma fol. 71. 2. Amongst these was the Pectoral or Breast-plate wherein the precious stones were put out of which the Jasper chanced to fall and was lost e e e e e e Hieros Peah fol. 15. 3. Bab. Kiddush fol. 60. 2. but the Oracle by Urim and Thummim was never restored See Ezra II. 63. and Nehem. VII 63. if not restored in the days of Ezra or Nehemiah much less certainly in the ages following when the Spirit of Prophecy had forsaken and taken leave of that people For that is a great truth amongst the Talmudists f f f f f f Joma fol. 73. 2. Things are not askt or enquired after now by Urim and Thummim by the High-Priest because he doth not speak by the Holy Ghost nor does there any divine Afflatus breath on him This to omit other things was the state of Zorobabel's Temple with respect to those things which were the peculiar glory of it And these things being wanting how much inferior must this needs be to that of Solomon's But there was one thing more that degraded Herod's Temple still lower and that was the person of Herod himself to whom it is ascribed It was not without scruple even amongst the Jews themselves that it was built and repaired by such an one and who knew not what Herod was They dispute whether by right such a person ought to have meddled with it and are fain to pump for arguments for their own satisfaction as to the lawfulness of the thing They object first g g g g g g Bava bathra fol. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is not permitted to any one to demolish one Synagogue till he hath built another Much less to demolish the Temple But Herod demolished the Temple before he had built another Ergo They answer Baba ben Buta gave Herod that counsel that he should pull it down Now this Baba was reckoned amongst the great wise men and he did not rashly move Herod to such a work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saw such clefts and breaches in the Temple that threatned its ruine They object secondly concerning the person of Herod that he was a Servant to the Asmonean Family that he rose up against his Masters and killed them and had killed the Sanhedrin They answer We were under his power and could not resist it And if those hands stained with blood would be building it was not in their power to hinder it These and other things they apologize for their Temple adding this invention for the greater honour of the thing that all that space of time wherein it was a building it never once rained by day that the work might not be interrupted h h h h h h Taanith fol. 23. 1. Joseph Antiqu. lib. 15. cap. 14. The Rabbins take a great deal of pains but to no purpose upon those words Hagg. II. 9. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than the former i i i i i i Bava bathra fol. 3. 1. R. Jochanan and R. Eliezer say one that it was greater for the Fabrick the other that it was greater for the duration As if the glory of the Temple consisted in any Mathematical reasons of space dimension or duration as if it lay in walls gilding or ornament The glory of the first Temple was the Ark the divine cloud over the Ark the Urim and the Thummim c. Now where or in what can consist the greater glory of the second Temple when these are gone Herein it is indeed that the Lord of the Temple was himself present in his Temple he himself was present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Coloss. II. 9. as the divine glory of old was over the Ark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 typically or by way of shadow only This is the glory when he himself is present who is the great High-Priest and the Prophet who answerably to the Urim and Thummim of old reveals the counsels and will of God He who is the true and living Temple whom that Temple shadowed out This Temple of yours O ye Jews does not answer its first pattern and exemplar There are wanting in that what were the chief glory of the former which very defect intimates that there is another Temple to be expected that in all things may fall in with its first type as it is necessary the Antitype should
Ghost with this mighty authority and priviledg that they should be capable of dispensing it to others also VERS XXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Thomas called Dydimus was not with them I. THE Evangelist does not here as the writers of Lexicons render the signification of an Hebrew name into Greek when he tells us that Thomas is also called Didymus but only lets us know that as he was called Thomas among the Hebrews so was he called Didymus among the Greeks There is not another amongst the Twelve Apostles of whom this is said Simon indeed is called Peter but these are really two distinct names so was Nathanael called Bartholomew but Thomas and Didymus both one name of one signification in different languages Perhaps Thomas was born in some place where the Jews and the Greeks promiscuously inhabited such a place was the region of Decapolis and so by the Hebrews he might be call'd by his Hebrew name and the Greek by the Greeks II. The Disciples had all fled and were dispers'd when Christ was apprehended Mark XIV 50. except Peter and John whence it is said in ver 2. of this Chapter that Mary Magdalene came to Peter and that other Disciple whom Jesus loved for she knew where she might find them and so she could not for the rest And thus scatter'd as it should seem they past over the Sabbath-day but when they heard that their Lord was risen then they begin to associate again But as yet Thomas had not got amongst them and indeed Peter himself had been absent too but that having seen the Lord he return'd from Emmaus III. Thomas therefore not being present when our Saviour breathed on the rest and gave them the Holy Ghost are we to suppose that he by his absence was depriv'd of this gift and priviledg No surely for it was a priviledg common to the whole Apostolate and peculiar to them as so so that however by his absence he might have mist of it yet by reason of his Apostolacy he could not St. Paul distant with a witness while these things happen'd both from the Apostleship and Religion too yet when made an Apostle was withal adorn'd with this priviledg VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Except I shall see c. THEY judg Moses once to have been thus weak and wavering in his faith f f f f f f Shemoth rabba fol. 160. 1. When the Holy Blessed God said to Moses Go down for the people have corrupted themselves he took the Tables and would not believe that Israel had sinned saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I do not see I will not believe g g g g g g Midr. Tillin fol. 38. 4. Thou Racha wouldst thou not have believ'd if thou hadst not seen VERS XXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The doors being shut I Would not easily believe that the intention of the Evangelist in this place was to let us know that Christ penetrated the doors with his body but rather that the doors were shut for fear of the Jews as v. 19. which he also reiterates in this verse that he might let us know the Disciples were still at Jerusalem where their greatest danger lay On the morrow probably they were to make toward Galilee VERS XXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed R. Simeon ben Lachish saith h h h h h h Tanchum fol. 8. 1. the proselyte is more beloved by the Holy Blessed God than that whole crowd that stood before Mount Sinai for unless they had heard the thundrings and seen the flames and lightnings the hills trembling and the trumpets sounding they had not receiv'd the Law But the proselyte hath seen nothing of all this and yet hath come in devoting himself to the Holy Blessed God and hath taken upon him the Kingdom of Heaven CHAP. XXI VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Simon Peter and Thomas c. HERE are seven of the Disciples mention'd and but five of them named those two whose names are not recited probably were Philip and Andrew as the four that were absent at that time might be the Sons of Alpheus Matthew Judas Simeon and James Compare those that are mention'd Chap. I. and you may reasonably suppose the person not named there ver 37 40. might be Thomas VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I go a fishing CHRIST had order'd his Apostles to meet him at a mountain in Galilee Mat. XXVIII 16. It is plain ver 14. that he had not yet appear'd to them there so that it is something strange how they durst keep away from that mountain and how the four newly mention'd durst be absent from the rest u◠their number They knew the mountain without doubt and if they knew not the time wherein Christ would make his appearance amongst them why should they not abide continually there in attendance for him It should seem that they did not look for him till the Lords-day which had not yet been since they were come into Galilee and perhaps the Sons of Alpheus had in their return from Jerusalem betaken themselves amongst their relations determining to be at that mountain on the Lords day These seven dwelt not far off the mountain which was near Capernaum and hard by the Sea of Galilee only Nathanael who dwelt more remote in Cana toward the extreme North parts of that Sea He was not yet gone home but waiting the appointed time staid here Peter and Andrew dwelt in Capernaum and so probably did James and John Philip in Bethsaida and Thomas as we may conjecture from his Greek name Didymus probably liv'd amongst the Syro-grecians in Gedara or Hippo or some place in that Country of Decapolis not very far from Gennesareth VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children BY what word soever Christ exprest this Children to them whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Syr. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it seems to be a very familiar and gentle compellation that his Disciples from that very salutation of his might discern him They did not know him by sight as appears ver 4. he would have them know him therefore by the title he gave them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is very usual amongst the Rabbins may not unfitly be render'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Meat for one single repast As if Christ should have said Children have ye any meat with you sufficient for a break-fast or a dinner But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signifie any sort of meat that must be eaten with bread as Camerarius thinks then Christ's words seem to have this meaning Here I have bread with me have you taken any thing that we may eat this bread and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meat may be distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovest thou me more than these WHY
26. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All his pleasure There is a dispute in the place newly quoted whether it be lawful to alienate a Synagogue from its sacred to a common use and it is distinguisht betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Synagogue of one man and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a public Synagogue And upon permitting that the former may be alienated but the later not there is this story which I have newly quoted objected to the contrary and this passage further added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Alexandrians build that Synagogue at their own charge which doth both attest to what our sacred Historian mentions of a Synagogue of Alexandrians at Jerusalem and argues that they were divers Synagogues here spoken of one of the Libertines another of the Cyrenians and so of the rest which may be so much the more credible if that be true which is related in the same place viz. that there were CCCCLXXX Synagogues in Jerusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And them of Cilicia Saint Paul seems to have been of this Synagogue but of the School of Gamaliel for the Jewish youth sent out of far Countreys to Jerusalem for education being allotted to this or that Synagogue chose this or that Master for themselves according to their own pleasure Saint Paul had been brought up in a Greek Academy from his very childhood viz. that of Tarsus I call Tarsus both an Academy and a Greek one too upon the credit of Strabo who speaks thus concerning it f f f f f f Geogr. lib. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tarsus was built by the Argives that wandred with Triptolemus in the search of 10. And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They of Tarsus had so great a love to Philosophy and all liberal Sciences that they excelled Athens Alexandria and if there were any other place worth naming where the Schools and disputes of Philosophy and all human arts were maintained Hence is it so much the less strange that Saint Paul should be so well stockt with the Greek Learning and should quote in his discourses the Poets of that nation having been educated in so famous an University from his very youth VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As it had been the face of an Angel GOD himself by a miracle bears witness to the innocence of this holy man and shews he had done no wrong to Moses when he makes his face shine as Moses's had formerly done and gave him an Angelical countenance like that of Gabriel for if he had said that Jesus should destroy that place c. he had but said what Gabriel had said before him CHAP. VII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia g g g g g g Beresh Rabba fol. 32. 3. ABRAHAM is like the friend of a King who when he saw the King walking in darksome Galleries gave light to him by a window which when the King saw he said unto him because thou hast given me light through a window come and give me light before my face So did the Holy Blessed God say to Abraham because thou hast given light to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of my Mesopotamia and its Companious come and give light to me in the Land of Israel Whether or no it be worth the while to enquire why God should term it my Mesopotamia as also what should be the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her Consorts or Companions yet can I not but take notice that this adjunct doth once and again occur in the writings of the Jews h h h h h h Ib. fol. 48. 1. O seed of Abraham my friend I took thee from the ends of the Eurth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. from Mesopotamia and her Companions i i i i i i Ib. fol. 66. 1. Who is he among you that feareth the Lord This is Abraham who walketh in darkness Who came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Mesopotamia and her Consorts and knew not whither like the man that dwelleth in darkness It is written indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it should be out of Spain but I correct it by the authority of the Aruch and indeed the very sense it self corrects it The Gloss hath nothing but this trifling passage in it I have found the interpretation of Mesopotamia viz. that it is the name of a City in Aram Naharaim The Geographers do indeed distinguish betwixt Mesopotamia and Babylon or Chaldaea So in Ptolomys fourth Table of Asia to omit other authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Country of Babylon is bounded on the South lieth Mesopotamia c. And yet Babylon may in some measure be said to be in Mesopotamia partly because it lay between the two Rivers Euphrates and Tigris but especially according to the propriety of Scripture Language because it was beyond the River Which we may take notice was observed by the Vulgar Interpreter in Josh XXIV 3. where what in the Hebrew is I took your Father Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the other side of the flood he hath rendred it I took your Father Abraham De Mesopotamiae finibus from the borders of Mesopotamia Josephus speaking of Abraham and his removing from his Country hath this passage k k k k k k Antiqu. lib. 1. cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wherefore the Chaldeans and other Mesopotamians moving tumults against him he thought fit to remove his seat c. Where we see the Chaldeans amongst others are called those of Mesopotamia Nor indeed without cause when as Eratosthenes in Strabo tells us l l l l l l Lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that Mesopotamia with the Country of Babylon is contained in that great compass from Euphrates and Tigris And so perhaps the Rabbin newly quoted distinguisheth that that is Mesopotamia which he makes to be called by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Mesopotamia is Charran where the worship of God had been kept up in the family of Nahor and which had been the native Country and breeder up of eleven Patriarchs And so let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her Consorts Babylon and Chaldea for in what other signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here can be taken in I cannot well tell In that Stephen speaks of God appearing to Abraham while he was yet in Chaldea before he removed to Charran when Moses rather ascribes that passage to Terah his Father Gen. XI he speaks with the Vulgar according to the commonly received opinion of his Countrymen Who not only taught that Abraham acknowledged and worshipt the true God even while his Father Terah worshipped Idols bur further that Terah was so zealous an Idolater that he delivered his son Abraham to Nimrod to be cast into a fiery furnace We have the tale in Bereshith Rabba * * * * * * Fol. 42. 2. ridiculous
But read and read again the whole story Act. XIX and there is not a syllable of any wrong that Paul at that time endured in his person VERS XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fool. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would the Talmudists say Sot mad man g g g g g g Gloss. In Taanith fol. 1â— 1. Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai answered the Baithuseans denying also the Resurrection of the dead and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fools whence did this happen to you c. VERS XLV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so it is written c. OF the former no doubt is made for it is written Gen. XI 7. But where is the latter Throughout the whole sacred book thence the Jews speak so many things and so great of the Spirit of Messias and of Messias quickning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last Adam was made a quickning Spirit Job XIX 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth Job seems to me in this place in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak in the same sense with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last Adam Of the former Adam it was said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return And I know saith Job that my Redeemer liveth and he shall arise from the dust another or a latter and I shall see the Lord made of the same flesh that I am of c. Intimating the Incarnation of the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A quickning Spirit The Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters Gen. I. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the Spirit of King Messias So the Jews speak very frequently And also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messias shall quicken those that dwell in the dust It cannot be past over without Observation by what authority Paul applies those words of Psal. XCII Thou Lord in the beginning hast founded the earth c. to the Messias Heb. I. 10. to prove his Deity and dignity But thou art deceived O Paul would a Hebrew say These words are to be applied to God the Father not to the Messias The Apostle hath what to reply from the very confession of the Jewish Nation You acknowledge that Spirit which was present at and president over the Creation was the Spirit of the Messias It ought not also be past by without observation that Adam receiving from him the promise of Christ and believing it named his wife Chava that is Life So the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Adam called his wives name Life Gen. III. 20. What Is she called life that brought in death But Adam perceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last Adam exhibited to him in the Promise to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A quickning Spirit and had brought in a better life of the Soul and at length should bring in a better of the body Hence is that Joh. I. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In him was life VERS XLVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second man is the Lord. GEn. IV. 1. Eve conceived and brought forth Cain and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have possessed or obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man the Lord that is That the Lord himself should become man For let me so turn it depending upon these reasons I. That this Interpretation is without any manner of wresting the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea it is according to its most proper signification and use II. That without doubt Eve had respect to the promise of Christ when she named her son as Adam had respect to the promise in the denomination of Eve VERS LV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O death where is thy c. HOs XIII 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where is thy revenge O Death And thus speaks Aben Ezra There are some which invert the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be as though it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where And very truly as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 10. Where is thy King Where the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not I will be thy King but Where is thy King So that the Greek Interpreters and the Apostle after them translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where properly and truly The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Prophet is rendred by the Targumist and the Rabbins to signifie A Word but some as Kimchi acknowledges understand it to signifie The Plague and that upon good ground because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Destruction is joyned with it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Destruction and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Plague are joyned together Psal XCI Where see the Targum and R. Solomon and compare the Greek Interpreters with them CHAP. XVI VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now concerning the Collection for the Saints UNLESS I am much deceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Jerusalem Writers denotes in the like sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Collection for the wise men They have this story a a a a a a Hoâ—aioth fol. 48. 1. R. Eliezer R. Josua and R. Akiba went up to Chelath of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Employed in the Collection for the wise Men. One Abba Judah was there who performed the Law with a good Eye Being now reduced to poverty when he saw the Rabbins he was dejected He went home with a sad countenance His wife said to him Why doth thy countenance languish He answered The Rabbins are come and I know not what to do She said to him You have one field left Go and sell half of it and give to them Which he did And when they were departed he went to plow in the half of his field and found a great treasure c. I produce this the more willingly that it may be observed that collections were made among the Jews in forrain Nations for the poor Rabbins dwelling in Judea in the same manner as they were made among Christians in forrain Nations for the poor Jews converted to Christianity in Judea VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the first day of the Week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the first of the Sabbath would the Talmudists say I. That day was every where celebrated for the Christian Sabbath and which is not to be past over without observing as far as appears from Scripture there is no where any dispute of that matter There was controversie concerning circumcision and other points of the Jewish Religion whether they were to be retained or not retained but no where as we read concerning the changing of the Sabbath There were indeed some Jews converted to the Gospel who as in some other things they retained a smatch of their old Judaism so they did in the observation of days Rom. XIV 5. Gal. IV. 10. but yet not rejecting or neglecting the
2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World i. e. know ye not that there shall be a Christian Magistracy that Christians shall be Kings and Magistrates to rule and judge the World And the very same sense speaketh Dan. VII 18. 26 27. from whence both my Text and that passage of Paul are taken know ye not saith he that the Saints shall judge the World How should they know it Why Plainly enough out of that place in Daniel where in vers 18. it is foretold That the Saints of the most High should take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever and ever And in vers 26 27. The Judgment shall sit as in the Text and the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Two considerations will put the matter out of all question I. That the word Saints means not strictly nor really Sanctified in opposition to men not really sanctified but it means Christians in general in opposition to Heathens And so the Apostle himself clears it in the verse before that I cited Dare any of you go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints What is meant by the unjust there Heathens or Infidels as he calls them vers 6. And then what is meant by Saints But Christians in opposition to Heathens II. Observe the tenor of the contents in Daniel and that will illustrate the sense of these verses that I produced He speaks before of the four Heathen Monarchies the Babylonian Mede-Persian Grecian and Syrogrecian that had had the Kingdom and Dominion and Rule in the World and had tyrannized in the World especially against the Church that was then being but at last they should be destroyed and upon their being destroyed Christ should come and set up his Kingdom through the World and then the Kingdom and Rule and Dominion in the World should be put into the hands of Saints or Christians and they should Rule and Judge in the World as those Heathen Monarchies had done all the time before And thus you have the words unfolded to you and I hope according to the meaning of the Holy Ghost And now my Lords and Gentlemen you may see your own picture in the glass of the Text for you are of the number of those of whom it speaketh In it you may see your selves Imbenched Commissioned and your work put into your hands In the first clause The institution of the Function the ordaining of Magistracy and Judicature I saw Thrones set In the second The Commissionating of Christians unto that Office and Function They sat upon them In the last The end of this Office and the employment they are set upon in it Judgment was given unto them Thrones set by whom By him that had been the great agent in the verse before Christ that had bound the Devil and chained him up They sat upon them Who They that are the persons mentioned in the verse before Men of the Nations undeceived from the delusions of Satan and brought into the truth of the Gospel Judgment was given them for what end For Judgment sake that they might execute judgment and righteousness among the Nations And so I have my words fairly cut out before me and the matter and the method of the Text calls upon me to speak unto these three things I. Of the institution of Magistrates as an ordinance of Christ. II. Of Christian Magistracy as a Gospel mercy III. The great work the all in all of Magistracy The execution of Judgment I. Of all the offices of Christ he executed only one of them peculiarly and reservedly himself without the communicating of any acting in it to any other but as to the execution of the other two he partly acteth himself and partly importeth some acting therein by deputation to others His Priestly office that that most concerned and had the greatest stroke in mans redemption he executed intirely himself and no other had share no other could have share in the executing of that with him None could be capable of offering any of his all-sufficient Sacrifice with him none could be capable of offering the incense of mediation with him But in his Kingly and Prophetick offices he acteth himself and he deputeth others to act for him As the great Prophet he teacheth his Church himself by giving of the Scriptures and instructing his holy ones by his Spirit yet withal hath he deputed Ministers to be her Teachers And as the great King of the Church and of all the World he ruleth in both himself in the hearts of his people by his Word and Spirit and amongst his enemies with a rod of Iron yet withal hath he deputed Kings Judges and Magistrates to be Rulers for him These two great Ordinances you have couched in this very place In the verse before the Text Christ chaineth up the Devil that he should no more deceive poor men as he had done before And how did he this By the Ministry of the Word and Preaching of the Gospel And in the words of the Text he setteth up Thrones and sets men upon them for what To execute Magistracy and to administer Judgment And so likewise are they closely hinted in that place of the Apostle that I cited I Cor. VI. Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the World or Christians be Magistrates and in the next verse following know ye not that we shall judge Angels or we Apostles and Ministers judge Devils and overthrow their Idols Oracles Miracles and Delusions by the Ministry of the Gospel And so if I should take Pastors and Teachers Ephes. IV. 11. for Magistrates and Ministers I believe there were no soloecisme in the thing and I am sure the Jews called their chiefest Magistrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastores in their common speech And if the Apostle may be shewed there to speak in their vulgar dialect as he doth indeed all along his Epistles it would save a controversie and question that is raised upon that place These two Functions are the two standing Pillars and Ordinances the Jachin and Boaz that our great Solomon hath set up in his Temple to stand with the Temple while it standeth These are two choice strainings and distillings of the precious ointment that was poured on the head of our great Aaron that runs down upon the skirts of his clothing Yours my Lords and Gentlemen is a beam of that lustre that shineth in the Royal Crown of Christs Kingly office It is a coin stamped with the Image and superscription of the great Cesar of Heaven and Earth sitting in his Empire and Dominion over all I remember a Phrase of Pliny in his Epistles speaking of a vertuous and gallant daughter that imitated to the life the vertues and gallantry of a noble Father Filia patreni exscripserat the daughter had copied out her father to the life Magistracy is a daughter of
spoken in Scripture of this righteousness of God and indeed never enough My righteousness is never to be revealed To bring in everlasting righteousness New Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness c. Never enough spoken never enough conceived of this Righteousness the most mysterious acting of Heaven the wonder of wonders among men the Justice of God in justifying a sinner A Divine Justice that exceeds divine Justice Divine Justice turned into Mercy You may think I speak strangely if I do it I am something excusable with Peter ravished with the Transfiguration I am upon a subject that may swallow up all minds with amazement but I clear my meaning In Rom. I. 17. It is said Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Revealed in the Gospel not in the Law Was there no revelation of Justice till the Gospel came Yes the Law revealed Justice but it was condemning Justice as that Text speaks From faith to faith so from righteousness to righteousness Gods Justice was most divine that appeared in the Law to condemn but that Justice exceeded in the Gospel to justifie Where are they that talk of being justified by their own works Then must they have a righteousness of their own that must out-vy Gods condemning justice which is infinitely just But his own justifying justice doth out-vy it As it is said Where sin abounded Grace did superabound So where condemning Justice was glorious justifying Justice was much more glorious I said Justice was turned into mercy I say the greatest Justice into the greatest mercy How are we justified and saved By Mercy True and yet by Justice become mercy not ceasing to be Justice what it was but becoming Mercy what it was not Here is a lively Copy before you God so loveth so acteth justice that he will satisfie it upon his own Son that he might glorifie it by way of mercy on all justified His greatest mercy appeareth in this acting of his justice and you are the greatest Mercy to a people when you do them the most Justice A third and last Copy that I would set before you all that hear me this day is fairly yet seems strangly written with Gods own hand in the Gospel In divers places of the New Testament where mention is made of the Law and where you would think it meant both the Tables it comes off only with mention of the Second Matth. XIX 17. If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments You would look for all the Ten but look forward and he pitcheth only upon the second Table So Rom. XIII 8. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law You would look for the whole Law to be mentioned there but look forward in vers 9. and only the second Table is mentioned So Jam. II. 8. If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture c. you would look for the whole Law but he concludes all under this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Why where are the Duties of the first Table See how God put even all religion in the second Table As it is said Behold how he saved Lazarus so Behold how God loveth honest upright charitable dealing 'twixt man and man I shall not insist to shew you the reason of this strange passage I might tell you it is because whatsoever men pretend of Religion towards the Commands of the first Table it is nothing if it appear not in our obedience to the second I might tell you God puts you to that that is more in your own power as to obey the second Table is more so than the first But I leave the Copy in your own hands to read and comment on And when you have studied it the most you will find this to be the result how God requires how God delights in our righteous upright charitable dealings one with another A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise March 13. 1663. JUDG XX. 27 28. And the Children of Israel enquired of the Lord. For the ark of the Covenant of the Lord was there in those days And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days AND it was time to enquire of the Lord considering their present condition and exigent and it was well they had the Ark in those days to enquire at considering the evil of those days and their exceeding wickedness And it was strange that Phinehas was then there considering the time of the story when he is thus brought in The three clauses in the Text that hint their inquiring and the manner of their inquiring and the Person by whom they inquired of the Lord and they inquired at the Ark of the Covenant and they inquired by Phinehas require each one a serious explication and each one explicated it may be will afford something of information that every one hath not observed before I. They enquired of the Lord. And it was time to enquire indeed when business went so crosly with them that though the Lord himself had encouraged them to that war yet they lose so many thousands in the battel At their first mustering they ask counsel of God and he allows their quarrel and appoints their Captain vers 18. And the Children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said which of us shall go up first to the battle against the Children of Benjamin And the Lord said Judah shall go up first And yet when they come to fight they lose two and twenty thousand men vers 21. They ask counsel of God again and he bids them go up and yet when they come to fight again they lose eighteen thousand men more And now after the loss of forty thousand men they inquire again and indeed it was very full time But what was it they inquired about If why they thus fell when God himself had encouraged them to the War which was a very just Quaere Had I or you been there we might have resolved them without an Oracle There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel and a very strange accursed thing that it is not strange that thou canst not stand but fallest thus before thine enemies In the Chapter before a Levites Concubine plays the whore and runs from him and as he fetches her again she is paid in her kind and whored with at Gibeah till it cost her her life Hereupon all Israel musters in arms as one man and solemnly vows and resolves to avenge her quarrel But in the Chapter before that Idolatry is publickly set up in the Tribe of Dan. And in the Chapter before that it is publickly enough set up in the Town of Micah and yet not one man that stands up or stirs in the quarrel of the Lord. Oh Israel that art thus zealous in the quarrel of a Whore and hast been no whit zealous in the cause of the Lord it is no wonder if thou fall and fall
distinction is taught by phrases that speak both parties viz. them that profess and them that do not and sometimes by a single word that speaks them that profess only I will mention these few 1. 1 Cor. VII 12 13. But to the rest speak I not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away And the woman which hath an husband which believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him Brother in opposition to unbeliever The Apostle here starts the point of Christians married with infidels whether they should divorse because of Religion and what rank their Children were in To the rest speak I not the Lord. He spake not without the Lord but he means that there was not a Text for this case in the Law See vers 10. And unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord. Let not the wife depart from her husband And see Chap. IX 8. Say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also If any brother i. e. Christian. See 1 Cor. V. 11. If any man that is called a brother be a Fornicator or Covetous c. whereby Brother is plainly meant a Christian. A wife that believeth not viz. a Pagan And so along The same case is handled 2 Cor. VI. 15. What concord hath Christ with Belial and what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel There Believer and Infidel are opposed Believer here is as large as professor in opposition to Jew or Pagan 2. Those Phrases Within and Without 1 Cor. V. 12. What have I to do to judge them that are without do not ye judge them that are within It is a Jewish phrase and they straiten the sence that take those that are without to be meant of Christians In one word sometime Believer alone the opposite not named Act. II. 44. And all that believed were together and had all things common And here whole families children and all are understood Sometime Disciples and Christians Act. XI 26. The Disciples were called Christians first at Antioch In this sence Church most commonly is taken viz. for the Professors of Christ in opposition to Jews and Pagans that professed him not XVI Matth. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church Which is meant of the Church of the Gentiles in general So III. Ephes. 10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God So by Saints are meant nothing else but Professors of Christian Religion 1 Cor. VI. 1 2. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to Law befare the unjust and not before the Saints Do ye not know that the Saints shall Judge the World And VII Chap. 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were their children unclean but now are they holy Now are they Saints answering to the usual Hebrew phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Sanctitate Here is a study for a young Divine to be setled in the sense of these words There are great divisions and great misconstruction of one another from mistake of these things II. That God hath appointed Sacraments as external and visible marks whereby to sign out this distinction Badges of Homage as in the Text Disciple all Nations baptizing them So under the Law Circumcision served for that end to be a mark of a Jew and therefore the Heathen are called uncircumcised And when some of the circumcised seed degenerated that they wanted that mark to distinguish them then God ordained the Passover So under the Gospel Baptism is the Mark as in the Text. Children are baptized that there may be none in our families that bear not the badge of Homage Christ ordained it for this end to badge out the owning of his Power and to introduce into the Profession of him III. Gal. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. See Joh. III. 5. Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Speech is there had of Christs Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth or the state under Christ. See vers 2 3. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said unto him Rabbi we know thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Where mark how Christs answer suits He observed in Nicodemus words signifying that he thought he saw the dawning of the Kingdom of Heaven and now it was that the Jews thought it would come upon them and this further confirmed him that Christ was the Messias To this therefore Christ answers and intimates to Nicodemus to be baptized Why would Christ himself be baptized Because he would own the proper way of introduction into the Gospel which he was now to preach So the Lords Supper is a badge of this distinction See 1 Cor. X. 14 16. Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ As much as if he should have said because we have the Sacrament of the Communion of the body and blood of Christ therefore avoid Idolatry It is the badge of those that profess Christ in opposition to Heathenism I might speak how the word Sacrament speaks such distinction but that is well enough known III. As Baptism hath several coordinate ends so all or most of them are suitable to that that we are speaking of viz. introducing into the Profession of Christ. Both Sacraments have several ends therefore it is proper in the dispute now about them to consider whether it is fit to apply them to one only end 1. Baptism hath a doctrinal end It is a visible word Loquitur Deus ut videas As it is a visible sign so a visible doctrine As God speaks in Jer. II. 31. O generation see ye the Word of the Lord. The Lord to come home to our capacity brings divine things to our eyes 1 Joh. I. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon Thus Baptism when we see it administred reads the doctrine of our natural defilement and purging from it Ezek. XXXVI 25. is so understood Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you So circumcision in the member of generation shewed a check to our
say unto him I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am come unto the Country which the Lord sware unto our Fathers for to give us And the Priests shall take the basket out of thine hand and set it down before the Altar of the Lord thy God And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Egypt and soiourned there with a few and became there a Nation great mighty and populous c. likewise there was a form appointed to be said over the beheaded Heifer XXI Deut. 6 7. c. And all the Elders of that City that are next unto the slain man shall wash their hands over the Heiser that is beheaded in the Valley And they shall answer and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it Be merciful O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy people Israels charge The Priests when they blessed the people had also a form prescribed them VI. Numb 23 24. c. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace And David appointed Psalms for the Tabernacle 1 Chron. XVI 7. And the Schools of the Prophets no doubt had Forms delivered to them So John and Christ taught their Disciples to Pray as wellas to Preach He had not been the Great Teacher had he not taught a Form of Prayer We should have been left untaught in not the least thing Consider also in the behalf of prescribed Forms that we poor creatures short fighted in divine things know not what we ought to pray for Peter at the Transfiguration prayed he knew not what IX Luke 33. We often as Adonijah are ready to ask our own Bane There is no man but if God had granted all that ever he asked it would have been worse with him Midas his wish may teach this But that place of the Apostle will be objected against me in Rom. VIII 26. The Spirit helps our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Therefore we need no forms as long as what we are to pray is dictated to us by the Spirit But I answer T is the Spirit not an Oracle within us to teach us immediately The Word teaches us what and how to ask But the Office of the Spirit is to help our infirmities in asking our infirmities of memory our want of application to ourselves of what we know to be our wants So in the application of Doctrines of Promises the Spirit teaches us no new thing but minds us and brings home to the feeling of our Souls those things we learnt from the Word Consider moreover we had need to be taught of God what language to use when we are speaking to God T is no small thing to betake our selves before him and to speak to him who is the great and living God Now is it an easie thing to speak as we ought to do unto him Jobs friends spake not right things of God XLII Job 7 8. For which God tells them his wrath was kindled against them and requires them to make attonement for it by offering up seven Bullocks and seven Rams Moses could not speak unto Pharaoh IV. Exod. 10. Much less how shall the poor creature address unto the great God Therefore we are advised by the Prophet Hosea when we approach unto God to take words along with us XIV Hos. 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips Where you see are express words put into our Mouths to use when we go and make our Confessions unto God Ah! Gracious God how ready art thou to give that biddest us Ak and teachest us to ask also That puttest Words into our Mouths and teachest us what to say to thee He must needs be ready to pardon sin that would prevent sin in our prayers that are begging for pardon Christ well knew the Majesty of God and the necessities of men the need of Prayer and our disability to pray and therefore he left not himself without a witness of infinite mercy and condescention nor us without one of the greatest things that we could have prayed for when he left us this Platform of Prayer When ye pray say c. And so I come to the Prayer or Form it self When ye pray say Our Father c. It is an opinion then that I can rather wonder at then understand that bids when we pray Say not Our Father As I have often grieved to see the neglect and disuse of the Lords Prayer and to hear the reproach that some have cast upon it so have I as seriously as I could considered what ground these have had for the disusing of it and to this hour I rest admiring and no way satisfied why they should refrain it when Christ hath commanded the use of it as plain as words can speak Matth. VI. 9. After this manner pray ye and again in the Text When ye pray say The Cavils that are made against the use of it are obvious I. To avoid superstition for unto such ends it hath been used Here I cannot but think how wild it is to extinguish a thing good per se because another useth it ill To cut down Vines to avoid drunkenness How subject is he that makes it all his Religion to run from a Superstition to run he knows not whether II. Such a narrow Form straitens the heart is too strait stinting the exercise of the gift of Prayer And here I cannot but think of Soloecisms in pride of apparel It is monstrous to make cloths our pride which are only a badge of sin and cover of shame So it is a Soloecism to cast away this Prayer upon presumption that we can pray so well when it is mainly given because we cannot pray at all III. It is generally questioned whether it be a Form of Prayer or a Copy to pray by IV. If a Form yet what warrant have we to subjoyn it to our Prayers as we usually do V. And if both yet that it is not lawful for every one to say Our Father I shall not dispute these Questions The words of the Text plainly answer the most of them Nor that I go about to give the sense of the Petitions There are many good Comments upon them I shall only consider the nature of the Prayer and the manner of its giving that we may be the better satisfied in the manner of its use First As the Ten Commandments are
III. An Instance or two of the practise of all the Church And all this will serve for illustrating the second thing I propounded for the clearing this Duty viz. Secondly The Evidence of the use of it in the first times I. Our Saviour the very next thing he did after signing sealing and sanctionating the New Testament was to sing a Psalm And who then can doubt of the institution of this as a New Testament-duty Matth. XXVI 28. 29 30. For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom And when they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives Let us stick here a little and from this singing of an hymne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may observe three things 1. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number Beza approves of Erasmus here for departing from the Vulgar That hath it Hymno dicto He cum cecinissent Beza hereupon Ut intelligatur Apostolos una cum Christo cecinisse That men might understand that the Apostles joyned with Christ in singing And very true for it was the custom among the Jews in all companies that celebrated the Passover so to do for though one chiefly rehearsed yet all had some share in the Quire And so in the case in the Text though the Psalm were of their own composing yet the Congregation bare some part in it as Miriam with Moses XV. Exod. 21. Apostolos cecinisse the Apostles sung Was Judas there or no I wonder it is not confessed by all the World it is so plain that he eat the Passover received the Sacrament and stayed the Psalm and was present till all rose from the Table And Christ knew him and yet gave the Psalm and sung with the whole Table And Peter and John knew him and yet it were peevishness to think that they joined not in the Quire when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had sung What can they say to this that refuse to joyn with us in this exercise Will they can they say that Judas was not there But if that be granted that he was gone yet at the eating the Passover it is well known every company sung together without bogling 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having sung What The very same that every company did viz. The great Hallel as it was called which began at the CXIII Psalm and ended at the end of the CXVIII No expositor but grants this and no reason to the conrary for Christ complied with all the rites of the Passover and started not from them in this Here the Lord of David sings the Psalms of David What Christ saith by way of posing If David in Spirit call him Lord how is he his Son We may say the like by way of admiration If David in spirit call him Lord how did he descend to make use of his Poetry What says our Caviller now Set forms are too strait for the Spirit He that had the Spirit above measure thinks not so but useth such He that gave the Spirit to David to compose sings what he composed That All-blessed Copy of peace and order could have indited himself could have inspired every Disciple to have been a David but submits to order which God had appointed sings the Psalms of David and tenders the Peace of the Church and takes the same course the whole Church did 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having sung a Hymn In what Language Here is a question indeed and that might provoke a Scholastical dispute both in Divinity and Antiquity In Divinity Did they sing in the original Hebrew That was not now understood In Antiquity Had they a translation of the Psalms and Hagiographa now Yea they had the LXX But all that sung understood not the LXX But had they a Vulgar Translation in their own Tongue This draws into another question viz. What was their Tongue I should answer Not the Syriack we now read but the old Syriack or Chaldee which they call Turgumica And I should answer to the former question That they had the Hagiographa now in the Tongue as well as the Prophets of Jonathans translation and I find in both Talmuds that each speaks to it to confirm it However who thinks they sung in a Tongue they understood not or in any other but the Vulgar And here is our warrant for our framing the Psalms into our Tongue and Metre Thus have we seen the Example nay institution of our great Master II. Now let us hear our great Apostle the Apostle of the Gentiles In two places he speaks to this subject besides what he says in this Chapter Ephes. V. 18 19. Be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. And Col. III. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Where let us take up three things as we did in the former 1. Observe how spiritual a pitch he set this at and what elevation of Heart he ascribes to it Be filled with the spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymus c. It is the very vent and issue whereby a spiritual frame breaks out in its chiefest demonstration The more we are filled with the Spirit the more we break out this way and a most fit vent it is to the Spirit when both Tongue and Heart speak and put forth themselves in their best vigor by singing to the praise of God when the heart is full of spiritual fervor this excellent way So in that place to the Colossians Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you When it does it will break out in all wisdom and in Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns c. 2. Observe the three Titles he useth Psalms Hymns Spiritual Songs They are variously indeed taken but very generally for the Psalms of David Psalms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Psalms upon any subject Hymns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Psalms of Praise Spiritual Songs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Cantica magis artificiosa Psalms about which is employed greater art and curiosity Others differ upon particulars but agree upon this that by these three are meant the Psalms of David and other Songs in Scripture What If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the Psalms of David upon any subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hymns be such Psalms as are picked out and used for special occasions as Hallel those of Degrees and for every day So that word seems to imply from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is used to express the Psalms that Christ and his Apostles
cruelty and horridness that Rome Heathen could never shew its parallel And the old Roman valour though cruel enough yet would have been ashamed to have been so murtherous in so base and undermining a manner And now sursum corda lift up your hearts unto the Lord. It is very meet and right and our bounden duty so to do upon consideration of our deliverance and upon consideration from whom and what we were delivered Let us fall into the hands of the Lord saith David and not into the hands of men Where had we been had we fallen into the hands of these men Blessed ever blessed be our God that he did take us into his own hand and protection or else poor England had dwelt in silence Imagine in your thoughte that you saw that which your hearts abhor to imagine the cursed Plot to have taken place and effect as Abraham from the hills of Hebron saw the smoak of Sodom and Gomorrha ascend up to Heaven like the smoak of a furnace Imagine that you had seen King Parliament Religion England going up in fire and smoak and destroyed and come to nothing can our hearts but quake and tremble at the only imagination of such a sight Oh! what great things hath God done for us that we neither saw it nor heard of it yea the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we rejoyce They shew how sensible they are from what and from whom they are delivered that sing so triumphantly and praise God so heartily upon the Fall of Babylon Revel XIX the beginning and they intimate what a vexation a curse a plague that was to the World while it stood when they so were ravished with joy when it is taken away After these things saith the Apocalyptick I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven saying Alleluia salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God For he hath judged the great whore that corrupted the earth c. And again they said Alleluia vers 3. And again Amen Alleluja vers 4. They never think they can say enough for such a deliverance of them from so mischievous a vexer and enemy The word Hallelujah is frequently in Davids Psalms rendred Praise ye the Lord. Ye first meet with it at the latter end of Psalm CIV where the Jews note upon it is not impertinent viz. That Hallelujah comes not till there be tidings of the ruin and destruction of ungodly men and such you have in the last verse of that Psalm Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more Bless thou the Lord O my soul. Hallelujah Ye have the like in that place of Revelations the wicked destroyed Babylon Babylon no more but ruined fired and her smoke goeth up for ever and ever and then are the mouths of all the Church of God filled with Hallelujahs praising of the Lord for so great deliverance When Babylon shall be destroyed I shall not go about to prophesie too many have lost themselves in that boldness and curiosity but when the Plots of Babylon have destroyed especially such an one as this was which would have destroyed us all when such brats of Babylon are dashed against the stones we know not what Babylon is nor what our own interest is if our mouths be not filled with Hallelujahs and our hearts with the praises of the Lord. Where had England been by this time if the Plot designed had taken effect We had been by this time like the Syrians blindfold in the midst of Samaria our eyes blinded with the smoak of the bottomless pit that we should never have seen the light of that Truth and Gospel that we now behold Blindness and ignorance and superstition had been entailed upon us to all generations Except the Lord had been on our side now may Israel say except the Lord had been on our side when men rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased with us This is a day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it A SERMON PREACHED AT ELY Novemb. V. MDCLXX REVEL XX. 7 8. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel whose number is as the sand of the Sea A Very sad story and heavy news Satan loose Gog and Magog in arms Nations deceived and a numberless army mustered and going forth to battel against the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City as it is related in the verse following It is no wonder if there go before such a rout as this such a Proclamation as you have Chap. XII 12. Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come out among you having great wrath I and having a great army too And as Balaam complains Alas who shall live when the Lord doth this Numb XXIV So may we Alas who shall live when the Devil doth this and the Lord suffer him You cannot blame Elishas servant when he saw the City where he was beset round about with Syrians if he cried out Alas Master what shall we do If the matter of the Text have any relation to our times we have much reason to make such a crying out Alas Men and Brethren what shall we do And whether the things concern our times we shall search as we go along You see in the Text the Monster Goliath and his uncircumcised Philistins marching against the poor Israel of God and if God be not with them what will become of them Now blessed be the Lord God of Israel for that he hath set such a memorial upon this day as he hath done and written as it were upon it Emanuel God with us For if the Lord had not been on our side now may England say if the Lord had not been on our side when these enemies rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick when they were so enraged against us For that those that then contrived our Destruction were of Satans army I believe none but they themselves will be so senseless as to deny and that they were of Gog and Magogs regiments the design it self and the truth it self makes undeniable That may seem something in consistence with the Text which the Apostle speaks Eph. VI. 12. We have not to fight against flesh and blood but against the Rulers of the darkness of this world But the Text tells that we have to fight against them and against flesh and blood too against Satan and against Gog and Magogs army also But the Apostle understands the word only which if spoken out makes the sense clear and reconciles him and our Apocalyptick very well and very easily together We have not to fight against flesh and blood only but against principalities c. And such
Text When the thousand years are expired Satan III. shall be loosed upon which passage and providence we cannot but stand and muse a little to see Barabbas the Vilain and Murtherer let out of prison and at liberty again Can you but wonder at it that such a horrid Vilain as he should not be kept fast when he was caught and laid fast That Satan did break prison and loose himself from his bands I suppose none can imagine that remember that Christ laid him up and Christ was too strong and too watchful to let such a prisoner escape from him whom he had so fast And the very expression in the Text Satan was loosed from his prison hint that he got not loose himself but was loosed by him that had tyed him up And this in some reflection may speak comfort that the Devil whom God hath in a chain is not at his own disposal and liberty but that God restrains or enlarges binds or looses him at his pleasure He reserves him in chains of the darkness of his wrath and displeasure that he shall not finally escape him and he hath him in the chains of his providence and disposal that at his pleasure he curbs and restrains him rage he never so much and be he never so furious But there are two things here that are a just cause of sadness for this one of comfort First That Christ should let him loose when he had him fast seeing with him there is nothing but mischief Had he broke loose it had been another matter but that Christ should loose him it is something the more bitter to think of as it is very well worth the thinking of Let me relate this story for answer to this strangeness When the cruel and bloody Phocas was Emperor of Greece and the Church and Kingdom lay under very much sadness and affliction under so wretched a Ruler a good and holy man in his zeal and devotion made bold to question God why he had set so wicked a Governor over his People And he received this answer That Phocas indeed was as vile and wicked a Ruler as could be set over them but that the sins of the People had deserved that such a Tyrant should be set over them If any one in like zeal and bitterness of Spirit should be so bold as to question Christ Lord Jesus why shouldest thou let Satan loose when thou hadst him fast seeing thou knewest that he being loose would only do mischief and destroy He might very well receive this most true and just answer That it is indeed a very woful thing that Satan should be let loose to go and deceive the Nations and to lead them into blindness and error but the Nations had deserved that they should be so served And let the Apostles be the Lords interpreters 2 Thes. II. 10. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God sent them strong delusions the great deluder that they might believe a lye God had chained Satan that he should not deceive them in that he had brought in the Gospel among them But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked The World grew wanton with the Gospel and toyed with it They prized it not as they should improved it not as they should slighted the truth embraced error followed their own ways and follies Therefore saith Christ as it is in Esa. LXVI I also will chuse their delusions to give them up to them and because decipi vult hic Populus decipiatur Therefore among them Satan and let them have enough of falshood deceiving and delusion because this people love to have it so Wantoning with the Word of God and dallying with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is but too justly punished with the loss of it and with removing the Candlestick out of its place if men care not to walk by the light of the candle When men will shut their eyes against the light it is no wonder if God make them dwell in darkness This is one sad business that Satan is thus let loose to deceive but behold a second we cometh after it viz. Secondly That he being thus loosed you never find that he is bound again He had been loose before and was bound but loosed here and for ought we find loosed ever Read the Chapter henceforward and you find no end of his deceiving till you find an end of his being In the Text he is deceiving and his army is mustered and marching against the beloved City and what is the next news vers 9. Fire came down from Heaven and devoured them and vers 10. The Devil that deceived them was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone Ask you how long shall Satan be thus loose and deceive how long shall his army battel against the Camps of the Saints and besiege the beloved City The Apocalyptick here tells you till his army be destroyed by the fire of Gods vengeance from Heaven and till Satan himself be cast into fire and brimstone A passage which I think is very well worth their considering which look for and speak of such golden and glorious times yet to come before the end of the World Fourthly Satan loosed you see falls to his old trade again of deceiving the Nations IV. A right Jail-bird indeed a Theif that delivered out of prison falls to his old course of theiving again and will not leave till the Gallows ended him Would you not think that a thousand years imprisonment should have wrought some change in him and amendment upon him But bray a fool in a mortar and he will come out a fool still Satan is no changling but will be Satan still Who what he is we shall have occasion to speak to more hereafter Fifthly Among the Deceived by him Gog and Magog is particularly named And V. what is meant by them is variously and by some wildly guessed I might make a long Discourse concerning Gog and Magog and tell you 1. That the Jews from Ezek. XXXVIII XXXIX where there is a dreadful Prophesie concerning Gog do hold that such a dreadful enemy shall appear a little before Messias shall appear and that Elias shall come to fight with him and they tell terrible things about the War of Gog framed out of their own fancy 2. That some Christians by Gog and Magog understand the Turk some the Pope some both Not to trouble you with things more immaterial our Apocalyptick alludes to that Gog in Ezekiel he means not the same person with that Gog there mentioned but one of the same temper and qualities with him So he calls the City where our Lord was crucisied Sodom and Egypt Chap. XI 8. because that City was a place of the like wickedness with them Now that Ezekiel by Gog and the Land of Magog means the Kingdom of the Syro-Grecians or Greek-Syrian more especially Antiochus the great Persecutor of the Jews and their Religion might be copiously
proves in the end to be but a curse as I have shewed before and they have the longer score to answer for the greater heaps of sin to be arraigned upon the sadder account of so much time mispent But for Answer to this as I said before There is no temporal thing which in it self is a blessing but wicked men by abuse of it make it a curse They make their Table a snare their wealth a trap their long life a curse And it is no wonder if they do so by these things for they make Divine Ordinances which in themselves are a savour of life to become to them the savour of death nay Christ himself to become a stumbling block and their ruine Now the goodness or blessing in things is not to be judged of by such mens using but by what they are in their own nature As thousands in Hell curse the time that ever they lived so thousands in Heaven bless God for ever that ever they lived here so long Long life to the one party was balm the other made it poison There is another Objection That long life to many proves but long misery therefore is not such a promise and blessing Such are the miseries of this life even to them that spend their time the best that Solomon tells us Eccles. VII 1. That the day of death is better than the day of birth And Chap. IV. 2 3. I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive Yea better is he than both that hath not yet been which hath not seen the evil which is done under the Sun And how many of the Saints of God that have spent their lives as well as ever men did as ever men could spend their lives yet because of the miseries of life have desired that their lives might be cut off and that they might live no longer How oft is this Job's mournful tune over and over Chap. VI. 8 9. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me and that he would loose his hand and cut me off And Chap. VII 15 16. My soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life I loath it I would not live always And so alomst in every one of his speeches And the same tune is Elias at 1 King XIX 4. It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am no better than my Fathers And Jeremy sings the same doleful ditty when he curseth the day of his birth Chap. XX. 14. How is long life then a blessing when the sorrows of it make men so weary of it I Answer This were true indeed if the blessing of long life consisted only in enjoying earthly prosperity and then the Children of God were of all men most miserable For they have the least earthly prosperity But the blessing of long life consists in things of another nature For those holy mens desiring because of their afflictions here to have their lives cut off 1. We neither wronged them nor Religion should we say it was an humane frailty and failing in them But 2. It was not so much for that they undervalued the prolonging of their lives and the blessing in having life prolonged as that they placed not their blessedness in living here but were assured and longed after a better life Not one of them was unwilling to live but because he was very well prepared to dye therefore he wished for death rather And now that we may come to consider wherein the blessing of long life consisteth let us a little take up some places and passages of Scripture and some arguments in reason that declare and proclaim it as of it self to be a blessing 1. Prov. III. 16. Solomon urging men to espouse and marry Wisdom tells what Portion and Dower they shall have that get her Length of days is in her right hand and in her left riches and honour Observe that he accounts length of days a right hand Dower and riches and honour but a left hand one And indeed what are riches and honour if a man have not length of days to enjoy And the same Solomon commending old age saith Prov. XVI 31. It is a Crown of glory or a glorious Crown if the long life that brought it up thither have been spent as it should I might heap up many such passages but these suffice II. Consider that it is threatned for a curse and punishment that the bloody and deceitful man shall not live out half his days Psal. LV. 23. That the men of Eli's House should dye in their prime 1 Sam. II. 31. But I will name but one for all how oft threatned such and such shall be cut off I need not to cite places the Books of the Law are full of such expressions shall be cut off from his people from the congregation c. Which some understand of Excommunication but it means cutting off by the hand of God by some untimely or fatal death or shortning of life It is threatned as a curse that his days shall not be prolonged but cut off III. Ye have holy men in Scripture praying for prolonging of their lives and that upon this warrant that God promised long life as a blessing Psal. XXI 4. He asked life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of days for ever and ever And Psal. XXXIX ult O spare me that I may recover strength And Psal. CII 24. I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my days And so in the case of Ezekiah how bitterly did he take the tidings of the cutting off of his days Whether it were that it went sadly with him to dye of the Plague or that he saw not Jerusalem delivered from Sennacherib yet certainly it cost some tears to think he was to be taken away even in his prime and his life prolonged no further IV. To this may be added that God promised it for a peculiar blessing Thou shalt come to thy grave in a good old age Job V. 26. And how feeling a promise is that Zech. VIII 4. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts There shall yet old Men and old Women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staff in his hand for every age Methinks I see the streets full of such venerable heads and gravity every one crowned with gray hairs and old age a crown of blessing But what need I arguments to prove this What one thing is there in the world that hath more votes and voices than this For who is there that desires not to live long and see many days And skin for skin and all that he hath will he give for his life that it may be prolonged And who but will be contented to part with any earthly blessing so his life may be preserved Now wherein it is that long life is a blessing is best observed
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
Targumica Ibid. l. 36. r. that Tongue p. 1169. l. 49. r. are p. 1171. l. 21. add in the margin I. Ibid. l. 48. add in the margin II. p. 1174. l. 35. add I. p. 1175. l. 61. add II. p. 1181. l. 14. Midianitish p. 1185. l. 12. r. Wights Ibid. l. 41. r. Aruch a Talmudical p. 1187. l. 16. r. was Ibid. l. 23. after in add all p. 1188. l. 39. r. Lord. p. 1189. l. penult after cannoâ— r. but. Ibid. the same line r. â—e p. 1192. l. 46. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. l. 51. r. Epithites p. 1193. l. 9. r. Epithite p. 1198 l. 55. dele the. p. 1200. l. 39. presly p. 1201. l. 7. for your r. the. p. 1212. l. 53. r. straiâ—ned p. 1233. l. 8. r. binding p. 1237. l. 18. r. â—ngrasted p. 1239. l. 1. r. away Ibid. l. 2. dele the second let Ibid. l. 10. r. inquiry Ibid. l. 11. r. intimation Ibid. l. 13. impenitent p. 1240. l. 13. r. a King Ibid. l. 26. after is r. this p. 1241. l. 8. dele hath p. 1243. l. 37. after As add to Ibid. l. 40. dele so p. 1244. l. 17. r. more p. 1245. l. 3. at this p. 1251. l. 31. dele the second And. p. 1252. l. 35. r. his sin Ibid. l. 36. r. osâ— p. 1257. l. 53. dele in it p. 1267. l. 4. in the margin add I. p. 1270. l. 38. r. motion p. 1272. l. 20. r. racking p. 1276. l. 60. r. ways p. 1277. l. 29. dele that p. 1278. l. 27. r. doted Ibid. l. 34. dele not Ibid. l. 46. in the margin add I. p. 1279. l. 53. r. Word p. 1281. l. 10. in the margin add II. p. 1283. l. 10. after First add thing p. 1303. l. 23. in the margin add I. p. 1310. l. 21. r. righteous p. 1314. l. 15. r. even p. 1321. l. 13. r. lay p. 1323. l. 12. r. day p. 1326. l. 17. after Christ add a period p. 1328. l. 51. after some add thing p. 1337. l. 44. r. did Ibid. l. 46. r. Children p. 1338. l. 32. r. even Ibid. 34. r. became p. 1340. l. 48. after stock add of p. 1350. l. 58. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 1352. l. 52. r. genera THE TABLES or INDEXES Belonging to the Second Volume OF Doctor LIGHTFOOTS Works READER THAT this Work sufficiently Great Pleasant and Useful in it self may be so to thee thou art desired to Correct with thy Pen the ensuing Errors of the Press especially those that refer to the right numbring of the Pages which will highly befriend thee in the use of the following Indexes or Tables as also in the Correcting the other Erratas ERRATA IN the Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon the Evangelist St. Mark at the first Y in the second Alphabet the number of the Page viz. 345. is repeated on the next Page and so the number continues on for twenty eight Pages more being fourteen numbers twice set down so that if the Reader find not what he wants on the first of any of those Pages he may turn to the second where he will easily find it In the Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon the Evangelist St. John at the second X in the third Alphabet for Page 531. read 523. and so on for three Pages viz. for 532. r. 524. for 533. r. 525. for 534. r. 526. In the Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians in the Additions to the fourteenth Chapter at the first L in the fifth Alphabet for Page 799. r. 809. In the Sermons at the second Z in the sixth Alphabet for Page 1109. r. 1107. and so on for three Pages more viz. for 1110. r. 1108. for 1111. r. 1109. for 1112. r. 1110. At the first B in the seventh Alphabet second number for 1022. r. 1122. Page Line Read 3 7 Sphinx 6 45 Zoar.  24 Solinus 43 1 Psal. 132. 6. 222 44 sole 224 35 transported 244 28 abundance 292 4 Deut. 2. 23. 297 60 Hony 336 43 There is a controversie 341 34 twelve 352 44 bride chambers 357 22 hour 358    38 Alexander 383 37 Temple 387 47 of the field 402 46 vain-glorying 404 48 caught up by 410 36 space of 414 12 own 425 48 these Towns 454 6 years 481  penult saying 494 20 near 523 Marg. 5. Appi. 555 34 young 577 antâ—penult they 602 3 Ezek. 15. 2. 646 43 Grant 654 30 and.  54 Alexandrian 658 9 1 Cor. 11. 21. 657 37 Theudas 660 49 were 690 40 heard 742 35 man 798 17 dispersed  23 Talmudists 752 41 Jews had lived 791 43 Psal. 102. 1037 39 Heb. 2. 1038 16 Matth. 23. 2 3. 1039 34 Feast of Dedication 1041 2 conformed 1044 8 Matth. 12. 43 44 45. 1051 2 in peace with God 1058 19 Matth. 19. 1061 10 such an occasion as this 1063 29 do thou with 1066 48 Exod. 6. 25. 1073 6 2 Pet. 3. 13. 1074 43 1 Tim. 4. 1. 1080 11 been 1081 58 she were guilty 1100 17 Elixir 1106 45 two words of 1110 33 2 Thâ—ss 2. 1118 10 had been these had there 1129 30 went 1138 38 shall 1139 34 to be used 1145 19 they  24 preface 1147 21 It was a time 1180 55 no changling 1184 6 David 1192 9 derâ—ve 1223 3 hand 1224 18 Prophet 1226 29 therefore 1242 38 from 1252 1 sorer 1278 34 now 1286 5 they have made the best of c. 1302 24 God 1306 20 had The First TABLE of Scriptures Illustrated Explained or Reconciled in whole or in part with an Appendix of such as are Differently Read from the ordinary Translation GENESIS Ch. vers  Page 1. 2. THE Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters 643 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the Woman 1171  21. Unto Adam and his Wife did the Lord make coats of Skins 1327 4. 7. If thou dost not well sin lyes at the door 1085 1243 6. 3. My Spirit shall not always strive with Man 1291 10. 18. The Canaanites were dispersed 329  19. The borders of the Canaanites 328 14. 5. Chedorlaomer and the Kings smote c. 363 46. 27. Children that were born to Joseph c. 402 All the Souls were threescore and ten Compared and reconciled with Acts 7. 14. Threescore and fifteen 667 49. 17. Dan shall be a Serpent by the way c. 1249  22. Joseph is a fruiful Bough even by a Well 537 EXODUS Ch. vers  Page 1. 19. THE Midwives said unto Pharaoh the Hebrew Women are c. 1243 1244 4. 24. The Lord met Moses and sought to kill him 1066 8. 19. This is the finger of God 1244 17. 16. The Lord will have war with Amalech 291 â—0 5. Unto the fourth Generation 97 98 28. 30. Thou shalt put in the Breast Plate of Iudgment the Urim and Thummim 1067 32. 27. Put every Man his sword by his side and slay c. 1081 1315 â—4 14. The Lord whose
Name is Jealous is a jealous God 1313 LEVITICUS Ch. vers  Page 13. 46. HE that is a Leper shall dwell alone c. 460 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother c. 214 20. 5. Visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children 1127 23. 10 11. On the morrow of the Sabbath the Priest shall wave c. 184 411 NUMBERS Ch. vers  Page 13. 24. LAnguage of Ashdod what 504 15. 27 28. If any Soul sin through ignorance c. but the Soul that doth ought presumptuously c. 1095  38. Fringes in the borders of your Garments 354 22. 5. He sent Messengers to Balaam the Son of Beor to Pethor Reconciled with 2 Pet. 2. 15. Son of Bosor 1144 24. 24. Ships shall come from the coast of Chittim c. 1168 33. 29. They camped near Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth unto Abel Shittim 46 DEUTERONOMY Ch. vers  Page 2. 23. HAzerim 292 7. 22. Thou must not consume the Nations at once lest the Beasts of the field encrease upon thee 1224 8. 13. That certain Saint c. 1250 9. 21. I took your sin the Calf which you had made 1315 11. 30. Gilgal what 79 80 16. 2. Thou shalt Sacrifice the Passover of thy Flocks and of thine Herds 356 357 610  6. Sacrifice the Passover at even 7. Thou shalt turn in the morning and go unto thy Tent. 794  16. They shall not appear before the Lord empty 356 21. 23. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree 271 24 4. Her former Husband which sent her away may not take her again to be his Wife 759 27. 4. The Samaritan Text upon this place noted 5â—5 32. 8. When the most High divided the Nations c. 402 403  22. To the lowermost Hell c. 248  29. O that they were wise that they understood this c. 1282 33. 25. Thy shoos shall be iron and brass 88 JOSHUA Ch. vers  Page 8. 33. STood over against Mount Gerrizim c. 136 15. 1. Edom rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rome 292 18. 12. Very many Versions to be corrected which render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sea 19 19. â—3 34. The outgoing of the border was to Jordan 66  35. Rakkath Chammath 67 68 24. 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord c. 1244 c. JUDGES Ch. vers  Page 4. 5. BEtween Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim 20 5. 8. They chose new Gods then was war in the Gates Was there Shield or Spear seen among forty thousand in Israel 1067 7. 3. Let him return early from Mount Gilead a difficult place 373  24. Beth-barah what 492 493 494 RUTH Ch. vers  Page 1. 1. IT came to pass in the days when the Iudges judged c. These words are inverted by the Jewish Commentators 1111 1 SAMUEL Ch. vers  Page 22. 6. SAul aboad in Gibeah under a Tree in Ramah 41 2 SAMUEL Ch. vers  Page 2. 8. IShbosheth the Son of Saul 1315 9. 10. Bring the Fruits that thy Masters Son may have food to eat Thy Masters Son shall always eat bread at my Table Reconciled 1241 1242 11. 21 The Son of Jerubosheth 1315 18. 8. The wood devoured more people c. 1224 20. 18. They shall surely ask counsel of Abel and so they ended the matter 367 1 KINGS Ch. vers  Page 4. 12. AND all Bethshan 492 7. 46. The Plains of Jordan 492 493 9. 13. The Land of Cabul 311  18. Tadmor what place 7 2 KINGS Ch. vers  Page 23. 4. THE Priests of the second order 397 25. 5. Plains of Jericho 43 1 CHRONICLES Ch. vers  Page 1. 36. THE Song of Eliphaz c. 403 7. 20. Children of Ephraim c. 667 NEHEMIAH Ch. vers  Page 3.  Many verses 26 to 28 ESTHER Ch. vers  Page 9. 21. FOurteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar c. 87 JOB Ch. vers  Page 19. 25. I Know that my Redeemer liveth c. 791 PSALMS Ps. vers  Page 37. 28. THE seed of the wicked shall be cut off 97 42. 6. The Hill Missaar 501 44. 22. We are killed all the day long 513 48. 2. Mount Sion on the North-side Compared with Ezek. 40. 2. 22 49. 12. Man being in honour abideth not c. 1323 50. 16 17. But to the wicked God said what hast thou to do c. 1252 56. 12. Thy vows O Lord are upon me 1221 78. 20. He smote the Rock and the waters gushed out 619  49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger c. by sending evil Angels among them 1084 82. 4. I will make mention of Rahab and of Babilon to them that know me 1146  6. I have said ye are Gods ridiculously interpreted by the Jews 579 102. 25. Thou Lord in the beginning hast founded the Earth 791 110. 3. Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power 647 691 1105 111. 9. He commanded his covenant forever 1068 118. 22. The Stone which the Builders rejected 652  24. The day which the Lord hath made 272 132. 6. We heard of it in Ephrata we found it in the fields of the wood 43 PROVERBS Ch. vers  Page 6. 26. THE precious Life 1209 20. 25. It is a snare for a Man to devour that which is holy 1220 ECCLESIASTES Ch. vers  Page 2. 5. THE Targumist upon it noted 509 5. 5. It is better that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay 1221 12. 1. Remember thy Creator c. 1157  11. The words of the wise are as goads 575 ISAIAH Ch. vers  Page 1. 10. SOdom put for Ierusalem 20 2. 2. The last 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. They shall beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning hooks c. and Isa. 11. 9. reconciled with Matth. 10. 34 35. Luke 12. 51 52. 1042 1061   Neither shall they learn war 573 3. 16. Making a tinckling with their feet 587 6. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne 593  11. That prepare a Table for that troop 302 7. 14. A Virgin shall conceive and bear a son 101 8. 6. Waters of Siloah that go softly 25 9. 1. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such 1244   Land of Zebulon and of Naphthali c. 131 10. 34. Lebanon shall not fall c. 584 11. 1. A rod out of the stem of Jesse 584  4. He shall slay the wicked 573  9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain and Isa. 2. 4. reconciled with Matth. 10. 34 35. Luke 12. 51 52. 1042 1061 19. 23 24 25. Israel shall be the third with Egypt and Assyria 1036 1144 1146 26.