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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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. 165â 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
what to ask put on the Ephod and Brest-plate which hung unseparably at it This do Davids wordsmean when he saith to Abiathar the Priest Bring hither the Ephod 1 Sam. 23. 9. And for this it was that Abiathar made sure of the Ephod when he fled from bleeding Nob 1 Sam. 23. 6. Without the stones on his breast the Priest enquired not for the stones represented Israel and when the Priest brought them before the Lord he brought as it were Israel and their matters before him To go without these was to go without his errand If Sauls conscience could have told him off no other cause why God would not answer him as it might many yet he might see this to be one reason undoubted viz. Because though he had the Ark near him yet had he neither High Priest nor Ephod and seeing his cross in this that he could not be answered his conscience might tell him what he did when he slew the Priests of the Lord. When the Priest knew what to enquire about and had put on these habiliments he went and stood before the Ark of the Lord and enquired about the matter and the Lord answered him from off the Propitiatory from between the Cherubims and so the Priest answered the People Now there was some difference in the Priests manner of inquiring according to the situation of the Ark when the Tabernacle was up the Priest went into the holy Place and stood close by the vail which parted the holy from the most holy and there inquired and God from between the Cherubims which were within the vail gave him an answer But when the Tabernacle was down or the Ark distant from the Tabernacle travelling up and down then did the Priest in his Robes stand before the Ark as it stood covered with the curtains and enquired and the answer was given him in behalf of Israel whom God saw on his breast For this reason the stones for whose sakes the perfect light of resolution was given are called the perfect light or Urim and Thummim and the answer given from the Priests mouth is called the answer by Urim and Thummim David once enquired of the Priest having the Ephod but wanting the Ark and God answered him and shewed that God was not bound to means On the contrary Saul once enquired of the Ark wanting the Ephod and God answered him not shewing him how God honoured his Priests whom Saul had dishonoured even to the Sword Thus have we seen the Breast-plates form richness and glory Form four square a span every way the richness it was set with twelve precious stones the glory that for the sake of these stones that is for their sakes whose names these stones bare God revealed secrets to his people See this breast-plate fastened to the Ephod and you see Aaron the High Priest arrayed in his glorious garments At each corner of the breast-plate was a golden ring fastned On the upper side of the piece just upon the edge was laid a little golden chain which ran like an edging lace upon the edge and was brought through the two rings which were at either corner one and the ends of the chains were made fast to bosses or loops of gold which were on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod by the Onyx stones At the lower edg of the breast-plate was an edging chain carried just in the same manner that the other was through two gold rings and the chains tyed to the embroidered girdle of the Ephod as the other were to the shoulder pieces Breast-plate and Ephod might not be parted no more than might the Staves and Ark. SECTION L. The erection of the Tabernacle IN the year of the World two thousand five hundred and fourteen which was the second year current of Israels departure out of Aegypt in the month Abib or the first month Stilo novo in the first day of the month Moses set up the Sanctuary under mount Sinai and this was the manner of his setting it up He laid the silver foundations in their ranks and in them he set up the planks and strengthened them with the five bars linking them also together at the top with a golden hasp He set up the four Pillars in the house whereon to hang the vail and the five pillars at the East end whereon to hang that vail also He set the Ark in the most holy place hanging up the vail before it In the holy place he set the Table and Shew-bread on the North side and the Candlestick on the South and the Altar of perfume just in the middle betwixt them And at the East end he hung up the vail to keep these things from vulgar eyes The Altar and Laver he set up before the entrance and incompassed them and the Tabernacle it self with a pale of hangings round about Thus was the Sanctuary erected and was lovely to them that beheld it being the glory and the strength of Israel Then did the cloud of glory flit from off the Tent of Moses and lighted upon the Sanctuary and dwelt there more gloriously than on the other And thus endeth Exodus in a cloud under which we are to look for a more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands nor of this building in which the God-head should dwell bodily FINIS THE CHRISTIAN HISTORY THE JEWISH AND THE ROMAN OF The Year of CHRIST XXXIII And of TIBERIUS XVIII Being the Year of the WORLD 3960. And of the City of ROME 785. Consuls Cn. Domitius Aenobarbus Furius Camillus Scribonianus By JOHN LIGHTFOOT D. D. LONDON Printed by W. R. for Robert Scott Thomas Basset John Wright and Richard Chiswell MDCLXXXII A COMMENTARY UPON THE Acts of the Apostles CHRONICAL CRITICAL The Difficulties of the Text Explained And the times of the Story cast into ANNALS The First Part. From the beginning of the BOOK to the end of the Twelfth CHAPTER With a brief Survey of the Contemporary Story of the JEWS and ROMANS By JOHN LIGHTFOOT D. D. LONDON Printed by W. R. for Robert Scott Thomas Basset John Wright and Richard Chiswell MDCLXXXII A CHRONICAL TABLE of the chief Stories Contained in this BOOK Occurrences of the year of Christ XXXIII Tiberius XVIII In the Church CHRIST riseth from the dead appearth forty days and ascendeth Pag. 734 c. Act. 1. A Presbytery of 120 Apostles and Elders 742 c. This chooseth Matthias c. 745. The gift of Tongues on the Lords day 747 c. Act. 2. Peter and the eleven preach and convert 753 c. Peter and John heal a Creeple 756. Act. 3. Preach and convert 5000 ibid c. Are imprisoned and convented before the Council 759. Act. 4. Are threatned and dismissed c. 760. Community of Goods 762. Ananias and Saphira struck dead ibid. Act. 5. Peters shadow 764. The rest of the Story of the 5 Chapter ibid. c. In the Empire Tiberius now Emperour and in the eighteenth year of his Reign 768. He
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 seân 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. âag 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
we must not render they do not fold up but they do not unfold or unrol the Book of the Law in the Synagogue ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã t t t t t t Massech Sopherim cap. 11. They unrol a Prophet in the Congregation but they do not unrol the Law in the Congregation That is as the Gloss hath it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã u u u u u u Megill fol. 32. 1. They unrol from one place or passage to another passage in another place So they were wont to do in the Prophets but not in the Law And upon this account was it permitted for the Reader to skip in the Prophet from one place to another because it was permitted them to unrol the Prophet either a single Prophet or the twelve lesser in the Synagogue but as to the Law it was not allowed them so to do And they put the question ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã x x x x x x Megil fol. 24. 1. How far may he skip ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã So that he that Interprets do not break off The Gloss is Let him not skip from the place he reads unless that he may ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã unrol the Book and be ready to read the place to which he skips when the Interpreter ceaseth And because it was not lawful for him so to unrol the Law in the Synagogue On the Kalends of the month Tebeth if it proved to be the Sabbath day they brought three Books of the Law and read in one of them the place for the Sabbath in another that for the Kalends in the third that for the Feast of dedication y y y y y y Joma fol. 70. 1. The words therefore of our Evangelist ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to me seem not barely to mean that that he unfolded or opened the Book but that being opened he unrolled it from folio to folio till he had found the place he designed to Read and Expound Which though it was not the Section appointed by the Rubrick for the day yet did not Christ much recede from the custom of the Synagogue which allowed the Reader to skip from one place to another VERS XXIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Physician heal thy self YOU will say unto me this Proverb Physician heal thy self I would express it thus in the Jerusalem language ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã z z z z z z Beresh rab sect 23. Tanchum fol. 4. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Physician heal thine own lameness VERS XXV ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã When the heavens were shut up three years and six months THIS number of three years and six months is much used both in the Holy Scriptures and in Jewish Writings concerning which we have more largely discoursed in another place And although both in the one and the other it is not seldom used allusively only yet in this place I can see nothing hinder why it should not be taken according to the letter in its proper number however indeed there will be no small difficulty to reduce it to its just account That there was no rain for three years together is evident enough from 1 Kings XVII c. But whence comes this addition of six months Elijah said to Ahab as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã If there shall be these years These words include three years at the least because he saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Years in the plural and not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Years in the Dual And Chap. XVIII The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying Go shew thy self unto Ahab and I will send rain upon the earth In the third year where then shall we find the six Months I. Doubtless both our Saviour and his Apostle St. James Chap. V. vers 17. in adding six months do speak according to the known and received opinion of that Nation which is also done elsewhere sometimes in Historical matters in the New Testament St. Stephen tells us Acts VII 16. that the bones of the twelve Patriarchs were carried over from Egypt and buried in Sichem when Holy Writ mentions only the bones and burial of Joseph Wherein he speaks according to the vulgar opinion of the Nation a a a a a a See Hierosâ⦠Sotah fol. 18 3. and Bab. Bava kama fol. 92. 1. Again Vers. 30. he tells us That Moses was forty years old when he fled into the Land of Midian and that he tarried there forty years more when Moses himself mentions nothing of this circumstance This he speaks agreeably to the opinion of that people b b b b b b See Beresh rab sect 100. II. Neither our Saviour nor St. James say that Elijah shut up the Heavens three years and six months but Christ tells us That the Heaven was shut up in the days of Elias three years and six months And St. James That Elias prayed that it might not rain and it rained not upon the Earth by the space of three years and six months May I therefore have leave to distinguish in this manner Elijah shut up the Heaven for three years that there might be no rain as in the Book of Kings And there was no rain for three years and a half as our Saviour and St. James relate III. The words of Menander in Josephus may help a little toward the untying this knot c c c c c c Antiqâ lib. 8. cap. 7. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Menander also makes mention of this drought in the acts of lihobalus King of Tyre saying There was no rain from the month of October to the month of October the year following It is true he shortens the space of this drought by making it continue but one year but however having placed the beginning of it in the Month of October gives us a key that opens us a way into things more inward and secret IV. Consider the distinction of the former and the latter rain ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Deut. XI 14. Jerem. V. 24. Joel II. 23. d d d d d d Taanith fol. 6. 1. The Rabbins deliver ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The former is in the Month Marheshvan the latter in the Month Nisan The Targumist in Joel II. 23. Who hath given you the first rain in season ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the latter in the month Nisan See also our Note upon Chap. II. vers 8. R. Solomon upon Deut. XI differs a little but we are not solicitous above the order which should be the first either that in the Month Marheshvan or that in the Month Nisan that which makes to our purpose is that rains were at those stated times and for the rest of the year generally there was no rain V. Those six Months mentioned by our Saviour and St. James must be accounted before
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
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 Mââhcah 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
same mind that Saul reigned but three years in all 1 Sam. 13. 1. and that the forty years mentioned at the breaking out of Absaloms rebellion 2 Sam. 15. 7. were to be reckoned from the time of Sauls first anointing or of Israels asking a King and so that that rebellion fell out in the seven and thirtieth year of the reign of David But now having a second time as seriously as I can viewed the times and finding so many things occurring betwixt the first anointing of Saul and the days of his death as are not imaginable to have been acted in three years especially it being said that David was one whole year and four months in the country of the Philistims after all his persecutions and before Sauls death 1 Sam. 27. 7. and it appearing also most probable according to the order as the Chapters themselves lye that the three years famine for the Gibeonites were after Davids restoring to his Kingdom again after Absaloms rebellion I cannot but upon these second thoughts retract my first and conceive of these times according as I have laid them now with these conceptions concerning them 1. That Davids numbring and setling the Officers of State and the Priests and Levites was in his fortieth year 1 Chron. 26. 31. 2. That this was begun presently upon the Lords designing the place of the Temple by fire from Heaven 1 Chron. 22. 1 2. which was in Davids thirty ninth 2 Sam. 24. 8. 3. That the year that David sinfully numbred the people was the very next year after the three years famine 2 Sam. 24. 13. 4. That the first of these three years famine was the year that next followed the year of Absaloms rebellion 5. That the year of that rebellion was forty years after Davids first anointing in Bethlehem 6. That Saul reigned but three years before that anointing of David And though he lived five years after yet are not those years reputed of his reign for now the Lord had cast him off and he acted not now the part of a King but a Persecutor 1 KING II. from ver 12. to ver 39. World 2990 Solomon 1 SOLOMON reigned Adonijah slain for desiring his fathers wife Abiathar of the line of Ithamar put from the High Priesthood Joabs blood shed at the Altar Benaiah a Priest the Executioner and made General of the Army Shimei is confirmed This year Solomon begetteth Rehoboam of a Lady of Ammon see 1 King 14. 21. c. 2 CHRON. I. to vers 14. 1 KING 3. from ver 3. to the end THE Story of the death of Shimei is anticipated and joyned to the Story of his confinement though it were three years after that the Relation might have done with Shimei at once So also is the Story of Solomons marrying Pharaohs daughter laid sooner then its Chronical time for it was not before Solomons going to Gibeon and there begging wisdom but it was after But the reason of the placing of it before is given by the Jews to be because he married not Pharaohs daughter before he had slain Shimei and therefore the Stories of them are so laid together But upon viewing well the scope of the Stories preceeding about the death of Joab and the exclusion of Abishai from the Priesthood c. the reason of joyning Solomons marriage with Pharaohs daughter will easily appear namely because the Text would lay the politick ways of Solomon for the establishing of his Kingdom close together and those were these two The taking away those that might disquiet it at home and by making league and affinity with powerful Princes abroad And then it cometh to tell the sure and divine way how to make it sure and that it also expresseth to be two namely loving the Lord and begging wisdom of him At Gibeon was the greatest Synagogue in the Land for there stood the Tabernacle and the brazen Altar that Moses had made being brought thither as to the chief residence of the sons of Ithamar who waited on the Sanctuary when Shiloh fell There Solomon asketh wisdom of the Lord and obtaineth it And coming to Jerusalem he sheweth it in determining the doubtful case between the two Harlots He was now but twelve years old 1 KING XI ver 21 22. THE very reading of ver 21. doth plainly shew that it is proper to take in this Story of Hadads returning to his own Country here CHAP. IV V. 2 CHRON. I. vers 14 15 16 17. And II. all Solomon 2 THE matter of the fourth Chapter of Kings and the conclusion of Solomon 3 1 Chron. 1. is not of a fixed and determinate date tied to any one year but it runneth through the story of many years for it sheweth the growth and continuance of Solomons strength establishment and prosperity in his Kingdom and the evidencing of his wisdom all his time till his declining to Idolatry And therefore as for the method and place of it it might be laid even any where in the Story of all that time this construction being made of it wheresoever it is laid But the Holy Ghost hath laid it in the beginning of his History that that general matter concerning his power and prosperity might be concluded before the relation come to speak of particular actions It is no doubt but the transfaction of business betwixt Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre was very early in Solomons reign because he would not loose time towards the building of the Temple But the Text would dispatch the other before as a general thing that particular Stories might be fallen upon and receive no interruption Hiram or Hirom or Hâram King of Tyre for all these ways his name is written confesseth God the Creator 2 Chron. 2. 12. maketh a Covenant with Solomon supplieth him with necessaries for his building and sendeth him a choice workman Hiram This Hirams father was of the Tribe of Naphtali 1 King 7. 14. but said to be a Tyrian because he dwelt there as Obed-Edom a Levite is said to be a Gittite his mother was of the Tribe of Dan 2 Chron. 2. 14. the place of Idolatry Solomon setteth one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred Proselites to frame materials for the Temple seventy thousand to bear burdens eighty thousand to be hewers in the mountains and three thousand six hundred overseers 2 Chron. 2. 18. that is three thousand three hundred overseers of the one hundred and fifty thousand Workmen 1 King 5. 16. and three hundred overseers of them and all The Princes of Solomon at home and his chief Officers for his houshold provision reckoned 1 King 4. Azariah the Son of Zadok ver 2. that is the Son of Ahimaaz the Son of Zadok 1 Chron. 6. 8 9. is chief of the Sanhedrin Zadok and Abiathar are Priests ver 4. though Abiathar was expelled by Solomon from the High Priesthood Chap. 2. 26. Yet might he exercise the Function of a Priest at Gibeon till the Temple was built There were twelve Officers for the twelve
Father who was properly called Absolom is called Uriel which hath very near affinity in signification with Ner and Esâbaal men of the stock and family of Saul Although Abijah and Judah were very wicked yet God in this quarrel owneth them for the Kingdom of Davids sake which he had setled and for Religions sake which was extant and in practice at Jerusalem though much corruption mingled with it Abijah recovereth Bethel of Jeroboam 2 Chron. 13. 19. but destroyed not the Idolatry there for which it may be God shortned his reign and days 2 CHRON. XIII all JEROBOAM warreth with World 3047 Abijah 1 Ieroboam 18 Division 18 Abijah continually he bringeth Abijah 2 Ieroboam 10 Division 19 800000 men into the field to fight for Idolatry but half so many of Judah slay 500000 of them 1 KING XV. ver 9. to ver 16. 1 CHRON. XIV ver 1 2. World 3049 Abijah 3 Asa. 1 Ieroboam 20 Division 20 AS A reigneth in the twentieth of Jeroboam and by this it is apparent that the three years of the reign of Abijah are counted only current World 3050 Asa. 2 AS A doth uprightly in the sight of the Lord though he were educated and brought up by his Idolatrous grandmother Ieroboam 21 Nadab 1 Division 21 Maacah and therefore she said to be his mother 1 King 15. ver 10. World 3051 Asa. 3 Ieroboam 22 Nadab 2 Division 22 BAASHA who began to reign this year proved a desperate enemy to Asa but seven years Asa was quiet from him Baasha 1 for Baasha coming to the Kingdom by a Conspiracy against the King must needs have some time and pains to settle and confirm himself in it and so his imployment at home about this business giveth Asa rest and respite a long time The land was quiet in his days ten years 2 Chron. 14. 1. that is the three years of the beginning of his own Reign before Baasha was King and seven years of the Reign of Baasha 1 KING XV. verse 25. to 32. JEROBOAM is rid of his World 3049 Abijah 3 Asa. 1 Ieroboam 20 Division 20 scourge Abijah He liveth and dieth in his Idolatry and so do all the Kings of Israel after him And herein are they and the Kingdom of the ten Tribes like the Papacy revolters from and opposers of the true Religion NADAB reigneth in the World 3050 Asa. 2 second year of Asa even while his Father Jeroboam is alive Ieroboam 21 Nadab 1 Division 21 1 King 15. 25. for God smote Jeroboam with some sad diseases that he could not rule the Kingdom 2 Chron. 13. 20. World 3051 Asa. 3 Ieroboam 22 Nadab 2 Division 22 BAASHA slayeth Nadab and reigneth in the third of Asa 1 King 15. 28. Baasha 1 He destroyeth Jeroboams House Jeroboam himself is alive this year and if he escaped the sword of Baasha yet died he not long before that Sword destroyed his family Jeroboam was so broken by Abijah when he lost his five hundred thousand men that neither he nor Nadab could recover it to disturb Asa in the beginning of his raign nor could Baasha do it for his imployments at home in the beginning of his 2 CHRON. XIV vers 3. to the end And XV. all Asa. 4 Baasha 2 Division 23 ASA in his years of peace Asa. 5 Baasha 3 Division 24 reformeth and buildeth Asa. 6 Baasha 4 Division 25 and fortifieth and listeth an Army Asa. 7 Baasha 5 Division 26 out of Judah and Benjamin of five hundred thousand and eighty thousand men and groweth Asa. 8 Baasha 6 Division 27 strong and prospereth for Asa. 9 Baasha 7 Baasha 8 Division 28 he and the people sought the Asa. 10 Baasha 9 Division 29 Division 30 Lord. World 3059 Asa. 11 Baasha 10 Division 31 Asa and Baasha fall to wars after Asa. 12 Baasha 11 Division 32 ten years quiet and these Asa. 13 wars continue while they two live together 1 King 15. 16 32. World 3062 Asa. 14 Baasha 12 Division 33 Asa destroyeth a million of Cushites World 3063 Asa. 15 Baasha 13 Division 34 At Pentecost this fifteenth of Asa 2 Chron. 15. 10. he maketh a thorow Reformation upon the Council of Azariah a Prophet and the people enter into a Covenant and an Oath to destroy those that would not leave their Idols to seek God This Oath un-Queens the Kings Grandmother for her Idolatry past she must dye if she do the like again In the Story of the Reformation wrought by Asa it is said that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Kings 15. 12. He took away the Sodomites or the men that prostituted themselves to Sodomy and the women that kept brothel houses against a plain and express Law Deut. 23. 17. These Sodomites seem to have been some remnant of the Canaanites that were left in the Land and that followed the Canaanitish filthiness not any remnant of the City Sodome but called Sodomites because they followed the abomination that City In 2 King 23. 7. there is mention of Sodomites houses that were by the House of the Lord. Probably houses of Jebusites that stood near to the Mount of the House of the Lord for that Mount was purchased from Ornan the King of the Jebusites King there when David conquered Jerusalem 1 KING XV. ver 27 28 29 30 32 33 34. Asa. 4 Baasha 2 Division 23 BAASHA the son of Ahijah Asa. 5 Baasha 3 Division 24 performeth against the Asa. 6 Baasha 4 Division 25 house of Jeroboam what the Prophet Asa. 7 Baasha 5 Division 26 Ahijah had denounced against it yet forsaketh he not Asa. 8 Baasha 6 Division 27 that Idolatry of Jeroboam for Asa. 9 Baasha 7 Division 28 which he himself had been raised an Asa. 10 Baasha 8 Division 29 instrument to destroy that Asa. 10 Baasha 9 Division 30 House World 3059 Asa. 11 Baasha 10 Division 31 Baasha now setled in his Kingdom Asa. 12 Baasha 11 Division 32 beginneth to bussle and to disturb Asa with inroads upon his Country World 3062 Asa. 14 Baasha 12 Division 33 He seeth the special assistance World 3063 Asa. 15 Baasha 13 Division 34 of God to Asa against the Cushites yet will he still be an Enemy to him 1 KING XV. ver 16. to ver 23. World 3065 Asa. 16 Baasha 14 Division 35 ASA bringeth dedicate things Asa. 17 Baasha 15 Division 36 into the Temple This seventeenth year of Asaes reign is called the six and thirtieth year of his Kingdom 2 Chron. 15. 19. And there was no war more unto the five and thirtieth year of Asaes Kingdom And 2 Chron. 16. 1. In the six and thirtieth year of Asaes Kingdom Baasha King of Israel came up The Hebrew word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is not to be understood of the time of Asaes reign but the Kingdom of Asa distinct from the Kingdom of Israel That it cannot be understood of the time of Asaes reign appears by this because Baasha was dead many years before the six and thirtieth year of Asaes reign
deliverance to Ebed-melech Now this passage is laid after the Story of the taking of the City though Jeremy prophesied it before because when the Holy Ghost hath shewed the safety of Jeremy in the destruction he would also shew the safety of Ebed-melech according to Jeremies Prophesie 2 KING XXV vers 2. to vers 20. 2 CHRON. XXXVI vers 17 18 19 20 21. JEREMY XXXIX vers 2. to vers 15. And LII vers 5. to vers 28. IN the fourth month of this eleventh year of Zedekiah which was the month Tammuz on the ninth day of the moneth much about our Mid-summer day there is no more provision left and the City is broken up Zedekiah and the men of war get away by night but Zedekiah is overtaken near Jericho ere he could reach the foords of Jordan and brought to Nebuchad-nezzar and judgment passed upon him c. And he that would never see the danger now seeth the Judgment and his eyes are put out In the fifth moneth the seventh day of the month Nebuzaradan fireth the Temple and Jerusalem about the 23 of our July captiveth the remnant of the people leaving only some for husbandry over whom he maketh Gedaliah Governor and carrieth away all the Vessels of the House of the Lord and the two brazen pillars that stood before it In reckoning the height of the two Pillars Jachin and Boaz there is some difference and difficulty for in 2 Kings 25. 17. It is said The height of one Pillar was eighteen cubits And so 2 King 7. 15. and Jer. 52. 21. But in 2 Chron. 3. 15. it is said He made two Pillars thirty five cubits high And in that very verse it is said the Chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits And so 2 King 7. 16. and Jer. 52. 22. But in 2 King 25. 17. it is said The height of the Chapiter was three cubits Solution 1. Of the difference in the former reckoning the reason is this because the Book of Kings and Jer. 52. 21. reckon the height of each Pillar distinct and say plainly they were eighteen cubits high a piece But the Book of Chronicles reckoneth the measure of them both joyntly together and saith they were five and thirty cubits long that is both together were so long and severally they were seventeen cubits and an half a piece Now the half cubit that is reckoned above when it is said they were eighteen cubits high a piece was taken up within the Chapiter for the Chapiter being a long massey piece of brass set upon the head of the Pillar the Pillar must needs be let in something into it as a tenon into a morteise to make it fast and so it was half a cubit so that the Pillar was eighteen cubits high but it was only seventeen cubits and an half appearing 2. The difference of the second accounting viz. of the height of the Chapiter one Text saying it was three cubits high and the other five ariseth from this That the Chapiters themselves were five cubits high a piece but there was net work wrought about them at their bottom which stood as a Crown about them on the top of the Pillars that only three cubits of the plain Chapiter could be seen In this captivity was Seraiah the father of Ezra taken and slain 2 King 25. 18. Ezr. 7. 1. he was the High Priest and he and Zephaniah the second Priest or Sagan came to an end as fatal as Hophni and Phinehas had done at the ruine of Shiloh Were Ezra never so young now yea were he now in his mothers womb yet must he needs be very aged when he cometh up to Jerusalem so long after the captivity Ezr. 7. we shall judge of this by then we come there The Book of the LAMENTATIONS UPON this sad misery befallen Jerusalem Jeremy composeth the sad ditty of his Lamentations bewailing its case most dolefully but withal most elegantly For all the Chapters in this Elegiack Book the fifth or last excepted are alphabetical or every verse beginning in order with the Letters of the Alphabet and the third Chapter doing it three times over Only in all the Alphabets but that of the first Chapter there is a dislocation of the two letters ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ain and Pe For whereas Ain should properly be set before according to the constant method of the Hebrew Alphabet it is not so here but Pe set before and Ain after The Prophet by this alteration of the letter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ain which in numbers denoteth seventy aiming as it may be well supposed to hint the seventy years that this desolation of Jerusalem to which it was now come should last JEREMY XL. to vers 9. NEBUZARADAN bringeth all his captives to Ramah then was a sad voice heard there of lamentation weeping and mourning as Chap. 31. 15. Matth. 2. 18. and from thence he inlargeth Jeremy from his Manicles not which he had put on him but which the Jews had put on him in the Court of the Prison and dismisseth him to go to Gedaliah or else whither as he pleased Then the Word of the Lord cometh to him and directeth him to go to Gedaliah 2 KING XXV vers 20. 21. And JEREMY LII vers 26 27 28 29. THE continuance and connection of the Story here is to be conceived thus That Nebuzaradan when he fired the Temple and captived the City in his return towards his Master maketh a Rendez-vouz at Ramah as in the Sections preceding and there disposeth of some of his Prisoners particularly of Jeremy for inlargement and then he goeth forward to his Master to Riblah whither when he bringeth his Captives Nebuchad-nezzar slayeth seventy two of them This number is considerable by reflexion upon the seventy two that were first chosen Numb 11. 26 27. And because we may the rather observe this there is a difference of the account of the Book of Kings from Jeremy The Book of Kings saith that Nebuzaradan took away from Jerusalem Seraiah Zephaniah three Porters a chief Officer over the Army and the chief Secretary of the Army five men that were near the King and sixty men of the Land that is five out of the Temple two out of the City five out of the Court and sixty out of the Country and brought them to Riblah and there the King of Babel slew them Now Jeremy agrees exactly in all the account but this that he saith he took away seven men that were near the King which he did indeed but slew but five of them for the other two Jeremy and Ebedmelech were delivered Now of their Story the Penman hath given you account before and therefore when he saith here that all these were taken at Jerusalem and slain at Riblah he himself had been the interpreter there how to understand it suitable to the relation in the Book of Kings Jeremy in vers 28. 29. reckoning the men that Nebuchad-nezzar carried away
are called the brethren of Jesus were the sons of Joseph by another wife as some have thought them they had been fittest to have been charged with the maintenance of the widdow About the ninth hour Jesus crieth out Eli Eli lama sabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou left me Not forsaken him as to the feeling of any spiritual desertion but why left to such hands and to such cruel usage Some said hereupon he called Elias but was this said in mockery or indeed did they think his words Eli Eli meant Elias Two things might make them really think so the unusualness of the word Eli or Elohi in their Syriack tongue the word Mari being it by which they commonly expressed the sense of that And 2. the common opinion and legends that they had of Elias his coming to comfort and resolve men in distress and perplexity of which their Talmuds give not a few examples Complaining of thirst he had vinegar given him which having tasted and feeling the pangs of death come upon him he saith It is finished and giving up a great cry and committing his Spirit to God he dieth at the time of the evening sacrifice At which instant there was an Earthquake which rent the rocks and the vail of the Temple was then also rent in the middle The Priest that offered Incense that evening sacrifice time could bring an amazed testimony of this when he came forth The renting of the rocks light in such a place as where were the graves of many Saints hewn out which now were opened and shewed the conquest over the grave and at another Earthquake at which Christs grave was opened on the morning of his resurrection the mouldred bodies of these graves revived and after his rising they came out of the graves also and came into the holy City Observe that Matthew calls Jerusalem The holy City when it hath now murdered Christ chap. 27. 53. How great a matter must it be that must unchurch a Nation The Centurion and the company present at the sight of what strange things had occurred return much affected and full of thoughts about what was done As the evening grew on the Jews desire and obtain that the legs of them might be broken so to hasten their end that they might not hang on the Cross all night This dispatcheth the penitent thief howsoever it did the other as we may conclude from the words of Christ that told him of being that day in Paradise But Christ being dead already they brake no bone of him but one with a Spear pierceth him and out of his side cometh water and blood distinct and discernable the one from the other At Even Joseph of Aramathaea Samuels Town 1 Sam. 1. 1. a Priest or a Levite one of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Council-chamber of the Temple begs the body of Jesus which otherwise should have been buried in the common graves of Malefactors and intombs it in his own Tomb Nichodemus joyning with him and the Women observing where he was laid go and prepare spices for his further imbalming when the Sabbath was over all shewing their love to him but in this very action shewing their little expecting his Resurrection SECTION LXXXVII MATTH Ch. XXVIII from the beginning to Ver. 16. MARK Ch. XVI from the begin to Ver. 12. LUKE Ch. XXIV from the begin to Ver. 13. JOHN Ch. XX. from the begin to Ver. 19. CHRISTS Resurrection his first appearing viz. to Mary Magdalen AS for the subsequence of this Section to the preceding there can be no scruple but it requires some heedfulness to lay the story in it in its proper currency because of some seeming diversities in the four in their relating the story of it The Lord of life was under death about 36 hours and so long was that day wherein the Sun stood still in the time of Joshua as Kimchi saith it is the acknowledgment of the Jews on Josh. 10. Christ himself calleth this space three daies and three nights Matth. 12. 40. whereas it was but two nights and one whole day and two small parts of two more And yet herein he speaketh warrantably even by the known and allowed Dialect of the Nation Both the Talmuds in the Treatise Shabba per. 9. do dispute about the three daies that Israel separated from their Wives before the giving of the Law Exod. 19. 15. and among other things they have these passages R. Akibah made the day a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the night a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And so did R. Ismael But this is a tradition R. Eliezer ben Azariah saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A day and a night make a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and a part of a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is accounted as the whole Observe these last words to the purpose that we are upon Three natural daies by this rule were three ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and any part of any of these was accounted as the whole of it The Evangelists seem to differ somewhat in the mention of the time of the Womens coming to the sepulchre John saith Mary Magdalen came while it was yet dark Matthew when it began to dawn whereas Mark saith she and the other women came thither at Sunrising All which together speak the story to the full to this tenour That at the dawning and while it was yet dark the Women as soon as they could see at the least Mary Magdalen set out to go to the Sepulchre and that was at the very instant of Christs rising when there was a great Earthquake and an Angel came and rolled away the Stone Mary Magdalen came from Bethany from her brother Lazarus his house if she came from her own home and the other Women were at their several lodgings and to get them all together for they were to go about this work all together would spend some time so that though Mary were so early stirring yet before they were all got together to the Scpulchre it was Sunrising These Women little knew of the watch that was set over the grave and the sealing of the stone which was done on the morning of the Sabbath for all their care is how to get the stone rolled away When they come there they find that done already and the Watch was fled and the Angel that had rolled it away sitting on it on the right hand of the entring in and when they were entred in they saw another Angel which both told them of his being risen And thus Matthew and Mark that mention but one Angel are to be reconciled to Luke who speaketh of two The Women return and tell the Disciples what they had seen but their words seemed to them as idle tales yea Mary her self yet believed not that he was risen It is worth studying upon the faith of the Disciples it was a saving faith in Christ and yet they believed not that he should die till he was dead nor believed that he
went thither he saith not at all And now to take up what we have to observe upon these things that have been spoken 1. It is true indeed as Tacitus witnesseth that Pallas the brother of Felix who had been Claudius his great favorite and so Nero's also in Claudius time did wane and decrease somewhat in his favour in a very short time after his entrance into his reign but he was not utterly laid flat and out at all till after Poppaea came into favour and amorousness who forwarded the death of Agrippina and the bringing down of those that were of her party as Pallas was Therefore the power of Pallas with the Emperour seemeth to be expired in Nero's fifth year in which Agrippina was slain And by this account we cannot extend Felix his escape for his brother Pallas his sake beyond Nero's fourth Year For considering Poppaeas prevalency with the Emperour when once she became his Paramour and considering her detestation of Agrippina and her faction of which Pallas was the chief we cannot cast Felix his discharge for Pallas his sake beyond Nero's fourth 2. Paul lay two years prisoner at Caesarea under Felix Acts 24. 27. After two years Portius Festus came into Felix room Many are the conjectures about these two years Baronius saith it was Expleto biennio Neronis Magister Historiae Scholasticae saith it was Biennium ab accusatione Felicis a Judaeis A Lapide cares not to think that Biennium hoc inchoandum a praefectura Felicis in Judaea nam ante illud praefuerat Trachonitidi Batanaeae Gaulonitidi c. But it is most proper to hold that these two years mean the time of Pauls being a prisoner under Felix from the time of his apprehension under Lysias the chief Captain till Felix his going out of his Government and so it is held by Beda Beza Salmeron Onuphrius and others And this is so proper and suitable to the intent and discourse of Luke that it needeth no illustration or proof of it and it is most agreeable to the Scriptures manner of accounting in all other places These two things then being thus concluded on it will follow that Pauls apprehension was in Nero's second and Felix went out of Office in Nero's fourth before Poppaea was yet got into her potency And the accounting of Pauls two years imprisonment under Felix to be thus At Pentecost in Nero's second he is apprehended and at Pentecost in Nero's third he had been a year prisoner and at Pentecost in Nero's fourth his two years are up and that spring it was that Felix went out of Office and went to Rome to make his answer and Pallas his brother not yet utterly out of favour makes his peace And now let us draw up the Chronology of Nero's time to the full according to these evidences and as referreth to our occasion CHRIST 55 NERO. 1 Paul at Ephesus Goeth to Macedonia Creete Greece to Macedonia again and wintreth in Nicopolis CHRIST 56 NERO. 2 Paul at Macedonia till Easter then goeth up to Jerusalem and is apprehended at Pentecost and from that time till the year go out is a prisoner CHRIST 57 NERO. 3 Paul a prisoner all this year under Felix CHRIST 58 NERO. 4 Felix removed Festus cometh in Paul shipped towards Rome but wintreth by the way Poppaea in Nero's eye and becomes his Minion CHRIST 59 NERO. 5 Festus Governour of Judea Paul after wintering in his journey cometh to Rome and this is the first year of his imprisonment there Nero killeth his Mother Agrippina CHRIST 60 NERO. 6 Festus Governour of Judea Pauls second years imprisonment at Rome CHRIST 61 NERO. 7 Festus Governour of Judea CHRIST 62 NERO. 8 Festus Governour of Judea Nero marrieth Poppaea CHRIST 63 NERO. 9 Festus Governour It may be Albinus came in sometime this year and then was James the less slain this year CHRIST 64 NERO. 10 Albinus Governour of Judea CHRIST 65 NERO. 11 Florus Governour of Judea CHRIST 66 NERO. 12 CHRIST 67 NERO. 13 Florus Governour of Judea The Wars begin CHRIST 68 NERO. 14 Nero dieth having reigned 13. years and 8. months ACTS Chap. XXI from Ver 17. to the end of the Chapter PAUL cometh to Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost when the City was now full of conconflux to that festival He resorteth instantly to James the residentiary Apostle of the Circumcision for holding correspondency sake and there he shews him the manner and fruit of his Ministry among the Gentiles Which both by James and the Elders that were with him is well approved of as to the thing it self but they certifie him of what complaints they heard from the Jews against him for crying down the rites of Moses especially Circumcision That thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their Children ver 21. Now because thousands of the Jews which believed were yet zealous of the Law this gave much offence But did Paul teach thus or not No doubt he did and it behoved him so to do nor does nor can James except against the Doctrine for though it is true that he and Paul and the other Apostles permitted compliance with some of the Jewish rites for peace sake for a while as there is an example in this very place yea Paul himself circumcised Timothy upon that reason yet the use of Circumcision as these that stood upon it used it was utterly inconsistent with the Gospel Hear this Apostles Doctrine Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to the whole Law Gal. 5. 2. A converted Jew would have his Son circumcised Paul asks him a reason what can he answer but it looks after some justification by it as their own Authors speak their thoughts He that is circumcised is perfect And He that is circumcised shall not go to Gehinnom And I said unto thee in thy blood live Ezek. 16. 6. This is the blood of Circumcision c. Tanchum in Gen. 17. 18 c. They looked indeed upon Circumcision as an admission into the Covenant and thereupon the Father of the Child at his Circumcision constantly used these words Blessed be thou O Lord our God who hast sanctified us by his Commandments and commanded us to bring the Child into the Covenant of our Father Abraham And they that stood by said As thou hast brought him into the Covenant so bring him into the Law and into the Bridechamber Jerus in Beracoth fol. 13. col 1. But withall they looked upon this Covenant as a Covenant of works for as we observed before they reputed Abraham himself so justified Good cause therefore had Paul to stand out against the convert Jews Circumcising their Children as whereby the Doctrine of Justification by faith was utterly enervated and made of no effect And here by the way let us conceive we
no small induction to him of the writing of this Epistle and sheweth the desperate danger of it Chap. 6. 4 5 c. and Chap. 10. 26 27 c. In which his touching of it we may see how far some had gone in the Gospel and yet so miserably far fallen from it as that some of them had had the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet now sinned willingly and wilfully against it In describing their guilt one of his passages that he useth is but harshly applied by some Chap. 10. 29. Hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing when they say that this horrid Apostate wretch that treads Christ under foot was once sanctified by the blood of Christ whereas the words mean Christs being sanctified by the blood of the Covenant according to the same sense that Christ is said to be brought again from the dead by the blood of the Covenant in this same Epistle Chap. 13. 20. And the Apostle doth set forth the horrid impiety of accounting the blood of the Covenant a common thing by this because even the Son of God himself was sanctified by it or set apart as Mediator And so should I understand the words He hath trodden under-foot that Son of God and counted the blood of the Covenant by which he the Son of God was sanctified an unholy thing He magnifieth faith against those works that they stood upon and sought to be justified by and sheweth that this was the all in all with all the holy men both before the Law and under it When he gives them caution Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau c. Chap. 12. 16. he doth not only speak according to the common tenet of the Nation that Esau was a fornicator as see Targ. Jerus in Gen. 25. but he seemeth to have his eye upon the Nicolaitan doctrine that was now rise that taught fornication to which he seemeth also to refer in those words Chap. 13. 4. Marriage is honourable c. And now henceforward you have no more story of this Apostle what became of him after the writing of this Epistle it is impossible to find out by any light that the Scripture holdeth out in this matter The two last verses but one of this Epistle trace him as far forward as we can any way else see him and that is but a little way neither Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty with whom if he come shortly I will see you By which words these things may be conjectured 1. That after his inlargement out of bonds he left Rome and preached in Italy He mentioneth in his Epistle to the Romans his desire and intent to go preach in Spain Rom. 15. 24. but that was so long ago that he had now found some just cause so much time intervening to steer his course another way For 2. It appears that when he wrote this Epistle to the Hebrews he intended very shortly to set for Judea if so be he sent the Epistle to the Jews of Judea as hath been shewed most probable he did So that trace him in his intentions and hopes and you find him purposing to go to Philippi Phil. 2. 23 24. Nay yet further to Colosse Philem. ver 22. Nay yet further into Judea It is like that the Apostacy and wavering that he heard of in the Eastern Churches shewed him more need to hasten thither then to go westward 3. He waited a little to see whether Timothy now inlarged would come to him in that place of Italy where he now was which if he did he intended to bring him along with him but whether they met and travelled together or what further became of either of them we shall not go about to trace lest seeking after them we lose our selves CHRIST LXIII NERO. IX IT hath been observed before how probable it is that Albinus came into the Government of Judea in Festus room in this ninth year of Nero. And if so then was James the Apostle who was called James the less martyred this year Josephus gives the story of this Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 8. Caesar saith he understanding the death of Festus sendeth Albinus governour into Iudea And the King Agrippa put Ioseph from the High-priesthood and conferred it upon Ananus the son of Ananus Now this Ananus junior was extreme bold and daring and he was of the sect of the Saduces which in judging are most cruel of any of the Iews Ananus therefore being such a one and thinking he had got a sit opportunity because Festus was dead and Albinus was not yet come he gets together a Council and bringing before it Iames the brother of Iesus who was called Christ and some others as transgressors he delivered them up to be stoned But those in the City that were more moderate and best skilled in the Laws took this ill and sent to the King privately beseeching him to charge Ananus that he should do so no more And some of them met Albinus as he came from Alexandria and shewed him how it was not lawful for Ananus to call a Council without his consent Whereupon he writeth a threatning Letter to Ananus And King Agrippa for this fact put him from the Highpriesthood when he had held it but three months and placed Iesus the son of Damneas in his room THE EPISTLE OF JAMES Although therefore the certain time of his writing this Epistle cannot be discovered yet since he died in the year that we are upon we may not unproperly look upon it as written not very long before his death And that the rather because by an expression or two he intimates the vengeance of Jerusalem drawing very near Chap. 5. 8 9. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh and Behold the Judge standeth before the door He being the Apostle residentiary of the Circumcision in Judea could not but of all others be chiefly in the eyes of those that maliced the Gospel there and the Ministers of it So it could not but be in his eye to observe those tokens growing on apace that his Master had spoken of as the forerunners and forewarners of that destruction coming False Prophets Iniquity abounding Love waxing cold betraying and undoing one another that he could not but very surely conclude that the Judge and judgment was not far from the door Among other things that our Saviour foretelleth should precede that destruction this was one Matth. 24. 14. This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all Nations and then shall the end come And so did the Gospel reach all the twelve Tribes as well as other Nations even the ten Tribes as well as the other two Therefore James a Minister of the Circumcision doth properly direct this Epistle to all the twelve Tribes scattered abroad The whole Nation was at this time some at the
horns as the Dragon whose deputed she is is pictured Chap. 12. 3. the horns crowned with power and the heads with blasphemies One of his heads had been wounded to death but his deadly wound was healed This seemeth to mean her Monarchical or Kingly power which was extinguisht with the Tarquins but revived in the Caesars and hereby is given intimation from whence to account the beginning of this fifth Monarchy namely from Romes beginning again to be Monarchical and we may well take a hint of this from Luke 2. where at the birth of Christ all the world is taxed by Caesar Augustus Not that Monarchical Government is therefore the worse because thus abused by Rome Heathen no more then Religion is the worse for being abused by Rome Papal Another Beast ariseth like this for power and cruelty but far beyond him in cousenage and delusion Rome Heathen dealt always openly and in down right terms of bloodiness professedly setting it self to destroy Religion But Rome Papal is a mystery of iniquity it goes to work by deceiving and carrying fair pretences therefore it is said that it spake as a Dragon but had horns like a Lamb. It revives the Tyranny of Rome Heathen and Imperial and none must thrive before it that will not bear its badge either some mark or its name or the number of its name which number was the number of a man and his number is six hundred and sixty six In Hebrew numerals Sethur the name of a man in Numb 13. 13. comes just to this number and which being interpreted signifies Hidden or Mystery the very inscription of Rome it self Chap. 17. 5. In Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fits it which is the old name of the Roman And in Gencalogical Arithmetick the number of Adonikams family suits with it Ezra 5. 13. which mans name signifies A Lord rising up REVEL CHAP. XIV THE warring 'twixt Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels and the Dragons making war with seed of the Woman Chap. 12. receiveth illustration in the thirteenth Chapter and in the beginning of this For in Chap. 13. he resigns his Power and Throne to the Beast Rome and makes him chief leader in his Wars and his Angels are men that receive his mark Here the Lamb upon mount Zion is Michael and his Angels and followers are marked with his Fathers Name in their foreheads as Chap. 7. And now as in the eighth ninth tenth and eleventh Chapters the relation is concerning those things that should be against the Church from henceforth the Prophesie is more especially of things that make for the Church and against her enemies As 1. The preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles ver 6 7. 2. The proclaiming of the ruin of the mystical Babylon proclaimed even from its first rising up a persecutor as Isaiah did Prophesie against the Eastern even before its tyrannical being 3. The Ministry of the Word giving caution against joyning with the Beast and his Image and the danger and damnation that should follow upon joyning with him and the torments described ver 9 10 11. Here the patience of the Saints tried ver 12. and John by a voice from Heaven commanded to write them blessed that die in the Lord from thenceforth ver 13. at once shewing the bitterness of the persecution caused by the Beast that even death should be desirable to deliver the Saints from the trouble and incouraging to stand out against the Beast and his Image even to the death These bitter dealings against the Church ripen the sins of the world ready for cutting down and thereupon Christ is described coming as against Egypt Isa. 19. 1. riding upon a cloud and with a sickle in his hand to reap the Earth As Joel 3. 13. betokening his vengeance against his enemies So the Earth is reaped Harvest and Vintage and all This is a general intimation of Gods judgment and vengeance which is more particularly handled in the pouring out of the Vials Chap. 16. It is observable that the word for reaping of the Earth comes out from the Temple yea though Christ have the sickle in his hand yet an Angel out of the Temple calls to him to reap and another Angel comes out of the Temple with a sickle and a third out of the Temple calls to him to reap As this may be understood to Doctrinal information that the cries and urgencies of the Church to Christ stir him up to avenge them on their enemies Luke 18. 7. so the expressions may be explained by allusive application The putting in of the first sickle to reap the first corn in Judea was by the word and warrant of the Priests and Rulers sitting in the Temple and they that were to reap when they were come to the corn put not in the sickle till the word was given Reap The manner and managing of this business viz. the reaping of the first sheaf is recorded and related by the Talmud Menachoth per. 10. and in Tosaphta ibid. These three men say they that were appointed by the Sanhedrin to reap went out into the valley of Kidron with a great company following them on the first day of the Passover week when now it grew towards evening with three sickles and three baskets One when they came to the place said to them On this Sabbath on this Sabbath on this Sabbath In this basket in this basket in this basket With this sickle with this sickle with this sickle Reap to whom the three answer Well well well I will reap The other says Reap then Then they reap c. Thus phrases taken from known customs do speak the plainer And so is the expression taken from common speech and opinion when it is said in ver 30. The wine-press was troden without the City and blood came out of the wine-press even to the horse bridles Here is treading a wine-press of blood as Christ treadeth in Edom Isa. 63. 1 3. Edom is the common name by which the Hebrew Writers call the Romans The wine-press was without the City alluding to the wine and oyl presses which were without Jerusalem at the foot of mount Olivet Blood came up to the horse bridles An hyperbole by which they expressed great slaughter and effusion of blood So Talm. Jerus in Taanith fol. 69. col 1. describing the woful slaughter that Hadrian made of the Jews at the destruction of the City Bitter saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The horses waded in blood up to the nostrils by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Of that space and extent doth R. Menahem on gen fol. 60. reckon the largeness of the Land of Israel REVEL CHAP. XV. WHAT was spoken in general in the conclusion of the preceding Chapter concerning the treading of the Wine press of Gods wrath is here more particularly prosecuted in the story of the seven Vials At the beginning of which John again calls us to reflect upon the scheme of the Temple
verum bonum truth and goodness so the whole tenor of Scripture doth run upon these two and they are indeed the sum of all as Psal. 25. 10. and 40. 12. and 36. 5. and 138. 2. Hos. 2. 19. c. Now Christ being the substance of the promises which had the original from grace and their performance in truth they being in him yea and in him Amen the Evangelist saying that he dwelt among us full of grace and truth holdeth out that he was the performance and accomplishment of all the promises of grace and the truth of all the types and prophecies before the Law and under it that tended to such a purpose and in him was the fulness of that mercy and truth that the Patriarchs Prophets and holy men looked after and he the whole tenor scope and subject of the Scriptures SECTION III. S. LUKE CHAP. I. The Conception and Birth of Iohn the Baptist and of Christ foretold by the Angel Gabriel c. Ver. 5. THere was in the days of â â â â â â Herod written with Câeth in the beginning signifieth fear or trembling as the trembling cowardise of Gedeons souldiers named the well Harod Judg. 7. 1. c. But the Syr. Arab write this with He. Herod the King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the course of Abiah and his wife was of a a a a a a John Baptist of the Priestly line both by Father and Mother the Daughters of Aaron and her name was b b b b b b The Seventy call wife of Aaron the first Priest by the same name Exod. 6. 23. Elizabeth 6. And they were c c c c c c Such couples were Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebeccah Elkanah and Hannah both righteous and a long time childless both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 7. And they had no child because that d d d d d d Throughout the Scripture want of Children is ascribed to the woman Elizabeth was barren and they were both now e e e e e e An Hebraisme as Gen. 18. 11. 1 Kings 1. 1. c. well striken in years 8. And it came to pass that while he executed the Priests Office f f f f f f The Worship of God in the Temple was said to be before him Exod. 23. 17. Lev. 1. 3. 11. And the ark being the representation of Christ is called bis face Psal. 105. 4. yea even God himself Psal. 132. 5. before God in the order of his course 9. According to the custome of the Priests Office his lot was to burn Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the tine of Incense 11. And there appeared unto him an ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ Compare the appearing of the Angel Gabriel to Daniel about the time of Incense Dan. 9. 21. Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense 12. And when Zacharias saw him g g g g g g ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã used by the LXX to express Pharaohs trouble upon his dream Gen. 41. 8. and his Servants upon theirs Gen. 40. 6. Compare Judg. 6. 22. 13. 22. Dan. 8. 17. Joâ 4. 14. he was troubled h h h h h h As Gen. 15. 12. and fear fell upon him 13. But the Angel said unto him fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a Son and thou shalt call his name â â â â â â John the same with Jochanan so frequent in the Old Testament as 1 Chr. 3. 19. 6. 9. 12. 12. 26. 3. and 2 Chron. 17. 15. 23. 1. and 28. 12. Jer. 40. 8. John 14. And thou shalt have i i i i i i ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Job 3. 22. The Arab addeth thou shalt have great joy joy and gladness and k k k k k k As Gen. 21. 6. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of the Hebr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã used by the LXX for it Lev. 10 5. Numb 6. 3. Esay 5. 11. and 28. 7. c. which sometimes signifieth Wine as Num. 28. 7. but most commonly any thing that will cause drunkenness Wine of fourty days old is called Shekar saith R. Menohem on Lev. 10. and so the Chaldee paraphraseth it Numb 6. 3. and 28. 7. Judg. 13. 4. But any thing that will make one dunk is called Shekar whether it be made of Corn Honey or Fruits ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã on Lev. 10. D. Krinch in Miclol Brucioli his Italian and the French express it by Cervisia Ale or Bear many shall rejoyce at his birth 15. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor l strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Moses Act. 7. 20. Jer. 1. 5. even from his Mothers womb 16. And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God 17. And he shall go before in the spirit and power of m m m m m m Heb. Elijahâ 1 Kings 17. c. and there turned by the LXXâ Elion but in Mal. 4. 5. the Hebr. hath it Eliah and the LXX Elias Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In or by the wisdom to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18. And Zacharias said unto the Angel whereby shall I know this for n n n n n n As Gen. 18. 12. I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years 19. And the Angel answering said unto him I am o o o o o o Dan. 8. 29. 9. 21. Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and p p p p p p This relateth to his assuming a visible shape am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings 20. And q q q q q q So a sign is given to Ahaz with a Behold Isa. 7. 14. compare Ezek. 3. 26. behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled r r r r r r ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mat. 2. 23. at ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Acts 8. 23. in their season 21. And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the Temple 22. And when he came out * * * * * * At the first burning of Incense the Priests miscarried Lev. 10. and thus that right which the Jews value for the highest of all legal offerings beginneth
brought to the Mony-changers and they gave less coin for it namely pence and half pence and the like Ver. 15. And when he had made a scourge of small cords c. This action of our Saviour at his first appearing in his own Temple did fulfill that prophecy of Malachi Chap. 3. 1 2 3. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple but who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like refiners fire and like fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi c. There was an Officer that used to walk up and down this Court and the others to see that every one stood to his charge and did his duty He was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The man of the mountain of the House He went about from ward to ward and âanales âighted before him and wheresoever any man stood not upon his charge the man of the mountain of the House said Peace be upon thee and if it proved that he was asleep he struck him with his rod and he had authority to set fire on his coat and they said What noise is that in the Court Why it is the noise of a son Levi that is beaten and his cloaths burnt because he was asleep upon his guard Massecheth middoth per. 1. A greater than this man nay a greater than the Temple it self is now come and Christ by this passage doth not only shew his zeal most divine and fervent but he acteth in the authority of a Prophet and as one come from God and so the Jews understand that he took upon him to do when they propose to him as for the tryal of a Prophet that he would shew a sign and work a miracle The cords of which he maketh his whip it is like he found lying up and down the floor which had tyed some sacrifices or some other things and after that use of them were cast there Now he useth a whip rather than a staff because there were no staves brought into the Temple A man may not come into the mountain of the House with his staff nor with his shooes with his purse nor with the dust upon his feet Massecheth Beracoth per. 9. Our Saviour seemeth to allude to this when he bids his Disciples as they go to preach To take neither staves nor shooes nor gold nor silver nor brass in their purses and to shake off the dust of their feet Mat. 10. 9. 10. No mony in their girdles ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gloss. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A hollow girdle in which travellers put their mony Compare this zealous action of our Saviour with Nehem. 13. 25. Vers. 16. My Fathers House He useth the same phrase in the same place viz. in the Temple when he was found there among the Doctors at twelve years old Why sought you me know you not where to find me know you not that I must be in my Fathers House Luke 2. 49. And he cometh off thus openly and plainly with the Jews as to call God his Father 1. To assert himself for the Messiah and to distinguish him from other Prophets who at the utmost could but call God my God There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esay 57. 21. but he can and doth call him Father and doth so from his first appearing here in publick that he might reveal himself to the full and leave the obstinate without excuse 2. He seemeth to have special respect to that passage 2 Sam. 7. 12 13. where when God is promising to David Christ to sit upon his Throne for ever and Solomon to sit upon his Throne for a while he saith He shall build an House for my Name and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever I will be his Father Vers. 18. What sign shewest thou The power of miracles had never been seen in the Land since their return out of captivity nay nor the Spirit of Prophecy since the death of Zachary and Malachi by their own Authors confession and therefore the restoring of miracles and prophecy was as the opening of heaven and Angels ascending and descending When they were ready to depart into Babylon Habakkuk prayeth that God would keep alive his work of the power of miracles in that midst of years while they were in Babylon and that they might not lose it now they went into a strange Land And there he continued it among them in the hands of the three Children as they are called but more especially in the hands of Daniel Daniels tying up the mouths of the Lions was the last miracle that had been done by man till water was turned into wine at Cana in Galilee They had Prophets indeed came with them out of their captivity and these saw visions and had strange things done to them by God but none ever since they came up till now had done any miracles or strange things from God And after that first generation after their return their Prophets were ceased and gone and they had no more ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In Haggai Zachary and Malachi Prophecy ceased D. Kimch on Zech. 5. And therefore besides the constant unbelief of the Jew that would be still requiring a sign it is no wonder if they demand one of one that now appeared and acted under the notion of a Prophet when signs and Prophets had been so long strangers amongst them Nor was this all that strained this question from them but it is like that his calling God in such singularity his Father did move them to demand some thing from him as from a singular man which thing might be suitable to such a relation as he owned In John 5. 17. they are ready to fly in his face because he calleth God his Father for there was scandalum acceptum an offence taken at him though none was given they were moved at him for that he had broken the Sabbath as they interpret it and then they are ready to catch at every word that fell from him for they had entertained prejudice against him but as yet he hath done here nothing that should cause them to be offended the driving of the market out of the Temple was a thing so reasonable and so Religious that they could not open their mouth against it and his calling of God his Father is yet without offence if he can answer both his action and his word by doing something agreeable to them Vers. 19. Destroy this Temple 1. Christ giveth them not a sign otherwise then by telling them of that great sign that he should once shew which would mightily declare him to be the Son of God and that is the raising of his body from the dead which very thing he also meaneth though somewhat more be included in it when he giveth them afterward the sign of Jonas Matth. 12. 39. He did many miracles instantly
his birth and education could not but acknowledge what he spake and gave testimony to his words they were so gracious And this makes them wonder comparing his present powerful and divine discourse with his mean and homely education and to be amazed among themselves and to say Is not this the son of Joseph as Mark 6. 2 3. Vers. 23. Ye will surely say to me this Proverb c. He taketh occasion of these words from their present wonderment and questioning among themselves about him As if he had spoken out to them thus at large Ye look upon me as Josephs son as one that was bred and brought up among you and therefore ye will be ready to urge me with the sense of that Proverb Physician heal thy self and expect that I should do some miracles here in mine own Town as I have done in other places nay rather in this Town than in others because of my relation to it § Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum Jansenius from this passage concludeth that this Sermon of Christ in the Synagogue of Nazareth was not of a great while after his coming into Galilee but that he had first passed and preached through Galilee because as yet according to the order in which we have laid the story there is but one miracle mentioned that he had done at Capernaum which was the recovering of the Rulers son Now that miracle was enough to have occasioned these words though he had done no more But Capernaum was Christs very common residence upon all occasions and it is like he had done divers miracles there though they be not mentioned for when he came from Samaria the Text relateth that he avoideth his own Town of Nazereth because he knew that there he should find but cold intertainment and little honour but that he went into some other parts of Galilee and the Galileans whither he went received him having seen all that he did at Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover John 4. 44 45. Now Capernaum was as likely a place whether he would betake himself and where he would stay if he stayed in any City as any other Vers. 25. When the Heaven was shut up three years and six months This sum lyeth very obscure in the Text of the Book of Kings for there it is only said that Elias said there shall not be dew nor rain these years 1 Kings 17. 2. And that after many days in the third year Eliah shewed himself to Ahab and there was rain c. 1 Kings 18. 1 And it were not strange that Christ the Lord of time did for all the difficulty of the Text determine it but it seemeth by his speech to these Nazarites that it was a reckoning and sum commonly known and received of them And so when the Apostle James useth the same account James 5. 17. it is likely that he speaketh it to the Jews as a thing acknowledged and confessed But how to pick it up in the Book of Kings is very intricate to him that shall go about it Yet thus far we may go 1. That it was a year after the drought began before the Brook Cerith dried up for it is said that at the end of days the Brook dried now for the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Days to be used for to signifie a year examples might be given exceeding copiously 2. Those words in the third year God said to Eliah Go shew thy self to Ahab and I will send rain cannot be understood of the third year of drought for this his coming to Ahab was not in the third year but after it for he had told him there should be no rain ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã these three years at the least as the learned in the Hebrew tongue will easily observe out of the number of the word which is not dual but plural And therefore the third year is to be referred to Elias sojourning with the Sareptane widow He had been one year by Cherith and above two years at Sarepta and after many days in the third year he shews himself to Ahab and there were rains Now how to bring these many days to half a year is still a scruple how to fix it or to go any whit near thereunto unless it be by casting the times of the year when the drought began and when it ended and there might be very probable reasons produced to shew that it began in Autum and ended in the Spring which two times were their most constant times of rains Joel 2. But truth hath spoken it here and it is not to be disputed but only thus much is spoken to it because it seemeth that he speaketh it to the Jews here as men consenting and agreeing in the thing already The Rabbins do quaintly descant upon the last verse of 1 King 16. where there is mention of Hiels building Jericho and losing his two sons in the work according to the word of Joshua and the first verse of Chap. 17. where Eliah foretels the restraint of rain thus Ahab and Eliah say they went to comfort Hiel for the death of his sons Ahab said to Elijah it may be the word of the servant Joshua is performed but the word of the Master Moses will not be performed who saith Ye will turn away and serve other Gods and the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and he will shut up heaven that there be no rain c. Thereupon Elias swore and said As the Lord liveth before whom I stand there shall be no rain This number and term of time of three years six months just half the time of the famine in Egypt is very famous and renowned in Scripture as hath been observed before But in nothing more renowned then this that it was the term of Christs Ministery from his Baptism to his death he opening Heaven for three years and six months and raining down the Divine dew of the Gospel as Elias had shut Heaven so long and there was no rain at all Vers. 28. And all they in the Synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath c. Here is such another change of affection in these Nazarites one while giving testimony to the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth and presently ready to murder him for his words as there was in the men of Lycaonia Act. 14. who one while would worship Paul and Barnabas for Gods and immediately stone them with stones The matter that gave such offence in these words of Christ to his Countrymen was double 1. Because he so plainly taught and hinted the calling of the Gentiles and refusing of the Jews as was to be seen in the double instance that he alledged that Elias should harbour no where with any Israelite but should be recommended by God to a heathen widow for so were the Sareptanes being of Sidon and that not one Israelite leper should ever be healed but Naaman a Heathen Syrian should be This doctrine about
9. I believe that he shall overcome death This Israel saw by necessary conclusion that if Christ should fall under death he did no more than men had done before His Resurrection they saw in Aarons Rod Manna Scapegoate Sparrow c. 10. I believe to be saved by laying hold upon his merits Laying their right hand upon the head of every beast that they brought to be offered up taught them that their sins were to be imputed to another and the laying hold on the horns of the Altar being sanctuary or refuge from vengeance taught them that anothers merits were to be imputed to them yet that all offenders were not saved by the Altar Exod. 21. 12. 1 King 2. 29. the fault not being in the Altar but in the offender it is easie to see what that signified unto them Thus far each holy Israelite was a Christian in this point of doctrine by earnest study finding these points under the vail of Moses The ignorant were taught this by the learned every Sabbath day having the Scriptures read and expounded unto them From these ground works of Moses and the Prophets Commentaries thereupon concerning the Messias came the schools of the Jews to be so well versed in that point that their Scholars do mention his very name Jesus the time of his birth in Tisri the space of his preaching three years and an half the year of his death the year of Jubile and divers such particulars to be found in their Authors though they knew him not when he came amongst them SECTION XXVIII The Covenant made with Israel They not sworn by it to the ten Commandments Exod. 24. WHEN Israel cannot indure to hear the ten Commandments given it was ready to conclude that they could much less keep them Therefore God giveth Moses privately fifty seven precepts besides namely Ceremonial and Judicial to all which the people are the next morning after the giving of the ten Commandments sworn and entred into Covenant and these made them a Ceremonial and singular people About which these things are observable 1. That they entred into Covenant to a written Law Chap. 24. 4. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord c. Against traditions 2. That here was a book written forty days before the writing of the two Tables Against them that hold that the first letters that were seen in the world were the writing of God in those Tables And we have seen before also two pieces of writing before this of Moses viz. the eighty eighth and eighty ninth Psalms And of equal Antiquity with them or not much less was the penning of the book of Job most probably written by Eliâu one of the Speakers in it as may be conjectured from Chap. 32. 15 16 17. and some other probability 3. That this first Covenant was made with water and blood and figurative language For the twelve pillars that represented the people are called the people Exod. 24. 4. 8. As the words in the second Covenant this my Body are to be understood in such another sense 4. That the ten Commandments were not written in the book of that Covenant but only those 57. precepts mentioned before For 1. The Lord giveth the other precepts because the people could not receive the ten for could they have received and observed those as they ought they must never have had any parcel of a Law more as if Adam had kept the Moral Law he had never needed to have heard of the promise and so if we could but receive the same Law as we should we had never needed the Gospel Now it is most unlike that since God gave them those other commands because they could not receive the ten that he would mingle the ten and them together in the Covenant 2. It is not imaginable that God would ever cause a people to swear to the performance of a Law which they could not indure so much as to hear 3. The ten Commandments needed not to be read by Moses to the people seeing they had all heard them from the mouth of the Lord but the day before 4. Had they been written and laid up in this book what necessity had there been of their writing and laying up in the Tables of stone 5. Had Moses read the ten Commandments in the beginning of his book why should he repeat some of them again at the latter end as Exod. 23. 12. Let such ruminate upon this which hold and maintain that the Sabbath as it standeth in the fourth Commandment is only the Jewish Sabbath and consequently Ceremonial And let those good men that have stood for the day of the Lord against the other consider whether they have not lost ground in granting that the fourth Commandment instituted the Jewish Sabbath For First The Jews were not sworn to the Decalogue at all and so not the Sabbath as it standeth there but only to the fifty seven precepts written in Moses his book and to the Sabbath as it was there Exod. 23. 12. Secondly The end of the Ceremonial Sabbath of the Jews was in remembrance of their delivery out of Aegypt Deut. 5. 15. but the moral Sabbath of the two Tables is in commemoration of Gods resting from the works of Creation Exod. 20. 10 11. SECTION XXIX The punishment of Israel for the golden Galf. Exod. 32. ISRAEL cannot be so long without Moses as Moses can be without meat The fire still burneth on the top of mount Sinai out of which they had so lately received the Law and yet so suddainly do they break the greatest Commandment of that Law to extreamity of Aegyptian Jewels they make an Aegyptian Idol because thinking Moses had been lost they intended to return for Aegypt Griveous was the sin for which they must look for grievous punishment which lighted upon them in divers kinds First the Cloud of Glory their Divine conductor departeth from the Camp which was now become prophane and unclean Secondly the Tables Moses breaketh before their face as shewing them most unworthy of the Covenant Thirdly the Building of the Tabernacle the evidence that God would dwell among them is adjourned and put off for now they had made themselves unworthy Fourthly for this sin God gave them to worship all the host of Heaven Acts 7. 42. Fiftly Moses bruised the Calf to Powder and straweth it upon the waters and maketh the People drink Here spiritual fornication cometh under the same tryal that carnal did Numb 5. 24. These that were guilty of this Idolatry the water thus drunk made their belly to swell and to give a visible sign and token of their guilt then setteth Moses the Levites to slay every one whose bellies they found thus swelled which thing they did with that zeal and sincerity that they spared neither Father nor Brother of their own if they found him guilty In this slaughter there fell about three thousand these were ring-leaders and chief agents in this abomination and therefore made thus exemplary
Exod. 36. 26 27 28. thus There were numbred of Israel from twenty years old and upward six hundred thousand and three thousand five hundred and fifty men Reckon thus The Talent of the Sanctuary contained one hundred and twenty pound the pound twenty five shekels or fifty half shekels so that every Talent contained three thousand shekels or six thousand halves so that six hundred thousand half shekels given by six hundred thousand men do amount to an hundred talents Now there were three thousand five hundred and fifty men besides which gave so many half shekels or one thousand seven hundred seventy five whole one with which were made the hooks of pillars c. Exod. 38. 28. These hundred Talents of silver were thus wrought Each one was cast into a solid piece of thirteen inches and an half long and nine inches square in the side that laid upward was a morteise hole near unto the end now two and two were laid close together end to end and the morteises were not in the ends that joyned but in the utmost ends Now every plank whereof the sides were made was in height five yards but in breadth three quarters just as broad as two of these pieces of silver were long at the foot of the plank at either corner was a tenon made the plank being cut down or abating so much between the tenons as the tenons themselves were in length so that when the tenons were shrunk in the morteises the middle of the plank setled upon the pieces or Bases SECTION XXXIV The walls and juncture of the Tabernacle THese silver Bases then were thus laid forty at the South side forty at the North side and sixteen at the West end laid as close together as was possible so that though there were so many pieces yet was it but one intire foundation Here are fourscore and fifteen of the hundred Talents disposed of in the two sides and the West end what became of the four talents remaining and of the East end we shall see hereafter These Bases thus laid the planks were set in them one plank taking up two Bases twenty planks making the South side and twenty the North and eight the West end these were five yards long apiece and so when they were set up they made the Tabernacle five yards and a little more high upon the walls Now for the making of these planks sure and to stand stedfast the two corner planks were great helps of which first you remember the length of the sides namely fifteen yards or twenty planks of three quarters breadth apiece The West end had six planks intire besides a plank at either corner joynting end and sides together These corner planks were of the same breadth that all the other were and thus set The middle of the breadth of the one plank was laid close to the end of the South side or to that plank that was furthest West so that a quarter of a yard of the breadth of the corner plank was inward to make up the Tabernacle breadth a quarter was taken up with the thickness of the side plank to which it joyned and a quarter lay outward Thus at the South-west just so was it at the North-west corner Then count the two corner planks were inward a quarter of a yard apiece and the six planks that stood between them of three quarters apiece behold five yards just the breadth of the house between wall and wall These corners knit end and side together and were the strength of the building as Christ is of his Church making Jews and Gentiles one spiritual Temple Besides these corners strengthening the Fabrick there were seven bonds to make all sure First planks to planks were close joynted at the foot so that the Text calls them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or twins Secondly each plank was linked to the next at the top with a golden link Thirdly on the side staples of Gold were fastned in every plank so that four bars of Shittim wood overlaid with Gold were carryed in the staples from one end of the Tabernacle to another Besides these there was also another bar of the same wood that ran from end to end through the body or thickness of the planks a hole being bored through each plank for the purpose By these bars Christ is fitly resembled who is conveyed throughout the whole Scripture in the rings of divers passages and stories In the fourth Chapter of the Ephesians there are seven bonds that bind the Church to unity First one Body secondly one Spirit thirdly one Hope of our calling fourthly one Lord fifthly one Faith sixthly one Baptism seventhly one God and Father of all Now view in imagination the body of the Tabernacle as it stands only planked without any more addition to it with planks of Shittim wood The length fifteen yards from end to end the breadth five yards from side to side The sides and West end planked up five yards high and somewhat more the foundation of those planks massy pieces of silver The top of the house and the East end left open till they be covered hereafter First then of the covering of the top and sides and West end SECTION XXXV Of the curtains of the Tabernacle THE Tabernacle was bounded with Curtains as lightest for carriage which Curtains covered top and sides These Curtains were Tapestry work The ground was of fine yarn dyed blew Purple and Scarlet woven together the embroydery was of Pictures of Cherubims These Curtains were in number ten each one being twenty eight cubits or fourteen yards long and four cubits or two yards broad They sewed together five Curtains in one piece and five in another so that they made two large pieces of Tapestry of fourteen yards long and ten yards broad These two pieces are called couplings Exod. 26. 5. And these two were thus joyned together In the edge of either were made fifty loops of blew tape one answerable or correspondent to another or one over against another and with fifty hooks or clasps of gold he linked the loops together and so the two main pieces were made one covering or Tabernacle Exod. 36. 13. Quest. Why are not all the ten Curtains sewed together on one piece but five and five sewed together to make two pieces and then those two thus looped together with a button or clasp of gold Answ. First the Tabernacle consisted of two parts the holy place and the most holy which two were divided one from another by a vail of which hereafter Now according to this division of the house was also the division of the Curtains For Exod. 26. 32. it is plain that the vail that parted the holy from the most holy was hung just under these golden clasps that knit the five and five Curtains together So that five Curtains lay over the holy place and the other five over the most holy but with this difference The holy place was ten yards long and the five Curtains
Sanctuary and it was made of brass and the sound of it was sweet It became crackt and the wisemen sent and fetcht workmen from Alexandria who mended it but then the sound was not so sweet as before They took off the mending and the sound was as sweet as it used to be * * * Maym. in Kele Mlkd. per. 3. There might not be above one Cymbal in the Quire at once and this seemeth to have born the Base as being deepest and loudest to this the Apostle alludes in his expression 1 Cor. 13. 1. We shall not be further curious nor inquisitive about this matter concerning the form or nature of the musick-instruments since our inquiry is after the song it self I shall only add this w w w Erach per. 2 in Mishu. that of the Nebhels or Harps there might not be less than two in the Quire nor above six x x x Tosaph in Erach per. 2. and of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Kinnor or Viols not under nine but as many above as possible and so the least Quire that could be was nine Viols two Harps and one Cymbal And now let us hear the Musick it self 1. The Trumpets sounded their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Taratantara for so for company will we call it y y y Succ. per. 5. in Mish Maym. in every morning at the opening at the Court Gates particularly at the opening of the East gate or the gate of Nicanor z z z Gloss. ibid. Now though this practice had not any express and literal Command yet was it grounded upon this necessity and reason because that the Levites and Stationary men might have notice to come to attend their Desks and Service and that the People of Jerusalem might hear and take notice and those that would come to the Temple so that this sounding was as it were the Bells to ring them into the Service And after this the Trumpets sounded not till the very time of the morning Sacrifice 2. The Song and Musick began not to sound till the pouring out of the Drink-offering This is a Traditionary Maxime exceeding common and received among the Rabbins and they descant upon it thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 1 1 Erachin in Gemara ubi sup sol 11. They utter not the song but over the Wine of the Drink-offering 2 2 2 Gloss. ibid. for a man singeth not but for gladness of heart 3 3 3 Gloss. in Pesachen cap. 5. sol 64. Therefore they utter not the song at the very time of the Offering but over the Wine which cheareth God and Man as Jud. 9. 13. And so the Treatise Tamid describing the manner of the daily service relateth that when the High-priest was minded to offer the Sacrifice 4 4 4 Tam. per. 7. He went up the rise or bridge of the Altar and the Sagan on his right hand when he came to the midst of the rise the Sagan took him by the right hand and lift him up then the first man that was to bring up the pieces of the sacrifice reached him up the head and the feet and the second reached him the two shoulders and so the rest reached him the rest of the parts and he disposed of them c. And when he was to go about the Altar to sprinkle the blood upon the horns of it he began at the South-east corner and from thence to the North-east and so to the North-west and concluded at the South-west They give him the wine of the drink-offering to pour it out the Sagn stood by the horn of the Altar and a napkin in his hand and two Priests stood by the Table of the fat and two silver Trumpets in their hand to sound They came and stood by Ben Arza the one on his right hand and the other on his left He the High-priest stooped down to pour out the drink-offering and the Sagan waved with his napkin and Ben Arza struck up his Cymbal and the Levites began the song And so may we understand that passage 2 Chron. 29. 27. And when the burnt-offering began the song of the Lord began with the Trumpets and with the Instruments namely when the drink-offering was poured out for till then the Offering was not perfect because every burnt offering was bound to have a meat offering and a drink offering or else it was not right Num. 15. 5. And this may be the proper cause whatsoever the Jews descant why the Musick began not till the drink-offering namely they stayed till the offering was compleat and then began 3. The constant and ordinary Psalms that they sang were these 5 5 5 Tamid ubi sup Rosk hash sol â1 Maym. in Tamid per. 6. On the first day of the week the four and twentieth Psalm The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof c. On the second day of the week the forty eight Psalm Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of God c. On the third day the eighty second Psal. God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty and judgeth among the Gods c. On the fourth day the ninety fourth Psal. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth c. On the fifth day the eighty first Psal. Sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob c. On the sixth day of the week the ninety third Psal. The Lord reigneth he is cloathed with Majesty c. On the sabbath day they sang the ninety second Psal. which bears the Title of A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day These were the known and constant and fixed Psalms that the singers sang and the musick plaid to on the several days of the week And the reason of the choice of these several Psalms for the several days 6 6 6 Rosh hash ubi sup Gloss. in Tamid c. 7. the Gemara on the Treatise Rosh hashanah and the Gloss upon the Treatise Tamid do give to this purpose On the first day of the week they sang the Psalm The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof c. Because on the first day of the week of the Creation God possessed the world and gave it in possession and ruled in it On the second day of the Week they sang the Psalm Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised c. For on that day the Lord divided his works the waters and reigned over them On the third day they sang the Psalm God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty c. Because on that day the earth appeared on which is Judging and Judges and by his Wisdom he discovered the Earth and established the World by his Understanding On the fourth day they sang the Psalm O Lord God to whom Vengeance belongeth c. Because on the fourth day he made the Sun Moon and Stars and will be avenged on them that worship them On the fifth
so purposely And for the rendring of the former word so there is this double warrant 1. Because the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which the Syriack hath used to render the Greek word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by in the place cited is sometimes used by the Talmud in conjuction with the same words that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is used with here as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a a a Shabbath per. 2. fol. 31. with his staff and his scrip ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã b b b Iâhamoth fol. 122. bis staff his shoes and his scrip and 2. from the signification that Rabbi Nathan giveth of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in these words c c c Aruch in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã It was a kind of vesture which was a little upper garment in which were many places sewed in which they put any thing they met with that they had occasion to use So that this was a kind of an apron with divers purses or pockets made in it in which they put their necessaries as we do in our pockets which apron they could readily put on or off wear or lay aside as they saw occasion And as in such an apron they had their pockets so in the scarf or girdle wherewithal they girded their under coats they had their purses Matth. 10. 9. Their girdles ordinarily were of linnen which the word before us ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã meaneth and it was extraordinary in Elias and John the Baptist to go in leathern girdles and in these their girdles they had a way to keep the money that they carried about with them when they travelled or went upon their occasions but into the Mountain of the house they might bring no money in it And thus might they not come thither with any thing of worldly notion or incumbrance about them but must lay aside for their time of being there as a lecture of devotion retired from worldly thoughts or employments their money their worldly implements and utensils and whatsoever in their common imployments and occasions they used and used to carry with them Sure then it will be thought that the poor Creeple that lay at the Beautiful gate begging Act. 3. had but a very poor and comfortless trade of it to beg there where no money was or might be stirring and when Peter and John say to him silver and gold have I none it may seem that that was the tune of all that came by him But money was brought into the Temple in abundance though they brought it not in their purses for they gave money to the Priests who helpt them to offerings for their money and they gave money to the Treasury for the poor but they brought their money in their hands And it may be that phrase so ordinary in the Hebrew did allude to this custom He shall bring an offering as his hand shall find VI. Being come into the Mountain of the House he must be careful of these four things 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã h h h Maym. ubi ante He may in no wise spit there but if he be necessitated to spit he must do it in some corner of his garment Yet did they not stick to spit in the face of him that was greater than the Temple Mat. 26. 67. i i i Sâek per. 8 There was a street in Jerusalem which was called the Upper Street and in this Street spittle was unclean and so it was in no street of Jerusalem besides 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He may not use any irreverent gesture especially not before the Gate of Nicanor for that was just before the face of the Temple and this irreverence forbidden was that they might not laugh scoff nor talk idely much less do any thing of a higher irreverence 3. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He may not make the Mountain of the House a thorough-fare k k k Maym. in Tephillah per. 1. no more might they do one of their Synagogues As if he had occasion to go frome one side of the City to another about his occasions he might not go through the Mountain of the Temple though that were the nearer way but he must go about for thither he might not come ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but only upon occasion of Religion 4. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He that went into the Court must go leasurely and gravely into the place where he was to stand and there he must demean himself as in the presence of the Lord God in all reverence and fear VII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã l l l Id. ib. per. 5. Being now come in to pray and to attend the service in the Court 1. He must stand and neither sit nor lean nor lie for besides that caution which we shall observe by and by that none might sit in the Court it was not only their custom but they held it their duty to pray standing wheresoever they prayed Our Saviour saith they loved to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets Mat. 6. Their own traditions do bear witness to these words both as to the posture and to the place There are eight things saith Maymony in the place cited above in the Margin that he that prayeth must take notice of to do them namely to stand to set his face toward the Temple to compose his body to compose his cloaths to fit his place to order his voice to bow and to worship He is not to pray but standing unless sick or weak and if he be in a ship or a cart if he can let him stand And in the eleventh Chapter of the same Book he speaks of praying in the streets at their Fasts and some other days when the Synagogues would not hold them 2. As for the composure of their bodies in prayer the rule that their tradition gives is this He is to stand with his feet one even by another and must cast his eyes downward and his heart upward and he must lay his hands upon his breast the right hand upon the left and he must stand as a Servant before his Master with all reverence and fear Their looking down in prayer they took from those places in Scripture that speak of being ashamed to look up towards Heaven and of being unable to look up because of sin and to this posture of looking down and laying his hands upon his heart that demeanour of the Publican in the Parable seemeth parallel He would not so much as lift up his eyes towards Heaven but smote upon his breast Luke 18. 13. And even the Priests when they pronounced the blessing upon the People neither looked up towards Heaven nor level upon the People but down upon the ground and the People might not look upon them VIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Were they never so weary with standing or had they stood never so long yet might they not sit down in the Court either People or Priests
and Delivery of Niniveh I cannot but admire a double mercy of God who to use a Fathers words Sic dedit poenitentibus veniam qui sic dedit peccantibus poenitentiam Who was so ready upon their Repentance to grant them Pardon who was so ready upon his Threatning to give them Repentance Other kind of entertainment than Jonah had had he that came from Gregory Bishop of Rome to Preach to our Realm of England The passage of which story our Countryman Bede hath fully related That when Austen had Preached the Gospel to the King and Dehorted him from his Irreligious Religion your words saith the King are good but I have been trained up so in the Religion â now follow that I cannot forsake it to change for a new This Argument too many ââperstitious Souls ground upon in these days choosing rather to Err with Plato than to follow the Truth with another Desiring rather to be and being as they desire of a false Religion than to forsake the Profession of their Parents and Predecessors Not refusing like good fellows to go to Hell for company rather than to Heaven alone Such a boon companion was Rochardus King of the Phrisons of whom it is Recorded that whereas a Bishop had perswaded him so far towards Christianity as that he had got him into the water to Baptize him the King there questions which way his forefathers went which died Unbaptized whether to Heaven or Hell The Bishop answers That most certainly they were gone to Hell Then will I go the same way with them saith the wicked King and pulls back his Foot out of the water and would not be Baptized at all Hoc animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit CHAP. XXVI Of the Iews Sacraments Circumcision and Passover BOTH these Sacraments of the Jews were with Blood both in Figure the one to carry the Memory of Christ till he came and the other the Passion of him being come Abraham received the sign of Circumcision the seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had when he was Uncircumcised Rom. 4. The Israelites received the Institution of the Passover in Egypt Exod. 12. I will not stand to Allegorize these matters of the time and manner of receiving these two but only of the things themselves Circumcision given in such a place is not for nothing but in the place of Generation it is given Abraham as a Seal of his Faith that he should be the Father of all those that believe Rom. 4. And especially a Seal to him of Christs coming from those Loins near to which his Circumcision was And appertaining to this I take to be the Oath that Abraham gives his Servant and that Jacob gives Joseph with their Hands put under their Thighs * * * As the Iews think not to swear by their Circumcision but by Christ that should come from those Thighs Circumcision was also used for distinction of an Israelite at the first and hence were they distinguished but in time Ismael had taught his race so much and Egyptians Phaenicians Arabians and the Countries about them grew Circumcised So was Pythagoras Circumcised that he might have access to the recluse Misteries of the Egyptians Religion Circumcision was also used with the Jews as Baptism with us for admission into the Church of Israel And it was Gods express command that the Child on the eighth day should be Circumcised And on that day more than any other saith Saint Austen to signifie Christs resurrection who rested the weeks end in the grave and rose on the eighth day And if Aristotle say true one may give a reason why not before the eighth day because a Child for the seven days is most dangerous for weakness A stranger was so admitted to their Congregation Exod. 2. 48. And of this does Rabbi Eliezer fantastically expound that verse in Jonah 1. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifice whereupon the wandring Jew saith thus As soon as the Mariners saw when they drew near to Niniveh all the wonders that the blessed God did to Jonah they stood and cast every one his gods into the Sea They returned to Joppa and went up to Jerusalem and Circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin as it is said And the men feared the Lord exceedingly and sacrificed Sacrifices what Sacrifice But this Blood of the Circumcision which is as the Blood of a Sacrifice And they vowed to bring every one his Wife and Children and all that he had to fear the Lord God of Jonah and they vowed and performed This was indeed the way to admit Proselytes by Circumcision but in Salomons time when they became Proselytes by thousands they admitted them by Baptism or Washing as some Jews do witness Whether the neglect of Circumcision as I may so term it in the Wilderness were meerly Politick because of their more fitness for any moments removal and march or whether some Mystery were in it I will not decide Nor need I relate how the Jews use to Circumcise their Children for the great Buxtorfius hath punctually done it Nor can I relate how highly the Jews prise their Circumcision for one might gather volums out of them upon this subject For they consider not that he is not a Jew which is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one within and the Circumcision is of the Heart in the Spirit not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God CHAP. XXVII Of the Passover THE Passover was a full representation of Christs passion though to the Jews the Passover was more than a meer shadow To run through the parts of it might be more than copious A word and away At the Passover the beginning of the Year is changed So. At Christs Passover the beginning of the Week is changed The Passover was either of a Lamb to signifie Christs innocency or of a Kid to signifie his likeness to sinful Flesh as Lyranus The Lamb or Kid was taken up and kept four days to see whether he were spotless and it may be to scoure and cleanse himself from his Grass The Passover slain at Even So CHRIST slain at Even His Blood to be sprinkled with a bunch of Hysop So CHRISTS Blood sprinkled And of this I think David may be understood Psal. 51. Cleanse me with Hysop That is besprinkle me with the Blood of the true Paschal Lamb Jesus Christ. He was to be roasted with Fire So So Christ tried with Fire of Affliction These parts were to be roasted His Head His Legs His Inward parts So was CHRIST Tortured His Head with Thorns His Hands and Feet with Nails His Inwards with a Spear Their Eating of him as it concerned the Israelites in their estate so may it instruct Christians for the eating of the true Passover the Lords Supper The Passover Eaten Without Leaven With bitter Herbs With Loins girt With Feet shod With Staff
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Almsdeeds or little or to no sense As the Papists have in this place of the New Testament turned ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Almsdeeds by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 Sâ Chrysostom hath such â 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
double benefit the one to keep up the Cawsey on either side that it should not fall down and the other was to make the King a pleasant walk and shade with Trees on either side as he came and went And so they render that Verse in Esai 6. 13. where the word is only used besides in all the Bible In it shall be a tenth and it shall return and be eaten as a Teyle-Tree or aâ an Oak by Shallecheth that is as the rows of Trees on the sides of this Cawsey SECT II. Parbar Gate 1 Chron. XXVI 18. FROM the Gate Shallecheth or Coponius that lay most North on this Western quarter let us walk toward the South and the next Gate we come to was called Parbar of this there is mention in the Book of Chronicles in the place alledged where the Holy Ghost relating the disposal of the Porters at the several Gates of the Mountain of the House saith At Parbar Westward two at the Cawsey and two at Parbar By which it is apparent sufficiently that this Gate was in the West quarter and reasonably well apparent that it was the next Gate to the Cawsey or Shallecheth because it is so named with it but by that time we have fully surveyed the situation of it it will appear to have been so plain enough The word Parbar admitteth of a double construction for it either signifies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã An outer place a a a Gloss. in Tamid per. 1. Kimch in 1 Chron. XXVI Aruch in voce c. as many of the Jews do construe it or it concurrs with the signification of the word Parvar which differs but one letter from it and that very near and of an easie change which betokeneth Suburbs both in the Hebrew Text 2 Kings XXIII 11. and in the Chaldee Tongue as b b b Kimch in 2 King XXIII David Kimchi averreth there And here Josephus his words which we produced a little before may be taken up again and out of all together we may observe the situation of the Gate in mention He saith That of the four Gates upon this Western quarter one led towards the Kings Palace that is Shallecheth that we have viewed already and the two next ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã into the Suburbs These Suburbs that he meaneth were indeed that part of the City which in Scripture is called Millo which was the valley at the West end of Mount Moriah in which Jerusalem and Sion met and saluted each other replenished with buildings by David and Solomon in their times 2 Sam. V. 9. and 1 Kings 11. 27. and taken in as part and Suburbs of Sion and so owned always in after times And to this purpose is the expression of Josephus in his words that we have in hand observable when he saith that two of these Western Gates were into the Suburbs ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the other into the other City that is into Jerusalem which he maketh as another City from the Suburbs of which he spake Take the word Parbar therefore in either of the significations that have been mentioned either for an outer place or for the Suburbs this Gate that we have in survey might very properly be called by that name because it was a passage from the Temple into Millo which was an outer place and the Suburbs of Sion distinguished and parted from Sion by a Wall yet a member of it and belonging to it Now whereas the other Gate that stood next to this that we are about toward the South did lead also into the Suburbs as well as this as is apparent from Josephus yet is it not called by the same name Parbar the reason of this may be given because it bare a name peculiar and proper suitable to that singular use to which it was designed or to that place where it was set rather than suitable to that place whither it gave passage And here because we are in mention of the Suburbs it may not be amiss to look a little upon that Text that speaketh of the Suburbs and out of which we have taken that signification of the word Parbar namely 2 Kings XXIII 11. It is said there that Josiah took away the Horses that the Kings of Judah had given to the Sun at the entring in of the House of the Lord by the Chamber of Nathan Melech the Chamberlain which was in the Suburbs Whether these Horses were given to the Sun to be sacrificed to it or to ride on to meet and salute the Sun-rising as the Jews suppose we shall not trouble our selves to enquire into it is the place that we have to look after at this time rather than the thing These Stables of such Horses and it is like the Kings common Stables were in the same place are said to be in the Suburbs and at the entring in of the House of the Lord and we cannot better allot the place than that whereupon we are namely that they stood here in Millo before this Gate Parbar or thereabout and from thence there was a way to bring the Horses up to the Kings House when the King would use either those Horses that they had dedicated to the Sun for their irreligious use or their other Horses for their common use As they went out of Millo to rise up into Sion they passed through a Gate which was in the Wall that parted between Millo and Sion which Wall and Gate was but a little below the Cawsey that went up to the Gate Shallecheth and this helpeth to understand that passage about Athaliah's death 2 Kings XI 11. They laid hands on her and she went by the way by which the Horses came into the Kings House and there she was sâain That is they got her out of the Mountain of the Temple brought her down by the Gate Shallecheth and the Cawsey and when she came near the Horse Gate through which the horses went up out of the Stables in Millo to the Kings house there they slew her There was a Horse gate indeed in the main wall of the City on the East part of it Neh. III. 28. Jer. XXXI 39. but that was distinct from this which was peculiar for the Kings Horses and therefore a distinctive Character is set upon this namely that it was the Horse gate towards the Kings House 2 Chron. XXIII 15. It should be rendred towards the Kings House rather than by the Kings House for neither of these gates either that on the East which was a gate of the City nor this on the West which was a gate into Millo were near the Kings House but a good distance off See the Seventy there SECT III. The two Gates and House of Asuppim IN the story of the designing of the Porters to their several places and charges in Chron. XXVI 15 17. it is said thus To Obed Edom South ward and to his Sons the House of Asuppim Eastward were six Levites Northward four a day Southward four
either side bare no burden but their own weight On the top of either row was set a golden dish with a handful of Frankincense which when the Bread was taken away was burnt as Incense to the Lord Lev. XXIV 7. and the bread went to Aaron and his sons or to the Priests as their portions to be eaten What these Loaves did represent and signifie is variously guessed the number of twelve in two rows seem to refer to the Twelve Tribes whose names were so divided into six and six in the two Stones on the High Priests shoulders And as Bread is the chief subsistence and staff of our mortal life so the offering of these might denote an acknowledgment of the people of their receiving of all their subsistence from the Lord to whom they presented these as their Tribute and these aswell as the Lamps standing before the Lord might shew that their Spiritual and Temporal support were both before him But our pursuit is to look after the things themselves leaving the allegorizing of them unto others for in such things men are most commonly more ready to give satisfaction to themselves than to take it from others for as much as the things themselves may be bended and swayed to various application SECT VI. The Altar of Incense THE Candlestick stood on the one side of the House and the Table on the other and this Altar in the middle not just betwixt them but somewhat higher in the House toward the most Holy place than they were These three Ornaments and furnitures of the Holy place ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a were set in a a a Maym. in Beth habhec per. 3. third part of the House that is whereas the House meaning the Holy place was forty cubits long when you had gone up six and twenty cubits and two third parts of a cubit into the room there stood the Table and Candlestick and somewhat further higher towards the Veil stood this Altar b b b Exod. XXX 1 2. Maym. ubi sup It was a cubit square and two cubits high had four Horns at the four corners of it and a Crown about the brim or edge of it which the Jews say denoted the Crown of the Priest-hood It stood not so nigh the Veil of the most Holy place but that one might go about it and so how the Priest did on the day of Expiation and besprinkled the Horns of it with Blood we observe elsewhere On this Altar commonly called the golden Altar Incense was offered Morning and Evening every day a Figure if you apply the action to Christ of his Mediation and if to man a resemblance of the duty of Prayer The twelve cakes which resembled the sustenance and sustentation of the Twelve Tribes which was ever before the Lord were renewed only once every week but the Lamps drest and the Incense offered twice every day for we have more need of the light of Gods Word and of Prayer than of our dayly food And if we will apply all the three to Christ The Kingly Office of Christ provided Bread for his People his Prophetick Office provided the light of his Word and his Priestly Office the Incense of Mediation CHAP. XV. The most Holy place SECT I. The Partition space ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THE Holy and the most Holy place were divided asunder by a threefold partition namely by a cubit space and by two Veils on either side of that space The partition space which a a a Mid. per. 4. was a cubit broad and no more by the Jews is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which b b b Aruch âin voce Rabbi Nathan confesseth to be a Greek word and he saith it signifieth within or without as meaning ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that it was doubtful to them whether it were within or without and thus it is interpreted c c c Talm. Ierus per. 5. in the Jerusalem Talmud d d d Beth habbec per. 4. Maymony helps us to their meaning thus In the Temple there was a Wall which parted between the Holy and most Holy place a cubit thick But when they builded the second Temple they doubted whether the thickness of that Wall belonged to the measure of the Holy place or to the measure of the most Holy place Therefore they made the most Holy place twenty cubits long compleat and they made the Holy place forty cubits long compleat And they left a space betwixt the Holy and most Holy place of a cubit breadth and in the second Temple they built not a Wall there but they made two veils one at the end of the most Holy place Eastward and the other at the end of the Holy place Westward and between them there was a cubits breadth according to the thickness of the Wall that had been in the first Temple But in the first Temple there was but one Veil The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã therefore is well conceived by the Learned e e e Const. Lemper in Mid. p. 164. Lempereur to be the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifieth a disease in the Eye distempering the sight and hindering it and so were the Eyes of the understanding of the builders of the second Temple at a stand about this place whether it should belong to the Holy or most Holy place and thereupon they called the place it self ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Wall that Solomon built for the parting of the Holy and most Holy place being a cubit thick in stead of which this space was left had these things regardable and considerable in it and not easie to be understood First For the entring of the Oracle he made doors of Olive-Tree ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 King VI. 31. These later words are very difficult of construction and if we go to Glossaries for the explication of them they will give us variety of senses but little facility of understanding The Chaldee renders it only Their posts with its lintel were orderly set taking the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the sense of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ranked in order and giving but very little light unto the obscure place David Kimchi and Rabbi Solomon seem to understand it that the posts of the doors were not four square but five square if we may use such a word or wrought into five ribs as their own words are But Levi Gershom hath a far fetch for it for he thinks ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã meaneth the fifth Gate that was in the Temple as you went forward the Temple door the fourth the Porch door the third the door of the inner Court the second and of the outer Court the first To me the words seem to bear this construction The post which was the door cheeks was at the fifth cubit meaning from either Wall of the House come inward five cubits and there was the door cheek and so the House being twenty cubits broad the door hereby is
into the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chel was 14 steps or 7 cubits m m m Mid. per. 2. or as the Talmud more truly reckons but 12 steps or 6 cubits for every step was half a cubit rise and the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chel being ten cubits broad it was level to the Wall of the Womens Court. The Wall that incompassed the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chel was not high as were the other Walls about the Temple but it was only as it were barrs before the higher Wall of the Court but of three cubits high the fashion or work of it being very curious wrought into paves or latices or such open work that one might look through it as well as over it The passages into the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chel through this Wall were many namely one before every Gate that went into either of the Courts and there on either side the passage was a Pillar set up with the inscription mentioned advising strangers to beware of the coming upon the holy ground Now in the Syrogecian Kings times when the Jews and Jerusalem lay in subjection to those Kings ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã this Wall that was the barr against strangers n Id. Ibid. going any further was broken by those Kings in thirteen places they scornfully and disdainfully and impiously breaking upon the holy ground ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But the Jews made up the breaches again and ordained thirteen adorations and oraisons to be made against the Heathen Kingdoms upon any ones coming to any of the places where breach had been CHAP. XVIII The Court of the Women THE Courts of the Temple to the surveying of which we are now come were properly two The Court of Israel and The Court of the Women For though there was indeed a distinction between the Court of Israel and the Court of the Priests as that the one was not the other and they that came into the one might not come into the other yet was the one so within the other and the partition between the one and the other so small and but one boundary that inclosed them both that they were indeed not so very properly two Courts as two several places for the Priests and for the Israelites to stand in in one Court But the Court of Israel and the Court of the Women were so truly and apparently two different Courts that they lay one before another and they were parted and divided one from another with a very high Wall The Court of the Women is not mentioned in Scripture by that express name and title in any place but yet it is spoken of there under two or three other Epithets or denominations 1. It is called the New Court 2 Chron. XX. 5. where it is said that Jehoshaphat stood in the Congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new Court that is he and all the Congregation stood in the Mountain of the House Eastward before the Court of the Women Now David Kimchi upon the place though he speak not out so much yet he concludeth indeed that that new Court meaneth the Court of the Women and he giveth two reasons why it is called New a a a Kimchi in 2 Chron. XX. either because it had gone to decay and they had newly repaired it or because they had made some new Laws concerning it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and had appointed that none that were defiled so as they needed to wash themselves the same day should come within the Camp of Levi which is a peculiar prohibition in the b b b Kelim per. 1. c c. Lemper in Midd. fol. 62. the Talmud as concerning this Court of the Women c But rather it was called new because it was not made when the other Court was by Solomon but added in aftertime There is mention indeed of the Inner Court built by Solomon 1 King 36. 6. which inferreth an outer but that outer meaneth the whole mountain of the House which lay without the Court of Israel as is well observed by some of the Hebrew Doctors and that is it which is also called the great Court in contradistinction to the Court of the Priests 2 Chron. IV. 9. And in that there is mention only of Solomons building the inner Court it is an argument that he built but that Court and that this that we are speaking of was not extant in his time but taken in and built afterward either by Asa or by Jehosaphat before that time and occasion that the text mentioned in the book of Chronicles speaketh of and so there came to be two Courts in the House of the Lord 2 King XXI 5. 2. It is called The outer Court Ezek. XLVI 21. d d d Mid. per. 2. Kimch in loc as that Text is generally and truly understood by the Jewish Writers which we shall have occasion to examine anon and the reason of the name doth easily appear namely because it lay on the outside of the Court of Israel and further off from the Temple 3. It is also called The Treasury John VIII 20. the reason of which name we shall observe before we have done with the survey of this Court But by the Jewish Writers it is generally and ordinarily called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Court of the Women and the reason of that name was because the Women might go no higher or further than into this Court. e e e Ioseph de Bell. l. 5. c. 14. Antiq. l. 15. c. 14. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This being the proper place for them to worship in and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã further than this towards the Temple was unaccessible to them only when a Woman brought a Sacrifice she might go into the Court of Israel as we have observed in another place This Court lay at the East end of the Court of Israel and was parted from it by a high Wall so that whosoever came to worship here could see nothing of the service in the other Court and indeed hear but little unless they went up the steps of the Gate and looked in for till you came to the middle of the entry of the Gate that went up into the upper Court it was but of the same holiness with the Court of the Women but beyond the middle it was holier The floor of this Court was even and level throughout f f f Mid. ubi ant and it was a perfect square of 135 cubits long and 135 cubits broad and it was curiously flag'd with marble as indeed was all the space both Courts Chel and the other space that was within the Wall that incompassed the holy ground And they have this Tradition about the pavement of the Court where the Altar stood g g g Maym in beth habbech per. 1. That all the Court was flag'd with fair stones and if any flag were loosed although it lay still in its place yet was it
a man use irreverence before this Gate of Nicanor or the East Gate And so in the first Chapter of Sotah In the Gate of Nicanor they make the suspected wife drink the bitter water and they purifie women after Childbirth and Lepers And in the end of the Chapter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or the seventh Chapter of the Treatise Pesachin It is said that the Gate of Nicanor was not holy as the Court because Lepers stood there and put in their thumbs and great toes into the Court And so in the third Chapter of Joma and the second Chapter of Tosaphta there it is said there were wonders wrought with the doors of Nicanor and they mention it renownedly And if so then had it been fit to have recorded him The story is thus This Nicanor was one of the Chasiddim and he went to Alexandria in Egypt and made there two brazen doors with much curiosity intending to set them up in the Court of the Temple and he brought them away by sea Now a great storm happening the mariners cast one of the doors over board to lighten the ship and intended also to throw over the other also Which when Nicanor perceived he bound himself to the door with cords and told them that if they threw that in they should throw him in too And so the Sea ceased from her rage And when he was landed at Ptolemais and bemoaned the loss of his other door and prayed to God about it the Sea cast up the door in that place where the holy man had landed But some say a great fish cast it up And this was the miracle that was done about his doors and they set them up on the East side of the Court before the Temple But in the books of Joseph ben Gorion he saith That the Gate of Nicanor was so called because a wonder was done there for there they slew Nicanor a Prince of the Grecians in the time of the Asmoneans and so it seemeth in the later end of the second Chapter of the Treatise Taanith Thus Jucasin I shall not insist upon it to dispute it out whether of these things alledged were the cause of the name of this Gate or whether something else Some other conjectures might be added as whether Nicanor that sent the doors from Alexandria were not he that was the Kings Chief Master of the Ceremonies there of whom Josephus maketh mention q q q Ios. Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 2. and relateth how he provided Chambers and Diet for the Septuagint Translaters or whether this Gate were not so called in honour of Seleucus Nicanor the first King of Syria who was a great favourer of the Jewish Nation r r r Ibid. cap. 3. as the same Josephus also relateth But I shall leave the searching after the Etymology and original of the name to those that have mind and leasure thereunto it sufficeth to know the Gate by its name which was so renowned and famous in all Jewish Writers only as to the story about Nicanor a Grecian Prince being slain here compare 1 Maccab. VII 33 34. c. Joseph Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 17. Before we part from this Gate we must remember to say something about the Gate Sur and the Gate of the Foundation of which there is mention 2 King XI 6. 2 Chron. XXIII 5. because that these are held by some as was shewed before to have been but names of this East-Gate of the Court that we are about The Texts where these names are mentioned do speak to this purpose in our English Translation 2 King XI 2 Chron. XXIII Vers. 5. A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the Kings house Vers. 4. A third part of you entring in on the Sabbath of the Priests and of the Levites shall be porters of the doors 6. And a third part shall be at the Gate Sur and a third part at the Gate behind the guard c. 5. And a third part shall be at the Kings house and a third part at the Gate of the foundation c. 7. And two parts of you that go forth on the Sabbath even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the King c. Â The two Courses of the Priests and Levites now present namely that course that came in on the Sabbath and the other that had served their week and were now going out Johoiada divides either of them into three parts into six in all They that came in on the Sabbath were to be 1. A third part of them for the Altar and service the Priests for the Sacrifices and the Levites for Singers and Porters as in the constant duty and attendance For it was now the Sabbath day and had it been any other day it is not to be imagined that Jehoiada would neglect the affairs of God though he went about the affairs of the King But he provides for both so that the Temple Service may have its due attendance as well as the Kings coronation And therefore vers 5. of 2 King XI is necessarily to be rendred thus A third part of you shall be those that come in on the Sabbath that is a third part of you shall be as those that come in on the Sabbath to attend the Service as at other times And is so 2 Chron. XXIII 4. to be translated A third part of you shall be those that come in on the Sabbath for Priests and Levites and Porters that is to attend the Altar Song and Gates as in the constant service 2. Another third part for Keepers of the Watch at the Kings House 3. And another third part at the Gate Sur which is also called the Gate of the Foundation Thus the Text in the two Books laid together do plainly distribute the course that was to come in on the Sabbath as he will see that will carefully compare them together in the original The course that was going out on the Sabbath was disposed 1. One third part of them to the Gate behind the Guard 2. Two third parts to keep the watch of the House of the Lord for the safety of the King Now the very disposal of these Guards will help us to judge concerning the Gates that we have in mention and will resolve us that they were not any Gates of the Temple at all but that they stood in some place else For the Gates of the Temple were guarded by the Porters of the course that came in as in the ordinary manner and there was an extraordinary Guard added besides throughout all the Mountain of the House and in the Court of that course that was going out 2 King XI 7 8. 11. Therefore the Gate Sur or the Gate of the Foundation which was guarded by a third part of those that come in on the Sabbath cannot be supposed for any Gate of the Temple since the Temple was guarded by two
have bound leaven And i i i Tanch fol. 74. Col. 3. The wise men have loosed all fat things c. It were not a very hard task to produce hundreds of examples out of Jewish Writers to this purpose wherein their use of this expression of binding and loosing doth most ordinarily refer to things and to things lawful or unlawful as they were so held out by the Law and by their Doctors And particularly the binding and loosing of Firstlings and the binding and loosing of vows were of singular note and notice among them k k k Iâchaââââ 50. And the loosing of First-lings saith Abraham Zaââuth was a matter of more difficulty than loosing of vows where by loosing of vows he meaneth not that any one had power to absolve and acquit from lawful vows once made but that there were some appointed to judge of vows and to determine concerning them whether they were lawful or not lawful and whether they bound or bound not No Firstling must be kild or offered till it had been first viewed by the Mumcheh l l l Talm. in Becoroth per. 4. And he that was not a Mumcheh appointed by the Sanhedrin and yet would take on him to view a Firstling and so it was killed upon his approval he was to make it good and he that received a reward or was hired to view a Firstling it was not current unless he were authorised by the Sanhedrin so to do as Ailah a wise man of Jabneh to whom the wise men permitted to take four ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Assarii for viewing a lean Firstling and six for viewing a fat c. A Firstling Lamb or Calf approved by the Mumcheh as fit for sacrifice and brought to the Temple for that purpose was slain on the South side of the Altar or at least on the South side of the Court The Talmudick tract Zevachin in the fifth Chapter doth purposely discuss what Sacrifices were to be slain on the North side of the Altar and what otherwhere And having nominated particularly what on the North side it saith m m m Id. in Zevachin per. 5. That a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving the Nazarites Ram the ordinary Peace-offerings the Firstlings Tithe and Passover were slain in any part of the Court where by any part of the Court it meaneth the South side in opposition to the North of which it had spoken before and it meaneth the South side in such a latitude as not only just over against the Altar but in a larger extent as we shall shew more fully when we come to survey the sides of the Court it self The Firstlings then being to be slain on this South side of the Court on which we are surveying the Gates and Buildings they were brought in at this Gate which we are upon and from thence it took the name of the Gate of the Firstlings The Water-gate indeed was nearer the Altar and a more direct way to it but to have killed the Beasts thereabout would have hindred the passage to the Altar from the Draw-well Water-gate and Wood-room unto which places there was very frequent recourse from the Altar and therefore the Firstlings and other Sacrifices that were to be slain on the South side of the Court were brought in at the Gate above as more out of the way and slain thereabout as in a place of less interruption Now whereas the Tradition mentioned doth allot the South side of the Court for the proper place of slaying those particular Sacrifices that it nameth yet doth it speak it in this latitude ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That their killing might be in any part of the Court because that though ordinarily and regularly they were to be slain on the South side of the Court yet if they were numerous and could not conveniently be slaughtered in that place they might be slain on the other side as the Passover were killed on both the sides because of their number whereas the Sacrifices that were to be slain on the North side must be slain there and there was no dispensation to remove them thence The presenting of the Firstlings at the Gate that we are about may put us in remembrance of presenting the first born All the males of Israel were to appear before the Lord thrice every year Exod. XXIII 17. now this command did not take in Children as their tradition did interpret it n n n Id. in Nagiga per. 1. till they were able to walk up out of Jerusalem to the Temple in their Fathers hand and the presenting of the first born to the Lord was not inforced by that command but by that Exod. XIII 12. XXII 29. where both the Targums of Jonathan and Onkelos do expound the setting apart of the first born to be before the Lord or at the Temple and so doth the Text of Scripture it self in Numb XVIII 15. Luke II. 23. The place where they were presented was in the Gate of Nicanor for that was both the most peculiar place of appearing before the Lord and there Women that had born Children did stand to have their atonement made for them And there it was where the Virgin Mary presented our Saviour Luke II. and there she payed five shekels for his redemption Numb XVIII And Hannah did the like at Shiloh 1 Sam. I. 34. only she had kept her Son longer than ordinary because when she did present him at the Sanctuary she meant to leave him there for ever and for that reason she redeemed him not neither but gave him to the Lord. CHAP. XXVII The Gate ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hadlak or of Kindling or of the burning sire IT is easie to justifie and assert the translation of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by kindling but is not so easie to give a reason why this Gate which stood most West on the South side did bear this name The common opinion of Glossaries upon it is plausible enough but only for one objection that may be made against it a a a Bartener C. Lemp in Mid. Gloss. in Shekalim per. 6. They hold that it was called the Gate of kindling or Burning because through it wood was brought to the Altar to keep the fire continually burning according to the Law Lev. VI. 12. But why this way Since they might have gone a nearer way to the Altar by far either through the Water-gate or the Gate of the Firstlings seeing the Wood-room was between them two as hath been shewed and it is probable enough that the Wood out of the Wood-room was not brought through any of the Court Gates at all to the Altar but out at a Door which went out of the room it self into the Court To find out therefore a reason of the name I cannot but look over to the other side of the Court from this Gate that we are about to that Gate there that was over against it and there I observe the Gate to be called Beth Mokadh or
the Gate of the burning fire as well as this is called the Gate of kindling And the reason of that name was because a fire was kept there continually for the senior Priests as shall be shewed anon and so it may be well conjectured a fire was kept here for the Levites And though I find not mention either in the Talmud or Josephus of any building that joyned to this Gate yet since there is mention in the Treatise Middoth of the Levites keeping a guard ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã b b b Mid. per. 1. In the Chamber of the vail I find not where to allot that place better than to this Gate we are about For when it speaketh of the Chamber of the vail it meaneth not either any Chamber joyning to the body of the Temple it self nor any Chamber in the Court for the Levites kept not their Guards within the Court but without but some Chamber without the Court which was over against the place of the vail which divided betwixt the Holy and most Holy place And as there was a long building that ran along from that opposite North Gate up toward the West to the very corner of the Wall of the Court that way so from this Gate Westward there ran a long building to the corner of the Court on this side in which large piece of building having partitions within there were two Guards of Levites almost joyning together So there were three of those Guards very near together one joyning to the Gate on the East side c c c Ibid. for at sive of the Gates of the Court the Levites Guarded and this was one of the five another joyning to the Gate on the West side which was called the Guard over against the vail and the third at the corner of the Court Now as there was a common fire kept for the Priests on the other side of the Court in a large building opposite to this from whence the Gate joyning to it took the name so is it very likely there was a common fire kept for the Levites which gave this Gate the denomination of the Gate of kindling Thus have we surveyed the Gates and Buildings on the South side of the Court their order thus coming up from the East towards the West First The room Gazith at the South-West corner then the room of the Draw-well joyning to that the Water-gate and over that the room Abhtines joyning to that Gate on the other side the Wood-room and over that the Council-Chamber then the Gate of the Firstlings with a Levites ward joyning to it on one side then the Gate of kindling and a Levites ward on either side it and that building on the West-side of it running up to the West corner of the Court. Now Aba Jose a Spokes-man in the Talmud nameth yet one Gate more and more West than these that we have named on this same side which he calleth the upper Gate and over against it on the North-side he nameth a Gate more than the common account and calleth it the Gate of Jechoniah But he goeth alone in his opinion as to the number of the Gates of the Court yet thus far do other of his Nation go with him that they say there were three Gates on the North-side of the Court and that there was besides them a passage through Beth Mokadh large building out of the Chel into the Court which I suppose is that which he calleth the Gate of Jechoniah and the reason of the name is given because Jechoniah went out at that Gate into his captivity And so it may be that in this large building on this side which ran between the Gate of kindling and the West corner there was a passage through which he stiles with the title of the upper Gate But howsoever it was in his account in the second Temple the very title of the upper Gate may not undeservedly call upon us to look after that which is called the upper Gate of Benjamin in the house of the Lord In the times of the first Temple Jer. XX. 2. it is said there that Pashur fmote Jeremy and put him in the stocks that were in the high Gate or upper Gate of Benjamin which was in the House of the Lord. Our English hath made it shy to render it in the House of the Lord it may be because they thought it improper to have a pair of stocks in the Temple and therefore they have Translated it which was by the House of the Lord as reputing it not a Gate of the Temple but some other but the words in the Original are so plain and the consent of Translaters so unanimous that it meaneth in the House of the Lord that to swarve from it were but to strain a plain and a facile Text and to obscure a place which is not obscure of it self The mountain of the Temple lay in the lot of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin as hath been observed before and the line that divided between the lots came along at the South-East corner of the Altar as we shall observe anon so that the Temple and Altar were in the Tribe of Benjamin according to Moses Prophesie that God should dwell between Benjamins shoulders and so was the South-wall of the Court till you came down over against that point of the Altar and then came in the lot of Judah It appeareth therefore that there were but two Gates on this side of the Court in the times of the first Temple and they were called the upper and the lower Gate of Benjamin because they stood in his lot And there were two Gates on the North-side of the Court and they were called The Gate of the Altar which was Northward and the Gate of the Lord's House which was Northward as we shall shew by and by And for this place or engine of correction were it a Dungeon as the LXX seems to hold it or a Pillory as David Kimchies Father or a pair of Stocks as our English it is no Soloecism to hold that it was in the House of the Lord namely in that part of this Gate that stood out of the Court in the Chel since there was judging scourging mawling and stoning even in the Temple it self as hath been toucht before And now to be going over from the South-side to the North along the Wall of the Court at the West-end there was no Gate upon that quarter at all but the Wall was plain without any Gates or openings in it And so Josephus makes it clear when he saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã d d d Ios. de bell lib. 5. cap. 14. That part that was on the West had no Gate at all but the Wall that way was an intire continued building which relation is also agreeable to the general consent of the Hebrew Authors Aba Jose only excepted whom we mentioned even now who speaketh of two Gates here but neither nameth them nor telleth for what use
with the floor of the East-gate or the Gate Nicanor but the floor of the Court of the Priests was two cubits and an half higher and the rising thus Imagine you came up from the Gate of Nicanor or rather imagine the Levites coming up from it with their Musical Instruments in their Hands which we observed before they laid up in rooms just under the Court of Israel but the Doors of those rooms opening into the Court of the Women when they were risen the many steps into the Gate of Nicanor and were come thorough it they had on either Hand a fair passage into the Cloister or Court of the People such another as he hath that cometh upon the Royal Exchange either out of Cornhil or Bartlemew-lane he may step into the Cloister walk on whether Hand he will they walked upon even ground till they came over the breadth of the Court of the People or to the Pillars which were on the further side of that Court which bare up the Cloister and distinguished the Court of the People and the Court of the Priests one from another Then was there a rising of two cubits and an half but stepped up thus f f f Id. ibid. Mid. per. 2. § â First there was a step of a cubit high and then three steps of half a cubit high a piece thus it was as you went directly up from the Gate of Nicanor forwards But if you would turn on either Hand there were the Desks or standings of the Levites where they stood to Sing and to make their Musick made with steps as even as that middle rising just now mentioned first a rising of a cubit height and that ran along at that height all along before the Rails and Pillars that parted twixt the Court of the Priests and Court of People and then were there three steps up of half a cubit high a piece and on the highest step stood the Levites with their Instruments and their Song their Feet even with the Floor of the Court of the Priests and a Desk before them Elias Levita it seems observed not this rising both into the Court and in the Levites station when he saith g g g Elias in Tishbi in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan which was the name of their Desks and which the Learned render Suggestus or Pulpitum was nothing else but a bench or form whereon they stood for their Feet stood even with the floor of the Court and were not raised above it at all His words are these I wonder at this Targum on Psalm CXXXIV Lift up your Hands O ye Priests upon the holy ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã For behold ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the bench on which the Levites stood when they Sung and it is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan in the Arabick but in the Dutch and Vulgar Bauca In this construction of it by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a bench and owning it for an Arabick word he followeth h h h Aruch in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Aruch verbatim but I confess I do not very well understand the cause of his wonder especially considering what he saith before the words cited namely this We call the place where the Priests lifted up their Hands when they blessed the people ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan and so is the Targum Lift up your Hands O ye Priests on the holy ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and at this I wonder Now if he wonder that the Targum hath brought in the Priest blessing the People from the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Desk or Pulpit in that Psalm he might have found the like in other places For the Chaldee of Jonathan upon the Law doth thus render the 23 verse of the sixth of Numbers i i i Targ. Jonathi in legem in Numb VI. Speak to Aaron and his Sons saying Thus shall ye bless the Children of Israel spreading their hands upon the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukana and they shall speak to them in this manner where the Hebrew Gloss in the Margin interprets it k k k Glossa marg ibid. by spreading their Hands in the place called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukana and a little after ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The benched place called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan And so the large Chaldee Paraphrase upon the Canticles Glosseth the seventh verse of the third Chapter Behold his bed which is Solomons threescore Valiant Men are about it thus l l l Targ. in Cant. III. when Solomon the King of Israel built the House of the Sanctuary of the Lord in Jerusalem the Lord said by his Word How beautiful is this House of the Sanctuary which is built to me by King Solomon the Son of David and how beautiful are the Priests when they spread forth their Hands and stand upon their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan and bless the People the House of Israel by the threescore wonders that were delivered to Moses their Master But it seems his wonder is at this that the Jews so generally and the Chaldee Paraphrase particularly should hold that the Priests when they blessed the People stood upon the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan whereas the Dukan or these Desks were for the Levites and not for the Priests And if I did conceive that they meant these very Desks of the Levites when they say the Priests stood in the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan and blessed the People I should wonder with him also but I suppose they meant some other Desks appropriate to the Priests for this purpose or the place of the Priests standing when they blessed the People and as by a name best known they call it Dukan The words of the Talmud in description of these Desks where the Levites stood to Sing and to make their Musick are these m m m Mid. per. 2 Rabbi Eliezer the Son of Jacob saith There was a rising viz. out of the Court of the People into the Court of the Priests and it was a cubit high and the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dukan was set above it and in that there were three steps of half a cubit high a piece So that the Court of the Priests is found to be higher than the Court of Israel by two cubits and an half So that it appears indeed that the Levites stood upon raised steps in their Desks but it is plain withal that the highest step was no higher than the floor of the Court before them and that that step whereon they stood was not called the Dukan but the whole place of the three steps rising And thus were the eleven cubits of the Court of the Priests at this East quarter of the Court taken up and divided Namely two cubits and an half taken up by the Desks of the Singers for as was the height of the steps so was their breadth and eight cubits and an half
some upon the horns of it some below some above to make sure that either of these should keep its right place and not transgress they set this line to be a bound between them The materials and manner of working up this renowned pile let the Reader take in the Talmuds and in Maymonides his own words and expressions p p p Maym. ubi supr Talm in Zevach. sol 54. When they built the Altar say they they built it solid like a Pillar and they made no hollow in it but one brought whole great stones and little for an iron tool might not be used upon them and he brought Mortar and Pitch and Lead and mixt all and poured all into the great base that he had laid according to his measure and so he built on upwards and he put in the midst of the buliding a piece of Wood or of Stone at the South-East horn according to the measure of the Foundation and so he put in the midst of every one of the horns till he had finished the building then he took away those pieces that were in the midst of the building and so the South-East horn was left without a Foundation and the rest of the horns were left hollow These q q q Midd. per. 3. stones that made the Altar and the rise to it are recorded to have been gotten in the Valley of Bethbaccerem a place mentioned in Neh. III. 14. and Jer. VI. 1. and the same Record tells us That twice a year the Altar was whited namely at the Passover and at the Feast of Tabernacles and the Temple whited once a year namely at the Passover Rabbi saith on the Eve of every Sabbath they rubbed the Altar with a Map because of the blood they might not Plaster it with an iron Trowel lest that touching should defile it for iron was made to shorten Mans days and the Altar was made for the prolonging Mans life and it is not fit that that which would shorten should be lifted up upon that that would lengthen Thus was the fashion and proportion of the Altar the Lords Table Mal. I. 7. the holiness of it was such that it sanctified the gift Matth. XXIII 19. that is whatsoever came upon it being fit to be offered ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Altar sanctified whatsoever was fit for it It is a Talmudick Maxim in the Treatise Zevachin the very beginning of the ninth Chapter And at the seventh Halacah of the same Chapter they say That as the Altar sanctified what was fit for it so also did the rise of the Altar and there they discourse at large with what things if they were once brought to the top of the Altar might come down and what might not which we shall not insist upon Before we part from the Altar we have yet one thing more to take into observation about it and that is the base and wretched affront that ungodly Ahaz put upon it in not only setting up another Altar by it but also in removing the Lords Altar out of its place and out of its honourable imployment to give place to his The story is 2 King XVI He sends the pattern of an Idolatrous Altar from Damascus and Uriah the Priest maketh one according to that pattern and when the King came home and saw the Altar he offered upon it his Burnt-offering Meat-offering Drink-offering c. And he brought also the brazen Altar which was before the Lord from the fore-front of the House from between the Altar and the House of the Lord and put it on the North side of the Altar vers 14. Rabbi Solomon expounding this place conceiveth that by the Altar of the Lord is not meant the Altar properly and indeed but some appurtenances that related and belonged to the Service of the Altar and this conclusion he produceth from two or three traditional Premises his words are these This Altar that he removed cannot be the brazen Altar that Moses made for that was laid up and it cannot be the Altar of stone which Solomon made which indeed is called the brazen Altar in the Book of Chronicles for that could not be removed from place to place but by pulling down and behold we have a Tradition that the fire that came down from Heaven in the days of Solomon went not off the Altar till Manasseh came and caused it to go off for he pulled the Altar down So that I cannot interpret the Altar here but of the Lavers and Bases of brass which served for the Altar and stood beside it them Ahaz removed c. You need not marvail if he go alone in his opinion when you look upon it and how it is strained and especially from this pinch because though the Altar of Solomon is called brazen yet he holds it to have been of Stone and overlaid were it of Brass or were it of Stone Ahaz his modesty was not so much but that he would pull it down to serve his turn as well as remove it It appeareth by the Text alledged that Uriahs modesty was a little more than Ahaz had for he had set his Altar behind the Altar of the Lord betwixt it and the East-gate so that the Lords Altar was betwixt that new-found one and the Temple it seemeth the space at the entring in from the East-gate was more open in the times of the first Temple than it was in the second But when Ahaz comes he removes Solomons Altar towards the North and brings up his own and sets it in the place of it and so does as it were supplant the Lord of his possession and usurp upon it putting the Lords Altar out of use as well as out of its place and giving his own the greatness because it was the greater in the imployment for all the Sacrifices that were to be offered both ordinary and extraordinary both of the King and People while the Altar of the Lord must stand by as a cypher only with this dignity which was less than none at all The brazen Altar shall be for me to seek to when I think good As for the departure of the Divine fire from off the Altar which had come down in the days of Solomon of which our Rabbin speaketh it is not unworthy some of the Readers thoughts For the Temple was so oft prophaned yea and sometimes shut up before the Captivity into Babel as 2 Chron. XXIV 7. XXVIII 24. c. that it is hardly to be imagined but that the fire which had been continued from the descent of that Divine fire was at some of these times or other extinguished And then Quaere how Hezekiah and Josiah in their Reformation did for fire again upon the Altar CHAP. XXXV The Contents of the Court betwixt the Altar and the North-side of it and betwixt the Altar and the South-side THE most ordinary and universal slaughter of the Sacrifices was on the North-side of the Altar and so is it declared at large
to West ends and as far South as to the middle of the Altar was used to slay the Beasts in and all that was accounted as the North So on the South-side of the Altar there were Marble Tables and low Pillars for the very same use that there were on the other side of the Altar namely for the fleaing and cutting up and washing the Intrals of the Sacrifices but when greater store came than that very space just between the Altar and the South-wall would contain then all the South-side of the Court was permitted for that use even as far as the middle of the Altar betwixt North and South The five and twenty cubits space therefore that we are to give account of between the South-wall of the Court and the foot of the rise of the Altar were thus parcelled 1. There were eight cubits from the Court-wall to the Pillars as there were on the North-side and this was the breadth of the Cloister and the standing of Israel on that side the Court. 2. The disposal of the Tables as on the other side before the Pillars took up four cubits 3. And then the thirteen cubits between these and the foot of the Altar rise was partly as is probable taken up with some rings as on the North-side though not so many for they needed not and partly with some plain pavement next to the rise that the Priests might have access to it the better CHAP. XXXVI The space between the Altar and the Porch THE Altar stood before the Gate or entrance of the Porch that gave access into the Temple and the space between the foundation of the Altar and the foundation of the Porch a a a Mid per. 3. was two and twenty cubits But there was not so much clear ground or plain pavement and passage between them for the stairs of the Porch being in number twelve and every step a cubit broad besides the half pace or inlarging at every third step caused that these steps lay down a great way in the Court towards the Altar and took up a good space of these two and twenty cubits Every one of these steps was half a cubit high and thereupon the whole rise ariseth to be six cubits from the ground to the landing in the Porch so that he that stood in the Porch-gate his Feet stood even and level with his Feet that stood upon the Circuit of the Altar b b b Tamed per. 7. Upon these steps of the Porch the Priests stood when they came out from burning Incense and blessed the People As concerning the space betwixt the Porch and Altar these things are remarkable about it 1. c c c Kelim per. 1. That no man might come upon this space that had any blemish upon him nor any man might come here bare headed the reason of the former restraint is easie to be apprehended because of the holiness of the place being so near both to the Alar and the Temple and the reason of the later is because in their greatest devotions they used to cover their Head and therefore none might come bare-headed into so devout a place 2. That no man might stand upon this space or stay within it while the Priest was burning Incense in the Holy place d d d Maym. in Tamid in per. 3. For whilest they burned Incense in the Temple every day all the People departed from the Temple so that between the Temple and the Altar there was not a man till he that burned Incense came forth And so at the time that the High Priest went in with the Blood of the Sin-offering which was to be sprinkled within all the People withdrew from between the Altar and the Temple till he came forth again And because they might know the time when to withdraw from this space at the daily Incense the Sagan or President of the Service called to the Priest that was within the Holy place with a loud voice and gave him notice when he should begin with the Incense saying to him Offer the Incense and as he spake thus the People withdrew The reason of this custom I shall not be curious to look after but whether the Ceremony did not fitly resemble how far distant all men are from having any share with Christ in his Intercession which the offering of the Incense resembled be it left to the Reader to consider 3. In this space between the Temple and the Altar was the murder committed upon Zacharias the son of Barachias as our Saviour mentioneth Matth. XXIII 35. Now there are various conjectures who this Zachary should be some think of Zachary the Prophet whose Book of Prophesie we have in the Old Testament Some suppose it might be John Baptists Father and some conceive that Christ speaketh there predictively foretelling that they should slay Zachary the son of Baruch in the Temple the story of which Josephus giveth in lib. 4. de bell cap. 19. But the Talmudists do help us to understand it of Zachary the son of Jehoiada who was stoned by the people in this place in the days of King Joash 2 Chron. XXIV Why he is called the son of Barachias and not the son of Jehoiada is not a place here to dispute the Jerusalem Talmud hath this story concerning his slaughter which may give us cause to think that our Saviour spake according to the common received Opinion and was understood to mean Zachary the son of Jehoiada though for special reason he calleth him the son of Barachias e e e Talm. Ierus in Taanith f. 6â Rab. Jochanan saith Eighty thousand young Priests were slain for Zacharias blood R. Jordan asked R. Aha where slew they Zacharias In the Court of the Women or in the Court of Israel He saith to him Not in the Court of Israel nor in the Court of the Women but in the Court of the Priests c. And seven Transgressions did Israel transgress that day They slew a Priest a Prophet a Judge shed innocent Blood and defiled the Court and the Sabbath which was also the day of expiation And when Nebuzaradan came thither he saw the Blood bubling He saith to them What meaneth this They said to him It is the Blood of Bullocks and Rams and Lambs which we have offered upon the Altar Presently he brought Bullocks and Rams and Lambs and killed them and as yet the Blood bubled or reeked above theirs And when they confessed not he hanged them up They said The Lord is pleased to require his Blood at our hands They say to him It is the Blood of a Priest and Prophet and Judge who Prophesied to us concerning all that thou hast done to us and we stood up against him and slew him Presently he brought Eighty thousand young Priests and slew them And still the Blood bubled Then he was angry at it and said to it What wouldest thou have That all the People should perish for thee Presently the holy blessed God was
being the signification of this appearance and Glory in general we are next to look upon the particulars of it which will more fully also confirm and clear this matter and first we will begin with the living Creatures or Cherubins For the better discovery of them what they were and what they meant these things do deservedly challenge special considering and observation 1. That they are plainly distinguished from Angels For in Rev. V. 11. there is mention of many Angels round about the Throne and about the living Creatures and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands And in Rev. VII 11. All the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four living Creatures So that here is apparent difference between Angels and living Creatures both in their names and in their placing For the living Creatures were about the Throne the twenty four Elders about the living Creatures and the innumerable multitude of Angels about all 2. That they were such as Christ redeemed from the Earth For observe in Rev. V. 8 9. The four living Creatures as well as the four and twenty Elders fall down before the Lamb c. saying Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. So that the living Creatures were redeemed and were of People and Nations and were made Kings and Priests as well as the twenty four Elders which cannot be applied to Angels 3. That these living Creatures or Cherubins are never mentioned but in vision or Hieroglyphick In vision as in these places that have been cited of Esay Ezekiel and the Revelation and in Hieroglyphick as the Cherubins covering the Ark and wrought in the Tabernacle Curtains and on the Temple Walls It is true indeed that it is said in Gen. III. God placed Cherubins at the Gate of Eden which is only for the fuller and more feeling apprehension of the thing the Cherubins being such forms as with which the People were best acquainted seeing them in the Tabernacle Curtains 4. They therefore being thus constantly held out in a Doctrinal and significative tenor as Visions and Hieroglyphicks are they are to be expounded to such a Doctrinal and Figurative sense and so is the whole body of Glory as I may so call it the whole visionary Theatre or spectacle that is before us to be taken And first to begin with the quadrature or four-square posture of the whole appearance which was touched before and now a little more to be considered on There is intimation enough in Ezekiel that the four living Creatures stood square with a fire in the midst of them and the Wheels in a square on the outside of the square of the living Creatures but in the Revelation it is yet more plain for there it is said the four living Creatures stood round about the Throne which could not be but in a quadrature one before another behind and one of either side for how else could four stand round about it The Throne then meaning the Temple as was shewed before this double quadrature about it doth call us to remember the double Camp that pitched about the Tabernacle upon the four sides of it East West North and South When the Lord did first platform and order the incamping of Israel in the Wilderness 1. He pitched his own Tabernacle in the middle as that being the very Center Heart and Life of the Congregation and they being all to attend upon it and God thereby declaring himself to be in the midst of them Lev. XXVI 11 12. 2. He pitched the Tribe of Levi in four Squadrons on the four sides of the Tabernacle next unto it for they being the Ministers that attended upon the Publick Service and that drew near unto the Lord and were Mediators 'twixt God and his People the Lord caused them to Incamp next unto his Sanctuary and betwixt the Camp of the People and Himself 3. The outmost of all in four main Bodies on the four sides of the Tabernacle and of the Levites Camp did the whole Congregation pitch and so there were two quadratures the Levites about the Sanctuary and the Congregation about the Levites See Numb II. Answerable is the platform here and the quadrangular posture is in reference and allusion to that and from thence must we explain it In the midst was a Quadrangle of fire and upon every side of that Quadrangle a Cherub and on the outside of the Cherubins even before every one of them was a Wheel And in the Revelation A Throne in the middle four living Creatures next about it and the twenty four Elders about them So that by this parallel to Israels Camp from whence the platform both in the Prophet and the Apocalyptick is taken the four living Creatures did signifie the Priests and Ministers of the Lord and the Wheels in the one and the twenty four Elders in the other did represent the People or the Congregation And this will arise clearer and clearer still to our observation as we go along to consider their Place Actions and Descriptions 1. I know it is conceived by some that the twenty four Elders in the Revelation were nearer the Throne than the Cherubins and that Opinion must needs conclude the like in Ezekiel but the contrary is apparent by these Observations First That besides what hath been said upon vers 15. in Ezek. X. 6. a man clothed in linnen being bidden to take fire from between the Wheels from between the Cherubins he first goeth in within the compass of the Wheels and then a Cherub taketh fire from the midst of the Cherubins and reacheth it to him Secondly It is said there again at vers 9. that the four Wheels were by the Cherubins whereas if the Wheels had been inmost it had been proper to have said the Cherubins were by the Wheels Thirdly And at vers 18. It is said the Glory of the Lord stood over the Cherubins and Chap. I. 22 26. c. it is said the Throne of God was just over their Heads and there is no mention of being over the Wheels which shews it very unlikely that the Wheels were in the middle of the Cherubins Fourthly In Rev. V. 6. the platform is named thus In the midst of the Throne and of the four living Creatures and in the midst of the Elders the Throne in the midst the living Creatures next and the Elders outmost and so again in vers 11. c. Fifthly In Chap. IV. 4. It is said that about the Throne were four and twenty seats and on them four and twenty Elders sitting and at vers 6. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is a hard piece of Greek to construe because there is an Ellipsis of a particle which not observed hath produced but harsh Interpretations of the place The Syriack hath rendred it In the midst of the
besides the Inhabitants of Bethshemesh it was now upon the time of the Feast of Tabernacles when the Ark came up to them and it may be that might cause the more conflux to the Ark when it was come and the Lord for the boldness of Priests and People that would be looking into the Ark breaketh out upon them with the Plague and destroyeth so many thousands of them The Priests of Bethshemesh that had escaped sent to the Men of Kiriathjearim to fetch up the Ark to them and so they do It is equally questionable why they that were Priests should send about such a matter as this to the Men of Kiriathjearim which were not and that the Men of Kiriathjearim should venture to fetch up the Ark when they had seen the speeding of Bethshemesh by it But the Lord had now forsaken the Tribe of Ephraim in which Tribe Shiloh stood and had made choice of the Tribe of Judah Psal. LXXVIII 67 68. of which Kiriathjearim was a chief City and whether he used the counsel of Samuel to the People for a means to accomplish his determination or what other way is not determinable but it is brought to pass and the Ark now seated in the Tribe of Judah out of which it never unsetled again whilest it was in being A long time whilest it stayed in Kiriathjearim it was under the curb of a Philistine Garrison which was in that City 1 Sam. X. 5. which might much damp the Peoples seeking and resorting to it especially in this loosness and lukewarmness or rather utter coldness of Religion that was amongst them However at the end of twenty years a general Reformation doth begin amongst them and they begin to hearken after God the Ark and Religion and put away the strange gods that were among them and God at that very instant doth grant them a miraculous Victory against the Philistins 1 Sam. VII We read once of the Arks being within the compass of the Tribe of Benjamin before David fetched it up to Jerusalem and that was with Saul at Gibeah 1 Sam. XIV 18. but it was restored from thence to Kiriathjearim at the place appointed for it as yet by Divine direction for otherwise it might as easily have been set up in Nob where the Tabernacle was now standing David about the second year of his Reign in Jerusalem fetcheth it up from Kiriath-jearim thither and there pitched an habitation for it in Sion where it resided till it was translated into Solomons Temple save only that once it was taken out to have flitted with David in his flight from his son Absalom but soon restored to its place again 2 Sam. XV. At this Tabernacle in which the Ark was lodged in Sion David sets up an Altar 1 Chron. XVI 2. for the offerings at that present time of the Arks bringing up thither but not for continual sacrificing And there he appointed a constant Musick to attend of the Levites but the Priests waited at Gibeon where the Tabernacle was and the daily Sacrifice CHAP. XL. The state and fate of the first Temple AT Naioth in Ramah where Samuel and David spent some time together they platformed the buildings of the Temple and the manner of the Service It was an unlikely time for David to think and contrive for such a thing at that time when he knew not where to hide his own Head from the fury of Saul yet so sure was the Promise to him and so assured was his Faith in it that even from that time he laid the Foundation of his thoughts towards the building of a Temple setling of a Service and even all his time after was preparing towards it In all his Wars and Victories he still remembred to dedicate something of his spoils for that purpose 2 Sam. VIII 10 11. 1 Chron. XVIII 8 c. so that at his death he left the greatest sums of Silver and Gold and stock of Brass and Iron and such materials that is Recorded in any Story And as he had his first instructions from Samuel so did he ripen then by the Prophetick directions of Gad and Nathan the Prophets 2 Chron. XXIX 25. and so setled the Priests and Levites in their courses and Carpenters and Masons to work and had described the platform of all things so exactly that he left to Solomon in a manner but the care to see the Work done for he had prepared all things before About eleven or twelve years space was the Work of the Temple in Hand before it was finished namely four years in hewing Stone and framing Timber and seven years and an half in bringing up the building For David in the last year of his Reign had gathered all the Proselytes in the Land to the number of one hundred fifty and three thousand and had set them to work and so they continued framing and preparing materials till the fourth year of the Reign of Solomon in the second month of which year the Foundation of the House was laid and in the eighth month of the eleventh year the Work was finished 1 King VI. 38. and so it was seven years and an half in building which the Text for roundness of number doth count but seven It was a year within a month after that it was finished before the Dedication of it in which time it is likely they were getting away the rubbish and preparing for its consecration it lying useless all the while for the Providence of the Lord disposed that it should be Dedicated at such a time as that the time should carry a Mystery and Type with it as well as the Temple it self In the eleventh year of Solomons Reign in the month Bull which is the eighth month it was finished 1 Kings VI. 38. and in his twelfth year in the month Ethanim which is the seventh month it was consecrated even at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles 1 King VIII 20. 2 Chron. V. 3. or the fifteenth day of that month Concerning the title Ethanim by which this month was named the Jews have these Glosses The Chaldee renders that verse in the Book of Kings thus And all the Men of Israel were gathered to the King in the old month which they called the first month but now the seventh h h h Aruch in voce ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Some of the Rabbins say it was called Ethanim which signifieth strength or strong ones because the Fathers were born in it which were the mighty ones of the World And others i i i Levi Gersh in 1 King VIII because in it were the greatest Feasts or k k k Kimch iâi as others because in it the Fruits were gathered which are the strength of Mans life c. But whatsoever was the notation of the Name certainly the remarkableness of that month was singular in regard of many eminent occurrences that befel in it of which we have spoken elsewhere the most renowned of all which was that our Saviour
5. I wist not that he was the High Priest 320 26. 24. Thou art besides they self 311 ROMANS Ch. vers  Page 9. 14 15. I Will have mercy on whom I will c. harmonized with Mal. 1. 2 3. 15 1 CORINTHIANS Ch. vers  Page 1. 17. CHRIST sent me not to baptize 217 6. 2. Saints shall judge the World 301 7. 14. How Children were computed holy 203 10. 4. They drank of the rock that followed them 711 11. 10. The Woman to have power on her Head because of the Angels 302 303  25 28. With the context about the calling of the Jews 376 377 12. 3 4. No man speaking by the Spirit of God can call Jesus accursed c. 303 14. 4. He that speaketh a Tongue edifieth himself 285 15. 29. Baptism for Death and Martyrdom 250 841  32. Fought with Beasts c. 299 16. 9. Great and effectual door opened 300  22. Anathama Maranatha 304 2 CORINTHIANS Ch. vers  Page 8. 18. WHO the two Brethren were 310 311 10. 10. For his Letters are weighty c. 311 11. 24. Fourty stripes save one 901  25. A day and a night in the deep 321 12. 2. Whether in the body I cannot tell 877 878 GALATIAN Ch. vers  Page 4. 26. JERUSALEM from above 455 5. 2. If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing 319 EPHESIANS Ch. vers  Page 2. 2. PRINCE of the power of the air 509 5. 26 27. Without spot or wrinckle 325  29. Men ought to love their Wives as their own body 325 PHILIPPIANS Ch. vers  Page 3. 2. DOgs concision 326  19. Whose God is their belly 222 4. 3. Women labouring in the Gospel 294 COLOSSIANS Ch. vers  Page 1. 23. PREACHED to every Creature 272 4. 16. Epistle from Laodicea what 326 2 THESSALONIANS Ch. vers  Page 2. 6 7. WHAT withholdeth and that letteth will let 298 1 TIMOTHY Ch. vers  Page 1. 4. ENDLESS Genealogies what 308 3. 12. Let the Deacons be c. 308  15. Ground and Pillar of Truth 309 5. 17. Let the Elders be counted worthy of double honour c. 308 2 TIMOTHY Ch. vers  Page 1. 15. ALL in Asia are turned from me 341 3. 8. Jannes and Jambres 1005 1006 4. 10. Crescens to Galatia 322 323  13. Cloak 316 TITUS Ch. vers  Page 3. 9. ENDLESS Genealogies 308 HEBREWS Ch. vers  Page 7. 3. SEM without Father c. 11 10. 29. Blood of the Covenant wherewith he i. e. Jesus Christ was sanctified 331 332 11. 21. Blessed both the sons of Joseph 22 12. 16. For his Polygamy Esau is called a fornicator 15 13. 12. The place of Execution without the City applied to Christs sufferings 267 JAMES Ch. Vers.  Page 5. 8 9. COMING of the Lord draweth nigh Behold the Judge standeth at the door 332 333  14. Anointing the sick with Oyl 333 1 PETER Ch. vers  Page 3. 19. SPIRITS in prison what 336  21. Baptism doth now save us 336 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand for the desolation of the Jewish Nation 335 2 PETER Ch. ves  Page 1. 14. I Must shortly put off this Tabernacle 338 2. 1. Damnable Heresies 338 1 JOHN Ch. vers  Page 2. 16. LUST of the Flesh of the Eye and pride of Life 211 692 5. 6 8. Spirit Water and Blood 517 JUDE  Vers.  Page  8. FIlthy dreamers 371  9. Michael the Arch Angel contending c. A story currant among the Jews 338 REVELATIONS Ch. vers  Page 2. 10. WHO that Jezabel might be 787 7. 6. Manasseh for Moses 45 10. 6 7. He swaer by himself that liveth c. 345 11. 1 2. The holy Ground not bounded or measured and why 1051. * An Appendix of some Places of Scripture differently Read from the ordinary Translation GENESIS Ch. vers  Page 44. 15. CAN make a very strict inquiry 20 EXODUS Ch. vers  Page 18. 6. I Jethro thy Father in Law come to thee not am come to thee 711 DEUTERONOMY Ch. Vers.  Page 8. 3. BY every thing that cometh out of the mouth 496 33. 6. Not die the second death 39. Text Marg. JUDGES Ch. vers  Page 1. 8. AND the Children of Judah warred against Jerusalem and took it and smote it 44 1 SAMUEL Ch. vers  Page 7. 2. Then not and. 54. Text. Marg. 2 KINGS Ch. vers  Page 5. 18. WHEN my Master hath gone and hath bowed 86 6. 23. Came no more as yet into the Land 86 1 CHRON. Ch. vers  Page 7. 21. FOR the men of Gath who were born in the Land slew them for they came c. 22 19. 7 18. Thirty two thousand men with Chariots Seven thousand men with Chariots 63 2 CHRON. Ch. vers  Page 22. 2. A Haziah was the son of the two and fourty years 387 EZRA Ch. vers  Page 6. 3. THREE Houses of hewn stone what 1066. * 10. 15. Stood against this matter 144 JOB Ch. vers  Page 1. 5. AS the days of their Feasting went about 23 PSALMS Ps. vers  Page 52.  Title David came 57. Text. Marg. 58. 9. As he lively so the wrath 58 ISAIAH Ch. vers  Page 11. 4. Wicked one for the Romans 424 JEREMIAH Ch. vers  Page 89. 3. Rab-Mag or the Great Mag. 437 DANIEL Ch. vers  Page 9. 27. WITH many in one week and half that week 136 LUKE Ch. vers  Page 1. 17. In the wisdom of the righteous 409 1. 57. Had magnified Mary 420. Text. Marg. JOHN Ch. vers  Page 5. 39. Ye search Indicatively 664 684 12. 3. Maây which had anointed 249  7. She hath kept it 251 The ACTS Ch. vers  Page 1. 2. How to be pointed and read 734  4. Variously rendred 737 14. 24. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 292 21. 27. As the seven days were to have been accomplished 319 1 THESSALONIANS Ch. vers  Page 5.  Postscript from Athens but it was writ from Corinth not from Athens demonstrated 296 2 THESSALONIANS Ch. vers  Page 3.  Postscript not from Athens but Corinth 296 297 A Second Table of AUTHORS or their WORKS Quoted in the First Volume A. ABarbinel Aben Ezra Abraham Zaccuth Ado. Alphesi Ammonius Appianus Aquila Aquinas Aristeas Aruch and the Author of the Aruch Athanasius Augustinus or S. Augustine B. BAal Hatturim Baal Turim Baronius Beda Bellarmine Berosus Beza Brucioli Buxtorfius C. CAjetan Calvin Camerarius Cassiodorus Chaldee Paraphrast Chemnitius Chrysostom Clemens Alexandrinus Crantzius Cyprian Cyrill D. DAmascen David Kimchi De Dieu Diodorus Siculus Dion Dion Cassius E. EGesippus Elias Levita Epiphanius Erasmus Eusebius F. FUller Funccius G. GAlatine Galatius Gellius Gemara Gemarists of Ierusalem Babilon Grotius H. HErodian Herodotus Hierom. Hilariy Hottinger I. JAnsenius Ignatius Martyr Ionathan ben Uzziel Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast
c. * Doves how offered 935 Dreams intimating various events 20 Dreamers and Interpreters of Dreams were common among the Jews even the most Learned of them taught their Scholars this sort of delusion 371 Drink Offering what 938 939 Drought mingled with fire from Heaven 92 Drought or want of Rain great 116 Dust shaking dust off the feet what p. 291. Dust that was to be put into the Water of Jealousie whence to be taken 1080. * E. EARTH burning up only denoted the destruction of Jerusalem and that cursed Nation p. 338. Earth new Earth and new Heaven denote the new State of the Church under the Gospel 338 Earthly and Heavenly Things what as used by Christ. 576 Easter how old its celebration 548 Edom by this term the Hebrew Writers commonly express the Romans 349 Egyptian Deities what 1027 Elders one of the Titles of the Gospel Ministers p. 223. They were Ordained by Imposition of Hands p. 289. They were of two sorts in every Synagogue one that ruled in Civil Affairs another that laboured dayly in the Word and Doctrine p. 302. This should be imitated in the Christian Churches Christ and the Apostles keeping close to the Platform of the Synagogue p. 302. Their several Qualifications p. 308. Both Peter and John stile themselves Elders intimating that the Apostick Function must ceâse but the Ministerial abide p. 340. Every Synagogue had two Elders one that ruled that was a Student in Divinity another that was the Minister of the Congregation called the Angel of the Church and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Overseer 611 612 Elders for Seniors and Senators of some of the Tribes 760 Eldest son a younger reckoned for eldest 384 Elements melting and Earth burning up only denoted the destruction of Jerusalem and that cursed Nation Page 338 Elias his History p. 82. What opinions the Rabbins had of his first and second coming with his Estate after his first departure and his frequent invisible coming as at every Circumcision c. p. 522 523. What he shall do at his second visible coming p. 523 524. Also multitudes of Ancient and Modern Christian Writers have asserted that before Christs second coming Enoch and Elias should come again visibly to destroy Antichrist to Convert the Jews c. confuted 524 Elisha his History 86 87 Elohim denotes distinction of Persons in the Trinity 394 Elymas which is the same in sense with Magus was a Magical Jew who with tricks and wonders went up and down confronting the Gospel 289 Emblem of the Divine Glory at the Temple mentioned in several Scriptures explained p. 2052 to 2060. * The Moral of it 2055 to 2060* Emmanuel Nomen Naturae 419 End coming Matth. 24. 14. And the coming of the Lord drawing nigh and the Judge standing at the door expressions only shewing destruction and vengeance upon Jerusalem drawing near 332 333 335 End of things the Heavens passing away the Elements melting and the Earth burning up only denoted the destruction of Jerusalem and that cursed Nation 338 England some remarkable Things referring to its antient State p. 328. It was invaded by the Roman General and afterwards by his Master Claudius the Emperor An. Dom. 44. p. 888. England and these parts of the World was planted by Javans posterity 996 Enochs Prophesie was some common Tradition among the Jews p. 339. Enoch many Christian Writers hold that he and Elias should visibly come again to destroy Antichrist and to convert the Jews before the second coming of Christ. 524 Ephah what sort of Measure 545 546 Ephod of the High Priest what 727 905 Epicurus was a term used among the Jews for such as despised the Doctors 297 Epiphany or the Wise-mens coming to Christ on the thirteenth day after his birth or within forty days shewed to be improbable and that they came not till about two years after his Birth 432 to 434 Episcopus an Overseer is a Synagogue Term so are most of his Qualifications fetched thence p. 308. So the Angel or Minister in the Synagogue stood over those that read to see that they read right hence called Chasan that is Episcopus Overseer c. 375 611 to 618 Epistle from Laodicea is an Epistle from that Church to Paul 326 Er and Hezekiah were born when their Fathers were very young 105 Esau all hairy when born like a kid 14 Eser but an additional Title for the Assyrian Monarchs 104 Esseans though they differed from other Hereticks yet they harmonized with the rest to oppose the Gospel and Christianity p. 373. Their Original Name Quality and Principles 457 458 459 Evangelists one of the Titles of the Gospel Ministers 223 Eunuch his Conversion and who he was 281 Eutyches and Valentius averred Christ to have only a Body in appearance confuted 397 Execution of Malefactors among the Jews was attended by their bewailing p. 268. Where and how performed 2006 2007. * Ezra the Sacred Writer considered as President of the Sanhedrin with the time of his Death 2007 2008. * Exorcists Vagabond Jews that went up and down to oppose the Gospel with Magical Tricks p. 289. See Barjesus Expiation day what service belonged to it the High Priest was ingaged in all the Service of it p. 971. The Scape Goat was the principal business besides other Offerings p. 971 c. It was a strict Fasting day Page 972 F. FAction Division and Schism producing sad Effects in the Church of Corinth some of them mentioned Page 301 to 304 Faith it makes improbable things to be accepted of God p. 49. Jewish and Evangelical what p. 247. Faith why set after Repentance 630 Fall of Man p. 2. Of Adam 1022 Fan of Christ is the Gospel with the Preaching and Publishing thereof 468 Fasting and Praying used in the Synagogues p. 925. Of Christ wonderful considering the Time Place his present Posture he fasted nights as well as days 502 503 Fasting Day the Day of Expiation was a strict Fasting Day 792 Fasts of the Captived Jews were kept in several Months p. 143. Publick Fasts what p. 288. They were upon important Occasions used by the Jews 289 Fathers what to teach their Children 295 Festivals Three principal ones The Passover Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles all the Men that were Free were to appear at them 950 951 Feast Governour of the Feast who he was called Architriclinus He was not the same with the Symposiarchus the Governour or Moderator of the Heathen Feasts p. 547. Feast of Tabernacles the Actions attending it p. 243. The Nature Occasion and Reasons of its Institution p. 477. Feast of Charity or Agapae what 315 Feasting among the Jews was performed upon Beds 539. Marg. Feasts Women were not bound to appear at the three solemn Feasts of the Jews yet they usually did 956 Feet anointed of ordinary use among the Jews 252 Felix shewed to be an ill Man 320 Figs ripened at differing seasons 253 First Fruits and first Fruit Sheaf the way of gathering and offering them 969
the Wall encompassing the Holy ground according to our English measure what p. 1051. * The height and breadth of the Gates in the Wall encompassing the holy ground p. 1052. * The Wall over the East-gate lower than the rest and why p. 1051. * All within the Wall incompassing the holy ground was called the First Temple Page 1963. * Washing four forts in the days of Christ. 585 Washing put for Purification exceeding curiously performed 324 Washing of hands Tables Cups and Platters what and how performed among the Jews 544 Washing of dead Bodies a custom among the Jews 841 Watch in the Night divided by four of three hours a piece 428 Water being born of it what at large 571 572 57â Water-gate described 2011. * Waters Living Waters what the Phrase alludes to 2011. * We know signifies that the thing is well and openly known 566 567 Well the Draw-Well Room described 2011. * Whale Jonas his Whale 1002 c. Whipping or Scourging upon the Censure of the Judges viz. the receiving of forty or thirty nine stripes what 901 902 Whoredom put for Polygamy p. 15. Whoredom great and abominable 887 888 889 Widdows what sort of them provided for 309 Wife suspected her Trial and her Offering how performed 982 c. Wine that which was offered Christ at his Crucifixion was to intoxicate him 267 Wisdom chosen above all things at twelve years of Age. p. 73. It is often taken in Scripture for Religion 409 Wisemen their coming to Christ on the thirteenth day after his Birth or within forty days shewed to be improbable and that they came not till about two years after his Birth p. 432 433 434. Wisemen or Magi several Authors give them a good Character but the Scripture ever a bad p. 436. Who they were 437 Without those that are without i. e. the Gentiles 240 Witnesses what the meaning of the Prophesie concerning the two Witnesses p. 524. Witnesses laying down their Cloaths c. what the meaning of the Phrase 2007. * Wizard the same with Magician Wiseman c. 436 820 Women they had some Office at the Tabemacle and Sanctuary p. 53. Text. Marg. They laboured to advance the Gospel though they did not preach p. 294. See how p. 315. The Court of the Women described p. 1090. * It is not called by that name in Scripture p. 1090. * They might come into the Court through the Gate of the Women when they brought Offerings p. 2020. * A Woman began Idolatry in Israel p. 45. They were not bound to appear at the three solemn Feasts of the Jews yet they usually did p. 956. To them is ascribed barrenness throughout the Scripture 397. Marg. 400 Wood the Wood room described p. 2013. * Priests that had blemishes searched the Wood for Sacrifices to see if it were not worm eaten 1093. * Word what kind of Word Christ is p. 392. Marg. Why he is so called from Scripture and Antiquity 393 394 395 Word of God variously understood 505 Words inverted frequent in Scripture 84 88 122 Working with the Hands thus Paul did when out of Mony and in a strange Place 295 World the World i. e. the Gentiles 214 World to come Maranatha Raka Jannes and Jambres Beelzebub are Phrases taken from the Jews 1005 Page 1006 Worthies of David 61 Writings the Oldest in the World is Psalms 88 and 89. penned before Moses was born 699 700 Writings of the Jews upon Scriptures fly all in an higher Region than the Writings of the Christians p. 860. As see a Taste out of the Writings of Rhilo Judeus 861 862 Y. YEAR the Beginning of the Year from the Creation was in September p. 707. But just before Israel came out of Egypt the beginning was changed into March and why Page 707 708 Year of Christ Year of Our Lord the proper reckoning of every Year ought to be from September to September Page 777 Years it s very common in Scripture in reckoning of the years either of Man or Beast to account the year they are now passing for a year of their Age be it never so newly or lately begun 487 You put for some of you or Posterity 468 Z. ZACHARIAS the Priest whether of the course of Abia. p. 202. He was not a High Priest p. 407. Zacharias the Son of Barachias who he was Page 2040. * Zebedee what became of him 635 FINIS THE WORKS OF THE REVEREND LEARNED John Lightfoot D. D. LATE Master of KATHERINE Hall in CAMBRIDGE The Second Uolume In two Parts PART I. CONTAINING HORAE HEBRAICAE TALMUDICAE Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon the four Gospels the Acts of the Apostles some Chapters of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romans and the first Epistle of the same Apostle to the Corinthians translated into English Published by the Care and Industry of Iohn Strype M. A. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã LONDON Printed by William Rawlins for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXIV TO THE Right Reverend Father in God HENRY Lord Bishop of LONDON MY LORD THIS second Volume of Dr. Lightfoots Works the effect of great Learning and as great Industry being brought to a conclusion it seemed to want nothing to make it compleat and to recommend it to the World but some Great Name to stand before it And since the Choise of this laid in me the poor Instrument employed in preparing these Labours for the Press I could fix upon none so proper so suitable as your Lordship upon two accounts The one is mine own private Obligations unto your Lordship being my very Reverend Diocesan under whose Paternal care I live and discharge my ministerial function in peace and from whom I have received Favour and Countenance and lastly to whom I ought to account for the spending of my time as I find in some antient injunctions of our Church the inferior Clergy were bound to do The other is the Book it self which contains some of the last and best Labours of a Man of as great worth and abilities as fame in all the Pages of whose Writings appear lively stroaks of Learning Religion and a Love of the Churches Peace and Prosperity Of which most sacred things your Lordship is so known and eminent a Patron Pardon me then My most Honoured Lord that I have presumed to grace this Piece with your Venerable Name and vouchsafe to take these Pious and Learned Labours under your Honours favour And if there shall be any thing found herein that will not bear the censure of your Lordships severer Eye whether it be the Publishers or the Authors error I do earnestly recommend both to your Lordships great Candor and Charity I cannot take my leave without my Prayers for your Lordship That God would prosper your pensive thoughts and weighty cares for retrieving the distressed condition of our poor Church occasioned in a great measure by contentious and unpeaceable Spirits Spirits that even from the very first times of
For when they think his primary seat shall be at Jerusalem they cannot but believe some such thing of that Mount g g g g g g Mâdras ââââââ R. Janna saith ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The divine Majesty stood three years and an half in Mount Olivet and preached saying Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near And now let us from this mountain look back upon the City Imagine your self sitting in that place where the Priest stood while he burnt the red Cow directly over against the East gate of the Temple Between the Mount and the City you might see a Valley running between compassing Sion on the right hand and Jerusalem on the left the gate of Waters against you leading to the Temple on the left hand Ophla and the Horse-gate From thence as we have said was the beginning of the Valley of Hinnom which at length bowed towards the South side of the City In that place near the Wall was the Fullers field which whether it was so called from Wood framed together where Fullers dried their cloth or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from a Fullers monument of which h h h h h h De bello lib. 5. cap. 13. Josephus writes we do not dispute From the Horse-gate Westward runs out the Valley Kidron in which is a Brook whence the Valley takes its name embracing Sion also on the North and spreading abroad it self in a more spacious breadth i i i i i i Succah cap. 4 hal 5. Below the City there was a place we do not dare to mark it out which was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Motza hither they came down in the feast of Tabernacles and cropped off thence long boughs of Willow it may be from the banks of the brook Kidron and going away placed them near the sides of the Altar bended after that manner that their heads might bow over the top of the Altar c. It is no mervail if there were a multitude of gardens without the City when there were none within Among them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã k k k k k k Maasaroth cap. 2. hal 5. A Garden of Jerusalem is famed wherein Figs grew which were sold for three or four assarii each and yet neither the Truma nor the Tenth was ever taken of them Josephus hath these words l l l l l l De bello lib. cap. 7. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. The gardening was all compassed about from the Wall with trenches and every thing was divided with crooked gardens and many walls CHAP. XLI Bethany ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Beth-hene BEthany seems to be the same with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã among the Talmudists Of which they write thus a a a a a a Bab. Pesachin fol. 53. 1. They treat in the place noted in the margin concerning eating of fruits the seventh year and concerning ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Beor b b b b b b Cap. 1. of which we have spoke before They enquire how long one may eat of these or the other fruits And they state the business thus They eat Olives say they until the last ceases in Tekoa R. Eleazar saith Until the last ceases in Gush Chalab in the Tribe of Asher They eat dry figs until green figs cease ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Beth-hene R. Judah saith The green figs of Beth-hene are not mentioned unless in respect of the Tenths as the Tradition is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. The figs of Beth-hene and the dates of Tubni are bound to be tithed The Gloss is this They are not mentined in the Schools among fruits unless in respect of tithing These words are recited in Erubhin c c c c c c Erubhin fol. 28. 2. where the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Beth-hene is writ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Beth jone and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tubni is writ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tubina Beth-hene certainly seems to be the same altogether with our Bethany and the Name to be drawn from the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Athene which signifies the Dates of Palm trees not come to ripeness as the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã also signifies Green-figs that is such figs as are not yet ripe And now take a Prospect a little of Mount Olivet Here you may see Olive-trees and in that place is Geth-semani The place of oyl-presses There you may see Palm-trees growing and that place is called Bethany ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The place of Dates And we may observe in the Gospel-history how those that met Christ as he was going forward from Bethany had branches of Palm-trees ready at hand There you may see Fig-trees growing and that place was called Beth-phage The place of Green-figs Therefore some part of Olivet was called Bethany from the Palm-trees there was a Town also called of the same Name over against it The Town was fifteen furlongs distant from Jerusalem And the Coast of that name went on till it reached the distance of a Sabbath days journy only from the City CHAP. XLII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Scopo IN that manner as Mount Olivet laid over against the City on the East the Valley of Kidron running between so on the North behind a Valley somewhat broader stretched out from Sion North-ward the land swelled into a Hill at the place which from thence was called Zophim because thence there was a Prospect on all sides but especially towards the City Concerning it Josephus thus a a a a a a Joseph de Bello lib. 5. cap. 8. Cesar when he had received a legion by night from Ammaus the day after moving his Tents thence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. He entred into Scopo so called Where the City appeared and the greatness of the Temple shining out as that plain Tract of land touching upon the North coast of the City is truly called Scopus The Viewer Hence those Canons and Cautions b b b b b b Hieros Beracoth fol. 13. 2. He that pisseth let him turn his face to the North he that easeth nature to the South R. Josi ben R. Bon saith The Tradition is From Zophim and within That is if this be done by any one from Zophim inwards when he is now within the prospect of the City when he pisseth let him turn his face to the North that he do not expose his modest parts before the Temple when he easeth nature let him turn his face to the South that he expose not his buttocks before it c c c c c c Bab. Beracoth fol. 49. 2. If any one being gone out of Jerusalem shall remember that holy flesh is in his hand if he be now gone beyond Zophim let him burn it in the place where he is For it is polluted by being carried out of the Walls of Jerusalem But if he be not beyond Zophim let
but whether it were used while Alms were done I still enquire That comes into my mind ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã o o o o o o Hieros Demai fol. 23. 2. The Collectors of Alms do not proclaim on a feast day as they proclaim on a common day but collect it privately and put it up in their bosom But wether this Proclamation did publish what was giving by every one or did admonish of not giving any thing but what might rightly be given let the more learned Judge by looking upon the place III. They gave Alms also out of the field and that was especially fourfold 1. The Corner of the field not reaped 2. Sheaves left in the field either by forgetfulness or voluntarily 3. The âleaning of the Vintage of which see Levit XIX 9 10. Deut. XXIV 19. And 4. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Poors Tenth of which the Talmudists largely in the Tracts Peah Demai and Maasaroth To the gathering of these the poor were called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã p p p p p p Peah cap. 4. hal 5. By three manifestations in the day namely in the morning and at noon and at Minchah or the Evening That is the Owner of the field openly shewed himself three times in the day for this end that then the poor should come and gather In the morning for the sake of nurses because in the mean time while their young children slept they might the more freely go forth for this purpose at noon for the sake of children who also at that time were prepared to gather at Mincha for the sake of old men So the Jerusalem Gemarists and the Glossers upon the Babylonian Talmud These were the ordinary Alms of the Jewish people in the doing which seeing as yet I cannot âiâd so much as the least sound of a trumpet in their Writers I guess that either our Saviour here spoke Metaphorically or if there were any trumpet used that it was used in peculiar and extraordinary Alms. The Jews did very highly approve of Alms done secretly hence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Treasury of the silent was of famed memory in the Temple whither q q q q q q Aruch in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã some very religious men brought their Alms in silence and privacy when the poor children of good men were maintained And hence is that Proverb ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã r r r r r r Bab. Bava Baâhra fol. 9. â He that doth Alms in secret is greater than our Master Moses him self And yet they laboured under such an itch to make their Alms publick lest they should not be sâen by men that they did them not without a trumpet or which was as good as a trumpet with a proud affectation of making them known that they might the more be pointed at with the singer and that it might be said of them These are the men VERS III. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth HE seems to speak according to the custom used in some other things For in some actions which pertained to Religion they admitted not the left hand to meet with the right s s s s s s Maimon in Schabâ cap. ââ c. The Cup of Wine which was used to sanctifie the coming in of the Sabbath was to be taken with the right hand without the assistance of the left Let no man receive into a Vessel the blood of the sacriâice bring it to the Altar or sprinkle it with his left hand t t t t t t Bab. Joma f. 49. 1. And in the same Tract it is related of Shammai that he would feed himself only with one hand u u u u u u Fol. 77. 2. VERS V. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã They love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets I. THEY prayed standing Luke XVIII 11 13. Mark XI 25. x x x x x x Bab Berac fol. 26. 2. It is written And Abraham rose early in the morning at the place where he had stood before the Lord. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But to Stand was nothing else than to Pray as it is said ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And Phinehas stood and judged y y y y y y Hieros f. 20. 1. One entreth into the Synagogue ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And found them standing in Prayer z z z z z z Maimon in Deah cap. 5. Let a Scholar of the Wise men look downwards ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã When he stands Praying And to name no more the same Maimonides a a a a a a In Tephillaâ cap. 5. asserts these things are required in Prayer That he that prayeth stand that he turn his face towards Jerusalem that he cover his head and that he fix his eyes downwards II. They loved to pray in the Synagogues b b b b b b Tanchum fol. 35. 1. He goes to the Synagogue to pray Why do they recite their Phylacteries in the Synagogue when they are not bound to do it R Josi saith They do not recite them in the Synagogue for that end that so the whole office of the Phylacteries may be performed but to persevere in Prayer For this recitation was to be said over again when they came home c c c c c c Piske in Berac cap. 1. art 6 Rabbena Asher hath these words d d d d d d In Berac fol. 69 3. When any returns home in the evening from the field let him not say I will go into my house but first let him betake himself to the Synagogue and if he can read let him read something if he can recite the Traditions let him recite them And then let him say over the Philacteries and Pray But that we be not too tedious Even from this very opinion they were wont to betake themselves to the Synagogues because they were perswaded the Prayers of the Synagogue were certainly heard III. They prayed in the streets So Maimonides e e e e e e In Tephillaâ cap. 11. They prayed in the streets in the feasts and publick Fasts f f f f f f Taanith cap. 2. hal 1. 2. What are the rites of the Fasts They brought out the Ark into the streets of the City and sprinkled ashes upon the Ark and upon the Head of the President of the Sanhedrin and the Vice-President and every one put ashes upon his own head One of the Elders make this exhortation It is not said O Brethren of the Ninivites that God saw their sackcloth or their fastings but that he saw their works c. They stand praying and they set some fit Elder before the Ark and he prays four and twenty prayers before them But doth our Saviour condemn all Prayers in the Synagogue By no means For he himself prayed in and with the Synagogue Nor
When the Priests eat of the Sacrifice and attonement is made for him that brings it There were other eatings viz. of the Festival Sacrifices of the Tenths Thanksgiving Offerings c. which were to be eaten by those that brought them but these all now have their period and now Do ye this and do it in remembrance of me IV. This cup which is shed for you This seems to have reference to that cup of Wine that was every day powered out in the Drink-Offerings with the daily Sacrifice for that also was poured out for the remission of Sins So that the bread may have reference to the body of the daily Sacrifice and the cup to the Wine of the Drink-Offering V. My blood of the New Testament So St. Matthew and St. Mark with reference to the blood of Bulls and of Goats with which the Old Testament was confirmed Exod. XXIV Heb. IX 10. VI. The New Testament in my blood So our Evangelist and so the Apostle 1 Cor. XI with reference to the whole ministry of the Altar where blood was poured out Nay with respect to the whole Jewish Religion for here was the beginning or entry of the New Covenant And indeed it seems that the design of that frequent Communion of the Lords Supper in the first Ages of the Church among other things was that those who were converted from Judaism might be sealed and confirmed against Judaism the Sacrament it self being the mark of the cessation the Old Testament and the beginning of the New VERS XXI ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. But behold the hand of him that betrayeth me c. WHAT can be desired more as a demonstration that Judas was present at the Eucharist And whereas the contrary is endeavoured to be proved out of Joh. XIII nothing is made out of nothing for there is not one syllable throughout that whole Chapter of the Paschal Supper but of a Supper before the Feast of the Passover VERS XXVI ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã As the younger THE Vulgar and Interlinear sicut junior We as the younger very well For as Beza hath it upon the place propriè dicitur de aetate it is properly to be understood of age I ask therefore I. Whether Peter was not the oldest of the whole company What reason can any have to deny this It was necessary that some one of them should be the first both in number and order and it was as sit and equal that the oldest amongst them should be reckoned the first And who will you say was older than Peter Hence was it that he had the first place in the Catalogue of the Apostles because he was the oldest For this reason he sate at Table in the uppermost place next our Lord for this reason did our Saviour so often direct his discourse so immediately to him and for this reason were his answers to Christ taken in the name of all the rest viz. because the oldest Which brings to mind ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Interpreter of the Doctor in the School of the Rabbins who was the Interlocutor between the Master and the Disciples and for that reason the chief ââ the School but without any primacy Whereas therefore St. Peter after our Saviour's Ascension into heaven was to speak vulgarly the Prolocutor in that Sacred College what more probable reason can be offered why he was so than his seniority Were not others as capable of speaking as he had they not equal Authority Zeal Faith Knowledge with him c but he indeed was the eldest man II. I cannot therefore but suspect from the proper signification of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã younger to which ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the greater respecting age does answer that some one amongst them had been challenging some priviledge and primacy to himself upon the account of seniority and unless any can make it out that there was some body older than Peter pardon me if I think that he was the chief in this Contention and that it was chiefly moved betwixt himself and the two Sons of Zebedee For it seems unlikely that the other nine would have contended for the primacy with Peter James and John whom Christ had so peculiarly distinguished in their presence with marks of his favour So that the struggle seems to be especially between these three and Peter the beginner of the strife which appears partly in that our Saviour rebukes him by name and partly in that he could not forget without some grudge that request of the two Brothers Lord let us sit one on thy right hand the other on thy left VERS XXXI ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Simon Simon LET us change the Name and person Thomas Thomas or Philip Philip Satan hath desired c. but I have prayed c. And who would from hence have pickâ out an Argument for the Primacy of Thomas or Philip over the rest of the Apostles and the universal Church And yet this do the Romanists in the behalf of Peter Who would not have taken it rather as a severe chiding As if he should have said Thou Thomas or Philip art thou so hot in contending for the Primacy whiles Satan is so hot against all of you and whilst you are at strife amongst your selves he is at strife against you all under such a notion as this I doubt not our Saviour did speak to Peter and that in these words he found a severe reprimand rather than any promotion to the Primacy VERS XXXII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That thy Faith fail not THERE seems an emphasis in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Faith As to the other Apostles indeed that Christian courage and magnanimity which they ought to have exerted in that difficult time did fail them but their Faith was nothing so near shipwreck as Peter's Faith was They indeed deserted their Master and fled Mark XIV 50. which they seem to have not done without some connivence from himself Joh. XVIII 8. But when Peter renounced and abjured his Lord how near was he becoming ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Apostate and his Faith from suffering a total shipwreck Certainly it was Peter's advantage that Christ pray'd for him but it was not so much for his honour that he should stand in need of such a Prayer beyond all others VERS XXXVI ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Let him sell his Garment and buy a Sword DOTH our Saviour give them this counsel in good earnest I. He uses the common Dialect For so also the Rabbins in other things g g g g g g Maimon Chanuchah cap. 4. He that hath not wherewithal to eat but upon mere Alms let him beg or sell his Garments to buy Oyl and Candles for the Feast of Dedication c. II. He warns them of a danger that is very near and in a common way of speech lets them know that they had more need of providing Swords for their defence against the common enemy than be any way quarrelling
send drink-offerings the drink-offerings are offered but if he send no drink-offerings drink-offerings are offered at the charge of the Congregation Observe that We have the same elsewhere b b b b b b Fal. 166. 2. Vajicra Rabba fol. 166. 2. And it is every where added that this is one of the seven things that were ordain'd by the great Council and that the sacrifice of a Gentile is only a whole burnt-offering ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the thank-offerings of a Gentile are whole burnt-offerings and the reason is given ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The mind of that Gentile is toward heaven Gloss. He had rather that his sacrifice should be wholly consum'd by fire to God than as his thank-offerings be eaten by men d d d d d d See also Menacoth fol. 72. 2. Temuraâ fol. 103. 1 c. That of Josephus is observable e e e e e e De Bell. lib. 2. cap. 30. Eleazar the Son of Ananias the High Priest a bold young man perswaded those that ministred in holy things ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that they should accept of no sacrifice at the hands of a stranger ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This was the foundation of the war with the Romans For they refus'd a sacrifice for Cesar. f f f f f f Ibid. cap. 31. The Elders that they might take off Eleazar and his followers from this resolution of theirs making a speech to them among other things say this That their fore-fathers had greatly beautify'd and adorn'd the Temple ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from things devoted by the Gentiles ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Always receiving the gifts from forreign Nations not having ever made any difference in the sacrifices of any whomsoever for that would be irreligious c. When they had spoken this and many more things to this purpose they produc'd several Priests skill'd in the ancient customs of their forefathers who shew'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that all their ancestors received offerings from the Gentiles II. Nor did the Gentiles only send their gifts and sacrifices but came themselves personally sometimes to the Temple and there worship'd Hence the outward Court of the Temple was call'd the Court of the Gentiles and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the common Court to which that in the Book of the Revelations alludes Chap. XI 2. But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given to the Gentiles And of those there shall innumerable numbers come and worship And they shall tread the Holy City forty and two months It is not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they shall tread it under foot as enemies and spoilers but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they shall tread it as worshippers So Isa. I. 12. g g g g g g Remidâ rab fol. 224. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Syrians and those that are unclean by the touch of a dead body enter'd into the mountain of the Temple h h h h h h Hieros Avodah Zarah fol. 40. 1. Rabban Gamaliel walking in the Court of the Gentiles saw an heathen woman and blessed concerning her i i i i i i Ioseph ubi supâ They would provoke the Roman armes espouse a war with them introduce a new worship and perswade an impiety with the hazard of the City ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã If no stranger but the Jews only may be allow'd to sacrifice or worship Hence that suspicion about Trophimus being brought by Paul into the Temple is not to be suppos'd to have been with reference to this Court but to the Court of the women in which Paul was purifying himself k k k k k k Pesachin fol. 3. 2. There is a story of a certain Gentile that eat the Passover at Jerusalem but when they found him out to be an heathen they slew him for the Passover ought not to be eaten by any one that is uncircumcised But there was no such danger that an uncircumcised person could run by coming into the Court of the Gentiles and worshipping there VERS XXIV ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. Except a corn of wheat HOW doth this answer of our Saviours agree with the matter propounded Thus Is it so indeed do the Gentiles desire to see me The time draws on wherein I must be glorify'd in the conversion of the Gentiles but as a corn of wheat doth not bring forth fruit except it be first thrown into the ground and there die but if it die it will bring forth much fruit so I must die first and be thrown into the earth and then a mighty harvest of the Gentile world will grow up and be the product of that death of mine Isa. XXVI 19. Thy dead men shall live ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã together with my dead body shall they arise so our translation with which also the French agrees Rescusciteront avec mon corps They shall rise with my Body But it is properly Corpus meum resurgent They shall arise my Body so the interlineary Version The Gentiles being dead in their sins shall with my dead body when it rises again rise again also from their death Nay they shall rise again my Body that is as part of my self and my Body Mystical VERS XXVIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I have both glorify'd it and will glorifie it again THIS Petition of our Saviours Father glorifie thy name was of no light consequence when it had such an answer from heaven by an audible voice And what it did indeed mean we must guess by the Context Christ upon the Greeks desire to see him takes that occasion to discourse about his death and to exhort his followers that from his example they would not love their life but by losing it preserve it to life eternal Now by how much the deeper he proceeds in the discourse and thoughts of his approaching death by so much the more is his mind disturbed as himself acknowledgeth ver 27. But whence comes this disturbance It was from the apprehended rage and affault of the Devil whether our Lord Christ in his agony and passion had to grapple with an angry God I question but I am certain he had to do with an angry Devil When he stood and stood firmly in the highest and most eminent point and degree of obedience as he did in his sufferings it doth not seem agreeable that he should then be groaning under the pressures of Divine wrath but it is most agreeable he should under the rage and fury of the Devil For I. The fight was now to begin between the Serpent and the seed of the woman mention'd Gen. III. 15. about the glory of God and the salvation of man In which strife and contest we need not doubt but the Devil would exert all his malice and force to the very uttermost II. God loosed all the reins and suffered the Devil without any kind of restraint upon him to
be Converted the Spirit of Grace reveals these to him in feeling and experience And further Revelation as to the understanding of Scripture there is not the least ground-work in Scripture whereupon to expect it III. When God had committed the New Testament to writing he had revealed all that he would reveal to men on Earth of his will and way of Salvation The words in Joh. XVI 13. are appropriate to the Apostles None ever were or will be whom God led into all Truth save the Apostles He leads indeed every Saint he hath into all Truth needful for him but the Apostles into all Truth needful both for themselves and the whole Church Because God by them was to give the rule of Faith and Manners to all the Church Now when all the Truth that God would reveal was revealed and compact in the New Testament as all Light in the body of the Sun must we still look for further Revelation to explain this Revealing It was foretold that the Light that God would exhibit under the Gospel should be as the Light of the Sun sevenfold and must we look for another Sun of Revelation to give Light to this Sun The New Testament revealed the Old and must we look for Revelations to reveal the New And so we may look in infinitum IV. The main difficulty of the New Testament requires study to unfold it rather than Revelation The Old Testament needed further Revelation to unfold it and further was promised And accordingly the New Testament was a further Revelation that did unfold it For the great difficulty of the Old Testament was in the Sence the Language every Child could understand for it was their Mother-tongue But when they could understand what the words meant they could not understand what the Sence meant nor was it possible to find it out in abundance of places without further Revelation But the main difficulty of the New Testament is in the Languages unlock that clearly and the Sence ariseth easie The Old Testaments difficulty was in the Kernel the New in the Shell For besides that Greek the Original is not the Native Tongue now of any part of the World there is such intermixture of Septuagint Greek Hebrew Idioms Talmudichal Phrases and Allusions to the Jews Opinions and Customs that the greatest difficulty is to explain the Language that done the Sence is plain Now certainly it is more likely to obtain understanding of Languages by Study than to attain it by Revelation unless any one will yet expect that miraculous gift of Tongues which I suppose there is none will make himself so ridiculous as to say they expect But this only by the way In the Text as there are two Verses so are there two distinct things observable In the former a Festival mentioned in the latter Christs presence there intimated and either of them illustrated by three circumstances I. The Festival 1. By its Name It was the Feast of Dedication 2. By the Place It was at Jerusalem 3. By the Time It was Winter II. Christs presence there 1. By the place where he was In the Temple 2. The particular place in the Temple Solomons porch 3. His posture there He was walking He was at the Feast at Jerusalem though it were Winter and he walked in the Temple belike to get him heat because it was Winter The Feast of Dedication as the Authors before mentioned do inform us was instituted upon this occasion Antiochus Epiphanes one of the Kings of Syria one of the Horns of the fourth Monarchy Dan. VII 24. having the Nation of the Jews under his Power and Tyranny raised against them and their Religion a very sad Persecution He forbad them to Circumcise their Children he restrained the exercise of their Religion burnt the Books of the Law set up idolatry defiled the Temple set up an Idolatrous Altar upon the very Altar of the Lord in the Court of the Temple And all this for a Time two Times and half a Time as Daniel styles it Dan. VII 25. or three years and an half The Jews had never felt such misery of that nature before and Daniel in his twelfth Chapter foretelling of that a long time before it came saith That it should be such a time of trouble as had never been since they were a Nation At last Judas Maccabaeus prevails against his Power and Tyranny shakes off that Yoak restores the People and Religion destroies his Idolatry purges the Temple pulls down his Idol-Altar that he had erected there yea also the Altar of the Lord which it had stood upon and defiled reareth up a new Altar and on the 25th day of the month Cisleu which was the ninth month or their November dedicates the Altar and sets the Publick Service of the Temple afoot again And thereupon he and the generation ordained that day and seven days forward for the Feast of Dedication to be kept annually throughout all succeeding Generations as may be read at large in 1 Macc. IV. and in the Authors beside that I named I might Observe from hence How joyful a thing it is and how joyful and perpetual a Memorial it ought to carry when decayed Religion is restored to a Nation Oh! that England might see that day and come to such a Feast of Dedication But I desire to fix upon the latter Verse of the Text and to observe Christs presence at that Feast which is the more remarkable and strange because there were three things that might not only have warranted his absence thence but even perswaded and urged it according to the three circumstances we observed in the former verse the Feast it self the Time and the Place I. The Time It was Winter An ill time to travail and Jerusalem was a very long journey from Capernaum the place of Christs habitation And the Evangelist seems to have added this circumstance the rather that we might look upon his presence there as the more remarkable II. It is said that Christ was at this Feast at Jerusalem whereas he might have kept it in his own Town For although indeed the three Festivals that God had appointed by Moses Passover Pentecost and of Tabernacles required mens personal appearance at Jerusalem yet the two Feastâ that were ordained afterwards Purim and Dedication as the Jews Records tell us might be kept at their own homes III. And that which was the main thing indeed this Feast was not ordained either by the immediate appointment of God as those three were to Moses nor was there then any Prophet in those times that by Divine Warrant could authorize its institution but it was only of a Civil and Ecclesiastical Sanction appointed by the Higher Powers in that Generation As our fift of November is indeed of Religious observation and yet but only of Humane Institution These reasons might have kept Christ from going up to Jerusalem at this Feast and yet you see that he is there From whence I Observe and on which I shall
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
is a thing without life without feeling without fruit like Pharaohs thin ears of corn that sprang up like ears of corn but are blasted as soon as sprung up and are empty and come to nothing Conscience and Memory are so lodged together in the faculty of the Understanding as two infants laid together in one and the same cradle that Conscience cannot but receive some jogging some motion some touch from its cradle-fellow and its cradle The profanest wretch that is cannot but sometimes be told by his own heart that he hath done evil and that he doth not well he cannot but remember that he hath committed such and such abominable actions he cannot but be convinced he hath done what he should not that he hath incurred guilt and danger in so doing he cannot but be convinced he should do otherwise and yet all this while he hath no impression upon his heart no remorse no amending but doth the same things still and still Here is a spark of Conviction struck out between the flint and steel between his memory and understanding and it lights into the tinder of his Conscience but this is damp and dead that it takes no fire and the spark presently goes out and dies A blasted Conviction like Pharaohs thin ears an abortive Conviction ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Apostles language though in another case a thing born out of due form Conviction born dead and not shaped or formed to the feature of a due conviction I may compare it to letters written in paper with the juice of a Lemmon out of which you cannot spell either sentence or sence without bringing it to the fire and fire in time will make these letters legible to him that now will see nothing in them II. Secondly There is a Conviction of Conscience that brings with it some over-powering some more some less some for one end some for another I say some over-powering In that dispute about the resistibility or irresistibility of grace as far as I can see into the dispute this distinction might be useful and advantagious toward the determining of it viz. to consider what the Spirit of God doth to the heart by way of trying it and what it doth with intent and resolution to overpower it The former part of the distinction you have in Exod. XX. 20. Fear not for the Lord is come to prove or try you The latter in Esa. XXVI 11. They will not see but they shall see and be ashamed The former in Revel III. 17. Christ stands at the door and knocks to try whether he shall be entertained The latter in Ezek. XXII 14. How can thy heart indure and thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee when I break in resolved to overpower thee As in that blasted conviction I spake of before there was a trying but no over powering so there is some over powering conviction also that is but for trial There was some overpowering Conviction upon the Consciences of those men in the Text and that in a very great degree when it packt them out of the room and company but this was far from overpowering them to the utmost end of Conviction but it was only by way of trial how they would improve this Conviction to that utmost end So that was a very overpowering Conviction upon the Conscience of Herod that made him reverence John Baptist and to hear him gladly and to do many things according to his doctrine but it was far from attaining the utmost end of Conviction it was only by way of trial whither he would come up to the utmost end or no. This Conviction neither they in the Text nor Herod could resist for Conviction brake in whether they would or no but the ultimate operation of Conviction they resisted because in this Conviction the Spirit of God did only try them not resolved to overpower them to the utmost fruit and effect of Conviction III. Thirdly Now the ultimate effect of Conviction is double and divers according to the duplicity and diversity of the matter of Conviction it self namely when the Conscience is convinced of its condition or when it is convinced of its duty The former so that it is awaked like Jonah with a storm and not able to stand before the Conviction but is broke all to pieces by terror and torture the latter that it is not able to stand against the Conviction but is overcome and overpowered to close with its duty I shall illustrate the former by comparing the case with a known story and the latter by speaking to a case of Conscience worth the knowing For the first it is well known how God tried the Hearts and Consciences of Pharaoh and the Egyptians by Moses words and miracles and how again and again he in some degree did over-power them but still they resisted and came not up to the proper and ultimate effect of Conviction to own and to do their duty At last he brings them into the horror of three days darkness and in that darkness they are haunted with dreadful and horrid Apparitions of Fiends and Devils For observe in Psal. LXXVIII 49. when the Holy Ghost is reckoning up the Plagues of Egypt and instead of mentioning the Plague of darkness in express terms he mentions that that was the very quintessence of that Plague He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation and trouble by sending evil Angels among them What Conviction think ye these mens Consciences were struck withal in the sence of their condition when they are so overborn with it and even crushed all to pieces with horror and are brought even into the suburbs of Hell They felt the fierceness of the anger wrath and indignation of the Lord they saw his dreadful executioners about them Fiends and Devils and they are all the while chained up in fetters of darkness that they cannot out-run their horror they cannot abide the horrid confutation of Conscience they are under nor can they avoid it Ah! wo wo wo to the people to the person is in such a case And to such a case doth God sometimes bring the Consciences of men even in this life though not exactly in the very same kind of execution Who hath read the story of Spira Does he not see him and his Conscience in as dreary a condition as these men though not in the very same way of tormenting What ails Lamec to howl so horribly Gen. IV. 23 24 that he had slain young and old and undone the World by the cursed example of his Polygamy that he is in seventy and sevenfold more cursed condition than Cain who had slain only one Abel Lamec what is the matter Oh Conviction Conviction of Conscience set on with such horror that it grinds his soul even to powder and he cannot stand before it he cannot stand under it What ails thee Judas to confess thy fact against thy self with so much sadness and confusion
tyranny in the one and the Jews malice and mischievousness in the other and upon the full view the Roman and the Jew conspiring together and becoming guilty of this horridest fact that ever was committed under the Sun the murthering of the Lord of life and glory Let us begin first with Pilate who stands first in mention in the Text as he stands representative of Rome whose authority he carried and whose Tyranny in this case he exercised Methinks there is hardly a more remarkable passage in the whole book of the Revelations then that Chap. XIII 2. The Dragon gave his power and seat and great authority unto the Beast Which in plain English is this The Devil gave his power and seat and great authority to Rome For that by the Dragon is meant the Devil there is none but grant and that by the Beast is meant Rome even Romanists themselves do not deny When you read that passage in S. Luke IV. 5 6. that the Devil shewed our Saviour all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them do you not presently conceive that he shewed him Rome her Empire and Glory For then where was the pomp and glory of the World but within that City and Empire And when you read that he said unto him All this power will I give thee and the glory of them do you not presently conceive that he offered to make him Caesar or Lord of that vast Empire if he would fall down and worship him And how pat do these words of his for that is delivered to me and to whomsoever I will I give them agree with these in the Revelations The Dragon gave his power and seat and great authority unto the beast It neither is nor indeed could be said so of the other Monarchies or Empires that had gone before It is not said the Dragon gave his power to the Babylonian Empire nor to the Persian nor Grecian nor Syrogrecian nor indeed could it be so truly and pertinently said so concerning them as concerning Rome For the Dragon had a business for Rome to do which the other neither did nor could do for him which was to put the Lord of life to death The old Serpent knew from of old that he was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman that he was to compass the death of Messias and it was reserved to Rome and her power and tyranny to be the instrument of such an action and the Dragon gave his power seat and authority to that City for that purpose that it might do his business in murthering Christ and his members after him Pilate who carried with him the authority and commission of that City confessed him innocent and yet condemned him pleaded for him that he was not guilty and yet crucified him and that mainly upon the account of Rome and for her sake because forsooth there must be no King but Caesar or who was set up or kinged by Caesar. In Revel XI 8. where mention is made of slaying the two witnesses it is said their dead carcasses shall lie in the streets of that great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified The last clause where also our Lord was crucified may seem to direct your eyes to Jerusalem but the title The great City which Chap. XVII ult is defined The great City which ruleth over the Kings of the Earth calls them back again to look at Rome as our Lords crucifier by whom that work must be done or not done at all for to such a tenour do the Jews tell Pilate in the Text when they say It is not lawful for us Before ever I should turn Romanist I must be satisfied in this scruple and question How comes the Jew and Jerusalem so cursed a Place and Nation for the murther of our Lord and the Romanist and Rome so blessed as to be the holy mother Church of all the World when that City and Nation had as deep and bloody a hand in the murther of the Saviour of the World as the other if not deeper I remember the story of one of the Grand Seigniors that when he had received a foul and base foil before a poor and contemptible Town Scodra if I mistake not the name for very rancour and vexation and that he might be whetting on himself continually to revenge he commanded him that waited nearest on him to be minding him continually with these words Remember Scodra May I be so bold as to hint such a memorandum to you against Rome As oft as you read or rehearse or hear rehearsed that article in our Creed He suffered under Pontius Pilate Remember Rome and that under that it was our Saviour suffered and the article minds you of so much and if it were not intended for such a memorandum had it not been enough to have said He suffered without any mention of Pontius Pilate at all Let us reason with the Romanist a little after the manner of his own Logick He argues thus Peter was at Rome and sat Bishop there and suffered martyrdom and died there Ergo Rome is the mother Church and head of all Churches We argue in like manner Pilate was at Jerusalem sat Judge there condemned and crucified the Lord of life there and that by the Power and Authority of Rome Ergo let Rome look to it how she clears her self of that fact and guiltiness And so I have done with the first party in mention in the Text Pilate and he invested with the Roman authority The other party are the Jews more peculiarly the Sanhedrin invested also wiââ the Jewish power and Representatives of the whole Nation How busie and active the Jews were in this bloody business needs no illustration of mine the Sacred pens of the Evangelists have done that abundantly Only I might speak to this circumstance and not impertinent question whether the Jews did not indeed think him to be the Messias and yet murthered him Pilate condemned him though he knew him innocent and did not they murther him though they knew him to be the very Christ Methinks that passage in the Parable of the husbandmen in the Vineyard speaks very fairly for the Affirmative Matth. XXI 38. When the husband men saw the Son they said this is the heir come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance They knew him to be the heir and yet they kill him nay they kill him because they know him to be the heir and that by killing him they shall get the inheritance It is said indeed they knew him not Act. XIII 27. which if you interpret that they knew not the dignity of his person and that he was God as well as man the Jews will not be perswaded of the Godhead of Messias to this day that does not deny but that they might take him for the Messias howsoever But I shall not dispute this case If they took him for Messias they thought he was not
be dissolved Any one may be ready to say upon it as Ahab doth to Benhadad That which my Lord sent to me for at the first I will do but this second thing I cannot do The first thing proposed To look for the day of God I shall willingly agree to but to hasten the day of God this is a hard saying For who as the Judge standeth before the door dare invite him in Who dares say as Laban to Abrahams servant Come in thou blessed of the Lord come in why standest thou without The generality of men thinketh the day of God hasteneth fast enough of it self and that there is little need to hasten it And yet that very consideration is a great perswasive so to do I am sure it is so argued Matth. XXV Behold the Bridegroom cometh go forth to meet him Not sit still till he come up to you for he is coming but because he is coming go forth to meet him It was a noble confidence and valour in David that when Goliath came out against him he ran and made hast to meet him And he had but coursely incountred that great giant had he not had that confidence and valour That man or woman will but coldly incounter death and judgment that sit still till death and judgment come upon them and never make out to meet them that when the Judge stands at the door have no mind of his entring and coming in It were worth disputing how far a good man may be willing to die or how far unwilling but I shall not enter upon that at this time It is past all dispute that every one should be preparing to die and to meet the Judge when he cometh He standeth at the door it is happy to be prepared against he cometh in Let us all leave our thank-offerings at the Judges altar for his great patience and long-suffering towards us that he is still standing at the door and hath not broken in upon us that his Patience is not outwearied by us after our so great exercising of it And let us ever carry the words of the Text sounding in our ears and hearts That the Judge standeth at the door beholding all our actions beholding all our hearts noting and observing all we do to demand an account of us at his day of Judgment A SERMON 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 SEven things may be taken notice of from these words at first sight I. A permission and commission to bring the Gospel among the Gentiles The Apostles had been tied up before Matth. X. 5. Jesus sent forth the twelve and commanded them saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles But now he inlargeth them II. The end of this inlargement to bring the Gentiles in to be Disciples So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies as we shall see anon III. The way to initiate them for Disciples ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã make them Disciples by baptizing them IV. The form of the administration of Baptism In nomine Patris c. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost V. This is the fourth establishment of Baptism The first was in the hand of John Secondly Christ himself was baptized Thirdly The Disciples baptized in his Name Joh. III. 22. Joh. IV. 2. Fourthly Here in the Text is the full establishment of it VI. The Doctrine of the Trinity is in the Text and professed in every Baptism VII The Office of Ministers To teach and administer the Sacraments Two Heresies especially misconstrue this Text Anabaptism and Socinianism For I must call that Heresie that unchurches all Churches and ungods God I shall not intangle my self in these disputes only consider the sense and propriety of the Text as before us and that in these parts named First I shall consider the Apostles commission to fetch in the Gentiles This is called a Mystery Ephes. III. 4 5 6 c. Whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the Mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel c. This is the great business in the Prophets To bring thy sons from far All the Ends of the Earth shall see the Salvation of God c. In a word this is a great monument of the Riches of grace that when the Gentiles had lain rejected so long as two and twenty hundred years so deep as to commit all sin and not know of sin so inslaved as to adore Devils so far from the means of grace as that they never heard of it yet not length of time depth of sin power of Satan nor vastness of distance could hinder the light of the Gospel breaking in upon them O! the heighth depth bredth and length of the grace of God! Here is a large field to consider this Grace As first how the Gospel was slighted by the Jews yet this Grace was not worn out of patience but God sends it also to the Gentiles And secondly how it was brought to them that cared not to come to it I might speak here of our share of this grace who were Heathen It was good tidings to all people as to the Romans Chap. I. 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ But I shall keep close to the words of the Text. I shall observe two things concerning this Commission I. The time when this Commission was given II. The work which the Apostles were to do by vertue of this Commission First The time Christ being now risen And the reasons why Christ took this time to deliver this Commission to his Apostles were these 1. One reason of it appears in the word Therefore In the 18 vers All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore All power as Mediator He dispenced things before after his own Will by vertue of his Soverainty Rom. IX 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy But add to this that now he had paid a price for the Heathens he had earned his wife as Jacob had conquered Satan that had them captive had exhibited a Righteousness to save the wickedest where they would apply it had broken down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile In Ephes. II. 13 14. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our Peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us And in vers 15. he shews you how Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the Law of commandments contained in Ordinances c.
are Seals Obligations and Privileges And upon every one of these children are capable of the Sacrament of Baptism First Why is it not lawful to imprint a Seal of Gods truth upon babes Memorials of Gods truth and faithfulness have been imprinted upon liveless and insensible things Thus the Bow in the cloud was set for a token of a Covenant between God and the Earth IX Gen. 13. And Joshua wrote Gods Law on the stones of the Altar VIII Josh. 32. It was imprinted on children by Gods appointment in circumcision why not now Why do we seclude children from that honour now Why uncapable now Mistake not in thinking that Sacraments seal his righteousness or interest in God that receives them no they seal Gods truth whosoever receive them Simon Magus received baptism and Judas the Lords Supper they were seals of Gods truth though not to their profit Peter Paul received them for advantage How As Seals Yes but not sealing their righteousness but as seals of Gods truth and so they confirmed their faith T is ignorance and a blind cavil to assert the Sacraments seals of his righteousness that partakes of them and therefore that Infants are not to be baptized Secondly Infants are capable of an Obligation A man may bind his heir though an infant So infants were bound by circumcision Why not now Nay see Deut. XXIX 11 15. You stand this day all of you before the Lord your Captains of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones c. That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath c. Neither with you only do I make this Covenant and this oath But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God and also with him that is not here with us this day Where you see that those that were unborn and distant when Moses made this Covenant were bound to this Covenant and children are no further off than these For the equity of the obligation lies not in the parties understanding the thing but in aequitate rei in the equity of the thing it self How come all men liable to Adams sin Aequitas imputationis the equity of imputing it to them makes them liable as they are in Adams loins and Covenant How do men become bound to perform their duty Not because able but ex aequitate rei because it is so equal and fit that they should So children at baptism may come under obligation not because they are able to perform their duty to know it but the equity of the thing lays it on They have this natural bond upon them as Creatures to Homage God if the Sacramental bond be added they are bound as Christians to Homage Christ. Why should this be so monstrous since they are as much capable to know one as the other I may add they are part of their Parents and therefore to be brought under the same Bond. So I would answer an Anabaptist I baptize my child because I am baptized my self A strange reason will he say Let him give me the reason of those two passages Gen. XVII 14. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my Covenant And Exod. XX. 5. I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children Alas what hath the poor child done Why doth God visit the iniquity of the Father upon the child He is part of his Parent and in the punishment of the child the Parent is punished Here then is the reason why Parents ought to bring their children to Baptism because they themselves are not whole under this bond and introduction if part of them viz. their children be out of it This is the reason of baptizing whole families Act. XVI 15. 33. c. Where you may see how they were first discipled by Baptism in a minute after hearing of Christ and also how the whole Family was baptized with the Parent It is childish to say it may be there were no children in those families and shews their ignorance that plead it For if never so many children they must be baptized For so was the Custom of the Jewish Nation in their use of Baptism when a Proselyte came in his children were baptized with him and all this upon this ground that all that were related to the Parent might come into Covenant But were succeeding generations of Proselytes children baptized I answer No but only the first generation was baptized Why then are we baptized after the conversion of our Nation I answer They had the Sacrament of admission Circumcision for true Israelites and that continued from generation to generation and Baptism being of the same nature and use requires the same continued practise Thirdly Baptism is for privilegial ends And a child is capable of privilege A child in the cradle may be made a King Children were capable of Circumcision that was a Privilege to be admitted into the Jewish Church why are they not capable of the like privilege now Talm. Bab. in Jeramoth Cap. 4. disputes this case and so resolves That one may be privileged though he know it not As one at a distance may be chosen Fellow of a College Why is not a child capable of receiving a badge of the privilege of being under the Covenant with his Parents Object But these Privileges come by birth of Christian Parents Answ. No not any privilege further than Baptism Birthright intitles to that and that admits to the rest of the privileges He that was uncircumcised was cut off though of circumcised parentage Gen. XVII 14. This argument the Apostle handles 1 Cor. VII 14. So that children are not only capable of Baptism as a Privilege but bound to Baptism as an Introduction to privileges and cut off without it as it was in circumcision We conclude with that remarkable passage Matth. XIX 14. But Jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Who brought these children Not unbelievers such to be sure would not they must therefore have been such as believed on him But what did believers bring them for Not to heal for if it were for that end why should the Disciples hinder them rebuking those that brought them vers 13. Christs answer to the Disciples shews that they brought them as children of Disciples and that Christ would own them as his Disciples which he by his words concerning them professeth them capable to be And the Disciples rebuked those that brought them not that they were ignorant that children were introduced into the Gospel bond and profession with their Parents but they thought this too much that they should desire so particular admission by Christ. It is observable that Baptism in the first times was the badge of Preservation from destruction See
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
of the nature of this work which will speak it moral and upon that account fit to be used in the Christian Church And secondly the Evidence of the use of it in the first times And first of the Nature of this Duty Many things are spoken of the excellency of the book of Psalms and many may be spoken of the Excellency of singing Psalms I may allude to that expression Many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all So may I say in reference to this Duty all Duties are excellent but this includes all In singing of Psalms there is what is in other Services and more Prayer is our duty Praise speaking of Gods works singing are our Duties but this last is all it is like the holy Incense mixt of all these perfumes The excellency of this duty will appear further under these four heads First It is an action that helps up and keeps up the heart in a Spiritual frame as much as any See the Apostle arguing for singing upon this account V. Ephes. 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 V. James 13. Is any among you afflicted Let him pray Is any merry Let him sing Psalms If the heart would be up in mirth use this to help it up being not yet come into frame If it be up use this to keep it that it be not transported The Heart by spiritual musick is called up to beat in the right mean As David by his Harp calmed Sauls spirit so this is proper to beat down immoderate mirth And so on the other hand it is proper to free the mind of lumpishness and sadness as Elisha being put into a passion and disturbance at the sight of the King of Israel called for Temple Musick to pacifie and allay his discomposed mind 2 King III. 14 15. And Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee But now bring me a Minstrel And it came to pass when the Minstrel played that the hand of the Lord came upon him See a strange passage in Jer. XX. at the 12. vers the Prophets heart is quite down O Lord of Hosts that tryest the righteous and seest the reins and the heart let me see thy vengeance on them for unto thee have I opened my cause At the 14 vers his heart is lower yet Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed But in the midst of these sorrows and dejections he falls to praising and singing unto God At the 13 vers Sing unto the Lord praise ye the Lord. He strives to wind up his heart to a right pitch with Sing unto the Lord. As God requires outward and inward worship so a spiritual frame for inward worship may be forwarded by the outward composure Gazing drowsiness hinders the activity of the Soul but the contrary temper furthers and helps it Singing calls up the Soul into such a posture and doth as it were awaken it t is a lively rowzing up of the heart Secondly This is a work of the most meditation of any we perform in publick It keeps the heart longest upon the thing spoken Prayer and hearing pass quick from one Sentence to another this sticks long upon it Meditation must follow after hearing the word and praying with the Minister for new sentences still succeeding give not liberty in the instant well to muse and consider upon what is spoken But in this you pray and meditate praise and meditate speak of the things of God and meditate God hath so ordered this duty that while we are imployed in it we feed and chew the cud together Higgaion or Meditation is set upon some passages of the Psalms as IX Psal. 16. The same may be writ upon the whole duty and all parts of it viz. Meditation Set before you one in the posture to sing to the best advantage eyes lift up to Heaven denote his desire that his heart may be there too hath before him a line or verse of prayer mourning praise mention of Gods works how fairly now may his heart spred it self in Meditation on the thing while he is singing it over Our singing is measured in deliberate time not more for Musick than Meditation He that seeks not finds not this advantage in singing Psalms hath not yet learned what it means Thirdly This is a Service in which we profess delight in the thing we have in hand Yea even in sad mourning ditty we delight so to mourn Psal. C. 1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye Lands serve the Lord with gladness T is a noise of joy and gladness It speaks that we delight in Gods Ordinances that we are about As Musick at Table shews we make a Feast of delight of what God hath provided Solatur voce laborem He that sings at his work shews that his work goes on with contentedness David at his harp and composing Psalms to the honour of God what delight did he take therein So that in singing there must be two things I. The Ditty to be applied by Meditation And II. Tuning the Voice to it in the best liveliness we can as delighting in the work Nay Fourthly This is a Service wherein one is cheared from another It is a joynt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã One takes mirth life and warmth from another a holy servor and emulation as the Seraphins Esa. VI. strive to outvy one another in praising God Who is there but while he is joyning with the Congregation in this Duty feels such an impression and excitation his own string wound up by the consort of the Quire T is a story goes of St. Austin that it was one means of his conversion the hearing the heavenly singing of Psalms at Milan As all our Duties here in publick carry some bond and badge of communion we come to pray together hear together and so profess our selves Christians together we being all Scholars in the School of Christ so this of singing together more especially speaks it out But herein is not only a sign of communion but also mutual excitation As David speaks when he was at this work Psal XXXIV 3. O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together We do as it were joy one another to put on all as much as we can to joyn together in the praise and honour of God I need to say no more to shew that so excellent a Duty could not but be setled by Christ with others in the Christian Church the very nature of the thing may speak it I shall therefore only speak to three things I. The warrant of Christ for the observance of this Duty II. The admonitions of the Apostle for the same purpose And
and of Grace in its nature and end But that that I shall insist upon shall be to consider something concerning the Spirits overpowering of Men their Actions Tongues Hearts or all And though here was no overpowering the Heart of this wretch but of his Tongue only yet I shall speak more especially of overpowering of ââe Heart as most material in this subject and which understood the Spirits overpowering of the Tongue and Action will be understood with little ado I shall couch what I have to speak under these following Obrvations I. I may take up that Gen. VI. 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man He saith not with this or that or the other man in particular but with man in general Because the Spirit of God strives with every man in the World at some time and in some degree or other Act. VII 51. Ye stif-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost The Spirit strove with those wretches though this striving was to no purpose or effect because of their resistance And so in that exhortation 1 Thes. V. 19. Quench not the Spirit is intimated that they that quench the Spirit and let not his sparks grow to any thing yet that they have these sparks striving together if they would let them alone Christian I shall not be solicitous to prove this because it needs not And I must tell thee it is not so well and right with thee as it should if thou findst not the proof and experience of this truth in thine own Heart if thou find not some knocking 's at that door that calls and tells It is time to awake out of sleep and set to work some checkings of Conscience when thou goest about knowingly to sin and some reprovings of Conscience when thou hast so sinned some stirrings of Heart upon hearing the threatnings and curses of the Law of God in a powerful Ministry some trouble of Soul upon sight of Gods judgments upon thy self or others in a word if thou find not thy Conscience as a voice behind thee calling after thee This is the way walk in it If thou find any such things listen and improve them It is the voice of my beloved putting as it were his finger in at the hole of the door to see whether thou wilt open It is the Spirit of God striving with thy Heart But if thou find not any such thing take heed lest thou hast wearied the Spirit of God that he will strive no more II. The Spirit is able to overpower any Heart that he strives withal I need not to prove this neither to any that understand what the Spirit of God is which I hope you all understand A Macedonian or Socinian that denies the Godhead of the Holy Ghost yet I see not how he can deny this if he do but confess the Holy Ghost to be the Spirit of God Let me even challenge of you that have been better taught to attest this truth with me and to look up towards Heaven with due consideration of the sacred Spirit and to acknowledge in the words of Job Chap. XLII 2. I know thou canst do all things and that no thought can be holden from thee God in Jer. XXXII 27. proclaims Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh Is there any thing too hard for me If we should take the words as spoken particularly of the holy Spirit are they not most true to every tittle Is not the Holy Ghost Jehovah Is he not the Lord Is he not the God of all flesh and all Mens Spirits And then can any thing can any Heart be too hard for him But if any desire a particular proof of the thing we assert viz. That the Holy Spirit is able to overpower any Heart whatsoever that he strives withal Let him either look at a prophane wretch that always resisted the strivings of the Spirit now come under horror of Conscience Or let him well ponder upon the state of the damned in Hell who were such resisters while they were here And first let him read that Esa. XXX 33. The breath or Spirit of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it In that horrid torture of Conscience of theirs where the worm ever gnaweth and never dieth do you not think their Hearts are overpowered Are not now those brazen gates and iron doors that would bar out the overcomings of the Spirit broke open and broke all to pieces Vicisti Galilaee as Julian once so do not they everlastingly confess that God is proved too hard for them And how is this alto-shattering of their Hearts and Consciences come upon them The breath or Spirit of the Lord like a river of brimstone is gushed in upon them and overflows them with horror and they cannot resist It is the everlasting vengeance of the Spirit of God upon them thus to crush their Consciences with everlasting confusion and torture because they did they would resist his strivings while they were here No no resist damned Souls now resist and keep the doors fast barred that the power the vengeance of the Spirit cannot break in No it will not be the Spirit is all powerful if he will is able to overpower any Heart he strives with here he will with vengeance do it to him that resists hereafter III. The first aim of the Spirit in his striving is to try men It is apparent by Scripture that God by the motions of his Spirit comes to try those men who he knows will not receive the motions of his Spirit As in 2 Chron. XXXII 31. In the business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his Heart God withdrew or suspended the acting of the Spirit of grace to try him So God doth on the other hand employ some actings of the Spirit to try whether men will entertain them God tries men by his Word whether they will obey him or no Exod. XX. 20. God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not saith Moses to the people of Israel concerning Gods giving them his Law Mat. XXIII 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gâthereth her chickins under her wings and ye would not I tried whether thou wouldest be gathered but thou wouldest not He tries men likewise by his Providences how they will demean themselves under them Deut. VIII 2. Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the Wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine Heart whether thou wouldest keep his Commandments or no. So he doth by his Spirit in that noted place Revel III. 18. Behold I stand at the door and knock He that stands at the door could break down the door
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
and it was so called perhaps from the pairs buried there for here they say Adam and Eve Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebeckah were interred It was in the Hill Country of Judah Josh. 21. 11. South of Jerusalem but a little toward the East and might be seen from the Towers of it say the Jews It was a City of Refuge inhabâted by the Levites but the Fields and Villages belonged to Judah It had several Cities within its Jurisdiction Here John Baptist was born and probably Christ conceived v. I. p. 60 413 414 420 454. v. II. p. 46 47 296 Heliopolis a City in Celo-Syria Ptol. placeth it in Long. 68. 40. Lat. 33. 40. v. 2. p. 366 Hellenists Act. 6. 1. are Jews dwelling in foreign parts among the Greeks and whose Mother Tongue was Greek v. I. p. 286 340. v. II. 798 Hermon or the Mountain of Snew at Caesarea Philippi and near the Springs of Jordan v. II. p. 62. 502 Hermon the Less Borchardus placeth it South of Tabor which without question is from a misconstruction of Psal. 89. 12. v. II. p. 370 501 Herodium a Castle upon a Mountain in the extream part of Peraea South toward Moab near Machaerus built by Herod the Great who was buried about eight Furlongs from it Here Herod Antipas entertained his Lords when Herodias danced before them It was two hundred Furlongs or twenty five Miles from Jericho Vol. II. p. 361. 363 500 Heshbon a City in the Mountainous part of Peraea Vol. II. p. 81 Hieramax or Jarmoch a River near to which stood Gadara beyond Jordan v. II. p. 69 Hippo or Susitha being of the same signification in the Land of Tob and Region of Gergesa It was thirty Furlongs or about three Miles from Tiberias beyond Magdala from Jordan two Miles and betwixt that and Bethsaidâ It was for the most part inhabited by Gentiles v. II. p. 70 199 340 515 Hittites were the Northern Inhabitants of Canaan and so the Kings of Tyre and Sidon are called Kings of the Hittites 1 King 10 29. v. II. p. 202 Hor the Mountain where Aaron died and the thirty fourth Mansion of the Israelites in the Wilderness and the same with Moseroth c. v. I. p. 36 39. From hence those that inhabited the Land afterwards possessed by the Edomites were called Horites or Horims Gen. 14. 6. v. I. p. 12. v. II. p. 329 366. It is also another Mountain in the Northern Coast of the Land Numb 34. 7 8. so that what is inwards of it is within the Land what is without it is without the Land It was called by the Jews Amanah by others Amanus v. II. p. 3. 62 516 Horeb Mountain the same with Sinai where the Law was given This gave name to the Wilderness of Horeb. v. I. p. 39 501 Hormah a City in the Tribe of Simeon v. I. p. 44 Horonaim Jer. 48. 34. called by Josephus Horone a City in Moab betwixt Zoar and Eglah Ptol. Long. 67. 20. Lat. 30. 30. Vol. II. p. 503 I. JAbesh-Gilead was in Manasse beyond Jordan six Miles from Pella upon a Mountain as they go to Gerasa saith Hieron Elijah the Prophet came from hence Vol. I. p. 46 55 82 Jabneh 2 Chron. 26. 6. called by the Gentiles Jamniah by the change of Mem into Beth not Liamnia as Antoninus and Ivelyn afterwards was in Judea on the Sea-coast three Leagues South from Joppa two parsae or eight Miles from Azotus as Benjamin or as Antoninus two Miles from Diospolis twelve Miles and from Ascalon twenty Miles Here the Sanhedrim sat first after its removal from Jerusalem Ptolomy placeth it Long. 65. 40 Lat. 32. 0. v. I. p. 284 365 c. v. II. p. 15 16. 322 372 681 Jacob's Bridge over Jordan between the Lake Samachonitis and Geâesaret in the way that leadeth to Damascus so Biddulph But it s probable it was lower betwixt Succoth and Zartanah v. II. p. 492. 493 Jamnith a Town in the Upper Galilee fortified by Josephus v. II. p. 57 Japha a Town in the Lower Galilee âortified by him Ibid. Ibleam in Manasseh on this side Jordan Iâsh 17. 11. and not far from Megiddo 2 King 9. 27. v. I. p. 88. Iconium a City in Lycaonia and the most famous of the fourteen Cities that were in that Tetrarchy near to it were two Lakes called Coralis the Greater and Trogitis the Less v II. p. 692 Ide otherwise called Enhydra between Tyre and Sarepta v. II. p. 59 Idumea or Edom of old lay betwixt Amalâk and Ammon and the Read Sea South and is called Idumea the Great but in process of time especially after the Captivity it was enlarged and took in all Simeon and so up as far as Azotus and part of Judea as far as the Dâad-Sea East and almost to Hebron North which was called Judaeo-Idumea Idumea the New or the Less Mark 3. 8. Vol. I. Pag. 63 84 103. Vol. II. Pag. 4 290 292 504. Jenysus A Town upon the Borders of Arabia and Syria saith Herodotus but where that Town was is uncertain The Talmudists mention Jenush among the Towns which they say are in the Confines but the situation doth not agree v. II. p. 302 Jericho or the City of Palm-Trees the second to Jerusalem was in the Tribe of Benjamin from Jerusalem about nineteen miles and about eight or ten from Jordan It was situated in a Plain but compassed with Mountains like a Theatre it was famous for its Balsom and Waters v. II. p. 43 44 46 297 Jerusalem Vid. description by it self Jeshanah A neighboring City to Zippor where the Records of Zippor were laid up v. II. p. 75 Jezreel seems to be in the Tribe of Issachar Josh. 19. 18. In it was the Palace of Abab It gave name to the Valley of Jezreel otherwise called Esdrelon Judith 1. 8. and the Great Plain that ran far down where was a River that discharged it self into Jordan Vid. Great Plain v. I. p. 88. v. II. p. 492 493 Jiim A Town whose Houses were in Judah but the Fields in Dan. v. II. p. 42 Jion 1 Kings 15. 20. seems to be beyond Dan the City or in the extreamest Borders of the Land on that side The Alexandrian Copy reads it Nain v. I. p. 623 v. II. p. 369 Jonian Sea reached from Egypt to Gaza and was so called from the Jones that were seated in Egypt near to it v. II. p. 500 Joppa Japho Josh. 19. 46. Acts 9. 36. A famous Port-Town betwixt Caesarea and Azotus and from the former a days Journey and half v. I. 846. v. II. p. 15 Jordan ariseth in the Region of Daphne near to Lebanon not out of two Fountains but one that is in a Cave called Panium and is called Jordan the Less till it falls into the Lake Samachonitis Thence forward it is called Jordan and falling into the Lake of Genesareth ends in the Dead Sea To the utmost Point of which or the Desert of Haran from the Head of the River is about 100 miles Insome
thought not so honorably of any Version as they did of the Hebrew Bible 803 804 Village a Village was where there was no Synagogue 87 Villages Cities and Towns distinguished 333 334 Vine whether not that Tree in Paradise which was forbidden to Adam 346 Vinegar was the common drink of the Roman Souldiers 477 Virgins Saint Austin's determination about chaste Matrons and Virgins ravished by the Enemy when they broke into the City what 1095 Umanus a Mountain where situate 516 Uncircumcised many among the Jews both Priests and People were uncircumcised Page 760 Unclean with a touch what p. 164. Of all uncleanness Leprosie was the greatest p. 165. Meats unclean what p. 199 200. Unclean and Prophane or Polluted distinguished 199 200 Universities the Cities of the Levites were Universities the Priests were maintained there by Tyths 86 Unlearned Men how they may know the Truth among various and different opinions 1287 Unregenerate Men whether all alike may be said to be of the Devil 1307 Until signifies either concluding or excluding 1235 Vow of Jephtha how to be understood whether he did or did not Sacrifice his Daughter p. 1215 to 1218. Very great care prudence and piety should be used in making a Vow p. 1218. The Vow in Baptism whether obligatory to Infants 1221 Vows difficult to be kept the Casuist Rabbins did easily absolve p. 703. Vows of Consecration and Obligation or Prohibition what 200 201 Urim and Thummim p. 336. What they were and the manner of the inquiry by them p. 1067. Urim and Thummim Prophesie and Revelation were gone from the Jews for four hundred years before Christ came 1284 1288 1289 Usha famed for Decrees made and other things done there by the Jewish Doctors 76 W. WAshing of Hands this was a great mystery of Pharisaism and abounded with nicities p. 199 200. Washing and plunging their Hands what and how they differ p. 344 345. Washing of Hands of how great esteem among the Jews p. 431. Washing of Cups and Platters what p. 431 432. Washing after touching a dead body what Page 790 Watches in the night were three 198 Water the custom of fetching water at the Fountain Siloam and pouring it on the Altar what 1039 Water Gate where situate 510 Water Offering used at the Feast of Tabernacles how performed whence derived and what the meaning of it 560 Water Purifying how curious the Jews were in performing it 34 Ways in the Land of Israel their breadth 323 Wedding to go to a Wedding was reckoned among the works of mercy 246 Week the Days thereof how reckoned by the Jews by the name of first and second of the Sabbath and so on 274 Whiting of the Sepulchres what 235 Whoredom strangely committed under the pretence of Burial 323 Wicked their prosperity did once occasion both weeping and laughing 706 Wicked Men's sins are set down in Scripture that we may avoid them p. 1306. Their wicked Actions shew they be of the Devil p. 1307. Wicked Men long suffered of God is sometimes not the goodness of God to them 1311 Wicked One that wicked One put for the Devil and why he is so called 1306 1307 Widdow gadding about what and what wickedness such run upon p. 123. Widdow where she dwelt in her widowhood 309 Wild-beasts why God did not drive them out of Canaan as well as he did the Canaanites p. 1224. England happy in wanting Wild-beasts p. 1224. Wood devoured is put for Wild-beasts devoured 1224 Wilderness sometimes signifies Fields or Country in opposition to the City sometimes a Campain Country where the ground was not distinguished by Fences sometimes the deserts p. 113 294 295. Wilderness of Judah and of Judea distinguished p. 295 c. A Scheme of the Wilderness of Judah or Idumea adjacent p. 296 297. The Wilderness of Judea where John Baptist was what It was full of Inhabitants Page 296 297 Will and Power of God being well understood and submitted to take off carnal Atheistical Disputes 1320 1321 Wine the Jewish Doctors say that to drink a quart of Wine makes one drunk and so much every one of them drank in their Sacred Feasts judge then how soberly they carried it in those Feasts if they mingled not much water with their Wine p. 61. Wine and Myrrhe used to be given to those that were to dye to make them insensible 267 Wisdom fourfold what 743 Wisemen from the East what their Names and what their Country p. 108 109. Wisemen they were in likelihood Doctors and Scribes in the Sanhedrim but not Members of it like our Judges in the House of Lords 422 Wish Paul wisheth himself accursed for his Brethren the Israelites a strange wish what the meaning of it 1293 1294 1296 Witches a famous Story of eight Witches at Ascalon 14 15 Witness or Testimony was of three sorts vain standing and of the words of them that agreed 355 357 Witnesses false Witnesses what p. 262. They were to suffer the same things which their perjury designed to have brought upon others 263 Women as well as Men under the vail of Sanctity and Devotion practised all manner of wickedness p. 123. Women were exempt from very many Rites in the Jewish Religion which the Men were obliged to p. 123. The Women in Israel were generally Sorceresses p. 244. Whether Women had any Office in the Temple p. 394. There were Women of ill Name among the Jews and several sorts of them p. 414. Women labouring in the Lord and being Servants of the Church what p. 775. What a reproach it was for Women not to be married 1216 1217 Wonder Man is a wonder 1225 Wood devoured put for Wild-beasts devoured 1224 Word as Christ is called The Word of the Lord doth frequently occur amongst the Targumists p. 519 5â0 How the Spirit worketh by the Word 1152 Word of God not his Providence is the Rule for Men to go by 1276 Working or not working on the Passover Eves the Galileans differed from the Jews about it 78 World how the Jews divided it p. 1. World put for the Gentiles p. 1. How taken by the Jewish Schools p. 534. The World was to be renued at the coming of the Messias p. 220. Saints judging the World expounded against the Fifth Monarchists p. 753. Old and New World doth generally signifie in Scripture the Old Law and New Gospel proved p. 1074 1075. The original of the World strangely misapprehended by some Heathen Philosophers p. 1320 1321. Why God made the World seeing he will mar it in time p. 1322. The World was created in September p. 1322 c. World to come this was a Phrase in common use to oppose the Heresie of the Sadducees who denied immortality it always signified the times of the Messias 190 240 Worms to be devoured by Worms was reckoned an accursed thing only befalling Men of greatest impiety Page 684 Worship of the Jews in the Temple was Sacrificing Washing Purifying c. and worship in the Synagogues was Reading Preaching Hearing and Praying
began his Reign by the account of the Book of the Maccabees in the one hundred thirty and seventh year of the Reign of the Seleucian family 1 Mac. I. 10. And in the one hundred forty and third year as both that Book and e e e Jos. Ant. l. 12 c. 6. 1 Mac. I. 21. c. Josephus reckon he came up to Jerusalem being invited thither by a wrethed faction of Onias who was also called Menelaus the High Priest and he taketh the City by their means and slew many of the contrary party and took away many of the Holy things and much spoil and so returned to Antioch This was the beginning of those two thousand and three hundred days mentioned in Dan. VIII 13 14. or the days of desolation when the Host and the Sanctuary were both trodden under Foot Two years and some months after namely in the year one hundred and forty five he cometh up again and under colour of peaceableness obtaining entrance he sacketh Jerusalem plundreth the Temple fireth the fairest buildings of the City pulls down the Walls slayeth even some of those that had invited him taketh many thousands prisoners and setteth a Syrian Garrison for a curb to the City and Temple Here was the beginning of those one thousand two hundred and ninety days mentioned Dan. XII 11. The time that the dayly Sacrifice was taken away and the abomination of desolation was set up which space is called a time times and half a time which was three years and an half and some twelve or thirteen days The mischief that this Tyrant and Persecutor wrought to the Temple Nation and Religion is not expressible how he forbad Circumcision abolished Religion burnt the Books of the Law persecuted the Truth murdred those that professed it and defiled the Sanctuary with all manner of abomination insomuch that the Holy Ghost hath set this character upon those sad times that that was a time of trouble such as was not since they were a Nation even to that same time Dan. XII 1. And here began the Story and Glory of Mattatbias the Father of the Maccabean family who withstood this outrage and villany f f f 1 Mac. II. 70. but died in the next year namely one hundred and forty sixth of the Seleucian Kingdom Judas Maccabeus succeeds him in his zeal and command and prevaileth so gallantly against the Commanders appointed by the Tyrant Apollonius Seron Gorgias and Lysâas that in the year one hundred forty eight he and his people return and purifie the Temple erect a new Altar restore the Service and keep the Feast of Dedication for eight days and ordain it for an annual solemnity And from thence even till now saith Josephus we keep that Feast and call it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Candlemas if I may so English it naming the Feast as I think from this because such a restauration shone upon us unexpected There is mention of this Feast and it was honoured with Christs presence Joh. X. 22. and what was the manner of its solemnity especially by lighting abundance of Candles at it I have shewed in another place Both Josephus and the Book of Maccabeus make it but exactly three years between the time of Antiochus his defiling of the Altar with abomination and Maccabeus his restoring and purifying it again g g g 1 Mac. I. 54. Jos. ubi sup Only the one of them saith its defiling began on the 15 day of the month Cisleu in the one hundred forty and fifth year of the Seleucian Kingdom and the other saith it began on the five and twentieth day of the same month in the same year but both agree that it was purified on the five and twentieth day of the same month in the year one hundred forty and eight which teacheth us how to distinguish upon that passage of Daniel forementioned in Chap. XII 11. namely that the time the daily Sacrifice was taken away was one thousand two hundred and ninety days or three years and an half and some few days over but the time that the abomination that maketh desolate was set up that is Idols in the Temple and an Idol Altar upon the Lords Altar was but three years Antiochus died in Persia within forty five days after the restoring of the Temple as Dan. XII 12. seemeth to intimate when it pronounceth him blessed that cometh to one thousand three hundred thirty and five days for then he should see the Tyrants death h h h Id. ibid. cap. 15. His son Antiochus Eupator who succeeded him was invited into Judea by some Apostate Jews to come to curb Judas Maccabeus who was besieging the Syrian Garrison that was in Jerusalem He cometh with a mighty power forceth Judas into the Temple and there besiegeth him But being straitned for provisions and hearing of stirrings in his own Kingdom he offereth the besieged honourable conditions upon which they surrender But he entring and seeing the strength of the place and suspecting it might be troublesom to him again he breaketh his Articles and his Oath and putteth down the Wall that incompassed the holy ground down to the ground And thus poor Judas and the Temple are in a worse condition than before for the Antiochian Garrison in Jerusalem that was ready upon all occasions to annoy it is not only not removed but now is the Temple laid naked to their will and fury i i i ibid. This Antiochus put Menelaus the High Priest to death and he rewarded him but justly for calling the Tyrant this Mans Father in and he made Alcimus High Priest in his stead one that was not of the High Priests line at all which made Onias who was next to the High Priesthood indeed to flee into Egypt and thereby the favour Ptolomy Philometor he built a Temple parallel to that at Jerusalem And thus hath Jerusalem Temple two corrivals a Temple on Mount Gerizim in Samaria on the North and a Temple in Egypt on the South Of this Temple built by Onias in Egypt the Talmudical Writers do make frequent and renowned mention They speak in the Treatise k k k Succah per. 5. Succah of a great Synagogue or Sanhedrin here in the time of Alexander the Great in which they say there were seventy golden Chairs and a Congregation belonging to it of double the number of Israelites that came out of Egypt And that Alexander destroyed them to bring upon them the curse denounced by Jeremy against their going down into Egypt Jer. XLIV and the curse due to them for the violation of the command Ye shall return thither to Egypt no more l l l Ios. Ant. lib 13 cap. 6. Iuchas sol 14. Yet would Onias venture to build a Temple here again and that the rather building upon that Prophesie Esay XIX 19. There shall be an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Egypt c. Upon which passage take the Gloss of R. Solomon m m
m R. Sol. in âsây XIX We learn in Sedar Olam that after the fall of Sennacherib Ezekiah stood up and let go all the multitudes that he had brought with him from Egypt and Cush and they took upon them the Kingdom of Heaven and they returned to their own place as it is said In that day there shall be five Cities in the Land of Egypt c. They went and built an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Egypt and offered upon it an offering to God to fulfill what was spoken In that day there shall be an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Egypt c. But some of our Doctors in the Treatise Menacoth do understand it of the Altar of the Temple of Onias the Son of Simeon the Just who fled to Egypt and built there an Altar In the last Chapter of the Treatise Menacoth the tract which our Rabbin citeth the Talmudists have speech concerning this Temple of Oniâs and particularly these passages n n n Menachoth per. 13. A man saith Behold I undertake to offer a burnt-offering he must offer it at the Sanctuary and if he offer it at the Temple of Onias he is not discharged If he say I undertake for an offering in the Temple of Onias he is to offer it at the Sanctuary but if he offer it at the Temple of Onias he is discharged If he say I undertake to be a Nazarite he is to poll his Head at the Sanctuary and if he poll it at the Temple of Onias he is not discharged But if he say I will poll at the Temple of Onias let him poll at the Sanctuary yet if he do poll at the Temple of Onias he is quit The Priests that serve at the Temple of Onias shall not serve at the Sanctuary at Jerusalem So that it appeareth that there were Sacrifices offered and other Temple-rites used in this Temple in Egypt as were in the Temple at Jerusalem o o o Iuchas ubi supra and it so stood in great glory two hundred years according to the opinion of Rambam But it seems they are the words of Juchasin that it stood all the time of the Sanctuary for Joshuah the son of Perahiah fled thither and so in the time of Hillel and they were obedient to the wise Men of Jerusalem and brought offerings and so they brought their Wives espousal writings to Hillel for they said they were bastards and he allowed them And there was there a great Congregation double to the number that came out of Egypt till after the destruction of the second Temple when Adrian the Emperor came up against them and slew them all at the time of the destruction of Bitter Think of this great plantation of Jews in Egypt when ye read Matth. II. 13 14. But let us return from this Temple in Egypt to the Temple at Jerusalem where our business lies Alcimus the High Priest whose illegal induction to that Office had occasioned this Act of Onias as he was the Creature of the Antiochian family so was he serviceable to it to his utmost even to the mischief of that Religion and People in and among which he took on him the High Priesthood He assists Demetrius though he had slain Antiochus who had so favoured him in the invasion of Judea and attempteth to p 1 Mac. IX Jos. Ant. lib. 12 cap. 17. pull down the Wall of the inner Court of the Sanctuary but is suddainly struck with a Divine stroke from Heaven and so dieth Nicanor a Commander of this Demetrius forced Judas Maccabeus to betake himself to a Garrison in Jerusalem and he himself going up into the Temple and there intertained fawningly by the Priests who clawed him by shewing him the Sacrifices which they said they offered for his Lord the King he taunted them and threatned mischief to the place if Judas were not delivered to him but ere long the proud boaster and threatner was overthrown and slain Jonathan the Brother and Successor of Judas Maccabeus in his command proved to be so in favour with Alexander the Successor of Demetrius and Demetrius again the Successor of Alexander and Antiochus that succeeded him that though there were now and then some stirrings among them yet the Temple which is our scene that we are upon did suffer little alteration or prejudice all his time no more did it in the times of Simon his Brother and Successor nay he in his first year obtains the peoples liberties dismantles the Antiochian Garrison in Jerusalem purifies the place and appoints that day for a yearly rejoycing and restores the Land to intire peace and prosperity Hyrcanus the Son and Successor of Simon being straitly besieged in Jerusalem by Antiochus at the Feast of Tabernacles desires a cessation for the time and solemnity of the Feast which he not only obtaineth but many and costly Sacrifices also from Antiochus which nobleness causeth Hyrcanus to seek for an agreement and so the Siege is raised He is reported to have heard a voice in the Temple whilest he was offering Incense there which told of the victory of his Sons who were then in battel with Antiochus Cyzicenus and when he came out he told so much to the people Josephus sticks not to style him a King Priest and Prophet or at least he speaketh but little short of so much when he saith q q q Id. ib. lib. 13 cap. 18. that God vouchsafed him the three greatest honours the rule of the Nation the honour of the High Priesthood and Prophesie He cast off the Syrian yoke and homage Alexander his Son proves an unhappy scourge to his own Nation so much scorned and despised by them that at the Feast of Tabernacles they pelted him with their Pomecitrons whereupon he slays six thousand of them and troubles the Land with a six years civil War He railed in the Court of the Priests that none but the Priests might come in there for fear of the peoples disturbance Aristobulus and Hyrcanus the Sons of this Alexander quarrel about the rule and call in forrain aid as first Aretas King of Arabia who besiegeth Aristobulus in the Temple and then Pompey who cometh in taketh the City and Temple bringeth the Nation under the Roman yoke from under which it never delivered its neck till City and Temple by that power was raked up in ashes SECT IV. The state of the Temple under the Romans SO sad were the beginnings of the Temple under the Roman Power that an Omen might have been taken from them what would become of it ere this Nation had done with it Pompey coming up to Jerusalem had the Gates shut against him so that he presently begirt it with a Siege a a a Dion Cass. lib. 36. But the taking of the City cost him not much labour saith Dion Cassius for he was let in by the party of Hyrcanus But the Temple which Aristobulus party had possessed cost him some
at Jerusalem sat near the Altar of burnt offerings half the room where they sat being in that holy Court where the Altar stood And they thought they were bound to sit so near the Altar as long as they might and they thought they were bound while they sat there to execute impartial justice because of the nearness of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Divine presence which they accounted was always upon the Altar A very needful useful and proper conception and remembrance for every Court of Judicature to take up to think how near the Divine presence is unto them to overlook them how God is close by them near unto them nay as David tells us sitting among them seeing and observing their doing and demeanour in that great employment Therefore being to speak to such a Court if I should be so bold aâ to take on me to direct the way to the impartial administration of justice I could find no more proper way of direction in that case than to mind you of the noble copy you have before you viz. the great Judge Or if I should set my self to exhort to the execution of it I could use no more enforcing and perswasive arguments or exhortations than to mind you how near this great Judge is unto you Behold the Judge standeth before the door But do we behold him Could we see him with these bodily eyes as we see that honourable Person I should need to say no more Such a sight would be Text and Sermon enough and enough again for us But is there no other eye to see him that is invisible It is a true Christians motto I have set the Lord always before me and he sees him though he sees him not and with God in his eye he frameth all his demeanor and carriage and lives and walks and does and suffers and dies as seeing him that is invisible as it is said of Moses Heb. XI 27. But to see him as the great Judge is as I may say a second contemplation of God and as needful as the first The first I call that when the Soul contemplates God as the chiefest choicest only and most desirable Good and so all its affections desires and longings are laid out upon him striving for the enjoyment of him But withal the good soul contemplates God so as to make him his fear and his dread as well as his portion and delight he owns him infinitely just as well as he owns him infinitely good and as he looks upon him as his God so he looks upon him as his Judge Job IX 15. Whom though I were right yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Judge Such a Contemplation of God may the very present occasion call upon us to take up For can so great and remarkable an occasion pass us without some spiritual reflection and heavenly meditation Occasional meditation is a second sacred concoction as I may call it that when the body or sence hath or hath had the use of an earthly occurrence turns it to the good and nourishment of the soul. And shall such an occasion as this you are now entring on pass without some such beneficial spiritual improvement For what kind of heart does he carry that can see the day of an Assise and never think of the great day of judgment that can see a Judge a tribunal arraignings sentencings and never remember that We must all stand before the tribunal seat of Christ nor remember with himself For all these things God will bring thee to judgment Therefore Sursum Corda let us lift up our hearts and let their thoughts carry us beyond sight and sence and pick up the hony of some spiritual meditation from so noble a flower And the Text in some particulars directs us how to do it viz. that as we see the Judge already come and ready to enter upon the work of the Assise so to remember the great Assise is coming the great Judge is coming For he cometh for he cometh to judge the Earth Nay behold he standeth behold he standeth before the door But there may be some question what is our Apostles immediate and most intent and direct sence in these words For there are several expressions of the like nature in Scripture which seem to intend more especially the nearness of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation For as Christs pouring down his vengeance in the destruction of that City and people is called his coming in his glory and his coming in judgment and as the destruction of that City and Nation is charactered in Scripture as the destruction of the whole World so there are several passages that speak of the nearness of that destruction that are suited according to such characters Such is that in 1 Cor. X. 11. Upon us the ends of the world are come 1 Pet. IV. 7. The end of all things is at hand Heb. X. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And to the very same tendency may this be in the words of the Text Behold the Judge standeth before the door As also that in the Verse before The coming of the Lord draweth nigh There is very much mention in Scripture of the last days and both of exceeding much good and exceeding much evil that should accrew in them Our present dealing is about the latter By the last days are meant the last days of Jerusalem and of that Nation And there is foretold of them that in the last days there should be perillous times 2 Tim. III. 1. That in the last days there should come mockers 2 Pet. III. 3. That in the last times there should come many Antichrists which was an evidence that those were the last times 1 Joh. II. 18. Under those sad times did the poor professors of the Gospel live till God gave them some recovery and refreshment by the ruine of the City and Nation They were times of mockings and scourgings and imprisonments and of most bitter persecution of the Church both by the Jews that never believed and by Apostates that had believed but were revolted from the Gospel and become enemies to it A sad hour of temptation Rev. III. 10. Judgment began at the house of God 1 Pet. IV. 17. A fiery tryal at the thirteenth verse of the same Chapter Therefore the Apostles to bear up the hearts of the poor persecuted and afflicted Saints of God mind them concerning Christs coming in vengeance against that City and people to make an end of the persecution by making an end of the persecutors Instances might be given of this numerously if I would insist upon it Such an one I suppose is that in the verse before Be patient Brethren till the coming of the Lord Be patient for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh And that in the verse of the Text Grudge not Brethren one against another lest you be condemned with them that grudge at you
when the Judge cometh to plead their cause and behold the Judge standeth before the door If we should take the words in this sence and pointing at such a time and matter I suppose it might not be far from the Apostles meaning But do his words reach no further Are not these things written for our learning as well as for theirs to whom he wrote Is it not a truth spoken to us as well as it was spoken to them Behold the Judge standeth before the door Dispute it not but rather down on our knees and bless and magnifie the patience and goodness of this Judge for that he is standing at the door and hath not yet broke in upon us In handling of the words I suppose I need not to spend time in explaining the Phrases For none that hears of this Judge but he knows who is meant and none can but know what is meant by his standing at the door viz. as near at hand and ready to enter And if the Apostle speak here of the nearness of the destruction of Jerusalem our Saviours words of the very same subject may help to explain him Matth. XXIV 33. So likewise ye when ye see all these things know that it is near even at the doors So behold the Judge is near even at the door But the Judge of whom And at the door of whom These shall be the two things that my discourse shall enquire after The Jews in their Pandect mention several things of which they say they are two and yet are four and when they explain themselves they shew they speak very good sence I may speak much like of the Propositions that rise out of the words that they are two but indeed are four The two are these That there is a Judge or God is a Judge and That this Judge stands before the door But the very stile and expression doth double it That God is the Judge of all and That this Judge stands at the door of all Because there is no exception about whom he judgeth nor any exception at whose door he standeth I cannot say it is as essential to God to be a Judge as it is essential to him to be holy infinite eternal good c. because he had been there had these never been creature to judge as he was these from eternity before the creature was but since there is a creature to judge I may say it is as essential to God to be Judge of his creature as it is to be God For we may truly say if he were not Judge he were not God For what kind of God were that that had not to do about judging the creature I need not to produce places of Scripture to prove that that is before us for what more plain what more frequent than such testimonies That God is Judge himself Psal. L. 6. That he is the Judge of all the Earth Gen. XVIII 25. That he is the Lord the righteous Judge 2 Tim. IV. 8. That he sits upon the Throne judging right Psal. IX 5. That with righteousness he shall judge the world and the people with equity Psal. XCVIII ult But because the language of the Text is Behold the Judge let me speak as I may say unto your eyes according to the expression O generation see ye the word of the Lord Jer. II. 31. So let me lead your eyes to behold some specimens of this great Judges judging and some demonstrations and assurances that he hath given that he will so judge Eternal Judgment is one of the first principles of Christian Religion Heb. II. 6. viz. the judgment that doth determine of every mans state for eternity for of Gods temporal judgments we shall not speak here And that judgment is either particular passed upon every one at death or general which shall be at the last day Of either of these I shall take some prospect I. Concerning the particular Judgment When mans day is done the day of the Lord begins with him and when his work is done he is to receive his wages according as his work hath been good or evil Lazarus and the rich man no sooner dead but the one is in torment and the other in Abrahams bosom And how come they there Conceive you see their passage The souls of all good or bad as soon as ever departed out of the body are slipt into another world And what becomes of them there Do they dispose of themselves Do they go to Heaven or Hell by their own disposal There would never soul go to Hell if it were at those terms But the departed soul meets with its Judge as soon as ever it is departed and by him it is doomed and disposed to its eternal estate The Judge stands at the very door of that World of Spirits to dispose of all that come in there to their everlasting condition according as their works have been here good or evil So that those words of the Apostle as they speak the subsequence of judgment to death so they may very well speak this nearness It is appointed for all men once to die and then cometh the judgment Heb. IX ult Those words of our Saviour are very regardable Luk. XX. 30. He is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live unto him Though dead and gone to the World and to themselves yet to him they are not dead but alive and he deals with them as such as are alive And though he be not the God of all that so live yet he is the Judge of them all He calls himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob when they had been now dead and in the dust a long time for they lived though they were dead And so Cain and Cham and Pharaoh lived though they were dead that is were not utterly extinct and yet God was far from owning himself the God of Cain Cham and Pharaoh but he was their Judge And do but think how these men looked upon their Judge when they met him A carnal wretch that never thinks of God never dreams of judgment but is all for his pleasures and delights here when he dies and instantly meets his dreadful Judge to doom him Can any tongue express what a horrid surprizal that soul is taken at I cannot but take some scantling of conception of it from that passage Rev. I. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead The beloved Disciple to be thus terrified at the sight of his beloved Master He that used friendly to lean in his bosom now to fall at his feet for fear as dead And Christ not coming to him neither with any message of terror but in a friendly manner with instructions concerning things that were to come to pass thereafter And if so dreadful a consternation fell upon him upon meeting and seeing the glory of his dear what is the wretched souls case when it so unexpectedly meets with the dreadful terrors of its angry Judge