him not when he came amongst them SECT. XXVIII The Covenant made with Israel They not sworne by it to the ten Commandements Exod. 24. VVHen Israel cannot indure to heare the ten Commandements given it was ready to conclude that they could much lesse keepe them Therefore God giveth Moses privately fifty seven precepts besides namely Ceremoniall and Judiciall to all which the people are the next morning after the giving of the ten Commandements sworne and entered into Covenant and these made them a Ceremoniall 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 tradions 2. That here was a booke written forty dayes before the writing of the two tables Against them that hold that the first letters that were seene in the world were the writing of God in those Tables And we have seene before also two pieces of writing before this of Moses viz. the 88. and 89. Psalmes And of equall antiquity with them or not much lesse was the penning of the booke of Iob most probably written by Elibu one of the Speakers in it as may be conjectured from Chap. 32. 15 16 17. and some other probabilitie 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 bee understood in such another sense 4. That the ten Commandements were not written in the book of that Covenant but onely 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 parcell of a Law more as if Adam had kept the Morall 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 Gospell Now it is most unlike that since God gave them those other commands because they could not receive the ten that hee would mingle the ten and them together in the Covenant 2. It is not imaginable that God would ever cause a people to sweare to the performance of a Law which they could not indure so much as to heare 3. The ten Commandements 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 beene written and laid up in this booke what necessitie had there beene of their writing and laying up in the Tables of stone 5. Had Moses read the ten Commandements in the beginning of his booke why should he repeate some of them againe at the latter end as Exod. 23. 12. Let such ruminate upon this which hold and maintaine that the Sabbath as it standeth in the fourth Commandement is only the Jewish Sabbath and consequently Ceremouiall 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 Commandement instituted the Jewish Sabbath For First The Jewes were not sworne to the Decalogue at all and so not the Sabbath as it standeth there but onely to the fifty seven precepts written in Moses his booke and to the Sabbath as it was there Exod. 23. 12. Secondly The end of the Ceremoniall Sabbath of the Jewes was in remembrance of their delivery out of Aegypt Deut. 5. 15. but the morall Sabbath of the two Tables is in commemoration of Gods resting from the workes of the Creation Exod. 20. 10. 11. SECT. XXIX The punishment of Israel for the golden Calse Exod. 32. ISRAEL cannot be so long without Moses as Moses can be without meate The fire still burneth on the top of mount Sinai out of which they had so lately received the Law and yet so suddainely doe they breake the greatest Commandement of that Law to extremity of Aegyptian Jewels they make an Aegyptian Idol because thinking Moses had beene lost they intended to returne for Aegypt Grievous was the sinne for which they must looke for grievous punishment which lighted upon them in divers kinds First the Cloud of Glory their divine conductor departeth from the campe which was now become prophane and uncleane 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 sinne God gave them up to worship all the host of heaven Act. 7. 42. Fifthly Moses bruiseth the Calâ—e to Powder and straweth it upon the waters and maketh the People drinke Here spirituall fornication commeth under the same tryall that carnall did Num. 5. 24. These that were guilty of this Idolatry the water thus drâ—nke made their belly to swell and to give a visible signe 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 zeale and sincerity that they spared neither Father nor Brother of their owne if they found him guilty In this slaughter there fell about three thousand these were ring-leaders and chiefe agents in this abomination and therefore made thus exemplary in their punishment upon the rest of the People the Lord sent a Plague vers. 35. Aâ—ron had first felt the smart in this destruction had his action in this businesse beene as voluntary as was theirs but what hee did hee did in feare of his life SECT. XXX That Moses fasted three Fasts of forty dayes apeece IT is a doubt of no small import Why seeing it pleased God to appoint the Feast of expiation the solemne Feast of Humiliation in that moneth of the yeare in which sinne entred into the World why he also did not appoint it upon the same day in which sinne entred viz. the sixth day of the moneth but on the tenth The reason of this is to be found out by observing Moses his Fasts in the mount and the conclusion of the last of them That he fasted thrice forty dayes is not so frequently observed as it easily may be concluded from his owne words The first Fast in Exod. 24. 18. And Moses was in the mountaine forty dayes and forty nights At the end of these dayes they made the golden Calfe The second Fast Exod. 32. 30 31. It came to passe on the morrow that Moses said unto the People Ye have sinned a great sinâ—e and now I will goe up into the mount c. and Moses returned unto the Lord c. which he explaineth Deut. 9. 18. I fell downâ— before the Lord as at the first forty dayes and forty nights c. The third Fast when he goeth
women for they are lively c. These words of theirs proceeded from the same faith from whence had proceeded their work of charity the childrens preservation And so farre are they from being a lye that they are so glorious a confession of their faith in God that we finde not many that have gone beyond it And the things they spake of so farre from false that they were most admirably and miraculously true and really done They saw in very deede the immediate hand and helpe of God plainely and really shewed to the Hebrew women in their labour and that whereas other women naturally in that case are weake fainting and long in paine these were strong lively and soone delivered For as the strength of the promise shewed it selfe in the Males of Israel in that the more they were pressed under servitude afflicted the more were they able for generation vers. 2. Act. 7. 17. So did the strength of the promise shew it selfe upon the women in that they were delivered of their children with a supernaturall and extraordinary ease and quicknesse Therefore the Midwives boldly stand out to Pharaoh to the venture of a Martyrdome and plainely tell him that since they were not in travell as other women but lively and strong and had soone done it could bee nothing but the immediate hand of God with them which hand they are resolved they will not oppose for all his command lest they should be found to fight against God For this confession so resolutely and gloriously made before Pharaoh and for their fact answerable God made them houses because they feared him vers. 21. that is married them into the Congregation of Israel and built up Israelitish Families by them SECT. IV. Moses his birth supernaturall Exod. 2. 2. MOSES was borne when his mother by the course of nature was past child-bearing For if Levi begat Jochebed at an hundred yeeres old which is hardly to be conceived as Gen. 17. 17. yet is Jochebed within two of fourescore when she bare Moses But it was more then probable that she was borne long before Levi was an hundred unlesse we will have Levi to be above halfe a hundred yeares childlesse betwlxt the birth of Merari and Jochebed And thus the birth of Moses was one degree more miraculous then the miraculous and supernaturall birth of the other children of the Hebrew Women and so was his brother Aarons not much lesse wondrous Shee then having a goodly childe at so great an age saw the speciall hand of God in it and therefore labours his preservation against Pharaohs decree for by Faith she knew he would be preserved for some speciall instrument of Gods glory but the manner of his preservation she knew not yet SECT. V. Our Saviours allegation of Exod. 3. 6. in Luk. 20. 37. cleared MOSES in Midian under the retirednesse of a Pastorall life giveth himselfe unto contemplation of divine things in one of those raptures God himselfe appeareth visibly to him in deed and that in a flaming fire now he is about to performe the promise as he appreared to Abraham when he made it and it came to passe when the Sunne went downe and it was darke behold a smoaking furnace and a burning Lampe that passed betweene those peeces In the same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 15. 17 18. The words which Christ here useth to Moses in the bush he urgeth againe to the Jewes whereby to evince the Resurrection Luk. 20. 37. And that the dead are raised even Moses shewed at the bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for he is not a God of the dead but of the living which words indeed doe inferre the resurrection as they lie in themselves but farre more clearely if they be laid to and compared with the Jewes owne doctrine and position Rabbi Simeon Ben Joâ—hai saith the holy blessed God nameth not his name on the righteous in their life but after their death as it is said to the Saints that are in the earth Psal. 16. 3. When are they Saints when they are laid in the earth For all the dayes that they live the holy blessed God joyneth not his name to them And why because the holy blessed God trusteth them not that evill affections will not make them to erre but when they be dead the holy blessed God nameth his name upon them But behold we find that he nameth his name on Isaack the righteous whilst he liveth for so he saith to Iacob I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac Rabbi Barachiah and our Doctors our Doctors say He saw his dust as it was gathered upon the Altar and Rabbi Barachiah saith since he was blind of his eyes he is reputed as dead because he was shut up in the midst of the house Rabbi Tanch in Gen. 28. Rabbi Menahem in Exod. 3. SECT. VI The power of Miracles Habbak 3. 2. Acts 19. 2. explained THe gift of Prophecie or Foretelling things to come had beene in the Church since the fall of Adam and now are Miracles added because of unbeliefe For observe that when Moses saith Behold they will not beleeve the Lord immediatly answer What is that in thine hand This double facultie being given here to Moses the first Prophet of the Church of Israel it also descended to a succession of Prophets in that Congregation from time to time But with this excellent gift it was also given Moses himselfe to know and so likewise them that did succeed that they had this double power not from themselves but from another Moses his stammering tongue taught himselfe and them so much for Prophecie and his leprous hand taught so much for Miracles This succession of Prophets began from Samuel and ended in the death of Christ Acts 3. 24. Not that there were not Prophets betwixt Moses and Samuel but because they were not expressed by name as also because vision in that space of time was exceeding rare 1 Sam. 3. 1. Now from the beginning of the rule of Samuel to the beginning of the captivitie in Babel were foure hundred and ninetie yeares and from the end of that captivitie to the end of Christs life upon earth were foure hundred and ninetie yeares more The seventie yeares of captivitie betweene which were the seventh part of either of these two Numbers that lay on either side are called by Habbakkuk The middest of yeares namely from the beginning of Prophecie in Samuel to the sealing of Prophecy in the death of Christ Revive thy worke in the midst of the yeares in the midst of the yeares make knowne Then was it justly to be feared that the spirit of Prophecy would quite have ceased from Israel when they were captived among the Heathen This made the Prophet to pray so earnestly that God would preserve alive or revive his worke of Miracles in the middest of yeares and in those
Lawes which God would give him at Sinai from Exod. 20. to the Law of the silver Trumpets which was the last Num. 10. then came Jetbro and brought Moses wife and children and seeing him toyling in judgement he adviseth him to chuse Judges to ease him which being done ere long the cloud removed and they must flit from Sinai ver. 11. When they are ranked to march Moses desireth Hobab or Jethro his Father in Law to goe along with him which he denyeth but returneth to his owne Country Num. 10. 29 30. 31 32. compared with the last verse of this Chapter Thus lyeth the order of the story Now the reason why it is misplaced is this In the last verse of the preceding Chapter there is a perpetuall curse decreed against Amalek The Lord hath sworne that the Lord will have warre with Amalek from generation to generation Now the Midianites and Amalekites lived so promiscuously together that they were as one people and the Kenites or the family of Jethro dwelt in the midst of them 1 Sam. 15. 6. Therefore that it might be observed that Jethro fell not under that curse of Amalek Moses bringeth him in comming to the Campe of Israel and to God as soone as ever the curse is uttered that every eye might presently observe that Jethro was exempted from it Object But Moses and Israel by this account lay almost a twelve moneth at Sinai before his wife and children came at him and can this be thought that they should be so unnaturall one to another Answer This was Moses his doing not of unnaturalnesse but piety to restraine their comming till his great taske of receiving and giving the Law and building the Tabernacle was over Letters and Viâ—its passed betwixt them there is no doubt and they kept at distance thus by consent for a season That letters passed may be collected from vers 6. 7. And Jethro Moses Father in law said unto Moses I Jethro thy Vather in law come to thee And Moses went out to meete his Father in law Jethro said not thus to Moses his face I am come to thee For then why or how upon this tidings could Moses goe forth to meete him when they spake face to face already Nor could this speech be delivered by a messenger for it had beene an improper and senselesse speech of a messenger to say I Jethro come to thee but this Jethro himselfe telleth Moses by letter before he commeth at him whereupon Moses goeth forth to meete him SECT. XXIIII Israels march from Rephidim to Sinai Saint Paul explained 1 Cor. 10. 4. Quest HOw can it be said that they departed from Rephidim and came to Sinai whereas Rephidim and Sinai were all one For every one knoweth that the mountaine whereon the Law was given is called Horeb and Sinai indifferently as Exod. 19. 18. compared with Malach. 4. 4. Now when they were at Rephidim chap. 17. 1. they were at Horeb vers. 2. So that to goe from Rephidim to Sinai is to goe from Horeb to Horeb. Answ. The hill on which the Law was given had indeed two names and as Bellonius saith two tops the one side of it was called Horeb from the rocky drought of it being utterly devoid of water The other side was called Sinai from the bushes and brambles that grew upon it in one of which Moses saw the Lord in a flame of fire if so be it tooke not the name from Sini the sonne of Canaan Gen. 10. Now when Israel lay at Rephidim they lay upon Horeb side and there out of the droughty rocke Moses mâ—raculously bringeth forth water Their march from Rephidim is at the skirts of the hill from Horeb to Sinai side of the mountaine And in the same sense is Paul to be understood 1 Cor. 10. 4. They dranke of the Rocke that followed them Not that the Rocke stirred and went along with them but that the water which miraculously gushed out of the one side of the hill Horeb ran along with them as they marched at the foot of the hill till they came to the other side of the hill Sinai And so is Moses himselfe to be understood I cast the dust of the golden Calfe into the brooke that descended out of the Mount Deut. 9. 21. Not that the brooke gushed out of the mount on that side on which the Calfe was erected but on the other and at the skirt of the hill came running to that SECT. XXV The Station and Posture of Israel before Sinai Exod. 19. ON the first day of the moneth Sivan which was towards the middle of our May in the yeare of the world 2513. they come from Rephidim to Sinai and pitch in their maine body more especially on the South and South East side of the Mount See Deut. 33. 2. and compare the situation of Sâ—ir in the point of the Compasse In three parts or squadrons did their Campe sit downe before it 1. Next to the hill pitched the Elders or 70. heads of the chiefe families which had gone into Aegypt these are called the house of Jacob Vers. 3. as Gen. 46. 27. 2. Next behind them pitched the people in their maine body consisting of so many hundred thousands these are called the children of Israel Vers. 3. And this distinction is observed Vers. 7. 8. And Moses called the Elders c. And all the people answered 3. On the outside of all lay the mixed multitude or the Aegyptians that had joyned to them and came out with them On the second day of the moneth and of their arrivall there Moses goeth up into the mountaine being called up by the Lord Vers. 3. and when he commeth downe telleth the people the words of the Lord Vers. 5. If yee will heare my voyce indeed and keepe my Covenant yee shall be my peculiar people To which the people even before they know what the Commandements of the Lord would be do promise to obey and hearken not by rash undertaking to performe they knew not what as some have beene bold to taxe them nor yet presuming upon their owne abilitie to keepe the Law as others have concluded upon them but having been trained up from their infancy and instructed in the doctrine of Faith they piously conclude when God commeth to give them a Law and to make a covenant with them that God would not crosse himselfe in the Doctrine of salvation but that the Law that hee would now give them should be a Law conducing and leading to Faith still a Schoolemaster to Christ and not an extinguisher of the doctrine of salvation by him On the third day of the moneth Moses goeth up into the mountaine againe Vers. 9. and is charged to sanctifie the people which accordingly is done on that day and on the fourth and fifth and on the sixth day in the morning the ten Commandements are given SECT. XXVI The Iewes Tenet concerning the Law Talm. in Maccoth Rab. Abhuhahh Ner. 1. THe whole Law say they was given
up with the new hewed Tables Exâ—d. 34. 28. And he was there with the Lord forty dayes and forty nights c. All which being reckoned together from the day after the giving of the ten Commandements or from the seventh day of the moneth Sivan it will be found that his last fast when he had obtained pardon for Israel and the Tables renewed ended on the tenth day of Tisri on which day he came downe with the glad tydings of reconciliation in memâ—riall of which that day was ever after observed for the Feast of expiation upon the tydingâ— of this and of the making of the Tabernacle the People begin to dispose of their tents and to build them booths because it will be long ere the worke be finished and they remove from Sinai for this the fifteenth day of the moneth is instituted for the feast of Tabernacles ever after Hence forward is the Tabernacle begun and is halfe a yeerâ— in making within a very little SECT. XXXI The sornte or Idea and representation of the Tabernacle THe forme and fabrickâ— of the Tabernacle is thrice reâ—earsed in the patterne in the making and in the setting up as if by this threefold coard of description the Holy Ghost would draw all to a serious observation Moses saw a glorious Tabernacle pitched in Mount Sinai to be the patterne of his as his was to be the patterne of a more glorious According to the exact forme of this that he saw was he to make his This taught Moses and Israel that the making and service of their Tabernacle did onely serve to the Patterne and shadow of heavenly things Heb. 8. 5. Christ is the true Tabernacle by and in whom God dwelleth among men Joh. 2. 21. Heb. 9. 11. Now as there was a Tabernacle pitched before God in Sinai before there was one made in Israel so was Christs incaâ—nation in the decree of God long before he was exhibited in the flesh Upon the making of Moses his Tabernacle this in the mount vanished as that of Moses was to doe upon the comming of the true one Christ The Tabernacle was Israels moveable Temple and so at every flitting might teach them to looke for one that should not be moved It consisted of three parts the holiest the holy and the Court as our Churches doe of the Chancell Church and Churchyâ—rd It was alwayes pitched East and West whensoever it was set downe as our Churches stand but with this difference that the chiefest place in the Tabernacle or holiest of all answering to our Chancels stood Westward and Israel worshipped with their faces Westward because they would not imitate the Heathen who worshipped towards the Sun-rising And in their services looked alwayes towards us Gentiles in the West as expecting us to be joyned to their God with them SECT. XXXII The dimensions of the Tabernacle THe Tabernacle was thirty cubits long for twenty plankes of a cubit and a halfe breadth apeece made one side or the length of it and it was ten cubits broad as shall appeâ—re hereafter But first observe these two things First That those which are translated boards were indeed planks of a good thicknesse even of nine inches thicke apeece for it is said in the fastning of the sides of the Tabernacle that a barre of Shittim wood ran through the thicknesse of the boards as they stood edging oneto another Now this barre was no small one for it was the chiefe strength of the side and therefore must have a large hole bored to run through and consequently it must be a thicke planke that would beare such a hole and not an inch or two inch board Secondly The cubiâ— by which the Tabornacle is measured was but halfe a yard or the common cubit and not the Sanctuary or holy cubit which was a full yard For first it is said that every planke was a cubiâ— and a halâ—e broad if this were a yard and a halfe doe but imagine where plankes of such a breadth should be had Secondly every planke was ten cubits long if this were ten yards imagine how they should be carryed Thirdly every two silver Bases were as long as a planke was broad now two talents would fall short of reaching to a yard and an halfe Lastly the Altar of burnt offering was three cubits high if this were three yards who could reach to serve at it These things considered you finde that the cubit here spoken of is but halfe a yard and this will helpe well in measuring all the things to be spoken of after SECT. XXXIII The peoples contribution to the silver foundation and its forme and posture MEasure out in your imagination an unequall square or a plot of ground of thirty cubits or fifteene yards long and of ten cubits or five yards broad such was the compasse of the Tabernacle betwixt Wall and Wall The Foundation was of massy peeces of silver shewing the solidity and purity of the truth whereupon the Church is founded Of these massy peeces there were an hundred in all and in every peece was a talent of silver Every man in Israel from twenty yeares old and upward was to give halfe a Shekell towards these foundation peeces whereas for other things they were not bound to a setsumme but to give what their hearts moved them This might teach them that to the fundamentals of their Religion they were all bound but to other things each one according to the gift given him Their manner of giving halfe a Shekell you finde Exod. 36. 26 27 28. thus There were numbred of Israel from twenty yeares old and upward sixe hundred thousand and three thousand five hundred and fifty men Reckon thus The Talent of the Sanctuary contained 120 pound the pound 25 shekels or 50 halfe shekels so that every Talent contained 3000. shekels or 6000. halves so that sixe hundred thousand halfe shekels given by sixe hundred thousand men doe amount to a hundred talents Now there were three thousand five hundred and fifty men besides which gave so many halfe shekels or one thousand seven hundred seventy five whole ones with which were made the hookes of pillars c. Exod. 38. 28. These hundred Talents of silver were thus wrought Each one was cast into a solid peece of thirteen inches and a halfe long and nine inches square in the side that lay upward was a morteise hole neere 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 outmost ends Now every planke whereof the sides were made was in height five yards but in breadth three quarters just as broad as two of these peeces of silver were long at the foote of the planke at either corner was a tenon made the planke being cut downe or abating so much betweene the tenons as the tenons themselves were in length so that when the tenons were shrunke in the morteises the middle of the planke setled upon the