mindedness c. purported by these bodilie imperfections Ver. 22. Hee shall eat the bread So might not the unclean Priests Levit. 22.3 Our involuntarie weaknesses shall not debar us from benefit by Christ CHAP. XXII Ver. 2. That they separate THough Priests yet they may not hold themselvs privileged above others to commit sin but are the rather obliged to dutie Why should anie Chrysostom have caus to saie Non arbitror inter sacerdotes multos esse qui salvi fiant I do not think that manie of our Ministers can bee saved 't is well if anie Or anie Campian to exclaim Ministris eorum nihil vilius Ver. 6. Vnless hee wash his flesh with water Whereby hee was led to the laver of Christ's blood which is opposed to legal washings Heb. 9.9 Run wee to that open fountain Zach. 13.1 and bee everie daie washing and cleansing our selvs therein from all filthiness of flesh and spirit Everie Jew had his water-pots for dailie purification John 2.6 Wee have a far better Bath Ver. 7. Becaus it is his food Animantis cujusque vita in fuga est and must bee preserved by food Ver. 9. And die therefore It is no dallying with God Either do it wee must or die for it Ver. 10. There shall no stranger The equitie of all this was that Ministers should have a comfortable subsistence for them and theirs and that the things that are appointed to that purpose should not bee converted to other uses 1 Cor. 9.13 It is certainly a sad complaint that Luther make's Nisi superesset spolium Aegypti quod rapuimus Papae Luther in Gen. 47. omnibus Ministris verbi fame pereundum esset c. Were it not for such spoils of Aegypt as wee have won from the Pope God's Ministers might starve and perish And if ever it com to that that they must bee mainteined by the people's benevolence a miserable maintenance they are like to have of it That little that wee have now diripitur à Magistratu is got from us by the great Ones who rob our Churches and Schools as if they meant to make an end of us with hard hunger Thus hee See Hag. 2.14 All the water in Jordan and the Cerimonies in Leviticus cannot cleans a man so long as the polluted thing remain's in his hand Ver. 16. Or suffer them From my other men's sins Good Lord deliver mee said One Have wee not enough of our own to answer for See 1 Tim. 5.22 wich the Note That cannot bee wholsom meat that is sauced with the blood of souls and spiced with the wrath of God Ver. 20. It shall not bee acceptable Nay it shall bee abominable Mal. 1.7 God require's the best of the best fine flour without bran Levit. 2.1 c. and curseth that cousener that having a sound or a fat male in his flock bringeth to him a corrupt carrion or a lean starvling for Sacrifice Vers 14. Ver. 23. That maiest thou offer Though it have som kinde of defect yet in free-will offerings it might pass This was to signifie that our imperfect obedience after that wee are once in Christ is accepted by Christ who is without all blame and blemish Ver. 24. Neither shall you make anie offering No not a free-will offering Religion love's to lie clean God will take up with a poor but it must bee a pure sacrifice Ver. 25. Their corruption is in them As not having their hearts purified by faith and therefore not in case to pleas God Ver. 27. It shall bee seven daies As not beeing man's meat till then but legally impure and in their blood as were likewise infants Ver. 28. Yee shall not kill it and her young Becaus it bear's a shew of crueltie and of adding affliction to the afflicted See Gen 32.11 Hos 10.14 Ver. 29. Offer it at your own will God strain 's upon no man Virtus nolentium nullaest Ver. 30. On the same daie See the Note on Chap. 7.15 Ver. 31. I am the Lord Your rightfull Lord and my reward is with mee to give unto everie man according to his works Ver. 32. My holie name Holie and therefore reverend Psal 111.9 Holiness hath honor CHAP. XXIII Ver. 1. And the Lord spake SEE the Note on chap. 7.22 Ver. 2. To bee holie convocations Not bare rests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. de legib as Plato said that the Gods pittying men's labor appointed their festivals to bee a remission of their labor See the Notes on Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Ver. 3. Yee shall do no work therein Save onely works of pietie charitie and necessitie These are allowed by our Saviour Mark 2.29 and 3.4 and 3.27 The Jews superstitiously hold that it is not lawfull for a blinde man to lean upon a staff on a Sabbath-daie as the lame may That if a Flea bite a man on that daie hee may take it but not kill it that if a thorn prick him in the foot on that daie hee may not pull it out That a Tailor may not carrie a needle much less a sword that a man may not spet or bee taken out of a jakes Ranulph lib. 7 c. 37. as that Jew of Tewksburie who said Sabbata sancto colo de stercore surgere nolo Whereunto the Earl of Glocester replied Sabbata nostra quidem Solomon celebrabis ibidem Sir reverence of the Sabbath keep 's mee here And you Sir reverence shall our Sabbath there In all your dwellings Where you are to sanctifie this rest and to repair to your Synagogues Act. 15.21 Ver. 5. In the fourteenth daie See the Notes on Exodus 12.18 Ver. 11. And hee shall wave the sheaf This signified that they and theirs were accepted of God through Christ On the morrow after the Sabbath Here the Lord's daie was prefigured saith one therefore prescribed and instituted of God This shake-daie-sheaf was a pregnant type of Christ's rising again the first-fruits from the dead It was fulfilled in Christ's resurrection the daie after the Sabbath And becaus this Sabbath bath was chiefly meant of the Passover which was an high Sabbath it was a double Sabbath wherein Christ rested in the grave The verie next morning was Christ waved before the Lord when in the earth-quake hee rose from the dead the first fruits of them that sleep and there-hence entered the everlasting gates as a King of glorie Psal 24.7 which Psalm is in the Greek called A Psalm of David of the first daie of the week Ver. 15. Seven Sabbaths That is seven weeks The Sabbath is queen of all the daies of the week and therefore carrie's the name of the whole week Ver. 17. Out of your habitations That is out of the new corn growing of the same land which God gave them to inherit not â—orrein The first fruits viz. of their wheat-harvest as the shake-sheaf vers 10. was of their barlie-harvest Thus were they to express their thankfulness to God for those pretious fruits of the earth Jam. 5.7 Ver. 22. And when
retein the number of ten words so loth are Hereticks to have their assâ—â— cars seon they divide the last which yet is called the Commandement not the Commandements Rom. 7.7 Vasques not able to answer our Argument saith That the second Commandement belonged to the Jews onely Ver. 2. Which have brought thee God's blessings are binders and everie deliverance a tie to obedience Ver. 3. Thou shalt have This Thou reacheth everie man Xenophon saith of Cyrus that when hee gave anie thing in command hee never said Let som one do this but Do thou this Hoc tu facias Xenophon Cyropaed No other Gods before mee But know and serv mee alone with a perfect heart and with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28.9 Hoc primo praecepto reliquorum omnium observantia praecipitur saith Luther In this first Commandement the keeping of all the other nine is commanded Ver. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee i. e. For religious use for civil they may bee made Mat. 22.20 Howbeit the Turks will not indure anie Image no not upon their coins becaus of this second Commandement The Papists by their sacrilegeous practices have taken away this Commandement out of their vulgar Catechism This is a great stumbling-block to the Jews and a let to their conversion for ever since their return from Babylon they do infinitely abhor Idolatrie And for their coming to Christian Sermons they saie That as long as they shall see the Preacher direct his speech and praier to that little wooden Crucifix that stand's on the Pulpit by him Specul Europ to call it his Lord and Saviour to kneel to it to embrace it to kiss it to weep upon it as is the fashion of Italie this is preaching sufficient for them and perswade's them more with the verie sight of it to hate Christian Religion then anie reason that the world can allege to love it Ver. 5. Thou shalt not bow down Images came first from Babylon For Ninus having made an Image of his father Belus all that came to see it were pardoned for their former offenses whence in time that Image came to bee worshipped through the instigation of the Divel who is saith Synesius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that rejoiceth in Images Am a jealous God Bee the gods of the Heathens good-fellows saith one the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glorie with another nor bee served by anie but in his own waie They that wit-wanton it with God may look to speed wors then that Citizen in K. Edward the Fourth's daies did who was executed in Cheapside as a traitor Speed's Chron for saying hee would make his son heir of the crown though hee onely meant his own hous having a crown for the sign Visiting the iniquitie This second Commandement is the first with punishment becaus men do commonly punish such as worship God in spirit and truth As therefore one fire so one fear should drive out another the fear of God the fear of men Ver. 6. Vnto thousands Of succeeding generations Personal goodness is profitable to posteritie And this promiss though made to all yet is more specially annexed to this second Commandement to teach saith one that parents should chiefly labor to plant pietie in their families as they would have God's blessing intailed upon their issue Ver. 7. The Name of the Lord That holie and reverend Name Psal 111.9 that Nomen Majestativum as Tertullian calleth it dreadful among the Heathen Mal. 1.14 The verie Turks at this daie chastise the Christians that live amongst them for their oaths and blasphemies darted up against God and Christ The Jews also are much offended thereat and it should bee no small grief to us to hear it When one of Darius his Eunuchs saw Alexander the Great setting his feet upon a low table that had been highly esteemed by his master hee wept Diod. Sic. lib. 17. Beeing asked the reason by Alexander hee said It was to see the thing that his master so highly esteemed to bee now contemned and made his foot-stool Ver. 8. Remember the Sabbath daie Hee saith not The seventh daie from the Creätion but the daie of religious rest such as is now our Christian Sabbath called a Sabbath-daie by our Saviour Mat. 24.20 who is Lord of this Sabbath called therefore the Lord's-daie Rev. 1. 1 Cor. 10. as one of our Sacraments is called the Lord's Supper and the table of the Lord becaus instituted by him Pope Sylvester presumed to alter the Christian Sabbath Hospin de fest Christ decreeing that Thursdaie should bee kept through the whole year becaus on that daie Christ asscended and on that instituted the blessed Sacrament of his bodie and bloud And generally Papists press the sanctification of the Sabbath as a mere humane institution in religious worship an ordinance of the Church and do in their celebration more solemnly observ the Festivals of the Saints then the Lord's Sabbaths making it as Bacchus's Orgies c. that according to what their practice is it may more fitly bee styled Dies daemoniacus quà m Dominicus The divel's-daie then God's To sanctifie it Let everie one of us keep the Sabbath spiritually saith Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist 3.2d Magnesian rejoicing in the meditation of Christ's Law more then in the rest of our bodies The ox and ass must rest wee must consecrate a rest â—s God on the seventh daie rested not from his works of preservation John 5.17 Ver. 9. Six daies shalt thou labor God hath reserved but one daie in seven as hee reserved the Tree of knowledg of Good and Evil. Gen. 2. yet wretched men must needs clip the Lord's coin In manie places God's Sabbaths are made the voider and dunghil for all refuse businesses The Sabbath of the Lord the sanctified day of his rest saith one is shamelesly troubled and disquieted B. King on Jon. Lect. 7. The world is now grown perfectly profane saith another and can plaie on the Lord's-daie without book Ver. 10. But the seventh daie Or a seventh daie Not onely Hebrews but also Greeks and Barbarians did rest from work on the seventh daie witness Josephus Clemens Alexand. and Eusehius That which they tell us of the river Sabbatius it's resting and not running on that daie I look upon as fabulous Thou shalt not do anie work Onely works of Pietie of Charitie and of Necessitie may bee don on the Sabbath daie Hee that but gathered sticks was paid home with stones The first blow given the Germane Churches was upon the Sabbath daie Dike of Cons pag. 276. which they carelesly observed Prague was lost upon that daie Thou and thy son c. Everie mother's childe The baser sort of people in Swethland do alwaies break the Sabbath David's desire by R. Abbot saying That it 's for Gentlemen to keep that daie Thy man-servant There is an old law of the Saxon King Ina If a villain work on Sundaie
by his Lord's command hee shall bee free Sr. H Spelman in Concil Ver. 11. For in six daies God took six daies to make the world in to the end that wee might bee in a muse when wee think of it and think on his works in that order that hee made them And rested the seventh daie Not as tired out for hee made all without either tool or toil his Fiat onely did the deed but to give us example as John 13.15 Wherefore the Lord blessed c. How God esteemeth the strict observation of the Sabbath daie may appear by the exact deliverie of it For hee hath fenced it about like Mount Sinai with marks and bounds that profaneness might not approach it 1. By his watch-word Remember 2. By his bountie Six daies c. 3. By his sovereigntie It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 4. By the latitude Thou and thy son c. 5. By his own example And rested the seventh daie 6. By his benediction as here Hee blessed it and ordained it to bee a means of much blessing to those that observ it Add hereunto that God hath placed this Command in the midst of the Decalogue betwixt the two tables as much conducing to the keeping of both It stand's like the sensus communis between the inward and outward senses Boâ—in Theat Naturae beeing serviceable to both And hallowed it Diem septimam opifex ut mundi natalem sibi sacravit Ver. 12. Honor thy father c. Philo well observeth that this fifth Commandement which therefore hee maketh a branch of the first Table and so divide's the Tables equally is a mixt Commandement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and differ's somwhat from the rest of those in the second Table They consider man as our neighbor in nature like us this as God's Deputie by him set over us and in his name and by his autoritie performing offices about us That thy daies may bee long A good childe lengthneth his father's daies therefore God promiseth to lengthen his Ill children as they bring their parents graie hairs with sorrow to the grave so they are manie times cut off in the midst of their daies as Abimelech was God rendring upon him the evil that hee did to his father Judg. 13.5 Besides the pnnishment they have in their posteritie to whom they have been peremptores potiùs quà m parentes Bern. One complained that never father had so undutiful a childe as hee had yes said his son with less grace then truth my grandfather had Ver. 13. Thou shalt not kill A crying sin Gen. 4. For the which God make's inquisition Psalm 9.12 and strangely bring 's it to light It was a saying of King James that if God did leav him to kill a man hee would think God did not love him Ver. 14. Thou shalt not commit adulterie Adulterie onely is named because bestialitie Sodomie and other uncleannesses though more hainous yet they do not directly fight against the puritie of posteritie and humane societie which the Law mainly respect's Ver. 15. Thou shalt not steal i.e. Not rob or wrong another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. either by force or fraud 1 Thes 4.6 See the Note there Basil chargeth the Divel as a thief of the truth in that hee had decked his crows with her feathers And it was of the Divel surely that Shee had learned her answer who beeing charged by her mistress for stealing her linnens Light for smoke p. 85. and other things which shee found in her trunk said that shee stole them not and when shee was asked how came they to bee laid and locked up there Did not you do this No said shee it was not I but sin that dwelleth in mee Ver. 16. Thou shalt not bear Neither bear it nor hear it rais nor receiv wrong reports of another Deut. 19.16 Make a lie nor love it when it is made Rev. 22.15 The truth must bee spoken and that in love Doeg had a fals tongue though hee spoke nothing but truth against David Psal 120.3 Ver. 17. Thou shalt not covet See the Note on Rom. 7.7 and on Heb. 13.5 Thy neighbor's hous House is here first set as that which hold's and harbor's all the rest To these ten words written by God himself in the daie of the Assemblie Divines have reduced those other Laws Moral Judicial and Cerimonial written by Moses 34.27 28. Deut. 10.4 And herein Alstedius that excellent Methodist hath in his Harmonia Musica as in all those brief but pithie Notes upon the Pentateuch don the Church of Christ singular good service whom therefore for a Preface to that which follow 's in the opening of this and the three next Books and for the use of mine English Reader I have abbridged translated and the same here inserted SECT I. Of reducing all the Moral Laws to the Decalogue TO the first Commandement belong laws that concern Faith Hope and Love to God First Faith as that there is but one God and three Persons Jehovah Elohim that hee will send them a Prophet greater then Meses Deut. 18. that hee is to bee honored with our confidence patience and inward worship Next Hope of Favor Grace and Glorie Thirdly Love to God with the whole heart filial fear humble praier holie vows constant care to avoid idolizing the creature seeking to the Divel tempting of God listening to Seducers c. To the second Commandement belong laws made against gross Idolatrie will-worship c. and for right worship To the third pertein laws for Praier Thanksgiving Oaths Lots Blasphemies worthie walking c. To the fourth all laws of sanctifying the Sabbath To the fifth of honoring and reverencing Parents Princes Elders c. and of punishing rebellious children To the sixth may bee reduced all laws concerning Murther Revenge Rancor Smiting Fighting cursing the Deaf laying a block before the blinde c. To the seventh all that is said against Fornication Adulterie Sodomie Incest wearing the Apparel of the other Sex To the eighth Laws against Robberie Rapine Usurie Sacrilege deteining Wages or Pledges removing Land-marks accepting of Persons taking of Gifts fals Weights c. To the ninth belong laws against Back-biting Tale-bearing Fals-witnessing judging not admonishing c. To the tenth no laws are referred becaus it is wholly spiritual and hath no visible violations SECT II. Of reducing Judicial Laws to the Decalogue TO the first Commandement It was death 1. to denie obedience to the Priest who was a type of Christ 2. To perswade Apostacie from the true God 3. To seek to witches and wizzards It was likewise unlawful to make a covenant with the Canaanites whom God had cursed to make mixtures of divers kindes of creatures c. whereby they are taught sinceritie in Religion and conversation To the second Commandement God commanded to abolish Images Pictures Idolatrous temples Altars Groves c. and forbad them upon pain of death to bow to Sun Moon or anie other strange
And this is that great offence Psal 19.11 The same reproacheth the Lord As if he wanted either wisdome to observe or power to punish such as take themselves to be out of the reach of his rod See Ezek. 20.27 Vers 31. That gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day This he did with an high hand as vers 30 in contempt of God and his Law Mr. Abbots his sermons The baser sort of people in Swethland do alwaies break the sabbath saying that 't is only for gentlemen to keep that day How much better that poor Indian in new-England who comming by and seeing one of the English profaning of the Lords day by felling of a tree said unto him New-Engl first-fruites pag. 4. do you not know that this is the Lords day Much machet man i.e. Very wicked man what break you Gods day The best and wealthieft of the Iewes to prevent servile work on the Sabbath day with their own hands chop the hearbs sweep the house Buxtorf Synagog cleave wood kindle fire c. on the day before Vers 38. That they may make them fringes See the Note on Mat. 23.5 Aribband of blue This sky-colourd ribband band taught them that though their commoration was on earth their conversation should be in Heaven Philip. 3.20 CHAP. XVI Vers 1. THe son of Izhar And so couzen german to Moses and Aaron for Izhar was brother to Amram their father Exod. 6.18 Sons of Reuben Who being next neighbours to Korah in the Camp were the sooner corrupted by him Vvaque corrupta livorem ducit ab â—â—a Juven Vers 2. Princes of the Assembly A very dangerous conspiracy For as in a beast the body followes the head so in that bellua multorum capitum the multitude Great men are the looking-glasses of the Country according to which most men dress themselves their sins do as seldom go unattended as their persons Height of place ever adds two wings to sin Example and Scandal whereby it soares higher and flyes much further Vers 3. Against Moses and against Aaron They were against both Magistracy and Ministery as our late Levellers and would have brought in Anarchy that every man might offer his own sacrificâ—â— and do that which is good in his own eyes Regnum Cyclopicum Vers 4. He fell upon his face As a suppliant to them not to proceed in their rebellion or rather to God not to proceed against them for their sin Vers 5. And he spake unto Korah By the instinct of the Spirit who had given into his heart a present answer to his prayer and furnished him with this answer Vers 7. Ye take too much upon you He retorts that upon them that they had falsly charged upon him and Aaâ—on So doth Elias upon Ahab 1 King 18.17.18 So do we worthily upon Popery the charge of novelty When a Papist tauntingly demanded of a Protestant Where was your Religion before Luther he was answered In the Bible where yours never was Vers 8. ye sons of Levi He took these to task apart as hoping haply to withdraw them from their purpose and to hide pride from them Job 33.17 but they proved uncounsellable incorrigible Vers 9. Seemeth it but a small thing Whiles these ambitious Levites would be looking up to the Priests Moses sends down their eyes to the people The way not to repine at those above us is to look at those below us Vers 10. And seek ye the Priesthood also Ambition is restless and unsatisfiable for like the Crocodile it grows as long as it lives Vers 11. And what is Aaron q. d. Is it not God whom ye wound through Aaron's sides Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. Vers 12. We will not come up Sturdy rebels ripe for destruction See Prov. 29.1 with the Note there One perhaps had knockt off and is therefore no more mentioned Satius est recurrere quam male currere as that Emperour said Better stop or step back then run on to utter ruine Vers 13. That floweth with milk and honey So they falsly and maliciously speak of the land of Egypt in derision of the land of Canaan whereunto that praise properly belonged Those that were born in hell know no other heaven Altogether a Prince over us So their quarrel was against Moses his principality though they pretended the Priesthood only at first If the Ministery once be taken away let the Magistâ—ate see to himself hee 's next Vers 14. We will not come up Sc. to the place of judgment so they add rebellion to sin and justifie their treasonful practices as did Ravilliac Faux Saunders others Vers 15. And Moses was very wroth Or very sore grieved He might have said as One once did Felix essem si non imperitassem Happy had I been if I had never been in place of authority Egypt is said by Seneca to have been loquax ingeniosa in contumeliam praefectorum provincia in qua qui vitaverit culpam non effugit infamiam a Province apt to find fault with and to speak hardly of their Rulers though never so innocent These rebels had haply learned those Egyptian manners by living so long amongst them I have not taken one asse from them Moses was not of them that follow the administration of justice as a trade only with an unquenchable and unconscionable desire of gain This is but robbery with authority and justifies the common resemblance of the Courts of justice to the Bush whereto while the sheep flyes for defence in weather he is sure to lose part of his fleece Vers 16. Thy company Or thy congregation thy faction or Church-Malignant as Psal 26.5 Act. 19.32 40. Vers 17. And take every man his censer Which they had ready provided when first they combined to thrust themselves into the Priests office Vers 18. And stood in the door Such an impudency had sin oaded in their faces that they stood stouting it out before the Lord and made open profession of their wickedness there was no need to dig to find it out Jer. 2.34 for they set it as it were upon the cliff of the rock Ezek. 24.7 Vers 19. All the Congregation Not his own company onely for the whole multitude was too ready to favour his attempt as he perswaded them God also would his design being to introduce an equal popularity an ochlocratie that Rule of rascality as One calleth it Vers 21. Separate your selves Good men are taken away from the evill to come When God pulls away the pillars what will become of the building Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodome but Sodome was taken out of the world Vers 22. The God of the Spirits The Former and Father of Spirits Zech. 12.1 Heb. 12.9 that giveth to all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life and breath Act. 17.25 in whose hand is the soul of all living and the spirit of all flesh Job 12.10 Vers 24. Get you up from about Save your selves from this untoward generation Act. 2.40 force
Heaven and the Angels were of necessity say some to be created the first instant that they might have their perfection of matter and form together otherwise they should be corruptible For whatsoever is of a praeexistent matter is resolvable and subject to corruption But that which is immediately of nothing is perfectly composed hath no other change but by the same hand to return to nothing again But if this were the Heaven Quest what was the Earth here mentioned Not that we now tread upon for that was not made till the third day But the Matter of all Answ that was afterwards to be created being all things in power nothing in act Vers 2. And the earth was without form and voyd That is as yet it had neither essential nor accidental perfection The Lord afterward did form it into Light the Firmament the Water and the Earth So beginning above and building downwards in the new Creature he doth otherwise and in three days laying the parts of the World and in other three days adorning them The Rabbins tell us Alsted Lexic Theol. p. 111. that Tohu and Bohu do properly import Materia prima and privatio and others of Tohu derive Chaos whence the ancient Latines called the World Chohus and borrowed their word Inchoâ— c. And darkness was upon the face of the deep That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of Hell as Origen expounds it but of the deep waters see the like Luke 8.31 Which as a garment covered the earth and stood above the mountains Psal 104.6 This darkness God created not for it was but the want of Light And to say That God dwelt in darkness till he had created Light was a devilish sarcasm of the Manichees as if God were not Light it self and the Father of lights 1 John 1.5 James 1. Or as if God had not ever been a Heaven to himself Ere ever he had formed the earth and the heavens Psal 92.2 What he did or how he imployed himself before the Creation is a Sea over which no ship hath sailed a Mine into which no spade hath delved an Abyss into which no bucket hath dived D. Preston of Gods Attributes p. 34. Our sight is too tender to behold this Sun A thousand yeers saith a great Divine are to God but as one day c. And who knoweth what the Lord hath done Indeed he made but one World to our knowledg but who knoweth what he did before and what he will do after Thus he As for Saint Augustine Prasul ad haec Lybicus Sabin Poâ—â— fabricabat Tartara dixit His quos scrutari â—â—lia mente juvat Excellently another Cuff his Differ of Ages p. 22. who wanted no wit As in the eliament of fire saith he there is a faculty of heating and inlightning whence proceedeth heat and light unto the external neer bodies And besides this faculty there is also in it a natural power to go upward which when it cometh into act is received into no other subject but the fire it self So that if fire could by abstractive imagination be conceived of as wanting those two transient operations yet could we not justly say it had no action forasmuch as it might move upward which is an immanent and inward action So and much more so though we grant that there was no external work of the Godhead until the making of the World yet can there be no necessary illation of idleness Seeing it might have as indeed it had actions immanent included in the circle of the Trinity This is an answer to such as ask what God did before he made the World Plotin Eunâ—â—d 3. lib. 2. c. 2. God saith Plotinus the Platonist not working at all but resting in himself doth and performeth very great things And the Spirit of God moved c. Or hovered over and hatched out the creature Ferebatur super aquas non pervagatione sed potestate non per spatium locorum ut Sol super terram sed per potentiam sublimitatis suae Eucberius Psal 145 9. as the Hen doth her chickens or as the Eagle fluttereth over her young to provoke them to flight Deut. 32.11 Or as by a like operation this same holy Spirit formed the childe Jesus in the Virgins womb in that wonderful over shadowing Luke 1.35 The Chaldee here hath it The Spirit breathed and David saith the same Psal 33.6 He became to that rude dead mass a quickning comforting Spirit He kept it together which else would have shattered And so he doth still or else all would soon fall asunder Heb. 1.3 Psal 104.29 were not his conserving Mercy still over or upon all his Works Verse 3. And God said Let there c. He commanded the light to shine out of darkness He spake the word and it was done 2 Cor. 4.6 Psal 33.9 148.5 Creation is no motion but a simple and bare emanation which is when without any repugnancy of the Patient or labor of the Agent the work or effect Dei Dicere eft Efficere doth voluntarily and freely arise from the action of the working cause as the shadow from the body So Gods irresistible power made this admirable Work of the world by his bare word as the shadow and obscure representation of his unsearchable wisdom and omnipotency And there was light This first light was not the Angels as Augustine would have it nor the Element of fire as Damascen nor the Sun which was not yet created nor a lightsome cloud or any such thing but the first day which God could make without means as Galvin well observeth This light was the first ornament of the visible World and so is still of the hidden man of the heart the new Creature Acts 26.18 The first thing in Saint Pauls commission there was to open mens eyes to turn them from darkness to light c. To dart such a saving light into the soul as might illighten both Organ and Object In which great work also Christs words are operative together with his commands in the mouths of his Ministers Know the Lord understand O ye bruitish among the people c. There goes forth a Power to heal as it did Luke 5 1â— Or as when he bade Lazarus ariâ—e he made him to arise So here the Word and the Spirit go together and then what wonder that the spirit of darkness falls from the heaven of mens hearts Ephes 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 2 9. as lightning Luke 10.18 So as that they that eâ—st were darkness are now light in the Lord and do preach forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Verse 4. And God saw the light that it was good Praeviderat autèm â—â—sberellus so one rendereth it he saw this long before but he would have us to see it he commends the goodness of this work of his to us Good it is surely
God will not alway serve men for a sinning-stock Crudelem medicumâ— intemperans ager facit Every thing that is in the earth shall dye A dismall doom and God is now absolute in his threatning because he will be resolute in his execution Oh tremble and sin not Psal 4. while others sin and tremble not Kisse the Son lest he be angry Who knoweth the power of his anger Surely according to our fear Psal 90.11 is his wrath It is a just presage and desert of ruine not to be warned God hath hang'd up the old world in gibbets as it were for our admonition Worthily are they made examples that will not take them Who pities the second Captaine consumed by fire with his company 2 King 1. sith he had a fair warning but would not beware by it Mal. 4.1 Behold the day of the Lord commeth that shall burne as an Oven This last day was foretold by Enoch before the deluge was by Noah Longer it is before it comes but shall be more terrible when it is come Vers 18. Thou and thy sons Yet Ham soon after degenerated for the present he concealed his wickedness from men from God he could not He beares with hypocrites in his visible Church for a season till the time of separation Augustiâ— Matth. 3.12 Zach. 14.21 In area nobiscum esse possunt in horreo non possunt He will throughly purge his floore The Canaanite shall not be in the land any longer nor the uncleane spirit Zach. 13.2 O faelicem illam dieculam Vers 20. Two of every sort shall come unto thee For they are all thy servants saith David they wait upon thy word Psal 119.91 This Noah might make good use of and did no doubt See how sequacious these poor creatures are to God their Centurion If he bid them come they come if go they go And shall not I obey God and follow his call be there never so many Lions in my way Vers 21. Take thou unto thee of all food God could have kept them alive without either food or arke But he will have us serve his providence in use of lawfull means and so to trust him as that we do not tempt him Vers 22. Thus did Noah according to all c. The wicked world could not slout him out of his faith Heb. 11.7 but that moved with fear he preacheth and buildeth and finisheth He preached without preaching saith Basil of Selucia every stroke upon the Arke being a reall Sermon as Nazianzen hath it to forewarn them to flee from the wrath to come which yet they did not No not the very Ship-wrights that made the Arke but were all buried together in one universall grave of waters CHAP. VII Vers 1. For thee have I seen righteous before me NOt onely before men as Pharisees Luke 16.15 and civill Justitiaries Rom. 2.29 but before me who see the inside and love truth in the hidden man of the heart Psal 51.6 1 Pet. 3.5 And here Noahs sincerity prevailed with God for his safety as did likewise Lots whom God hid in Zoar and Abrahams to whom God was a shield to save him from the deadly thrusts of destruction when he pursued the four Kings and foyled them because he walked before him and was upright Gen. 15.1 with Gen. 14.15 So true is that of Solomon Prov. 10.9 Prov. 14.26 Isai 26.3 He that walketh uprightly walketh safely as if he were in a tower of brass or town of war And again In the fear of the Lord is strong considence and his children have a place of refuge The old Rock is still ready to relieve them In this generation 2 Pet. 2.5 Called by Saint Peter a world of ungodly ones far worse no doubt then those in Henochs days The greater praise was it to Noah that by an holy Antiperistasis he kindled from their coldness and became nothing the worse but much the better as it is the nature of true goodness by their oppositions It was an invincible Faith whereby he both conquered the world and condemned it What else could have carried him over so many difficulties as he must needs encounter Well might the Apostle say Heb. 11.7 By faith he prepared an Ark. For if he had been led by sense he would have fled as far as Jonas did ere ever he had gone about it Vers 2. Of every clean beast thou shalt take by sevens Three pair for generation and a single one for sacrifice after the flood was past as Chap. 8.20 God must have a moyetâ— and good reason But that two onely of a sort of the unclean hurtful creatures were preserved note his fatherly providence To this day we see though sheep and birds be so killed up for mans use yet there are far more of them then of other unserviceable or cruel creatures Besides the weaker creatures go in herds together the stronger and savager go alone For if they should go in multitudes no man nor beast could stand before them This you shall finde set down to your hand Job 37. Psal 104. Ammianus Marcellinus writeth That in Chaldaea there are a huge number of Lyons which were like enough to devour up both men and beasts throughout the Countrey But withal he saith That by reason of the store of water and mud thereof there breed yeerly an innumerable company of gnats whose property is to flee into the eye of the Lyon as being a bright and orient thing Where biting and stinging the Lyon he teareth so fiercely with his claws that he puts out his own eyes And by that means many are drowned in the rivers Boâ—in in Theatro lib. 3. others starve for want of prey and many the more easily killed by the inhabitants Bodin telleth us That the Wolf never seeth his sire his dam nor his young For that the herd of Wolves sets upon and killeth that Wolf which by the smell they perceive to have coupled with the she-wolf which unless they did what a deal of mischief would be done by them every where among cattle Vers 4. For yet seven days c. God could have destroyed them by water or otherwise in a far shorter space But of his Free-grace he gives them yet seven days further and then rains upon the earth fourty days as not willing that any should eternally perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 The Hebrew Doctors as they are very injurious to Noah because we read not that he prayed for the old world but onely took care of himself and his own family censuring him therefore of self-love and hard-heartedness so they judg very uncharitably of those that perished in the flood sending them all to hell and wresting some Scriptures thereunto As that in this present verse God saith He will destroy them or blot them out That is R. Menachem in loc say they out of the land of the world to come the land of the living I deny not
but many of their spirits are in prison so saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 But withal in the next Chapter the same Apostle tells us That for this cause the Gospel was preached also to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the Spirit Compare these words with those 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. and it will appear the Apostle speaks of these Antediluvians All were not saved that were in the Ark nor all damned we may well think that were out of it Could they see their foundation overflown with a flood as the phrase is Job 22.16 and not lay for themselves a good foundation by laying hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.19 Saint Ambrose conceiveth that Noah was seven days in the Ark afore the flood came That as God was six days in creating the world and rested the seventh so these perishing persons admonished by the number of the days of the Creation Eccles 12.1 might remember their Creator and make their peace Nunquam serò si seriò Vers 5. And Noah did according unto all This All is a little word but of large extent He doth not his masters but his own will that doth no more then himself will A dispensatory conscience is an evil conscience God cryes to us Quicquid propter Dâ—â—m fit aqualis or fit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will have universal obedience both for subject and object We must be entirely willing in all things to please God or we utterly displease him Herod did many things and was not a button the better Jehu's golden calves made an end of him though he made an end of Baals worship He that doth some and not all Gods wills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13.22 with David in desire and affection at least doth but as Benhadad recover of one disease and die of another yea if he take not a better course for himself he doth but take pains to go to hell Psal 119.6 Then shall we not be ashamed when we have respect at least to all Gods Commandments Vers 7. And Noah went in and his sons c. Not till he was compelled by the coming in of the flood say the Jews Of no good will but because there was no other remedy Thus they belye the good old Preacher Let no man think much to be mis-judged Jo. Wooveâ—ius in Polymath Novit sapiens ad hoc scomma se productum ut depugnet cum iis qui maledictis aluntur ut venenis capreae Vers 9. There went in two and two Of their own accord by divine instinct Noah was not put to the pains of hunting after them or driving them in Onely he seems to have been six days in receiving and disposing of them in their several cells and fetching in food When God bids us do this or that never stand to cast perils but set upon the work yield the obedience of Faith and fear nothing The creatures came into Noah without his care or cost He had no more to do but to take them in and place them The Prophet allâ—des hereto â—sai 11.6 7. all bloodiness and rapine laid aside Vers 10. The waters of the flood were upon the earth God is as faithful in his menaces Zeph. 3.5 as in his promises The wicked think them but wind but they shall feel them to be fire Jere. 5.14 Your fathers where are they Vexatio dat intellectum Did not my words though never so much slighted lay hold upon them And they returned that is changed their mindes when they smarted and said Like as the Lord thought to do unto us so hath he delt with us Zach. 1.5 6. There wanted not those in the old world that held all the threats of a flood to be interrorem onely and when they heard Noah thundering Luke 20.16 put off all as those in the Gospel with God forbid We cannot get men to believe that God is so just or the devil so black or sin so heavy or hell so hot till it hath even closed her mouth upon them Prov. 14.16 Prov. 12.3 The fool rageth and is confident passeth on and is punished and will not be better advised But what said the Martyr Brâ—dford They that tremble not in hearing shall be crusht to peeces in feeling Gods wrath is such as none can avert or avoyd Vers 11. In the second moneth In April as it is thought then when every thing was in its prime and pride birds chirping trees sprouting c. nothing less looked for then a flood then God shot at them with an arrow suddenly as saith the Psalmist Psal 64.7 1 Thes 5.3 So shall sudden destruction come upon the wicked at last day when they lest look for it So the Sun shone fair upon Sodom the same day wherein ere night it was fearfully consumed What can be more lovely to look on then the corn-field a day before harvest or a vineyard before the vintage Nos quasi medios inter duo sâ—pulchra posuit All the fountains of the great deep c. So we live continually betwixt two deaths the waters above and below us Serve the Lord with fear Vers 13. In the self same day Things are repeated that they may be the better observed and the greatness of the mercy the more acknowledged that God should single out so few and save them c. Vers 16. And the Lord shut him in A mean office one would think for God to shut the door after Noah He could not well do it himself the door doubtless being great and heavy and others that were without would not do him so much service God therefore doth it himself and therefore it could not but be well done indeed In a case of necessity we need not question Gods readiness to do us any good office so long as we keep close to him in a holy Communion In a Letter of B. Hoopers 2 Chron. 15.2 to certain good people taken praying in Bowe Church-yard and now in trouble thus he writes Read the second Chapter of Luke there the shepherds that watched upon their sheep all night assoon as they heard Christ was born at Bethlehem by and by they went to see him They did not reason nor debate with themselves Act. Mon. fol. 1347. who should keep the Wolf from the sheep in the mean while but did as they were commanded and committed their sheep to him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well he will help the husband comfort the wife guide the servants keep the house preserve the goods yea rather then it shall be undone he will wash the dishes and rock the cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God c. Thus he Vers 17. It was lift up above the waters Afterwards it went upon the
to express the terror of the day vainly say That the Angels in Heaven amazed with that hideous noyse for that time forgot the heavenly Hymnes wherewith they always glorifie God In conclusion Lazarus was slain and Amurath had the victory but a very bloody one and such as he had no great joy of For he lost abundance of his Turks as did likewise Adrian the Emperor of his Romans when he fought against the Jews and had the better but with such a loss of his own men that when he wrote of his victory to the Senate Dio in Adriano he forbore to use that common exordium that the Emperors in like ease were wont to use Si vos liberique vestri valeatis bene est Ego quidem exercitus valemus There was no such thing beleeve it nor but seldom is there But as the Dragon sucks out the blood of the Elephant Plin. and the waight of the falling Elephant oppresseth the Dragon and both usually perish together so doth it many times fall out with those that undertake war These four Kings beat the five but ere they gat home became a prey to Abraham and his confederates The Low-Countrey-men are said to grow rich Heyl. Geog. pag. 253. whereas all other Nations grow poor with war But they may thank a good Queen under â—od Queen Elisabeth I mean who first undertook their protection against the Spaniard Anâ—o 1585. Camdens Elisab For the which act of hers all Princes admired her fortitude and the King of Sweden said That she had now taken the Diadem from her head and set it upon the doubtful chance of War Dulia sanè est Martis alea neâ— rarò utrique parti noxia saith Bucholcerus And I cannot but as the case stands with us Bucholc Chroâ— p. 583. especially at this present by reason of these unnatural uncivil Wars stirred up amongst us go on and give my vote with him Ideo pons aureus ut vulgato proverbio dicitur hosti fugienti extruendus est magno precio precibus patientia ac prudentia alma pax redimenda ne infoelicitatis portas pacis tempore clausas Dulce bellum inexpertis infaustum bellum aperiat War is sweet they say to them that never made tryal of it But I cannot sufficiently wonder at Pyrrhus King of Epirus Nulli ma orem ex imperio quà m Pyrrho ex bello voluptatem fuisse Tit. 1.12 of whom Justin witnesseth That he took as much pleasure in War as others do in Supream Government He might have learned better of his own Prophets so Saint Paul calleth their Poets Homer the Prince of them ever brings in Mars as most hated of Jupiter above any other god as born for a common mischeif and being right of his mother Juno's disposition which was fierce vast contumacious and malignant We that are Christians as we cannot but with the Prophet Isaiah count and call War a singular evil So we must acknowledg with him Mâ—lum per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut bâ—llum quia minimâ— bâ—llâ—m per autiphrasin that it is an evil of Gods own creating Isaiah Chap. 45. vers 7. I make peacâ— and create evil that is War I is emphatical and exclusive as who should say I and I alone Whence-soever the Sword comes it is bathed in Heaven Isaiah Chapter 34. verse 5. God is pleased for this to stile himself A man of war Exodus 15.3 The Chaldee expresseth it thus The Lord and Victor of wars Gen. 17.1 Eundem victâ—rem vastatorem esse oportet Genesis 17.1 God elsewhere calleth himself El Shaddai Aben-Ezra interpreteth Shaddai a Conqueror And indeed the Hebrew word Shadad signifieth to dissipate and destroy both which he must needs do that becomes a Conqueror Gods seems to glory much in his workings about warlike affairs Hence Psalm 24.8 Who is the King of glory Psal 24.8 The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle He is in Scripture said to send the Sword Ezekiel 14.17 To muster the men Isaiah 13.4 To order the Ammunition Jeremiah 50.25 To bring up both van and rear Isaiah 52.12 To give wisdom valor and victory Psalm 144.1 Ezekiel 30.24 Ecclesiastes 9.11 The whole battle is his 1 Samuel 17.47 And he oft thereby revengeth the quarrel of his Covenant Levit. 26. So he hath done already upon the Jews and Germans so he is now doing alass upon Ireland and England And here I cannot but insert that which I finde observed by a prime Preacher of our Kingdom The late battle at Edge-hill was fought in a place called The Vale of the Red Horse as if God had said I have now sent you the Red Horse to avenge the quarrel of the White Revel 6.2 4. The blood spilt at Edge-hill the same day of the moneth in which the Rebellion brake out in Ireland the yeer before October 23. Yea and upon the self-same day if our Intelligence be true in which that bloody battle was fought neer Leipsick in Germany This Conjuncture is a sad Presage That England is to drink deep in Germany's and Irelands Cup. Father if it be thy will let this Cup pass from us A Cup of trembling it is surely to my self among many others such as maketh my Pen almost to fall out of my fingers whiles I write these things and affecteth me no otherwise when I consider of the many fearful convulsions of our Kingdom tending doubtless to a deadly consumption then the siege of Rome did Saint Jerome For hearing that that City was besieged Hieron Conn in Ezekiel Prâ—oem at such time as he was writing a Commentary upon Ezekiel and that many of his godly acquaintance there were slain he was so astonished at the news That for many nights and days he could think of nothing When I think of what should move the Lord to make this breach upon us and notwithstanding that he hath been so earnestly besought yet for all this his anger is not turned away Haec sâ—riâ—si cordâ—citâ—s do oâ—s August 21. 1643. but his hand is stretched out still that of Cajetan comes before me who then Commenting upon Matthew when the French Souldiers having broken into Rome offered all maner of abuse and violence to the Clergy inserts this passage into his Nâ—â—â—s on Matth. 5.13 Te are the salt of the earth as my former Author alleadgeth and rendereth him We the Prelates of Rome Mr. Arrowsmith ubâ— suprà â—p do now finde the truth of this by woful experience being become a scorn and a prey not to Infidels but Christians by the most righteous judgment of God because we who by our places should have been the Salt of the Earth had lost our savor and were good for little else but looking after the rites and revenues of the Church Evanuimuâ— aâ— ad nibilum utiles nisi ad externâ—â— caeremonias externaque bona c. Heyl. Geog. Hence it is that together with
Deut. 23.18 The price of a dog that is of a buggerer saith Juâ—ius and Deodatus on that Text. And Am I a dog saith Abuer that is 2 Sam. 3.8 so given as dogs be to lust Vers 7. Do not so wickedly They were the first that fell into this foul sin and were therefore worthily hanged up in gibbets by God for a terror to others and besides they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Iude 7. The Pope pretends to be Christs Vicar and presumes to assume the title of Holiness But how far he is from expressing God to the World appears by his if not commiting yet conniving at this detestable sin of Sodomy To speak no more of that debauched villain Johannes a Casa that Printed a Poem in commendation of this wickedness Act. Mon. 417. Caesar Bâ—rgis buggerd a grave Bishop by force Ignat. concl 58. Heyl. Geog. pag 2â—3 being at the same time Dean of the Popes Chamber and Bishop of Beneventum One Petro Alvegi Faruesis committed an unspeakable violence on the person of Cosmus Chaerius Bishop of Fanum and then poysoned him For which execrable action he received no other chastisement of his father Pope Paul the third then Haec vitia me non commonstratore didicit He never learned these tricks of his father But whom did the Cardinal of Saint Lucia learn it of Jâ—cob Revius de vis Pontif. To whom and his whole family Pope Sixtus quartus permited by license the free use of this filâ—hiness for the three hotter moâ—eths of the year June July and August with that Apostilla of his Fiat ut petitur Lupanar etiam utriusque veneris Romae 〈◊〉 Ibid. p. 119. saith Agrippa In the time of Pope Nicolas the second when Priests marriage was termed the heresie of the Nicolaitans Invaâ—â—â—s â—â—â—â—â—mentèr Sodomiticum scelâ—â— saith mine Author Sodomy was held no sin as at this day it is not among the Turks Blounts Veyage p. 79. In 〈◊〉 and those parts Whoredom and Sodomy those Spanish verâ—uâ—s are common without reproof The Popes pardons being more rife there then in any part of Europe for these filthinesses whereout he sucketh no small advantage Notwithstanding the Indians abhor this most loathsom living The World encompassed by Sir Fr. Drake p. 58. shewing themselves in respect of the Spaniards as the Scythians did in respect of the Grecians whom they so far excelled in life and behavior as they were short of them in learning and knowledg God hath delivered up these Pagans as he did those Pagans Rom. 1. to reprobate sense to vile affections to dishonor their own bodies between themselves for that they have worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator Vers 24 25 26. Hence it is that Rome is called Sodom in the Revelation Revel 11.8 Vers 8. Behold now I have two daughters This was an inconsiderate motion such as the best mindes easily yield when once troubled It was proper to the Lord Christ to be subject to natural passions and perturbations yet without sin as a Chrystal Glass full of clear water remains still pure howsoever it be shaken The Hebrews think That for this sinful offering to prostitute his daughters he was given up by God to commit incest with his daughters Vers 9. Stand back c. They set up the bristles at Lots admonition a sure fore-runner of destruction as in Elies sons Vers 10. But the men Thus Lot is rescued at a dead lift that 's Gods opportunity who knows how c. 2 Peter 2. vers 9. Vers 11. With blindness Subite scotomate saith Junius With blindness both of body and minde saith Aben-Ezra Such as tormented their eyes as if they had been pricked with thorns as the Hebrew word signifies And yet they continue groping for the door as if they were ambitious of destruction which now was at next door by Dous quem destruit dementat So Pharaoh when under that palpable three days darkness rageth against God and threatneth Moses with death Though doomsday should be to morrow next wicked men must and will serve their lusts Vale lumen amicum said Theotimus in St. Ambrose who chose rather to lose his sight then his sin Vers 12. Hast thou here any c. It is something for safety to be Lots Kinsman So the Kenites in Sauls time receive life from Jethro's dust many ages after his death 1 Sam. 15.6 and favor from his hospitality Vers 13. For we will destroy this place Even the good Angels are Gods executioners And the first execution they did in the world that we read of was upon these filthy Sodomites So will it be likely at the last day And Saint Peter seems to say as much 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord reserves the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness Mark that chiefly Vers 14. But he seemed as one that mocked Sed fuit habitus tanquam joâ—abundus Graceless hearts jear when they should fear and are senceless and secure as if they were out of the reach of Gods rod and needed not to fear his wrath Ridetur cum suo Jehoua sed risus impiorum est Sardonius Par. Lot here is counted but a Lob of his own sons in law Wonder not if we meet with the same measure Vers 15. Left thou be consumed So Revel 18.4 Come out of her that ye receive not of her plagues Musculiruiâ—is imminâ—ntibus pramigrant aranei cum telis primicadunt saith Pliny Plin. lib 8. cap 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag Swine live home afore a storm Vers 16. And while he lingred Or distracted himself with much business which David did not Psal 119 60. The Lord being merciful unto him What is he then to us in delivering us from the â—â—â—th to come 1 Thes 1.10 Acts 2.40 Why save we not our selves from this unto ward generation Why see we not his mercy to us in our losses and crosses His hand laying hold on us when he takes away that that may hinder us from Heaven Vers 17. Look not behinde thee As loth to depart Non minùs difficultèr à deliciis Sudemorum abstrabimur quà m canis ab uncto coriâ— Vers 18. Oâ— not so my Lord But who shall prescribe to the Almighty Or limit the holy One of Israel Are we wiser then he Have we a trick beyâ—nd him He lets us sometimes have our way but to our wo at last Vers 19. Behold now thy servant c. We can receive and commend Gods favors but be backward enough to obey him Vers 20. Is it not a little one Let no man use this plea for his sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. lib. 1. Even the Philosopher tells us That the smallest errors prove many times most dangerous It is as much treason to coyn pence as bigger peeces Vers 21. I will not overthrow this City Zoar of all the five Cities was
he had before forgot his break-fust he turned not into a victualing-house but went to the Temple and taught the people and confuted the Elders all that day long till the evening Matth. 21.18 c. with Mark 11.13 c. Job 23.12 Job esteemed Gods word more then his necessary food not onely more then his dainties or supersâ—uities Vers 35. And the Lord hath blessed my master Ministers Christs Paranymphs must likewise wo for Christ by setting forth his great wealth and not speak one word for Christ and two for themselves as those did Phil. 1.15 John Baptist was no such spokesman Joh. 3.29 It is the speciall office of the Ministery to lay Christ open to hold up the Tapistry and let men see him as he is set forth Heb. 1.2 3. that they may be sick of love for otherwise Christ is like to have but a cold suit of it Vers 39. Peradventure the woman will not Here he leaveth out in his discretion Abrahams charge vers 6. For that would but have offended and irritated Part of the truth may be concealed sometimes as Jer. 38.27 Quid quod ubi per quos quoties cur quomodo quando Quilibet haec animo reputet medicamina dando Vers 44. The woman whom the Lord hath appointed God is the Match-maker and Marriages are made in Heaven as very Heathens have yeelded The Governour of Eski-chisar hearing Othomans relation of a fair Lady with whom he was in love seemed greatly to like of his choice Turk Hist fol. 136. saying that she was by the Divine Providence for so the Turks religiously use to speak appointed onely for him to have Vers 47. And I put the ear ring upon her face So did Christ put upon his Spouse his own comeliness which was as a jewell on her forehead an ear-ring in her ear and a beautifull Crown upon her head Ezek. 16.12 14. whence she is called Callah of the perfection of her beauty and bravery Vxor splender radiis mariti A maxime in the Civill Law Jer. 2.32 And Hephzibah Isa 62.4 of his delight in her since he hath purified her as Esther sanctified her Ephes 5.26 and so beautified her that now he rejoyceth over her as a bridegroom doth over his bride Esa 62.5 Yea he resteth in his love and will seek no further he joyeth over her with singing as wel-apaid of his choyce Zeph. 3.17 Vers 53. And gave them to Rebeccah he gave also Note that the custome was then Heyl. Geog. to give gifts to the bride and her friends Now it is otherwise Yet in Hungary their women have no portion they say but a new coat at their wedding Mor is est apud Thraces saith Solinus ut nupturae non parentum arbitratu transeant ad maritos sed quae prae caeteris specie valent subhastari volunt Solin cap. 14. licâ—ntiâ taxationis admissâ non moribus nubunt sed praemiis Vers 54. And they did eat and drink It is lawfull to be honestly merry after business dispatcht Vers 55. Let the Damosell abide with us Men promise in haste perform by leisure Vers 56. Hinder me not Say we so to Satan solliciting us to stay a while in our old courses and companies Vers 57. And enquire at her mouth Eve was not dragg'd but brought by God to her husband There must be a mutual consent or it is not of God Vers 59. And her nurse Deborah who was a great stay to Jacobs family and her loss much lamented Gen. 35.8 Vers 60. Be thou the mother of thousands Votum nuptiale Hebraeis solenne We wish them joy we assure them sorrow and that in the flesh where they look for most felicity Vers 61. They rode upon the Camels A tiresome and tedious journey it was but for a good husband Suffer we with and for Christ that we may be glorified together when the marriage shall be consummated Heaven will pay for all What though thou ride on a trotting Camell it is to be married He that rides to becrowned will not think much of a rainy day Vers 63. To meditate in the field Or to pray there he had his Oratory there he used to pray secretly but now more earnestly upon so important an occasion with deep meditation or soliloquy Domitiau about the beginning of his Empire Sueton. usually sequestred himself from company an hour every day but did nothing the while but catch flyes and kill them with a pen-knife Gods people can better employ their solitariness and do never want company as having God and themselves to talk with And these secret meals are those that make the soul fat It was a witty and divine speech of Bernard that Christ the souls Spouse is bashfull neither willingly commeth to his Bride in the presence of a multitude Vers 65. She lighted off the Camell To meet him with the more reverence and submission for which cause also she veyled her self Here that of the Poet hold not Fastus inest pulchris sequiturque superbia formam Ovid. Vers 66. And the servant told Isaac Ministers also must give account of their Stewardship Happy he that can present his people as a chaste Virgin to Christ with Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 that can say with the Prophet Here am I and the children that thou hast given me And with that Arch-Prophet I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17.4 Reverend Mr. Stork was wont to protest Abrab deceas by M. Gatâ—k that it was more comfort to him to win one of his own charge then twenty others Vers 67. Isaac brought her into his mothers tent There to rest till the marriage-rites were performed till he had got her good-will till their affections were knit and in some sort settled till they had plighted their mutuall troth sought God for a blessing and performed such solemnities as the time required Youth rides in post to be married but in the end findes the Inne of repentance to be lodged in And took Rebeccah Not as Shechem took Dinah or Amnon Tamar to desloure her but as Boaz took Ruth and David Abigail to make her his wife by lawfull wedlock And he loved her Not onely as his Country-woman or his kinswoman or a good woman c. but as his woman with a conjugall love And he had reason For 1. She was his wife the proper object of his love 2. A wife of Gods providing a mate meet for him none in all the world so meet 3. She was love-worthy because fair courteous vertuous And as meat pleaseth us better in a clean dish so doth vertue in comely persons saith Hugo 4. She forgat her fathers house and forsook all her friends for him c. And Isaac was comforted If God takes away one comfort he will give another Chear up therefore CHAP. XXV Vers 1. Then again Abraham c. AFfter Sarahs death though Calvin thinks otherwise His body dry and
countries and because the labour was the easier and his right the better sith they had once been his fathers Vers 19. A well of springing water Heb. living so called for their continual motion Life consisteth in action and the godly esteem of life by that stirring they finde in their souls O Lord saith Hezekiah by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit And thus many a man lives more in a shorter then others in a longer time S. Jerome tells of One Hieron Epist ad Fri. qui in brevi vitae spacio tempora virtuâ—im multa replevit As Seneca of another qui non diu vixit sed diù fuit Non multum navigavit sed multum jactatus est Oh live live live saith a Reverend man quickly much long else you are but histed and kickt off this stage of the world as Phocas was by Heraclius Nay Abners fun by M. Harris many as Job 27.23 and v. 15. who were buried before half dead Vers 20. And the herd-men of Gerar Not content to have cast him out they pursued him with cruel hatred and by denying him water went about to destroy both him and his herds Crosses seldom come single Eccles 12.2 but in a croud James 1.2 The clouds return after the rain and cluster against a new storm See therefore that ye keep your cloke close about you Vers 21. And he called the name of it Sitnah Of Satan to hate deadly as the devil doth So the Preacher in his travels tells us of a place called The mouth of hell And we read of a Country called Terra del fuego Preach trav pag. 106. Heyl. Geog. 130. Savoy for the strait passages infested with thieves was once called Malvoy till a worthy adventurer cleared the coasts and then 't was called Salvoy or Savoy quasi salva via Ibid. 474. So King Alfred as he divided the kingdom into shires so the subjects in the several shires into Tens or Tythings every of which should give bond for the good abearing of each other The ancientest of the ten was called the Tything-man And the Kingdom was called Regnum Dei Polyd. Virg. and Albion quasi Olbion happie as Angli quasi Angeli for that then a poor girl might safely travel with a bag of gold in her hand and none durst meddle with her Vers 22. And he removed from thence c. See here a pattern of a patient and peaceable disposition not broken by the continual injuries and affronts of the Philistims that maligned and molested him Psal 120.7 I am peace saith David and I saith Isaac and I saith every son of peace every childe of wisdom How well might good Isaac take up that of David Psal 26.12 Psal 4.2 and say My feet stand in an even place now that he was at Rehoboth especially and God had made room for him The scales of his minde neither rose up toward the beam Barthol Westmer in Psal 26. through their own lightness nor were too much depressed with any load of sorrow but hanging equally and unmoved between both gave him liberty in all occurrences to enjoy himself Our mindes saith a Divine should be like to the Adamant Ambros Hexam 4. that no knife can cut the Salamander that no fire can burn the Rock which no waves can shake the Cypress-tree which no weather can alter the hill Olympus higher then storm or tempest winde or weather can reach unto or rather like mount Sion Psal 1â—5 1 Philip. 4.11 Act. Mon. that cannot be removed but standeth fast for ever Thus Paul had learned how to abound and to be abased Bradford if the Queen would give him life he would thank her if banish him he would thank her if burn him he will thank her if condemn him to perpetual imprisonment he will thank her as he told one Creswel that offered to intercede for him Praeclara est aequabilitas in omni vita idem semper vulius eademque frons Aelian lib. 9. Solin cap. 8. ut de Socrate idemque de C. Laelio accepimus saith Tully in his books of Offices which book the old Lord Burleigh Peachams comp Gent. pag. 45. Lord high Treasurer to Queen Elisabeth would always carry about him to his dying day either in his bosom or pocket And what use he made of it take M. Camdens testimony Camd. Elis fol. 495. Burleigh Lord Treasurer was wont to say that he overcame envie more by patience then pertinacy His private estate he managed with that integrity that he never sued any man no man ever sued him He was in the number of those few that both lived and died with glory Vers 23. And he went up to the place of Gods worship Strabo writeth that the Metapontines Dedicasse in Delphis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they were enriched by a good yeer of corn dedicated to Apollo a golden harvest Vers 24. Fear not for the continued opposition of the Philistims or what-ever other discouragement The best mindes when troubled for any long time yeeld inconsiderate motions and suffer some perturbation as water that is violenly stirred sends up bubbles They cannot be so much master over their passions as not otherwhiles to be disquieted for not the evenest weights but at their first putting into the balance somewhat sway both parts thereof not without some shew of inequality which after some little motion settle themselves in a meet poize Potissimùm verò fidei murus Bucholcer Chronol 320. tentationum ariete durius aliquantò pulsatus concussus facilè nutare ac ruinam minari incipit nisi divinitus sustentetur Vers 25. And called upon the Name of the Lord that had made room for him and now by his presence and promise comforted him Let the streams of Gods bounty lead us as the water-course doth either to the spring upward or downward to the main Ocean to the source and fountain whence they flow Let God taste of the fruit of his own planting Otherwise it is no better then the refreshing of him that standeth by a good fire and crieth Ah ah I am warm Isai 44.16 We are no better then bruit beasts if contenting our selves with a natural use of the creatures we rise not up to the Author if in stead of being temples of his praise we become graves of his benefits Isaac first built an altar and then digg'd a Well Vers 26. And Abimelech went to him Not of any great love but as 1. prickt in conscience 2. to provide for posterity It was a mercy to him howsoever that strangers and Heathens should do him this honour as it was to Luther that when the Pope had excommunicated him the Emperour proscribed him two Kings written against him c. the Elector of Saxony should nevertheless stick to him Manh. loc com and that the Great Turk should send him word not to be discouraged for he would
all these things why and how he came so poorly to him when as Abrahams servant coming upon a like errand came far better attended and appointed which was the thing that Laban likely looked after when he ran out to meet Jacob. Vers 14. Surely thou art my bone c. Good words cost nothing and the veriest carls are commonly freer of them then of real courtesies Pertinax the Emperour was sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd blandus esset magis quà m benignus But that of Nero was abominable who the very day before he killed his mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio in Ner. most lovingly embraced her kissed her eyes and hands and accompanying her when she departed used these sweet words All happiness attend you my good mother for in you I live and by you I raign As a potsheard covered with silver-dross so are burning lips and a wicked heart Prov. 26.23 Vers 15. Shouldst thou therefore serve me He pretends loveand equity to his covetous aims and reaches Candid he would needs seem according to his name and considerate Laban est candidus But as Blackmoors have their teeth onely white so is Labans kindness from the teeth outward He was as a whited wall or painted sepulchre or an Egyptian temple fair and specious without but within some cat rat or calf there idolized and adored Hypocrites whatever they pretend have a hawks eye to praise or profit they must be gainers by their piety or humanity which must be another Dianae to bring gain to the crafts-master The Eagle when she soareth highest hath an eye ever to the prey Vers 17. Leah was tender-eyed Purblinde or squint as One interprets it Turk hist fol. 483. Now a froward look and squint eyes saith the Historian are the certain notes of a nature to be suspected The Jerusalemy Targum tells us that her eyes were tender with weeping and praying Mary Magdalene is famous for her tears and Christ was never so neer her as when she could not see him for weeping Heidfeld After which she spent as some report thirty yeers in Gallia Narbonensi in weeping for her sins But Rachel was beautiful c. Plate calls beauty the principality of nature Aristorle a greater commendation then all Epistles See the Notes on Chap. 24 16. Vers 18. I will serve thee seven yeers He had nothing to endow her with he would therefore earn her with his hard labour which as it shews Labans churlishness to suffer it and his baseness to make a prize and a prey of his two daughters so it sets forth Jacob's meekness poverty patience and hard condition here mentioned many yeers after by the Prophet Hosea Chap. 12.12 He was a man of many sorrows and from him therefore the Church hath her denomination neither were the faithful ever since called Abrahamites but Israelites Vers 19. It is better that I give her to thee Indeed he sold her to him for seven yeers service This was Laban or Nabal chuse you which Their names were not more like then their conditions Labans daughters and Nabals wife were also alike handled by their unkinde parents He hath sold us said they and hath also quite devoured our money Gen. 31.15 And He hath married me might Abigail have said to the money and not to the man and though he named me his joy yet he hath caused me much sorrow How many a childe is so cast away by the covetous parents It was better with Labans two daughters but no thanks to their father Nox longa quibus mentitur amica diesque longa videtur opu◠debentibus piger annu◠pupillis Vers 20. And they seemed unto him but a few days And yet lovers hours are full of eternity But love facilitated the service and made the time seem short Should any thing seem hard or heavie to us so we may have heaven at length The affliction is but light and momentany the glory massie and for all eternity Hold out Faith and Patience Love is a passion and seen most in suffering much water cannot quench it Nay like fire Cant. 8.7 it devours all delays and difficulties spending and exhaling it self as it were in continual wishes to be at home to be with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.23 which is far far the better Oh let the eternal weight of the Crown weigh down with us the light and momentany weight of the Cross Vers 21. Give me my wife for my days c. Jacob had served out his time and now demands his due David also is said to have served the will of God for his own age and John Baptist Acts 13.35 to have fulfilled his course in the same Chapter Vers 25. Moses also was faithful in all Gods house as a servant Yet these could not call for heaven as their wages because they were as the best are at their best but unprofitable servants and did not in any measure Luke 17.10 what their duty was to do We have not a bit of bread of our own earning and are therefore taught to pray Give us this day our daily bread we get our living by begging Our best plea is Domine non sum dignus nihilominùs tamen sum indigens Lord I am not worthy but I am needy as Pomeran said Then will God of his free grace supply all our necessities and afterwards receive us to glory He will bring us into the Bride-chamber of heaven and there will he give us his loves He will let out himself into us to our infinite delight Of all natural delights that of Marriage is the most because there is the greatest communication of one creature to another and according to the degrees of communication are the degrees of delight Think the same in the mystical Marriage Vers 22. And made a feast Never more seasonable surely then at the recovery of the lost rib The Wedding-day is called The day of the rejoycing of a mans heart Cant. 3.11 Our Saviour graced such a feast with his presence and first miracle Ho supplied them with wine to glad their hearts not with a little for healths sake onely but with a great quantity for sober delight and honest affluence It is noted as an absurd thing in Samson's wife that she wept all the days of the feast A feast then there was at Samson's wedding and of seven days continuance Judg. 14.10 11 And so there was at Jacob's as may be gathered out of vers 27. Fulfil her week saith Laban to wit of banquet or Bride-ale as we call it Onely that of Chrysostom comes here in fitly De nuptiis Jacobi legimus de choreis tripudiis non legimus Of Jacobs Wedding-feast we read but of dancing and dalliance of tracing and tripping on the toe we read not In maxima libertate minima licentia saith Salvian Merry we may be at such a time but in the Lord Deut. 12.7 eat and drink we may but
the other members Rom. 3. Let therefore thy words be few true and ponderous An open mouth is a Purgatory to the master Carry a pair of balances betwixt thy lips Cassiod lib 10. Ep. 4. Nescit poenitenda loqui qui proferenda priùs suo tradidit examini saith Cassiodore Jacob might have learned of the Heathen Romanes to speak warily in passing sentence on or giving testimony of another Romani semper Videri in sententiis in testimoniis Arbitrari dicebant saith Cicero Vers 32. And Laban Went into Jacobs tent Hypocrites are suspicious of others better then themselves and impudently inquisitive Curiosi ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosi ad corrigendam suam as S. Augustine hath it Those that are most inquisitive about other mens manners are most careless of their own Vers 34. Put them in the camels furniture and sat upon them Presumptuous sinners deal as homely with the dear mercies of Almighty God pleading and pretending them to their wicked courses and so kicking against his bowels which are therefore fast closed against them Vers 35. For the custom of women is upon me A subtil but sinful excuse to shift a shame Womens wits we say are best at 〈◊〉 pinch but they must take heed they be not as C. Curio the Romane Velleius ingeniose nequam wittily wicked Wit will not bear out sin Vers 36. And Jacob was wroth and chode An angry expostulation but not without some errour in the heat of altercation Be angry and sin not is saith One the easiest charge under the hardest condition that can be It is difficult to kindle and keep quick the fire of zeal which is the best kinde of anger without all smoke of sin Vers 37. Set it here before my brethren See the confidence of a clear conscience Happie is be that can be acquitted by himself in private in publike by others in both by God Lucrum in arca saepè facit damnum in conscientia But all such as conceive with guile by that time they have reckoned their moneths a right though they grow never so big shall bring forth nothing but winde and vanity Yea they that sowe the winde shall reap the whirlwinde Let that thou hast be well gotten and thou needst not care whom thou lookst in the face thou shalt not be ashamed to speak with thine enemies in the gate Vers 38. The rams of thy fleck I have not eaten A lively picture of a careful Pastor He fats not himself but feeds the flock he seeks not theirs 2 Cor. 11. neither fleece nor flesh but them and their welfare He takes not to him the instruments of a foolish shepherd Zech. 11.15 that is forcipes mulctram that he may carry away lac lanaâ—â— but feeds the flock of God and takes care of the cure 1 Pet. 5.2 as Peter bids not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde c. About the yeer of Christ 1260 the People and Clergie of England the Popes Ass as it was called opposed themselves to the Legat's exactions And when Rustandus the Legat alleadged that all Churches were the Popes Leonard a learned man of those times Jac. Revius de vitis Pontif. pag. 178. answered Tuitione non fruitione defensione non dissipatione Vers 39. Of my hand didst thou require it Which was against all right and reason Exod. 22.10 13. but that weighed little with this covetous cormorant God smites his fists at such dishonest gain as Balak did at Balaam in token of extreme indignation Ezek. 22.13 And lest Laban or any like should object that these were but great words The Lord would not do it They would deal well enough with the Lord for that matter he addes in the neâ—â— verse Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it vers 14. Vers 40. Thus was I in the day c. Non-residents do none of all this those Idol and idle shepherds they cry out as he Viâ—g Pan curet oves oviúmque magistros 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Odyss â„¥ being herein not onely worse then this good shepherd in the text but also then Vlysses his swinehord in Homer who would not lie from his charge Vers 41. I served thee fourteen yeers c. If all this to be son-in-law to Laban what should not we do or suffer gladly to be the sons of God Vers 42. The Fear of Isaac God the proper object of fear whence he is absolutely called the Fear Psal 76.12 Bring presents to Fear that is to him to whom all dread is due The Chaâ—dee Paraphrast rendeth Teraphim verse 32 of this Chapter Labans fear It was an atheisticall speech of Statius Primus in orbe deos fecit Timor But it was a true saying of Varro Qui primi deorum simulachra induxeruâ—â— errâ—rem auxerunt metum dempserunt Vaâ— as Calvin cites his words They that first brought in Images of the gods increased mens errour but took away their fear Vers 43. These daughters are my daughters c. All this is a flaunt or rather a flattery Now he seeks to curry favour where he could not exercise cruelty smoothing over the matter as if he meant them no hurt when he was meerly bridled and could not do them that hurt that he desired This is still the guise of hypocrites and false brethren they would be taken for friends and seek to build up themselves upon better mens ruines as here Laban would render Jacob suspicious to his daughters as one that would hereafter deal hardly with them if not bound by him in a covenant to his good abearance toward them Vers 44. Now therefore come thou c. A fool is full of words saith Solemon Which odious custom of his is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his vain tautologies A man cannot tell what shall be and what shall be after him who can tell Eccles 10.14 Laban likewise talks a great deal here and is up with the more and down with the less as they say A Covenant he will have a pillar he will have and a heap he will have and that heap shall be a witness and that pillar a witness and God a witness and a judge too Qui nou quid sed quantum dicat ponderare comâ—â—vit Hicâ—on in Apol. ad Domnion c. there 's no end of his discourse as if ' Domnio-like he cared not so much what as how much he spake The basest things are ever most plentiful History and experience tells us that some kinde of mouse breedeth an hundred and twenty young ones in one nest whereas the Lion and Elephant bears but one at once So the least worth yeelds the most words Vers 53. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father The Chaldee Paraphrast sometimes useth the word Fear or Terrour for God for the reason above-given vers 42. Hence Jacob coming from Syria
vengeance Well might K. James say that if God did leave him to kill a man he would think God did not love him David Gods darling falling into that crimson sin carried the bruise of that fall with him to his grave Woe to those Italians Sands his Relation of West Relig. Sect. 13. that blaspheme oftner then swear and murther more then revile or slander Vers 23. They stript Joseph out of his coat For 1. It was an eye-sore to them 2. Therewith they would colour their cruelty And this whiles they were doing Ioseph used many intreaties for himself but they would not hear him Gen. 42.21 Reuben also pleaded hard for the child but all to no purpose Gen. 42.22 their tender mercies were cruelties Vers 24. They cast him into a pit Where they meant he should pine and perish with hunger which is a more cruel death Druso adcò alimenta subducta ut tomentum a culcitra tentaverit mandere Tacit. then to dye by the sword Lam. 4.5 Thus dyed Drusus by the command of Tiberius meat being denyed him he had eaten the stuffings of his bed I have heard of a certain Bishop saith Melancthon who having cast ten men into a dungeon for their religion sake kept them there so long without all manner of meat that they devoured one another Joh. Manl. loc com 124. Vers 25. And they sate down to eat To weep for their wickedness they should have sate down rather But the Devill had drawn a hard hoof over their hearts that either they felt no remorse of what they had done for present or else they sought to ease themselves of it by eating and merry-making They drank wine in bowles but no man was sorry for the affliction of Joseph Nay perhaps Amos 6.8 they had so tyred themselves with making away their brother that they were even spent again and stood in need of some refreshing The good providence of God was in it howsoever that they should there sit down till the Merchants came by from Gilead which was a Mart for Merchants Ier. 8.22 22.6 All things co-operate for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 Vers 26. What profit is it c. Cui bono said that old Judge in Rome Cic. orat pro C. Rabir. This is a song that most men will listen to As the Jassians in Strabo delighted with the musick of an excellent Harper ran all away when once they heard the Market-bell ring save a deaf old man that could take little delight in the Harpers ditties But it were to be wisht that whenever we are tempted to sin we would ask our selves this question What profit is it c. Vers 27. For he is our brother and our flesh This consideration should be as the Angels call to Abraham to stay our hand from striking another 1. That he is our brother in respect of God for have we not all one father hath not one God created us Mal. 3.10 Next that he is our flesh in regard of our first parents Act. 17.26 Esay 58.7 Vers 28. For twenty peeces of silver A goodly price not all out the price of a slave Exod. 21.32 Here they sold the just one for silver Pirke R. Eliez ch 38. and the poor for a pair of shooes Amos 2.6 The Hebrews tell us that of these twenty shekels every of the ten brethren had two to buy shooes for their feet And they brought Ioseph into Egypt Little knowing what a price they had in their hand even the Jewel of the world and him that should one day be Lord of Egypt The Saints for their worth are called Princes in all lands Many righteous are many Kings Compare Matth. 13.17 with Luk. 10.24 Psal 45. Kings in righteousness though somewhat obscure ones as Melchizedek Heb. 7. They are called the world Joh. 3.16 every creature Mark 16.16 all things Col. 1.20 Gods portion Deut. 32.9 the dearly beloved of his soul Jer. 12.7 a royal Diadem in the hand of Iehovah Esay 62.3 This the cock on the dunghill the Midianitish muck-worms take no notice of They could see no comliness in Christ though the fairest of ten thousand nothing more then a despicable man Joh. 6. How can this man give us his flesh to eat God had hid him in whom all the treasures of worth and wisdom were hid under the Carpenters son Colos 2. This pearl was covered with a shell-fish so are all Gods precious people for most part abjects in the worlds eye their glory is within their life is hid they are great heirs but as yet in their non-age Kings but in a strange country heads destinated to the diadem but this the world knows not 1 Ioh. 3.1 Let it suffice us that God and all that can spiritually discern know it and so shall others as Ioseph's brethren did him in his bravery For when Christ our life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory Vers 30. The child is not and I c In an old Manuscript I met with these words thus pathetically rendred Heu quid agam periit puer ille puer puer ille Reuben was the eldest and therefore thought he should be most blamed Besides he had not forgot how highly his father had been lately offended with him for his detestable incest Vers 32. Know now whether it be thy sons coat One Philip Bishop of Beau-vieu in France in the time of our Richard the first being a martial man and much annoying our borders was by King Richard in a skirmish happily taken and put in prison The Bishop hereupon complained to the Pope who wrote in the behalf of his son as an Ecclesiasticall person c. The King sent to the Pope the armour he was taken in with these words engraven thereon Know whether this be thy sons coat or not Heyl. Geog. pag. 108. Which the Pope viewing sware it was rather the coat of a son of Mars then a son of the Church and so bad the King use his pleasure Vers 33. It is my sons coat c. The Lord may well say as much of hypocrites Their outward from of godliness is the garb of my sons and daughters but some evil spirit hath devoured them who use it only in hypocrisie They are fair professors but foul sinners And when the filthy sinner goes damâ—ed to hell what shall become of the zealous professor As the Churl said to the Bishop of Cullen praying in the Church like a Bishop but as he was a Duke going guarded like a tyrant Whither thinkest thou the Bishop shall go when the Duke shall be damned Vers 34. Mourned for his son many dayes Puerilitas est periculorum pelagus Few live to be old for one evil beast or another that devours them As for one apple that hangs till it falls many are endgel'd down or gathered off the tree We should learn to bury children and friends whiles yet alive by acting their death to our selves aforehand
and hard conditions for quiet life This was a low poor spirit and his posterity were for the general very unworthy and vile For Issachars lot fell in Galilee Josh 19.18 c. Now doth any good come out of Galilee The best that we read of them was that they had understanding of the times 1 Chro. 12.32 to know what Israel ought to do and were therefore in great account with David But for action it seems they were heavy-spirited dullmettal'd men much like those potters mentioned 1 Chron. 4.23 that dwelt among plants and hedges the base brood of their degenerated fore-fathers in Babylon Ho ho come forth and stee from the land of the North said the Lord unto them Zach. 2.6 Cyrus also had proclaimed liberty to all that would to return to Jerusalem But these dull droans because they got a poor living by making of pots for the King of Babylon they thought themselves well as they were and chose rather to stay under the hedges of Babylon These are res obsoletae so Junius renders the text there things worn out and forgotten and indeed they deserve to be forgotten Vers 16. Dan shall judge Here is an allusion to his name in the Original q. d. the Judger shall judge This is an high honour to sit in the seat of judicature and no less a burden Fructuâ— honos oneris fructus honoris onus They that are called to this office must neither spare the Great for might nor the mean for misery as they must have nothing to lose so nothing to gâ—t neither they must be above all price or sale and straining out all self-affections Deut. 16.20 see to it that Justice justice as Moses speaks that is pure justice without mud run down as a mighty torrent Vers 17. Dan shall be an adder by the way He shall subtily set upon his enemies and suddenly surprize them as they did the men of Laish and as Sampson of this tribe did the Philistims Moses saith Leonina pelli vulpinam assuere Dan is a Lions whelp Deut. 33.22 But when his Lions hide would not serve turn he could piece it out with his fox-skin or serpents slough he could if not outfight his enemics outwit them And dolus Virg. and virtus quis in hoste requirat Of Decebalus King of Dacians it is reported to his singular commendation that he could optimè insidias facere praelium committere optimè uti victoriâ et acceptam cladem ferre moderatè All which were the parts and points 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio in vita Domit. of an excellent warriour Vers 18. I have waited for thy salvation A sudden and sweet ejaculation either as feeling himself faint and spent with speaking he desires to be dissolved and so to be freed from all infirmities Or else fore-seeing the defection of this tribe to idolatry and their many miseries thereupon he darts up this holy desire to God for them and himself in them Good Nehemiah is much in these heavenly ejaculations And the ancient Christians of Egypt were wont to use very short and frequent prayers saith Augustine lest in longer their fervour of affection should suffer diminution Nâ— per moras evanesceret et bebetaretur oratio Aug. Exod. 14.15 Ioh. 16.33 Why cryest thou unto me saith God to Moses This was but a sudden desire darted up Vers 19. Gad a troope shall overcome him but This is every good Christians case in the Spirituall warfare he conquers but comes to it through many conflicts and counterbuffâ—s Apoc. 13.7 He made war upon the Saints and overcame them for a season it may be according to humane conceit howsoever But Chap. 12.11 They conquered and overcame him according to the truth of the thing by the blood of the lamb in whom they do overcome and are more then conquerours Rom. 8. This was fulfilled in the tribe of Gad 1 Chron. 5.18 19 20. Vers 20. Out of Asher his bread shall be fat The kidneys of wheate as the Psalmist hath it Psal 81.16 Or choicest bread-corn Moses expoundeth this Asher shall dip his foot in oyle Deut. 33.24 That is he shall dwell in the horn of the son of oyle as the expression is Isai 5.1 Or in a very fruitfull corn-countrey which was a singular blessing according to his name which signifieth bliss and happiness He shall yeelâ— dainties for a King Kings use to feed of the finest Yet of Augustus we reade that he was never curious in his diet but content with ordinary and common viands He never drank but thrice at one meale and lived neer fourscore years Queen Elizabeth of England New-landors cure by Sr. Edw. Vaughan Camd. Elisab Sabellic AEnead 2. Plures pereunt gulâ quam gladio lancibus quam lanceis crapulâ quam capulâ— c. Heidfeld did seldome eate but one sort of meate rose ever with an appetite and lived about seventy years King Edward the sixth called her by no other name then his sweet sister temperance Contrarily Sylla the Roman Dictator by surfeiting and banquetting at last gat a most miserable disease and dyed full of lice Surfeters either dig their graves with their own teeth The Grecians called the intemperate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wanting health Or else they come to some untimely end by the just judgment of God as those monstrous Epicures Caligula Heliogabalus Geta the Emperour who was served in with dainties by the Alphabet One while he would have anserem anatem aprum Another time he would have phasianum farra ficus Sometime again pullum pavonem Bruson lib. 3. cap. 1. perdicem porcellum piscem pernam c. This was one of those Caesars who gat nothing by their honour but ut citius interficerentur Vers 21. Naphtali is a hinde let loose Swift of foot and which when it slieth looketh behind it saith the Chaldee Paraphrast on Cant. 8.14 This was fulfilled in Barac of this tribe Iudg. 4.6 10 15 16. Veget. lib. 1. cap. 24. which who went up on his feet against Sisera's iron chariots were first a terrour and afterwards a scorn as Vegetius saith of chariots armed with sithes and hookes Origen observes that in all the victories God gave his people in Canaan he never used the help of horses The adversaries both Egyptians and Canaanites had chariots and horses not so Isracl A horse is a warlike creature full of terrour Iob 41.20 Prov. 21.31 So swift that the Persians as Pausanias hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paus Prov. 21.31 dedicates him to their God the Sun as the swiftest creature to the swiftest God But what saith David An horse is a vain thing for safety Psal 33.18 And to the same purpose Solomon A horse â—s prepared for the day of battell but when al 's done salvation is of the Lord. This Barac with his friend Deborah found and celebrated in that famous song Iudg. 5. He giveth goodly words In the aforesaid Song Christ also began to
administration of the Lords Supper Doth hee not seal again and again c Was leprous as snow Let us but laie our hand upon our hearts thrust them into our bosoms to rifle there and wee shall bee sure to take them out leprous all of a tetter Vers 7. As his other flesh To shew him that God by small means could bring about great matters and that in a moment See Isai 66.7 8. Which yet was ill applied by Card. Pool to this revolting nation in Q. Maries daies Vers 8. The voice of the first sign God's signes have a voice and words Psal 105.27 They speak not onely to our eies but ears as those manie prodigies did before the last desolation of Jerusalem as that terrible tempest at Rome Anno. 1516. The same year that Luther began to stir that so struck the Church where Pope Leo was creäting his Cardinals Balcus Centur 8. that it removed the Childe Jesus out of the lap of his Mother and the Keies out of St. Peter's hand So the two Suns seen in London at the comming in of King Phillip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feb. 15.1553 The new star in Cassiopeia Anno 1572. The prodigious Comet Anno. 1618 c. Vers 9. Shall becom blood In the year 874 at Brixia in Italie Funce Chronol it rained blood for three daies and three nights Anno. 1505. There appeared in Germanie upon the garments of men and women Act. and Mon. fol. 769. divers prints and tokens of the nails of the spunge of the spear of the Lords coat and of bloodie crosses Maximilian the Emperor had and shewed the same to Francis Mirandula who thereupon wrote his Staurestichon and therein thus Non ignota cano Caesar monstravit ipsi Vidimus innumeros prompsit Germania testes Ibid. 1853. In the third yeer of Q. Marie William Pikes beeing at libertie after imprisonment and going into his garden took with him a Bible where sitting and reading there soddainly fell down upon his Book four drops of fresh blood and hee knew not from whence it came Whereat hee beeing sore astonished and wiping out one of the drops with his finger called his wife and said in the virtue of God wife what meaneth this Will the Lord have four sacrifices I see well enough the Lord will have blood his will bee don and give mee grace to abide the trial c. Vers 10. I am not eloquent Heb. A man of words a master of speech as Paul was Act. 14.12 Hee had not that first second and third of an Orator Elocution or Pronunciation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet God made chois of him rather then of eloquent Aaron to praie Exod. 17. Not gifts but graces prevail in praier Slow of speech Of a letsom deliverie word-bound Vers 11. Who hath made man's mouth There is no mouth into which God cannot put fit words Balaam's Ass was enabled by God to convince his Master Whereas by a man never so full and fluent hee cannot bring forth his conceptions without the obstetrication of God's assistance Prov. 16.1 Vers 12. I will bee with thy mouth See the Note on Matth. 10.19 Vers 13. By the hand of him whom thou wilt Or shouldest send By that excellent Speaker the Messiah cujus dicere est facere Thus when God had answered all Mose's objections hee forwardly denie's to go notwithstanding and bid's him send by his son as one that was better fitted for the service That which made Moses so unwilling was whatever hee pretended the fear of his life which rub when God had once removed hee went on end vers 19 20. Vers 14. And the anger of the Lord And no wonder Patientia laesa fit furor Where God commandeth there to ask a reason is presumption but to oppose reason is a kind of Rebellion I know that hee can speak well The gift of utterance is an high favor a piece of a Christian's riches 1 Cor. 1.5 See the Note there Aaron as Tully saith of Aristotle had aureum flumen orationis a golden gift of speech Ver. 15. Will teach you See the note on ver 11.12 Ver. 16. And hee shal bee thy spokesman God hath made mee ill-favored in this world and without grace in the sight of men said Tindal to Frith speechless and rude Act. and Moâ—um p. 988. dull and slow-witted your part shal be to supplie that which lacketh in mee remembring that as lowliness of heart shall make you high with God even so meekness of words shall make you sink into the hearts of men In stead of God To dictate unto him my minde and counsel Such a God to every Christian is his sanctified Conscience Ver. 17. Wherewith thou shalt do signs God of his free-will joining his operation thereunto as likewise hee doth to the outward signs in the two Sacraments and hence their energie which els would bee none Ver. 18. Whether they bee yet alive which if they bee though in a low condition both they and I shall see caus to bee thankful Lam. 3.39 Eccles 9.4 Ver. 19. For all the men are dead Here the Lord laie's his finger upon the sore This was that pad in the straw the thing that made Moses hang off as hee did however hee pretended the people's incredulitie his own inabilitie and this and that neither did hee altogether dissemble but self-love need 's not bee taught to tell her tale Ver. 20. Vpon an Ass This may argue his povertie as Zach. 9. ver 9. Especially if hee had but one Ass for the whole Familie Ver. 21. But I will harden his heart with a judiciarie penal hardness And thus God is in this book eight times said to have hardned Pharaoh's heart thrice it is said that hee hardened his own heart and five times his heart is said to have been hardned viz. by the devil through the just judgment of God Ver. 22. Even my first-born And so higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Ver. 23. Let my Songo God commanding Pharaoh to let go his people and yet hardning his heart that hee would not let them go is not contrarie to himself For by so commanding him hee requireth his obedience and by so hardning him hee punisheth his disobedience Ver. 24. And sought to kill him to do justice upon him according to Gen. 17.14 and as upon one that was an unmeet man to take care of the Church having no better ordered his own hous 1 Tim. 3.5 God passeth not by the sins of his best children without a sensible check if scandalous especially and committed against conscience Hee hath much ado to forbear killing us in such cases Hee is even readie to have a blow at us and crie's like a travelling woman who bite's in her pain while shee can to bee delivered of his judgments Isa 42.14 Ver. 25. Surely a bloodie husband A peevish wife whose frowardness is either tollenda or toleranda cured or carried patiently nè conjugium fiat
their evil courses Ezek. 23.8 20.5 7 8. Ios 24.14 It is written as a heavie curs of God Levit. 26.17 If yee still trespass against mee I will set Princes over you that shall hate you Mischeivous odious Princes odious to God malignant to the people Vers 20. And they met Moses How readie are wee to mistake the grounds of our afflictions and to cast them upon fals causes 1 King 17.18 The Sareptan told the Prophet that hee had killed her son Vers 21. The Lord look upon you Thus wee have seen dogs in a chafe bark at their best friends Vers 22. And Moses returned unto the Lord Hee turned aside as it were to speak with a friend and to disburthen himself into God's bosom This is the Saints privilege See the Note on Matâ—h 11.25 Vers 23. Neither hast thou delivered Here Moses himself was too short-spirited Hee considered not belike that God's promises do manie times bear a long date neither is it fit to set him a time or to awaken him whom our soul loveth untill hee pleas Do but wait saith the Lord. Habac. 2.3 You shall bee delivered you shall bee delivered you shall bee delivered you shall you shall So much that text in effect soundeth and assureth CHAP VI. Vers 1. Then the Lord said unto Moses PArdoning the faults of his praier God grant's him a gracious answer so hee dealt with David Psal 31.22 For I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eies Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee Vers 2. Scalig. de Subtiâ—t I am Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger's word that do Peress Gregorie's word that have beeing of my self give beeing to all things elf and in special to my promises to perform with my hand whâ—t I have spoken with my mouth 1 King 8.15 onely God exspect's that men put his promises in suit by their prayers as here and burthen him with them as that Martyr said Vers 3. By the name of God Almightie See the Note on Gen. 17.1 The sens is this saith Cameron Quantum illis sufficiebat tantum indulsit Camer de Eccles non indulsit quod erat summum Hee gave them enough but not the main But by my name Jehovah That is by the import of this his name the full performance of his promises God was known to the Patriarchs by this name Jehovah quoad esse Dei but not quoad esse rei Vers 4. To give them the land of Canaan And a better thing with it the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 11.10.16 Vers 5. I have heard the groanings Hee heareth the young ravens that crie unto him but by implication onely Psal 147.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with a hoars voice unfit to move pitie whence also they have their name in the Hebrew how much more his own covenanters Vers 6. And I will bring you out A great deliverance but nothing to that which Christ hath wrought for us from the tyrannie of sin and terror of hell Vers 7. And I will bee to you a God This is the top of anie man's happineâ—s to have God for his God What can such a man want Psalm 23.1 As hee in Plutarch said of the Egyptians that though they had no musick nor vines amongst them Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they had Gods Vers 8. And I will bring you See vers 4. Vers 9. But they hearkned not The ear which taste's words as the mouth doth meat was so filled with choller that they could relish no comfort It is ill sowing in a storm giving physick in a feaver-fit The easiest medicines or waters are troublesom to sore cies So here Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis Vers 11. Go in speak unto Pharaoh Whether hee will hear or whether hee will forbear Ezek. 2.5 Speak when God bid's us though it may seem to little purpose Wee have lost manie a wors labor The man of God must bee patient tolerant to all yea to those that oppose proving if at anie time God will give them repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vers 12. Of uncircumcised lips Or of an heavie speech word bound Thick-lipped A thin lip is a sign of eloquence Job 12.20 Pitho sits in such lips Vers 13. And the Lord spake unto Moses Notwithstanding his former tergiversation and the peoples peevishness Mens wickedness cannot interrupt the cours of God's goodness Vers 14. These bee the heads This is a digression to shew the descent of Moses and Aaron Digressions in divine discourses are not alwaies and absolutely unlawful God's Spirit somtimes draws aside the doctrine to satisfie som soul which the Preacher know's not and sparingly used it quickeneth attention Vers 15. The son of a Canaanitess whom it was not lawful for him to marrie but hee was a head long and head-strong bold and fierce fellow Gen. 34.25 and 49.7 bound by Joseph Gen. 42.24 As one that had been most forward to sell him to the Midianitish Merchants Simeon also is left out in Moses his blessing Deut. 33. Vers 16. Of the sons of Levi Upon this family hee insist's and therefore hasten's to it Speak ever to the purpose Vers 20. Jochebed his father's sister See Chap. 2.1 Vers 21. Thuc. hist â—ib 124. Korah That ringleader of Rebels Num. 16.1 Vers 23. Elishaba Or Elisabeth a prince's sister Num. 2.3 Our English Elisabeth was by a French Dutchess said to bee the most glorious and most happie woman that ever swayed Scepter Vers 30. Of uncircumcised See the Note on vers 12. CHAP. VII Ver. 1. And the Lord said unto Moses IN answer to his last exception which yet hee had answered before chap. 4. ver 16. God bear 's with our infirmities A God to Pharaoh Armed with mine autoritie a Vice-God Shall bee thy Prophet i. e. Thy spokesman and interpreter Vers 2. Thou shalt speak Gods word must bee spoken however it bee taken Vers 3. And I will harden See the Note on chap. 4.21 The Dutch have a proverb Quem Deus excaecaturus est huic primum oculos claudit When God will blinde a man hee first closeth up his eies Vers 4. And Pharaoh shall not hearken This judgment God layeth upon manie of our hearers at this daie of whom after much paines taking wee may well complain as the herdsman did in the Poet. Heu mihi quà m pingui macer est mibi â—â—urus in aruo Vers 5. And the Egyptians shall know To their cost when the Lord's hand that is lifted up in threatning shal fall down in punishing Lord saith the Prophet when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see c. Isai 26.11 God will unseal their heavie eies with scorching plagues and rous them with horror enough Vers 6. Did as the Lord commanded them Mallem obediâ—e quà m miracula facere faith Luther Their obedience yielded them more comfort
do Pharaoh good Ver. 20. Hee that feared the Lord As few will do till they feel his hand Bradford But they that tremble not in hearing shal bee crush't to pieces in feeling said that Martyr Ver. 21. And hee that regardeth not This was doubtless the greater number Qualis Rex talis grex This was a just presage and desert of ruin not to bee warned Ver. 22. Stretch forth thy hand i. e. Thy rod in thine hand ver 23. Ver. 23. And the fire ran along upon the ground such hail-stones and coals of fire wee also read of Psal 18.13 14 15. Isa 30.30 31. and in the Roman historie when Marcus Antonius the Philosopher fought with the Quades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the praiers of the thundering legion as they were afterwards called of the Christians rain was obtained to the refreshing of the Roman armie ingens grando compluraque fulminâ— in hostes ceciderunt Itaque Dio in vita M. Ant. Phil. licebat videre in eodem loco aquam ignemque simul de coelo cadere atque obcam causam Romanos valere ac bibere Quados exuri penitùs interire i. e. A huge hail and manie light-bolts fell upon the enemie Fire and water fell at once from heaven the Romans drank of the water and were relieved the Quades were burn't by the fire and perished Ver. 25. And break everie tree of the field Here was strages clades horrenda yet Pharaoh's heart is not broken Aug. but remain's obdurate Perdidistis fructum afflictionis was an heavie charge Ducklings stoop and dive at anie little stone thrown by a man at them yet shrink not at the heavens great thunder Ver. 26. Onely in the land of Goshen See the note on chap. 8. ver 23. Dio reports further of the fire forementioned ver 23. That that fire from heaven either fell not at all upon the Romans or if it did it was presently quenched neither did the waters help the Quades Dio ubi suprà but inflamed them as if it had been oil so that they called for water to cool them when the rain fell upon them and wounded their own bodies to quench the fire with their blood Ver. 27. The Lord is righteous See the note on chap. 5. ver 2. Ver. 28. I will let you go But though hee spake thus fair Prov. 26.25 believ him not for there are seven abominations in his heart No sooner was Pharaoh off the rack but hee bite's in his confession and retract's his promise Ver. 29. I will spread abroad mine hands viz In praier holding up and out the palmes of the hanâ— as those do that exspect to receiv an almes in a having manner So did Solomon 2 Chron. 6.13 See Psalm 143.6 Ezr. 9.9 That the earth is the Lords See the note on ver 14. Ver. 30. That yee will not yet fear Howbâ—it I will praie for you and you shall feel the fruit of it Thus God is good to the just and unjust Matt. 5. Ver. 34. But sinned yet more As iron is verie soft and malleable while in the fire but soon after return's to its former hardness So here CHAP. X. Ver. 1. For I have hardened his Heart AS hee that bring 's in a light blinde's an Owl or as hee that powr's on water kindle's the Lime whereupon it is powred so the Lord by publishing his commands and by doing his miracles hardened the heart of Pharaoh who for his wilful rebellion was justly forsaken of God and delivered up to his own heart which is somwhat wors them to bee delivered up to the divel Ver. 2. And that thou maiest tell The memorie of God's magnalia great works must bee transmitted to posteritie Vt nati natorum qui nascentur ab illis that after-Ages may hear and fear this great God See 1 Sam. 4. ver 8. Ver. 3. How long wilt thou refuse God think 's long of the time that men misspend and waste in wicked courses Jer. 4.14 and 13.27 It is a savorie saying of Bernard Totum vitae meae tempus perdidi quia perditè vixi the time of my loosness I have utterly lost Ver. 4. Els if thou refuse Men should look up with David and see the punishing Angel over their heads with a drawn sword and submit As if not Balaam's Aâ—s shal condemn them for their desperate Lewdness for hee fell down before the Angel Si quâ—ties peccent homiues c. I will bring the locusts God hath treasuries of plagues for the obstinate neither câ—n hee bee as the Poet feared of his Jupiter possibly exhausted Ver. 5. And they shall cover For they go forth by heaps Pro. 30.27 and huge multiudes Jud 6.5 And shall eat everie tree See Joel 1.7 Plin. lib. 11. cap. 29. Ver. 6. And hee turned himself No man may turn himself to go out of the great Turk's presence Turk Hist but must go backward till hee bee out of the room Dissention talling out between Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex about a fit man for Government of Ireland hee uncivilly turned his back as it were in contempt with a scornful look Camden's Elis fol. 494. Shee waxing impatient gave him a cuff on the ear bidding him com again when shee sent for him c. But Moses may not bee imagined to have so turned himself Ver. 7. And Pharaob's servants said unto him They were convinced and mollified though hee was not Whom Hee will God hardeneth Rom 9.18 How long shall this man bee a snare unto us Hee was not the snare but their own sin Pre. 29.6 Howbeit hee must bear the blame As if som sond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the caus of their war oras if som ignorant peasant when hee see 's his fowls bathing in his Pond should crie out of them as the causses of foul weather Ver. 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought c. Somthing the tyrant would seem to yield to his Counsellors and not to deal by them as the Persian Monarchs who were wont to advise with their Peers but if anie of them delivered that which was contrarie to the King's minde flagris caedebantur Keckerman they were whipped which is a punishment also usually inflicted at this daie by the great Turk even upon the greatest Bassa's of the Court Tuâ—k Hist upon the least displeasure Ver. 9. For wee must hold a Feast See the Note on Exodus 5. ver 1. Ver. 10. Let the Lord bee so with you In cursing them hee unwittingly blessed them Exod. 12.30 31. and 13.21 22. See Psal 109.28 Cursing men are Cursed men But God's people fare the better for beeing cursed Let them curs but do thou bless is not more a Praier then a Prophecie Ver. 12. Even all that the hail hath left How easily can God straiten yea starv us all if hee but send forth his forraging Armies Joel 1.6 Ver. 13. An East-winde The proper and
of Aetius the Roman Prefect of Gaul using these words To Aetius thrice consul the sigh's of the Britains Daniels Chronicle and after thus they complain The barbarous enemie beat 's us to the sea the sea beats us back to the enemie between these two kindes of deaths wee are either murthered or drowned But their implorations prevailed not Neither found they anie other remedie then what the Prince of Orange shewed to his souldiers at the battle of Newport Hist of Netherl when they had the sea on one side and the Spaniards on the other If saith Hee you will live you must either eat up these Spaniards or drink up this Sea Ver. 11. Becaus there were no graves Thus they rebelled at the sea at the red-sea yet hee saved them for his names sake Psal 106.7.8 Ver. 12. Is not this the word Invalidum omne naturâ querulum Weak spirits are ever quarrelling and contending Seneca Ver. 13. Stand still and see the salvation Thus God heard their crie at the red-sea Neh. 9.9 Though it were not the crie of faith but of fright and perturbation So hee heard the voice of the lad Gen. 21.17 Ver. 14. Yee shall hold your peace i. e. Yee shall neither saie nor do Ver. 15. Wherefore criest thou unto mee sc with inward groanings without anie audible voice Moses egit vocis silentium ut corde clamaret And God was readier to answer then hee to ask Speak unto the children of Israël q. d. August Ther 's somthing more to bee don then to praie Ora labora Wee must not onely crave God's help but bee forward in the cours whereby to make waie for God's help That they gforward Though upon a manifest danger This is an act of strong faith pure obedience Ver. 16. But lift thou up thy rod This rod God make 's use of for the greater manifestation of his own power and the gracing of his servant Moses Ver. 18. When I have gotten mee honor Made mee a name as at this daie Neh. 9.10 For this hee was famous in far countries Jethro the first proselyte to the Jewish Church was hereby converted saie the Rabbines 1 Sam. 4.8 And the Philistimes crie Woe unto us these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the Wilderness Ver. 19. And the Angel of God Christ the Angel of God's presence See chap. 13.21 and 23.22 Went behinde them So the glorie of the Lord was their rereward Isai 58.8 Hee will bee to his both Van and Rere Isai 52.12 Ver. 20. A cloud and darkness to them See the Note on Heb. 12.2 Ver. 21. Func Chron. And Moses stretched out his hand Of that Pseudo-Moses that cozeâ—ed manie credulous Jews of Creet into the midâ—st of the sea Anno. 434. See Funccius at that year And the waters were divided So was that torrent of fire if Aristotle may bee beleived that ran from Aetna De mundo cap. 6. consuming the countrie and yet parted it self making a kinde of a lane for those that ventured to rescue their aged parents Ver. 22. Were a wall unto them Everie main affliction is our red-sea saith One which while it threat's to swallow preserv's us Ver. 24. In the morning watch God watcheth upon the evil to bring it upon his enemies then when hee may do them a greatest mischeif Dan. 9.14 Hee picketh his times for vengeance Isai 33.10 The Lord looked upon the host Hoe set his eies upon them as Paul did upon Elymas the sorcerer with highest offence and utmost indignation After which lightening follow 's that terrible thunderclap wherewith hee troubled them and took off their wheeles See Psal 77.18 19. and 18.15 Ver. 25. For the Lord fighteth for them Our late great successes have extorted the like acknowledgments from som of Satan's sworn swordmen as at the dissolution of the seige at Plimmouth Ver. 26. That the waters may com again By winde that God sent Exod. 15.10 The windes blow the waters flow Psal 147.18 Ver. 27. Returned to his strength For by beeing divided it had been weakened si collidimur frangimur The daughter of dissension is dissolution Ver. 28. There remained not one of them No more doth there of our subdued iniquities Mic. 7.19 Peccata non redeunt Wee shall see them no more anie otherwise then these Israëlites did their enemies dead upon the shore CHAP. XV. Ver. 1. Then sang Moses PResently upon the deliverance whiles their hearts were hot and the mercie fresh No part of the thank-offering might bee kept unspent till the third day Benesits soon grow stale and putresie as fish Ver. 2. I will prepare him an habitation Or I will adorn him I will give him ornaments and trimmings Such God account's our poor praises Ver. 3. The Lord is a man of war Yea hee alone is a whole Armie of men Van and Rere both Isai 52.12 Hee send 's the sword Ezek. 14.17 Muster 's the men Isai 13.4 Order's the ammunition Jer. 50.25 Give 's the victorie Whence hee is here styled by the Chaldee The Lord and Victor of wars Ver. 4. In the red sea So called haply from that red man Esau or Edom who usurped the dominion of that sea now called Sinus Arabicus Ver. 5. As a stone So shall Rome Rev. 15.5 Ver. 6. Hath dashed in pieces It is a fearful thing to fall into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 For who knoweth the power of his anger Psal 90.11 Ver. 7. That rose up against thee Becaus against thine There is a league offensive and defensive betwixt God and his people Ver. 8. And with the blast In celebrating God's favors wee must bee punctual and particular Ver. 9. The enemie said I will They made account all was their own but were soon confuted as were likewise Sisera and Sennacherib Where the begining of a business is conâ—idence the end is consusion Ver. 10. Thou did'st blow c. Here it was that the Arm of the Lord put on strength to cut Rahab and wound the dragon Isai 51.9 Ver. 11. Who is like thee One of the most stately descriptions of God that is found in holy-writ God is to bee magnified Wee must make room for him Ver. 12. The earth swallowed them That is the sea which compasseth the earth about as a girdle God having set the solid earth upon the liquid waters See Jon. 2.6 Psal 24.2 Ver. 13. Vnto thy holie habitation Canaan where God chose to dwell This Hee is said alreadie to have don becaus hee would certainly do it God's promises are his performances and everie former mercie a pledg of a future Ver. 14. Sorrow shall take hold So it did 1 Sam. 4.8 Then the Dukes of Edom See Deut. 2.4 Ver. 15. The mightie men See it fulfilled Num. 22.3 shall melt So they did Iosh 2.9 10 11. Ver. 16. Till thy people pass over Over Jordan as now they have don over the red sea into Canaan Ver. 17. Of thine
inheritance provided and purchased by thee for thy first-born Israël Ver. 18. The Lord shall reign Gaudeo quòd Christus Dominus est alioqui totus desperâssem write's Miconius to Calvin upon the view of the Churches enemies The Lord Christ reigneth Or els I had been out of all hope of better Ver. 19. For the hors of Pharaob A good soul is altogether unsatisfiable in sanctifying God's name and setting forth his goodness Should I do nothing els all the daies of my life said that Martyr yea as long as the daies of heaven shall last Act. Mon. but kneel on my knees and repete David's Psalms yet should I fall infinitely short of what I ow to God Ver. 20. And Miriam Souls have no sexes And if souls follow the temperament of their bodies as Philosophie saith they do womens bodies consist of rater roomes of a more exact composition then mens do Ver. 21. Sing yee to the Lord This seem's to have been the burden of the song as Psal 136.1 Ver. 22. And found no water Thirst and bitterness was their first handsel in their voiage Ver. 23. They could not drink Water they now had but what the better God can give us blessings but with such a tang that wee shall have no great joie of them Ver. 24. Seneca Murmured against Moses Hee must bear the blame of all Publick persons are sure to have an ill life of it Qui vitaverit culpam non effugit infamiam Ver. 25. Shewed him a tree A type of Christs sweet cross and easie yoke that sweetneth and facilitateth all our light afflictions Ver. 26. And said if thou c. This God premiseth as a preface to the law to bee shortly after given in Sinai I am the Lord that healeth thee Both on the inside by forgiving all thine iniquities and on the outside by healing all thy diseases Psal 103. I am Jehovah the Physician And omnipotenti medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus Isidor To an Almightie Physician no diseas is uncurable Ver. 27. And they came to Elim The Heathens slandered the Jews Corn. Tacit. Annal. l. 12. that they found these fountains by the means of certain asses that guided them Whence they are called Asinarij by Molon and Appion of Alexandria who affirmed that for this caus the Jews worshipped the golden head of an ass c. CHAP. XVI Ver. 1. Vnto the wilderness of Sin SO called becaus it bordered upon the citie of Sin whereof see Ezek. 30.15.16 With Ezek. 20.35 36. Or of the manie brambles that grew therein Ver. 2. And the whole Congregation The most part of the people Diaconos paucitas honorabiles fecit saith Hierom sic veros Israëlitas Ver. 3. To kill this whole Assemblie Thus discontent will saie anie thing neither careth it how true the charge bee but how stinging and stabbing Ver. 4. I will rain bread from heaven Not hell from heaven as once hee did upon Sodom If thine enemie hunger feed him as God here doth Ver. 5. On the sixth daie they shall prepare The Jews preparation to the Sabboth began at three a clock in the afternoon Buxtorf Synagog The best and wealthiest of them even those that had manie servants did with their own hands further the preparation So that somtimes the masters themselvs would chop hearbs sweep the hous cleav wood kindle the fire c. Ver. 6. That the Lord And not wee without his autoritie so that in murmuring against us yee have set your mouthes against heaven Caveant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grudg not behold the Judg standeth before the doore Ver. 7. Jam 5.9 Yee shall see the glorie of the Lord Shining in that wonderful work of his the bread from heaven Confer Num. â—4 21 Iâ—b 11.40 Ver. 8. In the evening flesh to eat c Never was Prince so served in his greatest pomp as these rebellious Israëlites How good shall wee finde him then to those that pleat him Ver. 9. For hee hath heard your murmurings Now then what will you do sith God riseth up And sith hee viâ—â—teth what will yee answer Iâ—b 31.14 Ver. 10. Toward the wilderness Where the cloud was in the forefront of their armies Ver. 11. And the Lord spake i. e. Hee â—ad before spoken Ver. 12. And in the morning They have their flesh at Even and bread in thâ— morning God will bee waited on and give the consummation of his blessings at his leisure The cloud emptie's not it self at a suddain burst but dissolve's upon the earth drop after drop Ver. 13. The dew laie round i. e. The Manna that came down in the dew as Christ the bread of life doth in the Ministerie of the word See Deut. 32.2 Ver. 14. The dew that laie And covered the Manna whence that promiâ—e of hidden Manna Revel 2.17 Ver. 15. Lib 26. cap. 14. It is Manna i. e. What shall I call Herba Anonymus non inveniendoâ—nomen invenit saith Plinie so Manna Others interpret Manna a portion an admirable gift or meat prepared Ver. 16. Everie man according to his eating Thus they were inured in diem vivere as Quintilian saith the birds do to de pend upon God for their daily bread Ver. 17. Som more som less ecundùm proportionem arithmeticam sed non secundum proportionem ceomeâ—â—icam as a man had more or less mouthes in his familie to â—eed Ver. 18. Hee that gathered much See the Note on 2 Cor. 8.15 Ver. 19. Let no man leav of it c. It was to bee gathered in the morning and not kept till the morrow I made baste and delaied not saith David Psal 119 60. Ver. 20. Left of it untill c. Eitâ—er through distruâ— or curiositie Vers 21. It melted Or putrefied faded disolved Som Papists derive their Mass from this root and well it may bee nam per eam omnis pietas liquefacta est dissoluta saith Rivet for it is the utter bane of all good as beeing a mass or heap of abhominations Vers 22. And told Moses As fearing that the people had not don so well as indeed they did or as desirous of further direction Vers 23. Laie up for you c. This is no plea for the Popish keeping of their breaden God in a pyx for here was a command so to do lest the Sabbath should bee profaned but for the other there is none Vers 24. Till the morning The Sabbath-morning wherein it putrified not but continued sound and savorie by the special hand of God that they might keep the Sabbath as it appear's here they did before the Law given at Sinai Papists press the sanctification of the Sabbath as a meer humane institution in religious worship Our Anti-sabbatarian Prelates took this text for an Anticipation onely and made little account of the fourth commandment which Spalato had taught them was don awaie c. Ver. 25. Eat that to daie So shall those that labor in the Lord rest and feast in
over-joyed with the plain dealings of his friends and counsellors as of Mecoenas Ver. 25. And Moses chose Not without the peoples consent Deut. 1.13 14. Ver. 27. Into his own land An honest man's heart is where his calling is such a one when hee is abroad is like a fish in the air whereinto if it leap for recreation or necessitie yet it soon return's to his own element CHAP. XIX Ver. 1. Into the wilderness of Sinai A Place where were manie bushes and briars Here they received â—he Law which like briars and brambles pricketh and pierceth the consciences of evil livers And this sell out 430. years after the Promise made to Abraham not to disanul the Promise Gal. 3.17 but to advance it and that guilt beeing discovered and everie mouth stopped Rom. 3.19 wee might acknowledg the riches of free Grace and Mercie Ver. 2. For they were departed See the Note on Chap. 18.5 Ver. 3. And Moses went up See the note on Chap. 3.6 Ver. 4. On Eagles wings The Eagle beat 's her young ones out of their sluggish nest that they may learn to flie there was somwhat to do to bring Israël out of Egypt Munster in Schol. in Deut. 32.11 ex R. Solomon The Eagle carrie's her young upon her wings and not between her talons as other birds do openly safely speedily So did God his Israël beeing choice and charie of them all the waie securing them also from their enemies who could do them as little hurt as anie can do the Eagle's young which cannot bee shot but through the bodie of the old one Som by Eagles here understand Moses and Aaron who are so called saie they propter acumen intelligentiae altitudinem vitae for the sharpness of their understanding and the loftiness of their lives See the Note on Deut. 32.11 Ver. 5. If yee will obeie my voice indeed As I am good to you indeed and not in pretens or profession onely Nathanaël was an Israëlite indeed John 1.47 And Caleb fulfilled after God or fully followed him so did not Solomon 1 King 11.6 Ver. 6. A kingdom of Priests A holie state such as shall bee all satiated with fatness Jer 31.14 See the Notes on 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 1.6 Ver. 7. Laid before their faces Or plainly proposed the minde of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so did Paul Acts 17.3 So must Ministers Ver. 8. All that the Lord hath spoken Sed quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor biaâ—u How easily over-ween wee our own abilities Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest Words are good cheap Ver. 9. And believ thee Without suspicion of an imposture such as was that of Mahomet Ver. 10. Sanctifie them to daie and to morrow Men must com before God with the best preparation they can get Hee will bee sanctified in all them that draw nigh unto him This the blinde Heathens saw and therefore said Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship not God by the by but with all possible preparation Hence they had their coena pura before their solemn sacrifices Bucholcer Numa nihil rerum sacrarum cives voluit neglectim agere Hinc solenne illud Hoc agite The Ministers likewise in the Primitive Church prepared the people's mindes by saying Sursum corda Lift up your hearts Cyprian de Oratione Chrysost Basil and the Deacons used to call upon the people in these words Oremus attendamus Let us praie let us attend Ver. 11. Against the third daie That is three daies hence on the daie of Pentecost Ver. 12. That yee go not up into the Mount God love's at once familiaritie and fear saith a learned Divine familiaritie with him in our conversation D. Hall and fear of him in his commands Hee love's to bee acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience yet hee take 's state upon him in his ordinances and will bee trembled at in his Word and Judgments Ver. 13. They shall com up to the Mount i. e. To the bottom of the Mount to the foot thereof Vers 17. See the Note on Heb. 12.20 Ver. 14. And washed their clothes In token of washing their hearts and cleansing themselvs from all filthiness of flesh and spirit The Gentiles also washed Plaut in Alul. Act. 3. scen 6. Tertul. cap. 11. de Orat. that they might go to sacrifice and the Primitive Christians before Praier Ver. 15. Bee readie against the third daie If the word of a Command exspected such readiness what shall the word of Promiss c. Com not at your wives For the Legal uncleanness that was in it Lev. 15.18 1 Sam. 21.4 figuring the filth of original sin Ver. 16. There were thunders and lightnings The Law was delivered in this terrible manner partly to procure reverence to the Doctrine of it and partly to set forth the Nature and Office of it which is to terrifie and thunder-strike offenders Ver. 17. To meet with God Who came with ten thousands of his Saints as Moses that climbed up that hill Deut. 33.2 and alone saw it saie's And if hee thus gave the Law how shall hee require it at the last daie Ver. 18. The Lord descended upon it in fire This fire wherein the Law was given is still in it and will never out Deut. 33.2 Ver. 19. Moses spake Yet not without horror Heb. 12.21 Ver. 20. And Moses went up As a Mediator between God and his people Gal. 3.19 with Acts 7.38 A Mediator Moses was not of Redemption as Christ that Mediator of the new Covenant and suretie of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 and 9.15 but of receiving the Law and delivering it to the people for which end here hee went up Ver. 21. And manie of them perish As the men of Bethshemesh did for prying into the Ark. 1 Sam. 6.19 Arcana Dei sunt Arca Dei Calvin God's secrets are his Ark. Eorum quae scire nec datur nec fas est docta est ignorantia scientiae appetentia insaniae species Not to know what is not fit to know is a learned ignorance to desire to know in that case is a kinde of madness Hee that curiously searcheth into God's Majestie shall bee oppressed of his glorie Ver. 22. And let the Priests The first-born of the familie which before the Levitical Law had the Priest-hood Sanctifie themselvs With a singular care above that of the rest of the people Much is required of Ministers Ver. 23. The people cannot com up i. e. Siquid ego aut capio aut sapio they cannot that which I know not teach thou mee Ver. 24. Away get thee down Abundans cautela non nocet It is fit that men should know and keep their distance Thou and Aaron with thee These onely who were types of Christ's Princely and Priestly office might com up unto the Lord. CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. God spake all c. ALL the Ten are of divine autoritie Papists disanulling the second that yet they may
is a rich roial virtue best beseeming the best Princes Ver. 6. Where I will meet with thee To give oracles and answers of Mercie God still meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness Isa 64.5 Ver. 7. Shall burn thereon sweet incens Facium vespae favos The Heathens had the like custom Verbenásque adole pingues Virgil. mascula thura Ver. 8. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps To shew that our praiers must bee made according to the light and direction of God's Word lest wee ask wee know not what and worship wee know not how Ver. 10. An attonement upon the horns of it Pardon must bee sought for the defects found in praiers as Nehemiah craved mercie for his Reformations Ver. 12. That there bee no plague David in numbering the people neglected this dutie thence the plague Ver. 13. half a shekel Towards the making of the Tabernacle and as an amercing himself for his sin that subjected him to utter destruction Vers 15. Ver. 15. The rich shall not give more They are both of a price becaus in spirituals they are equal 2 Pet. 1.1 Ver. 16. That it may bee a memorial A perpetual poll-monie in token of homage and subjection to the Almightie Ver. 18. Between the Tabernacle and the Altar The laver and Altar situated in the same court signified the same as the water and blood issuing out of Christ's side viz. the necessarie concurrence of Justification and Sanctification in all that shall bee saved Ver. 19. For Aaron and his sons Here they were to wash before they praied for the people Heb. 10.22 Wee must first make our own peace with God before wee take upon us to intercede for others So did David Psalm 25.22 and Psalm 51.18 19. So wee are advised to do Lam. 3.39 40. Ver. 21. That they die not Com not to an untimelie end as they did Lev. 10.1 2. Ver. 26. And thou shalt annoïnt the Tabernacle So to consecrate the same to God's service and to set forth how joifully and gladly men should serv the Lord. Ver. 29. Whatsoever toucheth them So are all those annointed holie that by a lively faith touch the Lord Christ Ver. 30. Aaron and his sons Those onely that succeeded him in the office of High-priest Lev. 4.3 5 16. and 16.32 Ver. 32. Vpon man's flesh A Latine Postiller hence infer's in an hyperbolical sens that Priests are Angels not having humane flesh Ver. 33. Whosoever compoundeth anie thing like it Holie things must not bee profaned on pain of death No people so abuse Scripture to common and ordinarie use as the Jews do CHAP. XXXI Ver. 3. And I have filled him GOd gift's whomsoever hee call's to anie emploiment Ver. 4. To devise cunning works All skill in lawful callings whether manual or mental is of God Isa 28.26 Ver. 5. And in cutting of stones Moses might well doubt where hee should finde fit work-men among those brick-makers for Egypt Ver. 6. I have given with him Two is better then one four eies see more then two God usually therefore coupleth his agents See the Note on Mat. 10.2 3. Luke 10.1 Ver. 13. Verily my sabbaths yee shall keep q. d. Though this Sanctuarie-work is to bee don yet it shall bee no Sabbath's-daies work The good women in the Gospel forbare on the Sabbath to annoint the dead bodie of our Saviour resting according to the Commandement For it is a sign And withal an effectual means to conveigh holiness into the heart Ver. 14. For it is holie unto you Hence the Hebrews gather but falsly that onely Israël was charged with the Sabbath-daie and not the nations of the world But the Sabbath was kept before Israël was born Ver. 15. Whosoever doth anie work A certain Indian that had been taught by the English coming by and seeing one of the English profaning the Lord's daie by felling of a tree said to him New-England's first-fruits Do ye not know that this is the Lord's daie in Massaqusets one of the English Plantations much machet man that is verie wicked man why break you God's daie Ver. 18. Written with the finger of God Of the Decalogue above all other holie Writ God seem's to saie as Paul Philem. 19. Behold I have written it with mine own hand i. e. by mine own power and operation CHAP. XXXII Ver. 1. Vp Make us Gods A Aron might make a Calf but the people made it a God by adoring it Qui fingit sacros auro vel marmore vultus Martial Non facit ille Deos qui rogat iste facit Ver. 2. Break off your golden ear-rings Hereby hee hoped to break their design but all in vain for they were mad upon their Idols Jer. 59.38 Ver. 3. Brake off the golden ear-rings which they had got of the Egyptians Exod. 12.35 To make use of Heathen Autors for ostentation is to make a Calf of the treasure gotten out of Egypt Ver. 4. A molten Calf In imitation of the Egyptian Idol Apis a Pied-bullock A man may pass through Ethiopia unchanged but hee cannot dwel there and not bee discolored Ver. 5. A feast to Jehovah Whom these Idolaters pretended to worship in the golden Calf as did also Jehu 2 King 10.16 29. 2 Chron. 11.15 and as the Papists at this daie but with what face can som of their Rabbins excuse this people from Idolatrie Ver. 6. Rose up to plaie To dance about the Calf Now if they were so cheared and strengthned by those baneful bits those murthering morsels should not wee much more by God's spiritual provisions to dance as David did to do his work with all our might Ver. 7. For thy people which thou broughtest God will own them no longer they are now dis-covenanted The Saints by gross sins may lose their jus aptitudinale non jus haereditarium their fitness for God's Kingdom they may sin away all their comfortables Ver. 8. They have turned aside quickly Moses's back was but newly turned as it were I marvel that you are so soon removed c. Gal. 1.6 See the Note there When wee have spent all our winde on our people their hearts will bee still apt to bee carried away with every winde of doctrine Ver. 9. A stiff-necked people And so they are still to this verie daie Hierom complain's that in his time they thrice a daie cursed Christ in their Synagogue Hieron in Isa lib. 12. cap 49. tom 5. lib. 14 cap. 42. and closed up their praiers with Maledic Domine Nazaraeis They are thought to advise most of that mischief which the Turk put 's in execution against Christians They counterfeit Christianitie in Portugal even to the degree of Priesthood and think they may do it either for the avoiding of danger or increasing their substance There are verie few of them that turn Christians in good earnest Adeò in cordibus eorum radices fixit pertinacitas River Jesuita Vapul 322. So stubborn they are to this daie and stiff-necked their
Chap. 114. Ver. 8. For the sin-offering first For till un bee expiâ—ted no sacrifice or service can bee accepted Therefore Isa 1. Wash you â—â—ans you and then com and let us reason Ver. 9. Vpon the side of the Altar The North-side and not upon the East 1. that Israël might not symbolize with the Heathens who worshipped toward the East 2. to signifie that they had no more under the Law then dark shadows of good things to com Heb. 10.1 until the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 Ver. 10. According to the manner That is the forms and rites prescribed So Amos 8.14 The manner of Beersheba i.e. the forms and rites of worshipping in Beersheba as the Caldee paraphraseth it Ver. 11. But if hee bee not able So low doth the most High stoop to man's meanness that hee will accept of a verie small present from him that would bring a better if it were in the power of his hand Lycurgus enjoyned his Lacedemonians to offer small sacrifices For God said hee respecteth more the internal devotion then the external oblation Ver. 12. Even a memorial This is spoken after the manner of men who have need of remembrancers God somtimes seem's to lose his mercie and then wee must finde it for him as they Isa 63.15 somtimes to forget sleep delaie c. and then wee must in-minde awaken quicken him Isa 62.7 Ver. 13. And it shall bee forgiven him See a like promiss made to our Ministerie Jam. 5.15 Ver. 15. In the bolie things of the Lord Things consecrate to him by robbing and wronging of God and his Priests bee it but through ignorance or error Sacrum qui clepserit rapseritve parricida este For to do such a thing presumptuously was death Numb 15.30 and by the laws of the twelv Tables in Rome such were to bee punished as parricides Ver. 16. And hee shall make amends No remission without restitution God abhors holocaustum ex rapina Latimer's Sex And if yee make no restitution ye shall cough in hell said father Latimer Ver. 17. Though hee wist not Ignorance though invincible and unavoidable well may excuse à tanto but not à toto Luke 12.48 CHAP. VI. Ver. 2. Against the Lord AS David in defiling his neighbours wise and afterwards killing him is said to have despised the commandment of the Lord and to have don evil in his sight 2 Sam. 12.9 which also hee penitently acknowledgeth Psal 51.4 Sin is properly against none but God Godw. Heb. Antiq. p. 98. beeing a transgression of his law Hence the manslaier was confined to the Citie of refuge as to a prison during the life of the high-Priest as beeing saith one the chief God on earth That was a true position of the Pelagians Omne peccatum est contemptus Dei that everie sin is a contempt of God Prov. 18.3 In fellowship Heb. Job 8.20 Dextram conjungere dextrâ Quid non mortalia pectora cogit Auri sacra fames 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. In putting of the hand It is said in Iob that God will not take a wicked man by the hand i. e. hee will have no fellowship with him Ver. 3. And lieth concerning it and sweareth falsty Thorough inordinate love of money that root of all evil but such monie shall perish with them Zech. 5.2 Ver. 4. And is guiltie Found guiltie by a self-condemning conscience which now like Samson's wife conceal's not the riddle but tel's all as shee said of our Saviour Iohn 4. Ver. 5. In the daie of his trespass offering Before hee compass God's altar Mat. 5.23 with the Note there Ver. 6. With thy estimation i. e. as thou shalt rate it Moses did the Priests office for present Hee was likewise a Prophet Deut. 18.15 and King in Ieshurun Deut. 33.5 and so became a type of Christ that true Trismegist the Priest Prophet and Prince Dan. 9.25 Ver. 7. Shall make an attonement Thorough the sacrifice of Christ Heb. 10.1 4 10 14. Ver. 9. All night until the morning God must bee thought upon in the night season Psal 4.4 David willingly brake his sleep to do it Psal 119.62 The daie is thine the night also is thine saith hee Psal 74.16 Ver. 10. Besides the altar On the East-side furthest from the Sanctuarie Levit. 1.16 in reverence of the divine majestie Ver. 11. In a clean place Becaus they came from the Lord 's holie hous See the contrarie commanded concerning the stones and dust of a leprous hous Levit. 14.40 Ver. 12. It shall not bee put out No more should our faith love zeal that flame of God as Solomon cal's it Cant. 8.6 that should never go out the waters should not quench it nor the ashes cover it Cant. 8.10 2 Tim. 1.6 Ver. 13. The fire shall ever bee burning The Gentiles by an apish imitation hereof had their vestal fire salted meal and manie other sacred rites Basil chargeth the divel as a thief of the truth in that hee had decked his crows with her fethers Ver. 14. The law of the meat-offering Besides what is set down chap. 2.1 2. Thus one text explain's another as the diamond is brightened with its own dust Ver. 15. Even the memorial See the Note on Levit. 2.2 Ver. 16. Shall Aaron and his sons eat See 1 Cor. 9.13 14. with the Note there Ver. 17. It shall not bee baken with leaven Which is 1. souring 2. swelling 3. spreading 4. impuring Ver. 18. Shall bee holie God will bee sanctified in all that draw near unto him procul binc procul este profani Ver. 20. When hee is anointed i. e. When anie high-priest for hee onely was anointed Exod. 29.7 on the head at least Ver. 21. In a pan Figuring out the sufferings of Christ who was so parched with the fire of afflictions for our sins Ver. 23. It shall not bee eaten To teach the high-priest to look â—or salvation out of himself Ver. 25. In the place i. e. at the North-side of the altar And why see the Note on Chap. 5.9 Ver. 26. Shall eat it Except in that case vers 30. Ver. 27. Shall bee holie This taught an holie use of the mysterie of our redemption for the sin-offering in special sort figured Christ Ver. 28. But the earthen vessel So contagious a thing is sin that it defileth the verie visible heaven and earth which therefore must bee likewise purged by the last fire as the earthen pot which held the sin-offering was broken and the brasen scoured and rinsed in water Ver. 30. And no sin-offering Here the ordinarie gloss make's this observation Remissionem dare Dei solius est qui per ignem significatur That to pardon sin belong's to God alone who is a consuming fire The Rhemists tell us of a man that could remove mountains Rhem. Annot. in Joâ— 20. Sect. 3. which they may assoon perswade us as that their Priests have as full power to pardon sins as Christ had One of their Priests meeting with a
obedience and praie for God's Spirit to bee poured upon them Ver. 7. And Moses brought Aaron They did not intrude themselvs See the Note on Heb. 5.4 Ver. 8. Hee put in the brest-plate the Vrim c. Hence it may bee God appointed the brest-plate to bee made double that the Urim and Thummim might bee put within and lie hid on everie side This Urim and Thummim signified saith one that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Col. 2.3 and that hee hath all secret things most perfectly known and numbred out before him which hee revealeth continually to his Church and chosen as need requireth by such means as himself hath sanctified Psal 25.14 John 14.21 26. 17.14 17 26. CHAP. IX Ver. 1. On the eighth daie THe verie next daie after the Priest's consecration that no time might bee lost I made haste and delaied not c. Psalm 119.16 Then said I lo I com in the volume of the book it is written of mee c. Psalm 40.7 Live live live saith one quickly much long let no water go by no daie bee lost c. Preach preach bee instant quick at work c. Praecipitat tempus mors atra impendet agenti Ver. 2. Take thee alyoung calf In remembrance and sor the remission of Aaron's sin about the golden calf as som Hebrews are of opinion Ver. 3. Take yee a kid of the goats for a Sin-offering Quia gravis odor peccati The smell of sin is grievous it offendeth all God's senses yea his verie soul Isa 1.12 13. c. Ver. 4. For to daie the Lord will appear unto you And hee may not sinde you emptie-handed unprepared See the Notes on Fxod 19.10 Ver. 6. And the glorie of the Lord shall appear unto you so shall it one daie to us yea wee shall bee like him and appear with him in glorie and must therefore purifie our selvs as God is pure 1 John 3.2 3. Ver. 7. Make attonement for thy self See Heb. 5.3 7.27 28. with the Notes there Ver. 8. Went unto the Altar i. e. The brasen Altar for hee had not yet access to the Altar of Incens Wee must staie our corruptions before wee present our supplications wash our hearts from wickedness and then compass God's Altar Ver. 22. Lift up his hands Hee put the blessing upon them A type of Christ Luke 24.50 with Acts 3.26 Ephes 1.3 Ver. 24. They shouted and fell on their faces The consideration of God's gracious acceptation of us in Christ should make us to lift manie an humble joiful and thankful heart to God CHAP. X. Ver. 1. And Nadab and Abihu THese jollie young Priests over-joied haply of their new emploiment and over-warmed with wine as som gather out of Vers 9. over-shoot themselvs the verie daie of their service Vers 19. and are suddenly surprised by a doleful death So was that inconsiderate Priest oâ— Naples Anno Dom. 1457. of whom Wolphius report's Wolph Mcmorab Lect. Câ—â—â— 15. that when the hill Vesuvius had sent huge flames and don great spoil hee to make proof of his pietie read a Mass and would need 's go up the hill to finde out the caus of such a calamitie But for a reward of his fool-hardiness hee perished in the flames and was never heard of anie more Ver. 2. And there went out fire By fire they sinned and by fire they perished Per quod quis peccat per idem punitur ipse Nestorii lingua vermibus exesa est Evag. lib 1. So Archbishop Arundel's tongue rotted in his head The Archbishop of Tours in France made suit for the erection of a Court called Chambre Ardent wherein to condemn the Protestants to the fire Hee was afterwards stricken with a diseas called the fire of God Act. and Mon. fol. 1911. which began at his feet and so asscended upward that hee caussed one member after another to be cut off and so hee died miserably Ver. 3. This is that the Lord spake Where and when Lev. 8.35 Exod. 19.22 Or perhaps no where written but at som other time spoken by God Moses might but set down the short Notes of his discourses as the Prophets used to do I will bee sanctified Either actively or passively Aut à nobis aut in nos either in us or upon us sure it is that hee will bee no loser by us Sanctified hee will bee either in the sinceritie of men's conversation or els in the severitie of their condemnation Singular things are exspected of all that draw nigh to God in anie dutie but especially in the office of the Ministerie Those that stand in the presence of Princes must bee exact in their carriages God appointed both the weights and measures of the Sanctuarie to bee twice as large as those of the Common-wealth to shew that hee exspect's much more of those that serv him there then hee doth of others The souls of Priests must bee purer then the sun-beams saith Chrysostom D. Hakw on Psalm 101. And Aaron held his peace Hee bridled his passions and submitted to the divine Justice The like did David Psalm 39.9 which words were taken up by Du-plessis in the loss of his onely son Ver. 5. In their coats These were not burnt as neither were their bodies the fire Tostat beeing of a celestial and subtile nature might pierce their inward parts not touching their outward as the lightning kill 's by piercing not by burning Ver. 6. And Moses said unto Aaron Philo reporteth that the High-priest of the Jews to keep alwaies his soul pure never saw anie mournful object Tiberius counterfeiting grief at the funeral of Drusus had a veil laid betwixt the dead and him that hee might not see the bodie becaus hee was as the rest of the Emperors also were Pontifex Maximus or the High-priest and therefore a sacred person Mourning in Aaron might have seemed murmuring hee is therefore forbidden it and accordingly hee forbear's Manlii Loc. com p. 215. So did Luther when hee buried his daughter hee was not seen to shed a tear No more did reverend Mr. William Whatelie late Pastor of Banburie when after hee had preached his own childe 's Funeral upon this Text The will of the Lord bee don hee and his wise laid the childe in the grave with their own hands Bewail the burning It 's fit enough ordinarily that the bodie when sown in corruption bee watered by the tears of those that plant it in the earth Ver. 7. For the annointing oil of the Lord is upon you This is everie true Christian's case who should therefore carrie himself accordingly There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seemlie carriage belong's to everie calling You have an unction c. 1 John 2. Ver. 9. Do not drink wine nor strong drink As som are of opinion Nadab and Abihu had don Ex malis moribus honae leges which miscarriage of theirs occasioned this precept The perpetual equitie
are manifest Gal. 5. Neither need wee half so much caution or curiositie to bee persuaded of our spiritual leprosie which is too too apparent onely those manie cerimonies as one well noteth may put us in minde how much more exquisite our diligence ought to bee in finding and ferreting out our special sins Ver. 10. And there bee quick raw flesh It is one of the most remarkable things in all this law saith a learned Divine that quick or sound flesh in the sore should bee judged leprosie and the man unclean whereas if the leprosie covered all his flesh hee was pronounced clean vers 13. Hereby 1. May bee meant such as justifie themselvs and their wickedness as Jonas did his anger whereas hee was judged himself is like him who had the leprosie all over and might bee declared clean Or 2. Such who sin against the light of knowledg and the quickning yea rawness of a galled conscience Ver. 12. And if a leprosie So called becaus so counted at first but it prove's no more then a kinde of scurf or scab Ver. 13. Hee shall pronounce him clean i. e. not infectiously or incurably unclean Ver. 14. But when raw flesh Becaus it shew'd that there were still corrupt and poisoned humors in the bodie not easie to bee expelled till death Ver. 15. It is a leprosie Properly so called a fretting soreness or scabbedness The Greeks call it Elephas or Elephantiasis when the skin grow's hard as the Elephant's skin This the Israëlites brought likely out of Aegypt for it was bred onely about Nilus and is therefore called the botch of Aegypt Deut. 28.27 Ver. 16. Turn again Viz. to bee white like the rest of the bodie so if a sinner stop or step back c. Ver. 18. Was a bile and is healed Seemed to bee healed as apostates to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 and to have known the waie of righteousness vers 21. and yet the later end is wors with them then the begining They becom altogether filthie Psalm 53.3 Forsakers of the Covenant yea wicked doers against the Covenant Dan. 11.30 32. These sin not common sins as Core and his companie died not common deaths Ver. 22. And if it spread much abroad So if sin reign there is no pardon rebel it may reign it must not Ver. 23. But if the bright spot staie Sin if it reign not is not imputed for wee are not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.12 14. Ver. 25. A leprosie broken out of the burning Seldom do passions burn but there is a leprosie breaking out of that burning such as causseth the climate where such lepers live to be like the torrid Zone too hot for anie to live neer them Ver. 30. A yellow thin hair Which is a true sign of a skall Ver. 34. Hee shall wash his clothes See the Note on ver 6. Ver. 35. After his cleansing See the Note on ver 18. Ver. 37. Black hair A sign of soundness Quod sanitas in corpore id sanctitas in corde saith Bernard Ver 39. A freckled spot Or white-morphew This made not a man unclean no more do meer infirmities make God abhor us Ver. 44. His plague is in his head Such a leper is everie ignorant man how much more the man that is an heretick whom therefore after the first and second admonition wee must reject Titus 3.10 yea from such stand off 1 Tim. 6.5 Keep aloof as from lepers Purchas Pilgr their verie breath is infectious and like the dogs of Congo they bite though they bark not Ver. 45. His clothes shall bee rent To shew his sorrow for sin the caus of his calamitie And his head bare That men might not mistake him and further to shew his humilitie whereof this also was a cerimonie A covering upon his upper lip His Moucbaches that by his breath hee might not insect others and to shew that God will not hear a good motion from an ill mouth Vnclean unclean Saie wee the same in our humblest acknowledgments but withall add that of the leper in the Gospel Yet Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee clean Ver. 46. Without the Camp And that utterly if incurable as Vzzias A livelie type of Excommunication which the Apostle describeth 2 Cor. 5.11 12. and our Saviour Mat. 18.17 Ver. 47. The garment also A plague not anie where els read or heard of beeing nothing like clothes now-adaies infected with the plague but far more strange and dangerous whether it did spread or fret inward the garment was to bee burnt with fire This signified that all instruments of idolatrie or of anie other sin are to bee destroied and made awaie As the Law commandeth The graven images of their gods shall yee burn with fire Deut. 7.25 26. And Jude alludeth to it when hee biddeth us save som with fear pulling them out of the fire bating even the garment spotted by the flesh Jude 23. See Isa 30.22 Acts 19.19 Justiciaries also shall one daie finde that though to the worldward they wash themselvs with snow-water and make their hands never so clean yet God will plunge them in the ditch and their own clothes shall make them to bee abhorred Job 9.30 31. CHAP. XIIII Ver. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses ANd to Aaron also though not here mentioned as hee is vers 33. Ver. 2. Hee shall bee brought unto the Priest To teach us to go to Jesus Christ the high-Priest of our profession who healeth all our diseases Psalm 103.3 He cured the leprosie to others altogether incurable by a touch of his hand onely Mark 1.41 Yea hee sent his word and healed them Psalm 107.20 and so hee doth the souls of sinners that com unto him Ver. 3. If the plague of leprosie bee healed As it was in Simon the leper that entertained Christ Jealousie Phrensie and Heresie are counted incurable diseases not so leprosie though the most carried it to their death as Gehazi Azariah c. Ver. 4. Command to take That the leper might shew his thankfulness to Jehovah his Physician as hee is called Exod. 15.26 See Mat. 8.4 Men praie and paie Physicians of their bodies who yet do but officiosè occidere manie times And shall God have nothing Must hee ask as once Where are the other nine Shall wee not turn again with Naaman now cleansed and offer our service renounce our idols dedicate all wee are and have to the God of Israël Two birds Or sparrows whereof two were sold for a farthing to shew how lightly set by Christ is in the world whose blood nevertheless is more worth then a thousand worlds Ver. 5. Over running water Heb. Living water Life consist's in motion in action hence waters that spring and run are for their continual motion called living waters O Lord saith Hezekiah By these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit Isa 38.16 Ver. 6. That was killed over
die in a ditch CHAP. XVI Ver. 1. After the death THat others might bee warned Lege historiam ne fias historia saith one When they offered before the Lord A little strange sire might seem a small matter in the eies of indifferencie and yet it was such a sin as made all Israël guiltie as appear's by the sacrifices offered for that sin set down in this Chapter Ver. 2. That hee com not at all times Whensoever hee pleaseth but when I appoint him i.e. once a year onely Exodus 30.10 and then also with reverence and godlie fear God as hee lov's to bee acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience so hee tak's â—â—ate upon him in his ordinances and will bee trembled at in his judgments Ver. 3. For a sin-offering viz. For himself and his familie ver 6. and 11. See the Note on Chap. 14.3 Ver. 4. Therefore shall hee wash As wee must bee alwaies holie so then most when wee present our selvs to the holie eies of our Creätor We wash our hands everie daie but when wee are to sit with som great person wee scour them with bals See vers 24. Ver. 5. Two kids of the goats Both of them types of Christ who though hee died not for wicked goats yet hee seemed rejected of God and was reckoned among malefactors Isa 53. Ver. 6 And for his hous Whereof a Minister must bee mainly carefull 1 Tim. 3.4 lest as Augustus doing justice on others hee bee hit in the teeth with his own disordered familie Aaron had lately smarted in his two eldest Ver. 8. Shall cast lots To shew that nothing was don for us by Christ but what God's hand and his counsel had determined Acts 4.28 1 Pet. 1.20 See the Note For the scape goat Which beeing a piacular or purging oblation carried the peoples curs with it as did likewise those Obominales among the Grecians who from this custom of the Hebrews borrowed their yearlie expiation of their cities the manner whereof somwhat like unto this See in the Note on 1 Cor. 4.13 Ver. 9. The goat A type of Christ's mortal humanitie saie som as the scape-goat of his immortal deïtie Or the one of his death the other of his resurrection Others are of opinion that hereby was signified that the Deïtie of Christ dwelling in light inaccessible gave to his humanitie sufficient strength for the induring of those things which no other creature could have com near for the full expiating of our sins So hee telleth the Jews first and after his disciples Where I shall bee you cannot com Ver. 22. Ver. 11. An attonement for himself That having first made his own peace hee may be in case to attone for the people This was David's method Psal 25. 51. Ver. 12. And bring it within the veil So to prepare the waie into the holie place This incens smal-beaten might figure Christ in his Agonie praying more earnestly before hee entred with his own blood into the most holie place of heaven Ver. 13. May cover the mercie-seat And so bee as a skreen betwixt the Priest and those everlasting burnings or as a cloud to darken the glorie of their shining for the high-priest's safetie Ver. 14. Vpon the mercie-seat eastward This and the following verses signifie saith one that even heaven it self is defiled unto us by our sins until it bee made clean by the blood and obedience of Christ who is entred thither not by the blood of goats and calvs but by his own blood and thereby hath purified the heavenlie things themselvs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.12 23. Ver. 16. In the midst of their uncleanness Which did cleav to the Tabernacle as the sins of spiritual Babylon are said to bee glewed to heaven Revel 18.5 Ver. 17. And there shall bee no man Christ will have no partner and hee need 's no co-adjutor Heb. 7.25 Isa 63.3 Ver. 18. And hee shall go unto the Altar This signified saith one that everie Church-assemblie is acceptable to God onely through the blood of Christ by the remission of all their sins Ver. 21. All their transgressions in all their sins i.e. In their several circumstances and aggravations laying open how manie transgressions were wrapped up in their several sins This was to bring out their sins as they took the vessels of the temple Ezra 8.34 by number and by weight Ver. 22. Shall let go the goat The Hebrews saie that hee was to throw it down the rock and so it died The Grecians had a like custom in their solemn expiations of their cities They tumbled the persons devoted from som rock into the sea Suidas Aemulus Dei diabolus sacrificing them to Neptune saying Bee thou a propitiation for us Ver. 24. Hee shall wash his flesh See what this taught them and us Heb. 10.22 That Epistle to the Hebrews is an excellent Commentarie upon this book of Leviticus Ver. 26. Shall wash his clothes To shew 1. That it was for our sins that Christ suffered 2. That all that partake of his benefits must wash their hearts from wickedness Jer. 4.14 2 Cor. 5.15 and 7.1 Ver. 29. Yee shall afflict your souls With voluntarie sorrows for your sins as David did Psal 35.13 and Daniel Cha. 10.3 12. and so dispose your selvs to obtein pardon and reconciliation The Lord's Supper is with us a daie of attonement at which time both the Scape-goat was let go and affliction of soul was called for This Passover must bee eaten with sour herbs Ver. 31. It shall bee a Sabbath of rest An exact and caresull rest such as is described Isa 58.13 which place of the Prophet som understand of this daie of attonement and yearlie fast spoken of in the begining of that Chapter Ver. 33. For the holie Sanctuarie For all the sins of your holie services it beeing the manner that either make's or mar's an action Ver 34. For all their sins once a year For whereas in their private sacrifices they durst not confess their capital sins for fear of death due to them by the Law God gratiously provided and instituted this yearlie Sacrifice of attonement for the sins of the whole people without particular acknowledgment of anie CHAP. XVII Ver. 2. This is the thing which the Lord WHo must bee readily obeied without tergiversation or sciscitation Ver. 3. What man soever Whether Israëlite or proselyte Vers 8. unless by special dispensation from the Law-giver as 1 Sam. 7.9 and 11.15 2 Sam. 24.18 1 Kings 18.22 and then they were to offer upon altars of earth or rough stone that might bee soon and easily thrown down Exodus 20.24 25. Ver. 4. And bringeth it not unto the door To teach that in the Church alone and by Christ alone that is by faith in him acceptable service can bee performed to God Christ is the door of the sheep Iohn 10.7 9. by whom wee com to the Father Iob. 14.6 and may everie where list up pure hands without wrath
providing against such filthinesses no more then the Sun-beams are by shining upon a stinking lake Ver. 25. And the land is defiled From one end thereof to the other Ezr. 9.11 as the face of the old world was grown so foul that God was fain to wash it with a flood Ver. 25. Yee shall therefore keep Unless yee bee ambitious of a like destruction Luke 13.3 Ver. 28. That the land spue not you out It is wisely said by Herodotus That the destruction of Troie is a fit example of the rule that great sins bring great plagues CHAP. XIX Ver. 2. Yee shall bee holie RItually and really See the Notes on Levit. 11.44 Mat. 5. ult 1 Pet. 1.16 1 John 3.3 Ver. 3. Yee shall fear everie man his mother The mother is set first becaus usually most slighted The daies of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slaie my brother Jacob said that prophane losel Gen. 27.41 As for his mother hee make's no reckoning of her hee cared not to griev her And keep my Sabbaths To the which the honoring of good governors who are to see the Sabbath sanctified by all under their roof doth verie much conduce Ver. 4. Turn yee not unto idols Heb. Elilim deunculi deastri Pettie-gods dunghill-deities of all which wee should saie as hee did once Contemno minutulos istos Deos modò Jovem Jehovam mihi propitium habeam I care for the favor of no god but of the great God of Gods Ver. 5. At your own will Or For your favorable acceptation that God may graciously accept you Ver. 6. It shall bee eaten the same daie See the Note on Chap. 7.15 17 18 19. Ver. 9. And when yee reap See what provision the Lord maketh for his poor commanding that the fuller cups of the richer sort may overflow into their emptie dishes besides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hierom cal's it that poor man's tith appointed Deut. 15.11 Iames the sift of Scotland was for his charitie called The poor man's King much more may God Ver. 11. Yee shall not steal See the Notes on Ephes 4.28 and 25. and on Exod. 20.15 Levit. 6.3 Ver. 12. Neither shalt thou prophane the name By presuming rashly and lightly to blurt out this reverend name in an oath or otherwise The Grecians as Suidas observ's when they would swear by their Iupiter out of the meer dread and reverence of his name forbear to mention him breaking off their oath with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those that onely dare to ow the rest to their thoughts And Clinias the Pythagorean out of this regard would rather undergo a mulct of three talents then swear Ver. 13. The wages of him that is hired This is a crying sin Iam. 5.3 condemned by the verie light of nature Lib. 10. de legibus Plato would have him double paid that is not paid in due time Ver. 14. Thou shalt not curs the deaf So by analogie the absent that cannot speak for themselvs or the dead Of all fowl wee most hate and detest the Crows and of all beasts the Jackals a kinde of foxes in Barbarie becaus the one dig's up the graves and devour's the flesh the other pick 's out the eies of the dead But shalt fear thy God Who both hear's and see 's all thy miscarriages and will reckon with thee for all Deo obscura clarent muta respondent silentium confitetur saith an Antient Night will convert it self into noon before God and silence prove a speaking evidence Ver. 15. Thou shall not respect Spare not the great for their might nor the mean for their miserie Causses must bee heard and not persons Ver. 16. Vp and down as a tale-bearer Heb. As a pedlar that first fil's his pack with reports and rumors and then go's pedling up and down dropping a tale here and another there to the taking away of the good name and somtimes of the life of another Hence it follow 's here Neither shalt thou stand against the life of thy brother And agreeable hereunto is that of Ezekiel 22.9 In thee are men that carrie tales to shed blood Such a wretched pedlar was Doeg and such is that backbiter spoken of Psal 15.3 The word there used doth in the Hebrew properly signifie such an one as footeth and trotteth it up and down prying and spying and carrying tales and rumors 2 Sam. 19.21 Ver. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother Most unkindenesses that fall out among friends grow upon mistakes and misunderstandings Now a friendlie reasoning the case or if need bee a godly reproof cure's both the reprover and the reproved whereas the neglect of this dutie breed's dwelling suspicions suspicions breed a verie habit of mis-interpretation this breed's a lothness to com to the light to shew the reasons of our dislike this lothness beget's a verie separation in heart which at length turn's to down right hatred in heart All which might have been better prevented by a seasonable venting our mindes in a reproof or admonition Thou shalt in anie wise rebuke thy neighbour Neither is this anie argument of hatred but an office of love Friends as Bees are killed with the honie of flatterie but quickened with the vineger of reproof The Eagle though shee loveth her young ones dearly yet shee pricketh and beateth them out of the nest Exigne gehennali Hier. And shalt not suffer sin upon him But save him with fear pulling him out of the fire Jude 23. Out of the fire of hell as Hierom interpret's it which sin suffered will bring him unto Others read it thus Lest thou suffer for his sin which by not opposing thou makest to becom thine own To withstand evil in thy brother is the best waie to do him good and thy self too Others render it thus Thou shalt not lift up his sin over him as an ensign by blabbing or blazing it abroad to his just grief and disgrace but clap a plaster of reproof upon the sore and then as Chirurgeons use to do cover it with thy hand that the world may bee never the wiser Ver. 18. Nor bear anie grudg Heb. Nor keep There is nothing that a man is more readie to keep then his wrath Therefore the Hebrews both here and Jer. 3.5 Psal 103.9 put servare for servare iram but wee must neither revenge nor remember wee must not throw awaie the dagger and keep the sheath but both forgive and forget But shalt love thy neighbour See the Notes on Mat. 22 37-40 and on Rom. 13.9 Ver. 19. Yee shall keep my statutes Even these next following though they may seem to bee but minutula legis not worth keeping Thou shalt not let thy cattle The Doctors of Doway upon this Text Here all participation saie they with hereticks and schismaticks is forbidden Philip of Spain said hee had rather have no subjects Act. and mon. fol. 1189. then subjects of a divers religion Our King Edward the sixth told the Popish rebels
yee reap See Chap. 19.9 In these wee entertain Christum convivam Christ a guest saith Hierom. Ver. 24. Of blowing of trumpets This feast signified the spiritual joie and gladness of the Saints that are redeemed by Christ all their life long Isa 33.10 Ver. 27. Also on the tenth daie See the Note on Chap. 16.31 Thus they were kept in sorrow five daies before they might keep their feast of joie vers 34. Ver. 34. The feast of tabernacles It signified the Prophet Zacharie beeing interpreter Chap. 14.16 17 18 19. that the remembrance of our redemption by Christ should bee perpetuated with all spiritual gladness Ver. 42. Yee shall dwell in booths The siege of Jerusalem by the Romans lasted six moneths It began at the Passover and ended at this feast of Tabernacles Ità festum illud fuit finis istius politiae CHAP. XXIIII Ver. 2. Beaten for the light MInisters must beat their brains and bend their utmost indeavors to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guid their feet into the waie of peace as that burning and shining light the Baptist did Luk. 1.79 Ver. 3. From the evening unto the morning In the morning it went out 1 Sam. 3.3 Ver. 4. Vpon the pure candle-stick Pure becaus daily purified by the Priests so must our consciences bee from dead works by dailie repentance Ver. 5. Twelv Cakes See the Note on Mat. 12.4 Ver. 6. Six on a row One by another not one upon another as they are commonly painted Ver. 8. Everie Sabbath So must the bread of life bee everie Sabbath at least set before the Saints Ver. 10. Whose father was an Aegyptian His mother taught him to speak his father to blaspheme Strove together In the heat of contention what will not men saie or do qui non moderabitur irae Indictum velit esse dolor quod suaserit mens Ver. 11. Blasphemed the name c. Heb. bored it thorough gored it pierced it as did those Syrians Isa 36.6 Turk Hist 423. slain by the fall of the wall of Apâ—ek Rabshakeh that dead dog Julian the Apostate Chosroes the Persian the raging Turk at the siege of Seodra that foul-mouthed Papist that durst saie The God of the Protestants is wors then Pan god of clowns which can indure no cerimonies nor good manners at all To these add Paul Best Sheldon's Mark of the beast Ep. ded who hath lately published blasphemous verses against the Trinitie See the London Minister's Testimonial to the Truth of Jesus Christ Ver. 14. And let all that heard him The Jews at this daie abhor the blasphemies of Christians so openly and ordinarily darted up with hellish mouths against God The Turks punish their prisoners sorely when as Spec. Europ through impatience or desperateness they break out into them Ver. 16. And hee that blasphemeth Swearers and blasphemers toss God's name to fro with such impietie and prophaneness as if their speech could have no grace but in his disgrace as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with som god Neptune or the three sons trying their archerie at their father's heart Lonicer theat hist to see who can shoot nighest Shall bee surely put to death Though hee bee never so much provoked by others as this blasphemer was that shall no whit excuse him Ver. 17. And bee that killeth anie man Though in hot blood Scripture make's no difference between murder and manslaughter See the Note on Gen. 9.6 Ver. 19. As hee hath don God love's to retaliate it is his usual manner of proceeding in punishing CHAP. XXV Ver. 2. Then shall the Land keep a Sabbath BY their weeklie Sabbath they professed that themselvs belonged to God though Seneca jeer them for it as those that cast awaie the seventh part of their time by this seventh year Sabbath they professed That their Land belonged to God and that they were onely his hindes his tenants and tith-men Hence it is called the Lord's land Hos 9.3 and Immanuels Isa 8.8 Ver. 4. A Sabbath of rest unto the Land This and the Jubilee year shadowed our eternal rest Col. 2.16 17. Heb. 4.9 1. Everie seventh-daie they rested from their labors 2. Everie seventh year the ground rested Everie seventh seventh as som reckon it was the Jubilean Sabbath at which time all debts were remitted prisoners released morgages restored to the right inheritors The great and eternal Sabbath comprehend's all these How then should wee breath after it and even go forth to meet it as the Jews do their weeklie Sabbath begining it an hour sooner then the Law required and this they called their Sabbatulum or little Sabbath Ver. 6. Shall bee meat for you Thus God taught and inured them to depend upon his providence and to feed on faith as som read that text Psal 37.3 For though the owner of the field might gather even on that year for the maintenence of himself and familie yet hee was neither to sowe his field thereby to greaten his harvest nor to hedg his field or lock up his vineyard c. Ver. 9. In the daie of attonement Here began the Jubilee this feast was founded in a fast They that sowe in tears shall reap in joie neither is there anie such comfort as theirs that have soundly soaked themselvs in godlie sorrow Ver. 10. And proclame libertie See this expounded by the Prophet Isaiah Cap. 61.1 2 with Luk. 4.21 A most joifull Jubilee indeed In the year of Christ 1617 the Pope proclamed a Jubilee for the peace of Italie and Austria The Protestants also of Germanie did the like in honor of God and for joie of the Reformation begun by Luther in Germanie a just hundred of years before Ver. 12. Out of the field See the Note on ver 6. Ver. 14. Yee shall not oppress But proceed by that golden rule What ever yee would that men should do to you even so do yee to them Ver. 17. But thou shalt fear thy God And so depart from this evil also Gen. 42.18 Joseph said to his brethren who feared hee would roul himself upon them This do and live for I fear God q. d. I dare do you no hurt though yee bee fallen into my danger So his grand-father Isaac seeing that hee had don unwilling justice durst not revers the blessing though hee had som minde to it for God had overawed him Gen. 27.33 And ought yee not to have walked in the fear of the Lord said good Nehemiah to those mercieless griping Usurers Cha. 5.9 Ver. 20. And if yee shall saie A clear answer to a carnal objection Usually God conceal's the objection in Scripture and meet 's it with an answer which is an act of grace Ver. 21. Command my blessing Now if God send his Mandamus who shall gainst and it Ver. 23. The Land is mine See Vers 2. Ver. 25. And if anie of his kin Christ is our near kinsman and so by propinquitie as a man
of holy things as in Popery at this day Vers 17. And when the cloud This visible sign they had of Gods presence for their motion or station by night or by day through all their pilgrimage In all thy wayes acknowledge God and he shall direct thy pathes Prov. 3.6 When thou sittest in darkness the Lord shall give thee light Mic. 7.8 Vers 19. Kept the charge of the Lord Or his watch viz. to be ready at any hour to remove so must we alwaies watch and be in readiness as not knowing whether at Even or at midnight or cock-crowing or in the dawning Christ will come Mar. 13.35 Vers 23. At the Commandement of the Lord This signified that the Saints are to rest or go on at the voyce of Christ Joh. 10.3 4. and that whatsoever they do in word or deed to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Colos 3.17 to seek and finde all their perfection and defence in him alone CHAP. X. Vers 2. TWo trumpets of silver Signifying the voyce of the Law and Gospel in the mouthes of Gods Ministers Esai 58.1 Ad ravim usque vocem intendit nec vinci se à strepitu ullo passu◠est Melch. Adam 114. who must lift up the voyce like a trumpet with fervour zeal and courage 1. To gather the people and assemble the Elders Ioel 2.16 2. To put them upon their marchings and motions towards the heavenly Canaan and here to blow an alarm sic clames ut Stentora vincere possis as that famous Farellus did when the Fryers to drown his voyce in the Pulpit rang their greatest Bells but he out-noysed them 3. To get them upon their battlements and there-hence to blow an alarm likewise upon the approach of spiritual enemies Suetonius eâ libertate scripfit Imperatorum vitas qua ipsi vixerunt taking the same liberty to cry down sin that men take to commit it and to descry the Devils stratagems that are so destructive to mens souls They must cast away the inverse trumpets of Furius Fulvius which sounded a retreat when they should have sounded an alarm they must faithfully shew Gods people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sins Esay 58.1 yea all their transgressions in all their sins Levit. 16.21 Lastly as the Priests were to sound the silver trumpets at their solemn feasts for a monument of spiritual gladness before the Lord Psal 81.4 so must Ministers of the Gospel publish the glad tydings of the Gospel Speak to the heart of Ierusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished her sin is pardoned Esay 40.2 make the people hear the joyful sound that they may walk in the sense of Gods presence and in the light of his countenance yea rejoyce in his Name all the day-long Psal 89.15 16. Vers 7. But when the congregation Cenalis Bishop of Auranches was hard driven when to prove the church of Rome a true church he makes no mention at all of Ministers or ordinances but alledgeth that the Catholikes had bells to assemble them together whereas the Lutherans met by the clap of harquebuzes and pistolets And so he goes on to triumph in a long Antithesis The bells saith he do sound the harquebuzes crack The bells give a sweet and melodious tune but the harquebuzes a foul and terrible noise Bells open heaven the other hell Act. and Mon. fol. 838. Bells chase away clouds and thunder the other gender clouds and counterfeit thunder c. O the profound arguments of these doting Doctours But you shall not sound an alarm Or a broken sound but a continued equall sound as fittest for their quiet assembling to the service of God and hearing of the law The sound of Gods word must not be broken or quavering Pompall Tertullian calleth it but downright and simple Non oratorum filii sumus sed piscatorum Nazianz. ad Libanium nec verborum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed Spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Cor. 2.1 4. Vers 8. Shall blow with the trumpets A trumpeter as one observeth winds his trumpet with his mouth and holds it up with his hand so should a Minister both preach and practise vivere concionibus concionari moribus Vers 9. Ye shall be remembred before the Lord Who will arise as it were awakened by this sound of the trumpet See 2 Chron. 13.12 with Isa 51.9 That is by the prayer of faith such as were the prayers of the Ministers of Angrogne in France wherewith their enemies cryed out they were so bewitched that they could not fight It was the custome of these poor persecuted Protestants Act. Mon. fol. 883. so soon as they saw the enemy approach to cry all together for aid and succour to the Lord and when the combate was ended constantly to give him thanks for the good success he had sent them So at the siege of Mountabone the people of God using daily humiliation as their service would permit did sing a psalme after it immediately before their sallying forth with this practice the enemy comming acquainted ever upon the singing of the Psalme after which they expected a sally they would so quake and tremble saying they come they come as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them Vers 10. For a memoriall Or a sacred sign to minde and assure them that God will hear their suits and accept of their services thus performed with joy of faith Vers 12. Out of the wilderness of Sinai Where they had dwelt long enough Deut. 1.6 7 8. It being a place of bondage by reason of the law there given Gal 4.24 25. The law is a yoke of bondage as Jerome calls it and they who look for righteousness from thence are like oxen who toyl and draw and when they have done their labour are fatted for slaughter Vers 25. The rereward of all the Camp Called the gathering Host Iosh 6.9 Because to their charge was committed the care of gathering together the lame faint and feeble and to look that nothing was lost or left behinde And to this David seems to allude Psal 27.10 Confer Isai 58.8 52.12 Vers 29. And Moses said Or Moses had said viz. Exod 18.1 2. For the Lord hath spoken good And Gods promises he knew to be good sure-hold Seneca Vers 30. To mine own land Patriam quisque amat non quia pulchram sed quia suam Ovid. Nescio qua natale solum dulcedine cunctos du◠it et immemores non sinit esse sui Vers 31. Instead of eyes To descry unto us the commodities and discommodities of the country which is well known to thee Herein thou maiest be of singular use unto us though we have God going visibly before us Gaudentius Casaubon The Iewes had a kinde of officers at their feasts called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eyes of the feast praefecti morum Vers 33. Three dayes journey Three dayes together without
resting this made them murmure Chap. 11.1 non quia dura sed quia molles patimur Sen. Went before them And as the Iewes conceive for the facilitating of their march the cloud levelled mountains raised vallies and laid all of a flat that is burnt up bushes smoothed rocks and made all plain c. Vers 35. Rise up Lord Commanders must pray as well as lead on their forces as did Charles the great and that late brave King of Sweden more addict to prayer then to fight CHAP. XI Vers 1. ANd when the people complained Or were as it were complainers they did inwardly and secretly repine and mutter at their three dayes march without intermission like those horses that disgest their choller by biting the bridle Consumed them that were in the uttermost parts There it seems the sin began amongst those that were faint and weary with travell as Deut. 25.18 Vers 2. And the people cryed to Moses That Lord Chancellour of Heaven as one calleth him that could rule with God and over-rule Of Moses it might be said as once of Luther Iste vir potuit apud deum quod voluit he might have whatsoever he would of God Vers 3. The name of the place Taberah So to perpetuate the memory of the peoples sin and Gods judgment Alterius perditio tua sit cautio Vers 4. And the mixâ— multitude See the Note on Exod. 12.38 Observe the danger of ill company Fish retains their sweetness in the salt sea The river d ee in Merioneth-shire running through Pimble-meere remaines entire and mingles not her streames with the waters of the lake The rivers of Peru after they have run some miles into the sea retain their sweetness as writers report But to converse with the ungodly and not to learn their manners is marvellous rare and difficult A man may pass through Ethiopia unchanged but he cannot dwell there and not be discoloured Vers 5. We remember the fish They forgat their servitude Discontent is ever harping upon wants and enjoyes nothing no more then Haman did his honour or Alâ—ab his kingdome when he longed for a sallet out of Naboths garden Vers 6. There is nothing at all besides The wheat of heaven was held a light meat because lightly come by Citò parta vilescunt How are many queasie stomacks even nauseated with the bread of life it makes not to their dainty palates 3 plain preaching is dis-rellished Vers 7. And the Manna See the Note on Exod. 16.14 31. There was therefore no such cause they should so loath it Was as Coriander seed Small but full of sweetness and nourishment Deut. 34.7 This might be some cause of Moses his undecayedness As the colour of Bdellium A kinde of transparent and precious gumme Vers 8. And the people went about Or went to and fro as men ought still to encrease knowledg Dan. 12.4 labouring for the meat that endureth to eternall life Joh. 6.27 God might have saved them this labour by rayning Manna into their mouthes but he would not for the tryall of their diligence and that they might not think that worth nothing that cost them nothing And ground it in mills So was Jesus Christ ground and pounded with passion baked and dryed up in the oven of his fathers displeasure before he became fit food and a Saviour to his Church As the taste of fresh oyle Or wafers baked with honey Exod. 16.31 The sweet promises of grace are sweeter then honey Psal 19.10 No fresh and sweet oyle can so cherish the face as they do the heart of a believer Vers 9. And when the dew fell As Manna fell in the dew so doth the Spirit descend in and by the word preached Gal. 3.2 In the night Figuring that hidden Manna laid up and prepared for the Saints Revel 2.17 Vers 10. Weep throughout their families Generally and openly they mutinied and murmured though so lately they had smarted at Taberah And this they did not once or twise but ten times over whereby it appeares that God chose this unthankfull people not for their merits sedex mera et mira misericordia he chose them for his love and loved them for his choyse Vers 11. Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant Antoninus the Emperour said often Imperium Oceanum esse malorum that to be a governour of others is to be plunged into an Ocean of miseries Pope Adrian caused to be engraven upon his own tomb Foelix si non imperitasset Melancthon said the three sorest labours of all were Docentis imperantis parturientis the labours of Ministers Magistrates and of travelling women Vers 12. As a nursing father beareth c. Lovingly mildly gently A Magistrate should carry himself as a Pater patriae Cambdens Elisab Queen Elizabeth would many times say That she could believe nothing of her people that parents would not believe of their children Vers 13. Whence should I have flesh Lust is unsatisfiable to go about it is to go about an endless piece of work it is to cast oyl into the fire to quench it Vers 14. It is too heavy for me Crowns have their cares seats are uneasie many a cumber attends honour Beatus ille qui procul negotiis Horat. Vers 15. And if thou deal thus with me Here the word Thou spoken to God is of the feminine gender At for Atta ex magna perturbatione saith a Rabbine Moses was so exceedingly moved with anger and grief these passions did so overcarry him that he could not complere vocem utter his whole speech as he that groaneth or gapeth in the beginning of his sentence cannot make up his breath to speak what he intended Vers 16. Gather unto me seventy men Here say some began the Sanhedrim that is the great Counsel of the Jews consisting of seventy Seniours and one President It continued till the time of Herod the Great who took it away and changed the form of it Vers 17. And I will take of the spirit i. e. I will bestow the same Spirit upon them as upon thee and this shall be nothing at all to thy loss or disadvantage Habet Hispania montem ex sale magnum de quo quantum demas tantum accrescit shall bear the burden of the people Who are in nothing more a burden then in this that with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucyd. Praesens imperium semper grave they are ever grumbling at the present government though never so gentle Alleva jugum Ease the yoke that thy father put upon us 1 King 12.4 said they to Rehoboam forgetting the golden age they had lived in under his father Solomon Vers 18. Sanctifie your selves Ironicè dictum or sanctifie that is prepare your selves for the day of slaughter as Jer. 12.3 For you have wept in the ears Tears of what sort soever have a voyce in them Psal 39.12 as blood hath Gen. 4. For it was well with us in Egypt Such is the murmuring of those malecontents that
forth CHAP. XXII Vers 1. IN the Plaines of Moab Once of Moab then of the Amorites now of the Israelites Lands and Lordships often change masters adeò nihil certi est in rebus humanis c. In the greatness of the Turkish Empire is at this day swallowed up the name and Empire of the Saracens the most glorious Empire of the Greeks the renowned Kingdoms of Macedonia Peloponnesus Epirus Bulgaria Servia Bosnia Armenia Cyprus Syria Egypt Judaea Tunes Argeirs Media Turk hist Preface Mesopotamia with a great part of Hungary as also of the Persian Kingdom and besides all those famous Churches spoken of in Scripture so much in Christendom as far exceedeth that which is thereof at this day left yet no doubt Time shall triumph over this so great a Monarchy when it shall but then live by fame as others now do It laboureth with nothing more already then with the weightinesse of it self Vers 3. And Moab was distressed Or was irked fretted vexed And yet Moab was allied to Israel eased by them of a troublesome incroaching neighbour Sihon and assured by them that they would not meddle or molest them But being of a different religion they were carried with Satanical malice against Gods people and sought their ruine This is the guise of graceless and absurd men acted and agitated by the Devil Vers 4. Vnto the Elders of Midian Their neighbours and confederates These are called the Dukes of Sihon as having been subdued by his tyranny whereof Israel had now freed them and meant them no hurt Num. 31.8 with Josh 13.21 And Balac the son of Zippor A politick and potent Prince Mic. 6.5 not more valiant then vigilant ingeniose nequam wittily wicked Vers 5. Balaam the son of Beor The Devils Spel-man as one calls him a sooth-sayer or sorcerer called a Prophet 2 Pet. 2.16 as false-prophets are called Diviners Jer. 27.9 Vers 6. Peradventure I shall prevail Hence he is said to have warred against Israel Josh 24.9 He did not because he durst not Sed fieri dicitur quod tentatur aut intenditur saith Ribera on Amos 9.5 Vers 7. With the rewards of divination Which Jude calls Jude 11. 2 Pet. 2.15 the wages of wickednesse The Athenians complained that Philip by his gold had corrupted the Oracle of Apollo which now did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 8. As the Lord shall speak unto me Good words and wishes may be found in hells-mouth as wholsome sugar may be found in a poisoned cane and a stone of great vertue in the head of a toad The French have a berry which they name Vve de Spine The grape of a thorn Vers 9. And God came to Balaam So he came to Abimelech to Laban c. he never concredited his word to these as he did to the holy Prophets of whom it is said The Word of the Lord came to them Vers 13. For the Lord refuseth Like a mercenary and one that had a moneths-mind to the money he hides from them that part of the answer that might have kept them off from coming again to him viz. Thou shalt not curse the people for they are blessed Auri sacra fames c. Vers 15. And Balac sent yet again So unweariable are wicked men in pursuing and practising their evil designs This is check to our dulness for the good of our souls Oh how soon said and sated are we Felix trembles and yet at the same instant covets and expects a bribe from Paul who had some occasion to expect repentance of Felix Vers 17. For I will promote thee Thus Satan tempted our Saviour Matth. 4.8 9. and the Pope Luther offering him a Cardinalship to hold his tongue and proposing unto him the example of Aeneas Sylvius who casting away his opinions became Pope and of Bessarion of Nice who of a poor Calover of Trapezond Hist of Coun. of Trent 73. became a great renowned Cardinal and wanted not much of being Pope But Luther answered the messenger Contemptus est a me Romanus favor furor I care not for the Popes proffers of any preferment And when one counselled to try him with mony another more wise answered Hem Germana illa bestia non curat aurum That Dutch-beast cares not for gold But Balaam was not a man of Luthers make Vers 18. I cannot go beyond Intùs Nero foris Cato loquitur hic ut Piso vivit ut Gallonius Audi nemo melius specta nemo pejus A preacher as Quintillian saith of an Oratour should be Vir bonus dicendi peritus A well-spoken and well-deeded person Vers 19. Tarry also now this night c. Very loth he was to forgo so fat a morsel His mouth even watered his fingers itcht to be dealing with Balac He therefore detains the messenger and will try again what may be done for them Vers 20. Rise up and go God answers him according to the idols of his heart bids him go sith he was set upon 't but at his utmost peril lik as Solomon bids the young man follow the wayes of his own heart Eccles 11.9 but then followes that stinging But. Vers 21. And sadled his asse Which never runs fast enough after preferment till horse and man and all to the Devil Vers 22. And Gods anger Deus saepè dat iratus quod negat propitius _____ And his two servants were with him This false Prophet rides not without two men Gods Levite had one man Judg. 19.11 O let not Ministers of the Gospel be slaves to others servants to themselves Vers 23. And the asse saw the Angel Which Balaam saw not his eyes were put out with the dust of covetousness or dazeled at least with the glittering of the promised promotions Vers 24. But the Angel If an Angel stand in the way of a sorcerer's sin how much more ready are all those heavenly Spirits to stop the miscarriages of Gods dear children Surely as our good endeavours are oft hindered by Satan so are our evil by good Angels else were not our protection equal to our danger and we could neither stand nor rise Vers 27. She fell down under Balaam And so condemned her masters madness 2 Pet. 2.16 Polybius in his history saith Whereas Man is held the wisest of all sublunary creatures to me he seemeth the most foolish of all other For whereas other creatures when they have once smarted will come no more there as the Fox returns not rashly to the snare the Woolf to the pit-fal the dog to the cudgel the horse to the hole where he hath been stalked c. solus homo ab aevo ad aevum peccat ferè in iisdem Man only falls into the same offence and mischief from day to day and will not be warned till he be utterly ruined as it befell Balaam Vers 28. And the Lord opened the mouth of the asse Fear not therefore thine own inability and rudeness to reply in a good cause There is no mouth into which God
the Lady Jane Gray whose excellent beauty adorn'd with all variety of vertues as a clear sky with stars as a Princely Diadem with jewels gave her the stile of Eruditionis pietatis modestiae delicium and Queen Elizabeth in whom besides her sex there was nothing woman-like or weak as if what Philosophy saith the souls of those noble creatures had followed the temperament of their bodies which consist of a frame of rarer rooms of a more exact composition then mans doth and if place be any priviledg we find theirs built in Paradise when mans was made out of it Besides in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female but all are one souls having no sexes and whosoever are Christs are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3.28 29. Vers 11. A statute of judgment A standing law a standard for all cases of like kinde in that policy at least for we cannot consent to Carolostadius who contended in foro jus ex Mose dicendum esse that all other national and municipal laws were to be abolished and that all courts were now to pass sentence according to Moses's laws Hic non intellexit vim naturam Christianae libertatis This man knew not the extent of Christian liberty saith Melancthon Vers 12. See the land It was somewhat to see but oh how fain would he have entred the Land and could not we shall have in heaven not only vision but fruition we have it already in Capite-tenure in Christ our head and husband who will not be long without us it being part of his heaven that we shall be where he is Ioh. 17.24 and enjoy God which is heaven it self whence in Scripture God is called Heaven I have sinned against heaven Malim praesente Deo esse in inferno quam abseute Deo in Coelo Luth. in Gen. 30. And I had rather be in Hell and have God present then in Heaven and God absent saith Luther Vers 13. Gathered to thy people To that great Panegyris the general Assembly and Church of the first-born in heaven Heb. 12.23 to that glorious Amphitheatre where the Saints shall see and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as Chrysostome hath it Look yonder is Peter and that is Paul c. we shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob have communion with them not only as godly men but as Abraham Isaac and Jacob Vers 14. For ye rebelled Sin may rebel in the Saints but not raign neither is it they that rebel but sin that dwelleth in them dwelleth but not domineereth Vers 16. The God of the spirits of all flesh Thou Lord that knowest the hearts of all men Act. 1.24 See the Note there Artificers know well the nature and properties of their own work Deus intimior nobis intimo nostro CHAP. XXVIII Vers 2. MY offering He is owner of all and of his own we give him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said that great Emperour And my bread Called their bread for their souls that is the bread for their natural sustenance common bread when not rightly offered So Ier. 7.21 God in scorn calls their sacrifice flesh ordinary flesh such as is sold in the shambles So at the Lords Supper impenitent communicants receive no more then the bare elements panem Domini Aug. but not panem Dominum In their due season Which for 38. years they had intermitted Get a settlement or Sabbath of spirit or else God shall be but ill if at all served Vers 3. This is the offering See the Note on Exod. 29.38 39. Vers 9. And on the Sabbath day Every day should be a Sabbath to the Saints in regard of ceasing to do evil learning to do well but on the seventh-day-Sabbath our devotion should be doubled ' Debet totus dies festivus a Christiano expendi in operibus sanctis said Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln In decalog praecep 30. long since The whole Sabbath should be spent in Gods service Psal 92. titled a Psalm for the Sabbath mentions morning and evening performances vers 2. Variety of duties may very well take up the whole day with delight Besides God gives us fix whole dayes Now to sell by one measure and buy by another is the way to a curse Vers 11. And in the beginning of your moneths Thus they had their daily weekly monethly yearly addresses unto God that they might ever be in communion with him and conformity unto him by this continual intercourse On the new-Moons they rested Amos 8.5 feasted 1 Sam. 20.5 heard the Word c. 2 King 4.29 Vers 17 18 19 c. See the Notes on Exod. 12.18 and on Levit. 23.7 c. CHAP. XXIX Vers 1. ANd in the seventh moneth This Sabbath-moneth as it were had as many feasts in it as were celebrated in all the year besides So that as the Sabbath is the Queen of dayes so was this of moneths It is a day of blowing See the Note on Levit. 23.24 Vers 7. And ye shall have See Levit. 16.19 with the Notes Vers 12. And on the fifteenth See Levit. 23.34 35 c. with the Notes There the feasts were prescribed and here the sacrifices belonging to them are described Vers 17. And on the second day ye shall offer twelve c. In every of these seven-dayes-sacrifices one bullock is abated Hereby the Holy Ghost might teach them their duty to grow in grace and increase in sanctification that their sins decreasing the number of their sacrifices whereby atonement was made for their sins should also decrease daily Or it might signifie a diminishing and wearing away of the legal offerings c. as One well observeth Hac caeremoniâ significabat Deus gratiam suam de die in diem crescere it a nempe ut minuatur vetus homo novus augeatur c. saith Alsted till the very ruines of Satans castles be as most of our old Castles are almost brought to ruine Vers 18. After the manner That is in manner and form aforesaid The Manner is that that makes or marrs the action as a good suite may be marred in the making so a good duty there may be malum opus in bona materia Jehu's zeal was rewarded as an act of justice quoad substantiam operis and punished as an act of policy quoad modum agendi for the perverse end Yea David for failing in a ceremony only though with an honest heart suffered a breach instead of a blessing 1 Chron. 15.17 Idolaters also went on in their own manner Amos 8.14 as their idol-Priests prescribed The manner of Beersheba liveth that is the form of rites of the worshipping in Beersheba as the Chaldee paraphraseth CHAP. XXX Vers 1. ANd Moses spake unto the heads Because they were in place of judicature and had power either to bind◠men to their vowes or set them at liberty Vers 2. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord God is the proper object of a vow Psal 76.11 Papists vow
thou shalt lend This was our condition in the happy dayes of that incomparable Elizabeth not to be passed over slightly without one sigh breathed forth now after 40 years in her sacred memory What a deal both of men and moneys did she lend the French the Hollanders c Vers 13. And the Lord shall make thee See a parallel place Hos 13.1 When Ephraim spake there was trembling he exalted himself in Israel but when he offended in Baal he dyed Before none durst budg against the name of Ephraim but after he offended in Baal every paltry adversary trampled upon him as a dead man So they did likewise upon Henry 4. of France ever victorious till he changed his religion till then Bonus orbi but after that Orbus boni as One wittily anagrammatized his name Borbonius Vers 15. All these ourses shall come Far more curses are mentioned then blessings Such is the baseness of our natures that we are sooner terrified with menaces then moved with mercies See we may here how the curse of God haunts the wicked as it were a fury in all his wayes In the City it attends him in the Country it hovers over him Coming in it accompanies him going forth it followes him and in travel it is his Commorade If it distaste not his dough or empty his basket yeâ— will it fill his store with strife or mingle the wrath of God with his sweetest morsels It is a moth in his wardrobe murrain among his cattle mildew in his field rot among his sheep and oft-times makes the fruit of his loyns his greatest beart-break so that he is ready to wish with Augustus Vtinà m aut coelebs vixissem aut orbus periissem O that I had either never married or dâ—ed childless Vers 21. The Lord shall make the pestilence Which Hipocrates calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the falling sickness is called Morbus sacer as more immediately sent of God Vers 22. The Lord shall smite thee c. See the Note on Levit. 26.16 Vers 24. Powder and dust Which the wind and other things raise in times of drought Vers 27. With the botch of Egypt i. e. with the leprosie called Elephantiasis when the skin grows hard as the Elephants skin This saith One was bred only about Nilus the river of Egypt Vers 28. With madness and blindness Spiritual especially such as befel the Jews of old Rom. 11.18 2 Cor. 3.14 the chief Priests and Scribes especially who being questioned by Herod about the King of the Jews Matth. 2.4 5. could answer directly out of the Scriptures and give such signs of the Messias as did evidently agree to Jesus Christ And yet because they discerned not their day of grace but winked hard with their eyes and shut the windows lest the light should come in they were by a special judgment so besotted and infatuated that when God shews them the man to whom their own signs agree they cannot allow of him nor will yield to be saved by him upon any tearms How shamefully they were deluded by Barchocab is notoriously known And after this when they saw Mahomet arising in such power they were straight ready to cry him up for their Messiah But when they saw him eat of a camel they were as blanck as when they saw the hoped issue of their late Jewish virgin turned to a daughter They are generally light aerial and fanatical brains apt to work themselves into the fools Paradise of a sublime dotage Howbeit God we trust will at length cure them of this spiritual ophthalmy and phrensie Their dispersion for this 1600 years is such as that one of their own Rabbines concludes from thence that their Messiah must needs be come and they must needs suffer so much for killing him Oh that the salvation of Israel were once come out of Sion When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people then shall Jacob rejoyce and Israel be glad Psal 14.7 Vers 29. And thou shalt be only oppressed As the Thebanes ever till then victorious were after the death of Epaminondas famous only for their overthrows As Rome since Antichristian was never besieged by an enemy but it was taken and plundered as the Jews since Christs death never attempted any thing but miscarried An evil an only evil c. Ezek. 7.5 Vers 30. Thou shalt build an house c. A great aggravation of a mans misery it is to fall from high hopes to fail of large expectations as Haman did and Absolom and Alexander the Great and Tamerlan who preparing to perfect his conquest of the Greek Empire and having given a good beginning thereunto in the midst of his high hopes and greatest power died of an ague Turk hist Jan. 27. 1462. Many men spend their strength and waste their wits in getting these outward things and in learning how to put them to their delightfullest use and then when to possess them might seem a happiness either they die or are otherwise deprived of all the sweet they have laboured for Vers 32. And thine eyes shall look A sad sight to see our children butchered before our eyes as Mauricius the Emperour did or otherwise misused by a merciless enemy Doves sometimes sit in their dove-cotes and see their nests destroyed their young ones taken away and killed before their eyes neither do they ever offer to rescue or revenge as all other creatures either do or desire to do And fail with looking As Sisera's mothers did Judg. 5.28 Vers 33. The fruit of thy land c. So Ezek. 25.4 They shall eat thy fruit and they shall drink thy milk See Ier. 5.17 1.7 Vers 34 35. So that thou shalt be mad c. As Bajazet was in his iron cage as Pope Boniface 8. was when shut up in St. Angelo by Sara Columnus his mortal enemy Turk hist Ibid. 126. renting himself with his teeth and devouring his own fingers Philip the Spanish King is said to have born patiently the defeat given to hâ—s invincible Armado in the year 88 but ten years after Cambd. Elisab he dyed of a very loathsome and incureable disease a sore botch that seized upon him from the sole of his foot unto the top of his head as is to be seen set down by Carol. Scribanius Instit Princip cap. 20. Vers 47. For the abundance of all things Aristotle was wont to tax his Athenians quòd cùm duas res invenissent Laert. l. 5. c. 1. frumenta ac leges frumentis uterentur legibus nequaquà m imò moribus suis quà m legibus uti mallent as Valerius Maximus addeth Sure it is that as these Jews of old so we to this day are much to be blamed for that we live in Gods good land but not by Gods good laws Vers 53. And thou shalt eat See the Note on Levit. 26.29 Vers 56. The tender and delicate These threatnings were tanquam in speculo conspicuae literally and punctually fulfilled upon the Jews at the last
destruction of Jerusalem at which time wrath came upon them to the utmost 2 Thess 2. Vers 58. This glorious and fearful Name That Nomen majestativum as Bernard calleth it The wiser sort of Heathens acknowledged augustius esse de Deo sentiendum Hinc Pythagericum illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quà m ut nomen imaginem ejus passim ac temerè usurpemus that higher thoughts must be taken of God then lightly and prophanely to make use of his name which no man may presume in a sudden unmannerliness to blurt out When they would swear by their Jupiter they would break off their oath with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas as those that only durst to owe the rest to their thoughts Vers 63. So the Lord will rejoyce over you See here the venemous nature of sin so far forth offensive to Almighty God as to cause him who otherwise afflicts not willingly Lam. 3.33 but delights in mercy Mic. 7.18 to rejoyce in the ruine of his creatures as here to laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh Prov. 1.26 to take as much pleasure therein as a man would do in a cup of generous wine Rev. 16.19 and to be as much eased thereby as one over-gorged would be in ridding his stomach of that that oppressed it Rev. 3.16 Vers 65. A trembling heart Juvenal by a jeer calls them Judaeos trementes trembling Jews Sat. 6. It seems they had Cains curse upon them Vers 66. And thy life shall hang in doubt Semper indesinenter desperabis de vita thou shalt live in continual expectation of death as Tiberius caused such to do as he most hated for a singular punishment Vers 68. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt This is the last and greatest curse here threatned Oh pray pray said that Dutch Divine upon his death-bed Pontifex enim Romanus concilium Tridentiaum mira moliuntur for the Pope and his Council are seeking to bring us all back into spirituall Egypt Ah ne diem illum posteri Vivant mei quo pristinum Vertantur in lutum aurea Qua nos beârunt soecula What long hath been the opinion and fear of some not unconsiderable Divines Mr. Baylie his Anabaptis unsealed c. pref that Antichrist before his abolition shall once again overflow the whole face of the West and suppresse the whole Protestant Churches I pray God to avert CHAP. XXVI Vers 1. BEside the covenant Which yet was also a covenant of grace and the same with this in substance only that at Horeb was made and delivered in a more legal manner this in a more Evangelical as appears in the following Chapter Vers 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you Nor is he bound to do but on whom he will he sheweth mercy and whom he will he hardeneth i.e. he softneth not Till when a man stands in the midst of means as a stake in the midst of streams unmoveable yea the more God forbids a sin the more he bids for it Rom. 7.8 See the Notes on Matth. 13.11 13 14. Vers 5. Your clothes See the Note on Chap. 8.4 Vers 6. ye have not eaten bread Viz. ordinarily see Deut. 2.6 but Manna beneficium postulat officium Vers 11. From the hewer of thy wood The meanest amongst you such as afterwards were the Gibeonites who also by faith became Covenanters and are called Nethinims in Ezra and Nehemiah They were made drawers of water to the Temple as a kind of punishment God made it a mercy for the nearer they were to the Church the nearer they became to God Vers 16. How we have dwelt And how hard is it to passe thorow Ethiopia how much more to dwell there and not to be discoloured Sin is catching and by the senses those cinque-ports of the soul that old serpent oft winds himself into the heart Ye have seen their abominations oh that you would say Satis est vidisse c. Now therefore lest there should be c. vers 18. Vers 17. A root that beareth gall An evill heart of unbeliefe Heb. 3.12 a deceitfull and deceived heart Ier. 17.9 Isai 44.20 that is ever either weaving spiders webbes i e. loving vanity seeking after leasing Psal 4.2 or hatching cockatrice eggs that is acting mischief Esay 59.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in that first Chaos were the seeds of all creatures so in mans heart here therefore fitly called a root of rottenness of all sins Holy Bradford would never look upon any ones leud life with one eye but presently reflect upon himself with the other and say In this my vile heart remains that sin which without Gods speciall grace I should have committed as well as he Vers 19. When be heareth the words But feareth them no more then Behemoth doth the iron weapons which are esteemed by him as straws The presumptuous sinner saith one makes God a God of cloutes one that howsoever he speaks heavy words will not do as he saith Words are but wind say they in Ieremy Chap. 5.13 God forbid say they in the Gospell Luk. 20.16 These things are but spoken in terrorem thinks the practicall Athiest bug-beare words devised on purpose to affright silly people c. Ahab after he was threatned with utter rooting out begat fifty sons as it were to cross God and to try it out with him So Thrasonicall Lamech brags and goes on to out-dare God himself If Cain be avenged c. Gen. 4.23 The old Italians were wont in time of thunder to shoot off their greatest ordnance and to ring their greatest bells to drown the noise of the heavens like unto these are many frontless and flagitious persons But shall they escape by iniquity in thine anger it is not more a prayer then a prophecy cast down the people O God Psal 56.7 To add drunkenness to thirst To add rebellion to sin Iob 34.37 To drink iniquity like water Vers 7. His sin and his repentance run in a circle as drankenness and thirst do He sins and cryes God mercy and sayes he will sin no more and yet does it again the next day till his heart be so heardened by the deceitfulness of sin that at length he looseth all passive power of recovering himself out of the snare of the devill by whom he is taken alive at his pleasure 2 Tim. 2.26 Vers 20. The Lord will not spare him God cannot satisfie himself in threatning this heynous sin as if the very naming of it had inraged his jealousie Yea when he threatneth it he useth here no qualifications as he doth in other cases but is absolute in threatning to shew that he will be resolute in punishing See the like Esay 22.12 13 14. Ezek. 24 1◠It is better therefore to have a sore then a seared conscience as a burning feaver is more hopeful then a lethargy Vers 22. When they see the plagues A presumptuous offender is a traytour to the State and one sinner destroyeth much
6.4 Austins wish was that Christ when he came might find him aut precantem aut praedicantem praying or preaching Benè orasse est benè studuisse saith Luther Vers 11. And of them that hate him Ministers shall be sure of many enemies They hate him that reproveth in the gate Veritas odium parit praedicare nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem mundi said Luther to preach is to get the worlds ill-will Ye are the light saith our Saviour which is offensive to sore eyes ye are the salt of the earth which is bitter to wounds and causeth pain to exulcerate parts Vers 12. The beloved of the Lord The Lords corculum deliciae darling as their father Benjamin was old Iacobs Gen. 42.4 And he shall dwell between his shoulders These shoulders are those two holy hills Moriah and Zion whereon the Temple was built four hundred and forty yeares after this prophecy Vers 13. And of Ioseph See the Note on Gen. 49.2 Vers 14. And for the precious fruits So Saint Iames calleth them the precious fruits of the earth Iames 5.7 Diogenes justly taxed the folly of his countrymen quòd res pretiosas minimo emerent venderent que vilissimas lurimo because they bought pretious things as corn very cheape but sold the basest things as pictures statues c. extream dear fifty pounds or more a peece though the life of man had no need of a statue but could not subsist without corn May not we more justly tax men for undervaluing the bread of life and spending money for that which is not bread Isai 55.2 Vers 15. And for the chiefe things Metalls and Minerals usually dig'd out of mountains which are here called ancient and lasting because they have been from the beginning and were not first cast up as some have held by Noahs flood Psal 90.2 Vers 16. And for the good will of him c. See the Note on Exod. 3.2 The burning bush the persecuted Church was not consumed because the good-will of God whereof David speaks Psal 106.4 was in the bush So it is still with his in the fiery triall in any affliction Isai 43.1 That was separated from his brethren To be a choise and chief man amongst them De doct Christ l. 4. c. 6. Nobilis fuit inter fratres saith Augustine vel in malis quae pendit vel in bonis quae rependit Vers 17. Advers Tryph. Tertul. advers Judaeos cap. 10. Ambrose de benedict Pat. His hornes are like the hornes of Vnicorns Iustin Martyr and some other of the Ancients have strangely racked and wrested this text to wring out of it the sign of the cross resembled and represented by the horns of an Vnicorn At nihil hic de Christo nihil de cruce He shall push the people together As Generall Joshua of this tribe did notably so that Phaenicians ran away into a far country and renowned his valour by a monument set up in Africk Howbeit gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis quam potestatis as Tertullian saith of Augustus he is more famous for his piety then for his prowesse V. 18. In thy going out To trade and traffique by sea Gen. 49 13. Peterent coelum navibus Belgae si navibus peti posset saith one The low-country men are said to grow rich by warr 't is sure they do by trade at sea And Issachar in thy tents i.e. In thy quiet life Virgil. and country imployments O fortunatos nimium c. Regum aequabat opes animis seraque reversus Nacte domum dapibus mcrsas onerabat inemptis saith the Poet of a well contented country-man Vers 19. They shall call the people to the mount i.e. To Gods house scituate on mount Zion Though they be Littorales men dwelling by the sea-shore which are noted to be duri horridi immanes omnium denique pessimi the worst kind of people and though they dwell further from the Temple yet are they not farthest from God but ready with their sacrifice of righteousness as those that have sucked of the abundance of the sea and of treasures hid in the sand which though of it self it yield no crop yet brings in great revenues by reason of sea-trading Vers 20. He dwelleth as a Lyon That should make his partie good with the enemy upon whom he bordereth and by whom he is often invaded See Gen. 49.19 Iudg. 11. 1 Chron. 12.8 Vers 21. In à portion of the law-givers That portion that Moses the Law-giver assigned him on the other side Iordan Num. 32.33 He executed the justice of the Lord viz. Upon the Canaanites which is so noble an act that even the good Angels refuse not to be executioners of Gods judgments upon obstinate Malefactours Vers 22. He shall leap from Bashan i.e. He shall suddenly set upon his enemies as Achitophel counselled Absolom 2 Sam. 17.1 2. and this is called good counsell vers 14. and as Caesar served Pompey Caesar in omnia praeceps nil actum credens Lucan dum quid superesset agendum Fertur atrox Vers 23. Satisfied with favour and full c. Fulness of blessing is then only a mercy when the soul of a man is satisfied with favour when from a full table and a cup running over a man can comfortably infer with David Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwel in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23.6 One may have outward things by Gods providence and not out of his favour Esau had the like blessing as Iacob but not with a God give thee the dew of heaven as he Gen. 27.28 Or God may give temporals to wicked men to furnish their inditement out of them as Ioseph put his cup into their sack to pick a quarrell with them and to lay theft to them Vers 24. Let Ashur be blessed with children Let his wife be as the vine and his children as olive-plants Psal 128.3 two of the best fruits the one for chearing the heart the other for clearing the face Psal 104.15 the one for sweetness the other for fatness Judg. 9.13 Let him dip his foot in oyle Like that of Iob Chap. 29.6 Confer Gen. 49.20 See the Note Vers 25. Thy shooes Thou shalt have store of mines And as thy dayes shall thy strength be i. e. Thou shalt as Eliphaz speaketh Iob 5.26 Come 〈◊〉 lusty old age to the grave This the Greesk call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Hebrews made a feast when they were past sixty if any whit healthy Vers 26. Who rideth upon the heaven Having the celestial creatures for his Cavalry and the terrestrial for his Infantry how then can his want help Vers 27. The Eternal God Heb. The God of Antiquity that Ancient of dayes that Rock of ages who is before all things and by whom all things consist Col. 1.17 who is the first and the last and besides whom there is no God Esay 44.6 And
cruel witness the Popish Inquisition to Lithgow who in ten houres received 70. several torments And the Massacre of Paris wherein they poisoned the Queen of Navarre murdered the most part of the pearless Nobilitie in France their wives and children with a great sort of the common people an hundred thousand in one year in divers parts of the Realm som saie three hundred thousand So in Ireland what havock have those breathing-Divels made of the innocent English c And what threatnings and slaughter do our desperate Malignants now breathe out against us Vers 27. As hee shall command us Manner as well as matter circumstance as well as substance is to bee heeded in God's service els there may bee malum opus in bona materia as one saith an evil work in a good matter Vers 28. Onely yee shall not go verie far So loath was hee to loos his hold â—useb so is the Divel The Pope made large offers to Queen Elisabeth as also to our King when in Spain Intreat for mee So Simon Magus in a fright begg's Peter's praiers so Maximinus the persecuting Emperor sent to the Church for Praiers when God had laid upon him a grievous diseas So Ezra 6.10 praie for the King's life and for his Sons Vers 29. Deal deceitfully anie more Som are so slipperie there 's no believing of them Egesippus saith of Pilate that hee was vir nequam parvi faciens mendacium a naughtie man and one that made no conscience of a lie No more did Pharaoh Vers 30. Intreated the Lord See the Note on Vers 12. Vers 31. There remained not one Praier make's clean work it can do wonders in heaven and earth Saie thou with David Cleans thou mee from secret faults Psal 19.12 those that are of dailie and hourlie incursion Praier will scour the coast clear the conscience of dead works Acts 8.22 Vers 32. And Pharaoh hardened All blows and pressures were so far from mollifying him that hee hardened and emmarbled more and more CHAP. IX Ver. 1. Let my People go THe verie same message to a word as before often Austin perswade's God's Messengers so long to insist upon the same point De Dâ—ctrina Christianâ— beating and repeating of it in the same words till they perceiv by the gesture and countenance of the hearers that they understand and embrace it Chrysostom at Antioch preached manie Sermons against swearing and told the people that seemed to bee wearie of that subject that till they left their swearing hee would never leav preaching against that sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Socrates Vers 3. Is upon thy Cattle Both those ad esum and those ad usum Men sin these suffer and therefore groan Rom. 8. Ver. 4. And there shall nothing die It is fair weather oft with the Saints when it is foulest with the wicked God hideth his in the hollow of his hand Psal 91. till the indignation bee overpast Isa 26.20 Hee giv's the like charge of them as David did of Absolom 2 Sam. 18.5 Ver. 6. And all the cattel That is a great sort of them Non universâ—liter sod commaniter not all chap. 9.19.25 And this was the fifth of those ten plagues a number of perfection to note that God therein did most perfectly administer and execute his judgments Ver. 7. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened like a Smith's anvil hee grew harder for hammerine There was little need to saie to Pharaoh as the Smith did to the Lantgrave of Thuring Pet. Nicol. Gelstronp Durescite durescite O infeâ—â—x Lantgravi Hee hardned fast enough Ver. 8. Sprinkle's it toward the heaven in token that this plague should in a special manner bee inflicted from heaven The Philistims by their golden emrods acknowledged that the emrods in their flesh were from God Hippocrates called the pestilence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine diseas as wee call the spots thereof God's marks The Falling sickness was antiently called morbus sacer as an immediate hand of God Life of K Edward 6. by Sir John Heywood pag. 127. And what can wee conceiv less of the Sweating sickness with which no stranger in England was touched and yet the English were chased therewith not onely in England but in other countries abroad which made them like tyrants both feared and avoided wherever they came Ver. 9. A boil breaking forth this Moses threatneth to all disobedient persons Deut. 28.27 Job's boils were rather probational then penal So were Munster's ulcers medicinal they were howsoever which hee shewed to his friend and said He sunt gemmae pretiosa ornamenta Dei quibus Deus amicos suos ornat ut eos ad se attrahat These bee those gems and jewels wherewith God adorneth his best friends that hee may bring them nearer to himself Ver. 11. For the boil was upon the Magicians who were convicted but not converted Exod 8.9 They stood still to withstand Moses as Balaam against the light of his own conscience was resolved to curs howsoever and therefore went not aside as at other times to speak with God but set his face toward the wilderness Like a head-strong hors that get's the Bit in his teeth and run's away with his Rider Ver. 12. And the Lord hardned See ver 7. and chap. 4.21 c. Ver. 13. Let my people go See ver 1. Ver. 14. All my plagues upon thine hart Hart-plagues are the worst plagues of all A hard Hart is in som respects wors then Hel sith one of the greatest sins is greater in evil then anie of the greatest punishments Ver. 15. For now I will stretch out His former preservation was but a reservation and hee hath hitherto escaped with his life not for anie love that God bare to him but to shew his power on him Wicked men may have common mercies and deliverances but the Lord loveth the righteous Psal 146.8 Ver. 16. Have I raised thee up Heb. I have constituted and set thee up as a But-mark that I may let flie at thee and follow thee close with plague upon plague till I have beaten the verie breath out of thy bodie See Prov. 16.4 Rom. 9.17 Ver. 17. As yet exaltest thou thy self q. d. No amendment yet A sore sign of a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction It is ill with the bodie when physick will either not enter or not staie with us Ver. 18. Such as hath not been in Egypt Dio maketh mention of a shower of blood and of water Dio in Aug. that fell in Egypt a little before it was subjected by Augustus in quae loca ne stilla quidem aquae antè ceciderat saith hee where never anie drop of water much less of blood ever fell before Ver. 19. Jam. 2.13 Send therefore now Here mercie rejoiceth against judgment Solinus if by anie means hee might bee wrought upon Sed Rhinoceros interimi potest capi non potest It was past time of daie to