matter under this condition that every one should celebrate it after his owne forme The contention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches wakened againe This peace lasted not long for in the yeare of Christ 318 the contention was wakened anew againe which Constantine the Emperour tooke hardly out exhorting the Asiatickes not to be partakers with the Iewes who crucified Christ but they would not obey the Emperours letters for they said they kept not the Iewes Passeover but the new Passeover instituted by Christ But a Councell being convened at Nice for the repressing of the heresie of the Arrians it was appointed that through every Church of the Empire The decree of the Councell of Nice the Pascha should be celebrated upon the Lords day by all The Councell for finding out of the Pascha appointed first that it should be celebrated after the twenty one day of March for at that time the vernall Equinox was upon this day and the Pascha should be celebrated after the Equinox Secondly that after the twenty one day of March they should looke still to the fourteenth day of the moone and after this day should the Passeover be kept upon the Lords day and to find out the time of the Moone they composed the sicle of the golden number for wheresoever in the Kalender the golden number is found of that yeere there is the new Moone and although these rules were sure at the Councell of Nice yet they hold not now for the Equinox is not now fixed upon the twenty one day of March but ever anticipateth it for now it is on the tenth of March but now these who reckon to the Passeover looke to the first new Moone after the first day of Lent and the first Sunday after beginneth the Quadragesima and the seventh Sunday after is the Pascha The Iewish feasts went backeward Marke that all these Iewish feasts being reckoned by the Equinoxe they goe backward from the day upon which they were first instituted when the Passeover was instituted at the first it fell upon the twenty seventh day of March. When the Passeover was instituteâ— the Equinoxe was upon the 27 day of March. At the Councell of Nice the Equinoxe turned backe to the twenty one day on which the Passeover was kept and now it is turned backe to the tenth day If the Passeover should be kept now according to the Equinoxe it should be kept the tenth of March. The reason why the Equinoxe varieth so is because in the space of every hundreth and sixe yeares Why the Equinox varieth At the Creation the Equinox was upn tho 3 day of April the whole Spheres come from the South to the North by motion of the Firmament one degree the world being created upon the third of Aprill which was the Equinox then now it is turned backe to the tenth of March and if the world were to continue so long it would turne to the tenth of Ianuary By this the Lord would teach the Iewes that all their feasts have taken an end but the Sabbath continually goeth forward for it shall fall this yeare upon the first of Ianuary it will fall upon the second of Ianuary the next yeare and so forth but the feasts goe backeward that which falleth upon Saturday this yeare shall fall upon Friday the next yeare and as the Planets have a contrary course to the first mover going backeward whereas the first mover goeth forward so these feasts going backeward turne to nothing but the Sabbath going still forward shall end in that eternall Sabbath Conclusion The conclusion of this is these feasts being so alterable and moveable it was a foolish contention betwixt the Easterne and the Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover EXERCITAT XX. Of the Pentecost A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit 23.15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that yee brought the sheafe of the wave-offering seven Sabbaths shall be compleat c. THe Pentecost is called the feast of weekes because there were seven weekes betwixt the morrow after the Passeover and it is called the Pentecost from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fifty and in Hebrew Haghashibignoth There were sundry memorable things reckoned by the number of fifty in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many memorable things by the number of fifty as fifty dayes from their comming out of Egypt unto the giving of the Law The Dough which they brought out of Egypt lasted thirty dayes for the Manna descended the sixeteenth day of the second moneth now betwixt the fifteenth day of the first moneth when they came out of Egypt to the sixteenth day of the second moneth are just thirty dayes after that time within fifteene dayes they came to Sinai that maketh forty five dayes then the Lord commanded them to sanctifie themselves three dayes annd that maketh forty eight dayes then the second day after that the Law was given So there were fifty dayes betwixt the morrow after the Passeover and the Pentecost So there were fifty dayes after Christs Resurruction and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles so in the fiftieth yeare was the Iubile The errour of the Samaritans in reckoning of the Pentecost There were seven weekes from the morrow after the Passeover to the Pentecost the Samaritans mistaking the word Sabbath they kept seven Pentecosts in one yeare therefore they were called Hebdomaditai They began to reckon the Pentecost from the morrow after the Passeover which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the first Sabbath after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ rose upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as there were fifty dayes betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Pentecost so there were fifty dayes betwixt Christs Resurrection and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost The Angell stirred the poole at the Passeover At the Pentecost the man which had an infirmitie thirty eight yeeres was cured Ioh. 5.5 For it is said verse 4. That an Angell went downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at a certaine season and the Hebrewes say lemognad hase and the Helâ—nists say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 following the Hebrewes at this season that is at the Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is taken distributivè so Mat. 27.15 The Angell came downe at their feasts when many people were met together at Ierusalem conferre Ioh. 4.36 with cap. 5.1 At that Pentecost the Angell but came downe but at the great Pentecost the Holy Ghost came downe When the Barley Harvest began Vpon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the beginning of their Harvest and then there were but handfuls of Barley brought in therefore at the Passeover they read the History of Ruth in the dayes of the Barley Harvest Ruth 1.22 In the beginning of the Barley Harvest the Chaldee Paraphrast paraphraseth it at the Pentecost But at the
originall Copie what is the reason that Origen setteth it not downe in his Octupla as hee hath done other translations and what is the reason that Hierome never citeth it nor followeth it in his translation if it be the originall Reason 5 Fiftly the manner of the Samaritans writing sheweth that this was not the originall which Moses received from the Lord and delivered to the people of God afterwards as you may perceive in the page following out of Exod. 31. from vers 12. to 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplar Samaritanum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebraiè sic Et dixit Iehova Mosi dicendo Latinè sic tu al loquere filios Israel dicendo nunc il la Sabbatha mea serua tote quia signum est in terme inter vos per generationes vestras ad cognoscēdū quod ego Iehova sanctificans vos et observate Sabbathum quia sanc tum erit illis profanātes illud morte morietur quia omnis faciens in illa opus utique excinde turanima il la emedio populorum suorum s ex di ebus opera beris opus in die septimo Sabbathū sabbatulū sanctum Ie hovae omnis faciens o-pus in die illo sabbathi morte morietur observanto filij Israel ipsum sabbathum celebrando sabbathum per generationes suas faedere aeter no interme inter filios Israel signum erit in aeternum quia sex diebus fecit Iehoua caelum et terram in die septimo quievit et respiravit Exod. 31.12 In English thus And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 13. Speake thou also unto the Children of Israel saying verily my Sabbaths shall ye keepe for it is a Signe betweene me you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you 14. Ye shall keepe the Sabbath therefore for it is holy unto you every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death for whosoever doth any worke therein that Soule shall be cut off from amongst his people 15. Sixe dayes may worke bee done but in the Seventh is the Sabbath of rest holinesse to the Lord whosoever doth any worke in the Sabbath day hee shall surely bee put to death 16. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall Covenant 17. It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for ever for in sixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Observe the forme of this writing of the Samaritans and yee shall finde it to be meere Cabbalisticall by which they would finde out the diverse readings in framing the lines words and letters and setting them downe after such a curious forme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Cabbalists doe by their Gematrija notaricon and temura that is by the number of letters the diverse significations of them and the diverse situation and placing of them they make diverse senses in the Scriptures as by elbham and ethbhash sometimes putting the last letters for the first and the first for the last sometimes reading up and downe sometimes crosswayes and sometimes from the left hand to the right this we may see in this example of the Samaritan Copie where they summe up the observation the breach and punishment of the Sabbath in a round circle which curiosity the Spirit of God never used in writing the holy Scriptures Christ speaking of the originall Text and the perpetuity of the Law which we have he saith One jote or one title of the Law shall not passe in the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerable to the Hebrew Iod and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not properly translated A tittle as if it made a difference betwixt some letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the top of Daleth from Resh for the Syriacke calleth it Sharat incisura vel incisio the small lines which are in ones hand The meaning is then that not one part of a letter neyther the least letter nor any part of the least letter shall perish hence we may reason from Christs words In that copie whereof the Lord speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Iod must be the least letter but in the Samaritan copie Iod is not the least but the biggest of all the Letters therefore the Samaritan copie is not that copie which Christ spake of י Hebrae but the Hebrew as we may see by the difference of the Letters in the margent here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samarit hence we may gather that this Samaritan letter was abolished in Christs time and therefore wee ought neyther to imbrace the copie nor the Characters as authenticke or originall The Conclusion of this is Conclusion If the light that is in the body be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse Matth. 6.23 The Scriptures are the light of the Church and if the originall Text were corrupted Instrumenta gratiae conjuncta remota how great were the darkenesse of the body God hath Conjuncta instrumenta remota instrumenta gratiae Remota instrumenta gratiae are the Preachers and their writings and they may be corrupted But Conjuncta instrumenta gratiae are the Prophets and Apostles and their writings these the Lord kept from errour and corruption for the good of his Church EXERCITAT XIII That no Canonicall booke is perished Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall passe one jote or one tittle shall no wayes passe from the Law till all be fulfilled WHen a thing wanteth an essentiall part this is the greatest want Secondly when it wanteth an integrall part this is likewise a great defect Defectus Partis essentialis partis integratis ornamenti accidentalis And thirdly when it wanteth accidentall ornaments When the soule is separated from the body here is a separation of the essentiall parts When a man wanteth a hand or a foote then he wanteth an integrall part And when hee wanteth his cloathes hee wanteth some ornaments No booke in the Scripture wanteth any essentiall part There is no booke in the Scripture that wanteth any essentiall part for the Law and the Gospel which are essentiall parts Vide Iunium in Iudam and Perkins reformed Catholike are found in every booke Secondly the Scripture wanteth no integrall part since the Canon was sealed before the Canon was sealed they had as much as served for their infancie but after that it was sealed the whole Canon was compleate and none of those Bookes perished Gods care in preserving the Scriptures Great was the care which the Lord had to preserve the Scriptures First hee commanded the Levites to take the booke of the Law written by Moyses and to put it in the side of the Arke of the covenant of the Lord Deut. 31.26 Secondly the Lord commanded
were commanded to absteine from the dead and not to come neare their fathers brethren or sisters if they were dead if a man dyed suddenly by them they were defiled and if they touched but one who touched the dead they were defiled the same holinesse was required of them that was required of the highpriest to absteine from the dead Maimone in his treatise of mourning cap. 3. The Iewes say if the Highpriest had lighted upon a dead bodie in the way hee might defile himselfe and bury the dead being alone and none to helpe him So they say if an inferiour Priest and a Nazarite were walking together if he had beene but Nazaraeus dierum he was to burie the dead because his holinesse was not perpetuall but if he had beene a perpetuall Nazarite then the inferior Priest was to bury the dead and not he because as great purity was required in the perpetuall Nazarite as in the Priest concerning the dead Quest Did not Sampson sinne being a Nazarite by touching of the dead bodies and taking off their cloathes Answ He did this by the singular direction of the spirit of the Lord so he dranke of the water which flowed out of the law bone of the Asse and eate of the honey which was in the dead Lion which were al unclean by the law The heathen Priests learned of them not to touch the dead Seneca consolatione ad Marcian cap 15. the Flaminian Priests might not put shoes upon their feete of the leather of that beast which dyed of it selfe and if a Priest happened to have a funerall oration before the dead corpes he used to stretch a vaile betwixt him and the corpes that he might not see it Non licebat Flamini Diali tibias funebres-audire nec locum in quo bustum erat ingredi A Flaminian Priest might not heare the sound of the pipes which were at burialls neither might he come into that place where there was a grave The third thing was this that no Rasor came upon their head they suffered their haire to grow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intonsi therefore they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel intonsi and if they were voluntary Nazarits no Razor might come upon their heads untill the vow was expired and then their haire was cut and cast under the Altar burnt but if they were perpetuall Nazarits there came never a razor upon their head but their haire was onely cut about and this was cincta caesaries Dalila cut off Sampsons haire yet he ceased not to be a Nazarit for the Angell said that he should be a NaZarit unto his death The haire was a signe of strength and as long as Sampson kept his haire hee kept his strength and God threatning to weaken the estate of his people useth this similitude that he will shaue the haire with a razor Esay 7.20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor When the voluntary Nazaret vowed a vow for thirty dayes and in the meane time defiled himselfe by touching of the dead if the whole time had beene spent to one day and then if he had touched any uncleane thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these former dayes were reckoned nothing to him Iob. 3.6 Naphal fugient aut dilabentur Onkelos inutiles erunt Perire diem ad embolismum pertinet or let let them be reckoned amongst the intercalar dayes which were not numbered amongst the dayes of the yeere and he was to begin his vow anew againe so it is in the course of our sanctification when we haue gone on a while in it and then fall into some great sinne in that case we are to begin our sanctification anew againe Act. 7.42 O yee house of Israel have ye offered to me slaine beasts and sacrificed by the space of forty yeeres in the Wildernesse They offered to the Lord sundry times in the Wildernes according to his ordinance but because now they fell to worship Idols therefore the Lord reckoned the former sacrifices as though they had not beene offered to him When the Israelites had travelled to the confines of Moab to Kadesh-Barnea they fell a murmuring there against the Lord therefore the Lord brought them backe againe after that they had passed sixteene stationes Num. 33.20.35 To the red Sea in which they were baptized 1 Cor. 10.2 So when we fall from the Lord we are to returne backe againe to our Baptisme and first vow And he came and dwelt in Nazaret that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Matth. 2.23 And he shall be a Nasarit to the Lord. Quest How were these two accomplished in Christ he was called both a Nasarit and a Nazarit Answ Christ was a Nazaret the true branch of the roote of lesse Nazaraus vot◠Nazarenus habitatione and he was a Nasarit truly separate to the Lord and Satan acknowledged him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 4. As Sampsō was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctified to the Lord in type 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctus and he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oriundus ex Nazaret and in the title of Christs Crosse there was an allusion to that plate of gold which was upon the forehead of the high Priest and therefore Aaron was called the Saint of the Lord because he had holinesse to the Lord written in his forehead that plate of gold was called Nezer it had written upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 30.39 It was written that is ingraven in the plate Christ was that true Nazarit holy blamelesse and undefiled we are to marke that the Seventy to facilitate words and to make them the more easie to be pronounced write the words different from the Hebrew as they say Samaria for Shemron so Solomon for Shelomoh so Nasareus for Nazareus the devil being well acquainted with all languages could cal Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting S for Z so in the inscription upon the Crosse they call him that Nasarit or Nazarit Ob. But Christ did drinke wine therfore he cannot be called Nasarit but Nazarit onely Answ He was not a legall Nasarit for he fulfilled that in his forerunner Iohn the Baptist but he was the true Nasarit separated from sinners the Iewes in contempt called Christ a Nazarit and so Iulian the apostate called Christ a Galilean because Nazarit stood in Galilee and it was for this that the Christians were called at the first Nazaraei but afterward their name was changed at Antioch and they were called Mesichijm Christiani From the cutting of the Nazarits haire they brought in shaving of the heads in the Christian Church and they said that long haire signified superfluity in manners hence came this speech afterwards Tonso capite fieri monachus
to the feast of the Tabernacles and Ioh. 2.37 it is called the last and the great day of the feast Besides these legall feasts in this moneth they had likewise on the fourth day the fast of Godaliah and upon the twenty third day was festum latitiae legis et benedictio They had but one feast in the Moneth Nisan and one in Iair the Pentecost So the Lord commanded that the Land should rest in the seventh yeere and every seventh seventh in the Iubile The lan◠was laboured six yeeres and these yeeres were called Anni georgici The land was to rest the seventh yeere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this was called annus shemittah from Shamat liberum demittere and not to seeke any due of it for those who laboured the ground to seek fruit of it every yeere was too much and gave no time of rest to the ground The Lord taught the Iewes sundry things by the resting of the Land What things the Iewes were taught by the rest of the seventh yeere for as the Sabbath day taught them that as they were the Lords they behoved to cease from their owne workes to doe his worke So the Sabbath of the seventh yeere taught them that both they and their land was the Lords and therefore it was to rest Secondly this yeere taught them to depend upon the Lords providence for the Lord promised his blessing upon the sixt yeere that the Land should bring out for three yeeres Levi. 25.20 Thirdly this yeere was a signe to them of their eternall rest Lastly he instituted this yeere to teach them to be pitifull to the poore for those things which grew of their owne accord that yeere were alloted to the poore and to the strangers Quest How could they live seeing the land rested the seventh yeare Answ The Lord answered Levit. 25.21 How God blessed the sixt yeere that it served for three yeeres Thar he should so blesse the sixt yeere that it should serve for three yeares and here we may see how the promises were fulfilled which were made Levit. 26 10. Ye shall bring out the old because of the new that is there shall be such plenty of new that yee must bring forth the old to make roome for it and that is that which Amos speaketh cap. 9.13 Haebraice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a specie in speciem et chaldaice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab anno in annum Arator apprehendet messorem the plowman shall ever take the reaper that is the old and the new shall meete together So Psal 144.13 That our garners may be full affording all manner of store but the Chaldee Paraphrast paraphraseth it Affording corne from one yeere to another The fertility of the seventh yeare was not meerely naturall Here we may observe that this fertility of the seventh yeare was not merely naturall but proceeded from the blessing of God Secondly all those who rested the seventh yere from their labours yet they wanted nothing but it was supplied by the blessing of God Mal. 3.10 Effundam vobis vsque ad non sufficientiam that is that yee shall not have vessells to containe the oyle and the wine nor garners to containe the corne which I shall bestow upon you Never man suffered any losse in Gods service So those who abstaine from their labours upon the Sabbath it shall never impoverish them for the blessing of God upon the weeke dayes shall supply all their wants so the Lord promised when they shall goe up to Ierusalem to serve him at their feasts that he would keepe their land from the incursion of the enemies Exo. 34.24 and we see Iosh 5.2 When they were circumcised the Lord strooke such a feare and terror in the hearts of the Canaanites that they durst not touch them as Simeon Levi killed the Sichemites when they were newly circumcised never man yet got hurt in the service of God He shall still find the Lords protecting Hand and blessing in his service When hee sent out the seventy Disciples without purse scrip and shooes he said Lacked ye any thing and they said Nothing Luc. 22.35 Nebuchadnezzer shall not want a reward for his service which he did to the Lord albeit he was an heathen for hee got the Land of Egypt for his wages Ezek. 29.20 The next priviledge of the Sabbaticke yeare was this Deut. 14.1 Debts were payed in the seventh yeare that mens debts were pardoned to them if they became poore and had nothing to satisfie but not if they had sufficient to pay then they were bound to satisfie and if they were poore the Lord commanded to lend unto them Deut. 15.19 although the seventh yeare was at hand but that which was borrowed for necessitie onely was not to be restored and the naturall Iewes had onely this priviledge but not the Proselytes The third priviledge of this yeare was this Servants were set a liberty this yeare Exod. 21.2 He shall goe out free in the seventh yeere paying nothing to wit if he was an Hebrew servant but if hee was not an Hebrew servant but a stranger then he was to serve untill the yeare of the Iubile Levit. 25.4 The fourth thing which was done in the seventh yeare The Law was publikely read this yeare the Law was publikely read Deut. 31.10 Quest Whether or not kept they alwayes these sabbaticall yeares Answ Not Ier. 34.14 therefore the Lord plagued them with divers plagues and especially with barrennesse of the sixt yeare 2 Mach. 6.43.49 Quest When began this yeare of the rest Answ Some hold that it began after the land was divided by Lot At what yeare the first Rest began but seeing the Land was twise divided by Lot first in Gilgal Ioh. 14. Secondly in Siloh a few yeares after because the first division was not perfected this account of the seventh yeare seemeth to begin at the latter division of the Land Ios 18 2. Quest What time of the yeare began this rest of the seventh yeare Answ From Tishri and not from Nisan At what time of the were this Rest began for if it had begun in Nisan then they should have lost two Harvests first they might not cut downe the Corne which was growing upon the ground in Nisan and then secondly they might not sow in Tishri and so they should have lost both the Harvests Exod. 23.16 and 34.22 but the Lord saith Levit. 25.27 Yee shall sow the eighth yeare therefore they wanted but one sowing and one Harvest Of the Jubile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Produxit eduxit Their great Sabbaticall yeare was the yeare of the Iubile It was called the Iubile from Iobhel or hobhel deduxit or produxit because it brought men backe againe to their first estate the Seventy translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were brought backe to their first estate and Philo Iudaeus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 restitutio and Iosephus 〈◊〉
39.15 And the passengers that passe through the land when any seeth a mans bone then shall he set up a signe by it till the buriers come and bury it This signified such as were dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2.1 and such as have their consciences defiled by dead workes Heb. 9.13.14 those are uncleane What the legall pollutions taught the Iewes And those legall pollutions taught the people of God how carefull they should be that they defile not themselves with sinne or communion with dead and sinnefull workes as the Apostle saith touch no uncleane thing 2 Cor. 6.17 and be not partakers of other mens sins keepe thy selfe pure 1 Tim. 5.22 The Iewes adde to many of the Lawes of God Whosoever toucheth one that is slaine with a sword in the open fields shall be uncleane seven dayes Num. 19.16 And the Iewes adde he that toucheth the sword which killed the man shall be uncleane but this is an addition of their owne So the Lord commanded that the Nazarit should drinke no wine they adde nor come nere unto a Vineyard So the Lord commanded that they should not cary burdens upon the Sabbath Iere. 17. but they added that it was not lawfull for a sick man to take up his bed upon the Sabbath Ioh. 5. So the Lord commanded that they should goe no further but a Sabbath dayes journey upon the Sabbath but they added that it was not lawfull to stirre out of the place upon the Sabbath So the Lord commanded them that they should abstaine from the drinke offerings of the heathen but they added that they should abstaine from the wine of the Gentils So here the Lord saith that Whosoever toucheth one that is slaine with a sword shall be uncleane untill the even But they adde whosoever shall touch the sword which killed the man shall bee uncleane untill the even The touching of the bodies of the dead shewes us what unregenerate men are in the sight of God they are dead while they are alive 1 Tim. 5.6 they are like rotten graves their throte is an open sepulchre Rom. 3.13 and they are like whited Sepulchres which indeed appeare beutifull outwardly but within are full of dead mens bones and all uncleannesse Matth. 23.27 What are we to thinke of the bodies of the Saints Quest when they are lying in the grave whether are their bodies corpora pura or impura Ans They are neither corpora pura nor impura Whether the dead bodies of the Saints in the grave be pure or not sed non pura they are not impura because their sinnes are pardoned they are not pura because they are as yet under the corruption and punishment of sinne but the wicked who lye downe with their sinnes in the dust their bodies are impura filthy and uncleane The bodies of the Saints being not impura therefore the soules of the glorified might come to such bodies againe as Moses in the transfiguration was there in soule and body his glorified soule came to his body againe because it was not a sinnefull body now but a body lyeing under corruption as yet but when Lazarus soule returned to his body we must not thinke that Lazarus soule was a glorified soule for a glorified soule returneth not to a sinful body to dwel in it againe but the vinon betwixt the soule and the body was loosed at this time A difference betwixt the glorified soules and sinfull soules enioâ—ning into their bodies againe Sumus de purgatorie and the soule was still in the sinfull body tanquam in sede non tanquam in organo that is it was still in the body although it did not animate the body Quest Whether did he Iewes commit sinne when they touched a dead body or not Answ There was irregularitas here sed non peccatum for for there is not a sinne where there is not a law forbidding it In what case the Iewes sinned when they touched a dead body for sinne is the transgressing of the Law The Lord saith not yee shall not touch the dead but he saith he that toucheth the dead shall be uncleane untill the even Then there is a Commandement added that a cleane person shall sprinkle him with water upon the third day and upon the seventh Num. 19.19 So that although he be not commanded not to touch the dead yet if he have touched the dead he is commanded to wash himselfe So there is not a Commandement forbidding a man to touch a Leper but if he had touched a Leper there was a Commandement given that he should not enter into the congregation untill he was purifieth and if he did enter before he was purifieth he transgressed the Commandement and sinned The comforts in Death Eccles 7.1 Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth IN the former part of this verse the Preacher sheweth The coâ—â—â—sion of the words that a good name is better than pretious oyntment and then he subjoyneth better is the day of death than the day of ones birth as if he should say a mans good name and his report is better knowne after his death than when he is alive and then his good name smelleth like the Wine of Lebanon which in his life time may be many wayes blotted He preferreth the day of our death to the day of our birth and hee saith that the day of our death is better A thing is said to be better sundry wayes One thing is said to be better then an other sundry wayes first it may be better in it selfe but not to the person so it is said that it had beene better that Iudas had never beene borne it made more for the glory of God that Iudas was borne but it was not better for himselfe Secondly things are said to be better when they seeme to be better to a carnall and corrupt man as hee saith that a living dog is better than a dead Lyon Eccles 9.4 that is he had rather live in a base estate here than to be in best account amongst the dead Thirdly some things are better for this present estate and condition of life than others as better is a dinner of hearbes where love is than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith Prov. 15.17 Fourthly some things are better for a man in the state of grace and for his soule as it is better to be a doore keeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wicked men One thing is said to bee better then another comparatively Psal 84.1 So it is better to goe to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting and sorrow is better than laughter Eccles 7.2 3. So the day of a mans death is better than the day of his birth Next let us consider why the day of death is better than the day of ones birth because man is borne unto trouble as the sparkes flye upward Iob 5.7 but the day of his death is
the doctrine it selfe they never erred Peter in the transfiguration knew not what hee sayd Luk. 9.33 David was minded to build an house to God he asked of Nathan if he should doe so 1 Chro. 17.2 Nathan sayd to him doe what is in thine heart So when Eliab stood before Samuel 1 Sam. 16.6 Samuel sayd surely the Lords annointed i◠before me So the Disciples erred in their counsell which they gave to Paul forbidding him to goe up to Ierusalem Act. 21.4 But the spirit of God taught the contrary by Agabus vers 17. David Psal 116. sayd in his hast that all men are lyars he meant that Samuel the man of God had made a lye to him because hee thought the promise too long differred in getting of the kingdome So when he wrote a letter to Ioab with vriah in this he was not Gods secretary but the Divels But as they were the secretaries of God and spake by divine inspiration they could not erre But it may seeme Object that all which they wrote in holy Scriptures was not done by divine inspiration for Paul wrote that he would come to Spaine Rom. 15.24 and yet he never came to Spaine We must distinguish betweene their purposes externall and their doctrine Answ they might erre in these externall purposes and resolutions but all which they wrote of Christ and matters of salvation was yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He wrote that he was purposed to come to Spaine and so he was but he was let that he could not come But Paul repented that he wrote the Epistle to the Corinthians to grieve them Object 2 Cor. 7.8 If this was written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost why did he repent of it Paul wrote this Epistle to humble them Answ and when he saw them excessively sorrowfull that was the thing that greeved him but it greeved him not simply that he wrote to them to humble them When a Chyrurgian commeth to cure a wounded man Simile he putteth the poore patient to great paine and maketh him to cry out that grieveth him but it greeveth him not when he cureth him So it repented not Paul that he had written to the Corinthians but it repented him to see them so swallowed up with greefe Object But if the Scriptures be Divinely inspired how say they Iud. 16.17 there were about three thousand upon the roofe of the house So Act. 2.40 and that day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules Is not the number of all things certainely knowne to God Answ The Scriptures set downe the number that way because it is little matter whether we know the number or not And secondly the Lord speaketh to us this way in the Scripture after the manner of men Object Peter erred in a matter of faith Gal. 2.14 Ans Wherein Peter erred The error was not in the substance but in the circumstance of the fact and where it is sayd Gal. 2.14 That Peter walked not uprightly according to the Gospel it is to be understood onely of his conversation hee erred here onely in this principle of Christian Religion not walking according to his knowledge but hee erred not in his writing Ob. All men are subject to error the Prophets and Apostles are men therefore subject to error Ans The Prophets and Apostles are considered as members of the Church The Apostles considered two manner of wayes and so they might erre and they pray as other men Lord forgive us our sinnes Secondly they are considered according to their functions and immediate calling and then they were above the Church and could not erre Quest What needed Nathan to be sent to David to attend him continually one Prophet to another Answ Although one Prophet stood not in need of another yet he who was both a King and a Prophet had neede of a Prophet to admonish him for Kings stand in slippery places and have neede of others to advertise them The Prophets as they were Prophets could not erre therefore that collection of the Iewes is most impious they say that David wished to the sonnes of Ioab foure things 2 Sam. 3.29 First that some of them might dye by the sword Secondly that some of them might dye of the bloody flixe Thirdly that some of them might leane upon a staffe And fourthly that some of them might begge their bread And so they say it befell Davids posterity for his sinfull wish One of them leaned upon a staffe Asa was goutish One of his posterity was killed by the sword as Iosias One of them dyed of the flixe as Rehoboam And one of them beg'd his bread as Iehojachim But this collection is most impious for David spake not here by a private spirit of revenge but as a Prophet of God and therefore when they assigne these to be the causes why these judgements befell Davids posterity they assigne that for a cause which was not a cause Prorogative 4 The fourth prerogative they were holy men Holinesse distinguished them from those Prophets which were profane and unsanctified who had the gift of illumination but not of sanctification The pen-men of the holy Ghost were holy men the Lord made choyse of none such to be his secretaries who were not sanctified The Lords Prophet is called vir spiritus the man of the Spirit Hos 9.7 because he is ruled and guided by the holy Spirit that he become not profaine If the very women who spun the curtaines to the Tabernacle were wise hearted Exod. 35.25 Much more will the Lord have those who are to build his house wise and holy men Those who translated the Bible into Greeke yee shall see how often they changed their faith and were turne-coates Aquila of a Christian he became a Iew. Symmachus was first a Samaritane and then he became halfe Iew halfe Christian Then Theodoton first he was a fllower of Tatianus the hereticke and then he became a Marcionite and thirdly he became a Iew. But the Prophets of God after they were called continued holy men and never fell backe againe See more of Salomon in the Politiks God will have no man but holy men to be his secretaries Luk. 1.70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets Therefore Salomon being a Prophet and one of Gods secretaries behoved to be a holy man and being holy he could not be a reprobate hence he is called Iedidiah The beloved of God 2 Sam. 12.25 and whom God loveth he loveth to the end The holy men of God wrote as they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit inlightned them and directed them when they wrote they were inspired three manner of wayes Illuminati antecedenter per concomitantiā subsequenter first antecedenter Secondly per concomitantiam and thirdly subsequenter First they were illuminate antecedenter when the Lord revealed things to come to his Prophets and made them to write his prophesies then their tongue was
a duty required in the fift Commandement because parents should provide for their children Lastly these ceremonies generally for the most part are referred to the second Commandement Ceremonies belonging to the first Commandement EXERCITAT II. Of the purification of the woman after her child-birth Luk. 2.22 And when the dayes of her purification according to the Law of Moyses were accomplished they brought him to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law of the Lord Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is sayd in the Law of the Lord a paire of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons How this ceremoniall Law pertaineth to the first Commandement IT may seeme strange to some how this ceremoniall Law should belong to the first Commandement but this is not strange for our conception in sinne is condemned in the Commandements but it is not condemned in any of the Commandements where the act and full deliberation of the minde is forbidden therefore the negative part is especially condemned in the last Commandement and the affirmative is commanded in the first Commandement which requireth the purity of our nature that we may love the Lord with all our heart and so the child must crave pardon for his sinne Psal 51.5 and the mother here must offer her sacrifice for her selfe and her child Two sorts of uncleanenesse the greater and the â—â—sser The mother when she conceived and bare a female she was uncleane in her great uncleannesse seventeene dayes and in her lesse uncleannesse shee was uncleane threescore and sixe dayes Levit. 12.4 When she conceived and bare a male she was uncleane in her great uncleannesse seven dayes and shee was in her lesse uncleannesse thirtie three dayes Ver. 5. The reason why she was longer uncleane when shee bare a female than when she bare a male The reason why the mother was longer uncleane when she bare a female than when she bare a male was not morall because the woman sinned first and not the man but the reason of this is naturall because the male is sooner quickned in his mothers bellie and mooveth more quickly by reason of the greater heat and dryeth up sooner the humidities than the female doth the female againe is more slowly quickned by reason of the greater cold and humiditie and therefore the mother had a longer time prescribed to her for her purification The mother when shee was purified The mother offered for her selfe and her child when she was purified shee was to offer a sacrifice for herselfe and her child Some hold that shee was to offer a sacrifice for herselfe and not for her child and therefore they read the words this wayes When the dayes of her purification are fulfilled for a sonne or for a daughter shee shall bring a lambe of the first yeere for a burnt offering c. But the Text seemeth rather to be read this wayes When the dayes of her purification are fulfilled for a sonne or for a daughter she shall bring a lambe of the first yeere for a burnt offering Mary offered a sacrifice for herselfe and for her sonne And the practise of Mary the Virgin confirmeth this that day that she was purified shee brought a paire of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons and offered them to the Lord for herselfe and for her child Object But it may be sayd Luk. 2.22 Cum impleti essent dies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when the dayes of her purification were fulfilled and not of their purification Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here according to the Hebrew phrase and so it is in the Syriack for the Hebrews put the plurall number for the singular The Hebrewes put the plurall number for the singular and the singular for the plurall oft times as Iud. 12.17 He was buried in the Cities of David that is in one of the Cities of David so Matth. 27.44 the Theeves railed upon him that is one of the Theeves railed upon him So Ionas 1.5 he went downe into the sides of the ship that is to one of the sides So Psal 1.3 A tree planted by the rivers of waters that is one of the rivers So likewise they put the singular number for the plurall number as here the dayes of her purification The child was uncleane as long as the mother was uncleane for the dayes of her and his purification For so long as the mother was uncleane the child who suckt her was also uncleane and Christ who was subject to the Law although there was no morall uncleannesse in him yet he was legally uncleane all this time untill his mother was purified and this serveth for our great comfort that hee became uncleane legally to take away our morall uncleannesse Quest But if Christ was uncleane all this time how could he be circumcised the eight day Answ Christ was but in his great uncleanenesse untill the seventh day as his mother was and therefore he was circumcised the eight day but the females who were not circumcised were uncleane untill the foureteenth day Quest It may be asked why Mary offered a sacrifice for her purification seeing she conceived not her child in originall sinne and this sacrifice was appointed as a remedie against originall sinne Answ As Christ who knew not sinne yet became legally uncleane for our cause so he would have his mother also for her legall uncleanenesse to offer that sacrifice which all other women were bound to offer who were both legally and morally uncleane Conclusion The Conclusion of this is as Elisha when he cured the unsavory waters of Iericho did cast salt into the spring of the waters 2 King 2.21 So we must crave of God that he would first purge the bitter roote of originall sinne before he come to purge our other sinnes David craved pardon of the Lord for this sinne Psalme 51.5 EXERCITAT III. Of the place of Gods worship A ceremoniall appendix of Commandement II. Deut. 12.5 But unto the place which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your Tribes to put his name there even unto his habitation shall yee seeke and thither shall yee come THe places which served for the worship of God Places for worship approved or commanded by God were either places commanded by God or approved by him places commanded as the Tabernacle and Temple places approved by God was their Synagogues and places of prayer their Synagogues Psal 74 8. they have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land their place of prayer was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Syriack Domus orationis a house of prayer Act. 16.13 And on the Sabboth day we went out of the City by a river where prayer was wont to be made The Tabernacle and Temple were Loci ut sic Locus ut locus ut sic as
the pledge of Gods presence to the Iewes and sanctified the places where it came as Salomon sayd The places are holy whereinto the Arke of the Lord hath come 2 Chro. 8.11 yet it was but the furniture of a worldly sanctuary Heb. 9.1 and under the Gospel to be done away that men should say no more the Arke of the covenant of the Lord at that time they shall call Ierusalem the throne of the Lord Ier. 3.16 the Church then shall be his Arke and he shal sit upon it because it shall be sanctified all shal have accesse to the holiest EXERCITAT V. Where they worshipped when the Arke and Tabernacle were separated A ceremoniall appendix of Command 2. 1 King 3.4 And the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there for that was the great high place a thousand burnt offerings did Salomon offer upon that Altar MOyses Tabernacle was removed from Shilh The Tabernacle removed from Shilo after the Arke was taken out of it Psal 78.60 He refused the Tabernacle of Shiloh and it seemeth to have beene transported at that time when the Arke was taken out of it and the Philistims had overcome the Israelites 1 Sam. 4.11 It was removed from Shilo Iere. 17.12 But goe yee now into my place which was in Shilo where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it and Psal 78.67 Moreover he refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim but he chose the Tribe of Iudah the Mount Sion which he loved that is hee rejected Shiloh which stood in the Tribe of Ephraim and the Tabernacle of Ioseph because Ephraim was Iosephs sonne The Tabernacle was transported from Shiloh to Nob The Tabernacle caried to Nob. a Citie of the Priests unto which David did flie from thence it was transported to Gibeon a Citie in the Tribe of Benjamin where it remained untill Salomon brought it to Ierusalē 2 Chro. 1.3 And Salomon al the Congregation with him went unto the high place which was in Gibeon Salomon brought the Tabernacle to Ierusalem for there was the Tabernacle of the Congregation of God which Moyses the servant of God had made in the Wildernesse From thence Salomon brought the Tabernacle of the Congregation into the Temple of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.5.6.7 And the Priests brought the Arke of the covenant of the Lord unto his owne place but the Tabernacle as the Hebrewes say was layd up without any more use Quest When the Arke and the Tabernacle were separated whether might they worship in any other place then before the Arke or the Tabernacle Answ Who might sacrifice in other places then at the Arke or Tabernacle These who had an extraordinarie warrant as Salomon David and such sacrificed in other places as Samuel sacrificed at Rama and David built an Altar in the threshing floore of Arauna the Iebusite and sacrificed there and the Hebrewes say Aram privatam non esse licitam nisi Prophetis Sometimes the sacrifice Priest and place are changed In extraordinary sacrifices yee shall see sometimes the place onely changed as in Samuel and Davids sacrificing sometimes the Lord changed the place the sacrifice and the Priests he changed the sacrifice when Gideon had prepared a Kid for a feast to the Angell the Kid was onely to bee offered in a sacrifice for the sinne of the Prince Gideons sacrifice Leviticus 4.2 yet hee offered the Kid here then no sacrifice was boiled before it was offered but this was boiled first and then offered then he offered the bread for the meat offering and the broth for the drinke offering and the Priest was changed the Angell was the Priest and Gideon was the Levite and last the place was changed The Lord who is the lawgiver and giveth lawes to men and not to himselfe he may change time place and person as he pleaseth Quest What are we to thinke of Salomons sacrificing in Gibeon 1 King 3.3 And Salomon loved the Lord walking in his statutes as David his father onely hee sacrificed and burnt incense in high places Answ Salomon sacrificed upon the brasen Altar which was in Gibeon as his father did 1 Chr. 1.30 Salomon sinned not in offering in Gibeon this is not set downe as a blemish to Salomon as if he had done any thing otherwise then his father for he loved the Lord and walked in his statutes as his father David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est particula restrictiva non exclusiva vel exceptiva and rak here is not particula exceptiva vel exclusiva but onely restrictiva that is he sacrified in no other places but onely in the place where hee saw his father sacrifice Quest. What are we to thinke of the peoples sacrificing in the high places before the Temple was built 1 King 3. onely the people sacrificed in the high places because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord in those dayes Answ Three sorts of those who sacrificed before the Temple was builded Some answer that there were three sorts of those who sacrificed in those dayes first those who sacrificed to the true God in a place appointed by him secondly some sacrificing to the true God but in a place not appointed or allowed and thirdly some sacrificing to Idols in a place not appointed by him and they make the people sacrificing in high places because the Temple was not built yet to be worshippers of the second sort The high places in the Scriptures usually are taken in an evill sense but if we shall looke in what sense the high places are taken usually in the Scriptures we shall finde that they signifie a place where they worshipped false gods Quest What Altars are these Psal 84.3 which David speaketh of when he saith yea the Sparrow hath found a house and the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young ones even thine Altar Seeing no uncleane thing was permitted to enter within the Temple and the Hebrewes write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inhibens corvum that there was cole gnorebb a scar-crow set up upon the Temple to fright the foules that they might not come neare it Answ What Altars are meant that David speaketh of By the Altars here are meant the Altars which were built in the high places to the Lord by the Prophets before the Temple was built for as yet Salomons Temple was not builded or it may be sayd that David spake this by the spirit of prophesie of the Altars in the time of the captivitie when the Swallowes built their nests in the ruins of the Altars Quest What Altars doth Elias meane of when hee saith they have destroyed thine Altars seeing now there were no Altars in the high places which were the Lords Altars Answ They have destroyed thy Altars that is all the meanes of thy worship By Altars is meant the meanes of Gods worship or if we take
the other let goe So by the Angels ascending and descending upon the Ladder the Angels ascending signifying his Godhead whom they all ascend to honour and descending to minister unto him as man To his birth In his birth Mary offered for herselfe and for her Sonne to signifie that he became legally uncleane for us to purge our uncleannesse His offices King Priest and Prophet To his offices typed by the Highpriests garments and ornaments His death by the Sacrifices To his death and his lifting up upon the Crosse by the brasen Serpent his buriall by Ionas living in the Whales belly three dayes his resurrection by the firsts and therefore he is called the first fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 and the fifty dayes betwixt the first harvest and the gathering of the full harvest signified the fifty dayes betwixt Christs resurrection and the comming downe of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles EXERCITAT XVI The Lord would not have his Priests use the customes of the Heathen Priests A ceremoniall appendix of Commande 2. Exod. 20.26 Thou shalt not goe up by steps upon mine Altar THe Israelits learned Idolatry in Egypt and their Pappes were brused Ezek 23.3 and the Prophet Ieremiah calleth Egypt a very faire Heifer Cap. 46.20 who was lascivious and wanton following Idolatry and therefore was called great in flesh Ezek. 16.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aestro exagitor aestro velut immisso concito ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 asilus aestrus metaphorice stimulus And Israel followed Egypt who was like a backesliding heifer Hos 11.6 the Seventy translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a Heifer stung with Hornets who runneth here and there so did they after their Idols therefore he threatneth that he will feede them as a lambe in a large place that is he would send the ten Tribes to captiviâ—ie where they should have libertie enough to run as they pleased The Lord would not have them to imitate the beastly Priests of the Moabites When the Israelites were comming out of Egypt travelling towards Canaan the Lord forbiddeth them to follow the beastly Idolatry of the Moabites to discover their nakednesse as their Priests did and for this cause that they should not goe up by steps or degrees upon the Altar for their cloathes were short when they travelled through the Wildernesse with the ambulatory Tabernacle and if they had ascended by steps upon the Altar their nakednesse might have beene seene Priapus what This filthy Idolatry of the Moabites was the worshipping of Baal-peor who was also called Priapus This Priapus was a young man in Hellespont who was expelled out of the countrie as a corrupter of the youth He went into Greece where afterwards beastly filthy persons made a god of him Priapus the God of the Moabites The Moabites made choise of him also for their god and he was called Baal-peor because he was made with his nakednesse discovered this Idoll was also called miphlezeth 1 King 15.13 Horrenda statua and Idolum pudoris Hos 11.9 and 9.10 and like unto this worship was that worship of Tammuz Ezek. 8. with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Moabites choose a filthy God like unto themselves Was not this strange that they could imagine that their gods and their goddesses were such but we are not to admire this for even as the Atheist that hee may sinne the more securely fained to himselfe that there is not a God so the uncleane and filthie man imagineth a god like unto himselfe Psal 50.21 because I kept silence thou thoughtest that altogether I was such a one as thy selfe they who write of the Ethiopians say that they paint the Angels blacke and the Divels white they paint the Angels blacke because they are blacke themselves they thinke the blacke colour the most comely colour and the white the most uncomely colour So these filthie Moabites made choise of a god like unto themselves and as their god Baal-peor was a filthie god so were his Priests filthie Priests in shewing their nakednesse The more modest amongst the heathen thought it a filthie thing to shew their nakednesse and therefore they sayd Caro pro pudendis honestatis causa in scaenam sine subligaculo nemo prodeat and as they had a filthy god and filthy Priests so they had a filthy Sacrifice they offered an Asse to Priapus which was a beast of great flesh Ezek. 23.20 Afterwards this filthy Idoll was called by the Latines Deus hortorum Priapus called Deus hortorum and why because they used to commit such filthinesse in gardens and therefore they used this word hortum in re amorum when they spake of filthy and unchast lust Quod meus hortus habet sumas impune licebit Si dederis nobis quod tuus hortus habet And when they would insinuate their filthy lusts they say laegere olera legere nuces legere poma Propertius Cum quibus Idaeo legisti poma sub antro and so Virgilius Malo me Galataea petit lasciva puella The Lord commanded his Priests to weare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 side garments reaching to their feete and also breeches under them The Moabites are called the people of Chamos Num. 21.30 and Ier. 48. hence commeth the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Apostle alludeth to this Rom. 13.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in rioting and drunkennesse Conclusion The Conclusion of this is Spirituall adultery is punished with bodily whoredome because they changed the glory of the uncorruptible god into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and fourefooted beasts and creeping things wherefore God gave them also to uncleannesse and to vile affections Rom. 1.23 EXERCITAT XVII That a woman might not weare a mans apparell A ceremoniall appendix of Command 2. Deut. 22.5 The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to the man THe Lord knowing how prone his people were to Idolatry made a partition wall betwixt them and the Gentiles and he would have them opposite to the Gentiles in their ceremoniall worship Vide Analyses Iunij in Levit. First the Egyptians eate onely swines flesh therefore ye shall be opposite to them ye shall not eate the flesh of the Hogge they worshipped the Oxe and the Sheepe therefore yee shall eate them and sacrifice them Secondly in their apparell the Priests of Isis did weare linnen and wooll therefore yee shall weare linnen onely or wooll onely and not linsey wolsey The Iewes opposite to the Gentiles in the manner of their worship Thirdly the Egyptians had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save them from evils therefore the Lord commanded his people to weare phylacteries Fourthly in the manner of their worship they when they worshipped they looked towards the sunne rising but ye shall be contrary to them and turne your faces towards
judaizing in this point Commandement IIII. EXERCITAT XIX Of the Passeover Levit. 23.5 In the fourteenth day of the first moneth is the Lords passover How the Passeover pertaineth to the fourth Commandement THe passeover as it was a sacrifice and a sacrament it is an appendix of the second Commandement but the time of it set downe here is an appendix of the fourth Commandement The word Passeover taken diversly This word Passeover is taken sundry wayes in the Scripture First for passing over because the Angell passed over the houses of the Israelites and destroyed them not Exod. 12.11 It is the Lords passeover Secondly Passeover is taken for those actions which were done about the passeover as killing the lambe sprinkling of the blood eating of it and such Matth. 26.17 Thirdly for the feast which was annexed to the Passeover 2 Chro. 35.11 They killed the Passeover and the Priests sprinkled the blood c. This was for the feast of the Passeover Fourthly for the Lambe killed at the Passeover Matth. 26.19 And they made ready the Passeover That is the Lambe which was killed at the Passeover so Marc. 14.12 They killed the Passeover Lastly for the time of the Passeover as Luc. 22.1 They had in this Passeover unleavened bread a Lamb bitter herbes and a cup in which they did drinke First they had unleavened bread The unleavened bread called the poores bread this unleavened bread was panis pauperum the poores bread Deut. 13.6 Yet the Lord taketh this unleavned bread for the Sacrament it was a great change Why they had unleavened bread in the Passeover when Moses rod which was the shepheards rod was made the rod of the Lord so this was a great change when he tooke the poores bread and made it this bread of his Sacrament they were commanded to eate the bread in remembrance of their hastening out of Egypt when they had no leisure to ferment it but Christ changed it to another sort of remembrance to be a memorall of his death in the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11 24. Doe this in remembrance of me It must be unleavened bread for leavened bread signified either Hypocrisie or malice David calleth a wicked man A leavened person Psal 71.4 So a leavened heart Psal 73.21 So Matt. 16.6 Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out the old leaven Then they eate it with bitter herbes Why eaten with sowre herbes to put them in remembrance of their affliction in Egypt and Ieremiah seemeth to allude to this Lament 3.15 Allusion He hath filled me with bitternesse he hath made me drunken with worme wood Quest Whether was the cup in the paschall supper a Sacramentall Cup or not Answ Not Whether the Cup in the Passeover was a Sacramentall Cup or not for there is no mention made of it in the institution the Lord commandeth to take a Lambe unleavened bread and bitter herbes but not a word of the Cup wherefore this cup was but their common Cup in which they used to drinke It may be said Obj. that the Master of the familie blessed this Cup. Answ This was not constitutiva sanctificatio but invocativa Sanctificatio Constitutio Invocatio it is constitutiva invocatio that maketh it a Sacrament accedat verbum ad elementum et fiet Sacramentum saith Augustine and when it wanteth the word of institution then it cannot be a Sacrament it is true that Christ transferred this cup Many things that are common changed to a holy use and made it Sacramentall under the Gospell but it was not sacramentall under the Law it was onely a common cup the water which they dranke out of the Rocke was a Sacrament to them 1 Cor. 10.4 and it was also common water for their beasts drunke of it So this was but a common Cup to them but Christ made it Sacramentall somethings againe which were Sacramentall to them were common at Christs Supper as the eating of bitter herbes Last it was not a Sacramentall Cup for the blood of the Paschall Lamb signified the blood of Christ there are not two things appointed in the Sacrament to signifie one thing What things were proper to the Passeover in Egypt and what proper to it in Canaan Things proper to the Passeover in Egypt were first they eate the Passeover in their severall houses when they were in Egypt but afterwards they were bound to eate it in Ierusalem onely Deut. 16.5.6 2 Chro. 35. Secondly in Egypt the blood was sprinkled upon the Lintels of the doores but afterwards it was sprinkled upon the Altar 2 Chro. 35. and then the Master of the house caused to bring backe the Lamb to his house and eate it with his family Luc. 22.7.8 Thirdly in Egypt they stood when they eat the Paschall Lambe with their loines girt and their staves in their hands to signifie that they were to make haste away Allusion and Esay alludeth to this Esay 52.12 For yee shall not goe out with haste nor goe by flight but when they came to Canaan they sate when they eate the Passeover Quest Their sitting at the Passeover was not a significative Ceremony Whether was their sitting a significative ceremony or not when they eate the Passeover in Canaan Answ Seven memorable Passeovers Not it was onely after the custome of men when they sit to eate meat There were sundry memorable Passeovers The first in Egypt the second in the Wildernesse the third in the dayes of Ioshua Cap. 5.10 the forth in the dayes of Hezekiah 2 Chro. 30. the fift in the dayes of Iosiah where there was not such a Passeover holden from the dayes of the Iudges that judged Israel nor in all the dayes of the Kings of Israel 2 King 23.22 The Sixt after they returned from the captivity Ezra 6.9 The last Passeover was that which Iesus kept with his Disciples Luc. 22. where he put an end to the Passeover and instituted his owne Supper in the place of it Quest Whether was the Lambe which was killed at the Passeover a Sacrament or a sacrifice Answ The most hold that it was not a sacrifice and their reasons are these Reas 1 First it might be killed by others than by the Priest therefore it was not a Sacrament Reas 2 Secondly Exod. 8.26 It was abhomination for the Israelites to sacrifice in Egypt but the paschall Lambe was eaten in Egypt therefore the paschall Lambe was not a sacrifice Reas 3 Thirdly a Sacrament differeth from a sacrifice for in a sacrifice we offer to God and in a Sacrament wee receive from God the Paschall Lambe was a Sacrament therefore it could not be a sacrifice Reas 4 Fourthly that which was eaten of the sacrifice was eaten onely in the Temple but the Paschall lambe was eaten out of the Temple therefore it was not a sacrifice Answ Now for answer to the first after that they came out of Egypt and the priesthood was setled the
Priests onely killed the sacrifice and sprinkled the blood and the Lambe was then caried home Secondly It was abhomination to sacrifice in Egypt Maimone in Corban Peshang cap. 1. ◠it was an abhomination to the Egyptians to see beasts killed there because they worshiped beasts as their Gods but it was not abhomination before the Lord for feare of the Egyptians they would not sacrifice there they might have sacrificed there as well as they killed the Paschall Lambe there it was a thing lawfull in it selfe We must distinguish two things in the paschal Lamb it was both a Sacrament and a sacrifice the sprinkling of the blood in the Temple was a sacrifice the eating of the Lambe at home in their severall houses was a Sacrament and so as it was a sacrifice they offered and as it was a Sacrament they received Reasons proving that the Paschall Lambe was a sacrifice Reasons proving that it was a sacrifice are these Reas 1 First 2 Chro. 30.1 Hezekiah gave Commandement that all the people should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem to keepe the Passeover Wherefore should he have commanded them to come to the house of the Lord to eat it if it had not been a sacrifice if it had been onely a Sacrament it had beene enough to have bidden come to Ierusalem to eate it Reas 2 Secondly 2 Chro. 35.11 And they killed the Passeover and they sprinkled the blood it was the blood of the sacrifice that the Priest sprinkled Reas 3 Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 6. cap. 45. Iosephus writeth that Cestus Florus when he would shew to the Emperor the multitude of the Iewes that were in Ierusalem at the Passeover he desired the Priests that they might get the number of the people and how did the Priests find out the number of the people he saith by the number of the Lambes which they killed at the Passeover and then they reckoned how many were in every familie at the eating of a Lamb and so they found out the number of the people it was the Priest then that killed those Lambes and none else The Paschall Lambe a figure of Christ The Paschall Lambe was a figure of Iesus Christ the Paschall Lambe was taken the tenth day and separated untill the fourteenth at the evening of the fourteenth it was killed Iesus Christ the true Paschall Lambe Came sixe dayes before the Passeover to Bethania Ioh. 12.1 and the morrow after he went to Ierusalem where they met him with branches of palme trees and this was five dayes before the Passeover then he stayed foure dayes in Ierusalem and was killed in the day of the Passeover at night and thus he accomplished the ceremonies of the Law Quest Whether did the Iewes and Christ eate the Passeover upon the same day or not Answ Christ observed the true day Whether Christ kept the Passeover that same day which the Iewes kept in the end of the fourteenth day and the beginning of the fifteenth he eate it betwixt two evenings but the Iewes transferred the day and eate it in the end of the fifteenth day and beginning of the sixteenth and therefore when Christ eate the Passeover it was the day of the Preparation to the Iewish Passeover although indeed it was the true Passeover Iohn 17.62 When the Passeover preceded the Sabbath they used to transferre the holy actions of that day to the Sabbath that two feasts may not fall together and they did their common worke upon that day which should have been done upon the Passeover and reserved the holy actions to the Sabbath following and it was upon this day that they crucified Christ They kept this translation of feasts Why they transferred their feasts to the Sabbath lest the feast of Lots should have fallen 2 4 7. Lest the feast of the Passeover should have fallen 2 4 6. Lest the feast of the Pentecost should have fallen 3 5 7. Lest the beginning of the new yeare should have fallen 1 4 6. Lest the day of expiation should have fallen 1 3 6. They observed this translation of the feasts because they had certaine feasts which fell upon these dayes that two feasts should not fall together as the three feasts of Dedication the foure fasts mentioned in Zachariah and the feast of Lots When the divers keeping of the Passeover began This diversity was not kept so long as the first Temple stood whence arose it then it seemeth to have taken the beginning from the divers beginning of the moneth for when they reckoned their moneth from the apparition which was doubtfull and uncertaine hence it came to passe that the beginning of the moneth was not alwayes at the selfe-same period for the last day of Adar might fall out so that it should be the beginning of Nisan and therefore the Sanhedrin appointed that the full Moone should be the thirteenth day which according to the verity was the fourteenth this diversitie arose of this because of the divers apparitions of the Moone so they kept the preparation to the Pascha diversly Great dissention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches for keeping of the Passeover When the Apostles have so clearely determined that matter that no man should bee condemned or judged for not keeping these dayes yet Satan came and did sow his Cockle and his Darnell and raised dissentions in the Churches betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover the Easterne Churches alledged that Iohn and Philip celebrated the Passeover in memory of Christs Supper for they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourteenth day of the Moneth but the Westerne Churches alledged that Peter and Paul kept the Passeover upon the first Lords day after the fourteenth day of the moneth upon which day they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pius Bishop of Rome ordained the Passeover to be kept on the Lords day Pius Bishop of Rome in the yeere of God 147. gave out an Edict that the Pascha should be celebrated by all upon the Lords day yet those in Asia cared not much for this Edict and there arose hot contentions on both the sides Polycarpus Iohns Disciple came into Rome to settle this contention and he appointed that every one should celebrate the Pascha as they were wont yet this contention was not buried for the Easterne and Westerne Churches left not off one to write against another Victor the Bishop of Rome in a Synode holden there Victor his Statute concerning the Passeover ordayned that the Pascha should be celebrated there upon the Lords day from the fourteenth day of March untill the twenty one of that moneth Those of Caesarea Palestina Pontus and Achaia embraced this Edict yet others stood out against it and said they would keepe it according to Iohns tradition wherefore Victor excommunicated all the Bishops in Asia Yet Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Polycarpus Schollar setled the
Pentecost the full Harvest was gathered in their first Harvest was of their Barley of their basest Graine onely but the full Harvest of their best Graine the Wheate was at the Pentecost Christ said Ioh. 4.35 Say ye not Allusion there are foure Moneths and then commeth Harvest Behold I say unto you lift up your eyes and looke on the Fieldes for they are white already unto Harvest But although the Harvest was great yet there were few Labourers Mat. 9 37. Here is an excellent allusion betwixt the Pentecost when their Cornes were ripe being the time of their full Harvest and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost for at the Pascha there was little Harvest but at the Pentecost all the regions were white so before the holy Spirit came downe there was but a small Harvest but when the Holy Ghost came downe The Apostles gathered that which the Prophets had sowne there was a plentifull and a great Harvest and at the Pentecost they gathered that which the Prophets had sowen Iohn 4.38 Yee reaped that wherein yee bestowed no labour Christ is called the first fruits from the dead Christ the first fruits from the dead 1 Cor. 15.20 as a handfull of the first fruits sanctified the whole field of Corne that was growing so Iesus Christ the first fruits from the dead sanctifieth all those who are lying in the Grave to rise againe by his power even when they are in the dust of death Psal 22.15 The day of the Pentecost was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pentecost had but one holy day as the last dayes of the Passeover and the feast of Tabernacles were called gnazereth holy dayes there was but one holy day of the Pentecost but the first and the last dayes of the other great feasts were both holy and yet the Pentecost was the most excellent Feast of all for then the Comforter came and the gift of the Holy Ghost came downe plentifully upon the Church Lastly observe the phrase Act. 2.1 When the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled The Scriptures speake of things as done whâ—n they are but in the act of doing that is fulfilling So Ier. 25.12 And it shall come to passe when seventy yeares are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord Seventy yeares were not coÌ„plete here for in the seventieth yeare they returned from the captivity so here when the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled that is upon the very day of the Pentecost when it was fulfilling This word gnazareth is usually restrained by the Iewes to the last of the Pentecost and it is translated by the Seventy Amos 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Paul useth Heb. 12.23 for a generall Assembly EXERCITAT XXI Of the Feast of Tabernacles A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit. 23.33 And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speake unto the children of Israel saying The fifteenth day of of this seventh moneth shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven dayes unto the Lord. God instituted many things to put his people in memory of his judgements and mercies THe Lord would not have his people forgetfull neither of his mercies nor of his judgements of his mercies Therefore he commanded them to keepe the Passeover in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt he gave them the Law fifty dayes after they came out of Egypt therefore hee would have them to keepe the Pentecost he fed them with Manna therefore he commanded the pot with Manna to be reserved they dwelt in Tabernacles or Boothes all the time that they were in the Wildernesse therefore he commanded them to keepe the feast of Tabernacles lest they should forget his benefits Psal 103 2. Forget not all his benefits So he will not have them forget his judgements therefore he commanded the Censers of Nadab and Abihu to be nailed upon the Altar to be a memoriall unto the children of Israel Num. 16.39.40 The feast of Tabernacles was instituted why the feast of Tabernacles was instituted to put them in remembrance that they were but Pilgrimes in the Wildernesse and had not a permanent dwelling there Their first station in the Wildernesse after they came out of Egypt was Succoth a Boothe or a Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernaculum Tentorium est etiam proprium nomen loci a tiguriissic dicti a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit obtexit and they had fortytwo Stations in the Wildernesse from the first to the last and all this time when they were in the Wildernesse they had nothing to dwell in but Tents and Boothes so that here they were but Pilgrimes upon the earth as their fathers were before them Psal 39.19 Because our life is a pilgrimage therefore David saith I am tossed up and downe as the Locust Psal 109.23 The Locust is now here now there so is the life of man tossed to and fro and Micah saith Arise and depart for this is not your rest Micah 2.10 Observe how the Lord doth Minister comfort to his people shewing them a sure dwelling Comforts which God giveth to his children dwelling in their tabernacles here and a place of rest for their transitory Tabernacles we dwell in thesâ— bodies but as in a Tabernacle but this is our comfort 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of GOD an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens When the Patriarches dwelt in Canaan they dwelt in Tents and Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 But their comfort was They looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 When they travelled in the Wildernesse with the ambulatory Arke this Tabernacle the Lord refused and his glory departed from it but in place of it Christ himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dwelt amongst us as in the Tabernacle of his flesh Ioh 1.14 where the Shecinah or Divine Majesty dwelleth for ever This was the Tabernacle which the Lord made and not man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.9 Lastly although the grave be called domus saeculi mans long home Eccle. 12.5 Yet our bodies doe rest there but as in a Tabernacle for a while Act. 2.26 Our bodies rest there but for a short time and he hath prepared another City for us to dwell in This feast of Tabernacles was said to be kept seven dayes Levit. 23.34 And the Evangelist saith Vpon the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood up Ioh. 7.37 This was the most solemne day of the feast this day they kept festum laetitiae legis the feast of joy because they ended the reading of the Law this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the next Sabbath they called Sabbath berefith because they began againe to read the booke of Genesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they read three Haphtaroth or Sections that day the first was Haphtaroth elle pekudi
lejom shenishel succoth and it began at 1 King 7.51 So was ended all the words which King Salomon made c. And that day Salomon stood up and blessed all the people So Iesus Christ the true Salomon blessed the people in the great and last day of the feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second Haphtorah which was read this day was Haphtorah Shimhhath Hatorah festum laetitaei legis and it began at Iosh 1. They kept this feast because the Law was ended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this feast was the dedication of the Temple and the Arke brought into it â— Chro. 3.2.3.7 The remnant of the Iewes that returnâ—d from the caâ—tivity was to keepe this feast Zach. 14.16 and Ioshua began the Prophets The third Haphtaroh which they read was Sabboth Hagadol which began at Mal. 3.4 And it ended with these words Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet Mal. 4.5 And so they joyned the last Section of the law and the last Section of the Prophets both together and it was on this day that Iesus Christ stood up and spake to them who was the true Salomon the true Ioshua the end of the law and the Prophets and whereas the Iewes delighted much in eating and drinking that day Iesus Christ called all those to him who thirst If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Ioh. 7.37 Last see how upon the first day of this feast they offered thirteene young Bullockes two Rames and fourteene Lambes of the first yeere the second day twelve the third day eleven the fourth day ten the fift day nine the sixt day eight and upon the seventh day of the feast were offered but seven Bullockes the seaventh day of the feast was the great day of the feast and yet it had but the meanest offering which gave them to understand that the Lord was to abolish these sacrafices and to bring in a perfect sacrifice in place of them who is Iesus Christ once to be offered for all At this feast they held up branches and so they held them up to Christ before the Passeover and they sang Hosanna which was a solemne sort of prayer Salva quaeso nunc and they wish not onely peace to him on earth but also in Heaven Then the shoute of a King was amongst them Num. 23.21 EXERCITAT XXII Of the New Moones A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Psal 81.3 Blow up the Trumpet in the New Moone in the time appointed on our solemne feast day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Novilunium a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit quodtunc Luna Sole tegitur vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feria stativa tempas statum quod in numeratum anni diem semper recurrit a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 numeravit supputavit THe New Moone hath two names in the Scripture First it is called Ceseh or Cese Secondly it is called Hhodesh from Hhiddesh renovare They kept the New Moones holy as they did their Sabbaths Wherefore wilt thou goe unto him to day it is neither New Moone nor Sabbath 2 King 4.28 So the Apostle joyneth them both together Coloss 2.16 Let no man therefore judge you in respect of an Holy day or of the New Moone or of the Sabbath Their new Moones and other feasts were Holy dayes they might doe no servile worke in those dayes as to reape sow or plough buy or sell but they might kindle fire dresse meat and such upon them which they might not doe upon the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NoviluniuÌ„ mensis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innovavit In all their other Holy dayes the Passeover pentecost feast of Tabernacles and first day of the new yeare their sacrifice had a feast joyned with it but the first day of the new Moone had no feast added to it Obj. 1 Sam. 20.11.12.13 It is said that it was the day of the new Moone and David desired to goe to Bethlehem to keepe the feast Answ The feast was not kept here for the new Moone but because it was the day of the feast of Trumpets or the first day of the New yeere for the first day of the Moneth and the first day of the New yere fell together therefore the Iewes when they set downe their Haphtorah in the Margent upon 1 Sam. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They set downe Haphtorah berosh Harâ—sh as ye would say a division to be read in the first of the first that is on that which was both the first day of the Moneth and the first day of the New yeere and it was for the first day of the New yeere that the feast was kept and not for the first day of the New Moone The New Moone was celebrated ever upon the first day of the Moneth The new Moone kept ever upon the first day of the moneth and therefore the Moone and the Moneth began both in one day although not at the same houre for the Moone had twentynine dayes and twelve houres but the Moneth had twentynine or thirty dayes successively therefore the twelve houres of the first New Moone excressing over the twentynine dayes of the first moneth were reserved untill the second New Moone which had other twelve houres and those two being joyned together made up the thirty day of the second Month. The Lord would have them to keepe these New Moones Holy to him to teach them Why they kept the new Moones that it was he who ruled and governed the world and all the changes and vicissitudes of it for as the Moone is predominant over all inferior creatures so doth Gods providence rule all things below here the heathen groaped after this when they set a god or a goddesse to every Moneth as Iuno to Ianuary Neptune to February The heathen set a god over every moneth Minerva to March Venus to Aprill Apollo to May Mercury to Iune Iupiter to Iuly Ceres to August Vulcan to September Mars to October Diana to November and Vesta to December But the Lord hath made summer and winter Psal 74.17 And it is he that crowneth the yeere with his goodnesse Psal 65.21 The keeping of these New Moones taught them the estate of the Church in this world A comparison betwixt the moone and the Church the Church is compared to the Moone the Moone is lightned by the Sunne and beautified by it the Church is said to be faire as the Moone Cant. 6.10 She is faire as the Moone when she is cloathed with Christs righteousnesse and as the moone hath her light from the Sunne so hath the Church her light from Iesus Christ The Sunne giveth light and receiveth none the Moone giveth light and receiveth the aire onely transmitteth light but it giveth no light so the Lord onely giveth light but receiveth none the Church receiveth light and communicateth light to others but the worldlings neither receive light nor doe communicate light to others The diverse changes of the Moone
anointing of themselves thirdly from putting on of their shooes and fine apparell First from anointing They abstained from pleasures that day in the day of affliction they did not anoynt themselves Dan. 20.3.12 So they laid aside their ornaments Exod. 33.4 6. So they went bare-footed 1 Sam. 15.30 So wearing Sackloth Psal 35.13 Not washing themselves 2 Sam. 12.20.21 They afflicted their soules on the day of expiation Not to lye with their wives 2. Sam. 11.11 Thirdly This day they afflicted their soules or humbled their soules for the outward humiliation had beene nothing with out the inward Esay 58 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soule Outward abstinence without humiliation of the soule is nothing acceptable to God Fourthly this day they proclamed the Iubile Why the Iubile was proclaimed on the day of expiation they were humbled in their soules this day in afflicting themselves and then he biddeth them proclaime the Iubile to teach us that the Lord giveth grace to the humble and secondly that the Lord mixeth griefe and joy together to his children in this life they are sweet-sowre joyes and all the promises have Annexionem Crucis a condition of some crosse adjoyned to them Marc. 10.30 He shall receive an hundreth fold in this life c. With persecutions This day was instituted for to purge all the defects and wants which had beene in their Sacrifices all the yeere long and when this day was not able to purge them from their sinnes this taught them that they must expect another Sacrifice to purge sinne for Non datur processus in infinitum but there must be one perfect Sacrifice to purge all our sinnes wherein we should rest They had many reasons to shew them the weakenesse of this Leviticall Law The weakenesse of the Ceremonies shewed by the Priests and sacrifices both in the Sacrifices and in the Priest in the Sacrifices Num. 19.8.9 When the Heifer was burnt they put the ashes in water to purge these who were put out of the Campe for uncleannesse therefore it was called the water of separation those ashes purged them that were separated yet they defiled them that burnt them and gathered them Vers 10. Therefore this Sacrifice could not purge him So the weakenesse of these ceremonies was also shewed in the Priests themselves that the Priest being a sinner could not make atonement for himselfe when the Priest eat the meate offering of the people he made atonement for them but he might not eate his owne meat offering Levit. 10.17 This sheweth the Imperfection of the ceremonies in eating the sinne offering of the people but not his owne sinne offering This was also shewed to them by this If the high Priest had beene defiled by any thing there was a second high Priest appointed to supply his wants 1 King 2. which shewed the Imperfection of his Priesthood Lastly this Highpriest entered but once in the yeere into the Holiest of all and he alone therefore this Priesthood could bring nothing to perfection Heb. 10.5 Sacrifices and Mincha thou wouldst not have but a body thou hast prepared for me in the oblation of Christs Body the legall services were abolished and the meatoffering ceased when CHRIST came Dan. 9.2 Three sorts of purification The Iewes had diverse sorts of purifications First they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a purifying by water Ioh. 11.55 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they went up to Ierusalem to purifie themselves and this the Latines called Lustratio The Greeke called the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a purifying by fire for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the heat of the sunne this they borrowed from that Idolatrous custome which the Priests of Moloch used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transitus per ignem when as they had Magnabhir Baish Transitum per ignem when they did initiate their young children by making them passe through two fires Their second purification was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Purifying with water for what a washing with water whereas the former was but a sprinkling with water Ioh. 3.25 There was a question betwixt some of Iohns Disciples and the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about purifying and it was for this purification that those water pots of stone were set Ioh. 2.6 for when they came home from their markets or had touched a gentile or any uncleane thing they washed their cloathes their hands and their feete in those pots of water Their third sort of purification was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piaculum The manner of the heathen expiating sinne or victima piacularis when as they offered a sacrifice of any beast after they were thus purified and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Gentiles abused as the Carthaginians when they tooke a man and laid all the sinnes of the people upon him they offered him in a sacrifice and burnt him in the fire to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an expiation for the whole people of that Country or City When Iohn the Baptist Iohn changed all these washinge the forerunner of CHRIST came to abolish the ceremonies of the Iewes and to make way for the Gospell both to the Iewes and Gentiles he changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this sprinkling of water into repentance and he changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the washing with water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in baptizing with the holy Ghost and with fire he changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sacrifice for sinne into that Vniversall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sacrifice of Iesus Christ when he said Behold the Lamb of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that taketh away the sinnes of the World EXERCITAT XXIII Of the seventh yeares rest and the Jubile A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit. 25.4 But in the seventh yeere shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the Land c. vers 8. and thou shalt number seven Sabbaths of yeeres c. GOD commanded his people to rest the seventh day from their labours then he commanded them to keepe many feasts in the seventh moneth upon the first day of the seventh moneth they were to keepe the feast of Trumpets called Rosh Hashanah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primus dies anni the first day of the new yeere upon the tenth day of this moneth they were to keepe the feast of expiation upon the fifteenth day of this moneth the feast of Tabernacles which continued for seven dayes and in the seventh day of the feast of Tabernacles they kept festum salicis and caried branches as they used in the Pascha to carry palmes which was a signe of victory then they carried branches before CHRIST and cryed Hosanna filio David The feast of collections added to the feast of Tabernacles and Passeover In the last day of the feast of Tabernacles was the feast of collection added both to the Pascha and
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 libertatem and from the word Iubile the Latines made their word Iubilo to take up a merry song So it might be called buccina reductionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They blew with Rammes hornes at this feast dekeran dikraia as the Chaldee paraphrast paraphraseth it And they blew with these Rammes hornes in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt Masius holdeth that they were Neat hornes they blew with Rammes hornes in the forty ninth yeare and in the fiftieth yeare the yeare of the Iubile with Oxens hornes but when they gathered the people to the Congregation Elevare cornu prophetiae quid they blew with silver Trumpets this blowing of Trumpets signified that Ministers should lift up their voyce like a Trumpet Esay 58.1 and proclaime salvation to the people The Prophets were said to lift up the horne 1 Chro. 25.5 because the Prophets were to lift up their voyce and to blow as if it were with a horne The Priests proclaimed the Iubile with Rammes hornes None might blow with those hornes but onely the Priests for the hornes were appointed for a holy use and no man might blow those hornes but he who was consecrated for a holy use as the Priest was for the Priest went out to battell and blew the Trumpet it was he that blew the trumpet to convocate the people it was he that blew when the wals of Iericho fell downe it was he that proclaimed the yeare of Remission and it was he that proclaimed the yeare of the Iubile When they proclaimed this Iubile upon the forty ninth yeare they proclaimed it upon the day of expiation the day of expiation was dies luctus to them a day of mourning and yet the intimation of great joy of the yeare of the Iubile was proclaimed that day to teach thē in the midst of their griefe to remember joy Although the Iubile was proclaimed the fortie ninth yere yet the forty ninth yeare of the rest and Iubile The forty ninth yere of the Rest and the ubile could not ever fall together fell not alwayes together for if the Iubile and the yeere of the rest had fallen alwayes in one yeare as some would reckon beginning the Iubile in Nisan and the yeare of the rest in Tishri then there should be wanting either a halfe yeare or a whole yeare to the yeare of the rest the Iubile hath fifty and the seven rests forty nine it wanting halfe a yeare in the first Iubile in the second Iubile there should be a whole yeare of the rest wanting And so the whole order of their reckoning should be perverted the Text saith expresly that the fiftieth yeare shall be the Iubile and not the forty ninth yeare neither is it enough to say that the Iubile is the fiftieth yeare because the former Iubile is reckoned for one of the fifty because this wayes one Iubile should be twise numbred being the last of the one Iubile and the beginning of the next Iubile and as no man will say that the Iewes were to rest from their labours after the seventh day but upon the seventh day so no man can say that the land was to rest after the seventh yeare but upon the seventh and as the seventh day of the weeke is to be reckoned excluding the former Sabbath for when the former Sabbath is included then it is called eight dayes so the seventh yeare is to be reckoned excluding the former seventh and the fiftieth yeare secluding the former Iubile The yeare of the Rest and the Iubile fall together every seventh Iubile Then to make up the right reckoning is to give to the yeare of the rest fortynine yeares and to the Iubile fifty and so they shall fall together at every seventh Iubile in threehundreth and fifty yeares Seven times forty nine maketh but three hundreth and forty three yeares Three sorts of reckoning amongst the Iewes The three yeeres are not three full yeares When the land is said to rest for three yeares it is not meant here of three compleat yeares the Hebrewes have three sorts of reckonings the first reckoning is excluso utroque termino their second reckoning was incluso utroque termino their third sort of reckoning was excluso uno termino incluso altero Example of the first when they are both excluded Matthew saith cap. 17.1 sixe dayes after the other Evangelists say eight dayes after Marc. 9.2 Luc. 9.4 including both the termes And thus the Evangelists are reconciled The 3 sort of reckning is including one of the termes and excluding the other as they were to Circumcise their children the eight day if the child had lived seven dayes and a part of the eight he was to be circumcised as if he had lived compleat eight dayes therefore the Iewes say that dies legis non est à tempore ad tempus that is it is not to be understood de completo tempore of the full time so the three yeares wherein the Lord promised to blesse their land are not to be reckoned for three whole yeares but excluso utroque termino two halfe yeares and a whole yeare Deut. 5.1 At the end of every seventh yeare thou shalt make a release mikketz should not bee translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fine מ pro ב A fine but in fine Deut. 31.30 putting beth for mem The land rested three yeares How the land rested three yeares together but not three compleat yeares but one whole yeare and two halfe yeares excluso utroque termino they did sow their Corne in Shebhat answering to our Ianuary and they reaped their Barley in Nisan answering to our March and they reaped their Wheat at the Pentecost the yeare before the Iubile when the rest and the Iubile fell together they reaped their Corne in Nisan which served them till Tishri Annus cempletus currens and this halfe yeare was called the first yeare of the three yeares rest then the yeare of the Iubile began in Tishri which was a compleat or a full yeare and this was the second yeare of the Rest and after the Iubile the Cornes were sowen in Shebhat againe and reaped in Nisan and this halfe yeare was counted the third yeare and this was annus currens but not completus In the fiftieth Iubile from the Creation of the world the seventh Sabbath of the Land and the first Iubile began both in one yeare After Ioshua had fought against the Canaanites for sixe yeares the Lord commanded the land to rest the seventh yeare reckoning the seventh yeare and Iubile from Tishri How the Iubile and the seventh yeare of the rest fell both together see this Figure following A figure to shew when the seventh yeare of the Rest and the Jubile fell both in one yeare Also there were no Iubilees reckoned untill Ioshua had conquered the land yet if ye will reckon from the Creation of the world till the dayes of Ioshua 3500
the first borne of man and beast Moreover they had the first borne of all sorts of cattell as of sheepe beeves and goats and the price of the rest which were to be redeemed according to the Priests estimation Likewise the first borne of man redeemed at five shekels the man Ezek. 44.30 Neh. 10.36 And when all the males appeared before the Lord three times in the yeare none of them must come empty handed all these the Priests got And besides all this the Levites had forty eight cities and two thousand cubites of ground round about them on every side They had 48 cities and so much ground about them with their Cattell and flockes the number of the Levites were but twenty three thousand Num. 26. The tribe of Asher was fifty three thousand and two hundreth and the tribe of Nephthali was forty five thousand and foure hundreth and the tribe of Issachar was sixty foure thousand and three hundreth and the tribe of Dan was sixty foure thousand and foure hundreth and yet the greatest of them all had but ninteene Cities but the Levites being but few in number got moe Cities than any of them all and the reason was The Levites were not the tenth part of the people yet they had the tenth part of the inâ—rease because the Lord would provide liberally for them the Levites who were not the tenth part of the people yet they got the tenth part of the increase of the Land and Priests who were but a small number in respect of the Levites yet they got the hundreth part of the increase of the Land and because the Priests had such a plentifull portion therefore the Lord alludeth to this Allusion Iere. 13.14 I will satiate the soule of the Priest with fatnesse The Lord was their portion Num. 18.20 Deut 18.1 Ezek. 44.28 and the godly allude to this Allusion Psal 73.26 God is my part for ever Allusion So Psal 142.6 Thou art my part in the Land of the Living Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my part saith my soule therfore I will hope in him Psal 16 The Hebrewes repeate words to signifie that nothing should be omitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et praecipuum omnium primitiarum ex omnibus et omnis oblationis omnium ex omnibus oblationibus vestris Sacerdoesto Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic quinquies repetitur The blessing of God upon those who payed their tithes the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance And see what a care the Lord had that they should want none of these Ezek. 44.30 And the first of all the first fruits of all things and every oblation of all of every sort shall be the Priests the Hebrewes when they would have a thing precisely kept they double this word Col as Psal 119.128 Therefore I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right So here the first of all the first fruits of all things c. The last thing to be considered here is the blessing of God upon those who payed their tithes they were to pay to the Priests the first fruits and tithes of all their increase of every sort And the first of their dough That he might cause the blessing rest in their house Ezek. 44. So Mal. 3.10 Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house that there may be meate in mine house and prove me now here with saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windowes of heaven and powre you out a blessing that there shalt not be roome enough to receive it Deut 16.74 Thou shall rejoyce in the feast before the Lord thou thy son and thy daughter and thy maid servant and the Levite and the stranger and the fatherlesse and the widdow The Lord had foure and the Priest had foure at the eating of the Tithe of the third yeare as the Hebrewes say that are within thy gates And the Hebrewes say the Levite the fatherlesse the stranger and the widow foure that belong to me answerable to foure that belong to thee thy sonne thy daughter thy man and thy maide if thou comfort those that are mine I will blesse and comfort these that are thine and they say when a man payeth his tithes he is the husbandman and God Almighty is the Priest but when he payeth them not then God is the husbandman and he is the Priest and then Ten Akers of Vine shall yeeld but one Bath Esay 5.8 Conclusion The Conclusion of this is they who have the Lord for their portion can lacke nothing Psal 23.1 here was none of the Priests that did shut the doores of Gods sanctuary or kindle fire upon his Altar for nought Malac. 1.10 EXERCITAT XXV The Jewes might not kill the damme sitting upon the young ones A ceremoniall appendix of Command 5. Levit. 22.6 If the damme be sitting upon the young or upon the egges thou shall not take the damme with the young c. That it may be well with thee and that thou maist prolong thy dayes God made choise of Canaan after a speciall manner The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 23.1 Yet the Lord made choise of Canaan in a special manner and therefore he saith the Land is mine Levit. 25.23 Thence it is called Emmanuels Land Esay 8 8. and other Lands the Lord calleth polluted Lands Amos. 7.17 Thou shall dye in a polluted Land So the people who dwelt in Canaan were the Lords after a speciall manner and all that which belonged unto them therefore he forbiddeth to take usury of his people The damme fitting on the yong ones was not a type When the Lord forbiddeth them to kill the damme with the young ones the damme sitting upon the young ones was not a type to the Iewes here no more then the oxe when hee trode out their corne but there was a tropologicall sense here to teach them manners but Canaan it selfe was a type to them By this Law the Lord taught them mercy to all men and reverence to their parents God will have them to shew mercy upon the beasts and the birds and he will not have the damme and the yong killed together and Targum Ionathan paraphraseth it thus as your heavenly Father is mercifull in heaven so be ye mercifull in earth The farthest extent and meaning of this Law is that they should abstaine from cruelty Hos 10.14 Gen. 32.11 To kill the Mother and the Children for as God hath not regard of Oxen 1 Cor. 8.9 his chiefe regard was not to the Oxe when he forbiddeth to muzzle his mouth but that the Minister should have maintenance so the Lords chiefe regard is not here that the Damme be spared but that Parents be reverenced God taught the Iewes in their infancy sundry wayes First he taught them by their apparell God taught the Iewes many wayes that they should not weare Linsey wolsey so that the Priests should weare linnen in the Sanctuary and wooll
their enigmaticall speeches were not those Symbolicall and taught them some other thing as ignem gladio ne fodias Pythagoras meaning was that they should not provoke an angry man so the precepts of Moses commanding them to abstaine from such and such beasts as uncleane were Symbolicall and implied some other thing This Commandement forbiddeth not mixtures in Religion How this precept is an appendix of the sixt Commandement as an appendix of the second Commandement but as an appendix of the sixt Commandement to abstaine from cruelty as not to take the damme sitting upon the young ones and not to muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. Yee shall not seeth a kid in the mothes milke The divers interpretation of this precept this is not the meaning of the command content your selves to eate the kid The true meaning of this precept but take head that yee eate not the damme also neither is this the meaning of it ye shall not eate flesh with milke as the Chaldee Paraphrast Paraphraseth it neither is this the meaning of it take heed that ye seeth not the kid in the mothers milke as the superstitious Iewes expound it at this day they will not seeth flesh and milke in one pot neither will they cut both flesh and cheese with one knife and amongst the precepts which they have written of things lawfull to be eaten they forbid the eating of flesh and milke together but the meaning of the place seemeth to be this ye shall not eate of a kid or of a Lambe for so the Seventy translate it so long as it sucketh the damme for all this time it is as it were but milke they might sacrifice it when it was but eight dayes old but not to eate of it so long as it was sucking 1 Sam 7.9 Samuel tooke a sucking Lambe and offered The Lord forbiddeth also Exod. 22.31 To eate that which was torne by beasts the former Commandement that they should not seeth a kid in the mothers milke was a ceremoniall law belonging to the sixt Commandement Not to eate that which was torne is a ceremoniall appendix both of the sixt and eight Commandement but this Commandement that they should not eat of that which was torne by beasts was an appendix both of the eight and sixt Commandement whereby he taught them both to abstaine from blood and from theft Quest Whether should those words Levit. 15.17 Be read copulativè the soule which eateth that which dyeth of it selfe and is torne by beasts or disiunctivè that which dyeth of it selfe or is torne of beasts Answ Some of the Iewes read the words copulativè thus if it dye of it selfe and be torne of beasts they might not eate of it but the true reading is disiunctive if it dye of it selfe or bee torne as Iunius readeth it for the law saith expressely that that which is torne is uncleane although it dye not first and then be torne and some of the Iewes make that more uncleane which is torne then that which dyeth of it selfe one demanded the question of R Ioseph Gersaeus Whether the beast that dyed of it selfe or that which was torne was the more uncleane why hee writ the Law rather upon the skinne of a beast that dyed of it selfe than upon the skinne of a beast that was torne he answered them by this comparison I tell you whereunto I liken the beast that dyeth of it selfe and that which is torne to two malefactors who are adjudged to dye the one malefactor the judge himselfe killeth and the other the hangman killeth so they hold that that which dyed of it selfe was not so uncleane as that which was torne by wild beasts Conclusion The conclusion of this is here we may see the infancy of the Iewish Church when the Lord forbiddeth them to taste touch or handle and restraineth their baser senses tasting touching and handling Coloss 2.21 Even as parents forbid their little children to touch this or handle that whereas they forbid them when they come to understanding to looke upon evill God dealeth with the Iewes as fathers doe with little children or to heare evill So under the Gospell the prohibition is given chiefely to the nobler senses hearing and seeing and not so much to the base senses touching and tasting Commandement VII EXERCITAT XXVIII When a Bastard might enter into the Congregation under the Law A ceremoniall appendix of Command 7. Deut. 23.2 A Bastard shall not enter into the Congregation unto the tenth generation THe Lord forbiddeth here that a Bastard should enter into the congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation there are foure things to be considered here First who is called Mamzer a Bastard here Secondly What is meant by entering into the congregation Thirdly That this is but a ceremoniall Law What is meant by Bastard here and Lastly That it is not meant of every sort of Bastard First he is not called Mamzer here if his father were an Hebrew and his mother a Gentile as the Chaldee Paraphrast taketh it for then Obed the sonne of Ruth the Moabitesse should have beene a Bastard Secondly He is not called Mamzer or Spurius who is borne of a Widdow as the Hebrewes hold as if an Hebrew had maried a captive woman and had lyen with her and she fel with child and it was in doubt whether hee was the child of the first husband or of the last And so they hold that David begot Chiliab upon Abigail and that his mother called him Daniel and his father Chiliab 2 Sam. 2.2 and 1 Chro. 3.1 Because hee was incerto patre but this is one of their dreames neither is he called a Bastard qui ex secundis nuptijs natus est as when a man marieth a Widdow and begeteth a child upon her her The Iewes are most mistaken in this Ben Syra in his Proverbes saith Oculos tuos absconde a muliere vidua et ne concupiscas pulchritudinem ejus in corde tuo nam filij ejus fiij scortationū sunt hide thine eyes from a Widdow Woman and be not taken with her beauty for her children are the children of fornicatiō And the same Ben Sira at the letter Samech saith Ben syra inter proverbia alphabeto 2. Scriba ducat virginem et ne ducat eam quae maritū habuit nam aquae virginis tibi soli erunt aquā vero eius qua maritū habuit ante te alius praeter te hausit that is let a scribe mary a Virgin and let him not mary her who hath had an husband before and content himselfe with the waters of his owne cisterne and not to drinke of that water where another hath drawne before him where he alludeth to the phrase of the Scripture which calleth adultery stollen waters Prov. 9.17 Water put for seed And they put water for seed Num. 24.7 So Moab is his fathers water But the Iewes were much mistaken in
profitable And yeilded Almonds In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ablactavit Vaijgmol et ablactavit it weaned them for even as the mother weaneth her child when he is of such an age so did the Almond tree weane the Almonds when they were ripe The Lord likes none to enter into this holy calling untill they be ripe God will not have Ministers to enter on their calling untill they be ripe they should have the full grouth before they enter these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or young plants are not fit for it young men are not fit for the ministery Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth why bids hee the young man remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth because he is most forgetfull of this duty to remember his God if he be not fit to remember himselfe and to recommend himselfe to God twise or thrise in the day how can he be the Lords remembrancer to remember his people before him Ambros lib. 1. de offic cap. 1. tom 1 It was a case of necessity when Ambrose was made Bishop of Millan qui simul et discebat docebat Why youthes are not fit for the Ministry Secondly youthes are not fit for this calling because this age is much subject to lust 2. Timot. 2.22 Flye the Lusts of youth if ever Lust breake forth in a mans life time usually it breaketh forth in his youth he that cannot command his owne Lusts how can he teach other men to subdue theirs 1 Tim. 3.5 if a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall he take care of the Church of God Paul will not have a young widdow admitted to wash the Saints feete 1 Tim. 5.10 because they give themselves oftentimes to wantonnesse and fleshly lusts farre lesse will he have a young man to be admitted to this holy calling who should wash the soules of the Saints and not their feete this age likewise is much subject to contempt 1 Tim. 4.11 Let no man despise thy youth and therefore not fit to enter in this calling The naturall history marketh that the whelpes of the Lyons who have the sharpest pawes do so pricke the matrix of their damme that they are borne the sooner and they never get the full strength so it fareth with young men who hasten out of the Vniversity before they get giftes and strength wherefore young students are to be exhorted to stay at the Vniversity untill they get strength and as the Lord bad his Disciples stay at Ierusalem untill the holy Ghost came downe upon them Luc. 24.49 So should they stay at the Vniversities untill the Lord enable them with gifts It is an unseemely thing to see yong ones ante lanuginem docere senes et hodie Catechumenus cras Episcopus and how unsavory a thing is it out of the mouth of a greene youth to exhort people to flye from these lusts whereunto they are most subject themselves may not the people justly say to them Physitian heale thy selfe and take out the beame first out of thine owne eye Quest What time should a man enter into the Ministery Answ We cannot prescribe a certaine time for some are sooner gifted then others Object But Christ who disputed with the Doctors of the Law when he was but twelve yeares of age yet he entred not into his Ministerie untill he was thirty yeares of age therefore it may seeme that none should be admitted before that time Answ Christ entred not into his Ministery until he was thirty yeares of age according to the Leviticall Law for it behoved him to fulfill all righteousnesse this was not a morall precept but a ceremoniall for it was changed Numb 4 3. they entred to their full ministery at thirty but Num. 8.24 he appointed them to enter at twenty and five for the beginning of their ministery but they entred not to their full ministery untill they were full thirty and they served untill they were fifty but in Davias time they began at twenty 1 Chro. 23.24 The sonnes of Levi did the worke of the service of the house of the Lord from the age of twenty yeares and upward and 2 Chron. 31.17 in Hezekiahs dayes and so in the dayes of Ezra from twenty yeares old and upward Ezra chap. 3. vers .. 8. Some may be ripe Almonds now when they are sixe and twenty or eight and twenty and some scarce when they are thirty therefore there cannnot be a certaine time determined when they shall enter but this is left to the tryall and discretion of the Church the determination of the Canon Law who concludeth absolutely that they should be thirty before they enter seemeth to Iudaize in this The Levites when they entred on their ministery they were thirty yeares before they entred because their ministery was a laborious and a painefull service and therefore required full bodily strength and so they gave up their ministery when they were fifty but the ministery now is not such a bodily service and therefore requireth not such bodily strength now the souldiers when they went to warre were admitted when they were but twenty yeares of age but the Levites not untill they were thirty there is both strength and wisedome required in the warres as Solomon saith Prov. 24.6 strength in the souldiers and wisedome in the governors but in the Levites and Priests there was both wisedome and strength required strength without wisedome before they be thirty and wisedome without strength after they are fifty So knowledge and sanctification are requisite in those who are to enter on this Holy calling knowledge without sanctification is like wine that runnes in a mans head and makes him giddy sanctification without knowledge turnes into blind zeale and therefore they are to be joyned together in those who are Preachers as strength and wisedome was in the Priests The Almonds rod brought forth buds and blossomes The Lord taught Aaron by this although hee was weake and old himselfe yet his posterite should not faile he was fourescore and sixe yeares of age now yet to let him understand of a succession he makes his rod to bud and it continued in his posterity for sixty and three Highpriests The Priesthood was entailed to Levi when they were chosen in the place of the first borne and againe when they killed their brethren for the worshipping of the golden Calfe it was promised them anew againe and when Phinehas killed Zimri and Cozbi the promise was renued to him What needed a new promise to be made to Phinehas of the Priesthood seeing it was due to him by the Law Quest and by succession This new promise secured him in the Priesthood Answ that hee should out-live his father and serve in the Priest-hood himselfe Nadab and Abihu were killed before their father dyed againe this promise assured him that it should continue in his famile But the Priesthood was soone
wisedome and she will exalt thee Prov. 4.8 the onely way for a Minister to get credit is to seeke the credit of his Master but there are too many like the Pharises who did all that they might be seene of men and in effect they say as Iehu said come and see how zealous I am for the Lord of hoasts 2 King 10.16 where a man might see as it were through a hole of his coate pride peeping out and he seeking his owne praise and not the Lords honor Let us not be like Onan who knowing that the seede should not bee his refused to raise it up to his eldest brother If the second brother raised not up seed to his eldest brother then they spit in his face The greatest credit to a Preacher is to beget children to his eldest brother the Lord Iesus Christ this was Pauls glory this shall be their Crowne and glory in the day of the Lord the Lord likes not these barren Eunuches in the Church who beget not children unto him It was a great credit for Abdon Iud. 12.14 To have fourty sonnes and thirty Nephewes that rode on threescore and ten Asse-Coltes but what credit shall it be for a Preacher to have so many sonnes and daughters begotten to the Lord riding in Chariotes of triumph to Glory when they can say behold me And the Children which the Lord hath given me Esay 8.18 When a Preacher hath begotten many sonnes to himselfe and built up his owne house this shall never be reckoned upon his score but what children hast thou begotten unto me will the Lord say as Arrowes are in the hand of a mighty man so are the children to the fathers Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but pleade with the enemies in the gate Psal 127.5 The Lord objected to the Iewes by Haggai Cap. 1.4 Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lye waste So the Lord may justly object to many of us that we build our owne houses but suffer the house of the Lord to lye waste it was an opprobry in Israel when a man or a woman wanted children scribe hunc sine liberis Iere. 22.30 and therefore they said when they had children deus abstulit opprobâ—ium meum Luc. 1.25 The Lord hath taken away my opprobry the Lord take away that opprobry and shame from the ministry that they stand not up as barren and unfruitfull Eunuches in the day of the Lord. How shall we judge who is a profitable Preacher Quest Ans Not by the event but by his diligence Esay was a good Preacher and yet his ministry for the most part was to make fat the hearts of the people and he said I have spent my strength in vaine Esay 49 4. so Iere. 6.25 Cura officij eventuâ— was an excellent Preacher yet he said The bellowes are burnt the Lead is coÌ„sumed the Founder melâ—eth in vaine Christ himselfe converted not so many as Peter did There is cura officij and cura eventus we must measure a faithfull Pastor How the faithfulnesse of a Preacher is to be measured per curam of ficij and not eventus his cura officij is this nosce statum gregis tui Prov. 27.23 To know his sheepe by their names Ioh. 10. Secondly to feed them diligen ly to goe out and in before them to leade them to the wholsome pastures to sow his seed faithfully and then he may lye down and sleepe and then it growes up day and night and he cannot tell this cura eventus belongs not to him Lastly he should be grieved when he sees the people hard hearted and will not be converted Three sorts of Preachers There are three sorts of Preachers First those who give a good account of good sheepe who can say with Esay 8.18 Here am I and the children that thou hast given me Secondly those who give a good account of bad sheepe he is free of their blood curavimus Babylonem noluit sanari Iere. 51.9 this faithfull Preacher shall not want his reward with God although he hath not converted many and Augustine shewes the matter by this comparison two men come into a Barbers shop to be washed a Blackamore and another man the Barber washes the other man and makes him whiter he washes the Blackamore and makes him blacker yet the Barber will be payed for both because he hath taken equall paines upon both so shall the good Preacher get his reward although hee make not the Blackamore looke the whiter A Minister shall not bee like Iacob in the day of his reckoning for Iacob made good to Laban that which was torne by the wilde beasts Gen. 31.39 but a Minister shall not make good that which is lost if it be not lost thorow his negligence it shall suffice if he can shew the skinne and the marke to the Lord and if he have sustained the heat of the day and the cold of the night as Iacob did that is all that the Lord requires from him The third sort is he that gives a bad account of bad sheepe when the sheepe perisheth through his negligence then the Lord shall require their blood at his hands Whether should a Minister be grieved Quest when he seeth his Ministery unprofitable amongst a people and that his Ministery is like to be the favour of death unto them No question he should be grieved Answ Ieremie wished that his head might be a fountaine of teares Ier 9.1 That he might weepe for that people and Christ himselfe wept over Ierusalem Mat. 23.37 But Christ himselfe ye will say gave thankes to God his Father Obj. That he had hid these things from the wise of the world and revealed them unto babes Matth. 11.23 and the Angell sang praise when Esay made fat the hearts of the people Esay 6. Christ is considered two wayes first Answ as he was the Minister of Circumcision secondly as Mediator Christ as he was the Minister of Circumcision Christ considered as the Minist r oâ— circumcision and as Mediator and sent to teach the Iewes no doubt it was a great griefe to him when he saw them hard-hearted that they would not beleeve but againe if ye will consider him as Mediator looking up to Gods wisedome and dâ—cree he giveth God praise for passing by some and chusing others Paul looking to his charge he wished the Iewes to be saved but when he looketh up to Gods will in a second consideration then his preaching was to make fat the hearts of that people as was the preaching of Esay he resteth in this and he rejoyceth that God is glorified Simile Although the spheares have their owne motions in particular yet they all follow the motion of the first mover So although Christ and Paul be sorry at the first for the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts yet they must follow the motion of the first mover God
himselfe and rejoyce when he is glorified Tâ—â— Angels are not ordainâ— to be ministring â—pirâ—ts to the wicked The Angels sing praise to God for the hardning of the hearts of the wicked and they are not sad for that the reason of this is because they are not ordained to be ministring spirits to such and therefore it was no griefe to them to see them condemned they rejoyce to see the godly converted because they are committed to their charge but Ministers have both the good and the bad in their charge and therefore at the first cannot be but grieved that they should miscarry as Samuel mourned for Saul 1 Sam. 15.35 The travell of the Minister is not alwayes lost But we are to marke if a Preacher be faithfull and painfull in his calling although his Ministery be not effectuall to the conversion of all yet it shall alwayes serve to the conversion of some Esaias ministery was to make the hearts of that people fat yet there was a remnant seed left unto him Esay 1.9 If he refused to raise up seed to his brother then the woman spit in his face Great shame to unprofitable Ministers Great shall be the shame and confusion that shall befall unprofitable and wicked Ministers in the day of the Lord who refused to raise up seed to their eldest brother Marke but the circumstances of spitting in the face and ye shall see how great a disgrace it was First we use to spit upon a dogge and not upon a man Secondly Num. 12.4 the Lord saith If her father had spit upon her face would she not have beene ashamed for seven dayes Where the Lord compareth Miriams leprosie to a father spitting upon his child so the Lord spit as it were Spitting in the face a great disgrace upon Miriam when he strucke her with leprosie and Onkelos paraphraseth it Si increpando increpasset eam pater ejus The woman the weaker Sexe did spit here in the mans face but what a shame is it for a childe to have his father to spit upon him Thirdly the place aggravates the shame it was in the publike meeting in the gates of the City it was a great matter to be praised in the gates of the City Prov. 30.23 The husband when he was well apparelled sitting among the Elders in the gates of the City then his wife is praised this was her greatest credit so it was the greatest credit of the Father when he had store of children then he was not ashamed to plead with his enemies in the gates of the City Psal 137. therefore to be put to publike shame and disgrace in that place what shame and confusion would that breed Lastly that she should spit in his face the face is the most excellent place in the body the most honourable and not a part of dishonour The Apostle Paul saith If a man smite you in the face 2 Cor. 11.20 If it was a greater shame to be smitten in the face than any other part of the body then it is a greater shame to be spit upon the face than any other part of the body Great shame to have the father spit in their faces and if it was such a shame in Israel for a woman to spit in a mans face in their solemne and publike meetings what shame shall it be for Preachers if the Lord spit in their faces in the sight of Christ and his Angels and if it was a shame to the daughter when the father did spit in her face what shame shall it be if the Lord who is the father of all and of whom all fatherhood is called Eph. 3.5 if he spit in the face of those who are negligent in their Callings if she was separated out of her fathers sight for seven dayes what is it to be separated out of his sight for ever There is no argument more forcible to move an unregenerate man to abstaine from sinne Shame a bridle to an unregenerate man than shame what saith Tamar to Amnon 1 Sam. 13.13 And I whither shall I cause my shame to goe and as for thee thou shall be counted as one of the fooles in Israel Saul had rather kill himselfe than fall into the hands of the Philistines and abide that shame 1 Sam. 31. When such doe heare the faithfull Pastors praised in the gates of the City what griefe will this breed to them and when they see those who have converted others shine like starres in the firmament Dan. 22.3 And themselves like darke and blacke clouds Iude. 12. What shame shall this be to them The naturall brother who refused to raise up seed to his eldest brother then the woman who complained did spit in his face but if he was a Cousin German or another kinsman they did not spit in his face because he had not such a neere interest as the naturall brother had to raise up seede yet the holy Ghost Ruth 4.1 doth not expresse his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but calleth him Pelone al moni which implieth some disgrace the Lord would not name him here by his name as he did Boaz. Onan was killed because he refused to raise up seede to his brother Er this Er was a wicked man yet because Onan refused to raise up seede to him the Lord killed him What will he doe then to those who refuse to raise up seed to their elder Brother Iesus Christ who is holy blamelesse and worthy of all honor The putting on of the shooe a signe of possession They pulled off his shooe this was a signe that he lost his inheritance for when they tooke possession of the land they put a shooe upon their foot and when they lost their inheritance the shooe was pulled off their foote The principall and chiefe regard that a man should have is that hee lose not his inheritance a man in Israel for necessity sometimes morgaged his inheritance and sometimes by violence put from his inheritance and sometimes through negligence and slothfulnesse did suffer bryers and thornes to grow up in his inheritance but unlesse he had beene a runnagate like Esau he never sold his inheritance looke what regard Ieremiah had to that little peece of ground in Anathoth which he redeemed from Hanameel his Vncles sonne What care Ieremiah had of his inheritance to secure himselfe in that inheritance Iere. 32. First he bought the field then he weighed the silver and gave seventeene shekles for it then he subscribed the evidence and sealed it and he tooke witnesses and tooke the double of the evidence of the purchase both that which was sealed according to the Law and custome and that which was open than he gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the sonne of Nerijah in the sight of Hanameel his uncles sonne and last hee bids take these evidences and put then in an earthen vessell that they might continue there for many dayes had Ieremiah such
we cannot expound them literally but in vision for Ieremiah was never yet in Babel So we are not to expound the Prophecy literally when it is contrary to piety but onely in vision as when Hosea is bidden marry a whore Hos 1.2 This was onely in vision Thirdly when they are contrary either to decency or good manners as when Ezekiel is bidden goe naked and to eate his bread baken with mans doung Ezek. 4.12 so we are not to take this vision literally that the Angell did any thing in our sanctification or justification In the parable of the rich glutton hee desired that Abraham would send Lazarus that he might dip his finger put it upon his tongue in heaven the glorified soules have no fingers as yet nor in hel the damned have no tongues yet but because we cannot conceive spirituall things but by bodily things therefore it is expressed after this manner So every knee in heaven and earth shall how Phil. 2.10 there are no knees in heaven as yet to bow to Christ but this is spoken to our capacity for when we would doe homage here below we bow the knee so heavenly worship is here figured by earthly gesture And to him he said behold I have caused thine inquity to passe from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment Pardoning of sinne here is expressed by putting off foule cloathes and putting on a new garment The Lord delightes to see his Priests cloathed in holinesse Psal 122.16 and to put on righteousnesse as a garment Iob. 29.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacerdos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sponsus and the Hebrewes observe that Cohen a Priest and Cahan a Bridgroome come both from one roote because the Priest when he commeth before the Lord should be adorned like the bridgroome the Apostle saith That as many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ Galat. 3.27 which is a speech borrowed from the custome used in the primitive Church for those who were Adulti or come to age The custome in the Primitive Church when they baptized those that were come to age when they were to be baptized came to the Church the Sunday before the Pascha and put upon them white cloathes therefore the day was called Dominica in albis and they were called candidati if white cloathes and holinesse becommeth every Christian when he entereth into Christianity how much more should Preachers study to put on righteousnesse when they enter to this holy calling but many now dare be bold to come in before the Lord with their soiled and filthy cloathes as if they had lyen amongst the pots of Egypt Foure sorts of Garments unbeseeming a Minister Secondly some come in and they have not these mutatorius vestes changed apparell but they had rather superindui to put one some shew of holinesse above but not to lay aside their old sinnes They make the outside of the platter cleane but within it is full of uncleannesse Matth. 23 25. Thirdly others come in with their garment of Linsey-Woolsey before the Lord ye shall not know of what profession they are like Sceptikes doubting of all things now standing for popery now for the truth now broching this heresie now that Fourthly some come in before the Lord with their wollen cloathes the Lord by Ezekiel cap. 44. commandeth expressely that the Priests should weare no wooll in the sanctuary but linnen and out of the sanctuary when they were about their secular affaires no linnen but wooll and therefore the Iewes proverb was when they saw a worldly minded Priest they said there goeth the man with the wollen cloathes Ministers of all men should study to have their cloathes cleane and see that their garments be not spotted with the flesh Iud. 23. Great purity required in Ministers It was a great change in Israel when the Nazarits who were purer then snow whiter then milke more ruddy in body then rubies when they became blacker then a coale Lamen 4.7 So now it is a great change when Ministers whose Garments should be pure and holy shining as the wings of a dove covered with silver and like her feathers covered with yeallow gold come in as though they had lien among the pots Psal 68.13 Many now that should come in Candidati before the Lord are fettered and intangled with the affaires of the world yea they come in Loadened with thicke clay Habak cha 2.6 having greater care to heape up gold then to gather grace to uphold them in the day of their triall when Satan shall accuse them for being cloathed with filthy garments as hee did Ioshua the Highpriest here And I will cloathe thee with change of raiment Quest Ioshua's sinnes being pardoned already how is his sinne pardoned anew againe Answ There is our totall justification and our partiall justification Ioshua had his totall justification before but this was his partiall justification Iustificate totalis partialis God pardoned him those sinnes which hindered him in his Priestly office an example not unlike unto this we have Esay 6.7 When the Seraphim came with a coale and touched the lippes of Esay this was his partiall justification when he pardoned him those sinnes which hindred him in his calling Esay 6. But ye will say Ob. get we not the remission of all our sinnes simul semel Although all sinnes both by past and to come are remitted to the child of God in Gods eternall counsaile Ans Whether we get remission of all our sinnes simul et semel yet the sinnes not yet committed when they are committed and repented of in our sense and feeling then they are pardoned when we feele them to be pardoned Peccata praeterita remittuntur per formalem applicationem as they speake in the Schooles futura vero virtualiter tantum praeterita insese futura in subjecto vel persona peccante And I said let them set a faire crowne upon his head God never beginneth a worke but he perfecteth it God never beginneth a worke but that which he perfecteth this we see in the worke of creation God rested not untill he had finished all his workes so in the worke of his providence Psal 65.11 Thou crownest the yeere with thy goodnesse Thirdly in the worke of redemption Christ left not off this worke till he said consummatum est Fourthly in the worke of sanctification Phil. 3.6 He that hath begun a good worke in you will performe it untill the day of Iesus Christ The Lord bringeth to perfecton every good worke begun in us he is not like the man in the Gospel who began to build a house but was not able to finish it This is a great comfort to the children of God who find many impediments in the worke of their sanctification the child of God saith sometimes with Rebecka Gen. 25.22 It had been better for me The comforts of the children of God never to have conceived he feeleth the flesh
are both called the Mothers wombe and the grave Psal 139.15 My substance was curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth that is in my Mothers wombe and as no man hateth the belly that conceived and bred him so no man should hate the grave which is his second mother He marketh the two extremes here the birth and the death and passeth by our life to teach us the shortnesse of our life the Scripture describeth the shortnesse of mans life sundry wayes First he calleth our dayes anni numeri that is which may bee easily numbered Iob. 16.22 when a few yeeres are come yeeres of number than I shall go the way whence I shal not returne so dies numeri signifie a few dayes Num. 19.20 so homines numeri a few men Deut. 4.27 So Ezek. 12.16 and Esay 10.19 The rest of the trees of his forrest shall be number that a child may write them that is they shall be few and here Iob saith When yeeres of number are come that is a few yeeres that may be easily numbered to note the shortnesse of his dayes Secondly our life is called saeculum Psal 17.14 Thirdly our yeeres are reduced to three score and tenne and if by reason of strength they be fourescore yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and we flye away if a man out live threescore and ten he payeth interest for those yeeres much sorrow and griefe Then our yeeres are compared to the dayes of an hireling Iob. 7.1 which was a short time the yeres of an hirling were but three yeeres and the Lord to shew the suddaine destruction that should come upon Moah he saith Esay 16.14 Within three yeeres as the yeeres of an hirling and the glory of Moab shall be contemned that is it shall shortly be contemned so Iob saith his dayes are like the dayes of an hireling that is they are very short They are compared to monthes Iob. 14.5 the number of his monthes are with thee Then they are compared to dayes and to an artificiall day from the sunnerising to the setting of the Sunne they are like grasse which groweth up in the evening it is cut down and whitereth Ps 90.6 and to a watch in the night which was but three or foure houres vers 4. then they are compared to an houre then to a moment and last to nothing Psal 39.5 So our yeeres for the shortnesse of them are compared to a post Iob. 25. Now my dayes are swifter than a post they flyaway see no good they are passed away as the swift ships as the Eagle that hasteneth to her pray Marke the gradation here First Iob compareth his dayes to a post a post goeth on in his journey very swiftly when one horse wearieth he will take another and so goeth on but yet he must rest sometimes Therefore hee goeth further and compareth them to the swiftest ships that are called ships of desire the ship will not weary day nor night yet there may come a contrary winde and make her stay therefore he goeth higher and he compareth his dayes to the Eagle which of all fowles is the swiftest to catch pray and nothing can stay her untill she have obtained it So mans dayes wearies not nothing can stay them in their course but they flye away and hasten to their end So mans life is compared to the weavers shitle Iob. 7.6 this comparison would be marked for the shuttle carieth the threed within it and the weaver tosseth the shuttle too and fro untill the threed be spent and then he cuteth it off So time is the weaver that tosseth the shuttle and our dayes are as the threed within the shuttle which peece and peece are spent and then death cutteth them off So they are compared to a smoke and to a dreame or to a vapour Psal 49. or to the breath of ones mouth and to this the Apostle hath reference when he saith what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.4 Now that our death may be comfortable unto us first we must remember that we are mortall Gen. 2.17 In that day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Symachus translateth it Mortalis eris the consideration of mortalitie in Abraham made him to say that he was but dust and ashes Gen. 78.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the judgement Heb. 9.17 If men dyed not they could not obtaine life eternall for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption therefore we must either die or be changed And this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality and then we need not to be afraid of death for it shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.50 as the Wise man saith Ecclus 14.12 Remember that death is not long in comming and that the covenant of the Grave is not shewed unto thee The Lord sheweth unto us that we are all mortall and that we must dye but he sheweth not in particular the time when we shall dye and therefore we should be ready at all times Secondly remember the advertisements of death when thou art faint and weary those are Gentlemen Vshers to death when yee feele those messengers remember that the sound of their Masters feet is behind them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cincinni sic dicti quod facile mutantur a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutabit 2 King 6.32 We are called in the Scriptures bene hhaloph Prov 31.8 Children of change and the lockes of our haire are called mahhaliphoth mutationes Iudg 16.13 because they are soone changed when our haire beginneth to change once that is an advertisement to death as the wise man saith but many men take no notice of those advertisements when a Sergeant commeth to arrest a man the man absenteth himselfe and will not seeme to be at home yet notwithstanding the arrestment is valide and holdeth good in the Law so those advertisements of death although thou neglect them and seemest not to be at home yet the arrestment shall hold good and thou shalt be enforced to answer at the day appointed Thirdly looke upō the death of others for that he looketh seriously upon the death of others he cannot chuse but that he must remember his mortality 2 Sam. 20.12 When Amasa was wallowing in his blood all the people stood still and lookt upon him when people behold the death of others then it should put them in minde of their owne death Fourthly acquaint thy selfe often with death that it seeme not a stranger to thee when it commeth Hierome set the skull of a dead man before him daily and the Anchorites of old scraped with their nailes some part of their owne grave every day Put not the evill day farre from thee Esay 22.12 When the Lord called the Iewes to mourning yet they put the evill
day farre from them and they said Let us eate let us drinke for tomorrow wee shall die 1 Cor. 15.32 Many men live now as though they should never dye they make a covenant with death as the Prophet saith Esay 28.16 We have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement But they are deceived death is unmercifull it will mak a league with no man this league is made only in the imagination of their owne hearts Fiftly consider the comforts which we have against the grave it is very terrible in it selfe it is called a pit Esa 38.18 darknesse and the Land of oblivion Psal 88.13 The shadow of death Iob 10.21 corruption and destruction and for the power of it it is said to have gates and doores Iob 38.13 and a soule Esay 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilatat sepulchrum animam suam Hirhhibbah sheol naphshah the grave hath enlarged her soule so to have hands Psal 49.16 and 89.49 so to have a mouth Ps 141.7 so a sting 1 Cor. 15.55 all those Epithites are to shew how terrible and fearefull it is to a wicked impenitent sinner who lyeth down in it with his sins upon him but to the godly it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sleeping place it is a place that all men yea even the best must come into Iacob made account to go thither Gen. 37.35 and Iob desired to be there O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave Iob 14.13 Because he knew that it was his house Iob. 17.13 Yea Christ himselfe was there and sanctified it first he bought the grave the price of him that was valued after that Iudas had cast it backe againe was given for a potters field for the buriall of strangers this is the first right which gentiles have to the grave because Christ purchased it unto them Againe Christ was buried in Golgotha where his blood ranne downe upon the graves of the dead that were buried there Thirdly he hath lyen downe in it and whereas it was loathsome before now he hath persumed it so that we may safely lye downe in that bed in which his blessed body lay and lastly he hath the key of the grave to open it when hee pleaseth so that it hath no power to keepe us Revela 1.18 I have the keyes of hell and of death this is a singular comfort to us then who are the Children of God so that we may say better is the day of our death than the day of our birth Sixtly wee should remember that our dead bodies are within the covenant and the Lord forgetteth them not When Iacob went downe to Egypt the Lord promised to bring him backe againe Gen. 46.4 but how did the Lord bring him backe againe seeing he dyed in Egypt The Lord was with him when his bones were brought out of Egypt so the Lord preserveth all the bodies of his Saints and he keepeth all their bones Psal 34.20 yea even when they are in the grave because they are within the Covenant therefore it is called domus viventium the house of the living Lastly that our death may be comfortable unto us let us remember that it doth not onely put an end to our miseries in this life but it is the entrance to glory and everlasting happinesse where we shall see the Lord and his Angels and abide with them eternally Moses is renowned unto the worlds end because hee saw the Lords backe parts onely but we shall not onely see his backeparts but we shall see him as he is even face to face 1 Iohn 3.2 1 Cor. 13.12 The Queene of Sheba heard many things of Salomon and yet the halfe was not told her but when shee saw him face to face then shee said Happy are thy men happy are thy servants that stand continually before thee 1 King 10.8 So in this life wee heare many things of Christ the true Salomon and his kingdome but yet the halfe are not told us for the eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 But at the day of our death when our soule shall be separated from our bodies then wee shall see these things and shall say with the Queene of Sheba happy are thy men happy are thy servants that stand continually before thee and blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Revel 14.13 If wee consider these things seriously wee shal be inforced to conclude with Salomon here better is the day of death thā the day that one is borne Errata Pag. 32. line 6 for Ezek. r. Esa pag. 43. l. 15. for eate of this r. eate not of this bread but other lesse holy things pag. 68. l. 30. were essentially r. as the cause and the effect pag. 73. l. 8. r. first fruits pag. 82. l. 20. dele done upon pag. 95. l. 1. Pentecost r. Passeover pag. 101. l. 11. dele therefore p. 114. l. 25. r. they blew not at all in the fifty yeere as Masius holdeth but in the forty nine yeere pag. 156. l. 22. for neither r. and his sonnes but not his daughter pag. 168. l. 27. for thee r. his FINIS AN EXPLICATION OF THE IVDICIALL LAWES OF MOSES Plainely discovering divers of their ancient Rites and Customes As in their Governours Government Synedrion Punishments Civill Accompts Contracts Marriages Warres and Burialls Also their Oeconomicks Vizt their dwellings Feasting Clothing and Husbandrie Together with two Treatises the one shewing the different estate of the godly and wicked in this life and in the life to come The other declaring how the wicked may be inlightned by the preaching of the Gospel and yet become worse after they be illuminated All which are cleered out of the Originall Languages and doe serue as a speciall helpe for the true understanding of divers difficult Texts of Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venia danda primum aliquid experienti By IOHN WEEMSE of Lathocker in Scotland Preacher of Gods Word LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sold at his Shoppe at the signe of the three Golden Lyons in Cornehill neere the Royall Exchange 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE COLENE EARLE OF SEAFORT Lord Mackenzee and Kintaill one of his MAIESTIES most Honorable Privie Councell in the Kingdome of Scotland Honorable and my very good Lord GOD who is the God of order and not of confusion from whom all good things descend hath placed here below sundry sorts of people Prov. 30.25.26.27.28 the Ants are a people not strong yet they prepare their meat in the Summer the Conies are but a feeble folke yet make they their houses in the Rocks the Locusts haue no King yet goe they forth all of them by bands the Spider taketh hold with her hands and is in Kings palaces this sort of people differ very much for some of them are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which provide onely
strife amongst them What doth he then He made choise of sixe out of every Tribe and he brought forth seventie two blanke papers upon seventie of the papers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Senex he wrote Zaken senex and upon the two that remained hee wrote Hhelek pars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pars. Now when the Tribes drew their Lots out of the Boxe he who drew Zaken senex Moses said unto him Antea sanctificavit te deus benedictus but he who drew Hhelek pars he said unto him Non cupit te deus The Hebrewes say that Eldad and Medad Num. 11.26 were of those who were written but they went not out into the Tabernacle because they drew Hhelek pars but not Zaken senex they were inter conscriptos say they but not inter electos and so the number seventie is made up without them There were two Presidents in this Councell Two Presidents in the Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princeps the first chosen in respect of his power dignitie and wisedome and he was called Nashi princeps and Rosh hajeshibhah Pater consessus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pater Consessus and he it was as the Iewes say that succeeded Moses The order how they sat in Iudgement who was the principall and the chiefe in the Councell and upon his right hand sat he who was greatest amongst the seventie and he was called Abh beth din pater consistorij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pater Consistorij the rest sat according to their dignitie and age next to the Prince and they sat in a circuit or a halfe Moone that both the Presidents might haue them in their sight The time when they sat in these Iudicatories The time when they sat the great Iudicatorie sat every day except on the Sabbath and festivall dayes and when they sat the little Synedrion sat but from the morning Sacrifice untill the sixt houre that is untill our twelue but the great Synedrion sat from the morning Sacrifice untill the evening Sacrifice that is untill our three of the clocke in the afternoone What matters were judged in the great Synedrion The matters which they judged in this Iudicatorie were matters of greatest weight as to judge of a false Prophet when to make warres appointing Magistrates for inferior Cities so for cutting off of a Tribe and punishing the high Priest and whether an Apostate Citie should be raised and cast downe or not and they say that none might giue the bitter waters to the woman suspected of Adulterie but this Iudicatorie Num. 5.29 So they say when a man was killed and the killer not knowne none might measure from the place where the man was killed to the next Citie Deut. 21.7 but the Elders of the great Synedrion this case was onely tryed by them So the raising up seed to his brother and pulling off his shoe if he refused these were tryed by the great Synedrion Obiect Bellarmines argument to proue the Pope to be aboue secular Iudges Bellarmine the Iesuite to proue the Pope to be aboue secular Iudges alledgeth Deut. 17.12 The man that doth presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest and to the Iudge even that man shall die Here he saith the Magistrate doth onely execute the sentence of the Priest But first ex decreto judicis is not in the originall Answ but according to the sentence of the Law Deut. 17.11 and the word should be read disjunctivè He that hearkeneth not unto the Priest or unto the Iudge c. And by the Priest here is understood not onely the high Priest but other Priests Vers 9. When the high Priest and the Iudges sat together then he that hearkened not to the sentence given by the Iudge and interpreted by the Priest was to die so he who hearkened not unto the Iudge although the Priest was not there was to die for these Iudicatories which are conjoyned are sometimes distinguished Deut. 17.12 2 Chro. 19.8 and they must be interpreted respectiuely as the Lawyers speake In the lesser Iudicatorie When they might judge of capitall crimes in the lesser Iudicatorie they might not judge of a capitall crime unlesse they were twentie three a full number so they judged of a beast that had killed a man or lien with a woman to be put to death Levit. 20.16 The seventie whom Moses chose now at the commandement of the Lord Num. 11.25 The difference betwixt the seventie which Moses chose and the seventie which were chosen at the direction of Iethro differed from the seventie whom he chose at the commandement of Iethro Exod. 18. they excelled the former seventie far in gifts for they had the spirit of Moses upon them and as the Mantle of Elijah when it was put about Elisha then the spirit came upon him The spirit of Moses was not diminished when it was put upon the seventie so came the spirit of Moses upon the seventie and the spirit of Moses was not diminished when it came upon the seventie but the spirit of Moses in that houre was like the middle lamp of the Candlestick from the middle Lamp the rest were lighted but the light of this Lamp was not diminished so the spirit of Moses was not diminished when it came upon the seventie Moses spirit of judgement was upon them all but not his other gifts as Moses was mightie in words and deed but not they Moses was the meekest man in the world but not they One Moses ruling in a Councell will make it famous but to haue seventie like Moses sitting in a Councell for they had the same spirit of ruling which Moses had that made it to excell all the Councels in the world even Areopagus in Athens and the Senate in Rome and if we shall marke the unitie that was in this Councell then we shall more admire it Object Whether had the Seventie this gift of Prophesie continually or not Answ They prophesied for a day but no more therefore the Text said Prophetarunt non addiderunt i.e. prophetare The seventy which Moses chose had not this gift of Prophesie continually and so the phrase is used by the Hebrewes Gen. 8.12 Non addidit redire She returned not againe so 1 Sam. 15. Non addidit Samuel redire ad Saulem that is he saw him no more so Prophetarunt et non addiderunt that is they prophesied that day and no more Conclusion The conclusion of this is the Lord did sit here in the midst of this great judicatorie and he was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was the President of their Councell and therefore they that hearkened not to this Councell were worthy to die CHAPTER XVII Whether a Iudge is bound to giue sentence according to things prooved and alledged or according to his owne private knowledge EXOD. 23 1. Thou shalt not receiue a report put not thine hand
aequidistantiae and the second is interpositionis Medium aequidistantia interpositionis the Sunne is in medio aequidistantiae when it is in the middle point betwixt the Sunne-rising and the Sunne-setting this is in the midst of the day but it is in medio interpositionis when it is in any part of the Heaven betwixt the two extreames it was now but in medio interpositionis Againe This miracle was wrought twentie dayes after the Equinoxe this miracle was wrought twentie dayes after the Equinoxe for Ioshua instituted the Passeover Cap. 5. the fourteenth day of Nisan which was at the Equinoxe and that Moone had but fourteene dayes to runne to the change and now the Moone was before the Sunne but when the miracle fell out the Moone was behinde the Sunne and it was quarter-Moone so that the fourteene dayes of the old Moone and the eight dayes of the other Moone made up twenty dayes after the Equinoxe Ioshua's day was 24. houres Thirdly Ioshua's day was twenty-foure houres nine houres alreadie past and three houres to the Sunne-setting then the Sunne stood a whole Equinoctiall day which all being joyned together maketh twenty-foure houres then it is said Iosh 10.14 That there was no day like to it before or after which must be understood that there was no day before or after like unto it for length Hezekias day was 22. houres Hezekias day was but twenty-two houres in length which is proved thus the Sunne had runne twelue degrees already forward upon Ahaz Diall which maketh sixe planetary houres then it goeth backe againe tenne degrees which maketh fiue planetary houres and this made eleven houres Quest Might not the Sunne haue gone backe to the Sunne-rising and so haue made sixe planetary houres Answ Not because the Sunne casteth no shadow upon the Diall of Ahaz an houre after it riseth and an houre before it set neither upon any other Diall for then the shadowes are so long that they shew not the houre it went backe then but to the houre after that it arose which was the second planetary houre then it had fiue planetary houres to the midst of the day which made up sixteene houres and six houres to the Sunne-setting which maketh in all twenty-two houres Now to make some application and spirituall use of these Dials The spirituall use of these Dials Christ before his Incarnation was like to the Sunne shining upon the Equinoctiall Diall where the shadow is very low secondly before Christ came in the flesh there were many Ceremonies and a long shadow but since Christ came in the flesh this is like the Sunne shining upon the Polar Diall the shadow is short and the Sunne is neerer Thirdly our estate in this life compared with the life to come is like to the meridionall Diall for the meridionall Diall sheweth not the twelfth houre so in this life we see not the sonne of righteousnesse in his brightnesse Fourthly our estate in this life is like the verticall Diall which sheweth neither the rising nor setting of the Sunne so in this life we know neither our comming into the world nor the time when we are to goe out of it Fiftly our estate in the life to come is like the Horizontall Diall for as the Sunne shineth alwaies upon the Horizontall Diall so shall the Sunne of righteousnesse shine alwayes upon us in the life to come CHAPTER XXVI Of their Day GEN. 1.3 And the Evening and the Morning were the first day A Day in the Scripture is either a naturall Dies Naturalis Artificialis Propheticu◠artificiall or a propheticall day The naturall day consisteth of foure and twentie houres comprehending day and night Num. 8.17 In that day that I smote every first borne in the land of Egypt But Exod. 12.29 it is said that at midnight the Lord smote the first borne of Egypt so that by day here is meant the whole twentie foure houres The artificiall day began at the Sunne-rising and ended at the Sunne-setting Exod. 16.14 Why sit yee all the day from morning till night And it had three Periods in it morning mid-day and evening and the mid-day is called Zeharaijm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meridies and it is put in the duall number because it containeth a part of the forenoone and a part of the afternoone Psal 65.8 Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and the evening to rejoyce the outgoings of the morne is the rising of the starres before the Sunne rise as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the outgoings of the evening that is when the Moone riseth and the starres with her as Hesperus the Sunne is said to go out as it were out of his chamber when he ariseth out of the Sea or the earth Psal 19. And he is said to goe in and to dip in the Sea Mark 4. when he setteth Ortus Heliacus Chronicus Cosmicus Ortus Heliacus is when the starres arise with the Sunne Ortus Chronicus is the rising of the starres with the Moone Ortus Cosmicus is when the starres rise at certaine seasons in the yeare as Orion Plejades c. A Propheticall day is taken for a yeare in the Scriptures as they had a propheticall day so they had propheticall weekes propheticall moneths and propheticall yeares Propheticall dayes weekes and yeares A weeke signifieth a weeke of yeares as Daniels seventie weekes Dan. 9.25 So the moneth signifieth a moneth of yeares according to the Greeke computation counting thirtie dayes to a moneth so the yeare signifieth a yeare of yeares Iere. 28.3 Adhuc duo anni annorū So these places in the Revelation Forty two moneths an hundreth and sixtie dayes three yeares and an halfe so time times and halfe a time are prophetically to be understood A propheticall day is a yeare the weeke seven yeares the moneth thirtie yeares and the propheticall yeare three hundreth and sixtie yeares and this way they counted to signifie the shortnesse of the time A day is applyed in the Scripture first to our estate in grace Heb. 4. To day if ye will heare his voyce A day applied to the estate of grace harden not your hearts and all the Comparisons in the Scriptures are taken from the forenoone to shew the growth of grace First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the morning Starre and the dawning of the day and the day-starre arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Secondly to the Sunne-rising Esay 8.10 It is because there is no morning in them and thirdly to the Sunne in the strength of the day Iudg. 5.3 Then the declination of grace is compared to the Sunne in the afternoone Iere. 6.4 Arise Declination of grace compared to the declining of the Sunne let us goe up at noone woe unto us for the day goeth away for the shadowes of the evening are stretched out Micah 3. And the Sunne set upon the Prophets The forenoone is compared to the time of grace before it come to the declining
therefore let us make great reckoning of this time to redeeme it Psal 108.2 I my selfe will awake early but in the Originall it is more emphaticall Hagnira shahher Expergefaciam auroram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expergefaciam Auroram As if David should say the morning never tooke me napping but I wakened it still Secondly The day representeth the shortnesse of our life the day representeth the shortnesse of our life to us and it is compared to an artificiall day Psal 90.5 In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up but in the evening it is cut downe and withereth it is like Ionas Gourd which groweth up in one artificiall day and decayeth againe and the houres of the day whereunto our life is compared are like planetary houres long in the Summer and short in the Winter Compare our dayes with the dayes of our fathers they are but few and evill in respect of their dayes therefore our dayes are called dies palmares The Lord made the day for man to travaile The day was made for man to travaile in it and the night for him to rest in therefore they are monsters in nature that invert this order who sleepe in the day and wake in the night Psal 104.23 Man goeth forth unto his worke and to his labour untill the evening And Vers 20. Thou makest darknesse and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest doe creepe forth Those who turne day into night follow the beasts and not man such a monster was Heliogabalus who would rise at night and then cause morning salutations to be given unto him the History saith that the world seemed to goe backward in this monsters dayes this sort of people Seneca calleth them our Antipodes for when we rise they goe to bed contrà How they reckoned the dayes of the Weeke THe Iewes reckoned their dayes thus Prima Sabbath secunda sabbath the first day of the weeke the second day of the weeke c. Secondly the Latine Church reckoned from the Passeover Prima feria secunda feria c. Thirdly they borrowed afterward another sort of reckoning from the Heathen who reckoned their dayes by the Planets the Sunne the Moone Mercurie Mars c. Quest What is the reason that they reckoned not the dayes of the weeke according to the order of the Planets for the Planets stand after this order Saturne stands in the highest place then Iupiter next Mars and so in order Sol Mercurie Venus and then Luna Iupiter followeth not Saturne in the dayes of the weeke but Sol so Mercurie followeth not Sol but Luna Answ The order of the dayes of the weeke is Mathematicall for the seven Planets being set downe in a circle according to their owne naturall order by an equall distance they make seven triangles reaching from their bases to the Hemisphere whose bases arise from the severall corners drawne in the circle in whose circumference the seven Planets are set downe according to their owne order making up one equall triangle in every one of their two sides as ☉ Sol ☽ Luna ♂ Mars ☉ Sol is in the right side of the triangle ☽ Luna in the top and ♂ Mars in the left side of the triangle and so from ♂ Mars to ♃ Iupiter by ☿ Mercurie and from ♃ Iupiter to ♄ Saturne by ♀ Venus and from ♄ Saturne to ☽ Luna by ☉ Sol and from the ☽ Moone to ☿ Mercurie by ♂ Mars and from ☿ Mercurie to ♀ Venus by ♃ Iupiter as yee may see in the figure following A Demonstration to shew how the dayes are reckoned according to the seven Planets Quest Whether may these names of the weeke dayes which are imposed by the Heathen be used in the Christian Church or not Answ The Apostles themselues used such names for distinction as Areopagus Mars streete Act. 17. So we sailed in a Shippe whose Badge was Castor and Pollux Act. 28. and such like CHAPTER XXVII Of their moneth EXOD. 12.2 This shall be the beginning of moneths to you BEfore the people of God came out of Egypt the moneths were reckoned according to the course of the Sunne Reasons proving how many dayes every moneth had following the custome of the Egyptians and Chaldeans and their moneths were full thirtie dayes as may be gathered out of the eight of Genesis the floud began to waxe the seventh day of the second moneth Iair answering to our May and it began to decrease in the seventh day of the seventh moneth Tishri from the seventh day of the second moneth to the seventh day of the seventh are one hundred and fiftie dayes which being divided by thirtie giveth to every moneth thirtie dayes After they came out of Aegypt their moneths were full thirtie dayes Numb 11.19 Yee shall not eate one day neither fiue dayes neither tenne dayes but even a whole moneth Hence we may gather that their moneth was full thirtie dayes Reasons proving how many moneths are in the yeare because they reckoned by fiue ten twentie thirtie So there were twelue moneths in the yeare every moneth consisting of thirtie dayes 1 King 4.7 And Salomon had twelue Officers over all Israel which provided victuals for the King and his houshold Each man in his moneth through the yeare made provision now if there had beene more then twelue moneths in the yeare as afterward the Iewes made their intercalar yeare Veadar then one should haue had two moneths So 1 Chron. 27.1 and 12.15 The chiefe Officers served the King by courses which came in and out moneth by moneth throughout all the moneths in the yeare here we may see that there were twelue moneths in the yeare every moneth had thirty dayes which made up in the yere three hundred and sixtie dayes But because there were fiue full dayes lacking in the moneths to fill up the course of the Sunne The twelue moneths come short of the course of the Sunne fiue dayes which is three hundred sixtie and fiue dayes the Egyptians put to the fiue dayes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the last moneth Tishri and they illustrate the matter by this apologue The fiue odde dayes illustrated by an apologue of Mercurie and the Moone they say that Mercurie and the Moone at a time did play at the dice for the fiue odde dayes and that Mercurie did winne them from the Moone and Mercurie followed the course of the Sunne And in respect the Sunne every yeare runneth three hundred sixtie fiue dayes and sixe odde houres How the leape yeare or bissextile is made up which sixe odde houres every fourth yeare maketh a day they added this day to the fourth yeare which yeare by the Egyptians was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as ye would say the dog turning about to himselfe as when he biteth his owne taile and the Latines called it annus from annulus because it turned about to the same point againe So Ioh. 18.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a yeare
twelue moneths fiue dayes and sixe houres which sixe houres every fourth yeare maketh up a day and this yeare we call leape yeare these eleven odde dayes are not cast away they are insititij dies or ingrafted daies as a graft is grafted in a tree and they are called the Epact because they are cast to to the end of the year for to reduce the Moones course to the course of the Sunne neither are they left as dies desultorij to runne at randome through all the moneths of the yeare This time of the Epact with them is counted as no time and they illustrate the matter thus The embolimie epact counted as no time A man had thirty sonnes and thirty daughters and three which were neither his sonnes nor his daughters but abortives borne out of time these thirty sonnes and thirty daughters were the dayes the nights of the moneths and the three odde dayes after the third embolimie were reserved as insititij dies untill the next embolimie and were no part of the moneths of the yeare untill the seventh embolimie The spirituall use which the Scripture maketh of the Moone is first to shew us the instabilitie of the world therefore Revel 12.1 the Church is the woman cloathed with the Sunne having the moone under her feet to signifie that the Church shall tread under foote the changeable world Secondly as the Moone changeth so doth the life of man Iob 14. while my change come so Prov. 31.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filii mutationis aperi ostuum in causa filiorum mutationis that is for him that is going to be put to death and as we pray when the Moone changeth Lord send us a good change so should we pray especially when we are ready to die that the Lord would giue us a happie change CHAPTER XXVIII Of their Yeare 2 CHRO 24.23 And it came to passe at the end of the yeare or in the revolution of the yeare that the Host of Assyria came up THe Iewes had a twofold beginning of the reckoning of their yeare the first was from Tishri the second was from Nisan They began their first reckoning from Tishri in the moneth Elul their yeare ended and in this moneth their new yeare began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revolutio this was called Tekuphah revolutio anni 1 King 20.26 it was in this moneth that the Kings went forth to battaile 2 Sam. 11.1 And it came to passe when the yeare was expired at the time when Kings went out to battaile They went out to battaile at this time of the yeare because then the heat of the yeare was declining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mensis Antiquorum and the Chaldees called this moneth Mensis Ethanim id est veterum 1 King 8.2 In this moneth they began to reckon before they came out of Egypt because the Iewes held that the world was created in this moneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chaldaicè Pueritia et Hyems this moneth is called Hhoreph pueritia for as Tishri is the beginning of the yeare Gen. 8.22 so the beginning of our age is our childhood Iob 29.4 Their Ecclesiasticall reckoning began in Nisan Their Ecclesiasticall reckoning began in Nisan Exod 12.1 Chron. 12.15 These are they who went over Iordan in the first moneth when Iordan had overstowed all the bankes this was in the moneth Nisan for then the snow melteth upon the mountaines of Libanus and the waters overflow the banks of Iordan Ioh. 4.35 Say ye not there are yet foure moneths and then commeth the harvest that is the Pascha and the Pentecost the first was the beginning of the harvest and the last was the end of the harvest the beginning of the harvest fell in the first moneth of the yeare in Nisan for on the fourteenth day was the Pascha on the fifteenth day they brought in handfuls of new Corne and Zach. 7.1 The word of the Lord came unto Zachariah in the fourth day of the ninth moneth even in Chisleu that is in the ninth from Nisan So the feast of the Tabernacles was kept in the seventh moneth Tishri which is the seventh from Nisan From Nisan they reckoned their feasts What they reckoned from every moneth the reigne of their Kings their contracts bonds and Obligations From Elul answering to our August they reckoned the age of their young beasts which they were to offer to the Lord none of their beasts were offered before Elul Thirdly from Tishri answering to our September they reckoned the seventh yeare of the resting of their land and their Iubilees Vide Buxtor Synag and from this time they reckoned how long their trees were circumcised or uncircumcised Fourthly from Shebat answering to our Ianuary they reckoned all their trees which payed fruit they payed tithe onely of these trees which began to flourish at that time The conclusion of this is Conclusion As the Lord changed the reckoning of the Iewes from Tishri to Nisan because the Iewes then were delivered out of Egypt so the Lord hath changed our reckoning now from the old Sabbath of the Iewes to the new reckoning of our Sabbath because this day our delivery and redemption was finished 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away behold all things are become new CHAPTER XXIX Of their numbring and manner of counting PRO. 3.6 Wisedome commeth with length of dayes in her right hand THey numbered of old three manner of wayes first by their fingers secondly by letters and thirdly by Ciphers First by their fingers for as their first measure was their hand Esay 40.12 Who hath measured the waters with the hollow of his hand and met out the heavens with his span So their first numbering was by their fingers and Salomon alludeth to this forme Pro. 3.6 Wisedome cōmeth with length of dayes in her right hand The Greeks called this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they numbered upon their fiue fingers Lib. 2. Fast so Ovidius Seu quia tot digitis per quos numerare Solemus So Invenal writing of Nestor Sua dextra computat annos They numbered upon their ten fingers because no simple number can go beyond nine and the tenth number is the complement of all simple numbers They numbered first with their right hand upon the left because the right was the most fit hand for action for the spirits lie in the right side of the heart and so make the right hand more fit to doe any thing and the bloud lieth more to the left side and therefore the left hand is not so fit for action Salomon saith that the wise mans heart is at his right hand Eccles 10.2 the spirits enableth his hand more to doe and the fooles is at his left hand because there are not so many spirits in the left side of the heart to quicken the hand but when the spirits encline equally to both the sides then he is Itter jad ambidexter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
called Zeceph crux and gnetz arbor and the Greekes called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lignum geminum Lastly drowning Mat. 18.6 It were better that a milstone were hanged about his necke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dimersio in pelagus submersio and that he were drowned in the midst of the Sea and the Greekes had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were put in a chest of lead and sunke in the Sea as Casaubon sheweth out of Athenaeus Quest. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excisio What sort of punishment is meant Gen. 17.14 he that is not circumcised that soule shall bee cut off from his people Answ The Hebrewes expound this sort of punishment diversly Kimchi saith he shall be punished by the Lord but he addeth that he is much mistaken who thinketh that the child not being circumcised is secluded from the life to come Moses Cotzensis thinketh that these who were not circumcised the eight day should dye without children alluding to that place Levit. 20.20 But all of them agree in this that the punishment is inflicted by the Lord. Exod. 31.14 Object Whosoever doth any worke on the Sabbath day he shall be cut off from his people and bee surely put to death by cutting off here is meant cutting off by the Magistrate why should it not then be so understood in that place Gen. 17.14 so Levit. 20.6 If any goe after wizards I will set my face against him and cut him off by cutting off here is meant to be cut off by the Magistrate why is it not so then to be understood in that place of Genesis before mentioned Maymone answereth to these places Answ distinguishing betwixt the manifest transgression and the hidden transgression of the Law if one did violate the Sabbath with a hie hand and if there were witnesses and he were admonished before not to doe so then he was cut off by the hand of the Magistrate but if he was not admonished secretly before and did transgresse then hee was cut off by the hand of the Lord. But wee must distinguish betwixt these phrases Levit. 17.10 and 21.6 Difference betwixt these two phrases I shall cut off c. and thou shalt cut off c. I shall cut off that soule and thou shalt cut off that soule Exod. 22.18 thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue but when hee sayth I will set my selfe against that soule which eateth blood and will cut him off from my people then it is meant that by his owne hand immediately hee will cut him off But what sort of cutting off by the hand of God is meant here Quest It is not meant of any bodily punishment inflicted Answ upon their bodies or upon their posteritie as the Iewes interpret it but of excommunication and secluding them from the Church So Calvin Iunius Deodati expound it CHAPTER XLII Why they gaue wine to those who were going to be executed PROV 31.6 Giue wine unto those that be of an heavie heart THey used to doe three things to them who were condemned First they gaue them wine to drinke to comfort them Amos 2.8 They drunke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God that is they dranke the most excellent wine for such wine they gaue to the condemned Secondly they used to apply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soft wooll which the Chirurgians apply to wounds to mitigate their paine because their death was a lingering death Thirdly they used to hold odoriferous canes or reedes to their nose to refresh their braines But see what miserable comforters the Iewes were to Christ Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they derided him Luk. 23.35 for in stead of wine they gaue him vinegar and gall to drinke which was a most bitter sort of drinke and the Lord saith Ier. 9.15 I will feed this people even with wormwood and giue them water of gall to drinke And for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they gaue him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hysope tyed about a read and dipped in vineger and they gaue it him not to quench his thirst but to smell it in derision They gaue him wine to drinke mingled with myrrhe but he received it not Mark 15.23 Christ would not drinke this cup mingled with myrrhe for it intoxicated the braine that he might be sensible of the paine which he was to suffer for us It is a great judgement to be beaten and not to feele it Prov. 23.35 The Lord who went willingly to death did willingly drinke the cuppe of Gods wrath for us and therefore he was unwilling to drinke this cuppe which would haue made him senselesse of the paine They gaue him hyssope in stead of wooll which should haue mitigated his paine the tender mercies of the wicked are cruell Prov. 12.10 Christ suffered in all his senses in his tast they gaue him veneger mixed with gall in his feeling whereas they should haue applied soft wooll and bound up his wounds mitigated his paine they applied but hysope so in his hearing he heard their bitter mockes and scoffing And as he felt the grievous paine of the crosse in all his senses so the wicked shall suffer the paines and torments of hell in all their senses The conclusion of this is sin is sweet in the beginning but bitter in the end Adam did eate asweet fruit Conclusion but here is vineger and gall a bitter potion offered to Christ for it the lippes of a strange woman drop as an hony combe and her mouth is smoother then oyle but her end is bitter as wormwood sharpe as a two-edged sword Pro. 5.3 They giue him hysope hysope was the last purgation and sprinkling when the leper was brought into the Campe againe and David alludeth to this Psal 51. wash mee with hysope So Christs death must purge us from all our sinnes and bring us into the societie of the Saints of God that there we may dwell for ever CHAPTER XLIII Of their VVarres DEVT. 20.10 When thou commest neare to a Citie to fight against it then proclaime peace vnto it c. FIrst let us consider in their warres the time when they went to battell secondly the manner how they pitched about the Tabernacle thirdly the manner how they marched when the Camp removed fourthly the Proclamation made to them at their removing fiftly the conditions of peace offered to the enemie sixtly what they did before they joyned battell and lastly the song which they had after the victorie The time that they entred to be Souldiers First what time they entred to be Souldiers the Levites entred to their Ministery when they were thirtie yeares Num. 4.42 But the Souldiers entred when they were twentie yeares and they left off when they were fiftie none went to the warres but they who payed the halfe shekell the Levites were exempted because they served the Lord in the Tabernacle they neither payed this halfe shekell nor yet went to the warres Women likewise were exempted She that tarrieth at
is said there that they buried him in Timnath-herah but Iudg. 2.9 they buried him in Timnath-heres Here 's is called the Citie of the Sunne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sol. and they changed the name of the Towne because Ioshua was buried there whose sepulchre had the picture of the Sun drawne upon it as the Iewes write and the sepulchre of Elisha was knowne by it selfe in the fields 2 King 13.21 Fourthly they were at great charges in burying of their dead it was so great that many times their friends refused to bury them therefore Gamaliel who was a man of power and credit amongst them restrained this Nicodemus sent for an huÌ„dreth pound weight of Myrrhe and Aloes to embalme Christ Ioh. 19.39 and Christ alloweth the fact of Marie Mat. 26.10 when she poured the boxe of precious oyntment upon his head Why trouble ye the woman for she hath wrought a good worke upon me and Gamaliel ordained that none should be wrapped in silke but all in linnen and no gold put upon them Cicero lib. 2. de ll So amongst the Romans they were glad to diminish these charges tria si velit recinia vincula purpurea decem tibicines plus ne adhibeto Lastly They comforted the living after the dead were buried after the buriall was ended they used to comfort the living after this manner first sit consolatio tua in Caelis secondly quis audet deo dicere quid fecisti thirdly they repeated these words of Esay chap. 25.8 he will swallow up death in victorie and wipe away all teares from their faces and Psal 72.16 they shall flourish and spring againe as the grasse on the earth they bâ—leeved the resurrection of the bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domus viventium therefore they called the Church-yard Beth chaijm domus viventium and as our soules lodge but a while in the bodie as in a tabernacle 2 Cor. 5.1 so our bodies lodge but a while in â—he graue as in a tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my flesh resteth in hope as in a tabernacle and then they cryed Zacor ki gnapher anachun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus penset jacturam tuam remember that we are but dust and they conclude with this of Iob 1. the Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. When their little children died they used not many speeches of consolation but onely said the Lord recompence thy losse Iob hath a notable saying I came naked out of my mothers wombe and I shall goe naked thither againe How shall I goe thither againe it is not taken for the same place but for the same condition hence it is that the inferior parts of the earth are called both the mothers wombe and the graue Psal 139.15 I was curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth that is in my mothers wombe Ephes 4.9 Christ is said to descend into the lower parts of the earth that is into his mothers wombe and see the affinitie betwixt the belly and the graue Christ joyneth them together Mat. 12. As Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale so shall the sonne of man be in the heart of the earth and Salomon Prov. 30. joyneth them together there are three things that are not satisfied the graue and the barren wombe c. Conclusion The conclusion of this is let us remember Iob 30.23 that the graue is domus constitutionis omni vivo that is the house in which we are all appointed to meet and it is domus saeculi the house of our age in which we dwell a long time therefore we should often thinke of it and not put the evill day farre from us and make a covenant with death Of the IEVVES Oeconomicks Of the time of their Repast THey had but two times of their Repast Dinner and Supper they had no breakfast Peter had eaten nothing at the sixt houre Act. 10.10 and Act. 2.15 those are not drunke as yee suppose seeing it is but the third houre of the day But it may seeme Object that they used to breake their fast in the morning for Ioh. 21.4 it is said that when the morning was come Iesus stood on the shoare and said children haue yee any meat The reason of this was Answ because they had fished all the night and being wearie they refreshed themselues in the morning but we reade not that they used ordinarily to breake their fast in the morning Eccles 10.16 Woe to thee O land when thy Princes eate in the morning they did not eat in the morning because it was the fittest time for judging and deciding Controversies and therefore the Whores of old were called Nonariae Persius Satyr 1. because they came not out to commit their villany till after the ninth houre when men had ended their businesses and the Lord biddeth them execute judgement in the morning Iere. 21.12 The time of Dinner was the time when they refreshed themselues first Ioh. 21.12 Iesus said unto them come and dine so Luk. 11.37 And as he spake a certaine Pharisie besought him to dine with him and the second refreshment was at the time of Supper this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they spent a longer time at Supper than at Dinner All Banquets called Suppers sometimes and therefore afterward they put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dinner and they called all Banquets Suppers in what time soever of the day they were although they were not in the Evening and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permutantur the one is put for the other as that which Matthew calleth a Dinner cap. 22.4 Luke calleth a Supper 14.16 The Greekes fed more sumptuously The Greekes had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prandium secondly they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a refreshment betwixt Dinner and Supper which is called Merenda a beaver or afternoons drinke and they called this Caenae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thirdly they had their Supper and then they had Banquets after Supper and this the Greekes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinè comessatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keepe a Banquet with whores and Paul alludeth to this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Moabitarum Rom. 13.13 Let us walke honestly as in the day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse And because the Iewes used to travaile so farre before the heat of the day therefore they called this space which they travailed diaetam terrae Gen. 35.16 This sheweth their moderate dyet They were sparing at Dinner and they fed more freely at Supper the Lord gaue them bread in the morning and but Quailes at night Exod. 16.12 They measured the houres by their shadow They went to Supper at the ninth houre after the Evening Sacrifice and before the setting of the Sunne they ended
carnis a pound of flesh is a glutton and he who drinketh logum vini an English quart of wine is a drunkard but we must not restraine it so here for Iudea being a hot Countrey a little flesh served them but in those cold Countries where the cold driveth in the heat mens stomackes digest the meat better and therefore a man cannot be accounted a glutton although he exceed this measure but he is called a glutton who delighteth in nothing but in eating and drinking Seneca saith turpe est mensuram stomachi sui non nosse The Glutton made a god of his backe and his bellie He fared sumptuously every day He sacrificed to his backe and his belly to make a god of the belly what a base god is that the belly of the beast was not sacrificed but cast out Some make a god of their braine and sacrifice to their owne net or yarne as Habakuk saith cap. 1.16 as Ahitophel Some make a god of their armes and strength as Goliah and some of their feete as Hasael trusted in his feet but the most base and filthy god of all is to make a god of their panch the Lord calleth Idols Deos stercoreos The bellie a base god gods of dung to make a god of the belâ—y is Deus stercoreus a god of dung if the Lord should bring in man and let him see the Idolatry of his heart as he let Ezechiel see what vile Idolatry the Iewes were committing in the Temple Ezech. 8. he should see more vile abhomination and Idolatry in his heart than ever Ezechiel saw some sacrificing to this beastly lust or that some making a god of their wealth and some making a god of their belly but God will destroy both the meat and the belly 1 Cor. 6.13 Let us be content then with sober fare all a mans travaile is for his mouth Eccles 6.7 the mouth is but a little hole it should teach us to be contented with little Man should learne to be content with little but the gluttons appetite is such that he thinketh he could swallow up Iordan nature is content with little but grace will be content with lesse The Israelites when they gaue way unto their appetite they cryed for flesh for Garlicke Onyons and for Pepons nothing would content them Lazarus could not get the crummes that fell from his Table a man hath a double use of his riches A double use of a mans goods a naturall use and a spirituall use there is a sowing to the flesh and a sowing to the spirit Gal. 6.8 the naturall use is to maintaine our selues and our families the spirituall use is to giue to the poore Nabal knew not this use 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh which I haue killed for my shearers and giue it to men whom I know not whence they be Here he knew the naturall use how to provide for himselfe and his familie his shearers but he knew not the spirituall use to giue to David and his men in their neccessitie So the rich glutton here knew nor the spirituall use of his riches to feede poore Lazarus with them it is this which the Lord will lay to the charge of the wicked at the last day I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meat Mat. 25.42 The poore in necessitie are Lords of the rich mens goods The poore in their necessitie are Lords of the rich mens goods Prov. 3.27 and the rich men are but Stewards and dispensators to them in that case the Fathers call the money given to the poore Trajectitiam pecuniam for as he that goeth a farre journey taketh a bill of exchange with him and carrieth not his money along with him for feare of robbing so the children of God they lay out their money to the poore they take Gods bill of exchange for it and then it meeteth them in the world to come and so their money receiveth them into eternall tabernacles that is it testifieth that they are to be received into eternall tabernacles The miseries of Lazarus Let us consider Lazarus his miseries first hee was poore then he was sore he had none in the same case with him he seeth the rich glutton that Epicure to prosper and himselfe in such a hard case hee might haue beene here overtaken with Davids temptation Psal 73.13 Verily I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed mine hands in innocencie for all the day I am plagued and chastened every morning A comparison betwixt Iob and Lazarus Let us compare Iob and Lazarus together Lazarus lay at the gate Iob on the dunghill Lazarus had no friends but the dogges but Iob was in a worse case for his friends vexed him and were miserable comforters to him Iob 16.2 Iob was once rich and then poore Lazarus was ever poore solatium aliquando nunquam fuisse foelicem A comparison betwixt the rich glutton and Lazarus Compare the rich glutton with poore Lazarus Lazarus full of sores the glutton sound and whole Lazarus was hungry he was full and fared sumptuously every day Lazarus was cloathed in ragges the glutton in purple and fine linnen Lazarus lay at the gate but he sate in his Palace Lazarus could not get the crums that fell from his table but he had good store of dainties Lazarus had no others to attend him but the dogs onely but hee had many gallant men to wait upon him Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores The creatures are in league with the children of God all the creatures are in league with the children of God but they are enemies to the wicked The Ravens that fed Eliah pull out the eyes of those that are disobedient to their parents Prov 30.17 The Serpents stung the rebellious Israelites in the wildernesse yet the Viper upon Pauls hand hurt him not Act. 28.5 The Lyons that touched not Daniel devoured his accusers Dan. 6.24 And the dogges that licked Lazarus sores eate the flesh of Iezabel And the reason of this is the dominion which the Lord gaue to man over the creatures at the beginning and the image of God in man maketh them to acknowledge him as their Lord. But yee will say Object may not a beast hurt a child of God now They may and the reason is Answ because this Image of God is not fully repaired in them againe Why the beasts stand in awe of the children of God When Adam was in his innocencie he was like unto a Herauld that hath his coat of Armes upon him all stand in feare of him because he carrieth the Kings coat of Armes but pull this coat off him no man respecteth him so man when he was cloathed with this Image of God the beasts stood in awe of him Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall Historie recordeth that the Persecutors tooke the Christians and set them naked before the Lyons yet the Lyons durst not touch them they
we touch the needle of the compasse with a Loadstone that the stone may draw it right to the pole againe So the mind must be touched with the Loadstone of the Spirit of grace that it may come backe againe to the Lord as to the pole EXERCITAT VI. Of the seven Precepts given to Noah Act. 15.20 We write unto them that they abstaine from things strangled and from blood BEfore the Law was written the Hebrewes say that the Lord gave to Noah seven Precepts which were delivered of Noah by tradition to his posterity after him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these the Iewes call pirke abhoth capitula patrum the traditions of the fathers The most ancient first tradition that we reade of was that Gen. 32.32 because Iacob halted upon his thigh therefore the children of Israel eate not of the sinew which shranke which is upon the hollow of the thigh unto this day So were these seven precepts delivered by tradition The first was against strange worship or idolatry 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should not worship false gods and this they called gnabhuda zar◠strange worship The second they called it gnal birkath hashem that is they should blesse the name of God The third was gnal shepukoth dammim that is he was forbidden to shed innocent blood The fourth was gnalui gniria that is he should not defile himselfe with filthy lusts The fift was gnad hagazael de rapina that he should take nothing by violence or theft The sixt was gnal hadinim de judiciis The seventh was abhar min achai ne menbrum de vivo that he should not pull a member from a living creature and eate of it This precept they say was given last to Noah Gen. 9.4 but the flesh with the life thereof which is the blood thereof shall yee not eate that is How this precept of Noah not to eate blood is to be understood as the Iewes interpret it yee shall not pull a member from a living creature eate of it as the wild beast doth but to stay untill the beast be killed and then eate the flesh thereof neyther shall ye eate the blood while it is hot as if it were yet in the body this is cruelty against a morall precept to eate hot blood while the life is in it Where the reason of the Law is perpetuall the Law is perpetuall for where the reason of the Law is perpetuall the Law must be perpetuall The reason of the Law is ye shall not eate blood because the life is in it so long as the life is in it yee must not eate it and see how this sinne Ezek. 33.35 is matched with other great sinnes Yee eate with the blood and lift up your eyes towards your Idols and shed blood and shall yee possesse the land The morall transgressions of the Law joyned with it here sheweth that it is cruelty to eate hot blood But Levit. 7.27 was the ceremoniall part of the Law and the Apostles in the councill Act. 15. forbiddeth them to eate any thing that was strangled whereby they meant the ceremoniall part of the Law Quest Whether are we to take these precepts as ceremoniall or as morrall Answ The most of these are morrall precepts and the same which are set downe againe in the Law For when the Apostles biddeth them abstaine from fornication Act. 15. See Beza Act. 15. It is the same that is forbidden in the fourth precept given to Noah not revelare turpitudinem and to interpret here fornication for eating of things sacrificed to Idols seemeth to be a strained sense for that is forbidden already by the first precept to Noah And to uncover the nakednesse according to the phrase of the Scripture is meant of bodily pollution and not of spirituall fornication Of eating of blood see more in the appendix of Command 6. Now besides these morrall precepts set downe by the councill they interlace this ceremoniall precept de suffocato forbidding to eate things strangled and they give the reason wherefore the Gentiles should abstaine from these Act. 15.21 For Moyses is read in their Synagogues every Sabbath Why the Apostles forbid to eate blood or things strangled as if Iames should say they professe not onely the morrall Law but also the ceremoniall Law yet therefore yee Gentiles shall doe well to abstaine from these things which may give them offence The Iewes respected these precepts most because they were kept in the Church even from Noahs dayes The Hebrewes adde further that there was no other precept given untill Abrahams dayes then God added the precept of circumcision and afterwards taught them to separate tithes God at the beginning taught his Church by tradition and not by write The Lord taught his Church in her infancie this wayes by traditions and not be write and even as parents teach their children the first elements by word Simile and afterwards by write so the Lord taught his Church first by word and then by write Conclusion The conclusion of this is The Lord never left his Church without his word to direct her before the fall he spake immediatly to Adam and Eve taught them In the second period he taught them by these seven precepts In the third period by the Law written and in the fourth period by the Gospel EXERCITAT VII Of the diverse wayes how God revealed himselfe extraordinarily to his Church Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets GOd manifested himselfe to his Church God revealed himselfe to his Church foure wayes first by prophesie secondly by the holy Spirit thirdly by Vrim and Thummim and fourthly by the poole Bethesda First by prophesie Sundry sorts of prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were sundry sorts of prophecie the first was lepi face to face to Moyses onely This sort of prophesie was the highest degree of revelation and it drew nearest to that sort of vision which we shall get of God in the heavens He manifested himselfe to Moyses face to face How the Lord manifested himselfe to Moses and hee knew him by his name that is not onely by the face as Princes know many of their Subjects but he knew him inwardly and liked him this was notitia approbationis Moyses saw God face to face yet he saw not the essence of God for hee dwelleth in a light inaccessable Iohn saw Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn saw God three manner of wayes First in his incarnation he saw God dwelling amongst men in the flesh here Secondly in his transfiguration upon the Mount Thirdly in the Spirit upon the Lords day Rev. 1.10 Although Iohn lay in the bosome of Christ and
was his beloved Disciple yet he saith No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Ioh. 1.18 Differ 1 Differences betwixt the revelations made to Moses and to the rest of the Prophets When God spake to Moyses he spake to his underderstanding immediatly A man hath a right eare and a left eare the understanding is like the right eare and the phantasie is like the left eare hee spake to Moyses right eare to his understanding but when he spake to the rest of the Prophets by some shapes and visible formes he spake first to their left eare Moyses saw no visible shapes nor formes except onely in the entry of his calling when he saw the bush burning Exod. 3.6 and the Angell comming to kill him in the Inne Exod. 4.24 and when he saw the paterne of the Tabernacle in the Mount Heb. 9. but usually God manifested himselfe to his understanding Differ 2 Secondly the other Prophets were astonished and weakned at the sight of God Dan. 8.27 and I Daniel fainted and was sicke certaine dayes and I was astonished at the visions So Ezekiel fell upon his face when the Lord revealed himselfe unto him Chap. 3.27 But Moyses was never affrayd at the sight of God but thrice First when he was to enter in his calling when he saw the bush burning Exod. 3.2 Secondly at the giving of the Law Heb. 12.21 Thirdly in the Inne Differ 3 Thirdly Moyses needed not such preparations before he prophesied as some of the other Prophets did Elisha before he prophesied called for a Minstrell to settle his passions that he might be the more fit to receive his prophesie 2 King 3.15 But Moyses needed not such a preperation So Paul when he was ravished to the third heaven this knowledge which he got was intellectuall and it was neyther by the sight nor by the phantasie and whether the soule was in the body here tanquam in organo vel tanquam in sede onely See Iunius de purgatorie it may be doubted The second sort of prophesie was by vision as when Moyses saw the bush burning this was presented to him when he awas awake this was the meanest sort of revelation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third sort was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Visio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Visio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when something was presented to their phantasie in a dreame These visions which he shew to the Prophets sometimes they were of things which really existed as Zacharie saw Iosuah the high Priest and Sathan standing at his right hand Zach. 3. Sometimes of things that might be and was not as Zacharie saw two women carrying an Ephath Zach. 5.5 and sometimes of things that were not nor never could be as the monstrous beasts showne to Daniel and to Iohn in the revelation When the Lord revealed himselfe to the Prophets in these visions The Lord appeared to his Prophets sometimes immediately and sometimes by an Angell sometimes he spake mediatly to them by an Angel As Exod. 3.2 God is sayd there to appeare to Moses but Act. 7.30 an Angel is sayd to appeare in the burning bush Sometimes againe in these apparitions he immediatly appeared to the Prophets Ioh. 12.40 Hee blinded their eyes c. these things hee sayd when hee saw his glorie that is when he saw Christs glory When the Angels did appeare to the Prophets in these visions they appeared in the shapes of men The Angels ever appeared in the likenesse of men but not in the likenesse of women or beasts but they never appeared in the likenesse of women farre lesse in the likenesse of beasts as the Divell doth therefore Levit. 17.7 they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto Divels in the Hebrew it is leshegnirem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the hoarie ones because the Divell appeared in these shapes When the Cherubims appeared they carie the face of a man the crest of a Lyon the feete of the Oxe and the wings of an Eagle they had not foure faces as some thinke but in something they represented man in someting the Lyon in something the Oxe and in something the Eagle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panim here should be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the Angels appeared in the likenesse of man they were more glorious than any man When the Angels appeared to the Prophets there was more glory in them then in other men although sometimes they concealed this glory for a while as may be seene Gen. 18. comparing it with Heb. 13.2 When Paul saw an Angell standing by him in the likenesse of a man of Mecadonia there was more glory in him than in all the men of Mecadonia Act. 6.9 Because the glory of an Angell did shine in him and in this sense it is sayd Act. 6.15 that they saw the face of Steven as it had beene the face of an Angell that is his face did shine above the face of mortall men as when the Angels appeared in humane shape But when the Lord appeared in the likenesse of a man then his glory farre exceeded the glory of an Angell When the Lord appeared in the likenesse of man he exceeded the glory of an Angel Esa 6.1 I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne First he was set upon a high throne Secondly his cloathes reached downe to the ground which signifieth his glory the hemme of his garment touched the ground which signyfied the humanity of Christ and the Seraphims covering their faces because they could not behold the glory of God And when the Lord appeared in these visions he appeared in the likenesse of an old man as Daniel saw the Ancient of dayes sitting upon a throne Dan. 7.9 and Reve. 1.14 when the Sonne of God appeared his haire was white as wooll and white as Snow but the Angels of the Lord appeared in the likenesse of young men Mark 16.5 and the Cherubims were made like young men Quest Which of the Prophets saw the most excellent visions Exekiel saw the most excellent visions Ezekiels visions for the most part were of Christ and the spirituall Temple Answ Esay saw the Lord sitting upon a throne Esa 6.1 but this was a vision of judgement to make fat the hearts of the people but the visions of Ezekiel for the most part were of Christ and the building of the spirituall Temple These visions were so high that the Iewes forbad any to reade them ante annum sacerdotalem that is before they were thirty yeares of age Whether were the revelations by visions Quest or by dreams or that which was intellectuall more perfect Thomas answereth Ans that the vision which was to the phantasie was more agreeable to the nature of man and to his estate here But that which was immediatly to the understanding commeth nearer to our estate in glory It is generally to be observed here The
this the Priest did not prophesie neyther made songues to the prayse of God but having put on this breastplate it was a signe to him that God would answer these doubts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he asked of him it is called the Brestplate of judgement mishpat signifieth eyther the administration of publike judgements Esa 41.3 or private affaires Pro. 13.23 est qui absumitur absqe judicio that is because his family is not rightly administrat It is called then the breastplate of judgement because the Lord taught his people in their doubtfull cases what to doe The breastplate and the Vrim and Thumim are distinguished by this vrim and thummim Exod. 28.30 Thou shalt put in the breastplate Vrim and Thummim Some hold that the twelve pretious stones set in the brestplate were called vrim and thummim as Kimchi but the Text maketh against that for the breastplate and the vrim and the thummim are distinguished vers 30. Some of the Iewes againe incline most to this sense that these two words vrim and Thummim were set in the breastplate as holinesse to the Lord was written in great letters upon a plate of Gold What this Vrim and Thummim were and set in the forehead of the highpriest But it seemeth rather that they were two pretious stones given by the Lord himselfe to be set in the brestplate and an Ancient Iew called Rabbi Bechai marketh ה demonstrativum that these two are set downe cum he demonstrativo for their excellencie Neyther saith the Lord thou shalt make vrim and thummim as hee sayd of the rest of the ornaments of the Highpriests thou shalt make this or that The letters did not make up the answer It is commonly holden that the letters did shine out of the breastplate of Aaron when the Lord gave his answers to him that he might read the answer by the letters but this could not be as may appeare by the forme of the brestplate following The forme of the Breast-plate When David asked of the Lord 1 Sam. 23.12 will the men of Keila deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord sayd ysgiru they will deliver thee here the letters in the brestplate would have made up this whole answer Iod from Iehuda Samech from Ioseph Gimel from Gad Iod from Levi Resh from Reuben and Vau from Reuben but Iudges 20.8 when the Israelites asked counsell of the Lord who shall goe up first to battell against Benjaman it was answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehuda Battechilla Iuda shall goe up first now there was not so many letters in the brestplate to expresse this answer for there wanted foure letters of the Alphabet in the brest-plate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 5.23 There wanted foure letters in the Breast-plate when David enquired of the Lord shall I goe up against the Philistimes the Lord answered Thou shalt not goe up but fetch a compasse behind them and come upon them over against the Mulberry trees The letters in the brestplate could not expresse all this therefore it was not by the letters that the Lord answered the Priest but when hee had on this brestplate How the Lord taught the Priest by Vrim and Thummim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rationale upon him then the Lord taught him what to answer and this brestplate was but a signe unto him that the Lord would answer him as Sampsons hayre was a signe unto him that the Lord would continue his strength with him as long as hee kept his haire how was the strength in Sampsons haire not as in the cause or in the subject but onely as in the signe so in the Apostles garments and shaddow The Vrim and Thummim were a signe onely that the Lord would answer the Priest they were but a signe of their power which they had in healing miraculously and so was vrim and thummim but a signe of this that the Lord would answer the Priest The vrim and thummim were not alwayes with the Arke The Vrim and Thummim were not ever with the Arke for all the time of Saul they asked not counsell of the Arke 1 Chron. 13.3 Let us bring againe the Arke of our God unto us for we enquired not at it in the dayes of Saul they went usually to aske counsell in the Tabernacle and Sanctuarie of the Lord Iud. 20. they went up to Silo where the Tabernacle was to aske the Lord then the Arke was in the Tabernacle but when the Arke was separated from the Tabernacle they might sacrifice in the Tabernacle So they might aske the Lord here by vrim and thummim although the Arke was not there When the Highpriest asked counsell for David at Nob the Arke was not there nor the Tabernacle but onely vrim and thummim but when the Arke and the vrim and thummim were together they alwayes enquired the Lord before the Arke and when they were separated they turned their faces towards the Arke wheresoever it was when they asked counsell by the judgement of vrim and thummim When David was in Ziglag 1 Sam. 30. he asked counsell of the Lord by the Priest but neyther the Arke nor the Tabernacle was ever in Ziglag a towne of the Philistims They asked counsell of the Lord at the Arke by the High Priest When any are sayd to aske counsell of the Lord who were not Highpriests as the Israelites are sayd thrice to aske the Lord. Iud. 20.18 1 Sam. 14.37 23.2 1 Chron. 14. they are understood to have done this by the Highpriest for Num. 27.21 Ioshua is commanded to aske counsell at the Lord by Eleazer the High-priest How he stood who asked counsell by Vrim and Thummim The manner how he stood who asked counsell of the Lord by the Highpriest He shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall aske counsell for him after the judgment of Vrim before the Lord. Num. 27.21 he stood not directly before the Highpriest for then he should have stood betwixt him and the Arke therefore liphne should be translated juxta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a latere or beside the Priest Hee stood by the Highpriest when he asked counsell and hee heard not what tht Lord sayd to the Priest but the Priest gave him his answer The Lord by Vrim and Thummim answered distinctly to every question When two things are demanded of the Lord he answered in order to them As 1 Sam. 23.9 will they come up The Lord answered they will come up So he answered to the second question will they deliver me They will deliver thee They asked not counsell of the Lord by Vrim and Thummim but in great and weighty matters They asked counsell by Vrim and Thummim onely in matters of weight as David after the death of Saul 1 Sam. 2. So 2 Sam. 5. they asked the Lord for the King for the common wealth or for a
by the revelation of Iesus Christ they had not their calling from man but immediatly from God They had their calling intuitu Ecclesiae Vocatio vel est intuitu ecclesiae intervetu eccles 1 Cor. 3.2 sed non interventu Ecclesiae that is God ordained these offices for the good of the Church and it was for the Church cause that he appointed them but they had not their calling from the Church But Preachers now have their calling both intuitu Ecclesiae interventu Ecclesiae Immediata suppositi virtutis There is immedietas ratione suppositi immedietas ratione virtutis the first is when the person is immediatly separated by God to such a calling the second is when the graces and calling are immediatly given by God When Ministers are called they have their gifts immediatly from God and so they have their calling there interveneth no suppositum or midst betweene God and them but for the appointing and designing of them to such places that they have from the Church But the Apostles were called immediatly both ratione suppositi vÃrtutis they had their gifts immediatly from God neyther were they designed to such and such plaees as the Ministers are now The Prophets and Apostles were immediatly called by God and therefore Matthias was chosen by lot to be an Apostle because the lot is immediatly directed by the hand of God but Preachers now should not be chosen by lot Zeno the Emperor tempted God in this case laying a paper upon the Altar that God might write in the paper the name of him who should be Bishop of Constantinople Nicepherus Lib. 2. but Flavitius corrupting the Sexton of the Church caused him to write in his name and so was made Bishop of Constantinople Object But Moyses learned from the Egyptians and Daniel from the Chaldeans therefore it may seeme that they had not their calling immediatly from God Answ The Apostles and Prophets learned their humane Sciences and Artes from men but not their divine knowledge They had the learning of humane sciences and trades from men as Paul learned from men to be a Tent maker so Moyses learned these humane sciences from the Egyptians Daniel from the Chaldeans but their knowledge as Prophets Apostles imediatly was froÌ„ God Although they had their divine knowledge immediately from God Simile The Prophets knowledge was kept by reading Dan. 2.9 and 1 Tim. 4.13 yet they were to entertaine it by reading As the fyre that came from heaven upon the Altar was miraculous yet when it was once kindled they kept it in with wood as wee doe our fire So the Prophets knowledge was preserved by reading as ours is Prorogative 2 Their second prerogative was the measure of knowledge they had in matters Divine The measure of the Prophets and Apostles knowledge Their knowledge far differed froÌ„ the knowledge of Christ this was visio vnionis this excelled the knowledge of all creatures even of the Angels this was not called prophesie as he was comprehensor but as he was viator here upon the earth this his illumination is called Prophesie he is called the great Prophet Deut. 18.15 and in this sort of knowledge hee excelled both men and Angels Secondly their knowledge differed from the knowledge of Angels and the glorified Spirits for prophesie as Peter saith Visio vnionis gloria raptus prophetiae 2 Pet. 1.19 is like a light shining in a darke place but in Heaven there is no darkenesse Thirdly their knowledge differed from the knowledge that Paul had when he was taken up to the third heaven and this was called visio raptus their knowledge was farre inferiour to all these sorts of knowledge but it farre exceeded all the knowledge that we have Quest Whether had the Prophets of God and the Secretaries of the holy Ghost this their Prophesie and divine knowledge by way of habit or no The Prophets had not the gift of prophesie by habite Answ They had not this gift of prophesie by way of habit as the children of God have their faith and as Bezaliell and Aholiab although they had their knowledge immediatly from God to worke all curious workes in the Tabernacle yet they kept still this their knowledge as an ordinary habit but this gift of prophesie the Prophets had it not as a habit but they had neede still of new illumination when they prophesied Peter compareth prophesie to a light shining in a darke place 2 Pet. 1.19 how long continueth light in a darke house no longer then a candle is there so this coruscation Simile or glimpse of the Spirit continued no longer with them but when the Spirit was illuminating them and teaching them they had the gift of prophesie even as they had the gift of healing but they could not heale when and where they pleased Paul saith I have left Trophimus sicke at Miletum 2 Tim 4 20. So they could not prophesie when and where they pleased 2 King 4.27 The Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told it me they had not this prophesie as a permanent habit but as that which was now and then revealed unto them Ier. 42.7 And it came to passe after ten dayes here the Prophets behoved to attend untill he got a new revelation from the Lord and sometimes they waited longer and sometimes shorter for this revelation Quest How differed the Prophets then from other men when they prophesied not Ans First yee shall see a difference betweene them and others who prophesied Num. 17. It is sayd of those Prophets Prophetia momentanea prophetarunt non addiderunt that is they prophesied but that day onely that the Spirit came upon them but never after as the Hebrews expound it but the Prophets of the Lord prophesied often So 2 King 2.3 The children of the Prophets came forth they prophesied but this gift of the prophesie continued not with them but these Prophets of the Lord often prophesied And although they had not the habit of prophecie yet they were separate by God for that purpose to expect still for new illumination Prorogative 3 The third prerogative which the holy men of God had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was this that they could not erre in their writing 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost The Peophets erred not in writing the Scriptures Matth. 10 2. Luk. 21.15 Luk. 1.17 therefore the Prophets were called the mouth of God Luk. 1.18 Ier. 15.19 thou shalt be as my mouth Hee spake not onely by their mouthes The Prophets are called the mouth of God but also they were his mouth And contrary to this is that lieing Spirit in the mouth of the false Prophets 1 King 22.22 The secretaries of the holy Ghost erred sometimes in some of their purposes Wherein the Prophets and Apostles erred and in some circumstances of their calling but in
up against thee ascendeth that is Increaseth continually So Levare peccatum is to take off the burden of sinne Exod. 10.17 and Iohn alludeth to this 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lapidare Elapidare And Levare peccatum Is to take up the burden of sinne Levit. 5.1 So Sakal Lapidare Elapidare signifieth eyther to cast stones upon a thing as Deut. 22.24 or to take away the stones out of a place as Esa 62.10 Another example I am like a drunken man whom the wine hath gone over Ier. 23.9 that is whom the wine hath overcome but Matth. 26.39 Let this cuppe passe over me that is let it not touch me in a contrary signification So Gen. 25.18 Cecidit coram fratribus suis He dyed in presence of his brethren The New Testament useth often times the Hebraismes of the Old but the Seventi◠translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He dwelt before his brethren The New Testament usually followeth these Hebraismes of the Old Testament as Hos 8.8 A vessel in which there is no pleasure Rom. 9.21 A vessell of dishonour So 1 Sam. 21.5 The vessels of the young men are holy 1 Thess 4.4 That yee may know to possesse your vessels in holinesse So Exod. 1.8 there arose a new King in Aegypt who knew not Ioseph Matth. 11 11. there arose not a greater then Iohn the baptist So in the New Testament there are many peculiar phrases which are found in no other Greeke writers and here we must distinguish inter Hellenisimum Graecismum Difference betwixt Hellenismum Graecismum Hellenismus quid Hellenismus is that sort of phrase which the Seventy use for they translating the Scriptures for the use of the grecizing Iewes followed the Hebrew Chaldee and Syriacke in many things The Seventy follow the Hebrew Chaldee and Syriacke in many things so that they have a peculiar stile which is not to be found in other Greeke writers example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament signifieth wrath and poyson Reve. 18.3 Ex vino veneni that is poysoned wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ira venenum So Iob 4.6 The reason of this is because Hhema in the Hebrew signifieth both wrath and poyson Another example 1 Cor. 5.45 Death is swallowed up into victory the Seventy hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In perpetuum but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie perpetuum amongst the Heathen Amos 8.7 and 2 Sam. 2.26 Lament 5.20 why doe they then translate it For ever because the word Netzahh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Victoria Aeternitas signifieth both Victory and Eternitie A third example Gen. 8.21 Dixit ad eor suum dominus but the Chaldee saith Bemeria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which phrase the Evangelist Iohn followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this is not a phrase used amongst the Greekes A fourth example Give us this day our daily bread Matth. 6.11 The Greeks say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Panem quotidianum but the Syriacke hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crastinum panem that bread which may feede us to day and to morrow So Iam. 4.6 The Lord exalteth the humble but according to the Hebrew and Syriacke phrase to Exalt is to lift up on the Crosse Ioh. 8.28 When yee have lift up the Sonne of man or exalted the Sonne of man that is lifted him up on the Crosse These particular phrases used by the Seventy would be marked And besides these The simplicity of the stile of the Scripture is admirable if we shall looke more nearely to the stile of the Scripture as to the simplicity of it then we shall much more admire it 1 Cor. 2.4 My preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Againe the Evidence of the stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oculata fides cum quis ipse videt the judgements of God are set downe so wisely in the Scripture as if a man were looking on with his eyes this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Greekes as we may see in the deludge the overthrow of Sodome and the miracles in the Wilderdernesse set downe so clearely before us as if we had beene eye witnesses of them See a notable example Psal 7.12.13 By a borrowed kind of speech he setteth forth the judgements of God which were to over take the wicked as if we were looking on If he turne not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he hath ordained his arrowes against the persecutors Eightly the Fulnesse of the speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greekes call this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein nothing is wanting neyther in the enumeration of the parts The holy Ghost setteth downe all circumstances belonging to the purpose whereof hee intreateth or explication of the causes or reciting of the circumstances for the holy Ghost setteth downe all the circumstances belonging to the purpose So the Apostle Rom. 1. describeth at large the vanity and impiety of the Gentiles And Rom. 2. the hypocrisie of the Iewes and Cap. 3. he maketh a full description of the corruptions of man reckoning up the parts There is none righteous no not one vers 10. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God vers 11. They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Vers 12. Their throate is an open Sepulcher with their tongues have they used deceit the poyson of Aspes is under their lippes Vers 13. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Vers 14. Their feete is swift to shed blood Vers 15. Destruction and misery are in their wayes Vers 16. And the way of peace they have not knowne Vers 17. And there is no feare of the Lord before their eyes Vers 18. Ninthly the Shortnesse of the speech and here we cannot enough admire the fulnesse of the stile and the shortnesse of it Every word of the Scripture carrieth a weight that which Cicero sayd of Thucycides may here be applyed fitly Eum esse adeo plenum refertumque rebus ut prope verborum numerum numero rerum exaquet That every word carried a weight with it and therefore we may call it Laconica Scriptura All things in the Scrip are fitly joyned Tenthly the Coherence all things in the Scriptures are fitly joyned and coupled together The Heathen sayd that there were three things unpossible Eripere Iovi fulmen Herculi clavam Homero versum to pull Iupiters Thunder-bolt out of his hand Hercules Club out of his hand and a verse from Homer for they thought that there was such a connexion betweene Homers verses that not one verse could be taken away without a great breach in the
〈◊〉 as Ier. 31.39 Behold the day saith the Lord. Here is a blanke in the Text the vowels are onely set downe and the word Baim is understood by the Points of it which are in the Text and so it is Baim although it be not expresly written in the Text. The reason why they set the consonants in the Margent and the vowels in the Text was to signifie that they enclined rather to follow the Marginall reading than the Text and yet not to exclude the Text reading therefore they set the vowels in the Text. The Masoreth put not points to a word which they thinke doth redound Againe when the Masoreth thinke that some words abound they set downe the Consonants of the word in the Text but they point not the word which they would have to be be omitted Example Ier. 51.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against him that bended let the Archer bend his bow El ijddroch ijddroch hadderech And thus the Masoreth keepe us that we goe not amisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their observations are a hedge to the Law therefore the Iewes say Sejag lahhochma shethea Silence is the hedge of wisedome for when a man holdeth his peace he is then thought to be wise So they say Megnasheroth sejag legnosher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tythes are the hedge of our riches and therefore pay thy Tythes and bee rich So Nedarim sejag liphrishoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vowes are the hedge of the first fruites Lastly they say Masoreth sejag latora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Masoreth is the hedge to the Law By great paines and wonderfull care those Masoreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 numbred the letters and words of the Scripture that none of them might perish and as in a well constituted family 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the master of the family taketh a note of all the things in his house from the greatest to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So did these Masoreth of the whole Law therefore the Hebrewes say Gnim shimmureth hatorah that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the studie of the Masoreth was Cum conservationelegis for the preserving of the Law from corruption These diverse readings make not up diverse senses but helpe us better to come by the right sense of the Scripture Diverse reading make not up diverse sense in the Scripture When it is objected to us by the Church of Rome that we have not the true meaning of the Scriptures because of our diverse translations Our Divines answer that these diverse translations make not diverse senses in the Scriptures for the sense is still one and the same but these diverse translations helpe us onely to come to the true meaning of the Scriptures and so we must use these marginall and line readings as we use these interpretations When we see a blanke left in the the Text and supplyed in the Margent this addeth nothing to the Text as a word added sometime by a translatour addeth nothing to the Text So when the Masoreth put another word in the Margent A word set downe for explanation addeth nothing to the text which is not in the Text that word is set downe onely for explanation The meaning of the text is knowne by the antecedent and consequent and it addeth nothing to the Text. We take up the meaning of the Text by the antecedent and consequent Example Prov. 4.3 Tender and young was I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liphni before my Mother but in the Margent it is Tender and young was I Libhni amongst the Sonnes of my Mother for Salomon had moe brethren 1 Chron. 3.6 But these readings may stand he was tender and young before his Mother and best beloved of all his Mothers Sonnes The Conclusion of this is A certaine Iew gave God thankes for foure things Conclusion First that hee was a Iew and not a Samaritane Secondly that he was bred at Ierusalem and not at Pambiditha ex Tilmideni cap. 7 Thirdly that he said Shibbeth and not Sibboleth Fourthly that hee needed not the helps of Tiberias meaning the Points and Accents But we who are not naturall Iewes should bee thankefull to God because wee have these helpes to further us in the reading EXERCITAT XV. Of the meanes which God useth to make the Scripture plaine unto us 1 Cor. 14.11 If I know not the meaning of the voyce I shall be to him that speaketh a Barbarian c. THere are three speciall meanes by which God maketh the Scriptures plaine unto us Three speciall meanes for making the Scriptures plaine The first is translation of the Scripture The second is paraprasing of the Scripture and the third is the interpretation of the Scripture What things are necessary for translation In the Translation of the Scripture consider first what is a Translation Secondly the necessitie of translation Thirdly what things a Translator should observe and what things he should shunne Fourthly who they were who translated the Scriptures Fiftly the authority of the translation of the Seventy Sixtly the authority of the vulgar Latine translation First what is a translation What is translation We translate when we change out of one language into another and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Translator consider the words a part then it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is great force in the words and therefore the Translator must observe them Plato was wont to call Socrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu obstetricem because when he sought out the words then he brought forth the truth The necessitie of translation proved by sundry reasons Secondly let us consider the necessity of Translation without a Translation wee can not understand a strange language but it is barbarous to us Reasons proving the necessitie of translation Reason 1 First when the old testament hath words altogether unknowne to the Iewes Words in the old Testament unknowne to the Iewes are interpreted it useth to interpret them Example Purim was a Persicke word unknowne to the Iewes therefore the Holy Ghost interpreteth it calling it a Lot So the Evangelists writing in Greeke and having sundrie Hebrew and Chaldee words they expound them in Greeke as Siloe that is sent Ioh. 9.7 Abba interpreted by Pater Rom. 8. So Tabitha kumi by interpretation Daughter arise Mark 5.21 So Thomas called Didymus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Mark 7.34 and Act. 1.27 and Revela 1.7 amen by nai So Abaddon be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reve. 9.11 So Rabboni by Master Ioh. 20.16 why doth the holy Ghost interpret these names but to teach us that he would have the Scriptures translated into knowne tongues that the people might understand them Quest Why doth the holy Ghost interpret Elymas by Magus Act. 13.8 But Elymas the Sorcerer for so his name is by interpretation