so much that is but for is much Acts 5.8 Hee shall be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth that is but three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth which was verified though hee was not three full dayes and no part of the third night in the grave This seemeth to allude to Levit. 10.9 where upon the destruction of Nadab and Aâ—â—hu God provided that the priests should not drink wine when he is about to meddle with the holy things lest he should not discern aright between holy and profane things and persons Probably Nadab and Abihu had exceeded in wine when so presumptuously and mockingly they tempted God with strange fire For Wine is a mocker Pâ—a 27.1 Timothie and other like officers must not be drinkers of much wine lest they chuse or refuse whom they should not into Church office One drinker will favour another both of them unfit to be officers or office-makers in the Church of Christ And thus there is a faire dependance of this with the verses before and after which otherwise seemeth to be Independent II. TIMOTHIE 2 Tim. 3.6 THese are they that creep into houses c. That is these before spoken of ver 1 2 c. As if he should have said Whereas you do pretend that my people doe creep into houses c. I answer It is you and yours which creep into houses who deny the power of godlinesse under pretence of a form thereof c. as before is said Now those spoken of vers 1 2 c. are traitors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures c. HEBREVVES Hebr. 2.9 THat he by the grace of God should taste death for every man True and good But withall if God hath purposed to save beleevers and unbeleevers those who make a good use of that promise and those which make a wanton use thereof he could have saved them and never have told them so Inasmuch as he telleth them that Christ tasted death for every man it implyeth that he would have men to know it and beleeve it to love obey and walk thankfully for it So that they which walk worthy of this promise to them it shall be exhibited and made effectuall and whosoever walk not worthy to them it shall not be made effectuall Effectuall I say it shall not be to the salvation of such but effectuall to the just condemnation of such so that Christ shall be a sweet savour unto God aswell in those which perish as in those which are saved for they neglect so great salvation Heb. 4.9 c. Rest there signifieth continuance in the truth so the context will have it Heb. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without father without mother c. Not that Melchisedech as a man was without father without mother whether he was Sem the son of Noah as is most likely by all Jewes and Christians but as a priest he was without father without mother without kindred without beginning of dayes or end of life that is his priesthood was not tied to come of such a father mother kindred for they must come of the tribe of Levi their father must be of the tribe of Levi their mother must be of the tribe of Levi and that tribe was their kindred And as for beginning of dayes or end of life the man was not without beginning and without end for It 's appointed for all men once to die and then commeth the judgement But his priesthood was not stinted to begin at such a time or to expire at such a time as the Leviticall priesthood was for that priesthood was to begin at 30 yeers and to end at 50 yeers Num. 4.24 30. with Num. 8.24 Heb. 8.7 8. Covenant at coming out of Egypt Why might it not be Circumcision although circumcision was used and commanded before For John 7.22 1. It was given and commanded to that generation at their coming out of Egypt and not to them before 2. Circumcision though given and used before yet was first written then so that that manner of giving was never before their coming out of Egypt 3. Their coming out of Egypt was a solemn period of time whereby their Chronicles were kept Jer. 16.14 4. Moses is expressely said to give Circumcision although Circumcision was not first of Moses but of the Fathers John 7.22 5. It is said that they did that day avouch the Lord to be their God and that God did avouch them to be his people Deut. 26.17 18. 6. The antithesis between the new Covenant ver 11. and Circumcision is the most opposite for Circumcision took in infants the new onely knowers of God Heb. 12.16 Selling the birth-right for a messe of pottage That is done when a Christian for a meals-meat justifieth the prayer or thanksgiving of a professed unchristian before or after meat by his presence and posture Christianity and truth is the elder brother to all resemblances which are made of Christianity Wherefore it is a kinde of selling of a Christians birth-right to be present or to bare the head at an Antichristians prayer or thanksgiving before or after meat at table though in the Antichristians own house And the Authour here would not have a Christian to justifie the prayer of an Antichristian so much as once by his bare-headednesse or the like though perhaps he purpose never to sit bare-headed at the same or at any like occasion again For so charily the holy Ghost provideth that Christians should not passe away their birth-right not so much as for one messe of meat much lesse for two three or more meals of meat because the more meals the more times and the more times the more often selling of the birth-right Esau's birth-right was irrevocably sold as well for one meâ—â—â— of pottage as if hee had sold if for a whole worhâ—â— and by the sale thereof the blessing was likewise irrecoverably lost Object But the Apostle giveth us leave to goe to a feast with an unbeleever it woe be disposed and there to eat such things as are set before us asking no question for conscience sake Therefore it is lawfull to be present at such prayer and thanksgiving as are performed by that unbeleever before or after Answ It was too farre from his present purpose then and there in â—and to caution the gesture at thanksgiving in that place of Scripture What there by due method he cannot bring in that here he forgetteth not to add to teach us That 1. We should read one place of Scripture as well as another The whole Scripture is but one whole Systeme 2. We must look for every thing in his proper place 3. We must learn so to speak and so to write as that our hearer or reader may easily trace us and finde us which they cannot do if we take in so many severall circumstances as are not pertinent to the present matter in hand Hebr. 13.4 And the bed is undefiled The Authour doth hereby affirme
shortly future and consequently of his God-head Maâ—th 26.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It had been good for him iâ— he had not beene borne that man or if he had never become that man A softer speech then to say it had been good for that man if he had never been borne like that of Peter upon the same Judas where it is said He is gone to his proper place Acts 1.25 to teach us modest censure of immoderate sinners Matth. 26.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saist thou it Interrogative not affirmative else Christ had discovered Judas to become the betrayer which Christ modestly forbare save that he revealed him unto John upon request in his eare periphrastically by the Son lest Christ should be thought ignorant of the betrayer It is an easie thing I do not say a good thing for a Printer to omit an interrogative point Matth. 27.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they say it comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strangulo but compared with Acts 1.18 may it not come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figo α non tollendo augmentum interponendo γ. that is unfastened himself as Acts 1.18 he ran headlong burst in the midst Matth. 27.11 Of Christ unto Pilate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saist thou it witnesse the same answer of the same Christ to the same Pilate upon the same question in another Evangelist interrogatively Saist thou this of thy self or did others tell it thee of me viz. that I am a King John 18.34 It seemeth rationall to forbeare the direct information of his regality before Caesars Deputy Because that was the capitall snare which the Jewes laid for his life Matth. 27.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two lyers in wait ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two theeves Why might they not be lyers in wait for bloud rather then for theft 1. Because Barrabas a murtherer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 18.40 2. The penitent confesseth himself righteously crucified when by the law of Moses to the Jewes he might have pleaded four-fold restitution for the safety of his life MARK Marke 14.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hymning or praising For we finde the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be put transitively with an accusative after it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will praise thee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will sing praise unto thee which same in Psal 22.23 whence it is fetched 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will praise thee not I will sing to thee though singing in those dayes an ordinance more frequent then in these Therefore let singing make what shift it can for it self it cannot be proved out of this text Mark 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go preach the Gospel to the whole Creation Creation being understood metonymically for the people in the whole Creation It seemeth more rationall then that the Gospel should be preached to every creature and taketh away all occasion of that ridiculous preaching which hence that Popish Saint Francis is said to preach to the brute creatures or which any other profanely might object LUKE Luke 21.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am not I am Christ A speech which God justly appropriateth unto himself because he hath his being of himself I am hath sent me unto you Exod. 3.14 yet proudly arrogated of poor wicked men as Isa 47.8 Babylon saith in her heart I am and again thou hast said in thine heart I am and there is name else beside me But of this more and more fitly in exposition It s the ordinary proud word of arrogant men in Scripture to say I am as if they should say I am the singular one It is I with emphasis and no other then I. Luke 24.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As he sate with them not as he sate at meâ—t with them nor at table as in another reddition So that it was not common meat but the Supper of the Lord. Breaking of bread synechdochically put for the whole Supper The wine for brevity not mentioned is to be presumed because he promised to drink it new with them in his Fathers Kingdome which Kingdome was this Church of him raised from the dead And if he had not used the wine at this time as he promised and practised before his death how came the Disciples to know him by the breaking of bread For thus they argued That was our Master which brake bread and dranke wine in prediction of his death the night before his suffering promised to do the like after his resurrection in memoriall of his death This man doth break bread and drink wine in that signification Ergo it is our Master and not a Ghost in his likenesse The Papists prove themselves no Church by erring against the wine in this place And if they know not the meaning of that Scripture where Christ promiseth to drink the wine new with his Disciples in his Fathers Kingdome who will trust them to be aâ—â—errable in all other Scriptures But the Papists argue from this text that the cup is not necessary with the bread in the Supper of the Lord. Ergo one child in comparison may finde out that which their whole Catholike Church for the plainnesse doth not see and if their Church cannot erre then are they no Church for in this easie thing they erre how much more in other places of more difficulty The words at meat in our English are put in to obscure the gesture sitting which Christ and his Disciples did then and there use at the breaking of bread aswell as before his death a thing not espied of our ungreeked people by reason of the words at meat which maketh them think it to be common meat not the Supper of the Lord to this day but now they are warned as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no necessity to understand it of sitting to common meat What is that doctrine which teacheth Learning to be accursed from a spirituall use I say what is it but a lye of unlearned ones envying learning in those which have it because it obscures the glory of them which want it Luke 24.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He became disappearing that is he appeared not until that day sevennight on which day seven-night he appeared again Luke 24.36 John 20.26 to discountenance the seventh day and all the other six for having any more Sabbatisme in them A word provided of God to stop the mouths of those who would have the seventh day still to be the day of Sabbath especially if it be conferred with that 20. of John 26. and John 21.14 of which more in the next Scripture Luke 24.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at that speciall houre not the same houre that speciall houre or time is a periphrasis of the first day of the week For to what end should men and women dwellers in Galilee where Emmaüs was returne to Jerusalem at that time of the night whence
doores not without doores for so it is said again vers 26. After eight dayes again his Disciples were within Now if the shutting of the doores be only a Periphrasis of his firstnesse in coming it will not follow that the doores were not opened unto him by a key or like way but rather that they were so opened viz. by a key or the like ordinary means and to occasion is both taken and truly taken away from the Papist of his reall presence which he dreameth from this place And indeed if Christ had miraculously conveyed himself through the doores Thomas might the rather have doubted Christ to be a Ghost in the likenesse of of Christ then the same true Christ which died as the Papists say Christ to be in a wafer-cake as well as to come thorow the doors but Christ gave no cause of any of these three tenents John 20.26 After eight dayes That is after the daylight of the eighth day was past accounting the day of resurrection for one All the meetings in the New Testament after Christs resurrection on the Lords day for as much as I have observed were in the night John 21.15 Peter lovest thou mee more then these That is then these fellow-disciples of thine Thou saidst that though all should deny me yet thou wouldst not Peter had reason to love Christ more because a greater denyall was forgiven him John 21.22 What if I will that hee tarry till I come c. That is that he tarry where we are the broyled fish till I come from speaking apart with Peter some little distance probably about Peters denyall which before others Peter did not under stand So far may saints mistake the meaning of Christ for they understood it of his coming to judgement ACTS Acts 1.18 THis man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong hee burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Judas probably did not purchase the field forasmuch as hee threw and left the pieces of silver wherewith he should have paid for it before the high priests and because it is said that the high priests purchased the field with the same pieces Matth. 27.5 6 7 8. But it is he purchased with the reward of iniquity because by the reward of his iniquity a field was purchased for the emphasis lyeth not in the word hoc so much as in the purchace and price Like to a phrase of Hezekias where Hezekiah hath these words I have cut off like a weaver my life when the meaning is that it is cut off for it is God which cut it off or went about to cut it off sore against the will of Hezekiah unlesse it be said that Hezekiah by his sin provoked the Lord to cut it off Isa 38.12 And so Judas might give occasion to the high priests to purchase that field with that money Judas was the true occasion why it was called a field of bloud because it was purchased with that money which was the price of Christs bloud by him sold to the high priests for that money And falling headlong hee burst in the midst c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecept factus It seemeth by these words and by his bursting in the midst and by his bowels gushing out that he did not stay so long as to make his pâ—â—â— end by an 〈◊〉 but driven with more rage then could endure such delayes he seemeth to run down some steep rock mountain or promontory whereof there were anew about Jerusalem for as the mountains are about Jerusalem so is the Lord about them that fear him Psal 125.2 So steep the promontory or rock seemeth to be that with the fall he broke himself so that his bowels gushed out so that it was called the field of bloud as well from that besmearing as from the money wherewith it was purchased ver 19. whence it seemeth to be the same field which was bought with that mony whether before the death of Judas and by the act or consent of Judas is worthy of consideration Act. 23.5 I know not Brethren that hee was the high priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word not which stands between knew and brethren may seem to be intended by way of a Mecathesis as if it should be transposed and placed between was and the and then the words will be thus I knew brethren that hee was not the high priest or that there is no high priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. except Christ who is not now on earth Such transposition seems to be 1. John 5.16 I say not that thou shouldest pray for it that is I say that thou shouldest not pray for it And thus is Paul excused from untruth yea and made to speak couragiously who otherwise seemeth to be left guilty of senselesse dissimulation ROMANS Rom. 1.17 FRom faith to faith Not from faith to flesh as from Abraham to his posterity but from Abraham to those which doe the works of Abraham or which walk in the steps of Abraham Successours in the faith are the children of the faithfull as the Scripture accounteth children that which is born of their flesh is but flesh Rom. 4.1 2. What hath Abraham found as concerning the flesh For if Abraham were justified by works c. Works and flesh are Synonymaes or equivalent terms Works then must be that operation which the carnall Jewes did imagine that promise to have viz. I will be the God of thee and of thy seed And that operation which they imagined that promise to have was this namely that the promise did naturally and necessarily sanctifie all the seed of Abraham's posterity Inasmuch as it was sufficient to be one of Abraham's linage no more needed to make God to be his God The which sense if it be true then works in this and many other places of this Epistle are to be understood passively nor actively that is not the works of any man but the work or operation of Gods promise upon a man The great controversie between Paul and the Jewes both in the Epistle through many chapters and in the Galatians was this Whether the Jewes had not such priviledge by being Abraham's seed through that promise made to Abraham will his seed Gen. 17.7 as that they needed not in grafting into somâ—◠〈◊〉 Church by baptism For if they laid yet they must be also the grafted into Abrahams house by circumcision or they could not be saved as Act. 1.15 And this lost works may be one of those difficulties in Pauls Epistles so hard to be understood Rom. 8.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to purpose Called that is effectually called Effectually called are they which come when they are called Or effectuall call 〈…〉 coming when men are called According to purpose Whose purpose Gods purpose 〈◊〉 the calleds purpose Both may be admitteth For that 〈◊〉 should come when they are called is Gods purpose and God never purposed that all things
they had scarce by day light from morning to Emmaüs attained Thomas who was not with the Disciples till the second Lords day after Christs resurrection John 20.26 was with them at Jerusalem this later meeting witnesse their instructing of him about Christs resurrection from their own experience Luke 24.34 Jesus whose appearance at the fishing John 21.14 was but this third appearance was present at this later meeting at Jerusalem Ergo this meeting at Jerusalem must needs be the second Lords day spoken of John 20.26 The Lords day is a speciall time beyond other times against them which think so lightly of a Sabbaticall day in the New Testament JOHN John 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is that to thee and me woman A rationall answer to her impertinent proposition Not woman what have I to do with thee A more tart rejection then Christ obedient would make of his parent for that speech though impertinent John 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things upon the earth things above the heaven superterranea supercelaestia The Kingdome of heaven there spoken of at and though not earthly yet was on earth The elect who are not of the world are praid by Christ not to be taken out of this world Ergo are in the world John 17.15 The discourse of Christ with Nicodemus was about regeneration and about the Kingdome of God which is at hand namely in this world not about future felicity in another world John 11.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He troubled himself The troubles of Christ were under the power of Christ and by his help of Christians Troubles have power over others The godly are not tempted above what they are in some sort willing and able to bear John 18.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether may it not be understood interrogatively rather then affirmatively Saist thou it especially seeing the same question is answered interrogatively vers 34. Saist thou this of thy self or did others tell it thee of me John 18. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lier in wait Whether might not therefore the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two which were crucified with Christ be lyers in wait for blood or wilfull murtherers as this Barabbas was seeing they confesse themselves to suffer justly who by the Law of Moses might have pleaded restitution Then justification of Christ hath whited a scarlet sinner for Paradise ACTS Acts 2.1 EN 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the day that is the day-light of the fiftieth day after Christs resurrection was fully come that is was come and gone and now the night of that fiftieth day began to succeed They assembled in the night Fiery-tongues the fittest colour for the night as the Pillar of Fire by night which became a Pillar of cloud by day The night of the Sabbath and of every day followeth his day Pentecost no proper name of any Jewish Feast in this place much lesse of any Christian Feast The like Exposition may Pentecost receive Acts 20.16 the fiftieth day from the pronunciation of those words Likewise 1 Cor. 16.8 Acts 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the speciall thing viz. the Supper of the Lord synechdochically put for the whole worship of God The worship of God is a special thing and that speciall thing about which the S t s are to assemble And the Supper of the Lord is a most solemn and significant sum and part of the whole worship Acts 4.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking or perversly taking them or pretending to take them perhaps against their knowledge a cleanly pretence to be rid of them usuall amongst their successors in our time was or did Christs gain-sayers think that Christ was madde and had a Devill John 10.20 yet so they said of Christ It is no newes for enemies to speak against their consciences Probably Peter and John of Israelitish parents were brought up in the daily reading and understanding of the Law and Prophets Hebraicall according to the commandement Deut. 6.7 of teaching their children we finde Timothy was so taught of a child 2 Tim. 3.15 Peter wrote two and John three Epistles in Greek extant with us unto this day Our antigrammatarians cannot set readers I do not say riders on them If Fishermen like Tent-makers might not be throughly lettered why do our antigrammatarians constrain Scholars to be tradesmen like Pharaoh which will proclaime Moses and Aaron idle if they do not like Porters carry burdens upon their backs May not we more justly charge our antigrammatarians in the name of the Lord from the example of the learned Fishermen and tent-makers to get learning with their trades which they should had before their trades or else to sit silent at the feet of Gamaliel till they can skil of the original words of their pretended fathers wil There is as much probability that all Disciples tradesmen became Scholars as that all Scholars became tradesmen let him that readeth consider There is as much need of this to a better life as there is of a handy trade to this present life I do not say that learning is so easily acquired as a trade yet much might be by rule and use If all tradesmen were Scholars then our antigrammatarians might have their will to make all Scholars tradesmen If it be objected that Peter and John had the Greek tongue and whatsoever literature they had by miracle I answer that then they had it some way and could not be called unlearned men If they had it by miracle let our antigrammatarians show it us in themselves by miracle which now shortly they expect or else their tongues abuse their conscience but till then what will it availe them that Peter John and others had it by miracle which they themselves have no way or else till miracles come which will not be so soone as the expecters vanity let them get by ordinary means that which the Apostles had by extraordinary and so shall they learn to blesse and not to blaspheme the holy Scriptures which without Grammaticall congruity were not written no not so much as any one line of them In the mean time Be it known unto all men that our Antigrammatarians which account Peter and John unlearned because the envious High Priests said so do sit in the high Priests scornfull Chair successively while they would be thought to sit in Peters Chair and Johns by vertue of an unlearned profession But what should we foul our fingers with them when many of the cheifest of them being demanded whether God in the constitution of Scripture doth make his adjective and substantive to agree have answered That they do not know any adjective and substantive in Scripture to be at all Auditum admissi risum teneatis amici Acts 13.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As many as were set ordered or constituted in a fit posture like men which will be saved Allusion to that phrase where it is said Such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of