little scattered Church may rally and fall in by Coalition with another that stand their ground And this must be done in haste for in apprehending Christs Blood Merit and Spirit as it becometh us not to be slack and remiss therein it so highly concerning our eternal Weal or Woe so nor may we be of loose and dissolute lives but girt in as above nor envious at our Neighbours Priviledge c. And we must observe to keep this Passeover duely and truly Exod. 12.47 or perish for the neglect of it aut faciendum aut patiendum we must either do it now or we must die for it Now come we to the third and last Concomitant of Israel's Redemption out of Egypt namely The Consecration of the First-born of Israel unto God Exod. 13.1 2. and 11. to 16. The reason of it is laid down by the Lord himself saying All the First-born of Man and Beast are mine ver 2. As if God had said thus They are all due Debt to me as sacred things which I saved in the slaughter of all the First-born of Egypt and thereby also I procured my People their liberty out of the Iron Furnace Deut. 4.20 And this also they were commanded to Teach their Children as well as the Mystery of the Passeover Exod. 13.8 9 14 15. God might say all Created things are his by right of Creation and Preservation as indeed they are but the First-born of Israel are his in a more peculiar manner by the right of Redemption from the slaughter of the First-born of Egypt and therefore gave he this Law Concerning this Consecration of the First-born its prescription together with that of the Passeover is but briefly propounded ver 2 3. but more largely described ver 11 12 13 14 15 16. wherein the Divine Command is extended 1. To the time and place when and where it must be observed to wit at their coming into Canaan ver 11. 2. The matter to be Consecrated is to be the First-born both of Man and of Beast ver 12. 3. The manner or form of Redeeming such First-born us were unfit for Sacrifices namely the First-born of the Ass among unclean Beasts which must be Redeemed or Destroyed and the First-born of Man which must be simply Redeemed ver 13. 4. The final cause In memorial of their Deliverance ver 14. which by words they must teach their Children ver 15. and by Symbols they must be reminded of it themselves v. 16. as alway at Hand c. The first Remark hereupon is this That we are not our own but the Lords 1 Cor. 6.20 Christ may say of us and Oh that he may say so as here ye are mine I have bought you with a price and I have saved you from the common Destruction He that is saved is not his own but rather his who saved him servati sumus ut serviamus being delivered therefore serve him in holiness all our days Luke 1.74 Rom. 12.1 The second Remark is The First born here in one respect may Typifie Christ the Redeemer 1. Because he is the Begotten Son of God from all Eternity called therefore the First-born of every Creature Col. 1.15 2. As he took upon him our Nature and was Born of the Virgin Mary so he was also her First-born Mat. 1.25 then presented to God as the First-born Luke 2.23 24. 3. Because he was the first that rose out of the Grave and made a way unto Everlasting Life therefore is he called The First-born of the dead Col. 1.17 Accordingly as the First-born was first set apart and then Sacrificed to God so Christ as the unspotted Lamb holy and acceptable was first separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 and then made himself a perfect Sacrifice for the sins of his People ver 27. And 4. He is called the First-born among many Brethren Rom. 8.29 as our Captain going before us in suffering work to whose Image we ought to be conformed and therefore must we give him the Honour of the First-born whose first Birth-right requireth that all our Sheaves should veil Bonnet strike Top-sail and fall down to his Sheaf as theirs did to Joseph's Gen. 37.7 8. The third Remark is As in another Respect those First-born secondly are Types of Christians the Redeemed as well as of Christ the Redeemer called the Church of the First-born whose Names are written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 Alas we are all of us by Nature the Children of wrath Eph. 2.2 till we be Redeemed by the Blood of Christ from the second death for in respect of the first Death no Man can give any Ransom to God Psal 49.8 9. Heb. 9.27 Thus those First born that were to be Redeemed do Figure out the Redeemed of the Lord out of the World so called Psal 107.2 Isa 51.11 and 62.12 who are as dear to God as his First-born Exod. 4.22 and in that respect are higher than the Kings of the Earth Psal 89.27 for they are Kings and Priests Rev. 1.6 to serve him day and night in his Temple Rev. 7.15 The fourth Remark is The Mercy of our Deliverance requires the Duty of our Obedience Thus here saith God Sanctifie unto me all the First-born c. ver 2. Israel was equally exposed to the Destroying Angel as was Egypt had not the Lord in Mercy spared them therefore he requireth of them their First born We may not be all for receiving Mercy and nought at returning Duty We must not only look at what hath been done by God to us but what also ought to be done by us to God namely observing all things that he commands us Matth. 28.20 This Law signifies that as we are Redeemed from Death by our Dear Redeemer so we should Consecrate both our selves and all ours to the Service of the Lord Rom. 6.13 19 22. and 12.1 even as he is our God and Sanctifies us to himself from the Womb Psal 22.11 Isa 46.3 Jer. 1.5 Luke 1.15 and Gal. 1.15 and then do we Mystically sanctifie our First-born to God even when we Offer up to him our first and best Services the Lord will have the priority thereof We must seek first the Kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 our first Times Thoughts Words and Deeds should be Consecrated to God in our Morning Devotion serve God first c. The fifth Remark is God will be served like himself both in and with the best of all our Services The Males must be the Lords Exod. 13.12 the more Honourable Sex which bears up the Name amongst Men and therefore the Lord curseth that Deceiver who hath a Male in his Flock yet would cozen the great King with some Carrion or corrupt thing Mal. 1.6 8 14. In this Law of the First-born of Beasts as the Male was required signifying that perfect Man our Lord Jesus Eph. 4.13 so even of clean Beasts God will not be defrauded of the Right First-born to prevent the fraud it was ordained to tarry seven days with the Dam and to be dedicated to
Revoltings from God after which they wandred thirty eight years in the Wilderness till all that Generation save Caleb and Joshua the two good Spies against ten bad ones Numb 13. were all worn out and who knows but God may wear out this Generation who have been polluted with the Superstition of the Land in the like manner and raise up a new Off-spring more pure in Gods Eye to inherit the Promises of the latter day c. Sometimes Israel was up among the Mountains and sometimes down among the Plains and Valleys Thus the Church of God hath her ups and downs still all along there is a mixture of Mercy with Judgment God never stirs up or pours down all his wrath Psal 78.38 but in the midst of wrath remembers mercy Hab. 3.2 And as Afflictions do abound so Consolations abound 2 Cor. 1.4 5. The sixth Remark in General is Israel's sins in the Wilderness which were many and great may mind us of our sins in our bewilder'd state As they were Murmurers loathers of Manna Tempters of Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 6 9 c. both unbelievers and presumptuous Numb 14.3 11 41. lusting after the Flesh-pots of Egypt Numb 11.5 they committed Fornication with the Daughters of Moab Numb 25. yea and gross Idolatry Exod. 32. in their Calf Worship and many more such sins insomuch that the Psalmist makes this complaint of them How did they provoke God in the VVilderness and grieve him in the Desart Psal 78.40 Ten times at least they tempted God the two first years Numb 14.22 How many times more in the other thirty eight years Nay the whole forty years God calls it one continued day of provocation Psal 95.8 9 10 11. Heb. 3.8 to 18. and Moses at his Death tells them from the very day of their coming out of Egypt they had been all along his Life of Government a Race of Rebels Deut. 31.27 c. The better that God was to them the worse they were to him as if God had hired them to be wicked and this was ordinary with them till God had worn them out God grant it may not be so with us The seventh General Remark is All sorts of Persons sinned against God in the VVilderness not only the mixt multitude of Strangers Numb 11.4 but the Congregation of Israel yea and their Princes also such as the ten Spies Dathan Abiram c. so likewise did the Levites as Korah and his Company yea Miriam the Prophetess and Aaron the High-priest with her Numb 12. over and above his making a Calf Exod. 32. and at the waters of Meribah Numb 26. Lastly even Moses himself at the same place for which he falls short of the Land of Promise The eighth General Remark is The various punishments God inflicted upon all those Sinners some in one way some in another some more some less are written cautions to us on whom the ends of the VVorld is come 1 Cor. 10.1 to 11. Heb. 3.17 and 4.2 The punishments which the Lord laid upon the disobedient were divers some were slain by the Sword of the Enemy as of the Amalekites Exod. 17. and of the Canaanites Numb 14.45 and of their own Brethren Exod 32.27 29. and Numb 25.5 Some were burnt with fire Numb 11.3 and 16.35 Some were swallow'd up of the Earth which Buried them quick ver 33. Some were kill'd by Serpents Numb 21.6 c. Some died of the Pestilence yea many ver 46 48. 1 Cor. 10.6 c. Psal 78.30 31. and generally all that Generation which were first mustered after their coming out of Egypt perished Numb 16.64 65. God consumed their days in vanity and their years in trouble Psal 78.33 or in terrour for they were continually in fear of Gods wrath of mischief from Enemies round about from fiery Serpents wild Beasts c. Hebr hasty terrour suddenly surprizing those Sinners as God had threatned them Levit. 26.14 to the end and all their Journeys were fruitless vanities because they could not come to Canaan Numb 14.29 The good Lord grant our Carcases may not so fall in this Wilderness condition as not to see what good the good God will certainly bring upon this Church c. The ninth General Remark is Nevertheless for his Names sake God magnified his Mercy towards them and their Posterity Psal 106.8 where he comes in with a non obstante as he doth Isa 57.17 and what people may he not thus save having other things to look after namely to make his power known than presently to punish his people when they most deserve it for he being full of compassion not standing upon Terms or taking Advantages Many a time turned he his anger away overcoming their provocations with his own patience and pity Never stirr'd up all his wrath letting fall only some drops of it but would not shed the whole shower of his wrath Psal 78.38 because he would ever reserve some Remnant of a Church to praise his Name on Earth therefore suffered he not their Sins to overcome his Mercy which still triumph'd over his Justice Jam. 2.12 if not the extremity thereof would soon destroy us all Psal 130.3 and 143.2 Lam. 3.22 Though their offences were aggravated by their Obligations making both Egypt and the VVilderness two Stages of astonishing wonders yet he remembred they were but Flesh frail and feeble in the faln Nature full of sin c. and a wind that passeth away Psal 78.39 this was Gods ground for cursing the ground no more Gen. 6.3 and 8.21 and for not making an utter end of Israel in the VVilderness but brought them to Canaan Psal 78. ver 54 c. Neh. 9.17.22 Ezek. 20.17 22. The tenth General Remark is Though Israel's maladies in the Wilderness were many and great yet the Lord so magnified his Mercy towards them as to make for them proportionable Remedies As their dangers were many and great accordingly were all along their Deliverances likewise As NB. 'T was very uncomfortable and hazardous to Travel in a way-less Wilderness this was their malady and misery which God graciously prevented with the blessing of his goodness Psal 21.3 in a threefold Remedy and Mercy for no fewer than three Guides God granted them First The Cloudy Pillar Exod. 13.21 22. which while they rested covered the whole Camp Psal 105.39 and when they marched the Cloud gathered up into the fashion of a Pillar and went directly before them Numb 9.15 c. Secondly They had Hobab Moses's Father-in-law to be instead of Eyes to them Numb 10.31 as Job was said to be Eyes to the blind to direct them in the right way Job 29.15 for Hobab or Jethro was well acquainted with the Situation of the Wilderness far better than they he being of that Countrey of Midian adjacent to it yea better than Moses though he had lived long thereabouts yet many particular passages might be forgotten and some so changed by the changeable Sands as to need a new direction Generals of Armies do
but the Amorites had taken them from the Moabites as above from whom now Israel won them by Conquest and had present possession thereof still retaining their old Name Those Plains reached unto the River Jordan in that part which was over against Jericho the first City which Israel conquered in Canaan Josh 6. therefore is it call'd Jordan of Jericho These Plains and Countreys of the Amorites God now gave unto Israel as the first-fruits of their Inheritance after their tiresom Travels and Troubles in the Wilderness on this side Jordan to those that travelled from Egypt to Canaan by which they were to be encouraged against the Residue of their Enemies beyond Jordan as Moses improveth it to that purpose saying Thine Eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done to those two Kings Sihon and Og So will the Lord do to all the Kingdoms whither thou passest c. Deut. 3.21 22. and 31.4 God might well give the Lands of Sihon and Og to Israel for an Inheritance because he is the true Proprietary and Lord Paramount of all the Earth and for this great Mercy David taught Israel in after Ages to be thankful to God and to sound out his praises for this pledge of future favour Psal 135.10 11 12. and 136.18 22. The third Remark is The External Impediment of Israel's Motion by the Moabites c. the place where being Shittim or Abel-Shittim upon which the two former Remarks are made in the general Now come we to a particular discourse upon the Impediment it self branching it self out in three particulars The Moabites endeavour to interrupt Israel's passage to the promised Land First By hiring a Sooth-sayer to curse them which curse God turned into a blessing Secondly By open Hostility and force of Arms drawing out in Battel-ray against them Thirdly By Wiles suggested by the Sorcerer's pestilent Advice drawing them to commit Fornication and Idolatry Numb chap. 22 23 24 25. Now to discourse distinctly upon all the particular passages of this eminent Divine Dispensation toward the Church in the Wilderness will afford many famous particular Remarks As First Beside the place before Remark'd upon in the generals the Principal Agent is the next Circumstance to be considered who is described by his Name Parents and Condition Numb 22.2 and likewise by his Policy and Prudence which appeareth in his consulting how to avoid an imminent common danger he calls in his Neighbour-Nation the Midianites to joyn both their fraud and their force their craft and cruelty with him v. 3 4. Balak King of Moab was the main Man who together with his Subjects the Moabites were sore afraid of Israel This fear God smote them with to make the Enterprizes of his People the more easie Exod. 15.14 15. Deut. 2.25 Josh 2.9 This Balak was a man of note and figure in his day both for Prudence and Prowess a politick and potent Prince Mich. 6.5 Judg. 11.25 He saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites this he looked upon with an evil Eye but not to Receive Instruction Prov. 24.32 The only fruit was He and his People were not only afraid bur also fretted at Israel's weal as the Egyptians had done before them Exod. 1.12 Tho' those Moabites had no cause either to fear or fret they were worse afraid than hurt for Israel passed by them in peace being forbidden of God to touch their Border Deut. 2.9 because Allied to them descending of Lot who was Nephew to Abraham the Father of Israel Beside Israel had eased the Moabites of the Amorites who had been a troublesom incroaching Neighbour taking away part of their Land from them Numb 21.26 Yea they also gave them assurance that they would not meddle or molest them Notwithstanding being degenerated from the Faith of their Father Lot and worshiping Chemosh Numb 21.29 They feared as do the wicked where no fear was Psal 53.3 and being gross Idolaters they loath the People of the God of Abraham and of Lot their Father This is the Guise of Graceless ones being acted and agitated by the Envious One they design to grieve God's People but themselves are grieved and fret to behold them well sore against their will A great sin it was to grieve not for their own wickedness but for Israel's welfare Thus their punishment is made suitable to their sin their Envy becometh both their Crime and their Curse No better was it with the Midianites descended of Abraham Gen. 25.1 2. and so Brethren unto Israel but now being faln from the Faith of their Father Abraham unto that shameful Idol Baal-Peor Numb 25.17 18. they conspired with the Moabites against them who meant neither of them any harm as the Lord had commanded till afterwards Numb 25.17 Nor had these Midianites any occasion of offence at the Amorites overthrow by Israel seeing they had been held in subjection by those Amorites for the five Kings of Midian that now Combined with Moab and perish'd for so doing Numb 31.8 are call'd the Dukes of Sihon Josh 13.21 because he had subdued them by his Tyrannical Power whereof Israel had now freed them therefore had they more cause to be thankful unto Israel for freeing them from Sihon's Yoke and to have rejoyced with the Joy and for the Prosperity of their Brethren than to become Confederates with Moab against them 'T is probable they two had been Nations in Confederacy in former Wars as when Hadad King of Edom smote Midian in the field of Moab 1 Chron. 1.46 when their bordering one upon another was an occasion of Quarrels arising amongst them This Politick Prince Balak imagined that Israel would now lick up his Countrey as the Ox licketh up the Grass a sit Emblem of the wicked Psal 37.2 He sends for the Senators of Midian who club their wits together and discerned that Israel was not to be subdued by any Humane Hands in War But the Devil at the Consult tells them they must have help from Hell c. The second particular Remark relating to this Impediment is The Ministerial Tool and Instrument whereby this Hinderance was managed against Israel who is also described by Name Parents Condition and Habitation Numb 22.5 This was Balaam the Diviner or Soothsayer so call'd Josh 13.22 who had a double Call such as it was to this wicked work of cursing Israel 1. From whence was he called Answ From Pethor or Mesopotamia that lays betwixt Tygris and Euphrates Numb 23.7 Deut. 23.4 the Countrey where Abraham first dwelt Acts 7.2 Gen. 24.4 10. and where he served other Gods Josh 24.2 and where Jacob served for a Wife c. Hos 12.12 Gen. 31.21 Hence his Posterity professed their Father an Aramite or Syrian c. Deut. 26.5 from this Eastern Countrey infamous for Soothsaying and Divination Isa 2.6 Was Balaam sent for 2. By whom Answ By Balak the Elders both of Moab and Midian being his Messengers Numb 22.5 7. having the Reward of Divination in their hands which the
vexed Israel and the Vexation of Israel by the Philistines must be reserved to be discoursed upon in the History of Samson to which it properly and peculiarly belongeth But as to the Year wherein the Ammonites began to vex Israel though some do say that time of their oppressing Israel Eighteen Years began at Jair's Death to let them know how great the loss of a good Magistrate was by their forfeiting of him Yet the Learned cannot concur with this Opinion because this inlargeth the time of the Judges beyond the just bounds expressed 1 Kin. 6.1 So that the greatest part of Jair's Judgeship was Contemporary with this Affliction of Israel by the Ammonites which Jair though a good Man could not possibly with all his Prudence and Prowess redress On the one hand Israel was now become so mad after their Idols Jer. 50.38 that he could not work a thorough Reformation of Religion among them and therefore God on the other hand gave a Commission to the Ammonites to correct those Tribes beyond Jordan about the fifth Year of Jair's Judgeship and when the baseness and backwardness of Israel was not reclaimed by sundry Deliverances from the Enemies Incursions under Jair's Conduct then the Ammonites passed over Jordan into Canaan ver 9. and sorely distressed Judah Benjamin and Ephraim on this side Jordan in all for Eighteen Years because the scab of Idolatry had spread it self from the fifth Year of Jair upon both sides of Jordan and continued to an Horrible Increase In the same Year that Idolatry began to break out in Israel the Ammonites began to break in upon them and God would not Inable Jair to deliver them from their Oppressors but gave them up to this sad Oppression The Third Remark is The Blessed Effect of this long Slavery Hereby Israel were recovered from Relapses and Reduced to Repentance For First They cry to the Lord ver 10. which no doubt they had often done before a Beast will cry when hurt but their former Cries were only the Fruits of Flesh for their own ease not of Faith for God's Favour Now they cry with their whole Heart and confessed their double Iniquity in particular and that with utmost Detestation both of forsaking God and of following Idols ver 10. Then the Lord was pleased to Expostulate the Case with them upbraiding them with divers Deliverances N. B. Note well Some whereof are not Recorded in the Holy History to shew Israel had many more Favours from God's Hand than are upon Record ver 11.12 13 14. wherein the Lord Christ appearing in an Humane Shape as he had done before Judg. 2.1 and 5.13 and 6.23 tells then He would shew them Mercy no more that is except they repent as Revel 2.5 and derides them for crying to their Idols which could not help them in their need as Elias derided the Priests of Baal 1 Kings 18.27 Hereupon Israel both Repents and Reforms then puts themselves into the Hands of God's Justice in hope of his Mercy and though we read not that the Lord gave them an Answer of Comfort yet 't is said He Repented upon their Repentance and gave them Courage to Encamp against the Enemy yet still want they one to head them ver 15 16 17 18. Judges CHAP. XI JUdges the Eleventh is the History of Jephtah's Expedition against the Ammonites the last Verse of the Tenth Chapter being an Introduction to it Israel there was at a loss for want of a Leader none durst upon their Proclamation undertake so dangerous and desperate an Enterprize though the Principality of Gilead was promised to the Undertaker Hereupon they resolve to send for Jephtah whom they knew to be excellent both for Valour and Conduct and to stipulate with him for his Encouragement That if he would accept of this place of a Leader and give the first Onset he should be their Judge and General ever after ver 8 9. The First Remark in this History of Jephtah is this Man was Banished by his own Brethren because he was a Bastard and quâ talis as Moses Law banished him out of the Congregation of the Lord Deut. 23.2 So his Wanton Brethren do Banish him as such out of their Father's Family little thinking that they should another Day be glad to be beholden to him He flies into the Land of Tob not far from Gilead where he musters up many ill-minded Men yet manageth them well in fighting against the Ammonites that bordered upon them wherein he had oft look'd Death in the Face and done brave Exploits in the Field which made Israel more forward to chuse him now for their Chieftain who had so prosper'd in plundering the Enemy for his own and his Followers Livelihood ver 1 2 3 4. The Second Remark is After this Adversity of Jephtah is usher'd in his Prosperity The Principality of Gilead is offer'd to him by the Elders of Gilead upon condition that he would be their Captain in their Warring against the Ammonites who were at this very time come forth to fight against Israel Jephtah at first refused their offer upbraiding them with their publick Act wherein they had corroborated the base private Act of his envious Brethren in Banishing of him and so had thereby made his Banishment Legal The Elders some of whom might possibly be some of his Brethren being Sons of Gilead a great Man in the Country of Gilead answer his Objection saying this pinchig necessity hath brought us to a right sense of our former oversights we did then indeed work our own Wills without Wit and Wisdom but now we come to make thee due Reparation Jephtah being Jealous through former Injuries makes his bargain wisely taking an Oath of them and so accepts of being their Captain only but not a word of being their King because Abimelech's Kingship had been so fatal to them ver 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The Third Remark is Jephtah being now formally constituted by a Parliament at Mizpeh the Judge and Supream Governour of Israel doth most prudently and piously Treat with the Ammonites before he will fight them and that in obedience to Moses's Law Deut. 20.10 first offer Peace accordingly he sends Embassadours to Expostulate with the King of the Ammonites about his present Invasion saying Why art thou come to sight against me in my Land ver 12. he could not have call'd Gilead Jabaad his Land unless Israel had made him their Head and now hath he a just Title so to term it The King of Ammon answer'd his Embassadors That Israel were the Invaders and not he for he only came up to recover his own right which Israel had robb'd him of ver 13. Then Jephtah Replys again by his Embassadors declaring that the Ammonites Allegation was no better than a loud Lye both negando pernegando he denies it and better denies it ver 14 15. strenuously affirming that the Land in question was Israel's out of all Question and that by a Threefold Right 1. By the
Answer 3. Probably the Angels prepared this Food and placed it so as the Ravens might receive it Answer 4. Peter Martyr saith this Meat might be thus prepared by an Angel mille modis a thousand ways unknown to us As God hath made Angels to be ministring Spirits unto the Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 so he might have fed Elijah by the immediate Ministry of an Angel Yet was it God's unsearchable Wisdom to imploy the Ministry of Ravens but so much of this charge might be imposed upon the Angels as to Cook it ready for the Carriers in all which there is nothing incredible considering the Almighty Power and Providence of God The Second Enquiry How oft and how long did the Ravens do thus Answer to the first Branch They did it duely and daily by Divine Direction duely and daily in a proper season for the Prophet's Dinner and Supper according to the Custome of that Countrey Gen. 43.25 Ruth 2.14 Luke 14.12 Acts 10.9 10. Those stated times the Ravens were over-ruled to observe as if they had been rational Creatures purposely appointed to Minister seasonably to God's Prophet Answer to the second Branch How long this they did for full half a Year for the Brook dried not up till six Months were ended Or as others say a whole Year Chap. 18.1 Luke 4.25 Jam. 5.17 Remark the second is Elijah's going at God's command to the Widow of Sareptah ver 8 9 10 to 16. Wherein Mark 1. The occasion of it the Brook Cherith dried up by the continued Drought ver 7. N.B. So will all Humane Helps and Creature Comforts fail to those that put their Confidence in them This was to teach Elijah a due and daily dependency upon the Alsufficiency of God who is the only ever-flowing and over-flowing Fountain All our fresh Springs are in him Psal 87.7 and when the Brook fails God hath a Sareptah for his Elijah a City betwixt Tyre and Sidon so out of the Pale of the Church Mark 2. There were many Widows in Israel at that Time but unto none of them was Elijah sent save unto this of Sareptah Luke 4.25 26. Here was the Exercise of Elijah's Faith God had done with feeding him any farther with the Mouths of unclean Fowls which though legally impure yet were purified by a Divine Command and now God will feed him by the hands of an Heathenish Hostess to shew what a free Agent God is in the choice of his Instruments Mark 3. This poor Pagan Woman saith Peter Martyr was in the Judgment of the Hebrews as unclean as the Ravens yet as God chuses none other Fowls but them to nourish his Prophet so none other Woman but this for the same purpose though she was a Pagan very Poor forced to gather sticks her self ver 10. and a Widow too which is a Name of Calamity 2 Sam. 14.5 in Hebrew call'd Almanah which signifies a Dumb-woman N.B. Because she either dare not or may not plead for her self but God professeth himself the Patron of such and happy are they that trust in such an Advocate Jer. 49.11 1 Tim. 5.5 Mark 4. God commanded this Pagan Widow to sustain Israel 's Prophet ver 9. Nemo non videt Adumbrari c. saith Peter Martyr No Man seeth not the shadowing forth hereby the Rejection of the Jews and the Call of the Gentiles as our Lord applies this Story Luke 4.25 26. N.B. God oft chuseth the weaker Sex whereby to accomplish the greatest Matters yea when they are most helpless as Widows and prefers a Gentile Widow before all the Widows in Israel He will have Mercy upon whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 Mark 5. Elijah at God's call comes from Cherith to Sareptah which was say Chorographers an Hundred Miles only with that Vessel in his Hand which undoubtedly he had used at the Brook say Junius Piscator and Peter Martyr no doubt but he was both Thirsty and Hungry with so tedious a Travel And coming toward the Gate of Sareptah the same hand of God that had brought him thither brought also this Poor Widow to meet him she came only to seek her sticks yet is found of the Lord's Prophet who begg'd of her a little Water in this Vessel saith he which I have in my hand This was his first Suit and no small one when the Drought had made every drop of Water precious therefore this Prophet requests at the first only a Cup of cold Water Mat. 10.41 42. to try how God inclined her Heart Mark 6. When he saw her so ready to grant his first request He is encouraged from God's call to ask more even a Morsel of Bread no more but to satisfie his present Hunger and Thirst ver 11. He that had found the Ravens so officious to him before by the Command of God did less doubt of this Sareptan Woman under the same Divine Command Mark 7. At the Prophet's second Suit she makes a stop ver 12. because she could not so well spare Bread as Water As she had been facile to his first Motion so she would not have stuck at the second if necessity had not press'd her Saying as the Lord thy God liveth I have not a Cake c. by this it appeareth saith Peter Martyr that though she was a Pagan yet she sware by the God of Israel as the true God learning so much by being so near a Neighbour to Israel and now was she making her lost Meal the Famine reaching Tyre and Sidon which were nourished by the Corn of Canaan Acts 12.20 and after this one mean Morsel still left in store was prepar'd and received she was giving up her Self and her Son for Death Mark 8. See how seasonable God's Prophet comes to her with comfort in her deep and despairing Distress 'T is God's Glory to be seen in the Mount and to help at a pinch The Prophet promiseth that her Meal and Oil though but little left of each should be multiplied by a Miracle if she did as he bad her do ver 13 14. though the Widow might know this Stranger to be a Prophet by his attire yet did it seem a very unkind request that he will pull her last Bit out of her Mouth and out of the Mouth of her Son and demand to be served first himself because he was as Lyra saith almost spent with his long Journey and Fasting Mark 9. This was a great Tryal to the Faith of this weak Proselyte she might have answered My Charity must begin at home when I have to spare from my Self and Son then ought I to give to a Stranger c. N.B. This Famine she might say pinches Sidon also for our sending that Sidonian Beldame Jezebel together with Idolatry to Israel therefore are we punish'd with Israel and I cannot expect supplies from any Neighbour in this common Calamity Though thou promise miraculous Provision for the future yet how shall I believe it when I see thou canst not supply thy
that they will feed lustily upon dead Horses of the Turkish Gally-slaves that they will Eat Opium an Ounce at a time as if it were Bread and of the Maid in Pliny that did Eat Spiders and of Mithridates who had made Poison so natural to him that when he would have Poisoned himself being Captive to the Romans he could not Yea Joseph Scaliger speaks of Spiders in Italy to have such a Poisonous nature as they will kill him that treads upon them and they will break a Glass if they do but creep over it Yet this Poisonful nature falls far short of the Poyson of sin in as much as Moral poyson is worse than Natural and that which kills the Soul exceeds that which onely can kill the Body T is a wonder how men dare take such hearty and deep Draughts of this Poyson of sin So hateful to God and so hurtful to men 1. T is so hateful to God that it made God 1. Repent he had made Man 2. Destroy all Dumb Creatures with a Deluge 3. Not spare his own Son c. this makes God hate sin with a perfect hatred 2. Hurtful to men the least Sin is Mortal to the Soul as the least Poyson is to the Body and if the Soul dye the Body cannot live This Sinful sin Rom. 7.13 is destructive and Damnable both to Soul and Body Hence the Apostle could find no Name bad enough for it but its own name calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinful Sin If he that provoketh an Earthly King to Anger doth sin against his own Soul Prov. 20.2 how much more he that provokech the King of Heaven by Sin which is so Execrable so Detestable and so Intolerable to him why should it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an easie work as the word signifys Acts 18.14 to be wickedly Lewd or Lewdly wicked and so to Damn our own Souls yea and bodies too and that for ever 'T was therefore well said by Maximilian King of Bohemia and afterwards Emperour to the Pope who perswaded him to be a good Catholick with many promises of profits and preferments The King answered I thank your Holiness for your kind offers but the weal of my Soul is of more worth to me than the whole World to this the Pope angerly replyed that he spoke like a Lutheran See Hist Council of Trent p. 429. Though this wholesom form of speech pleased not the Pope yet that of Lewis King of France displeased the Pope much more who cast his Bulls whereby he required the fruits of Vacancies of all Cathedral Churches in France into the fire saying I had rather the Popes Bulls should Rost in the fire than that my Soul should Fry in Hell Speed 496. year 1152. As the woman with two Children the one loved and pamper'd the other Hated and Starved the pamperd child falls sick and dyes and before its Death she cast some care when too late on the Starved child So do too many with the Body and Soul As the woman who had her house on fire was altogether taken up to save her Lumber from the flames and all the while forgot she had left her child in the Cradle but remembring when too late she cryed out most Horribly Oh my child my child I have forgot my child Thus do many men till too late forget their Dear and pretious Souls while Toiling about the Lumber of the world for the Body onely The loss of the Soul is a loss of All and a loss for ever The reasons be these 1. Though foolish Sinners should say after Death when launched out into an Eternity of woe the words of Christ What shall we Give in Exchange for our Souls yet then they have nothing to give for their Souls Redemption Their Riches have then taken the Wing Death robbed Dives of all his possessions Then his friends were scrambling for his Goods Worms for his body and Devils for his Soul when he slept his sleep Psal 76.5 that long Iron Sleep of death as the Poets call it he left his Wealth to others Psal 49.10 when he dyed be carryed nothing away v. 17. Job 1.21 and 1 Tim. 6.7 Eccles 5.15 Death as a Porter stands at the Gate and strips men of all their worldly wealth leaving them not an Half-penny to pay their fare over the Stygian lake as the Poet said And he was but a foolish fellow who when he saw he must dye claps a piece of Gold into his mouth saying Some wiser than some I lle take this along with me Worldly wretches would gladly carry the world out of the world but the Apostle assureth them that it is impossible saying It is certain as we do bring nothing into the world we can carry nothing out of the world 1 Tim. 6.7 Wherewith then shall the Soul be Redeemed in the place of the Damned where there is punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without compassion mischief without measure torments without end and past Imagination Therefore 2. Suppose the Damned should have something wherewith they might offer a price of their Redemption Non esset Estimabile It would utterly be Rejected Money may be a Master and a Monarch in this world but it bears no Mastery in the other World If Death will Regard no Reason nor rest satisfyed though â—â—â—ou would give many Gifts as Soloman saith of Jealousy Prov. 6.35 If a man can never buy off Death though he would give never so much as that Carnal Cardinal Beauford the Chancelor of England in Henery the 6. time upon his Death-bed complained that his Vast riches would not Reprieve him from Death crying out Fie upon it will money do nothing will not Death be Hired wherefore should I die being so Rich If the whole Realm would bribe Death I am able quoth he either by Policy to procure it or by Money to purchase it c. How much More unable is money which cannot buy off Death to buy off Damnation for the Devils those Tormentors of Damned Souls are far worse than those Medes which God set on to destroy Babylon Isa 13.17 who would not regard Silver or Gold for a Ransom but kill all they came to though never so Rich and ready to Redeem their lives with their Riches Alas the Devils have far less Reason to Delight in Silver and Gold than those Medes had who were Men with whom Money bears a Mastery not so with Devils Riches may indeed be the ransom of a Mans life from the wrath of men Prov. â—3 8 but they will not be the Ransom of a Mans Soul from the wrath of God Prov. 11.4 or the Rage of Devils Hence the Rich Glutton is told of a Great Gulph twixt Heaven and Hell Intimating his state of Torment to be uncapable of any ease much less of any Redemption but was an Unchangeable and Eternal State Luke 16.24 26. 3. That the Damned Souls do sink into an irreparable irrecoverable State may be further
the sight of both Man and Woman Especially If they be as naturalists say naked as if by instinct he remembred the time when he and Naked Adam and Eve stood before Gods Bar to receive this Doom of Enmity Yea Bodinus relateth that if there be but one Woman amongst a great multitude of men the Serpent will make at her and Sting her about the heel And Rupertus reporteth that if a Woman treadeth never so lightly with her barefoot upon the head of a Serpent the Serpent dies immediately but if the Serpent do first bite her heel the Woman dies of the poison As the venomous Gall of Serpents is fatal to mankind so the fasting spittle of mankind is destructive to Serpents Yea 't is further said that when a Serpent hath stung a man he cannot crawl into his hole any more as if the very Earth would revenge mans Quarrel upon him by shutting up her mouth and not receiving him into her Caverns Thus corruptio optimi est pessima The former fond Amity God Spoils and changes into an Inveterate Enmity This was Gods work as a punishment who is said to put enmity in Egypt against Israel Psal 105.25 Yet God qualifies this misery with some mixture of mercy For this long warring enmity shall end in Victory to Man but in Ruine to the Serpent for though the Serpent shall wound mans heel which is only the extream part of the foot so as to make him halt and be hindred in his going yet 't is but one heel only he shall not wound both the heels So that the sound heel shall help the hurt one But man shall not so much assault the extream part or Tail of the Serpent bur he shall break his very Hâ—ad wherein all his Power Policy and Poison is placed A Serpent is not quite killed till he be knock'd on the Head and therefore he most carefully secures it as by many outworks in circling his long body with many circles about it all which he will hazard to save his head for if that be once broken his life is lost and whereas the Serpent dare not set upon a man but at unawares and privily yea both behind and below Gen. 49.17 Yet man dare encounter the Serpent like a Champion aiming to hit his very Head with his Club and so to give him a most mortal blow So Heb. Shuph percutere signifies Now come we from the Organ the Serpent to the Author Satan who was principally concern'd in this severe Sentence After the Serpents comes the Devils Doom to be discoursed The same Doom that God denounced against the Serpent in the Literal and Corporal sense was also against the Devil who possessed and employ'd the Serpent in the Spiritual and Mystical sense Authors Actors and Abettors must both by the Law of God and Man all be punish'd together 1. The Devil is denounced Cursed above all created things As the Serpent was condemned as a common enemy to all creatures so Satan as the Common Enemy to all mankind cursed in himself and a cursed adversary to God and his people Though this was not the Devils First Condemnation for that was done at the fall of Angels yet was it a further confirmation of it for his being the founder of the fall of Mâ—n This new crime brought upon him a new curse to the old the sum of both being the Fire of Hell which God prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 And putting them in everlasting Chains till they be cast for ever into that lake that unquenchably burns with Fire and Brimstone Jude v. 6.2 Pet. 2.4 Rev. 20.10 Thus as the Devil seduced our first Parents not as a naked Devil but in the Shape of the Serpent so that old Serpent receives his Doom in the Shape of the Serpent also against whom God thus Thundered The second part of the Divine Doom upon the Devil in the Serpent was Gnal Gechoneka upon thy Belly shalt thou go In this also Satan hath his share and indeed the worst share as he is under a deeper curse than the Serpent who is not capable of the curse of damnation to which the Devil is Doomed so he lies under a deeper dejection for though the Serpents place unto which he was debased when he lost his Legs was the superficies or surface of the Earth upon which he must crawl but the Devils place into which he was dejected and debased waâ—a great way below the Earth even the Nethermost Hell He was hurl'd out of Heaven Luk. 10.18 Cast down to the Earth Rev. 12.9 Yea driven under the Earth even into Hell which is his Final Judgment Rev. 20.10 So that Satan is doomed here to a more abj ct condition than the Serpent in as much as for a walking beast to be made a creeping crawling creature is nothing so vile a State as for a glorious Angel in Heaven to be made a Damned Devil in Hâ—ll The Devil is here doomed to go upon his Breast and Belly as he assaulteth men 1. By pride which is seated in and signified by the Breast and 2. By lust which is seated in and signified by the Belly and he is so doomed downward to Hell that he cannot once lift up his Head any more to Heaven as ever despairing of mercy The third part of the Devils Doom is Dust shalt thou eat all thy days The Devil is cursed above all creatures as he is doomed to everlasting sinning as well as to everlasting suffering Dust is the worst Diet in the World The Devils Diet to which he is reduced is nothing but Dirt nay more defiling than it the food whereby spiritual life is preserved in Angels is that joy they have in the contemplation of God Mat. 18.10 or in the Innocency or penitency of Men. Luke 15.7 10. This should have been his food had he continued an Holy Angel but now degenerating into a wicked Devil his meat is to be mischievous both to God and good men He is fed with the filth of sin as the nasty Hog is with Draffe This unclean Spirit is as much delighted with defiling Himself and Mankind with the Dirt of all Debauchery as the unclean Sow is to wallow in the mire This is Satans sweet-meat to make Sinners like filthy Dogs that lick up their own Vomit in ways of Impurity and Impiety 2 Pet. 2.22 Those are his Prey his daily Bread or rather Dirt whom he seeks continually to devour 1 Pet. 5.7 and this is to him as delightful if he have any delight as eating Meat is to the Hungry Appetite he is confined to have no other food but filthy things Thus he not so much like Behemoth who cats Grass as an Oxe Job 40.10 but with the Serpent here feeds upon Dust or Dirt swallowing down sinful souls which yet he must Vomit up again for God will cast them out of his Belly Job 20.15 He sins every day that unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost and therefore shall lie
Mental Reservation was unknown to Father Abraham in that Day He put his Hands into Gods Hand a as before and did as it were wink with his Eyes bidding God to lead him whither he pleased believing he might follow God dry-shod even through the very Sea Magnus est animus qui se Deo tradidit pusillus degener qui obluctatur such a Soul is truely Brave and Noble that can wholly resign it self up to its Sovereign Lord to be led by him whither he pleaseth but that is a low-spirited one and degenerated from Abraham who resists his will Rom. 9.19 with their own foolish Reason saith a Father yea and the Poet could say Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque sequamur We must follow the foot-steps of Providence whether forward or backward Come with Christ even from Lebanon Cant. 4.8 that goodly and desirable Mountain Deut. 3.25 and follow the Iâ—amb every where Revel 14.4 Moses put off his Shoe Exod. 3.5 as a Token or Symbol of resigning up all the Right in himself unto God according to Deut. 25.9 and Ruth 4.7 without any reserves and this is the chief part of a Christians Royal Priesthood to yield up his whole self as a Living Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 unto God and that truely without halting yea and throughly without halfing God will not be content with half he will have all or none at all Naaman had his reserves 2 Kings 5.18 so had King Agrippa Acts 26.28 and so had the young man Mat. 19.22 He who saith My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 expects not half but requires the whole Deut. 11.13 and 13.3 c. Josh 22.5 Psal 86.12 Joel 2.12 Mat. 22.37 Acts 8.37 What we do herein must be done with our whole Heart with all our Heart with all our Soul and with all our strength God gives a whole Christ to us and shall not we give a whole Heart to him Christ engageth his whole Heart for us Jer. 30.21 and shall not we engage our whole Hearts for him We may not put him off with a piece of our Hearts nor reserve-our Agags and the fattest of the Amalekites as Saul did contrary to Gods express command 1 Sam. 15.3 9. 3. As Abraham's Obedience was without Hesitation and Reservation so 't was without Limitation lying at Gods Foot Isa 41.2 and Lackeying it at Gods Stirrup as it were Gen. 17.1 walking when and whither God would guide him without putting any prescriptions of his own upon his God acknowledging himself unworthy to direct God how God might direct him he would not be so foolishly wise for himself but God who is Infinitely wise should be wise for him for who knoweth the mind of his Lord or who hath been his Counsellor Rom. 11.34 He well knew that the best Man is altogether unable to give Counsel unto the only and Superlatively most Wise God Alas We who profess our selves the Children of Abraham would put many Fetters upon Gods Almighty and All-sufficient Hands 'T is too too common with us as it was with Israel to limit the Holy One of Israel Psal 78.41 Especially in Four Respects 1. In respect of Time 2. Of Place 3. Of Means 4. Of Manner 1. In respect of Time We would not refer our Matters to Gods time who best knows how to time our Mercies waiting with them in his Hand to be gracious to us in the best Season Isa 30.18 but we will presumptuously confine God who is a most Free Agent unto our own Time The Blessed Virgin her self had some Tincture of this evil in confining her Son Christ to the timing of a Miracle for turning Water into Wine John 2.3 for which our Lord turns short upon his dear Mother saying What have I to do with thee Woman mine hour is not yet come ver 4. Thus would we oft-times limit Christ to our time in turning the Water of our Affliction into the Wine of his Consolation and when we dare thus restrain Christ from his Own Soveraign Freedom then doth it constrain him to reprove us as he did his carnal Kinsmen saying Your time is alway ready but my time is not yet come John 7.6 Sometimes Mans time doth over-run Gods time to wit in case of some Mercy that is expected Jer. 8.26 They limited God to deliver them that Summer at the farthest but at other times Mans time cometh all behind Gods time to wit in case of some Duty to be performed Mat. 8.21 22. Suffer me first to go and bury my Father before I come to follow thee as that hollow-hearted Hypocrite said to Christ not minding the main under pretence of promoting less necessary Duties that might be done as well by other Hands as Martha did Luke 10. last when Christ loved Attention of Soul more than Attendance of Body Thus Man dare set God a time in both these cases not only Ante-dating Gods Mercy but also Post-dating our Duty whereas both are best in their proper Seasons Man would have Mercy when 't is over-green but he can be content to let Duty alone till it be over ripe yea rotten there is a Season for all things as God seldom comes with Mercy at our time so he never fails to come with it at his own time The Bethulians in the Apocryphal Book of Judith limited God to lend them his help within five days and had Saul staid out his compleat seven days commanded for Samuel as he had not then faln upon that preposterous Duty of Sacrificing c. so his Kingdom had not been rent from him 1 Sam. 13.8 9 13. The timing of Duty aright requireth much godly prudence Saul 's patience had not its perfect work Jam. 1.3 He should have staid a little longer for Samuel The Men of Issachar knew how to time all Duty 1 Chron. 12.32 Saul's precipitancy by consulting with them had been prevented The second Circumstance wherein Man limiteth God is place as well as time whereon I might enlarge also but to be short in this and in the following particulars which may borrow light from the foregoing The Captains and People come to Jeremy for Counsel humble themselves before him beg'd his Prayers for Direction what place they should fly to for a Sanctuary now when Ishmael had slain Gedaliah from the King of Babylon who would certainly assault them for that Murther through their neglect Oh what good words do they speak to the Prophet pray for us that the Lord may shew us the way c. Jer. 42.1 2 3. and who would not think but that these Men thought as they said and spake unfeignedly from their Hearts whereas it soon after appeared that all this seeming good Address was no better than deep dissimulation for they came with this Mental Reservation If God will direct us to go down to Egypt we will obey if to any other place we will not It is manifest that they had resolv'd before Hand to go down to Egypt therefore were they gone to Geruth-Chimham which was the high
before the Friend of God because God made his Mind known to him even in secrets most familiarly as a Man doth to his Friend Thus we see how God made and renew'd this Covenant of Grace with three publick Persons all as Mr. Baxter saith Representers of Mankind 1. With Adam to whom when God judged him for his Sin at the same time promis'd a Saviour and through this Saviour promised made a new Law of Grace with Man Gen. 3.15 which short Text God probably did explain to Adam more plainly than is express'd in those few words as appeareth by his instructing his Sons to Sacrifice wherein was shadow'd out the Blessed Saviour hence all Mankind are more mercifully dealt with than according to the rigour of that violated Law which Adam had Sufficient though not effectual Grace to keep yet did not to be shut up as Devils under Despair but have many Means and Mercies to bring them to the God of Mercy which Cain and his Off-spring mis-improved as did the Degenerate World also so all save eight Persons perished in the Dâ—luge The second publick Person was Noah with his House being saved to be the second Root and Representative of Mankind God renews this Covenant with some additionals to them Though the first Renewal was forfeited in the Flood Gods Covenant of Peace to Man is then re-inforced yet was it rejected by Cham whose Person and Posterity was therefore Cursed and after by Nimrod that Arch-Rebel and Master-Builder of Babel's Tower who thereby brought the Curse of the confusion of Tongues by which means the knowledge of God was much lost in the loss of the Holy Tongue and most Men fell to Idolatry and Sensuality The Third publick Person who escaped those two great Evils aforesaid was Abraham call'd the Father of the Faithful with whom God most familiarly renewed again this Covenant as with his familiar Friend more fairly and fully than with Adam or Noah adding a special Promise to him that his Seed should be an Holy Nation a Peculiar People and that of him the Messiah should Spring for confirming his Hope in both these Promises God gave him Circumeâ—â—â—on as the Seal of the Covenant Gen. 17.2 where we find that the fifth time of Gods consuming this Covenant with Abraham intimating thereby that it is the prora puppis the First Second and Third yea the main point and Strong-hold or Fort-Royal of Mans Salvation and therefore we should be well Studied in the knowledge of it and have a wellgâ—â—â—â—d dâ—â—ssurance of â—ur interest in it This Covenant is call'd the Oath which God Sware unto Abraham Luk. 1.73 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hedge which a Man may not break down lest a Serpent bite him Eccles 10.8 and we may easily Imagine that God will not break the Hedge of his own making This is the Magna Charta or Grand Charter that the Faith of Abraham in all his Ten Tryals and of all the Children of Abraham hold their Hope and Confidence on And that renewing of the Covenant with Abraham was accommodated to his then present condition of having no Children therefore was it given to him in Terms of multiplying his Natural Seed which should receive Circumcision as the Seal of the Covenant and of the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 from whom Christ came The fourth Period of Renewing the Covenant of Grace was with Moses another Eminent publick Person and by him with all Israel after their coming out of Egypt where as it had before a clearer Manifestation to Abraham for Christ was promis'd to be his Seed Born of the Woman Mary descended from Abraham than to Adam and Noah so now it had a larger extent even to the whole Nation of Jacob or Israel the Seed of Abraham Gods Friend Hereby the Israelitish Nation became a peculiar people nearer to God than any other Nation as the Priests and Levites were by a special Separation made nearer to God than the common people which yet were accounted an Holy Priesthood also in comparison of the Gentile World wherein God had some scatterings of Holy Ones even in Abraham's day notwithstanding the Covenants Renewal personally with him such as Holy Shem alive at that time with Holy Melchizedeck and Holy Job with his Friends afterwards yea and 't is improbable that all the Children of Keturah of Ishmael and of Esau did forsake the Lord being all Circumcised and so in some sort as Mr. Baxter saith were Covenanters with God however this is certain that Israel's Embodying into a new Common-wealth with a Theocratical Government in a peculiar manner receiving a new Body of Divine Laws as well as their Deliverance out of the Egyptian Bondage were all done by vertue of Gods Covenant with Abraham unto Jacob or Israel Thus the Prophet saith God will perform or Hebr. give his Mercy to Abraham and his Truth to Jacob Mic. 7.20 'T is there call'd Mercy to Abrabam for Gods Mercy moved him to make the Covenant originally as to the clearest discovery hereof with Abraham and his Truth bound him to perform it to Jacob coming in at second Hand under Abraham's Covenant whereof Divine Mercy was the Foundation as to promising and Divine Truth was the obligation as to performing according to that in 2 Sam. 7.18 21. According to thine own Heart and for thy words or Covenants sake hast thou done all these things shewing when God hath voluntarily made himself a Debtor by promise to his people he will come off fairly with them in performance and not be worse but rather better than his word Abraham was the common Head or Root from whom the Covenant was conveyed to the Branches Israel wherein he was a Type of Christ the Head and Prince of the Covenant Gal. 3.16 to Abraham and to his Seed Christ not Christus in Individuo or Christ Personal only for Christ in that sense had not a Right unto the Promimises from Abraham but rather Abraham from Christ so it must be meant Christus in aggregato or Christ Mystical also that is the Church or Faithful whose Father is Abraham he is the Root and they are the Branches Rom. 11.16 It may indeed be taken for both Christ Personal and Mystical 1 Cor 12.12 Seeing Christ is the Seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth are blessed Gen. 22.18 with whom the Covenant was made primarily and principally yet accounts not himself a whole Christ and compleat without he have his Members who are therefore call'd his fulness Eph. 1.23 Inference hence Having viewed the Plat-form of this Covenant of Promise how it hath been carried on the same in all Ages from Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham and so to Israel and so shall be to the end of the World How should we fall-down upon our Faces as Abraham did Gen. 17.3 admiring the abundant Goodness of God in vouchsafing to enter into Covenant with him he was astonish'd at this condescention as David was
their Convoy by Sea and their Conduct by Land If Caesar's Barge-man could be comforted with Caesar's words in a Storm Quid Times Caesarem vehis ejus Fortunam Be not too timorous in this terrible Tempest but chear up thou carries Caesar so cannot miscarry A child of light walking in darkness need fear nothing while his Heavenly Father holds him fast by the hand Psal 23.4 and 138.7 Isa 50.10 2. When they Die and go down to the Grave as Jacob did go down to Egypt God so saith to them as he said to him Fear not to enter into that Sleeping-place of the Sepulchre I will surely awake you again and bring you back from the Jaws of a Temporal Death to the Joys of an Eternal Life and your frail Bodies that now Death and Grave do swallow up shall certainly rise again and by their very rotting shall be the more refined at the grand Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.36 42 43 44 c. The Second Inference is God comes usually to his Servants as he came here to his Servant Jacob while he was in suspense and did hang betwixt Hope and Fear God loves to perfect his strength in our weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 The Heart of Man is not in a capable case for receiving Divine Promises till it be first freed from false Fears Therefore God came to comfort Abraham with Fear not before he gave him the Promise Gen. 15.1 so his Grandson Jacob had the same Cordial Fear not before the promise both of his own personal safety and of his numberless Posterity Had God given Jacob only that General Promise I will be with thee It indeed had been enough had he said no more for a sufficient Security against all his particular Doubts and Fears yet out of his super-abundant Bounty he gives a distinct Answer and what might be satisfactory in every particular saying in effect to him 1. I Approve of thy Enterprise my Command is thy Warrant I will make thy Journey Prosperous according to thy Prayer 2. Thy change of place shall neither change my Promise to thee nor thy Company with me I am not chained to one place but am present in every place not tied to Canaan but will be with thee in Egypt 3. Though thou for a time forsake the Land of Promise yet thither will I again bring thee when Dead and thy Posterity while living for whom thy Body Buried there shall take and keep Possession till their Return so that this Promise contains the History of many yea more than two hundred years 4. And thy Jewel Joseph whom thou thought was lost hath been but lent to the Lord who will return him whom now thou so much longest to see with Advantage he was lost a Slave but shall he found a Lord yea a Lord of Lords and of the whole Land 5. Yea thy Joseph whom thou gave up for Dead shall close up thy Eyes when thou diest wherein God promised him both a quiet Life and a comfortable Death in Egypt his dear Joseph being present with him should have the Honour above all his Sons to do that last Office of Love of putting his hand upon his Fathers Eyes which were lift up wide open toward Heaven when he died having Hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 to shut them up which shall shortly be opened again to see God in the Flesh Job 19.26 By all these particulars God assured Jacob and so he doth no less to us the Children of Jacob that there is a Paternal Providence of God always attending upon him and all his whom he will never fail nor forsake Josh 1.5 and Hebr. 13.5 the particular Promise to Joshua is generally applied by the Apostle to all Believers Blessed shalt thou be in thy going out and Blessed in thy coming in Deut. 28.6 I will carry thee down and I will bring thee up saith God to Jacob thou shalt not want my presence at no time and in no place Semel Electus semper Dilectus saith Austin which is well Englished whom God once loveth he ever loveth even to the end Joh. 13.1 This Blessed Patriarch having now this Double Compellation Jacob Jacob and this Treble yea Quadruple Consolation from Heaven his Heart was much eased of his Fears his Spirit lightned from his Doubts his Faith now got above his Fear by the help of this Heavenly Vision that he Rose up from Beershebah v. 5. The word Rose up hath an Emphatical sense signifying Alacrity Importing that his Faith was now confirmed his Joints were Oiled and his Legs made nimbler by this Oracle of God as it had been with him by his Vision at Bethel Gen. 28.12 so that he doth now as he did then Gen. 29.1 Hebr. even lift up his feet went lustily on his way as fast and as far as his Legs would carry him He did so from Bethel though now he had Pharaoh's Royal Chariot to rest his old Legs in He goes cheerfully end ways to Egypt when his Encouragements outweigh'd his Discouragements as in David when distressed 1 Sam. 30.6 taking along with him his Cattle and Goods v. 6. though Pharaoh had in a Court Complement forbad it Gen. 45.20 yet this prudent Patriarch would not go down like a Beggar by carelesly casting away his All in this transport of Joy as 2 Sam. 19.30 and so to become a Trencher-fly to others He had learnt that Lesson 't is better to trust in the Lord in the lawful use of means subservient to Providence than to put Confidence in any man though his own Son or in the greatest of Men who are Princes as Pharaoh Psal 118.8 9. who oft proved but a lye Psal 62.9 They may die or their love may die and they themselves may live He had learnt that also why should we be chargeable to thee my Son 2 Sam. 13.25 Therefore he carries what Provision he had with him and his Family consisting of Sixty six Souls v. 26. went along with him to which if Jacob Joseph and his two Sons Manasseh and Ephraim be added they make up the Number of Seventy v. 27. though they are reckon'd by following the Septuagint then most in use to be five more Act. 7.14 Suppose so yet even that is but a small Number to descend from Abraham in 215 years time after the Promise of multiplying his Seed as the Stars c. The Fifth Remark is Moses mentions this small number that went down with Jacob thus industriously not only for distinguishing the Twelve Tribes nor to shew out of what Family Christ should descend naming Perez and Hezron which are named in Christ's Genealogy Matth. 1.3 and Luk 3.33 but the principal Reason is that this inconsiderable Number at Israel's going into Egypt might the more magnifie the Mercy Truth and Power of God in multiplying these few into an Innumerable Number in Egypt so that these Seventy Souls were become Six hundred Thousand besides old People Women and Children in 215 years more when Israel came out of Egypt This
Veneration and godly Affection to so worthy a Parent and Patriarch who had so long mourned for him when he supposed his Son was devoured by an evil Beast therefore he honours him with these Solemnities and partly to preserve the Corps sweet so long as the many days time of Mourning and the long Journey to Machpelah his Burying-place in Canaan required but principally to testifie his Faith of the Resurrection and that Incorruption he hoped for at the last day The second Remark of Joseph concerning Jacob also is the Funeral Solemnities of his Fathers Interment when Joseph had got leave of Pharaoh by the mediation of Messengers for he being a Mourner must not come before Kings Esth 4.2 to fulfil the will of the Dead and the command of his Father together with the Obligation of his Solemn Oath the sacredness whereof and the Execration of Perjury the Light of Nature discovered to these Heathens Pharaoh and his Courtiers he marcheth to Canaan with a most Pompous Retinue both of Courtiers Counsellors Captains and a strong Convoy or Conduct for their Defence in case of Opposition and there affordeth his Father a most Honourable Burial Gen. 50.4 5 6 7 8 9. making a grievous Mourning for him beyond Jordan ver 10 11 12. the place was thence called Abel-Mizraim the Mourning of the Egyptians which was a good Providence for confirming the Faith of the Israelites when they were to pass over Jordan afterward by this standing Monument of Jacob's Transportation out of Egypt into Canaan for his Burial The third Remark is Joseph's kindness to his Brethren who had been notoriously unkind to him and who were now Jealous he would be reveng'd of them ver 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. See the force of Conscience though for a while it be still and seemingly asleep yet is faithful in Recording and fearful in Reproving albeit it doth not alway execute the acts of accusing yet then hath it always the habit of it and when awakened with Losses and Crosses brings old sins to a new reckoning What they say to Joseph of their Fathers command looks like a loud Lie ver 16. for had Jacob known of their ill usage of Joseph he would have branded them with it Gen. 49. as he did Simeon and Levi for their cruelty and he would himself have spoke to Joseph before he died for pardoning them They repented this purchas'd Joseph 's pardon and he nourish'd them that would have starved him in the waterless Pit c. Gen. 37.22 24. The fourth Remark is concerning Joseph in four Respects 1. His Age ver 22. 2. His Off-spring ver 23. 3. His Last Will and Testament ver 24 25. And 4. His Death and Burial ver 26. First of the first of these Joseph's Age he lived an hundred and ten years ver 22. Mark the Divine Comment God made upon Solomon's Sapiential saying Prosperity is set over against Adversity Eccles 7.14 and the marvellous proportion of both He did not only receive good from the Hands of the Lord as well as evil Job 2.10 but also his good far exceeded his evil seeing for his about thirteen years Adversity he enjoyed after that full eighty years of the most Honourable Prosperity even as much Happiness as this lower World could well afford him Thus also God dealt with Job giving him an hundred and forty years of Temporal as well as Spiritual Blessings in abundance after the Lord turned his Captivity Job 42.10 12 16 17. Thus God Honoured Joseph in Egypt where he had no Divine Oracle or Angel to speak to him as the other Patriarchs had yet was he all along like a Pearl in a Puddle keeping his Vertue still where-ever he came as God was with him Gen. 39.2 and last so Gods fear was before him ver 9. though the Iron entred into his Soul Psal 105.18 or his Soul came into Iron Hebrew yet sin could not enter into his Heart because it was fraught with the fear of God when it was suggested to him that his becoming a Minion to one of the greatest Ladies in Egypt would not only afford him much Carnal Pleasure but also Release him out of Prison and Advance him to the Highest Worldly Honour he contemns the Temptation furnishing the Tempter with nothing but wet Tinder to strike Fire upon resolving to lye still in the Dust rather than rise by any way of wickedness This was strong Faith and therefore is he made the tenth Exemplary Witness of Faith Heb. 11.22 Secondly Joseph's Off-spring God blessed him for his Holiness with so long a Life after his Affliction that he lived to see his Son Ephraim's grand Childrens Children Gen. 50.23 yea and to Dance and Dandle with great delight upon his Lap the Grand-Children of his Son Manasseh This was another Branch of Gods Blessing upon him for his Holiness shining forth so splendidly in him notwithstanding his want of those helps in Egypt of God or Angels speaking audibly to him which his Fore-fathers had Dr. Lightfoot affirmeth that Ephraim at Joseph's Death could not be less than threescore and fifteen years old and therefore that passage concerning Ephraim's Sons being slain by the Men of Gath 1 Chron. 7.21 22 23. seemeth to be not very long after Joseph's Death if not before it 'T is probable saith he that third Generation of Ephraim mentioned Gen. 50.23 were the Persons so unhappily slain by the Inhabitants of the Land In those Antient Times it was usual for one Countrey to Invade another Adjacent as Philistims or Men of Gath the Egyptians their next Neighbours and to carry thence their Booties This probably had been done upon Goshen the utmost part of Egypt and Bordering on the Philistims The Children of Ephraim presuming on their Numbers and Strength might Attempt to Requite the Plunderers and Recover their Losses wherein they miscarried as is related for which Ephraim Mourned many days c. Thirdly Joseph's Last Will and Testament Gen. 50.24 25. which he delivered by Faith Heb. 11.22 consisting of two Branches 1. His mentioning Israel's Exodus or departure out of Egypt foreseeing they would be hardly used after his Decease yet God would visit them with Grace and Mercy after he had visited them with Justice and Anger to wean them from the Idolatry of Egypt that they might not carry it along with them into the Land of Promise and because they were tainted therewith therefore the Lord Aired and Sweetned them from the stench thereof full Forty years in the Wilderness and then brought them into Canaan Joseph lived with his Brethren after his Return with them from Burying Jacob in Egypt fifty three years or more in great peace and plenty but at his Death began their Egyptian Bondage Their Liberty and Worldly Felicity died with Joseph as afterwards Israel's Prosperity died with Josiah Yet dying Joseph foretold them by Faith that the Promise of fetching them forth and giving them Canaan would assuredly be Accomplished which Prophecy of Joseph was fulfill'd
Bondage then was she a forlorn Outcast as Ezekiel there describes her yet even then saith Hosea God loved this unlovely Child when she little deserved his love He loved her because he loved her Deut. 7.7 it was a spontaneous and a gratuitous Act of God Idea dei non advenit â—i aliundè no Motives of love were in the Object outwardly but all sprang from the Agent inwardly God healed their Backslidings and loved them freely as he did afterwards when they had rendred themselves unworthy objects of his love Hos 10.9 and 14.4 only because he remembred his own Mercy Luk. 1.53 then he called his Son Israel out of Egypt even out of the iron furnace Hos 11.1 Deut. 4.20 God had no need of such a Son as Israel was For First There was no defect on God's part He had his own natural Son by eternal Generation Isa 53.8 Psal 2.6 One brought up with him Prov. 8.22 23 c. so needed not to adopt any Son Secondly There was no Desert on Israel's part who was now cast out to the loathing of his Person c. No Eye pitied him c. Ezek. 16.4 6 7 8 c. then did God's Eye pity him and this pitiless Fatherless Child found mercy in God Hos 14.3 even at such a time when this untoward Child had so highly provoked his Heavenly Father as he was just upon resolving to Ruin him and to make his Grave for him in Egypt yet even then God wrought for his own Names sake that it should not be blasphemed among the Heathen Ezek. 20.8 9 10. Some Godly Israelites had no doubt within the space of 215 years discoursed sometimes of God's Promise to Abraham that he would bring his Posterity out of Egypt c. Had not this been done it would have reflected upon God's Glory and the Egyptians readily had reproached the God of Abraham in whom the Israelites so boasted c. This whole Book of Exodus is but the fulfilling of God's Promise to Abraham Gen. 15.15 c. Israel God's first-born Exod. 4.22 call'd out of Egypt is a type both of Christ Personal who when a Child after his stay there two or three years some say six or seven years was call'd out of Egypt Mat. 2.15 And of Christ Mystical 1 Cor. 12.12 his Church which God will call out of the Bondage of Babylon spiritually call'd Sodom for uncleanness and Egypt for oppression Rev. 11.8 when the Beasts Lease of 1260 Prophetical Days is expired God will hasten it in his time Isa 60.22 Christ will not leave his Son Israel to live and die in Egypt though his Slavery in that House of Bondage may last two hundred and fifteen years as sure as God call'd Israel his Son and Jesus his Son out of Egypt so sure will he call his Church out oâ— Egypt also How long Christ staid there is uncertain Some say several years as before but others are of opinion that Herod did not live many Months after that barbarous Murder of so many Innocent Children his bloody Butchery at Bethlehem but fell into a foul and loathsom Disease whereof he died If this be supposed we must suppose also that his Son Archelaus's Journey to Rome for his Inthronization in his Father's stead must take up some considerable time However he staid in Egypt till God sent him word that they were dead who sought his life Matth. 2.13 14 15 20 21 22. would to God we could be content to stay till God bring us word c. 'T was a blessed Prognostick that Israel's Slavery in Egypt was near its expiration when God gave them Hearts to sigh groan mourn and cry c. Oh that those best Prognosticks were found amongst us could we but cry Lord we are Hell but thou art Heaven we are all Sin but thou art all Grace c. Alas we are all Abjects both as to our Persons and Conditions Oh let us now be the Objects of thy Mercies and Compassions c. It was one of the Emperor's Symbols or Mottos Miseria est Res digna Misericordiâ Misery is an object that is worthy of Mercy How much better becomes it the King of Kings to say My Sion is now an outcast whom no man seeks after but I will heal her c. Jer. 30.17 He will not leave her as an Orphan Joh. 14.18 but will hear her very breathings Lam. 3.56 when such Kings Rule as know not Joseph Exod. 1.8 nor know the Lord Exod. 5.2 nor Jesus our Brother nor his Brethren but deal hardly with them Deo confisi nunquam confusi such as trust in God shall never be ashamed much less confounded Isa 28.16 Rom. 9.33 1 Pet. 2.6 The Second Remark is As the Motive for Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt was only the mere Mercy and Compassion of a gracious God upon his groaning People under most grievous Oppressions so the means whereby this Deliverance was effected were the ten miraculous Plagues which God by Moses poured down upon Pharaoh and his People c. for dealing so injuriously with Abraham's Seed c. Note here 1. That the Church of God may be in an evil Case when Deliverance is at the Door Thus it was with Israel in Egypt They saw how they were in an evil Case Exod. 5.19 because of their evil Courses being tainted with the Idolatry of Egypt Ezek. 20.5 7 8 and 23.8 Josh 24.14 as before 't is writ as an heavy Curse of God If ye still transgress against me I will set Princes over you that shall hate you Levit. 26.17 such as are odious to God and malicious to his People and the more that Moses by Commission from God mediateth for Israel the more was the Tyrant inraged and their Affliction aggravated as this evil Case provoked the passionate people by mistaking Occasions for Causes like Dogs in a Chafe to bark at their best Friends as if Moses had made them stink before Pharaoh when he had promised their Deliverance so this startled Moses himself being displeas'd with the Disappointment and he being too short-spirited also complains of it to God not distinguishing betwixt God's Denying and Delaying Exod. 5.20 21 22 23. God could have cut off Pharaoh at once by his Power but his Wisdom was to glorifie himself gradually and though he had promis'd Deliverance yet had he left to himself a liberty both for the time means and manner of its Performance We must not awake our love till he please Cant. 2.7 but we must wait saith the Lord and we shall we shall we shall be delivered Hab. 2.3 so that text soundeth 2. Note Now God begins to make himself known by his Name Jehovah to the Posterity of the Patriarchs in performing that Promise made to them who only knew him by the Name Elshaddai in propounding this very Promise of bringing their Seed out of Egypt but lived not to see the full performance of it Exod. 6.3 Now God began to work Miracles as the Great Jehovah whose being is of
for Omnipotency to have frozen this Sea into firm Ice in a Moment that Israel might pass over as upon a Christal Bridge but seeing Nature frequently freezes Waters gradually into a firm Floor or plain Pavement this Fact would have been more questionable and less glorious therefore the great God Works in a way far above the reach of Nature thereby the more to manifest his own matchless Glory how the Waters were congealed Exod. 15.8 is before explained from Job 10.10 Some say the soft and muddy Bottom might be frozen into a firm Floor c. But the Prophet makes this Way the more wonderful in his Poetical Ratures saying The Deep uttered his Voice and lifted up his Hand on high Hab. 3.10 Both Voicing and Voting with Waves and Walls lifted up as its hand in concurrence with it's Creator's Will in giving way and making a way for Israel's Passage and then for the Egyptians Ruine helping forward the Execution both of his Mercy to the one and of his Judgment to the other not as if God had been angry with it ver 8. did the Sea lift up it's Hand intreating God to spare it But ver 15. he saith God made a way through it for himself to walk in as well as for Israel through the heap of great Waters So that instead of Israel's being swallowed up they were preserved thereby Thus Habakkuk strengthens his Faith Thou Lord hast done this when all Hope failed and so I trust thou wilt open a fair Way for thy Servants safe Deliverance from inextricable Dangers when they stand in most need of thy Heavenly help Thou reservers thy Hold Hand for a Dead lift and wilt be seen of thine in the Mount Gen. 22.14 This Miracle was so memorable that it is oft Recorded that it might appear sufficient to fix our Faith on God's Omnipotency The Prophet Isaiah also insists upon this very Theme Awake awake thou arm of the Lord c. Isa 51.9 even that Arm which God had promised should protect his People ver 5. and that had dried the Sea ver 10. so could do it again in the like Case This is an excellent way of arguing with God in Prayer to wit from his Antient Acts and hereupon was grounded the Church's Confidence to say Therefore the Redeemed of the Lord shall return c. ver 11. which God accepts and effectually Answers I even I am he that comforteth you c. ver 12 13 14. be not heavy-Hearted I divided the Sea when it roared ver 15. much more the Rage of Man I can restrain Ps 76.10 and much more he saith of it Isa 63.11 12 13 14. leading Israel gently and leisurely through this Way c. see also Isa 50.2 3. It was marvelous in respect of the Journey as well as time and way God did not only make a plain Path for Israel and carried them safe in the depths of the Red Sea but also brought them safe out of the bottom of it to firm shore where they had Rest and Sang Praises to their Deliverer Isa 63.11 12 13 14 15. Exod. 14.29 30. and 15.5 8. This was one of the greatest Miracles that God ever wrought for his People which God himself therefore mentioneth as one of his Master piece works Isa 50.2 Behold at my Rebuke I dry up the Sea I have done it and can do it again Be not therefore faithless but believing Joh. 20.27 For this cause likewise this great work is so oft commemorated by God's People Neh. 9.11 Psal 66.6 and 68.22 and 77.19 and 78.13 and 106.9 and 114.3 5. and 136.13 14. especially in times of their greatest distresses and extremities as Psal 74.13 14. Isa 51.9 10 15. and 63.11 12 13 14. all intimating that God did not only divide the Sea to make for them a way through it for had he done no more they might have been stifled and buried in the Mud or have stumbled upon Stones and tumbled down head-long in the deep Descent on the one side or never been able to climb up the high and steep Ascent on the other side but God also made that muddy Soil as a firm Floor for their feet all along as well as the fluid Waters to be as solid Stone-walls on each side of them And this was the more marvelous if the length of their Journey be duly considered Ptolomy Chytraeus and others affirm that the breadth of the Red Sea where Israel passed thorough was twelve or fifteen German Miles which make thirty six of our English Miles and therefore required no fewer than four or five days time after an ordinary course for six hundred thousand Men together with many thousand of Women Children Strangers and much Cattle and Lumber all which together must needs march but a soft and slow pace to pass over so many Miles in Yet seeing the Scripture mentions but one night for doing all this it was the more extraordinary and miraculous to convey so much People and Cattle so long a Journey in so little a time This was the work saith the Prophet of God's glorious Arâ—â— leading Israel through the deeps as the Rider doth his Horse in the Plain without stumbling c. Isa 63.13 c. not one Israelite being lost either young or old in this long Journey as not one Egyptian was saved c. They were all enabled to travel through the Sea which waited so long upon them with its two Wills as Elijab was enabled to foot it so fast as to keep Pace with Ahab's swift Chariots 1 King 18. last and that promise was made good to them They shall run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40.31 4. Israel's Deliverance was as miraculous in respect of the means First God's Rod was the outward means or Instrument for dividing the Sea There is the Rod of God's Mouth Isa 11.4 and the Rod of God's Hand Isa 10.5 for correction in order to Instruction or Destruction but this was the Rod of his Power lifted up here Moses's Rod will do nothing unless it be God's Rod also The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon works wonders together The Arteries run along with the Veins as some say thoughout the Body animating the blood with spirits Thus the Spirit with the Word works wonderfully Acts 14.3 Luke 5.17 The Waters felt the Rod of God's Power striking them and at that Rebuke they fled away like persons dreadfully affrighted Psal 114.3 Hab. 3.8 15. tho' that stroke was not from anger to the Sea but from favour to Israel N.B. If it ran back at God's Rebuke dare we run on in sin when rebuked Secondly Israel's Faith was the Inward Means whereby they passed safe through the Sea Heb. 11.19 Every step they took from side to side in the Red Sea was an exercise of their Faith which was most eminently seated in Moses yet was there the concurrence of the Faith of Israel tho' there were many unbelievers among them 1 Cor. 10. v. 5 9. and all
exercised with Thirst whereas Hagar had been under the same Tryal Gen. 21.15 and the Three Kings that warr'd against Moab 2 Kings 3.10 yet were all relieved in season This was their renouncing of all Religion at once and a denying of the Deity of God There is no Divine Essence where there is not a Divine Omnipresence God is most present when he afflicts He knows our Souls in adversity Psal 31.7 8. Another wonder was this That the same Water out of this Rock was Drink for their Souls as well as for their Bodies therefore the Apostle saith They all drank of that Spiritual Rock 1 Cor. 10.3 4. They had not only Manna the Bread of Angels but also Water out of the Rock Christ They had no dry Communion as is practised in the Romish Church The Water was Spiritual Drink in the same respect that the Manna was Spiritual Meat being both of them miraculously produced and prefiguring Christ who is call'd a Spiritual Rock 9. And lastly This Rock was a figure of Christ in many respects holding most apt Congruity yet some Disparity First The Congruity betwixt them As 1. A Rock is a firm and sure Foundation for any Fabrick to stand upon Soft Stones will not bear a Superstructure but waste with stormy weather and washes away with the fluctuating Waters So Christ is a firm and unmoveable Foundation for his Church and Children to rest upon Matth. 7.24 and 16.18 1 Cor. 3.11 Isa 28. 16 c. Waves break themselves upon this Rock of Ages 2. A Rock is a dry craggy uncomely thing so is Christ to a carnal Eye having no form nor comeliness to be desired Isa 52.14 and 53.2 3. Yet as this Rock had Water within it tho' it seemed dry to Thirsty Israel so Christ hath the Water of Life within him Believe for Comfort when thou canst not behold it c. 3. A Rock is of great Relief for a shadow and shady Harbour in an hot Season and a weary Land Isa 32.2 and 25.4 So Christ shades us from the Curse of the Law and the Wrath of God from being Sun-burnt Sin-burnt or Hell-burnt as the Spouse Cant. 2.3 4. This Rock affords no Water for Refreshing Israel under Thirst till smitten with Moses's Rod So Christ was smitten of God Isa 53.4 bearing the Curse of the Law for our sins Gal. 3.13 from whence flows healing Waters for thirsty and troubled Souls Christ's side smote with a Spear gushed out in blood and water John 19.34 35. 5. The Water out of the Rock served for both cleansing of Garments from filth contracted and for sustaining of life in satisfying Thirst So the Water of Life from Christ both washes away the guilt and filth of sin and upholds Spiritual Life in Believers Joh. 4.13 14. and 7.37 38 39. 6. The Water out of this Rock followed Israel from one station to another till they came to the Land of Promise So the Water of Life follows Believers in all Ages till they come to the heavenly Canaan Secondly The Disparity 1. This Rock was but course condensed Earth Christ was Heaven-made 2. It was without motion stirr'd not out of its place but Christ came down from Heaven went about doing good Acts 10.38 and ascended thither again 3. His Water of Life perishes not with using as that did and now is not Note here 1. Israel asked water of Moses 'T is the Rock Christ must give waterings not Moses's Law 2. As this Rock was turned into water so wrath is turned into mercy by our Mediator 3. Wo to whom this Rock is a stone of stumbling Rom. 9.23 1 Pet. 2.6 such shall be broken nay grinded to powder Mat. 21.44 4. 'T is the emblem of an hard heart softened by the Law in the hand of a Mediator standing on it mollifies 5. As God led to the Rock so he draws us to Christ John 6.44 The second distress and danger Israel met with at their 11th station was War with Amalek Exod. 17.8 c. teaching us That no sooner is one Tryal over but we must expect another following at its heels while we are in the Wilderness of this lower World Velut unda super venit undae one wave of the Sea pursueth another till we come to the happy Shore and Rest in the Coelestial Canaan Acts 14.22 Heb. 4.9 God tryed Israel's Faith with penury of Food and Water and with the peril of War before from Pharaoh and now from Amalek who indeed was a Scourge from God for the unishment of their four times murmuring and repining against his Conduct of them The Remarks in this VVar are 1. The Persons waging war against Israel were the Amalekites who were the Off-spring of Esau Jacob's Brother so near allied to Israel Gen. 36.12 15 16. whereupon they should have met their near Kinsmen with Bread and VVater by the way but they met them with Fire and Sword Deut. 25.18 being Heirs of that old Hatred of Esau against Jacob and reviving likely the remembrance of that old Quarrel about the loss of both the Birth-right and of the Blessing and now beholding Jacob's Off-spring become so notably numerous and marching towards the Land of Promise they had more cause to be afraid that Isaac's blessing of Jacob was now in a way of its Accomplishment and that the elder should serve the younger N.B. Amalek signifies a licking People licking up the hindmost of Israel Deut. 25.17 18. assaulting them more by Treachery than true Valour As Pharaoh pursued Israel to reduce them back to Egypt so Amalek intercepts them in the way to hinder them from Canaan and were the first of the Nations that warred against them for which Act Balaam himself foretold their destruction Numb 24.20 in whose days Amalek and their King Agag ver 7. ruffled among other Nations in formidable Grandeur as his expression there imports who by this primary and insolent Attempt procured his own utter Ruine God permitted this VVar for other causes beside that aformentioned for punishing their former Murmurings But 2. That they should not wax wanton by Ease and Idleness 3. That they might have more experience of God's delivering Mercy 4. And grow more expert in VVar Yea 5. And better furnished with weapons and other necessaries c. The second Remark is concerning the Manner of managing the Military matters on Israel's part Moses the chief Magistrate calls Joshua to be his General in this War whom he knew should be his Successor and General in all the Wars of Canaan He must fight with his Army the Lord's Battel against Amalek below which Moses Aaron and Hur prayed together above upon the top of the Hill Moses holding up the Rod of God in his hand where the Army might behold this Ensign and be confirmed in their good Fight of Faith ver 9 10. This Hur say the Jewish Doctors and Josephus was the Husband of Miriam Moses's Sister and being an old wise and experienc'd States-man was made Moses's Deputy in his absence
for Righteousness from the Law God saith to them as to Israel here Ye have dwelt long enough about that Mountain press to Sion that lays in the Land of Promise the Gospel-Canaan Deut. 1.6 7 8. Be not saith that Father like Oxen that toil a long time and draw in the Yoke and when they have done their labour are fatted for Slaughter The Law is not for Men to continue under but for a time only till they be fitted for and brought unto Christ Gal. 3.16 17 18 24. and 4.1 to 5. Heb. 3.18 19. and 4.6 to 11. We lay too long naturally at the Mount of Legal Righteousness desiring to be our own Saviours and not to make Christ our All Col. 3.11 The fifth Remark is As the place they went from was Sinai and that which they went to in general is call'd Paran Numb 10.12 the name of a great Wilderness of the length of eleven days Journey whereof the Wilderness of Sinai is one part but 't is taken here for the last part of it next to the Land of Promise This Wilderness was a most barren place which made God's maintaining so vast a multitude for so many years together the more miraculous in this Wilderness Ishimael that wild Man dwelt Gen. 21.21 and in it there was a Mountain mentioned Deut. 1.1 and 33.2 but the particular place God brought Israel to after three days Journey in this Wilderness was call'd Taberah because of the burning there Numb 10.33 and 11.3 Deut. 9.22 and Kibroth-Hattavah that is Graves of Lust Numb 11.34 and 33.16 Deut. 9 12. Moses calling them thus that the very names of that place might leave a memorial both of their sin and punishment which Moses makes mention of to imprint it the more in their hearts Deut. 9.24 The sixth Remark is Tho' God's great kindness to Israel had been all along manifested both in marshalling and in marching them towards their promised Land from Numb chap. 1. to the last of chap. 10. Yet chap. 11 c. gives an account of Israel's gross unkindness and unthankfulness to God in their many Mumurings among so many and great Mercies whereby the Rebellious Nature of Man and the Impossibility of the Law to bring Men to God is evidently declared 'T is supposed that their travelling three days together without Resting from Sinai as they had done Exod. 13.18 And again Exod. 15.22 so now again Numb 10.33 this made them murmure Now is Israel led by the Pillar of Glory to their 13th Station Numb 11. where that one place as some suppose hath two several names Taberah and Kibroth-Hattavah by which latter name it is called in Numb 33.16 upon two several occasions In respect of the punishment for their Murmuring it was called Taberah that is Burning and in respect of the cause and the effect Kibroth-Hattavah that is Graves of Concupiscence Tho' others say That this Taberah or Burning was in their three days Journey before they came to Kibroth-Hattavab yet seeing the Psalmist summs up both those supposed sins of Murmurings into one Psal 78.19 20 21. it is not improbable that both those were names of but one place for these Reasons 1. 'T is not likely that those Hebrews should be slain by an extraordinary Fire from Heaven and for dropping a few muttering and murmuring words at a tedious March wherein the Lord strengthened them from all feebleness Psal 105.37 or that after such a signal punishment and Divine Vengeance on them they durst again murmure by lusting for flesh ver 4. Numb 11. The 2d Reason is Their murmuring for flesh is expresly said to be punished by fire Psal 78.21 3ly The Plague mentioned Numb 11.33 is not specified what it was 't is indeed hinted to be a pining away by leanness Psal 106.15 but it might be done by that fire of God spoken of Numb 11.1 2. where by a Prolepsis 't is briefly touched but in the following verses of the chapter 't is more largely explained This Plague might be as the burning of an Hectick Fever yet dispatching with more expedition being rather the burning of the Pestilence So that want of flesh as well as wearisomness of their way in marching three days with their little ones without any intermission in a barren Wilderness was their cause of murmuring ver 1. tho' particularly set down afterwards ver 4 c. But grant this latter be no Recapitulation of the former because there is nothing to distinguish them but probable conjecture however it was a wickedness which God who had pardoned past murmurings Exod. 14.11 15. and 15.24 26. and 16.2 to 28. and 17.2 5. punishmeth here severely For 1. They were pinched with Penury before but now they had Manna 2. They were Rude for want of the Law which was now given to teach better manners 3. They loathed Manna and desired flesh not for necessity but to gratifie their lusts Psal 78.18 30. Beside these general Notes upon the 13th Station take a few more particular Remarks it being so famous for its two names and so famously circumstantiated in Numb 11. The first particular Remark is Israel had many Impediments in their march to the Land of Promise not only from without as from Pharaoh pursuing from Amalek intercepting as before c. but also from within among themselves by their manifold murmurings as here one or as some suppose two at this Station Even so it is with all those true Travellers toward Heaven many Impediments in the way so that the Righteous are scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 it is with much ado The second is God writes our Sin upon our Punishment as 't is said Per quod quis peccat per idem punitur ipse As Nadab and Abihu sinned by Fire and they perished by Fire Lev. 10.2 so those Murmurers here sinned against the fiery Law so called Deut. 32.2 that was spoken out of the Fire Deut. 5.22 Therefore were they punished by Fire out of the Pillar of Fire from whence the fiery Law was given and published Their Perdition is our Caution we may not be Murmurers 1 Cor. 10.5 11. The third is Evil Company is Infectious and catching as the Plague to converse with bad Companions and not to learn their Manners is marvelous Rare and Difficult 1 Cor. 15.33 This mixt Multitude the Egyptians and Strangers that join'd to Israel in their coming out of Egypt hearing of their going to Canaan c. Exod. 12.38 perceiving by these tedious Stations c. that it would be long ere they could come to the promised Land began the murmuring which yet ran like Wild-fire into the Camp of Israel who thereupon are said to weep again ver 4. which might have Relation to the like murmuring a Year before this Exod. 16.2 now they return to their old Vomit and express their wicked Complaints with salt Tears as well as with bitter Words The fourth is where ever there it sinning again on Man's part there will be punishing again on God's part
which came out against them and devoted the Spoils that they took but the payment of their Promise in utterly destroying their Cities was not till long after that they came into their hands as Judg. 1.17 for Arad and its King remained until Joshua's Conquests Josh 12.14 However Moses's Conquest of those Canaanites here gave some glimpse of God's performing his Promise that he would give Israel the Land of Promise Therefore they call'd the place of their Victory Hormah that is Devotement by which name they set up a Memorial both of God's Mercy to them in their Victory and of their own Duty in keeping their Vow afterward The third Remark is A new Impatiency and Murmuring of the People for their turning clean back again in compassing the Land of Edom when they were denied a passage through it Numb 20.18 21. Deut. 2.5 which was the nighest way This they took heinously at the hands both of God and Moses murmuring against both their Souls being grieved that they being now so near to enter into the Land must be turned backward to fetch a new Compass again This new Murmuring displeased the Lord ver 4 5 6. therefore sent he fiery Serpents among them because they also in a fume scorned Manna with a scornful word Hakilokel by doubling the letters they more vehemently vilified that Food of Angels as if it had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitter to be cast to Dogs than to Men. Hakelokel the 72 Rabbi Interpreters who best understood the sense of the word read it in Greek by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inanem vacuum a vain abject empty thing leaving their stomachs empty by its levity tho' they cramb'd themselves with never so much of it looking upon it as of so light a digestion that they felt it not in their hot stomachs in comparison of other meats Thus they despised this Manna as if God were not wise enough for them which was rained down from Heaven Psal 78.23 24. and was also a Spiritual as well as Corporal Food to them a figure of that Heavenly and Hidden Manna wherewith Christ feeds his People unto Eternal Life Rev. 2.17 Joh. 6.48.49 50 51. So the contempt of this was the contempt of Christ and his Grace Thus Belly-Gods loath and leave the Gospel to their own perdition Phil. 3.18 19. This great sin had a great punishment and such a kind of Plague as was peculiar to those Murmurers against the Messiah their God and Guide as it is interpreted 1 Cor. 10.9 as well as against Moses Nor do we read that any such punishment befel any other prevaricatours in any Age or Place The Soul of those Sinners loathed not only their Food God gave them but also their Way that God led them both for the longsomeness and lonesomeness of it and more especially for it's crookedness as if God made them tread a Maze leading them in and out and some time round about and for the many wants and woful troubles that they found therein N.B. Whereas this way into the Land of Promise was a figure of the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven through the Wilderness of this present evil World Gal. 1.6 call'd the Wilderness of Peoples Ezek. 20.35 Into which Kingdom we cannot enter but through much Tribulation Act. 14.22 We must suffer much Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 because the Gate is strait and the way that leads into it is narrow Mat 7.13 14. and we are to go through Fire and Water Psal 66.12 Therefore need we have more Faith and Patience against humane frailty than those Sinners had lest we know not the ways of the Lord with them Psal 95.10 so err in our Hearts and tempt Christ in the Wilderness as they did and thereby come to be destroyed of Serpents 1 Cor. 10.9 The Fourth Remark is Israel's twisted Sin a Complication both of loathing the way God led them and of Manna wherewith God fed them brings fiery Serpents to twist about the Bodies of those Murmurers and dangerously to sting them c. ver 6. Their new Murmuring brought this new Malady never heard of either before or after Hanechashim Haseraphim fiery Serpents not only so called because they were of a fiery colour but because such as were stung by them burned with extream Heat and Thirst They are now most justly punish'd with burning Serpents who had so much imitated the Virulency of Serpents their Tongues in their Murmurings had been full of deadly Poison and set on Fire from Hell and now are they parched and scorched with venemous Heat and Torments such as were the likest Hell of any other As those ungrateful Israelites had causelesly cryed out of Thirst so now God gave them cause enough to cry for seeing such as were stung were tormented with most vehement Thirst and could not be satisfied though they drank never so largely but were presently as thirsty as before nor could either Nature or the Art of Man cure the bitings of those Serpents which were slying as well as fiery Serpents as some suppose from Isa 14.29 and 30.6 and which made many of the People of Israel to dye N.B. As God's Judgments are inevitable we cannot either avert or avoid them so they are incurable by Man and unbearable also no Man can abide them Though the Wilderness abounded with Serpents Deut. 8.15 yet hitherto God kept them up from hurting Israel till now their Sin set them loose as God saith I will command the Serpent and he shall bite them Amos 9.3 The Fifth Remark is the Marvelous Remedy to this matchless Malady which was removed by manifold Means As 1. By the Penitency of the People ver 7. The Afflictions which God inflicteth upon his People are a blessed Means when sanctified by his Grace to bring them to a sense and sight of their Sins and by an humble acknowledgment of them to seek unto God for redressing the evil of Punishment which the evil of Sin brings upon them When God slew them then they sought him c. Psal 78.34 And in their Affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.14 c. Thus even Heart-hardened Pharaoh was forced to confess his Sin when he lay upon the Rack of the Plagues and to seek Help of God Exod. 9.27 28. The 2 d. Means was by the Prayer of Moses their Minister whom they desired to pray for them And this their desire was rightly placed for their is no hope of the removal of Punishment until there first be a real Repentance for and a cordial Confession of Sin without which Divine Plagues are not only continued but increased Levit. 26.21 23 24 28. Moses then prayed for the People ver 7. His meekness wrought an unmindfulness of all their Injuries done to him and made him ready not only to pardon them but also to pray for them Thus Samuel did in the like Case when Israel rejected him for their Governour who was so prevalent with God as to open
verses But the words Gnal Ken Jomeru Hamoshelim Hebr. for which they shall speak in Proverbs v. 27. may be understood of the Israelites that they used these Parables in rehearsing the Works and Wars of the Lord in the behalf of his Church in the Wilderness as v. 30. makes it more probable for now when Israel got this Victory the Lamp did then most eminently perish from Heshbon c. As Moab before so Sihon now lost the Light of his Kingdom and 't is immediately said after this ver 31. that Israel dwelt in the Land of the Amorites c. 'T is part of the Curse threatned against the wicked That they shall become a Proverb and a By-word Deut. 28.37 This makes it more probable that this was Israel's Epinikion or Triumphant Song in derision of Sihon at the taking of Heshbon from him who had taken it from the Moabites and hereby the Israelites were encouraged to Repair it for themselves to dwell in Numb 32.37 When God had removed one great Rubb out of Israel's way to Canaan namely Sihon King of Heshbon Now starts up another Remora greater at least in person than the former namely Og Lyra reports from a Rabbin the Combate Moses had with Og the Giant but 't is Apocryphal c. King of Bashan who came forth to War against them Numb 21.33 34 35. but more largely described Deut. 3. from 1 to 21 22. wherein God's kindness to Israel in that War with the King of Bashan is amply characterized First The Occasion of the War Og came forth and gave the first Assault against Israel before they Assaulted him or his People ver 2. together with which we are told what a formidable Adversary this King was being a Man of a prodigious tall Stature whereof a conjecture may easily be collected from the vast length of his Bed ver 11. Secondly The Management of this War 1. God doth encourage Israel with comfortable words and enabled than to do the Deed in conquering the Enemy ver 2 3.2 Then Israel thus encouraged and enabled by the Lord of Hosts went forth in the strength of the Lord Psal 71.16 and smote them taking all their Cities and Villages walled and unwalled and their whole Countrey destroying all Ages and Sexes and taking the Spoil of all their Cattel ver 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Then Thirdly The Event of this Conquest which was the consequence of the Victory namely the Distribution of this new conquered Countrey to the Tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half Tribe of Manesseh ver 12 13 14 15 16 17. and the terms or conditions upon which this Countrey was thus distributed to those Tribes ver 18 19 20. which happy Event was a pawn and pledge for encouraging Joshua to be confident of all his suture Conquests ver 21 22. From this whole History arises this following eminent Remark namely When one Evil or Impediment in our way to Heaven is removed God often permits another and worse to spring up for our new Exercise as it was here with Israel no sooner had they vanquished Sihon who stood in their way to Canaan but immediately Og a Monster of Man-kind starts up to make them a new opposition His formidable Stature an over-grown Hog might have made Israel to flie as after Goliah made them for want of Faith 1 Sam. 17.24 He was likely one of the Remnant of those Rephaims or Giants whom Chedorlaomer and his company of Kings smote in Ashteroth Gen. 14.5 with Josh 13.12 for Og Reigned there But the Jews do fable of him that he escaped from Noah's Flood by Riding astride upon the Roof of the Ark. However this is most certain that his Bedstead of Iron Wood being not strong enough to bear the weight of his bulky Body in stretching and turning himself upon it was fifteen foot or five yards and eight inches long and seven foot broad Deut. 3.11 and this monstrous Bedstead was long kept for a marvelous Monument of so mighty and massy a mortal Man in Rabbah the chief City of the Ammonites Deut. 3. v. 11. but when the Almighty God wounded the hairy Scalp of this mighty Monster Ps 68.21 at this time the Race of the Rephaims was rooted out in this Countrey tho' there were found other Giants in other Countreys as Goliah c. 1 Sam. 17.4 See also Numb 13.33 and Josh 15.14 c. Now come we to the worst and greatest External Impediment of Israel's motion towards Canaan when got now to the very borders thereof Namely the Moabites calling in to their Assistance the Midianites working great Wo to Israel more by Wiles than by War yet God's Mercy that endureth for ever carried them through this Conflict also as well as through those Impediments from the Edomites Canaanites and Amorites beforementioned Hereupon David doth declare the durableness of Divine Mercy in Psal 136. from ver 1 to ver last rehearsing that Epiphonema or the elegant closing Clause Legnolam Chasdo Hebr. for his mercy endureth for ever twenty six times Hence Dr. Lightfoot acutely observeth that as the Numerals of the name Jehovah amount to the summ of twenty six so was it twenty six Generations from Adam to Moses hereupon David in that Psalm begins his Historical Narrative of God's mercy flowing forth successively at the Creation and ending it after a distinct Series of twenty six at the Conquest of Sihon King of Heshbon and Og King of Bashon N. B. God hath now brought his Church through the wild and waste Wilderness to the Plains of Moah on this side Jordan by Jericho Numb 22.1 They removed thither from the Mountains of Abarim Numb 33.48 This last Station of Israel affords many famous Remarks As First Here Israel remained encamping in those Plains from Bethiesimoth unto Abel-Shittim Numb 33.49 until Moses died Here happened all those notable passages recorded from this Numb 22. to the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Joshua namely their Deliverance from Balaam's Curse their Mustering for taking possession of Canaan their Victory over the Midianites the addition of sundry Divine Statutes especially the repeating and explaining the whole Law and renewing of the Covenant between God and them by Moses Deut. 29. and the like N.B. Hereupon the Prophet Micah makes a compendious Recognition of all God's Mercies to them from Shittim or Abel-Shittim or the Plains of Shittim so called because of the many Shittim-Trees growing there and where Balaam gave pestilent counsel to lay a stumbling-block before Israel Numb 25.1 18. where they now were even until they came to Gilgal where they first pitched their Tents in the Land of Promise and where Joshua circumcised them Josh 5.8 9 10. to roll away their Reproach as Gilgal signifies contracted by the neglect of it in the Wilderness All this the Prophet summs up together as one prospect Micah 6.5 The second Remark is Those Plains of Moab where Israel now were and remained as above had formerly belonged to Moab
honourable Persons and Proffers ver 15 16 c. wherein we have these following Remarks The First is Wicked men are unweariable in pursuing and promoting their wicked Projects Balak casts not up his Cause for lost at his first repulse but reinforces his Batteries upon Balaam This is a check to our dulness and despondency for the good of Souls our own and others in our being so soon said and satiated at disappointments c. When Balak found that proffer'd Wealth and Wages of Wickedness as 't is call'd 2 Pet. 2.15 both because it was Wages both for a wicked Art and for a wicked end would not work this Soothsayer into a willingness He takes new measures and tries him with highest Honours thinking that Balaam's Ambition might be bribed herewith though he should not prove so covetous as to be won with Rewards Be not letted c. that is let neither thy self nor any Man no nor God himself hinder thee The Second Remark is The Tempter is no Changling Satan in the Serpent tempted our first Parents with Promotion to Honour Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3.5 and thus He thought to take our Saviour himself when he promis'd to promote him with all the Kingdoms of the World c. Matth. 4.8 9. Here he prevails with Balaam and with all the Prophets of Baal who fare better than God's Prophets 1 King 18.13 19. and Rev. 11.3 And the Witnesses of Christ do Prophesie in Sackcloath Rev. 11.3 while Chaplains to the Kings of the Earth do strut about the Streets in Scarlet with the greatest ruffling Grandeur which demonstrates them to be of the same Spirit with this Balaam who will not hinder himself as Balak bids him from being promoted to the highest Honours no not by the interdicting Prohibitions of God himself This bait took Balaam's Ambition The Third Remark is Balak useth a double Word for Balaam's cursing Israel the first is Arah which signifieth to curse lightly ver 6. but here ver 17. the Word is Nakab which signifies properly to pierce or strike through Isa 36 6 Hab. 3.14 whereupon it is figuratively used for Cursing or Blaspheming as here and Numb 23.13 25. and Levit. 24.11 the Blasphemer did as it were strike through that sacred and tremendous Name of Jehovah and here Balak grows upon Balaam not only with stronger Assaults in his more honourable Embassadors and highest Preferments but also with his demands of deeper performances Balaam must do more work for more wages He must now not only curse Israel lightly but he must strike them through with his Curses and utterly devote them to Destruction The Fourth Remark is Balaam becomes the graphical Picture of a covetous and ambitious Hypocrite pretending one thing but intending another ver 18. Oh how shy he seems here by no means must he dare to act any thing against the Revealed Will of God no not for an House-full when with all his Heart he would have done it for an Hand-full of Gold and Silver for he laboured with all his might to curse Israel which God had expresly forbid him Balaam's will was undoubtedly corrupt being bewitched with the wages of Wickedness 2 Pet. 2.15 Therefore he besought God by his multiplied Altars and Sacrifices to change his prohibiting Word Numb 23.12 14 c. That he might not be restrained thereby The Fifth Remark is The Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 Though Israel had often provoked God by their reiterated Murmurings in the Wilderness before this Time and though Balaam did often solicite God for leave to curse Israel yet the Lord Would not repent of his Resolve that his People should be blessed as ver 12. Therefore God would not hearken to any of Balaam's Solicitations to the contrary but as when Jacob the Father of this People had got the Blessing though by indirect means of his Father Isaac Esau with all his howling and tears could not get him to reverse it but Isaac said I have blessed him and he shall be blessed Gen. 27.33 so and much more than so Balaam must not prevail with the most high God to revoke that Blessing wherewith he had blessed this Posterity of Jacob and that by no mistake as blind Isaac had done but in Infinite Wisdom and Eternal Deliberation Wherefore Israel is after this put in Mind of this Transcendent Mercy The Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam but turn'd his Curse into a Blessing because he loved thee Deut. 23.5 and restrained Him c. The Sixth Remark is The Name of God Jehovah was both known and pronounced by Balaam ver 18. though he was a Syrian and by other People as the Temanites Shuhites Naamathites and Buzites who did worship the true God though corruptly and probably other God's with him as appeareth from Job 2.10 11. and 32.2 and 42.7 8 9. This Tetragrammaton or Name of God Jehovah which consisteth of four Hebrew quiescent Letters was all along religiously pronounced by the Godly Hebrews the Patriarchs Prophets and People in all those pure Primitive Ages But now the Jews for many past Ages have abstained from pronouncing it using all along Adonai Lord instead thereof and this Tradition was a device of their own restraining it first to the Sanctuary and in Blessing then only to Name Jehovah at last omitting it in the Sanctuary also lest it should be as they supposed prophaned by the unworthy Yea so far went they in this their Superstitious precisenes that they affirm their Wise Men taught not this Name to their Scholars though of honest Conversation but to Name Jehovah once in seven Years Maimonides Treatise of Prayer Chap. 14. Sect. 10. and this it seemeth they did because the Heathen had abused that Name calling their false Gods Jao Jove c. However Balaam as bad a Soothsayer as he was may rise up in Judgment against those Superstitious Jews seeing He gave here to the true God this Name Jehovah which is a Name not communicable to any Creature though severally given to all the Three Persons of the Trinity Psal 110. â— 2. Jer. 23.6 c. Whereas the Blind Jews forbad the writing of it right and to pronounce it at all in this World save only by the High Priest and that only in one Place the Sanctum Sanctorum and at one Time of the Year in the day of Expiation yea and that only in one Case namely in publick Benedictions At other Times in other Places and by other Persons they held it more than a Capital Crime as Gregory shews out of their Talmud c. The Seventh Remark is Some Mens Sins go before hand to Judgment and some follow after 1 Tim. 5.24 Hitherto Balaam in many Passages appeareth a seeming Saint c. but now beginneth he to discover his Satanical Spirit of Hypocrisie He that seemed so constant to Jehovah and to his Commands and so Continent from any covetous Itch after Wealth and Honour ver 18. now begins to warp
knew though He was now neither Sick nor Weak yet must he shortly dye ver 14. and not lead Israel over Jordan which was a Work reserved for Joshua ver 3. a younger Man so more fit than old Moses therefore Moses himself did desire a writ of ease from his Office Numb 27.17 knowing the Mind of God herein Numb 20.12 Deut. 3.25 26. The Third Remark is Joshua who is called Jesus Heb. 4.8 was a clear Type and Figure of our Lord Jesus who after the ending of the Law of Moses doth by Grace and Truth bring us into God's Eternal rest Joh. 1.17 Rom. 10.4 As Moses could not bring Israel to Canaan because of their unbelief Heb. 3. last ver but Joshua brought them thither So Moses's Law cannot bring us to Heaven because of the Infirmity of our Flesh Rom. 8.3 but the Gospel of our dear Jesus doth it for us And whereas Moses joineth Jehovah and Joshua together ver 3. that Israel might the better give him their Confidence and Obedience rather as a second to God than as a Successor to himself So the second Person in the Trinity Jesus Christ is our Almighty Saviour to the utmost Heb. 7.25 The Fourth Remark is the Encouragement Moses gives to Israel to counter-comfort them against their sad loss of so great and so good a Governour they had enjoy'd for forty Years The People are comforted not only with a Promise of Joshua's Succession in the Government but more especially of the Lord's Presence with them who would not fail them nor forsake them but would as surely give them a Conquest over the Canaanites on the other side Jordan as he had already done over the Amorites on this side the River their former Victories were as Pledges of Future and Greater therefore He bids them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16.13 Quit your selves like men ver 3.4 5 6. and the same encouragement Moses gave to Joshua in particular ver 7 8. The Fifth Remark is This Law or Deuteronomy Moses orders to be read every seventh Year ver 10. which was the Year of release from Debts Deut. 15.1 2 c. for then the People were mostly free from the Cares and Incumbrances of the World and therefore might the better apply themselves to hear the Law of God As that Year of Release was a Figure of our Year of Grace and the release from our Debts of Sin by our Redeemer So seeing we are delivered we should therefore serve God the more Luke 1.74 75. And being bought with a Price therefore Glorifi God l Cor. 6.20 This Book when now read Moses commands it to be laid up in the side of the Ark ver 26. and not within the Ark because 1. After the Ark was once shut 't is probable it was never opened but this Book was fetch'd out of the Temple 2 King 22.8 and 2 Chron. 34.14 15. And 2. Because in the Ark were laid up the Tables of Stone only 1 King 8 9. This was laid up as a Testimony against Israel's falling away from God which Moses foretelleth here ver 16 17 18 26 27. The Sixth Remark is The Song call'd the Song of Moses delivered in Words at large Chap. 32. and but here described by Circumstances as 1. The Principal Author of composing this Song to be Sung was Jehovah himself while Moses and Joshua were both present ver 14 15 19. 2. The Instrument Scribe or Writer of the Song was Moses ver 22. And 3. The Subject matter of the Song is Moses's foretelling Israel's falling away and the Calamity that would come upon them for their Apostasy ver 16 17 18 29. This Song was put into Metre to be learnt and sung of all sorts sizes and sexes that it might be more easily learnt and kept in Memory with Delight Metra parant animos pristina commemorant Metre refreshes the Memory and makes it to retain Songs long in it And before the Knowledge of Letters and Writing which was long before Printing it was the Custom of the Ancients to sing their Laws lest they should forget them In order hereunto 't is said here ver 19. that Parents should put this Song into the Mouths of their Children that out of their own Mouths God might judge them afterwards c. Remarks upon Deut. 32. follow The First is The Recording of this Song at large in this whole Chapter which so distinctly foretelleth Israel's Sins of Ingratitude to God notwithstanding all his matchless Mercies to them and his Judgments of Sword Famine Pestilence and Captivity for their notorious Impieties All this is left upon Record against them that they might have no cause to complain in after times that they were neither admonish'd of their Iniquity nor premonish'd of their Punishments before hand This in general was so remarkable a Passage of Providence that the Rabbins begin here their three and fiftieth Section or Lecture of the Law and which Vatablus and more Modern Authors make the tenth Section Moreover the Hebrews affirm that this famous Song contains in it a Compendium of the whole Law of God because it maketh mention of God's magnificency of the Creation of the World of one God to be worshipped of the Generation of the Flood of the Division of Tongues and Nations of God's kindness to Israel in the Desart and of the last Resurrection The Second Remark is Moses in this Song having call'd Heaven and Earth in as Witnesses ver 1. and wishing that his Doctrine might bring forth as much Fruit in Israel as the Rain and Dew dâ—â—h â—n the Earth ver 2. and commending God to the People for his Magnificency Perfection c. ver 3 4. c. Then gives an elegant Narrative of God's Kindnesses to them both past in his free Choice of them from all other Nations ver 8 9. and present in his preserving them in the Wilderness set forth by both the similitude of the Apple of his Eye ver 10. and of the Eagle to her Young ver 11 12. yea and prophetically of God's future kindnesses to them in bringing them into the Land that flowed with Milk and Honey c. ver 13 14. The Third Remark is The second part of his Narrative consists of Israel's abusing all those kindnesses of God to them intimated ver 5 6. but more fully related both in the Causes of their Ingratitude namely their fulness and fatness ver 15. which made them forsake God their Father falling to Idolatry and following Idols ver 16 17 18. whereby the Lord was provoked to Anger against them ver 19. The Fourth Remark is The Divine Commination against Israel for this Ingratitude wherein is contained many Aggravations as 1. God's hiding his Face ver 20. 2. His retaliating them like for like ver 21. 3. His casting Fire and his Arrows on them ver 22 23. with a multitude of Mischiefs ver 24 25 26. insomuch that both God and Man might laugh them to scorn ver 27 to 39. The Fifth Remark
is The Divine Consolation wherewith He closes this Oration not loving to set like the Sun sometimes in that dark Cloud of Divine Commination Hereupon Moses here comes to Comfort Israel with a double Cordial The First is God's Promise of the Restitution of Israel ver 36 43. And the Second is his Promise of the Rejection of all their Adversaries against whom He denounceth Corporal and Eternal Punishments ver 40 to 44. whereby He shewed God's Mercy in Christ toward them in the end The Sixth Remark is The Conclusion of this Chap. 32. in which after Moses had moved the People to a diligent Consideration and Application of the Matter of this Song ver 46 47. then God commands him to take a view of the Land of Promise from the Top of Mount Nebo the next Mountain ver 48 49. and then to give up the Ghost there ver 50 51 52. wherein Moses faithfully Commemorates his own Sin as a Vindication of God's Justice against him and for a warning to all People not to disobey God by his Example however he gives this Account of himself that according to the Apostle's Phrase He died in the Faith seeing the Promise afar off and saluted it Heb. 11.13 Now come we to Chapter the thirty third of Deuteronomy which is Moses's last Prophetical Prayer and his Patriarchal Benediction relating to the twelve Tribes of Israel a little time before his Death This consists of three Parts 1. The Prologue 2. The Prediction it self in twelve Particulars And 3. The Epilogue or Conclusion of the whole In the first Part the Prologue Moses maketh Arguments for Captivating the Peoples Attention and Good Will His first Argument is drawn from the Person of God who had conferr'd so many and so great Divine Favours upon them ver 2 3. His second Argument from the Person of Moses Himself in his twofold Office 1. Prophetical in giving them the Law ver 4. 2. Regal as he was King c. so might command their Audience The Remarks upon this first Part the Prologue are First Here beginneth the fifty fourth and last Section or Lecture of the Law call'd in Hebrew Haberahah Haec benedictio this is the Blessing beginning here And much to be marked because the Words of dying Men are living Oracles most pious and ponderous but most of all of this dying Man of God Moses The Second Remark is From the Person of God call'd here a Lover of the People who bestowed three special favours upon them The 1. Was in giving them his Law 2. In providing for them the Brazen Serpent to heal them when stung of the fiery Serpents Thus the fiery Law is a Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ figured by the Serpent set up while they compassed Mount-Seir Edom's Land Deut. 2.4 5. Numb 21.4 9. And 3. In preparing them for their Possession of the Land of Promise by the Explication of the Law which Moses made to them at this Paran named here and Deut. 1.1 and Hab. 3.3 This teacheth us that after we be brought to Christ by Faith He informs us in his Law by his Spirit and so prepares us for our entring into his Eternal Rest The Third Remark from the Person of Moses is Though Kingly Government as it is described 1 Sam. 8.9 was not set up in Israel yet Moses is call'd King here ver 5. as he was the Supream Magistrate and Chief Governour of Israel their Law-giver and such an Heroick King as reigned over the People by Vertue and Justice not by Force and Violence Not Imperiously saying this I can do by my absolute Power but this is fit for me to do as a Magistrate fearing God c. He had the Heads of the People and the Tribes joyn'd with him here as King Lords and Commons 'T is the best of Governments doubtless where the Beam is kept right and eaven betwixt Soveraignty and Subjection without Tilting the Balance either way The Second Part is the Prediction relating to the twelve Tribes and beginning with Reuben ver 6. The First Remark concerning Reuben is Moses prays for him that though he had finn'd with his Father's Concubine Gen. 35.22 for which he lost his Birth-right Gen. 49.4 and though the Princes of this Tribe rebelled with Korah Numb 16.1 c. yet that Mercy might be shewed him in Christ so as to live to Life Eternal and not die the second Death according to the Chaldee Paraphrast or at least to live before the Lord in this World that he might not be extinguished among the Tribes By Vertue of this Prayer Reuben remained a number to go on Armed before their Brethren against the cursed Canaanites Josh 4.12 The 2d Remark respects Judah v. 7. who was the 4th Brother yet is blest in the 2d place for the honour of the Kingdom which was to be in this Tribe by David c. and out of which the Messiah was to spring Moses prays that God would hear the Prayers of Judah when he fought the Lord's Battels pressing the Lord that he would turn his promises into performances as was oft done in David's and his Successor's days and Moses prays that Judah's hands may be sufficient for him and that God would be an help to him to shew that Man's sufficiency is of God The 3d Remark concerns Simeon whose Name is not mentioned in this Patriarchal Benediction because 1st He lost his Honour by his Cruelty upon Shechem Gen. 49.5 7 c. 2dly By the Corporal and Spiritual Fornication of his Posterity in Zimri c. Numb 25. Therefore was this Tribe lessened from 59 Thousand at the first Muster Numb 1. to 22 Thousand at the last Muster Numb 26.14 But the Rabbins not willing to have Simeon altogether omitted do join him with Judah here in the Blessing because he went forth with that Tribe to fight against the Canaaites Judg. 1.3 and because Simeon's Inheritance lay in the midst of the Inheritance of Judah Josh 19.1 1 Chron. 4.42 So their Expeditions were in common joined together Yet the Greeks in many Copies join Simeon with Reuben in the former Blessing thus Let Reuben live and not die and let Simeon be many in number But this Addition is exploded by the Fathers Some join Simeon's with Levi's Blessing because both of them were scatter'd in Israel Gen. 49.5 7. The 4th Remark respects Levi who had been a Copartner with Simeon both in the Cruelty and in the Curse afore-named yet this Tribe did retrieve it self from both by their Zeal against Idolatry Exod. 32.26 27 c. which Simeon's Tribe did not so comes to be blest by Moses here with a Sacerdotal Dignity ver 8 9 10 11. to whom the Vrim and Thummim Sincerity of Life and Soundness of Doctrine is here promised and which the Levitical Priesthood kept till the Captivity but then lost them Ezr. 2.63 and never recovered them because the Messiah our High-Priest after the Order of Melchisedech was to restore them by the
and Mystery of Israel's Conduct to Canaan by Joshua HAving finished the five Books of Moses which contain the History of the first 2554 Years of the World according to Sir Walter Rawleigh's Reckoning such Variety being in the Computation of Chronologers I come now to the History of Israel's Conduct into Canaan under General Joshua who was Moses's Successor in the Government Constituted their Supreme Governour by God himself The Book of Joshua gives us a Narrative hereof on which Book the General Remarks are first to be observed and they are threefold The first is concerning the Scope of the Book The second is concerning the Author of it And the third is concerning the Subject of the whole Book First As to the Scope of it in the General 't is a solemn Doxology or giving Glory to God for the manifestation of his four Glorious Attributes his Mercy his Justice his Power and his Truth namely 1. His Mercy to Israel his Old Testament Church tho' they provok'd Him to the highest Displeasure with their most Heinous Sins both in Egypt and in the Wilderness c. yet God would not write Lo-ammi upon them Hos 1.9 so as to Unchurch or Unpeople them but his Mercy still Triumph'd over his Justice Jam. 2.13 bearing with their Evil Manners in the Wilderness forty years Act. 13.18 God's Pardoning-Mercy did follow them from their Departure out of Egypt until they came to the Borders of Canaan Numb 14.19 2. His Justice to those Cursed Canaanites who when their Sins were full Gen. 15.16 filled up their Ephah Zech. 5.6 and the measure of their Iniquity Matth. 23.32 were universally cut off by the Justice of God save only some Reserved not only for the Exercises but also for Drudgery to that Royal Nation 3. His Power that such a poor contemptible People born all of Bond-slaves and Brick-makers in Egypt all Foot-men should be impower'd to conquer so many War-like Nations who had Iron Chariots and Horse-men Josh 10.6 9. and 17 18 c. 4. His Truth in performing his Promise that God made to Abraham of giving Canaan to his Seed Gen. 12.7 13.15 15.18 tho' that Promise had been made four hundred years before this yet now God fulfils with his hand what his mouth had spoken and now doth as he had said Beside all this respecting God's Glory c. the Scope of this Book aimeth at a most Graphical Description and Character both of a right Godly Man and of a right Godly Magistrate such an one as Joshua appeareth to be as will be demonstrated occasionally in the sequel of this Discourse The second general Remark is concerning the Author of this Book which respecteth Joshua under a twofold capacity 1. As the Sacred Pen-man or Writer of it And 2. As the Principal Sword-man or Warriour in it 1. Of the Writer of it c. There be indeed various Opinions in this point As 1. Some make Isaiah the Author but without any Argument this is Gratis Dictum Or 2. Eleazer the then High-Priest whose Office was not only by speaking vivâ voce but also by writing to teach the People 3. Some say it was either Samuel or Ezra We grant some parts and passages might be added to this Book by either of them to wit what happened after Joshua's Death as Joshua wrote the last of Deuteronomy The Occurrences after Moses's Death 4. Others affirm it was written by Phinchas grounding their Opinion only upon mentioning the consequences of Joshua's Death which Joshua himself could give no particular account of But 5. The most probable Opinion is that Joshua was its Writer for 1. He is call'd Moses's Successor in Prophecyings that is in writing the Sacred Scriptures Ecclesiastic 46.1 2. Joshua being all along Moses's Minister might well learn from his Master to write his own Acts as Moses had done his 3. 'T is said Josh 24.26 Joshua wrote all these things c. The third General Remark respecteth the Subject of this Book which as it bearech the Name of Joshua so Joshua is the Subject of it throughout consisting upon three Topicks wherein he is described 1. By his Office or Figure he bare in the World 2. By his Actions both in the time of War and of Peace and 3. By his End First As to his Office He was solemnly called and inaugurated by God himself to be Moses's Successor in the Chief Magistracy and Conduct of Israel This was signified by the change of his Name from Oshea into Jehoshua or Joshua Numb 13.16 the former Name fignifying Save us O God or let God save us the latter God shall save us to teach us that under the Law which brings us as it were into the Wilderness we may desire wish and pray that there were a Saviour but under the Gospel we are sure of Salvation For as Moses foreseeing by the Spirit that this Man his Successor would certainly save Israel from all the Cursed Canaanites named him Joshua in Greek Jesus Act. 7.45 and Heb. 4.8 which signifies a Saviour Matth. 1.21 So he became a Type of our Jehoshua or Jesus who hath as the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 bound himself to fulfil all Righteousness for us Matth. 3.15 that He might ensure Salvation to us and Land us safe at the Key of a better Canaan the Kingdom of Heaven It was the manner of Monarchs to change the Names of their Ministers Gen. 41.4 5. and Dan. 1.7 upon the account of Honour but Moses learnt this from God himself who had changed the Names of Abram Sarai Jacob c. Gen. 17.5 15. 32.28 thereby putting a greater Dignity on them God at Moses Request constitutes Joshua his Successor in his Supremacy Numb 27.15 18. at which time Moses gave to his Minister his Honour or Glory v. 20. As if the shining of Moses's face Exod. 34.30 35. had been transferred upon Joshua Hereupon the Rabbins say that the face of Moses shone as the Sun and the face of Joshua shone as the Moon being inferior to Moses Deut. 34.10 yet our Joshua or Jesus is counted worthy of greater Honour than Moses Heb. 3.3 Secondly Joshua's Actions in his Publick Office are of three sorts 1. Military 2. Sacred 3. Civil relating to his Time both of War and Peace As to his Inauguration into Moses's Imperial Office whereof an Account is given Josh chap. 1. hath been already discoursed upon in the end of Deuteronomy therefore do I omit it here The first sort of Joshua's Actions were Military whereof we have this short Scheme 1. His sending forth the two Spies to search the Land chap. 2. 2. His Miraculous March through the midst of Jordan chap. 3. for a Memorial of which twelve Stones were taken out of the River and set up in Gilgal chap. 4. 3. His Besieging and Destroying of Jericho chap. 6. where Sacriledge was committed but Expiated chap. 7. After this 4. His Storming of Ai in chap. 8. 5. His Conquering five Kings chap. 10. 6.
out that Night lay hid in the Mountains all the Seventh Day and on the Eighth returned to the Camp which three Days are counted just as the three Days of our Saviours Burial The Fourth Remark is The difference Remarkable betwixt those two Spies Joshua sent and the 12 Spies Moses sent who proved ten too many Numb 13. c. Those two were rightly qualified both with Wisdom and with courage for their special Spying work which the ten that Moses sent were wanting in First Their Wisdom was evident in giving a full Relation of all Occurrences in their adventure unto General Joshua alone and not to the Mobile or Multitude as Moses's Ten did well knowing that Neutrum Modò mas modò vulgus the vulgar are apt at such a Narrative to take in impressions either of too much fear or too much forwardness as they did in Moses's Day Numb 14 18 40. Secondly Their courage vers 23. They did not discourage the Hearts of the People as the ten cowardly Spies did with Stories of the Anakim Giants and of Cities Walled up to Heaven c. but these two tells Joshua vers 24. that God had delivered the Land of Canaan into Israel's Hands as if it had been already done c. We do not Read of any such desperate dangers that Moses's ten Spies met with in their enterprize as those two Spies of Joshua's did yet the fewer that their hazards had been the lesser was their courage and encouragement So true is that of Solomon He that sends a message by the Hands of a Fool cutteth off the Feet and drinketh damage Prov. 26.6 Whereas those two the more mischievous Perils they met with the more Magnanimous they were made by their escape from them and the more did they promise to themselves and to their People Israel a compleat Conquest of Canaan In fine Tho' those two Spies were Men of courage yet were they not Fool-hardy but their Wisdom had the conduct of their courage They do not over-daringly outface danger either in Rahab's House or in their return home but improve the means where the Lord had not promis'd Miracles upon this Account our Redeemer saith to Satan Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Matth. 4.7 So as to neglect means c. CHAP. III. Josh the Third relateth the miracle of Israel's passing through Jordan in all its circumstances of time place manner c. The First Remark upon this Relation is the solemn preparation of Israel for their best Reception of this Miracle of mercy Israel had three Days time not only to provide necessaries for a march from Shittim to the Banks of Jordan Josh 1.11 but also to prepare themselves both in Body and Soul with Ceremonial and Spiritual Purifications to render them capable of that glorious Efficacy of Gods powerful presence in dividing Jordan vers 5. God oft call'd them to a sanctifying themselves for his presence Exod. 19.10 15. Levit. 20.7 8. Numb 11 18. c. a due preparation for Gods presence brings a true participation of it and the more that our minds are purified for meeting the Lord the more influence hath his presence upon our Spirits and the deeper impression it maketh upon our memories The Second Remark is the Cloudy Pillar being now departed at Moses's Death shewing the shadows of the Law cannot lead us into the Land of promise The Ark of the Covenant being a Type of the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 the Lord Jesus takes the Conduct of Israel through Jordan into Canaan Josh 3.3 11. which shew that the order of the march of the Ark of God in Moses's time was in the midst of the Camp Numb 2.17 c. But now this course was changed in Joshua's time for the glorious Cloud being gone the Ark of God must go before Israel who must follow after it denoting That as there was no other way of entrance into the Earthly Canaan but by following the Ark of God so there is no other way of entrance into the Heavenly Canaan but only by following the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 14.6 Act. 4.12 Matth. 16.24 The Third Remarks is The much Congruity or Parity 'twixt this Ark the Type and Christ the Antitype as 1. The Ark was made of Shittim-Wood Exod. 25 10 c. A Wood most durable and not subject to putrefaction So Christ was neither subject to the corruption of Sin nor to the putrefaction of the Grave Heb. 27.1 and 4.15 Psal 16.9 10. 2. the Ark was covered with pure Gold So Christ had the Gold of his Godhead covering his Manhood Col. 2.9 3. it had the Tables of the Testimony and pot of Manna c. so Christ had Treasures of Wisdom hid in him Col. 2.3 c. Fourthly the Ark was an Assurance of Gods presence with Israel Josh 3.11 calls it the Loâ—d of the whole Earth which is added to corroborate Israel's confidence for if that God who made the whole Earth out of nothing and governeth all things contained in it by his wise and powerful providence did dwell in the Ark that passed over before them there could be no place left for incredibility or so much as doubting of their ill success where the Ark was there God was Hence the Ark is call'd Gods Face Psal 105 4. and 't is call'd God himself Psal 132.5 wherewith God was present in casting down Dagon and plaguing the Philistins 1 Sam. 5.2 3 4 6 9 10 11 12. and 6.19 20. Where the Ark is and where the ordinances are there God is c. Thus. Christ is both the cause and the assurance of Gods merciful presence with us Joh. 17.21 The Son's union with the Father is an assurance of our Union both with the Father and the Son and of theirs with us Fifthly a reverend respect must be had to the Ark of God so that the People must not come near to it but keep at distance from it two thousand Cubits or a thousand Yards Josh 3.4 Which distance was prescribed to affect their Hearts with a due Veneration to Gods presence whereof the Ark was a Sign in which respect at the giving of the Law there were bounds appointed about the Mount Sinai to keep the People from approaching too near it Exod. 19.12 Thus Gods Command concerning this Ark was they shall not go in to see it Numb 4.20 The Men of Bethshemesh paid dear for their peeping 1 Sam 6.19 Gods secrets must not be searched into Deut. 29.29 Hic oportet mirari potiùs quà m Rimari Arcana Dei sunt Ara Dea a presumptuous prying into the work of Gods Arcanum's is not only an Impious curiosity but 't is also forbidden upon pain of Death as above and Peter giveth charge against that Curiosity as against Theft or Murder 1 Pet. 4.15 't is Bucholcer's Counsel Tu fuge ceu pestem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We should be wise to sobriety and not rush rashly into Gods ordinances or Sacraments Dr. Hall saith well God loves at
quos Deus vult destrui priùs dementat Tho' it be the common Dictate of the Light of Nature that Nations in danger of Invasion do carefully secure their Coasts and guard their Frontiers yet those Canaanites in neglecting this here seem deprived of their reasons probably their present security might be because they look'd on it as Impossible for Israel to pass over Jordan when it overflow'd its Banks but certainly they were struck with such a Terror by this Miracle that they durst not come forth but immured themselves in the High wall'd-City CHAP. IV. JOsh The Fourth gives an Account of those Monuments appointed for an everlasting memorial of Israels miraculous passage over Jordan those Monuments are twofold first the Principal described 1. The Author God vers 1. 2. The instruments who and how many vers 2 4 8. 3. The Materials twelve Stones taken out of the midst of Jordan vers 3. 5. 4. The place of Standing both in Gilgal vers 3.5 20. and in the midst of Jordan vers 9. 5. The end why as a memorial of that wonderful Work to their Posterity vers 6 7 21 22 23. and that the Canaanites might learn to acknowledg the omnipotency and Israelites the fear of God vers 24. Secondly the less Principal described likewise as 1. the manner and order of Israel's marching through Jordan 1. the Gadites Reubenites and Half-tribe of Manasseh vers 12 13. 2. All the People universally making much hast either from fear of danger or from desire of the promised Land vers 10. and 3. The Priests with the Ark vers 15 16 17 18. 2ly The time when this was done vers 19. 3ly The event hereof namely the magnifying of Joshua's Authority vers 14. 4ly The return of the Waters of Jordan into their course as they naturally ran vers 18. lastly The pitching of Israel's Tents in Gilgal a place so called by Anticipation vers 19. and 5.9 The special Remarks upon the premisses are these The First Remark is This is an Ancient and laudable Practice to erect lasting Monuments for propogating and perpetuating some signal mercy and singular deliverance that the Glory of a wonder-working God may be Eternalized and the Truth of his wondrous works may be testified to all succeeding Generations Here a Pillar of twelve huge Stones must be reared up by Gods own Command vers 1.9 with chap 3.12 And therefore it was void of all vain Superstition as it was not Super Statutum or the command of Joshua only Agreeable unto this Divine Pattern hath this great City well erected a stately structure of Stone the Monumental Pillar that the loving kindness of God in the late dreadful conflagration may be kept in everlasting remembrance The Second Remark is Tho' it be the Devils design to have Gods great Works of wonder soon obliterated Eaten Bread is soon forgotten yet 't is God's will to have them remembred and better remembred Therefore one Monument of this great mercy must be in Gilgal the place of Israel's Circumcision relating to the twelve Patrinrks in the Old Test and another in Jordan the place of Christ's Baptism relating to the twelve Apostles of the New tho' that in Jordan was a memorial to the two Tribes and half on the other side of Jordan which being built up of the most Massy Stones in the midst of the River might be seen at low Water by them for these Stones are not said to he carried on Mens Shoulders as those erected at Gilgal were but that Joshua rolled them together by the help of many Hands Or Jordans Waters being so famous for their clearness this Pillar was perspicuous to them that passed by in Boats or if as some say It was set nigh the Bank this made it more obvious to the Eye That at Gilgal was a memoir for the other 10. Tribes all must have their memento's that this Miracle of mercy might not be Moth-eaten c. The Third Remark is Parents ought cerefully to Catechize and instruct their Children vers 6 7. They were to teach their Children the use and end of thhis Monument as before of the Passover Exod. 12.26 and 13.14 Psal 34.11 and 48.13 and 102.18 Tender Plants must oft be Watered Eph. 6.4 Children must be Nurtured as well as Nourished the former is as necessary as the latter and much more seeing the Soul is a more noble nature than the Body If Parents Mind only the Bodies of their young What do they more than the very brute Beasts for theirs The Blessings upon Posterity is entail'd to Piety in the second Commandment Therefore the meaning of all Sacred Monuments should be made known by Parents to Children True Religion is the exercise of illuminated Minds 't is not an ignorant or blind Devotion as among the Papists who have a Mass of Mystical Ceremonies whereof neither Children nor their Patients no nor many of their Priests can render any reason nor indeed is any reason for many of them pretended by their Chief-Priests save such only as is ridiculous But this Sign so called of Divine Institution was expresly for the fortifying of Faith for the feeding of Hope and for the nourishing of Joy both for Parents and Children when informed by calling to remembrance so transcendent a Miracle whereby they all in after-times might be stirred up to Thankfulness Strengthened in their daily dependancy upon this wonder-working God Hereupon Parents cannot perform a more profitable Office to their Children nor leave them a better and more lasting Legacy and Inheritance than to train them up in the crue knowledg of the good Ways Works and Word of God c. The Fourth Remark is behold how the servent Zeal of Joshua appeared here who being transported with Admiration of this Miracle of Mercy doth again and again Record the Circumstances of it the Waters of Jordan were cut off and again the Waters of Jordan were cut off vers 7. That they might make the more impression upon the Minds of their posterity Wheting or Sharpening as the Hebrew Deut. 6.7 signifies As if he had been whetting a Knife before Dinner by drawing it oft over the Whetstone or as if he had been sharpening a Stake before it be driven into the Ground Thus Joshua repeats and Inculcates the same great truth with a Mind much fired upon it not only to shew that he could scarce satisfy himself with a sufficient admiring of this great mercy but also that the Blessed Truths of God the Principles of Religion must be Inculcated and Repeated or taught diligently to our Children for die deeper impression on their Minds See again vers 22 23. The Fifth Remark is The Heroick Faith and Fortitude of those Holy Priests who like good guides not only were the first that to the Hazard of their Lives entred into the River and patiently continued long in the midst of Jordo◠until fix Hundred Thousand Men c. could march over but they were the last also that passed out of the River
out the Sacrilegious Person ver 13 14. and 2. The punishment to be inflicted upon him ver 15. behold how God aggravates Achan's Sin by the several Circumstances of it ver 11. this Achan should have done and thus we should do Levit. 16.21 and so prevent the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 behold God's mercy at one time that he was but six days in making the World yet took six days to destroy Jericho giving them that time wherein to Repent and lastly behold God's Justice at another time that he who would for the sake of Ten Righteous Men have spared five wicked Cities Gen. 18.32 yet will not be content here to drown in Oblivion this one Sin of Achan notwithstanding the many Righteous ones that made up the Church of God in Joshua's Day The Third Remark from the second Part is The manner how Aehan was found out as by an ordinary Process at Law to be the grand Sinner In this Judiciary proceeding observe First The Inquest enquiry is made after the sinner by casting Lots as by an Hue and Cry ver 16 17 18. Though the Lord had said I will be with you no more ver 12. yet when they had sanctified themselves both legally and spiritually for he will be Sanctified of all them that draw nigh to him Levit. 10.3 the Lord returns now and draweth nigh to them in this his Ordinance of casting Lots which is wholly at God's disposal Prov. 16.33 whereas the Lord could at the first have pointed out this sinner by Name yet was it his pleasure to proceed in this method that by this gradual proceeding he might convince Achan of his sin and bring him to a timely Repentance and Confession of it or at least leave him the more inexcusable Nor doth the Lord usually in the passages of his Providence act immediately by himself but useth Men and Means as Instruments to serve his Providence and to joyn Humane Endeavours for the effecting of his Divine Works as he doth here and Joshua here calling all the Tribes of Israel together for the finding out of one Man is a Type of our blessed Joshua or Jesus who at the last day will call all the Families of the Earth together out of them a small number shall be deducted that have heard of Christ out of them those that have professed Christ and out of them those that have professed him in sincerity having not only the form of Godliness but the power also 2 Tim. 3.5 which Christ calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little little Flock Luke 12.32 a very small few doubtless As no Saint shall be lost by him Joh. 6.39 and 17.12 so no sinner can possibly lurch him who knoweth all things Joh. 21.17 c. every individual Sinner shall then be found out by his own Sin Numb 32.23 much more by the searcher of all hearts Act. 1.24 at the day of Judgment as Achan was fâ—â—â—d out here by Lot Secondly observe here The Examination of the sinner when the Inquest had found him out ver 19. wherein Joshua the Judge 1. Useth a candid Compellation to him calling him my Son to shew respect to his Person and that he was not giving judgment against him out of any Rage or Revenge But 2. his aim was only God's Glory and Israel's Peace And 3. says Hide not thy Fact from me thou canst not hide it as thou seest from an All seeing God who hath discover'd thee to be the sinner by his lot To confess sin is the way to find mercy Prov. 28.13 1 John 1.9 c. Thirdly observe here Achan's Confession 1. In its form which is either General ver 20. or special and particular ver 21. And 2. The Adjunct thereof the truth of what Achan confess'd was really confirmed ver 22 23. least any of his Friends should imagine his Confession was forced from him Hence Note the First is See how Satan had Gagg'd Achan and had hardned his heart by that deceitful sin of cursed Covetousness the poisonful property whereof is to change Mens Hearts into Earth and Mud and afterward to congeal and freeze them into an Icy Flint and Adamant for though the Lord in disposing of the Lots to discover the Sacrilege came nearer and nearer Achan at every step 1. The Lord by Lot took his Tribe of Judah 2. His Family of the Zarhites And 3. his Houshold of Zabdi before that Houshold were call'd forth Man by Man to take himself ver 16 17 18. Yet all this while Achan's Conscience awaketh not he Repenteth not he Confesseth not his fault Satan knoweth that the Sin-sick Soul hath no way to purge or exonerate it self but upwards Confession being its Spiritual Vomit He therefore holdeth the Lips close so long as he can that the Heart may have no vent to disburden it self The Second Note hence is No Person should dare to sin in hope of Secresie for no sin can be secret to an Omniscient God 2 Chron. 16.9 Psal 139. 2 3 4 c. to 14. Heb. 4.13 c. As the Guilt of Sin will haunt the most secret Sinner like a Bloud-hound at his Heels and the punishment thereof will pursue and overtake him Numb 32.23 So 't is God's great work to bring to light the most hidden things of Darkness 1 Cor. 4.5 our secret Sins are in the light of God's Countenance Psal 90.8 therefore did David defire to be purged from them Psal 19.12 Nothing is so secret but it shall be made manifest c. Luke 8.17 Some Mens sins are open beforehand going before to Judgment and others do follow after 1 Tim. 5.24 Whoso hideth his sin shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 Achan hides his Sin so long as he could with his stolen stuff in his Tent but at last all comes to light nor did he prosper because he put God to the proof of it as those Miscreants did Jer. 2.35 The Third Note is 'T is the Opinion of some Learned Authors that Achan Dyed a true Penitent and so escaped eternal Damnation because he seems to make a Sincere and Ingenuous Confession and loads his sin with all loathsome yet just Aggravations ver 19 20. wherein he judgeth himself to have sinned against the Glorious Attributes and express Commands of that God who had chosen him and all Israel to be the peculiar People of his Care and Love so was not to be judged unto Condemnation 1 Cor. 11.31 32. this is the judgment of the Jewish Rabbins that he both by his Confession and by his Death whereby he satisfied the Law obtained mercy from the Lord but the Scripture being silent in this point and joyns forsaking with Confessing for finding favour Prov. 28.13 He must stand or fall to his own Master Rom. 14.4 this may probably be said of him that he had an hope his Soul might live after his Body was dead for by what other hope could this Man be brought to confess such a Capital Crime as this for which he was sure to die If
Abraham the first time at their entrance into Canaan Josh 8.30.33 And here have we his second Renewing and Ratifying of this ancient and solemn League and Covenant ver 25. so sollicitous was he of the publick weal both of Church and State after his Decease well knowing that this was a blessed means to bind their treacherous hearts to a better behaviour which otherwise would be ready enough to slip the old Collar if new Bonds were not laid upon them Whereupon Joshua brings Israel twice into the Bonds of the Covenant so called Ezek. 20.37 because such Bonds of Vows and Covenants rightly made and renewed are of singular use to keep the minds of Men within the bounds of obedience and to make Men more firm constant and peremptory in ways of well doing This Three fold Cord cannot quickly be broken Eccles 4.12 The Second Remark is The Place where this Covenant was Renewed namely at Shechem ver 1. Thither Joshua calls and convenes his Second Parliament as the First is supposed to be at Shilo ten Miles distant from Shechem as Jerom affirms for tho' Shilo was the place in Ordinary of Joshua's Assembling the Congregatson of Israel together Josh 18.1 because the Tabernacle was then fixed there having the Ark the visible sign of God's presence in it yet Shechem is expresly said to be the place of this New Convention and where the Old Covenant must be renewed which was an extraordinary Occasion and thereupon it was in the power of Joshua to remove the Ark thither as was done under the Government of Eli 1 Snm. 4.3 and of David 2 Sam. 15.24 upon great Emergencies therefore it is said they presented themselves before the Lord at Shechem ver 1. and by the Sanctuary of the Lord ver 26. For this Sacred Assembly met together for such a Religious Exercise of Contracting a Covenant with God and having the Ark of Gods presence with them might well be said to present themselves before God who is present in all such Assemblies Exod. 20.24 Ps 82.1 Math. 18.20 So the Name of God's Sanctuary is given to it Moreover there be many Reasons why this Parliament was held at Shechem as at a place convenient for it because First It was the Chief City of Ephraim Joshua's Tribe so this Noble City was the fittest to entertain such a Noble Assembly Secondly It was near to Joshua's City whose Age had now made him infirm and therefore the ease of Israel's Supream Governour must be consulted in the choice of a place for his Presence Thirdly Shechem was a Levitical City given to the Tribe of Levi as an Academy and one of the Cities of Refuge which were Sanctuaries appointed of God Josh 20.7 and 21.21 so a fit place Fourthly This City was the Place where was the solemn Burial of Blessed Joseph's Bones as is implied here ver 32. and for the Burial of the rest of the Patriarchs Acts 7.15 16. Therefore was it designed for this last solemn Convention Fifthly Above all Shechem being the very place where the Covenant was first contracted betwixt God and Abraham Gen. 12.6 7. and being the very place where the same Covenant was Renewed again betwixt God and Israel Abraham's Seed at their first entrance into this Land of Promise Josh 8.30.33 between the two Mountains of Ebal and Gerizzim which were very near to Shechem as appeareth from Judg. 9.6 7. where Jotham spoke his Parable from the top of Mount Gerizzim to the Men of Shechem Anointing Abimelech that Bastard in the Valley which lay betwixt it and Mount Ebal a place employed for Religious Services Deut. 11.29 and 27.12 therefore Joshua might well judge this place most proper both for Reviving the Remembrance of God's Covenant with Abraham there and for reminding this same People of their former Obligations unto the Lord there as likewise to engage them in a farther ratification of them in their Faith c. The Third Remark is The August and Elegant Oration which dying Joshua spake to this Parliament at Shechem beside what he had spoken in the foregoing Chapter upon this occasion of Renewing the Covenant wherein observe 1. His Exordium he begins in the Name of the Lord and not in his own Name ver 2. and 2. His Proposition Exhorting Israel to a perseverance in the pure Worship of God ver 14. 3. This Proposition he confirms both by Argument and by Example By Argument First Demonstrating how God had obliged them to a constant obedience by his manifold Mercies that Mercy might enforce them the firmer to duty Then gives them an Historical Narrative of what God had done for them and for their Fore-Fathers beginning at God's call of Abraham out of his Idolatrous Country ver 2 3. giving him Isaac the Heir of the Covenant and of a numerous Offspring which God brought out of Egypt ver 4 5 6 and destroyed the Egyptians ver 7. nourish'd them in the Wilderness and gave them Victory over the Amorites ver 8. and turn'd Balaam's Curse into a Blessing and gave them Canaan ver 9 10 to 14. Then Secondly He confirms his Proposition by Example as well as by Argument laying before them the pattern of their Predecessors how ill it fared with them while Idolaters and how well when purged from Idolatry ver 14. and not only so but he lays his own example before them ver 15. Telling them likewise that it was impossible for them to serve both God and Idols for God would be served truly without halting and throughly without halving ver 19. and that God would severely judge them if they proved Apostates ver 20. The Fourth Remark is Israel's Ready obedience unto all that Joshua commanded them in the Name of the Lord. They voluntarily enter into the Bonds of the Covenant and make a solemn profession of their Faith and faithfully promise a firm perseverance in the pure Worship of the true God ver 16 17 18 21 24. N. B. Joshua in bidding them chuse you whom ye will serve ver 15. doth not leave them to their own free choice to do either but proveth hereby their voluntary and professed subjection to the true Religion that their own free choice thereof might more powerfully oblige them to a constancy in their Covenant And they answer we will serve the Lord and God forbid we should do otherwise ver 16.21.24 This was well resolved had it been as well performed They seem to bind themselves again and again that they would keep touch with God by an Unalterable Resolution but alass soon after Joshua's death they started aside like a broken how Ps 78.57 Hos 7.16 As plainly appeareth in their serving of Baalim Judg. 2.10 11 12 13 c. The Fifth Remark is Joshua's Ratifying this Renewed Covenant its Renovation must be corroborated with a Ratification Joshua as God's Vicar General ratified this Covenant by a Three-fold means First By Preaching to the People pressing hard upon them again and again as in a Dialogue or Conference with
ashamed to call Israel his Brethren Hebr. 2.11 but saith to them as that Joseph did I am Joseph your Brother Gen. 45.4 though Israel was now found of them in Dothan indeed namely in a State of most desperate Defection from God and under a most Deplorable Desertion of God for now God had forsaken them and had given them up into the hands of most Cruel and Tyrannical Oppressors Therefore is it said God sold them into their Enemies hands Judg. 2.14 Renouncing all his own right in them and delivers them up as the Seller doth the thing sold into the Buyers hands This Phrase is oft used Judg. 4.2.9 Psal 44.12 13. Isai 50.1 and Judg. 3.8 Now Christ comes to be their Redeemer The First Remark upon this Second Chapter is The person who is the Visiter of Israel in their forlorn Estate and comes as an Honourable Embassadour from God to his People c. Hereof I find various Opinions As First The Rabbins will have it to be Phinehas that came up from Gilgal to Bochim ver 1. but this is exploded as ridiculous because Phinehas had not his Habitation in Gilgal but in Gibeath-Phinehas the Name of a City bearing his Name in Mount-Ephraim given him not by Lot but by an extraordinary Gift to the High-Priest near unto Shilo that he might be at hand to officiate as need required Josh 24.33 But more Ridiculous is the Second Opinion of some who say this must be some Infernal Spirit because his posture is expresly said to be a coming up ver 1. whereas the Coelestial Angels are always said to come down to Men But 't is said here he came up from Gilgal not from Hell or Ascended out of the Earth as 1 Sam. 28.3 The Third Opinion is better and more allowable that this was some Created Angel who took upon him Humane Shape and thereby had motion of a Man from Gilgal to Bochim ascribed to him But the Fourth Opinion is the best of all that it was our Blessed Messiah as above mentioned who is call'd the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 and who first appeared to Joshua at Gilgal as the Captain of the Lords Host Josh 5.13 14. and whose presence had protected them and prospered their Armys in the Conquest of Canaan all the time that Joshua's head Quarters were at Gilgal and until the Tabernacle was removed to Shilo Josh 18.1 N. B. Therefore is he here said to come up from Gilgal to remind them First Of God's Mercies to them in their preservation from their Enemies and their prosperous Proceedings against them from Gilgal And Secondly Of their Duties to God whereunto they had so solemnly obliged themselves both in their Circumcision and in their Renewing the Covenant with God at Gilgal yet after all these unexpressible Obligations they had notoriously degenerated and were departed from God's Law into Apostacy and Idolatry Moreover Let it be considered in the next place that he speaks not here like a Created Angel much less like some Mortal Man in the Name of the Lord as the Prophets use to do but in the person of the Lord himself appropriating the wonderful Works of the Lord as done by him the present Speaker namely their Deliverance from Egypt their Conduct through the Wilderness into Canaan who is expresly called Christ 1 Cor. 10.4.9 and of his keeping Covenant with them ver 1. This could not be the Speech of a Created Angel for Moses refused such a Conduct Exod. 32.2.3.15 much less of any meer Mortal Man And Lastly Let it be considered that Israel Sacrificed at Bochim upon Apparition of this Angel unto the Lord ver 5. as was done by Gideon Judg. 6.19 and by Manoah Judg. 13.16 17. when the Messiah appear'd to them now it was not lawful to offer up any Burnt-Offering save upon that one Altar in the Tabernacle unless upon extraordinary occasions such as these were wherein God gave them a special Dispensation The Second Remark is The Messiah's Errand to Admonish Israel and the effect of his Admonitions upon the Minds of Israel First The Admonisher Recognizeth to their remembrance the Miracles of Mercy God had wrought for them heretofore ver 1 2. chargeth them with breaking Covenant and therein with gross Ingratitude whereupon he threatens them that he would no more drive out those Cursed Nations remaining still amongst them through their sinful sparing them contrary to God's Charge Thus the Lord made their Choice to become their Judgment saying ye have saved those that will destroy you ver 3. Then follows the gracious effect of the Messiah's most powerful Admonition He is that Prince whom God exalteth to give Repentance unto Israel Act. 5.31 as he doth here where they manifest the truth of their Repentance now given them 1. By Weeping ver 4. And 2. By Sacrificing ver 5. Thus were they wrought upon by the Word preached the Preacher whereof was the essential Ward John 1.1 who spake unto this People as he spake after to the Prophet even with a strong hand Isa 8.11 this was that which melted their Hearts into Tears and tenderness First They lift up their Voice and wept ver 4. That is they prayed and wept they wept and prayed for they being now convinced of their sins and fearing that those Threatnings of grievous Calamities from the growing power of the Canaanites would come upon them and having a just apprehension of an Approaching Misery their sense of Israel's sin and their fear of God's Wrath do effectually excite them both to confess their Sins to Implore God's Mercy and to deplore the sad Defections that were found among them Alas Preachers may now weep in secret because so few of their Hearers do weep in publick Under the Droppings of the Sanctuary many â—it that never drop a Tear for their sins too many are like Witches who some say cannot weep yet a little allowance must be lent to dry Constitutions N. B. In the Besieged City when the Besieging Enemy can stop the Wells and stay the Water-courses of it he hath great hope soon to win it so hath Satan the like hope to gain Remorseless Souls that are never let bloud in the Heart Vein as those were at Peter's Sermon Acts 2.37 and those at Christs here who had fill'd God's Bag with their Sins and now will fill his Bottle with their Tears Job 14.17 and Psal 56.8 Secondly They offer'd Sacrifice unto the Lord there also ver 5. not thinking it enough to pray and weep and to call the place where they wept Bochim that is the place of Weepers but they Sacrifice there too for the Expiation of their Sins whereby they testified that they mourn'd not despairingly but still had a firm Faith in Christ's Merits represented by that Sacrifice and that though Christ had told them 't is true I have been with the Tribe of Judah c. under Caleb's Conduct and made them Victorious yet now even Judah did tolerate the Canaanites also therefore I will be
The Remedy whereby they will redress their Malady They indeed consult with God here what they should do under all those Difficulties 'T is not recorded here what Remedy the Lord prescribed at their Prayers and Tears for them but this is declared That they fell foul upon Jabesh Gilead because they did not contribute their help toward the just punishment of the Sons of Belial and therefore seemed to like well of their Wickedness or at the least they living so far off beyond Jordan desired not to be concerned embraced a Neutrality that they might sleep in a whole skin N B. But this proved but a short Sleep for Twelve Thousand Soldiers were sent to awake them with a Witness or rather to cast them into their long Sleep by the Swâ—rd and not only the Men must be destroyed but even the Women and the Children also ver 8 9 10 11 12. Here again rash Zeal our runs right Reason Alas what had these poor Sheep the Women and Children done that they all must be slaughtered Sure I am they were not summon'd to that Service against Gibeah nor was it so much as expected that they should make their appearance at the Assembly having no Abilities to assist in this common cause yet those Innocents must fare no better than the Offenders Thus Dum Vitant Stulti Vitium in contraria currunt N. B. Here Vnwise Israel after they had committed most outragious Cruelty in the Heat of War against Benjamin though upon great Provocation and with as great resistance yet were now mourning for this Barbarous Butchery of the Benjamites Women and Children notwithstanding all this they at this time resolve to act the same Inhumanity upon Jabesh-Gilead and that in cold Blood without either any such sad provocation or any such resistance for here they met with none at all yet they run again into the same sin which God had now given them both a sight and sense of and a deep Sorrow for and into an excess of severity raging against Innocents that could not resist so spoiling the justness of their Cause by the unjustness of their manner of managing it and surely had these Men rightly repented of their Barbarity against Benjamin as they even now pretended the Women and Children of Jabesh-Gilead had found more Mercy from them Nor was their severity in cutting off all the Males to be excused as no Act of Cruelty seeing the Lord saith The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father c. Ezek. 18.20 N.B. Indeed this Apology I sind for them that they were under a natural and necessary Duty of preserving a Tribe from a total ruine whereby their Opinions as well as their Affections might be inclined to the most favourable sense of qualifying this severe Decree and the Execution of it To which I Answer God never necessitates any Soul to sin neither ought the least evil to be done though the greatest good may be procured by it Rom. 3.8 The Fourth Remark from the Second Part is The Application of the Remedy to redress their Malady and to recruit the Remnant of Benjamin All the Virgins they had saved alive at Jabesh-Gilead proved so few as Four Hundred only this Plaister was not broad enough for the present Wound however it must be applyed and both cover and cure so far as it would reach in order hereunto Embassadors of Peace are sent to the poor Remainders of the Tribe of Benjamin who had been shut up in the Rock Rimmon for Four Months Judg. 20.47 where undoubtedly they were not a little hardly put to it to procure Provisions necessary for their Subsistency It may be they might meet with some Opportunities the more because when the heat of the Battel was over the Israelites Anger began to cool and they were not then so solicitous to pursue their Revenge any further However at Four Months end their fury was throughly cooled and the abundant showres of Tears they shed at this Solemn Assembly at Shilo had perfectly quenched the Flames thereof then went those Embassadours of Peace as Josephus calls them and spake Dibre-Shalom Words of Peace after all their Swords of War to them in their Retiring Room the fortified Rock of Rimmon They called unto them peaceably ver 13. at this the Benjamites came forth ver 14. believing their Brethren at this time and obeying their Amicable Overtures which had they done before in that friendly Treaty Judg. 20.12 13. and not have so obstinately tryed the matter of difference out at Arms they had then redeemed their own present Miseries and been much happier than now they were but bought Wit they say is best if the Buyers pay not too dear for it And surely those Benjamites had paid a most dear price for theirs so wise they are made now as not to bid defiance to their Brethren in the fortified Rock as they had done in the strong City Gibeah but came calmly forth marched with them to the Camp where they met with all Fraternal Embracements and herein Israel is to be highly commended that they had put off their Arms and their Anger both together Their Anger had been an Evil-Councellour to them they could not do but over-do when transported with it They had not reserv'd this poor Remnant Wives enow neither out of the Tribe of Benjamin's Cities nor out of the Town of Jabesh-Gilead They reserved only Four Hundred Virgins out of the latter having universally slain all without any reserve in the former yet found the Surviving Benjamites to be Six Hundred therefore Two Hundred of them must be unprovided of Wives this unhappy Disappointment did sorely grieve Israel ver 15 16. because their Sword of Justice had been no better bathed in the Oyl of Mercy as to spare no more Virgins to make up a competent Number for this reserved Remnant However those Virgins are given as far as they would go and then they cry What shall we do for Wives for the rest ver 17. The Fifth Remark from the Second Part is The Senate of Israel is put hard to their Politicks how to heal this sad Defect and how to make the Salve broad enough for the Sore N.B. Josephus tells us here how one of the Senators stood up when all the other stuck fast in this deep Debate and said to this purpose I have heard the Opinion of some Elders in this Senate who judge this Oath we swore of not giving our Daughters to Benjamin was grounded upon Wrath and not upon Judgment therefore might it well enough be dispensed with especially for the preserving of a Tribe almost Extinct which could not be contrary to the Will of God But the other Elders Exploded this Opinion out of an utter Abhorrency to the very mention of Perjury Hereupon saith he I have one Trick to try how you may keep your Oaths and yet catch more Wives for the Two Hundred Benjamites then he tells them at their Demand how the Dancing Damsels at the Feast
Canaanites as it is supposed under the Conduct of Caleb their General Judg. 1 2. did likewise lead up the People in the War against Benjamin Judg. 20.18 but Dr. Lightfoot steps farther beyond Sir Walter Rawleigh's Probability and fixeth those Stories in this place as most proper which he proveth by many Arguments aforementioned Judg. 2. from ver 11. to the end together with the Seven first Verses of Judg. 3. give us a General Account of the History of the Judges whom the Lord raised up successively after this time when God had been so highly provoked by his Covenanted People in their Manifold Apostacies and Idolatries as to sell them several times into Oppressours Hands for Judg. 2.16 is an Epitome of the whole History of the Judges saying Nevertheless the Lord raised up Judges who delivered them c. which containeth the Stories of all the Judges from Joshua to Samson from hence to the end of the Sixteenth Chapter clearly demonstrating that marvelous Circle which God went in with his People When they sinned they were cast down into the hands of Tyrants when they Repented God raised them up by sundry Judges out of the Tyrant's Hands as there is a Vicissitude of Nights and Days so there was of Israels Miseries and Mercies God checkered his Providences toward them sometime with Black and sometimes with White and Checker'd-Work is beautiful Work when Miseries and Mercies are after a comely Manner interwoven and God's People have their Interchanges of Joys and Sorrows while they are below Psal 55.19 Men fear God by having changes with David not otherwise c. Thus it was with Israel in Canaan that Land of Hills and Vales of Vp 's and Down's Deut. 11.11 Sometimes they were up on Hills of Prosperity and at other times they were down in the Valleys of Adversity God goes in a Circle with them and when they were brought to the lowest Ebb He that was seen in the Mount with Isaac Gen. 22.14 was seen in the Valley with Israel to mount them up again God by every Judge he raised up for them in their low Estate turned Israel's Sighing into Singing their Musing into Musick their Tears into Triumph and their wringing of Hands for Grief into clapping of Hands for Joy c. Judges CHAP. III. JUdges the Third gives a Narrative of three several Slaveries and most grievous Oppressions into which God sold his People for their most Grievous Sins As 1. By the Syrians from ver 1. to the 11th 2. By the Moabites from ver 12. to ver 30. 3. By the Philislines ver 31. The first under the Syrians is described First By the Causes of that Slavery As 1 The Procuring Cause namely Israel's sins such as their toleration of those wicked Nations among them ver 5. their Marriages with them whereby they became corrupted ver 6. and then their Apostacy and Idolatry ver 6 7. 2. The Efficient Cause the Lord sold them for those aforesaid sins into the hands of the Syrians 3. The Material Cause they were made Slaves and Vassals to the King Cushan-Reshathaim whom they served eight Years ver 8. Secondly Their Deliverance from this Slavery is described 1. By the Deliverer the Lord. 2. The Motive thereunto the Penitent Cries of his People 3. The Instrument in God's Hand to work their Deliverance was Othniel ver 9. whom the Lord qualified with the Gifts of his Spirit for that work he call'd him unto and who subdued the Oppressour ver 10. and gave rest to the Land Forty Years and then Died verse 11. Remarks hereupon are First This was the first Servitude and Slavery of the Israelites ever since they came out of their House of Bondage in Egypt For now such Detestable Apostacy was found in Israel as Heaven and Earth had cause to be ashamed of Jerem. 2.12 13. therefore is he made a Slave and Servant ver 14. The spreading of Idolatry from Micah's House over the whole Tribe of Dan was mentioned before upon Judg. 17. and 18. Now have we an account how Idolatry did spread over all the other Tribes how mixed Marriages with the Cursed Canaanites did undo Israel and brought them to serve Baalim and Ashtaroth the He-Gods and the She-Gods of the Heathen or the Sun and Moon which many of the Pagans Worshipped all which was expresly contrary both to God's Command Deut. 4.19 and 7.1.3 5. and Exod. 34.13.16 c. and likewise contrary to their own Solemn Covenant made first at Mount Sinai in Moses's time and lately renewed and ratified once and again in the Days of Joshua Now because they forgot their Covenant and forsook their God turning to Dumb Idols c. They that would not serve the Lord in the Abundance of all things with Gladness shall serve their Enemies in the want of all things with sadness Deut. 28.47 48. therefore God forsook them that they might know the Worth of his Service by the Want of it under Woful Miseries 2 Chron. 12.8 The Second Remark is As this was the first Oppression that Israel met with after their coming out of Egypt so this King of Syria was their Oppressor His Name is Notable and Terrible Cushan Reshathaim which the Chaldee rendreth Chusan Impij a wicked King of Reshang wicked Hâ—br and this teacheth how Tyrants delight in Terrible Names and Titles His Name here is Verbum sesqui pedale as Horace doth Phrase it a bombasting Name that fills the mouth of the pronouncer of it top full and the very sound of it was terrible to the Israelites so oft as they heard its big pronunciation not unlike to that formidable Name of the Zanzummime Giants Deut. 2.20 The Country of this King is call'd Mesopotamia Hebr. Aram-Naharaim that is the Country of Syria which is Situated between the two Famous Rivers Tigris and Euphrates from whence it hath its Name in the Dual Number This was the Country where Abraham lived with Terah Nahor and Lot before he removed to Canaan Gen. 11.32 and 12.4 5. and Acts 7.2 3 4. and afterwards Jacob Sojourned in the same place with Bethuel and Laban Gen. 28.2.5 As Laban the Syrian had been exceeding injurious to Jacob's Posterity their Slavery at this time and place might mind them of that of their Patriarch long before to hide Pride from them Job 33.17 N. B. This King had God's Commission as well as his Permission to oppress Israel for God sold them into this King's hands renouncing his own right in them and delivering them up to him as the Seller the thing sold into the hands of the Buyer and yet was he but a Lessee his Possession was by vertue of a Lease and that only a Lease limited to eight years which some Interpreters suppose was the very term of time wherein so long Israel had served Idols in the Groves the Prince of Darkness directing them to those Dark Places the Thick Groves wherein his Children of Darkness might more closely commit their deeds of darkness It surely
seem'd very long for those Children of Light to walk in such a place of darkness for eight years together if so the time of their Suffering bears a due proportion to the time of their Sinning The Third Remark is The Marvelous proportion God observed as it were by a Geometrical Rule in proportioning Israel's Suffering to the proportion of their Sinning both in this time of their Slavery and in all the other following times also As Israel's sinning increased in Magnitude being no better by their former Opressions but ever returning with the Dog to his Vomit c. So their Suffering increased in multitude every term of their Slavery rising higher and higher They served this Chusan Eight Years and because not bettered thereby they served Eglon Eighteen Years ver 14. and afterward Jabin Twenty Years Judg. 4.3 c. With the froward God will deal frowardly Psal 18.26 when lesser Corrections could not restrain them from Sin God laid heavier Punishments upon them and punishes them seven times more yea and seven times more and yet seven times more to that as he had threatned Levit. 26.18.21.24.28 they must be sure of this if their Minds mend not they shall see no end of their misery 't is not meet for Men to abuse God's Mercy and his readiness to deliver them once and again from misery Nor is it meet that God should cast down the Bucklers first therefore doth three times raise up his note of threatning to reduce them into obedience and he raiseth it all by Sevens which are Discords in Musick such Sayings by Sevens do prove Heavy Songs and the execution of them more Heavy Pangs to those that will not be reclaimed by them God will not give over Punishing until Men do give over Sinning The Fourth Remark is The Redeemer that the Lord raised up to Redeem Israel out of their first Slavery was Othniel ver 9. which God would not yet do for them until they humbled themselves casting down the Bucklers first when God they saw would get the better of them They being brought into most grievious miseries by this Oppressing Tyrant and finding no relief from their Idols which they Worshiped they then return to the Lord by Repentance and cry to him for the pardon of their Sins and for sending them a Saviour Hereupon the Lord who is a None such God forgiving even None-such Sinners Mic. 7.18 stirred up Othniel with extraordinary influences of his Spirit to undertake their deliverance which now they so earnestly prayed for ver 10 Othniel or Othoniel in the Hebrew signifies the Time or Hour of God intimating hereby that God's Time and his Hour was now come as John 2.4 for Israel's Deliverance N.B. And this Deliverer whom God sent to Redeem Israel when sold into the hands of this terrible Tyrant was a Type of our dear Redeemer the Lord Jesus who was sent of God to Redeem us out of the hands of all our Spiritual Enemies that we might serve God without fear c. Luke 1.74 75. and thus all the other Judges be Types of Christ though some more eminently than others as the Sequel may manifest Here the Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel gave him Prudence Prowess and Magnanimity to make War against this Tyrannical Oppressour and having Vanquish'd him in Battle he restored rest to God's Israel governing his People in Peace and in the Profession and Practice of God's True Religion according to his Law The Fifth Remark is The Lond had Rest forty Years ver 11. that is from the Death of Joshua to the Death of Othniel the eight Years of Slavery under the Syrians being included as is a frequent way of reckoning in Scripture recording the round number which gives the main Denomination and not insisting upon the Fractions or broken Numbers as Numb 14.33 Acts 7.14 c. where some odds are c. God's Mercy Triumphs over his Justice Jam. 2.13 and is over all his Works Psal 145.8 9. Here he gives to his Penitent People forty Years Liberty for eight Years Slavery The Second Story of Israel's Slavery which followeth from ver 12. to ver 30. under Eglon King of Moab affords many Remarks As First The loss of a Godly Governour is sometimes the loss both of Church and State Othniel dieth ver 11. and almost all Godliness dieth with him for Israel immediately relapseth into their old Idolatry notwithstanding the former experience they had of the manifold Miseries which they by the like sins had brought upon themselves and of God's great Mercy in working their Deliverance They did evil again c. ver 12. neither Ministry nor Misery nor Miracle nor Mercy could mollifie their hard Hearts nor could any Means constrain them to keep within the bounds of Obedience but made new out bursts into Notorious Extravagancies Insomuch that the Lord comes forth in his hot Displeasure strengthens Eglon to oppress them and weakens Israel to oppose his oppression ver 12. N.B. 'T is God's Work to strengthen or weaken the Arm of either Party Ezek. 30.24 25. so that they can neither defend themselves nor offend their Enemies when God so breaks the Arm as no means nor Medicines can patch it up again And sure I am this is a sure sign of dreadful Divine Wrath when the Arm of Sion is weakened and the Arm of Babylon is strengthened as it was now when Courage was found in Eglon and Cowardice in Israel through the cursed Guilt of their own corrupted Consciences The Second Remark is No sooner had Israel sinn'd away their God who was their Defence but the Moabites under Eglon their King bestir themselves to Tyrannize over them nor may this be wondered at because of the ancient Enmity Moab had against Israel For though Israel were not injurious to Moab in their Wandrings through the Wilderness Deut. 2.9 yet in the business of Balaam Numb 25.1 Moses made a dreadful Slaughter upon their Confederates Numb 31.7 8 c. and themselves were excluded even to the Tenth Generation from coming into the Congregation of the Lord Deut. 23.2 4. for their Hiring of Balaam to Curse them All this must needs highly incense them against Israel and being Enemies to God and to the true Religion they watched all opportunities to ruine them and that they might effect it at this time they call into their Confederacy the Ammonites and Amalekites both of the like Malice against Israel and prevailing by this threefold Cord Eglon possesseth himself of Jericho ver 13. and so a King of Moab makes himself King of Israel and kept his Court even in the Land of Canaan in the City of Palm-Trees There is no doubt but Moab's old Malice did spur them to spoil Israel now brought into Subjection and now they lay load upon their Slaves and made their Lives as bitter to them as the Bondage of Egypt had done before N. B. Those Moabites were ever apt to dream of lying comfort to themselves as they did when they fancied Water
unseemly Instrument to any that believe there is a God whose presence makes one of his People to chase a Thousand Deut. 32.30 and can make the weakest Weapon strong enough when God puts strength into it to do great Exploits Nor is this more incredible for Shamgar alone to slay Six Hundred Philistines with an Oxe-Goad than it was for Samson himself alone to slay a Thousand Philistines with the Jaw-bone of an Ass which none can deny because the Scripture of truth affirms it as it doth this also as both were alike strange Renowned and Miraculous Victories N.B. Learned Lavater not improbably affirmeth that this Shamgar was an Husbandman and as he was Tilling of his Ground those Philistines made an Inroad into Canaan and in that part of it where he was Plowing with a Plough of Oxen he hereupon leaves his Plough standing in the Field with his Oxe Goad upon his Shoulder falls furiously upon them and with it knocks them down dead until he had slain Six Hundred of them and puts the rest to flight and this he maketh the more probable by two Instances he saith First 'T is usual with the Hungarians to leave their Ploughs standing in the Field and to fall upon the Turks who make frequent Incursions into their Countrey with the best Weapons they can catch hold of and for want of better with their very Plough-Staves His Second Instance is Simili modo ab Aratro ad Dictaturam vocati fuere prisci Romanorum Heroes In like manner those famous Heroes among the Ancient Romans were called from the Plough to the High Office of Roman Dictators as were Camillus Curius c. who with great Magnanimity and Courage Conquered the Gauls c. and drove them out of the Roman Territories whereby they stand Recorded in the Roman History for Rome's Liberators as Shamgar is Israel's here N.B. We must borrow a Supplement to this last Verse of Chapter the Third wherein so short an Account is related concerning Shamgar's Story from Deborah's Song wherein this Shamgar is mentioned and where we are told the deplorable Estate of Israel in the Days of Shamgar c. Chap. 5. ver 6 7 8 10 11. where we have an Account of Affairs from the Death of Ehud until Deborah and Barak's Conquest of Jabin King of Canaan and of his General Sisera This sad case is set forth in several parts First Their High-ways were Vnoccupied c. Times were then so troublesome that there was no peace to the Traveller in his going out or coming in as 2 Chron. 15.2 so that no Commerce in Trading could be carried on because Robbers abounded in all their High ways and if any Travelled in Matters of great Importance they were forced to Travel in By-Roads for fear of Robbers Secondly They durst not dwell in Villages and Unwalled Towns but the Country-People generally forsook them for saving their Lives and Goods in fortified Cities unto which they were forced to fly Thirdly War was then in the Gates not only of the Villages where Country men could not secure themselves from the Insolency of the Enemies Soldiers but even of the Cities also into which they were fled War pursued them and shut them in by a Siege c. Fourthly As there could be no exercise of Trade so nor could there be any Execution of Justice either in Walled Cities or Unwalled Towns their Judges durst not Ride upon White Asses to Judgment Fifthly Nor durst the very Boys and Girls go forth to the Wells very precious in those hot Countries nor any other Tankerd-Bearers to draw a little Water because the Enemies Archers shot at them Sixthly The Canaanites being Conquerors over them did universally disarm the Conquered this dispirited Israel so that scarce one of Forty Thousand durst be seen or known to have any Arms or Ammunition Swords and Bows c. they might have privily but neither Shield nor Spear was seen amongst them and all these six Mischiefs came upon them because they chose new Gods God 's in the plural whereas the true God is but one in the Singular it was the Old Serpent's Grammar that first taught Men to decline God in the plural Number saying Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3.5 New Gods meer Upstarts compared with the Ancient of Days the Eternal God and unknown to their Fathers therefore the Lord sold them into the Hands of those Heathens whose Gods they not by Constraint but chose willingly to Worship Though Shamgar began a great Deliverance for Israel by his getting one wonderful Victory over the Philistines c. Yet God's People lay a long time under those Plagues aforesaid Shamgar wrought not a perfect Deliverance God reserved that for Deborah to do Juges CHAP. IV. JUdges Chapter the Fourth declareth Israel's Deliverance by Deborah and Chapter the Fifth is Deborah's Spiritual Song for that Deliverance The Remarks upon the first The First is Israel's Defection taketh is Date after the Death of Ehud Chap. 4. ver 1. no mention being made of Shamgar for three Reasons 1. Because his Judgeship lasted only for a few Months 2. Because he did not fully and perfectly Deliver Israel And 3. Because he did not reform and reduce them into the right way 'T is justly to be wondred at that this People of God notwithstanding the Manifold Miseries they had met with and groaned under for the sake of their sins together with as manifold Mercies of God in delivering them upon their Repentance which they had experimentally found yet no sooner was Ehud Dead but they returned to their old Vomit and sinned more heinously than they had done before for now they had not only submitted to Idolatry when they were forced to it by Tyrants but they had freely and voluntarily on their own accord chosen now Gods c. Chap. 5.8 The Second Remark is Therefore God sold them again into the hands of Jabin King of Canaan whose General was Sisera ver 2. Thus God made Israel's Choice to become their Judgment when they might have cut off the Cursed Canaanites under Joshua they would not though God commanded them to do so but now when they would they cannot for those Canaanites they spared fled into the North part of Canaan there fortified themselves and this Jabin was King over them who watched all opportunities to be revenged of Israel for their former dispossessing his People slaying his Father or Grand-Father and burning his Royal City with Fire Josh 11.10 11. therefore partly from his own profound Malice and revengful Rancour against Israel and partly through the Just Judgments of God upon them their aggravated sins crying for aggravating Punishments this Jabin mightily oppressed Israel for Twenty years ver 3. No wonder if Israel now cryed at the end thereof when they saw his Nine Hundred Chariots of Iron which had Iron Hooks like Sithes fastened in their Axle-trees on either side to cut in sunder all that stood in their way and two other Hooks of Iron bending
Unanimity all the Confederate King 's of Canaan could Combine under the great King Jabin against Israel whereas many of Israel stood Neuters and could not Combine against the Common Enemy and their Multitude is there likewise intimated which gives a lustre to their Vnanimity though many for they were so vastly numerous as to fill all the Champion Countrey betwixt the Waters of Megiddo and the River Kishon yea and lastly they could all be Voluntiers while many Israelites were cursed Neuters and for their Magnanimity too they could serve Sisera freely without pay they took no gain of Money such love they had to their Cause or rather such Malice against Israel whose Spoil they hoped for their Pay 2. Of Israel's Auxiliaries both the Stars above ver 20. having the upper ground of the Enemy and Kishon below ver 21. swept them away as a Besome doth Dust and Dirt out of a Room Seventhly The Epiphonema Conclusion or Epilogue is partly pleasant in a Poetical Sarcasm or Scoff at Sisera's Mother who was sure of her Son's Success c. ver 28 29 30. Such was her Pride and Carnal Confidence upon sensual grounds having no respect to the Power and Providence of God and 't is partly serious in praying that God would Dung his Vineyard with the dead Carcasses of his Enemies ver 31. Psal 83.10 and that Israel might be as the Rising Sun So the Land had rest Forty Years under Deborah from Ehud's Death Judges CHAP. VI. THE History of Gideon is held forth in the Sixth Seventh and Eighth Chapters of Judges The Sixth Chapter is a Narrative of Gideon's Eminent Call to undertake the Expedition against the Midianites into whose hands the Lord had now sold Israel The Remarks hereupon are First Israel's new Apostacy brings new Plagues and Punishments upon them This was the bad Fruit of their Forty Years Peace procured by Deborah a Sedentary Life is most subject to contract many Distempers and standing Waters soon putrifie by a constant Stagnation Solomon saith Ease slayeth the Foolish Prov. 1.32 N. B. 'T is an old Adage Anglica gâ—ns est optinra slens pessima Ridens The English are best in Adversity and worst in Prosperity as it was with Israel often 'T is hard yet happy not to grow worse by times of Liberty Omnes licentra deteriores If the Sea were not tossed with Tides and Tempests whereby it is made to Vomit up much Mire and Dirt Isa 57.20 it would soon become a stinking Pool and poison the very Air we breathe in Israel doth evit again in the time of their Ease ver 1. and this Apostacy of theirs was Idolatry for which they are reproved ver 10. Therefore God pours them from Vessel to Vessel from the oppression of the Canaanites to this of the Midianites to purge them from their Lees that they might not as Moab have a filthy taste in them Jerem 48.11 The Second Remark is The Midianites must be now the next Rod of God's Anger wherewith to chastize Israel for their present Apostacy The Church is God's Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 and he employs his Plowers to Plow upon her Back and here to make Furrows of Seven Years length Psal 129.3 that he might meet with a better Crop than the Weeds of Idolatry The Midianites are those Plowers who Plowed until God by Gideon cut their Plow-Traces or Cords and then they could Plow no more Psal 129.4 but this was not done before Israel had been greatly plowed and plundered and thereby brought to Repentance ver 2 3 4 5 6 7. N. B. 'T is a wonder that those Midianites who had been so universally cut off by Moses for vexing Israel c Numb 25.17 and 31. ver 8. should now in about two hundred Years time become so prodigiously numerous as to come up like Grashoppers for Multitude to devour the whole Corn of Canaan the Judgment threatned in Joel 2.3 that as they had in Moses's time over-witted Israel with their Wiles so now they will over power them with their numberless Army harassing and laying waste all that stood in their way insomuch that the poor Israelites were driven by them into sundry lurking Holes The Third Remark iâ— Israel was Reproved by a Prophet ver 8. as well as corrected by the Midianites Nocumenta Documenta We may well wonder that those Children of the Free Woman should be made to serve a most woful Apprentiship of Seven Years under Midean as if they had been the Children of the Bond Woman only Gal. 4.30 31. yet because they sinned still more they shall suffer still more the Lord sold them into the Hands of those Malicious Midianites in whose Breasts old Rancour and Revenge had laid long boiling who dealt more morosely and cruelly with them than any Tyrants they had felt before All this was to reduce them to Repentance The merciless Midianites make them to cry with their Addresses to God now are they become Docible God sends a bitter Message by a Prophet to them to tell them they were justly plagued for God had threatned They should Sow but another would Reap Deut. 28.51 as John 4.37 but they had nor fear'd it till now they felt it He upbraids them with breach of Covenant Psal 78.34 to 37. aggravating it with their forgetting all the former Favours of God and of their Sordid Ingratitude and Disobedience to him ver 7 8 9 10. Enquiry Who was this Prophet that the Lord sent here Answer 1. Not an Angel as Lyra delitiously fancieth for then he would not be called a Man-Prophet Ish Nabi as the Hebrew hath it nor are Angels in Scripture call'd Prophets though Prophets sometimes be call'd Angels Mal. 3.1 c. Answer 2. Some say it was Phinehas because he is mentioned after in Judg. 20.28 but how that was before this hath been demonstrated above but this cannot be for then he must be about two hundred Years old c. Answer 3. That he was a Man-Prophet is enough for us to know seeing the Holy Spirit thought it not necessary to reveal his Name as is not unusual in other Histories of Scripture 't is said only A Man of God came to Eli 1 Sam. 2.27 so to Jeroboam 1 Kings 13.1 and a Prophet to Ahab 1 Kings 20.13 and again ver 22.28 not named who they were to teach us where the Sacred Scripture hath not an Holy Mouth to speak we may not have an Vnholy Tongue to ask c. The Fourth Remark is The Blessed Messiah appeareth unto Gideon threshing Wheat to hide it from the Midianites ver 11 12. When Israel was kindly humbled by the Prophet's Reproof and cryed mightily to God for Mercy and Deliverance then comes the Messiah in the form of a Man and like a Travelling Man with his Staff in his hand ver 21. and as weary with his Travel upon some long Journey therefore he reposeth himself here under the Oak of Ophrah to rest him ver 11. N. B. That this was no created
born such therefore was he only set apart to attend upon this Work as some say however this is certain that the Ark abode here for Twenty Years v. 2. N. B. It was not carried to Shilo its former place because either that place was destroyed by the Philistines when they took the Ark Captive as is intimated Jer. 7.12 14. and 26.6 9. compared with this History or if Shilo was not destroyed yet was it abhorred by the Lord for the Abominations there committed by those prophane Priests the Sons of Eli. N. B. This Kiriath Jearim which signifies the City of the Woods was now become the place of the Arks Residence to which the Psalmist alludeth We heard of it at Ephratah or at Shiloh in Ephraim we found it in the Fields of the Wood or at Kiriath Jearim Psal 132.6 After it was lost to Shiloh it was found here where an Eleazar attendeth it when both the Lines of Eleazar and Ithamar are out of that Service the first Line failing in Jephtah's time as above and the latter now interrupted by the Death of Phinehas Eli's Son 1 Sam. 14.3 and this time was long e're Samuel could reclaim Israel from Idolatry they are lost to the Ark when it was not lost to them The Second Remark is The General Convention that Samuel call'd to Mispeh both for Reforming their lost Religion and for recovering their lost Liberty First Touching their Religion 't is a wonder that the Israelites should be so long insensible neither the late loss of the Ark nor the great Slaughter of their Army could bring them to a right sense of their sins as not for Twenty Years together never to lament after the Lord nor after his Ark now brought among them to Kiriath Jearim where they let it lay in an obscure place so near the Philistines N. B. And where indeed it lay all Samuel's Days until David fetch'd it up from thence 2 Sam. 6.2 which was Forty Years after Acts 13.21 and now was it Twenty Years before Samuel could bring Israel to this Solemn Repentance related here v. 2 3 4 5 6. They were so habituated and hardened in their Idolatry and sinful practices were so rooted in them that notwithstanding all Samuel's powerful Preaching so frequently among them they refused to return until God stop'd them in their Cursed Cariers by letting loose the Bands of the Philistines upon them and grievously to oppress them and thereby God made their Hearts generally more Malleable to the Hammer of his Word in the Hand of Samuel N. B. Then 't is said they universally Lamented after the Lord and after his Ark they had so long neglected cleaving so close to Baalim Ashtaroth until they were almost choaked with them so now are they willing to abandon them and to embrace the true Worship of God In order hereunto Israel is as it were Baptized and washed from the filth of their Idolatry This was done either 1. Figuratively by pouring forth whole Rivers of Tears out of their Eyes to testifie their excessive Sorrow for their sins as Psal 6.6 7 8. and 119.136 Jer. 9.1 Lam. 3.48 49. Or 2. They poured Water out before the Lord literally properly and really because 't is said they first drew it c. which was a Rite and Ceremony suitable to those times usual in their Legal Purifications c. N. B. Samuel struck with his Hammer while the Iron was hot 't is said he then Judged Israel in Mispah v. 6. that is he then reformed all Abuses against God and his Law and redressed all Injuries betwixt Man and Man so render'd them capable of the following Mercy The Third Remark is Secondly touching the Recovery of their Liberty from the Philistines Tyranny Samuel began at the right end in reforming Religion first and then restoring Civil Liberty which was thus obtained from the Lord. First The Lords of the Philistines who had formerly beheld with amazement the return of God's Ark against the course of Nature c. chap. 6.12 17. come forth with their Forces against Israel when they were Fasting and Praying at this General Convention which they look'd upon as the foundation of their Rebellion from under the Philistines Yoke of Oppression and on whom they designed to assault while unarmed that so they might blast the Bud of any Insurrection Secondly Israel hears of it and fears an Assault being Conscious to themselves of such heinous Impiety insomuch that as they durst not look Man in the Face in a Battle against the Philistines so nor much less durst they look God in the Face in a Prayer for their own Deliverance but they press upon Samuel to pray for them as Moses had done for their Fore-fathers then it was the cry Deliver us from the Egyptians now it was Deliver us from the Philistines v. 7 8. Thirdly Samuel in imitation of Divine Bounty doth more for Israel than they desired he not only prays for them which was all that they requested but he also Sacrifices for them to the Lord. N. B. He takes a Sucking Lamb c. v. 9. wherein Observe first It was a Lamb a Figure of Christ that spotless Lamb of God by whom we prevail over all our Spiritual Enemies as Israel did here over the Philistines and probably Samuel proposed it purposely to point out to the People that Peace and Salvation must only be expected from the Lamb of God Secondly It was no Magnificum Munus saith Mendoza no costly Sacrifice it was no fat Oxe but a Sucking Lamb even of all sorts of Lambs of the least and lowest price to shew that the Lord looks more at the Willingness of the Offerer than at the Worthiness of the Offering Thirdly it was a Sucking-Lamb Hebr. Teleh Chaleb a Lamb of Milk which the Vulgar falsly reads a fat Lamb but Sucking which it might be though it was more than eight Days old and so that Law Exod. 23.19 was not violated nor was that Law which commands the dividing of the parts c. Levit. 1.12 Though Samuel Offer'd up this whole Lamb perhaps with Tail Feet and Intrails for he had no time to put it into parts according to custom for Samson's former case was now become Samuel's The Philistines were upon him just ready to fall on v. 10. Fourthly It was a Sucking Lamb ready to be weaned and so it was taken off from the Ewe-Dam to teach Israel that they must be weaned from their former wickedness and become now a new People Dedicated to the Lord in all Holiness N. B. That Samuel did not transgress any Law of God appeareth in this that the Lord accepted his Offering and answered by fire from Heaven and though we are not told that fire from Heaven did fall upon Samuel's Sacrifice to consume it the usual Token of Divine acceptance yet did it fall foul upon Samuels and Israel's Enemies when God Thundered upon the Philistines wherewith he did not only fright them but fire them also with Spires of
recorded likewise Psal 18.11 12. 97.2 N. B. And Rab. Maimonides gives the Reason that God appears in a Cloud in a condescension to Man's meanness Mercabah Velo Harocheb Man cannot behold the Sun in Rota in the Circle Vehemens sensibile destruit sensum saith Zabarel Man may see the Chariot God rode in as Moses did Exod. 33.20 but not the Rider himself 't is too vehement an Object for Man to behold without destruction of his senses and of himself also So Solomon saith here to them Ye may see this created Image but ye cannot behold God in Shecinah in the splendour of his glory Remark the 2. Then by an holy Apostrophe Solomon having satisfied their trembling Spirits turns from them to praise God v. 13 14 15 16 to 21. for performing his promises to David Mark 1. Solomon now sate upon the Brazen Scaffold that was purposely built for him in this solemnity 2 Chron. 6.13 Mark 2. Solomon was in a Divine Rapture of holy joy for that glorious sight of God which he beheld from the Brazen Scaffold when he thus broke forth to speak first to God's Servants and then to God himself Mark 3. He blesseth God with all the Congregation as Junius reads it both for his precious Promise to David his Father and for his more precious performance of that Promise to himself his Son O happy Solomon in such a Father and no less happy David in such a Son Mark 4. This memorable mercy of Delivering Israel out of Egypt is oft mentioned in Scripture as here v. 16. as a rousing motive to real thankfulness N. B. O what cause have we to bless God for Christ who delivers us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 Hell is worse than Egypt and the Devil than Pharaoh Mark 5. Peter Martyr notes from v. 17.18 God sometimes approves such things which he will not have performed as David's readiness to build God a Temple was acceptable to God 2 Sam. 7.11 c. we are bid be ready to every good work Tit. 3.1 a ready heart makes the best riddance of Religious Duties this is God's revealed will that we should be ready and so God accepted of David's desire and intention N. B. Tho' God's secret will and decree was that David should not do it but reserved it for his Son Solomon thus Herod Pilate and Judas did according to the determined Decree of God Acts 4.27 28. yet are condemned for acting against God's revealed express command thou shalt not kill so David and all Believers are approved and commended of God not because they obey God's Decree but his Precept and Providence c. Mark 6. The performance of God's Promise ought evermore to be magnified with most inlargment of heart as Solomon doth here as one ravished therewith v. 19 20 21. God is much glorified in such acknowledgments Thou hast fulfilled with thy hand what thy mouth hath spoken and hast done as thou hast said 2 Sam. 7.25 1 Chron. 17.23 with v. 24. here and 2 Chron. 6.15 God never suffers his faithfulness to fail nor alters the promise that went out of his mouth Psal 89.33 witness the constant and continual experience and testimony of all Saints in all Ages and Generations not one instance extant to the contrary The Second Part of Solomon's Oration after the laudatory is the precatory his Prayer to God after his praise of God most lovely checker'd work Remark the First is the posture of Solomon in his praying work which is threefold here 1. His standing bolt upright with his face towards the most Holy place which was a sign of the erection of his Spirit and the stedfastness of his faith in God standing was his posture while he was praising God But 2. When that was done he kneeled down upon his knees 2 Chron 6.12 13. to make his following supplication this posture did signifie his lowly humiliation of Soul and an acknowledgment of the Lord's Soveraignty over him and over all the Mighty Monarchs of the World for by him all King's Reign Prov. 8.15 Rom. 13.1 4 c. His Third posture was the spreading forth of his hands towards Heaven v. 22. 2 Chron. 6.13 this was to signifie his expectation of God's blessing and his readiness to receive it with both hands and heart this is a posture the light of Nature hath taught the very Pagans when they pray saith Aristotle De Mundo Cap. 7. and Virgil makes it the gesture of a Praying Heathen Sustulit exutas vinclis ad sydera Palmas Aeneid lib. 2. This posture is oft mentioned in Scripture as Exod. 9.29 Psal 143.6 Isa 1.15 c. Remark the Second is the matter of his Prayer v. 23. and so on to 50. Mark 1. Solomon after his Preface v. 23. wherein he strengthens his Faith and stirs up his Devotion proposeth in Prayer first that God would establish the Kingdom in the Family of David according to his Divine promise v. 24 25 26. well knowing that such as would have Promises turn'd into Performances must first put them in suit and press God to do it Ezek. 36.37 Thus Jacob did Gen. 32.9 and David did Psal 119.49 and thus also Elijah 1 King 18.42 in that posture as he lay in his Mothers womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he Prayed a Prayer or Prayed earnestly Jam. 5.17 18. stretching and straining every string in his heart to express and increase his Devotion importing his own misery and imploring God's mercy N. B. Solomon pleadeth the performance of one promise at the time present that he might prevail with God for the performance of another for the future 't is an holy way of incroaching upon God from experience of former favours to advance in expectation of future mercies also God hath is a blessed medium of arguing that God will Psal 85 1â—2 3. there be five thou hasts ' and then comes in thou wilt v. 8.2 Cor. 1.10 Mark 2. Solomon corrects his petition for God's presence in the Temple even in an extasie of admiration v. 27 28 29. saying Such is thy immensity O God that the highest Heaven the most spacious place that ever was created cannot contain thy Infinite Essence within the compass of their circumference how much less this Temple of such narrow dimensions compared with Heaven it being but a small spot of Earth Oh astonishing condescension that thou wilt cause thy Name to dwell in this place Deut. 12.11 and tho' it cannot comprehend thee yet shew thy self graciously present here to grant my present Prayers and the future Prayers of thy People v. 30. Mark 3. The Particulars in Solomon's Prayer as First In case the guilty cannot be convinced by Witnesses and he plead Not guilty if he dare swear it at thy Altar which should awe him as the place of thy presence then Lord set a brand upon him as upon Cain and as Numb 5.16.21 for his perjury for a right Administration of Justice v. 31.32 Secondly In case Israel be defeated by their Enemies
end way by an Ambitious and Seditious humour for easing their own burthens and inriching themselves with the Wealth of the Kingdom c. N. B. However this Vsurper made Shechem his chiefest care that had of old been seasoned with many Treasons for which it had been ruin'd and sown with Salt Judg. 9 45. but Rebuilt again and now became so Auspicious to this new Vsurpation Remark the Fifth This Civil Defection soon produced the Religious and Spiritual Defections Jeroboam's stoln Kingdom is not without Anxious Cares nor his Throne without a Thorn He feared that Israel would when this pang of passion was evaporated Revolt from him v. 26 27. and therefore like another crafty Achitophel he consults with Carnal Reason how to confirm himself in his new Usurped Kingdom by making God's Religion serve his own Policy which was indeed the High-way not only to ruine his own House as he sin'd against his own Soul Zeph. 2.10 but to ruine also both Church and State Remark the Sixth This Politician feared their resorting to God's Temple and Service would reduce them to their right Soveraign three times in a year will their Devotion carry them thither beside the exigence of their Occasional Vows N. B. The Royal Palace of Solomon and the Priests of the Lord will remind them of their true Allegiance and of the Abomination of their Sacrifices without their obedience to their Native King Hereupon he gives them a Diversion v. 28 29 30. he devises a more compendious way of Worship with more ease to the People and as if Wiser and kinder than God was did gratifie their eyes with two Golden Representations of their God nearer home N. B. Israel had Sojourn'd in Egypt and brought home one Golden Calf set up by Aaron Exod. 32. but Jeroboam Sojourns there a while and brings home two 't is hard to dwell in Egypt untainted and sets them up in Dan and Bethel for Israel's ease and better accommodation N. B. Some had further to go to Dan than was to Jerusalem Men can take more pains for evil than for good c. Remark the Seventh This New King will have a new Mock-Deity a new Mock-Temple a new set of Leaden Priests and a new Mock Festival Day whereon to Sacrifice his new mock Sacrifices and rather than this should not be done as he had Usurped the Kingdom so he will usurp the Priesthood also v. 31 32 33. Thus this Jeroboam made Israel to sin which Phrase rings oft in our ears CHAP. XIII THIS Chapter Describes the Deplorable Idolatry of Jeroboam from which he could not be reclaimed either by Mercy or by Ministry or by Misery or by Miracle tho' multiplied many ways Remark the First God obligeth Jeroboam from Idolatry to Duty of true Divine Devotion by that transcendent mercy of giving him the promise of his presence to preserve and prosper his person and posterity upon the Throne of Israel provided He would walk in God's ways as David did c. Chap. 11.37 38. N. B. Oh the Prodigious condescension of Divine Mercy in thus proffering to gratifie all the desires of this prophane Person in making this Bramble King over Israel to do what he desired having no Superior to controul him yet all those precious promises of matchless mercy were spent in vain upon him save only that for this he was the more severely punished afterwards for whereas David tho' he had the promise of the Kingdom in Saul's Reign used no indirect means to come to it Yet this Prophane Wretch broke all Bonds of this Divine mercy and scorning to write after David s Copy even while he was Solomon's Servant did lift up his hand against his Lord and Master which David durst not do in his day Chap. 11. v. 26. for when Solomon had made him Ruler over the House of Joseph he talk'd Treason among that turbulent Tribe ever corrival with Judah for the Government at his pleasure after Absalom's not David's Example and as Lavater thinks did actually Rebell against Solomon for which Solomon sought to slay him Chap. 11.40 However 't is plain that he Plotted against Solomon in his Posterity afterwards Chap. 12 c. Remark the Second When God had spilt his Mercy and worse upon him then he tries him with his Ministry in this Chapter God sent a Prophet to him out of Judah crying against his Idolatrous Altar at Bethel and reproving this Apostate King ver 1 2 3. Mark 1. This Man of God v. 1. is call'd a Prophet v. 18. Tertullian saith it was Shemaiah mentioned Chap 12.22 Theodoret saith it was Joel c. The common Opinion with Jerome and Josephus is that it was Iddo who had a Vision against Jeroboam 2 Chron. 9.29 but seeing the Holy Ghost hath not expressed his name 't is too great curiosity to search after it Whoever he was he had his Commission from God both for his Message and for his Miracle and he dyed the same day wherein he delivered his Message and confirm'd it by a Miracle Mark 2. This Prophet came from Judah which yet ruled with God and was faithful with the Saints Hos 11.12 Retaining still God's pure worship 2 Chron. 11.16 and he came unto Bethel that was now become Bethaven an House of Sin and not an house of God as those two Hebrew names signifie which stood in the remotest Southern corner of the Kingdom as Dan did in the North of Canaan tho' Bethel was now a place of Idolaters ch 12.33 yet thither God sends a Prophet either to reclaim them before they were quite cast off or to leave them without excuse when so done Mark 3. Tho' Jeroboam thought the very dregs of the People were good enough to make Hedge-Priests of for his New Gods yet would he grace that disgraceful Priesthood and his two contemptible Calves by his own invading the Sacerdotal Office as he had Vsurp'd the Regal and acting their Priest himself now standing before his new Altar with a Scepter in one hand and with a Censer in the other ready to Sacrifice to his new Gods In this posture God's Prophet found him Mark 4 This Prophet Exclaims against the Royal Altar v. 2. not against the Royal Person because he was now become more senseless than the very stones of this new devised Altar and had no ears saith Piscator to hear Divine Admonition and because the following signs were wrought upon it and he doubles his word O Altar Altar that by such an Elegant and Emphatical expression of God's Message he might the more astonish Jeroboam and his fellow Idolaters and to make his Message be the better believed as Isa 29.1 Jer. 22.29 Mark 5. The Prophet here delivers a most remarkable Prophecy for tho' what he foretold came not to pass until three hundred and thirty years after this time yet are all the Circumstances so distinctly set down as if it were a Narrative or History of such things as were past rather than a Prophecy of things to
talis Grex Like Prince like People Regis ad exemplum c. People dress themselves by the Looking-glass of their Prince Judah built them high Places though they had the Temple and holy Levites to instruct them which Israel wanted therefore was it worse in them and their Idolatry usher'd in Sodomy done in Honour to their Idols therefore in the greatest Scorn those Sodomites in Hebrew are called Kedesh Holy Ones as consecrated to Venus or Priapus acting unnaturally in a pretence of Worship N. B. God had no visible Church upon Earth but here and oh what a miserable Prospect hath she now when Israel Worshipped Jeroboam's Calves and Judah was corrupted with Idolatry and Sodomy Oh how low is she sometimes brought and as the Moon waneth away yet recovers and rises again c. Mark 4. Judah Sins and God punishes ver 25 26 c. In the fifth Year God sends Shishak King of Egypt to punish Judah 1st not Israel for sparing Justice and Impunity hardned and ripened them to a total Destruction but Judah's Chastizing Mercy brought them to be humbled and so preserved 2 Chron. 12.6 7. God grants them some deliverance Rehoboam hired Shisak off with his Treasures and golden Shields as Hezekiah did Senacherib 2 Kings 18.14 15. and he did not plunder Jerusalem as Josephus saith 2dly This was not done till the Fifth Year of Rehoboam P. Martyr says in his three first Years Religion flourished in his fourth it was corrupted and in his fifth Year he was punished because they had transgressed against the Lord 2 Chron. 12. 2 8 c. 3dly Jeroboam had lived in the Court of Shishak and married a Wife there as some say of the Blood Royal who after was forced to disguise her self c. as before her Husband stirred up this King of Egypt to Invade Rehoboam's Country which he could not do until Judah had sinned and even then in Wrath God remembred Mercy Hab. 3.2 Mark 5. These Branches also 1st Jerusalem was so strong that neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Titus Vespasian could take it but by a long Siege yet now God smote them with such a fear for their Sins that they soon gave it up to Shishak upon Composition 2dly Rebohoam got some good by his Affliction for he frequented the House of the Lord ver 28. here not the High Places yet even there he feared Treachery therefore had he Men with brazen Shields to guard him 3dly Though no invasive War with Armies was betwixt Judah and Israel all Rehoboam's Reign after it was forbid by God Chap. 12.24 and not revived till Abijam's Reign 2 Chron. 13. yet were there frequent Skirmishes in defensive Acts of Hostility betwixt the Parties of Rehoboam and Jeroboam upon the Borders of each their Kingdoms c. ver 30. God had not forbid saith P. Martyr their own defence 1 Kings CHAP. XV. THIS Chapter is the History of Four Kings Two of Judah and Two of Israel The Two of Judah were Abijam and Asa Remarks upon the First are First The Son of Rehoboam is called Abijah 2 Chron. 12.16 which signifies The Lord is my Father but here is called Abijam which signifies My Father is a Sea His Father gave him the former name while he held his Integrity and probably with respect unto that Promise made to David I will be his Father c. 2 Sam. 7.15 but because this Abijah walked not in the ways of David therefore he is called here Abijam because his Father Rehoboam kept not constant in goodness but wavered like a Wave of the Sea tossed away by the Wind James 1.6 The Reason why Rehoboam made this Man King rather than any of his many Sons is rendred Because he loved Maachah this Son's Mother above all his other Wives 2 Chron. 11.21 22. Remark the Second Though this Abijah made a fair Profession of his Faith and seem'd to be good at the first 2 Chron. 13.12 yet had he a soon corrupted Heart and shew'd himself in his fould Colours afterward for he walked in the wicked Ways of his Father Rehoboam's latter Reign ver 1 2 3. inheriting his Father's Sins no less than his Crown 'T is no marvel therefore that after his spending three Years as if he had been nothing of Kin to his good Grand-father David his Reign was so short seeing it was so wicked He began his Reign in the Eighteenth Year of Jeroboam to whom he was a great Scourge by God's owning him for David's sake ver 4. not only making him a Lamp in Jerusalem but also a Fire-brand to consume Five hundred thousand Idolatrous Israelites as before and recovered Bethel from Jeroboam where one of his golden Calves was set up 2 Chron. 13.16 19. but he destroyed not that Idol-Worship there for which probably God shortned his Reign and Life ver 8. The Second King of Judah in this Chapter is Asa a good King ver 9. Remark the First Asa began his Reign in the twentieth Year current of Jeroboam's N. B. who lived to see three Successions in Judah's Throne Rehoboam Abijam and Asa though he was a Sinner with an Accent and of the greatest Size making Israel to sin so oft repeated yet did this Wretch live until the Second Year of this good sad Disease as before so that he died in the third Year of Asa saith Dr. Lightfoot a little before the Sword of Baasha destroyed his Family 2 Chron. 13.20 whereas on the other hand this good King Asa began to Reign in the time of the first King of Israel after the Schism and continued until the Eight King of that Kingdom of which there were five distinct Families all destroying one the other The five Stocks or Families were these 1. Jeroboam's Chap. 12.20 2. Baasha's v. 29. here 3. Zimrie's Ch. 16.10 4. Tibna's Chap. 16.21 and 5. Omri's Chap. 16.12 'T is said here Asa Reigned Forty and one years v. 10. he lived to see all those great changes in that Idolatrous Kingdom of Israel Thus speedily did Idolatry root out so many Families when good Asa had a long Reign granted him tho' his bad Father was soon cut off Remark the Second that this Asa became a good King Reigning uprightly before the Lord as did David his Great Grandfather v. 11. is matter of Admiration seeing he was of the seed of Abijam and of the Soil of Maachah both of them Wicked and both Idolatrous N. B. Hereby God would have us see saith Dr. Hall that Grace is from Heaven nor needs he the helps of these Earthly Conveyances Should not the Children of good Parents sometimes prove evil and the Children of bad Parents good grace would seem natural and the giver of grace would not have thanks given him for his free grace Thus we have seen a fair Flower spring out of filthy Dung and a Sweet-Fruited Tree arise out of a Sowre Stock Peter Martyr addeth here that this is said to the just praise of Asa who being trained up under Impious and Idolatrous Maachah yet
Trumpet before a Victory be won Events of War are uncertain and therefore not to be sworn before-hand but rather sedulously to be Atchieved He is a confident fool that sells the Hide before the Beast be taken and accordingly it proved for Benhadad himself had much ado to save his own Skin by flight which many of his Souldiers lost with their lives not taking an hand-fâ—ll of Samaria's dust with them The second part of the first War is the Concomitants thereof Remarks upon it are First Bragging Benhadad receives Ahab's Denial of his Tyrannical Demands with an outragious scorn He and the Kings in the Pavilion with him drank down all Anxiety about the Answer as making themselves Cock-sure of the Victory ver 12. and Benhadad himself drank so freely of his Cups until he was intoxicated ver 16. as if Wine should make way for Blood and instead of making good what he had Thrasonically boasted to turn Samaria into a Dust-heap behold he turns himself into a Beast by being drunk N.B. Drunkenness is one of the worst Counsellors many men do that when they are drunk for which they are hang'd when they are sober Drunken Benhadad now in his Altitudes of Pride and Presumption became ripe for his own Ruine however in contempt of the God of Israel and in confidence of his own helpless Gods he had so lustily sworn by ver 10. he commands his battering Engines to be prepared and his Army to make ready for Assaulting and Storming Samaria Remark the Second Brings in the Behold ver 13. Oh the matchless Mercy of God in sending a Prophet to Ahab who had persecuted his Prophets chap. 18.4 c. P. Martyr makes this Divine Act of Grace marvelously remarkable that one of God's Prophets whom Ahab persecuted to death should now be sent to him in his deepest Distress to comfort him with Tidings of his Deliverance and Triumph after all his Miracles by Elijah both of fetching Fire and Water from Heaven were unprofitably spent upon him Ahab had promised much when he and all Israel saw enough to say that the Lord was God and not Baal chap. 18.39 but he had performed nothing yet God destroys him not but will here even Hire him to be good that by a Victory he might better know that the Lord is good and the Lord of Hosts and neither Baal nor the Golden Calves Why God promises Victory to wicked Ahab here P. Martyr renders these Reasons 1. That Ahah might be left without the least excuse and the Justice of God be the more illustrated thereby 2. That God might shew how easily he can suppress the proudest and powerfullest of his Enemies when it is his pleasure so to do 3. God had respect to his seven thousand Servants that kept tight in that corrupt time and bowed not to Baal c. 4. Of all sorts of Sinners God cannot abide the proud and presumptuous Boasters N.B. Such have Nemesin in tergo as the Greeks call it Vengeance upon their backs God resisteth the prou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sets himself in Battle-array against such Jame 4.6 as Benhadad here set himself in Battle-array against God he Deified himself as if a God and therefore God Desied him as an Invader of his Glory Ahab indeed was very lewd but Benhadad was both more lewd and more lofty so God could not abide the sight of him Psal 138.6 but resolves to hurl this proud Luciser out of his supposed Heaven As Ahab being bad shall be scourged with the Rod of Benhadad's fear so Benhadad being far worse shall be smitten saith Dr. Hall with the Sword of Ahab's Revenge c. Remark the 3d. As bad as Ahab was when in his Distress He had called in vain saith Sanctius for help from Baal c. He can now listen to one of God's Prophets whom he had persecuted and begs direction from him how this Deliverance might be accomplished which the Prophet had promised from the true God ver 14. N.B. Even the worst of wicked men when in desperate straits and having but the Natural Conscience awakened thereby will not disdain to desire help from God as those poor Pagan Mariners in Jonah's Ship under a most dismal Storm every one of them cryed unto his God and lest they should all miss the true God they desired Jonah to call upon his God Jonah 1. v. 4 5 6. and at last they all cry unto the true Jehovah ver 14. Jonah 1. So Ahab here hearkens to what this Prophet spake from the Lord when all his Idols fail'd him Remark the Fourth The Prophet tells him not from himself but from the Lord who should be the Instruments and who should be their Captain Ahab gives credit to God's Word puts his Divine Direction into present Execution ver 15. wherein tho' he was a wicked man yet acts not like such an one N.B. For some in such a case would have argued Alas those Young men of the Princes Noble men's Sons have been bred up in Delicacies so are but fresh-water Souldiers Carpet-Knights fitter for a Canopy than for a Camp and to Court fine Ladies rather than to Encounter a fierce Enemy they are not so well experienced in handling a Military Lance in War as they are in tossing curious Court-Complements in Peace c. Beside Ahab might have objected against the Number of them as well as against their Quality saying What are these two hundred and thirty Courtiers able to match Benhadad's so many more Kings and old experienced Captains and Commanders and what can seven thousand Men which is all we can muster do against such a numberless number of the Syrian Army that doth besiege us c Not a word of any such murmuring nature do we hear from this Impious Ahab no he disputes not but dispatches God's Command The Prophet had assured him before-hand that by those very Men and Means Victory should be got that when obtained the Thanks for it might not be ascribed to Chance Baal or Calves c. Remark the Fifth Ahab having god God's Word for his Warrant and God's Instruments at his heels both the 230 Captains and the 7000 Souldiers N.B. which Peter Martyr supposes to be those mentioned chap. 19 18. that were faithful and fled thither for Refuge and all others not daring to adventure upon such a desperate Design with those he marches forth not staying to be assaulted by the Assaulting Syrians but to Assault the Assaulters at Noon-time of day ver 16. when they were eating and drinking and secure from all fear and expectation of any Assault and when Benhadad himself was so Jovial with his Kings that he drank himself drunk with excessive drinking so could not order or direct for any Defence Remark the Sixth This Hand full of Israel God blesseth with a compleat Victory over the vast Host of Syria ver 17 to 21. Mark 1. The young Princes went out first as a Forlorn-Hope to make the first On-set upon the Syrians Such Courage had
was not a Speech so much Military as from a General of an Army but also truly Divine as from a Professor of Divinity Believe in the Lord c. so shall ye be established c. Vetè amenu Hebr. that is say the Amen to this Divine Promise and Prophecy believe God and believe his Prophet Jahaziel so God will stablish your Faith he will perform his Promise and your present March against this formidable multitude shall be marvelously prosperous This sense Maluenda puts upon this Sentence of Iehosaphat N.B. Faith is a special means to obtain the benefit of God's Promise Isa 7.9 Heb. 6.12 there God is concerned for his Glory but Unbelief frustrates all c. This golden Sentence Believe and prosper ver 20. may not be omitted without some short Animadversions Mark the first is Faith in God's Word of Promise is the best stay in Evil Times The more we rest and rely upon God's Power and Providence the more we engage God to perform his Promises Herein Rules are to be regarded to regulate our Faith Mark the second These Rules are reducible to three Heads The first Rule is We must rightly understand the Nature of the Promises which are the Object of our believing Christ's Disciples staggered at the Promise which Abraham did not by the strength of his Faith Rom. 4.20 we trusted it had been he c. Luke 24. v. 21. the reason of their staggering thus was their want of a right understanding the nature of God's Promise they dream'd of a Carnal Kingdom wherein they expected promotions at Christ's right hand and left whereas it was Spiritual only Remark the Second The second Rule is We must observe the Order of God's Providence in performing his Promises wherein three things must be well understood The first is God oft delays to do what he hath declared he intends to do both in 1. Punishing the wicked Eccles 8.11 Isa 10.12 Psal 107.42 and 1 Sam. 2.9 God delays to stop the mouth of the wicked only till they have done their work and till their sins be full Gen. 15.16 2. In rewarding the godly he delays also for 1. He will be trusted he could have cast down the Walls of Jericho the first day yet must Israel trust him till the seventh day 2. He will have us to find out the accursed thing c. Josh 7.11 The continuance of the Captivity made them search their ways Lam. 3.40 3. It makes Mercy more sweet when it comes after a little delay had Abraham got his Isaac in the first year of his Marriage his Son would not have been such a laughter of Faith to him 4. Tho' God seem to delay quoad nos as to us as we are short spirited yet is he not slack concerning his Promise 2 Pet. 3.9 but hastens it as fast as the Heavens hasten in their Revolution which as Bellarmin affirmeth run six thousand Miles in every hour Remark the Third Consider also as God sometimes seems unto us to delay in his Promises to the godly and in his Threatnings to the wicked so sometimes he doth act quite contrary to them both God threatens to wound the hairy scalp of the wicked Psal 68.21 yet lets he them alone a long time to flourish but all is that the Sun-shine of God's favour may but ripen them the better for God's Sickle Gen. 15.16 Psal 37.2 and 52.5 6. and 92.7 Rev. 14.15 18. Haman and other wicked men have been spared a while that they might become fitter fewel for the fire of God's Judgments Mal. 3.15 and 4.1 and thus likewise God seems to do with his Promises quite contrary to them by his Providences so that 't is oft a work of great difficulty to reconcile God's Promises and his Providences together Great things God hath promised and Faith turns Promises into Prayers yet sometimes God casts those Prayers seemingly by his Providence as dung in the faces of his praying People Psal 80.4 This is a great Tryal especially when God says I will deliver you no more Judg. 10.13 N.B. And consider 3. God sometimes begins to perform what he hath purposed and promised yet afterwards draws back his hand as if he would never-perform it This may be instanced 1. In his Threatnings as in the case of Sodom whose Sin did continually cry to Heaven for Vengeance they were led away captive yet delivered by Abraham from that Captivity as if they had not been such gross God-provoking Sinners Gen. 14. Notwithstanding this Divine Vengeance after this stepping backward steps forward again and destroy'd them by Hell-fire from Heaven Gen. 19. 2. In his Promises God steps back likewise from what he had promised as in David's case God had promised by his Prophet Samuel that he should be King c. In order hereunto God by his Providence brought David to the Court from his Sheep-coat to be King Saul's Musician to cure him of his Melancholy as above this seem'd a fair step Yet afterward God's Providence steps backwards and David is sent back from the King's Court to keep his Father's Sheep again notwithstanding this God's Providence steps forward again Saul is slain and David came to the Crown according to God's Promise The Third Rule of Direction is As we must 1st understand aright the Nature of Divine Promises and 2dly the Order of Divine Providence in performing a Divine Promise so 3dly we must remember how faithful God hath been in fulfilling what he had promised in former Ages to the Patriarchs to the Prophets and to his People both before under and after the Law God would not break his word of Promise with them so much as one Day in four hundred and thirty Years Exod. 12.41 in the case of their Egyptian Bondage nor did God break his word with his People so much as one Night in the seventy Years of their Babylonish Captivity but in that very night when the term of Seventy Years was expired Belshazzar expired also being slain by Cyrus who set them at Liberty Dan. 5.30 Ezra 1.1 N.B. This must needs corroborate our Faith to consider how punctual God hath been in Times past to perform his Promises he who is unchangeable in himself and hath so precisely perform'd old Promises that are past he will be no less positive in performing those Promises that are yet behind unperformed because he is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Hebr. 13.8 He that hath delivered doth still deliver and we trust also he will deliver 2 Cor. 1.10 Though there be a Damp upon our Hopes and a Death upon our Helps yet will he revive his Work again Heb. 3.2 and therefore in the failure of all Creature-Comforts that Prophet resolves to rejoice in the Lord ver 17 18. and Job hangs on a killing God Job 13.15 Now after this necessary Digression I return to the Concomitants of Jehosaphat's Expedition against the Enemy and to the Second Remark thereupon which is His Marshalling of his Army ver 21.
of Sin full for our Lord quotes that wicked Act as highly conducing to the Catastrophe of their Kingdom Matth. 23.32 35 36 37. N. B. The First Second Third and Fourth Chapters of Hosea all speak the fore-tokens of their Captivity The Third Prophet in that time was Amos Chap. 1.1 his whole Prophecy concerns Israel's Rejection but more expresly in Chapters 7.10 11 12 c. he tells us Jeroboam the Second was then alive Contemporary with Vzziah and that Amaziah the Priest of Bethel's Calf inform'd against him as a Traytor to that King The Fourth Prophet in this time was Jonah as is aforesaid upon 2 Kings 14.25 which Text doth certifie he was Contemporary with the former Prophets who had all foretold the Rejection of the Jews and therefore is this Jonah seasonably sent forth to fetch in the Gentiles by preaching to Ninive c. and though at the first he declined his Message out of love to his own Countrymen knowing that the coming in of the Gentiles would be the casting off of the Jews yet was he forced thither when cast a Shore out of a Whale's Belly wherein he was a Type of our Lord's Burial and Resurrection Matth. 12.39 40. just before the Call of the Gentiles by the Preaching of the Gospel APPENDIX Jonah CHAP. I. REmark the First Junius Piscator and Grotius affirm unanimously That the same Jonah whom God sent to Nineveh Jon. 1.1 2. was he that is mentioned 2 Kings 14.25 though Masius and Menochius say otherwise but seeing in both places this Prophet is called The Son of Amittai which Hebr. signifies Truth or Veracity denoting saith D'Dieu that he was a veracious and truth-telling Prophet 't is therefore the concurrent Opinion of learned Authors that both were one and the same Prophet Mr. Lively relateth that this Jonah was the first of all the Prophets whose Prophecies are Recorded and is named next to the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 13.14 20. and 14.25 Jonah lived before the Battle of Joash King of Israel with the Syrians about the end of Elisha's Life and he prophesied among the Ten Tribes say Paraeus Cluverius c. concerning the Prosperity of Jeroboam the Second who was more prosperous than pious and when he had spent much time with small success among the irreclaimable Israelites whose Sermons to them are not come to us upon Record saith Calvin then did God send him to the Gentiles saith Mercerus that they might provoke them to Repentance or at least leave them inexcusable therefore 't is said God also sent him to Nineveh Jon. 1.1 2. Remark the Second Though Jehoaaz in his Trouble besought the Lord 2 Kings 13.3 4 5 6 7. and the Lord heard him out of his matchless Mercy and made use of Jeroboam the Second to be Israel's Saviour though a sorry sinner from the savage Syrians and sent Jonah to foretel his Victories over their Oppressors because God had not still writ Lo-ammi upon them 2 Kings 14.25 26 27 c. Yet because the House of Israel made a misimprovement of this Divine Mercy therefore God sent Hosea Amos Isaiah c. to foretel their Calamity and Captivity yea of Judah as well as of Israel Dr. Lightfoot excellently observeth that when Joel and the other Prophets had shewed the Rejection and Ruine of all the Twelve Tribes and when Obadiah had foretold the Desolation of Esau the next Kinsman to Jacob's Seed then God saw it seasonable to send out Jonah to fetch in the Gentiles c. Remark the Third Jonah at the first declined his divine Embassage unto that great City Nineveh Jon. 1.3 Rabbi Kimchi saith his Reason for his refusal was because he murmured that Mercy and Peace should be carried away from the Jews and now be preached by him a Jew to the Gentiles upon condition of their Repentance He was loth to leave his own People whom he loved and would not have them cast off by the coming in of the Gentiles he thought saith Calvin it would be acting contrary to God's Covenant to reject Israel c. and the like mistake made Peter call'd also Simon Bar-Jonah John 1.42 with his name-sake Jonah who accounted the Gentiles as common and unclean He narrow'd the Beams of divine Grace likewise Acts 10.11 12 15. until better informed by Christ and then he acknowledged his Error ver 34 35. both those two Jonahs might have learnt the Mystery of Naaman's carrying Jewish Earth into Syria 2 Kings 5.17 which signified some favour was to be transported from the Jews to the Gentiles c. Remark the Fourth Jonah's Sin of Disobedience to God's Call and Command ver 2 3. N. B. This whole History is a marvelous dispute betwixt passionate peevish Jonah and the patient and omnipotent Jehovah a sorry Creature with the most sovereign Creator in both Jonah's Messages c. to Nineveh c. God gave him his first Commission to go preach at Nineveh the Metropolis of the Assyrian Monarchy and very Antient Gen. 10.11 and exceeding Ample as well as Antient containing 50 Miles in compass saith Diodorus Siculus and was a City of three days journey in Jonah's days Jon 3.3 and besides this vast compass of Ground it had the like stately Walls about it the height whereof was an 100 Foot and their breadth so spacious as capable to receive three Carts to pass together in a breast or row and these Walls were adorn'd with fifteen hundred Towers says Munster This famous Fabrick the then none-such in the World was so frightful to Jonah's timorous Temper that he durst not face it especially with so dismal a Message of proclaiming its utter Ruine in a little time Hereupon Jonah flees c. acting contrary to blessed Paul who consulted not with Flesh and Blood Gal. 1.16 nor daring to be disobedient to the heavenly Vision Acts 26.19 but Jonah plays the run-away from the Presence of the Lord that is from the special and spiritual Presence of God wherein he had hitherto stood and ministred for from God's general Presence Jonah knew he could not flee Psalm 139.7 8. Acts 17.27 Some run before they be sent as uncalled Preachers contrary to Rom. 10.14 15. but Jonah though he runs not before sent yet when sent he runs not the right way for fear of the Ninevites for love to his Israelites and he conceited his Task was to no purpose in preaching to Pagans seeing he prevailed so little at home with his own People c. therefore fled he to Tarshish making more haste than good speed from Joppa thither N. B. When once got out of God's way we may turn we know not whither and return we know not when He led himself into Tentation but God left him not in it but led him out of it He was happy that no evil happened to him Prov. 12.21 Remark the Fifth God punishes this run-away Jonah ver 4. so far evil did happen to him that the Ship wherein he imbarked himself was stop'd by a Storm
2 Chron. 28.5 he becoming no better by this God le ts loose Pekah the King of Israel upon him who slew an hundred and twenty thousand of his valiantest Men in one Day Because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers ver 6. and then it was that Zichri one of Pekah's Champions slew Maaseiah Ahaz's Son c. ver 7. this was to Plague him for sacrificing his Sons to the Devil yet God takes care to preserve his good Son Hezekiah by a special Providence both from being sacrificed by his Idolatrous Father and slaughtered by this Champion of Pekah God had Work for him to work in the World Remark the Third Nor must Ahaz's supposed Eldest Son be slain alone here but two of his principal Courtiers are slain with him to bear him Company into another World ver 7. nor was this all the mischief done him by Pekah but two hundred thousand Women Sons and Daughters were carried away Captive with much spoil toward Samaria ver 8. these also were Sinners against their own Souls Numb 16.38 for the Children gathered Wood and the Fathers kindled the Fire the Women kneaded Dough to make Cakes to the Queen of Heaven c. Jer. 7.18 probably the Husbands of those Women and the Fathers of those Children were slain among the hundred and twenty thousand Men. N.B. This aggravtes Israel 's cruelty to Judah Remark the Fourth Here God's repentings are kindled together and he would not execute the fierceness of his wrath Hos 11.8 9. God sends the Prophet Oded to mitigate Judah's Misery ver 9 10 c. Mark 1. This Oded might descend of that Oded in Asa's time which was two hundred Years before this He put his Life in his hand and met this bloody Host in the Face saith Piscator before they reach'd Samaria This was a bold attempt but God who call him kept him also Mark 2. He boldly reproves them for their Barbarity to their Brethren using an Hyperbole to them saith Vatablus to shew their Rage had known neither Mean nor Measure but had been so great that the one end of it did reach up to Heaven N.B. Brethren's Blood cries so high Gen. 4.10 Mark 3. Then he sweetly insinuates reminding them of their own Sins saying saith Vatablus 'T is true the Jews have sinned and therefore are they conquered but do not ye Sin too both in arrogating this Conquest to your selves and not to God and also in making your Brethren Slaves ver 10. which is a Sin against God's Law Lev. 25.42 43. and 39.40 beside other Sins which if not repented of will bring the like Vengeance upon you Mark 4. After he had like the good Samaritan Luke 10.34 poured in Wine to search their wounds he useth Oyl also to supple them he here with soft Words adviseth them to shew Mercy to their Brethren with whom they had dealt unmercifully ver 11. N.B. 1. This Prophet is the Picture of a good Preacher here turning himself into all shapes of Speech and Spirit to work upon his hearers according to the Task prescribed to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.2 3. N.B. 2. Oded's last Argument was Clinching and Cogent telling them they could not give a better Evidence of their Repentance than to break every Yoke and to let the oppressed go free Isa 58.6.7 c. but if they shewed no Mercy they should meet with Judgment without Mercy James 2.13 The Wrath of God hangs over your Heads saith he if you add cruelty to cruelty against God's Law saith Grotius Deut. 12.5 If you forgive not your Brethren God will not forgive you Math. 6.12 Remark the Fourth The Prophet gains the desired Point for presently four of the chief Commanders of the Army or Governours of the City stood up to withstand the bringing of the Captives into Samariae c. ver 12 13. saying Ye shall not add this heinous Sin to the vast heap of all our other Sins for the Idolatry of the whole Land is too well known and we have cause enough to fear the Wrath of God will fall down upon us some way or other c. N.B. Here behold and wonder how mightily did the Word of God in the Mouth of this one Prophet work upon them though he came not with the common Phrase of all other Prophets Thus saith the Lord in his moving Oration to them Hierom renders this Reason why Oded omitted that usual Phrase because saith he the Prophet thought Israel unworthy of it for their abominable Idolatries However though he used not the Lord's Name he so spake the Lord's Truth that the Lord blest it and made it effectual to bring over those four great Commanders to comply with it yea and many of the common People to accompany them in this good work yea the armed Men laid down their Arms ver 14 15. and yielded to the Arguments pressed thus upon them Mark 1. Behold here what a few may do against many against a Multitude in a good Cause when God is with them and when set about it in good Earnest and in God's Strength Psalm 71.16 John 7.35 Mark 2. Then doth Reformation and redressing of Grievances prosper c. when Princes do take part with the Prophets of the Lord to beat down the Transgressions of the People c. Mark 3. Grotius well observes upon ver 14 15. that as an evidence of their Repentance upon the Prophet's Preaching to them they did more than they were desired for they did not only dismiss their Captives but they restor'd all the spoils taken in Battel cloath'd those they had stripp'd fed those they had almost starv'd anointed those they had wounded and set upon Asses such as were weak weary and wax'd feeble with their wounds Mark 4. Dr. Lightfoot likewise well observes that this Act of Mercy in Israel to Judah was the only good Act that we read of acted in Samaria for a long Season This their shewing Mercy to the Poor Captives carrying the feeble upon Asses being unable to go back on Foot as far as Jericho near Judah was a likely way for lenghthening their Tranquillity Dan. 4.27 Remark the Fifth After all this saith Piscator Ahaz's wickedness brings Rezin the King of Syria and Pekah the King of Israel joining both their Armies to besiege Jerusalem then Ahaz sent to Tiglathpileser King of Assyria for Relief 2 Chron. 28.16 2 Kings 16.5 6 7. These two Kings in Confederacy came up against the Capital City which they had already swallowed up in their ambitious Desires and Expectations resolving to take Ahaz out of the way and to set up the Son of Tabeal whom some suppose to be some great Man of Syria or as Dr. Lightfoot thinks one of the Posterity of Tabrimmon 1 Kings 15.18 which signifies a good Rimmonite such as worships well the Syrian God Rimmon 2 Kings 5.18 as Tabeel signifies a good God Others say they designed to set up Zichri the Israelite for his meritorious Act in slaying Ahaz's Son 2 Chron.
4. Josiah slew the Priests ver 20. namely such as Jeroboam had made of the meanest of the People 1 King 12.31 saith Menochius and Grotius supposeth these Priests of the High Places resisted Josiah in his Reformation or if they did not their Vsurpation was Death by God's Law Numb 3.10 or they were the Priests of Baal 2 Chron. 34.4 where 't is said He broke down the Altars of Baalim for as Lavater well observeth when the Assyrians departed home with their Captives out of Israel Chap. 17. of 2 Kings many Israelites who had hid themselves in other Countreys returned home with their Priests and set up their old Idolatry again those therefore were the Priests whom Josiah found to whom he would shew no such Mercy as he had done to the Priests of Aaron's Line ver 8 9. but slew them and offer'd them up as Brute Victims saith Lavater upon their own Idolatrous Altars burning their Bones upon them whereby he did defile them as ver 16. Mark 5. Josiah rooted out moreover all the Wizards c ver 24. of which see Lev. 19.31 and 20 27. Numb 22.5 Deut. 18.11 and the Teraphims Images of Men such as Michol put into David's Bed 1 Sam. 19.13 by which the Heathens consulted Ezek. 21.21 and Answers were return'd by them Zech. 10.2 either by the subtlety of Satan or by the Forgery of the Priests And he destroyed also all other Monuments of Idolatry which he found in Judah as well as in Israel he did all he could possibly do to prevent that utter Devastation of his Countrey foretold by the Prophets but the Decree was even ready to bring forth Zeph. 2.2 and there was no reversing it Remark the Fourth Josiah's Celebration of the Passover ver 21 22. 2 Chron. 35. Mark 1. Sanctius saith here so soon as Josiah had abolish'd the false Worship forbidden by God's Law he now endeavours to set up the true worship of the Living God commanded by his Law which Hilkiah had found Chap. 22.8 and now had been read to them all Mark 2. The Passover was a most sacred and solemn Sacrament and Ordinance of God Exod. 12.1 c. and had been much and long neglected without which all their Sacrifices were accounted in vain for this Ordinance gave Vigour Virtue and Value to all others and no Israelite ought to want this Sacrament which was both a Monument of their Deliverance past and likewise a Type of the Messiah to come therefore did Josiah so zealously revive it Mark 3. Though this famous Passover be passed over after a Compendious Manner in 2 Kings 23.21 22 23. shewing only 1. The Time of it in the eighteenth Year of his Reign supposed to be immediately after his renewing the Covenant 2 Chron. 34.31 32. and 35.1 And 2. The Excellency of it exceeding all former Passovers for such Preparation Humiliation Detestation of Idolatry and Reformation of Religion c. but 't is more particularly described in 2 Chron. 35. from ver 1 to 18. 2 Chron. CHAP. XXXV with 2 Kin. CHAP. XXIII THIS Chapter with the latter end of 2 Kings 23. contains two Parts First The Pious Life of Josiah in the residue of his Days And Secondly His Violent and untimely Death after all his Goodness The first Part concerning his Pious Life is this Passover in particular Remarks upon it are First Josiah's Holy Instructions to the Priests and Levites c. Mark 1. The Time when he celebrated this publick Passover it was upon the fourteenth Day oâ— the first Month ver 1. which was the Day expresly enjoyned in the Law Exod. 12.2 6. and now he commanded the People to keep it as well as himself 2 Kings 23.21 for some suppose that when the Doors of the Temple had been shut 2 Chron. 28.24 the Holy Priests and the People had been constrained to keep the Passover and other Holy Feasts in Private but now he calls all in to Publick Worship Mark 2. He commanded the Priests to put the Ark in the House c. ver 2 3. Erpennius saith it had been removed out of the Temple either 1. In Ahaz's Time that it should not be there among his Idols but surely Hezekiah returned the Ark into its Place Or 2. In the Time of Manasseh c. or rather 3. In the Days of Josiha's wicked Father Amon to make way for some Idol in its Room And Piscator adds 't is no wonder the Ark was removed by some Idolatrous King when they durst remove other sacred Vessels 2 Kings 16.14 and cut them in pieces also 2 Chron. 28.24 and some say the removing of the Ark into its Place occasion'd the finding of Moses's Manuscript by Hilkiah Mark 3. He bids the Priests c. prepare themselves for the Passover ver 4.5 and their Brethren ver 6. by purifying and quickening them for performing so solemn a Service as was killing the Passover c. and Josiah himself excites them to their Duty by this Argument saith Vatablus saying Ye Priests are now freed from that Burden which lay upon your fore-fathers of carrying the Ark upon their Shoulders from Place to Place while it remained in the Tabernacle but now saith Josiah It shall not be a Burden to your Shoulders seeing 't is now seated in the Temple therefore now serve the Lord ver 3. so much the more as now freed from that burden in other Services in Sacrificing Singing c Remark the Second The Royal Actions of King Josiah at this Passover-Feast He gave thirty thousand Passover Offerings to the People ver 7. All of his own Substance By this Munificence saith Osiander the King supplied the wants of his poor People and Dr. Hall Notes the same here saying Rather than fail Josiah's Bounty shall supply to Judah Lambs for their Paschal Devotion N.B. No Alms is so acceptable as that whereby the Soul is furthered Kids are named here as well as Lambs for Lyra and Piscator say from Exod. 12.5 that in the want of a Lamb the Law allowed a Kid might be offered and the three thousand Bullocks he gave likewise to be offer'd up after the Lambs saith Piscator upon the several Days of that Feast of Vnleavened Bread which was another part of that great Solemnity Remark the Third The Liberality of the Princes at this Passover-Feast ver 8. in giving two thousand six hundred small Cattel and five hundred Oxen. N.B. Behold the Power of a Royal Pattern the Example of this good King moves those Princes to do as he did though they were Persons bad enough according to Zephany's Character of them Zeph. 3.3 yet these gave Liberally not only to the People as ver 7. but also to the Priests and Levites here that they might likewise rejoice with the People Remark the Fourth The Bounty also of the Superior-Priests unto the Inferior Levites ver 9 10 11 12. here 's another liberal Gift of five thousand small Cattel and five hundred Oxen So that the total summ given here by
to Zachary Luke 1.11 19. and to the blessed Virgin Mary ver 26. to mind them of this very Promise and Prophecy of Daniel 2. By his flight it was swift and even to a weariness Hebr. as before and so Vatablus Expounds the word Jagnath N. B. Oh that we could do God's Will on Earth so promptly and presently as the Angels do it in Heaven Matth. 6.10 Maldonate saith that in the form of a Man he had Wings yet may we not imagine that he did fly as the Fowls of the Air do tho' a certain Fryar a Lyer certainly undertook to shew his over-credulous Novices a Feather that drop'd out of this Angel Gabriel's Wings as if Angels mowted off their Feathers like the ordinary Birds in their yearly Mowting-times This doubtless was a Popish Imposture received only by those that are given up to believe Delusions c. 2 Thes 2.10 11. Nor ought we to think that Angels can be weary with their speedy and expeditious execution of God's Commissions and Commands for the Church's good but all this is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of Men for our better Apprehensions And 3. This Gabriel is described here by his Gesture and Speech 'T is said here He touched Daniel ver 21. that is not with any Churlish Throb such as the Devil 's Touches be very obnoxious to Tempted Souls 1 Joh. 5.18 but with a gentle and familiar Jogg to make him mind the more in hearing those Mysteries he was about to declare or it was such a Friendly Touch as he had given Daniel before Dan. 8.18 Solo Tactu Vires Danieli Restituit saith Grotius The sole Touch of the Angel there infused new Strength into him it kept him from Reeling too and fro and made him stand firmly So here this Touch drop'd in Divine Light into Daniel whereby he understood what follows Remark the Third Gabriel's Instruction of Daniel wherein Mark 1. His Prologue or Preface wherein he 1. tells his Errand All this haste he had made in coming from Heaven to Earth was only to Inform him in God's Answer to his Prayer ver 22. N. B. 'T is an excellent Observation Rather than God's Saints and Servants should want either Information or Consolation God will spare one out of his own Train and Attendants to do them any good Office Luke 1.11.19 26. Gal. 3.19 c. nor will the greatest Angel in Heaven grudge to serve them being Ministring Spirits to heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 2. Gabriel tells him what was the Procatarctick Cause that mov'd God to send him on this Errand because Daniel was 1sh Chamudoth A Man of Desires ver 23. very dear to God as the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.28 and Christ altogether lovely Can. 5.16 therefore God heard thy Prayer at the first Psal 34.15 and thou shalt know God's Counsels above others Gen. 18.17 19. Psal 25.14 c. Remark the Fourth The Speech or Sermon of Gabriel to Daniel Mark 1. Daniel not only receiveth a Gracious Answer to his Request about the Jews Return from the Captivity Gabriel telling him of the going forth of a Commandment to Restore and to Rebuild Jerusalem which necessarily imply'd it ver 25. but also a Prediction of what Times should pass over the Jews till the Death of Christ Mark 2. The Angel Divides this space of Time into Three Unequal Parts as Dr. Lightfoot well observeth 1. Seven Sevens or Forty-nine Years to the Finishing of Jerusalem's Walls 2. Sixty-two Sevens or four Hundred Thirty-four Years from that time till the last Seven Then 3. The last Seven in the latter half of which Christ Preacheth to wit three Years and an half and then Died c. ver 24. Mark 3. The Angel useth the word Seventy to shew God's Kindness to the Jews at Daniel's Suit not only that for their Seventy Years Captivity they should Return and enjoy their own Country for Seventy Years but also for Seventy Sevens or Weeks of Years N. B. God's Mercies bear the same proportion to his Judgments and Punishments which Seven a compleat Number beareth to an Vnit here is Seven for One beside that Mercy of Mercies the Grace of the Messiah Mark 4. Lest the Jews should mistake their Return from Captivity to be their Grand Redemption promised of old the Angel therefore foretels that the City and Temple should be Rebuilt in Troublesome Times ver 25. that is their Enemies would create them much Trouble and Obstruction as was done in Nehemiah's Days Mark 5. As an Antidote against all those Evils the Angel propounds a Promise of Christ who should 1. expiate all sorts of Sin both Original that of Adam and that in us and Actual Sins of Ignorance and of Presumption in his Redeemed The three Hebrew words gnauon chattaam Reshang includes all sorts of Sins And the other three le callee le cathem le capher signifie that Christ will pardon blot out and mortifie Sin taking away both its Damning Domineering and Accusing Power of Sin he will make an end of it and cause it to die by virtue of his Death 2. He will not only Remove this Evil but also bring in everlasting Righteousness both Imputed and Imparted which never can be lost as Adam's was Mark 6. The Angel declares to Daniel that after all this the Lord will send forth his Armies Matth. 22.7 the Romans to destroy the City that Slaughter-house of Saints and the Sanctuary that Den of Thieves for their Murdering the Innocent Lamb of God ver 26. because the Jews then have overspreading Abominations ver 27. N. B. The Jews have oft attempted to Recover their Country and to Rebuild the Temple in Julian's Reign c. in despight of Christians but could not c. Mark 7. The Doctors are much Divided about the Beginning and Ending of these Seventy Weeks or four hundred and ninety Years But seeing the Angel of the Lord hath so exactly pointed forth their beginning at Cyrus's issuing forth his Decree for Re-edifying the City and Temple ver 25. Ezra 1.1 2 Chron. 36.22 23. 't is better so to compute it than to dispute about it This present Deliverance from Captivity was but a Type of their Redemption by Christ who will Ruine his Rejectors and Release his Redeemed c. Ezra CHAP. I. THIS Chapter contains the continued History of the Jews Deliverance out of the Bondage of Babylon and their Return into their own Land after it had kept its Seventy Years Sabbath or Rest when it had been not only toiled and tilled out of Heart as we say by continual Tillage but also was eased so long of that wicked weight of its Inhabitants which brought the Curses of God upon it 2 Chron. 36.21 as had been before foretold Levit. 26.34 The Causes of this Great Change are here described Remark the First The Divine Cause the Lord stirr'd up Cyrus ver 1. Mark 1. This was God's Answer unto Daniel's Prayer Dan. 9. when he tugg'd hard with God for performance of
of Zedekiah and so it continued under the Chaldeans and now under the Persians Remark the Third Relating likewise to the Quantity their number is summ'd up together ver 64. to be in the whole forty two thousand three hundred and sixty whereas the Summs recited in all the foregoing Verses amount only to twenty nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen to whom are added in this total Summ twelve thousand five hundred and forty two which either were of the other ten Tribes beside Benjamin and Judah or were such as supposed themselves Israelites but could not prove their Pedigree by their Genealogies though these be not reckon'd here by their Names say Lavater and Junius yet are they added here to make up the total summ which as Wolphius well observes makes it manifest from comparing the number of the Captives carried away in the Books of Kings Chronicles and Jeremy with this number of them that returned they were by God's Blessing upon them multiplied to more than a double number even in the Time of their Captivity thus had it been with Israel in Egypt the more they were molested the more they multiplied Exod. 1.12 and thus it was with them in Babylon also N.B. 'T is the Motto of the Palm-tree Depressa Resurgo the more weights to pull me down the higher Launches I make upward The Church is God's Camomile the more it is troden the better it grows Sanctius observes the same Solution for the like Catalogue in Neh. 7.66 his foregoing account falling short also of his total Summ. Secondly Their Quality is rank'd into Princes and People Remark the First The Guides and Governours are named First As Men of Renown of which eleven are numbred here ver 2. The first of this number of the Men of Name and Note saith Vatablus is Zerubbabel which signifies a Stranger at Babel or a Disperser of Confusion some say he was born in Babylon however this was a Babylonish Name given him as to Daniel and his three Companions Dan. 1.7 but his proper Name was Sheshbazzar Joy in Tribulation as before Ezra 1.8 that famous Prince of Judah and the Governour thereof Hag. 1.1 his Hands laid the Foundation of the Second Temple Ezra 3.8 c. and his Hands also finish'd it Zech. 4.6 7 8 9. with the Assistance of his famous Second namely Jehoshuah the High-Priest Ezra 5.1 2. Hag. 1.14 These two were those faithful Witnesses of God in their Generation as before them had been Moses and Aaron N.B. The Work of God goeth best endways when the Word goes along with the Sword when Magistracy and Ministry do concurr c. Remark the Second Among the other nine Nehemiah and Mordecai are named whom some Learned Men say were not that Nehemiah that hath an History in a Book of him after this nor that Mordecai who was so famous in the Book of Esther but others of the same Name Reasons see in Mr. Pemble's Period of the Persian Monarchy page 30 31. but I find Sanctius Dr. Lightfoot c. Judge them the same Persons saying 't was the same Nehemiah who wrote the Book of that Name and who first came with Zerubbabel and then returned to Babylon upon the Obstruction of the Temple's Building but after some Years he returns to Jerusalem again as will be shewn in its Place and then repaired the City c. as to Mordecai Tirinus and Mariana say with Dr. Lightfoot that he was Esther's Vncle and the overthrower of Haman who saith D' Dieu when he saw the Building of the Temple and City did not succeed according to his desire went back to Shushan c. until a better Day dawned Remark the Third The other seven were Men famous in their Generation though little or nothing be Recorded of them beside their Names upon Scripture-Record only Seraiah call'd Azarâ—ah Neh. 7.7 is supposed to be Ezra call'd Seraiah after the Name of his Father Ezra 7.1 and who is supposed to be the same with Malachy the last of the Old Testament Prophets as some say for the Word Malachy may be taken Appellatively signifying my Messenger so that Prophet was God's Messenger in Ezra's Time as the Matter contained in that Prophecy plainly demonstrates but more of that afterwards unto those eleven Men of Fame Nehemiah adds a Twelfth by Name Nachamani Neh. 7.7 for he came not up now but before Nehemiah took that Catalogue who likely like that Young Man in the Gospel at first said I will not but after repented and went Matth. 21.29 30. Thus far of the Princes of whom Zerubbabel was Chief now of the People Remark the First The People that returned are computed to be forty two thousand three hundred and sixty described by their Families saith Vatablus from ver 2 to ver 21. then by their Cities to ver 35. then by their Dignity either Sacerdotal or Levitical to ver 40. then by their Employs as Singers ver 41 65. Porters of the Temple ver 42. and Nethinims the Sons of the Gibeonites who were Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water ver 45 to 55. and the Sons of Solomon's Servants ver 55 to 58. as the Nethinims Hebr. were Deodati given to God or God-sakes devoted to his Service in his House ministring to the Levites as the Levites ministred to the Priests N.B. Whereby their Misery in Bondage and Burdens imposed on them as a Punishment for their beguiling Israel Josh 9.4 5 c. became their Mercy for the nearer they were to the Church the nearer they came to God and this gave them occasion to partake of the things of God and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psalm 17.15 N.B. So those Servants of Solomon were such Strangers of Canaan that submitted to Solomon saith Piscator and served him in Building the Temple 1 Kings 9.20 21. and becoming Proselytes were incorporated into the Common-wealth of Israel and whose Posterity say Lyra Erpennius and Osiander Solomon devoted to a perpetual Preservation and Reparation of the Temple in after Ages Or those Proselytes might give their Family this Name accounting it a great Honour to be Servants to so great a King N.B. How much more may we Glory in being Servants to so great a God Psalm 34.2 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. Psalm 18. Title and who is so gracious as takes where he likes without respect of Persons Acts 10.33 and admits Strangers us Gentiles when the Children of the Kingdom the Jews are cast out Matth. 8.11 12. Remark the Second The Men-Servants and Maid-Servants are cast up here likewise to be seven thousand three hundred and thirty seven ver 67. where Sanctius-makes a wonder that above forty thousand Masters should have so few Servants at their return to this I add whereas we read how one Abraham the great Father of all those Jews had no fewer than three hundred and eighteen Men-Servants in his single Family Gen. 14 14. yet this vast Multitude of Masters had no more Servants though there be added to
noble stock of David's Royal Race yet lived she but in an ignoble State as the World deemeth being but a poor Maid and matched to a common Carpenter Yea at her Purification though she was rather sa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfumed than polluted by bearing Christ this blessed Virgin was not Rich enough to bring a Lamb according to the Law Lev. 12.8 but brought a pair of Turtles only Luke 2.24 Note well None ought to be contemned by others or disconsolate in themselves because of want when the Mother of our Lord was no wealthy Queen but a poor Virgin not worth a Lamb As this cuts the Coxcombs of such as vaunt of their vain Gentility So it Comforts poor Christians who may be more happy in Russet than in Tissue in Raggs than in Robes Sâ—ysna the poorest was the purest Church I know thy Poverty saith Christ but that is nothing Thou art Rich Rev. 2.9 N. B. Note well Mary Anagram Army How well her Name an Army represents In whom the Lord of Hosts did pitch his Tents Herbert All the Daughters of Jacob desired Marriage and offspring especially now to bring forth the Messiah Mary must be espoused to a just Man to provide things honest in the sight of all Men Phil. 4.8 to secure her Reputation of Innocency about her great Belly We must shun all appearance of Evil. 1. Thess 5.22 especially that the Devil might not know when Christ was born well knowing that He must be born of a Virgin from Isa 7.14 saith Ignatius No sooner did she submit to God's Will saying Behold thy Handmaid c. Luke 1.33 but she conceived so then are we most capable of Coelestial Incomes when we yield to God in a Promise The second Head to be handled is the Time when Christ was born This is express'd in Scripture by 1. General 2. By particular Terms First The General we find Gal. 4.4 5. When fulness of Time was come c. that is when the season appointed by the Father for accomplishing his Promise of sending forth his Son ver 2. appeared then Christ appeared also Three Grand Remarks are here comprehended N. B. Note well 1. There is a fulness of Time for the accomplishment of all God's Promises 2. This fulness of Time as it hath brought forth already the grand Promise of the Old Testament to wit of sending his Son and that of the New to wit of sending his Spirit so it is still a coming to bring forth the Promises of the latter Day not yet accomplished 3. When the fulness of Time is come for accomplishing other Promises not yet accomplished Then shall all God's Promises infallibly have their full accomplishment From these three Corollaries various Inferences do arise As 1. A Word of Caution that God Times all things wisely He does all things well Mark 7.37 This great Truth that Divine Philosopher in the Heathen World Plato was not Ignorant of who could affirm as before that the great God wrought all his Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Geometrical Rules that is in Number Weight and Measure As God never comes too soon so He never stays too long in his way either of Mercy or Judgement Every thing is beautiful in its season saith Solomon Eccles 3.11 Zachary must be Dumb till the Day the thing promised was performed Luke 1.20 and 62. Christ was born in due Time as 't is said He died in due Time Rom. 5.6 and He will come again to save us though ungodly in due Time too v. 8 9. Deut. 32.35 36. 1 Pet. 5.6 and we shall reap in due season if we faint not Gal. 6.9 2. This is a Word of Counsel to waiting Work to wait on God in Duty which is blessed Work who waits on us with Mercy as most wisely both knowing and chusing the best Times wherein to deal forth his Favours Isa 30.18 God both hears Prayer and saves his People in the most acceptable Time Psalm 69.13 and Isa 49.8 Hence Jacob willingly waited for God's Salvation Gen. 49.18 and old Simeon for Israel's Consolation Luke 2.25 when he had his armful of Joy ver 29. The Vision is yet for an appointed Time Hab. 2.3 The Souls under the Altar must rest for a season Rev. 6.10 11. and Joseph must tarry the Time till his Word come Psalm 105.19 and so must Israel in Egypt Exod. 12.41 and the Jews in Babylon Dan. 5.30 Sion's Salvation hath a set Time Psalm 102.13 We must tarry for it 3. It also affords a Word of Comfort Though we meet not with Mercy whether Personal or General at our expected Time yet will it certainly come at God's appointed Time We may set down one Day in our Kalendar and God sets down another in his Though we meet not Mercy wherewith we would be early satisfied Psalm 90.14 to Day or to Morrow this Winter or next Summer c. Jer. 8.20 yet sure I am when fulness of Time comes God's Promise of saving Jacob Jer. 30.7 c. shall certainly be fulfilled We should not be short spirited in thinking God's Time which is the best Time tarries too long The Bethalians in Judith's Story limited God to five Days for their deliverance whereas God is a free Agent and not to be limited by Man Psalm 78 41. Yea Moses himself murmur'd that God was no quicker in delivering Israel by his Hand Exod. 5.23 He consider'd not how long a Date God's Promise bare but would have been setting God a Time Thus Mary the Mother of our Lord was too â—asty with Christ so was reproved for halting she had one Hour and Christ had another saying Mine hour is not yet come John 2.4 and Christ turns short also upon his own Kindred who were precipitant in their Proposals to him Saying to them Your Time is alway ready but my Time is not yet John 7.5 6. 'T is not meet to set the Sun by our Dial or to send for the King by a Post boy yet this we do when we prescribe the most wise God to our Time or to set him a Day for Deliverance N. B. Note well Our Time is when there is want but God's Time is when there is sense of want and of the Sin that brings the woe We must not awake nor stir up our Beloved until himself please Cant. 2.7 c. 'T is enough for us to know as our stay that his fulness of Time stayeth at no Time but is always a coming Behold be cometh leaping over Mountains c. Cant. 2.8 and every step He takes as the returning Lord. Matth. 25.14 19. He draws nearer and nearer home He lingers or loiters no where no Time either Night or Day but is ever approaching and would to God He were within our hearing the sound of his Footsteps that we might say 'T is the Voice of our Beloved c. as the Spouse did Cant. 2.8 this we shall undoubtedly do at the fulness of Time which is daily hastning nearer and nearer Rom. 13.11 Hebr. 10.25 and Dan. 7.22
was quickly Metamorphos'd in the Ecclesiastick power of the Bishop of Rome in comparison of whose power that when Phocus had gratified Boniface the Bishop with the primacy for the supporting him in the Imperial Chair after he had murdered the Emperour Mauritious his Master and placed him self in it The Emperor's power was indeed very small ever after Therefore is he said to exercise all the power of the first Beast healing his former wound by reviving the adoration of Images under a new name of Saints by which Idolatry lived again and doth live yet is it also limited to 42 months Rev. ch 13. v. 5 12 15 and those two Beasts are but one Beast ver 17 18 c. N.B. That the Lord may make me as another Barnabas a Son of Consolation Acts 4.36 unto the Disconsolate Church in this our Day with a blessed Voice in the Temple Isa 66.6 I shall lay down this General Rule first that the choicest and most soveraign Cordials wherewith we ought to Refresh and Revive our Trembling Spirits when we are even fainting away with fear prevailing over our hope are the exceeding great and precious Promises of God 2 Pet. 1.4 which are called by the Evangelical Prophet the Breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 Those are the blessed Suckling Bottles that all God's Children who are taught of the Lord Isa 54.13 John 6.45 must learn to suck that they may be satified so as no longer to look upon the consolations of God like small matters to them Job 15.11 for no small gifts can come from the hand of so great and so gracious a God who is the God of Consolation Rom. 15.5 and the Consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 He is the God of all Comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 that is of all true Comfort of all kinds of Comfort and of all degrees of Comfort He is the Fountain from whom they all flow and such a Father of Mercy as when one comforting Mercy is spent upon us God still abides as a Father able to beget more and new comforting Mercies for us that the Heirs of the Promises might have strong consolation c Heb. 6.17 18. even everlasting Consolation in our Lord Christ 2 Thes 2.16 Now as there is a Natural Instinct which instructeth Lambs and all such like young Animals immediately as soon as brought forth to suck the Teats of their Dams c. So there is a Divine and Spiritual Instinct which teaches all the Lambs of Christ to suck the precious Promises those blessed Breasts of Consolation that they may be as Napthali satisfied with favour and filled with the blessing of the Lord Deut. 33.23 Behold the marvelous congruity betwixt this Instinct of Nature in all young Animals and that great Grace of Faith in all God's Children 'T is said the Just shall live by his Faith Hab. 2.4 a Text so famous as to be three times quoted in the New Testament Râ—m 1.17 Gal. 3.11 and Heb. 10.38 All which Divine Scriptures do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unanimously hold forth the most eminent and most excellent exercise of that great Grace of Faith so exceeding useful to us both while we live and when we die The Just or truly justified ones cannot live without it 'T is as the Merchant Ship that fetcheth our food from far Prov. 31.14 even from Heaven it self sometimes as it did Manna Psal 78.24 25. John 6.31 This Grace makes men able to live even in the worst of times and sure I am none dare die without it 't is the saving Grace as Heb. 11.13 All God's Worthies died in the Faith c. Thus far in the general but now come to particulars N.B. We must learn all of us as becometh the Babes of Christ to suck out satisfaction to our Souls from such blessed Breasts of Consolation as are most suitable to our present condition of any kind of Calamity The first Instance I shall give here is that exceeding great and precious promise which God most graciously granted unto Abraham that Father of all the faithful Rom. 4.16 when a pang of fear came upon him and when his Faith was fallen below his Fear and his Fear was swollen up above his Faith then God comes seasonably and says to him Fear not Abraham I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.1 When Abraham was made able to suck out the sweet Milk of this precious Promise by the Mysterial Mouth of a lively Faith then his former fainting fits of a desponding fear were done away and then could he walk as it were hand in hand with his God through all his following Tryals and became able to follow his heavenly Father as we may say blindfold not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 yet all along well knowing with whom he went for he always walked as a Child in his Father's hand saying as David said afterward Though my God lead me through the Valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for God is with me his Rod and Staff still comfort me therefore surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23.4 6. 'T is expresly said of Abraham that he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform c. Rom. 4.20 21. Now what Malady of fear did here befal our Father Abraham may befal any of the Sons and Daughters of Abraham yea undoubtedly often times does so As Faith in God's Promise was this holy Patriarch's Remedy against his Malady of fear So accordingly it ought to be our Remedy also If we could believe more in the Lord our God we should be better established against all distrustful fears and be more prosperous in our works and ways 2 Chron. 20.20 Isa 7.9 for God proportioneth his performing unto the measure of our believing saying to us as to the Man in the Gospel As thou be lievest so be it unto thee Matth. 8.13 Mark 9.23 This is a very great Truth that whosoever of the Sons and Daughters of Abraham do their duty according to that Divine Command Rom. 4.12 of walking in the steps of faithful Abraham in this World they shall be sure of lodging in the bosom of Father Abraham as Lazarus did Luke 16.22 in the World to come c. The second Instance that I shall add alone here concerneth the Church of God in general as the first did every Child of God in particular both which may fall into fainting fits of hopeless fear this is that exceeding great and precious promise out of which all the Children of the Church ought to suck the Milk of consolation in a disconsolating day of distress upon the Church of Christ namely that blessed Breast of comfort recorded by Zechariah Rejoyce greatly O! daughter of Zion c. Behold thy King cometh unto thee Just
if they deplore their sin and implore thy mercy then pardon them and turn again their captivity which could be no comfort to them without pardoning mercy v. 33 34. Thirdly in case of Dearth when the God of Rain stops up the Bottles of Heaven if Israel hear the voice of this Rod Mic. 6.9 learning thy Law by it Psal 94.12 If they repent then do thou forgive c. v. 35 36. This order Solomon observes all along in his Prayer Repentance is the Remedy to every Malady Fourthly In case of Blasting Mildew c. which Pagans owned as Plagues from Heaven and therefore had their Holy Feasts to prevent them or of Sieges or any other outward plague coming if sanctified to them so far as to make them sensible of their inward plague of the heart then c. v. 37 38 39 40. Fifthly In case of Proselytes as the Eunuch Acts 8.27 Cornelius Acts 10.1 when they come to Worship here Hear thou their Prayers that all Flesh may come with comfort to thee v. 41 42 43. Where Peter Martyr observes his Prayer is more large for Gentiles in this than for Jews as pointing forth their conversion Sixthly In case of War give Israel Victory in a just call a just cause and a just conscience every good Souldier should be furnished with all these three they should fight and pray and pray and fight v. 44 45. Seventhly In case of Captivity for sin v. 46 47 48 49 to 53. saying Souldiers will sin for none there be that sins not and thou canst not behold it but punish it Hab. 1.13 yet if they come to themselves Luke 15.17 and avouch thee for their God then avouch them for thy People Deut. 26 17 18. God heard it in their return from Babylon The Third part is the Consequents First the greatest Sacrifice we read of at the Temple's Dedication v. 62 63 64. Secondly The Celebration of the Feast v. 65. the first Seven Days were for the Feast of Dedication and the next Seven were for the Feast of Tabernacles and Thirdly The dismission of the Assembly the King blessing them and they the King congratulating this happy day which ended the three thousand years from the Creation of the World to the Finishing of Solomon's Temple Dedicated by Prayer and Sacrifice c. 1 Kings CHAP. IX THIS Chapter gives an Account of Solomon's Building Cities and Navies after he had compleated the Temple c. N. B. 1. Having now through the good hand of my God upon me as Nehemia's and Ezra's Phrase is travel'd through the most Remarkable Scripture Histories from the Creation of Adam unto the finishing of God's Temple by Solomon wherein are compleated by our most Authentick and best Chronologers Bishop Vsher Dr. Lightfoot c. the first three thousand years of the World I now address my self with Divine Assistance to run over the following most Remarkable Histories until the accomplishment of the next Thousand years even unto the end thereof which ushereth in the Birth of our Blessed Saviour who was typified by this Temple of Solomon John 2.19 and who was Born as some suppose at the same time of the year when Solomon Dedicated his Temple to the Lord which was in the Month Tisri or Ethanim the Seventh Month answering to part of our September sub judice lis est Secondly From the Birth of Christ the Old Rabbins reckon the World shall continue two thousand years longer after Christ to make the whole continuation of the World the term or time of Six Thousand Years after the expiration whereof succeedeth the Sabbatical or seventh thousand year which according to this Old Tradition will be a Blessed Jubilee and Sabbath of sweet rest and peace c. This odd notion they ground not only upon the six days of God's creating the World and then succeeded the Sabbath but also upon the six days of the Ark's compassing the City Jericho and then followed the downfal of its walls upon the Seventh Day According to this Rabbinical Opinion the World can continue but three hundred and ten years longer which being added to our present one thousand six hundred and ninetieth year after Christ make up compleatly the last two thousand years of the World's continuance after Christ before the Seventh Millenary do enter mentioned in Revel 20. but our Lord himself telleth us This Day is only known to the Lord Zech. 14.7 and that day and hour knoweth no Man Mat. 24.36 That the Lord will come there is nothing more certain but what time this will be there is nothing more uncertain Sundry ghâ—sses have been given to it both by Antient and Modern Authors most of which that are now past time hath already confuted The dates to come are 1. Nich. Cusanus his 1700 y. 2. Cardanus's 1800 y. 3. Picus Mirandulas's 1905 y. c. But what is all this conjecture save wanton wit upon serious work Ideò latet unus dies ut observentur omnes God hath hid it that we may not grow secure Mat. 24.38 48. Luke 17.24 27. Knowing the time of her Lord's return made the Harlot sin Prov. 7.19 20. The Building of those Cities and Navies mentioned in this Chapter fall under a twofold Consideration First What helps Solomon had to build them and Secondly What they were he built and for what use c. First of his Helps which were double first Divine secondly Humane First Remarks upon Solomon's Divine Help 1. God's appearance again to Solomon to confirm him v. 1.2 and 11. The manner of it was the same with that at Gibeon before Chap. 3.5 which was a Vision by Night after a well spent day in religious duties when he was just entring upon his Kingdom But this is call'd the second time here after he had accomplished his foregoing Fabricks and had attained to the very Apex and heighth of Royal Dignity v. 1 2 and 10. where 't is intimated that this confirming Vision came in the 24th year of his Reign seeing he had Reigned four years before he began to build N. B. Tho' Solomon seem to have two other Divine Confirmations betwixt those two as that mentioned Ch. 6.11 and that likewise Chap. 8.10 11. yet neither of those two were like the first and the last for that word which came to Solomon Chap. 6.11 was most probably by some Prophet whom God sent to him and that in Chap 8.10 11. there was indeed a glorious Cloud but there was no Audible Voice we read of came out of that Cloud it was only a visible approbation The Second Remark here is The matter of this Audible Apparition which is manifold as First God declares here that he had graciously heard Solomon's prayer at the Dedication of the Temple v. 3. N. B. A great encouragement from this prayer-hearing God Psal 65.2 who sometimes hears prayer before his people ask Isa 65.24 Psal 32.5 and sometimes as they are asking Dan. 9.20.23 and 10.12 but always after they have prayed either