forty years old but by all this it appears he had read much and maturely digested his reading especially Jewish Learning Nay long before this he was an Author For he published his Erubhin or Miscellanies at seven and twenty years of age By the frequent quotations in which Book it appears that he had then read and studied even to a prodigy For he doth not only make use of divers Rabbinical and Cabbalistical Authors and of Latine Fathers but he seemed well versed in the Greek Fathers also as Clemens Alexandrinus Epiphanius Chrysostome c. well read in antient Greek prophane Historians and Philosophers and Poets Plutarch Plato Homer c. well seen in Books of History Ecclesiastical and prophane of our own Nation and in a word skilled in the modern Tongues as well as the Learned as is evident from his quotation of the Spanish Translation of the Bible and a Spanish Book And of what worth and value the Book it self was you may guess by the Censure that a Man of great Learning and Wisdom gave of it I mean that Worshipful person to whom he dedicated it his Patron Sir Rowland Cotton Who in a Letter to him upon the receit of the Book tells this young Author That he had read it over and that there were many rarities nothing so Vulgar that he needed to fear his Books entertainment unless it lapsed into the hands of an envious or stupid Dunce And that he joyed much in his proficiency IV. Some Remarks upon his Horae Hebraicae Talmudicae I Design not to give a particular account of his Works as they came forth something hath already been spoken of them his several Epistles before them will shew that only of his last pains that crowned all the rest I mean his Horae Hebraicae I would remark something and that is the universal approbation and applause they met with in the Learned World both at home and in forain parts When our Author had sent his Horae upon S. Mark to the great and profound Linguist Dr. Castel he calls it an unutterable obligation laid upon him that it was a learned and much longed for work and that it enriched his poor Library with an addition so excellent and delightful c. And upon the Doctors sending him his Horae upon St. John he writes thus I received last week by your appointment a gift auro quovis gemmisque contra non charum that all the riches of the Levant congested together cannot equal such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as will justly deserve to be enrolled among the very next Records to those of Infallibility And truly Sir all your rare discoveries of Celestial Verities seem to me to be at such above the reach either of doubt or hesitation And again Your Criticism of Bethabara and Bethany saith he is so native proper genuine and ingenious I no sooner read it but straitway said to my self Securus jurarem in Verba Magistri T is like all the other births of your blest Minerva And upon the edition of another of those pieces Mr. Bernard of S. Johns Oxon a Man of known learning worth and piety writes thus to him I most humbly thank you for the happy hours on the more copious Evangelist by which that most excellent part of Holy Scripture is finisht and compleatly expounded in the most proper and yet untrodden way God reward you both here and in the better World for this and the rest of your labours in this sort which posterity will admire and bless when they see them altogether Dr. Worthington another person of great judgment learning and goodness treats our Doctor with these words in a Letter wrote to him Feb. 166◠concerning the same subject I wish you length of life health vacancy and freedom for what remains I hope that you are still proceeding and are not weary in well doing though Books sell but little those that are able to buy less mind Books and those that would buy are less able having little to spare from what is necessary for their families But your labour will not be in vain in the Lord nor here neither The learned Men beyond the Seas had also an high value for these pieces let some of them speak for themselves Frederick Mieg son to a great Councellor of the Elector Palatine once brought up under Buxtorph in Hebrew and Rabbinical Studies and of whom he gives a high character thus writes to our Doctor from Paris 1664. concerning those precious Hours as he styles them and publick Labours Publicos enim labores non vereor appellare quos in publicum literarii Orbis commodum redundare nemo est qui ignoret And tells him besides that there were no learned Men as he knew on that side the Seas but did summis anhelitibus earnestly pant after his Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians which he had then ready for the Press And begs him in his own Name and in the Name of that love those Studies ut lucem non invideas scripto luce dignissimo neque illud intra privatos parietes consenescere sinas unde tantum imminet publico emolumentum That he would not envy it the light since it was so worthy of it nor suffer that to lie longer concealed within private walls whence so great profit would accrue to the publick In a Letter from Nicholas Hoboken Secretary to the Dutch Ambassador here in England written to Dr. Lightfoot in the year 1659. he acquaints him with the sense Gisbertus Voetius Professor of Divinity and a Man of great Name in Holland had of his Chorographical Century before his Horae upon S. Matthew namely That he had expressed to him the said Secretary the complacency that he took from those Geographical illustrations of his fetched out of the Talmudists ita tamen ut spe largiori frui desideret plura Lucubrationum ejusmodi tuarum videndi And if we should travail into France there we shall find a Man of as great fame as the other was in Holland and it may be of greater Learning I mean Monseir Le Moyn who in a Letter to Dr. Worthington Anno 1666. expressing the value he had of Dr. Lightfoots Books and among the rest of his sacred Chorography before S. Matthew he saith that his Library is proud of them But the judgment of the Venerable Buxtorph is instar omnium who in a Letter to Dr. Castel in the year 1664. earnestly desires to know what Dr. Lightfoot did and saith That by his Talmudick Hours he began greatly to love his Learning and Diligence and wished heartily to see more of them And in the year before that in a Letter to our Doctor himself he thus accosts him Ex quo Horas tuas Hebraicas Talmudicas in Matthaeum vidi legi coepi te amare pro merito aestimare Tantam enim in eis Talmudicae lectionis peritiam ad illustrationem SS literarum dexteritatem tantam etiam
lawful undertaking and a successful progress in it in Plat. in Phaedro concerning Isocrates and in Isocra himself ad Demonic have taken in hand b b b b b b To compile a narratioâ— Syr. Erasm. Bruciol c. to set forth in order a declaration of these things which are c c c c c c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth in Scripture style not only the certainty of the things done but also the certain belief that they were so done See Rom. 4. 21. 14. 5. Col. 2. 2. 1 Thâ—s 1. 5. 2 Tim. 4. 5. Heb. 6. 11. The LXX once use it in a bad sense Eccles 8. 11. for settlement in evil most surely believed among us 2. Even as they d d d d d d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here were traditions of the highest form that ever were any Delivered by Christs own Disciples and generally believed and intertained yea and committed to writing and yet made nothing worth in comparison of Scripture delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word 3. It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things e e e e e e Or from above from the very first to write unto thee f f f f f f In Order either in order to those that have written before As they have done so it seemed good to me to do also after them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Act. 3. 24. or in order of story for the general as to lay down Christs Conception Circumcision Baptisme Preaching Death Resurrection methodically and as one followed another but for the particulars of Christs Journies Miracles Speeches c. we shall find in the progress of the story that he doth not so precisely observe the very order So that the former sense doth seem to be the better in order most excellent Theophilus 4. That g g g g g g 1 Luke held it not unlawful nor unfit for a Layman to read the Scriptures 2. He held not ignorance to be the mother of Detion nor an implicite Faith sufficient for salvation thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed Reason of the Order FOrasmuch as none of the Evangelists have made a Preface to their story but only Luke this of his may serve as a general one for all the rest And like the beautiful gate of the Temple may be as an entrance or inlet into the glorious and royal Fabrick of the Gospels Harmony and Explanation Ver. 1. Many have taken in hand Psal. 68. 11. HE condemneth not the undertakings of these men as very many Expositors hold he doth for first he saith they had taken in hand a declaration of those things which were most surely believed Secondly He saith they had done it even as the eye-witnesses and Ministers had delivered it Thirdly He maketh his own undertaking of the like nature with theirs when he saith It seemed good to me also But he mentioneth these their writings as only humane Authorities undertaken without the injunction of the Holy Ghost which his divine one was to exclude So the Books of Jasher of Gad of Iddo of the wars of the Lord c. are cited by the Old Testament neither as altogether disapproved nor yet approved above humane In the loss of them there perished none of the Canonical Scriptures but only the works of men no more did there in the loss of these Vers. 2. Eye-witnesses these were the twelve Apostles Ministers these were the 70 Disciples From their Sermons and Relations many undertook to write Gospels of a godly intention and holy zeal Of which the Evangelist here speaking aimeth neither at the Gospel of Matthew nor Mark though they were written when he thus speaketh for the first was an eye-witness and one of the twelve and the other it is like a Minister or one of the 70. and so wrote not from the intelligence of others as those did of whom the Evangelist speaketh but by their own Vers. 3. It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from above For so might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be best translated and so it signifieth John 3. 3. 31. 19. 11. James 1. 17. c. And thus taken it sheweth Lukes inspiration from Heaven and standeth in opposition to the many Gospels mentioned ver 1. which were written from the mouthes and dictating of men ver 2. but his intelligence for what he writeth was from above Most excellent h h h h h h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Epithet for men of rank as Act. 2 4 3. 26. 25. Theophilus In most probability a Noble-man of Antioch and fellow Citizen with Luke converted by Paul at his Preaching there Acts 11. 26. Luke adhered to his Master and forsook him not 2 Tim. 4. 11. but Theophilus staying at Antioch after Pauls departure what he wanted in verbal instructions from the mouth of his Master when he went away Luke doth in this his Gospel supply by writing that so he might know the certainty of these things wherein he had been i i i i i i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Act. 18. 25. 21. 2 Rom. 2. 18. 1 Cor. 14. 19. Col. 6. 6. Catechized Theophilus in Greek is the same in signification with Jedidiah in Hebrew the name of Solomon the Lords beloved or with the glorious title of Abraham the Friend of God And thus was that Prophecy most sweetly fulfilled Esai 60. 14. The sons of the afflicters shall come bending to thee c. when in that Town which had been the residence and bare the name of Antiochus the sharpest enemy that ever Israel groaned under the professors of the Gospel were first named Christians and such an Evangelist hath his Original SECTION II. S. JOHN CHAP. I. The fitness and necessity of the second Person in the Trinity his being incarnate and his being the Redeemer rather then either of the other asserted and proved by his being the Creator the giver of the promise and substance and tenor of the types and Prophecies of the Old Testament IN the begining was the a a a a a a Not pronounced but substantial not the voice of an articulate speech but the begotten substance of the divine efficacy Ignat. Martyr in Epist ad Magnes So Clem. Alex. strom 5. Word and the Word was with God and the b b b b b b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article joined to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that that is the Subject and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wanteth it the Predicate Word was God 2. The same was in the beginning with God 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made c c c c c c Some end the sentence here and some but begin it and some neither but bring it a step
Grecian studies of Philosophy but with more vainglory than solidity He not contented to have been a personal accuser of the Jews to Caius in that their Embassie wrote also bitterly against them in his Egyptian History to disgrace them to posterity Of which Josephus that wrote two books in answer of him giveth this censure That some things that he had written were like to what others had written before other things very cold some calumnious and some very unlearned And the end and death of this blackmouthed railer he describeth thus To me it seemeth that he was justly punished for his blasphemies even against his own Country laws for he was circumcised of necessity having an ulcer about his privities and being nothing helped by the cutting or circumcising but putrifying with miserable pains he died Contr. Apion lib. 2. §. 8. Philo the Jew Philo was a Jew by Nation and Alexandrian by birth by line of the kindred of the Priests and by family the brother of Alexander Alabarcha His education was in learning and that mixed according to his original and residence of the Jews and of the Greeks his proof was according to his education versed in the learning of both the Nations and not inferior to the most learned in either From this mixture of his knowledge proceeded the quaintness of his stile and writing explaining Divinity by Philosophy or rather forcing Philosopy out of Divinity that he spoiled the one and did not much mend the other Hence his Allegories which did not only obscure the clear Text but also much soil the Theology of succeeding times His language is sweet smooth and easie and Athens it self is not more elegant and Athenian For attaining to the Greek in Alexandria partly naturally that being a Grecian City and partly by study as not native Grecians used to do he by a mixture of these two together came to the very Apex and perfection of the language in copiousness of words and in choice His stile is always fluent and indeed often to superfluity dilating his expressions sometimes so copious that he is rather prodigal of words than liberal and sheweth what he could say if the cause required b◠saying so much when there is little or no cause at all And to give him his character for this in short He is more a Philosopher than a Scripture man in heart and more a Rhetorician than a Philosopher in tongue His manner of writing is more ingenious than solid and seemeth rather to draw the subject whereon he writeth whither his fancy pleaseth than to follow it whither the nature and inclination of it doth incline Hence his allegorizing of whatsoever cometh to his hand and his peremptory confidence in whatsoever he doth allegorize insomuch that sometimes he perswadeth himself that he speaketh mysteries as pag 89. and sometimes he checketh the Scripture if it speak not as he would have it as pag. 100. How too many of the Fathers in the Primitive Church followed him in this his vein it is too well known to the loss of too much time both in their writing and in our reading Whether it were because he was the first that wrote upon the Bible or rather because he was the first that wrote in this strain whose writings came unto their hands that brought him into credit with Christian Writers he was so far followed by too many that while they would explain Scripture they did but intricate it and hazarded to lose the truth of the story under the cloud of the Allegory The Jews have a strain of writing upon the Scripture that flieth in a higher region than the writings of Christians as is apparent to him that shall read their Authors Now Philo being a Jew and naturally affecting like them to soar in a high place and being by his education in the Grecian wisdom more Philosophical than the Jews usually were and by inclination much affected with that learning he soareth the Jewish pitch with his Grecian wings and attaineth to a place in which none had flown in before unless the Therapeutae of whom hereafter writing in a strain that none had used before and which too many or at least many too much used after of his many strange and mysterious matters that he findeth out in his vein of allegorizing let the Reader taste but some As see what he saith of the invisible Word of God pag. 5. and pag. 24. 169. 152. How he is a Pythagorean for numbers pag. 8. and pag. 15 16 31. where he is even bewitched with the number Seven and pag. 32 33. as the Therapeutae were 695. from whom he seemeth to have sucked in his Divinity Pag. 9. He accounteth the Stars to presage future things whom in pag. 12. he almost calleth intelligible Creatures pag. 168. and immortal Spirits pag. 222. Pag. 12. He seemeth to think that God had some Coadjutors in mans Creation Pag. 15. God honored the seventh day and called it holy for it is festival not to one people or region only but to all which is worthy to be called the festivity of the people and the nativity of the world Pag. 43. He distinguished betwixt Adam formed and made earthly and heavenly Pag. 57. He teacheth strange Doctrine which followeth more copiously p. 61. about two natures created in man good and bad Pag. 68. Observe his temperance when his list Pag. 86. He believeth that his soul had sometime her raptures and taught him strange profound and unknown speculations as there she doth concerning the Trinity and in pag. 89. He thinketh he talketh mysteries Pag. 94. Faith the most acceptable Sacrifice an unexpected confession from a Jew Pag. 100. He checketh Joseph the Patriarch for impropriety of speech and he will teach him how to speak Pag. 102. Speaking of the death of Moses he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He is not gathered or added fainting or failing as men had done before for he admitted not either of addition or defection but he is translated or passeth away by the Authority of that efficient word by which the universe was made Pag. 122. He is again very unmannerly and uncivil with Joseph and so is he again in pag. 152. he had rather lose his friend than his jest and censure so great a Patriarch than miss his Allegory That Aaron used imposition of hands upon Moses pag. 126. Pag. 127. That Abel slain yet liveth as Heb. 11. Pag. 152. God like a Shepherd and King governeth all things in the world by right and equity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Setting over them his upright word which is his first begotten Son who taketh the care of this sacred herd like the Deputy of some great King Pag. 161. He sheweth his learning is the great Encyclica Pag. 168. He calleth Angels Genii and Heroes according to the Greeks and holdeth that they were created in the air but in the superiour part of it near the Sky and fly up and down there pag. 221 222. Pag.
our iniquities shall be forgiven for his sake and vers 6. 7. In the Chaldee c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. we all of us have been scattered like Sheep every one strayed and wandred in his own way But it hath seemed good to God to forgive us all our sins for his sake he prayed and was heard nay before he opened his mouth he was accepted It may indeed be some doubt whether the Paraphrast by this He who shall interceed understands the Messias or some other because those things which are spoken from vers 13. of Chap. LII to vers 4. of Chap. LIII He seems to mean them confusedly sometimes of the Messias and sometimes of the people of Israel as many of their modern Authors do But the doubt may soon be resolved by observing that he attributes remission of sins to the same person of whom he saith That he shall gather the captivity of Israel and shall send the wicked to Hell But this cannot be meant of the people of Israel and consequently it must be understood of the Messias Nor is it any wonder that the Jews should do this honour to the Messias when they give so great a part of it to their Ancestors Abraham Isaac c. The Jerusalem Targum Gen. XXII 14. introduceth Abraham desiring of God that when the children of Israel should address themselves to him in time of necessity he would remember Isaac's voluntary oblation of himself to be a sacrifice for so they think it was and pardon them and forgive their sins And in T. B. Ber. 7. 1. there is one Rabi who interprets those words in Daniel's prayer Dan. IX 17. for the Lords sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for Abrahams sake But the plainest and clearest place to this purpose as if it had been written by a Christian under the disguise of a Jewish style is extant in a book of great repute among the Jews for its Antiquity Though for some reasons I conjecture the Author lived after Mahomets time called Pesikta It is quoted in Jalkut on Isa. LX. 1. Buxtorf hath already given us this place largely translated into Latine in Arc. foed cap. 14. I 'le here set down as little as may be of it for brevity sake with an observation or two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God beginning to make a Covenant with him the Messias thus bespake him Those whose iniquities are hid with you will put you into an iron yoke with which they 'l make you like an heifer almost blind with labour and strangle you for the cause of their iniquities your Tongue shall cleave with grief and drought to the roof of your Mouth Do such things as these like you To which the Messias answers Perhaps those afflictions and sorrows may last for many years God tells him That he had decreed him to suffer them for a whole week of years but if he did not consent thereto he would presently remove them To whom the Messias returns That he would most willingly undergo them upon condition that not one Israelite should perish but that all of them should be saved Those who lived and dyed in his days those who were hid in the Earth those who were dead since Adam even all embryo's and untimely births finally all who had been or should be created Are not these expressions very near the Christian Doctrine of the Messias suffering for the sins of all mankind or of Christs being a propitiation for the sins of the whole World Only these true Jews according to their wonted uncharitableness and arrogance restrain the benefit to themselves Again the same Author Pesikta tells us That it is a tradition of their Masters that in the month Nisan their forefathers are to rise up and say to the Messias O Messias Although we are your Ancestours yet thou art more excellent than we because thou hast born the iniquity of our sons and harder and heavier afflictions have passed over thee than ever yet happened or shall happen to any man c. Is it your pleasure that our children should enjoy the benefits which God will bestow upon them For peradventure because thou sufferest even from them while they cast thee into prison he came unto his own and his own received him not John I. 11. thou mayst be less favourable unto them To whom the Messias answered That what he had done he had done it for the sake of them and their children What 's all this but what the Christians teach that the Messias was to be a person despised 't is there one instance of his condition afflicted and cruelly used even by his own Kindred and Country-men It is true in the same place of the same Author we have two traditions likewise of the victorious pompous splendid and prosperous state of the Messias at last but they are different traditions of different persons the one of R. Isaac the other of R. Simeon And then suppose they had been of the same persons yet still the Messias was to have been a man of mighty sufferings and no marvel if they withal retained their inveterate Opinion of his temporal Power and Greatness In the same place a little before they feign a short Colloquy according to their fashion between God and Satan where God tells Satan That the light which he saw under his Throne of Glory belonged to him who should in time confound him with shame and that Satan when he saw it fell down and trembled crying out that He truly was the Messias who was to cast him and all the Heathen people into Gehenna For this purpose was the Son of God manifested saith St. John I. 3 8. that he might destroy the works of the Devil Much more might be observed and transcribed in this quotation and many more instances might be brought but I am to remember I am writing a Preface not a Treatise But lastly The principal use of Talmudical and Rabbinical Authors is yet behind namely the right interpretation of the Holy Scriptures especially of the New Testament Inspired writings are an inestimable treasure to mankind for so many sentences so many truths but then the true sense of them must be known otherwise so many sentences so many Authorized falshoods Whatever therefore contributes to the finding out of that must in proportion be valuable And no greater help to do it with ease speed and plainness than the knowledge of the Phrases Opinions Laws Rites and Customs as well as other circumstances of the Jews at the time of those writings This appears from the great and frequent ignorance or mistakes of many both ancient and modern interpreters who had as great a share of piety parts and wit and other sutable qualities as other men but wanted this assistance and even Jerom and Origen who had the most skill would have done better if they had had more of it In this age all Commentaries are full of this kind of Learning and none hath more frequently and perhaps
in all Judea and in Samaria c. He had forbidden them before Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans do not enter Matth. 10. 5. but now that partition wall that had been between is to be broken down Of all Nations and people under Heaven the Samaritans were the most odious to the Jews and a main reason was because they were Jews Apostates For though the first peopling of that place after the Captivity of the ten Tribes was by Heathens 2 King 17. yet upon the building of the Temple on mount Gerizim such multitudes of Jews continually flocked thither that generally Samaritanism was but a mongrel Judaism They called Jacob their father expected Messias had their Temple Priesthood Service Pentatuch c. And to spare more take but this one passage in Talm. Jerus Pesachin fol. 27. 2. The Cuthaeans all the time that they celebrate their unleavened bread feast with Israel they are to be believed concerning their putting away of leaven If they do not keep their unleavened bread feast with Israel they are not to be believed concerning their putting away of leaven Rabban Gamaliel saith All the Ordinances that the Cuthaeans use they are more punctual in them then Israel is It is an unhappy obscurity that the Hebrew Writers have put upon the word Cuthaeans for though it most properly signifie Samaritans yet have they so commonly given this name to Christians as the most odious name they could invent to give them that in the most places that you meet with it you cannot tell whether they mean the one or the other In the place cited it seemeth indeed most likely that it means the Samaritans because it speaks of their keeping the feast of unleavened bread and using the Ordinances of Israel unless it speak of those Jews that had received the Gospel and become Christians and were fallen to their Judaism again and joyned that with their Christianity which very many did as we shall have occasion to observe hereafter Simon Magus taketh upon him to believe and is baptized The naming of him calls to mind the mention of one Simon a Magician that Josephus speaks of Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 5. who was a means to intice Drusilla from her former husband to go and marry Felix the Governour of Judea this might very well be that man And it minds of a passage in Tal. Jerus in Jebamoth fol. 13. col 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot but render it The Simonians came to Rabbi and said to him We pray thee give us a man to be our Expositor Judge Minister Scribe Traditionary and to do for us all we need I know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Tal. Bab. in Cholin fol. 15. But certainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 means some people but whence so named there is no disputing here Philip baptized Samaria and did great wonders among them but could not bestow the Holy Ghost upon them that power belonged only to the Apostles therefore Peter and John are sent thither for that purpose They laid their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost Not upon all for what needeth that Or what reason was there for it The gifts of the Holy Ghost that were received were these miraculous ones of Tongues Prophesie c. Acts 10. 46. 19. 6. Now of these there were but these two ends 1. For the confirmation of the doctrine of the Gospel such miraculous gifts attending it And 2. for instruction of others for Tongues were given indeed for a sign 1 Cor. 14. 22. but not only for a sign but for edification and instruction as the Apostle also sheweth at large in the same Chapter Now both these ends were attained though they that received the Holy Ghost were not all but only a few and set number nay the later not conceivable of all for if all were inabled miraculously to be Teachers who were to be taught The Imposition therefore of the Apostles hands mentioned here and elsewhere and those passages These signs shall follow those that believe they shall cast out Devils they shall speak with Tongues c. Mark 16. 17. Repent and be baptized every one of you and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 38 c. were not upon all that believed the Gospel and were baptized but upon some certain number whom they were directed by the Holy Ghost to lay their hands upon as those men that God had appointed and determined for Preachers and Ministers to the people and who by the Imposition of the Apostles hands receiving the Holy Ghost were by those gifts inabled to understand the language and sense of Scripture and to be instructers of the people and to build them up Candaces Eunuch having been at Jerusalem to worship and returning back is converted by Philip. Of Candace Queen of Meroe in Aethiopia see Strabo lib. 17. He met with him in the way that lead from Jerusalem to Gaza the desert Of this place Strabo again lib. 16. speaketh thus Then is the haven of the Gazaeans above which some seven furlongs is the City once glorious but ruined by Alexander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it remaineth desert Diodorus Siculus calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The old Gaza lib. 19. for another was built at the haven by the Sea side called sometimes Maiuma Sozom. Eccles. hist. lib. 5. cap. 3. and afterward Constantia named so by Constantine after the name of his sister as saith Euseb. de Vit. Constant lib. 4. cap. 28. or as Sozomen of his son Constantius Whether this Eunuch were a Jew or a Proselyte is scarce worth inquiring his devotion is far more worth spending thoughts upon which brought him so long a journey and imployed him so well in his travail as in reading the Scripture He is baptized in the name of Jesus ver 37. and as it may well be conceived takes ship at Gaza and is the first that we find that carried the profession of Jesus into Africk The mention of which may justly call our thoughts to consider of the Temple built in Egypt by Onias and the vast numbers of Jews that were in that and the Countries thereabouts and yet how little intimation there is in the New Testament Story by whom or how the Gospel was conveyed into those parts Philip is rapt by the Spirit from Gaza to Azotus which were 270 furlongs or 34 miles asunder as Diodor. Sicul. ubi supra measures ACTS CHAP. IX from the beginning to Vers. 23. THE conversion of Paul A monument of mercy 1 Tim. 1. 14 16. A Pharisee a persecutor a murderer yet become a Christian a Preacher an Apostle He consented to Stevens death and after that he gets a Commission from the chief Priests and makes desperate havock in Jerusalem Act. 8. 2. 22. 4. 26. 10. We find all along this Book that the chief Priests are not only the busiest men in persecuting of the Gospel but in
they have an undeniable groundwork for this their Doctrine from the prophecying of Caiaphas Joh. 11. 51. as their notes plead there ascribing that his prophecying to his Priesthood and order whereas the Text ascribeth it to the year and season This he spake not of himself but being High Priest that year he prophesied where the emphasis lieth not in the words being High Priest but in the words that year which was the year of sending down of the gifts of the Spirit in a measure and manner never known before or after Vers. 6. And thou Bethlehem in the land of Iuda c. There is no small difference in this quotation of the Scribes or of the Evangelist or indeed of both from the letter of the Text of the Prophet from whom they cite it nor doth this difference rise by the Evangelists following the translation of the LXX as oft there doth for it differeth much from the letter of the LXX also but it is upon some special reason Which disagreement that we may reconcile and the reason of which that we may see the better we will take up the verse verbatim and the differences as they come to hand one by one First then whereas Saint Matthew readeth Thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda the Hebrew hath it only Thou Bethlehem Ephrata without any mention of the land of Juda at all and so the Chaldee and so the LXX but only with the addition of one word Thou Bethlehem the house of Ephrata art the least c. Answ. First There are that give this general answer to all the differences in this quotation that the Scribes and the Evangelist tye not themselves to the very words of the Prophet but only think it enough to render his sense And this answer might be very well entertained and give good satisfaction especially since that in allegations from the Old Testament it is usual with the New so to do but that the difference between the Text and the quotation is so great that it is not only diverse but even contrary Some therefore Secondly Conceive that the Scribes could alledge the Text no better without the book and that the Evangelist hath set it down in their own words for the just shame of those great Doctors that were no better versed in the Scripture then to alledge a place in words so very far different from the Text. But he that hath been any whit versed in the writings of the Jews will find their Rabbins or Doctors to be too nimble textualists to miss in a Text of so great use and import especially if he shall but consider to what an height of learning they were now come by the tutorage and pains of the two great Doctors of the Chair Shammai and Hillel who had filled all the Nation with learned men the like had not been before Thirdly Whereas some talk of a Syriack Edition which the Jews used at that time more then the Hebrew and which had this Text of Micah as the Evangelist hath cited it and that he cited it according to that Edition which was most in use here are two things presumed upon which it is impossible ever to make good For who ever read in any Jew of a Syrian Edition of the Prophets besides the Chaldee Paraphrast Who we are sure readeth not thus or what Christian ever saw such an Edition that he could tell that it did so read For this particular therefore in hand it is to be answered that the Scribes or the Evangelists or both did thus differently quote the Prophet neither through forgetfulness nor through the misleading of an erroneous Edition but purposely and upon a rational intent For first though Ephratah had been the surname of Bethlehem in ancient time as Gen. 35. 19. Ruth 4. 11. and in the times of the Prophet Micah yet it is no wonder if that title of it were now out of use and especially out of the knowledge of this irreligious King For the seventy years captivity and the alterations of the State did alter the face of the Country and might easily blot out of use and remembrance such an additional title of a Town as this Secondly This surname of the Town was taken up in memorial of a woman as appeareth 1 Chron. 2. 19. and when the discourse concerning Christ and where he should be born was in hand and agitation it was more pregnant to bring his birth-place to have reference to Juda from whom Herod though he were ignorant in other particulars concerning his birth knew he should descend then to a woman and a title which it is like that he had never heard of before So that this that in the Scribes might at the first seem to be a mis-allegation of the Prophet through some mistake being precisely looked upon with respect had to the times when the Prophesie was given and when it is now cited and to the several persons to whom it will shew to be so quoted upon very sound wisdom and profound reason these words in the land of Juda being used by them for necessary illustration in stead of the word Ephrata not as proposing it for the purer Text of the Prophet but as more sutable by way of Exposition for the capacity and apprehension of Herod In Micahs time the name Ephratah was common but in after times it may be it was disused Howsoever Micah prophesied to the Jews to whom this title Ephratah was familiar and it is like had the Scribes spoken to Jews too they would have retained that title but to Herod who was not so punctually acquainted with it it was not proper to bring a phrase that he could not understand or that was uncouth to him therefore they explain it by one that was familiar both to him and the whole Nation Bethlehem in the Land of Juda. §. Art not the least This clause is far further from Micahs Text then the other for whereas here is a very strong and Emphatical negation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Prophet there is none at all either in the Hebrew in the LXX or in the Chaldee Paraphrast And indeed the Text and the quotation are one clean contrary to another in Micah Though thou be little but in Matthew Thou art not the least Towards the reconciling of which difference it will be necessary in the first place to take a serious survey of the Prophets Text and then upon the true interpretation of it to lay this allegation to it and to see how they do agree The words in the Hebrew whereupon the main doubt riseth are but these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English rendreth Though thou be little The Septuagint Thou art the least to be among the thousands but using a differing word to signifie the least from that used here Some books saith Nobilius and the other Scholiast upon the LXX read Art not the least as Hierome Tertullian and Cyprian but this their reading I suspect rather to be taken
occasion of the rising of the Pharisees is of more obscurity and the reason of their name admitteth of more conjectures As whether they were so called from Perush which importeth Exposition for that they took upon them to be the great Expositors of the Law by their Traditions or from Parush which betokeneth separation for that they accounted and pretended themselves more holy then others of the people and so became Separatists from them as despising them Luke 18. 9. Either of which Etymologies carry with them a fair and plausible probability of their notation but the last most agreeable to what both the Scripture and other writings have said of them in regard of their singularity and as we shall have further occasion to descry when we come to meet with them in their Doctrines Practises or Opinions And the time of their first starting up is yet obscurer But to speak mine own thoughts I cannot but conceive them to have been somewhat more ancient then the Sadduces though but a little And that that passage of the Prophet Malachi when he and the Spirit of Prophecy with him was to leave this world Remember the Law of Moses Mal. 4. 4. gave occasion to the rising of the Pharisees and to the confirming of the Sadduces in their opinion when they had taken it up For whereas the Spirit of Prophecy and revelation was now to depart from Israel God having revealed as much of himself and of his will to them as he thought fit and necessary He sendeth back the people in this defect of Prophetick guidance and direction to the Law of Moses to be their study and their rule of Faith and of Obedience Hence did a certain generation among them take occasion and opportunity to vent and broach traditions and glosses upon the Law pretending them to have descended from Moses himself and to have been handed over to them from hand to hand and as the Prophets while their race continued expounded Moses and instructed the people in the knowledge of the Law by the Spirit of God so these men now the Prophts were gone took on them to explain Moses and the Law also and by a way which they pretended to be of equal authority with the words of the Prophets For that say they is Gods own gloss upon his own Law and this he taught Moses while he was with him in the Mount And this Moses taught Joshua and Joshua the Elders and Eli received it from the Elders and from Phinehas and Samuel from Eli and David from Samuel and Ahijah the Shilonite from David and Elias from Ahijah and Elisha from Elias and Jehojada the Priest from Elisha and Zacharias from Jehojada and Hosea from Zacharias and Amos from Hosea and Esay from Amos and Micah from Esay and Joel from Micah and Nahum from Joel and Habakkuk from Nahum and Zephany from Habakkuk and Jeremy from Zephany and Baruch from Jeremie and Ezra and his School from Baruch The School of Ezra was called the men of the great Synagogue and they were Haggai Zechary Malachi Daniel Hananiah Mishael Azariah Nehemiah Mordecai Bilshan Zerubbabel and many wise men with them to an hundred and twenty The last of them was Simeon the just and he was in the number of the hundred and twenty and he was High Priest afte◠Ezra Vid. Rambam in Mishu. Tom. 1. statim sub initio This nameless number that were between the time of Zerubbabel Nehemiah Mordecai and those holy men that we find mentioned in Scripture and between the times of Simeon the just I suspect to be the Generation that afforded the rise and original of Pharisaism and Traditions For there was a good large space of time and distance detween Ezra and Simeon the just as might be cleared by several particulars if that were needful And a preparative if not a ground-work to Pharisaisme and traditions seemeth to be that famous speech of the great Synagogue mentioned in Pirck Aboth Per. 1. The men of the great Synagogue said three things Be deliberate in judgment and raise up Scholars in abundance and make a hedg to the Law Now the lesson of making a hedg to the Law by a fixed and determinate exposition was to bring on and into credit those glosses and traditions which they would produce and bring upon it For that the Law should lie to the Commons without any fence about it to keep men off from breaking in upon it by their own interpretations and expositions of it they could soon perswade the People was a thing not to be tolerated or indured and when they had wrought this lesson home upon their hearts then had they glosses ready of their own invention to put upon it as to hedg or fence in from private interpretations These glosses or expositions they had a twofold trick to bring into request First To pretend strongly that they had descended traditionally from Moses and from God himself as the pretended pedegree of them is shewed before And secondly to use a strict and severe preciseness in their own conversation and to pretend and shew a holiness above other men and to withdraw from them as too profane for their society that this might bring their persons into admiration and their traditions into repute And thus they came by their name of Separatists and thus they laid the foundation for traditions And as the Pharisees took this opportunity and occasion from those words of the Prophet Remember the Law of Moses to vent their foolish and wicked Expositions upon Moses as seeming thereby to do the people a singular benefit and to make as singular a fence to Moses himself So likewise did the Sadduces make use of the same occasion to confirm themselves in the error they had taken up and to assert it unto others in that in all the Law of Moses to the study of which the Holy Ghost had especially directed them in those times and which Scripture only they imbraced there is not mention nor hint at all as they pretented of the resurrection of the dead or of a world to come § Coming to his Baptism The Pharisees and Sadduces were not repulsed by John though he call them by such a name as Vipers but they were baptized by him as is most apparent by comparing the relation that Saint Luke maketh of this Story and this together That saying therefore of Luke Chap. 7. 20. But the Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of him is to be understood of some of that Sect and not all § O generation of Vipers By Generation we are not to understand the present age as when it is said shall rise up in judgment with this Generation An adulterous generation seeketh a sign c. that is the people of this age It is not to be so taken as if the Baptist meant this present Generation are Vipers for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though
in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whether voluntary or authorized Publicans they are both branded as wicked and unconscionable wretches not only by the Scripture but also by the Jews own writers and as in Scripture they are commonly mentioned in conjunction with sinners or harlots so are they also linked in their writings with the vilest persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vows made to murderers thieves and Publicans may be broken Talm. in Nedarim per. 3. halac 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These persons are prophane or unlawful Shepherds alms-gatherers and Publicans Sanhedr per. 1. fol. 24. And in Baba kamah fol. 94. The repentance of shepherds alms-gatherers and Publicans is very hard c. Of such a rank and profession was Matthew before his calling and yet so great is the power of Christ in his spirit and grace he becomes not only an Apostle but a Pen-man of the Gospel and as it is not improbably held the first that set Pen to paper in that kind of all the four Matthaeus in Judaea Evangelium primus scribit Euseb. in Chr. ad Annum Domini 41. SECTION XXIV St. JOHN Chap. V. The second Passover after Christs Baptism AFTER this there was a Feast of the Iews and Iesus went up to Ierusalem 2. Now there was at Ierusalem by the a a a a a a The Syriack omits the clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and readeth thus There was there at Jerusalem a place of a pool but the Arabick retains it so far that it useth the very Greek word The vulgar hath read both the words in one case Est autem Jerusolymis Probatica piscina though now amended as â—aith Jansenius and with the like syntax readeth Theophylact but both disagreeing from the best copies and both by such a reading causing a very rough and hardly to be construed construction The Chaldee Paraphrast in Jer. 31. 39. speaketh of Piscina vitularia or the Calf or Heifer Pool for he hath rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpreting the Hebrew word according to its signification of lowing or bellowing where whether he mean this pool here in mention be it referred to the learned to examine the place and judge Sheep gate a Pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue b b b b b b Bethesda The Vulgar reads it Bethsaida and so doth Tertullian and Theophylact in one edition as is observed by Beza but as he well censureth Scriptura proculdubio propter horum nominum affinitatem a librariis aliis Hebraeae linguae imperitis depravata And even some of the Romanists themselves who value the Vulgar edition at its full rate yet forsake it in that reading here Bethesda which is the common and most received reading is conceived by some to be derived or compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the place of effusion or falling in of waters either say some because the rain water falling off the houses gathered here or as others because the waters used in the Temple fell in through an underground channel hither or as yet some others because water ran out of another pool into this nay yet some further have dreamed of the blood of the sacrifices running in hither But certainly to omit to examine these opinions the title of the place of effusion is a note but little distinctive of a peculiar pool and it is apparent enough the Evangelist would put a distinction upon this pool here since it may be given to any pool near Jerusalem or near any City whatsoever The Syriack therefore hath more pertinently and properly expressed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as signifying the place of mercy or compassion in regard of the vertue that it had of healing those that were diseased Bethesda having five c c c c c c The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is constantly rendred in the Latine Porticus is both it and that Latin word as constantly rendred in our English A porch in which there is some ambiguity because of the singular signification that we in England put upon that word We take it only for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first entrance into a house or Church or the like as our common experience tells us what a Church porch or a House porch is and in other sense than this we use it not whereas the Greek and Latine words and the Rabbinick word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie commonly and constantly cloisterwalks such walks as in which they walk in the Royal Exchange London namely walks roofed over and the roof born up on one side with pillars In the survey and description of the Temple we have had occasion largely to treat of this matter and there we have explained and shewed the fabrick and fashion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomons Porch or Cloister-walk mentioned in the Scripture and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cloister-royal mentioned by Josephus and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cloister within Cloister spoken of by the Talmudists And so is the word to be understood in this place that joyning to the buildings or walls that stood about this pool there were Cloisters or walks made for the people there to lie or walk under free from rain and weather The Syrian useth the ordinary Talmudick word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is but the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought into an Hebrew garb porches 3. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blind halt d d d d d d Sinew-shrunk as 1 King 13. 4. Matth. 12. 10. there are only three sorts of diseased ones named by the Evangelist not but that other diseases attended here for cure but these three were hardest of curing and withal the unreadiest to get down into the water when it was troubled withered waiting for the moving of the water 4. For an Angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had 5. And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years 6. When Iesus saw him lye and knew that he had been now a long time in that case he saith unto him Wilt thou be made whole 7. The impotent man answered him Sir I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool but while I am coming another steppeth down before me 8. Iesus saith unto him Rise take up thy bed and walk 9. And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked e e e e e e And on the same day was the Sabbath the expression is something strange and it might almost induce to think that by the Sabbath is meant not the Sabbath in its proper sense but one of the Sabbatical or holy days in the Passover week and so
of Man not only that he might assert the two natures in the Messias but also that he might distinguish the double power that was in himself natural as he was God and dispensed as he was and because he was the Son of Man Vers. 28. Marvail not at this c. At what Cyrill thinks At the healing of the diseased person and he reduceth the words to this sense Think not the curing of this disease so great a matter for I can and once must raise even all the dead and judge all the world But for ought we find they were as much filled with indignation at that cure as with wonder Therefore it seemeth more likely that their marvailing must rather refer to the words of Christ that he had now spoken than to the work that he had done For comparing his person that they saw standing before them with the power and acting that they heard him speak of it is no wonder if they wondred at his words and it is probable they did little believe his power See vers 38 40 41 42. But how doth he satisfie their wondring and unbelief any whit by the words which follow Had they believed these things that he had spoken hitherto then might it have been proper to have added this about raising all the dead but when they believed not the former to what purpose was it to bring in this for confirmation when they would believe neither this nor that Answ. 1. Christ was to speak in his authority and the guilt of their unbelief was to rest upon themselves 2. They could not deny him for a Prophet because of his miracles Joh. 3. 2. and he would wind them up to believe that he was the great Prophet 3. It was a proper proof of his power and authority to judge all men to assert that he had power to raise all men from the dead and to bring them to judgment And those that did believe his former words would believe these and see the arguing pregnant but those that would believe neither are left highly unexcusable having heard Christ so fully and plainly asserting himself to be the Messias as in all the Gospel he doth it not plainer 4. Here we may add one thing more about the term the Son of man for the clearing of that clause before He hath given him authority of Judging because he is the Son of man It is observable that as the Jews do most constantly call Christ the Son of David both in the Scripture as Matth. 21. 9. 22. 42. Luke 18. 38. and infinitely in their writings so doth Christ most constantly call himself the Son of man and that title is only used by himself and in his own speeches The reason of this his different styling himself from their common title of the Messias may be conceived to be partly because whereas they under the term the Son of David did conceit the Messias for an earthly King as David was he in his term the Son of man would contrary them in that opinion and partly because by that title he would shew what relation his office should have towards all men even towards the Gentiles as well as the Jews whereas they expected the Son of David a King of the Jews only or at the least especially For it is true he was indeed the Son of David and so the Jews had first interest in him but withal he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Son of man promised to Adam and so whole mankind had interest in him And his arguing in vers 27. may be understood not only in reference to his authority of judging but also in regard of the generality of that authority that as in ver 25. he was to raise even the Gentiles from their dead condition to the life of the Gospel so in vers 27. he had authority and dominion given him throughout all the Word even among the Gentiles and that because he was the Son of man or the seed promised to Adam in whose loins the Gentiles were as well as the Jews when that promise was made and whose Mediatorship concerned them as well as the other And if these words be taken up in such an interpretation this confirmation of them by asserting his power to raise all the dead cometh on thus Marvail not at these transactions that I speak of with the Gentiles as to raise them by the Gospel and to execute Judgment even through all Nations for I am to raise the dead of all Nations at the general Judgment and that by the Testimony of the Scripture it self Dan. 12. 2. For the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice c. These words do so directly speak the sense of that place cited in Daniel though they differ something in expressions that it is little to be doubted that they were spoken from thence An Angel to Daniel is there relating the grievous times that Israel should undergo under the persecution of Antiochus and because at that time the cursed Doctrine of the Sadduces which denied the world to come a desperate Doctrine in times of persecution should be at a great height and entertainment therefore with the prophetick story of those times he doth joyn the Doctrine of the Resurrection and of everlasting reward for the staying of the hearts of those that should live and suffer under those bitter days and to arm them against fear of death and suffering for the truth I might be observed how Christ in this speech which he maketh before the Sanhedrin which consisted of Pharisees and Sadduces doth meet with both their Heretical principles with a cutting doctrine Against the Pharisees doting upon Traditions he holdeth out his own word as the great oracle of truth to be believed ver 24. and against the Sadduces denial of the Resurrection he holdeth out the Doctrine of that in this verse and his own power to be the Author and effector of it But this I do but note by the way These words might also be applied to a spiritual Resurrection as were the former and so coming out of graves meaneth Ezek. 37. 12. the words of the verse following being only translated and glossed thus And they shall come forth they that do good after they hear his voice in the Gospel to the Resurrection of life And they that do evil after they hear the Gospel unto the Resurrection of damnation But they are more generally understood of the general Resurrection and so will we take them And that the rather because this sense is so exceeding sutable to the method that Christ useth in this speech The main scope of his oration is to justifie himself to be the Messias and from that very notion to justifie the thing that he had done about the Sabbath His Speech he divideth into these two heads 1. To shew what his work and authority was as he was the Messias And 2. To shew what testimony there was of his so
the New Testament beside and by how the more frequently in this Story It is used in reference to the twelve Apostles alone Chap. 1. 15. it is used here in reference to the whole hundred and twenty and to the whole number of believers Chap. 2. 46. Now the reason why the Evangelist doth so often harp upon this string and circumstance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of their conversing together with one accord may be either in respect of the twelve and one hundred and twenty or in respect of all the believers First The Apostles had been exceedingly subject in the lifetime of Christ to quarelsomness and contention about priority and who should be the chiefest as Mark 9. 34. Mark 20. 24. Yea even at the very Table of the Lords last Passover and Supper Luke 22. 24. And therefore it hath its singular weight and significancy and sheweth a peculiar fruit of Christs breathing the Holy Ghost upon them Joh. 20. 22. when it is related that they now so sweetly and unanimously converse together without emulation discord or comparisons Secondly The 108 Disciples were in a subordinate or lower form in regard of some particulars to the twelve Apostles and yet was there no heart-burning scorning or envying no disdaining defying or controlling of any one towards another but all their demeanor carried in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace Thirdly If those two places in Chap. 2. 46. 5. 12. be to be applied to the whole multitude of believers of the latter there may be some scruple the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there doth singularly set out the sweet union that the Gospel had made among them though they were of several Countries several conditions and several Sects yet in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in singleness of heart as they did convenire in the tertio of the Gospel so did they convenire affectionately inter se. And this began to be the accomplishment of those prophesies that had foretold the peacemaking of the Gospel as Esa. 11. 6. 60. 18. 65. 25. 66. 42. Zeph. 3. 9. c. and it was an eminent fruit of Christs doctrine Joh. 15. 12. of his prayer Joh. 12. 17. and of his legacy Joh. 14. 27. Vers. 2. Cloven Tongues like as of fire Vers. 3. They began to speak with other Tongues §. Of the gift of Tongues The confusion of Tongues was the casting off of the Heathen Gen. 11. For when they had lost that language in which alone God was spoken of and preached they lost the knowledge of God and Religion utterly and fell to worship the Creature in stead of the Creator Rom. 1. Two thousand two hundred and three years had now passed since that sad and fatal curse upon the world the confusion of Languages and millions of souls had it plunged in Error Idolatry and Confusion And now the Lord in the fulness of time is providing by the gifts of Tongues at Sion to repair the knowledge of himself among those Nations that had lost that Jewel by the confusion of Tongues at Babel The manner of exhibiting this gift was in Tongues of fire that the giving of the Holy Ghost at the initiating of the Christian Church might answer and parallel the giving of the Law at the initiating of the Jewish and so it did both in time and manner that being given at Pentecost and in appearing of fire and so likewise this as was said before Vers. 5. And there were dwelling at Ierusalem Iews c. It was indeed the Feast of Pentecost at this time at Jerusalem but it was not the Feast of Pentecost that drew those Jews from all Nations thither First It was not required by the Law that these Jews that dwelt dispersed in other Nations should appear at Jerusalem at these Feasts Secondly It was not possible they should so do for then must they have done nothing else but go up thither and get home again Thirdly These Jews are said to dwell at Jerusalem and they had taken up their residence and habitation there but those that came up to the Festivals stayed there but a few days and so departed to their own homes The occasion therefore of these mens flocking so unanimously from all the Nations of the world was not the Feast of Pentecost but the general knowledge and expectation of the whole Nation of the Jews that this was the time of Messias his appearing and coming among them This they had learned so fully from the Scriptures of the Old Testament especially from Dan. 9. that both the Gospel and their own writers witness that this was the expectation of the whole Nation that the Messias was now ready to appear In the Scripture these passages assert this matter Luke 2. 26. 38. 3. 15. 19. 11. and Joh. 1. 20 21. In the Hebrews own writings we may find divers that speak to the same matter as that The Son of David shall come about the time when the Romans have reigned over Israel nine months from Mic. 5. 3. that his appearing shall be under the second Temple that it shall be not very long before Jerusalem should be destroyed and many such passages fixing the time of the Messias his coming to the very time that Jesus of Nazaret did appear and approve himself to be the Christ as may be seen in Sanhedrin cap. Helek Galat. lib. 4. Jeronym a Sancta Fide Mornaeus de Veritat Christ. rel And this so clearly and undeniably that when the wretched and blasphemous Jews cannot tell what to say to their own Doctors that assert the time so punctually agreeable to the time of Christs appearing they have found out this damnable and cursed way to suppress that truth as to curse all those that shall be industrious to compute these times for they have this common execration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let their spirit burst or expire that compute the times And to these assertions of the Jews own Authors concerning this opinion of their Nation we may add also the testimony of Suetonius affirming the very same thing Percrebuerat Oriente toto saith he vetus constans opinio esse in fatis ut eo tempore Judea profecti rerum potirentur In Vespas And so likewise Tacitus Pluribus persuasio inerat antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri eo ipso tempore fore ut valesceret Oriens profectique Judea rerum potirentur Histor. lib. 5. That is An old and constant opinion had grown through the whole East that it was foretold that at that time some coming out of Judea should obtain the rule of things And many were perswaded that it was contained in the old records of the Priests that at that very time the East should prevail and some coming out of Judea should obtain the rule which though the blind Authors apply to Uespasian and Titus their obtaining of the Empire yet there can be no Christian eye but will observe that this opinion that was so prevalent
lay their hands upon them and they receive the Holy Ghost Here Episcopacy thinketh it hath an undeniable Argument for proof of its Hierarchy and of the strange rite of confirmation For thus pleadeth Baronius for the former From hence saith he it may be seen that the Hierarchical order was instituted in the Church of God even in this time for Philip doth so baptize those that believe that yet he usurpeth not the Apostolical priviledge namely the imposition of hands granted to the Apostles And thus the Rhemists both for it and for the latter in their notes on Act. 8. 17. If this Philip had been an Apostle saith S. Bede he might have imposed his hands that they might have received the Holy Ghost but this none can do saving Bishops For though Priests may baptize and anoint the baptized also with Chrisme consecrated by a Bishop yet can he not sign his forehead with the same holy oyl because that belongeth only to Bishops when they give the Holy Ghost to be baptized And after this testimony of Bede they subjoyn their inference This imposition therefore of hands together with the prayers here specified which no doubt was the very same that the Church useth to that purpose was the ministration of the Sacrament of Confirmation Now let the Reader with indifferency and seriousness but ruminate upon these two Queries and then judge of those two inferences First whether Apostleship were not an Order for ever unimitable in the Church for besides the Reason given to prove that it was upon the choosing of Matthias others may be added to make it the more clear As 1. the end of their Election was peculiar the like to which was not to be in the Church again for they were chosen to be with Christ Mark 3. 14. to be eye-witnesses of his resurrection Acts 1. 22. 2. 32. 10. 41. as they had been of his actions and passion Luke 1. 2. And therefore Paul pleading for his Apostleship That he had seen the Lord 1 Cor. 9. 1. and in the relation or story of his calling this particular is singulary added That he saw that just one and heard the voice of his mouth Acts 22. 14. Secondly the name of Apostles keepeth it self unmixed or confounded with any other Order It is true indeed that the significancy of the word would agree to other Ministers that are to preach but there is a peculiar propriety in the sense that hath confined the title to the twelve and Paul as any indifferent eye will judge and censure upon the weighing of it in the New Testament Thirdly when Paul reckoneth the several kinds of Ministry that Christ Jesus left in the Church at his ascension Ephes. 4. 11. and 1 Cor. 12. 28. there is none that can think them all to be perpetuated or that they should continue successively in the like order from time to time For within an hundred years after our Saviours birth where were either Prophets or Evangelists miracles or healings And if these extraordinary kinds of Ministration were ordained but for a time and for special occasion and were not to be imitated in the Church unto succeeding times much more or at the least as much were the Apostles and Order much more at least as much extraordinary as they Fourthly the constant and undeniable Parallel which is made betwixt the twelve Patriarchs the Fathers of the twelve Tribes and the twelve Apostles not only by the number it self but also by the New Testament in the four and twenty Elders Rev. 4. 4. and in the gates and foundations of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21. 12 14. doth argue and prove the latter order as unimitable as the first These things well considered if there were no more it will shew how improbable and unconsonant the first inference is that is alledged that because there was a subordination betwixt the Apostles and Philip that therefore the like is to be reputed betwixt Bishops and other Ministers and that Bishops in the Church are in the place of the Apostles A second Quaere and very material to the matter in agitation is whether imposition of hands were ever used by the Apostles but for ordination to some Office in the Church For whereas their giving of the Holy Ghost to Samaritans in this story and to others elsewhere is adduced as an example and argument for that which is now called confirmation and which hath been indifferently given to all for it is good cheap that this act of the Apostles aimed not nor intended to any such thing may be reasonably conjectured and guessed at by these considerations First that the Holy Ghost thus given meaneth not his ordinary work of Sanctification and confirming in Grace but his extraordinary gifts of Tongues Prophecying and the like And this is evident by the meaning of that Phrase the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures when it denoteth not exactly the Person of the Holy Ghost or the third person in the Trinity For as it is a Rabbinick expression very common in the writings of the Jews and in the use of the Nation and evermore in their use and sense meaneth only the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit mentioned so doth it constantly signifie in the Scripture and it is very hard if not utterly impossible to find it signifying any other sense Secondly it is yet more evident by the very historical relation of Luke concerning the matter in hand for in Acts 19. 6. telling how Paul laid his hands upon certain men at Ephesus and they received the Holy Ghost he instantly explaineth what were the gifts of the Holy Ghost that they received for they spake with tongues saith he and prophecyed And it is not possible to think but that Simon Magus when he offered money for this fruit of the imposition of his hands that he might give the Holy Ghost saw some visible apparent sign of the gift by the hands of the Apostles which if it were only sanctifying or confirming grace how could he have seen it So did they of the Circumcision perceive when the gifts of Holy Ghost fell upon the Gentiles Acts 10. 45. For they saw it by their speaking with tongues and magnifying God vers 46. Fourthly it being then thus undeniable that the gifts conferred by the imposition of hands were the extraordinary ones of the Holy Ghost it can as little also be denyed that they were imparted only to some singular and particular persons and not to all whatsoever without distinction For otherwise 1. It must be granted that Simon Magus received them as well as others which I know not who will grant for by his familiarity with Philip and the Apostles he having also been baptized with the rest and his wickedness and his villany not yet broken forth he might have gotten a precedency in this gift before others if it had been general 2. It would bring women under imposition of hands which can hardly be dreamed of or ever was any one It is true
Apostle or Antioh a chief Church above others more than by humane preferring or Antioch yet a Church and were all these proved which never will be yet is the inference or argumentation thereupon but of small value and validity 6. His last Argument is from Authorities which at last he gathereth into the Center of a Councel at Rome pag. 332. But Amicus Plato amicus Aristoteles magis amica veritas As for his answers to Eusebius that calleth Evodius the first Bishop of Antioch his answer to Ignatius that saith he was placed there by the Apostels more than one and to Onuphrius that maketh Peter Bishop of Rome before he was Bishop of Antioch be they referred to the perusal of his own Text for the matter is not worth the labour of examining them Vers. 32. Lydda This seemeth to be the same with Lod 1 Chron. 8. 12. A City in the Tribe of Benjamin mentioned Ezra 2. 33. Vers. 35. Saron Heb. Sharon A fertile valley famous in Scriptures as 1 Chron. 27. 29. Esa. 33. 9. Cant. 2. 1 c. where the Targum renders it the garden of Eden and the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a field or plain the masculine Article sheweth it is not named of a City And so do the LXX article it Esa. 33. 9. There is mention of a Sharon beyond Jordan 1 Chron. 5. 16. inhabited about by Gileadites by which it seemeth it was a common name for plain champion grounds wheresoever Vers. 36. Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas Tabitha the Syriack and Dorcas the Greek do both signifie a Hind or Doe Capream as Beza renders it Now the reason why Luke doth thus render the one into the other seemeth to be because Tabitha was a Grecizing Jewesse and so was commonly called by these two names by the Syrian among the Hebrews and by the Greek among the Greeks Vers. 37. Whom when they had washed Whether it were a common custom among the Jews to wash all their dead bodies before they buried them as is concluded by many upon this place we will not insist to question nor whether it were in token of the resurrection or no as some apply it only the other application that they make hereupon I cannot pass over untouchâ—â— which is that Paul spake in reference to this custom and to that intention is this custom when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Cor. 15. 29. Else what shall they do which are baptised for the dead c. as our English reads it as if the Apostle produced this custom as an argument for the resurrection as meaning to what purpose should dead bodies be washed if not to betoken this thus he is conceived to argue whereas by the juncture of the thirtieth verse to this it seemeth that he intended a clean contrary or different thing by being baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely being baptized so as baptism signifieth death by matyrdom or suffering for the truth as Matth. 20. 22 23. Luke 12. 50. And his arguing is to this sense if the dead rise not again what will become of those that are baptized with a martyrial baptism or that do suffer death for the profession of the truth why are they then baptized for the dead yea and why stand we in jeopardy every hour of such a baptism and matyrdom also Why do they suffer and why are we daily in danger to suffer for the truth if there be no resurrection And so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie not vice or supra but pro that is in such a sense and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mean In such a sense as baptized meaneth dead or martyred As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in this clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fabius delivered the power or Army to Minucius under this intent and meaning or condition that he should not fight Plut. in Fab. § They laid her in an upper chamber This probably was the publick meeting room for the believers of that Town Dorcas being a woman of some good rank as may be conjectured by her plenteousness of good works and alms-deeds Now they purposely disposing of the dead corps that Peter if he would come might exercise a miracle upon it they lay it in that publick room that the company might be spectators of the wonder but Peter would not suffer them so to be for some singular reason vers 40. Acts X. § Some things remarkable about the calling in of Cornelius First the Gospel had now dilated it self to the very utmost bounds of the Jews territories in Canaan Judaea Samaria and Galilee had been preached to and through and now is it got to the very walls of their dominions round about And there wanteth nothing but laying the partition wall flat that the Gospel may get out unto the Gentiles and that is done in this Chapter where the great partition and distance that was betwixt Jew and Gentile is utterly removed and taken away by God himself who had first pitched and set it betwixt them Secondly the two first and mainest stones of interposition that were laid in this wall were circumcision and diet the one in the time of Abraham Gen. 17. the other in the time of Jacob Gen. 32. 32. And in reference to these two it is that they of the Circumcision contend with Peter upon his return to Jerusalem for they are grieved that he went in to men uncircumcised and ate with them Chap. 11. 3. These were the proper distinguishers betwixt Israel and other Nations for all their other Ceremonies were not so much to distinguish them from other people as to compose them among themselves and towards God they being first distinguished from others by these Of these two singularity of Dyet or Prohibition of certain meats was the more proper difference and the more strict distinctive For all the seed of Abraham was circumcised and so in regard of that Ceremony there was no difference betwixt an Ismaelite and a Jew But abstaining from such and such meats was a proprium quarto modo a singularity that differenced an Israelite from all the world besides Thirdly therefore it was most proper and of most divine reason that the liberty of eating any meats did denote and shew a liberty of conversing with any nation and that the inlarging of the one is the inlarging of the other Fourthly the first-fruits of this inlargement and entertainment beyond the partition wall is Cornelius a Convert but not a Proselyte a man that was already come in to God but not come in to the Church of Israel a man as far contrarily qualified for such a business in all humane appearance as what could be most contrary as being a Roman a Souldier a Centurion and yet he of all men chosen to be the first-fruits of the Gentiles that God herein might be the more plainly shewed to be no respecter of persons Fifthly it had been now 2210 years since the Heathen were cast
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 History Family c. Page 415. Marg. Δ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what the coine when the time it was collected Page 240 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Justifications but Ordinances 406 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mighty One c. 399 Ε. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken either as Adverb or Verb what it denotes Page 640 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the same with ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 239 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely on the second and fifth days of the week following 291 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth often carry the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 513 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament doth constantly refer to place and not to time 518 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put casually 495 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence derived Page 662 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is beside himself he is faint he is in a rapture c. 229 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priviledge dignity or Licence p. 396. Marg. Further opened 509 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it constantly signifies 258 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports a look of pity and compassion 414 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for lawful undertaking 391 Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 variously used 755 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of the Minister in the Synagogue 611 612 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 5. 29. ye search not imparatively 664 684 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of an high activity and motion 399. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence derived and for what intent 423 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1. 26. must be rendred in its Preterperfect signification 481 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it expresseth Pharaoh and his Servants trouble upon their dreams 398. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the Seventy translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 401 Marg. Θ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fighting with wild Beasts in the Theatre Page 299 Ι 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 private Men of inferior Rank and unskilful Page 761 Κ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order referring to foregoing writers or to following matter Page 391. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in two differing senses 424. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bed because they used to eat sitting on Beds 539. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 money-changers what they were 550 551 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 213 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refers to Men of Rank or Degree 392. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deaf and Dumb. 410 Λ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Josephus will open the use of the word in the Gospel Page 268 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes a price paid 422 Îœ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is always in Scripture taken in the worst sense for such as use Magical and unlawful Arts. Page 205 431. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie both Bearing of Witness and being Martyred for the Truth 517 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what kind of Measure at large 544 to 547 Î. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silver Temples what Page 305 Ο. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Does not always point out a particular Thing or Person Page 525 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversing together with one accord why so often used in one place 750 Î . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 733 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traditions of the highest Form yet nothing worth in comparison of Scripture 391. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be ever used in an ill sense 418 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to all men 272 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in Scripture style the certainty of things done and of the belief that they were so 391. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond and not besides 527 528 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Ghost wind 562 563. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wicked one for the Romans 424 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matth. 4. 5. what p. 1070. * Wing of the Temple 1073. * Σ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Page 222 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often used in both Numbers whence derived 606. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often used in both Numbers whence derived 606. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wine or any thing that makes one drunk 398. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Porch cloyster walks c. p. 661. Rather a Cloyster than a Porch 1060 1061. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at first a creditable term but afterward a term of disgrace 449. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 salvation or deliverance 420. Marg. Τ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The state of a low and poor condition Page 414 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 1084. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Setting a part to holy use Baptism and Martyrdom 399. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dining Room and why so called 539. Marg. Φ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shoshebin any singular Friend whatsoever but peculiarly the special Friend and Attendant of a Bridegroom Page 585 586 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be musseled spoke of Satan 636. Marg. Χ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace how used Page 519 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 improperly rendred 291 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the upper Garment 449. Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for no more delay 245 Ω. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As properly requireth a so to follow it Page 314 THE Fourth TABLE or Alphabetical Index is of Things or Principal Matters contained in the First Volume A. AARON his Birth and Character Page 24 His fault for which he was debarred the Entrance into Canaan Page 36 Abbreviatures used by the Jews and others some Examples p. 1017 Abel and Cain were Twins born at the same time p. 693 Abilene Whence its Name and what Country p. 451 Abimelech the common Title of the Kings of the Philistines as Pharaoh of the Egyptians p. 423 Abraham his Birth Travels and Conquests p. 11 12. The Three Persons in the Trinity in the shape of Men dine with him p. 13. And ate the first flesh that is mentioned to have been eaten in Scripture p. 695. How he saw Christs day p. 13. He had a double Title to Canaan by Promise and by Victory p. 694 Abstinence of the Baptist and Christ was for the honour and advancement of the Gospel which they were to preach 502 503 Acceptable year of the Lord put for the Gospel Day or Age beginning with the Ministry and Baptism of John 450 Accusation wicked and foolish 797 Acra the Mount was within Jerusalem 1049. * Adam's fall its Nature Comparison Consequence and Reparation 1022 Adultress was to be put to death but yet her Husband had a power to connive at her if he took her not in the fact 419 Adultery how punished 243 244 248 Aeneas a Name found in the Jewish Writers 284 Aenon what place and where situate 583 Aethiopia one in Arabia another in
oppose Christianity and the Gospel p. 373. Their Original Names Qualities and Principles p. 457 458 459. They were fierce against the Pharisees They denyed the Resurrection p. 655 656. Whence this denial sprung p. 2008. * They denyed all Traditions which as they pretended they could not prove from the Law of Moses 655 Safety from danger Baptism was the badge of it in the days of the Baptist and St. Peter 339 Sagan was Vice-High Priest 363. He was Vicegerent to the High Priest p. 911. What he was and under what notion he came into this Office 912 Salim what and where 583 Salt the place for it in the Temple and what great quantities were used in the worship there 2023 Samaria had a Temple and Service resembling those at Jerusalem p. 280. In the days of Christ it was a Country not a City for then there was no City of that name but Sychem was the City p. 592 593. Marg. 597. It is a Country not a City and when the City Samaria is mentioned it means the chief City of the Country which was Sychem 786 Samaritanism generally was a mongrel Judaism 280 Samaritans though they differed from other Hereticks yet they harmonized with the rest to oppose Christianity and the Gospel p. 373. The reason of the great feud between the Samaritans and the Jews 598 599 600 Samosatenus denyed the Godhead of Christ confuted 663 Sanctuary the Sanctuary being pitched just in the middle of the Camp of Israel shews that Religion is the Heart of a State p. 32. What Officers were there employed and what their business 1104. * Sanhedrim when first chosen was endued with the Spirit of God p. 34. This was the great Council and bare the Rule in its Place in the times of the Judges p. 43. It s fate at Misphah p. 55. It had one in it that was Chief p. 73 125. The Sanhedrim was slain by Herod the Great p. 202. It revived again viz. the seventy Judges and beside this at the same time there were two more of twenty three Judges p. 206. The right Sanhedrim continued many years after the destruction of the City p. 206. Hillel was President in the Sanhedrim forty years Manâ—hen and after him Shammai were Vice-Presidents These Men were famous for Learning and Breeding of Learned Men they advanced Learning to a mighty height p. 207. Nicodemus who came to Christ was one of the Judges of the Great Sanhedrim p. 213. Christ at his second Passover declares his Authority and Power before the Sanhedrim that being a time of wonders p. 221. The Sanhedrim was in Caiaphas his House when Christ was brought before him p. 263. The Sanhedrim again question Jesus in their own Council Chamber then condemn him and deliver him to the Secular Power p. 264. Gamaliel Paul's Master was long President in the Sanhedrim p. 278. Many of the Sanhedrim were Priests p. 282. Annas Caiaphas John Alexander Gamaliel Nicodemus Joseph of Arimathea c. were all members of the Sanhedrim p. 281 282. It had power over the Jews even in foreign Lands but rather declarative and perswasive than imperious p. 282 283. Also it sat sometimes at Lydda on the other side Joppa where was most famous Schools p. 284. The Sanhedrim called the chief Priests and why p. 287. The less Sanhedrim was of twenty three Judges invested with Civil Power p. 302. That Sanhedrim which was first in the Wilderness was inspired with Divine Gifts the Members of all the following Sanhedrims were only qualified by Education Study and acquired parts p. 357. It continued in lusâ—â—â— alâ—er Jerusalem was destroyed p. 364. It sat long at Jabneh at first by the grant of Cesar upon the pâ—tition of the Vice-President of it who was all a long Cesars Friend Its Members named p. 284 365. Afterwards it was at several other places till its end See on from 365 to 370. The Sanhedrim or Great Council was made up of Chief Priests of the Seed of Aaron of Scribes of the Tribe of Levi and of Elders of the People being meer Laymen p. 439 440. It sat in the Temple and had two Heads the first called the Prince the second the Father of the Court all the rest of the Seventy two sat so as these two might see them p. 447. The scrutiny and judging of a Prophet only belonged to the Sanhedrim p. 521. The Sanhedrim is commonly called Jews in the Evangelists p. 662 670. The Doctors of the Sanhedrim were most accute diligent and curious searchers of the Scriptures yet proud of it thinking that the very external study thereof would accomplish their Salvation p. 684. The ten flittings of it what p. 1062. * Also the Reasons thereof p. 1063. * How many Sanhedrims how many Members in each how chosen and where they sat p. 1102 c. * Their Constitution Sitting Power and Qualifications p. 2005. * The Room where they sat with the quality of it p. 2005. * What Clerks belonged unto the Sanhedrim and what their Office p. 2006. * The Sanhedrim might judge the King p. 2006 2008. * The Names and part of the History of the Presidents thereof from the time of the Captivity Page 2007 c. * Saron a firtil Valley famous in Scripture 841 Satum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what sort of measure 546 Saying is often used for what is contained in writing 421 Scape Goat his choice his sending away into the Wilderness with the manner of it p. 972 973 974. About the time of the death of Christ the Scarlet List on the Head of the Scape Goat did not turn white as usually 1101 1102. * Scarcrow on the top of the Temple what wherefore set there and whether any such thing or no. 1069. * Scholars or Disciples were called Children 749 School every Town where there was not a School the Men thereof stood Excommunicate 574 Schools the Jews had five hundred Schools and in every one five hundred Scholars R. Akibah had twenty four thousand Disciples that frequented his Schools p. 368. There were many Schools in several places besides any where where the Sanhedrim had fat was a School after their departing p. 369. But after the writing the Talmud of Jerusalem we hear little more mention of Jewish Schools any where but at Babilon in Egypt that bearing all the renown 370 Schools of Divinity the Sanhedrim was the School of the Nation in its Sessions as well as Judicatory 574 Schisms produced sad effects in the Church of Corinth some of them mentioned 301 to 304 Scribes their Doctrine and Practises 255 256 Scribes of the People their work was to transcribe the Text of the Hebrew Bible and preserve it pure p. 349. They were great Pulpit Men or Preachers c. p. 439. They were Learned Men that expounded the Law one of them is called a Lawyer others Doctors p. 638. Scribe is used for Prophet the distinction of Scribes into several Ranks they were Teachers but their Doctrine was vastly remote from
that of Christ. 638 Scribes and Doctors what they were 653 654 Scribes Rulers and Elders what 760 Scripture or Scriptures not corrupted by the Jews neither was it possible for them to do it to the prejudice of Christianity for several Reasons p. 373 374. Scripture affecteth to speak short in relating of Stories that were well known before p. 417. It was very much advanced by the very first word Christ spoke when he entred on his Ministry p. 505. In the Scripture things are sometimes said to be done in Act which were only Visions as Jer. 13. Ezek. 4. p. 505. It doth sometimes title things not as they were really in themselves but as they were in Mens apprehensions or to Mens purposes p. 513. God speaks so in the Scripture as may best suit the Capacity of the Hearers p. 576. The Primitive Jews did turn all the Scriptures into Allegory which did sadly taint the Church of Christ. p. 373. So that the writings of the Jews thereupon fly all in an higher-Region than the Writings of the Christians p. 860 to 862. The Scriptures seem one to misquote yea even to cross or deny another which shews their Majesty Page 451 496 498 Sea put for a multitude of People 343 Sea of Galilce Tiberias Cinnereth and Lake of Gennesareth were all one p. 632 633. The molten or brazen Sea described p. 2046. * It contained two or three thousand Baths 2046. * Seah what sort of measure 545 546 Sectaries such were Thâ—udas and Judas the Galilean p. 765 766. Such also were the Therapeutae 872 873 Selaa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what sort of coyn 1096. * Sects warping from the State Religion of the Jews were Pharisees Sadducees and Esseans these were Sectaries and Schismaticks 654 c. Seed of the Woman Christ was the seed of the Woman illustrated from Saint Luke's Genealogy and Christs calling himself the Son of Man 471 491 537 Seed of Abraham was a thing the carnal Jews much boasted of 571 Seeing a thing in Scripture doth frequently signifie to be in it or partake of it 562 Sem taken to be Melchisedeck 11 12 Seneca its possible saw Paul 322 Separatist Christ constantly went to the publick he was no Separatist p. 613. Separatists are to observe the practise of Christ. p. 548 549 613 995. The Pharisees were Separatists 656 to 658 September was a very famous Month. 204 210 211 427 Septuagint Bible was commonly in the Hands of the Jews in Christs time the Hebrew not being understood 220 Septuagint Interpreters are guilty of thousands of miscarriages constantly varying and putting in Men and Places at their own pleasure p. 1004 c. Their Translation is too highly esteemed by some and why 1005 Sepulchres were decked by the Jews 256 Serpent lift up in the Wilderness what the Jews write referring to it p. 579. Believing in Christ for Salvation excellently illustrated by being healed by looking on the brazen Serpent 579 Servant denoted by unloosing the shoo-latchet 212 Servants of Christ what is done by them is said to be done by Christ himself 581 Service in the Temple performed at the ninth hour what p. 277. Service in the Temple morning and evening the manner and management of it p. 941. It used to begin with bathings p. 941. The Officers employed therein cast Lots for every Mans task p. 942 943. They cleanse and dress the Burnt-offering Altar p. 942 943. Thirteen particular Services belonging to particular Men. p. 943. The Killing the morning Sacrifices the Dressing the Lamps and Altars p. 943. Parcels of the Temple Service as the Kings reading the Law p. 980. The Priests Burning of the Red Cow p. 981. The Tryal of the suspected Wife p. 982. The Attoning for a cleansed Leper p. 983. The manner of bringing and presenting their First Fruits and Wood for the Altar 984 Seventh-Day why not bounded with the same limits that the rest are 692 Sextarius what sort of Roman measure 546 c. Seventy or the Greek Translation all the World used the Old Testament in Christs time in the Greek Tongue unless such as had Learned the Hebrew Tongue p. 419. The Seventy Translation when where and how begun it hath many Errors in it wilfully done by the Translators with the Reasons why and how therefore the cause is shewed why it is made use of in the New Testament even in some of those untrue Translations and the Reason is good Page 488 to 491 Seventy weeks of Daniel what 136 Shadow of Peter wrought Miracles as it seemeth 764 Shaking dust off the feet what 291 Shammai's and Hillel's Scholars were in constant quarel 514 Shekel what p. 1096. * When and where the half Shekel mentioned Exod. 30. 13. was to be paid p. 1095. * The Receivers of it began to sit yearly twenty days before the Passover 1095. * Shew-bread Table what p. 720 1083. * With the manner of placing the Loaves thereon and what it signified p. 1083. * Where it was prepared Page 2019. * Shibta what 245 246 Shoo-latchet the unloosing it denoted a Servant 212 Sichem and Sychar the same p. 593 597. The reason why it was called Sychar 597 Signs of Christs coming predicting his near approach what p. 462 463. Signs presaging Jerusalems destruction 1101. * Silas it may be was called Tertius 315 Siloam the same with Gibon it was a famous Fountain whose waters were said to have extraordinary Vertues p. 667 668. Siloam a sweet Fountain without Jerusalem and ran to each end of it 1054. * Silver thirty pieces of Silver for which Christ was sold was the price of a Servant weighing three hundred and eighty four Barly Corns 259 Simeon and Simon the same name much used 531 Simeon Rabbi Simeon supposed to be the Simeon mentioned Luke 2. p. 2009. * Rabban Simeon three of the name Presidents of the Sanhedrim part of their History 2009. * Simon Magus part of his History p. 280 281. He was baptized and a great Heretick he had a Whore-Scoreress His strange Blasphemies 787 Simon who was called Niger who conjectured 288 Sin Judgments against it 92 Sin-offering for sins ignorantly committed what p. 929. The distinction of their Sin-offering p. 930. The Sin-offerings of particular Persons what p. 931. Several particulars for the further knowledge of the Sin-offering 932 Sinai and Horeb the same 711 Singers and Temple Musick what p. 919. Singers were divided into Courses their Musick Vocal and Instrumental 919 Singular number put for the Plural 420. Marg. Sink of uncleanness what 1050. * Sinners such as were Great are often mentioned in Scripture Genealogies of the Church for comfort to those that are penitent 26 Sion Mount Sion without Jerusalem 1049. * Sit or walk when used in a borrowed sense in Scripture do indifferently signifie to be or to continue 624 Sitting at the Sacrament and Meat how used among the Jews p. 959 960. Sitting was the posture of the Teachers of the people among the Jews the people standing round about
our Lord. Lift up your eyes saith he and look upon the fields c. pointing without doubt toward that numerous crowd of people that at that time flockt toward him out of the City q. d. Behold what an harvest of souls is here where there had been no sowing beforehand Now let us but reckon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the four months backward from the beginning of the barley-harvest or the middle of the month Nisan and we shall go back to the middle of the month Cisleu which will fall in with the beginning of our December or thereabout whence it will be easie to conjecture what Feast that was of which mention is made Chap. V. 1. VERS XLVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A certain Nobleman THIS Nobleman probably might be some Herodian such as we find mention'd Mat. XXII 16. not meerly a servant or attendant upon Herod the Tetrarch who reign'd at this time but one devoted to Herod's family out of principles of conscience and submission For we have elsewhere shewn the controversie in that Nation about the introducing of Herod the Great into the Government and whether there was not a spice of that quarrel in the differences of the Shammeans and the Hillelites might be a matter worth our enquiry but not in this place But suppose this Nobleman at present to have been an attendant upon Herod the Tetrarch setting aside that controversie and then the words of our Blessed Saviour v. 48. Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe may have this tendency and design in them The Jews they requir'd signs 1 Cor. I. 22. but Herod's Court was especially to be charg'd with this curiosity because they had heard John the Baptist yea even the Tetrarch himself with some kind of observance and veneration and yet because John shewed no sign did no miracle Joh. X. 41 he was the easilier thrown into prison and not believ'd for the story of his imprisonment immediately follows Compare that passage with Luk. XXIII 8. CHAP. V. VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After this there was a feast of the Iews THE other Evangelists speak but sparingly of Christs Acts in Judea this of ours something more copiously They mention nothing of the Passovers from his Baptism to his death excepting the very last but St. John points at them all The first he speaks of Chap. II. 13. the third Chap. VI. 4. the fourth Chap. XIII 1. and the second in this place It is true he does not call it by the name of the Passover here but only a feast in general However the words of our Saviour mention'd above Chap. IV. 35. do give some kind of light into this matter VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Hebrew tongue THAT is in the language beyond Euphrates or the Chaldean Aruch upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the language of those beyond the flood l l l l l l Schabh fol. 115. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the holy Books be written in the Egyptian or Medes or Hebrew language Gloss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Hebrew that is the language of those beyond Euphrates m m m m m m Gloss. in Sanhedr fol. 21. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew writing is that of those beyond the river So that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they mean the Chaldee language which from their return out of Babylon had been their mother tongue and they call it the language of those beyond Euphrates although used also in common with the Syrians on this side Euphrates that with respect to the Jews they might distinguish it from the ancient holy tongue q. d. not the tongue they used before they went into captivity but that which they brought along with them from beyond Euphrates The Jews to whom this was the mother tongue were called Hebrews and from thence are distinguisht from the Hellenists which every ones knows Whence St. Paul should call himself an Hebrew 2 Cor. XI 22. when he was born in Tarsus of Cilicia might deserve our consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having five Proches It mightily obtains amongst some that in Bethesda the sacrifices were washt before they offer'd them but here I am a little at a stnd For I. It is very difficult proving that the Sacrifices were washt at all either here or in any place else before they were offer'd The Holy Scriptures are wholly silent as to any such thing nor as far as I have yet found do the Traditional writings speak of it It is confest the entrails were washt after the beast had been slain and for this service there was set apart in the very Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the washing room But for their bodies their skins or backs whether they were washt before they were slain is justly questionable II. Amongst all the blemishes and defects whereby the beast was render'd unfit for sacrifice we do not read that this was ever reckon'd that they had not been washed Do we believe that Abraham washt the Ram caught in thickets Gen. XXII before he sacrific'd it It is said indeed n n n n n n Bemidbar rabba fol. 268 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he took it and wiped it But this was after he had taken off the skin He took it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and taking off the skin he said Behold this O Lord as if the skin of thy servant Isaac was taken off before thee He wiped it Gloss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he wiped it with a sponge and said Behold this as if Isaac was wip'd He burnt it and said c. I. I would therefore judg rather that men and not beasts were washed in the Pool of Bethesda I mean the unclean that by washing they might be purify'd For whoever considers the numbers of the unclean that did every day stand in need of being washed and whoever would a little turn over the Talmudick Treatises about Purifications and the gatherings of waters for those purposes might easily perswade himself that both Bethesda and all the other Pools in Jerusalem did serve rather for the washing of men and not of beasts I would further judg that the Syriack Interpreter when he renders that passage There was at Jerusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain place of Baptistery that he intended rather the washing unclean persons than beasts II. o o o o o o Targ. in 1 Chron. XI 22. There was not any like to Benaiah the Son of Jehojadah under the second Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he one day struck his foot against a dead Tortoise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and went down to Siloam where breaking all the little particles of hail he washed himself This was on the shortest day in winter the tenth of the Month Tebeth I do not concern my self for the truth of this story but must take notice what he hints that telleth it viz. that in such a case
the Pentateuch was compleated those Angels were annihilated and that after Moses there was neither Angel nor spirit nor Prophesie I have in another place taken notice that the Jews commonly distinguisht between Angels and spirits and Devils Where by spirits they understood either the Ghosts of dead persons or Spirits in humane shape but not so dreadful and terrible as the Angels and what need is there any more will the Sadducee say either of Angel or Spirit when God before Moses died had made known his whole will by his writings had given his eternal Law compleatly constituted his Church It is an innocent and blameless ignorance not to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the depths of Satan and the secrets of Hereticks and if in learning their Doctrines we mistake and perhaps not a little the shame is not much It is venial to err concerning them to err with them is mortal Let the Reader therefore pardon my ignorance if I confess I am wholly ignorant where lay the difference between the Sadducee and Baithusian whether they agreed in one or whether they disagreed in some things The Holy Scriptures make no mention of the Baithusians the Jewish writings talk much of them and in some things they seem to be distinguished from the Sadducees but in what it is somewhat obscure We have the Sadducees disputing with the Pharisees l l l l l l Jadaim cap. 4. and we have the Baithuseans disputing with a Pharisee m m m m m m Menacoth fol. 65. 1. and a Baithusean interrogating something of R. Joshua n n n n n n Schabb. fol. 108. 1. and frequent mention of them up and down in the Jewish writings But particularly I cannot let pass one thing I have met with o o o o o o Rosh hashana cap. 2. hal 1. Of old they received a testimony of the New Moon from any person whatsoever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after that the Hereticks began to deal deceitfully c. So the Jerusalem Misna reads it But the Babylonian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after that the Baithuseans began to deal deceitfully or lightly And the Misna publisht by its self at Amsterdam hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Epicureans dealt lightly c. Where both the Gemara's tell us The Baithuseans endeavoured to lead the wise men into an error and hired for the sum of four hundred Zuzees one of our own and one of theirs to give in a false testimony as to the New Moons c. The Glosses give this reason of it The thirtieth day of the Month Adar fell upon a Sabbath and the New Moon did not appear in its time And the Baithuseans were desirous that the first day of the Passover should fall upon the Sabbath that the sheaf-offering might fall upon the first day of the week and so the day of Pentecost upon the first day of the week also Who now should these Baithusians be Sadducees or Samaritans or Christians or some fourth Sect The Christians indeed would have the day of Pentecost on the first day of the week but whether they mean them in this particular let others judg In other things q Hieros Joma fol. 39. 1. otherwise p Wherefore do they adjure the High Priest viz. that he rightly perform the service of the day of Expiation Because of the Baithuseans who say let him burn incense without and bring it within there is a story of a certain person that burnt incense without and brought it within concerning whom one said I should wonder if he should live very long they say that he died in a very little time after You would believe this was an High Priest and a Baithusean VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scribes that were of the Pharisees part FOR there were also Scribes of the Sadducees part and on both parts the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scribes must not be distinguisht either from the Pharisees or from the Sadducees that were now present in the Sanhedrin but the meaning is the Scribes that were of the Sect or profession of the Sadducees or of the Pharisees and by this twofold division the whole Sanhedrin is to be understood But if we would take the thing more strictly there were in the Sanhedrin some Scribes who took the part of the Pharisees against the Sadducees who yet were not of the Sect of the Pharisees I should believe the Shammeans and Hillelites were all against the Sadducees and yet I should hardly believe all of them of the Sect of the Pharisees We find them frequently disputing and quarrelling one against the other in the Talmudick writings and yet do not think that either the one or the other favoured the Sadducee nor that all of them bore good will to Pharisaism There is a bloody fight between them mentioned q q q q q q Hieros Schab fol. 3. 3. The Shammeans who at that time were the greatest number stood below and killed some of the Hillelites This was done in the house of Hananiah ben Hezekiah ben Garon whom they came to visit being sick A friendly visit this indeed VERS XI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So must thou bear witness also at Rome HENCE the warrant and intimation given to St. Paul of appealing to Cesar it was a rare thing for a Jew to appeal to any Heathenish Tribunal and it favoured of venomous malice the Sanhedrin had against Jesus that they delivered him over to an Heathen Judg. St. Paul therefore when he found no place or manner of escaping otherwise was directed by this Vision what to do VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Neither to eat nor drink c. VVHAT will become of these Anathematized persons if their curse should be upon them and they cannot reach to murder Paul as indeed it happened they could not must not these wretches helplesly die with hunger Alas they need not be very solicitous about that matter they have their Casuist-Rabbins that can easily release them of that Vow r r r r r r Hieros Avodah Zarab fol. 40. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath made a Vow not to eat any thing wo to him if he eat and wo to him if he do not eat If he eat he sineth against his vow if he do not eat he sinneth against his life What must such a man do in this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him go to the wise men and they will loose his Vow according as it is written the tongue of the wise is health Prov. XII 18. It is no wonder if they were prodigal and monstrous in their Vows when they could be so easily absolved CHAP. XXVIII VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Melita PLINY tells us s s s s s s Nat. Hist. llb. 3. cap. 8. that in the Sicilian Sea Insulae sunt in Africam versae Gauros Milita c. there are Islands
be Converted the Spirit of Grace reveals these to him in feeling and experience And further Revelation as to the understanding of Scripture there is not the least ground-work in Scripture whereupon to expect it III. When God had committed the New Testament to writing he had revealed all that he would reveal to men on Earth of his will and way of Salvation The words in Joh. XVI 13. are appropriate to the Apostles None ever were or will be whom God led into all Truth save the Apostles He leads indeed every Saint he hath into all Truth needful for him but the Apostles into all Truth needful both for themselves and the whole Church Because God by them was to give the rule of Faith and Manners to all the Church Now when all the Truth that God would reveal was revealed and compact in the New Testament as all Light in the body of the Sun must we still look for further Revelation to explain this Revealing It was foretold that the Light that God would exhibit under the Gospel should be as the Light of the Sun sevenfold and must we look for another Sun of Revelation to give Light to this Sun The New Testament revealed the Old and must we look for Revelations to reveal the New And so we may look in infinitum IV. The main difficulty of the New Testament requires study to unfold it rather than Revelation The Old Testament needed further Revelation to unfold it and further was promised And accordingly the New Testament was a further Revelation that did unfold it For the great difficulty of the Old Testament was in the Sence the Language every Child could understand for it was their Mother-tongue But when they could understand what the words meant they could not understand what the Sence meant nor was it possible to find it out in abundance of places without further Revelation But the main difficulty of the New Testament is in the Languages unlock that clearly and the Sence ariseth easie The Old Testaments difficulty was in the Kernel the New in the Shell For besides that Greek the Original is not the Native Tongue now of any part of the World there is such intermixture of Septuagint Greek Hebrew Idioms Talmudichal Phrases and Allusions to the Jews Opinions and Customs that the greatest difficulty is to explain the Language that done the Sence is plain Now certainly it is more likely to obtain understanding of Languages by Study than to attain it by Revelation unless any one will yet expect that miraculous gift of Tongues which I suppose there is none will make himself so ridiculous as to say they expect But this only by the way In the Text as there are two Verses so are there two distinct things observable In the former a Festival mentioned in the latter Christs presence there intimated and either of them illustrated by three circumstances I. The Festival 1. By its Name It was the Feast of Dedication 2. By the Place It was at Jerusalem 3. By the Time It was Winter II. Christs presence there 1. By the place where he was In the Temple 2. The particular place in the Temple Solomons porch 3. His posture there He was walking He was at the Feast at Jerusalem though it were Winter and he walked in the Temple belike to get him heat because it was Winter The Feast of Dedication as the Authors before mentioned do inform us was instituted upon this occasion Antiochus Epiphanes one of the Kings of Syria one of the Horns of the fourth Monarchy Dan. VII 24. having the Nation of the Jews under his Power and Tyranny raised against them and their Religion a very sad Persecution He forbad them to Circumcise their Children he restrained the exercise of their Religion burnt the Books of the Law set up idolatry defiled the Temple set up an Idolatrous Altar upon the very Altar of the Lord in the Court of the Temple And all this for a Time two Times and half a Time as Daniel styles it Dan. VII 25. or three years and an half The Jews had never felt such misery of that nature before and Daniel in his twelfth Chapter foretelling of that a long time before it came saith That it should be such a time of trouble as had never been since they were a Nation At last Judas Maccabaeus prevails against his Power and Tyranny shakes off that Yoak restores the People and Religion destroies his Idolatry purges the Temple pulls down his Idol-Altar that he had erected there yea also the Altar of the Lord which it had stood upon and defiled reareth up a new Altar and on the 25th day of the month Cisleu which was the ninth month or their November dedicates the Altar and sets the Publick Service of the Temple afoot again And thereupon he and the generation ordained that day and seven days forward for the Feast of Dedication to be kept annually throughout all succeeding Generations as may be read at large in 1 Macc. IV. and in the Authors beside that I named I might Observe from hence How joyful a thing it is and how joyful and perpetual a Memorial it ought to carry when decayed Religion is restored to a Nation Oh! that England might see that day and come to such a Feast of Dedication But I desire to fix upon the latter Verse of the Text and to observe Christs presence at that Feast which is the more remarkable and strange because there were three things that might not only have warranted his absence thence but even perswaded and urged it according to the three circumstances we observed in the former verse the Feast it self the Time and the Place I. The Time It was Winter An ill time to travail and Jerusalem was a very long journey from Capernaum the place of Christs habitation And the Evangelist seems to have added this circumstance the rather that we might look upon his presence there as the more remarkable II. It is said that Christ was at this Feast at Jerusalem whereas he might have kept it in his own Town For although indeed the three Festivals that God had appointed by Moses Passover Pentecost and of Tabernacles required mens personal appearance at Jerusalem yet the two Feastâ— that were ordained afterwards Purim and Dedication as the Jews Records tell us might be kept at their own homes III. And that which was the main thing indeed this Feast was not ordained either by the immediate appointment of God as those three were to Moses nor was there then any Prophet in those times that by Divine Warrant could authorize its institution but it was only of a Civil and Ecclesiastical Sanction appointed by the Higher Powers in that Generation As our fift of November is indeed of Religious observation and yet but only of Humane Institution These reasons might have kept Christ from going up to Jerusalem at this Feast and yet you see that he is there From whence I Observe and on which I shall
upon us to Observe viz. That the stile and difficulty of Scripture requireth all serious and sober study of the Scripture You see the stile here and you see the difficulties here The story laid out of its natural and proper order and the words of the Text capable of two and those even contrary senses The former not done by heedlesness or at peradventure the latter not as if the Scriptures were not of a fixed and steady sense but both to stir up the more serious and sober study of Scripture It is our Saviours prescription as our English reads it Joh. V. 39. Search the Scriptures and if you ask a reason he gives you two in that verse and divers more may be given Search and study the Scriptures because it is the Scriptures the writing of God the discovery of the mind of God the witness of the Son of God the revealing of the glory of God To be studied to make one wife to be studied to make one holy to make one happy But I shall not speak of these or of what other reasons of like kind might be alledged to very serious study of Scripture but I shall bring my discourse to a closer and narrower compass to urge a reason only from its stile and difficulty The stile and difficulty of Scripture requires all sober and serious study of it The thing that I assert will on the one hand please the Romanist if he may limit it to his sense but on the other hand it will not so very well please the Enthusiast The one will tell you that the Scripture is so difficult indeed that it requires all serious study but of the Clergy only for it is too difficult for Laity to meddle withal the other will tell you there is no difficulty at all in the Scripture to them that have the Spirit but all things easie enough to understand and explicate by revelation without any study So that here are two rocks more for us to sail and hold a middle course between lest we dash either upon the one or upon the other and the card and compass I shall go by shall be the Scripture it self The Scripture it self tells us there is difficulties in it and if it did not so in words yet we might easily find it in deed And I might need no other proof of this assertion than such a one as he gave to prove motion he rose out of his chair and moved up and down Tolle lege take up the Bible and read presly and that very thing will shew you that you had need to read presly because of the difficulty Let me but observe in our entrance into this matter these two things to you I. That the difficulty of Scripture doth so much require study that none but by serious study can perceive its difficulty As the Philosopher could not so much as imagine how hard it was to define God till he set seriously to study upon the matter and then he found it The further you go in Ezekiels waters Chap. XLVII the deeper you go and the more you study the Scriptures seriously the more cause you will still find to study them seriously And it is not the least cause of their error that hold the explaining of Scripture is so very easie that they have not attained to so much skill in the study of the Scriptures as to see their hardness And I doubt not but I could shew them scores nay hundreds of very hard and obscure places which they had never the eyes to see and I doubt as little that they would find as little eye-sight to resolve them if they saw them II. The Holy Ghost hath purposely penned the Scriptures so as to challenge all serious study of them Else what think you is the meaning of that He that readeth let him understand Matth. XXIV Peter tells us that there are divers things in Pauls Epistles hard to be understood 2 Pet. III. 16. and why did the Holy Ghost dictate them so hard by Paul and why did not Peter explain them who had the same Spirit As that passage of Peter you may very well remember the Parable of the wounded man twixt Jerusalem and Jericho The Priest and Levite pass by look on him but afford him no help And why does Peter so by those hard places and afford them no explication Because the Holy Ghost hath so penned Scripture so as to challenge all serious study He could have penned all so plain that he that runneth might have read them but he hath penned them in such a stile that he that will read them must not run and read but sit down and study It were a very long task indeed to shew wherein the difficulty of Scripture doth consist in every particular I shall give you but a taste in two or three heads I. To begin with that which the difficulty of the Text may first hint to us viz. that there are several passages in Scripture may be esteemed to a clean contrary construction may be taken in two senses not only differing one from another but directly contrary I shall only instance in some that I cannot but deal withal as I have done with the words of the Text viz. take them in a sense clean contrary to that sense that commonly is put upon them The first I shall offer you is that Gen. IV. 7. If thou doest not well sin lieth at the door Who is there that reading or explaining this doth not conclude it for a threatning If thou do not well judgment is ready at doors to seize upon thee I cannot but on the contrary construe it for a comfort and that sin meaneth only a sin offering as the word in the original is used an hundred times and the very English word is so used once and again as Hos. IV. 8. They eat up the sin of my people that is their sin offering and 2 Cor. V. 21. He hath made him sin for us i. e. a sacrifice for sin And the sense to be for the raising of Cain from dejectedness and despair If thou do well there is undoubted acceptance and if not yet despair not let not thy countenance fall for there is a sin offering to be had that may heal all again lying at the door and you know in the Law the sacrifice was to be brought to the Tabernacle door Lev. I. 3. c. A second is that Exod. I. 19. The Midwives said unto Pharaoh Because the Hebrew womâ—â— are not as the Egyptian women for they are lively and are delivered ere the midwives â—â—me in unto them How many expounding that place do roundly conclude they told a lie to save their stake when as I suppose it were no hard thing to shew that the thing they spake was most true that the Hebrew women in travail were so miraculously vigorous and that their words are so far from a sneaking lie to save their lives that they are a bold and holy confession of their
them of the most difficulty as far as Grammatical construction and truth of history will warrant and justifie Reuben thou art my first born my might and the beginning of my strength There is a remnant of dignity for thee and a remnant of strength For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth many times in the Bible and so was Reuben dignified in leading the Van in the wars of Canaan Josh. 4. 12. And so had he a residue of strength in being frontier against the Hagarens 1 Chron. 5. 10. Vers. 4. Unstable as water in affecting the Priesthood Numb 16. 1 2. and in refusing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne relinquas of the Land of promise Numb 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leave no remnant of thine instability c. Vers. 5. Simeon and Levi brethren their traffickings are instruments of cruelty for their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venditionis Ipsorum pretence of trading with Shechem they made an instrument to execute their bloodiness Vers. 6. For in their anger they slew a man as for their will they would hough an ox For they used Circumcision as a means to master and murder me as if they should have cut the sinews of an Ox to bring him under to their will Vers. 13. Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the Seas the Sea of Galilee or the lake of Genezaret East and the Sea of Phaenicia or the Mediterranian North-West Vers. 14. Issachar is an Asse of bone couching down between two burdens of the Kingdom of Phaenicia on the one side and the Kingdom of Samaria on the other Vers. 22. Joseph is a son of fruitfulness his fruitfulness in sons shall be by the well In daughters it goeth even to the Enemy This Interpretation of that part of Josephs blessing be referred to the censure of the learned Reader as conjectured at rather than boldly averred and that upon these considerations First That there is a plain Antithesis betwixt Ben and Bavoth and therefore is to be construed accordingly of sons and daughters Secondly That the word Ben is by his place in regimine but by his vowel not so is Porah by his last letter in regimine but not by this place and therefore both of them to be rendered something answerable to this their double condition Ben-Porath Joseph is a son of fruitfulness here they have the due of their place and Porath Ben fruitfulness of sons here they have the due of their vowels and letters Thirdly That Porath also is to be understood in the latter clause Porath Bavoth fruitfulness in daughters Fourthly That Shur signifieth natively in Hebrew an Enemy Psal. 92. 12. and it is but from the Chaldee idioms that it betokeneth a wall Josephs fruitfulness in sons then did chiefly shew it self by the well of Shechem where Joshua of Joseph aslembleth all the Tribes as Prince over them and there also Jeroboam of Joseph raiseth up that house to a Kingdom From these words of Jacob the inhabitants of Sychar had their warrant to maintain that their well was Jocobs well and that his sons and cattel drank of it For it might not have been digged of a thousand years after Jacob was dead and gone for ought any Samaritane alive could tell if he fetched not his authority from these words of Jacob who having given that portion of ground to Joseph Gen. 48. 22. doth here intimate that there was a well in it and besides that well in his house should rise to honour His fruitfulness by daughters you may see in Judg. 21. where the daughters of Jabesh Gilead and of Shiloh both of Joseph make up the breach of an hostile Tribe the Tribe of Benjamin or else it had decayed AN Handful of Gleanings OUT OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS SECTION I. Israel afflicted in Egypt about 120 years FROM the giving of the promise to Abraham Gen. 12. to the deliverance out of Egypt and the giving of the Law were 430 years Exod. 12. 40. Gal. 1. 17. This sum of years divided it self into two equal parts for half of it was spent before their going into Egypt and half of it in there being there Two hundred and fifteen years were taken up before they went into Egypt thus From the promise given to Abraham to the birth of Isaac five and twenty years compare Gen. 12. 4. with Gen. 21. 5. From the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob threescore Gen. 25. 26. from thence to their going down into Egypt a hundred and thirty Gen. 27. 9. The other two hundred and fifteen years they spent in Egypt namely ninety four before the death of Levi the longest liver of all the twelve Tribes and a hundred and twenty one betwixt his death and their deliverance For Levi and Joseph were both born in the seven years of Jacobs second apprentiship Gen. 29. 30. Levi in the fourth and Joseph in the seventh so that there were three years between them Now Joseph when his Father and brethren came down into Egypt was nine and thirty years old Compare Gen. 41. 46. 51. 45. 6. And then was Levi forty three And Levi lived an hundred thirty and seven years Exod. 6. 16. out of which those forty three being deducted which he had spent before their coming down into Egypt it appeareth they were in Egypt ninety four years before his death And those ninety four being deducted out of the two hundred and fifteen which they spent in that land it appeareth also that a hundred twenty one years passed betwixt his death and their delivery and till his death they felt no affliction Exod. 1. 6 7 8. SECTION II. The 88 89 Psalms penned in the time of this affliction THESE two Psalms are the oldest pieces of writing that the World hath to shew for they were penned many years before the birth of Moses by two men that felt and groaned under this bondage and affliction of Egypt Heman and Ethan two Sons of Zerah 1 Chron. 2. 6. In Psalm 88. Heman deploreth the distress and misery of Israel in Egypt in most passionate measures and therefore titles his Elegy Gnal Mahalath Leannoth concerning sickness by affliction and accordingly he and his brethren are called the Sons of Mahol 1 King 4. 31. In Psal. 89. Ethan from the promise Gen. 15. sings joyfully their deliverance that the raging of the Red Sea should be ruled vers 9. and Rahab or Egypt should be broken in pieces vers 10. and that the people should hear the joyful sound of the Law vers 15. Object But David is named frequently in the Psalm who was not born of many hundreds of years after Ethan was dead Answ. 1. This might be done Prophetically as Samuel is thought to be named by Moses Psal. 99. 6. for that Psalm according to a rule of the Hebrews is held to have been made by him 2. It will be found in Scripture that when some holy men indued with the Spirit of God have left pieces
of writings behind them indited by the Spirit others that have lived in after times indued with the same gift of Prophecy have taken those ancient pieces in hand and have flourished upon them as present past or future occasions did require To this purpose compare Psal. 18. 1 Sam. 22. Obadiah and Jer. 49. 14. and 1 Chron. 16. and Psal. 96. and 105. and 2 Pet. 2. and the Epistle of St. Jude So this piece of Ethan being of incomparable antiquity and singing of the delivery from Egypt in after times that it might be made fit to be sung in the Temple it is taken in hand by some divine Pen-man and that ground-work of his is wrought upon and his Song set to an higher key namely that whereas he treated only of the bodily deliverance from Egypt it is wound up so high as to reach the Spiritual delivery by Christ and therefore David is so often named from whence he should come SECTION III. The words of the Hebrew Midwives not a lye but a glorious confession of their saith THEY were Hebrew Midwives but Egyptian Women For Pharaoh that in an ungodly Councel had devised and concluded upon all ways whereby to keep the Israelites under would not in such a design as this use Israelitish women who he knew were parties in the cause against him but he intrusteth it with women of his own Nation They are named for their honour as Mark 14. 9. that wheresoever the Gospel or the Doctrine of Salvation should be Preached this faith and fact of theirs should be published in memorial of them The Midwives said unto Pharaoh Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women for they are lively c. These words of theirs proceed from the same faith from whence had proceeded their work of charity the childrens preservation And so far are they from being a lye that they are so glorious a confession of their faith in God that we find not many that have gone beyond it And the things they spake of so far from false that they were most admirably and miraculously true and really done They saw in very deed the immediate hand and help of God plainly and really shewed to the Hebrew women in their labour and that whereas other women naturally in that case are weak fainting and long in pain these were strong lively and soon delivered For as the strength of the promise shewed it self in the Males of Israel in that the more they were pressed under servitude and afflicted the more were they able for generation v. 2. Act. 7. 17. So did the strength of the promise shew it self upon the women in that they were delivered of their children with a supernatural and extraordinary ease and quickness Therefore the Midwives boldly stand out to Pharaoh to the venture of a Martyrdom and plainly tell him that since they were not in travel as other women but lively and strong and had soon done it could be nothing but the immediate hand of God with them which hand they are resolved they will not oppose for all his command lest they should be found to fight against God For this confession so resolutely and gloriously made before Pharaoh and for their fact answerable God made them houses because they feared him vers 21. that is married them into the Congregation of Israel and built up Israelitish Families by them SECTION IV. Moses his birth supernatural Exod. 2. 2. MOSES was born when his mother by the course of nature was past child-bearing For if Levi begat Jochebed at an hundred years old which is hardly to be conceived as Gen. 17. 17. yet is Jochebed within two of fourscore when she bare Moses But it was more than probable that she was born long before Levi was an hundred unless we will have Levi to be above half a hundred years childless betwixt the birth of Merari and Jochebed And thus the birth of Moses was one degree more miraculous than the miraculous and supernatural birth of the other children of the Hebrew Women and so was his brother Aarons not much less wondrous She then having a goodly child at so great an age saw the special hand of God in it and therefore labours his preservation against Pharaohs decree for by Faith she knew he would be preserved for some special instrument of Gods glory but the manner of his preservation she knew not yet SECTION V. Our Saviours allegation of Exod. 3. 6. in Luke 20. 37. cleared MOSES in Midian under the retiredness of a Pastoral life giveth himself unto contemplation of divine things in one of those raptures God himself appeareth visibly to him in deed and that in a flaming fire now he is about to perform the promise as he appeared to Abraham when he made it and it came to pass when the Sun went down and it was dark behold a smoaking furnace and a burning Lamp that passed between those pieces In the same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 15. 17 18. The words which Christ here useth to Moses in the bush he urgeth again to the Jews whereby to evince the Resurrection Luke 20. 37. And that the dead are raised even Moses shewed at the bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for he is not a God of the dead but of the living which words indeed do infer the resurrection as they lie in themselves but far more clearly if they be laid to and compared with the Jews own doctrine and position Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai saith the holy blessed God nameth not his name on the righteous in their life but after their death as it is said to the Saints that are in the earth Psal. 16. 3. When are they Saints When they are laid in the earth For all the days that they live the holy blessed God joyneth not his name to them And why Because the holy blessed God trusteth them not that evil affections will not make them to err but when they be dead the holy blessed God nameth his name upon them But behold we find that he nameth his name on Isaac the righteous whilst he liveth for so he saith to Jacob I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac Rabbi Barachiah and our Doctors our Doctors say He saw his dust as it was gathered upon the Altar and Rabbi Barachiah saith since he was blind of his eyes he is reputed as dead because he was shut up in the midst of the house Rabbi Tanch in Gen. 28. Rabbi Menahem in Exod. 3. SECTION VI. The power of Miracles Habbak 3. 2. and Act. 19. 2. explained THE gift of Prophesie or Foretelling things to come had been in the Church since the fall of Adam and now are Miracles added because of unbelief For observe that when Moses saith Behold they will not believe the Lord immediately answers What is that in thine hand This double faculty being given