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A35949
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A brief exposition of the evangel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew by David Dickson ...
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Dickson, David, 1583?-1663.
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1651
(1651)
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Wing D1400; ESTC R13881
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307,666
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370
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A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE Evangel of JESUS CHRIST According to MATTHEW By DAVID DICKSON Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Professor of Divinity in the University of GLASGOW PHIL. 2. VER 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Iesus Who being in the form of God though it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Wherfore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth And that every tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father The Third Edition LONDON Printed for Ralph Smith at the sign of the Bible in Cornhill neer the Royall Exchange 1651. TO THE Right Honorable and truly Noble MY LORD EARL OF LOUDOUN LORD OF MAUCHLIN and TARINZAN c. High Chancellor of SCOTLAND c. And to His Honorable and Hopeful Eldest Son my Lord MAUCHLIN Grace and Peace Right Honourable IT is a sweet and remarkable Providence that within these not many yeers such a multitude of Impressions of the holy Scriptures are vented among these three united Kingdoms and so many thousands are of Scots and English who delight not only to have the holy Bible in their possession and houses but also to carry it in their pockets for reading of it upon all occasions This as it speaketh much of the desire after divine Knowledge raised up by God in peoples hearts and as it promiseth much of the spreading of the light of the Gospel in these Dominions especially the Lord having now seconded his own Work by drawing from the fountain of his own free grace the body of these Kingdoms into a solemn Covenant for purging of all his holy Ordinances and promoving of sound Religion so doth it call aloud to all the Pastors of his Flock and to all the godly learned by all means to lead the Lords people in upon the right understanding of the Scriptures left the plain and marvellously consonant word of God be mistaken and wrested by the instability and unskilfulnesse of such as have not their senses exercised to discern the single meaning of the Lords Voyce and the admirable harmony of his heavenly Speeches Many worthy men of God it is true have profitably taken pains to this purpose and some have written large Commentaries upon sundry Books and parcels of Scripture others have translated out of Latine the Commentaries of others But of those worthy mens Labours only such as have much leasure and patience to read can make use Others have written short Paraphrases of harder places others Expositions of hard words others have minded herewith some sweet notes and observations all of them contributing one with another to the common good so much as each sort of Writing could carry Yet besides all these laudable wayes of explication of Scripture it seemeth that these dangerous Times wherein so many diverse errours are privily crept in and begun openly also to avow themselves do call for such an Explanation of the whole Bible as might not only shew the scope of each Book and Chapter with the cohesion of the Verses and the meaning of the Words but also propone the speciall heads of Doctrine in each place whereby people might see the whole grounds of Religion in the Text and be guarded against all damnable errours in which those persons are easily ensnared who know not the Scriptures nor the power of God and all this to be in such brevity and cleerness That men in their daily set-reading of the Lords word might in the space of half an hour peruse a competent portion of Scripture thus explained I say Set-time for their private reading because albeit every man is not set apart for the Word and Doctrine but most part have by Gods appointment civil callings and necessary imployments about the matters of this life each calling and imployment having its own work and each work requiring his own time so that there remaineth little time beside unto many yet that man is too much busied in temporall affairs and more involved in the World then he can answer for who doth not daily redeem so much time as the necessary exercise of Religion in the Word and Prayer doth require beside secret ejaculations of Prayer unto God mixed with his affairs and the Mason-like-looks of his Conscience levelling its eye to each action to see if it be conform to the Rule for presuppose a man were imployed as much as a King and had so many Realms to govern as were under David K. of Israel yet could he not be excused for this to neglect Gods word prayer for Dav. oftner then once a day yea in the night also found time to call on God praise his name verse himself in his Word Ps. 119.55 62 164. Let the men of this world who have their portion in this life have set up in their hearts the filthy idols of worldly profit pleasure preferment for gaining keeping wherof they make use not only of all men but also of God and Religion so far only as they may be suitable serviceable to their base ends Let such men I say neglect reading the Scriptures and all serious following of religious exercises But let not the children of God do so who hold their standing here and the hopes of eternal life hereafter by faith in Christ for promoving of whose cause and Kingdom they are resolved to bear his Crosse were it even to the doors of Heaven if so GOD please and to lay it down on the threshold with thanks and praise that ever they were counted worthy to suffer for his Name let not these blessed Soules walk in the way of the ungodly but rather delight themselves in the Law of GOD and meditate therein night and day Psal. 1.2 3. For the service of such saints and facilitating of their reading of holy Scripture I come forth as before in the brief Explanation of the Epistle to the Hebrews so now in the brief explanation of the Evangel according to Matthew to call yet again unto the Godly Learned to stir up themselves for contributing one with another unto some such brief explanation of the whole Bible as their Godly wisdome shall agrâ—e upon a mould this or any other because apparently it is but little and not considerable which any one man alone can overtake in this Work As for this Piece such a one as it is There is great reason why it should bear your Honourable Name in the title of it it being a part of the fruit of your Lordships labour who as
together his elect from the four windes from one end of heaven to the other The fifth signe There shall be a great sound of a trumpet as it were summoning all to compear before the Tribunall of Christ unto judgement which teacheth us That the Day of Judgement shall be no lesse terrible thâ—n the Day of Promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai as for other reasons so for this that as there was an audible Trumpet which sounded at the giving out of the Law so 〈◊〉 there be an audible Sound of a Trumpet at the Day of judging Men for transgressing the Law The sixth signe or evidence of Christ's coming is That the Elect being raised from death or in stead of death changed from this mortall life unto the estate of Immortality the Angels shall be set on work to gather them from all the quarters of the earth whence the winds do blow or from the utmost paâ—eâ— of the earth where the sight of the Heavens have an end Doct. Albet the Elect be now fat scattered one from another in sundry respects yet then shall they all meet together not one shal be in lacking for the Angels shall gather Christ's Elect in unto him from one end of heaven unto another Ver. 32. Now learn a parable of the fig-treeâ— When 〈◊〉 branch is â—et tender and putteth forth leaves ye know that Summer is high 33. So likewise ye when ye shall see all tâ—â—â—e things know was it is near even at the doors 34. Verily I say unto you this generation shall not passe will all these things be fulfilled 35. Heaven and earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away After he hath given the signes of the destruction of Jerusalem and of his own second coming he confirmed them in the certainty of the coming of both and draweth all this doctrine to good use and first he certifieâ—h them of the destruction of the Temple under the parable of a fig-tree that when the fig-tree beginneth to bud Summer is near So when they should see the Jews dâ—ting on false Christs hearkâ—â—ing to false prophets persecuting the preachers of the Gospel growing tumultuous and seditious under hopes of a bodily liberation from the yoke of the Romans rumours of wars arising Armies coming in upon Judea then let them perswade themselves saith he When these signs should appear judgment was at the door upon that Nation and that both these signes and the destruction of Jerusalem with the Temple should all come to passe in the dayes of them that were then living vers 33 34 and he forbiddeth them to doubt hereof because his words were more firm then heaven or earth vers 35. And so much for the destruction of the Temple and the signes and time therof Doct. 1. When we see some part of the truth of God come to passe in our sight it should help us to beleeve and expect the fulfilling of the rest as When we see the trees bud we know that Summer is near 2. It is hard to our misbeleeving hearts to give that credit to Christs words whereof they are worthy but by so much more is our Lords love to us and care of us to be praised and admired that he by so many meanes goeth about to confirm and perswade us therfore saith he Verily I say unto you c. 3. Whatsoever Christ doth say shal be or shal not be his word is more firm then the Fabrick of heaven and earth for these shal be altered but the Lords word is solid and endureth for ever Heaven and earth shal pass rather saith he c. Ver. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels in heaven but my Father only Concerning the precise time of his second coming he saith that neither man nor Angel knoweth but only the Father wherby he doth not exclude the rest of the persons of the God-head but only the creatures Doct. 1. The peremptory time of the day of judgement â—nd keepeth it to himself secret and will not have it particularly known and therefore it should not be narrowly pryed into for Of this day and hour knoweth no man c. 2. All things are not revealed neither to the Angels nor to men but so much at may edifie the Church and as concerneth us to know for My Father only knoweth saith he Ver. 37. But as the dayes of Noah were so shall also the coming of the Son of man be 38. For as in the dayes that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noah entred into the Ark. 39. And knew not untill the flood came and tooke them all away so also shall the coming of the Son of man be Our Lord draweth this doctrine unto use to stir us up unto watchfulness and to this end he setteth before us seven motives the first motive is There is no small hazard in case men be sound secure and not watching when Christ cometh therefore watchfulnesse is necessary Doct. 1. It is safer to make ready for the day of judgment and to watch lest we be surprised then to be curious to know the particular time of it for As the dayes of Noah were c. 2. As the old world did not beleeve judgement coming albeit forewarned by Noah that it was coming so fares â—â— with the world and will be so with the multitude of the world till the day of judgment for As in the dayes of Noah 3. When men beleeve not things concerning the day of judgement and another life no wonder they be given over unto and drowned in the matters of this life for They were eating c. that is This and the like was al their care 4. Whatsoever truth men do not beleeve when it is told them that they do not rightly know though they conceive the meaning of the word told them for it is said They knew not 5. Who so beleeve not judgment when it is threatned shall feele judgement and be taken away with it when it cometh for The flood came and tooke them all away Ver. 40. Then shall two be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left 41. Two women shal be grinding at the mil the one shal be taken and the other left This second motive of watchfulnesse teaching that at the day of judgement they who have lived in near fellowship shal be shed one from another as for example they who had been joyned in one work Some in the field some in the miâ— 2. The meanest degree of people shall be taken notice of Even women labourers in the field grinding at the mill 3. Judgement shall passe exceeding exactly to take one and leave another to pull up one to meet Christ in the clouds and leave another to be punished with the damned Therefore watchfulnesse is necessary Ver. 42. Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come The third motive teaching