in its proper place and order cometh in the story of Jethro contained in the eighteenth of Exodus as may be evidenced by these observations First That that story lieth not in its proper place in the Book of Exodus may be concluded upon these two or three reasons first because there it is said Jethro took burnt-offerings and sacrifices for God ver 12. Now as the story lieth there the Law for burnt-offerings and sacrifices was not yet given 2. It is said that Moses sate to judge the people and made them know the Statutes of God and his Laws vers 13 16. Now as the story lieth there the Statutes and Laws are not as yet given to Moses and he himself knoweth them not 3. The chusing of Judges and Elders which was upon Jethro's counsel was not till their departing from Sinai Deut. 1. 7 8. And now as the story of Jethro lieth in the book of Exodus they are not as yet come to Sinai therefore that that story is misplaced as it lieth there there is evidence sufficient There remaineth only to see why it is laid there out of its proper place and where is the proper place to lay it the former may be resolved upon by looking back upon the curse that God denounceth upon Amalek in the 17 Chapter I will put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven And the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation ver 14 16. Now that the Holy Ghost might shew that Jethro who dwelt among the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. 16. did not fall under this curse he bringeth in the story of his coming into Israel in the very next place after that curse is related not thereby to conclude strictly that his coming was at that very time assoon as the curse was denounced but to shew that he once came and so avoideth and escapeth that curse Now that the proper place of that story is this that we have mentioned may be evidenced by these particulars First that Moses himself telleth Deut. 1. 7. that their choice of Judges which was by Jethro's counsel instantly upon his coming was so near their departure from Sinai which is metioned Num. 10. ver 11. that the warning of their departure was given him before 2. That the murmuring of Aaron and Miriam against Zipporah Moses wife which in all probability was upon her first coming among them and their converse with her or instantly after is set after their departure from Sinai 3. That the departure of Hobab or Jethro from them at Sinai is joyned so near to the place where we suppose this story of his coming is to be laid as that but a few Verses come between and compair that story with the latter end of Exodus 18. and it will help to confirm this place to be the proper place of its order CHAP. X. from Vers. 11. to the end World 2515 Moses 82 Redemption from Egypt 2 THE Cloud is taken up on the twentieth day of the second month and the Camp removeth from Sinai to the wilderness of Paran three days journy In the 35 Verse of this Chapter the letter Nun is written the wrong way in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Ark set forward and so is it also in the first Verse of the next Chapter in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became as murtherers In the former is hinted as the Jews observe Gods gracious turning back towards the people in the latter the peoples ungracious turning away from God CHAP. XI AT their first incamping after Jethro's departure Moses findeth an occasion to chuse Judges and Elders to help to bear the burden with him and therefore the 24 25 26. Verses of Exodus 18. are to be reputed coincident with this time The Sanhedrin chosen by Moses and indued with the Spirit by God six of a Tribe made up the number and two over and these two were Eldad and Mâ—dad who were written for Elders but the lot cast them out that there might be but seventy yet did the Lord honour them with the Spirit of Prophecy CHAP. XII ZIpporah Moses wife called a Cushite for Arabia was the land of Cush for her sake Aaron and Miriam begin to rebel against Moses authority for which Miriam is struck with Leprosie but Aaron is not because he was the Judge of Leprosie and could not be tainted with it Their sin causeth the Cloud of glory to depart as the sin of the golden Calf had done before there Aaron had a hand in the sin also Moses vindicated by God himself It is said They removed from Hazeroth and pitched in the wilderness of Paran ver 16. that is they marched and pitched in that wilderness see Chap. 10. 12. CHAP. XIII THEY are now come not very far from the South-point of the land of Canaan compare Ver. 26. and Deut. 1. 2 19. and Moses at the desire of the people Deut. 1. 22. sendeth twelve men to spy the land Sethur the man for the Tribe of Asher ver 13. his name is in number 666. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 666. and in signification hidden or mystical it is toward the end of the year Stilo veteri when they search the land for grapes and figs are then ripe vers 20. CHAP. XIV THE decree and oath in Gods anger that they should not enter into his rest cometh forth and beginneth to seize upon some of them for the ten men that caused the people to murmur died by the plague as they were forty days in searching the land so the people must wander forty years ere they came to enjoy it that is eight and thirty years and an half to make up the year and half that had passed since their coming out of Egypt to be forty and in that time must all the men that were numbred at Sinai the Levites excepted be consumed in the wilderness and here is mans age cut short again as it had been at the Flood and building of Babel PSAL. XC UPON this sad decree of God against the people and upon his cutting short mans age Moses maketh the nintieth Psalm whose proper order is coincident with this story and there sadly sheweth how they were consumed by Gods anger for their impieties that now mans age is come to seventy or eighty years from those hundreds that men lived before c. CHAP. XV. XVI XVII XVIII XIX World 2516 Moses 83 Redemption from Egypt 3 THE place where the people murmured upon the return of the spies was Kadesh Barnea Numb 13. 26. 32. 8. Deut. 1. 19. This place was called Rithmah before Numb 33. 18. compared with Numb 12. 16. 13. 26. and it may be it was so called from the Juniper-trees that grew there as 1 Kings 19. 4. but now named Kadesh because the Lord was there sanctified upon the people as Chap. 20. 13. and Barnea or the wandering son because here was the decree made of their long
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
examples of this nature Let a third Decad also be added that nothing may be left unsaid in this matter giving examples of the parts of the phrase distinctly and by themselves 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Maimon Mamrim cap. 2. The things which they bound not that they might make a hedg to the Law 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k k k k k k Id. in Hameâ—s Matsah cap. 1. The Scribes bound the leaven 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l l l l Id. ibid. cap. 5. They neither punished nor bound unless concerning the leaven it self 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m m m m m m Id. ib. cap. 9. The wise men bound the eating of leaven from the beginning of the sixth hour of the day of the Passover 5. n n n n n n Hieros Avod Zarah fol. 39. 2 R. Abhu saith R. Gamaliel ben Rabbi asked me What if I should go into the Market 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I bound it him 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Maimon Mamrim cap. 2. The Sanhedrin which looseth two things let it not hasten to loose three 2. p p p p p p Tanchum fol. 1. 3. R. Iochanan saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They necessarily loose saluting on the Sabbath 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q q q q q q Id. fol. 74. 3. The wise men loose all oyls or all fat things 4. r r r r r r Schabb. cap. 1. Hal. 5. The School of Shammai saith They do not steep ink colours and vetches on the Eve of the Sabbath unless they be steeped before the day be ended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the School of Hillel looseth it Many more such like instances occur there 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s s s s s s Hieros Schab fol. 3. 1. R. Meir loosed the mixing of wine and oyl to anoint a sick man on the Sabbath To these may be added if need were the frequent shall I say or infinite use of the phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bound and Loosed which we meet with thousands of times over But from these allegations the Reader sees abundantly enough both the frequency and the common use of this phrase and the sense of it also namely first that it is used in Doctrine and in Judgments concerning things allowed or not allowed in the Law Secondly that to bind is the same with to forbid or to declare forbidden To think that Christ when he used the common phrase was not understood by his hearers in the common and vulgar sense shall I call it a matter of laughter or of madness To this therefore do these words amount When the time was come wherein the Mosaic Law as to some part of it was to be abolished and left off and as to another part of it was to be continued and to last for ever he granted Peter here and to the rest of the Apostles Chap. XVIII v. 18. a power to abolish or confirm what they thought good and as they thought good being taught this and led by the Holy Spirit as if he should say Whatsoever ye shall bind in the law of Moses that is forbid it shall be forbidden the Divine Authority confirming it and whatsoever ye shall loose that is permit or shall teach that it is permitted and lawful shall be lawful and permitted Hence they Bound that is forbad Circumcision to the Believers eating of things offered to Idols of things strangled and of blood for a time to the Gentiles and that which they bound on earth was confirmed in Heaven They loosed that is allowed Purification to Paul and to four other Brethren for the shunning of scandal Act. XXI 24. and in a word by these words of Christ it was committed to them the Holy Spirit directing that they should make Decrees concerning Religion as to the use or rejection of Mosaic Rites and Judgments and that either for a time or for ever Let the words be applied by way of Paraphrase to the matter that was transacted at present with Peter I am about to build a Gentile Church saith Christ and to thee O Peter do I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven that thou maist first open the door of faith to them but if thou askest by what Rule that Church is to be governed when the Mosaic Rule may seem so improper for it thou shalt be so guided by the Holy Spirit that whatsoever of the Law of Moses thou shalt forbid them shall be forbidden whatsoever thou grantest them shall be granted and that under a sanction made in Heaven Hence in that instant when he should use his Keys that is when he was now ready to open the Gate of the Gospel to the Gentiles Act. X. he was taught from Heaven that the consorting of the Jew with the Gentile which before had been bound was now loosed and the eating of any Creature convenient for food was now loosed which before had been bound and he in like manner looses both these Those words of our Saviour Joh. XX. 23. Whose sins ye remit they are remitted to them for the most part are forced to the same sense with these before us when they carry quite another sense Here the business is of Doctrine only not of Persons there of Persons not of Doctrine Here of things lawful or unlawful in Religion to be determined by the Apostles there of persons obstinate or not obstinate to be punished by them or not to be punished As to Doctrine the Apostles were doubly instructed 1. So long sitting at the feet of their Master they had imbided the Evangelical Doctrine 2. The Holy Spirit directing them they were to determine concerning the Legal Doctrine and practice being compleatly instructed and enabled in both by the Holy Spirit descending upon them As to the Persons they were endowed with a peculiar gift so that the same spirit directing them if they would retain and punish the sins of any a power was delivered into their hands of delivering to Satan of punishing with diseases plagues yea death it self which Peter did to Anâ—â—ias and Saphira Paul to Elymas Hymeneus and Philâ—tus c. CHAP. XVII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And was Transfigured WHEN Christ was Baptized being now ready to enter upon his Evangelical Priesthood he is sealed by a heavenly voice for the High Priest and is anointed with the Holy Spirit as the High Priests were wont to be with holy oyl In his Transfiguration he is sealed for the High Priest for mark 1. How two of the greatest Prophets Moses and Elias resort to him 2. How to those words This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased which also were heard from Heaven at his Baptism is added that Clause Hear ye him which compare with the words of Moses concerning a Prophet to be raised up by God Deut. XVIII 19. Whosoever shall
Ibid. fol. 33. 2. R. Eliezer ben Jose saith In this thing have I accused the Samaritan Books of falsisying and I said unto them ye have falsisied your Law and gained nothing by it for you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the plain of Moreh which is Sichem For we confess that the plain of Moreh is Sichem The Samaritan Text in Deut. XI 30. hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the plain of Moreh near Sichem but no such thing in Gen. XII 6. is added If the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Sepulchre did not lay some obstacle in the way I should easily conceive that Stephen had his eye as intent if not more upon this place as upon the Cave of Macpelah It is not said that Abraham bought this place much less that he bought it for a burying place but however that he did buy it though not under that notion of a burying place seems probable because this was the first place in which he pitcht his Tent and built an Altar all which he would hardly have done upon another mans ground It is said of Jacob that he bought a parcel of ground where he had spread his Tent Gen. XXXIII 19. And why should we not think that Abraham did the same only it is not expressly said so of him as it is of Jacob. It might be no improper question here upon what conditions Abraham Isaac and Jacob fed their Cattel and maintained their Families in the land of Canaan Whether the places and fields they occupied were common and had no proper owner Whether Abraham not far from Sichem in the plain of Moreh in the disposal of himself and his flocks intruded upon an others possession or whether it was all champaign without any Lord It is probable it was neither one nor the other and therefore some third thing must be found out viz. that either they might purchase those lands or take them of the owners upon an agreed rent It is said of Abraham that he planted a Grove in Beersheba Gen. XXI 33. How came he to any right in that piece of land Had that place no Lord no Prince no owner till he came If it had any Lord or owner which is most probable then it is easie apprehending how Abraham might come by the possession of it viz. by some sum of money though there is no mention made of it However whether Abraham bought the plain of Moreh or no it is very evident from the words of the Protomartyr that the Patriarchs were buried in that place where he in his very first entry upon that land had made his abode where he had received the first promise of the land by vision and where he erected his first Altar and I cannot believe but that either St. Stephen or St. Luke would in this their short way of speaking revive the memory of some such thing viz. that the Patriarchs were buried in that very same place where Abraham had made his first abode where he had received the first promise of the land yet that they did not possess that land any otherwise than in their graves VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When he was full forty years old THE Martyr speaks agreeably with that whole Nation e e e e e e Beresh rabba fol. 115. 3. Moses was forty years in Pharaohs Court and forty years in Midian and forty years he served Israel Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai exercised Merchandize forty years was learning the Law forty years and forty years he ministred to Israel R. Akibah was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an illiterate person forty years he bent himself to study forty years and forty years he ministred to Israel f f f f f f Vid. Et Shemoth rabba fol. 118. 3. VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood c. MOSES was endowed with a spirit of Prophesie even in Pharaohs Court to which that passage may refer that he was mighty in words and in deeds and knew himself designed to redeem Israel out of Egypt and so he thought that people conceived of him too For they could not but know the story of his miraculous preservation in his infancy his Providential education in a Prince's Court and especially the apparent signs of a Prophetick spirit in him Which though Moses himself speaks nothing of yet doth Stephen relate it not without good authority and the consent of his Country-men who all suppose Moses miraculously born and as wonderfully saved in the Ark of Bulrushes namely that he was conceived when his mother was an hundred and thirty years of age brought forth without any of the pangs of childbirth and born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt for prophesying g g g g g g Sotah fol. 12. 1. Note by the way how that fiction of Josephus h h h h h h Antiq. lib. 2. cap. ◠concerning Pharaoh's putting his Crown upon the head of the child Moses and his throwing it to the ground is told also by the Jewish Rabbins i i i i i i Shemoth rabb fol. 118. 3. only with this variation that Moses himself took the Crown from Pharaoh's head and put it upon his own VERS XLII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices c. KImchi upon this place of Amos speaks out what the Jewish Schools think in this matter by a passage taken out of Bab. Chagigah k k k k k k Fol. 6. ◠There is a Tradition concerning the daily sacrifice made in mount Sinai R. Eliezer saith that there were rules indeed given concerning it on mount Sinai but the sacrifice it self was not offered R. Akibah saith it was offered and from that time hath not ceased But what do I prove in these words Have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness O ye house of Israel viz. the Tribe of Levi that had not committed Idolatry they offered but Israel did not offer And in those words the children of Israel kept the Passover in its time seems to be some reproach reflected upon Israel as hinting that they had observed no Passover in the wilderness but that It is most certain that Sacrifices were offered in the striking of the Covenant Exod. XXIV in the Consecration of the Altar and the Tabernacle and in the celebration of that Passover and this was all done in Sinai before the fatal decree past of their not entring the land But it may not without reason be suspected that though the daily Sacrifice were continued after that time for we find live-coals upon the Altar Numb XVI 46. and it is not to be thought that fire would be perpetually burning on the Altar to no purpose But Gods complaint seems to be about the free-will offerings that they ceased and that
the very first day of the month as is more probable The reason therefore why the story of the institution of it is laid after this plague is because the Holy Ghost would handle that matter of the Passover all at once and though the command for it and the observation of it fell at some days distance yet hath he brought both together and handled the story of its institution at that time when fell out the story of its observation namely on the fourteenth day CHAP. X. from Vers. 21. to the end And XI all And XII from Vers. 21. to the end THE plague of Darkness for three days In it the Egyptians saw the apparition of Devils and evil Spirits and in the time of this Darkness the Israelites are circumcised Moses on the Passover day morning giveth warning to Pharaoh of the death of the first-born on the fourteenth day in the morning he giveth charge for preparation of the Passover against even which is accordingly done and the Passover kept At midnight all the first-born of Egypt are slain and Israel even driven out by the Egyptians CHAP. XIII XIV XV. XVI XVII World 2514 Moses 81 Redemption from Egypt 1 THE command for observing the Passover renewed and a command for dedicating the first-born given The cloud of glory is their conductor their march was measured by these times On the fifteenth day of Nisan even while it was yet night they began their march and go out in the sight of all Egypt while they are burying their dead this day they go from Rameses to Succoth The sixteenth day they come to the edge of the wilderness of Etham the Red-sea pointeth so into this wilderness that before they pass through the Red-sea they are in the wilderness of Etham and when they are passed through they are in it again The wilderness of Etham and Shur are one and the same see Numb 33. 7 8. and compare Exod. 15. 22. On the seventeenth day they come to Hiroth On the eighteenth day it is told Pharaoh that the people fled for till their third days march they went right for Horeb according as they had desired to go three days journey to sacrifice but when they turned out of that way toward the Red-sea then Pharaoh hath intelligence that they intended to go some whither else then whither they asked to go thereupon he and Egypt prepair to pursue them for their Jewels and their Servants On the nineteenth day they pursue On the twentieth day towards even they overtake them and Israel entereth the Sea and by break of day are all marched through and the Egyptians drowned On the one and twentieth day of the moneth in the morning betime they came out of the Sea this was the last holy day of the Passover week they sung for their delivery and after three days march they come to Marah and from thence to Elim and there they pitch divers days On the fifteenth day of the month Ijar they come to the wilderness of Zin murmur for bread as they had done at Marah for water and they have Quails sent them and Manna The Sabbath now first mentioned but not now first commanded in Egypt they had neglected the Sabbath since their coming thence they had marched on it now a rule is given for its constant observation The people murmur a fourth time and it is for water which they obtain out of the rock but are scourged by Amalek for their repining Amalek conquered by Moses his prayer CHAP. XIX THE eighteenth Chapter that containeth the story of Jethro is anticipated and is to be taken in at the tenth of Numbers betwixt the tenth and eleventh Verses and the reason of this dislocation and proof of the order shall be shewed there On the first day of Sivan Israel cometh to Sinai On the second day Moses called by the Lord goeth up into the Mount talketh with God and when he cometh down relateth the words of the Lord unto the people On the third day he goeth up and relateth the peoples answer unto God On the fourth and fifth day he sanctifieth the people and boundeth the mountain CHAP. XX. XXI XXII XXIII XXIV World 2514 Moses 81 Redemption from Egypt 1 ON the sixth day of the moneth Sivan in the morning the Ten Commandments are given by Christ with such terror that the people are not able to abide it but desire Moses to be a Mediator he drawing near to God in the thick darkness receiveth seven and fifty Precepts Ceremonial and Judicial which when he cometh down from the Mount he telleth the people of and writeth in a book On the next day which was the seventh day of the month Sivan in the morning he buildeth an altar to represent Christ and setteth up twelve pillars to represent the twelve Tribes and with blood besprinkled upon both he bringeth the people into covenant with God after the making of which covenant the elders of Israel that before might not come near the Lord now see him and eat and drink before him and he layeth not his avenging hand on them And from among them he calleth Moses up into the Mount to himself and he goeth up and from hence he beginneth his forty days fast which upon occasions he doubleth yea trebleth and concludeth his third or last fast on that day which was from thence forward ordained the day of expiation CHAP. XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI WHile Moses is in the Mount with God he sheweth him a Tabernacle pitched with all the utensils of it and a Priest arrayed in all his habiliments and giveth him charge and instructions to make another according to that pattern and appointeth Bezaleel and Aholiah for chief work-men CHAP. XXXII XXXIII XXXIV MOses on the seventeenth day of the month Tammuz cometh down from the Mount and findeth a golden Calf breaketh it and breaketh the two Tables for whereas God had given him the two Tables written at the end of his first forty days fast Moses brake those Tables at the sight of the golden Calf to shew that Israel had made themselves unworthy of so great a Jewel and whereas the Lord had given him a pattern and a command for the making and setting up of a Tabernacle and the service of it that benefit is also forfeited by their calvish Idolatry and neither Tables restored nor Tabernacle to be made till Moses by long and earnest prayer had made Israels peace Moses having destroyed the golden calf and slain the Idolaters returns the next day to God by prayer but is returned back the same day with a sad message whereupon Israel is humbled the tent of Moses which hitherto had been in stead of a Tabernacle is removed out of the unclean camp and then the cloud of glory which had been taken away because of Idolatry is restored The next day Moses goeth up to the Mount again and falleth into a second forty days fast and as in his first forty days fast he
bloods in the plural number That is not of the kindred descent or continued Pedegree from the Patriarchal line or the blood of Abraham Isaac Jacob and successively For John the Evangelist speaketh much to the same tenor here that John the Baptist doth Mat. 3. 9. That Christ would adopt the Heathen for the Sons of God as the Jews had been though they had no relation at all to the Jewish blood or stock Nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man The Evangelist hath traced Moses all along from the beginning of the Chapter and so he doth here He used the Phrase of the Sons of God in the Verse preceding from Gen. 6. 2. And this Clause that we have in hand he seemeth to take from the very next Verse after My Spirit shall no more strive with man because he also is flesh Where as Moses by flesh understandeth the brood of Cain men that followed the swing of lust sensuality and their own corruption and by Man the Family of Seth or Adam that was regulated by Religion and reason till that Family grew also fleshly like the other so doth John here the like For having in the next foregoing words excluded one main thing that was much stood upon from any claim or challenge towards the adopting of the Sons of God or forwarding of the new birth and that is descent from Abraham and from those holy men successively that had the promise So doth he here as much for two other which only can put in for title to the same and those are first the will of the flesh or ability of nature Secondly the will of man or power of morality Ver. 14. And the word became Flesh Now hath the Evangelist brought us to the Apollinaris from this clause the word became flesh would wickedly conclude that the word assumed not an humane soul but only humane flesh and that the Godhead served that flesh instead of a reasonable soul Conâ—uted Luke 5. 52. Mat. 26. 38. great Mystery of the Incarnation in the description of which may be observed First the two terms the word and Flesh expressing Christs two natures and the word was made or became their hypostatical union Secondly the word flesh is rather used by the Evangelist then the word man though oftentimes they signifie but the same thing as Gen. 6. 12. Psal. 65. 2. Isa. 40. 5 6. First to make the difference and distinction of the two natures in Christ the more conspicuous and that according to the common speech of the Jews who set flesh and blood in opposition to God as Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 1. 16. Secondly to magnifie the mercy of God in Christs incarnation the more in that flesh being in its own nature so far distant from the nature of God yet that he thus brought these two natures together as of them to make but one person for the reconciling of man and himself together Thirdly to confirm the truth of Christs humanity against future Heresies which have held that he had not a true and real humane body but only Fantastical or of the air Fourthly to explain what he said before that Believers became the Sons of God that is not by any change of their bodily substances but by participation of divine grace for Christ on the contrary became the Son of Man by assuming of flesh and not by changing into it Fifthly to shew the Plaister fitly applyed unto the Sore and the Physick to the Disease for whereas in us that is in our flesh there dwelleth no good but sin death and corruption he took upon him this very nature which we have so corrupted sequestring only the corruption from it that in the nature he might heal the corruption Sixthly he saith he was made or became flesh and not he was made man lest it should be conceived that Christ assumed a person for he took not the person of any man in particular but the nature of man in general Was made flesh Not by alteration but assumption not by turning of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God not by leaving what he was before that is to be God but by taking on him what he was not before that is to bo man And the Evangelist saith rather He was made flesh then he assumed it i. e. that he might set out the truth and mystery of the Incarnation to the life both for the hypostatical union of the two natures and their inseparablity being so united For first whereas Nestorius said that the word was not that man that was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary but that the Virgin indeed brought forth a man and he having obtained grace in all kind of vertue had the word of God united unto him which gave him power against unclean Spirits And so he made two several Sons and two several persons of the two natures his Heresie is plainly and strongly confuted by this phrase he was made flesh which by the other he assumed it might have had more pretext and colour Secondly whereas Eutyches Valentius and others averred that Christ had not a true humane body but only a body in appearance This also confuteth them home and taketh away all probability of any such thing which the word assumed might have left more doubtful since we know that Angels assumed bodies and those bodies were not truly humane So that in this manner of speech The word was made flesh is evidently taught First that there are two distinct natures in Christ the God-head and the Man-hood for he saith not the word was turned into but was made or became flesh Secondly that these two natures do not constitute two persons but only one Christ for he saith he was made flesh and not assumed it Thirdly that this union is hypostatical or personal for he saith the word was made flesh and not joyned to it And lastly that this union is indissoluble and never to be separated For Angels in assumed bodies laid them by again and were parted from them but the word being made flesh the union is personal and not to be dissolved And dwelt among us c. That is among us his Disciples for so the next clause we saw his glory importeth And this Evangelist speaketh the same thing more at large 1 Joh. 1. 1. Full of grace and truth For these words follow next in Grammatical construction and connection lying thus And the word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth The reason of the Parenthesis and we saw his glory may seem to be First because he would explain what he meant by Us before he left it viz. us Disciples that saw his glory Secondly because the Apostles beheld not the very fulness of his grace and truth till they had beheld the fulness of that glory which he shewed on earth Grace and truth As the Soul hath tow noble faculties the understanding and the will the objects of which are
that they thereupon might the more confidently confirm the people And hereupon it is observable that while the Baptist was at liberty our Saviour contented himself with his testimony and preaching but when he was shut up then instantly chose he others Now if any doubt of the possibility of this and question how could John see and hear these things and the other company that was present not do so as well as he The answer may be readily given by example of Elishaes servant 2 King 6. 17. and the two men that went to Emmaus Luke 24. For the mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of fire and Elisha perceived them but his servant did not till his eyes were opened in a more special manner And Christ it is like was in the same shape and appearance upon the way when they knew him not that he was in the house when they did but till then their eyes were holden Yet if any one will suppose that the people saw the slashing of the opened Heaven and heard the noise of the voice that came from thence and took the one for lightning and the other for thunder as John 12. 29. we will not oppose it for now was the season of the year fit for lightning and thunder but that either they saw the Holy Ghost or distinguished the words of the voice any more then Pauls companions did Act. 9. 7. compared with Act. 22. 9. the reasons alledged do inforce to deny till better information Matth. 3. vers 16. And he saw the Spirit of God The Syntax and construction of Mark doth tye and fix these words He saw only to our Saviour as it did those before and both for the reason mentioned namely to shew the return and answer of his prayer But these words of Matthew are not so strict but that they may equally be applied unto John For first there may be observed a distinction in the verse and a kind of difference of speech betwixt what goeth before about the opening of the Heavens and this sight of the Holy Ghost For of that he speaketh thus And Jesus being baptized went straightway out of the water and lo the Heavens were opened unto him And then cometh he on with a distinct clause concerning the other And he saw the Spirit of God descending leaving it at the least in an indifferency whether to apply it to Christ or John But secondly it seemeth rather to be understood of John because he saith himself that this descending of the Holy Ghost was given to him for a sign and that he saw it and if it be not to be so taken here none of the three Evangelists have mentioned it in the story at all And thirdly the rather may it be taken of Johns seeing it because he saith He saw him descending and coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon him Had it been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon himself it must needs have been understood of Christ upon whom the Spirit came that he saw the Spirit coming upon himself but since it i◠upon him without any reciprocation it may be the better applied to John that he saw it It is true indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifieth reciprocally himself as our Lexicons do give examples and as it is of force to be taken in Saint Mark in this place like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes doth not signifie reciprocally as in the LXX in Judg. 7. 24. But why should we take the word out of its commonest and properest sense unless there were necessity to do it which in Matthew there is not though in Mark there be Fourthly and lastly These words he saw being understood of John it maketh that the three Evangelists being laid together the relation ariseth out of them the more full and the story more plain For Luke telling that the Heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended Mark addeth that Jesus saw this and Matthew that John Matth. 3. ver 16. The Spirit of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in the beginning of the old world and so doth it here of the new It is needless to instance how oft in Scripture the Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of God as Gen. 41. 38. Exod. 31. 3. Numb 24. 2. and very many other places but it is most necessary to observe that wheresoever he is so called it is in the Hebrew the Spirit of Elohim in the plural number and sheweth his proceeding from more persons then one Contrary to the opinion of the Greek Church that holdeth that the Holy Ghost proceedeth not from the Father and the Son but from the Father only Luke 3. ver 22. The Holy Ghost As he is called the Spirit not so much in regard of his own nature as in regard of his manner of proceeding so also is he called Holy not so much in respect of his person for the Father and Son are Spirits and are holy as well as he but in regard of his Work and Office which is to sanctifie the Church of God And in this respect he is called by the Hebrews not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Spirit onely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruahh hakkodesh the Spirit of Holiness for this phrase the Holy Ghost is taken from the common speech of the Jews And so is he called by Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 4. and so doth the Syrian call him Rubba dekudsha in this place §. The Holy Ghost descended This descending of the Holy Ghost was first partly for the sake of John for this token had been given him when he first began to preach and baptize whereby to know Christ when he should come Joh. 1. 33. Secondly Partly for Christ that he might thus receive his Consecration and Institution for the Office that he was now to enter upon the Preaching of the Gospel This was as his anointing to instal him into his Function as Aaaron and his Sons were with material oyl to enter them into theirs as Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me therefore hath he anointed me he hath sent me to Preach the Gospel And Thirdly Partly for the business and matter that was now to go in hand namely Christ beginning to preach accordingly For First The Gospel is the Spiritual Kingdom and Scepter of Christ in and by which he was to rule all Nations for ever and therefore it was agreeable that the Spiritualness of that should be sealed and confirmed by the Holy Spirits shewing himself even in the beginning of it The carnal rites of Moses were now to vanish and his Corporal and Ceremonial observances to be changed into a Spiritual Worship and neither at Jerusalem nor at mount Gerizim nor elsewhere must there be any more adoration with fleshly and earthly Ceremoniousness but he that will worship God must worship him in Spirit as Joh. 4. 21. Therefore it is no wonder if
coming nearest to creating and therefore when the power of miracles was first given the first that was wrought was transforming Exod. 4. 3. And such a one was the first that was wrought by our Saviour John 2. 9. The Devil therefore assaying Christ in a work of wonder tryeth him in one of this nature and when he cannot move him to shew his power upon another Creature in Changing the form of it in this temptation he seeketh in the next to move him to shew his power upon his own body in altering the quality of it and making it fly Now to enquire what sins they were that the Devil would have perswaded him to in this temptation in turning stones into bread whether to gluttony or distrust of providence or what else is not so material and pertinent as to consider why he tryed him first by such a manner of temptation And the satisfaction to this is facil and obvious namely 1. because he took advantage of his present hungring And 2. because he had sped so successfully to his own mind by a temptation about a matter of eating with the first Adam he practiseth that old manner of his trading with the second Ver. 4. It is written This is the first speech that proceeded from our Saviours mouth since his entrance into his Ministerial function that is upon record and though it be very short yet is it very material for observation of these things 1. That the first word spoken by Christ in his ministerial office is an assertion of the authority of Scripture 2. That he opposeth the word of God as the properest incounterer against the words of the Devil 3. That he alledgeth Scripture as a thing undeniable and uncontrolable by the Devil himself 4. That he maketh the Scripture his rule though he had the fulness of the Spirit above measure § Man shall not live by bread only but c. He doth most properly and divinely produce this place of Moses Deut. 8. 3. it being a Lesson which the Lord had read to Israel when they had fallen into and in a temptation not much unlike to this that Satan would have tript Christ in at this time Now the sense of the Text alledged is somewhat controverted some take it to mean that man hath not only a life of the body to look after which is sustained by bread but also and rather a life of the soul which is supported by the Word of God And some again by the Word of God understand the Word of Doctrine others the Word of Gods power providence and decree as meaning that mans life doth not depend upon bread only but that God can support and sustain it by other means as he shall see fit Any of which carry a most proper and a most considerable truth along with them But the most facil interpretation of these words and the most agreeable to the context in Moses with which they lye is by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God to understand Gods commandments by the observing of which a man shall live prosper and it shall go well with him for to this sense the first verse of that Chapter in Deuteronomy speaketh All the commandments that I command thee this day shall ye observe to do that ye may live c. Now our Saviour retorteth this in this sense against the Devils temptation that incited him to have turned stones into bread 1. To shew that it was his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work as John 4. 34. And 2. that obedience of Gods commandments is more propely the way to live than by the use of the Creature Matth. 4. ver 5. Then the Devil taketh him up Here it is controverted whether this were done really and truly or only in vision and apparition And there be that assert the latter conceiving that Christ was brought no otherwise to the pinnacle of the Temple or to the high mountain than Jeremy went to Euphrates to hide his girdle Jer. 13. or Ezekiel slept on his right and left side c. Ezek. 4. or other things of this nature mentioned in Scripture which it is past all denial were done only in vision vid. Jansen in loc But that these transportings of our Saviour from place to place were really and actually done even in the body and not in vision may be strongly confirmed by these considerations 1. Otherwise they had been no temptations which the Evangelists tell plainly that they were For what had it been for Christ to have seen a thousand of such things as these in a vision and to have nothing more to do with them but only see them what temptation could this be to him 2. The next place that we hear Christ was in after the temptations were finished was beyond Jordan as shall be shewed in the next Section now it will be hard to find how he was got instantly after his temptations to the other side Jordan if he were not carryed thither in the next temptation after this that is now in hand For in the temptation before this he is in the wilderness of Judea in this temptation he is at Jerusalem on the top of the Temple and in the next on the top of an high mountain and the next tydings of him after is that he is beyond Jordan Now this taking him up was bodily and locally and really the Devil catching him up into the air and carrying him in the air to the battlements of the Temple and from thence in the next temptation to the high mountain And here may the Reader fix his meditations upon four or five material things very pertinent and profitable to consider of upon this passage As 1. the horrid impudency of the Tempter that cannot but suppose him the Son of God and yet dare assail him as the basest of men 2. The wonderful humiliation of the Redeemer that was even now proclaimed the Son of God from heaven and now is hurryed by the Devil in the face of heaven 3. The power of evil Spirits over mens bodies if they be permitted and let loose to execise their power upon them 4. The constant and continued providence shewed in our preservation that we are not hurryed away bodily by Satan every moment who is thus busie here even with our Redeemer who was the Son of God 5. That in all the Scripture there is no mention of the like story that the Devil ever thus carryed any man in the air unless he had first bodily possessed him For having first done so it is said of the poor wretch among the Gaderens That he was driven of the Devil into the Wilderness And so we have observed elsewhere that it is probable that the Devil took Judas into the air and there strangled him and threw him down to the earth and burst out his bowels for the Devil was bodily in him before but for one not possessed to be so transported
Thirdly To the Holy Ghost compare Esay 6. 8 9 10. with Act. 28. 25 26. For he is the Spirit of Truth and giver of being to the promise The name Jehovah and the significancy of it to the utmost did the holy Fathers know before Moses But they saw not experience of the last signification named namely the faithfulness of God in his promise made to Abraham concerning his delivery of his seed from bondage and bringing them into a Land flowing with milk and honey God gave them the promise by the name of El Shaddai God Omnipotent and they relied upon his omnipotency because he that promised was able to perform but they beheld it afar of and tasted not of my performance of it but now will I shew my self Jehovah faithful to bring to pass and accomplish what I promised SECTION XI Putiel Exod. 6. 25. MANY and the most of them far fetcht notations are given upon this name and when all is said of it that can be said the last resolution lieth but in a conjecture and then may we guess as well as others Eliezer married his wife in Egypt and of the Egyptian Idiom doth this name of her Father seem as probably to sound as of any other Now among the Egyptian names or titles these two things may be observed First That among them Gentry Nobility and Royalty seem to have been denoted and distinguished by these increasing Syllables Phar Phara and Phara-oh The Gentry by Phar as Poti-phar a Captain Gen. 41. 45. The Nobility by Phara as Poti-phara a Prince Gen. 41. 45. And Majesty by Phara-oh the common name of all their Kings There was another title of dignity given to the Governour of the Jews in Alexandria in that Land in after times namely Alabarcha as is to be seen in Josephus which though he and others would derive from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salt yet since we are yet to seâ—k for the latter part of the word it may as probably be conceived to be compounded of the Article All so common in the Arabick tongue and Abrech which hath relation to dignity and honour Exod. 41. 43. Secondly The Egyptians delighted to affix or joyn to their names and titles the word Poti or Puti whether in memorial of their Uncle Put Gen. 10. 6. or in reverence of some Diety of that name or for what else is not so easily resolved as it may be conceived they did the thing by the names forecited Potiphar and Potiphara and of the same nature seemeth to be Putiel the word that is now in hand This Putiel therefore may seem to have been some convert Egyptian imagine him to have been of the posterity of Puti-phera among whom Joseph had sowed the seeds of true Religion who changing his Idolatry and irreligiousness for the worship of the true God did also change the latter part of his name Phera into the name of that God which he now professed and instead of Puti-phera to be called Puti-el The best resolution as was said before that can be given in this point can be but conjectures and in a matter of this nature it is as excusable if we err as difficult to hit a right SECTION XII Of Moses words Glory over me Exod. 8. 9. THE Plagues of Egypt began answerable to their sins the waters wherein the childrens blood had been shed and they poor souls sprawled for life are now turned into blood and sprawle with Frogs The former Plague of blood was not so smart as the other of Frogs for by digging they found fresh water and so had that remedy against that Plague But they had none against the Frogs for they came into every place and seised upon all the victuals that lay in their way and devoured them nay they spared not to raven upon men themselves Therefore the Psalmist saith Frogs destroyed them Yet for all this doth Pharaoh make but a mock at Jehovah in all this his doing and scornfully and in derision bids Moses and Aaron try what Jehovah could do for the removing of them To whom Moses answers Glory over me mock me hardly with my Jehovah yet appoint when I shall pray and I will pray that thou mayest know that there is none like my Jehovah And Pharaoh appoints him the next day for his prayer which he would never have put off so long had he in earnest thought that Jehovah could have removed them upon Moses prayer SECTION XIII The Plague of Lice The speech of the Sorcerers This is the finger of God Exod. 8. 19. not a confession of the Lord but an hideous and horrid blasphemy AT the Plague of Lice the Sorcerers are put to a non-plus and in the least creature can do nothing for besides that it was the will of God to bring their devices to nought and to shew himself maximum in minimis if they should have imitated this miracle they must have done two things first they must have produced dust and then of the dust Lice for the Text saith That all the dust of the Land became Lice throughout all the Land of Egypt vers 17. Neither of which they can do and therefore say This is the finger of God For the understanding of these their words observe these things First That in the two foregoing Plagues of blood and Frogs Moses gave warning of them before they came but of this he did not Secondly That the Lice were also in the land where Israel dwelt as well as in other parts of Egypt for there is no severing betwixt Goshen and Egypt mentioned till the next Plagues of Flies In that day I will sever the Land of Goshen in which my people dwell And I will put a division between my people and thy people vers 22 23. whereas none had been put before For when Moses turned the waters of Egypt into blood the Sorcerers did so also with their inchantments and turned the waters of Goshen into blood likewise Here Pharaoh thinketh his Sorcerers have matched the Jehovah that Moses so talked of and that they could do as much against his people as he could do against theirs And so when Moses from Jehovah brought Frogs upon Egypt the Magitians also by their inchantments bring Frogs likewise upon Goshen and still they think their God is hard enough for Israels Jehovah Thus is blood and Frogs through all the Land of Goshen but neither were these real Blood or Frogs nor was this any punishment at all upon Israel for it was not from the Lord but only vain delusions permitted by the Lord that at last he might catch the crafty in their own net But when the Plague of Lice cometh it cometh also upon Goshen from the Lord himself and this is a Plague indeed upon his own people laid upon them by him as well as upon Egypt For Israel that had partaken in so many of Egypts sins must also think to partake in some of her punishments For this it is why the man of God in
man and yet so good and so St. Gregory saith his Country is purposely named that the goodness of the man may be the more illustrated His times may be picked by the genealogy of himself and his friends that come to see him And God in the first and second Chapter saith that there was not a man on earth like him for goodness which is a sign that Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Joseph were not alive nor Moses but in the times 'twixt Joseph and Moses Israel corrupt themselves with Egyptian Idols and in Israel the likeliest place to find a good man in is not one to be found like Job Thus when Israel idolizes and the Church begins to fail in Jacob God hath one in Arabia that hath a little Church in his house It is not amiss for every one for his more watchfulness to mark that Satan knows Job as soon as ever God speaks of him When the Angels appear before God Satan the Devil is among them So When the Disciples are with Christ Judas a Devil is among them Pharoah in Egypt is afflicted by God His afflictions harden him against God Job in Arabia is afflicted by the Devil His afflictions harden him against the Devil Jobs Children feasting overwhelmed by an house The Philistins sporting overwhelmed by an house Judg. 16. Job is afflicted as the souldiers 2 King 1. by fire As the Ziklagites 1 Sam. 30. by Captivity As the Egyptians with loss of Children Exod. 12. And as the Egyptians with boils Exod. 9. And which was not his least cross like Adam with an ill counselling wife Job hath three with him when he is changed by affliction So Christ hath three with him when he is changed in transfiguration which three as they were by Christ when Moses and Elias Law and Prophesie told him in the mount of his departing which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Luke 9. 31. So these three were with him when he began to accomplish these things Matth. 26. 37. CHAP. LV. Egyptians Deities ex Athenae Deipn Lib. 7. ANaxandrides in his book of Cities turning his speech to the Egyptians saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus does one Heathen Idolater deride another because he worships as the other thinks the more ridiculous Deities The very Heathen could deride and scoff at their vain gods Dionysius was most notorious this way and knavish in this kind was the Painter who when he should have drawn the picture of such a goddess for a Grecian City to worship he drew the portraiture of his own sweet-heart and so made her to be adored And indeed what man could have held laughing to have seen as my Poet saith here an Egyptian on his maribones adoring a Dog or praying to an Ox or especially to see him mourning and howling over a sick Cat fearing lest his scratching God should die CHAP. LVI Of the Law broken by Adam THE Law was Adams lease when God made him tenent of Eden The conditions of which bond when he kept not he forfeited himself and all us God read a lecture of the Law to him before he fell to be * * * The Jews in their writings use this phrase frequently for the Law as in Pirke Ahhoth a hedge to him to keep him in Paradise but when Adam would not keep within compass this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate to keep him and his posterity out Adam heard as much in the garden as Israel did at Sinai but only in fewer words and without thunder The Law came more gently to him before his fall but after his fall comes the thunder with it Adam at one clap breaks both the Tables and all the Commandments 1. He chose him another god when he followed the Devil 2. He idolized and deified his own belly as the Apostles phrase is his belly he made his god 3. He took the name of God in vain when he believed him not 4. He kept not the rest and estate wherein God had set him 5. He dishonoured his Father which was in Heaven therefore his days were not long in that land which the Lord his god had given him 6. He massacred himself and all his posterity 7. From Eve he was Virgin but in eyes and mind he committed spiritual fornication 8. He stole that like Achan which God had set aside not to be medled with and this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel the whole world 9. He bare witness against God when he believed the witness of the Devil above him 10. He coveted an ill covetousness like Amnon which cost him his life and all his progeny What a nest of evils here were committed at one blow The pride of heart and desire of more knowledge like Hamans ambition overthrew us This sin was hatched in Heaven by the wicked Angels but thrown out with them and never will come in there again Hence is this sin so lofty because it affects its first nest It is not for nothing that Blessed are the poor in spirit are the first words in Christs Sermon Matth. 5. 3. but because the proud in spirit were the first sinners CHAP. LVII Of the Law given at Sinai WHEN Israel is got from the hard service of Egypt God binds them apprentise to a new Master himself Their Indentures he draws upon Mount Sinai a place where Moses before had kept a flock of sheep now he keeps a troop of men In the Delivery of the Law there if you will stand with Israel in your place you may consider many passages CHAP. LVIII Why the Law was published then and not before AT Sinai was delivered no new thing the Law in some kind was known before Sacrifice was used by Adam in the garden when the body of the beasts went for an offering for his soul and the skins for a covering for his body Cain and Abel learn this part of worship from their father The division of clean and unclean beasts is known to Noah when they come to him for their lives as they had done to Adam for their names Abraham when God made a * * * So says the Geneva Bible in marg but Rab. Solomon long before saith thus It is the custom of those that make covenants to divide beasts into two parts and pass between the parts as Jer. 24. 18. And God passes between these in this smoking furnace and fire brand for making covenants in like kinds Homer speaks near this covenant with him Genesis 15. Divides and divides not his beasts and fowls just as God commands Lev. 1. 6. 17. and so of the rest Fathers could teach their Children these things as they themselves had learned them of their Fathers But when men began to multiply and multitude to be more wicked than would they not be so easily bridled by a Law whose author they knew no more of but their Fathers And when men lived but a short time in comparison of the first men and so could not
opens the way to a partaking of holy things in the Church and placeth the baptized within the Church over which God exerciseth a more singular providence than over those that are out of the Church And now from what hath been said let us argue a little in behalf of Infant baptism Omitting that argument which is commonly raised from the words before us namely that when Christ had commanded to baptize all nations Infants also are to be taken in as parts of the family These few things may be observed I. Baptism as a Sacrament is a seal of the Covenant And why I pray may not this seal be set on Infants The seal of Divine truth hath sometimes been set upon inanimate things and that by Gods appointment The Bow in the cloud is a seal of the Covenant The Law engraven on the Altar Josh. VIII was a seal of the Covenant The blood sprinkled on the twelve pillars that were set up to represent the twelve Tribes was a seal and bond of the Covenant Exod. XXIV And now tell me why are not Infants capable in like manner of such a sealing They were capable heretofore of circumcision and our Infants have an equal capacity The Sacrament doth not lose this its end through the indisposition of the receiver Peter and Paul Apostles were baptized their Baptism according to its nature sealed to them the truth of God in his promises concerning the washing away of sins c. And they from this doctrinal virtue of the Sacrament received confirmation of their faith So also Judas and Simon Magus hypocrites wicked men were baptized did not their Baptism according to the nature of it seal this doctrine and truth that there was a washing away of sins It did not indeed seal the thing it self to them nor was it at all a Sign to them of the washing away of theirs but Baptism doth in it self seal this doctrine You will grant that this Axiome is most true Abraham received the sign of circumcision the seal of the righteousness of faith And is not this equally true Esau Ahab Ahaz received the sign of circumcision the Seal of the righteousness of Faith Is not cirumcision the same to all Did not circumcision to whomsoever it was administred sign and seal this truth that there was a righteousness of Faith The Sacrament hath a sealing vertue in it self that doth not depend on the disposition of the receiver II. Baptism as a Sacrament is an obligation But now Infants are capable of being obliged Heirs are sometimes obliged by their Parents though they are not yet born See also Deut. XXIX 11 15. For that to which any one is obliged obtains a right to oblige ex aequitate rei from the equity of the thing and not ex captu obligati from the apprehension of the person obliged The Law is imposed upon all under this penalty Cursed be every one that doth not continue in all c. It is ill arguing from hence that a man hath power to perform the Law but the equity of the thing it self is very well argued hence Our duty obligeth us to every thing which the Law commands but we cannot perform the least tittle of it III. An infant is capable of priviledges as well as an old man and Baptism is privilegial An infant hath been crowned King in his cradle An infant may be made free who is born a slave The Gemarists speak very well in this matter z z z z z z Bab. Chetâ—bboth fol. 11. 1. Rabh Honna saith They baptize an infant Proselyte by the command of the Bench. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon what is this grounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On this that Baptism becomes a priviledge to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they may endow an absent person with a priviledge or they may bestow a priviledge upon one though he be ignorant of it Tell me then why an infant is not capable of being brought into the visible Church and receiving the distinguishing sign between a Christian and a Heathen as well as a grown person IV. One may add that an infant is part of his parent upon this account Gen. XVII 14. an infant is to be cut off if he be not circumcised when indeed the fault is his parents because thus the parents are punished in a part of themselves by the cutting off of their child And hence is that of Exod. XX. 5. Visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children because children are a part of their fathers c. From hence ariseth also a natural reason of infant Baptism The infants of baptized parents are to be baptized because they are part of them and that the whole parents may be baptized And upon this account they used of old with good reason to baptize the whole family the master of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In the name of the father c. I. Christ commands them to go and baptize the nations but how much time was past before such a journey was taken And when the time was now come that this work should be begun Peter doth not enter upon it without a previous admonition given him from heaven And this was occasioned hereby that according to the command of Christ the Gospel was first to be preached to Judea Samaria and Galilee II. He commands them to baptize In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost but among the Jews they baptized only in the name of Jesus which we have observed before from Act. II. 38. VIII 16. XIX 5. For this reason that thus the Baptizers might assert and the Baptized confess Jesus to be the true Messias which was chiefly controverted by the Jews Of the same nature is that Apostolic blessing Grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Where then is the Holy Ghost He is not excluded however he be not named The Jews did more easily consent to the Spirit of the Messias which they very much celebrate than to the person of the Messias Above all others they deny and abjure Jesus of Nazareth It belonged to the Apostles therefore the more earnestly to assert Jesus to be the Messias by how much the more vehemently they opposed him which being once cleared the acknowledging of the Spirit of Christ would be introduced without delay or scruple Moses in Exod. VI. 14. going about to reckon up all the Tribes of Israel goes no further than the Tribe of Levi only and takes up with that to which his business and story at that present related In like manner the Apostles for the present baptize in the name of Jesus bless in the name of the Father and of Jesus that thereby they might more firmly establish the doctrin of Jesus which met with such sharp and virulent opposition which doctrin being established among them they would soon agree about the Holy Ghost III. Among the Jews the controversie was about the true
They read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when in the original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet is not washed from its filthiness VERS LI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the time was come that he should be received up IT is a difficulty amongst some why there should be any mention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his receiving up when there is no mention of his death But let it be only granted that under that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is included the ascension of Christ and then the difficulty is solved The Evangelist seeming from thence to calculate Moses and Elias had spoken of his departure out of this world that is of his final departure when he took leave of it at his ascension into heaven And from thence forward till the time should come wherein he should be received up he stedfastly set his face toward Jerusalem resolving with himself to be present at all the Feasts that should precede his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or receiving up He goes therefore to the Feast of Tabernacles and what he did there we have it told us John VII After ten weeks or thereabout he went up to the Feast of Dedication Chap. XIII 22. and Joh. X. 22. and at length to the last Feast of all his own Passover Chap. XVII 11. VERS LII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into a Village of the Samaritans IT may be a question whether the Jews in their journeying to and from Jerusalem would ordinarily deign to lodge in any of the Samaritan Towns But if necessity should at any time compel them to betake themselves into any of their Inns we must know that nothing but their mere hatred to the Nation could forbid them For m m m m m m Hieros Avod Zarah fol. 44. 4. Their land was clean their waters were clean their dwellings were clean and their roads were clean So that there could be no offense or danger of uncleanness in their dwelling and so long as the Samaritans in most things came the nearest the Jewish Religion of all others there was less danger of being defiled either in their meats or beds or tables c. VERS LV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of WHat Elias once did to those of Samaria the Sons of Zebedee had an ambition to imitate in this place dreaming as it should seem that there were those thunders and lightnings in their very name Boanarges that should break out at pleasure for the death and destruction of those that provoked them But could you not see O ye Sons of Zebedee how careful and tender your master was from the very bottom of his soul about the lives and well-being of mankind How he healed the sick cured those that were possest with Devils and raised the dead and will you be breathing slaughter and fire and no less destruction to the Town than what had happened to Sodom Alas you do not know or have not considered what kind of spirit and temper becomes the Apostles of the Messiah VERS LX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the dead bury their dead THE Jews accounted of the Gentiles as no other than dead n n n n n n Chetubboth fol. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people of the earth that is the Gentiles do not live And as the Gentiles so even amongst themselves these four sorts are so esteemed o o o o o o Shemoth rabb fol. 123. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These four are accounted as dead the blind the leprose the poor and the childless CHAP. X. VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seventy WHY the Vulgar should have seventy and two they themselves I suppose are able to give no very good reason Much less the Interpreter of Titus Bostrensis when in the Greek Copy before him he saw only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why he should render Septuaginta duos seventy two who can tell Aben Ezra upon the story of Eldad and Medad a a a a a a Numb XI hath this passage The wise men say that Moses took six out of every tribe and the whole number amounted to seventy and two but whereas the Lord had commanded only seventy the odd two were laid aside Now if God laid aside two of those who had been enrolled and endowed with the Holy Spirit that so there might be the just number of seventy only we can hardly imagine why our Saviour should add two to make it LXXII and not LXX d d d d d d Vajicra rabba fol. 178 1. It was said to Moses at Mount Sinai Go up thou and Aaron and Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the Elders of Israel so will the holy blessed God ordain to himself in the world to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a counsel of Elders of his own people Now the number of this Consistory the Doctors determine to be no other than seventy A Council of Seventy two was never heard of amongst the Jews but once only at Jabneh a a a a a a Jadaim cap. 3. hal 3. R. Simeon ben Azzai saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I receiv'd it from the mouths of the LXXII Elders on the day when they made R. Eliezar ben Azariah one of the Sanhedrin Nor did they then remove Rabban Gamaliel although he had displeas'd them VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As lambs among wolves IT is added in another Evangelist b b b b b b Mat. X. Be ye wise as serpents c. with which we may compare that in Midr. Schir c c c c c c Fol. 17. 3. The holy blessed God saith concerning Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that belong to me are simple as Doves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but amongst the Nations of the world they are subtle as serpents VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salute no man by the way I. WE have a passage something like this elsewhere d d d d d d 2 King IV. 29. If thou meet any man salute him not that is as is commonly expounded do not hinder thy journey by discoursing with any in the way But the same reason doth not hold in this place the business of these Disciples not requiring such mighty expedition They were commanded out two by two to this or the other place or City where Christ himself was to come in person nor was it necessary they should run in so great hast that they should make no stay in the way Only having appointed them to such and such places their business indeed lay no where but in those very places to which they had been particularly sent to proclaim the coming of Christ there and not to be telling it in the way The twelve Apostles that were sent their business was to declare the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven these the coming of the King himself No wonder therefore if the Apostles were
mountain than in that cursed place Saith the R. I will tell you what you are like you are like a god greedy after carrion so you when you know that Idols are hid under this mountain as it is said Gen. XXXV 4. and Jacob hid them you are acted with a greedy desire after them They said amongst themselves seeing he knows there are Idols hidden in this mountain he will come in the night and steal them away And they consulted together to have kill'd him but he getting up in the night stole away Somewhat akin to this Temple on Gerizzim was that built by Onias in Egypt the story of which you have in l l l l l l Antiqu. lib. 13. 6. Josephus and the description of it m m m m m m De Bell. lib. 7. cap. 37. Of this Temple also the Gemarists discourse n n n n n n Menacoth fol. 109. 2. from whom we will borrow a few things Simeon the Just dying said Onias my Son shall minister in my stead For this his brother Shimei being older than he by two years and an half grew very envious He saith to his brother Come hither and I will teach thee the rule and way of ministring So he puts him on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and girds him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you shall have the meaning of the words by and by and then setting him by the Altar crys out to his brethren the Priests see here what this man hath vow'd and does accordingly perform to his wife viz. that whenever he minister'd in the High Priesthood he would put on her Stomacher and be girt about with her girdle The Gloss upon the place saith that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a leathern garment but Aruch from Avodah Zarah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Abba saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stomacher of the heart What the word in this place should mean is plain enough from the story it self Shimei that he might render his brother both ridiculous and odious to the rest of the Priests perswades him to perform his services with his wife's Stomacher instead of the Brest-plate of the High Priest and her girdle instead of that curious one they were wont to be girt with c. The story goes on His brethren the Priests upon this contrive his death but he escaping their hands fled into Alexandria of Egypt and there building an Altar offer'd Idolatrous sacrifices upon it These are the words of R. Meir but R. Judah tells him the thing was not so for Onias did not own his brother Shimei to be two years and an half older than himself but envying him told him come and I will teach thee the rule and method of thy Ministry And so as R. Judah relates the matter the Tables are turn'd the whole scene alter'd so that Onias perswades his brother Shimei to put on his wife's Stomacher and gird himself with her girdle and for that reason the Priests do plot the death of Shimei But when he had declar'd the whole matter as it was indeed then they design to kill Onias He therefore flying into Alexandria in Egypt builds there an Altar and offer'd sacrifices upon it to the name of the Lord according as it is said o o o o o o Isa. XIX 19. In that day shall be an Altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt And now it is at the Readers choice to determine which of these two Temples that in Egypt or this upon Gerizzim are built upon the best foundation the one by a fugitive Priest under pretence of a Divine Prophesie the other by a fugitive Priest too under pretence that that Mount was the Mount upon which the blessings had been pronounced Let the Jews speak for themselves whether they believed that Onias with pure regard to that Prophesie did build his Temple in Egypt and let every wise man laugh at those that do thus perswade themselves However this is certain they had universally much more favourable thoughts of that in Egypt than this upon Mount Gerizzim hence that passage in the place before quoted If any one say I devote an whole burnt-offering let him offer it in the Temple at Jerusalem for if he offer it in the Temple of Onias he doth not perform his vow but if any one say I devote an whole burnt-offering for the Temple of Onias though he ought to offer it in the Temple at Jerusalem yet if he offer it in the Temple of Onias he acquits himself R. Simeon saith it is no burnt-offering Moreover if any one shall say I vow my self to be a Nazarite let him shave himself in the Temple at Jerusalem for if he be shaven in the Temple of Onias he doth not perform his vow but if he should say I vow my self a Nazarite so that I may be shaven in the Temple of Onias and he do shave himself there he is a Nazarite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And ye say that in Ierusalem c. What did not the Samaritans themselves confess that Jerusalem was the place appointed by God himself for his Worship No doubt they could not be ignorant of the Temple which Solomon had built nor did they believe but from the times of David and Solomon God had fixed his name and residence at Jerusalem And as to their prefering their Temple on Gerizzim before that in Jerusalem notwithstanding all this it is probable their boldness and emulation might take its rise from hence viz. they saw the second Temple falling so short of its ancient and primitive glory they observ'd that the Divine presence over the Ark the Ark it self the Cherubims the Urim and Thummim the spirit of Prophesie c. were no more in that place VERS XXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know that Messias cometh IF the Samaritans rejected all the Books of the Old Testament excepting the five Books of Moses it may be a question whence this woman should know the name of Messias for that it is not to be found throughout the whole Pentateuch From whence also may further arise a twofold enquiry more one whether the Samaritans were of the same opinion with the Sadducees the other whether those Sadducees that liv'd amongst the Jews rejected all the Books of the Old Testament excepting those of Moses only Perhaps they might so reject them as to forbid their being read in their Synagogues in the same manner as the Jews rejected the Hagiographa but the question is whether they did not use them read them and believe them as the Jews did those holy writings p p p p p p Schabb. fol. 115. 1. They snatch all the sacred Books out of the fire though on the Sabbath day whether they read or whether they read them not The Gloss is Whether they read them that is the Prophets which they are wont to read in their
〈◊〉 declare that he understood all these things from Heaven and from above We have taken it in this last sense in our notes upon that place as being beyond all controversie that he was divinely inspir'd and the Spirit from above govern'd his pen while he was writing those things But whether it might not mean according to the second sense for the first we wholly disallow viz. that St. Luke was amongst those who adhered to our Saviour Christ from his very first preaching of the Gospel I leave it to the enquiry of the Reader to determine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of all that Iesus began to do c. I am sensible that in the common dialect to begin to do and to do is one and the same thing But I suppose the phrase in this place is to be taken relatively q. d. In the former treatise I discours'd of all those things which Jesus himself began to do and to teach In this I am to give a relation of those things which were continu'd by his Apostles after him VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Through the Holy Ghost EXpositors place these words differently The Syriack one of the Arabick Copies Beza and the Italian place them next after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom he had chosen that the sense according to them is after that he had given Commandment to the Apostles whom he had chosen through the Holy Ghost But the other Arabick as also the Vulgar the French and English translations retain the same order of the words as we find them in the Greek Text most rightly rendring it after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandment Which also of old had been done by God to the Prophets dictating to them by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit what they should Teach and Preach The Apostles had indeed cast out Devils and heal'd diseases through the Spirit but it is a question whether they had as yet taught any thing but what they had heard verbatim from the mouth of their great Master He had given them a promise that they should bind and loose the Law of Moses he had told them that there were several things yet behind that must be revealed to them which as yet they could not bear concerning which they should be further instructed by the inspiration of the Spirit When therefore he had risen and breath'd in their face saying receive ye the Holy Ghost from that time they were endu'd with the Spirit as the Prophets of old who dictated to them what they should preach what they should require and what they should ordain And now nothing was wanting but the gift of Tongues that what was dictated to them they might declare and make known to all men in their own Languages VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being seen of them forty days a a a a a a Sanhedr fol. 43. 1. IT is a tradition On the evening of the Passover they hang'd Jesus And a cryer went before him for forty days saying Behold the man condemn'd to be stoned because by the help of Magick he hath deceiv'd and drawn away Israel into an Apostasie Who ever hath any thing to alledge in testimony of his innocency let him come forth and bear witness But they found none that would be a witness in his behalf But he himself O thou Tongue fit to be cut out gives a sufficient testimony of his own innocence having for the space of forty days conversed amongst men after his Resurrection from death under the power of which he could not be kept by reason of his innocence b b b b b b Ibid. fol. 99. 1 It is a tradition R. Eliezer saith The days of the Messiah are forty years according as it is said Forty years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall I be grieved with this generation The Gloss is Because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the future tense it is a sign the Prophesie is concerning the time to come It is ingenuously done however of these Jews that they parallel that faithless generation that were in the days of the Messiah with that perverse and rebellious generation that had been in the wilderness For they will both of them prove a lothing and offence to God for the space of forty years And as those forty years in the wilderness were numbered according to the forty days in which the Land had been searching Numb XIV 34. So also may those forty years of the Messiah be numbered according to the forty days wherein he was conversant amongst mankind after his Resurrection from â—he dead But you must compute warily lest you stumble at the threshold about the year of Tiberius wherein Christ rose again or at the close about the year of Vespasian wherein Jerusalem was taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Josephus c c c c c c De ex id lib. 6. cap 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerusalem was taken in the second year of Vespasian's reign When indeed according to the Fasti Consulares it was taken in his first year but his second year from the time wherein he had been declared Emperor by the Army He is saluted Emperor by the Army in Egypt at the very Calends of July and the fifth of the Ides of July in Judaea So that his first year from the time of his being declared Emperor was compleat on the Calends of July the year following but indeed it was but half his first year according to the computation of the Fasti Now Jerusalem was sackt on the eighth of September following VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being assembled together with them commanded them c. WE will make some enquiry both as to the place and time wherein these things were spoken and doâ—e I. We derive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salt but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Assembly or Congregation So the Lexicons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Assembly d d d d d d Herodot Polymn cap. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When thou shalt give notice to the Persians to gather their forces together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrus having gathered together his fathers flocks and herds of Goats and Sheep and Oxen sacrificed them c. e e e e e e Id. Clio cap. 126. II. Our Saviour after his Resurrection never appeared amongst his Disciples but by surprize and unexpectedly excepting that one time in the Mountain of Galilee where he had appointed to meet with them Matth. XXVIII 16. So that I would refer these words therefore to that passage in Saint Matthew so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify his meeting with them in the Mountain of Galilee according to the appointment he had made Nor do those words hinder that it is said he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem c. as if
Apostle was propounded and when the choice was made too And therefore why the ALL in this place ought not to have reference to this very number also who can alledg any reason Perhaps you will say this reason may be given why it should not namely that all those that were here assembled were endu'd with the gift of Tongues and who will say that all the hundred and twenty were so gifted I do my self believe it and that for these reasons I. All the rest were likely to publish the Gospel in foreign Countries as well as the Apostles and therefore was it necessary that they also should be endow'd with foreign Tongues II. The Apostles themselves imparted the same gift by the imposition of hands to those whom they Ordained the Ministers of particular Churches It would seem unreasonable therefore that those extraordinary persons that had been all along in company with Christ and his Apostles and were to be the great Preachers of the Gospel in several parts of the world should not be enricht with the same gift III. It is said of the seven Deacons that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of the Holy Ghost even before they were chosen to that office which doth so very well agree with what is said in this part of the story ver 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost that we can hardly find out a more likely time or place wherein these Deacons had been thus replenisht than when the Apostles themselves were so that is upon the coming down of the Holy Ghost IV. The dignity and prerogative of the Apostles above the rest of the Disciples did not so much consist in this gift of Tongues being appropriated to themselves but in this amongst other things that they were capable of conferring this gift upon others which the rest could not do Philip the Deacon doubtless did himself speak with Tongues but he could not confer this gift to the Samaritans that they also should speak with Tongues as he did this was reserv'd to Peter and to John the Apostles V. The Holy Ghost as to the gift of Tongues fell upon all that heard Peter's discourse in the house of Cornelius Chap. X. 44. it may seem the less strange therefore if it should fall on these also at this time and in this place VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sound as of a rushing mighty wind THE sound of a mighty wind but without wind so also Tongues like as of fire but without fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is fitly and emphatically enough added here but I question whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so properly put by the Greek Interpreters in Gen. I. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God was carry'd upon the face of the waters and yet the Paraphrast and Samaritan Copy is much wider still from the meaning and intention of Moses when they render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he breath'd upon the waters I conceive they might in those words the Spirit of God mov'd upon the face of the waters have an eye to those waters that cover'd the earth whereas Moses plainly distinguisheth between the Abyss that is the waters that cover'd the earth upon the face of which deep the darkness was and those waters which the Spirit of God mov'd upon that is the waters which were above the firmament ver 6 7. And by the moving or incubation of the Spirit upon these waters I would rather understand the motion of the Heavens the Spirit of God turning them about and by that motion cherishing the things below as the bird doth by sitting upon its young than of any blowing or breathing of the Spirit or the wind upon them or that the Spirit was carry'd upon the waters as a wind is upon the Sea or upon the Land VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cloven Tongues like as of fire THE confusion of Languages was the casting off of the Gentiles and the confusion of Religion for after once all other Nations excepting that of the Jewish came to be deprived of the use and knowledg of the Hebrew Tongue in which Language alone the things of true Religion and all Divine truth were known taught and deliver'd it was unavoidable but that they must needs be depriv'd of the knowledg of God and Religion Hence that very darkness that fell upon the Gentile world by that confusion of Tongues continued upon them to this very time But now behold the remedy and that wound that had been inflicted by the confusion is now heal'd by the gift of Tongues that Veil that was spread over all Nations at Babel was taken away at mount Zion Isai. XXVII 7. We meet with a form of prayer in the Jewish writings which was used on the solemn fast of the ninth month Ab of which this is one clause m m m m m m Hieros Taanith fol. 65. 3. Have mercy O God upon the City that mourneth that is troden down and desolate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because thou didst lay it wast by fire and by fire wilt build it up again If the Jews expect and desire their Jerusalem should be rebuilt by fire let them direct their eyes toward these fiery Tongues and acknowledg both that the building commenc'd from that time and the manner also how only it is to be restor'd VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These men are full of new wine RAbba saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man is bound to make himself so mellow on the Feast of Purim that he shall not be able to distinguish between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordecai Rabbah and R. Zeira feasted together on the Feast of Purim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were sweeten'd or made very mellow The Gloss is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were sweeten'd i. e. they were got drunk So that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing but what they were wont to express in their common Dialect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are sweeten'd that is are drunk But may we not rather judg those drunk who by saying the Apostles were full of new wine imputed that sudden skill of theirs in so many Languages to wine and intemperance The Rabbins indeed mention a Demon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cordicus who possesseth those that are drunk with new wine n n n n n n Gittin cap. 7. But is he so great a Master of Art and wit that he can furnish them with Tongues too These scoffers seem to be of the very dregs and scum of the people who knowing no other Language but their own Mother-tongue and not understanding what the Apostles said while they were speaking in foreign languages thought they said nothing but meer babble and gibberish VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is but the third hour of the day THAT is with us nine a Clock in the morning before which time especially on the Sabbath and other
Text agrees with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He finisht his work on the sixth day c. You will say the Greek Version translated according to the Samaritan Text. I say the Samaritan Text was framed according to this Greek Version Who shall determine this matter between us That which goes current amongst the Jews makes for me viz. that this alteration was made by the Seventy two h h h h h h Megill fol. 9. 1. Massech Sopher cap. 1. But be it all one which followeth the other in this agreement we next produce in the same Chapter Gen. II. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord God had formed out of the ground The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord God formed as yet out of the ground The Samaritan Text agrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will not enquire here which follows which but we rather complain of the boldness of both the one to add the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as yet which seems to perswade us that God after he had created Adam and Eve did over and above create something anew which as yet to me is a thing unheard of and to whom is it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there is no resurrection In my notes upon Matth. III. 9. I take notice out of the Gloss upon Bab. Beracoth if he be of any credit that there were Hereticks even in the days of Ezra who said that there is no world but this which indeed falls in with Sadducism though the name of Sadducee was not known then nor a long time after But as to their Heresie when they first sprung up they seem principally and in the first place to have denyed the immortality of the Soul and so by consequence the resurrection of the body I know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Jewish Writers is taken infinite times for the Resurrection from the dead but it is very often taken also for the life of the dead So as the one denotes the resurrection of the body the other the immortality of the Soul In the beginning of the Talmudick Chapter Helec where there is a discourse on purpose concerning the life of the world to come they collect several arguments to prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life of the dead out of the Law for so let me render it here rather than the resurrection of the dead And the reason of it we may judge from that one agrument which they bring instead of many others viz. i i i i i i Sanhedr fol. 90. 2. Some do say that it is proved out of this Scripture He saith unto them But ye did cleave unto the Lord your God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are alive every one of you this day Deut. IV. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is plain that you are now alive when Moses speaks these things but he means this that in the day wherein all the world is dead ye shall live That is ye also though dead shall live which rather speaks out the immortality of the Soul after death than the resurrection of the body So our Saviours answer to the Sadducees Matth. XXII 31 32. from those words I am the God of Abraham c. is fitted directly to confute their opinion against the immortality of the Soul but it little either plainly or directly so proves the resurrection of the body but that the Sadducees might cavil at that way of proof And in that saying of the Sadducees themselves concerning the labourer working all the day and not receiving his wages at night there is a plain intimation that they especially considered of the state of the Soul after death and the non-resurrection of the body by consequence Let the words therefore be taken in this sense The Sadducees say Souls are not immortal and that there are neither Angels nor Spirits and then the twofold branch which our sacred Historian speaks of will the more clearly appear when he saith but the Pharisees confess both It is doubtful from the words of Josephus whether the Essenes acknowledge the resurrection of the body when in the mean time they did most heartily own the immortality of the Soul k k k k k k Iâ—s de excidâ— lib. 2. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This opinion prevails amongst them that the body indeed is corruptible and the matter of it doth not endure but Souls endure for ever immortal So that the question chiefly is concerned about the Souls Imortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither Angel nor Spirit They deny that the soul is immortal and they deny any spirits in the mean time perhaps not denying God to be a Spirit and that there is a Spirit of God mentioned Gen. I. 2. And it is a question whether they took not the occasion of their opinion from that deep silence they observe in Moses concerning the Creation of Angels or Spirits or from something else There is frequent mention in him of the apparitions of Angels and what can the Sadducee say to this Think you the Samaritans were Sadducees If so it is very observable that the Samaritan Interpreter doth once and again render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels So Gen. III. 5. Ye shall be as Elohim Samar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shall be as Angels Chap. V. 1. In the similitude of God Samar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the similitude of Angels So also Chap. IX 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the similitude of Angels And whereever there is mention of Angels in the Hebrew Text the Samaritan Text retains the word Angels too Did not the Sadducees believe there were Angels once but their very being was for ever vanisht that they vanisht with Moses and were no more Did they believe that the soul of Moses was mortal and perisht with his body and that the Angels died with him otherwise I know not by what art or wit they could evade what they meet with in the Books of Moses concerning Angels that especially in Gen. XXXII 1. You will say perhaps that by Angels might be meant good motions and affections of the mind The Pharisees themselves do sometimes call evil affections by the name of Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil affection is Satan But they do not call good affections Angels nor can ye your selves apply that passage so The Angels of God met him and he called the name of that place Mahanaim i. e. two Camps or two hosts One of those Camps consisted of the multitude of his own family and will you have the other to consist of good affections If the Sadducees should grant that Angels were ever created Moses not mentioning their Creation in his History I should think they acknowledged the being of Angels in the same sense that we do in the whole story of the Pentateuch but that they conceived that after the History of
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
and between the operations and speech of the Holy Ghost For many false Prophets had at that time gone out into the World 1 Joh. IV. 1. and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to the working of Satan in all power and signs and lying wonders So that it was not easie I had almost said it was impossible to distinguish between their wonders and the true miracles of the Holy Ghost But the most merciful God taking pity upon his people among other gifts of the Holy Ghost shed abroad for the edification of the Church granted this also to some that they might distinguish of prophetical Spirits whether they were true and divine or false and diabolical That this deep reach is pointed out under this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostles order the signification of the word and the thing it self do not a little perswade For when among all the gifts of the Spirit there was scarce any either more useful or more necessary than this judging of Spirits I think he would hardly omit it in his second Enumeration But where will you find the mention of it if not in that word CHAP. XIII VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With the tongues of Angels RAbban a a a a a a Bava Bathra fol. 134. 1. Jochanan ben Zaccai omitted not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The speech or the Talk of Devils of Palms and of Angels but had learned it The Gloss is The speech of Devils to exorcize them and of Angels to adjure them The Apostle speaks according to the conception of the Nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A tinkling Cymbal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Cymbal in the Talmudists is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of which thus they write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b b b b Erachin fol. 13. 2. And Asaph with loud Cymbals 1 Chron. XXV The little bells or Cymbals were two as appears from the Dual number But when they performed one work and one man performed it they are called one The Aruch saith They were two balls of brass and they struck one against another But now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A tinkling Cymbal was when these two Balls were struck one against another without any either measure or tone of Musick but with a rude inartificial and howling sound Mark V. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weeping and howling We may observe in these instances which are compared with charity and are as good as nothing if charity be absent that the Apostle mentions them which were of the noblest esteem in the Jewish Nation as also the most precious things which could be named by them were compared with this more precious and were of no account in comparison of it I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To speak with the Tongues of men with those Interpreters is to speak the Tongues of the seventy Nations or at least To speak the Tongues of many Nations So they relate it to the praise of Mordechai that he perfectly understood the Languages of the seventy Nations and they require of the Fathers of the Sanhedrin that they be skilled in many Languages that the Sanhedrin hear nothing by an Interpreter c c c c c c Maimon in Sanhedr cap. 2. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To speak with the Tongues of Angels For this singular praise they extol Jochanan ben Zaccai in the example alledged III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To know all mysteries c. So they from the same place cited above Hillel the Elder had eighty Disciples thirty who were worthy to have the holy Spirit dwell upon them as it did upon Moses Thirty worthy for whom the Sun should stop his course as it did for Josua Twenty were between both The greatest of all was Jonathan ben Uzziel the least was Jochanan ben Zaccai He omitted not but perfectly understood the Scripture the Mishnah the Gemara the Idiotisms of the Law and the Scribes Traditions Illustrations Comparisons Equalities Gematries Parables c. IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To remove mountains By this expression they denoted Doing things in a manner impossible as we have observed at Matth. XXI 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He rooted up mountains d d d d d d Bava Bathra fol. 3. 2. CHAP. XIV VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that speaketh in a Tongue SPeaking in a Tongue In what Tongue You will find this to be no idle question when you have well weighed these things I. There is none with reason will deny that this whole Church of Corinth understood one and the same Corinthian or Greek Language as also that the Apostle here speaks of the Ministers of that Church and not of strangers But now it seems a thing not to be believed that any Minister of that Church would use Arabic Egyptian Armenian or any other unknown Languague publickly in the Church from whence not the least benefit could accrue to the Church or to the Minister himself For although these Ministers had their faults and those no light ones neither yet we would not willingly accuse them of mere foolishness as speaking an unknown Language for no reason nor of ostentation as speaking only for vain glory And although we deny not that it was necessary that those wonderful gifts of the Holy Ghost should be manifested before all the people for the honour of him that gave them yet we hardly believe that they were to be shewn vainly and for no benefit II. The Apostle saith vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that speaketh in a Tongue edifieth himself Which how could he do from those Tongues when he could have uttered those very things in his Mother Tongue and have reaped the same fruit of edification III. The Apostle tolerates an unknown Tongue if an Interpreter were present But I scarce believe he would tolerate that one should prate in Scythian Parthian or Arabick c. when he could utter the same things in the Corinthian Language and without the trouble of the Church and an Interpreter We are of opinion therefore nor without reason that that unknown Language which they used or abused rather in the Church was the Hebrew which now of a long time past was not the common and Mother Tongue but was gone into disuse but now by the gift of the Holy Ghost it was restored to the Ministers of the Church and that necessarily and for the profit of the Church We enquire not in how many unknown Languages they could speak but how many they spake in the Church and we believe that they spake Hebrew only How necessary that Language was to Ministers there is none that doubts And hence it is that the Apostle permits to speak in this as we suppose unknown Language if an Interpreter were present because it wanted not its usefulness The usefulness appeared thence as well to the speaker while he now skilled and more deeply understood the original Language as also to the
to the wisdom of this World are the great matters and mysteries of the Gospel and of Salvation The Judgment to come that he speaks of in this verse he characters or pictures in divers colours or circumstances I. The object of it He shall judge the World II. The manner He shall judge it in Righteousness III. The time At a day which he hath appointed IV. The agent to be imploied in it The man whom he hath ordained V. And lastly the certainty of it He hath given assurance thereof c. There is some controversie about the translating of that clause He hath given assurance In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which will admit a double construction The Vulgar Latin and the Syriack gives one our English and the French another The Vulgar Latine renders it Fidem praebens omnibus Which I should have supposed might freely have been rendred in the sense our English gives Giving assurance to all but that I find some expositions constrain him another way viz. Affording faith to all and the Syrian inclines the same way for it renders Restoring every man to his faith or to faith in him As if the meaning were that God by the Resurrection of Christ did restore the World to faith and believing from that ignorance and infidelity which it lay under before which is a real and a very noble truth but I question whether that be the Apostles meaning in this place For he is shewing That God had appointed an universal Judgment and hath ordained Christ to be Judge and for proof and confirmation of both especially of the latter he saith as our English well renders he hath given assurance and as the French he hath given certainty in that he hath raised and the Greek very clearly bears such a sense And this to be the sense that is intended is yet further clear by observing the argumentation of the Apostle in this place Read the verse before The times of their ignorance God winked at but now commandeth every man to repent Because he hath appointed a day c. Why Was not this day appointed before that time that Christ was risen The Jews will tell you that Heaven and Hell were created before the World then certainly the Judgment that was to deem to Heaven or Hell was appointed before But our Saviour in the sentence that he shall pronounce at that Judgment Matth. XXV Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you c. shews that the appointing of the day of Judgment was of old time long and long ago before Christs Resurrection but the Apostle tells that he had never given such assurance of it before as he did then by raising him that should be Judge The Apostle at this portion of Scripture doth plainly shew three things First He lays down a doctrine Secondly He proves it And thirdly He makes application His doctrine is That God hath appointed a day wherein he will Judge the World in Righteousness His proof From Gods own real vouchment He hath given assurance in that he raised Christ from the dead His application therefore Let all men in every place repent I should deserve a just censure if I should refuse the Apostles method to take another and not tread in the steps of that Logical proceeding that he had printed before Yet I shall decline to insist much upon the confirmation of the doctrine as a particular head by it self since the taking up the second thing the proof of it is the doing the same thing Only I shall call out as the Prophet Esay doth in the place cited who assoon as he had said Thy heart shall meditate terrors presently subjoyns where is the Scribe c. So while our heart is meditating of terrors of the thing we are speaking this day which God hath appointed wherein he will Judge the World c. Where is the Sadducee where the Atheist where the Disputer of this World What say they to this thing I. The Sadducee will tell you That there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit Act. XXIII 8. And would perswade us that Moses was of the same opinion because he speaks not of any such things in terminis in all his book It is a common received opinion among the Learned that the Sadducees refused all the Books of the Old Testament but only the five Books of Moses If they mean it absolutely I must confess my small reading hath not taught so far as to be satisfied in that But if they mean it with some qualification then I believe the thing is very true In such a qualified sense as to say the rest of the Jews refused the third part of the Bible which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians render the word Hegiographa that is they refused to have it read in the Synagogue The Law and Prophets they read there every Sabbath Act. XIII 15. but admitted not the reading of Job Psalms Solmons books Daniel Lamentations Chronicles Ezra c. not so much out of the undervaluation of those books but because they accounted the other were sufficient So if you say the Sadducees admitted no other Books of the Old Testament to be read in their Synagogues on the Sabbath but only the books of Moses I doubt not but you speak very true but that they utterly rejected and made nothing of the rest of that Sacred Volume I am yet to seek for satisfaction And I suppose something may be said out of the ancient records of the Jews that might countenance the contrary but it is not now time and place to enter into such a discourse But you will say If they had them in their closets though not in their Synagogues If they read them though not there If they believed them how could they be ignorant of the resurrection Judgment to come and World to come of which there is so plain declaration in the rest of the Old Testament though not in Moses The answer is easie Because they had this principle that nothing is to be believed as a fundamental Article of Faith but what may be grounded in Moses The very Pharisees themselves did not far differ from them in this principle and I could produce a Pharisee in their own writings saying That if a man believed the Resurrection c. yet believed not that it was taught and grounded in the Law of Moses he should not be Orthodox Now why Moses did so obscurely intimate these great fundamentals in comparison of other parts of the Bible I shall not trouble you with discussing though very acceptable reasons may be given of it We find the Resurrection asserted by our Saviour out of Moses by one argument and we find it asserted by many arguments by the Pharisees against the Saducees in the Jews own Pandect and so we leave the Sadducees to take his answer and confutation there But II. Behold a worse then a Sadducee is here and that is a Christian
blasphemed Christ 1 John II. 22. Who is ◠lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son And that then was the Jew Secondly When they were destroyed then Rome began to persecute till Constantine Thirdly When that was quieted then the Arian and the Macedonian appeared in the Jewish Spirit Fourthly That cursed Spirit was hardly laid but then the Papacy begins t◠rise and brings in all Judaism against the honour of Christ. And Fifthly That unmasked in the Reformation the Jewish Spirit appears again in the Socinian A SERMON PREACHED AT ASPEDEN April 5. 1660. 1 COR. X. 2. And were all baptised unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea ONE great breach in England is the breach about the Sacraments It is the policy of the Devil to divide Christians even there where there is the greatest bond of Communion As poison is to our Victuals which makes that which in its own nature is the great means of the preservation of our health and lives to become the destroyer of it Our knitting together must be in these Sacraments but they are made the means of our disuniting Therefore if the present occasion called not for it yet the present necessity of our Nation does to inform our selves about these bonds For your instruction in the Sacrament or Bond of Baptism I have chosen these words Wherein we may observe these four things I. Israel was Baptized II. All were baptized III. Unto Moses IV. In the Cloud and in the Sea I. Israel was baptized when they came out of Egypt From whence I make this Doctrine That Baptism was no new thing when Christ ordained it in the Church of the Gospel This Observation is of excellent use It is said concerning the times of the Gospel that there should be new Heavens and a new Earth All new When God set aside that old people he chose him a new people viz. The Gentiles This change of new for old consisted in two things First Some things were laid aside And Secondly some old things were reserved but the end of them changed All the Ceremonial Law laid aside but the Moral reserved and the Doctrine cleared The publick Worship of the Temple laid aside of the Synagogue reserved But some old things were reserved and changed At the Passover the Lamb was laid aside Bread and Wine reserved but the end changed And in this Sacrament where Baptism was added to Circumcision Circumcision was laid aside Baptism received The first mention of Baptism is in Gen. XXXV 2. And Jacob said unto his houshold and unto all that were with him Put away the strange Gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments Be clean the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mundate vos That Baptism is meant here is confest by the Jews The next mention is this in the Text They were all Baptized unto Moses c. And this is the more considerable that they should be Baptized now when they were but newly circumcised to wit in the three days darkness that was upon the Egyptians during which time Israel was circumcised to qualifie them to eat the Passover For no uncircumcised Person may eat thereof Exod. XII A third mention of Baptism is at Sinai So the Jews And they speak of Proselytes Admission now The Anabaptists will not hear this nothing but the letter of Scripture But that is a dangerous Text. T is true we are to require it for the foundation of Faith but by ininsisting upon it too rigorously for other matters we lose infinite profit that may accrue to us by Examples and Explications But let us reason with them that Baptism could be no new thing in those times First The Scribes and Pharisees were not so easie to be brought to follow Novelty But they came in multitudes to Johns Baptism Matth. III. 7. Secondly See I. Joh. 25. The Jews sent Pharisees to John the Baptist and they asked him why baptisest thou then if thou be not that Christ Whereby you may see they never questioned the thing and shewed also that they were easily perswaded that the Messias would make use of their rite of baptizing for the admitting Disciples Take this in the dispute about Poedobaptism They tell us that there is no example in the Scripture of children baptized I answer True but no such example needed to be recorded for Christ took up Baptism as he found it in the Jewish Church and they baptized Infants as well as grown persons And if Christ would not that Baptism should have been administred to children he would have forbidden it Therefore there is no Rule or Example given in Scripture of baptising children Luke wrote enough in XVI Act. 15. 32. where he tells us of the Baptism of Lydia and her houshold and of the Jaylor and all his Now one reading these passages in Judaea how would he have understood it Undoubtedly according to the ordinary practise of Baptism as it was used among them in admitting of their Proselytes which was that when the Master of the house was baptized for a Proselyte all his family children and all were baptized too T is the best rule to come to the understanding of the Phrases of Scripture to consider in what sence they were taken in that Country and among that People where they were written II. They were All baptized Who All our Fathers vers 1. All passed through the Sea Were there not children here How Was there no child in arms did they carry none on their backs when they passed through the Sea What say the Anabaptists here This Text saith All were baptized They say None ought to be baptized that are children because they are not capable of understanding the Ordinance What then Were the Jewish children more capable than the children of Christians There are two opinions of the Anabaptists which we are to be informed in else we may fall into mistake First That Baptism is not to be administred to any that are without knowledge Secondly That it is not to be administred to any unless he be verus filius foederis a true son of the Covenant To these I will put answer into your mouths To the first God never ordained Sacraments that their nature should be changed pro captu recipientis according to the capacity of him that received them Ordinances retain their nature whosoever receives them As sin is sin though not felt and the Word is the Word of God though he that hears it is not benefitted by it So Sacraments are Sacraments as to their nature whatsoever the Receivers be T is true their fruit is pro captu recipientis but not their nature The Sacrament is a seal whosoever receives it Again You read of Baptism without knowledge in Matth. XXVIII 19 20. Go and Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name c. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you c. Baptize and Teach
turned into Glory Faith into fruition Sanctification into impeccability and there will be no need of the Spirit in our sense any more So that Having the Spirit is understood of man considered only under the Fall II. Having the Spirit speaks of having it for mans Recovery The Spirit is given for his Recovery viz. what God will have recovered Let us look back to the Creation That lesson is divine and pertinent Eccles. XII 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth There is more in it than every one observes It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy Creators in the plural and teaches two things That as the first lesson Youth is to learn is to know his Creator so therewith to learn to know the Mystery of the Trinity that created him God created all things and man an Epitomy of all by the Word and Spirit Son and Holy Ghost XXXIII Psal. 6. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his Mouth Joh. I. 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any made that was made Job XXXIII 4. The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Now when Gods creation in man was spoiled by Son and Spirit it is repaired So that as Christ saith of himself I come to seek and to save that which was lost so the Spirit came to restore and repair what was decayed This is the meaning of the new creature 2 Cor. V. 17. If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature Eph. II. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Who works this Christ and the Spirit Something Christ doth by his blood viz. restores righteousness the rest by his Spirit viz. recovers holiness Nay I may add the Spirit is given only for mans Recovery The Spirit created man so perfect to try him Spiritus movens the Spirit moving is to try man outward administrations are to try him but when sanctification comes it hath a further purpose Compare man in innocency with man after the fall His state in which he then was was to try him But will the Spirit alway have his work of so uncertain issue Will he never act but for trial and leave the issue to the will of man God when he intended not innocency for the way of Salvation left man to himself Doth the Spirit the like in a way intended for Salvation Who then could be saved Spiritus movens the Spirit moving I said was given to try inhabitans inhabiting only and undoubtedly to Recover III. Having the Spirit presupposeth having of Christ vers 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs contra If any have the Spirit he hath Christ. These terms are convertible He that hath Christ hath the Spirit and vice versa he that hath the Spirit hath Christ. As He that hath the Father hath the Son and he that hath the Son hath the Father also As Son and Spirit cooperated in mans creation so in his renovation Personal works are distinct but never separate Christ to Justifie the Spirit to Sanctifie but never one without the other The Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ is it possible then to have the Spirit absque Christo without having Christ And he is called his Spirit not only quia procedit a filio because he proceeded from the Son but because he gives him and is a purchase of his blood As the Spirit moved on the Waters so he moves on the blood of Christ he comes swimming in that and it is ex merito sanguinis from the merit of his blood whosoever hath him See Gods way of cleansing the Leper which is an Emblem of cleansing a sinner XIV Levit. 14 15 17. And the Priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and the Priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed c. And the Priest shall take some of the Log of oyl c. And the Priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear c. First Blood and then Oyl On whom is the unction of the Spirit on him is first the unction of blood As the person is accepted before his Service Gen IV. 4. The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering So the person is first Justified before Sanctified God doth not new-create a person whom he accepts not IV. He that hath the Spirit hath a twofold work of the Spirit common grace and sanctifying grace We may consider the Spirit as Creator and Sanctifier and thirdly acting in a Work between both When he teacheth man arts indues him with intellectual abilities he then works as Creator in bonum Universi for the good of the Universe When he sanctifieth he doth it for the recovery of the Soul Now there is a work between both that is more than he doth as Creator and less than as Sanctifier but in tendency to the latter but as yet it is not it viz. Common grace Such is Illumination to see ones Condition Conviction with feeling Conscience active thoughts of Soul This is called grace because more than nature Common because wicked men have it sometimes as appears by Heb. VI. 4. And you read of Felix his trembling at S. Pauls Sermon Now the Spirit never worketh sanctifying grace but first useth this to make way He plows the heart by common grace and so prepares it for sanctifying grace In this Chapter at vers 15. There was the Spirit of fear before that of adoption As the Law was given first so the work of the Law is first Rom. VII 9. When the Commandment came sin revived and I died As Moses delivered the people of Israel into the hand of Joshua so the Law when it hath sufficiently disciplined us commits us into the hand of Grace As in Gal. III. 17. The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law c. cannot disannul that it should make the promise of none effect The Law is subservient to the promise so this work of the Law to Grace Is a meer work of the Law sanctifying Grace True the work of the Law goes along with grace hence many a gracious heart is under terrors But is the first work of the Law Grace No it is to fit the heart to receive Grace Many now a days say I have the Spirit How came they by it If they have it it is an unnatural birth not bred and born after Gods ordinary way To day debauched to morrow turn Sectary and then have the Spirit That was a wonder in the Prophet speaking of one that before she travailed was delivered such a wonder is this if it be so No God causeth this work of Common Grace to prepare and fit us for the reception of the Holy Spirit V. The Spirit worketh both these by the
words when he saith He loved the wages of iniquity We will first consider of him a little and his Copy after which these men write and then we will consider of their writing after it You have him here described by his Parentage and by his qualities By his Parentage I. he is Balaam the son of Bozor by his qualities He loved the wages of unrighteousness That you may read of him in his story in Moses though not in such terms yet in equivalent but his fathers name to be Bosor that you find not there but all along he is called there and wheresoever named in the Old Testament Balaam the son of Beor Those that are apt to tax the Originals of Scripture of corruption and interpolation may chance think it is so here and that some carelesness or unhappy dash of the pen made it Bosor here when it should have been Beor I remember the eleventh verse of the Tenth Chapter of Jeremiah that it is written in the Chaldee tongue and so is no other passage in all his prophesy Thus shall ye say to them The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens These words come not into the Chaldee tongue by chance or any inadvertency but by sacred wisdom to put so much of the Chaldee language into the mouths of the Jews against the time when they should be captivated into Chaldea in Babylon that if they could speak no more of that language yet they might have thus much of it as to be able to answer the Chaldeans if they should be braging of their Gods or intice them to worship them That the Gods that made not the Heavens and the Earth should perish from the Earth c. The change of the name Beor into Bosor relishes of the Chaldee language too as they that are versed in that language may very well observe Ain being ordinarily changed into Sin and Sin into Ain And our Apostle doth neither mistake himself in so pronouncing the name nor hath any transcriber miswritten it after him but he uttered it according to the Chaldee Ideom and propriety and by this very word gives intimation that he was in Chaldea when he wrote this Epistle He dates his former Epistle from Babylon Chap. V. 13. The Church which is at Babylon doth salute you And this word uttered in the Chaldee Idiom doth evidence that it was Babilon in Chaldea though some would have it to mean Rome which in mistery is called Babylon We might by the way upon change of the name Beor into Bosor observe these three things First That Peter spent his latter days in Chaldea and that there he dyed whereas it is so confidently asserted but can never be prov'd that he dyed at Rome For he himself tells in Chap. I. 14. that he was now old when he wrote this Epistle and looked dayly when he should lay down the Tabernacle of his body Secondly That no tittle in Scripture is idle but ought to have its consideration according to the saying of the Jews That there is no tittle in Scripture but even mountains of matter hang upon it And as our Saviour saith one jot or tittle of the Law shall not perish so not one jot or tittle in Scripture but hath its weight Here is one poor letter which one would think were crept in by some oversight yet that carries with it matter of important and weighty consideration Thirdly How necessary humane learning is for the understanding and explaining of Scripture which is so much cryed down and debas'd by some They that cry out against humane learning and take on them that they can expound the Scripture by the Spirit I doubt they would be very hard set to clear this place and to reconcile Moses and this Apostle about the pronunciation of the word Beor and Bosor Well however these names differ yet Balaam is the same both in name and nature and no changing He loves the wages of unrighteousness to day and he loves them to morrow and wheresoever he goes that goes with him and he is always at the same lock with it It is a strange passage in his story that God should forbid him to go with the first Messengers of Balak and yet suffer him to go with the second that when he had permitted him to go with these second he should by his Angel meet him and stop him with a drawn sword and with danger of his life and that after that stop he should permit him to go again and restrain him no more God saw his heart how it hankered to curse Israel that he might get the wages of iniquity the mony and reward which Balak had promised So that one while God permits him to go that he might try him what he would do another while he stops him from going because he saw his heart was set on mischief At last he shews himself after his dissimulation all along and when he had told Balak that he would speak nothing in favour to him but only what the Lord should command him and had told his Servants that though Balak would give him his house full of silver and gold he would not step one word aside from what the Lord should dictate to him yet his heart run after his covetousness all this while and the silver and gold and honours that Balak promised run in his mind and his mind upon them he cannot but hanker after those wages of unrighteousness Therefore whereas God did so overpower and overrule him that he could not curse Israel as with his heart he would have done before he would have lost that mony he finds a trick to make them make themselves accursed by counselling Balak to intangle them in whoredom with Midinatish women Cursed counsel indeed it was and proceeded from a most cursed heart A wretch that knew by such experience as he did that God would not have the people cursed yet he rather then lose his mony will make them to make themselves curses A wretch that prefers his bag of mony before the welfare of a whole Nation that cares not how many of them perish both soul and body rather than he should fail of his prize This is Balaam this is the way of Balaam thus to love thus to purchase the wages of unrighteousness For I need not to shew why they are called the wages of unrighteousness when they are thus gotten This is the Copy that they follow in the Text and write so fair after if the following of II. such a foul copy may be said to be writ fair And who they were the first clause in the Text doth give some notice of that they had been in the right way and had forsaken it and so had Balaam been so far in the right way while he blessed Israel if he could have kept him there but he forsook that way and betook to the way to make them cursed
to oppose whatsoever was not according to that Dream And that that caused both these was their drinking in the inchantments of their Traditions Which drunkenness cast them into a deep sleep and which made them rave and rage whilst they thus slept It is very observable again how Satan and the Nation it self did shift and change the manner and means of their undoing Before their Captivity into Babylon they were all for Idolatry and the Devil cheated them with his great lie as he did the Heathen to worship and sacrifice to Devils instead of God But after that Captivity he something changed his temptation and they became the means of their undoing he perswading them to embrace another great lie that of Traditions instead of that of Idolatry and they embracing it They had so sorely smarted by the seventy years captivity for their Idolatry that it was not so easie to bring them to that again but he found it easie to foist upon them this other great lie to make them believe that every doting Tradition the invention of foolish men was a divine Oracle delivered to Moses at mount Sinai and so from hand to hand to all posterity The Nation had been used to divine Oracles by Visions by Prophets by Urim and Thummim all along But now all these under the second Temple were ceased and gone and how should a people that had been always used to such Oracles do without them Here Satan saw his opportunity to cheat them with a Leah instead of Rachel to impose upon them the famed oracularity of Traditions instead of the lively Oracles of God like the deceitful Harlot in the Book of Kings to lay a dead Child in their bosom instead of a living and this they wing and cherish and make much of as if it were the lâ—ving Child even to this day Now how these Traditions wrought with them I may very well spare my labour to demonstrate the Gospels and Epistles do it so abundantly That by their Traditions they transgressed the commandments of God Matth. XV. 3. That by their Traditions they made the Word of God of none effect vers 6. That by their Traditions they worshipped God in vain teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men vers 9. And in a word that they were led into a vain conversation by the traditions received from their Fathers 1 Pet. I. 18. Thus was it as to their effect in general instances of particulars might be endless I shall only mention three and those that may be called the first three as Davids three Champions were if I may mention so noble persons and so base things together First These Traditions of theirs made them dream that Messias should be a pompous temporal Prince arrayed with all earthly royalty and glory and crowned with all terrene victoriousness and triumph And this dream under the spirit of slumber cast them also under the spirit of opposition against the true Messias when he came Poor Jesus looked so unlike the gallant Messias they dreamed of that by the very principles of their Traditions and Religion they could do no less to him than what they did persecute afflict torment crucifie him For he was not the Messias they looked for but a false Christ forsooth a false Prophet a deceiver a seducer of the Nation Secondly Their Traditions made them dream that Messias and his Law and Doctrine that he should bring with him should be so far from abating or abolishing any of the ceremonies of Moses that he should rather add to them heighten and enhance them And this dream under that spirit of slumber cast them also under the spirit of opposition against the Gospel That is not for their turn but against it that cries down those ceremonies and that justification they expected by them that lays those shadows aside and does as it were bury Moses as Christ did his body in the vally of Beth Peor So that with them you cannot be a friend to Moses unless you be an enemy to the Doctrine of Jesus Thirdly and lastly Their Traditions made them dream that they were the only beloved of God of all people that the seventy Nations of the World were abhorred hated cursed of him and were to be destroyed But oh dearly loves he the seed of Israel how intirely does he affect the Children of Abraham And this dream under the spirit of slumber casts them also under the spirit of contradiction against the calling of the other Nations What must those dogs eat of the Childrens bread Must these Children of the bond woman come to be heirs with the Children of the free They forbid us to speak unto the Gentiles that they might be saved saith the Apostle in that place to the Thessalonians before quoted And our Saviour must be cast down the steep hill and dashed all to pieces by his Townsmen of Nazaret for but hinting the calling of the Gentiles in the story of Elias sent to the widdow of Sarepta and Naaman the Syrian sent to Elisha and healed And thus briefly from this short scantling we may see how this wretch before us was principled to oppose the Gospel and to resist the Deputies conversion by the very dictates of his Religion as he was a Jew How he might be forwarded and helped in his so acting by being a false Prophet and a Sorcerer by his subtilty and mischievousness and by the rest of his devilish accommodations for such a purpose I need not insist to demonstrate the thing it self speaks it sufficiently So much therefore be spoken concerning his Person and his Qualities and Conditions Nor need we to stand gazing only upon him since this day hath discovered some too like unto him In the verses after my Text it is related that this varlet was struck blind and that he went up and down groping for some that might take him by the hand and lead him The memorial of this day may direct him where to find some that may go hand in hand with him and whether leads the other it is no great matter for whethersoever does it is but the blind leading of the blind The day commemorates a Fact and Design as black as all this wretches Titles It commemorates men full of subtilty and mischief as well as he men that opposed the Gospel as well as he and that were principled by their very Religion to oppose it as well as he And men who while they stile themselves The Society of Jesus by their principles and practises give suspition that they relate more to this Bar Jesus which we have had in hand than to him upon whom they would father their denomination Men I say that are principled by the very dictates and elements of their Religion to oppose the Gospel and the sincere profession of it And indeed you can expect no better from Rome from whence these mens principles came either from the Place or from the Religion I. For the Place The Holy Ghost hath spoken out
any Resurrection It follows Neither Angel nor Spirit Now why he should deny this is a great deal harder to find out than to find out why he denyed the Resurrection For that he denyed because he could not find mention of it in plain terms in all Moses But he finds mention of Angels and Spirits in terms plain enough there There is indeed no mention in Moses of the creation of Angels in the History of the Creation And that might haply give the Sadducee occasion to think there were no such creatures made But then what will he say when he meets with the mention of Angels so frequently after Gen. XXXII 1. Jacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Jacob called the name of that place Mahanaim that is two Armies viz. The army of the Angels that met him and the other army or great train of his own Family An Army of Angels then and not one now Thousands of Angels at Sinai Deut. XXXIII 2. and not one extant now What could a Sadducee think was become of those Angels of which there is so frequent mention in Moses Were they dead and not in being or were they confined to Heaven and no more to converse with men It is not easie to unriddle an Hereticks fancy a Sadducees mistery And it is very excusable ignorance to be ignorant of the depths of Satan of the depths of a Sadducean Heretick There is not indeed mention of Spirits in Moses in such plain terms but only of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Men. But though there were no more yet one would have thought that enough to have stopped his mouth that he should not say There was no Spirit when it is said in the very second verse in all Moses The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters And Numb XXVII 16. Let the Lord the God of the Spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation The First that offers it self to our consideration in this case is The distinction that is I. here made twixt Angels and Spirits Neither Angel nor Spirit And in the next verse The Pharisees cry out We find no evil in this man but if a Spirit or Angel have spoken to him let us not fight against God Where the question is What is meant by a Spirit thus distinguisht from Angels when the Angels themselves are called Spirits A further distinction of the Jews may help to clear this They in their writings thus distinguish Angels and Spirits and Devils And among other sayings that hold out this distinction they have this All things are subservient to the will and command of the Holy Blessed God Angels and Spirits and Devils Where what is meant by Angels and Devils is easie to understand but what is meant by Spirit when so distinguisht from both viz. walking Ghosts of the dead as they supposed or Spectra appearing in the shape of this or that Person that was dead So the appearing of a representation of Samuel raised by the Witch of Endor they would account a Spirit And that remarkable passage Luke XXIV 36 37. As they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed they had seen a Spirit That is They did not think that it was Jesus in his own person that stood in the midst of them but some apparition only in his shape Now the Pharisees thought there were such Ghosts and Apparitions And so did the Heathen also conceive And Tully a Heathen from that very thing doth plead the Immortality of the Soul For saith he since men that are dead appear to the living it is a sign that they also live though they be dead and that they are not quite extinguished That there have been and may be such Apparitions there is no question and Histories give us some instances in this kind As one among many that famous story of the Ghost of Julius Cesar after his being murthered in the Senate appearing to Brutus who had had a chief hand in the murther and telling him Videâ—is me apud Philippos Thou shalt see me again at Philippi And so he did And the very forbidding of Necromancy in Scripture doth argue that there may be such Apparitions Deut. XVIII 10 11. There shall not be found among you an Inchanter or a Witch or a Charmer or a consulter with familiar Spirits or a Wizzard or a Necromancer Now what is a Necromancer The very Greek word speaks it that it is one that consults or asks Council of the Dead as the Witch of Endor would do of Samuel And there is a hint of such a thing Esai VIII 19. should not a people seek unto their God should they seek for the living to the dead Now though the Pharisees with the Law condemned this wickedness and witchcraft of consulting the dead yet if any such Apparition offered it self voluntary without such calling forth by Sorcery they accounted it to be harkened to Therefore they say If a Spirit or an Angel have spoken to him let us not fight against God But the Sadducees denied there was any such thing as Spirit or Angel Where a Second question ariseth Whether they thought there were no such Incorporeal II. substances as Angels or Spirits Or whether their meaning was that the appearing of Angels and Spirits was now ceased and to be no more There is an expression something like this later Joh. VII 39. The Holy Ghost was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified The Holy Ghost was not yet for so the original Greek hath it exactly And was there ever a time when the Holy Ghost was not in being Our English hath well resolved it in adding one word The Holy Ghost was not yet given He was in being from all Eternity but he was not given and bestowed upon men as he was to be when Jesus should be glorified And so in that answer of certain Ephesians to Paul Act. 19. 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost Yes they had heard that a thousand times over that there was an Holy Ghost But their meaning is we have not heard whether he be restored again to Israel since his departing away after the death of Zechary and Malachi and those last Prophets So if the Sadducees did acknowledg such things in being as Angels and Spirits yet they might deny that such things were in acting then No appearing of Angels and Spirits then for that was clean vanished It was most true that after the death of those last Prophets the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation departed from Israel till the coming in of the Gospel For a matter of four hundred years no Vision no Prophesie no appearing of Angels no Oracle by Urim and Thummim no extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost Samsons locks and strength shaved off and gone And those great privileges that that people had
and of Grace in its nature and end But that that I shall insist upon shall be to consider something concerning the Spirits overpowering of Men their Actions Tongues Hearts or all And though here was no overpowering the Heart of this wretch but of his Tongue only yet I shall speak more especially of overpowering of â—â—e Heart as most material in this subject and which understood the Spirits overpowering of the Tongue and Action will be understood with little ado I shall couch what I have to speak under these following Obrvations I. I may take up that Gen. VI. 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man He saith not with this or that or the other man in particular but with man in general Because the Spirit of God strives with every man in the World at some time and in some degree or other Act. VII 51. Ye stif-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost The Spirit strove with those wretches though this striving was to no purpose or effect because of their resistance And so in that exhortation 1 Thes. V. 19. Quench not the Spirit is intimated that they that quench the Spirit and let not his sparks grow to any thing yet that they have these sparks striving together if they would let them alone Christian I shall not be solicitous to prove this because it needs not And I must tell thee it is not so well and right with thee as it should if thou findst not the proof and experience of this truth in thine own Heart if thou find not some knocking 's at that door that calls and tells It is time to awake out of sleep and set to work some checkings of Conscience when thou goest about knowingly to sin and some reprovings of Conscience when thou hast so sinned some stirrings of Heart upon hearing the threatnings and curses of the Law of God in a powerful Ministry some trouble of Soul upon sight of Gods judgments upon thy self or others in a word if thou find not thy Conscience as a voice behind thee calling after thee This is the way walk in it If thou find any such things listen and improve them It is the voice of my beloved putting as it were his finger in at the hole of the door to see whether thou wilt open It is the Spirit of God striving with thy Heart But if thou find not any such thing take heed lest thou hast wearied the Spirit of God that he will strive no more II. The Spirit is able to overpower any Heart that he strives withal I need not to prove this neither to any that understand what the Spirit of God is which I hope you all understand A Macedonian or Socinian that denies the Godhead of the Holy Ghost yet I see not how he can deny this if he do but confess the Holy Ghost to be the Spirit of God Let me even challenge of you that have been better taught to attest this truth with me and to look up towards Heaven with due consideration of the sacred Spirit and to acknowledge in the words of Job Chap. XLII 2. I know thou canst do all things and that no thought can be holden from thee God in Jer. XXXII 27. proclaims Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh Is there any thing too hard for me If we should take the words as spoken particularly of the holy Spirit are they not most true to every tittle Is not the Holy Ghost Jehovah Is he not the Lord Is he not the God of all flesh and all Mens Spirits And then can any thing can any Heart be too hard for him But if any desire a particular proof of the thing we assert viz. That the Holy Spirit is able to overpower any Heart whatsoever that he strives withal Let him either look at a prophane wretch that always resisted the strivings of the Spirit now come under horror of Conscience Or let him well ponder upon the state of the damned in Hell who were such resisters while they were here And first let him read that Esa. XXX 33. The breath or Spirit of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it In that horrid torture of Conscience of theirs where the worm ever gnaweth and never dieth do you not think their Hearts are overpowered Are not now those brazen gates and iron doors that would bar out the overcomings of the Spirit broke open and broke all to pieces Vicisti Galilaee as Julian once so do not they everlastingly confess that God is proved too hard for them And how is this alto-shattering of their Hearts and Consciences come upon them The breath or Spirit of the Lord like a river of brimstone is gushed in upon them and overflows them with horror and they cannot resist It is the everlasting vengeance of the Spirit of God upon them thus to crush their Consciences with everlasting confusion and torture because they did they would resist his strivings while they were here No no resist damned Souls now resist and keep the doors fast barred that the power the vengeance of the Spirit cannot break in No it will not be the Spirit is all powerful if he will is able to overpower any Heart he strives with here he will with vengeance do it to him that resists hereafter III. The first aim of the Spirit in his striving is to try men It is apparent by Scripture that God by the motions of his Spirit comes to try those men who he knows will not receive the motions of his Spirit As in 2 Chron. XXXII 31. In the business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his Heart God withdrew or suspended the acting of the Spirit of grace to try him So God doth on the other hand employ some actings of the Spirit to try whether men will entertain them God tries men by his Word whether they will obey him or no Exod. XX. 20. God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not saith Moses to the people of Israel concerning Gods giving them his Law Mat. XXIII 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gâ—thereth her chickins under her wings and ye would not I tried whether thou wouldest be gathered but thou wouldest not He tries men likewise by his Providences how they will demean themselves under them Deut. VIII 2. Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the Wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine Heart whether thou wouldest keep his Commandments or no. So he doth by his Spirit in that noted place Revel III. 18. Behold I stand at the door and knock He that stands at the door could break down the door