Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	aaron_n	call_v	let_v	27	3	4.9234	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42583	An essay toward the amendment of the last English-translation of the Bible, or, A proof, by many instances, that the last translation of the Bible into English may be improved the first part on the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses / by Robert Gell ...	Gell, Robert, 1595-1665.	1659 (1659)	Wing G470; ESTC R21728	842,395	853

but there are certain distinct periods of ages observable in most languages if they were taken notic of In the Greek and Latin tongues greater industry hath been used unto which we may fit our English And so the distinction of ages may be as followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infans an Infant until the seventh year compleat which is to be understood in the following ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puer a childe until fourteen years of age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puber when the beard begins to grow a yongling from fourteen till eighteen years of age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adolescens a youth from eighten until twenty five years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fuvenis a young man from twenty five till thirty five 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir a grown man from thirty five until forty nine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Senex viridis a green old man from forty nine till sixty years old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Semicanus turn'd grey from sixty until seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Decrepitus a decrepit old man or capularis one ready to be laid on the Biere that is capulum from seventy years old until death Of all these ages they have taken the second or as some count them the first when they call the sons of Israel children which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX turns by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 33.14 and other words importing minority and nonage But our Translators herein erre not alone for Luther Piscator all the Low Dutch and all our old English Translations Ainsworth only excepted render the words as our last hath them who ever was their leader herein Sequimur ut pecudes antecedentium greges saith Seneca we are prone to follow ill examples But the Translators of the French Bible have made choise of the very first age and render the words Enfans d' Israel the Infants or little ones of Israel These no doubt or some of these had but low thoughts of Gods eminent designe as if he intended to beget nourish and bring up children of a span long Lam. 2.20 Nor yet have all been so deceived For beside these named all the ancient Translations as the Chaldee LXX Syriac Arabic and Vulg. Latin and the later as the Spanish and Italian Munster also Pagnin Tremellius and Vatablus have Sons of Israel O ye sons of Israel Consider ye are by this title called to actions of honour and strength Ye know how reproachful it is in our language What! alwayes a childe Brethren Be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children in understanding howbeit in malice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be children but in under standing be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not men only as ours render the word but perfect men 1 Cor. 14.20 Yea the same Apostle Ephes 4.13 14. Let not us propound unto our selves a measure and stature according to our own or others cize and opinion but let us remember that the King of Israel even Christ John 1.49 hath given his gifts unto men even all the Pastors Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature or age of the fulness of Christ that henceforth we be no more children tossed to fro by every winde of doctrine but grow up unto him in all things who is the Head even Christ And to this purpose the place before us requires of the Priests a duty to be performed to the sons of Israel The Priests must separate the sons of Israel from their uncleanness where in the sons of Israel are comprehended the daughters of Israel also as its clear ver 18. 30. For then we read of the womens uncleanness and their manner of cleansing there ver 31. saith Moses Thus shall ye separate the sons of Israel from their uncltaness Even the Sons of Israel have their uncleanness until they be separated from it by the Priests The Priest is said sometime to pollute Levit. 13. Ver. 3. sometime to cleanse from pollution and separate from uncleanness We have diverse examples of the one and of the other Of the former Lev. 13.3 The Priest shall see the Plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall pollute or defile him which our Translators with others turn The Priest shall pronounce him unclean So very often in that Chapter But how can the Priest be said to pollute some say when he pronounceth him unclean and polluted which also is true but may he not be said to pollute him who is unclean when he leaves him in his uncleanness according to that Revel 22.11 He that is filthy let him be filthy still And so the Lord is said to harden when he mollifies not the impenitent and obstinate heart but leaves it as he findes it in its hardness And when he cleanseth not the unclean as Exod. 34.7 He may be said to pollute him Not that he otherwise causeth any positive hardness or pollution And herein the Priest is as the Lords mouth Jer. 15.19 The Priest also for like reason is said to cleanse from pollution and separate from uncleanness when he expiates and purgeth away the true spiritual uncleanness as very often in this book Which he doth typically as a figure of that High Priest who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath and doth make the purging of our sins by himself and so really separates the sons of Israel from their uncleanness So that although the Priests the sons of Aaron and the Evangelical Priests are said to binde and loose absolve and excommunicate as a sort of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vice-Dei as Gods Substitutes on earth yet oftentimes these acts are done with very much ignorance and arrogance As when of old the Priest said I absolve thee from thy sins And some of later time more modestly pronounced and declared absolution and remission of their sinnes to the penitent and believing souls yet its possible that both one and other might be in great errour For althogh both alleaged authority from Christ yet it is very much to be questioned whether either of them were qualified as they ought yea it s much to be doubted that either or both might mistake their Commission I speak not this of the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such Priests as have been or are called unto that holy Function by God in some proportion like as Aaron was Hebr. 5.4 but of such as for a livelyhood or other by-end and out of the suggestion of their own Spirit have taken that honour to themselves without the motion and call of Gods holy Spirit let such pretend uninterrupted succession from the Apostles dayes downward which yet it s very hard to prove let them plead imposition of holy hands whether by Bishops or Presbyters let them

for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame sat down at the right hand of the throne of God Let us choose him for our guide in our motions in our rest leading us out and bringing us in turning and gathering us one unto another and to himself unto whom all the ten thousands thousands of Israel ought to be gathered Gen. 49.10 2 Thes 2.1 Arguments are wont to be brought to perswade us to our duty Are any needful unto this Psal 133. v. 1. If so behold how good and how pleasant it is that brethren dwel even as one The Prophet admires the goodness and pleasure of the excellent way of mutual love These two motives very seldom meet For some things are good which have no delight and pleasure in them as the labour of repentance sorrow for sin the throws and pangs of mortification Some things are delightful which are not good as the pleasures of sin But brethren to dwel together in unity comprehends both Vis unita fortior when they are as one they more strongly advance the profit one of other How good how profitable when many have one heart and one soul and one spirit when the good of one is the good of all when every one rejoyceth in the good of another as of his own how joyful how pleasant This is the pretious ointment the unction of the Spirit John 2.20 which descends from the Holy one from Christ the Head to the Beard the aged ones united unto Christ the dew of the holy Word that renders the heart fruitful There the Lord commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's a great emphasis in that word That blessing And no marvel For what is that Blessing but the life for evermore Psal 24.3 4 5. For unity and love invites God and his good Spirit unto men as when the Disciples were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in one place the Spirit of God came upon them Acts 2.1 2. And it is the Apostles Vale to the Corinthians Finally Brethren farewell or rather rejoyce 2 Cor. 13. v. 11. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies be perfect be of good comfort be of one minde live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you 2 Cor. 13.11 I will take of the spirit which is upon thee Numb 11. v. 17. and will put it upon them and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee that thou bear it not alone What here the Translators turn I will take of the spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is separabo de spiritu so Pagnin I will separate of the spirit and Vatablus Segregabo I will sever of the spirit and so Munster also the Tigurin and French Bibles Which is properly so to separate as to reserve what is so separated So Arias Montanus reservabo I will reserve of the spirit And to the same purpose Tremellius seponam I will set apart In this sense Esau saith to his father Isaac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast thou not reserved one blessing for me Gen. 27.36 This separation and reservation is by way of excellency Whence the Princes and Nobles are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only because they are separated from the multitude by reason of high place and dignity but also in regard of that excellent spirit which is in them So we read that Moses Aaron Nadab and Abihu and the Seventy Elders are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Excellent ones or Nobles of the sons of Israel Exod. 24.11 where the Chald. Paraphrast hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grandees and Princes and the LXX hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the elect or chosen ones or the choise of the chosen ones Of such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such choise such excellent men men of an excellent spirit Prov. 17.27 consisted the great Synedrion the Synagoga magna called the Sanhedrin the great Council of the Jewes The ground of ordaining this Government constituted by God himself is that the weakness and waywardness of the people might be born by their Governours Whence they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only because they are elati or praelati lifted up and preferred above others although that be true but also because their principal business is to bear as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the burden of the people Or if because they are lifted up above others it is as the clowds are lifted up which are also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may shower down showers of Blessings upon the earth as governours ought to do upon the inferiour people Therefore the excellent spirit was imparted unto these seventy men that thereby they might be enabled to bear the burden of the people Whence it is that the spiritual men are the strong men and most able for that imployment We who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 and not to please our selves which is one character of an Elder though under another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 1.7 And who are thus strong but the spiritual men Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye who are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness Yea this spirit is the spirit of love which is so strong that it beareth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 and that the rather because their burden is somewhat lightned by their dear relations of children whom they have begotten 1 Cor. 4.15 and of whom they travel Gal. 4.19 Especially the burden being divided among so many The Lord commands Moses to gather to him seventy men of the Elders of Israel whom Moses knew that they were Elders of the people The LXX have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Presbyters or Elders of Israel whom thou thy self knowest c. Which Eldership therefore is not to be understood of natural age in this outward world but in regard of the wisdom or Christ himself who enters into the holy souls according to the ages Wisd 7. v. 27. Wisd 7.27 which our Translators turn in all ages and makes friends of God and Prophets The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word for word sound thus according to ages She Wisdom descending into holy souls makes friends of God and Prophets Which is confirmed by the Apostle Ephes 4. v. 7. Ephes 4.7 Vnto every one of us is given grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the measure of the gift of Christ that is of Christ himself who is that gift as he calls himself John 4.10 And Socrates in Plato's Apology for him saith he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods gift to the Athenians as every good man is to the place where he lives It is the spiritual old age or age of the spirit that is here to be understood For if in truth and in Gods computation they were old whom the world accounts such who should be elder then

was no King in Israel every one did that which was good in his own eyes Now Elisha was dead and buried and the Moabites who abuse the Law of the Father signified by Lot the hidden Word of God they are the true Moabites the children of their father the Devil as S. Augustine interprets the Moabites Then also the Syrians ver 22. Pride and deceit and the curse of God upon the sinful soul such spiritually are the Aramites or Syrians these and all other inward enemies oppress Israel What remedy is there for this Let such a man be cast into the grave of Elisha let him be dead and buried with Christ God the Saviour He is now a man lost in the world he is become as a dead man When a man hath left his sin he is not Gen. 5.24 the sinners leave him and he them When he is dead to the sin what remaines but that he should be buried But where it is said they let him down we shall finde no such matter either in the Hebrew or Greek or Chaldee or Latin Translation The Hebrew text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he went The LXX have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went The Chaldee Paraphrast hath he descended The Syriac he went into the Sepulchre So Tremelius and the Spanish translation and the Italian of Diodati Martin Luther also and two Low Dutch translations As for the Tigurin Bible that hath Devolutus he was rolled into the grave of Elisha So the French translation So likewise two of our old English translations But Coverdale thus renders the word when he was therein and the Geneva Bible turns it when he was down our last translation lets him down gently The Tigurin French and some of our old English translations tumble him down for haste But what need all this curiosity I dare not depart from the letter of the Scripture or fasten mine own sense upon it as many of these have done And indeed it is neer a contradiction to themselves For first they say They cast the man into the Sepulchre which must be in part for fear of the Moabites and then they say they let him down which must be gently and leisurely The holy Spirit of God oftentimes intends a mystery and so leaves the letter seemingly absurd Such seeming absurdities as these are lest for the honour of Gods Spirit which clears the difficulties and sets all right This man is called twice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Emphasis That man And although they go about to bury him he is never said to be through dead The words are thus to be rendred And the man went and touched the bones of Elisha First He went Secondly He touched 1. He went Here is set before us a figure of one who was dead in trespasses and sins who is now dead unto sin and buried with Christ The fallen man is not wholly destitute of all strength as I shew elsewhere Therefore the man is said here to go and touch There must be some conformity between Christ and us if we touch him The man is accessary and must be so to his own death unto sin and his own burial of all sin and iniquity It s said of this man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went and touched the bones of Elisha The Lord requires of us not only a mortification and dying unto sin but also a burial of all sin They are two Articles of the Faith 1. That Christ was dead 2. That he was buried And so through the Spirit the sin must be put to death Rom. 8.13 and buried by holiness and love Ye have both together Psal 22.1 whose unrighteousness is forgiven the word signifies taken away and removed as dead and then whose sin is covered there 's the burial of it This is that which the Apostle teacheth us that love covers a multitude of sins yea all sins Prov. 10 12. The 2d Act of the dead man he touched the bones of Elisha 1. What bones of Elisha were these what is it to touch the bones of Elisha For it seems by this text that Elisha was very lately buried and so his bones could not yet be touched By the bones of Elisha we understand the strength of God the Saviour so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here rendred bones signifies strengths That man is said to touch into his bones when he became a member of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephes ● When he became flesh of his flesh that is of a tender heart of flesh to receive impressions of the Spirit and bone of his bone when he became strong and able to effectuate those impressions A vertual touching is here meant even the drawing neer unto the Lord Jesus by faith hope and love For so Hebr. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fidei fulness of faith And Hebr. 7.19 That better hope whereby we draw near unto God And love is affectus unionis that affection of union whereby we cleave unto God dwell in him 1 John 4.8 and become one spirit with him 2 Cor. 5. draw grace life and vertue from him For so he who hath the Son hath life 1 John 5.12 By this and many like examples it may appear how necessary it is that we preserve the Letter of the Scripture intire how unconvenient yea how absurd soever it seem to our carnal reason as here that a dead carkase should walk or go c. The letter may be the foundation of a spiritual meaning however happly what that is for the present we understand not And lest this Translation before us should seem so exact as many have conceived that it needs no Essay toward the amendment of it I shall propound unto the judicious Reader the Heads of many frequent mistakes which they may finde in it few of which I shall mention in the ensuing Essay Whereof some possibly will not be thought to change the sense of the Scripture but the Word only and retain the sense others pervert the sense also Examples of the former kinde are Metaphores mistaken and used one for another as when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to blot out as having reference to an Image or Picture or to a Writing it s rendred to destroy as Gen. 7.4 which is taken from building Thus Metaphores are waived and the supposed proper sense taken in lieu of them Josh 2. v. 9. as Josh 2.9 The inhabitants of the land melt from or before your faces Our Translators turnn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faint which there and often elsewhere signifies to be melted And the holy Spirit explains the metaphorical use of it Psal 22.14 Ezech. 21.7 Herein although haply the same sense may be intended yet it is not safe to vary that Metaphore which the holy Spirit intends and dictates So although to spoil in the English tongue Col. 2. v. 15. may signifie to disrobe or devest yet that will not so

three first Chapters which as all agree contain many mysteries which therefore were inhibited unto Novices Nor is it every mans businesse to search after this Mine Ungodly men who turn not from their iniquities shall never understand Gods truth Dan. 9.13 and 12.10 the same Prophet denounceth their doom None of the wicked shall understand Who then it follows But the wise shall understand that is the godly wise the beginning of whose wisdom is the fear of God For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy Eccles 2.26 And our Lord Jesus John 7.17 promiseth That If any man will do the Lords will he shall know of the Doctrine that is if any man have a will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do the Law of God which is the will of God the Father Psal 40.8 he shall know of the Sons Doctrine which is the Gospel But let us come to the words propounded And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Gen. 1. Ver. 2. In this Chapter the holy and blessed Trinity meets for the Creation of the Macrocosm or greater World And the Microcosm or lesser World the compendium and breviat of the greater Verse 26 27. As concerning the Macrocosm or greater World the Thargum of Jerusalem turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning ver 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In Wisdom which indeed is no other then what David Psal 104. having paraphrased on the works of God in the Creation Verse 24. he saith In wisdom hast thou made them all and the like Psal 136.5 6. To which may be added other like Scriptures This Wisdom is the Son of God and therefore the Interlineary Gloss interprets In Principio in the beginning in Filio s●o In his Son by whom all things were made John 1.3 Which also the Apostle ascribes unto the Son Col. 1.16 who saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Beginning So Revel 1.8 He is called the Beginning and 3.24 the Beginning of the creation of God Heaven and Earth the Interlineary Gloss expounds Spiritual Mon who meditate on heavenly things and Carnal Men who have not yet put off the earthly Man Alcuin briefly explaines the first Verse thus In the beginning The Son who being made Man it appeared who were heavenly who earthly so he And therefore it presently followes The Earth was without form and void Which very words Jer. 4.22 23. applies to the foolish people and sottish children who have no understanding until they receive the form of Doctrine So Gloss Ordin The Spirit of God moved The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the motion of a Bird while she hatcheth Eggs or moveth her self over her young ones We finde the same word so used Deat 32.11 which the Vulgar Latin hath Supervolitans flying over Arias Montanus turns Motitabit She will move her self often and our Translators render well She fluttereth And why the same word may not be here used I know not The Spirit of God is here said to flutter on the waters that is mystically saith the Ordinary Gloss noting hearts which have lost the rest of the minde In regard of the quickning power and tender love of God to his New Creatures he takes on him the affections and acts of Birds which are most loving to their young ones Thus in the place before named Deut. 32.11 God the Father is compared to an Eagle and to Birds flying Esay 31.5 The Son to an Hen 2 Esdr 1.30 I gathered you together as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her winge Which the Son applies to himself Matth. 23.37 And the Spirit of God appeared like a Dove Mat. 3.16 So that the Holy and Blessed Trinity is ingaged in the work of the outward and inward creation That this Translation may yet appear the more fit we may take notice that some of the best Philosophers have compared the Fire and Air to the Shell and White the Water and Earth to the yolk of an Egge upon which the Spirit of God here is said to sit and move it self The LXX hath here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Tertullian turns Supervectabatur was carried over the waters The Chaldee Paraphrast here useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to breathe as proper to the Spirit which the Arabick follows But I adhere to the translation which I have already given For the Syriack Interpreter hath a word like that in the Hebrew which signifies the act of a Bird sitting upon Eggs and hatching young ones Nobilius turns the Syriack word Fovebat aquas the Spirit of God nourished the waters Martin Luther useth the word Schwebet as also Piscator which in his Latin Scholia he turns Incubabat the Spirit sat upon the waters as a Bird on Eggs cherisheth them and quickens them that young ones may be hatcht and brought forth out of them Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life which we may better turn word for word Gen. 1. Ver. 20. the living soul So the French Spanish and Italian Bibles have the words And the Tigurin translation and Pagnin The like we may say of Verse 21. and 24. where our Translators have every living creature the translations now named have according to the Hebrew Every living soul Thus that manner of speech may be made familiar which otherwise is uncouth 1 Cor. 15.45 The first man Adam was made a living soul Cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth I rather render the last word wild beast of the earth Gen. 1. Ver. 24. For although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie both the tame and wilde beast as the English word Beast may do when it is alone as 1 Sam. 17.46 Yet when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added as here it is this signifies tame that wilde So Genesis 8.1 Levit. 26.22 and in many other places GEN. 2.2 On the seventh day God ended his work IF thus we read the words it will follow Chap. 2. Verse 2. that God wrought also upon the seventh day for to finish a work is to work And if God finished his work on the seventh day then he did not rest the whole seventh day and so it should be said that God rested a part of the seventh day For the avoiding of this objection the LXX plainly corrupted the Text and instead of the seventh day put the sixth and read the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God finished his works on the sixth day This seems to have been their constant reading For Hierom so read it in his time and it is so and no otherwise extant at this day According to the Letter this Knot may be loosed by saying that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used Genesis 2.2 which we render ended Perfecit in the Preter tense may be as well turn'd into the Preterpluperfect tense Perfecerat He had ended because there is but one Preter

opposite hereunto which the Lord puts into the seed of the woman is the work of the Law in us both discovering sin and righteousness to a knowledge of our condemnation for sin and a sense thereof whereby our will and readinesse and easinesse to commit sin is curb'd and checkt and broken in us and some inclination unto obedience out of fear of Hell is wrought in us As the first enmity is Abel so this second is Sheth which signifies a positive Law This Sheth is the Father of Enosh the miserable and wretched man as the word signifies for then men began to call upon the name of the Lord for mercy as our Translators turn the words which shall otherwise render as Saul or Paul did Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am c. Acts 9.11 Behold be prayeth This no doubt is a blessed enmity and a good preparation for our conversion unto and our reconciliation with God Psal 94.11 12. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity Blessed is the man c. and Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Vers 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 3. The third evil in the seed of the Serpent is enmity unto all righteousnesse as Paul saith further unto Elymas Acts 13.10 Thou enemy of all righteousnesse c. And therefore the third enmity hereunto opposite is the glad tydings of grace and mercy unto salvation life and righteousnesse signified by John The grace of the Lord which sweetly melts the heart into godly sorrow inclines it unto the love of all righteousnesse and to serve God freely out of love and good will Psal 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared John 4.10 4. The fourth evil in the seed of the Serpent is Caput mali The chief evil even the son of Satan himself the son of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 That man of sin to be revealed the son of perdition And therefore Paul cals Elymas The child of the Devil Acts 13.10 And therefore opposite hereunto the Lord puts the great enmity even Christ the Son of God working in us to will and to do according to the minde and will of God and against the lusts and will of Satan Thus 2 Cor. 5.19 Christ is reconciling the world c. Ephes 2.14 For he is our peace who hath made both one c. and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us c. and in 15 16 verses Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the Law of Commandements Col. 1.21 22. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works c. and 2.14 Blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us c. All this is done meritoriously and exemplarily by Christs sufferings for us but effectually by his spirit his Crosse and sufferance in us but most fully when we in the second and new birth are made of one heart and spirit with him 1 Pet. 4.1 For as much as Christ hath suffered in the flesh arm your selves with the same minde for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God Obs 1. Hence we learn That the only wise God who suffered the man to fall he well knew how to recover him out of his fall unlesse the man himself should prove the only obstacle and hindrance of his own restitution Otherwise no doubt he had not permitted the man to fall but that he could and would turn it unto his greater glory and the greater shame and confusion of the enemy The Lord repayes and requites his enemies in their own kind by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 2. Lege talionis by rendring them like for like as he did to Adonibezec and he acknowledgeth it Judges 1.7 As I have done so God hath requited me Thus here the most righteous God puts in an enmity against him who had first brought in the enmity against and between God and man Obs 3. There was no other way to recover and save the fallen man then to breake the inward league and amity between him and the Devil and so to reconcile the man unto himselfe for that outward pacification and atonement which Christ purchased by his death could not alone and by it self prove availeable unto salvation without a divorce made and a deliverance wrought from Satan and his kingdom and communion with him Nor could we have had communion with our God again in his spirit presence and Kingdom without this enmity first wrought and put into the woman and her seed Agree then with thine adversary Consent unto the law that it is good Let us who love the Lord be like unto him and he will the more love us Similitudo est causa amoris Now wherein should we expresse our love unto him even by hating sin and iniquity it is the Prophets exhortation Ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is evill Psal 97.10 Such an hater of evill and the evill one was holy Iob who had his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the text With allusion hereunto he speaks unto the Lord Thou hast reputed me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thine enemy as if he should say thou hast changed my name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 13.24 If such enemies we be against the evil hence it will come to pass that the Lord will put a perfect enmity into us so that wee shall hate the evill with a perfect hatred and the seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Axiom 3. It shall bruise thy head c. These words with those following contain the effect of the fuid between the seed of the Serpent and the woman wherein we must inquire First what is meant by the head Secondly what it is to bruise the head Thirdly who it is or what it is that shall bruise it 1. The word here turned head is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the chiefe part of the man or beast whence the chief of any thing hath the name In the French Chefe is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the head In it all the senses and their instruments the sinewes are centred This is in the body as a watch-tower whence the watch-man foresees what ever good or evill is to come whence is the German word haupt from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see or foresee unto this part the Iudgment is referred whence to heed or consider hath the name from the head hence is the direction of the members in their functions whence Aquinas saith the two parts of

and heir The Lord secures Abraham that his servant shall not be his heir no but one that shall come forth out of thine own bowells saith he Esay 9.6 So the Chal. Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my word shall be thy strength Gen. 15.1 even that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that word which was in the beginning We have in the words 1. Gods promise unto Abram of a numerous and godly seed 2. Abrams belief of that promise 3. Gods acceptance of that belief 1. The promise is of a numerous posterity illustrated and confirmed by a signe à parium collatione by comparison thus As thou canst not number the stars of light in the fair heavens so neither canst thou number thy godly seed which promise Abram believes We may resolve all these into the following divine Truths 1. God brought Abram forth 2. He shewed him the heaven and Stars in it 3. He brought Abram forth and so shewed him the heaven and the Stars and bids him try if he can number them 4. He promised that his seed should be so 5. Abram believed in the Lord. 6. That belief God counted to Abram for righteousness First God brought Abraham forth and why did God bring Abram forth ● that he might shew him the Stars of heaven which he could not see in the Tent. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies abroad which is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house out of which the Lord brought Abram He had made him a promise of a son and heir now he gives him an ocular demonstration and assurance not only of a seed a child but of a multitude a great number of children Why did the Lord bring Abram forth and shew him the heaven and Stars Abram was by birth a Caldean and that people was much addicted to Astronomy and Astrologie so that the Caldean and Astrologer was taken for one and the same And Abram is reputed by the Antients to have been extream well seen in those Sciences Orpheus in Clemens Alex. speaking of God saith he is invisible but that he made himself known to Abram the Chaldean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knew the way of the Stars their motions Matth. 14.19 Mark 7.34 Iohn 17.1 their settings and their risings Besides we cannot but conceive that Abrams pious soul looked toward the heaven to pray and blesse God as our Lord Jesus did Obs 1. It was a night vision Dan. 2.19 and 7.2 Acts 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so S. Chrys. read the words then onely the Stars are seen and then the Lord reveales secrets to his Saints The Antients observed that time as the fittest for contemplation And therefore they called the night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 33.14.15 29 30. from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elihu observed it as the most seasonable time for divine d●eames I wish therefore that good men were as not too scrupulous about every dream so not too negligent of all Obs 2. Our father Abram● absolute obedience unto Gods guidance and direction Esay 41.2 the Lord called him out of his countrey into a land that he should shew him and there leads him from place to place and here called him forth And the righteous man alwayes followed Gods footsteps 1 Pet. 2.21 22 Rom. 8.1 The Lord hath also called us unto his foot and given his Spirit after which we ought to walk and provided Abram as a way-guide before us O ye children of Abram Eamus nos faciamus similiter let us go and do like wise There are two guides which offer themselves unto us the Flesh and the Spirit Gal. 5.17 Gal. 5.1 Rom. 4.12 Rom. 8.14 It concerns us extream nearly whether of the two we follow for as many as are led by the Spirit they are the sons of God And therefore one of the Ancients reports Gods speech to Abram thus Away with thy Astrologie according to the principles of which thou seest in the Stars that thy wife being barren and old and thy self also thou shalt have no issue Believe in him who made the Heaven and the Stars Iob 9.9 and 38.31 and it is his peculiar Obs 3. The Lords gracious condescent he vouchsafes to stoop our apprehensions and comes home to us and takes us at and by our imployments professions and callings he takes Abram an Astronomer and Astrologer at the Stars the Fishermen at their Nets c. God brought Abram forth Whence out of his Tent. A Tent is Symbolum carnis a type or figure of the flesh wherein Abram and we all dwell or sojourn rather for a time yea so Christ himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.14 The word was made flesh and took up his Tent in us The Lord brought Abram forth that is Extra carnem aut terminos naturalis ordinis out of the flesh or out of and above the rank and order of meer nature by the guidance of the Spirit as our Lord was lead by it Matth 4 1. Ezech. 8.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. And the Apostle Whether in the body or out of the body he knew not Axiom 2. The Lord brought Abram forth and shewed him the heaven and the stars The Lord bids Abram look towards heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of Abram directs Abram and his children upward heaven-ward God-ward Not that there is any great piety in looking toward the material heaven or the stars in it The Angels rebuked the Apostles for so doing Why gaze ye up into heaven Though a great Leader directed his Disciples to look alwayes toward heaven as he himself was wont to do And another being sick of a Feaver contrary to the Physitians advice would needs lye on his back that he might look heavenward And another stood many years upon one leg looking up to heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All to what purpose The Heaven of heavens cannot contain him Wherefore we must know that heaven is not only that materiall and visible body well known by that name but God himself in Scripture is often called and known by the name of heaven So that the true heaven is not locally above For heavenly things the things of God are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.1 that is spirituall which things above are not to be understood in regard of place and posture For so we conceive that heaven is above whereas indeed hell is above in pride and high-mindedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that is high in men is an abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 Men conceive that hell is beneath but heaven is indeed beneath in humility lowliness and meekeness For surely as where the King is the Court is so where God is Psal 138.6 heaven is and that 's with the humble and lowly 3. Axiom He bids Abram try if he can number them these words may be considered 1. either in themselves or 2. as the protasis of the

by the Spirit of Jesus John 16.8 when the Spirit shall come he will reprove the world of sin the open and known sin the black Egyptian because they believe not in Christ that he is The I am John 8.24 And Moses supposed that his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them but they understood not nor believed Acts 7.25 2. He shall reprove the world of Righteousnesse even the false righteousnesse of the flesh which the pretending religious world counterfeits out of their knowledge of Christ meerly after the flesh whereas our Lord saith He goes to the Father and they see him no more 3. He shall reprove the world of Judgement because the Prince of this world even the spiritual Pharaoh himself is judged and cast out John 12.31 Now because the Hebrews believed not Moses Acts 7.25 therefore their deliverance out of Egypt was interrupted and delayed Exod. 2.14 15. Nor can the spiritual Moses do his great works in us because of our unbelief Matth. 13.58 Wherefore O ye believing Hebrews who are in your passage from sin to righteousnesse from death to life from the letter to the Spirit or as Philo Judaeus interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 14.13 one who is passing out of the state of sin and corruption into the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 that 's a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true Hebrew indeed let not us think low thoughts of the spiritual Moses let not us limit or stint our belief in the Lord Jesus but let us in this our journey 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loynes of our mindes and hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of J. Christ who is the great God Tit. 2.13 who is able to save us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to all perfection who come unto God by him Hebr. 7.25 And God said unto Moses Exod. 3. Ver. 14. I am that I am The words in the Hebrew are in the future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be what I will be And although it be true that there is oftentimes enallage temporum and that the present tense is sometime understood by the future yet it is not so here For if such an unlimited change may be according as men shall be pleased to make it to what purpose are the times distinguished It is true Hierom hath Sum qui sum as ours render the words I am that I am But he gives no reason for that translation no more do ours Wherefore if good reason can be given why we should adhere to that expresse text of Scripture rather then recede from it it will be of more weight with reasonable men then all mens authority against it Let us try The great name Tetragrammaton Jehovah is so composed by divine artifice that it signifies the three parts of time past present and to come as I have shewen largely on Gen. 9.26 When therefore the Lord calls himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be he implyes that in the later part of time he will more clearly manifest his Deity in and to the Humanity That we may the better understand this we may observe that the whole tract of time from the beginning to the end of it may be generally divided into two parts or ages one of type prophesie and promise the other of truth fulfilling and performance of what was typified foresaid and promised And this later eminently began when Christ appeared in the flesh and therefore we finde so often especially in S. Matthew ut impleretur that it might be fulfilled c. This time is expressed in the Prophets often by The last dayes those dayes that time c. which the Apostles call the end of the world the later times c. Yea although S. Paul speaks of his own times and calls them the ends of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 yet he tells us also of later dayes which should come after his time 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. 2 Tim. 3.1.5 Now the Lord and his Prophets foretelling what shall come to passe they refer us in the first age or part of time to the accomplishment of it in the later part of time So we understand what our Lord saith to Moses Exod. 6.2 that He was not known to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by his name Jehovah that is as it imported a fulfilling of his promises otherwise no doubt he was known by that name unto them And the Prophets point at the later times for the fulfilling of their prophesies Examples are obvious as very often when we meet with this phrase They shall know that I am the Lord often in Esay Jeremy Ezechiel c. And they refer us unto the later times for a more cleer understanding of what they write as Jer. 23.20 And the reason is because in the Messiah the Lord would more clearly manifest himself and his wayes and works So Hos 3.5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his Goodnesse in the later dayes Whereas therefore the Lord now begun his work with Moses he made himself known unto him by his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be For all that time he was a God that hid himself under types and shadowes Esay 45.15 Until his only begotten Son declared him John 1.18 And then he who had called himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be in the beginning of his work he calls himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego sum I am as often elsewhere so especially John 8.59 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before Abraham was I am Thus in this his first bringing up of Israel out of Egypt he styles himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be but the time would come when he should bring his people again from the depths of the Sea Psal 68.22 Esay 51.10 11. Zach. 10.10 This is wrought by the Lord who cals himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am who perfects that first rude draught of his first historical work in Spirit and Truth The Lord hath not communicated himself all at once but at first made himself and his Name known by Moses and the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many parts and many manners in prophesies and promises in figures and types but in the last dayes he speaks unto us by his Son who fulfils all the types Col. 2.16 17. prophesies concerning himself Luke 24.44 and promises for all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 and by him comes grace to fulfil the Commandements Rom. 8.4 and truth to fulfil types and promises He fulfils the great promise of the Father even the promised Spirit He fulfils the oath of the Lord that all the earth should be filled with the glory of the Lord Numb 14.21 when all behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord with his open face and are translated into

unlesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be rendred now as Vatablus turns it Mitte nunc send now But I conceive with Arias Montanus that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be here rendred pro me for me or in my stead and that to good purpose For whereas Moses by all means deprecates and declines the Embassie and sending unto Pharaoh he here desires the Lord to send one whom he would afterward send for him or in his stead Whereby he implyes Christ himself who was to be sent And so Hierom turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui mittendus est who was to be sent Gen. 49.10 For so no doubt that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hieroms dayes And our Lord for this reason makes so frequent mention that he was sent as in other places so especially in S. Johns Gospel from the fourth Chapter to the twentieth And for what other reason can we conceive that S. John saith the Pool of Siloam is by interpretation Sent but that hereby he would have us to understand that Jesus Christ was sent into the world to enlighten every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 And therefore being about to cure the blinde man John 9.4 I must work saith he the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world when he had thus spoken he anointed the blinde mans eyes and sent him to wash in the Pool of Siloam Sent that through the power of Shiloh he might be enlightned and receive his sight Whereas therefore Moses foreknew by divine revelation that the Lord would send his Son the great Redeemer and Saviour of the world to bring his people out of Egypt and that he was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui mittendus est he who was to be sent whom the Thargums and learned Jewes interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Christ yet hitherto he knew not whether he himself should go before that Shiloh as a figurative and typical Redeemer because in his first entrance upon that work he found great opposition made against him Exod. 2.14 15. he therefore desires the Lord to excuse him and to send the great Redeemer by whom he would send for him or in his stead He also out of profound humility judged himself unworthy of so transcendently honourable an imployment as to be sent on an Embassy from the Blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 unto Pharaoh King of Egypt as wise men dare not hope or promise so much of themselves as indeed they are able to do whereas on the contrary rash ignorant and arrogant men intrude and thrust themselves blindfold into the greatest Enterprizes And therefore after all his reasons alleaged and all his objections satisfied he beseeches the Lord to send in his stead and for him whom he would send Consider this thou who art rich in opinion of thy self because learned with other mens learning who presumest thy self to be an Embassador of Jesus Christ because he saith to his Apostles As the Father hath sent me so send I you Joh. 20.21 And because the Apostle saith of himself and his fellow Apostles We are Embassadours for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 hath the Lord therefore sent thee Art thou therefore his Embassadour Moses a most godly and learned man in all divine and humane learning Acts 7.22 was afraid to undertake so weighty a burden as also Jeremy and many others have been and would most willingly have withdrawn his shoulder And darest thou out of thy pride of knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldly take the burden How justly may the Lord complain as in former ages I have not sent these prophets yet they run I have not spoken to them yet they prophesie Jer. 23.1 How true is it that very much learning divine and humane renders men humble and lowly but a very little learning makes men proud O let us wait upon the Lord until our iniquity be taken away and our sin purged by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning and then if the Lord shall furnish us with suitable abilities and make an overture and open a way saying unto us whom shall I send let every one of us be ready to say Lord here I am send me Esay 4.4 and 6 7 8. Yet even then let us not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by us Rom. 15.18 but let us speak as the Oracles of God and minister of the ability which God giveth 1 Pet. 4.11 And thou shalt be to him instead of God It cannot be denied Ezod 4. Ver. 16. but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies God But does it not also signifie A Judge or Prince Psal 82.6 I have said ye are Gods which v. 7. he calls Princes And Moses accordingly explains one by the other Thou shalt not revile the Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor curse the Ruler of thy people Exod. 22.28 And so S. Paul understood it and applyed it to Ananias the High Priest Acts 23.5 And what inconvenience will follow if so we understand the word to be here used that it signifies a Prince or Ruler Sure I am the ancient Expositors of this Scripture have so rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here as the Chal. Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt be unto him for a Prince So again Chap. 7.1 And so the Arabick Version the LXX He shall be thy mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Hierom follows Tu autem eris ei in his quae ad Deum pertinent But thou shalt be unto him in things pertaining unto God And the Apostle hath the same expression Every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in things belonging unto God And thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred here to God as as Internuntius a middle or mean by whom Aaron may inquire the will of God So the Targ. Jerusal and Gods Truchman and Interpreter by whom Aaron may understand what the will of God is And for this reason Justin Martyr Orat. Par. ad Gentes saith that Moses was called Mercurius by the Egyptians for his profound understanding and interpreting the will of God As the people of Lystra for like reason called Paul Mercurius Acts 14.11 And truly it were to be wished that there were a more sober use of this name and a due limitation of it when it is given to men since at this day there are who abuse this phrase and make a very course application of it when they call him whom they repute the chief of their party their Lord God and the same one who is no good man Their reason Because the Lord said to Moses I have made thee a God unto Aaron How much better were it that every one of us who fear God

hidden and invisible Church as those names signifie Obs 2. What is principally to be partaken of in Christ his Head his ruling part we are to receive him as our Prince our Ruler and Governour This is that which is aimed at first in these words Many can be content to partake of him as a Prophet as a Priest as a Sacrifice but few as an Head few as a Prince Head and Governour As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2.6 Obs 3. What part of the word is principally intended by the Head what else but the ruling part the Head-sum of the Law and Faith even love out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Reproof 1. Those who aim at a Church like the Cyclops a Common-wealth without an Head without order of the members superiour and inferiour Reproof 2. Who reject Christ and will none of him as their Head We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19.14 2. His Legs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have their name in the Hebrew from bowing or being bowed They have analogie and proportion to the arms and legs of a man which are the instruments of motions and actions And therefore commonly by the feet and legs we mystically understand the passions and affections which move and carry out the soul and the whole man and put him upon actions which are signified by the hands and arms The eating therefore of the legs of the Paschal Lamb is having communion with Christ in motions and actions to walk as he walked 1 John 2.6 So S. Paul walked and he tels the Corinthians of his wayes that were in Christ 1 Cor. 4.17 Communion in power and strength signified by the Arm which is Christ Esay 40.10 and 53.1 By the Feet of the Lamb we may understand the lesse Commandements as by the Head the greater Hos 8.12 These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie the great things of the Law in regard of the lesse Matth. 23.23 For the Commandements of God are not all of one cise Whence it follows That Obs 1. There are degrees of the word and Commandements of God some greater some lesse 2. Both greater and less must be kept Head and feet of the Lamb must be eaten Axiom 3. His appurtenance The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his inwards The word properly signifies all the intrails more specially the Heart And by the Heart the will love and mercy is to be understood The eating then of the inwards of the Pascal Lamb is the partaking of the will of Christ that it may be our meat to do his will John 4.34 S. Paul had Christs love and mercy in him I long after you saith he in the bowels of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.8 Obs 1. All the Commandements prohibitions promises and threatnings are to be received fed upon by faith and inwardly digested into life Observe all things whatsoever I command you Matth. 28.20 Believe all things which the Prophets have written Luke 24.25 To receive the most intimate requiring of the Law inwardly and to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with the spirit of our minde Obs 2. The participation of Christ is not outward onely but also inward His words are spirit and life John 6.63 His law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. His whole worship is spiritual John 4.23 24. Hitherto we have considered these members a part Come we now to the handling of them joyntly And here let us inquire Why must these three be eaten The whole Lamb must be eaten And why is there more special mention made of these three parts 1. They are the three parts which specially suffered in the true Pascal Lamb. His Head crowned with Thorns His Hands and Feet pierced with Nails and his Side with a Spear 2. We have been wounded in all these in our Head our intellectuals in our inwards our morals in our actions and affections From the sole of the foot even to the head Esay 1.6 3. We have wounded him in all these we have crowned his head with our thorny cares In his hand is the hiding of his power Hab. 3.4 But what are these wounds in thy hands These with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zach. 13.6 even in those who enfeeble Christs power under pretence of infirmity and weakness of the Saints Obs 1. All our motions and actions which are signified by the outward members these are directed by the Head by the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 All our inward willing and nilling all our love hope desire fear joy grief all the actions proceeding from these these are guided by the minde and understanding by the Head Christ And therefore the words in the text if truly translated are very observable Ye shall eat the head with the legs and the purtenance thereof The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head above the legs and above the purtenance thereof The head must rule the legs and feet all the motions and actions The head must be above the inwards it must guide the passions and motions and affections of the heart Though these parts be specially enjoyned the whole Lamb must be eaten Obs 2. The holy Spirit of God implies and requires our whole conformity to Jesus Christ under the names 1. of eating and drinking unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you John 6.53 His flesh is his Word the Word made flesh John 1.14 His Spirit is drink He hath made us to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence is our spiritual life Christ our life Col. 3.4 To me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 2. The Spirit requires our conformity unto him in clothing put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Yea we must be armed with him what the Apostle calls the armour of light Rom. 13.12 13 14. he explains and calls the Lord Jesus Christ Reproof 1. Who will eat the Head who will be contemplative Christians but not the legs and feet they are not practical not affectionate Such an one was Judas he knew Christ and preached him but his bowels gushed out he had no mercy Reproof 2. Those who are practical and perform some outward work materially good without the inwards As the Pharisees would perform some outward duties without the inward and spiritual commandment Our Lord saith Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Nor is that Authors tenent other then Pharisaical who writing a work of Wisdom adviseth men to supply the necessities of the poor and miserable but not to be moved or troubled at their miseries His reason Because saith he it damps a noble spirit I know not wherein he placeth the nobility of spirit unless with Aristotle he account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Non mundificabit he will not cleanse him who bears his Name falsly or vainly For whereas this Commandement is directed against hypocrisie and the end of the Law and Gospel is to render men pure as God is pure holy as he is holy the Lord here threatneth that he will not purifie him who pretends Gods Name and being in shews of holinesse but hath not that purity nor desires to have it that he will not purifie or cleanse such an one A due reward of hypocrites who do all they do by the art of seeming holy and thereunto intend all their endeavours Mat. 23.5 do all their works to be seen of men and therein rest themselves as if to be reputed pure and holy were in-indeed to be the people of Gods holiness its just with the most holy God not to purge and cleanse these from their sins since they desire not real and true purity and withal to render unto them what they desire a reputation and esteem among men as if they were pure and holy Such is that generation Prov. 30.12 pure in their own eyes yet not cleansed from their own dung And of such our Lord saith They have their Reward O that all the people of God well considered this That the proper Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Being and he requires of all who bear his Name Being sincerity reality and truth That his Name is holy and therefore he requires of us like holiness and that we purge our selves from all pollution of flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of God So will he purifie us and cleanse us from all our iniquities 1 John 1.9 and we shall be pure as he is pure 1 John 3.3 and as he is holy so shall we be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Peter 1.15 The Lord strengthen us hereunto Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Exod. 20. Ver. 16. These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and verbatim sound thus Thou shalt not answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or speak against thy friend neighbour or companion a false witness or a witness of falshood Where by witness we understand not only the testimony or thing witnessed as the Chaldy Paraphrast and the LXX here render it but also the person who bears witness as Levit. 5.1 If a soul sin and hear the voice of swearing and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a witness So Deut. 19.18 If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the witness be a false witness c. where the words following are the same with these before us of the ninth Commandement If the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mendatium respondit in fratrem suum hath testified or answered falshood against his brother So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here personally understood and in rectio thus Thou a witness of falshood or a false witness shalt not answer against thy neighbour because witnesses were wont to be adjured and to answer to interrogatories But the Law is spiritual Christ is God Amen Esay 65.16 The Truth and he that is true 1 John 5.20 And we who believe and love him are in him who is true and he in us and he speaks in us and witnesseth unto us what is true and we answer by our assent and consent unto him the true and faithful witness Rev. 1.5 and from that testimony of truth we speak the truth to our neighbour And so our yea is yea if we say yea it answers unto the witness in our minde and heart and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the minde and speech anagrammatically answer one to the other It answers also to the thing testified Pronuntiat uti res est and so likewise our yea is yea And so on the contrary our nay is nay O how far is the present falsly called Christendom from that which all pretend unto the Christian life conversation and communication Doth not the Prophet foretel what manner of people we ought to be The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies nor shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth Zeph. 3.13 Where shall we finde this necessary character of a Christian Take away lying take away a deceitful tongue and take away withal many a mans trade and his whole livelyhood who get their treasure by a lying tongue Prov. 21.8 The just man lives by his faith these live by deceit and fraud But I hope there is such a remnant in the world of whom the world is not worthy Such as the Lord owns for his people Children that will not lie upon which terms he is their Saviour Esay 63.8 Such as the sons of Jacob said they were True men Gen. 42.11 O that we all who call our selves Christians were of that number For there is a word which is clothed about with death God grant it be not found in the heritage of Jacob Ecclus 23.12 It is the word of Belial Psal 101.3 that is the Devil and Satan according to the Syrlac 2 Cor. 6.15 He is a lyar c. and the father of lyes and lyars John 8.44 and unto these he dictates and teacheth his lyes and they become his lying children by answering and consenting thereunto and not hearing the Law of the Lord Esay 30.9 And out of that evil treasure of their heart they speak lyes unto their neighbour But we have not so learned Christ if we have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that we put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of our minds and that we put on the new man who after God is created in righteousness and true boliness Therefore putting away lying let every one speak truth to his neighbour Lord deliver our souls from lying lips and a deceitful tongue If the thief be not found Exod. 22. Ver. 8. then the master of the house shall be brought unto the Judges to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbours goods The sense of this Scripture is obscured by a mistake of our Translators who have added to the text a superfluous supplement to see For they well knew how ever they neglected it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only a conditional and interrogative which is wont to be expressed by Si and an if and whether as they here turn it But it s also a particle of swearing affirmatively if alone Gen. 26.28 Let us make a covenant with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou wilt hurt us that is as the LXX render it that thou wilt do us no hurt If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be added negatively 1 Kings 1.51 Adonijah saith Let King Solomon swear to me this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he will not slay his servant with the sword So the Chald. Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

to be understood here the Prophet more fully expresseth himself Hos 13.4 I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt and thou shalt not know a god besides me Let us then lay these together Moses saith that from the Mount Horeb or the Law the people stript themselves of their ornament the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is singular For from the work of the Law upon men they begin to put off their own ornament their own righteousness their own holiness The people had adorned themselves as a Bride to enter covenant of mariage with their God Exod. 19.10 11. Which done their first national sin was spiritual adultery with the Egyptian Apis an Ox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most powerful god to the Egyptians saith Aelian or a Calf which they made in Horeb and worshipped the molten Image Exod. 32.4 5 6. Psal 106.19 Whence by metaphor taken from an Ox which being head-strong shakes off the yoke the Lord first calls this people stiff-necked from their worship of the Egyptian Ox Exod. 32.9 and 33.3 And often he afterward mindes them of this idolatry by calling them stiff-necked and by metaphor from an unthankful Calf kicking the Dam Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked Deut. 32.15 According to a like metaphor Plato said that his ingrateful Scholar Aristotle was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fole Notwithstanding this great sin the people were yet in their Holyday-clothes Tanquam re bene gestâ as if they had kept a Feast to the Lord as Aaron caused it to be proclaimed Exod. 32.5 And the Priests oftentimes have made Calves even of themselves to please the people Populo ut placerent quas fecissent fabulas And at this day too many think by their forms of godliness their bravery of Religion to serve God and Apis God and Mammon God and the Devil and their own lusts together as the Apostle makes application of this example Be not ye Idolaters as were some of them as it is written The people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play 1 Cor. 10.7 In this case the Lord though he knowes all his own works and ours and the events of them yet he would seem not to know what to do with such a people but utterly to consume them Unless from the work of the Law upon them they strip themselves of their ornament their own righteousness which they have taken on Consider this who ever thou art spiritually minded Reader Omnia in figura contingebant illis all things befel that people in figure and were written for our admonition especially this story as hath been shewen Would we that the good spirit of our God should be with us and destroy our spiritual enemies and lead us into the land of Righteousness which was in figure here mainly desired as appears v. 3.4.12 16. Let us then not pride our selves in a robe of righteousness or pompous ostentation of holiness which we have either chosen and clothed our selves withal or such as hath been imposed upon us by others while our Idols are yet erected and set up in our hearts lest the Lord consume us ver 5. But knowing the terrour of the Lord let us begin from Mount Horeb even from the holy Law and the holy fear wrought in us thereby Exod. 20.20 to devest our selves of our false righteousness whereof the Spirit at this day reproves the World John 16.10 And let us lay our selves low before our God and put on Sackcloth that is be clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 See the good effect of such humiliation from legal terrour in that loose debaucht Heathen King of Nineveh and how it won upon his favour He arose from his Throne and laid his robe from him and covered him with Sackcloth sat in Ashes Jonah 3.8 See it in a foolish King Rehoboam and his people 2 Chron. 12.7 See it in an idolatrous and a bloody King Ahab 1 Kings 21.29 the good God spared them all And if thou begin from Mount Horeb from the work of the Law humbling thee and put off the rags of thine imaginary righteousness thou shalt see the like effect in thy self Let us hear S. Peters counsel Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time So will he be with us and go with us and subdue our enemies in us and his good Spirit will lead us into the land of righteousness O that this were come to pass in every one of our souls Thou shalt make the dishes thereof and the spoons thereof It is true Exod. 25. Ver. 19. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latitude of it may signifie a Spoon as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies what is crooked or hollow and so Pagnin here renders the word Coclearia Spoons As also Numb 7.14 the Princes of Israel offered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators turn Spoons and Jer. 52.18 19. Whether the word be rightly rendred or not will appear if we enquire to what end and use these Spoons were made surely to hold the Frankincense which was to be put upon the Table of Shew-bread as appears Levit. 24.7 And therefore everyone of the twelve Princes offered his Spoon full of incense This cannot be the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these and other places as may appear by these reasons 1. A Spoon was no proper vessel for the Incense but that which the Latins saith Festus call Acerra vel dicunt arculam esse thurariam scilicet ubi thus reponehant a little vessel wherein they put Franckincense Vatablus having rendred the word Coclearia Spoons he explains it by thuri●ala in quibus ponebatur thus Boxes wherein Incense was put So likewise the old Greek Glossary hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acerra thuribulum a receptacle for Franckincense 2. Moses having mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vessels for Franckincense he addes the covers thereof Now it is not likely surely it is not usual that Spoons have their covers made for them If they be not Spoons what are they The Italian hath as also Hieron cups but in the margent incense-vessels And the French Bible having Spoons in the Te●t explains the word by vessels of incense in the margent Piscator turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ranchpfenlin which he explains A vessel wherein men put incense As for an English word to answer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s easier to shew what they are not then properly and in one English word what they are We may till we can express the word better be content with Incense-vessels The Lord hath his Table in the Holy and hath furnished it richly and plenteously with dishes of shew-bread the figure of the living bread or the bread which is the living Word that came down from heaven John 6.32 33. and with bowls for wine that we may drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12 13. with Incense-vessels also that partaking

our Lord there delivers and fear lest the like or a worse judgement remains for themselves My Brethren The hand of the same Lord of Hosts is stretched out still And if we shall in life or doctrine especially this doctrine of unbelief and impossibility cause the people of God to sin let us fear the like yea heavier judgement upon our selves because we have not taken warning by the heavie hand of God upon them Quorum facta imitamur cur non illorum exitûs exhorrescamus If we be like them in the sin why should we not fear that we shall be involved with them in the same judgement 1. We who call our selves and would be reputed Ministers of the Gospel are supposed to know more then other men do and to be more strong in the Lord and in the power of his might then others are and so to be more able to resist the Tempter and his motions unto sin 2. We are thought to have received more grace from God and therefore if we sin against our God we are more ingrateful then others are 3. Impiety in us is in a special manner repugnant unto our profession who more then other men pretend to piety and holiness 4. The example of our sin extends more to scandal then other mens because being reputed learned we may be supposed to sin by the Book O let us bring our sin-offering even repentance a broken spirit and a contrite heart Psal 51.17 Let us confess forsake and mortifie our sin that by the blood and spirit of Christ we may be sprinkled from an evil conscience Hebr. 10.22 and the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ shall cleanse us from all our sins 1 John 1.7 Then will our sober chaste temperate honest just godly conversation win the people to sobriety chastity temperance justice honesty and piety and every grace which they shall see in us they will copie out into themselves Then shall we be pretious men indeed not in the vain opinion of ignorant men then shall wee bee powerful Preachers when we preach powerfully Christ to be the power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 by whom the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. So that we warn every man and teach every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ Col. 1.28 Then shall we boldly propound our selves examples unto the flock And when the chief Shepherd shall appear we shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away 1 Peter 4.2 3. If a soul sin and hear the voice of swearing and is a witness Levit. 5. Ver. 1. whether he hath seen or known of it if he do not utter it then he shall bear his iniquity The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here turn'd swearing is not to be understood in the latitude of it but more proper to the business here treated of by Moses it signifies an Adjuration which is that kinde of Oath or Execration whereby a man hearing is obliged to say or do something as in controversies among men an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife Hebr. 6.16 Thus also in mens private affairs and extrajudiciall matters As Abraham adjured his servant or caused him to swear imposing an oath upon him Gen. 24.3 And examples of both kindes we have many in Scriptures Exod. 13.19 Numb 5.19 1 Sam. 14.27 28. 1 Kings 2.43 Ezra 10.5 Cant. 5.8 9. and elsewhere This Adjuration is understood in this Scripture here before us For the Jews in their Courts admitted an Adjuration to be laid upon all persons present for the eliciting and drawing forth the truth in question Insomuch as although a man were not personally cited and adjured to confess his knowledge yet if he heard the adjuration or execration and concealed the truth he rendred himself guilty according to this Law Much more if any man were personally adjured to speak his knowledge and yet held his peace In which case he was obliged to answer the adjuration although possibly what he uttered might prove disadvantageous unto himself So vain is that assertion which yet is vulgar and common that no man is bound to accuse himself This very Law bindes a man to speak his knowledge although summoned thereunto generally only and in common with all who hear the adjuration however his own personal interest may be concerned thereby Otherwise this Law makes him guilty How much yet more if the Judge himself adjure him to declare the truth In which case it is very observable that when the High Priest had questioned our Lord Luke 22.67 68. and the false witnesses had bin produced against him Matth. 26.61 62. which yet could prove nothing and Jesus himself held his peace so that they were all at a loss the high Priest made use of the last expedient which in this case could be used and adjured him by the living God that he should tell them whether he were the Christ the Son of God This Adjuration drew from our Lord that Confession that he was the Son of God Matth. 26.59 64. For so what there we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast said S. Mark reports to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am So sacred a thing is an Oath that he who submitted himself to be a Servant of Rulers as he is called Esay 49.7 when he had stood dumb and opened not his mouth the Adjuration caused him to make that glorious confession of the truth This sense Arias Montanus Vatablus Munster and Castellio give of these words Tremellius and some of the Jews understand this Law to be against him who hath heard one blaspheme God and conceals his knowledge And he refers this Law to the precept of brotherly correction and reproof Levit. 19.17 And it is possible that our Translators may have been of the same judgement But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not any where used to signified blasphemy in that sense so far as I yet can finde Nor was swearing wholly forbidden the Jewes either judicially or extra-judicially but onely vain and false swearing Levit. 19.12 Jer. 7.9 And of this swearing Hos 4.2 is to be understood and Zach. 5.3 Every one that sweareth shall be cut off What kinde of swearing is that It followes in the next verse every one that sweareth falsly by my Name So Mal. 3.5 For the merciful God graciously connived for a time at the Jewes swearing so they sware not falsly nor vainly by his Name And therefore our Lord in his exposition of that Commandement saith not Thou shalt not swear but thou shalt not forswear thy self And the reason may be The people of God lived among the Nations who walked every one in the name of his god Mich. 4.5 Wherefore the Lord condescended for a time to be accounted as it were a Topical God as if he had been the God of Israel only as may appear by Jephta's reasoning Judges

11.12 28. lest his people being mingled among the Nations should learn their works and swear by other gods See the truth of this Jer. 12.14 15 16. Thus saith the Lord against all mine evil neighbours c. it shall come to pass if they shall diligently learn all the wayes of my people to swear by my Name The Lord liveth as they have taught my people to swear by Baal then they shall be built up in the midst of my people And we now live mixt one with another good and bad together and every one endeavours to assimilate and render another like unto himself O that every one of us so far as we have attained would endeavour to render another like unto God! Now although swearing by the Name of God rashly vainly and falsly and without just cause hath alwayes been a sin and so accounted Ecclus 23.9 13. Yet the universal prohibition hereof was reserved until the time of Reformation Matth. 5.33 37. Howbeit that this kinde of swearing ought not here to be understood but Adjuration only and to put an end to controversies among men as hath been said will appear to be true if we lay to the words now questioned and compare with them what Solomon saith Prov. 29.24 He that is partner with a thief hateth his own soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he heareth adjuration and uttereth it not Where we have these very words of the Law Levit. 5.1 and an exemplification of it In this case the Arabic Proverb is not to be understood Repentance for silence is better then repentance for speech And that of Cato hath no place here Nam nulli tacuisse nocet nocet esse locutum For silence in this case argues a consent unto evil Take notice here Christian Reader how strict the Lord is in requiring a discovery of sin and that the truth should be brought to light and judgement and that under a ceremonial dispensation so that he who concealed his knowledge rendred himself guilty And shall we who ought to depart from and hate every evil way and every iniquity and loathe it in our selves shall we hide and keep anothers sin as sweet under our tongue In this case it will well beseem our Christian prudence and charity to enquire what will be more profitable for our brothers reformation whether to accuse him and discover his sin as Joseph did his brethrens Gen. 37.2 or at least for a time with lenity and pious long-suffering to bear his weakness But if we wink at and dissemble our brothers sin as if we favoured it and waited not for a fit time for reproof of it we make our brothers sin and guilt our own and our tenderness and clemency toward our brother will be interpreted no less then contumacy and disobedience toward God Remember how Solomon concludes his Ecclesiastes and with it I shall conclude this Essay God will bring every work into judgement and every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil And the Priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin Levit. 5. Ver. 6. This sense is imposed upon these words beside their genuin and proper meaning which is this And the Priest shall expiate or purge him from his sin The only difficulty if any there be is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether it be referred to the person purged from his sin and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to purge or expiate is construed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or whether it have reference to the Sacrifice as Arias Montanus understood it Both have their Authors and their meanings good As for Atonement what is meant by it but union with God or oneness as when God and man are at one And how can that be wrought while the sin intervenes and keeps man at a distance from his God Esay 59.2 It is true indeed that the Spirit of God hath couch'd two actions under one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. to cover and 2. to purge cleanse or expiate But although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie to cover yet not so as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.16 as a cloak to cover knavery not so as to hide the sin but as a playster is applyed to cover and so to cure and heal a wound and so the first signification will fall into the second Thus the Tigurin Bible renders the words verbatim Et expiabit eum sacerdos à peccato suo And the Priest shall purge or expiate him from his sin And the Chald. Par. saith the very same though somewhat otherwise translated So Munster so Vatablus so Tremellius so Diodati And although the Spanish Bible hath reconcilierà in the text yet it hath expiarà the Priest shall expiate in the margent If meantime the sin remain how can the atonement or reconciliation be made since sin is the only make-bate Quod turbat omnia which therefore if it remain and be not really and truly removed and taken away the wrath and the condemnation and guilt and obligation unto death must remain with it What is wont in this case to be said that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which words are usually cited alone and the following words suppressed it is true of them who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit whom the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes free from the law of sin and death in whom the righteousness of the law is fulfilled Rom. 8.1 4. It is true these actions are all of them ceremonial poor and beggarly rudiments yet by them are figured out the pretious truths of God touching atonement with God and expiation from sin as gold is weighed out by brass or leaden weights The real purging from our sins by Christ is meant by the ceremonial expiation wrought by the Priest and the sacrifice And therefore the Apostle so reasons if the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh so far then it did sanctifie how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Let us well consider this Christian Reader lest in a matter of so great concernment unto our immortal souls we suffer our selves to be deceived by concerning a word of very large signification which if it mean any thing but expiating the sin take heed of it Dolosus versatur in generalibus if we be deceived in the figure we shall also be deceived in the Truth it self which is conveyed by it But suppose the sin only covered which is that which many contend for if it yet remain in us what singular benefit is the Reconciliation or Atonement unto us only that the putrid and loathsom ulcer is skin'd over that the remorse and clamour of the guilty conscience is quiet and stilled for a time that the malefactor is

in the heat and fury of chance Do ye not remember our late extraordinary droughts And when the Lord gave rain did he not withal send destructive hail thunders and lightnings I shall remember you only of that memorable one July 20. 1656. when the rain hail thunder and lightning laid all the corn and fruit-trees waste five miles broad and between fifteen and sixteen miles in length about the City of Norwich I received this relation from good men of credit and sufferers in that calamity but the thing is sufficiently known So the Lord walked with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even in the heat wrath and fury of chance This story I the rather mention because I have observed it to be the guise of men in this City like that of the Athenians Acts 17.21 to spend their time in hearing or telling some new thing and that commonly they entertain relations of this nature under the notion of novelties and think no more of them And therefore God by this and like judgements awakens us and reproves our casual and accidental walking with him that we should turn unto him lay his judgement to heart learn righteousness and with full purpose of heart walk with him But the Stoicks of our time are not hereby justified who will have all things come to pass by an immutable and fatal necessity as if the series and order of causes and effects were so knit together as links in a chain by an unavoidable destiny so that howsoever Gods people walk or have walked with him they nor could nor can walk otherwise then they have done or do No nor can God himself having bound up himself by his own decrees walk otherwise with his people then he hath done or doth walk Surely these men consider not that the most high God who made man a noble and free creature with power to act or suspend his act to do this or that or their contraries he himself reserved to himself the same liberty or greater then what he gave to the counterpane of himself And since all things between God and man are transacted by way of covenant the terms and conditions of it alwayes suppose free agents entring into covenant and therefore a possibility of keeping or breaking covenant and consequently respective rewards and penalties annexed thereunto Otherwise man should be unjustly punished for that which could not be avoided or unduly rewarded for what could not be done otherwise Yea there should be as no merit so no demerit no demerit no sin no righteousness Yea all perswasions and disswasions all counsels exhortations dehortations all promises and threatnings reproofs admonitions all commands all prohibitions in a word all acts of God upon mans will which indeed upon the matter should be no will all Lawes of God and men should be altogether null and to no purpose or which amounts to little more a meer juggle a meer pageantry of seeming actions done onely above-board when indeed there should be no such thing But alas my heart condemns me that I have not walked so evenly so intirely with my God I have had many a good will and purpose to walk with my God and somewhat or other intervenes diverts me and turns me from my purpose Yet fear not the Lord with whom thou walkest looks at thy heart and good will and how thou art affected toward walking with him I the Lord search the heart and try the reins to give to every man according to his wayes according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 17.10 If we have forgotten the Name of our God or stretched out our hands unto a strange god shall not God search it out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart Psal 44.20 21. He looks upon the hands thorow the heart And therefore what we have in the Text if ye will not hearken unto me but walk at all adventures with me speaking of the event the same ver 21. ye may read spoken of the heart and affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye will not hearken unto me if ye have a lust heart and will not to hearken unto me The Lord looks thorow our heart and will at our feet and walking O but if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and he knowes all things 1 John 3.20 Thus the poor soul dejects it self and pleads against it self without just cause Let not thy heart condemn thee 1 John 3. Ver. 18 19 20. God is greater then thy heart and he knowes all things Alas saith the poor soul that 's my condemnation that God is greater then my heart and knowes all things It is a true saying Qui respicit ad pauca de facile pronunciat he who looks at few things soon delivers his opinion But he who will give a right sentence of Gods truth he must look about him at antecedents and consequents and pray to the Lord to give him his Spirit to lead him into all truth This place of Scripture is not well translated Let us take the whole Paragraph before us and consider of it 1 John 3.18 19 20. My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth And hereby namely by our loving in deed and in truth hereby do we know that we are of the truth and shall assure or perswade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our hearts before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for but that if our heart condemn us or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although as Matth. 26.35 John 8.14 and elsewhere although our heart condemn us for any former failing that God is greater then our heart greater in wisdom grace mercy and goodness and knowes all things he knowes our heart and the present frame and disposition of our heart in the deed and truth of love So that many a poor soul dejects and casts down it self upon a meer mistake of this place of Scripture mis-translated which being truly rendred and understood makes for the great consolation of it But I have not walked with my God in the way of his Commandements Surely the Lord hath forsaken me His Prophet tells me The Lord is with you while you are with him if ye forsake him he will forsake you And this is my condition Be not discouraged poor soul The Prophets words are The Lord is with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your being with him if therefore thou do what is pleasing in his sight and what he hath shewen thee 2 Chro. 15. Ver. 2. is good if thou do justly and love mercy and humble thy self to walk with thy God thou art with him and in thy being with him he is with thee Continue thou in so doing and in the good will so to do But alas I endeavour so to do but I often stumble in the way That makes thee more diligent and more wary afterward He who stumbles commonly takes a larger stride Be careful and remember that thou walkest in the midst of snares

the beatifical vision as at the death of Christ the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom Matth. 27.51 so that the holy of holies appeard And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 Then shall all vailes be removed And the Spirit which searcheth all things even the hidden things of God shall teach us all things and lead us into all truth For which let us pray that God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto us the Spirit of wisdom revelation in the acknowledgement of him the eyes of your heart being enlightned to know what is the hope of his calling Ephes 1. ver 17 18 and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints To him be glory and honour and thanksgiving now and for evermore Amen When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit or do a trespass against the Lord and that person be guilty Numb 5. Ver. 6 7. then they shall confess their sin that they have done and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof and adde unto it the fifth part thereof and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord even to the Priest Ye may perceive it was not without cause that I shewed that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is so often by our Translators turnd to number does not in the former Chapter of this book properly so signifie but to muster and view and visit the Lords army in order to their encamping and marching toward the land of Canaan For having so done in the four first Chapters in this Chapter the Lord gives order for the purging and cleansing of the Camp as from bodily pollution and so every Leper every one who hath an issue must be put out of the Camp and the pollution of the soul which is either ceremonial as whosoever is defiled by the dead as by touching or having communion with dead works ver 2. or moral and such is that in the words before us Wherein we have 1. A supposition of sin committed and guilt contracted by it When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit c. 2. An imposition of a penalty for his sin Or a direction how he should expiate his sin which is to be done by Confession and Restitution He shall recompense his trespass with the principal and addition of the filth part unto the person damnified But put case that the person who hath suffered damage yea and his Kinsman be dead what is in that case to be done Let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord even the Priest The supposition I read thus word for word out of the Hebrew A man or woman if they commit of all the sins of man to trespass a trespas against the Lord then that soul shall be guilty Wherein are contained these divine sentences 1. It is possible that a man or woman may commit one or other of all the sins of man 2. That they may commit some sin of all the sins of man to trespass a trespass against the Lord. 3. The soul that so doth shall be guilty 1. A man or woman may commit some of all the sins of man So the Hebrew so the Chal. Par. and the LXX to a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Pagnin Si secerint ex omnibus peccatis hominis 1. A man or woman It is the observation of Abenezra and of divers out of him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the woman have in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which make up the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of the Lord so long as man and woman husband and wife have in them the name of the Lord so that they fear God and love one another so long the Lord is with them and helps them but if they forget the Lord and hate one another that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is lost and there then remains only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fire fire the fire of contention and debate between them such as often proceeds from jealousie as in the latter part of this fifth Chapter and the fire of Gods wrathful indignation upon them 2. What are all these sins of man or men there are divers kinds divers sorts of injuries a multitude of sins implyed in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the sins of man or men such as men are wont to commit one against another Which we may reduce to two heads violence and deceit which is more properly understood by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which does not only signifie praevaricari praevaricationem to prevaricate and deal unfaithfully but to steal filch minm purloin cheat cousin circumvent go beyond a man over-reach him c. This is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to raise up or lift up as also the contrary to cast down which suits well with the nature of deceit and fraud For he who deceives another he either directly or indirectly raiseth up the party deceived to an hope and confidence in him who is now about to deceive him and having wound up his hope and expectation of some good he foully frustrates him and casts him into a mischief which he feared not So that in deceit there are commonly these two things 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprivating and frustrating of the thing we hoped for and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil a mischief a damage which we feared not The possibility of this is understood by the particle when or if It needs no proof when the acts themselves appear For that a thing is possible does not prove the thing to be A potentia ad actum non valet consequentia But if a thing be certainly it is possible to be Ab actu ad potentiam valet consequentia That it is possible to commit some or other of all the sins of men appears by the manifold examples Rom. 1.28 32. And such as S. Paul prophesied of 2 Tim. 3.1 5. And would God that the examples of these sins did not so abound among us to prove the possibility Let us inquire into the reason of this why men are so fraududulent and deceitful so violent and mischievous one to another so full of cheating theft and rapine Truly we must refer the reason of this to the principles of Atheism Ephes 2.12 without God in the world or which is next unto it Epicureism excluding divine providence from this lower world Ezech. 8.8 and 9.9 when they think that the Lord hath forsaken the earth Or which is near to that Saduceism denying rewards and punishments after a well or ill lead life

if we suffer with him if we die with him we shall also arise with him and live with him and be glorified with him And as his countenance is as the Sun shineth in his strength Revel 1.16 So let them who love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Judges 5.31 And it came to pass as the Ark set forward that Moses said Numb 10. v. 35 36. Rise up O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when it rested he said Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel The words contain the prayer of Moses when the Ark journeyed and rested When it journeyed that the Lord would arise and scatter his enemies when it rested that he would gather together and unite his people and take up his residence with them For both these later acts may be comprehended in the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I shall shew Two exceptions lie against the translation of this Paragraph 1. That no notice is taken of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor is it rendred otherwise here nor in many other places then only before thee which is a decompounded word and signifies from before thy face I deny not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the face spoken of God notes his presence but withal according to the places of Scripture where we meet with it it imports either his grace and mercy or his wrath and hatred For as the face of a man naturally declares his will and affections Vultus index animi a mans countenance speaks his minde until that damnable art of seeming perverted the simplicity of nature so the face of the Lord discovers his good will and favour toward us or on the contrary his dis-favour hatred wrath Examples are obvious The Church prayes God be merciful unto us and blesse us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cause his face to shine upon us Psal 67.1 But Psal 34.16 we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the face of the Lord is against them who do evil And Levit. 17.10 The Lord saith I will set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my face against that soul and 20.3 and 26.17 beside many like places Where by the face of the Lord his wrath is to be understood Thus in the Scripture now in question which speaks according to our Translators thus let them that hate thee flee before thee here is an object of wrath and hatred propounded to the Lord and therefore the Spirit of God expresseth his face which imports his wrath and hatred against his and his peoples incorrigible enemies Let them who hate thee flee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from before thine angry countenance The second exception lies against the last words Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel The Translators well knew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the same with Myrias in the Greek viz. ten thousands and therefore they say in the margent Hebr. ten thousand thousands though therein they come not home to the Hebrew text which is in the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ten thousands thousands of Israel So that neither in the text nor margent they expresse the original May we conjecture what their reason might be It s probable that they thought there were not so many Myriads of Israelites and that this might be an hyperbolical speech of Moses But the Jewes have a tradition that three Millions of men came with Moses out of Egypt wandred in the Wilderness toward Canaan Which though it were true yet these might fall short of the number mentioned Nor ought this tradition to be imposed upon our faith What if we shall rather say that when the Israelites were numbred and mustered in the Plains of Moab and a Catalogue was then taken of the fighting men only of twenty years old and upward who were six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty Numb 26.51 It is not said how many more there were under that age to say nothing of the women All which its possible might amount to the number mentioned without hyperbole And this may be made yet the more probable if we lay hereunto what Moses saith Deut. 1.10 The Lord your God hath multiplyed you and behold you are this day as the Stars of heaven for multitude But why should we confine our thoughts unto an Israel according to the flesh since the Scripture tels us of an Israel of God Gal. 6.16 an Israel pure in heart Psal 73.1 An Israel without guil John 1. Are there not or may there not be in the Wilderness travelling toward Canaan according to the Jews tradition more then three Millions of such souls If so what need is there that we should make that an hyperbole which being duly examined and that by those who restrain not religion and religious persons to their own chosen way of worshipping God and those who dwell in their street may be found even in the letter an undeniable truth Mysticè The words before us are to be understood as directed unto Christ who as I have shewen in Numb 4.19 20. is signified by the Ark of God called the Ark of Gods strength Psal 132.8 where we have a like prayer to that before us Arise O Lord to thy Rest thou and the Ark of strength But the Psalmist begins Ps 68. with the words of this prayer Let God arise let his enemies be scattered Psal 68. v. 41. let them also that hate him flee before him Where the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before his face his wrathful face which hath a suitable effect in the next words As smoke is driven away so shalt thou drive them away As Wax melteth before the fire so let the wicked perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the wrathful face of God And ye read the like twice v. 8. But the ancient Fathers S. Austin Hilary Hierom Euthymius and after them the later Expositors understand the Psalm of Christ and his Church and aver that there are contain'd in it the mysteries of both Testaments especially the giving of the law the resurrection and ascension of Christ his bringing his people a-again out of Egypt c. His leading them thorow the Wilderness c. Many have applyed this portion of Scripture unto Christ before his appearing in the flesh as Salomon 2 Chron. 6.41 Psalm 68. Others as the Ancients before named have made use of it unto Christ as to his Resurrection that thereby he might prove himself to be God Let God arise and so evidence himself to the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 And let his enemies be scattered that is say they the Jewes who said we will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19. And indeed they have been so scattered as never nation but themselves have been Others understand his enemies to be other wicked men Others yet hereby will have the Devils to be meant And therefore Athanasius saith

Adam Methusala Who yet in all the Scripture are never said to be old men But Abraham who as S. Hierom observes is first said to be an old man he was the father of the faithful and had seen Christs day he is said to die in a good old age And Jehoshua Job Jehoiada with some others all children in respect of the two before named are yet stiled old men and full of dayes when yet the eldest of them all if we regard their natural life in this outward world came short of Admn and Methusala many hundred years But lest any one should refer the difference unto natural causes only and say that mans vitals were weaker now since the flood and his nourishment was now less able to support him then before let us hear what the Wiseman saith in express terms That honourable old age is not of much time nor is it measured by number of years Wisd 4. v. 8 9. but Wisdom or Prudence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the gray hair unto men and the unspotted life is the old age Wisdom 4.8 9. Which if it be doubted because Apocryphal Solomon will make it good by a Canonical Testimony Prov. 16. v. 31. Prov. 16.31 The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of Righteousness So So our Translators render it but amiss for there is no if no condition at all in the Hebrew text which might amuse them since many an hoary head is far from a crown of glory and is found in the way of wickedness The words therefore are to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Parables ought to be and they make this intire sense without supplement The Hoariness shall be found a crown of glory in the way of righteousness Vnto these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters or Elders and such as these the Lord committed the care and rule of his Church And ever afterward in Israel the great Synagogue which sate at Jerusalem judged of all controversies among the people And in after ages they assumed unto themselves power in all things belonging to Religion But it s here to be well heeded and remembred what manner of men they were to whom the Lord gave this power and authority Elders of Israel whom saith the Lord to Moses Thou thy self knowest that they are elders of the people such as had attain'd unto the good old age old men in Christ Ephes 4.13 such as thou knowest to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thee like thee and therefore it was required that they should be wise fearing Gad loving meek merciful patient long-suffering in a word such as Moses was These had the separated reserved excellent spirit of God put upon them But in process of time this good old age of the wisdom was little regarded and men promoted out of the Priests Levites and other Israelites who exercised the same power and authority but had not the same spirit and life of God Whence it came to pass that their authority was like a sword in a mad mans hand They abused it to the satisfying their desires and pleasures and to the suppressing of the truth it self which is most contrary to the Apostles rule 2 Cor. 13.8 We are able to do nothing against the truth but for the truth Yea they so abused their power that they would suffer no man though called of God to teach the people Jer. 29.26 27. Shemaiah wrote letters to Zephaniah the high Priest to this effect The Lord hath made thee Priest in stead of Jehoida the Priest that ye should be Officers in the house of the Lord for every man that is mad and maketh himself a Prophet that thou shouldst put him in prison and in the stocks Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth who maketh himself a Prophet to you Vpon this ground the high Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Presbyters or Elders questioned our Lord Jesus Christ himself while he was teaching the people by what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority Matth. 21.23 And accordingly they questioned his Apostles for their Doctrine and Miracles as the cure of the lame man By what power or by what name have ye done this Acts 4.7 Nor God the Father nor his Apostles however full of the holy Ghost must teach the divine doctrine or do any good work but by license from the Elders So degenerate was this Government in after ages from the purity of it by divine institution This or the like Government under the presidency of the separate reserved and excellent Spirit of God is continued unto the Christian Church even a spiritual Judicatory a power of judging spiritual things How does that appear I answer our Lord supposeth it and by supposing it Mat. 5. v. 21 22. confirmes it Let us consider Matth. 5.21 Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time or to the antients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the Judgement Where for the word kill I wish were put to murder For to kill is a large word so that he may be said to kill who either justly as the Magistrate who bears not the sword in vain or unjustly as a murderer or doubtfully whether of the two as he who kills his neighbour unawares until he hath stood before the judgement Numb 35.24 But so to kill as must here be understood is wilfully and feloniously to take away the life of another upon prepensed malice as our Lawyers speak The word therefore to kill doth not fully express the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the sixth Commandement Exod. 20. Deut. 5. The English word to Murder borrowed of the Saxon Mordren signifies wilfully and feloniously to take away the life But go we on with our Lords speech But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause which S. Hierom would have blotted out as being not found in any ancient copy In plerisque codicibus antiquis Sine causa additum non est ut scilicet ne cum causa quidem debeamus irasci saith S. Austin in most old Greek copies without a cause is not added namely that we ought not to be angry no not with a cause Whosoever is angry with his brother shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obnoxious or liable unto the judgement but whosoever shall say to his brother Raca shall be obnoxious or liable to the Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sanhedrin By which words our Lord necessarily supposeth a spirituall Judicatory unto which every one who is angry with his brother is abnoxious and liable Yea hereby our Lord confirmes that spiritual Council Otherwise he who is the great Judge and Governour of his Church who was figured by Moses in his legal Court should be wanting to his

Church in a matter of the greatest moment such as is the power of judging spirituall things such a Government is in the Church And therefore Arias Montanus speaking of those our Lords words saith Hoc loco constituit Dominus Ecclesiasticum Judicium authoritatemque Episcopis conciliis omnis Ecclesiae tradit In this place the Lord appoints an Ecclesiastical Judicatory and gives authority to the Bishops Councils and the whole Church So he So that there are or ought to be spiritual men in the Church who are meet and fit to judge of spiritual things So the Apostle tells us that the spiritual man judgeth all things that is all spiritual things whereof he is a competent judge But why then is there not such a judgement such a Council Surely matter is not wanting whereof to judge What then is the reason I shall give such an answer as one of our great Statesmen in the dayes of blessed Queen Elizabeth gave concerning Offices and Places One told him he had excellent Plates in his gift being Lord Treasurer of England he should therefore do well to prefer some of poor his kindred and friends to them The Lord Treasurer confessed he had excellent places in his gift but saith he I want excellent men to put in those places And we may say the like touching Places of spiritual judicature Surely they are excellent places to be Judges of spiritual things but we want excellent men to fill up such places Men of most holy life The High Priests themselves were not admitted to be of the Sanhedrin unless they were eminent for wisdom and holiness of life Men of sound doctrine that is healing doctrine such as heals the soul of spiritual maladies That 's properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such are the truly Oxthodox men Men of Christian prudence able to rule themselves and the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. where we have other notable characters of a spiritual Elder For want of such a Spiritual Judicatory how far alas How far is the present generation from that purity of religion whereunto yet almost all pretend The Christian religion will not allow a bitter or reproachful word much less a root of bitterness rash and unadvised anger but condemns it as murder and summons wrathful persons before the Judgement and Council We have been reformed and reformed again over and over and we have now long been under the reformation of the Sword yet where shall we finde maugre all our preciseness and demure profession where yet shall we finde the reformation of bitter words the circumcision of the lips the reformation of wrath anger revenge hatred malice envy bloody-mindedness where shall we finde the reformation the circumcision of the heart What care and tenderness our Lord supposeth should be in the Governours of his Church that not so much as a reproachful or contemptuous word shall pass without rectifying by due correction or censure That what ever difficulty and doubts shall arise there may be a present remedy had We see a specimen of this in that first Council when doubts arose in the Church concerning circumcision the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this matter Acts 15.6 All this care diligence and tenderness proceeded from a spiritual fatherly indulgence yea from a motherly and nurselike love and affection Gal. 4.19 1 Thes 2.7.11 which Moses discovered in his complaint and prayer as a legal patern which could not perfect those things Hebr. 7.19 but left them to an higher dispensation for their accomplishment even that of the Gospel Now under the Gospel because this government is supposed and confirmed by Christ as hath been shewen there hath been and yet is much contention about the government of the Church into what hands it should be put Surely where ever the Spirit of God rules the Governours that must needs be the best government and that Church the best reformed Church 2 Sam. 23. v. 2 3. So saith David in his last words The Spirit of the Lord spake in me and his Word in my tongue the God of Israel said The Rock of Israel spake to me Let the Ruler among men be just ruling in the fear of God Otherwise if the Spirit of God that separate reserved and excellent Spirit rule not the Rulers of the Church it matters not much who are the Rulers and Governours of the Church For if that Spirit rule not it is no more a divine and spiritual government such as Christs government ought to be but at the best humane and prudential For Christ the Head of his Church is not only faithful in all Gods house as Moses was only as a servant for a testimony of those things which were after to be spoken of but Christ is faithful as a son over his own house Hebr. 3.5 6. and therefore he provides the best Governours over it wherein he hath respect unto the former paterns in the Law spoken of before by Moses And so as the twelve sons of Jacob gave names to the twelve Tribes and afterward the like number of Apostles was appointed by the Lord who had promise to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel so in memory of the Seventy persons who came with Jacob into Egypt Gen. 46.27 they ordained so many Elders and Governours over them And our Lord sent forth the like number of Disciples Vnto those seventy Elders our Lord sent Moses Exod. 3.16 who reported the Lords message unto them Exod. 4.29 Vnto these Moses by the advise of Jethro committed the less matters in controversie to be judged reserving the greater and more difficult to his own cognisance Exod. 18.22 which proved a burden too heavy for him whereof he complaining the Lord ratified the counsel of Jethro and commands Moses to gather Seventy Elders such as he himself knew to be such whom he enabled for the government by his excellent spirit of Judgement which consisted of Priests Levites and religious and devout Israelites as appears 2 Chron. 19.8 This Council judged of all causes divine and humane civil and capital Now since so great care and circumspection was taken for the government of the Church under the Law there is no doubt but the Lord Jesus is altogether as provident for the government and Governours over his own house the Church The Governours are not only Pastors and Teachers 1 Cor. 12. v. 28. Elders and Deacons as some say but S. Paul tels us of more then these and saith that God hath set some in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after the miracles then gifts of healings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not helps in governments as our Translators render the words but helps governments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not diversities but kindes of tongues Whereof he recites some again Ephes 4.11 and in both places he mentions first Apostles And why they may not be as standing Officers of the Church as any of the rest I know not For when the place of Judas

2 3. and then the children of Israel returned and wept as the complainers did v. 4. For surely here was a twofold murmuring which Munster and others understand to be implyed by the two Nuns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inverted And indeed the vulgar Interpreter seems to be mistaken and they who follow him for he hath left out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reversi sunt they returned and wept which clearly proves a second murmuring beside the former mentioned v. 1. Yea we read of two punishments and therefore the sin was twofold This later murmuring was the cause of Gods smiting They murmured for want of flesh But there was a greater provocation of Gods wrath then the bare murmuring for want of flesh viz. unbelief They thought that the Lord was not able to give them flesh notwithstanding all the miracles which this unbelieving and murmuring people confessed he had wrought for them The 78 Psalm v. 18. 22 is a clear Commentary on this text Wise men who read Stories that they may profit by them they look especially at three things 1. The act done 2. The counsel and advise upon which it was done 3. The issue and event which came upon the doing of it Ye have heard of the two former which are murmuring and tempting the power of God and that for the satisfaction of their greedy appetite Ye have both together Psalm 78.18 They tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong God and desired meat for their lust Their Belly was their counsellour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fat paunch produceth commonly a lean wit Now what came of their lewd action and foolish counsel The wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague Take notice what issue evil actions and foolish councels have The Apostle not without just cause calls lusts deceitful Prov. 12. v. 5. Ephes 4. So true is that of the Wiseman That the counsels the subtil counsels of the wicked so our Translators render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 1 5. wise counsels are deceit Prov. 12.5 deceitful and destructive to their authors as here to the mixt multitude especially who fell a lusting or lusted a lust v. 4. and fell by their own counsels according to Psal 5.10 And that of the old Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ill counsell's worst for the author of it The Athenians sent to inquire of the Oracle what would become of the Peloponesian war The answer of the Oracle was Thucyd. lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doriacum en aderit sacrum cum peste duellum The Dorick war shall come and plague with it Apollo was not in vain called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his oblique circle but also because he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give oblique and doubtful Oracles This Oracle the Priest so pronounced that the effect of the war might be understood either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famin or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pestilence The Athenians understood it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famin whereupon they stored their City with all provisions which the countrey round about could afford whereon they fed gluttonously and riotously and seeking so to avoid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the famin by their vain counsel they brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pestilence amongst them The Lord be pleased in mercy to avert the like dreadful effects of our gluttony and excess for which we are notorious among all nations our rioting and drunkenness our chambering and wantonness our strife and envie Note hence how wisely and gratiously the Lord tempers his judgement with mercy When the people had despised Manna and desired flesh that he might punish the wicked and the seducers among them ver 4. by their lusts and satisfie the desires and withal inform the understandings of those who were in their simplicity deceived he gave them what might intimate some spiritual thing unto them He gave them not the flesh of wilde beasts nor four footed beasts He gave them fowles of heaven that they might rather meditate on heavenly things then earthly rather spiritual things then corporal He gave them Quails which foresee the Winter and flie away as the Stork and other fowles do that so his people might foresee and avoid the judgement of the Lord as the Prophet applyes it Jer. 8.7 3. The burial and monument of those who lusted He called the name of the place Kibroth Hattaavah because there they buried the people that lusted Sin ordinarily leaves a stain and gives a name to the place where it was committed Examples are obvious Massah Meribah Taberah c. because there they buried the people that lusted The people populus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here singular who they were are here explained by the following word viz. who lusted which word is plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lusters So that the Lord put a distinction between the just and unjust as the righteous Judge of all the world Gen. 18. Which our Translators here confound The words were more distinctly to be rendred thus There they buried the people the lusters or those who lusted Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endures to the everlasting life John 6. Post concupiscentias tuas non eas Follow not after thine appetites saith the Wise man lest they make thee a scorn to thine enemies That 's the Wisemans reason to which we may adde that of the text lest they bring the wrath of God upon thee Which is the Apostles use which he makes of it 1 Cor. 10. v. 6. These things saith he were our examples to the intent that we should not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lusters or desirers of evil things as they also lusted 1 Cor. 10.6 O let us timely mortifie and kill and bury our lusts lest we die in our sins and be buried in them as these lusters were And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses Numb 12. v. 1. because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married for he had married an Ethiopian woman And they said hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses Hath he not spoken also by us and the Lord heard it Aaron indeed spake against Moses yet our Translators here have done him some wrong in joyning him with Miriam in this detraction as equally faulty with her as indeed he was not as appears by the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Feminin she spake So that to do Aaron right the words are to be thus ordered And Miriam spake also Aaron against Moses For in that order the words are placed in the Hebrew So likewise in the Vulgar Latin Locutáque est Maria Aaron And Miriam or Marie spake and Aaron The Spirit of God intimates that Miriam first offended and drew her brother Aaron into the same sin Thus Eve first sinned then Adam the Serpent prevailing with the weaker vessel And to be first

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus is implyed whereever these are said to have wrought any thing by faith for faith must have an object on which it must rest and what is that but the power of God who is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.24 O that the Lord had wrought like conquests in our soules by that power But thanks be to God who giveth us believers in his mighty power the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 Caleb stilled the people before Moses Numb 13. v. 30. and said let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it Caleb in these words whether by some inarticulate sound implyed in the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Latins by St or by some signe made with his hand as Acts 13.16 Obtain'd silence He encourageth the people to march against the Canaanites alleaging that they were well able to overcome the land But truly our Translators have almost spoyled Calebs military Oration by rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us go up at once What all at once Soft and fair Without doubt Caleb was more wise then to put the people already discomfited upon a sudden expedition Those words are more emphatical if rendred in their genuine and proper sense Ascendendo ascendamus by ascending let us ascend viz. gradatim pedetentìm not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not all at once not all together Some there are who conceive that the great work of salvation is wrought all at once So they say they are justified all in an instant whereas the command is he that is righteous let him be righteous still The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is righteous let him work righteousness still Rev. 22. v. 11. Revel 21.11 It s a gradual and successive work It is none of Gods way of destroying the spiritual enemies but by degrees so Exod. 23.29 30. And to lead men in successively by little and little as Jacob lead his sheep Gen. 33.14 Likewise in the following words it is a good encouragement that Caleb gives when he saith We are well able to overcome it though he saith not so only our Translators make him speak so Calebs words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praevalendo praevalebimus by prevailing we shall prevail Whereby he not only encourageth them averring that they are able to prevail but likewise instructs them and puts them in a way of so doing Let not him that believes make haste nor hope to do the work of the Lord all at once but let us learn of Caleb to make the experiments of our former victories encouragements to after enterprizes So by prevailing we shall prevail nor shall our labour be in vain in the Lord but he who hath begun a good work in us will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ But my servant Caleb Numb 14. v. 24. because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the land whereinto he went and his seed shall possess it These words are to be understood as spoken by the Lord Christ as the Apostle applies the same history unto him Hebr. 3. and 4 where having compared Christ the Lord of the house with Moses Gods faithful servant in it wherefore saith he as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear His that is Christs voice harden not your hearts as in the Provocation as in the day of Temptation in the Wilderness when your fathers tempted me that is Christ For so the same temptation is expresly applied unto Christ 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted And the Apostle having applyed part of Psal 95. to the same purpose he pursues the same argument Vnion with Christ mentioned Hebr. 3.6 Whose that is Christs house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end He then having quoted the words of that Psalm to his purpose v. 7. 11. he resumes the same argument warning them to take heed of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God v. 12. and exhorting them to exhort one another daily lest they should be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin v. 13. This he enforceth by repeating the same blessed effect the union with and participation of Christ For saith he we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end whilest it is said To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation for some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all not Moses not Aaron not Joshua not Caleb Others indeed provoked the Lord and they shall not see it but my servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath fulfilled after me him will I bring into the land whereinto he went and his seed shall possess it In which words we have these divine truths contained 1. Caleb was the Lords servant 2. Caleb had another spirit with him 3. Caleb fulfilled after the Lord. 4. Caleb went into the land 5. The Lord saith he would bring Caleb into the land whereinto he went 6. Calebs seed shall possess it 7. Because Caleb the Lords servant had another spirit and fulfilled after the Lord the Lord saith He will bring Caleb into the land whereinto he went and that his seed shall possess it 8. All those men who have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers neither shall any of them who provoked me see it But my servant Caleb c. 1. The Lord said of Caleb that he was his servant What Caleb was we read Numb 13. What is it to be the Lords servant Generally his servants ye are whom ye obey Rom. 6. And what is it to obey what else but pliably and willingly to submit ones own will to the fulfilling of anothers will 1. Obedience must be pliable and willing Esay 1.19 2. It must be to the command of another as such For if the natural bent of ones own will be to the same act which another commands without respect had to the command as such it is nulla vel minor either no obedience at all or less saith S. Gregory Because obedience properly respects the fulfilling not of our own but of anothers will For example Jer. 35.6 7. Had the sons of Rechab been naturally abstemious and loved no wine their obedience to their father had been either so much the less or indeed none at all When therefore the Lord faith of Caleb that he was his servant it is to be understood that he was obedient that is that he was willing and pliable to the fulfilling of the Lords will That we may the better understand this we must know that there is a

elsewhere and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might c. 2. This new spirit is said to have been with Caleb that is for his help so what we read Jos 1.17 The Lord thy God be with thee the Chald. Paraph. turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord thy God be in thy help to help with counsel so what we read 1 Kings 1.8 they were not with Adoniah the Chald. Paraphrast hath they were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his counsel To help with might and strength so where Job saith I know this is with thee the LXX render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou canst do all things Job 10.13 Thus the Lord promiseth to be for strength to them who turn the battle to the gate Esay 28.6 Whence we may take notice that 1. All men are acted by one spirit or other which is with them acts and leads them in their different wayes 2. All who walk toward the land of holiness are lead by Gods good spirit Psal 143.10 which either 1. initiates and enters us in Gods way as the spirit of bondage and fear Rom. 8 15. Or 2 the spirit of faith and power which goes and leads on towards the accomplishing and fulfilling of our journey 2 Cor. 4.13 And this is the spirit of power Or 3. the spirit of love 2 Tim. 1.7 which brings us home and is the perfection it self for he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God 1 John 4.16 3. The Lord observeth by what spirit we are lead he took notice of the ten false and lying Spies how they were acted by the spirit of unbelief and disobedience Numb 14.22 He saw also that Jehoshua and Caleb were lead by another spirit All men may observe our outward motions actions words which because most men have learned that abominable Art of Seeming possibly may not proceed from a right principle For although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word anagrammatize one the other and the latter is interpreter of the former and Caleb saith I return'd word to Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh 14. v. 7. according to what was with my heart Josh 14.7 whereby he gives a notation of his own name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caleb Secundum cor according to the heart and although out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh yet our Lord who knowes the hearts of all men took notice that some who were evil yet spake good things Wherefore since the word that essential word Christ is quick or rather living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Lat. Vivus and powerful or rather operative Hebr. 4. v. 12 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sharper or more cutting rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then any two edged sword or above every two edged sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit the joynts and the marrowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do or rather concerning whom is our speech so the Vulg. Latin or unto whom is our account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O how needful is the Wisemans counsel Keep thy heart above all keeping Prov. 4.23 and that of the Prophet Take heed to your spirit Prov. 4. v. 23. Malach. 2.16 1. This justly reproves the timerous and cowardly spirit of many who pretend to that other and new spirit of Caleb as if they were called chosen and faithful Revel 17.14 yet yield themselves to be beaten and buffered by Satan and are overcome by every foolish and hurtful lust which fights against the soul Who boast as if they were Christians and were acted by the other the new spirit yet are indeed as yet under the spirit of fear and bondage Let such as these think sadly of what the Apostle saith Rom. 8. v. 9. If any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his or rather this man is not h●s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Calebs example as justly reproves the proud and presumptuous spirit of those who in their own strength strength of imagination which they call faith go against the spiritual enemies like those Numb 14.40 45. or those Acts 19.13 16. and with like or worse success What an honourable testimony does the Lord give of Caleb here That he was his fervant that he had a anew another spirit And was it written for his sake alone that he was the Lords servant and that he had another a new spirit Is' t not worthy our holy ambition is it not a patern that may excite and raise our most industrious imitation How else were all things our examples O thou Israel of God! How great an honour is it to be a servant of the great God! The honour of the servant ariseth with his Lord. Such was theirs who being asked who they were return'd this answer we are the servants of the God of heaven and earth Ezra 5.11 How necessary is that other that new spirit without which Israel cannot prevail without which a Christian is not truly so called Rom. 8.9 We have as great need as Caleb had of another a new spirit Yea have we not more need since our enemies are spiritual and therefore more mighty Esay 31.3 Are not the inhabitants of the holy land who keep possession against us exceeding numerous and strong even manifold transgressions and mighty sins Are not their Cities walled and great even the strong holds of Satan the strong man that keeps his palace even strong imaginations or rather reasonings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 10. v. 5. Are not the sons of Anac there does not pride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compass many like a chain Psal 73.6 That 's Anac And are there not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruling and reigning lusts Lords that rule over us Esay 26.13 Are there no Amalekites no glozing and flattering tongues which lick up the people they are the Amalekites that gainful shop-sin which makes London called Lick-penny that 's Amaleck that licks up and devours the people But come we to the following point wherein there is more difficulty The Lord saith of Caleb He fulfilled after me An harsh expression wherein somewhat must be supplyed For our better understanding of these words let us inquire what is here meant by fulfilling and how Caleb may be understood to fulfil after the Lord. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators turn He hath followed me fully So Tremellius Plenè secutus est me and he tells us in the margent that in the Hebrew it is implevit ire post me he hath fulfilled to go after so Pagnin and Munster in the text and Diodati Luther

So his will is that we love one another as he hath loved us and the like is to be understood of other duties 7. Hence it appears that the will of God revealed unto men is a rule of their life and is not only positive as that whose goodness depends only upon the authority of God and therefore good only because God commands it as the ceremonial law is therefore holy because it is commanded of the most holy God But the law of God to be fulfilled by us is therefore commanded by God because it is in it self and in its own nature holy just and good and such as God the Father himself practiseth Jer. 9.24 that which the Son of God fulfils after him that which the holy Angels fulfil after the Son of God Psal 103.20 Ye Angels mighty in strength who do his commandments hearkning to the voice of his word That which all believing and obedient men fulfil after God This is that righteousness which David saith is an everlasting righteousness And these are the words of God which are for ever setled in heaven Psalm 119.89 So that they who think slightly of the Commandments of God as if they were arbitrary and left to our discretion to be fulfilled or left undone they fouly deceive themselves and that in a matter of the greatest weight since God himself the Son of God all good Angels all good men have fulfilled after God what God himself hath done So that when men neglect to fulfil after the Lord and rather fulfil their own lusts they fulfil after their father the devil and his son of perdition through the spirit of errour O ye servants of the Lord who are of another of a new spirit the spirit of faith and courage let us fulfil after the Lord let us fulfil the will and word of God after him That which much hinders this important duty is a prejudice conceived against it We have been wonted unto such doctrine as mákes void the law of God as if Christ had so fulfilled the law of God for us that he fulfilled not the same in us which is contrary to his own assertion Matth. 3.15 and 5.17 20. and his Apostles Rom. 8.3 4. 2 Cor. 7.1 Col. 4.12 and many other Scriptures We conceive this fulfilling our Lords word and will a strange business and that which is every where spoken against Esay 53. v. 1. This is no other than was foretold by the Prophet who hath believed our report or our hearing or doctrine what we have heard of God and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed The Prophet Esay 53.1 2. gives a probable reason of that unbelief in Christ the mighty Arm and power of God because he shall grow up before him as a tender plant or sprout and as a root out of a dry ground Such are the first appearances of divine power not considering that through faith Hebr. 11. v. 34. Phil. 4. v. 13. believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of weakness they have been inwardly enabled and impowered so that they are able to do all things through Christ who inwardly enableth them as the Apostle saith I am able to do all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ inwardly enabling me We may observe throughout the Scripture that God and and his truth and power hath been ownd but by very few in comparison of the erroneous world yet ought not this to dishearten such as have Calebs other new spirit they ought rather to be strong in the faith and observe what Caleb saith Josh 14.8 My brethren that went up with me Jos 14. v. 8. made the heart of the people melt but I fulfilled after the Lord my God Josh 14.8 So we read that one of Davids Worthies stood his ground when the weaklings fled 2 Sam. 23.11 12. And this power and strength of God every believer ought to shew forth in himself to his generation as David prayed O God Psal 71. v. 18. forsake me not until I have shewed thine Arm to this generation thy power to every one that is to come Psal 71.18 This is the extent of our obedience the accomplishment of the whole will of God and therefore it s required that it be fulfilled if it be not its empty and made void Beside the Lord himself fulfils his whole will and that is it which we must fulfil after him even to jots and tittles Unless it so be I know not how our Lord will be understood to reason with his Disciples and us Matth. 5.17 18 19. where our Lord having said that he came to fulfil and that not one jot or tittle should pass from the law till all be fulfilled he thence infers whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven Wherefore lest we mistake there is full as much obedience required of us under the Gospel as was required of those who lived in the time of the law if not more also And well may such exactness be required of us since there is more divine light strength and power vouchsafed unto us under the Gospel then was to them under the law Yea and the example of the Son of God in our flesh evidently proves that the same life of Christ may be manifested also in our mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4.10 11. But not by our own power O no 1. Trust not in our own strength It s said of all these Spies Numb 13.3 All these were men that is valiant men Numb 13. v. 3. as the Jewes understand that phrase in it self All those who are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are men in some estimation saith Rabbi Salomon Their strength and valour is here intimated to be no other then impotency and weaknesse when it rests in it self Great men they were and wise and mighty and rich being the Heads and Governours of the people But thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth that I am the Lord who exercise loving kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Jer. 9.23 24. 2. Trust in the Lord. So David puts both together trust in the Lord and do good We finde very often Jehoshua and Caleb joyn'd together and not without good reason Jehoshua is a divine compound of the great Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord the Saviour And although he were before called Jehoshua Exod. 17.9 by anticipation yet Moses first named him Jehoshua the Lord the Saviour in order to this expedition of searching the land and bringing word back again Numb 13.16 Jehoshua therefore was with Caleb the Lord the Saviour was with the hearty and couragious man and he enables

the expiation of sin contracted by the Red earthly man a Red Heiffer be made choise of to represent the white and ruddy heavenly man This Heiffer also must be perfect and without blemish which never hath born yoke For such is the Christ of God even the perfect one without spot or stain of sin which never bare the yoke of servitude unto sin Yet though innocent harmless undefiled and separate from sinners he must notwithstanding be slain because without shedding of blood there is no remission Hebr. 9.22 And slain this Heiffer must be without the Camp And that Jesus might sanctifie his people by his blood he suffered without the Camp Hebr. 13. For he came not to call the just who are within the Camp which is the Camp of the Saints Revel 20.9 but sinners which are without yea to seek and to save what was lost This Heiffer must be burnt by the fire taken off the Altar kindled from heaven For the heavenly man came to send fire on the earth even the heaven-born fire of love which might extinguish the iniquity which burns like a fire Esay 9.18 and so Extingueret ignibus ignes quench the infernal with the heavenly fire saith the Poet. With the ashes of this burnt Heiffer all who were defiled were sprinkled For nothing so sanctifies and purifies our Ruddy polluted humanity as the daily mortification and burning up the Holocaust the iniquity as the dross by the holy fire of divine love sent from heaven into our earthly manhood by the Christ of God the man from heaven heavenly And therefore was the female chosen being the weaker lest we should imagine that expiation could be made by any beast or earthly man The influence whereby the purging of sin is made is from the Divine Power to intimate this unto us not the stronger but the weaker sex the Red Cow must be slain And what spiritually is the Ezob or Rosmary what else but the holy faith whereby the heart is purified Acts 5.9 Of this Ezob three stalks or sprigs made the Aspergillum or Sin-water stock wherewith the sprinkling was made And the faith wherewith we are sprinkled is threefold or there are three branches of it Faith in the Father Son and holy Spirit And thus the Prophet foretold Esay 52.15 that the Christ of God now abased and brought low even to the dust and ashes of his humiliation ver 14. should sprinkle many nations Acts 17. v. 31. Mat. 28. v. 19. And indeed and truth God giveth or offereth faith unto all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17.31 having raised up Christ from the dead And having received also power in heaven and earth he sprinkleth all nations and authorizeth his Apostles and true Ministers to sprinkle them by baptizing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the name nature and Being of the Father the Son and the holy Spirit and sprinkles answerably unto them a sprinkling with water Ezech. 36.25 with Blood Numb 19.4 with Oyl Levit. 14.16 a known figure of the Spirit which are the three witnesses upon earth 1 John 5.8 And these testifie of three spiritual estates gradually differing one from other whereinto we are baptized and sprinkled from the pollutions of the World the Flesh and the Devil and so we become partakers of the divine nature having eskaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 And thus the Israel of God abased and brought low even to dust and ashes come forth of the Furnace of humiliation being refined and purified from their dross and are arayed in white robes Who are these and whence came they saith one of the Elders to S. John And he answered These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 17.14 the Lambs blood is a white an innocent blood and become like unto him who is white and ruddy Cant. 5. For if the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heiffer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purity of the flesh so the Greek text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 9. v. 13. which signifies purity not purifying as our Translators render it how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot or fault unto God purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God The sprinkling of this blood cures the bitings of the old Serpent cleanseth the leprosie of sin expels that Morbus Daemoniacus that disease inflicted by the foul spirit dissolves all the works of the Devil Let us therefore draw near with a true heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in plenitudine in fulness of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having our body washed with pure water by that clean man Hebr. 10. v. 22. Numb 19.18 who hath promised to sprinkle clean water the water of his spirit upon us Ezech. 36.25 And let us hold fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the confession of our hope without wavering the Translators turn it faith which should be turn'd hope according to all Greek Copies I have yet seen Beside the Apostle in ver 22 23 24. hath the three Theological Graces in their order For he is faithful that hath promised and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works Hebr. 10.22 23 24. The Lord so sprinkle us and purge us with the true Ezob the Herbarists call Hyssop Gratia Dei from the leprosie of our sins and strengthen us to do his holy will through Jesus Christ our Lord Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the King of Edom Numb 20. v. 14. Thus saith thy brother Israel Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie Travail but the Adjunct of it or the travailler labour Exod. 18.8 which they turn there travail all the travail that found them in the way Not so properly Since travailling is the act of him who journeyeth but labour and trouble is his adjunct which findes him in the way wherein he travails as the LXX render the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour So likewise the word may be understood here as also weariness the effect of travailing and labouring So the Translators themselves render the word Gen. 19.11 Esay 7.13 Mal. 1.12 Who bears the image of the earthly man and is not sensible of an heavie burden such is the burden of cares and thoughts what shall we eat and what shall we drink That earthly man is Edom as the name signifies This earthly man this Edom the Animalis homo the natural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly the souly man ●ears in his journey towards the heavenly Canaan where he shall 〈◊〉 the image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15.49 And therefore not without cause here Israel saith to Edom Thou knowest all the weariness that hath found us Howbeit the

covenant to be an e●emy unto their enemies For so he promiseth Exod. 23.22 concerning the Angel of the Covenant if obeying thou shalt obey his voice that is continue in obedience and by obeying Exod. 23. v. 22. thou shalt learn to obey and do all that I shall speak I will be an enemy to thine enemies and I will distress thy distresses That the Lord therefore should smite the Princes of Moab it was reasonable and according to his covenant But why shall he smite them thorow 1. If we consider the history we shall finde cause sufficient for this thorow destruction of the Moabites They hired Balaam to curse Israel Deut. 23.4 They followed the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord Numb 25.1 2 3. and 31.16 Adde to these what ye read of their pride security vain confidence and contempt of God and his people beside other sins Jer. 48. 2. But if we look into the mystery we shall finde yet more reason for a thorow-smiting of Moab Moab is a Bastard-generation such as receives no correction from the hidden and inward law of God figured by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lot which signifies hidden and covered and such are interpreted Bastards and not genuin sons Hebr. 12.8 These revolt à patre from their father so the Antients Etymologize the word Moab and become born à patre diabolo of their father the Devil and his works they will do John 8. The root of this rebellion and disobedience is inward And therefore Christs smiting of Moab must be thorow and inward also It must needs be so For whereas there is a treasury of wickedness in the bea rt of every sinful man evil thoughts murders adulteries Matth. 15. v. 19. fornications thefts false witnessings blasphemies all in the plural since Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins how can he so do unless his arrows pierce deep even to the heart The Impostume lies there and the man must perish unless it be opened as they tell a story of him who smiting and intending to kill his enemy opened his Impostume with the stroke and saved his life Vulnus opemque tulit he wounded him and healed him both at once so unless Christ who seriously intends to cure our festerd ulcers of customary sins pierce them and open them with the injaculations and arrowes of his sharp word and spirit our impostumated souls must perish And therefore his living word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pier●eth to the division of the soul and spirit Hebr. 4. v. 12. whence note by the way that those two inward parts are different one from other since they can be divided lets out the corruption and heals the man Such a cure was wrought on the Jewes by S. Peters ministry by whom God sent his word and healed them Acts 2.36 37. The sharp piercing words are Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God hath made this Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Upon this word of truth Christ came riding and pierced them thorow with his sharp arrowes the injaculations of his spirit for it s said that having heard this word they were pricked at the heart For whereas Vulnus is Dissolutio continui a wound is the dissolving of that which was centinued and one before whereas the sinful man was one with his sin as the envious man is one with his envie and the prowd man one with his pride and the like may be said of every sin which is the very nature and being and one with the sinful man the Son of God was therefore revealed that he might wound and so make a dissolution and dis-union between the man and his sin that they might be no more one as the Aposle saith 1 John 3. v. 8. for this the Son of God was manifested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might dissolve and loose the works of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 For this end was the enmity of the Law put between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent Prov. 22. v. 15. Gen. 3.15 as I have shewen And whereas folly is bound up in the heart of a childe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scepter or Rod of correction drives it far from him Prov. 22.15 But as the Lord hath his piercing and smiting word which pierceth thorow the heart and le ts out the corruption so hath he his healing word also 1 Tim. 1. v. 10. Such is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.10 not only sound doctrine as our Translators turn it and thereby many understand Orthodox which indeed often times is nothing so but also healing doctrine such doctrine as heals our backslidings Jer. 3.22 Such as makes of a Drunkard a sober man of a Letcher a chaste man of a Covetous man a liberal and merciful man yea it heals all the spiritual maladies and diseases Psal 103.3 Such are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 healing words 1 Tim. 6.3 2 Tim. 1.13 and elsewhere Esay 19.22 Thus the Lord smites and heales he woundeth or smiteth-thorow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the text and his hands make whole Job 5.18 1. Note hence the transcendent power of the King Christ in mastring and subduing the greatest power of sin even the Ruling and Lording sins Exod. 15. v. 4. the Princes of Moab The Lords war is against the strongest of our sins against Pharoah and the Choyse of his Captaines Exod. 15.4 Such he wisheth to fight withall as the Poet describes a valiant man Optat aprum aut fulvum descendere monte Leonem he wisheth a wild bear or a Lyon to come down from the Mountain the strength of concupiscence the swinish sin of voluptuousness and sensuality yea the roaring Lion the Devill himself The stronger the enemy is the more fit for him to grapple withall Behold the Lord God or the Lord the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall come upon or against the strong Esay 40 10. Esay 40. v. 10. So it is in the Margent and better as most what then in the text Thus our Lord speakes of himself that stronger man that he shall come upon the strong man armed and overcome him and take away his armour from him Luke 11.22 and destroy him Hebr. 2.14 2. Hence we may take notice that the divine vertue reforming the sinfullman workes not superficially or slightly The influence of this Star smites thorow the corners the Princes of Moab The powers of heaven operate and are effectual even in the bowells of the earth The scepter of Christ pierceth even to the heart So the Psalmist describes him triumphant Psal 45.3.4.5 Psal 45. ver 5. Gird thee with thy sword upon thy thigh O thou mighty one with thy glory and thy Majestie And prosper thou with thy majesty Ride upon the word So the Original sounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ride upon the word of truth and meekeness and righteousness and thy right

Lord said the people are one and they have all one language Whereupon he confounds their tongue and David prayes for the like confusion they are now bound up in the bond of iniquity Wherefore v. 9. Divide their tongues for I have seen violence and strife in the City Their lying deceit and fraud are sins more proper to a City Whence they say that Astus craft subtilty deceit and fraud is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a City wickedness is in the midst of it deceit and guile go not out of their streets These are City-sins our City-sins sins rank and abounding in our City And therefore the Lord proceeds in his threatnings against that people and it may be feared for like reason against us also Jer. 9.9 Shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged of such a nation as this not only that nation but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as this also These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a combination of wicked men committing open and known wickedness Others there were also among the Jews an assembly of seeming holy men Esay 1. who brought a multitude of sacrifices unto God so that he was full with the burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts and the blood of Bullocks Lambs and Goats These were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 13. a solemn meeting as it is there rendred or rather a people in restraint or retention wholly taken up in offering sacrifices observing new Moons and Sabbaths But what saith the Lord of these who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me The new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of assemblies I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting or restraint So no doubt the words are to be read Esay 1. v. 13 14. And so Pagnin Tremellius Munster Piscator the Tigurin Bible and two of our old English Translations render them Not as our last doth with the supplement it is but jointly without a supplement And the reason is because iniquity opposeth the righteousness of God and the more of God is opposed the more God hates it and therefore it followes your new Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble upon me I am weary to bear them This was no doubt a gross mistake of the Jewes that they could not distinguish between that life which God required out of the ceremonies even his everlasting will and commandement John 12.50 and the ceremonies themselves which God adjoyned unto it until the life it self should appear Col. 3.9 Yet I doubt not but we may parallel them with a people among us an assembly a combination of seeming holy ones who make their assembling and the keeping of an outward Sabbath hearing the Word and receiving the Sacrament and the observation of a few other outward duties the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole business of their religion wherewithal they cover their envie their pride their covetousness their wrath their surfeting their drunkenness their chambering their wantonness all their abominations As for what is required out of these outward services as from the Sabbath the ceasing from our sins from hearing of the Word obedience to be performed thereunto from receiving of the Lords Supper the shewing forth the Lords death in the daily mortification of sin As for the love of God and our neighbour the walking in good works the very end for which our God created us Ephes 2.10 Of these Ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem few words of these or if words yet but words These are after we believe and are assured that is have strongly fansied that we are justified these are then accounted but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things at the best indifferent and in a manner at our discretion as being not absolutely necessary to salvation which they are sure of already but upon the matter as to salvation impertinent and needless But if they be urged home and their necessity be demonstrated and that to salvation then they are reputed Pharisism Arminianism Socinianism Familism Monchery Popery So that all the Christian duties and all the excellent priviledges of the eight day of the feast of Tabernacles are resolved into a few outward services of the seventh day But let them expect what event the Jews had of all their ceremonial services without the life of righteousness Who required these things at your hands I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting or restraint As for us let us keep the feast of Tabernacles to the Lord let us keep a solemn assembly a retention a restraint on the eighth day 1. Let us restrain our souls from all iniquity Let us vow this vow unto the Lord and keep it Numb 30. v. 3. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord and swear an oath to binde his soul with a bond he shall not break his word Or rather according to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by binding a bond upon his soul so David saith Thy vows are upon me O God! If we make vows unto God our word is no more ours but Gods and therefore we are obnoxious unto him So that to violate our words is not simply to break it as our Translators turn it but to prophane it as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall not profane his word because it was sacred as made to the Lord and therefore being not performed it is profaned as they acknowledge in the margent 2. Let us avow and consecrate our selves to the Lord. A promissory oath differs little and only formally from a vow Accordingly David gives us example of the other restraint even to binde our selves to the Lord and his righteousness I have sworn and I will perform it Psal 119. v. 106. that I will keep thy righteous judgements or rather the judgements of thy righteousness 1. It is no mean Society and assembly we are invited unto read how the Apostle describes it Hebr. 12.22 23 24. 2. Nor is the benefit small no less then even the subduing the power of our greatest spiritual enemy Mark 1. v. 23. Mark 1.23 we read of a man in the Synagogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man with or in an unclean spirit who cryed out saying Let us alone What have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroy us I know thee who thou art the holy one of God Satan knew well that Jesus and he had nothing common therefore he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is common to us and thee And therefore he well knew that there would be no society between Christ and him but that he the stronger man would cast him out of his Tabernacle which he had usurped Whence saith David thine enemies roar Psal 74. v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Whelps of the Lion the Devil

that is no Merchant no buyer or seller in the house of the Lord Zach. 14.21 There must be no bearing of burdens on the Sabbath Jer. 17.22 Hebr. 12. v. 1. We must lay aside every weight that presseth down and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin that so easily besets us in every circumstance And therefore the Lord comforts his people against Assur that is the besieging sin Esay 10.24 And he gives a reason ver 27. In that day his burden shall be removed from off thy shoulder Esay 10. v. 27. and his yoke from off thy neck and his yoke shall be dissolved or broken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unction or the anointing of the Spirit of God which gives the true liberty Yea the Lord mindes his people Levit. 26.13 of his redemption and freeing them from the Egyptian slavery I am saith he the Lord your God Lev. 26. v. 13. which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt from being bondmen to them and I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In erectione erect or upright which is the posture of liberty and freedom And therefore the Chald. Paraphrast turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In libertate in freedom as the contrary posture of being bowed down is a signe of bondage and servitude Rom. 11.10 Ever bow thou down their back 1. Observe we hence what that is which enslaves and abaseth those who otherwise are most noble and free-born what else but servile work or work of servitude Even Adam who was the son of God by his fall became the servant of sin And of all Adams posterity Ham the son of just Noah so noble that he was by divine estimation better then all men of his age and taken in exchange for the world Ecclus 44.17 His son Ham by his iniquity became a servant of servants so that the Egyptians his off-spring have been and yet are until this day the Drudges of all Nations as I have formerly shewen on Gen. 9.25 And he hath stained all his issue with a black spot spread over all their bodies a mark of a black sinful soul Yea the Israelites of the noble stock of Abraham free-born were yet abased and sold under sin and became the servants of Cushan Rishathaim even the blackness of both iniquities inward and outward and him they served eight years the full time of the spirit of bondage until they cried unto the Lord and he raised up a Saviour in the fulness of time until Gods time Judges 3. v. 8 9. that is Othniel came even the Saviour and delivered them Judges 3.8 9. An express figure of Christ our Saviour whom God the Father raised up and sent him to bless us by turning every one of us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 And accordingly Christ in Gods time even in the fulness of time he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from the blackness of all iniquity outward and inward and that he might purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 How free was Ahab even the King of Israel yet he sold himself to commit iniquity became a very servant How much more free was King David yet hear how he groans under the burden of his sins Mine iniquities saith he have come over mine head as an heavie burden they are too heavie for me and as a man bowed under his burden ver 6. I am wreathed or wryed and pressed down exceedingly Psal 38. v. 6. Psal 38.6 So was the noble daughter of Abraham whom Satan had made crooked and bowed down a figure of the noble heaven-born soul which is by sin averse from heaven and heavenly things and bowed down to the earth and minding earthly things yea abased even unto Hell 2. The eighth day is a day of liberty It is the day of the spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Howbeit its a Paradox a day of restraint yet a day of liberty It is a restraint from sin and restraint and binding unto God which is to be free indeed Gods service is perfect freedom No man is ever made or permitted to be so free indeed so licentious as to be left to the bent and inclination of his own will but as he is freed from the bondage of sin and servile works he comes under the yoke and service of Christ and his righteousness And this is the end of our redemption that being delivered out of the hand of our enemies we should serve him our Redeemer without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1.74 75. So the Apostle Rom. 6. v. 22. Rom. 6.22 being made free from sin and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made servants of righteousness For this end our conscience is purged by the blood and Spirit of Christ that we may serve the living God Hebr. 9.14 And for this end the people pray for deliverance from their enemies that they might serve the Lord. And we may well confess and pray with them 1 Sam. 12.10 we have served Baalim and Ashteroth our Lording lusts our riches our flocks they are our Baalim and Ashteroth now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies and we will serve thee O ye sons and daughters of God ye who are hasting the coming or presence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the day of God 2 Pet. 3. v. 12. and tending toward the eighth day desiring to become born of the Spirit let not us abase our selves to the servile works of sin We are of the light and of the day and ought to walk as the children of light and of the day This is Christs day which Abraham saw and rejoyced John 8. ver 56. John 8.56 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham your father rejoyced that he might see that my day Not only that he foresaw the time of Christ in the flesh though that also may be a truth as Abraham desired to see by vision or experience or some other way of revelation when or what manner of time the time of Christ should be when in spirit he desired a signe to assure him that he should possess the land of rest whereby the spiritual promises of God were signified For so he saith Lord how shall I know that I shall possess it Then God shewed him a vision Gen. 15.8 So that in that sense it may be a truth that Abraham then had seen that day of Christ But doubtless Abraham had seen Christs day in his soul and spirit and had obtained the rest of his soul even the day of Christ And this appears evidently by the following words Thou art not yet fifty years old say they and hast thou seen Abraham Our Lord answers Before Abraham was born I am Before Abraham was born so it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and

the greatest Our Lord complains of them They came about me like Bees Psal 118.27 Beelzebub was the God of Ekron 2 Kings 1.2 whence the Poets had their Acheron who has hi name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fly as Macrobius cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a god that drives away Flies He injects and casts his evil thoughts into the souls of men which are impudent as Flyes are and though you beat them away they will return The only way is to kill them as they say it was Domitians the Emperours business to kill Flyes An exercise too unsuitable for an Emperour unless he intended thereby to be like his fellow-gods as he called them and especially him who was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter who drove away flyes However it is a laudable yea a divine exercise and fit for those who would be like unto the true God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drive away mortifie and kill the vain and sinful thoughts Mysticè The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies also to ruminate ruminate upon him meditate upon him The verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so signifies But being in the reflex form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies a more then ordinary rumination and meditation Let us ruminate and meditate on Sihon on Heshbon Sihon is a sweeper he endeavours to sweep out our good thoughts let us endeavour also to sweep out all his evil thoughts Sihon is Eradicator that evil spirit that endeavours to root up all the plants of righteousness And let us root up all the plants of wickedness Every plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Matth. 15.13 Let us extirpate every plant of wickedness Let us sweep out the dust of the false knowledge This was Davids practise Psal 77.6 in Vulg. Lat. Scopebam spiritum meum I swept my spirit or rather my spirit made diligent search So let us search so let us sweep out every Sluts corner in our house There is no doubt but if we will take pains with our selves we shall finde work enough within doores even in the inner chambers of our hearts There is great need to sweep it There is a treasure lost there The woman swept that house to finde her Groat Luke 15.8 The old Latin text had Evertit domum she overturnd the house as many endeavour by controversies and vain janglings to overthrow the Church of Christ The Mistriss bids her Maids sweep the house the one asked the other for a Broom the other said it was a Be●som no saith she it is a Broom while they thus contended the house lay unswept The wisdom of God cals upou us to sweep and cleanse our hearts James 4.8 And men quarel and contend about that word whereby they should be cleansed John 15.3 and leave the work undone O how often come men to hear the cleansing word how it should be applyed for the purifying of their hearts and by that very Opus operatum as they call it they think themselves cleansed Prov. 30. v. 12. they are pure in their own eyes when yet they are not washed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their own dung But let us return unto the former signification of the word Let us contend let us medle with Sihon and his Heshbonites in battle The enemy must be discovered before we can fight him The Roman Historian saith of a certain people in Italy with whom they had war Difficilius ipsos invenire quàm vincere It was more difficult to finde them out then to overcome them The people of Heshbon are such a subtile people they lurk within us How long wilt thou cause thy vain thought to lodge in thee Jer. 4.14 The man of sin Jer. 4. v. 14. Sihon the Leader of evil thoughts cannot be revealed unless there be first a departure 2 Thes 2.3 While our thoughts lodge in us and are of our house while we are one with them and they with us we cannot possibly perceive them or discern them as enemies unto us If the object be too near us we cannot discover it Sensibile supra sensorium non facit sensationem When what is visible is upon the sight it cannot be seen The god of this world blindes the eyes of men with their own thoughts whereby they are not discerned But if we look on our thoughts at a distance if we depart from the man of sin he will be then revealed we shall then discover him and see how fouly we have been abused by him When the enemy is discovered he is not to be conquered by outward means Our great enemies we have to deal withal are our vain foolish thoughts And therefore as he were a mad man who should hope to overcome a Sword or Dart with a thought so is he as mad who thinks to conquer thoughts and imaginations with a Sword or worldly weapon Yet such hath been the madness of the Cainish generation from the beginning that what opinions they cannot subdue with spiritual weapons they confute them with a Prison Fire and Fagot But indeed herein they much betray their own weakness and their bad cause who stir up the Magistrate to make Lawes to put men in prison or put them to death for supposed Heresies or erroneous judgements of divine matters which because the ignorant zealots cannot prove to be such or convince them by spiritual armes they betake themselves to temporal and outward It was the custome of Nero the Emperour to go up and down Greece like a Fidler and to challenge all Minstrels of the best note to sing and play with him If he overcame any he got the prize if he were worsted he took a course with his Adversary that he should never sing or play more causing him one way or other to be put to death Nero was the first persecutor of the Christian Church whom all follow to this day and as all men judge of him so may they of all such absurd and ridiculous men men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith and their folly or madness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be made manifest unto all men as Nero's Jannes and Jambres their predecessors hath been 2 Tim. 3.9 For they declare evidently that they want spiritual weapons when they trust to carnal and temporal This our Lord Jesus Christ shewes and will shew when he conqures Antichrist not with fire and sword but with the spirit of his mouth 2 Thes 2.2 Thoughts and opinions are spiritual things and can be discerned only spiritually and by spiritual weapons only be overcome but never in others unless first they be mastered and subdued in our selves And how shall that be done 1. Hate vain thoughts These are enemies which thou hast a warrant to hate Yea hate them with a perfect hatred Do I not hate them that hate thee saith David It could not be otherwise He was a man according to Gods heart a friend

Taking up the Cross 1. Self-denyall stands as a Porter to keep the dore of the heart And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn to keep signifies all the Porters duty in three acts Observare Cohibere prohibere 1. To observe who comes in and who goes out For so every one ought to take heed what thoughts enter into his heart and what desires run out 2. To keep the heart at home that it go not after the eyes Num. 15.39 3. To award and keep off temptations Job 31.1 2. The Cross and patience of Jesus Christ is as a strong dore with locks and barrs to withstand and bear off all forcible entry And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Prison-house Gen. 40.3 According to our Lords precept Luke 21. v. 19. Luke 21.19 In or by your patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possess ye or gain ye the possession of your souls Such diligent heed must be taken for the avoiding of great evills that otherwise will follow That 's the third divine Axiom 3. Israel ought to take heed to himself and keep his soul diligently lest he forget the words which his eyes have seen and lest they depart from his heart This point adds to the former the consideration of the ends why Israel ought to take heed to himself and keep his soul and these ends are powerful reasons of this important duty from the great and imminent danger which will ensue upon the neglect of it Wherein we have 1. The caution or warning only take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently 2. The peril and danger that otherwise will follow lest thou forget the words which thine eyes have seen and this danger brings in another lest these words depart from thine heart Herein we must enquire what forgetfulness is which because its a privation and privatives are best known by their positives we must first learn what memory is and what it is to remember which according to Plato Speusippus and others of that School is Cogitationes conservare to keep our thoughts And they say that the better memory is Dispositio animae inhaerentem veritatem custodiens a disposition and frame of the soul keeping truth inherent in it But these descriptions seem too strait for the nature of memory Others therefore ascribe two offices unto it others three 1. To lay up in memory 2. To retain 3. To recall to minde The two former may be reduced to one 1. As to keep and retain the thoughts 2. To recal them when they are lost or in danger of losing when we have use of them Thus Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laid up and kept in his memory the dreams of his son Joseph Gen. 37.11 So did Mary keep in her heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the words which were spoken of Christ by the Shepherds Luke 2.19 Luke 2. v. 19.51 And again v. 51. His Mother kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words Our Translators turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former place things in the later more advisedly sayings And as to remember is to commit and retain our thoughts in memory so likewise it signifies to recal them as Luke 22.61 Peter remembred the words of the Lord Luke 24.6 7 8. To forget therefore is to lose our thoughts and let them slip out of our custody and keeping So the Apostle understood forgetfulness Hebr. 2.1 If we inquire into the reason of this warning it proceeds from the great love of God toward his Israel 1. He knowes the excellency of the words and things committed to our trust and the custody of our memories even the holy and blessed Trinity and the work of our creation Eccles 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy Creators the Law of God the Father Malac. 4.4 The Redemption by Jesus figured by bringing Israel out of Egypt Deut. 16.3 Jude v. 5. Vulg. Lat. Sins committed against so great grace Deut. 9.7 Ceasing from our sins figured by the Sabbath Exod. 20.8 and many the like which is not a bare memory but such as puts us upon sutable duty Verba sensuum innuunt affectum effectum words of sense inward and outward import affection and effect answerable thereunto as Deut. 8.18 19 20. Psalm 22.27 and many the like 2. These are too sublime and of too high a nature for the foolish heart of man left to it self to contain Prov. 24.7 And there is in us by corrupt nature a stupidity and dulness in regard of spiritual things Hebr. 5.11 And Satan with his evil spirits interpreted by our Saviour the fowls of the air is watchful to catch the Word of God out of the heart when it is sowen Matth. 13.19 He is ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drink and swallow up the precious liquor of the spiritual doctrine if we let it slip and it run out of our vessels 1 Pet. 5. v. 8. Hebr. 2.1 1 Pet. 5.8 3. The memory it self is frail and weak as a vessel that has got a fall that 's crackt and riven So saith the Wiseman that the inward parts of a Fool are like a broken vessel he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth Ecclus 21.14 4. The memory is too often full of somewhat else and so intùs existens prohibet extraneum a vessel full of one liquor will not hold another Non datur penetratio dimensionum two bodies cannot be in one place nor two contrary spirits in one soul The Fool full of his own knowledge cannot receive divine understanding Proverbs 30.22 Great need therefore there was that the Lord should warn us of this danger 1. Whence we may observe the Lord hath given us the tutelage and gardianship of our selves our souls our hearts and what is that but our memories whereby we retain holy thoughts and the divine words which our eyes have seen Plato tells us that Mnemosyne is the Mother of the Muses The meaning is that the memory brings forth and nourisheth all the good thoughts It is the true inward Eve the Mother of all the Living ones which brings forth unto us spiritual Children According to which whosoever doth the will of God he is the Mother of Christ Matth. 12.50 For all the senses outward and inward were made for the life especially the two disciplinary senses Seeing and Hearing The Lord hath given them both for this end And therefore the eye is a seeing eye when a man sees the divine Words and discerns aright what the will of the Lord is and the ear is an hearing ear when he obeyes the commands of God And therefore the wiseman tells us that the hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them Prov. 20.12 Whence our Lord he that hath an ear to hear saith he let him hear Matth. 13.9 Rev. 13.9 Thus the retentive memory and the heedfull thoughts are given unto man as his meet help before him Ephes 1.4 Thus the woman was created for the

rewards every man according to his works the reward of good works and the punishment of the evil finished must be greater then of the same intended God was patient all the time that David was plotting the death of Vriah but when it was effected then he sent Nathan and denounced his judgement Hence we learn that 1. The heart is Murdrorum officina the flesh-bank the slaughterhouse the murdering den wherein the wicked one slayeth the innocent Psal 10.8 2. A man may possibly be a murderer who yet layes no violent hands on any Is he angry with his brother he is guilty of the judgement Matth. 5.22 yes if he be angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause S. Hierom and S. Augustin both agree that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause is not to be found in any old Greek copy Ut scilicet ne cum causa quidem debeamus irasci saith Augustin nor indeed is it extant in the vulgar Latin 3. Hence we learn to judge our selves and others if angry and malitious if hateful and hating one another 4. Yea hence learn the bloody-mindedness of this present generation what murdering and malitious hearts full of rancor and hatred they bear one party against another one man against another Shall not the Lord be avenged of such a nation as this This is harsh doctrine Alas if to be angry with my brother be no less then murder if he who hates his brother be a murderer what shall become of me I have been angry and hated my brother and spoken despitefully against him said to him Racha called him out of bitterness of spirit a fool Cease from wrath redeem thine envie and malice with love and mercifulness As all thy doings before were done in malice and hatred let them now be all done in love and kindness 1 Cor. 16.14 John 3.21 But alas thoughts of revenge assault me These are the messengers of Satan like him sent to kill Elisha 2 Kings 6.32 even God the Saviour in thee and therefore take his counsel there keep these revengeful thoughts fast at the door give no consent unto them they rome to take away thy head The head of every believer is Christ 1 Cor. 11. If thou consent unto them thou openest the dore of thy heart and lettest them in while thou keepest them without dore they cannot hurt thee No evil without thee no not the Devil himself the murderer from the beginning not he nor any evil can hurt thee while it is without thee no more then any good can help thee if it be without thee Alas I have crucified the life of God even the Christ of God in me I have murdered the Lord Jesus Haply this thou hast done indeed who hath not done it yet despair not There is a twofold killing as the Scripture distinguisheth Deut. 19. the one wilful and presumptuous the other at unawares And both these wayes the Lord Jesus hath been killed There are who have slain him wilfully Heb. 6.4 5. and 10.26 There are who slay him ignorantly who suppress the motions of Christs spirit in themselves not knowing that they proceed from him God was in this place and I knew it not Gen. 28. There is one in the midst of you whom ye know not Such an ignorant manslayer was Paul who persecuted the Lord Jesus 1 Tim. 1.13 but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly Yea and he is a patern to them that offend Acts 3.17 The greatest sin without hatred is pardonable Deut. 19. The greatest good work without charity is nothing worth 1 Cor. 13. Yea in this case the Lord hath made provision of a refuge if we have slain the man Christ ignorantly if we have slain him by our unholy and profane life we must then fly to Kadesh that is unto holiness This counsel the Prophet Esay gives Esay 1.16 17 18. and Daniel to Nebuchadnezzer Dan. 4.27 This Kadesh is in Galilee that is conversion or turning about Jer. 18.11 Therefore when S. Peter having told the Jews that they had crucified the Lord Jesus he directs them to Galilee that is to turn to the Lord Acts 3.19 This City of refuge is on a Mountain as the Church of God is Esay 2.2 a state hard to be attained unto And we must contend and strive for it therefore it is said to be in the Tribe of Nephtali Such an one was S. Paul 1 Cor. 9.26 Phil. 3.14 not with flesh and blood c. Ephes 6. 2. Yea we must go about this work early Therefore the second City of refuge is Shechem which signifies early This also is in a Mountain hard difficult in ascent in the Tribe of Ephraim in fruitfulness growing and increasing Thus doing we shall come to the third City even Hebron the society of all 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 ●●●ting our hearts unto the living God that 's Hebron This is 〈…〉 a Mountain Heb. 12. and in the Tribe of Judah praysing and glorifying our God confessing to his name and singing Hallelujahs for ever Yea the Lord Jesus prayes for his persecutors and murderers Father forgive them c. This is proper to the Christian spirit as appears Luke 9.5 6. they as yet were of a legal spirit Abels blood cryed from the earth Zachariah the son of Jehoiada 2 Chro. 24.22 Jer. 11. ●0 and 20.21 But what saith our Lord Father forgive them And S. Stephen Acts 7. Christs blood of sprinkling speaks better things then that of Abel This is the strength of the Spirit of Jesus which rejoyceth in tribulation So S. Paul prayes for the Colossians Col. 1.11 that they may be strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Attende Tibi Doctrinae Look to thy Self and the Doctrine SERMON XIV Deuteronomie 6. ver 6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children BEfore we can consider a-right and speak to these words particularly let us render them and read them right as thus These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be in or upon thine heart And thou shalt whet them upon thy sons I shall shew this to be the true translation of the Text as I come to the Axiomatical handling of it The words contain an injunction to parents and those in place of parents to transmit and conveigh the Commandements of God unto their sons and all under their care Wherein we have a Series Process or Succession of commands one in order to other 1. These same words I am commanding thee this day 2. These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be in or upon thine heart 3. These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be upon thine heart and thou shalt whet them upon thy sons 1. These same words I am commanding thee this day Wherein we must inquire 1. What these same words commanded are 2. What is

7.14 Mat. 6.10 Wherefore be couragious O ye faithfull Israelites who march against your spiritual enemies ye have the promise of the Lord of hosts that ye shall eat up all the peoples which the Lord your God is giving to you Hearken not to the faint-hearted and unbelieving Spies who say that the people are greater and taller then ye are and that ye are as Grashoppers or rather as Locusts Num. 13. v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your own eyes and in the peoples eyes Numb 13.33 Let them not discourage or rather melt your heart Why should that significant metaphore be obscured and lost by mis-translation whereof the Spirit of God makes use as taken either from Ice resolved into water Josh 7.5 or from Wax melted Psal 22.15 Unbelief and fear soften and melt the heart which is strengthened by belief and courage Gen. 45.26 Psal 27.13 14. Believe the faithful and valiant Spies and witnesses of God Jehoshua the Lord the Saviour and Caleb the hearty and couragious man according to the heart of God these will assure us that we are well able to overcome and eat up the peoples For so they say Numb 14.9 Fear not ye the people of the land for they are bread for us If we be thus strong in the Lord the Lord will strengthen us Psal 31.24 and the Lord Jesus will take away the sin John 1.29 and the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the pretiousness of Lambs they shall consume into smoke Psalm 37.20 For so the Altar of Christs patience consumes and eats up the Sacrifices Therefore the Altar is called Ariel that is the Lion of God Ezech. 43.16 which devours the flesh of sin which is laid upon it And thus the spiritual enemies of the Lord and his people are consumed by the fire and spirit of love burning on the Altar the patience of Jesus Christ So the Prophet prayes Consume in wrath consume and let them not be He prayes against the sinnes not the persons of his enemies for ver 11. he had prayed slay them not He prayes that the Lord would consume the iniquity that it might not be For should he pray here against the sinners that they should not be how could he pray for them in the words next following Let them know that the Lord ruleth in Jacob and to the ends of the earth And to shew that what he had said is worth our consideration he adds Selah Which imports the suppressing of our earthly thoughts and raising up our heavenly meditations like that Psal 9.16 Higgaion or medidation Selah Even so O Lord impower us by thy mortifying spirit Rom. 8.13 which may kill eat up and consume all the wicked populacy all the seven nations the deadly sins which will otherwise eat up and consume us And quicken us unto the life of thee our God through the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Gods request unto his People SER. XV. OR Gods Petition of Right SERMON XV. Deuteronomie 10. ver 12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul to keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good SOme of these words are otherwise to be rendred as I shall shew in the particular handling of them Meantime we may know that they contain a summary comprehension These words are a summary comprehension of the peopses duty to their God inferred from the consideration of his goodness in renewing the Law continuance of the Priesthood and adding thereto the Levites Whence the words before us are deduced as a conclusion The 1. And is here collective as gathering all the promises together conclusive and illative as inferring from those promises Israels obedience and very emphatical as often elsewhere If for our better understanding of these words we take in the two following verses which depend upon the two former we shall finde that this Paragraph hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Request or Desire 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Rendring of a reason for that Desire and Request In the former which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Request and Desire is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing desired and requested and the end why it is requested and desired 1. The thing desired and requested is either the peoples holy affections or the sutable effects issuing from them Their holy affections are either the holy fear of the Lord whose effect is walking in all his wayes Or the holy and intire love of God whose effect is serving him with all the heart and with all the soul The common effect of both these holy affections is keeping Gods Commandements and Statutes 2. The End aimed at in all this is either Cujus as they call it for which the request is made that is for good or Cui for whose sake and for whose benefit this duty unto God is requested for thee 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reason of this Request and Desire is either negative implicitly set down not that the Lord needs thee O Israel or any thing of thine For behold the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens are the Lords thy Gods the earth also with all that therein is 2. Positive and express the affection of God toward the holy Fathers only the Lord did cleave unto thy Fathers to love them Deut. 10. v. 16. out of which he chose their children above all other people Which was the special grace of Christ toward his Church Ephes 1.3 4 5. Ye perceive by this Analyse that the Text is Oratio argumentosa a speech full of Arguments and may afford manifold Axioms of greatest regard But I have elsewhere spoken to diverse of them The divine Axiomes contained in these words are either 1. Gods Requests unto his people or 2. Gods Requesting these of them or his servant Moses Requiring of them or the ends why the Lord requests and Moses requires these of Israel Gods Requests are that 1. Israel fear the Lord their God 2. That Israel walk in all his wayes 3. That Israel love him 4. That Israel serve the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul 5. That Israel keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes 6. The Lord requires all these of Israel 7. Moses requstes or commands all these this day 8. The Lord requests nothing more nor does Moses require any thing more of Israel but these 9. For what end doth the Lord request or Moses require these of thee O Israel but for good and to thee O Israel I intend not to treat of all these having spoken to many of them upon their Texts of Scripture Wherefore I shall waive the Press handling of what I have formerly

ingredient of all the Christian mans actions that pretious tincture that turns all it touches into gold as they say Midas did And what ever wants this divine tincture of holy love t is like the Terra damnata t is nothing worth Hence the Apostles general advise is Let all your things be done in charity 1 Cor. 16.14 A rule so necessary that the very best and greatest duties otherwise performed whether towards God or towards our neighbour are of no value in the sight of God 1 Cor. 13. I shall adde no more motives Let us rather come to discover our love to the Lord our God whether we keep this Commandement or not 1. The love of God proceeds from a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 How then canst thou love thy God when thou sayest thy heart cannot be pure And how can thy faith be unfeigned when thou believest not that thou art able to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart 2. Love will suffer nothing to intervene or separate us from the party we love that may hinder our union Love knits unites and makes one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is continued is one Our love unto God unites us and makes us one with him according to our Saviours prayer John 17.21 and that of the Apostle he who is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 Such love of our God will not endure any mixture of what is contrary to our God And therefore S. Paul having exhorted to sincerity of love which is required even in the lowest degree of it as hath been shewen Let love be without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 he presently adds Abhor that which is evil Sincerity of love unto our God will not endure any corrival any thing or person to share with our God in our love of him How then canst thou say thou lovest the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and keepest all that Commandement when yet thou knowest that thou lovest thy pleasures more then thou lovest thy God when thou knowest thou lovest the world and the things of this world Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses Know ye not that the friendship of the world is the enmity of God Jam. 4.4 So the Greek text hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is made an enemy of God Wouldst thou believe thy wife should she say she loved thee whilest she prostitutes her self unto another man And wilt thou pretend to be the loving Spouse of thy Maker yet love his enemy 3. The love of God puts us upon such works as he loves Whence the Apostle This saith he is the love of God that we keep his Commandements It puts us upon the love of our neighbour Love works no evil to his neighbour Rom. 13.10 Ad populum Phaleras Away with all trappings and false pretences of love without the reality of it Good discourse and holy conference proceeding from a life worthy of God and a heart and soul which loves God is an edge which pierceth to the assimilating of others unto it self Such a soul edifies and conveighs grace to the hearers For charity edifies not knowledge not holy talk without it The Pharisees of old knew very much of God and his Word and wayes and spake very much of God And they of all others most reasoned with our Lord concerning God and his truth But our Lord tells them I know that ye have not the love of God in you John 5.42 And we may say the like of the Pharisees of our time They are great talkers of God and of Religion and indeed would seem to be the onely people of God and to know all things knowable They are indeed the true Amorites great Talkers and most bitter men in their invectives against all who are not of their opinion as no wise man is And therefore we may know that they have not the love of God in them They have a knowing knowledge or such as reflects upon it self as the Apostle saith we know that we all have knowledge This knowledge puffs men up and makes them proud but charity edifies 1 Cor. 8.1.2 That knowing knowledge is the dust the food of the Serpentine generation according to their doom Gen. 3.14 which the Prophet Esay 65.25 tells us must be fulfilled in these last dayes a food wherewithal they so glut themselves that there is no place left for the love of God in them Therefore Jehu cuts off and destroyes the knowing knowledge so the Chald. Paraphrast renders 2 Kings 9.8 Every one that pisseth against the wall all the knowing knowledge which excludes the love of God For so the true Jehu Hebr. 1. v. 12. who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui est a type of Christ Hebr. 1.12 Thou art He for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat aliquid divinitatis saith Galatinus it imports somewhat of the Divinity And therefore Scaliger having reckoned up many names of God concludes them all with Ipse He. This spiritual Jehu destroyes all the false the knowing disobedient knowledge which is the true spiritual inward Antichrist and consumes him with the spirit of his mouth and destroyes him with the brightness of his coming or presence 2 Thes 2.8 Psal 90. v. 12. And therefore Moses the man of God prayes Psal 90.12 that the Lord would teach him to number his dayes that he might bring unto him a wise heart so the words signifie not a wise not a subtil crafty head not a strong head-piece as they call it Let us name some means and helps to advance this great duty 1. The fear of God is the beginning of his love Ecclus 1.14 And that fear drives out the evil And when the love of God is brought into the soul it makes a compleat separation from the sin O ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is evil Psal 97.10 2. Whatsoever thou seest amiable and lovely in the creature love it wholly for God and in order unto God the Creator of it How shall that be done When thou seest ravishing Beauty in the Creature reason thus O how much more beautiful is my God who created this Beauty When thou seest great strength think how much more strong is He who is the Power Mark 14.62 Thou lovest wealth consider how much better is it to be rich towards God! Or thou art desirous of Honour Reason thus How much more excellent is the honour that comes of God only Thou lovest Pleasures but think how much more satisfying and durable are the pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore 3. Pray we unto the Lord that he will be pleased to circumcise our hearts that we may love him with all our heart and with all our soul that we may live Deut. 30.6 For the advancement of this divine and eternal life and kingdom of God there are who point us unto faith only But beside it

it abides alone but if it die it brings forth much fruit There is remaining in the grain of Wheat now dead an active principle of life the Balsamum naturale the natural and radical balsum which recals and raiseth up the plant to life and multiplyes it John 12.24 But that this may be done the Lord calls upon us to plough up our fallow grounds to mortifie our earthly members To die daily unto sin for that 's implyed in the next words he that loves his life shall lose it c. Also that we believe in the mighty power of God who raiseth the dead And by this faith we are raised unto life as the Apostle testifies of the Colossians Col. 2. v. 12. wherein also ye are raised by faith in the operative power of God having raised him from the dead Col. 2.12 How justly therefore are many of this present generation to be blamed who being fallen into sins of intemperancy incontinency injustice oppression violence impiety and profaneness lie still like arrant Beasts and continue in them and expect a time when they shall receive such an irresistable power of grace as shall enforce them to arise out of the slow of their sins unto righteousness whether they will or not But surely the grace of God does not work with violence but gently and sweetly according to the fabrick of mans heart which God the maker of it best knowes and accordingly drawes men with the cords of a man even with loving kindness Hos 11.4 And therefore when this grace is withstood and resisted the Lord complains as Matth. 23.27 O Jerusalem how often would I and ye would not c. And Acts 7. O ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost c. And Esay 65.2 3. I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people c. Ezech. 18.31 Cast away from you all your transgressions c. Why will ye die c John 5.34 These things I say unto you that ye may be saved c. ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Esay 5.4 What could I have done more for my vineyard then I have done These and many like Scriptures there are wherein the Spirit of God complains that men resist the grace of God yield not obedience thereunto But we never read of any compulsion or force used to compel men to obedience For that should be contrary to Gods creation in the framing of mans heart so that it is not to be wrought upon otherwise then by perswasions Contrary to the nature of obedience which is never forced but is purely voluntary as appears in the example of Pauls conversion which if ever any should seem to be forced yet he saith expresly I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision Acts 26.19 Otherwise if the grace of God should force men to break off their sin to deny ungodliness c. this then would follow and I beseech you mark it That the grace of God should enforce men to be obedient and then reward them for being so which how absurd and against Gods dealing it would be ye that are wise men judge Besides this is contrary to the nature of a command that it should be directed by a wise King unto his Subjects to be performed and that upon pain of death which yet his Subject cannot choose but he must do being compelled by an irresistible power What else do they affirm who live in their sins and say That they wait for such grace from God as shall make them even against their wills to deny their ungodliness and worldly lusts c. and after this compulsion the only wise God shall reward them with everlasting bliss and salvation But does not the Apostle bid us to hope perfectly for the grace that shall come unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ T is true but what are the words immediately before Gird up the loyns of your minde be sober and hope to the end c. 1 Pet. 1.13 But Abraham hoped against hope It s true he hoped against the impotency and weakness of his own flesh in the mighty power of God who had promised and was able to perform Rom. 4. But Abraham when he thus hoped was obedient unto God and kept his charge his Commandements his Statutes and his Lawes Gen. 26.5 But what promise what word of God hast thou to hope in who livest in thy disobedience and contrary to the Commandement of God he who hopes for the grace that shall be revealed c. he purifies himself as God is pure 1 John 3.3 The grace of God to the fallen man supposeth a power in him to receive it and so to comply with it that he receive it not in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 Our brother raiseth us up with us Otherwise should we lie still in our fall and expect that he should raise us up without us it would be great folly and vain presumption and would prove us as much without understanding as the Asse or Ox or Horse or Mule Psal 32.9 Which was intended by that in the Fable of the Carter whose Wain was laid fast in a Bog he cryed out Hercules help me But he was well answered Fool set thy shoulder to the wheel and put on thy Horse and then God will help thee Wherefore brethren if any man be prevented or surprized in a fall or fault ye who are spiritual and strong restore such an one with the Spirit of meekness Gal. 6.1 We are commanded to raise up our brothers beast with him how much more our brother himself So let us bear one anothers burdens Let us stir up the gift of God that is in us Let us not receive the grace of God in vain Arise thou who art sleeping and stand up from the dead and Christ shall enlighten thee Ephes 5.14 Ephes 5. v. 14. Believe not that seducing spirit of unbelief which would perswade us that we have no power to arise from our fall To this seducing spirit the wicked man gives heed and believeth not to return out of darkness and is waited for by the sword Job 15.22 Job 15. v. 22. Rom. 5. v. 6. Such a spirit were they acted by who render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we were yet without strength Rom. 5.6 which is only we being weak To be without strength is a total deprivation and takes away all ability toward the raising of our selves when our brother would raise us with us we helping and working together with him though we be yet but weak Which yet implyes some strength As the good Samaritan found and had compassion on the wounded man who was not quite dead but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 half dead Luke 10.30 That good Samaritan drawes us with the cords of a man even with loving kindness It s heavie drawing at a dead weight Let us be coming yielding complying stirring up the graces of God in us and our God will be

Schoolmaster Gal. 3.24 Meantime he who is just let him be just still There are degrees of Justice and righteousness as hath been shewen And let us know that it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness Matth. 3.15 And let us pray for that Just and Perfect One who works all our works in us Esay 26. that as he hath begun a good work in us so that he will throughly perfect it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Even so come Lord Jesus Revel 22.20 Contrary Principles Mutual impediments SER. 19. SERMON XIX Gal. 5. ver 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would THere are in the holy Scriptures many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as S. Peter said were in his Brother Pauls Epistles things bard to be understood Which difficulty may arise as from other causes so more especially from 1. Either somewhat in the Scripture it self 2. Or from some defect in us As for the Scripture it self it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3.16 of divine inspiration and dictated unto the Pen-men of it by the holy Ghost and therefore while yet we are in the fall there must be a great disproportion between it and us This obscurity is much encreased by mistakes and oversights in translation as also by imposing upon the Scriptures false glosses and mis-interpretations as the Philistines stopt the Wells Gen. 26. so that men cannot as otherwise they might with joy draw water of life out of the Wells of Salvation 2. The difficulty may proceed from some defect in us as being yet unconverted and averse from God and his wayes according to that of Dan. 9.13 We have not turned from our iniquities that we might understand the truth And therefore S. Paul was sent to open mens eyes to turn them from darkness to light c. Acts 26.18 And for this purpose it is a good old prayer I know no new one better and it may be ours for advance of our present business Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord The Text in the Greek speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render as I have showen how truly we shall then understand when we finde how unsuitable this Translation is to the will of God revealed in his Word Obedience is that Mother-grace Genetrix omnium virtutum as Hierom calls it that which brings forth all other vertues that which sets the eye to see the ear to hear the heart to think the memory to record the mouth to speak the foot to walk the hand to work the whole man to do that and only that which is conformable to the will of God When such holy desires arise in the heart from the Spirit of God then a contrary desire ariseth also from the flesh according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 7.21 When I will doe good evill is present with me And my Text among diverse other perverted Scriptures is wont to be alleadged against obedience unto the will of God so that this Mother-grace cannot bring forth the fruites of the spirit because the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Before we come to the particular handling of these words let us analyse them or as much of them as will make up a compleate sense and thereby we shall see what the words so read in our last Translation will amount unto The Apostle having propounded the law of neighbourly love ver 14. which they transgressed ver 15. The Apostle ver 16. propounds an expedient for removal of it an exhortation to walk in the spirit which exhortation he enforces by this motive If ye walk in the spirit ye shall not fullfill the lusts of the flesh This consequence he proves from the nature of Adverse contraries which naturally expell one the other For ver 17. the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit lusts against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other The effect of these contraries fighting one with the other is here concluded according to this translation a downright contradiction to what the Apostle before had exhorted unto He exhorted them to walk in the spirit and told them that so doing they should not fullfill the lusts of the flesh Which spirit and flesh so contending it comes to pass that ye cannot do the things which ye would that is ye would walk in the spirit that ye might not fullfill the lusts of the flesh but this ye cannot do Which yet he had exhorted them unto in the words before Nor will the marginal reading fulfill not help this For whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be part of the exhortation fulfill not or a motive thereunto ye shall not fulfill the conclusion will be the same The absurdity of this reasoning will appear if ye shall conceive a Commander in the war to lead up his men and exhort them to be valiant and take a Fort and promise them a great reward if they take it as Caleb promised that he who should subdue Kiriath-Sepher and take it to him he would give Achsah his daughter to wife Josh 15.16 Yea suppose that this Commander should adde threatnings even death it self in case this Fort were not taken by them according to that if ye walk after the flesh ye shall die Rom. 8.13 Yet now suppose that this Commander after all this exhortation and motives should in the winding up of his speach say expreslly This Fort is impregnable it 's impossible to win it ye cannot take it Truly a man would think such a Commander little other then a Fool and his Soldiers no wiser if they should storm the Fort and hope to carry it upon no better reasons than these are Yet indeed the case is the same if not worse Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit lusts against the flesh that ye cannot do the things that ye would Wherefore since it is most unreasonable to think that the Apostle being taught by the Spirit of God would reason so absurdly let us enquire into the true meaning of the words which cannot be done unless we render them otherwise as thus Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit But the Spirit lusteth against the flesh but these are contrary one to other that ye may not do the things that ye would According to the judgment of the best Critick that I know these words These are contrary the one to the other are to be put in a parenthesis and then from the lusting of the Spirit will follow that ye may not do the things of the flesh which ye would do But what difference is there between this Translation and the other 1. In

the Spirit And so Erasmus reasons in his Paraphrase Others as the Translators of the French Bible in their Marginal Gloss understand here spiritual things which the Spirit lusteth for And so a man cannot or may not do the things that he would which the Spirit lusts for because the flesh lusts against the Spirit The former of these is the more probable but that neither of these can be here meant will appear by two reasons 1. Both these interpretations overthrow the Apostles exhortation which is this Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Now if neither of the lusts of the flesh nor of the Spirit can be done the Apostle contradicteth his own exhortation to walk in the Spirit this false gloss saith it cannot be done 2. A second reason may be taken from the scope intention and purpose of the Apostle who having exhorted us to walk in the Spirit and promised that thereby we should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh he moves a doubt The flesh lusts against the Spirit which doubt he presently removes saying but the Spirit lusts against the flesh that ye may not do the things that ye would But that the French Glossaries and all who follow them who are not a few are here quite out may appear if ye shall consider what the things that ye would are according to that Gloss and read the text cannot as Ours do The things that ye would according to that Gloss are spiritual things Mark then what a sense these laid together will produce The flesh lusts against the Spirit but the Spirit lusts against the flesh that ye cannot do the things spiritual things say they which ye would do What a derogation is this from the Spirit of God that the same Spirit lusting against the flesh should make us that we cannot do the spiritual things that we would Which is the very meaning of the words if so understood how absurd let the godly learned judg 2. By the things that ye would must here be understood the things which the flesh lusts after as may hence appear to the judicious reader because this clause That ye may not do the things that ye would is joyned to the lusting of the Spirit which therefore lusts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye may not do the things that ye would viz which the flesh lusts to do So that hence its clear what are here the things that we would What else but the lusts of the flesh Which if we understand here the words will suit exceeding well with the Apostles exhortation walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh For the flesh t is true lusts against the Spirit But the Spirit lusts against the flesh that ye may not do the things of the flesh which ye would do Piscator in his Analyse of the Text is inforced by the Apostles reasoning upon this sense Care spiritus inter se è regiane adversantur quo fit ut qui secundum spiritum vivit is non possit vivere secundum carnem The flesh and Spirit are contrary one against the other whence it comes to passe that he who lives according to the Spirit he cannot live according to the flesh Though he make no good use of this his observation Obj. But some man will say are not may not and cannot one and the same thing Even children can tell us that they are both signes of the potentiall mood I answer they are so Yet do they not signify one and the same thing For Cannot denyes Potentia strength and abillity to do any thing May not denyes Potestas authoritie to do it If any shall question this distinction he may easely be satisfied out of the German tongue whence we have both these words as from the principal Mother of our language for with them Ich kan is Possum habeo potentiam I can Ich mag is licet mihi habeo potestatem I have power or authority Now who knowes not that these are two disparate principles of action which may be separated one from other As in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 David because a king had the later but the sons of Zerviah had the former as David saith the sonns of Serviah are too strong for me There is in us a proneness a strong inclination to do the lusts of the flesh They are things that we would do But though there be a proness and strong inclination to do the lusts of the flesh yet there is no necessity of doing them why The Spirit lusts against the flesh Yea there is in man a power untill by customary consent unto his lusts he have enfeebled it Even the spirituall children such as the Galatians were Gal. 4.19 They may not do the works of the flesh which they would do they may begin to overcome and subdue the lusts of the flesh by the Spirit Judg. 13.25 But such abstinence and such conquest is yet with much difficulty They are yet but children and the flesh yet lusts against the Spirit Walk in the Spirit This is the Apostles exhortation ver 16. To walke in the Spirit is to live in the Spirit walking is a progressive motion a proceeding from vertue to vertue If thus we do we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh He saith not ye shall not have them for they will be troublesom But if ye walk in the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts by consenting to them For if we meet them with dissent we fulfill them not they are none of ours If we consent unto them do we consider whose work we do Not the work of our God not our own work To do the lusts of the flesh is to do the devills work Joh. 8. And they who do his work he will be sure to pay them their wages The very best issue and event that the fulfilling of our lusts possibly can have is repentance and that 's Gods gift whom we offend 2 Tim. 2. How easely might a man disswade any from having to do with such or such a man if he should assure him that whomsoever he deals withall he deceaues him Every man would be so wary so shy of him as to take heed of such a one And does not the wisdom of God give us warning of that spiritual harlot how treacherous how subtill how false she is Prov. 7. Does not the same wisdom tell us that the lusts of the old man are deceitfull and seducing Ephes 4. How can we walk in the Spirit unless we have the Spirit wherein we should walk How can we walk in the Spirit unless the Spirit of the Lord be in us to teach us the way wherei● we should walk Many signes may discover this unto us whether the Spirit of God be in us or not I shall name one or too where the Spirit of the Lord is its fruitfull it is an active Spirit it brings forth

chastens sin and moves us to confess sin that Truth is not in us I have shewen hitherto 1. Of whom these worde were not properly spoken 2. Were figuratively spoken 3. Of whom they were truly spoken They were not properly spoken of S. John or his fellow Apostles as I have proved by reasons I think demonstrative they were spoken figuratively by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were spoken to the spiritual little children who no doubt are principally here meant But there is no divine birth so much opposed as this and that by all sorts of Christians unlearned and learned And the reason is The evill one well knowes that if such a state be beleived possible wherein all sin being subdued men may performe exact obedience unto God such as that estate is whereunto S. John and his fellow Apostles had attained well he knowes that his kingdom would be toward an end And therefore he hath endeavoured mainly and made it his work to perswade men that it is impossible but that they must have sin while they live in this world And if it be beleived to be impossible who will go about it As who will endeavour to fly Since no man hath power by nature so to do And who will fly youthfull lusts according to the Apostles counsel Who will fly from sin as from a Serpent as the wise man advises us if he be perswaded that there is no spirituall power given him from above so to do By this meanes all exhortations admonitions c. Shall be in vaine if men be perswaded before hand that it is impossble for them to be obedient thereunto but the evill one hath in all ages endeavoured to win to this perswasion of impossibilitie learned men and men of reputation for pietie and holyness of life For by corrupting those he gaines multitudes unto his party by their authority Ye remember how the evill Spirit plotted mischeife against Ahab and all Israel I will saith he be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all the prophets Thus when Tan the dragon the old Serpent is joyn'd to Levi become Leviathan as I have shewen formerly then he does all his mischeif Let them two alone to deceive all the world Thus of old he got in with Peter as our Lord Jesus discovered him When Peter had disswaded our Lord from his death Matth. 16.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ turned with a countenance composed to severity as that word signifies he said unto Peter even to him whom he had called Blessed ver 17. Get the behinde me Satan He who gives us such counsell acts the devills the enemies part under the vizard of a friend He is an offence unto us and causeth us to stumble in the narrow way of mortification which leadeth unto the perfect life And Satan having so far prevailed with Peter he doubted not to give the on set upon some though less pious than he yet of greater esteem in the Church for piety and learning also And therefore one of the Antients of great name wrote unto Pope Innocent who had greatest power in the universal Church to advise him That it was altogether impossble in this life to be without sin But let us hear his reasons and answer them His first and principal reason is Because saith he all men ought to pray Forgive us our sins as we are taught in the Lords Prayer to say Forgive us our trespasses c. And if we pray for forgiveness of them we must be guilty of them I answer our Lord Jesus teaches us to pray for forgiveness of sins not only in particular but also in general For although our sin and failings be many by reason of our ignorance and weakness while we are yet spiritual little children and babes in Christ and the Lord be gratious unto us and vouchsafe the forgiveness of them 1 John 2.12 yet the plenary and full remission of sins is given upon the ratifying of the new and second Covenant Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. and 33.8 Hebr. 8.8 13. In which places the last clause of the Covenant is the remission of sins as being last accomplished This was figured by the Jubile as it is spiritually interpreted Esay 61.1 2. liberty to the captives c. Our Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Brother and Redeemer applyes it to himself Luke 4.18 21. This day saith he this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears as he who redeems us from the service of sin and restores us unto our spiritual inheritance remitting the sin and removing it from us which is the proper sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence Jubile is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the LXX above twenty times Levit. 25. 2. Besides we must take special notice here that our Lord taught his Disciples to pray this prayer while they were as yet but spiritual children and had not as yet received the holy Ghost and while they were yet subject unto many failings and therefore our Apostle saith 1 John 2.12 I write to you little children that your sins are forgiven you through his Name And therefore how ever the Apostles Disciples might possibly use the Lords prayer while the Lord Jesus was with them and before they had received the holy Spirit yet after they received the Spirit we do not read that any one of them used it And although S. John in the text say that if we say we have no sin c. and teach us confession of sin yet is that onely figurative by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by way of condescension unto us because he with his fellow Apostles had fellowship with God and Christ which no man can have who walk in darkness as our Apostle reasons v. 6. 3. Our Lord does not command his Disciples to use that prayer alwayes but he teaches them to pray for remission of sin both in part and plenarily until they have obtained it And in reason when they have obtained what they prayed for why should they longer pray for it Now the Lord Jesus hath promised that whatsoever we ask the Father in his Name he will give us If therefore we ask remission and forgiveness of sins in his Name we shall obtain what we pray for But when Without doubt in the time of this mortal life For in the life to come we neither read of prayer for forgiveness of sin nor of any sin then forgiven Obj. 2. If such a state were attainable as to live without sin then might the Law be fulfilled I answer And must not the Law be fulfilled Matth. 5. compare ver 17. and 18. with 19. But what hinders but that the Law may be fulfilled by the power of Christ and his Spirit For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent his Son c. Rom. 8.3 that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Obj. 3. There is a perpetual strife

righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven V. 48. Be ye therefore perfect even as your father which is in heaven is perfect Chap. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Chap. 10.24 25. The disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord It is enough for the disciple that he be as master c. Matth. 11.30 For my yoke is easie and my burden is light Matth. 12.50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother sister and mother Matth. 19.17 But if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandements 21. Jesus said unto him if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast c. Matth. 21.9 Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Matth. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Mark 2.17 They that are whole have no need of the Physitian but they that are sick c. Luke 11.36 If thy whole body be full of light having no part dark the whole shall be full of light John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandements And Chap. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Rom. 8.4 That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.6 We speak wisdom among them that are perfect v. 16. We have the minde of Christ 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Phil. 1.6 That he which hath been beginning a good work in you will throughly finish it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ enabling me Col. 1.25 Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God V. 28. Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Chap. 4.12 Epaphras alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God 1 Thess 4.1 Furthermore then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more Chap. 5.23 The Very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. James 1.4 But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and and entire wanting nothing 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 1 John 2.1 My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not c. Chap. 4.17 Herein is love with us made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement Because as he is so are we in this world After this Catalogue might be gathered another as large yea larger speaking the same truth and yet another most large proving by consequence the same things And after that a fourth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of mystical names in Scripture also types figures and parabolical and symbolical speeches all which being opened hold forth and evidence the very same things Nor ought this to seem strange since God himself is with us in the work as appears 2 Cor. 13.11 Finally Brethren rejoyce be perfect be of good comfort be of one minde live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you As also because since perfection is the end of all the holy Scripture For 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness THAT the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work 1 Pet. 5.10 Now the God of all grace who hath called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 5. FINIS A Table of the Sermons contained in this Book their Titles and their Texts 1. THe Law and the Gospel preached from the beginning Gen. 3. v. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thine Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Pag. 9. 2. The Law and Gospel preached unto Cain Gen. 4. v. 7. If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him Pag. 31. 3. Noah's Legacy to his sons Gen. 9.26 27. And he said Blessed be the Lord God of Shem And Canaan shall be his servant God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant 4. On the same Text. 5. Imputation of best reputation Gen. 15. v. 5 6. And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now towards heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy seed be And he believed in the Lord and he counted it unto him for righteousness Pag. 135. 6. A prudent wise is of the Lord. Gen. 24. v. 44. And she say to me Both drink thou and I will also draw for thy Camels let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my Masters son Pag. 161. 7. The dressing of and due address unto the Paskal Lamb Exod. 12. v. 9. Eat not of it raw nor sodden at all with water but rost with fire his head with his legs and with the appurtenance thereof Pag. 203. 8. Gods meeting with men in their own way Levit. 26. v. 27.28 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then will I walk contrary unto you also in fury Pag. 323. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or The Dispensor of divine mysteries Numb 4. v. 19 20. When they approach unto the most holy things Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered lest they die Pag. 375. 10. God keeps his time though men be out of tune Numb 14. v. 34. After the number of the dayes in which ye searched the