Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	able_a	according_a	action_n	37	3	5.7600	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80790	The doctrine of faith. Or, The prime and principall points which a Christian is to know and believe. Handled in sundry sermons upon texts of scripture selected and chosen for the purpose. Wherein the method of the creed, (commonly called the Apostles Creed) is observed; and the articles thereof are confirmed, explained and applied, for the instructing of the ignorant, and the establishing of all in the truth. / By Christopher Cartwright, Minister of the Word at York.	Cartwright, Christopher, 1602-1658.	1650 (1650)	Wing C687; Thomason E1231_1; ESTC R14778	283,812	488

good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire least ye corrupt your selves and make you a graven image the similitude of any figure the likenesse if male or female the likenesse of any beast that is on the earth the likenesse of any winged fowle that flieth in the aire the likenesse of any thing that creepeth on the ground the likenesse of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth Deut. 4. 12. 15 16 17 18. and the Prophet Isaiah cries To whom will ye liken God or what likenesse will ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plut. in Numa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. compare unto him It is very observable that Plutach records of Numa Pompilius the second King of the Romans viz. that he forbad the Romans to use any Image of God having the forme of a man or of any other living creature and the same Author moreover testifies that for 170. years after Rome was built they had no Image of God neither painted nor carved Temples he saith they had but no image at all in them and he gives this reason for it that it is not lawfull to resemble better things to worse nor possible to apprehend God otherwise then by the conception of the mind and understanding How is Rome now professing it selfe Christian become much more superstitious and idolatrous in this particular then it was when it was Heathenish Vse 3. Here again we may see what it is in respect of which man is excellent in Gods account it is not in respect of any corporall thing any thing belonging to the body as beauty strength c. much lesse in respect of things more extrinsecall as riches honour c. but it is in respect of things spirituall things belonging to the soule as grace and holinesse Looke not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man beholdeth the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart thus spake the Lord to Samuel 1 Sam. 16. 7. when Samuel seeing the goodly personage of Eliab Davids eldest brother presumed that it was he whom God had sent him to annoynt King in the room of Saul So David saith that God neither delighteth in the strength of a horse nor taketh pleasure in the legs of a man but the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy Psal 147. 10 11. Favour is deceitfull saith Solomon and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Prov. 31. 30. Thus beloved it is as our spirits are so doth God esteem of us He regardeth not the rich more then the poor saith Elihu Job 34. 19. No it 's not the rich but the righteous that God regardeth The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour saith Solomon Prov. 12. 26. although wicked men in respect of outward things be worth never so much yet with God they are of no account because as Prov. 10. 22. the Wiseman saith the heart of the wicked is little worth Therefore as we desire to be esteemed of God it behoves us to look and labour for spirituall things to furnish our soules and to adorne them with the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit S. Paul requires that women adorn themselves in modest apparell with shamefastnesse and sobriety not with broydred haire or gold or pearls or costly array but which becometh women professing godlinesse with good works 1 Tim 2. 9 10. those outward and bodily ornaments are not simply forbidden but they are to be sleighted and neglected in comparison of the other So in like manner S. Peter Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparell but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. Vse 4. Finally we may hence learne what Worship and Service it is that God requires and will accept at our hands viz. that which is spirituall which proceeds not onely from the outward man the body but principally from the inward man the heart and spirit this is the more to be considered in that as was shewed before for this very end Christ thus describes the nature of God and sayes That God is a Spirit from thence to inferre that he will be worshipped in Spirit and in truth this being that Worship which is agreeable to his nature My Son give me thy heart saith God Prov. 23. 26. Whom I serve with my spirit saith the holy Apostle Rom. 1. 9. For we are the circumcision saith the same Apostle which worship God in the spirit Phil. 3. 3. God expresseth all the detestation that may be of those Services though such as himselfe prescribed which are meerly outward and formall not proceeding from a pure heart and holy affections see Esa 1. 10 11 12 13 14. he threatens severely to punish those that draw neer him with their mouth and honor him with their lips but remove their heart far from him Esa 29. 13 14. Christ told the Pharisees that though they justified themselves before men yet God knew their heart and that which was highly esteemed amongst men was abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. and Mat. 23. many a woe doth Christ denounce against them for their hypocrisie saying seven severall times Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites and he bids his Disciples beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees which is hypocrisie Luk. 12. 1. Though the outward performance be very weak yet if the heart be rightly affected God accepts it and will passe by the imperfection The high places were not taken away Quin damus id superis de magna quod dare lance Non possit magai M●ssalae lippa propago Compositum jus fasque animi Sanctosque recessus Mentis incoctum generoso pectus honesto Hoc cedo ut admoveam templis far●e litabo Pers Sat. 2. out of Israel neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect that is sincere upright all his days 2 Chron. 15. 17. Ezekiah knew this and therefore when many did eat the Passeover otherwise then they should have done he prayed for them saving The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30. 18 19. Thus our Saviour seeing his Disciples drowzie and not able to keep from sleeping when he had speciall reason to require their attendance yet knowing the sincerity of their hearts and affections towards him excused them saying The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Mat. 26.

holy spirit is appropriated to the third Person of the Trinity but the other Persons are a spirit too they are indeed all one and the same spirit having all one and the same essence and nature the divine nature of Christ is called the spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. Being put to death in the flesh that is his humane nature but quickned in the spirit that is by his divine nature And our Saviour here in the Text having immediately before spoken of the Father the first Person of the Trinity saith God viz. the Father yet not excluding but including the Son and the Holy Ghost is a Spirit That God is a spirit may be further proved by these Arguments 1. That which is of most excellency must needs belong unto God O Lord how excellent is thy Name saith David Psal 8. 1. 9. His Name only is excellent saith he Psal 148. 13. Now as amongst all things substances so amongst all substances spirits are most excellent As substances are of more excellency then accidents so are spirits of more excellency then bodily substances the soul is more excellent then the body and Angels being meer spirits are more excellent then men who are not incorporeall as the Angels are God therefore being most excellent must needs be as a substance not an accident so a spirit not a bodily substance Indeed God is so excellent that no names can be found out whereby sufficiently to expresse his nature he infinitely transcends all other substances and all other spirits but yet apprehending God as we are able we cannot but attribute the names of substance and of spirit unto him 2. Invisible substances are called spirits by this our Saviour proved that he was not a spirit Luk. 34. 29. as the Disciples supposed because he was a visible substance The soul of man being a spirit is not visible so neither the Angells as being spirits They have indeed sometimes appeared unto men but that was only in respect of those bodies which for the time they assumed and after this manner hath God himselfe also appeared as we find in Gen. 18. and Gen. 32. and thus more especially by the Incarnation God viz. the second Person of the Trinity the Son one and the same God with the Father and the Holy Ghost was made visible by this means God was manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 15. The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God God the Son was made man and dwelt among us and we beh●ld his glory c. Joh. 1. 14. but God in himself as God is invisible so he is stiled 1 Tim. 1. 17. and so Joh. 1. 18. it 's said No man hath seen God at any time and 1 Tim. 6. 16. whom no man hath seen nor can see It 's said indeed of Moses that he saw him that is invisible Heb. 11. 27. that is by the eye of Faith which is the evidence of things not seen Heb 11. 1. he saw him like as Abraham saw Christs day many ages before Christ came into the world Joh. 8. 56. but properly Moses did not see God neither could see him God being as in that very place is expressed invsible 3. Gods immensity and ubiquity his being in every place yet so as not to be included in any place proves that he is a spirit For although not every spirit is immense and every where present neither the souls of men nor the Angells are so yet every substance that is so must needs be a spirit For bodily substances are necessarily limited and circumscribed they have their bounds within which they are contained He is not here for he is risen said the Angell to those that came to seek Christ in the sepul●hre Mat. 28. 6. Christ having a true humane body in that respect could not be both in the grave and out of it at the same time But God is every where at all times Do not I the Lord fill heaven and earth saith he Jer. 23. 24. God is said to be in heaven as there especially shewing forth his glory Heaven is my Throne saith he Esa 66. 1. but he is not confined there no the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee said Solomon to God 1 King 8. 27. therefore God is no corporeall substance but a spirit Vse 1. This serves to confute that grosse conceit of the Anthropomorphites who held God to have the form and shape of a man and thus absurdly doe now some simple ones conceive of God but if God be a spirit then he neither hath the shape of a man nor any other bodily shape whatsoever Ob. But it is said that God made man after his own Image and likenesse Ans That is not meant in respect of bodily shape as if God had the like shape as man hath But first because man is a rationall and understanding creature in which respect still since the fall man retains in him the Image and likenesse of God Jam 3. 9. Gen. 9. 6. And secondly as man hath dominion over the other creatures in this respect man is said to be the Image of God 1 Cor. 11. 7. Thirdly and principally man was at first made after the image and likenesse of God in that he was made righteous and holy Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. The image of God therefore is seated in the soul although it appear and shine forth in the body viz. as by outward and bodily actions man doth shew forth his reason and understanding and doth exercise authority over the creatures and if he be regenerate that righteousnesse and holinesse with which he is indued Ob. But in Scripture God is often said to have eyes ears hands c. Ans The Scripture speaks of God after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manner of men condescending to the weaknesse of our capacitie because we see with eyes heare with ears work with hands therefore these bodily parts and members are attributed unto God only to signifie that God doth exercise the same acts though not in the same manner as we exercise with and by these parts and members to shew that God doth see the Scripture attributes eyes to shew that he doth heare it attributes ears and to shew that he doth work it attributes hands unto him but properly God doth see without eyes hear without ears and work without hands having no bodily part or member whatsoever Vse 2. This also makes for the confutation of Papists who make pictures and images whereby to represent God whereas he is a spirit and so cannot be set forth by any bodily representations the second Commandement forbids the making of any image of similitude to represent God by it And what a strict charge doth Moses give the Israelites The Lord saith he spake unto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude onely ye heard a voice Take ye therefore

2. the spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. 14. the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. the Spirit of God Rom. 8. 9. Yea this Spirit is God as hath been proved before and therefore this spirit must needs be excellent and so consequently the communion or fellowship of the Spirit 2. The commodity of this communion of the holy Ghost For 1. The Holy Ghost will teach informe and instruct Thou gavest thy good spirit to instruct them Neh. 9. 20. He is the spirit of counsell and knowledge and understanding Esa 11. 2. We are naturally blind and ignorant of the truth and many errors creep in and insinuate themselves under the name of truth but the Holy Ghost is the spirit of truth and will inlighten our minds and teach us to know and understand the truth Joh. 14. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Joh. 14. 26. Howbeit when the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth Joh. 16. 13. How ignorant were the Apostles before they had received the Holy Ghost in that measure as afterwards they did Are ye so without understanding also said Christ unto them Mar. 7. 18. when they thought that which was a plain speech to be a parable So Christ having spoken of his Passion it is said that they understood not this saying and it was hid from them that they perceived it not Luke 9. 45. So concerning some things that were done unto Christ according as it had been prophecied of him S. John saith These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified and so they had received a greater measure of the Spirit for the Holy Ghost ●●s not yet given in such measure because Jesus was not yet glorified Joh. 7. 39. then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him Joh. 12. 16. So Joh. 20. 9. As yet they knew not the Scripture that he must rise again from the dead Thus it was with them for a while but when the Holy Ghost was plentifully powred upon them then they were filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Esa 11. 9. So much their words and writings do make manifest 2. The Holy Ghost will strengthen and incourage The Prophet Je●emie complains They are not valiant for the truth upon the earth Jer. 9. 3. Even they that both know and also love the truth yet may be so timorous and faint-hearted as not to dare to avouch it and to stand up in defence of it though God call them to it as is clear by the example of Peter when he denied Christ But the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of might and of power Esa 11. 2. and 2 Tim. 1. 7. How weak and fearfull were the Apostles whilst they had but as it were a scantling of the Spirit They all forsook Christ and fled from him when he was apprehended by his adversaries and Peter who had professed most courage and confidence of all others most bewrayed his weaknesse being not able to indure the encounter of a silly damosell as the story shews of him But afterward when they had the spirit in more abundant measure they were so full of courage and boldnesse that their greatest adversaries did admire it When the Jewish Rulers and Elders examined Peter and John about a miracle that t●●y had wrought in making a lame man sound saying By what power or by what name have ye done this Then P●ter filled with the Holy Ghost mark that said unto t●em Ye Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand here before you whole This is the stone which was set at nought by you builders which is become the head of the corner Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Now when they saw the boldnesse of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Act. 3. 7. 13. So v. 31. it is said of the Apostles that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the word with boldnesse And v. 33. And with great power gave the Apostles witnesse of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus 3. The Holy Ghost will direct and order Courage without wisdom and discretion will do hurt rather then good but wisdome and courage joyned together will do much good and no hurt A wise mans heart discerneth both time and iudgment saith Solomon Eccl. 8. 5. that is a wise man knoweth both when to do a thing and how to do it Now the Holy Ghost being the spirit of wisdome will order and direct us to do things wisely in due time and in right manner Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost was also full of wisdome so that although he had to do with most implacable adversaries yet they were not able to resist the wisdome and the spirit by which he spake Act. 6. 10. So Christ promised unto his Disciples saying I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain-say or resist Luk. 21. 15. And how they should be indued with such wisdom we may see by that Luk. 12. 12. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same houre what ye ought to say And so Mat. 10. 20. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you 4. The Holy Ghost will comfort and incourage as to do the will of God so also to suffer what by his permission and providence shall be inflicted for so doing For though the godly behave themselves never so well and wisely yet they may fall into the hands of their inraged persecutors as that Protomartyr Stephen and so the other Martyrs did But though they do yet as it fared with Stephen and the Martyrs as their sufferings abound so shall their consolations abound also 2 Cor. 1. 5. For the spirit of glory and of God resteth on them 1 Pet. 4. 14. And this spirit will make them to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. It is such a peculiar work of the Holy Ghost to afford comfort that he is stiled the Comforter Ioh. 14. 16. 26. 15. 26. 16. 7. And sound joy is called joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 3. Consider we the necessity of this communion of the Holy Ghost 1. Without

Solomon who were Prophets as well as Kings but also they Kings only and not Prophets as Asa Jehoshaphat Ezekiah and Iosiah and memorable to this purpose is the example of Artaxerxes though a heathen See what a decree he mad● Ezr. 7. 25 26. And how Ezra blessed God for it v. 27. 28. 2. By providing Orthodox Ministers to teach the truth and by incouraging them that do it Thus Jehoshaphat sent Levites who taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and went about thoroughout all the Cities of Judah and taught the people 2 Chron. 17. 8 9. And Ezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 22. Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the Priests the Levites that they might be incouraged in the Law of the Lord 2 Chron 31. 4. 3. By repressing such as pervert the truth and divulge errours The Magistrate is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill Rom. 13. 4. Now if they do evill that hurt the body and prejudice the temporall estate how much more they that hurt the soul and prejudice the eternall estate 2. Ministers must do it and that 1. By preaching and teaching the truth with all diligence See Act. 20. 28 31. 2 Tim. 4. 1 5. Tit. 1. 10 11. with 2. 1. 2. By refelling such as oppose the truth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non loquintur diserta sed fortia Cypr. confuting their errours a Minister must not only be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3. 2. but also able to convince gain-sayers Tit. 1. 9. To this end he must preach not with entising words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. Apollos was eloquent and that is good but withall he was mighty in the Scriptures Act 18. 24. And so he mightily convinced the Jews and that publikely shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ v. 28. 3. Private Christians must doe it And 1. By praying for good and sound teachers they must pray that they may be sent Mat. 9. 38. And that they may do the work for which they are sent 2 Thes 3. 1. Col. 4. 3. Ephes 6. 19 20. 2. By affording them all incouragement that may be See 1 Thes 5. 12 13. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 17. 3. By giving no assistance shewing no countenance to false teachers but doing what they may to restrain them See 3 Iohn 10 11. Deut. 13. 6 9. 4. By instructing and admonishing one another Col. 3. 16. 5. By humbling themselves and mourning for the errours that are vented and for those that are seduced See Psalm 119. 158. 136. Vse Let us then according to our places and callings be mindfull of this duty and carefull to perform it to this end let us consider 1. That truth especially the truth of Religion the truth of the Gospell is a thing most precious and excellent Col. 1. 5. most worthy to be contended for with all earnestnesse and to be maintained with all care and diligence God is the God of truth Isa 65. 16. Christ hath stiled himself the truth John 14. 6. the Holy Ghost is the spirit of truth John 16. 13. The Gospel is the word of truth Ephes 1. 13. If therefore we contend for other things which in comparison are vain and frivolous how much more should we contend for this which is of such worth of such excellency 2. That the Saints servants of God have ever shewed great zeal in this kind How zealous Paul was for the truth his Epistles every where shew See especially Gal. 1. 8 9 2. 5 11 12 13 14. 4 3. 1 3 4 11 19. 5. 7. 12. of S. John it is recorded by Eusebius and before him by Irenaeus that being in a bath and hearing that Cerinthus one who besides other hereticall opinions denied Christs divinity was come into the place he would stay no longer but departed with all speed saying to those that were with him Let us flie and be gone least the building fall upon us in which this enemy of the truth Cerinthus is So it is said of Polycarpus S. Iohns Disciple that meeting with Marcion another Arch-heretike and being asked by him if he knew him answered Yes I know thee to be the first born of the divell And such was the zeale of Hierome against heretikes and heresies that in his second Apology against Ruffinus he writes thus In this one thing I cannot In uno tibi consentire non possum ut parcam haereticis ut me Catholicum non probem Si ista est causa discordiae non possum tacere non possum yeeld unto thee that I should forbear heretikes and so not prove my self a sound and true believing Christian If this be the cause of our difference I cannot hold my peace I cannot do it 4. That wicked opinions are rather worse then wicked practises corrupt Doctrines more dangerous then corrupt manners Some do well observe that he who had the leprosie in his head is pronounced not simply unclean as others but utterly unclean Levit. 13. 44. Whence is collected that corruption in judgement is worse then corruption in practice And so it is the understanding is the eye and so the light of the soul and if the light be darkness how great is that darkness Mat. 6. 23. Sound doctrine is a means to reforme a corrupt conversation but corrupt doctrine is a means to marre a good conversation Evill communications corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. Whosoever shall break one of the least Commandements and teach men so c. Mat. 5. 19. 4. Great need especially at this time to be earnest for the truth and to do what we may for defence of it For first when was it ever more opposed then now it is What heresie almost was ever broached which is not now taken up and maintained by one or other Scarce any truth in all the sphere of Christian Religion is so sacred as to remain inviolate 2. These wicked opinions that are among us cause the name of God to be blasphemed and the way of truth to be evill spoken of Hereupon Papists take occasion to traduce our Religion and prophane persons to despise all Religion 3. These are times wherein God expects and we pretend Reformation Therefore that now in these times should be such Sects and Heresies amongst us is the more hainous I said surely thou wilt feare me thou wilt receive correction c. but they rose up early and corrupted all their ways Zeph. 3. 7. Thou saidst I will not transgresse when on every high hill and under every green tree thou wandredst playing the Harlot Ier. 2. 20. 4. We have solemnly sworne unto God and covenanted with him to indeavour in our places and callings the preservation of the truth and the extirpation of heresie and whatsoever is concrary to sound Doctrine Let us remember that of David Psal 76. 11. Vow and perform unto the Lord your God And that of Solomon Eccles 5. 4 5. When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fools Pay therefore that which thou hast vowed Better is it that thou shouldst not vow then that thou shouldst vow and not pay Some have shewed themselves very zealous against Superstition Popery Prelacy c. but concerning Sects and Heresies which swarm in the Land have been remisse enough Why is not one part of the Covenant regarded as well as another Zeale if it be not impartiall is not right howsoever we may please our selves in it and vaunt of it as Iehu did Come see my zeal 2 King 10. 16. But Jehu regarded not to walk in the Law of the Lord with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the so● of Nebat who made Israel to sin v. 31. Had his zeal been sincere it would have shewed it selfe as well against the Idolatrous Worship of th● Calves set up by Ieroboam as against that of B●al set up by Ahab Let us consider these things and let the consideration of them incite us by prayer and humiliation and all good means as our places and callings require to indeavour that truth may be preserved and error suppressed that such as are yet in the truth may persist in it and such as are swerved from the truth may be reduced to it or at least may not seduce and draw others from it In a word let us do what in us lies that the land may be purged as from other pollutions and defilements so from these Sects and Heresies that are so rife in it that so the Lord may not as otherwise we must needs fear he will abhor us and depart from us but may still continue his gracious presence with us and rejoyce over us to do us good FINIS

41. On the other side though the outward actions seem glorious yet if the inward affections be not right God doth little regard them Amaziah did that which in it selfe considered was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. Let 's therefore have a care of our hearts and spirits whatsoever we doe Let us remember that of the Prophet Take heed to your spirit Mal. 2. 15. Let us be sure that as well our spirits as our bodies be ingaged in those services which wee performe unto God that our hearts be therein upright before him Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I may not be ashamed saith that man after Gods own heart David Psal 119. 80. THE THIRD SERMON DEUT. 6. 4. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. THis place of Scripture the Jewes much magnifie and it is indeed a place very famous and remarkable When one asked our Saviour which was the first or chiefest Commandement he alledged these words together with those in the next Verse saying The first of all the Commandements is Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God Vide Fagium in Chald. Paraph. ad hunc locum with all thine heart c. Mar. 12. 29. 30. But the Jewes superstitiously abuse the place writing it in parchment and binding it to their head and to their hands and to the posts of their houses so they pervert the meaning of that Deut. 6. 8 9. And thou shalt bind them for a signe upon thine head and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates and so of those parallel places Exod. 13. 9. 16. some think that these Texts of Scripture are meerly metaphoricall only importing how mindfull people should be of Gods precepts See Aben Ezra on Deut. 6. 9. by whom it appears that some among the Jewes have understood those places in Moses as parallel to those in Solomon And else where indeed the like expressions are thus metaphorically used as Prov. 3. 3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck and write them upon the table of thine heart and Prov. 7. 3. Bind them upon thy fingers write them on the table of thine heart But others more probably conceive that those Precepts in the Law were also literally to be observed even as that concerning fringes Numb 15. 38 39. Speak unto the children of Israel said God to Moses and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue and it shall be unto you for a fringe that you may looke upon it and remember all the Commandements of the Lord and do them c. That the Jews were to observe this even according to the Letter is without question the words cannot otherwise be understood and it seems that the other Precepts also were of the same nature viz. such as were to have a literall observation yet withall a mysticall signification For we find them joyned together as homogeneall Mat. 23. 5. They make broad their Phylacteries and inlarge the borders of their garments By the Phylacteries are meant those sentences of Scripture which the Iewes who call them Tephillin used of old and still use to write in parchment and to fasten upon their heads and hands as by the borders of their garments are meant the fringes which they wore in those borders of their garments Our Saviour there reproves the Scribes and Pharisees See Beza on Mat. 23. 4. alike for both not for having those Phylacteries and those borders but for making those Phylacteries broad and inlarging those borders as desirous to seem more religious and more holy then others so that the use of both it seems was required though the abuse were condemned and this abuse the Jewes were many of them guilty of of old and much more are they now guilty of it the ceremonie being out of date and not to be used at all in the times of Gospel But to returne to the words of the Text they contain in them an Exhortation directed at first to the Israelites but which concerns us and all Gods people Hear that is hearken mind observe and consider what is said as He that hath ears to hear let him hear Luk. 8. 8. And he that hath an ear let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Apoc. 2. 11. Hear and give ear Ier. 13. 15. O Israel Jacob was first called Israel because he prevailed with God Gen. 32. 28. after him his posterity whom God chose to be his peculiar people were also called Israel or the children of Israel or the people of Israel so that Israel and the people of God are used as terms equivalent Heare O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie unto thee Psal 50. 7. so Gal. 6. 16. The Israel of God is as much as the people of God The Lord In the Hebrew it is as they call it the name of foure letters Jehovah as we Nomen tetragrammaton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah comes of Havah which signifies the same with Hajah whence is Ehjeh rendred I am now pronounce it a name peculiar unto God and not communicable to any besides him Whose Name alone is Jehovah Psal 83. 18. Jehovah comes of a word that signifies to be and God is so called as having his being of himselfe and giving being to all things besides himself Our Translators sometimes yet but seldome have the word Jehovah about the pronounciation whereof learned men differ for the most part instead thereof they have Lord like as the Septuagint and the vulgar Latine Interpreter do constantly render it but so as that to distinguish this word from other words which signifie Lord also they use to write the word Lord when it is to expresse Jehovah all in great Letters thus LORD so that where in our Translations we find LORD so written all in great letters there in the Originall is Jehovah excepting some few places where it is Jah which is taken to be the contract of Jehovah Our God God is the God of all the world as being the Creator preserver and governor of all he is called the God of all flesh Jer. 32. 27. but in a more especial manner was he the God of that people to whom Moses spake viz. Israel they being the seed of Abraham with whom God entred into Covenant saying I wil be a God to thee to thy seed Gen. 17. 7. I am the Lord thy God said he unto them when he gave the law Exo. 20. 2. so he is stiled the God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 3. The true God whom the people of Israel did worship is so distinguished from false gods which the Heathens worshipped All