in him he was despised and we esteemed him not In the first place is spoken of Christ exaltation and the glory of his Kingdome of which Solomon was a type not outwardly in the sight of men but inwardly and spiritually before God and the faithfull people In the latter of Christs humiliation and as carnall men judge of Christ * Psal 45.2 with Isaiah 53.2 The former speaks of Christ as he appeares to the soule broken and bruised and called home The latter of Christ as he appeared to the men of the world Jews and the wicked without any Majesty or Kingship The former as he shall appear in glory the latter as he appears in outward dispensations here below The comelinesse is rather relating to his Majesty than to his person though questionlesse which in it self was fair yet was through his troubles and sorrow beclouded and he seemed a man of sorrow 492. Psal 49.8 The Brother shall not redeem his Brother Heb. 2.12 Christ our Brother offered himself for the price of our Redemption Because men could not satisfie the Divine Law Christ God and Man our Brother and our Saviour by his obedience and suffering fulfilled the whole Law for us his satisfaction is our Redemption for our sinnes 1 Joh. 2.2 Rom. 20. and the sinnes of the whole world and he is the fulfilling of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth * 493. Psal 49.12 He is like the beasts that perish Rom. 8.21 The creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Beasts perish because when they die there is an end they have no resurrection The second place speaks of the renewing of the world after desolution thereof And whether by the creature he means the Heaven and the Earth with the rest of inanimate things or he intends the animate Besides he shews that they shall be no more subject to any such alteration and corruption as now when the beasts perish much lesse to serve for the object and instrument of sinne but every thing according as its capable shall be glorified and fully delivered from vanity and perishing * 494. Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee Isa 65.25 And it shall come to passe that before they call I will answer When God saith he will answer before they call it hinders not but that when at other times they do call he will answer The latter promise in Isaiah doth not say that he will alwaies answer before they call but that sometime he will answer before they call i. e. he will deliver his people before they apprehend danger * 495. Psal 51.11 Cast me not away from thy presence c. Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Doubt If the Lord should take away his Spirit and cast his people out of his presence Then how comes he not to leave us Answ The words of David might be spoken by him in his desertion in which case a man may fear that which he is most sure to avoid His praying that God would not cast him off doth not necessarily imply a fear that God would do it but rather an hope and assurance that God would not do it As elsewhere we find him praying for that which God hath promised unto him and which he doubted not but God would performe 2 Sam. 26.27 The former place shews what David in justice might fear for his sinne The latter what God in mercy would grant for his Christ The former what David in his prayers did seek The latter what God in his promise did answer 496. Psal 95.11 Slay them not O Lord. Vers 13. Consume them in thy wrath First he praies that the enemies of God may be tollerated a while for example to others and led captive in triumph then when others are taught better by their example let them be destroyed That destruction if it may not be understood of their lives yet it may be of their power dignities and wealth that so being brought down they may not be able to hurt the Church or oppose themselves against God * Psal 59.11 with 13. Slay them not at once or suddenly let them rather have Cains punishment but yet consume them surely that so they may know themselves to be men and thou the God of Heaven * 497. Psal 60. title When Joab returned and smote of Aedem in the valley of Salt twelve thousand 1 Chron. 18.12 Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah slew of the Aedemites in the valley of Salt eighteen thousand 2 Sam. 8.13 And David gat him a name when he returned from smiteing of the Syrians in the valley of Salt eighteen thousand The victory is ascribed to David as Generalissimo to Joab and Abishai as two chief Commanders and so all three had their speciall Victories running into one They are called Aedomites in some places Syrians in another because both Syrians and Aedomites joyned together against David Joab and Abishai In one place its said eighteen thousand in another place twelve thousand probably either David or some of the three at first slew six thousand and then Joab returning with the rest he either giving the first onset or else doing some remarkable service is said to slay twelve thousand more and so in all eighteen thousand 498. Psal 60.3 O God thou hast cast us off Rom. 11.1 Hath God cast off his people God forbid David speaks of temporall casting off Paul of eternall 499. Psal 62.11 God spake once Heb. 1.1 God spake by divers manners to the Fathers and Prophets God speaks once not by number but by counsell nor doth he deliberate the second time but he speaks divers wayes with a voice or without a voice to men waking or sleeping by himself or by his Angels In the former place the certainty in the latter the manner of divine Revelation is understood * 500. Psal 68.18 Thou hast led captivity captive and thou hast received gifts for men Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he gave gifts to men Led captivity captive which may be interpreted either passively or actively Passively he took away from Satan Death and Hell all their captives changing their miserable captivity into an holy and happy captivity whereby they are brought into the obedience of the Gospel 2. Actively Christ hath captivated the world flesh and Devill Death and Hell which in severall kinds had before captivated mankind Received gifts and gave gifts i. e. receiving gave as the phrase is Exod. 25.2 and in divers others places taking is used for giving 1 Kings 3.24 17.10 Judg. 14 2. and giving is used for taking as Gen. 42.30 So as Christ received gifts at Gods hands in the Psalms and he did not keep these gifts or use them for himself but Saint Paul would have us to know that he gave us these spirituall gifts Thus the one shews the giver the other interprets to what end they were
should walk after God with all their heart The Prophesie by a legall commination moved both King and people to manifest their zeal But he frighted the wicked Hypocrites and such as were averse from God by threatning them that so they might forsake their sins 733. Zeph. 1.7 The day of the Lord is at hand 2 Thes 2.3 Be not terrified as though the day of the Lord were at hand In the former place by the day of the Lord is understood the neernesse of the Babylonish captivity In the latter the coming of the Lord to Judgement the time whereof is not for us to know 734. Zeph. 3.7 I said surely thou wilt fear me Vers 7. But they corrupted their own doing I said The Lord useth that word after the manner of men not as though he had failed of his hope for all things are known to him before they be but as if he should say Who would think you should be so hardned that my very threatnings should not move you HAGGAI HIS PROPHESIE HE upbraids the Jews for that they did not rebuild the Temple and exhorts them to build it and he describes the magnificence of the second Temple He prophesied after the captivity of Babylon under Darius Hystaspes in the year 3444. 735. HAggai 1.8 Bring wood and build the house Isai 66.1 Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my seat and the earth is my footestole what house is that you will build unto me The rebuilding of the Temple was accepted with God for the holy convocation and the worship in it to Gods glory that was with the Priesthood and Leviticall Rites a Type of Christ unto whose coming only it was to endure 736. Haggai 2.3 You that saw this house in its first glory and how do you see it now Is it not in comparison of it as nothing Verse 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former house saith the Lord of Hosts The structure indeed of this house did not answer the Majesty of the first house built by Solomon Yet the spirituall glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former house because the Lord himself came into it and preached in it disputed and wrought great miracles there 737. Haggai 2.4 Do so for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 1.12 O Lord of Hosts how long will it be ere thou have pitty on Jerusalem In the first place the Prophet comforts the people by the hope of promises in Christ promising that God would be present there with his people after the captivity of Babylon In the latter Christ intercedes for his Church which hath sinned against God and was punished by a just judgement of God with a Babylonian captivity for seventy years * 738. Haggai 2.4 with Zach. 1.12 The former place is conditionall I am with you if you do so The latter shews that they were in affliction and so it implies they had broken their condition 739. Haggai 2.6 Yet a little while and I will shake the Heaven and the Earth and the desire of all Nations shall come This Prophesie was fulfilled after five hundred yeares under Augustus Caesar Luk. 2.11 With God a thousand yeares are but as one day or one watch in the night ZECHARIAH HIS PROPHESIE THE sonne of Barachiah He warns the Jewes to repent to build the Temple he makes mention of his Visions and explains them by the effusion of the Spirit of grace and prayer He prophesied after the returne from Babylon in the year of the world 3456. 740. Zech. 1.3 Turn unto me and I will turn unto you Joh. 6.44 No man comes unto me unlesse my Father draw him The first place is legall requiring of us what we ought and not what we can do The latter is Evangelicall for no man comes unto God unless God draw him by his Spirit Jer. 31.18 Therefore we must pray diligently Convert me ô Lord that I may be converted because thou ô Lord are my God 741. Zech. 1.17 Chap. 2.10 The Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet chose Jerusalem Eph. 1.4 God the Father chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world The election of a certain people to be a visible Church in the first place is taken metonymically for by that deed God sheweth that he hath confirmed the election of Jerusalem In the latter God speaks of our election unto eternall life 742. Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Isa 3.1 Behold the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem the whole stay of bread In the first place is contained the promise of God to the faithfull that keep his Covenant in the latter is the pronouncing of judgement against the obstinate Jews God is said to have kept his people as the apple of his eye so long as they were obedient Deut. 32.10 Psal 17.8 But temporall punishments inflicted on the wicked do not infringe the truth of his promise and of divine performance 743. Zech. 3.9 I will remove the iniquity of his land in one day Rev. 13.8 Christ slain from the beginning of the world In one day is the performance of Christs passion who dying for our sins restored us unto life But he was slain from the beginning of the world in Gods determinations by election virtue eficacy and acceptation and in respect of the fruits of it which redounded to the Church under the Old Testament 744. Zech. 6.13 He shall sit and rulâ— upon his throne Isa 9 7. He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome Luk. 1.33 Christ in respect of his divine nature hath his throne from everlasting to everlasting But in respect of his humanity being he is born of the seed of David according to the flesh the Lord God hath given him a throne that he may reign over the house of Jacob for ever 745. Zech. 11.12 They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver Matth. 27.9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet they took thirty pieces of silver the price of him that was valued whom they did value Eusebius saith De Demonstrat l. 10. c. 4. that Jeremiahs name was put for Zechariahs name by the errour of the Scrivener Out of Jeremiah some make the computation where he makes mention of seventeen shekels which make thirty pieces of silver Jer. 32.9 746. Zech. 13.7 Awake ô sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of hosts smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered Joh. 10.10 No man takes away my life from me The Prophet mentioneth God the Father commanding in the name of the whole Trinity whose words outwardly are common to the three Persons and undivided that his shepherd namely Christ should be slain that contradicts not Christs words who willingly laid down his life for us 747. Zech. 13.7 The sheep shall be scattered Joh. 17.12 Those that thou gavâ—st unto me I
from sin to God As Repentance in the former place is taken for a saving repentance In the latter place it is taken for a sorrow or change in the mind not of himself but of his Father 1101. Acts 3.2 And a man lame from his mothers womb they laid daily at the gate of the Temple to ask alms Cha. 4.34 Neither was there any among them that lacked They that carried the lame man to the Beautiful Gate of the Temple were not of the number of those who believed in Christ nor the lame man himself before he was healed 1102. Acts 4.31 And when they had prayed they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Chap. 2.4 In the Feast of Pentecost the Holy Ghost sat upon every one of them before The first place is of the increase of gifts and their boldness and confidence to profess the Gospel that casting away all sorrow they were full of rejoycing and preached the Word of God freely against the threatnings and interdicts of the High Priests * 1103. Acts 4.31 with Acts 4.8 Peter was filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost to preach and answer stoutly according as Christ had promised Nor doth this hinder but that he might receive further Augmentations and repletions of the Spirit afterwards for when it is said He was filled with the Spirit it implies no more than that the Spirit did at present furnish the soul for that work it was about fully and compleatly which hinders not the Spirits furnishing the soul with other gifts and graces for other works There are several works of the Spirit and if so these two places are reconciled the one of fulness for one office the other place of fulness to a new matter and office 1104. Acts 7.2 Men Brethren and Fathers hearken Ver. 52. Betrayers and murderers In the former place he doth civilly use those compellations to the Jews in the latter he shews what the truth is according to the Gospel they were enemies Rom. 11.28 but according to Election they are beloved for the Fathers sake * 1105. Acts 7.3 Get thee out of thy Country Gen. 12.1 Divers Expositors think these words and Gen. 12.1 to be the same and to speak of the same time and thing whereas others suppose them different and they mean two several calls of God to Abraham the one in Chaldea the other in Charran In Chaldea God appears to him and bids him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred but makes no mention of leaving his Fathers house for that he took along with him Gen. 11.31 The Holy Ghost indeed hath ascribed the conduct of this Journey to Terah as if he had received the Call and had been the chief Mover in the business but it is only to shew his conversion and forsaking his native Country and Idolatry and his readiness to go with Abraham when God called Abram but that the Call was to Abram it is not only asserted by Stephen here and Joshuah 24.2 but also confessed by some of the Jews themselves But when God calls him away from Haran or Charran he then bids him depart from his fathers house as well as he had done from his Country and Kindred before for now he left his brother Nahor and all his Fathers house behind him The story in Genesis runs in a continuation and seems to say thus much God in Ur of the Chaldees appeared to Abraham and said unto him get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred but take thy Fathers house with thee and go to a Land which I shall shew thee And when Abram told Terah of this command Terah condescended and consented and Terah took Abram and Lot and Sarai And they Terah and Abram went with them from Ur to Haran and dwelt there and Terah died in Haran and then God said to Abram Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers house also now and go into Canaan c. Ur and Haran are both called Abrahams Country Moses and Stephen laieth them both in Mesopotamia * 1106. Acts 7.6 And intreat them evil four hundred years with Gen. 15.13 Exod. 12.40 There is a double sum of years mentioned concerning the seed of Abraham namely four hundred years and four hundred and thirty The four hundred and thirty was from Abrahams receiving of the Promise to the delivery out of Aegypt and the four hundred was from the fifth year of Isaac to that delivery Then did Ishmael mock and then began affliction to Abrahams seed and from thence they were in affliction and sojourning in a strange land Canaan and Aegypt four hundred years * 1107. Acts 7.14 Threescore and fifteen souls Gen. 46.27 Exod. 1.5 Deut. 10.22 Whereas Moses saith that all the souls of the Family of Jacob that went down into Aegypt were but seventy Steven enlargeth the number and saith seventy five and herein he followeth the Septuagint who in the first cited places have that sum and they make up the account in Gen. 46. by fetching the names of five children of Joseph out of the Book of Chronicles which Moses mentioneth not and which indeed were not born at their going out into Aegypt but after and these were Machir Gilead Shulela Taben and Eden * 1108. Acts 7.16 And were carried into Shechem Gen. 49.29 30 31. The shortness of the language in this place hath bred some difficulty and as Stephens speaking more than Moses in the Verse foregoing was the cause of some obscurity there so is it a cause of more in this verse for that he hath not spoken so much Moses saith Jacob in Hebron Stephen saies in Shechem Moses saies Jacob was the buyer of the land of Emoreh Stephen seemeth to make Abraham the buyer of it And in conclusion to make Jacob and his twelve Sons to lye in one Sepulchre and Abrahams and Jacobs purchase to be but one the same Stephen and Moses speak the same thing only Stephen useth shortness of speech in relating a story which was so well known that a word was enough for a sentence And he spake in a language which had its proprieties and Idioms which those that heard him easily understood in regard that the ordinariness of the matter was such as if Stephen had failed in the least it had been a disgrace Therefore it is past all doubting that Shechem was known and generally reputed the place of the Patriarchs burial Although there be only mention of Moses bringing up the bones of Joseph Exod. 13.19 yet we may learn hence that the bones of all the Patriarchs were brought up with him Now why Stephen speaking of the burials of Jacob and his Sons which were in distance and different places doth yet couch their Story so close together as if they were in the same place 1. Because treating of two numbers so unequal as twelve and one he followeth first the story of the greater number 2. He useth the singular number for the plural Sepulchre