step to Idolatry which of all his Works may justly be stiled his Chief Master-piece It is true the wisest of the Pagans asserted One God and knew that there were not Different Deities but the generality of them thought and believed otherwise and the Philosophers themselves complied with these Vain Worshippers and so confirmed the People in their Error Nothing is more evident than that the greater part of the World heretofore declared for a Multiplicity of Gods The Idea of God like some great Mirror was broken in pieces by the Heathens and in every one of these they saw a Deity or fancied they did so Every Attribute of God was a Distinct God But this was more pardonable they proceeded to worship the Heavenly Bodies and ascrib'd Life and Divinity to them Nay they ransack'd for Gods and Goddesses below as well as above they found them in the Earth and in the Deep as well as in the Heavens The Number of these Deities had reached to thirty thousand in * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod's Time and they were almost as many more afterwards for if Varro's Computation be right there were above that Number of Gods and Goddesses worshipp'd by the Europeans alone Nor would one way of worshipping them serve their turn There were as many various Rites and different Sacrifices as there were Deities the Solemnities which were performed to one would not suffice another Nothing forsooth would please Ceres but a Sow nothing would serve Aesculapius but a Cock and the most acceptable Offering to Neptune was a Bull. The Pagans fancied that one God delighted in this Oblation and another in that and therefore to be sure to please them they had Particular Services and Diversities of Worship for them Egypt was the most fruitful Soil for this it furnish'd the rest of the World with Gods The Grecians who afterwards stock'd the Romans took the Names of their Gods their Temples their Altars their Images and most of their Superstitious Ceremonies from that Country as * In Euterpe Herodotus testifieth And with him agrees †Lib. 22. c. 43. Ammianus Marcâ—llinus who positively tells us that all Idolatry came from Egypt And ‖ Lib. 17. Strabo and others acquaint us that All sorts of Living Creatures were worshipped by the Inhabitants of that place That Sheep and such-like Animals had Divine Respect paid to them is attested by the most Ancient and Undoubted Annals of Holy Scripture for it is said in Gen. 46. 34. that a Shepherd is an Abomination to an Egyptian viz. because the Egyptians did not kill or eat Sheep or such-like Animals but look'd upon them as Sacred Hence Moses saith * Ex. 8. 26. Shall we sacrifice the Abomination of the Egyptians before their Eyes and will they not stone us i. e. If we sacrifice Sheep or Oxen Creatures that they worship and abominably idolize they will be incensed against us They abhorred the Iâ—ws because they were generally Shepherds and fed upon that sort of Animals and used them in Sacâ—ifice And this it is probable was the reason why when Ioseph entertainâ—d his Brethren at Dinner they did eat asunder because it was an Abomination to the Egyptians to eat Bread with thâ— Hebrews Gen. 43. 32. For as Oâ—kelas here adds the Hebrews eat those Animals which the â—gyptians worship And for this Cauâ—e the Israelites lived apart in the Land of Goshâ—n And besides they were not permitted to Sacrifice all the time they were in Egypt as appears from those words of God to Moses Exod. 9. 13. Let the People go that they may serve me i. e. that they may Sacrifice unto me as appears from Ch. 10. 25. which implies that they were not permitted to Sacrifice before and the Reason was because the Egyptians would not let them kill and offer in the Fire those Animals which they had so great a regard for and even Deified So besotted were these Gentile Adorers that not only Irrational but Inanimate Creatures were deified by them You might have seen the Greatest Men to whom others bowed and did lowly obeisance prostrate themselves to Stocks and Stones to Wood and Brass and Iron shaped into Gods and by the Art of Masons Carpenters and Smiths made Deities This was the Idolatry which obtain'd so much in the World this was the Capital Enormity of Mankind this was the Main Guilt which they were polluted with as * Principale crimen generis humani summus 〈◊〉 reasons De Idololar cap. 1. Tertullian call'd it Our Learned Dr. Hammond thinks this is meant by the Apostle in Rom. 8. 20. The Creature was made subject to Vanity for he takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Gentile World and Vanity for Idolatry as this is called very frequently in the Old Testament The Heathen World was every where enslaved subjected to this Vile Sin though not willingly i. e. as this Author expounds it the Devil forced them to it otherwise he would not be appeased But this gross Folly and Madness was soon disgraced and discountenanced by the introducing of Christianity and even in Egypt the Mother and Nurse of all Idolatry where Garlicks and Onions no very fragrant Deities had Veneration paid them and Cats and Crocodiles were good fashionable Gods where they worship'd all things in Nature where every thing living or dead was a Deity even here this Prodigious Idolatry was destroy'd by Christ's Coming for upon on St. Mark 's preaching there and at Alexandria especially Images were soon demolished the Counterfeit Gods were thrown away and the only True God Father Son and Holy Ghost were worshipp'd with an unanimous Veneration At Rome it self and even in Nero's Palace and in all the Territories belonging to the Roman Emperours there were some to be found who discover'd their hatred and detestation of Idols and adored the True God in Spirit and in Truth But the Pagan Worship had got such deep rooting in the Hearts of Men and had by long Custom and Prescription so gained their good Will and Approbation that almost four Centuries of Years had passed after Christ's Incarnation before it could be universally extirpated and the True Worship of God become the Religion of the Roman Empire Constantine the Great made the first remarkable and generous Essay towards this Glorious Work in his Reign it was that Idolatry received its greatest mortification and he was succeeded by many Worthies that imitated him Let all the Images be pluck'd up from their Seats was * In Cod. Theodos. l. 16. Tit. 11. Honorius's Constitution and by the Edict of Theodosius and Valentinian the Idol Temples were all demolished and Idolatry every where in their Dominions destroyed and all False Gods discarded Thus the Blessed Work went on with great Life and Vigour being set forward by Royal Hands and those Hands being strengthned by the Son of God Therefore the Pious Father said well * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lib. de Incarnat Verbi Dei When the
Hebrew Scholiast upon it and some of the old Rabbins acknowledge and as the Application of some passages in this Psalm to Christ in the Writings of the New Testament plainly sheweth This Name Shiloh is as it were commented upon For you find him here first represented as a Saviour He shall â—ave the Children of the needy v. 4. He shall deliver the needy when he crieth the poor also and him that hath no helper He shall spare the Poor and Needy and shall save the Souls of the Needy v. 12 13. Nothing could be more expressive than this of the Salvation wrought by Christ Iesus for poor distressed helpless Sinners Secondly He is described as a Peace-maker The Mountains those places which used to be haunted with Robbers and wild Beasts shall bring Peace to the People v. 3. This Blessing shall be conferred on those places where it was wholly a Stranger before and therefore shall be the more welcome And in v. 7. you read of abundance of Peace in his days and the Duration of it is answerable to its Plenty for it â—hall last till there be no Moon as the Hebrew hath it till the Heavens and Earth and the whole Fabrick of the World be dissolved In the third place to compleat his Character it is added that he shall be Prosperous and Happy He shall break in pieces the Oppressor v. 4. He shall be a great Victor and Triumph over all his Enemies especially over Satan the Great and Unsufferable Oppressor of Mankind This is also signified in that Metaphorical Language v. 6. He shall come down like rain upon the mowen Grass as showers that water the Earth i. e. in plainer terms The Subjects of his Kingdom shall grow and increase thrive and flourish Therefore it follows immediately In his days shall the Righteous flourish v. 7. And then in several Verses together you have the Prosperity and Happiness of his Kingdom decyphered He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea They that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow before him and his Enemies shall lick the Dust. All Kings shall fall down before him All Nations shall serve him And he shall live i. e. according to the ‖ 2 Sam. 16. 16. 1 Kings 1. 31. Eastern stile he shall prosper and Men shall be blessed in him All Nations shall call him blessed Likewise in that other noted and famous Prediction concerning Christ in the 53 Chapter of Isaiah all these three significations of the word Shiloh meet together The Prophet recounting the admirable Benefits and Advantages of our Saviours Passion for that it is spoken of Him is evident from Matt. 8. 17. and Acts 8. 32 35. tells us That he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows v. 4. i. e. He underwent the Punishment which we should have suffered which is farther expressed in the next Verse He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities Whereas we should have been wounded and bruised punished and tormented for our Sins He was pleased out of infinite Kindness to take the Recompense of our Sins upon himself and to bear them on the Cross and thereby to free us not only from the Guilt of Sin but from all the Miseries which were consequent upon it What is this but to be a Saviour Wherefore it is added With his stripes we are healed v. 5. By the Sufferings of Christ ‖ Sanati sumus Vulg. Lat. we are made whole and saved Thus he was a Saviour But the same Inspired Prophet acquaints us in the same Verse that he was a Peace-maker the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him i. e. by his Meritorious Sufferings our Peace with God was purchased our Reconciliation with the incensed Majesty of Heaven was procured Yea it is not unworthy of our notice that the Hebrew word which we render Peace is in the plural Number to intimate to uâ— that whatever Pleas and Accusations are against us they are all though never so many silenced by Christ our Advocate our Mediator our Reconciler our Peace-maker Farther the Peaceable Nature of Christ is set forth in those words As a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth v. 7. He bore all Hardships Reproaches Injuries yea and the Cross it self with a humble Silence and Submission ‖ Isa. 42. 2. He did not cry nor lift up nor cause his Voice to be heard in the Street This is the Character of the Mild the Gentle the Peaceable Iesus In the next place he is represented as Prosperous When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin he shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand v. 10. That is his whole Design and Undertaking for the Salvation and Redemption of Mankind for this is the Pleasure of the Lord shall be Successful There shall be a Happy Effect and Issue of all that he hath done and suffered he shall see and rejoyce in his Seed that numerous Race of Holy Converts of Believers and Regenerate Persons who are added to the Church He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and shall be satisfied v. 11. He shall delight himself in the Blessed Effect of his Labours he shall acquiesce in the Fruit of his Sufferings viz. The Salvation of his Chosen Therefore will I divide him a Portion with the great c. v. 12. Which is a Comparison taken from the Practice of Great Conquerâ—rs who after the Victory is over share in the Rich Spoil So that this expresseth the Compleat Victory and Triumph of Christ over all his Enemies Thus he is every ways the True Shiloh for Salvation Peace and Prosperity which are all contained in that Appellation belong to him Whence we may gather that this One Title comprehends in it All the Glorious Names that are given to Christ either in the Old or New Testament together with all his 〈…〉 and all the Admirable Effects 〈…〉 his Passion These all center in this One Name which the Holy Ghost hath made choice of on purpose as the most Comprehensive Word to express the Glorious Nature and Properties of the Messias Yea I doubt not but the Holy Patriarch Iacob had this Name revealed unto him from Heaven and being immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost he divulged it to the World You see then that I had great reason to prefer this Derivation of the word Shiloh viz. from Shalah before any others and to commend it as the True and Native Signification And because the Extent and Latitude of this word have not been observed by Expositors there was a necessity of my insisting and enlarging upon it that I might thereby display the full Import of the word designed here by the Holy Spirit and that it might plainly appear that this Name which God hath given his Son is a Name above every Name But after all that I have said concerning this so remarkable Eâ—ymology and Denotation of the word
or Distracted at certain times and that as it is usual with such Persons they were worse when the Moon increas'd Therefore the Arabick Version of the forenamed Place in St. Matthew is very remarkable He hath a Devil and he is exceedingly vexed in the beginnings of the Full Moon as much as to say the Devil and the Disease met together and the former was the Author of the latter Or we may say the Impure Spirits chose to enter into those crazy and Diseased Bodies when they were most disposed to Illness by the powerful Influence of the Moon This is no Argument that they were not really possessed with the Devil but it is a plain Proof of the contrary and of something else viz. that Satan doubled his Malice vexing and tormenting them at a time when they were least able to bear it As for the Reasons why such vast Numbers of Men were thus visited when our Saviour was on Earth these may justly be assigned it was an Age much given to Magick and Inchantments and the calling up of Spirits was a frequent thing in those Days Besides Divine Providence might so order it at that very juncture of Time for an Occasion of the more Glorious Cures It might happen by the Particular Disposal of the Almighty that thereby it might appear to the World that Christ had Power over the Devils and could when he pleased dislodg those Mischievous Spirits and rescue Mankind from their Tortures The Reality and Greatness of his Soveraignty over those Infernal Powers were to be demonstrated by those Atchievments Moreover it may rationally be thought that the Devils would be most busy then when Christ came into the World and would be more interessed to disturb and torment Mankind because they saw their Kingdom was going down and Christianity was to be exalted in the World Now therefore it was time for the Messias to exert his Miraculous Power and behold as an effect of it the Devils submitted to him and at his Command presently quitted the Bodies which they had taken possession of One Person among the rest was a famous Instance of this sort out of whom a Legion of Devils was ejected by Christ's Holy Exorcism With one Word he vanquish'd whole Regiments of the Kingdom of Darkness he routed Armies of Infernal Daemons I remit you to the Evangelical Records where you have abundant proof of the casting out of these Hellish Spirits not only by our Saviour himself but by his Disciples who as you read came to him with these words in their Mouths * Luk. 10. 17. Lord the Devils are subject to us this being an Effect of that Mighty Power which Christ had invested his Followers with Luke 9. 1. And therefore †Contr. Cels. l. 3. Origen rationally infers that Christ's Power was â—ivine because at his Name the Devils left the Bodies of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this was a thing not unusual in those very Days in which this Father lived as well as before We are ascertain'd that the ordinary Christians merely by their Prayers and Invocations ejected those Spirits and made them confess what they were That they had this Power in Iustin Martyr's Days who flourish'd in the middle of the Second Century appears in his known Dialogue with Trypho where he expresly saith The Devils tremble at the Name of Christ and being adjured by that sacred Name they become subject to us That they did the same in Irenaeus's Time which was some few Years after is cleer â—rom his * Lib. 2. cap. 58. Writings And the same Miraculous Gift continued till Tertullian at the end of the second Century as is evident both from his Apology and his Book to Scapula And St. * De vanit Idolorum Cyâ—rian testifies the like of his Time about the middle of the 3d Century So Minutius Felix and Lactantius relate how the Christians controuled the Evil Spirits and tell us that not only their Words and Commands but their bare Presence shut the Mouths of the Possessed and made the miserable Ghosts quake and tremble Yea Gregory Nazianzen in the next Age gives this Testimony †Orat. Apologeâ— The very Devils at this time tremble when Christ is call'd upon neither is the Power and Virtue of that Name diminish'd and impaired by our Sins And if I designed to expatiate I could derive it lower and also shew you that these and other Christian Writers commonly appeal to the Pagans concerning the Truth of these things and alledg this Ejection of Devils as a great and undeniable Proof of the Authority of the Christian Religion as certainly it was But I add no more having said enough for my purpose which was to make it appear that among other Works of the Devil Christ destroyed This in particular Fouâ—thly Is there not reason to think that St. Iohn refers here to what Christ did when by his Coming he rooted out Magick and Sorcery Dealing with the Devil either by Practising Witchcraft or Consulting with those that did and the like Works of the Black Art which the Cursed Spirit taught the World These were the Devil 's Opera which he shewed of old and got so much by whereby he pleas'd and gratified and at the same time bubled the easily deluded People Not to attend to the perverse Folly of those mere Matter-Men who disown Spirits and consequently deny a God as well as Devils for they will rather profess Atheism than acknowledg any such Rank of Beings Not to gratify these Gross Atheists so far as to take notice in this place of what they are wont to say in Defence of their Mad Opinion I shall take it for granted that Magical Operations properly so call'd are the Works of the Devil and that he was the first Founder of them designing and endeavouring thereby to bring Men under his Dominion and so far as he can effect it in the Minds of Men to exclude God and his Providence out of the World This questionless was his Design and was never doubted by the Ancient Christians as appears not only from * Magi non tantum sciunt daemoâ—es sed etiam quicquid miraculi edunt per daemones faciunt illis aspirantibus infundentibus praestigias edunt c. Adv. Gentes Arnobius but several other Primitive Writers though some of late so extraordinarily civil to him that they will not impute the Practice of Magick to his Assistance Good Men they are afraid to slander the Devil But from the History of several Ages we are certainly informed that there was nothing more usual thâ—n to make a Compact with Satan which the Mâ—gicians and Wizâ—rds effected with maâ—y direful Câ—remonies And when there was not a Foâ—mâ—l League with the Devil yet there was a Communication with him because the Persons gave themselves into his Hands by their immoderate Curiosity by their affecting to know more than was fitting or by an impatient coveting after Wealth and Riches or by a