ANd it was when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were borne unto them That the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke unto them wives of all which they chose And Iehovah said My spirit shall not strive with man for ever for that he also is flesh and his dayes shall be an hundred and twentie yeeres There were Giants in the earth in those dayes and also after that when the sonnes of God went-in unto the daughters of men and they bare children to them they were mighty men which were of old men of name And Iehovah saw that the wickednesse of man was much in the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evill every day And it repented Iehovah that he had made man on the earth it grieved him at his heart And Iehovah said I will blot-out man whom I have created from the face of the earth from man unto beast unto the creeping-thing and unto the fowle of the heavens for it repenteth me that I have made them But Noe found grace in the eyes of Iehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THESE are THE GENERATIONS OF NOE Noe was a just man perfect in his generations Noe walked with God And Noe begat three sonnes Sem Cham and Iapheth And the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violent-wrong And God saw the earth and loe it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth And God said unto Noe An end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violent wrong from the face of them and behold I destroy them with the earth Make for thee an Arke of Gopher trees nests shalt thou make in the Arke and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch And this the fashion which thou shalt make it of three hundred cubits the length of the Arke fifty cubits the bredth of it and thirty cubits the height of it A cleare-light shalt thou make to the Arke and in a cubit shalt thou finish it from above and the doore of the Arke shalt thou set in the side thereof with lower second and third stories shalt thou make it And I behold I doe bring the Flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh which hath in it the spirit of life from under the heavens every-thing that is in the earth shall give-up the ghost But I will stablish my covenant with thee and thou shalt enter into the Arke thou and thy sonnes and thy wife and thy sonnes wives with thee And of every living thing of all flesh two of every sort shalt thou bring into the Arke to keep alive with thee they shall be male and female Of the fowle after his kinde and of the beast after his kinde of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind two of every sort shall come unto thee to keepe them alive And take thou unto thee of all meat that is eaten and thou shalt gather it to thee and it shall bee for thee and for them for meat And Noe did according to all that God commanded him so did he Annotations MEn Hebr. Adam put generally for men as the Greeke translateth and the last words of this verse doe confirme so the Chaldee saith the sonnes of man The posterity of Kain is hereby meant who increased faster then Seths did and sought so to doe by taking moe wives Gen. 4. 19. Vers. 2. the sons of God the men of the Church of God for unto such Moses saith ye are the sonnes of Iehovah your God Deut. 14. 1. so 1 Ioh. 3. 1. The name God in Hebrew Aelohim is in the forme plurall and sometime Princes are so named Exod. 21. 6. Psal. 82. so the Chaldee here translateth the sonnes of Princes understanding as I thinke Seth and the other Patriarchs daughters of men meaning of Kains posterity that were out of Gods Church Gen. 4. 14. and because they were not borne againe of God by the immortall seed of his word 1 Ioh. 3. 9. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 23. they continued children of the old Adam and naturall man still So Paul saith 1 Cor. 3. 3. walke ye not as men that is as unregenerate men fayre or goodly Hebr. good to weet of countenance as is expressed Gen. 24. 16. the Chaldee translateth it fayre tooke unto them that is tooke to themselves and regarded not the counsell of their godly parents who should by right take wives for their children nor the will of God whose law after forbad such prophane mariages Deut. 7. 3. 4. The like is noted of Esau Gen. 26. 34. 35. and 28. 8. 9. Thus corruption grew in families which they chose that is which they loved and liked following their owne affections So my chosen Esay 42. 1. is interpreted my beloved Mat. 12. 18. and choosing is often used for liking or delighting Ps. 25. 12. and 119. 173. Esay 1. 2. and so the Chaldee translateth it here Into this sinne Solomon also sâ—ll 〈◊〉 King 11. 1. 2. Vers. 3. my spirit This is that holy spirit of Christ by which he preached in the Patriarches and especially in Noe to the disobedient spirits of the olde world 1 Pet. 3. 18. 19. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. not strive or not judge that is not contend in judgement for so this word is elsewhere also used Eccles. 6. 10. and may here import both contending by preaching disputing convincing in the mouthes of the Patriarches as Nehem. 9. 30. and by inward motions and checks of conscience which his spirit gave them for their sinnes against which they that struggle fall into the sinne against the holy Ghost despiting the spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29. So the Spirit of God is sayd to be tempted resisted grieved Acts 5. 9. and 7. 51. Esay 63. 10. Ephes. 4. 30. with man or in man implying both the contending of the Prophets outward and of Gods spirit inwardly as before is observed Here the Church declined is called man or Adam to note their corrupt estate The Greek traÌ„slateth it my Spirit shall not continue in these men The Chaldee paraphraseth This evill generation shall not continue before me for ever understanding as it seemeth by the Spirit mans naturall soule and life which God would take away by the Flood he also that is these also which are my peculiar professant people is flesh that is is fleshly not having the spirit but walking after their owne lusts as Iude vers 19. 16. The flesh and the Spirit are also thus opposed Rom. 7. 5. 6. and 8. 8. 9. Gal. 5. 16. 17. So the Chaldee here saith For that they are flesh and their workes evill And this is the state of all men in their first birth for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3. 6. 120. yeares meaning that so long time by Noes preaching and building the Arke they should have space given them
journey into the wildernesse and sacrifice to Iehovah our God as he shall say unto us And Pharaoh said I will send you away that yee may sacrifice to Iehovah your God in the wilderdernesse onely in going you shall not remove very farre away intreat yee for mee And Moses said Behold I goe out from thee and will intreat Iehovah that the mixed swarme may depart from Pharaoh from his servants and from his people to morrow onely let not Pharaoh any more deceive in not sending away the people to sacrifice unto Iehovah And Moses went out from Pharaoh and intreated Iehovah And Iehovah did according to the word of Moses and hee removed the mixed swarme from Pharaoh from his servants and from his people there remained not one And Pharaoh made his heart heavy at this time also and sent not away the people Annotations ABundantly bring This word is used in the creation Gen. 1. 20. that which then was a blessing is here turned to a curse And this second plague even as the former God raiseth from the waters the next is from the earth verse 16. this is threatned before it was inflicted the next is not so house The Greeke Interpreters understood one for many translating houses chambers c. which the Hebrew also may imply see Gen. 3. 2. and upon or and into the houses of thy people in this sense the Greeke translateth it â—roughes of dough or as the Greeke expounds it lumpes of dough which the word seemeth properly to meane in Exodus 12. 34. This was one of the particulars in which God threatneth the transgressours of his law to curse them Deut. 28. 17. Vers. 4. upon thee or against thee This signifieth the greatnesse of this plague invading not onely their houses beds pantries c. but the Egyptians themselves whom neither doores gates walles nor weapons could defend from those silly creatures By expressing these persons the exempting of Israel seemeth to be implyed as after in plaine 〈◊〉 verse 22. And in Psal. 78. 12. 43. these wonders are said to be done in Tsoan or Tâ—nis a region in Egypt which was distinct from Goshen where Israel dwelt Vers. 6. the frog put generally for frogs with multitudes whereof God plagued he Egyptians and as it is said in Psal 78. 45. corrupted or destroyed them Frogs are loathsome and troublesome creatures and by Gods law uncleane and abominable Levit. 11. 12. 23. and by frogs else-where the Holy Ghost signifieth the uncleane spirits of devills which comming out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and False Prophet as here they came out of streames rivers and Ponds goe to the kings of the earth as these did into kings chambers Psal. 〈◊〉 30. to gather them to the battle of the grean day of God almighty Rev. 16. 13. 14. Plime in his â—at Historie booke 8. c. 29. speaking of notable documents of destruction by contemptible creatures mentioneth a citie in France that was of old driven away by frogs V. 7. did so or did likewise see Exod. 7 11. 22. V. 8. that he may take away or and let him remove by this Pharaoh acknowledgeth both the grievousnesse of this plague for he requested not the like for the first of the blood Exod. 7. 23. and that his Magicians could adde unto his plagues but were not able to deliver him from any Wherfore he is now forced to seeke helpe of that God whom before he would not know Exod. 5. 2. And when the Philistines land was plagued with mice as Egypt was now with frogges they by counsell of their soothsayers sent a sin-offring to the God of Israel that they might be healed and shunned hardnesse of hart taking warning by this Pharaoh and the Egyptians 1 Sam. 6. 2. 3. 6. V. 9. Glorie over me in appointing me the time when I shall intreat for thee so the Greeke translateth it Appoint unto mee when I shall pray and the Chaldee paraphraseth Aske for thee a powerfull worke and give thou the time c. The Hebr. properly signifieth to glorie over or to vaunt ones selfe against another as Iudg. 7. 2. Esay 10. 15. In this speech Moses shewed both great faith in God and humilitie towards the king cut off that is destroy or kill vers 13. onely or as the Greeke translateth but in the river So Moses limiteth the measure of the release the time he leaveth to Pharaohs choise who by seeing the remainders of both plagues that frogs were in the river where fish had been before Exod. 7. 21. might be the more moved to keepe his promise in letting Israel go Therefore this deliverance is called but a breathing v. 15. V. 12. because of or concerning the word or busines as the Chaldee translateth it of the frogs which the Gr. interpreteth for the limited ending of the frogs as he had appointed to Pharaoh he had put that is God had laid as a plague or w ch Moses had put unto Pharaoh for choise of the time v. 9. The Gr. favoreth this latter sense so do the words following V. 14. upon heaps or many heaps Hebr. heapes heaps of which phrase see Gen. 14. 10. stanke with dead frogs as the river did before with dead fish Exod. 7. 21. The Chaldee translateth they stank upon the land Hereby God recompensed the Egyptians sin in whose eies the savour of Israel did stink before Exod. 5. 21. and there remained as yet a memoriall of their plague the stinke wherof came up into their nostrils and the ill favour of such uncleane spirits as were figured by these frogs Rev. 16. 13. 14. is signified The like is prophesied concerning the Locusts in Ioel. 2. 20. and the armie of Gog Ezck. 39. 11. and all other enemies of the Church Esay 34. 3. V. 15. a breathing or respiration in Gr. a refreshing that 〈◊〉 some inlargement respit from the plague whe 〈…〉 with he was before so straitly afflicted The like word is used in Esth. 4. 14. heavy unfit to understand oâ—â—y 〈◊〉 to the word of God see Exodus 7. 14. Thus neither the laying on of the plague nor taking it off could worke any good in Pharao 〈…〉 let favour bee shewed to the wicked yet will hee not leaâ—â—e righteousnesse Esay 26. 10. V. 16. thy rod the Gr. addeth with thy hand w ch the Heb. also expresseth in v. 17. And so in Exod. 10. 21. where Moses is bidden stretch out his hand seemeth to be meant his rod withall Of this third plague God gave Pharaoh no warning aforehand as he did of the other two but hastened his punishment as his sins increased bringeth this plague from the earth which was neerer unto them than the waters So of the fourth and fifth plagues God gave theÌ„ warning beforehand but not of the sixt Exod. 9. 8. againe of the seveÌ„th eighth plagues he warned them but not of the ninth Exo. 10. 21. at the tenth plague the Israelites are sent away Exod. 12. Moreover these three
chaines Afterwards they put the ends of the â—â—eathings of the Brestplate into the rings that were above on the shoulders of the Ephod Then they pâ—t the two laces of blew which were on the edges of the Brestplate into the two rings which were above the curious girdle of the Ephod And they let downe the 〈◊〉 which were in the rings on the shoulders of the Ephod unto the rings of the Brestplate which were uppermost that the one might cleave fast unto the other and so the Brestplate might not bee loosed from the Ephod M 〈…〉 ony treat of the Implements of the Sanctuary 〈◊〉 9. s. 9. 10. Ver. 29. upon his heart The Greeke translateth upon his brest so in Revel 15. 6. the brests girded meaneth the hearts As before presenting them â—nto God he bare them on his shoulders on two 〈◊〉 of equall worth and glorie so now to signifie Gods favour in Christ towards the Church they are borne upon his heart graven on sundry stones which signified the manifold and sundry graces of the Spirit wherewith the Saints are glorified here every one in their measure proceeding all from the love of Christ. Wherefore the Church desiring confirmation in his grace love prayeth Set me as a â—ignet upon thy heart Song 8. 6. memoriall which the graving did signifie as in Esay 49. 15. 16. I will not forget thee behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands c. Ver. 30. the Urim and the Thummim which is by interpretation the Lights and the Perfections but what these were is not easie to say The Gr. translateth them the Manifestation and the Truth There is no commandement given unto Moses for to make them neither is there any mention of them in Exod. 39. where the making of all Aarons ornaments is related but in Levit. 8. 8. it is said of Moses he put in the Brestplate the Vrim and the Thummim From which some of the Hebrews as R. Menachem on Exod. 28. doe gather that they were not the worke of the artificer neither had the artificers nor the Church of Israel in them any worke or any voluntary offring but they were a mysterie delivered to Moses from the mouth of God or they were the worke of God himselfe For Moses tooke the Urim and the Thummim and put them in the Brest-plate after that he had put upon Aaron the Ephod and the Brestplate Levit. 8. 7. 8. Some doe thinke that as those words Holinesse to Iehovah in verse 36. were graven on a plate and put on Aarons fore-head so these words Vrim and Thummim were likewise graven on a golden plate and put in the Brestplate which was double verse 16. for something to be put therein Others thinke they were no other then the precious stones fore-spoken of The use of these Vrim and Thummim was to enquire of God and to receive an answer of his will by them as is said of Eleazar the priest he shall aske counsell for Ioshua after the judgement of Vrim before the LORD Numb 27. 21. The manner of asking counsell is recorded by the Hebrews to be thus When they inquired the priest stood with his face before the Arke and hee that inquired stood behind him with his face to the backe of the priest and the inquirer said Shall I goe up or Shall I not And hee asked not with an high voice nor with the thought of his heart onely but with a sub 〈…〉 〈◊〉 as one that prayeth by himselfe And forthwith the holy Ghost came upon the Priest and hee beheld the Brestplate and saw the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of prophesie Goe up or goe not up in the letters that shewed 〈◊〉 themselves upon the Brestplate before his face Then the Priest answered him and said Goe up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not up And they made no inquiry of two things at once and if they so inquired yet the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 but unto the first onely And they enquired not hereâ—y for a common man but either for the King or for him on whom the affaires of the Congregation â—ay Maimony treat of the Implements of the Sanctuary Chap. 10. Sect. 11. 12. Of this see examples which may give light hereunto in Num. 27. 18. 21. Iudg. 1. 1. and 20. 18. 28. 1 Sam. 13. 9. 10. 11. 12. and 28. 6. These Vrim and Thummim were lost at the Captivity of Babylon and wanted at the peoples returnâ— Ezr. 2 63. Nehemiah 6. 65. neither doe we find that ever God answered by them any more The Bab. Thalmud 〈◊〉 â—oma Chap. 1. sol 21. speaking of Hag. 〈◊〉 8. where the Hebrew word Ecchabda I will be glorified wanteth the letter H which in numbring signifieth five saith The want of H sheweth the want of five things in the second Temple which had beene in the first namely 1 The Arke with the Mercy-seat and Cherubims 2 The fire from heaven 3 The Majesty or Divine presence 4 The holy Ghost 5 and the Vrins and Thummin By the Majesty Shecinah they seeme to meane the Oracle in the most holy place where God had dwelt betweene the Cherubims Psal. 80. 2. Num. 7. 89. And by the holy Ghost they meane the spirit of prophesie not onely in the Priests but in the Prophets as the Commentary on that place of the Thalmud saith The holy Ghost was not in the Prophets from the second yeere of Darius c. that is after Haggai Zachary and Malachie which were the last Prophets and in that Kings time Haggai 1. 1. Zach. 1. 1 So elsewhere in the Thalmud in Sanhedrin Chap. 1. they teach from their ancient Doctors that after the later Prophets Haggai Zachary and Malachi were dead the holy Ghost went up or departed from Israel howbeit they had the use of a voice or Eccho from heaven R. Menachem on Ex. 28. saith of this Oracle by Vrim Thummim that it was one of the degrees of the holy Ghost that is of the gifts of the holy Ghost inferiour unto Prophesie and superiour to the voice or Eccho Like wise R. Moses Gerundens on Exod. sol 146. affirmeth that betweene the Voice and the Prophesie were Urim and Thummin Of this Voice or Eccho there is no mention in the Scriptures of the Prophets but the Hebrew-Doctors which say that it was in Israel after the Prophets ceased doe often write of it and call it Bathkol that is the daughter of a voice as it were one voice proceeding out of another such as we call an Eccho and which some thinke was with distinct and plaine words Of old they had in Israel Oracies or answers from God three manner of wayes by Dreames or by Urim that is the Priest with Vrim and Thummim Num. 27. 21. or by Prophets 1 Sam. 28. 6. 7. When the Lord would by none of these answer King Saul then he rought to a Witch The footsteps of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the ancient Heathens as Homeâ— in 〈◊〉 bringeth in Achilâ—es advising the Greekes in the time of a
sore pestilence to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereof from God by some Prophet or a Priest or a Dreamer of dreames And as the High 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 was adorned in his 〈◊〉 with Vrim and Thummim translated in Greek Manifestation and Truth so among the Egyptians their high Priest is reported to have an ornament about his necke of a Saphire stone and the ornament was called Aletheia that is Truth as Aeliamâ— writeth in his Greeke History booke 14. After the losse of Vrim and Thummim and Prophets in Israel the godly Iewes held them to the Law of Moses as they were commanded by the last Prophet Mal. 4. 4. And hereunto Iesus sonne of Syrach in Ecclus. 33. 3. seemeth to have reference saying The Law is faithfull to him that understandeth as the asking of Dela that is as the Oracle of Vrim and Thummim for Vrim is translated into Greeke Dela 1 Sam. 28. 6. R. Moses bar Maimon saith They made in the second Temple Vrim and Thummim whereby he meaneth the Brestplate with the precious stones to the end they might make up all the High priests eight ornaments without which he might not administer although they did not enquire of God by them And wherefore did they not enquire by them Because the holy Ghost was not there And every Priest that speaketh not by the holy Ghost and on whom the Divine-majestie resteth not they inquire not by him Maimony treat of the Implements of the Sanctuary Chap. 10. Sect. 10. According to this phrase are those speeches to be understood in Ioh. 7. 39. The holy Ghost was not yet because Iesus 〈◊〉 not yet glorified and in Acts 19. 2. Wee have not so much as heard whether there be an holy Ghost Wherby is meant the gifts of the Spirit in Prophesie Tongues c. as there followeth in vers 6. T 〈…〉 holy Ghost came on them and they spake with Tongues and prophesied which gifts being before ceased were restored by the Gospell an evident proofe that the Christ was come Ioel 2. 28. 32. Acts 2. 4. 17. 18. And in Christ this mystery of Vrim and Thummim was fulfilled for in the heart of him our great High-priest were the gifts of the holy Ghost without measure 3. 34. unto all Light and Manifestation of the Truth with all perfection and integrity Iohn 1. 4. 9 17. and 3. 12. 13. and 18. 37. Coloss. 2. 3. whereby the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ is come unto us by whom the Spirit of Truth is sent into us to dwell with us and to abide with us for ever Iohn 14. 16. 17. who also hath given us to put on the Brestplate of Faith and Love 1. Thessalon 5. 8. Vers. 31. the Robe in Hebrew Megnil in Greek Hupodutes that is an Vnderclothing it was a long garment worne next under the Ephod The Hebrewes say Vpon the Robe was the Ephod and the Brestplate and he girded with the curious girdle of the Ephod upon the Robe under the Brestplate and therfore it is called the Robe of the Ephod because he girdâ—â— it with the Ephod Maimony in Implements of the Sanctuary Chap. 10. Sect. 3. See also Exodus 29. 5. and Levit. 8. 7. of the Ephod the Greeke here translateth it Poderee that is of the garment-downeto the foot So in Revel 1. 13. Christ appeareth 〈…〉 ed with a garment downe to the foot in the Gr. there Poderee to shew himselfe as High Priest for the Church Vers. 32. an hole called in Hebrew a mouth top Hebr. head a binding or welt called in Hebrew a lip woven worke Hebrew the work of the weaver Iosephus in his 3. booke of Antiquities Chap. 8. saith This coat was not of two peeces but woven in one without seames on shoulders or sides Maimony in treat of the Implements of the Sanctuary chap. 9. Sect. 3. saith The Robe was all of blew and the threds thereof were twelve times double and the hole thereof was woven at the beginning of the weaving And it had no sleeves but was divided into two skirts from the end of the necke unto beneath after the manner of all Robes and was not joyned together but about all the neck only The Gospell noteth of Christ how in the dayes of his flesh he wore a coat without seame woven from the top throughout Iohn 19. 23. Though that were not a priestly garment yet was it mysticall Vers. 33. Pomgranats that is similitudes of them so the Greeke translateth as it were Pomgranats of the flourishing pomegranat tree scarlet every sort of these three saith Maimony being twisted of eight threds as it is written upon the skirts of it twisted Exodies 39. 24. So the threds of these skirts were in all foure and twenty And hee made them like pomgranats which open not their mouth and hung them on the Robe Maimony treat of the Implements of the Sanct. Chap. 9. Sect. 4. Wheresoever this word TVVISTED is used alone as it is in Exod. 39. 24. it must be eight double threds Ibid. Chap 8. Sect. 14. The Greek version both here and in Exod. 39. 24. addeth the fourth stuffe and of fine linnen twined but the Hebrew wanteth this as also the Chaldee bells in number threescore and twelve as Maimony sheweth in the soresaid treatise chap. 9. Sect. 4. and they were hanged 36 on the one skirt and 36 on the other And in these 72 bells were 72 clappers all of gold and the bell together with the clapper in it is that which is called in Hebrew Pagnamon a Bell saith Maimony ibidem Vers. 35. to minister in the same or when hee ministreth sound or voice that is the sound of his bells Whereby was signified the voice of Christ which is heard of God in his prayer and mediation and heard of the people in his teaching and instruction Heb. 5. 7. and 7. 25. Deuter. 33. 10. Esay 58. 1. Mat. 12. 18. Therefore these Bels were of gold to signifie the purity and preciousnesse of the words of Christs accompanied with Pomgranats to signifie the fruits and comfortable effects of Christs both mediation and doctrine For Pomgranats were of the fruits of the holy Land Deut. 8. 8. and they with the wine that is in them signified the fruits and graces of the Saints Song 4. 〈◊〉 13. and 8. 2. Therefore many such were also in Solomons Temple 2 Chron. 3. 16. and 4. 13. And the care that this Robe should not be rent verse 32. signified the unity of the doctrine and faith of Christ which should bee among his people without rents or schismes 1 Cor. 1. 10 13. 1 Tim. 1. 3. goeth in c. that is publikely administreth as this phrase signifieth Numb 27. 17. 1 Chron. 27. 1. Acts 1. 21. that he dye not or and he shall not dye Vers. 36. Plate the Hebrew Tsits properly signifieth a floure the Greeke Petalon a leafe because it appeared faire and glorious after it is called the plate of the holy crowne
14 c. of sabbathisme that is of rest see Exod. 16. 23. and 31. 15. any worke to wit of his owne workes wayes or words Ex. 20. 9. Esay 58. 13. to except the workes commanded of God as circumcision offring of sacrifice and the like Ioh. 7 22. 23. Matth. 12. 5. and works of necessity and of mercy towards man or beast Matth 12. 7. 11. 12. See the annotations on Exodus 20. 8. c. Vers. 3. kindle no fire either for to doe worke with or to dresse meat for that was unlawfull on the Sabbath though lawfull on other feast dayes Exod. 12. 16. or for to punish malefactors as the Hebrew Doctors say Punishments may not be inflicted on the Sabbath though it bee commanded to punish malefactors yet may it not bee done on the Sabbath As when one is condemned by the Iudges to stripes or unto death he may not bee beaten or put to death on the Sabbath for it is written Yee shall kindle no fire c. this is a warning to the Iudges that they burne not on the Sabbath him that is condemned to bee burnt and the like is for other punishments Maimony treat of the Sabbath Chap. 24. Sect. 7. The like order they take against Iudging of causes of the Sabbath Ibidem Chap. 23. Sect. 14. Vers. 5. an offring or an heave offring in Greek and Chaldee a separation a gift separated unto God from their other goods See the notes on Exod. 25. 2 Vers. 6. blew in Greeke hyacinth see Ex. 25. 4. Vers. 7. Shittim in Greeke incorruptible wood see Exod. 25. 5. Vers. 8. oile of the olive see Exod. 27. 20. anointing or oile of unction whereof see Eoxd 30. 23. c. incense of sweet spices in Greeke composition of incense see Exod. 30. 54. c. Vers. 9. filling to be set in golden ouches Hebr. stones of fillings see Exod. 25. 7. and 28. 17. 20. Vers. 11. Tabernacle or Habitacle whereof see Exod. 26. barres or barre meaning all and euerie one See the notes on Exod. 32. 19. So in Exodus 39. 33. Vers. 12. Arke or Coffer wherein the Tables of the Law were put see Exod. 25. 10. In Greeke the Arke of the testimony of the covering the veil that hid the most holy place whereof see Exod. 26. 31. c. So after in Exod. 39. 34. The Greeke translateth it onely the veil Vers. 13. Table described in Exod. 25. 23. c. Shew bread in Greeke bread of proposition See Exod. 25. 30. Vers. 14. for the Light or Candlesticke of light that is the shining Candlestick whose lamps gave light alwayes So starres of light Psal. 148. 3. that is shining starres Vers. 15. Altar the golden altar whereof see Exod. 30. 1. c. hanging-veil see Exod. 26. 36. Vers. 16. Altar the brazen altar whereof see Exod. 27. 1. c. the foot or the Base see Exodus 30. 18. Vers. 17. tapestry-hangings see Ex. 27. 9. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 19. of ministery or of service see Exodus 31. 10. for Aaron described in Exod. 28. This was the summe of Moses Sermon to the people at this assembly wherein he taught them both what gifts to bring and what holy things were to be made for the service of God as hee had beene before commanded Exod. 25. c. Vers. 21. stirred or lifted him up to doe it chearfully and so made him willing as the Chalde◠translateth it Vers. 22. bracelets or chaines or hookes the Greeke translateth seals Compare this with their fact before in Exod. 32. where they gave their Iewels to make an Idoll offred Hebrew waved because they were heaved up and waved when they were given to the Lord and is therefore called a wave offring Exod. 38. 24. Vers. 24. was found If there bee first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. Vers. 25. did spin of the vertuous woman it is said She lareth her hands to the spindle and her hands hold the distaffe Prov. 31. 19. So for the building of Gods spirituall Tabernacle there were women that laboured in the Gospell Phil. 4. 3. that laboured much in the Lord Rom. 16. 3. 6. 12. Contrary were they that wove hangings for the grove 2 King 2◠7 Vers. 29. willing offring or voluntary gift So ought all things that we give unto God or for his sake be freely given as every man purposeth in his heart not of griefe or of necessity for God leveth a chearfull giver 2 Cor. 9. 7. Compare herewith the offrings of David and the Princes and people of Israel towards the building of Gods Temple which caused great joy in men and thankes unto God 1 Chron. 29. 3. 6. 9. 10. c. Vers. 30. Bezaleel of whom see Exod. 31. 2. c. He was for Moses Tabernacle as Hiram for Solomons Temple 1 King 7. 13. 14. as Paul and the other Apostles for the Temple of Christs Church 1. Cor. 3. 10. But the Tabernacle of Christs naturall body was greater and more perfect not made with hands that is not of this building Heb. 9. 11. and 10. 20. the Workmaster thereof was the holy Ghost himselfe Luke 1. 34. 35. Vers. 31. Spirit of God in Greeke a divine Spirit of wisedome See Exod. 31. 3. Vers. 34. Aholiab in Greeke Eliab See Exodus 31. 6. Vers. 35. cunning-workman who wrought both sides alike whereas the embroiderer wrought curiously but the one side see the notes on Exod. 26. 1. of the weaver which the Chaldee expoundeth weaving understanding by the weaver the weavers worke as elsewhere the Scripture useth Spirits for the gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 12. 32. that devise in Chaldee that teach cunning or artificiall workes By these were figured the varieties of graces which were abundantly to be seene in the first building of Christ Church after that men had received the Spirit of God by the preaching of the Gospell from the mouthes of the master workmen the Apostles 1 Cor. 1. 5. 7. and 12. 4. 8. 9. 10. 11. Gal. 3. 2. 5. Acts 19. 4. 6. CHAP. XXXVI 1 The offrings are delivered to the workemen 5 The people bringing more then enough for the worke are restrained 8 The making of the embroidered curtaines with Cherubims 14 The curtaines of goats hayre 19 The coverings of Rams skinnes and Tachash skinnes 20 The boards with their sockets 31 The barres 35 The Veile 37 The hanging for the doore THen did Bezaleel and Aholiah and every wise hearted man they to whom Iehovah gave wisedome and understanding to know to doe all the work for the service of the Sanctuary according to all that Iehovah had commanded And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise hearted man in whose heart Iehovah had given wisedome even every-one whose heart stirred him up to come-neere unto the worke to doe it And they tooke from before Moses all the offring which the sonnes of Israel had brought for
accompany him And there remained betweene the last boothe and the rocke in the wildernesse two miles At every boothe they said unto the man loe here is meat and here is water if his strength failed him and hee had need to eat hee might eat but there never was man they say that needed so to doe And without necessitie no man might eat for it was their most solemne Fast. From the last boothe they went not with him to the Rocke but halfe way one mile their sabbath daies journey and stood a farre off to see what he did with the goat When he had put the goat downe the Rocke they at the boothes aforesaid waved with linnen clothes or white flagges to the end that they in Ierusalem might know that the goat was come to the wildernesse Talmud in Ioma chap. 6. and Maimony in his Comment thereon and in his Misneh in Iom hakippurim chap. 3. sect 7. c. Of their sabbath dayes journey see the notes on Exodus 16. 29. Vers. 22. all their iniquities by this it appeareth that as the killed goat figured Christ killed for the sinnes of his people so this living goat figured him also who bare our griefes and caried our sorrowes and on whom God laid the iniquity of us all Esa. 53. 4. 6. And because Christ was not onely to dye for our offences but also to rise againe for our justification Rom. 4. 25. to be crucified through weakenesse yet to live by the power of God 2 Cor. 13 4. to be put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3. 13. and for that these two things could not fitly be shadowed by any one beast which the Priest having killed could not make alive againe therefore God appointed two that in the slame beast Christs death in the live beast his life and victory might be fore shadowed Heb. 9. 23. 24. 28. See the like mysterie in the two birds for the cleansing of the Leper Levit. 14. 6. 7. Or the sending of this goat into the wildernesse as the former was sacrificed in the Sanctuarie might figure out the salvation of Christ communicated with the gentiles and peoples of the world as Esa. 42. 1. 4. 11. and 49. 6. For the wildernesse is sometime used to signifie peoples Ezek. 20. 35. The Hebrewes say The scape goat made-atonement for all the transgressions of the Law both the lighter and the more heavy transgressions whether done presumptuously or ignorantly whether they were knowne unto a man or unknowne all are expiated by the Scape-goat if so be the partie doe repent Maimony in treat of Repentance chap. 1. sect 2. This goat was but a shadow of Christ and unto repentance must be added faith sor God hath set him forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. land of separation or a land cut-off a land separated to weet from other lands or from all people that is as the Chaldee translateth it a land that is not inhabited which the Greeke calleth Abaton waylesse or inaccessibles where no man goeth afterward Moses calleth it a wildernesse Or it may meane a place decreed of and determined whither to send him for the Hebrew word sometime signifieth a decree Iob 22. 28. Dan. 4. 17. Hereby was figured the utter abolishing of our sinnes by Christ both from the face of God that they should not appeare against us before him to be imputed unto us and also from us that sinne should have no more dominion over us nor we serve it any longer but having our consciences purged from dead workes should serve the living God 2 Cor. 5. 19. Heb. 9. 26. 14. Rom. 6. 6. 12. So the Prophet speaking of the like grace saith unto God Thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depths of the sea Mich. 7. 19. And this word which Moses here useth is not elsewhere used in like sort for a land but for cutting off of other things and in particular is applied to Christ working our redemption that hee was cut-off out of the land of the living Esa. 53. 8. which the holy Ghost expoundeth thus his life was taken from the earth Act. 8. 33. and whereof himselfe speaking said whither I goe ye cannot come Ioh. 13. 33. That eternall Spirit through which Christ offred himselfe without spot unto God Heb. 9. 14. and by which he was made-alive after death 1 Pet. 3. 18. inabled his flesh or manhood to suffer such things as no other creature could come neere unto and thereby Sin is put-away and the body of sinne abolished Heb. 9. 26. Rom. 6. 6. The Hebrewes say of this goat sent away that the man which caried it threw it downe the rocke and so it dyed Thalmud in Ioma chap. 6. Vers. 23. Aaron shall come whiles the goat afore-said was going to the wildernesse these services following began and other after them in this order as the Hebrewes have recorded After he hath sent away the goat by the hand of him that led him hee returneth to the bullocke and goat wholse blood hee had sprinkled within the Sanctuarie and openeth them and taketh out their fat which he putteth in a vessell to burne them upon the Altar And he cutteth the rest of their flesh into great pieces but one cleaving to another and not parted asunder and them he sondeth by the hand of others to be caried out to the place of burning without the campe Levit. 16. 27. When the Scape goat is come to the wildernesse the high Priest goeth out into the womens court to read the Law And whiles hee is reading they burne the bullocke and the goat in the place of the ashes without the citie therefore hee that seeth the high Priest when he readeth seeth not the bullocke and the goat burnt When he readeth all the people stand before him and the minister of the Congregation taketh up the booke of the Law and giveth it to the Chief of the congregation and he to the Sagan or second chiefe Priest and the Sagan giveth it to the high Priest who standeth up when he receiveth it and standeth and readeth the 16. of Leviticus and Levit. 23. 27. 32. c. And when he readeth he blesseth God before and after c. After this hee putteth off his white garments and washeth himselfe and putteth on his golden garments and sanctifieth his hands and his feet and offreth the goat which is for the generall addition to this daies service Numb 29. 11. and offreth his owne ram and the peoples ram as it is said AND HE SHAL COME FORTH AND SHALL MAKE HIS BVRNT-OFFRING AND THE BVRNT-OFFRING OF THE PEOPLE Lev. 16. 24. And he burneth on the altar the fat of the bullocke and of the goat that were burnt without the campe And he offreth the daily evening sacrifice the Lambe Numb 28. 3. and trimmeth the Lempes as on other dayes Exod. 27. 21. After this he sanctifieth his hands and his feet and putteth off the golden
your land V. 34. injoy accept as v. 41. or pay accomplish her Sabbathes meaning her seventh yeeres which the Chaldee calleth releases or remissions whereof see Lev. 25. 2. Deut. 15. 1. So the word is used for paying or accomplishing as in Ioh 14. 6. till hee accomplish as an hireling his day though there also it may meane a contented-acceptation and injoying of that which was desired V. 35. it shall rest or it shall keep-sabbath both from the people the unworthy inhabitants and from their tillage thereof as the law required Lev. 25. 4. Which being a precept figuring the sanctimonie of the church was not kept whiles they defiled the land by their iniquities as Lev. 18. 27. Wherefore whiles the land lay desolate it should as it were be well pleased and contentedly injoy the rest which God would give it from their sinning upon ii This was fulfilled when they were 70. yeeres captives in Babylon as appeareth by 2 Chron. 36. 21. where it is said Vntill the land had injoyed her Sabbathes as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfill seventie yeeres rested not in your sabbathes This sheweth that it was not the outward rest and intermission of the land which God chiefly intended by that law Lev. 25. for those Rests the land injoyed but the resting from sinne by the people that dwelt thereon even as the Sabbath day was also a signe of their sanctification See the notes on Levit. 25. 4. Vers. 36. a softnesse or tendernesse that is a faintnes or fearefulnesse and as the Chaldee translateth it a breaking or discouragement So softnesse is used for faintnesse or want of courage in Deut. 20. 3. Esa. 7. 4. 2 Chron. 13. 7. a driven-leafe or a tossed leafe which the Greeke translateth caried meaning with the winde and as in Thargum Ionathan it is explained a leafe that is plucked from the tree This judgement in Iob 15. 21. 22. is opened thus A sound of feares is in his eares in peace the destroyer will come upon him he beleeveth not to returne out of darkenesse and he is waited for of the sword c. as fleeing from a sword Hebr. the flight of a sword which the Greeke explaineth as they that flee from batteil and the Chaldee as a flight from before them that kill with the sword So Solomon saith The wicked fleeth where no man pursueth Prov. 28. 1. Vers. 37. shall fall or stumble-downe through weakenesse or through hast as they flee they shall fall one on another before a sword Chaldee before them that kill with sword power-to-stand Heb. standing or uprightnesse contrary to the blessing in verse 13. The Greeke translateth ye shall not be able to withstand your enemies Vers. 38. shall perish c. or shall be lost The fulfilling hereof is shewed in Ier. 50. 6. My people hath beene perishing or lost sheepe their sheepheards have caused them to goe astray c. Vnto this curse of the Law the promise of grace under the Gospell is opposed in Esa. 27. 13. They shall come which are perishing in the land of Assyria and the Outcasts in the land of Egypt and shall worship Iehovah in the 〈◊〉 at Ierusalem eat you up in Chalden conâ—ume you that it ye shall dye in the land of your captivine Vers. 39. pine away in Chaldee melt away to pine in iniquite is to consume and perish in the punishment for iniquitie whereupon this people complained If our transgressions and our sinnes be upon us and we pine away in them how should wee then live Ezek. 33. 10. See also Ezek 24. 23. It may likewise imply the beginning of grace in them that are left the remnant-according to the election of grace Romans 11. 5. who by their chastisements are brought to a sight and sorrow for their sins as in Ezek. 36. 31. ye shall lothe your selves in your own sight for your iniquities of their fathers the Chaldee expoundeth it in the sins of their evill fathers which they retain in their hands they shal melt-away with theÌ„ Vers. 40. And they shall that is And if they shall confesse as the word If is understood in Exod. 4. 23. Mat. 1. 2. and 3. 8. Such a confession Daniel made in Dan. 9. 3. 4. 5. c. and Nehemiah Neh. 1. 4. 5. 6. 7. c. and 9. 1. 2. 29. 30. c. when with fasting and prayer they confessed their owne and their forefathers sinnes And from hence the Hebrewes doe gather that they should humble themselves and fast certain daies in the yeere for the calamities that have befallen their forefathers such dayes as he spoken of in Zach. 7. 3. 5. and 8. 19. and other the like wherein they stir up their hearts unto repentan by memoriall of their owne evill deeds and the deedes of their fathers which caused those diffesses to come upon them Moreover they say W 〈…〉 o seeth the cities of Iudah in their desolation saith Thy holy cities are à wildernesse as in Esa. 64. 10 and re 〈…〉 his clothes If he see Ierusalem in her desolation be faith Ierusalem is a wildernesse c. If hee see the Sanctuarie desolate he saith Our holy and our beautifull house c. as in Esa. 64. 11. and rendeth his clothes Hee rendeth them with his hand all the clothes that are upon him untill he be naked down to the heart And he never soweth up those rent plico 〈…〉 But all their fasts they say shall cease in the â—â—yes of Christ and not so onely but they shall be 〈◊〉 a good day or festivitie and to dayes of joy and 〈…〉 as it is written in Zach. 8. 19. Thus saith the Lord hosts the fast of the fourth moneth and the fast of the fift and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Iudah joy and gladnesse and chear full solemne-feasts therefore love the truth and â—â—nce Maim tom 1. in Taanioth chap. 5. sect 1. 16. 19. Thus are the unbeleevers left to mourne and pine away in their iniquities and they fast not 〈◊〉 to the Lord but as he cried and they would 〈…〉 eate so they cry and he will not heare because they have refused Christ who is our Peace and whose glory dwelt amongst us full of grace and truth Zach. 7. 5. 13. Eph. 2. 14. Ioh. 1. 11. 14. against me in Chaldee against my word contrary Hebr. in conntrarietie Chaldee in hardnesse stubbornely as vers 21. 27. Vers. 41. uncircumcised heart which the Chaldee expoundeth grosse or foolish heart and Targum Ionathan their proud heart It meaneth also an unbleeving and disobedient heart which resisted the Spirit of God according to that saying Yee stiffe necked and uncircumcised in heart and earesâ— yee doeâ— alwaies resist the holy Ghost Act. 7. 51. This hee speaketh because the true circumcision is in the liners and in the spirit Romans 2. 29. whereupon the Prophet complaineth all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart Ierom.
usually meaneth his loving favour and salvation in Christ as Cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Psal. 80. 4. 8. 20. and The light of thy face because thou didst favour them Psal. 44. 4. So this second branch respecteth Christ the Lamb which is the light of the world and of the heavenly Ierusalem Ioh. 8. 12. Rev. 21. 23. whose face shined at the Sunne Rev. 1. 16. of whom it is said God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts giving the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. So in him is that saying fulfilled In the light of the kings face is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter raine Prov. 16. 15. And this blessing implyeth deliverance out of miserie as appeareth by Psal. 80. and Dan. 9. 17. who saith Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuarie which is desolate bee gracious or as the Greeke translateth bee mercifull This Grace is opposed to all mans workes with which it cannot stand Rom. 11. 6. and 4. 4. and it is bestowed on whom God will Exod. 33. 19. Rom. 9. 15 16. by which grace we are saved through faith God having shewed the exceeding riches of his grace in his goodnesse towards us through Christ Iesus Ephes. 2. 7. 8. by whom grace raigneth through righteousnesse unto eternall life Rom. 5. 21. Therefore the Apostle blesseth the Churches with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 16. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 13. For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Ioh. 1. 17. Verse 26. lift up his face this in men signifieth a comfortable and chearefull countenance and cariage Ioh 29. 24. 2 Sam. 2. 22. so here in God towards his people and by face understand as before the light of his face that is his favour as in Psal. 4. 7. Iehovah lift thou up the light of thy face upon us and it signifieth the applying and communicating of Gods foresaid grace to mans conscience and seeling as after it is said Thou hast put gladnesse in mine heart c. Psal. 4. 8. Thus the first branch of the blessing in verse 24. implieth the love of the Father the second in verse 25. the grace of the Sonne and this third the communion of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle distinctly expoundeth this blessing in 2 Cor. 13. 14. And by this Spirit all gracious gifts of wisedome knowledge faith prophesie and the like are given to the Church 1 Cor. 12. 8-11 The word face sometime meaneth anger as before is noted and the Hebrew Nasa Lift up is sometime used for taking away as in Exod. 10. 19. and so the Chaldee translateth this here The LORD remove or take away his anger from thee The same exposition the Zohar also giveth of this place that wrath may be taken away and not found in the world and give Hebr. and put or dispose unto thee that is communicate with thee which the Greeke translateth give and in the Scriptures one of these words is used for another as hee hath put thee 1 Kings 10. 9. or he hath given thee 2 Chron. 9. 8. So put glory Ios. 7. 19. that is give glory and to put mercie Esai 47. 6. is to give or communicate the same Peace this word generally signifieth all prosperitie and the perfect injoying of all good things it is opposed to war Eccles. 3. 8. to discord and onmitie Ephes. 2. 14 15. Luke 12. 51. to tumult and confusion 1 Cor. 14. 33. and to all adversitie Gen. 43. 27. 2 Kings 4. 26. Ioh. 16. 33. and is therefore added for a conclusion of blessings Psal. 29. 11. 125. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 14. This peace is obtained by Iesus Christ Eph. 2. 14 15 17. Rom. 5. 1. and enjoyed by the Holy Ghost Rom. 8. 6. 9. 14. 17. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard our hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus Phil. 4. 7. And the Hebrew Doctors expound this peace to be the kingdome of the house of David R. Nathan in Siphri which is true for when the Angell said Unto you is borne this day in the citie of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord then the heavenly host sang Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace Luke 2. 11 14. and one part of his name is THE PRINCE OF PEACE Esai 9. 6. Verse 27. And they shall the Priests in all ages such as were meet to serve in the Sanctuary performed this as the other services The Hebrew Canons have here their limitations they say Six things doe let from lifting up the hands to blesse 1 the tongue 2 blemishes 3 transgression 4 yeares 5 wine 6 and uncleannesse of hands The tongue as if they stammer and cannot pronounce the letters aright or lisp c. Blemishes as if they have any blemishes in their face hands or feet as if they have crooked fingers c. Transgression as if a Priest hath killed a man though unawares and though hee have repented for it yet may he not lift up his hands Esai 1. 15. Or if the Priest have served idols c. though he have repented for it he may never lift up hands as it is written in 2 Kings 23. 9. The Priests of the high places came not up to the Altar c. and blessing is as a service Deut. 21. 5. Yeares as a young Priest lifteth not up his hands till he be fully come to his age Wine as if he have drunke a quarter of a Log of wine hee may not lift up his hands till hee hath put away his wine from him Levit. 10. 9. Vncleannesse of hands as a Priest that hath not washed his hands may not lift them up to blesse but he must wash his hands as they use to sanctifie them for service and afterwards hee blesseth Maim treat of Prayer chapt 15. sect 1- -5 put my name or impose my name which the Chaldee expoundeth shall put the blessing of my name and Chazkuni saith the memoriall of my name in every blessing It seemeth to be meant of the Priests gesture that they should lift up their hands towards the people as did Aaron Levit. 9. 22. for a signe that the name and blessing of God was imposed upon them and The name of Iehovah is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe Prov. 18. 10. So now in Baptisme the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost is put upon us Matth. 28. 19. and they that inhabit Ierusalem which is from above see the face of God and his name 〈◊〉 in their fore-heads Rev. 22. 4. I will blesse them the Greeke addeth I the LORD will blesse them and Ionathan in his Thargū paraphraseth I by my word will blesse them and Chazkuni explaineth it that the Priests should not say we have blessed Israel God here annexeth a promise to this
〈◊〉 Sol. Iarchi here saith The strength of Moses became feeble as a woman when the holy blessed God shewed him the punishments that he would bring upon them the people for this he said before him If thus kill mee first kill me or killing me that is kill me quite and out of hand the word is doubled for more vehemency and speed see mine evill that is my misery and affliction By seeing evill is meant the feeling or suffering of miserie as to see death is to dye Luke 2. 26. Psal. 89. 49. and as on the contrary to see the salvation of God meaneth the fruition or enjoying thereof Psal. 50. 23. and 91. 16. Compare with this Elijahs speech 1 Kings 19. 4. Verse 16. Gather unto me in Chaldee Gather before me and Thargum Ionathan explaineth it Gather in my name seventy worthy men This is answerable to the number of the seventy soules of the house of Israel which went downe into Egypt Gen. 46. 27. Exod. 1. 5. Deut. 10. 22. and to the 70 Elders which went up unto the Lord at mount Sinai Exod. 24. 1 9. From hence the Hebrewes in their commonwealth continued their chiefes Senate in Ierusalem of 71 Elders as here there were 70 and Moses the Prince So they record in Talmud Bab. in Sanhedrin ch 1. and Maimony in Sanhedrin c. 1. s. 3 4 5 explaineth it thus there was in Israel first a great court or judgement hall in thâ— Sanctuary and that was called the great Synedrion and their number was 71 as it is written Gather to me 70 men c. and Moses was chiefe over them as it is said And let them stand there with thee Numb 11. 16. loe here are 71. The greatest in wisedome among them all they set him for head over them and he was called Nasi the Prince in every place and hee stood in stead of Moses cur Master And they placed the greatest among the 70 next 〈◊〉 the head and he sate on his right hand and was call 〈…〉 Ab beth din the father of the judgement hall A 〈…〉 the residue of the 70 sate before him according 〈◊〉 their eares and according to their dignitie whâ—seever was in wisedome greater than his 〈◊〉 nearer unto the Prince on his left hand And they sate as in the forme of an halfe circle round so that the Prince with the Father of the Court might see them all Moreover they set two Iudgement halls each of 23. Iudges the one at the doore of the Court of the Sanctuary the other at the doore of the mountaine of the Temple And in every citie of Israel wherein were 120. fathers of families or moe they set a lesser Synedrion which sate in the gate of the citie as it is written And establish judgement in the gate Amos 5. 15. And their number was 23 Iudges and the wisest among them was head of them and the residue sate in a round like halfe a circle that hee which was head might see them all If it were a citie which had not 120 men in it they set therein three Iudges for there is no judgement hall of lesse than three that there might be moe or fewer if there hapned to be among them dissention in judgement But every citie which had not in it two wise men the one fit to teach the whole Law and the other skilfull to heare and skilfull to demand and make answer they set no Synedrion therein although it had in it two thousand Israelites c. the officers in Greeke the Scribes and Targum Ionathan addeth in Egypt as if these were such as are mentioned in Exod. 5. 14. and of them Sol. Iarchi also understandeth it What these Officers were after in the common-wealth of Israel is noted on Deut. 16 18. Here it seemeth to be meant of such Elders and Officers as were well knowne and had approved themselves for wisedome and good carriage for which they might with comfort be preferred to this high Senate for they that have ministred well as the Apostle saith purchase to themselves a good degree 1 Tim. 3. 13. Afterwards in Israel about the choise of these chiefe Magistrates it is thus recorded Our wise men have said that from the great Synedrion they sent into all the land of Israel and made diligent inquirie whomsoever they found to be wise and afraid to sinne and meeke c. they made him a judge in his citie And from thence they preferred him to the gate of the mountaine of the house of the Lord and from thence they promoted him to the gate of the Court of the Sanctuary and from thence they advanced him to the great judgement hall Maim in Sanhedrin chap. 2. sect 8. stand there or present themselves there with thee They were to stand before the Tabernacle to present themselves unto God and to receive authoritie from him and with Moses who was to be chiefe over them The Hebrewes from this word with gather a likenesse unto Moses saying They constitute none in the Synedrion but Priests Levites and Israelites whose genealogie is knowne c. as it is said in Num. 11. 16. WITH THEE which are like thee in wisedome religion and genealogie Maim in Sanhedrin ch 2 sect 1. Vers. 17. I will come downe to wit in signe or apparition as the Chaldee translateth I will reveale my selfe and Targum Ionathan addeth I will reveale my selfe in the glory of my Majestie this was in the cloud vers 25. I will take or will separate in Chaldee will increase of the spirit that is on thee meaning the gifts of the Spirit as prophesie vers 25. and other meet for their charge for there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 4. So spirits are named for spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 14. 12. 32. and the Holy Ghost for the gifts of the Holy Ghost Ioh. 7. 39. Act. 19. 2. 6. Thus the spirit of Elijah rested on Elishâ— 2 King 2. 15. when he had the same gifts and power of prophesie miracles c. Neither was Moses spirit hereby diminished for as Sol. Iarchi saith Moses in that houre was like unto the Lamp that was left burning on the Candlesticks in the Sanctuary from which all the other lamps were lighted yet the light thereof was not lessened any whit God shewed hereby that none without gifts of his Spirit are fit for office and government Exo. 18. 21. Deut. 1. 13. Act. 6. 3. The Hebrewes have this rule Any Synedrion King or Governour that shall set up a Iudge for Israel that is not fit and is not wise in the wisdome of the Law and meet to be a Iudge although he be wholly amiable and have in him other good things yet he that setteth him up transgresseth c. Maim in Sanhedrin chap. 3. sect 8. V. 18. Sanctifie in Chaldee prepare your selves so to sanctifie warre is to prepare therefore Ier. 64. 51. 28. It meaneth an holy prepara 〈…〉 o receive the gifts that they desired
interpreted of Iehovah that is a Prophet of the LORD so the Greeke translateth a Prophet of you to the Lord. in a vision or by a vision or sight that is as the Chaldee saith in visions so God appeared to Abrahim the Prophet in a vision Gen. 20. 7. and 15. 1. and to Iakob Gen. 46. 2. to Ezekiel Ezek. 1. 1. to Daniel Dan. 8. 2. and others Iob 4. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 1. Act. 2. 47. whereupon a prophesie is called a vision Esai 1. 1. Obad. 1. 1. Nahum 1. 1. in a dreame Chald. in dreames another way by which God revealed his word to the Prophets Gen. 31. 11. Deut. 13. 1. 1 Kings 3. 5. Ier. 23. 25. 28. 32. Dreames are in the night and then as it were in darknesse God spake with the other Prophets but as R. Menachem here noteth it was not so with Moses for God spake not with him but by day Moreover dreames and visions doe soone vanish and flie away Iob 20. 8. V. 7. not so is not such a Prophet that I should speake to him by dreames and visions faithfull in all mine house that is in all my Church for the house of God is expounded the Church of the living God 1. Tim. 3. 15. and so the Chaldee here translateth it in all my people and Ionathan in all the house of Israel my people and Chazkuni explaineth it thus all the men of my house hold him for faithfull This is further opened by the Apostle saying Consider the Apostle and high Priest of our prosession Christ Iesus who was faithfull to him that made him as also Moses was in all his house c. And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as the Son over his owne house whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end Hebr. 3. 1 6. Touching Moses faithfulnesse and the confidence that Israel reposed in him see the notes on Exod. 19. 9. Verse 8. Mouth to mouth that is familiarly plainly in mine owne presence without any interposed meane as the Chaldee translateth Speech with speech So when Ioseph spake without an interpreter he said it is my mouth that speaketh unto 〈◊〉 Gen. 45. 12. and the Apostle opposeth it to speech by writing as I would not write with paper and inke but I trust to come unto you speak mouth to mouth that our joy may be full 2 Ioh. v. 12 and 3 Ioh. 14. A like phrase is in Exod. 33. 11. Iehovah spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend and in this manner of communication Moses excelled all other Prophets Deut. 34. 10. The Hebrew Doctors have explained this matter thus It is one of the foundations of the Law to know that God maketh the sonnes of men to prophesie and prophesie resteth not but on a wise man great in wisedome mightie in his vertuous qualities that his affections or naturall corruption prevaile not over him in any thing in the world but he prevaileth by his knowledge over his affections continually c. On such a man the holy Ghost dwelleth and when the Spirit resteth upon him his soule is associated to the degree of Angels which are called men and he is turned to another man and perceiveth in his owne knowledge that he is not so as he was but that he is advanced above the degree of other wise men as it is said of Saul And thou shalt prophesie with them and shalt be turned to another man 1 Sam. 10. 6. The Prophets were of divers degrees as in wisedome one wise man is greater than another so in prophesie one Prophet was greater than another And all of them saw not the vision of prophesie but by dreame by vision of the night or in the day time after that a deepe sleepe was fallen upon them Num. 12. 6. and all of them when they prophesied their joynts crembled and strength of body failed and their thoughts were troubled and the minde was leâ—t changed to understand that which was seene as is said of Abraham And â—oe a terror a great darknes fall upon him Gen. 15. and as is said of Daniel And my vigour was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength Dan. 10. 8. The things that were made knowne to a Prophet by vision propheticall were made knowne to him by way of parable and forthwith the interpretation of the parable was written in his heart and hee knew what it was As the ladder that Iacob our father did see and the Angels ascending and descending oâ— it Gen. 28. 12. and the living creatures which Ezekiel saw Ezek. 1. and the â—ecthing pot and Almond rod which Ieromy saw Ier. 1. and the Ephah which Zacharie saw Zach. 5. and so the other Prophets of whom some spake the parable and the interpretation thereof some the interpretation onely and sometime they uttered the parable onely without the interpretation as part of Ezekiels and Zacharies words and they all prophesies by parables and after the way of darke speeches None of the Prophets prophesied at all times when they would but prepared their understanding and sate joyfull with chearefull heart and with contemplation For prophesie commeth not upon men either when they are sorrowfull or when they are slothfull but when they are joyfull therefore the sons of the Prophets had before them Psalteries and Timbrels and Pipes and Harps 1 Sâ— 10 5. and they sought for prophesie and this is that which is written AND THEY PROPHESYING 1 Sam. 10. 5. as if he should say walking in the way of prophesie untill they doe prophesie Those which sought to prophesie are called sonnes of the Prophets and although they prepared their wits derstanding it might be the holy Ghost would come downe upon them and it might be not All these things that we have spoken of were the way of prophesie for all the former and latter Prophets except Moses our master the master of all the Prophets And what difference was there betweene the prophesie of Moses and of all the other Prophets All the Prophets prophesied by dreame or by vision but Moses prophesied when he was â—aking and standing as it is written And when Moses was gone into the Tent of the congregation to speake with him thou he heard the voice of one speaking unto him Num. 7. 89. All the Prophets prophesied by the hands of an Angell therfore they did see that which they saw in parables and dark speeches Moses prophesied not by the hands of an Angell as it is said MOuth to mouth I will speake with him Num. 12. â—8 it is also 〈◊〉 The Lord spake unto Moses face to face Ex. 33. 11. againe it is said And the similitude of the LORD shall he behold Num. 12. 8. as if he should say there is no parable there but he seeth the thing coÌ„cerning his
a day is naught such a day is fit for to doe such a worke such a yeere or moneth is evill for such a thing It is unlawfull to observe times though one doe no worke but make it knowne they are lyes which fooles imagine to bee true and to bee words of wise men c. Maim in treat of Idolatry chap. 11. sect 8. an observer of fortunes one that curiously searcheth observeth and telleth signes of good or evill luck which are learned by experience The Hebrew Nachash is to search and finde out by experience Gen. 30. 27. and 44. 5. whereupon Menachesh the word here used is one that too curiously observeth and abuseth things that doe fall out as luckie or unluckie signes as did the Augures and Soothsaiers among the heathens The Hebrewes describe it thus as if one should say Because the morsell of bread is fallen out of my mouth or my staffe out of mine hand I will not goe to such a place this day for if I goe I shall not speed of my businesse Because a Fox passed by on my right hand I will not goe out of my house this day for if I goe some deceitfull man will meet with mee And so if men heare the chattering of a bird and say it shall be so or not so it is good to doe such a thing or naught to doe such a thing c. And so hee that maketh signes for himselfe if it fall out so or so I will doe such a thing if it fall not out I will not doe it and all things of like sort these all are unlawfull and who-soever doth any act bacause of any of these things is to be beaten Maimony treat of Idolatry chap. 11. sect 4. This sinne was common among the heathens practised of the wisest Numb 24. 1. 1 King 20. 33. and it spread into Israel 2 King 17. 17. 2 Chron. 33. 6. and is at this day too common among Christians though Gods law plainly forbiddeth it here and in Levit. 19. 26. a witch or a sorcerer a magician in Hebrew Mecashsheph in Greeke Pharmakos of this kinde were Iannes and Iambres the sorcerers of Egypt see the notes on Exod. 7. 11. Such were esteemed among the wise and called to tell and interpret dreames Dan. 2. 2. By Gods Law a winch might not bee suffered to live Exod. 22. 18. yet did this evill prevaile in Israel 2 Chron. 33. 6. Ier. 27. 9. Mal. 3. 5. The Hebrews seeme to hold two sorts of these witches or sorcerers some that did hurt others that did hold the eies that is by jugling and sleights beguiled mens senses Mecashsheph the witch is to be stoned to death if be doe the act oft witchcraft but he that heldeth the dies and seemeth to doe that which he doth not is to be beaten Maimony treat of Idolatry ch 11. s. 15. Vers. 11. charmeth a charme or inchanteth an inchantment or conjureth conjuration The Hebrew Chober signifieth conjoyning or consociating the Chaldee name Ratim is of murmuring or mumbling the Greeke Epaidon of charming or inchanting This Charmer is said to be hee that speaketh words of a strange language and without sense and hee in his foolishnesse thinketh that these words are profitable That if one say so or so unto a Serpent or a Scorpion it cannot hurt a man and hee that saith so and so to a mâ—an be cannot be hurt c. He that whispereth over a wound or readeth a verse out of the Bible likewise he that readeth over an Infant that it may not be frighted or that layeth the booke of the Law the Bible or the Phylacteries upon a childe that it may sleepe such are not onely among inchanters or charmers but of those that generally denie the Law of God because they make the words of the Scripture medicine for the body whereas they are not but medicine for the soule as it is written in Prov. 3. 22. They shall be life unto thy soule Maimony 〈◊〉 of Idolatry chap. 11. sect 10. 12. of a familiar spirit called in Hebrew Ob which signifieth a bottle Ioh 32. 19. applied here and often to Magicians who possessed with an evill spirit speak with hollow voice as out of a bottell and as some say with swollen bellies whereupon the Greeke version usually calleth them Eggastrimuthoi as speaking out of the belly But the holy Ghost in Act. 16. 16. expoundeth it more fully the spirit of Pithon or of divination meaning of the Devill whose answers were given to the heathens by these meanes the chiefe whereof was called Pythius Apollo and his Temple Pythion and his feast Pythia kept to his honour who was faigned to kill the serpent Python The manner of this Oracle the Prophet sheweth to be with an hollow low voice as Thy speech shall bee low out of the dust and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit Esay 29. 4. The Hebrewes explaine it thus that hee which had a familiar spirit stood and burned incense and held a rod of mirtle tree in his hand and waved it And he spake certaine words in secret untill hee that inquired did heare one speake unto him and answer him touching that which hee inquired with words from under the earth with a very low voice c. Likewise one tooke a dead mans skull and burnt incense thereto and inchanted thereby till hee heard a very low voice c. Hee that did any of these acts was to be stoned to death Maim in treat of Idolatry c. 6. s. 1. This was Sauls sinne that he sought to a woman which had a familiar spirit the voice whereof he heard 1. Sam. 28. 7. 15. for which transgression the Lord killed him 1 Chron. 10. 13. and hath threatned to cut off all from among his people that doe inquire of such Levit. 20. 6 wizard or cunning man in Hebrew Iidgnoni so named of his knowledge or cunning and so the Greeke version in other places calleth him Gnostes of knowledge a Prognosticator but here the Greeke is Teratoskopos he that observeth wonders The Chaldee giveth him a name of remembrance Zecuru He is usually joyned with the former that hath a familiar spirit as in Levit. 19. 31. and 20. 6. 2 Chron. 33. 6. 1 Sam. 28. 3. and by the Law they were both of them to die Levit. 20. 27. Such were among the Egyptians and other heathens Esay 19. 3. it is likely therefore that their practise was alike abominable The Hebrewes describe him thus that hee put in his meuth a bone of a bird called Iaduangh burned incense did other workes untill he fell downe as with shame or modestie and spake with his mouth things that were to come to passe Maim treat of Idolatry ch 6. sect 2. that seeketh unto the dead or as the Chaldee and Greeke expound it that inquireth of the dead such wee call of the Greeke name a Necromancer Of him they say that he made himselfe hungry and went and lodged
signifieth From is sometime put for unto by the interpretation of the Holy Ghost himselfe as from Baale of Iudah 2 Sam. 6. 2. is by another Prophet explained to Baalah 1 Chron. 13. 6. So the Deliverer shall come from or out of Sion Rom. 11. 26. is the same that hee shall come unto Sion Esay 59. 20. Min hashamajim from heaven 2 Chron. 6. 21. is El hashamajim unto or in heaven 1 King 8. 30. Thus Mikkedem is to the East or Eastward Gen. 13. 11. Mitstsâ—phon is Northward 1 Sam. 14. 5. and sundrie the like Sinai is a mountaine in Arabia Gal. 4. 25. where God gave his Law Exod. 19. from or out of that mountaine God came unto Israel and as the Chaldee interpreteth was revealed there unto them and from thence came with his people to conduct them towards Canaan Or came unto Sinai and to his people there And this is the first chiefe blessing unto Israel Gods Law Tabernacle Statutes and Iudgments given them at Sinai after which hee called them to journey towards the Land of promise Deut. 2. 6 7. rose up as the Sunne ariseth for of that rising the Hebrew word is properly used The Chaldee translateth it the brightnesse of his glory from Seir appeared unto us So Esaias prophesying grace to the Church saith The glory of Iehovah is risen as the Sunne upon thee And of the heavenly Ierusalem which Christ hath built it is said The Citie hath no need of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. from Seir the mountaine of the Edomites Deut. 2. 4. 5. As Israel compassed Edoms land they were stung with fiery serpents for their murmuring then God appointed the Brazen serpent a figure of Christ to be set up to heale them Num. 21 4. 9. And here was a second degree of grace whereby God shined unto them as he doth unto us by his Gospell after wee have beene under the Schoolemaster of his Law Rom. 7. 4 25. Gal. 3. 23 24 26. unto them or unto him meaning Israel therefore the Chaldee expoundeth it unto us shined forth or shined bright and cleare as the Sunne shineth in his strength This word is used for the cleare manifestation of Gods power in saving his people or punishing their enemies Psal. 82. and 94. 1. and 50. 2. The Greeke here translateth hee hastened from mount Pharan the Chaldee hee was revealed in his might upon mount Paran Pharan or Paran the name of a mount and of the wildernesse of the Ismaelites Gen. 21. 21. thorow which Israel travelled Num. 10. 12. Neere it Moses by the Spirit of God explained the law more cleerly repeated this booke of Deuteron Deut. 1. 1 c. So the Prophet after speaketh the Holy one came from mount Pharan Selah Habak 3. 3. Some of the Hebrewes understand these things otherwise thus Hee rose up from Seir unto them that is to the sonnes of Esan that they might receive the Law but they would not From thence hee went to the sonnes of Ismael that they might receive it but they would not And then he came unto Israel R. Sol. Iarchi on Deut. 33. So Ionathan in his Thargum on this place and R. Eliezer in Pirkei chap. 41. But unto us it sheweth the third degree of Gods grace who after wee are come unto Christ by faith doth sanctifie us by his Spirit informing us in his truth and waies and so prepareth us to enter into his heavenly rest as by Moses he prepared Israel to enter into the Land of Canaan Rom. 8. 2 3 11. Gal. 3. 2 14. and 4. 6. and 5. 16 18 of Saints Hebr. of sanctitie meaning spirits of sanctity which Ionathan in his Thargum expoundeth holy Angels So Stephen saith that Israel received the Law by thy disposition of Angels Act. 7. 53. and Paul calleth the Law the word spoken by Angels Heb. 2. 2. So wee by grace in Christ are come to ten thousands of Angels Heb. 12. 22. which are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall bee heires of salvation Heb. 1. 14. Compare Psal. 68. 18. Or by Saints wee may understand the Israelites as in v. 3. with whom or for whom God came from Sinai from his right hand to wit went or at his right hand was the fire of the Law or of the ordinance Hebr. Esh dath of which word Dath the Greekes borrowed their word Tatto to order or ordaine the Legall fire or the fiery Law and it is so called because the Lord spake those words out of the midst of the fine Deut. 5. 22. and to shew the nature and effect of the Law which is like fire Ier. 23. 29. The Greeke translateth it Angels Angels with him the Chaldee thus his right hand wrote out of the midst of fire the Law he gave unto us Answerable to this Legall fire is that fire of the Law of the Spirit which was given with cloven tongues like fire Act. 2. 3 4. The Hebrewes say by tradition that the Law appeared written with blacke fire upon white fire before the Lord. R. Moses Gerundens and Sol. Iarchi on Deut. 33. which seemeth to be either mysticall or fabulous Vnto us the fire of the Law is the Spirit of God whiles wee being baptized with the holy Spirit and with fire Matth. 3. 11. are by the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus made free from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. 2. Vers. 3. Yea the lover of the peoples that is yea or certainly hee loveth or thou O God lovest the peoples or protectest them The Hebrew Chobeb signifieth a loving embracing or hiding as in the bosome and so implyeth Love and Protection And the peoples are meant of the tribes of Israel as in Iudg. 5. 14. after thee Benjamin among thy peoples and in Act. 4. 27. the peoples of Israel The Greeke translateth And he spared his people the Chaldee yea he loved them for tribes that is of his love chose and disposed them to be tribes It may imply also the strangers converted unto God And now in Christ there is neither Iew nor Greeke neither bond nor free for we are all one in him Gal. 3. 28. all his Saints that is the Saints of Israel as the Chaldee expoundeth all the Saints of the house of Israel Or the Saints of God as in Psal. 34. 10. Feare Iehovah yee his Saints So his Saints may be used for thy Saints as his commandements Dan. 9. 4. for thy commandements see the notes on Deut. 5. 10. in thine hand in thy power and custody under thy guidance care and protection Hand is often for power so the Chaldee here translateth with power hee brought them out of Egypt and in the hand is under the guidance and direction Num. 4. 28 33. so the Greeke here translateth and all the sanctified ones are under thine hand It noteth the safety of Gods
and Maimony the chiefest of esteeme among them I am for this blamed those Writers generally condemned and to make them the more odious their heresies fables falshoods are displaied by him that from two or three late Rabbines and one Papist disputed against the sincerity of the Hebrew Text as before is to be seene I will not speake of the things by me noted but leave them to the judgement of the indifferent Reader nor justifie my selfe for all their allegations because they being taken from that confused heape of the Iewes traditions some of them may haply savour too much of their leven They that have laboured in this kinde before me have had their second thoughts altered both their own Annotations and translations in sundry points as their publike writings manifest But that such a generall censure should passe upon them all for my sake and the Wheat should bee plucked up because of the Tares seemeth not to proceed from love nor from a sound judgement And first the esteeme which all Christian Churches have had and yet have of such books of the Iewish Rabbines as were written in Greek and so came to be knowne more easily than other Chaldee and Hebrew workes might somewhat allay the rigour of this sentence For the storie of the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus Wisdome and the other Apocryphall writings of the Iewes notwithstanding the evils in them have beene and are translated commented upon and commended to be read for instruction 2 Other of the Rabbines as the Thalmud Maimony and the like have beene also by Expositors of the Scriptures and those of the best esteeme occasionally alleaged as Tremellius in his notes upon his version of the New Testament out of Syriak sundry times produceth them Beza in his large Annotations on Matth. 26. noteth from Iosephus Paulus Burgensis Tremellius and Scaliger sundry rituals of the Iewes about the Passeover and some such as I am taxed for because I name them on Exod. 12. Vatablus often recordeth the expositions of the Chaldee and learned Hebrewes And how many other have done the like in their Notes and Commentaries all men of learning and reading doe well know 3 To object the Iewes heresies fables and false expositions of many Scriptures is no sound reason to condemne the good things which are found in them For even among Christian writers and those of the ancients sundry such things are to be seen yet many profitable things are found in them for the opening of the Scriptures In the Apostles daies the Iewes were guilty of these sinnes Matth. 15. and 23. chap. Rom. 10. 3. Tit. 1. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 16. Yet Christ commanded to heare the Scribes Pharisees sitting in Moses chaire Mat. 23. 1 2. Now the eare trieth words as the mouth tasteth meat Iob 34. 3. and as by hearing their speeches the godly wise might discerne when they taught according to Moses and when they spake of themselves so by reading their writings men of understanding may doe the like at this day 4 The Apostles also in alleaging sometimes the testimonies of the Rabbines doe teach us that their writings are not wholly to be despised Paul nameth Iannes and Iambres the chiefe sorcerers of Egypt 2 Tim. 3. 8. out of the private Records of the Iewes as may yet be read in their Thalmud He rehearseth the persecutions of the godly under Antiochus recorded in the booke of the Maccabees Heb. 11. 35 c. Others speake of the contention between Michael and the devill about the body of Moses and of the prophesie of Enoch Iude v. 9. 14 15. of the marriage betweene Salmon and Rachab Matth. 1. 5. and the like Acts 5. 36. 37. 5. The Gentiles were fallen from God and turned his truth into a lie and corrupted religion with their fables and vanities Rom. 1. yet the Holy Ghost citeth and maketh use of 〈◊〉 sayings in the Scriptures Acts 1. 7. 28. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 33. Tit. 1. 12. And who hath ever interpreted the visions of Daniel and of the Apostle Iohn in the Revelation without the help of the stories of the Maccabees Iosephus Polybiu◠Eusebius other humane Writers Wherefore as I my selfe have reaped light and profit by the things which I have read in such so have I noted sundry of them for the good of others As for the Exceptions taken against the Greeke version of the Bible so much approved by the holy Ghost in the new Testament and the Chaldee paraphrases they are such as before men of knowledge and understanding need no further reply Of the interpretation of the stone Iahalom in Exod. 28. 18. I Will onely annex a few words about a place of Scripture for the interpretation whereof I am specially blamed It is for expressing the Hebrew Iahalom in Exod. 28. 18. by the Greeke name Sardonix as I understand the Holy Ghost to expound it in Revel 21. 20. I am asked for proofe or shew of proofe that Iohn did translate all the 12. stones from Aarons breast 〈◊〉 the heavenly Ierusalem in Rev. 21. and am charged with presumption in obtruding my conceits upon the Holy Ghost and taking the name of God in vaine it is affirmed that Iahalom should be translated the Adamant or Diamond according to the example of the best Translators both new and old All men of any reading doe know how diversly those 12. stones in Exod. 28. are expressed by Interpreters that scarcely any two agree together if then among many I have somewhere missed in interpreting them it might be imputed to humane infirmity rather than to presumption especially seeing I ground my exposition upon that other Scripture Revel 21. My proofe or shew of proofe that the holy Ghost there translateth the 12. stones from Exod 28. is this 1. The continuall course of the Spirit of God throughout that booke of the Revelation which is to take matters words and phrases from Moses and the Prophets and apply them to the things there prophesied As in Revel 4. the Church is described from the ancient figure the Tabernacle of Moses and from the visions of other Prophets Esai 6. Ezek. 1. The number of 24. Elders according to the lots and divisions of the Priests and Levites by David in 1 Chron. 24. 3 19. and 25. 7 31. The foure living creatures answerable in number to the foure standards in the campe of Israel Numb 2. in shape to the living creatures in Ezek. 1. In Rev. 5. Christ is shewed like a Lambe slaine according to the sacrifice under the old Testament In Revel 6. Gods administration is set forth by the similitude of horses and riders as in Zach. 1. and 6. and with such judgement as the Prophets threatned of old Esai 34. 4. In Revel 7. Gods people are sealed on their foreheads according to Eze. 9. 4. and the twelve tribes of Israel are expressed by their names And so in other things throughout that booke as the studious Reader may observe which for brevitie I will now omit
of thy salvation and firmly sustain me with a free spirit I wil teach trespassers thy wayes and sinners shall convert unto thee Deliver me from blouds O God the God of my salvation my tongue shall shout thy justice Lord thou shalt open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise For thou delightest not sacrifice else would I give it burnt offering thou wilt not contentedly accept The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a heart broken and contrite O God thou wilt not despise Doe well in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the wals of Ierusalem Then shalt thou delightfully accept the sacrifices of justice the burnt offering and the whole oblation then shall they offer up bullocks upon thine Altar Annotations HE had gone in to wit into the chamber as Iudg. 15. 1. that is had lien with as the phrase importeth Gen. 6. 4. and is expressed 2 Sam. 11. 4. Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam 2 Sam. 11. 3. called also Bathshua daughter of Ammiel 1 Chron. 3. 5. She was wife to Captaine Urijah the Hittite and whiles her husband was at the leager of Rabbah David lay with her and she being with child he first sought to cover his fault by sending for Vrijah home that he might be esteemed the father which not succeeding he sent him backe with privie letters to Ioab the Generall for to procure his death Which being done David married his wife Bathshebah so thinking to cloake his sinne But God was displeased and sent Nathan to reprove David whereupon he repented and made this Psalme for an example unto and comfort of sinners See the historie at large 2 Sam. 11. and 12. Vers. 4. much wash mee or multiply wash mee that is thorowly wash me againe and againe He applieth the washings used in the Law Lev. 11. 25. 32. Exod. 19. 10. Num. 19. 19. to the spirituall washing from sinne in the bloud of Christ Rev. 7. 14. 1 Ioh. 1. 7. So after in verse 9. and Ier. 4. 14. The Hebrew Hereb or Harbeh multiply is used for much as 2 King 10. 18. where it is opposed to little And that which in one place is written harboh multiply in another is la-rob and rabbah much as 1 King 10. 10. with 2 Chron. 9. 9. 2 Sam. 8. 8. with 1 Chron. 18. 8. Vers. 5. I know or acknowledge So Isa. 59. 12. Ier. 3. 13. Vers. 6. Against thee or Vnto thee onely This is either because he concealed his sinne from men but could not from God 2 Sam. 12. 12. or that onely God could remit the punishment of his sin Isa. 43. 25. So Psal. 41. 5. I have sinned and so am deprived of the glory of God as Rom. 3. 23. that which is evill c. which displeaseth thee This hath reference to 2 Sam. 11. 9. and 11. 27. that thou maiest be just that is thou hast suffered me to fall into sinne that thou maiest be just or justified in whatsoever thou hast spoken for the salvation of thy servant or punishment of my sinne 2 Sam. 12. 10. For the injustice of man commendeth the justice of God Rom. 3. 4 5. or it may have reference to the former words I know and acknowledge my sinne that thou maist be just when thou speakest or in thy speaking that is in thy words as Rom. 3. 4. so after in thy judging maist be pure or cleare sincere unreproveable and consequently maist win the victorin in judgement whereupon the Apostle according to the Greeke version saith maist overcome Rom. 3. 4. The Hebrew Zacah also in the Syriak tongue is used for overcomming Vers. 7. in iniquitie the perversenesse or vitiosity of nature commonly called originall by the Apostle inhabiting sinne Rom. 7. 17. whereby all men are carnall sold under sinne Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 14. The Chaldee calleth it the sinne of evill concupiscence This David maketh the fountaine of all his actuall sinnes painfully brought forth borne with sorrow The Hebrew signifieth the painfull travell of child-birth Isa. 26. 17 18. and 51. 2. Psal. 29. 9. conceived or was warme in heat as Gen. 30. 38. 39 41. Vers. 8. the inward parts or the covered parts the heart roots where wisdome is seated of God Iob 38. 36. named in Hebrew of covering plaistering or pargetting the secret or the closed place which being referred to the person meaneth the heart which God reneweth Ezek. 36. 26. and wherein he writeth his lawes Heb. 8. 10. And thus the Chaldee expoundeth it the close place of the heart which the Apostle calleth the hid man of the heart 1 Pet. 3. 4. or if it be referred to the thing it meaneth the secrets of wisedome Iob 11. 6. the wisedome of God in a mysterie the hid wisdome manifested by the Gospell 1 Cor. 2. 7. And thus the Greeke applieth it saying the unmanifest and hid things of wisdome thou hast manifested to me hast made or wilt make me know thus he riseth by faith out of his sin being taught wisdome of God Vers. 9. Thou wilt purge me from sinne or prayer-wise Purge thou me from sinne or make me sinlesse expiate or purifie my sinne Prayers are often made in this manner as with assurance that they shall be performed See the note on Psal. 17. 8. Eizop or hyssop of the Hebrew Ezob and Greek hyssopos an herbe or tree growing out of the wall 1 King 4. 33. appointed in the law for to sprinkle and cleanse with Exod. 12. 22. Num. 19. 6. 18. Lev. 14. 4. 6. 49. Heb. 9. 19. and the sprinkling with it was the last part of the purification of the uncleane here used to signifie the ful cleansing from sinne by the bloud of Christ Heb. 9. 13 14. whether it were that herb which we now call eizop or no is uncertaine The Childee paraphraseth Thou wilt sprinkle me like a Priest which sprinkleth the uncleane with the purifying waters with hyssop with the asbes of a heifer and I shall be cleane wash me another legall rite for purifying the uncleane Lev. 14. 8. and 15. 5. 8. 13. 22. figuring our sanctification Heb. 10. 22. Tit. 3. 5. Isa. 4. 4. Vers. 10. to heare joy the joyfull tidings of the forgivenesse of my sins bones that thou hast crushed or brayed nothing hereby the greatnesse of his griefe and affliction Iob 2. 2. 5. and 30. 17. and 33. 19. 21. Psal. 38. 4. Vers. 11. Hide thy face that is regard not my finhes to visit them on me See the contrary Psal. 90. 5. and 109. 14 15. Ier. 16. 17. Vers. 12. firme spirit a spirit ready prepared stedfast and certaine The like is applied to the heart Psal. 11 2. 7. and 57. 8. Vers. 13. from thy face or from thy presence This was an effect of Gods utmost anger against sinners 2 Kings 24. 20. Ier. 7. 15. and 52. 3. Gen. 4. 16. thy spirit of holinesse thy holy Ghost which the Chaldee expoundeth thy holy spirit of Prophesie Vers. 14. the joy of thy salvation the joy
condition our matter and forme the originall word properly is a formed vessell of earth applied to our fraile estate Rom. 9. 20 21. sometime this is spoken of our fictions and sinfull imaginations Gen. 6. 5. Deut. 31. 21. and so the Chaldee interpreteth it here our evill concupiscence which carrieth us into error Vers. 15. as the grasse c. that is few and transitorie though making a faire shew Compare Psal. 90. 5 6. Iob 14. 1 2. Iam. 1. 10 11. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Vers. 16. not know it or know him that is hee shall have no more place here So Iob 7. 10. Vers. 18. to doe them this noteth the outward practise and operation of the Law whereas keeping or observing is with the heart and spirit of man Prov. 3. 1 3. and 4. 4 21. Psal. 78. 8. Vers. 19. prepared his throneâ— or stabâ—â—â—he it a signe of dominion and gover 〈…〉 be administred in heaven whereby the Church is figured Rev. 4. 1. 2. See also Psal. 9. 5 8 9. and 11. 4. Vers. 20. hearkning or to hearken to obey and this noteth a willing and ready minde in the Angels and our Lord teacheth vs to pray for the like Mat. 6. 10. The Hebrew phrase to obey may be Englished obeying as the like in Psal. 104. 15 21. and 105. 11. See also Psal. 49. 15. and 65. 11. Vers. 21. his hosts or armies the thrones principalities powers c. that are in the heavenly places Eph. 3. 10. Col. 1. 16. for they are his hosts 1 King 22. 19. Gen. 32. 2. and generally all creatures are his hosts see Psal. 24. 10. ministers the Angels which minister unto him Psal. 104. 4. Dan. 7. 10. the same title is given also to men Esa. 61. 6. PSAL. CIV A meditation upon Gods powerfull workes and wonderfull providence in creating and governing the world and creatures therein 31 Gods glory is eternall 33 The Prophet voweth perpetually to praise him MY soule blesse thou Iehovah Iehovah my God thou art vehemently great thou araiest thy selfe with Majesty and comely honour Deeking him-selfe with light as with a garment stretching out the heavens as a curtaine Planchering his lofts in the waters making the clouds his Chariot walking vpon the wings of the wind Making his Angels spirits his Ministers a flaming fire He hath founded the earth upon her bases it shall not bee moved for ever and aye Thou coveredst it with the deepe as with a raiment the waters stood above the mountaines At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away The mountaines they went up the vallies they went downe to the place which thou foundest for them Thou didst set a bound they shall not passe they shall not returne to cover the earth That sendeth wel-springs in the vallies they walke betweene the mountaines They give drinke to all the wilde beasts of the field the wilde asses breake their thirst By them the fowle of the Heaven dwelleth from betweene the branches they give the voice That watreth the mountaines from his lofts the earth is filled with the fruit of thy workes That maketh grasse to grow for cattle and the herbe for the use of man bringing forth bread out of the earth And wine that rejoyceth the heart of sorry man making the face chearefull with osle and bread that upholdeth the heart of sorry man Tilled are the trees of Iehovah the Cedars of Lebanon which he planted That there the birds may make their nest the Storke the Fir trees are her house The high mountaines for the wilde goats the rocks a shelter for the conies He made the Moone for appointed times the Sunne knoweth his going downe Thou puttest darknesse and it is night in it doe creep forth all wilde beasts of the wood The lurking Lions roaring for the prey and seeking their meat of God The Sunne riseth they gather them away and couch downe in their dens Out goeth man unto his worke and to his labour till evening How many are thy workes Iehovah all of them hast thou done in wisdome the earth is full of thy riches This Sea great and wide of spaces there are creeping things even innumerable small wilde beasts with great There goe the ships Levjathan whom thou hast formed to play therein They all looke attentively unto thee to give them their food in his time Thou givest it to them they gather it thou openest thine hand they are filâ—ed with good Thou hidest thy face they are suddenly troubled thou gatherest their spirit they breath out the ghost and returne unto their dust Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth The glory of Iehovah be for ever rejoyce let Iehovah in his deeds He looketh upon the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the mountaines and they smoke I will sing to Iehovah in my life I will sing Psalmes to my God while I am Sweet shall my meditation be of him I will rejoyce in Iehovah Consumed be sinners out of the earth and wicked men be they no more my soule blesse thou Iehovah Halelujah Annotations ANd comely honour that is shewest thy selfe by all thy works to be God over all to whom glory and honour is due Therefore God challengeth Iob and so all men to doe thus if they can and they shall be celebrated of him Iob 40 4 5. 9. Of these words see Psal. 8. 2 6. Vers. 2. Decking or clothing or He clotheth to wit himselfe with light dwelling in the light that none can attaine unto 1 Tim. 6. 16. and at first commanding the light to shine out of darknesse wherewith he decked the world Gen. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 6. as a curtaine that is as a canopie or tent Song 1. 5. Ier. 49. 29. when he spred out the firmament by himselfe alone Gen. 1. 6. Esa. 44. 24. and 51. 13. Iob 37. 18. Vers. 3. Planchering He plancketh or planchereth his lofts or upper chambers that is the clouds aloft or upper regions of the aire as after in vers 13. in the waters among them or with waters which are above in the firmament Gen. 1. 7. where God bindeth the waters in the clouds and the cloud is not broken under them Iob 26. 8. making or putting that is disposing them his Chariot to sit and ride on as Esa. 19. 1. Rev. 14. 14. Compare Psal. 18. 11. Vers. 4. spirits that is spirituall substances so differing from Christ who is no made or created spirit but the maker of all things Psal. 102. 26. and from men made of flesh and bloud Luk. 24. 39. The originall word also signifieth winds and Angels by interpretation are messengers whereupon some translate he maketh the winds his messengers but the Holy Ghost in Heb. 1. 7. sheweth this to be spoken of Angels properly who are named also ministring spirits Heb. 1. 14. flaming fire effectuall in their administration the Angels therefore have appeared like horses and Chariots of fire 2 King 6. 17. and 2.
thine eyes are as doves Behold thou art faire my beloved yea pleasant also our bed is greene The beames of our houses are Cedars our galleries of Brutin trees CHAPTER I. This may be sung as the 55 or 86 Psalme WIth kisses of his mouth let him kisse me Because thy loves then wine much-better be For thy good ointments odoriferous-sent Thy name it is a powred-forth ointment Therefore the Virgins they have loved thee Doe thou me draw run after thee will we Into his chambers brought me hath the King We will be glad in thee and joyfull-sing We will record thy loves the wine above They that are upright doe thee dearly-love O daughters of Ierusalem I am Blacke but am pleasing-comely with the same Like to the tabernacles of Kedar Like to the curtaines Solomons which are Looke not on me because that I am browne Because the Sun hath on me looked-downe The children of my mother they have beene Incensed against me with angry-teene To keepe the Vineyards they did me assigne I have not kept my Vineyard which is mine O my soules love tell me where thou feedest Where thou dost make thy flocke at noone to rest For why should I be like to one that goes Aside unto the flocks of thy fellowes If thou thy selfe know not ô fairest one Of womankind then forth get thou thee gone By footsteps of the flocke and thy yong-goates Feed thou besides the shepheards dwelling-cotes I have compared thee my love unto The horses troop in Charrets of Phar'oh Thy cheekes with rowes thy necke with chaines are deckt We will make thee gold rowes with silver speckt At his round table while the King doth sit My spikenard giveth-forth the smell of it A bag of myrrh my Loved is to me Betwixt my breasts lye-all-the-night shall he My Lov'd to me a cluster of Cypres That in the vineyards of Engedi is Lee thou art faire ô thou my dearest love Loe thou art faire thine eyes are as the dove Loe thou art faire ô thou my deare-loved Yea pleasant art greene also is our bed Beames of our houses of the Cedars be Our galleries are of the Brutin tree Annotations THe Song of Songs Songs and Psalmes are for the most part arguments of joy and gladnesse in them that sing and of their praises whom the songs concerne Iam. 5. 13. Ephes. 5. 19. Exod. 15. Iudg. 5. Esay 26. 2 Sam. 22. Psal. 66. 1. 2. 3. c. So this booke treating of mans reconciliation unto God and peace by Iesus Christ with joy in the Holy Ghost is called a Song which therefore the faithfull should learne to sing with understanding making melody in their hearts to the Lord when they feele themselves made partakers of his joy And it is intituled the Song of Songs that is the chiefest and most excellent Song as Christ whom it concerneth is called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. and 17. 14. that is the most high and mighty King and supreme Lord of all Solomon made a thousand Songs and five 1 King 4. 32. of all which this was most excellent yea and of all the Songs in the Scripture for this celebrateth the mysteries of Christ and his Church and the communion betweene them more amply and excellently then any other which is Solomons It is better to heare the rebuke of the wise then for a man to heare the song of fooles Eccles. 7. 5. but Solomon who made this Song in praise of Christ and of his Church surpassed all the Kings of the earth in riches and wisdome 2 Chron. 9. 22. hee was wiser then all men for God gave him wisedome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart even as the sand that is on the sea shoore 1 King 4. 31. 29. and all the earth sought the face of Solomon to heare his wisedome which God had put in his heart 1 King 10. 24. There was none like him before him neither after him shall any arise like unto him 1 King 3. 12. It may also bee interpreted which belongeth to or concerneth Solomon understanding hereby Christ himselfe whom Solomon prefigured in Kingdome wisedome and glory And Solomon called in Hebrew Shelomoh but after the Greeke Solomon Matthew 1. 6. had his name of peace because he was a man of rest and God said of him Solomon shall be his name and I will give salom that is peace and quietnesse unto Israel in his dayes 1 Chronic. 22. 9 so hee had peace on all sides round about him 1 King 4. 24. Now Christ is our peace Ephes. 2. 14. even the Prince of peace Esay 9. 6. and he is called Solomon in this Song Chapter 3. 11. and David prophesying of Christs Kingdome intituled his Psalme For Solomon Psalme 72. Thus the penman of this booke being the wisest of all the Prophets and Christ whom it concerneth being the very wisedome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and greater then Solomon Matthew 12. 42. this Song is commended unto us by the Holy Ghost in the highest degree of excellency The Chaldee paraphraseth on this title thus Songs and hymnes which Solomon the Prophet the King of Israel uttered by the Spirit of prophesie before the Lord the Lord of all the world V. 2. Let him kisse me As the Scripture mentioneth the Bride the Bridegroome and the friends of them both the children of the bride chamber Ioh. 3. 29. Matthew 9. 15. so in this Song all these especially the two former are brought in as speakers every one of and unto other so declaring their mutuall desires loves and affections The Bride is the Church espoused to Christ and called the wife of the Lambe Rev. 21. 9. to whom shee is to be presented a chaste virgin 2 Cor. 11. 2. and this Church Christ loved and gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such things but that 〈◊〉 should bee holy and without blemish Ephes. 5. 25. 26. 27. How be it before Christ came in our humanity the Church according to the â—â—conomical dispenlatio of God was as a child in her non age under tutors and governours untill the time appointed of the Father Gal. 4. 1. 2. kept under the Law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed which law was a Schoolemaster unto Christ Gal. 3. 23. 24. In this estate shee continued till faith came and then she being dead to the Law by the body of Christ was to bee maried unto another even to him who is raised from the dead that she might bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7. 1. 4. So though our godly forefathers in the daies of the Prophets saw the promises a farre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and did all obtaine testimony and were glorious through faith yet they received not the promise God having provided some better thing
here commendeth the graces of Christ which he had being full of the Holy Ghost for his God had anointed him with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Heb. 1. 9. and of him it is said The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee because hee hath anointed mee to preach the Gospell c. Luke 4. 18. Esay 61. 1. And the odour of these graces is smelt when the Gospell preached is by sense or judgement perceived Phil. 1. 9. Luke 9. 45. Heb. 5. 14. thy name is an ointment powred-forth As Messias and Christ is by interpretation Anointed and he is called the Oile or Ointment in Esay 10. 27. so by his Name is meant his Law the doctrine of grace or Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. as it is written The Iles shall wait for his Law Esay 42. 4. which is expounded The Gentiles shall trust in his name Matth. 12. 21. and the preaching of that grace is called the bearing of Christs Name before the Gentilis Acts 9. 15. and as a good Name is better then a good ointment Eccles. 7. 1. so the name and doctrine of Christ excelleth all other that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow Phil. 2. 10. This name is as a precious ointment powred forth by the preaching of the Gospell and by the miracles confirming the same accomplished not onely by Christ himselfe a man approved of God among the Israelites by miracles wonders and signes which God did by him Act. 2. 22. so that there went out a fame of him through all the region round about and he taught in their synagogues being glorified of all Luke 4. 14. 15. but also by his Apostles who were to preach on the house tops that which they heard in the eare Matth. 10. 27. which also they performed Rom. 15. 19. and 16. 25. 26. and therein rejoyced and said Now thankes be unto God which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place For we are unto God a sweet-savour in Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2. 2. 14. 15. 16. And as the boxe of ointment when it was broken and powred forth on Christs head the house was filled with the savour of it Marke 14. 3. Iohn 12. 3. so when his Name and Gospell is preached abroad it giveth the odour thereof into all Christian hearts so that by the preaching of faith they also receive the Spirit Gal. 3. 2. 5. and are anointed of God 2 Cor. 1. 21. and have an unction from the Holy-one and know all things 1 Iohn 2. 20. that whereas before they mourned for their sinnes and miseries they now are comforced and have the oile of joy given unto them Esay 61. 3. the Uirgins love thee These are the fellow friends of the Spouse Ps. 45. 15. By Uirgins are meant all such as are chosen and called of God and faithfull whether whole Churches as 2 Cor. 11. 2. or particular persons who with chaste and pure minds serve the Lord onely and worship him in spirit and truth and stand with Christ on the mount Sion having his Fathers name written in their foreheads of whom it is said These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth these were bought from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lambe and in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God Rev. 14. 1 4. 5. And these love the Lord for the odour of his good ointments which they perceive by his word and Spirit though they see him not 1 Pet. 1. 8. they love him because he first loved them 1 Iohn 4. 19. and hath shed abroad his love in their hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto them Rom. 5. 5. and this is love that they walke after his commandements and keepe them 2 Ioh. v. 6. Iohn 14. 15. Vers. 4. Draw me A second request of the Spouse unto Christ that he would not onely call her outwardly by the voice of his Gospell but forasmuch as the word preached profiteth not if it bee not mixed with faith in them that heare it Heb. 4. 2. and faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. who worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. that he would also open her heart Acts 16. 14. effectually worke in her by his Spirit and continue and increase his grace towards her For drawing implyeth power in him that draweth as Hee draweth the mighty with his power Iob 24. 22. and when it is unto good it argueth grace and good will as I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love Hos. 11. 4. and continuance of grace as O draw that is continue thy loving kindnesse to them that know thee Psal. 26. 10. and in them that are drawne it is a signe of infirmity as No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Iohn 6. 44. And this is a fruit and effect of Christs death as himselfe saith And I if I bee lifted up or taken away from the earth will draw all men unto mee Iohn 12. 32. This drawing is by being effectually taught of God as againe he saith It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth to me Iohn 6. 45. and is a signe of Gods everlasting love towards such as it was said unto Israel Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawne thee Ier. 31. 3. we will runne I and the Virgins fore-mentioned will runne after thee for they follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14. 4. Christ is our Fore runner gone before us into heaven Heb. 6. 20. Our Christian conversation is called a running Gal. 2. 2. and 5. 7. and our life is likened to a course or race which is runne as Iohn fulfilled his course or race Acts 13. 25. and Paul saith I have finished my course 2 Tim. 4. 7. Running signifieth readinesse of affection and speedy performance in action Hag. 1. 9. 1 King 19. 19. 20. Psal. 147. 15. it argueth also strength in the runner Dan. 8. 6. all which are here implyed as an effect of Christs grace drawing her according to the Prophesie Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knewest not and nations that knew not thee shall runne unto thee c. Esay 55. 5. And againe They that wait on the Lord shall renew strength c. they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint Esay 40. 31. Now the way which we are to runne is his commandements of which David saith I
thus wast thou decked with gold and silver Ezek. 16. 11. 12. 13. The spirituall signification according to either similitude is one and the same as after shall bee shewed rowes in Hebr. Torim which being of the singular Tor signifieth a disposition row or orderly course of things and hath affinity with Torah which hath the name of the Law in Hebrew and the one is put as an examplanation of the other as David said Is this the Law of man ô Lord God 2 Samuel 7. 19. which another Prophet relateth thus thou hast regarded me according to the order disposition or estate of a man of high degree ô Lord God 1 Chron. 17. 17. And indeed the Law of God is his ordinance or orderly disposition of his precepts the rules and canons of our life The same word Tor is also used for a Turtle-dove and Torim are Turtles as in the law of sacrifices Lev. 12. which some therefore take here to be jewels or ornaments that had the figures of Turtle doves And so the Greeke version here translateth How beautifull are thy cheekes as of a turtle dove But in the verse following where the same word is againe used the Greeke translateth We will make for thee similitudes of gold chaine 's in Heb. Charuzim a word not found but in this one place translated in Gr. collars or chaines and is interpreted by the Hebrew Doctors chaines or jewels hanged on a string like chaines to put about the necke These rowes and chaines signifie the Lawes and ordinances of God wherewith he adorneth the face and necke of his Church that in her profession practice and obedience she may bee comely and gracious in the sight of God and his people and being guided by them may vanquish her enemies Thus Solomon elsewhere saith there is gold and a multitude of rubies but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel Proverb 20. 15. And againe My sonne heare the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thine head and chains about thy necke Proverb 1. 8. 9. They meane also the gracious effects which the Law and doctrine of God worketh in his people of humility reverence and other vertues as on the contrary pride and other like vices are said to compasse evill men about as a chaine and violence to cover them as a garment Psalme 73. 6. Likewise holy persons that teach instruct reprove and such as receive doctrine and reproofe Proverb 25. 12. and reproofes themselves are pearles Matth. 7. Thus also the Hebrewes understood this Scripture as the Chaldee paraphrase here saith When the Israelites went forth into the Wildernesse the Lord said unto Moses How fayre is this people that the words of the Law should bee given unto them that they may be as bridles in their jawes that they depart not out of the good way as an horse goeth not aside that hath a bridle in his jawes and how faire is their necke to beare the yoake of my precepts that they may bee upon them as a yoake on thenecke of a bullocke that ploweth in the field and feedeth both it selfe and the master thereof Vers. 11. We will make for thee A promise of encrease of graces to the Church by We is understood the mystery of the Trinity as in Genesis 1. 26. Let us make man So in Rev. 1. 4. 5. Grace and peace is wished from the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and in 1 Corinth 12. 4. 5. 6. the diversities of gifts are noted to be of the Spirit the diversities of ministeries whereby those gifts are administred to be of the Lord Christ and the diversities of operations effected by the gifts and ministeries to bee of God the Father The Hebrewes also as Sol. larchi here interpret it I and my judgement hall by which phrase the Trinity of old was implyed though now the faithlesse deny the same for a judgement hall in Israel consisted of three at the least which in their close manner of speech they applyed unto GOD but their posterity understood it not Christ here teacheth his Church that every grace and good gift is from GOD as also the increase thereof Iames 1. 17. Ephes. 3. 16. that the spirituall ornaments are of his making who worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Also that to him that hath shall be given and he shall have more abundance Matth. 13. 12. As in our bodies wee come naked into this world without clothes or ornaments so is the estate of our soules by nature naked and bare Ezek. 16. 4. 7. till Christ of his grace by his Spirit clotheth and adorneth us Revelation 3. 18. rowes of gold he spake before of rowes simply now he addeth of gold either to signifie more excellent ordinances and graces under the Gospell then under the Law as hee promiseth For brasse I will bring gold and for â—ron I will bring silver c. Esay 60. 17. that should proceed from faith and love and not from feare as when shee was under the bridle of the Law for wee should not bee like horse and mule whose jaw must bee bound with bit and bridle Psalme 32. 9. and yeeld obedience by constraint or it meaneth a new supply of graces so that we are changed into the image of God from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord 2 Corinth 3. 18. These promises may respect both the rules ordinances gifts and graces bestowed on his people Proverbes 20. 15. and the persons themselves that are furnished with those graces as the precious sonnes of Zion are said to bee comparable to fine gold Lament 4. 1. speckes of silver in Greeke markes of silver which word markes Stigmata Paul useth in Galatians 6. 17. speaking of the markes of the Lord Iesus by suffering for his Gospell Here it meaneth variety of graces in the communion of the Saints for their mutuall helpe comfort and delight as is opened in Proverb 25. 11. 12. A word fitly spoken is like Apples of gold with pictures of silver As an eare-ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold so is a wise reprover upon an obedient eare Where we are taught that both instructions and reproofes are the ornaments of the Saints when they are prudently uttered and obediently received Neither of which can bee without the speciall grace of God who both maketh these ornaments for us and maketh us fit to receive and put them on for The hearing eare and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them Proverbs 20. 12. The Chaldee paraphrast expoundeth this verse of the Law which God gave unto Israel on the two tables by the hand of Moses But though the ordinances of the Law were likened to gold and silver wherewith the Church then was decked as God telleth them in Ezekiel 16. 13. and the law of his mouth was better to his people then thousands of gold and
made fruitfull by the blessing and Gospell of Christ Heb. 6. 7. 8. 9. So God promising to heale the backsliding of his people and to love them freely after his anger is turned away saith I will bee as the deaw unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilie and cast forth his roots as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall bee as the Olive tree c. Hos. 14. 4. 5. 6. The Chaldee Paraphrast applieth these flowers to Moses and Aaron which were like unto Palme tree branches and appeared to doe miracles in the land of Aegypt singing to weet of birds as after in speciall hee nameth the Turtle dove This is both a signe and an effect of the Spring time which cheareth all creatures and causeth them in their kind to sing praises unto God and these birds and turtles signifie the Saints who feeling the comforts of Gods word and spirit doe sing his prayse and with Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs doe sing and make melody in their heart to the Lord Ephes. 5. 19. As it is written They shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord c. From the utmost part of the earth have wee heard songs Glory to the righteous Esay 24. 14. 16. of the turtle The Church it selfe is sometime meant by the Turtle Psal. 74. 19. and the Dove Song 2. 14. and 5. 2. sometime the holy Ghost with his graces is resembled by a dove as at our Lords baptisme Mat. 3. 16. and thus the Chaldee expoundeth it here the voice of the holy Ghost So it signifieth the voice of the Spirit in the people of Christ mutually comforting one another and jointly praising â—od with and for his graces The Turtle dove casting her feathers is said to hide her selfe in winter in holes of trees her voice therefore being now heard signifieth that Summer was come Vers. 13. her greene figs or her unripe figs such as the figtree thrusteth out in stead of flowers which appeare on other trees A signe not onely of the Spring but of a fruitfull yeere Our Saviour saith Learne a parable of the figtree When her branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves ye know that Summer is nigh Matth. 24. 32. And the blessing of God upon his Church is hereby signified as on the contrary when hee threatneth to consume the same he saith there shall be no grapes on the vine nor figs on the figtree c. Ier. 8. 13. tender grape or young small grape called in Hebr. Smadar a word used onely in this Song here and in vers 15. and c. 7. v. 12. By this variety of fruits is figured the variety of graces the good workes and sweet odour of them which appeare in the Saints after they are reconciled to God by Iesus Christ who is the true vine the faithfull are the branches who when they beare much fruit the Father is glorified Iohn 15. 1. 5. 8. The people of God themselves are also likened to grapes and figges as I found Israel like grapes in the wildernesse I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the figtree c. Hos. 9. 10. rise up thou or rise up for thy selfe as in vers 10. which exhortation is here againe repeated Vers. 14. My dove so Christ calleth here his Church The dove is mournfull sociable harmlesse chaste fearfull c. as I did mourne as a dove Esay 38. 14. and wee mourne sore like doves Esay 59. 11. Againe who are these that flie as the doves to their windowes or lockers Esay 60. 8. and in Ezek. 7. 16. they that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountaines like doves of the vallies all of them mourning every one for his iniquity And in Hos. 11. 11. they shall tremble as a dove out of the land of Assyria in Mat. 10. 16. be harmlesse as doves All which properties agree with the Church in this her estate especially fearfulnesse and mourning for her iniquities whereby she became sicke of love vers 5. the clefts of the Rocke hidden there for feare of enemies as it is written O yee that dwell in Moab leave the cities and dwell in the Rocke and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the holes mouth Ier. 48. 28. The Rocke whither this dove the Church was now fled seemeth most properly to meane faith in Christ as Mat. 16. 18. wherein she hid her selfe for feare of Gods wrath for her sin and yet durst not shew her selfe or the election of God which as a sure and rocky foundation abideth for ever Herewith compare Exod. 32. 22. where Moses was put in a clift of the Rocke and covered with Gods hand while hee passed by secret place or hiding place thus David often calleth God his secret or hiding place as 〈◊〉 Psalme 32. 7. Thou art a secret place to me from distresse thou wilt preserve me c. See also Psal. 61. 5. and 91. 1. stayres Heb. stayre or steepe place This as the Rocke aforesaid may signifie Christ by 〈…〉 th in him we ascend unto God by degrees as by stayres he being the Ladder which Iakob saw in vision upon whom the Angels of God ascended and descended Gen. 28 12. Ioh. 1. 51. let me see thy countenance or cause me to see thy personage thy visage thy forme fashion shape sight or appearance see chap. 5. 15. that is stirre up thy faith and hold up thy face with comfort come unto me walke before me and be upright as Gen. 17. 1. Present thy body as a living sacrifice holy c. Rom. 12. 1. So the Chaldee expoundeth it Shew me thy countenance and thy righteous workes heare thy voice that is thy prayers prayses songs thanksgivings c. Psalm 5. 3. and 26. 7. and 28. 2. and 42 5. call upon me in all thy feares and troubles as in Psal. 50. 15. Call on mee in the day of distresse c. By these words Christ both sheweth her the cause of her soules sicknesse to be her owne infirmities and negligence in prayer and other holy duties as also comforteth her against her feares and the conscience of her infirmities Thus the Chaldee also explaineth it Let me heart thy voice for thy voice is sweet in prayer in the house of the little sanctrary and thy countenance fayre in good workes 〈…〉 is sweet that is pleasing and acceptable being uttered in faith and according to the will of God as it is written Then shall the offrings of Iudah and Ierusalem be sweet that is pleasing unto the Lord Malac. 3. 4. but unto the transgressors he saith your burnt offrings are not acceptable nor your sacrifices sweet unto me Ier. 6. 20. comely or to be desired beautifull as in Song 1. 4. These praises of the Church are spirituall and according to the esteeme of God not of men for even Christ himselfe in respect of wordly reputation had his visage and forme so marred that many were astonied at
they all are one and ioyned together in one and are not divided one from another saith R. Simeon ben Iochai in Zoar upon the sixt section of Leviticus Sometime this word is used singularly Aeloab the Almighty Iob 12. 4. and in a shorter forme Ael Mighty Gen. 14. 18. And Aeloah hath affinity with Alah hee adjured for by oath and execration men entred covenant with God Deut. 29. 12 14 19. Nehem. 10. 29. Eccles. 8. 2. Angels and Magistrates are sometimes called Aelohim Gods Psal. 8. 6. Heb. 2. 7. Psal. 82. 1. 6. but in this worke Iehovah Aelohim was the Creator onely Gen. 2. 4. Esay 44. 24. and Angels were his creatures Psal. 148. 2 5. Col. 1. 16. The Apostles writing in Greeke use it alwaies singularly Theos God so in our and other languages which cannot attayne the grace and proprietie of the Hebrew speech Created that is excellently and perfectly made of nothing at all or of that which is as good as nothing as mans body of the dust Gen. 2. 7. and 1. 27. Therefore creation is a worke of God alone to bee understood of us by faith Heb. 11. 3. although the eternall power and godhead of the Creator are seene by his works to make all men without excuse Rom. 1. 20. wherefore no heathen writer almost but hath acknowledged the world to be the workmanship of God whereby his wisdome power and goodnesse is manifested the heavens and the earth The world and all things that are therein Act. 17. 24. things visible and invisible Col. 1. 16. The Hebrew articles eth and ha seeme also to imply so much eth having the first and last letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and so being of generall comprehension and ha of plaine demonstration This creation of heavens and earth the Scriptures doe apply to the new and spirituall estate of the Church in Christ Esay 51. 16. and 65. 17. and 43. 7. Eph. 2. 10. Rev. 21. 11. The Hebrew Doctors say All whatsoever the holy blessed God hath created in this his world is parted into three parts Some creatures compounded of matter and forme and are generated and corrupted continually as the bodies of men and beasts and plants and minerals Other some are compounded of matter and forme but are not changed from body to body and from forme to forme like the former and they are the heavenly sphaeres and stars in them And their matter is not like other matters nor their forme like other formes And some creatures have form without matter and they are the Angels for the Angels have no body nor corporall substance but formes disparted one from another Maimony in Misn. in Iesudei hatorah chap. 2. S. 3. Vers. 2. empty Hebr. emptinesse a thing empty without inhabitants and void without ornaments a deformed wildernesse and a wast and so unfit for use not being separated from the waters not having light herbes trees beasts birds or people to adorne and inhabit it Gen. 2. 5. This sense the Chaldee paraphrase also yeeldeth and the Prophet confirmeth it saying Hee created it not to be emptie he formed it to be inhabited Esay 45. 18. and when extreme emptinesse and desolation of a place is meant it is expressed by Tehu and Bohu the words here used Esay 34. 11. Ier. 4. 23. or by one of them as Psal. 107. 40. Deut. 32. 10. Darknesse was It is not said God created darknesse for it was but the want or privation of light and so meer nothing This darknesse is mystically applyed to mans corrupt state destitute of heavenly light Eph. 5. 8. and 4. 18. Sometime it signifieth affliction and then God is said to create it Esay 45. 7. The word was and such like are in the original tongues often vnderstood but not expressed though in translations we usually set them downe for plainenesse sake which the scripture warranteth for in repeating matters it many times expresseth words wanting as 2. Chron. 9. 5. true the word for which in 1. King 10. 6. is written true was the word So in 2. Sam. 23. 18. he chiefe among the three for which in 1. Chron. 11. 20. is said he was chiâ—fe And the Greeke translation adding such words the holy Ghost alloweth it as in Psal. 2. 7. thou my sonne in Greeke thou art my sonne and so the Apostle alledgeth it Acts 13. 33. The like is in many other places Compare Mat. 22. 32. with Exod. 3. 6. Mark 12. 29. with Deut. 6. 4. Ioh. 10. 34. with Psal. 82. 6. Acts 2. 25. with Psal. 16. 8. Heb. 1. 12. with Psal. 102. 28. Rom. 3. 12. with Psal. 14. 3. face of the deepe face is used for the upmost part or outside of any thing the Greeke version omitteth it saying upon the deepe and the Hebrew text sometime doth the like as in 1 King 9. 7. from on the face of the land which elsewhere is written from on the land 2. Chron. 7. 20. By the deepe or abyss is meant the deepe of waters which as a garment covered the earth and stood above the mountaines Psal. 104. 6. Hereupon the Apostle saith the earth consisted out of the water and in the water by the word of God 2 Pet. 3. 5. Spirit The Hebrew Ruach is generally any Spirit Ghost breath or winde here it is as the worke thereof sheweth no created spirit but the creator and cherisher of all as Psal. 104 30. thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created So Psal. 33. 6. Esay 40. 12 13. Later Iewes whom some Christians follow expound this a wind of God or a mightie wind but the wind which is the moving of the ayre was not created till the second day that the firmament was spred and ayre made The ancient Rabbines spake better as Targum Ierusamely here saith the spirit of mercies from before the Lord and R. Menachem on this place interprets it the spirit of wisedome called the spirit of the living God and the author of the Zoar Col. 83. calleth it the spirit of the Messias or of Christ. moved or was moving The Hebrew Rachaph signifieth generally a waving or moving Ier. 23. 9. and in speciall such a moving and fluttering as Eagles use over their yong cherishing and stirring them up Deu. 32. 11. So it is used here for the effectuall comfortable motion whereby Gods Spirit sustained and as it were stirred up the wast creature Here againe moving is used for moved as the Queen of Sheba hearing 1. King 10. 1. for the Queen of Sheba heard 2. Chron. 9. 1. warring 1 Sam. 31. 1. for warred 1 Chron. 10. 1. Or we may understand was moving as the Cherubims spreading the wings 1 King 8. 7. for they were spreading 2. Chron. 5. 8. Vers. 3. God said This sheweth how God created things by his word saying and it was commanding and it was created Psal. 33. 6. 9. and 148. 5. light the first ornament of the world wherewith the Lord decked it as with a garment Psal. 104. 2. This glorious worke Paul
And this Minde is the Lords candle searching all the toward roomes of the belly Prov. 20. 27. The Hebrew lives is by the holy Ghost translated in Greeke life Act. 2. 28. from Psal. 16. 11. and it is so 〈◊〉 in the forme plurall because in life there are ma 〈…〉 operations changes occurrences c. that doe fall out and men or Adam which Paul openeth thus the first man Adam 1 Cor. 15. 45 was or was to that is become a living soule The word to as it is often expressed so is it sometime omitted in the Hebrew text◠as 〈◊〉 Chron. 18. 21. I will be to or for a lying spirit which in 1 King 22. 22. is written I will be a lying spirit unto this living soule Paul opposeth the second Adam Christ who is a livemaking spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. where he compareth living or quicke with livemaking or quickning soule with spirit as also the souly or naturall body with the spirituall verse 44. 46. So by living soule here is meant the naturall estate of life in this world where men doe eat and drinke procreate children c. which in the world to come shall be otherwise when this animalitie or souly state shall be changed into spiritualtie As for the terme of this our souly or naturall life it dureth while our breath is in us and the spirit of God in our nostrills Iob 27. 3. for the breath of the Almighty giveth us life Iob 33. 4. And here for a living soule the Chaldee translateth speaking that is reasonable because man hath a soule reasonable wherby he speaketh so differing from dumbe beasts Psal. 32. 9. 2 Pet. 2. 16. The Hebrew Doctors say the forme of the inferiour Adam mystically signified the forme of the superiour Adam R. Menachem on Gen. 5. 1. The mystery is opened by the Apostle thus The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is of the Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. V. 8. a garden called hereupon the garden of Iehovah Gen. 13. 10. the Greeke translateth it a paradise which name is borrowed from the Hebrew pardese that signifieth an orchard Song 4. 13. Eccles 2. 5. This place for the pleasantnesse of it is made a figure of heaven named paradise in Luk. 23. 43. 2 Cor. 12. 4. It is also applied to the Church of Christ Revel 21. 22. So the Hebrew Doctors gathered from Song 4. 12. that this garden signified the Church of Israel R. Menachem on Gen. 2. 8. in Eden a countrie in the upper part of Chaldea mentioned in Esa. 35. 12. Ezek. 27. 23. and other where Eden signifieth Pleasure of it the Greekes name Pleasure Hedone and the name sheweth it to bee the pleasantest part of the world wherefore comparisons are made by it Esa. 51. 3. Ezek. 31. 16. 18. Vers. 9. desireable that is goodly pleasant tall excellent as Cedars and the like See Ezek. 31. 8. 9. 18. tree of life which was continually flourishing and fruitfull unto which the scripture seemeth to have reference in describing the spirituall Paradise under the Gospell mentioning the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yeelded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations Rev. 22. 2. This was unto Adam a symbolicall tree a signe not onely of a blessed naturall life in Paradise for a time but of a spirituall life after in Heaven for ever if he continued in obedience to his Creator For as the bread of life is that which giveth life eternall to them that eate of it Ioh. 6. 48. 50. 51. so this tree of life signified the like as God himselfe after sheweth Gen. 3. 22. Compare also Prov. 13. 12. midst of the garden the Greeke sayth of the paradise which the Holy Ghost followeth in Rev. 2. 7. saying to him that overcommeth I will give to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God The word midst often signifieth no more then within as in Gen. 41. 48 amidst the same City that is within the same So in the midst of thornes Luke 8. 7. is among or into the thornes Mat. 4. 7. And the tree of knowledge is said also to be in the midst of the garden that is within it Gen. 3. 3. the knowledge of good and evill so named because of Gods law which forbad man to eate of this tree should teach what is good and evill be a rule of obedience shewing mans goodnesse and righteousnesse if he did obey as Deut. 6. 25. or his evill if he did transgresse for the knowledge of sinne is by the law Rom. 3. 20. Also knowledge is used for sense or experience Gen. 12. 12 Song 6. 11. Esay 59. 8. and sometime for most neere union and conjunction Gen. 4. 1. and this tree might so have the name of the event because Adam by eating of it brought evill into the world was commingled and defiled with it and felt the misery of it in his owne conscience experience Gen. 3. 6. 7. The Greeke translateth a tree to know that which may be knowne of good and evill and the Chaldee thus a tree of whose fruit they that eate shall know the difference between good and evill So in Thargum Ierusalemy likewise Vers. 10. to water From this river and the use of it in Paradise the Scripture speaketh of Gods spirit and graces in his Church as the pure river of the water of life Rev. 22. 1. the river of God full of waters Psal. 65. 10. the river whose streames make glad the city of God Psal. 46. 5. See Iohn 7. 38. 39. was to that is became into foure heads meaning foure beginnings of other rivers Vers. 11. Pison or as in the Greeke Phison it is so called of the multitude or increase of waters The Scripture elsewhere speaketh not of it compasseth This word is sometime used for turning and passing along by though not round about as in Ios. 15. 3. and 16. 6. where the Greeke translateth it perieleusetai passe by and so it may be taked here Havilah in Greeke Evilat This was the name of two men one the sonne of Cush the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noe Gen. 10. 7. the country where hee dwelt was called by his name and that is it here mentioned and after in Gen. 25. 18. 1 Sam. 15. 7. Another Havilah was the sonne of Ioktan the sonne of Heber of the race of Sem sonne of Noe Gen. 1029. His countrie befell him in the East Indies Vers. 12. good that is fine precious so in 2 Chr. 3. 5. Bdelium the name of a tree and of a sweet gumme that runneth from it The Hebrew name is Bedólach and some thinke it to bee a kind of Pearle the Manna was like unto it and the colour white Num. 11. 7. Exod. 16. 31. Beryll a precious stone called in Hebrew Shoham which the Greeke in Exod. 28. 20. translateth a Beryll the Chaldee calleth it
which he condemned the world and became heyre of the justice which is by faith Heb. 11. 7. did or made it namely the Arke and all things appointed him of God Wherefore the Greeke so translateth Noe did or made all things and oftentimes a thing set downe thus generally is to bee understood of all and every particular the holy Ghost so expounding as in a like case Exod. 25. 40. looke and make them after their patterne that is looke thou make all things after the patterne Heb. 8. 5. So Deut. 27. 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law that is Cursed be every one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law Gal. 3. 10. and sundry the like according to all so not onely the things themselves but the manner of doing them was according to the commandement of God Like praise was for the worke of the Tabernacle Exod. 39. 43. and 40. 16. CHAP. VII 1 God commandeth Noe and his house to enter into the Arke with beasts and fowles 7 Noe and they goe in 12 It raineth forty dayes and forty nights 17 the waters beare up the Arke 18 and drowne the earth 21 All that were on the dry land dyed 23 save Noe and those with him 24 The waters prevaile an hundred and fifty dayes ANd Iehovah said unto Noe Enter thou and all thy house into the Ark for thee have I seene just before mee in this generation Of every cleane beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven the male and his female and of the beast which is not cleane two the male and his female Also of the fowle of the heavens seven and seven the male and the female to keepe alive seed upon the face of all the earth For seven dayes hence I will cause-it-to raine upon the earth forty dayes and forty nights and will blot-out every living substance that I have made from upon the face of the earth And Noe did according to all that Iehovah commanded him And Noe was sixe hundred yeeres old and the Flood was waters upon the earth And Noe went in and his sonnes and his wife and his sonnes wives with him into the Arke because of the waters of the Flood Of the cleane beast and of the beast which was not cleane and of the fowl and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth Two and two went in unto Noe into the Ark the male and the female even as God had commanded Noe. And it was at the seventh of the dayes that the waters of the Flood were upon the earth In the yeere the sixe hundred yeere of the life of Noe in the second moneth in the seventeenth day of the moneth in the same day all the fountaines of the great deepe were broken-up and the windowes of the heavens were opened And the raine was upon the earth forty dayes and forty nights In this selfe same day entred Noe and Sem and Cham and Iapheth the sonnes of Noe and the wife of Noe and the three wives of his sonnes with them into the Ark. They and every beast after his kind and all the cattell after their kind and every creeping-thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind and every fowle after his kind every bird of every wing And they went in unto Noe into the Ark two and two of all flesh which had in it the spirit of life And they that went in went in male and female of all flesh even as God had commanded him and Iehovah shut him in And the Flood was forty dayes upon the earth and the waters increased and bare-up the arke and it was lift-up from the earth And the waters prevailed and were increased greatly upon the earth and the arke went upon the face of the waters And the waters prevailed most exceedingly upon the earth and all the high mountaines that are under all the heavens were covered Fifteene cubits upwards did the waters prevaile and the mountaines were covered And all flesh that moved upon the earth gave up the ghost of fowle and of cattell and of beast and of every creeping-thing that creepeth upon the earth and every man All which had the breath of the spirit of life in his nostrils of all which was in the dry land they died And every living substance was blotted out which was upon the face of the earth from man unto cattell unto the creeping thing and unto the fowle of the heavens and they were blotted out from the earth and Noe onely remained and they that were with him in the arke And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty dayes Annotations ENter thou that is Betake thy selfe unto my tuition and providence who will save thee and thine from the wrath that commeth upon the world 2 Pet. 2. 5. A like speech is made unto the godly in Esa. 26. 20. just before me that is syncerely just by faith and so heyre of the justice which is by faith Heb. 11. 7. for no flesh is just before God by the workes of the Law Rom. 3. 20. Noc is also named a preacher of justice 2 Pet. 2. 5. The just before God are opposed to hypocrites which justifie themselves before men Luke 16. 15. Rom. 2. 29. in this generation that is among the men of this age which are called the world of ungodly ones 2 Pet. 2. 5. See Gen. 6. 9. Vers. 2. of every cleâ—â—e beast Of these there were after by Moses law two sorts some cleane for men to eate in common use such as were all that parted the 〈…〉 two and chewed the cudd Lev. 11. 3. c. all other were uncleane And some that were clean for sacrifice to God which were either beeves or sheepe or goats Lev. 1. 2. 10. So of fowles many were counted cleane for mans meat Lev. 11. 13. 21. c. but for sacrifice to the Lord onely turâ—le doves and pigeons Lev. 1. 14. And all these sacrifices Abram offered Gen. 15. 9. and of every cleane beast and cleane fowle Noe offered a burnt offering after hee came out of the Arke Gen. 8. 20. wherefore by cleane beasts here such onely seeme to be meant as were sanctified of God for sacrifice which ordinances as appeareth were revealed of God to the Fathers from the beginning as divers others after written by Moses as clensing of mens persons and garments Gen. 35. 2. paying of tythes to the Priests Gen. 14. 20. offering of first fruits Gen. 4. 3. 4. and the like As for civill use all beasts seeme to be cleane to the sonnes of Noe for meat by that law in Gen. 9. 3. see the notes there By nature all Gods creatures are good Gen. 1. 31. and there is nothing uncleane of it selfe Rom. 14. 14. but onely by the institution of God to teach men holinesse and obedience Act. 10. 15. Lev. 11. 44. 45. and seven Hebr. seven seven that is by sevens or seven of each sort so after two two vers 9.
stable and constant so where one Prophet relateth Davids words be it faithfull for ever 1 Chron. 17. 23. another writeth stablish thou for ever 2 Sam. 7. 25. and againe faithfull shall thy house be 2 Sam. 7. 16. for which in 1 Chron. 17. 14. is written I will stablish him in my house And as beleefe is with the hart Rom. 10. 10. so it is said Iaakobs heart fainted for he beleeved them not Gen. 45. 26. whereby it appeareth that beleefe is a lively motion of the heart and spirit firmly resting in the things spoken When Iaakob saw the Waggons which Ioseph had sent whereby he was moved to beleeve it is said that his spirit revived Gen. 45. 27. And Paul saith that faith is the ground or confidence of things hoped for the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. in Iehovah the Greeke translateth he beleeved God and so the Apostles cite the words Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. Iam. 2. 23. be imputed it that is God imputed that beleefe The Greeke which also the Apostle followeth saith it was imputed or thought counted esteemed for justice or righteousnesse the word for is added in Greeke and by the Apostle in Rom. 4. 3. and elsewhere in the Hebrew Psal. 106. 31. which also in repeating things expresseth such words wanting as lebeith in the house Ier. 52. 17. which in 2 King 25. 13. was written onely beith the house Now of this the Apostle inferreth To him that worketh the reward is not imputed or reckned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed for justice Roman 4. 4. 5. where he maketh Abram to be in himselfe ungodly or impious as having beene an idolater Ios. 24. 2. and still without glory of workes before God Rom 4. 2. but counted just for his faith in the promises of God vers 21. 22. adding that it is not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead Rom. 4. 23. 24. Vers. 7. from Vr This sheweth that Abram was particularly called at the first though Moses expressed it nor Gen. 11. 31. and Stephen rightly gathered it from this place and from Ios. 24. 3. as from the words of Abrams second calling Gen. 12. 1. hee gathereth what were the words of his first calling Act. 7. 2. 3. 4. Of this Vr see Gen. 11. 28. Vers. 9. Take unto me that is Take and offer unto me so the Chaldee translateth Offer before me Gen. 48. 9. take them to me is bring them so in Exod. 25. 2. and often and thou hast taken gifts Psal. 68. 19. is expounded by the Apostle thou hast given gifts Eph. 48. a three-yeerling or a trebled heiffer but the Greeke translateth a three yeerling heiffer Howbeit the Chaldee paraphrast saith three heiffers c. the Hebrew signifying trebled or thirded is indifferent to either but the first seemeth fittest here Some take it for dividing into 3 parts but they were parted in the mids vers 10. a young pigeon the Hebrew word is used in Deut. 32. 11. for yong eagles but the Chaldee here hath barjonah a yong dove and the Greeke hath a dove and thus also it accordeth with the law in Lev. 1. 14 where yong doves are expresly mentioned And as there all offrings were either of beeves or sheepe or of goats of turtles or yong doves Lev. 1. 2. 10. 14. so here they all are commanded to Abram And figured out his children that should bee slaine as sacrifices and mortified by afflictions foure hundred yeeres as God after expoundeth it in vers 13. for the sacrifices of beasts signified our more reasonable service of God Rom. 12. 1. Esay 66. 20. Roman 15. 16. Vers. 10. and gave that is layd or put every oneâ— part or halfe Hebr. man his part but Ish man is every one and is so expounded by Paul in Heb. 8. 11. from Ier. 31. 34. and is applied to all other things as well as to men here to beasts and birds and in Esay 36. 18. to the Gods of the Heathens The parts were laid asunder one against another as shoulder against shoulder leg against leg with a space to goe betweene Vers. 17. God hereby signifying that the affliction of Abrams seed should be ordered so by his providence that after the time limited they should be restored one part to another as the bones of that people scattered in Babylon came againe together bone to his bone Ezek. 37. 7. 11. 14. parted not according to the law after given which bade it should bee cleaved with the wings thereof but not divided asunder Lev. 1. 17. Vers. 11. the fowles ravenous birds as Eagles Kites c. which prey upon dead bodies Figuring the Aegyptians and enemies of Abram seed which should seeke to devoure them So the Kings of Babel and Aegypt are likened to Eagles Ezek. 17. 3. 7. 12. and the fowles are called to eat of sacrifices Ezek. 39. 10. Rev. 19. 17. 18. And the Ierusalemy paraphrast expoundeth the fowles to be the monarchies that afflicted Israel buffed them drove them away with a wind or blowing as the Hebrew importeth So Moses and Aaron saved Israel from being devoured by the Aegyptians Exod. 7. c. Vers. 12. going or to goe downe that is about or ready to set Hebr. to goe in a deep-sleepe The Greeke calleth it an extasie or trance so Gen. 2. 21. The Hebrew Doctors observe concerning visions shewed to the Prophets that they saw no propheticall vision but by dream or by night vision Num. 12. 6. and 22. 19. 20. or by day after that a deepe-sleepe was falne upon them Dan. 10. 9. And all that prophesied their joynts trembled there remained no strength in them and their thoughts were troubled and the mind was left changed to understand that which was seene as is said of Abram and loe a terrour a great darknesse fell upon him and of Daniel my vigour was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength Dan. 10. 8. Maimony in Iesudei hatorah chap. 7. S. 2. But they except Moses as the Scripture also doth Num. 12. 7. 8. a terrour this and the darknesse following shadowed out also the great discomforts that Abrams children should have by the vexation of their enemies as David and others complayne of the like in their afflictions Psal. 55. 4. 5. 6. and 88. 7. 17. So the Ierusalemy paraphrast applyeth this vision to the Kingdomes of Babel Madai Iavan and Edom that is Rome which should bring Abrams children into bondage Vers. 13. knowing know that is know assuredly see Gen. 2. 17. not theirs meaning Aegypt Mesopotamia and Canaan it selfe wherein they were but strangers Gen. 17. 8. Psal. 105. 11. 12. and therein afflicted Gen. 21. 9. and 26. 7. 14. 15. c. but chiefly in Aegypt 400 yeere which beganne when
2. give that is dispose and make my covenant or testament see Gen. 9. 12. and 6. 18. betweene me the Chaldee interpreteth it betweene my Word so after in v 7. 10. 11. See also Gen 9. 12. in very much abundance Hebr. in abundance abundance or vehemently vehemently so after in v. 6. and often Vers. 3. fell in reverence to Gods word and majesty and in thankfulnesse for this mercy See the like humiliation in Lev. 9. 24. Ezek. 1. 29. and 3. 23. Dan. 8. 17. Vers. 4. As for me Hebr. I the Greeke addeth And I. a father or for afather but the word for may be omitted in English as the Greeke here also doth and sometime the Hebrew it selfe as I will be for a lying spirit 2 Chron. 18. 21. that is I will be a lying spirit 1 King 22. 22. The New Testament in Greeke often keepeth the Hebraisme as Heb. 1. 5. c. a multitude that is of many nations as Paul expoundeth it Rom. 4. 16. 17. where the Apostle sheweth a twofold seed that which is of the Law and that which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the father of us all So by the multitude of nations is meant besides his naturall posterity all Christian beleevers in the world Gal. 3. 28. 29. who should inherit from him as children receive inheritance from their fathers the justice that is by faith and blessednesse accompanying the same through the covenant of grace propagated by Abrams doctrine and example see Rom. 4. and Gal. 3. To this the Hebrew Canons doe accord A stranger say they bringeth first-fruits c. for it was said to Abraham a father of a multitude of nations have I given thee to be Gen. 17. 5. Behold he is father of all the world which shall be gathered under the wings of the Majesty of God Maimony in Misn. treat of First fruits chap. 4. Sect. 3. Vers. 5. Abraham Abram signifieth A high father and the first letter of Hamon that is a multitude being put unto it maketh Abraham as if it were Abrahamon that is A high Father of a multitude of nations Abram is the first man in the world whose name is changed of God and it signified a change of estate and a renewing with increase of grace from God therefore this is after mentioned as one of his favours Neh. 9. 7. So Iakobs name is made new Gen. 32. 28. and all true Christians Esa. 62. 2. Rev. 2. 17. But Isaaks name was not changed for it was given him of God before his birth Gen. 17. 19. given that is freely made or as the Greeke interpreteth put thee and this the Apostle followeth in Rom. 4. 17. So Gen. 9. 12. and after here in vers 6. will give thee to be nations that is will make nations of thee Vers. 6. Kings as David Solomon and the rest of Israel besides the Kings of Edom and other Also the faithfull Kings of the Gentiles Revel 21. 24. Vers. 7. thy seed thy children especially Isaak verse 19. for in Isaak was his seed called Gen. 21. 12. So the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed Rom 9. 8. everlasting Hebr. covenant of eternity Although the outward signes and manner of dispensing this covenant were temporary and changeable as Circumcision into Baptisme Col. 2. 11. 12. yet the covenant it selfe remaineth one in substance for ever being stâ—blished by the blood of Christ the great Pastor Heb. 13. 20. Luke 1. 69. 72. 73. a God or for a God unto thee that is thy God as the Greeke translateth it Herein consisteth the power and life of the everlasting covenant whereby God himselfe his power wisedome goodnesse mercy c. is applyed unto man for blessing and salvation and wee are by adoption made the children of God 2 Cor. 6. 16. 18. For blessed is the people whose God Iehovah is Psal. 144. 15. they shall be delivered out of miseries Rev. 21. 3. 4. raised up from the dead Mat. 22. 31. 32. and God hath prepared for them an heavenly Citie Heb. 11. 16. Vers. 8. of thy sojournings that is as the Greeke explaineth it which thou sojournest in For God gave Abraham no inheritance in it no not so much as to set his foot on Acts 7. 5. but he by faith sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country Heb. 11. 9. So this land figured unto him the kingdome of heaven as is shewed on Gen. 12. 4. But the rebellious sonnes of Abraham after they had full possession of Canaan are in another sense called sojourners there Ezek. 20. 38. and 11. 15. as being rather usurpers then lawfull possessors of that land everlasting so in Esay he saith thy people shall possesse the land for ever Esay 60. 21. howbeit they possessed the earthly land but a little while Esa. 63. 18. but the eternall inheritance was to be received by Christ reserved in the heavens for them and us Heb. 9. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Vers. 9. thy seed thy children as before in v. 7. meaning al the faithful Herupon the Hebrew Doctors say Circumcision was commanded unto Abraham and his seed onely as it is written thou and thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 9. The seed of Ismael is excepted as it is written For in Isaak shall seed be called to thee Gen. 21. 12. And Esau is excepted for loe Isaak said to Iakob And he give to thee the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed Gen. 28. 4. It is a generall rule that he onely is Abrahams seed that retaineth his law and his right way and these are they that ought to be circumcised Maimony in Misneh treat of Kings ch 10. S. 7. Vers. 10. my covenant that is the signe of my covenant or testament as is explained in verse 11. Hereupon are those usuall speeches when the signes and the things signified are named alike as the covenant of circumcision Act. 7. 8. the Lamb is the Lords Passeover Exod. 12. 11. the bread is Christs body Mat. 26. 17. 18. and many the like circumcised This word signifieth a cutting-offround-about to weet of the foreskin of the flesh So it was with shedding of blood and much paine and sorenesse to the flesh Exod. 4. 25. 26. Gen. 34. 25. It figured the circumcision that is the mortification of the heart and spirit in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh Deut. 10. 16. Rom. 2. 29. Col. 2. 11. and so it was a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. Vers. 11. superfluous-foreskin The Hebrew Gnorlah signifieth a superfluity and stoppage that hindereth the due effect and operation of a thing and the Greeke Acrobustia which the Apostle useth in Rom. 2. 25. is in speciall that superfluity which is on the top of mans flesh to weet on the member of generation the foreskin that covereth the secret part Which God here commandeth to bee cut quite off as a signe of
18 29. and 4. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 4. So Ismael cast out from being heire is a type of servants that abide not in the house for ever that is of reprobates Iohn 8. 35. Galat. 4. 30. And though Ismael were now but a youth yet even a child is known by his doings whether his worke be pure and right Prov. 20. 11. therefore Sarah by the spirit of God uttered this speech and God confirmeth it ver 12. and Paul saith not that Sarah but the Scripture speaketh this Galat. 4 30. and by this it is probable that Ismaels mocking was about the inheritance as some of the Hebrew Doctors also have observed R. Moses Gerundens my son who am a free-woman with Isaak who is freeborne see Gal. 4. 30. 31. 28. Vers. 11. very evill or vehemently evill that is very much displeasing as on the contrary to be good in the eyes of any is to please or content Gen. 20. 15. because or for the causes so v. 25. The love to his son caused this griefe howbeit when God bad him kill his beloved son Isaak he shewed no such discontentment Gen. 22. 2 3. it seemeth hee thought this to proceed but from Sarahs owne passion of minde till hee was further informed of God vers 12. 14. Vers. 12. shall seed bee called to thee or shall thy seed be called they shall be named of Isaak not of Ismael that is as Paul inferteth they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed Rom. 9. 7. 8. Seed to thee may also bee read seed of thee that is thy seed for the Scripture sometime putteth one for another as disciples to thee Mar. 2. 18. is the same that disciples of thee or thy disciples Mat. 9. 14. From this limitation of Abrahams seed to Isaak the Iewes do reckon none for Abrahams but the Israelites as in their Canons they say who so voweth concerning Abrahams seed is free from Ismaels and Esaus sonnes and is not bound but touching Israelites as it is said for in Isaak shall seed be called to thee and loe Isaak said to Iaakob And God give thee the blessing of Abraham Gen. 28. 4. Maimony treat of Vowes chap. 9. S. 21. Vers. 13. make of him Heb. put him unto a nation so verse 28. Compare Gen. 17. 20. thy seed thy sonne according to the flesh though not after the promise as Isaak was Vers. 14. bread Sometime bread is used for all food as in Mark 6. 36. compared with Mat. 14. 15. Psal. 78. 20. if it be not so here the Scripture would note the great hardnesse and miserie which they must indure that are cast out of the Lords inheritance and the child to weet he gave unto her he being now about 18. yeeres of age so casting him his first borne son with her out of his house the wildernesse the way towards Egypt where there was no way no food no waters no inhabitants thus were they exposed to many miseries see Deut. 8. 15. Ier. 2. 6. Contrariwise Isaaks children were led and guided of God through that great fearfull wildernes wherein Ismael and his mother wandred Deu. 32. 10. 11. 12. Ex. 13. 21. 22. Our English word wildernesse signifieth a place where men goe wild that is goe astray or wander as Agar here did and so in Iob 12. 24. Psal. 1074. 40. the like is spoken In Hebrew it is called Midbar as being without order a place not for men to dwell in but onely for beasts who there must also be led and gouerned See Exod. 3. 1. 18. Vers. 15. she cast the child that is shee left him being sicke and fainting for thirst The state of such as are without Christ is hereby resembled Esay 65 13 but they that drinke of his waters shall never thirst for it shall be in them a well of water springing up unto everlasting life Ioh. 4. 14. shrubbes or trees as the Chaldee expounds it The Greeke saith under a firre-tree Vers. 16. the death This sheweth the extremitie that they were come into in the desert who erewhile had meat and drinke enough in Abrahams house now ready to perish for thirst God so chastening their former insolencie A like example is of the prodigall son who almost dyed for hunger when the servants in his fathers house had bread enough Luk. 15. 14. 17. for the man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remaine in the congregation of the dead Prov. 21. 16. Vers. 17. there where in Greeke from the place where he is that is in this desolate wildernesse where he lyeth perishing forsaken of all Compare herewith Gods promises to his people in miserie Deut. 4. 27. 30. and Psal 107. 4. 5 6. And thus God remembreth his former promises Gen. 17. 20. and 16. 10. c. Vers. 19. she saw a well which though it were there before yet she saw not her eies being holden till they were opened of God as in Luke 24. 16. 31. By similitude of waters breaking out in the wildernesse and drawing waters out of the wells of salvation the Scripture denoteth the spirituall graces of the gospel communicated with the poore afflicted Esay 35. 6. and 12. 3. Ver. 20. God was The Chaldee paraphraseth the word of the Lord was a helpe to the lad shooter with bow or an archer and so consequently a wariour for shooting with bow was used in battels with men Gen. 49. 23. 24. and 48. 22. and thus the oracle was fulfilled that hee should be a wild man and have his hand against every man Gen. 16. 12. Vers. 21. of Pharan or Paran a wildernesse next adjoyning to the desert of Sinai through which the Israelites journeyed as they went from Egypt to Canaan Num. 10. 12. and 13. 1. 4. Deut. 33. 2. Hab. 3. 3. Vers. 22. Abimelech King of Gerar in Palestina see Gen. 20. 2. Prince that is chiefe Captaine as the Greeke calleth him Archistrategos Chiefe-leader of the Armie God is the word of the Lord is for an helpe to thee saith the Chaldee paraphrast so in the verse following for God he useth the word of the Lord. Vers. 23. if thou shalt lye that is that thou wilt not lye as Psal. 89. 36. an imperfect speech where an imprecation is understood which sometimes is expressed in part as in Ruth 1. 17. the Lord doe so to me and more also if c. For an oath is both a taking of the Lord to witnesse that which one sweareth and to punish if any violate his faith both which Paul expressed when he sware I call God for a witnesse upon or against my soule 2 Cor. 1. 23. See before Gen. 14. 23. and 26. 29. The Greeke for lying translateth hurting or wronging It meaneth false and deceitfull dealing contrary to the covenant now to be made betweene them see Ps. 44. 18 V. 25. a well which was of great use and worth in that dry country as the
smell thereto and made it not hee is guilty of cutting-off but his doome is like all theirs that use or make profit of any of the sanctified things to wit unlawfully Mâ—imony in treat of the holy Implements chap. 2. Sect. 9. 10. be cut off the Chaldee expoundeth it be destroied the Greeke saith the soule of that man shall perish from his people God by this judgment would keepe men from profaning and abusing the holy exercise of praier and doctrine of Christs mediation when the abuse even of the shadow hereof brought destruction upon the offenders CHAP. XXXI 1 Bezaleel and Aholiab are called and made meet for the worke of the Tabernaâ—le and furniture thereof 12 The observation of the Sabbath is againe commanded 18 Moses receiveth the two Tables of the Law AND Iehovah spake unto Moses saying See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Vri the son of Hur of the tribe of Iudah And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisedome and in understanding and in knowledge and in all workmanship To devise cunning-workes to worke in gold and in silver and in brasse And in ingraving of stone to fill and in carving of wood to worke in all workmanship And I behold I have given with him A holiab the son of Ahisamac of the tribe of Dan and in the heart of all wise hearted I have given wisedome that they may make all that I have commanded thee The Tent of the congregation and the Arke of the Testimonie and the Covering-mercie seat that is thereupon and all the vessels of the Tent. And the Table and the vessels thereof and the pure Candlesticke and all the vessels thereof and the Altar of incense And the Altar of burnt-offring all the vessels therof and the Laver and the foot thereof And the garments of ministery and the garments of holinesse for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sonnes to minister-in-thepriests office And the anointing oile and incense of sweet-spices for the holy place according to all that I have commanded thee shall they doe And Iehovah spake unto Moses saying And thou speake thou unto the sonnes of Israel saying Verily my Sabbatâ—s yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene me and you throughout your generations to know that I am Iehovah that sanctifieth you And yee shall keepe the Sabbath for it is holinesse to you they that profane it every one shall bee put-to die the death for every one that doth any worke therein even that soule shall bee cut-off from amongst his peoples Six daies shall worke be done but in the seventh day is the Sabbath of Sabbathisme holinesse to Iehovah every one that doth any worke in the Sabbath day shall be put to die the death And the Sons of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant Betweene me and the Sonnes of Israel it shall be a signe for ever for in Six daies Iehovah made the heavens the earth and in the Seventh day he rested and was refreshed And he gave unto Moses when hee had made-an-end of speaking with him on mount Sinai two Tables of testimonie Tables of stone written with the finger of God Annotations BEzaleel in Greeke Beseleel by interpretation In the shadow of God he was the sonne of Vri the sonne of Hur the sonne of Caleb or Chelubai the sonne of Esron the sonne of Pharez the sonne of Iudah from whom he was the seventh generation as Enoch was the seventh from Adam and is here designed the master workman of the Lords Tabernacle See his genealogie in 1 Chron. 2. 5. 9. 18. 19. 20. Vers. 3. Spirit that is gifts of the Spirit such as are after mentioned So Paul openeth it in 1 Cor. 12. 4. 8. 11. see also Act. 2. 4. The Greeke expoundeth it a divine Spirit the Chaldee a Spirit from before the Lord. workmanship or Art Hebrew worke So verse 4. Vers. 4. devise cunning-workes such as were mentioned in Exodus 26. 1. c. see the notes there The Hebrew phrase is figurative to thinke thoughts which the Greek explaineth to thinke or minde and to make-artificially the Chaldee saith to teach artificers as it is in Exodus 35. 34. These three things in Bezaleel a calling a furnishing with gifts and a working or operation accordingly are necessarie in all the publike ministers of the Church So Paul mentioneth diversities or distributions 1 of gifts by the Spirit 2 of administrations or ministeries by the Lord Iesus and 3 of operations by God the Father 1 Cor. 12. 4. 5. 6. 〈◊〉 to worke or to doe to make but doing is often used for working as is noted on Exod. 5. 9. and so the Greek translateth it here also in verse 5. Vers. 5. ingraving or cutting The Hebrew word generally signifieth a studious and artificiall ingraving or cutting in stone in wood in yron in earth and then it is Englished ploughing or any other like handicraft to fill that is to set in the golden ouches as Exod. 28. 21. to worke or to make in all worke meaning cunning worke as is expressed in Exod. 35. 33. Vers. 6. Aholiab in Greeke Eliab by interpretation The Tabernacle of the Father Hee is the second master-workman and of the tribe of Dan the handmaids sonne joyned with Beseleel as God usually joyneth two together in al weighty affairs See Exod. 4. 14. 15. and 6. 26. Matth. 10. 2. 3. Luk. 10. 1. Acts 13. 2. Hag. 1. 14. Vers. 7. vessels or instruments furniture implements So after Vers. 10. of ministerie veiles clothes coverings which served to wrap up the holy things in when the host removed as Num. 4. 5. 9. 11. 12. c. Of the Priests garments see Exod. 28. Vers. 13. Uerily or Notwithstanding the Greeke translateth it See Though the worke of the Tabernacle were studiously and speedily to be done yet God would not have any of it done on the Sabbath daies The Law of the Sabbath is very often repeated see Gen. 2. 2. Exod. 16. 23. c. and 20. 8. c. and 23. 12. and 35. 2. 3. to know that is that ye may know as the Greeke translateth The principall signification of the Sabbath was for grace and sanctitie which therefore the Lord often urgeth and blameth the breach of this day as the violating of his covenant See Neh. 9. 14. Ezek. 20. 12. 13. 16. 20. 21. Esay 58. 13. The true observation hereof is by faith in Christ Heb. 4. 3. 9. 10. 11. The Hebrew Doctors say The Sabbath and the precept against idolatrie each of these two is as weighty as all the other Commandements of the Law and the Sabbath is a signe betweene God and us for ever Therefore who so transgresseth the other Commandements he is generally a wicked Israelite but hee that openly profaneth the Sabbath is as an Idolater both of them as infidels in all their affaires Therefore the Prophet laudeth and saith Esay 56. 2. Blessed
halosin by Aquila an ancient interpreter So that the eating of such that is the communion with them is by this law forbidden such flesh was to be cast unto the dogge Exodus 22. 31. home borne the naturall Israelite or a stranger of the Proselytes as the Greeke translateth that is heathens converted to the faith the Church of Israel For if they were not joyned Proselytes the strangers in Israel might eat these things as Moses sheweth in Deuteronomie 14. 21. saying of the dead thing or carkasse thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates which the Chaldee there expoundeth the uncircumcised inhabitant that hee may eat it For the scripture mentioneth three sorts of strangers open Idolaters which might not dwell in the land of Israel others that practised not Idolatrie but yeelded to some chiefe grounds of true religion and such might dwell in the gates or cities of Israel and the third sort converts or proselytes which were bound to all the Law as the Iewes themselves and such are spoken of throughout this chapter Of all these three sorts see the annotations on Exodus 12. 43. 45. 48. his flesh or as the Greeke translateth his body which supply is here added from the next verse where Moses expresseth it the evening the end of the day and beginning of a new This washing and bathing figured a renewing by repentance and faith in Christ to remission of sinnes with sanctification by the spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. Rev. 1. 5. Heb. 10. 22. See the notes on Levit. 15. Vers. 16. his flesh his body with water saith the Grecke version so Paul speaketh of our bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10. 22. It figured their cleansing by repentance as Iohn said I baptise you with water unto repentance Matth. 3. 11. his iniquitie that is his guiltinesse and his punishment See the notes on Gen. 19. 15. CHAP. XVIII 1 God forbiddeth his people to doe after the manner of the beathens 6 Unlawfull mariages and copulations with neere kindred 19 Other unlawfull lusts 21 Idolatrie 23 and beastlinesse 24 wherewith the Canaanites were defiled and for which the land should spew them out 26 By whose example Israel is warned to keepe Gods statutes and judgments lest the like evils came upon them also ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses saying Speake unto the sonnes of Israel and say unto them I am Iehovah your God After the doing of the land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not doe and after the doing of the land of Canaan whither I bring you shall yee not doe and in their statutes ye shall not walke My judgements shall ye doe and my statutes shall yee keepe to walke in them I am Iehovah your God And ye shall keepe my statutes and my judgments which a man shall doe and shall live by them I am Iehovah None of you shall approach unto any neere-kinne of his flesh to uncover their nakednesse I am Iehovah The nakednesse of thy father and the nakednesse of thy mother shalt thou not uncover she is thy mother thou shalt not uncover her nakednesse The nakednesse of thy fathers wife shalt thou not uncover it is thy fathers nakednes The nakednesse of thy sister the daughter of thy father or the daughter of thy mother whether she be borne at home or borne abroad thou shalt not uncover their nakednesse The nakednesse of thy sonnes daughter or of thy daughters daughter thou shalt not uncover their nakednes for they are thy nakednesse The nakednes of thy fathers wives daughter begotten of thy father she is thy sister thou shalt not uncover her nakednes The nakednesse of thy fathers sister thou shalt not uncover she is thy fathers neere-kinne The nakednesse of thy mothers sister thou shalt not uncover for shee is thy mothers neere-kinne The nakednes of thy fathers brother thou shalt not uncover unto his wife thou shalt not approch she is thine aunt The nakednes of thy daughter-in-law thou shalt not uncover shee is thy sonnes wife thou shalt not uncover her nakednes The nakednes of thy brothers wife thou shalt not uncover it is thy brothers nakednes The nakednes of a woman and of her daughter thou shalt not uncover her sonnes daughter or her daughters daughter thou shalt not take to uncover her nakednes they are neere-kinne it is wickednes And a woman unto her sister thou shalt not take to vexe her to uncover her nakednes upon her in her life And unto a woman in the separation of her uncleannes thou shalt not approach to uncover her nakednes And unto thy neighbours wife thou shalt not give thy copulation for seed to defile thy selfe with her And of thy seed shalt thou not give to cause-to-passe-through the fire unto Molech and thou shalt not profane the name of thy God I am Iehovah With a male thou shalt not lye like copulation with a woman it is abomination Neither shalt thou give thy copulation with any beast to defile thy selfe therewith neither shall a woman stand before a beast to lye downe thereto it is confusion Be not ye defiled in any of these things for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast-out from your faces And the lands defiled and I doe visit the iniquitie thereof upon it and the land spueth out the inhabitants thereof You shall therefore keepe my statures and my judgments and shall not doe any of these abominations neither the homeborne nor the stranger that so journeth among you For all these abominations have the men of the land done which were before you and the land is defiled That the land spue not out you also when ye defile it as it spued out the nation which was before you For whosoever shall doe any of th 〈…〉 abominations even the soules that d 〈…〉 them shall be cut-off from among their people Therefore yee shall keepe my charge not to doe any of the statutes of abomi 〈…〉 tions which were done before you and ye shall not be defiled in them I am Iehovah your God Annotations DOing that is doings or actions as the Greek and Chaldee translate the singular number implieth all and everie one of their unlawfull practices land which the Chaldee explaineth the people of the land Of Egypt the scripture testifieth that it was an Idolatrous land and there Israel had beene defiled Ezek. 20. 7. 8. and 23. 8. Likewise of Canaan Levit. 20. 23. therefore these two are expresly named and all other implyed statutes or decrees ordinances described by their lawes either for religion or otherwise if they were superstitious The Hebrew doctors explaine it thus We may not walke in the statutes of the heathens nor bee like unto them either in apparell or in haire Lev. 19. 27. or any the like Lev. 18. 3. But Israel must be separated from them known by their apparell and their other workes as they are separated from them in their knowledge and opinions and so he saith Lev. 20. 26 I have separated
who c. this is an earnest wish as would God or the like the word and setteth forth the earnestnesse of his passion as Act. 23. 3. Psal. 2. 6. his spirit that is the gifts of his spirit as the Chaldee saith his spirit of prophesie So Paul wisheth that all the Church could prophesie and saith Follow after loue and zealously desire spirituall gifts but rather that ye may prophesie 1 Cor. 14. 1. Verse 30. gathered that is gat himselfe or at the Greeke saith departed the Elders who were authorised of God to be of the high Councell or Synedrion with Moses and his assistants and thus they differed from those inferiour Magistrates which had beene appointed before by Iechroes advice Exod. 18. 21 25. And as then all hard causes were brought unto Moses Exod. 18. 26. so after this such causes were brought to the high court or Synedrion first ordained here This is shewed by the Hebrew Canons in Talmud Bab. Sanbedrin c. 1. and Maimony in Sanbedrin c. 5. thus They set up no King but by the mouth of the Senate of 71. Elders neither make they any lesser Synedrion for every tribe and for every citie but by the Senate of 71. Neither judge they a whole tribe revolted to idolatry nor a false Prophet nor the high Priest in judgement of life and death but by the great Synedrion But money-matters are judged by the Court of three Iudges Likewise they make or judge no elder rebellious Deut. 17. nor any citie drawne 〈◊〉 to idolatrie Deut. 13. neither cause they the suspected woman to drinke the bitter waters Nam 5. but in the great Synedrion Neither doe they adde unto or in Large the Citie or the Courtyard neither goe they forth to permitted warre c. whereof see the notes on Deut. 20. 1. but by the great Synedrion as it is said in Exod. 18. 22. every great matter they shall bring unto thee Verse 31. a wind God made an East wind to passe forth in heaven and brought on a South wind by his strength Psal. 78. 26. brought Quailes such fowles as he had fed them with before in Exod 16. 13. them now God againe brought swiftly and as with violence which the Chaldee translateth made to flie let them fall or spred them abroad so this word is Englished in 1 Sam. 30. 16. two cubits Sol. Iarchi saith they flew so hie as against a mans heart that he was not toyled in getting them either by reaching hie or by stooping low Verse 32. ten homers or ten heaps as the Chaldee translateth for the Hebrew homer sometime signifieth an heape as in Ex. 8. 4. sometime a kind of measure containing ten Ephahs or Bushels Ez. 45. 11. the w ch measure is called also a Cor. Eze. 45. 14. so Targum Ierusalemy interpreteth it here Thus also the Greek translateth it ten Cors for of the Hebrew Cor the Greeke Coros in Luk. 16. 7. Latine Corus are derived And Chazkuni here explaineth it ten homers there are in an homer thirtie Seahs or Pecks so ten homers containe three hundred Seahs loe he that gathered least had every day ten Seahs Of the Seah or Pecke see the notes on Gen. 18. 6. This abundance of fowles was miraculous whereupon it is said God rained flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowles as the sand of the seas Psal. 78. 27. And with these they filled their greedy lust seeding themselves without feare as Iude verse 12. though the Lord had threatned to punish them verse 20. Verse 33. not yet cut off to wit from their mouth that is not taken from them which the Greeke translateth before it that is the flesh failed Thus the phrase is opened in Ioel 1. 5. the new wine is cut off from your mouth that is taken away from you Or by cutting may be meant chewing The Psalmist alleaging this saith They were not estranged from their desire the meat was yet in their mouth when the anger of God came up against them c. Psal. 78. 30 31. And here Chazkuni observeth how they were plagued of God after that he had sufficed all of them with flesh that men should not say hee had not plagued them but because he was not able to suffice them all with flesh a very great plague or veâ—â—ment great smiting Abr. Ezra writeth that it was the pestilence God gave-them their request when they lusted for flesh but sent leannesse into their soule Psal. 106. 14 15. The anger of God came up against them and slew of the fat of them and smote downe the choise young men of Israel Psal. 78. 31. Verse 34. hee called meaning Moses called and by the name of the place left a memoriall of their sinne and punishment for a warning to them after Deut. 9. 22. and to us that we should not lust after evill things as they lusted 1 Cor. 10. 6. Or as the Greeke translateth it the name of the place was called see verse 3. Kibroth hattaavah that is as the Greeke expoundeth it Graves or monuments of lust Where lust may be used for the men that lusted as circumcision in Rom. 2. 26. is for men circumcised Pride for the proud man Ier. 50. 31 32. Psal. 36. 12. and many the like See the notes on Gen. 45. 7. Vers. 35. were in Hazeroth or Chatseroth in Greeke Aseiroth here they were that is abode or continued as Daniel was that is continued Dan. 1. 21. and they were that is continued there Ruth 1. 2. The cause of which abode was a new trouble which Moses sister and brother raised against him Num. 12. CHAP. XII 1 Marie and Aaron speake against Moses about his wife and office 4 The Lord calleth them all before him justifieth Moses magnifieth his office rebuketh the murmurers and departeth in anger 10 Marie is made a Loper Aaron confesseth sinne Moses prayeth God to heale her 14 The Lord commandeth her to be shut out of the campe seven dayes 15 The peoples journey is stayed till she was brought in againe then they goe on into Pharan ANd Marie and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Aethiopian woman whom he had taken for hee had taken an Aethiopian woman And they said Hath Iehovah spoken onely indeed by Moses hath he not spoken also by us And Iehovah heard it Now the man Moses was very meeke above all the men which were upon the face of the earth And Iehovah said suddenly unto Moses and unto Aaron and unto Marie Come out ye three unto the Tent of the Congregation and they three went out And Iehovah came downe in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the doore of the Tent and called Aaron and Marie they two came forth And he said Heare now my words If there shall be a Prophet among you I Iehovah will make my selfe knowne unto him in a vision I will speake unto him in a dreame My servant Moses is not so he is faithfull in all mine house Mouth to mouth
it meaneth otherwise as in the next verse See my enemies forgive or lift up take away This word which properly signifieth to take up or beare is applied to forgivenesse of sinnes Rom. 4. 7. from Psal. 32. 1. and the phrase hath reference to Christ who bare and tooke away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1. 29. For when it is applied to a man himselfe bearing his owne sinne it meaneth guilt and punishment Num 5. 31. Vers. 19. of violent wrong that is most violent or wrongfull hatred Vers. 22. his distresses or their distresses for Israel being put for the whole people may have with it a word singular or plurall which the Hebrew text also often sheweth as all Edom was 2 Sam. 8. 14. or all Edom were 1 Chron. 18. 13. The like is in 2 King 23. 30. with 2 Chron. 36. 1. He tooke or they tooke speaking of the people PSAL. XXVI David committeth the triall of himselfe unto God in confidence of his integritie and good conversation 9 He prayeth formercy 11. and promiseth upright walking and thankefulnesse A Psalme of David IVdge me Iehovah for I walke in my perfection and doe trust in Iehovah I shall not stagger Prove me Iehovah and tempt mee trie my reines and my heart For thy mercie is before mine eyes and I walk in thy truth I doe not sit with mortall men of false vanity and with the hidden I enter not I hate the Church of evill doers and with the wicked I sit not I will wash my hands with cleannesse and compasse thine altar Iehovah To cause to heare with voice of confession and to tell all thy marvellous workes Iehovah I love the mansion of thy house and the place of the habitation of thy glory Gather not my soule with sinners and my life with men of blouds In whose hands is a mischievous purpose their right hand is full of bribes And I doe walke in my perfection redeeme thou me and be gracious to me My foot standeth in righteousnesse in the Churches I will blesse Iehovah Annotations IN my perfection or integritie simplicitie and that is when a man meaneth not nor witteth of any evill 2 Sam. 15. 11. Such a walker walketh confidently and blessed shall be his children after him Prov. 10. 9. and 20. 7. in Iehovah Chaldee in the word of the Lord. Vers. 2. try my reines examine as in the fire my inmost affections Thus Iob also offered himselfe to triall Iob. 31. 6. Vers. 3. I walke to wit continually as the forme of this word importeth or converse The Greeke saith I have pleased so to walke with God is to please God Heb. 11. 5. Vers. 4. men of false vanitie that is vaine mortall men or false persons Iob 11. 11. So Ieremie saith he sate not in the secret assemblie of mockers Ier. 15. 17. the hidden that is hypocrites dissemblers secret evill doers as the Chaldee saith with them that hide themselves to doe evill I enter not or come not that is have no company or conversation So the word is also used Ios 23. 7. Vers. 5. church of evill doers the malignant church or congregation Vers. 6. my hands with cleannesse or palms in innocency He hath respect to the washing which God appointed for such as came to his altar Exod. 40 32. Hereupon we are willed to lift up pure hands when we pray unto God 1 Tim. 2. 8. See also Esai 1. 15 16. Vers. 7. To cause to heare that is to sound forth or proclaime so as may be heard So Psal. 66. 8. and 106. 2. And in 1 Chron. 15. 16. David appointed Levites with instruments to cause to heare or to resound lifting up the voice with joy Vers. 8. mansion or habitation This name is given to the tabernacle which Moses made and God dwelt in 1 Sā 2. 29. 32. afterward to Solomons temple 2 Chron. 36. 15. And heaven it selfe is also thus called Deut. 26. 15. where there are many mansions Ioh. 14. 2. of the habitation or the habitacle the tabernacle The tent which Moses made was thus called Exod. 26. 1. 6. and Solomons house 2 Chron. 29. 6. In Exod. 40. 34 35. it is shewed how Gods glory filled that tabernacle when he first tooke possession of it whereupon it is here called the habitacle of his glory or honour and elsewhere the habitacle of the Lord Levit. 17. 4. and of his name Psal. 74. 7. Vers. 9 Gather not my soule Gathering is used for taking away as Ier. 16. 5. Esa. 4. 1. and so for death Esa. 57. 1. 1 Sam. 15. 6. Ezek. 34. 29. and sometime is expressed to whom they are gathered as to their fathers to their people to the grave 2 King 22. 20. Num. 20. 24. 26. and what is gathered the soule as here or the ghost the spirit as Psal. 104. 29. So David here desireth that God would not take away his life among sinners that is with such as for their crimes deserve to die as 1 King 1. 21. Contrariwise gathering is sometime used for gracious receiving or succouring as Psal. 27. 10. men of blouds bloud-guiltie persons See Psal. 5. 7. The Chaldee expoundeth it with men that shed innocent bloud Vers. 10. a mischievous purpose craftily devised evill The Chaldee translateth it counsell of sinne the Greeke iniquities See Psal. 10. 2. Sometime this word is generally used for any abominable evill Levit. 18. 17. and 19. 29. and 20. 14. full of bribes and consequently of injustice for bribes cause justice to be perverted Deut. 16. 19. Contrariwise Gods right hand is full of justice Psal. 48. 11. Vers. 12. in righteousnesse or in a right even and plaine place as the word signifieth Deut. 3. 10. Ier. 21. 13. the Apostle expresseth the word by righteousnesse Heb. 1. 8. from Ps. 45. 7. it is opposed to crookednesse Esa. 40. 4. See also Ps. 27. 11. in the churches or cōgregations assemblies church-meetings called in Greeke ecclesiais and so in the new testament 1 Cor. 14. 34. So also Psal. 68. 27. The Chaldee translateth the congregation of just men PSAL. XXVII David sustaineth his faith by the power of God 4 by his love to the service of God 9 by prayer for Gods assistance and instruction 13 The fruits of faith and patience APsalme of David Iehovah is my light and my salvation for whom should I feare Iehovah is the strength of my life for whom should I dread When evill doers made battell against me to eat my flesh my distressers and my enemies to me themselves stumbled and fell If a pitched host shal pitch against me my heart shal not feare if warre shall rise up against me in this I trust One thing I have asked of Iehovah the same I will request that I may sit in the house of Iehovah all the dayes of my life to view the pleasantnesse of Iehovah and to inquire in his Palace For he will keepe me privily in his pavilion in the day of evill he will keepe me