19. 48. 22. Sychar near to the parcel of ground that Iacob gave to his son Ioseph 6. Now Iacobs well was there Iesus therefore being wearied with his journy sate f f f f f f Sate thus that is in a weary posture or after the manner as tired men use to sit down De Dieu taketh it only for an elegancy in the Greek which might well be omitted and accordingly the Syriack hath omitted it and not owned it at all But see it Emphatical in other places also 1 Sam. 9. 13. Samuel is come this day to the City for the people have a sacrifice in the high place and when you are come into the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you shall So find him that is newly come to Town and going to a sacrifice 1 King 2. 7. Shew kindness to the sons of Barzilla c. for So they came to me that is they came kindly to me Act. 7. 8. he gave him the covenant of circumcision and so Abraham begat Isaac that is he begat him in circumcision c. thus on the well And it was about the sixth hour 7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus saith unto her Give me to drink 8. For his Disciples were gone away into the City to buy meat 9. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him How is it that thou being a Iew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria For the Iews have no dealing with the Samaritans 10. Iesus answered and said unto her If thou knowest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water 11. The woman saith unto him Sir thou hast nothing g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camerarius out of Plautus Latins this Situlam Beza out of Austin Hauritorium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew Esa. 40. 15. Numb 24. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Kimchi in Michol A vessel where withal they drew water the Septuagint in the former place cited renders it Cadus and in the latter they translate the metaphorical sense It seems they brought their buckets with them to draw with as well as their vessels to carry water in unless they made the same vessel serve for both uses by letting it down to draw with a cord to draw with and the well is deep from whence then hast thou that h h h h h h Springing or running water was called by the Hebrew living water Gen. 26. 19. Isaacs servants digged in the valley and found there a well of living water The Chaldee renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 springing water for the bubbling of the spring is like the lively beating of the heart or pulse And hence it was that this woman did so readily mistake our Saviours meaning He spake of the lively waters of grace that spring up in him that hath them to eternal life but she interpreted him according to the propriety of the language as if he had spoken only of waters out of a spring And so had Nicodemus misinterpreted another expression in the former Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or living waters were taken in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gathering of waters as Rambam evidenceth saying thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any waters saith he are fit for the purifying of the Priests hands and feet whether living springing or running waters or waters gathered together In biath hammikdas◠per. 5. By waters gathered together he meaneth ponds or cisterns gathered of rain water or any waters that did not spring or run The Latinists also used the like expression to the Hebr. for springing or running water as in the Poet Donec me flumine vivo Abluero Virg. Aeneid 2. living water 12. Art thou greater than our Father Iacob which gave us the well and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattel 13. Iesus answered and said unto her Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again 14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life 15. The woman saith unto him Sir give me this water that I thirst not neither come hither to draw 16. Iesus saith unto her Go call thy husband and come hither 17. The woman answered and said I have no husband Iesus said unto her Thou hast well said I have no husband 18. For thou hast had five husbands and he whom thou now hast is not thine husband in that saidst thou truly 19. The woman saith unto him Sir I perceive that thou art a Prophet 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this mountain and ye say that in Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship 21. Iesus saith unto her woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father 22. Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews 23. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth 25. The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh * * * * * * These are the words of the Evangelist interpreting the word Messias to the reader and not the words of the woman interpreting it to Christ the Syriack translater hath omitted these words as not necessary to a Syrian reader which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things 26. Iesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he 27. And upon this came his Disciples and marvailed that he talked with i i i i i i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The various construction of the word either with the strength of the article or without hath caused various causes to be conceived of the Disciples wondring at his talking with her Some read it without the force of the Article thus they marvailed that he talked with a woman as unfit say some and uncapable of his serious and divine discourse but others ascribe their wonder to this that he was thus entred into discourse with a strange woman alone and no company near And they that so understand it are confirmed by this because they think it was no more to be wondred at that he should talk with a Samaritan woman than it was that they should go into a Samaritan City to buy provision for why might not he as well talk with a woman as they with the men or women of whom they bought meat if her being a Samaritan were all the matter But the case was not the same for the Jews might buy meat of them and sell meat to them with whom they might
for he that is watered with grace doth thirst for the same water of grace again and again but he saith whosoever shall drink of this water which I shall give him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall never so thirst as to fail or perish by it but this water shall preserve him to eternal life Compare Esay 41. 17. Vers. 15. The woman saith Sir give me of this water c. The woman doth now fall from questioning as vers 11 12. to plain mocking and derision for this can be construed no other in her I know these words of hers are taken by divers to intimate her inclining to and imbracing this doctrine of Christ though she knew not well how to understand it and they shew say some Simplicitatem credendi her simplicity or sincerity of believing who so soon doubted not to ask for this so excellent water But be it considered 1. That as yet she took Christ but for an ordinary man until he hath told her of her secret villanies and then she takes him for a Prophet vers 19. And 2. that taking him for an ordinary man she talks with him as a Samaritan huswife would do with a common Jew between whom there was so deadly a scorn and fewd 3. The thing that Christ spake of of giving water after which the party that had it should never thirst were things so strange and would seem so ridiculous to any Samaritan nay to any flesh and blood that knew no more of him than as yet she did those words proceeding from so mean a man as he seemed to be that her words in reply thereunto Sir give me of this water c. can be no other but a jeer and scorn of what he had spoken And her calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sir doth no whit take off this construction since that was but a word of ordinary compellation or if she used it in a higher sense she used it but in the higher scorn Vers. 17. I have no husband The reason why Christ bids her call her husband may be supposed to be partly that he might check and stop her jeering by minding her of her own faults and chiefly that he might shew her that he was another kind of person then she judged of him by telling her of such things as she knew he could not tell her but divinely Now her denial that she had any husband is ascribed by some to her modesty to conceal her adultery by others to this because she knew not what Christ would do with her husband but till it can be shewed why a Samaritan quean should talk with any reverence or civility with an ordinary Jew for she took Christ for no other as yet especially when he spake to her of such unlikely things as he did it is the most proper and undisputable interpretation of her words I have no husband to take them for a scoffing and regardless answer to a question and to a person that she was careless whether she gave any any answer to or no. Vers. 18. He whom thou now hast is not thine husband It seemeth by the numerousness of her former husbands and by the same expression used concerning them and this thou hast had five and this that thou hast that she was a divorced woman and now lived in an adulterous marriage and it may be married to him who had adulterated her in her former husbands days But be it either thus or that she lived in adultery out of wedlock her conscience is convinced of the truth of the thing that Christ speaketh and withal she findeth that he had told her that which a meer stranger could not tell her but by the spirit of Prophecy and therefore she owns him for a Prophet Vers. 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this Mount Conceiving him to be a Prophet she sodainly desireth to hear what he will determine upon that great dispute that was between the Jews and the Samaritans continually namely whether was the truer and righter place of worship Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim She called Jacob Our Father Jacob ver 12. for so the Samaritans would be a kin to the Jews when they thought good but the Fathers she speaks of here were as far from the Religion and Worship that Jacob used as Jacob was from the Religion of Hamor and Sichem Josephus tells one story that gives this woman but little cause to boast of her Fathers worshipping in that Mount and that is this That when Antiochus Epiphanes did so heavily oppress the Jews and persecute their Religion these Samaritans thinking that their Religion also looked somewhat like that of the Jews and that Antiochus might happily suspect that they and the Jews and both their Religions were something a kin and so they suffer as well as the other they fairly send to Antiochus and betime disclaim any such kindred And whereas indeed they could not deny but they had a Temple they besought him that it might be dedicated to the Grecian Jupiter and called by his name and so by the Kings command it was Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 7. Here was worshipping in that Mount with a witness and much to be bragd of but see the impudence of Hereticks when such a Temple shall compare with the Temple at Jerusalem Abraham Zaccuth saith This Temple of Gerizim was destroyed by Jochanan the son of Simeon the son of Mattathias and the Hereticks slain Juchas fol. 14. Vers. 21. Woman believe me The Hour cometh c. As she owned him for a Prophet so he challengeth to be believed of her as a Prophet and as a Prophet he foretels her of what was now ready to come to pass namely that Ceremonious Worship should cease and be no more confined to particular place or Nation That there should be no Sacrifice at Jerusalem no Image at Samaria no Ephod at Jerusalem no Teraphim at Samaria as Hos. 3. 4. but that those places and that manner of worship should fail and be abolished And so he answers her question in the first place to this purpose that it was needless for her or any other to trouble themselves about that dispute whether Jerusalem or Gerizim were the more eminent place of Worship for the time was just now in coming when neither the one nor the other should be the place of worship at all And then he determins the question indeed that Jerusalem had ever been and was at that present the right place of worship but Gerizim a Temple of error and usurpation and he proves his determination by this reason We know what we worship c. Vers. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth In the term The true worshippers he looketh at the womans question and the two Nations controversie They tugged for it and she inquires about it whether of the people had the true worship amongst them why saith Christ ere long there shall be no worship at all either among the one or the other And
Judaism again to their old Mosaick rites which sometime had been right but now antiquated and to their traditional principles which had never been right but now least of all to have been embraced and to a deadly hatred and persecution of the Gospel that they once professed How the Apostles speak of and against this Apostasie in their Epistles I need not tell you he that runs may read it But he that stands still and reads presely will find that they find The Antichrist that then was in that Apostasie I say the Antichrist that then was For the Scripture gives a hint of a twofold Antichrist one in the Epistles and the other in this Book of the Revelation one that was in those times and the other that was to be afterwards one among the Jews that had embraced the Gospel and the other among the Gentiles which should embrace it And if you will let the unbelieving Jew to be one part of the Antichrist that then was the Apostatized Jew was much more Many Antichrists in those times as this our Apostle tells us 1 Joh. II. 18. but those were they especially of whom he speaks immediately after They went out from us but they were not of us And the like character do these Apostates carry in other places in the Epistles in terms equivalent Now therefore the nearest way to discover the Antichrist that was to be in after times among the Gentiles is by observing his likeness and similitude to the former viz. in apostatizing from the pure and sincere profession of the Gospel to Judaism or to Mosaick manner of worship and Judaick principles and Religion Which how the Church of Rome hath done it would require a long time to compare in all particulars but it will require a far longer time for her to clear her self from that just accusation How near doth she come to Judaism in the doctrine of Justification how near in the doctrine of opus operatum How near in the doctrine of expiation by bare Confession How near in the doctrine of the value of Traditions And one for all how near in turning all Religion into Ceremony Their present year of Jubilee is it not Mosaick And were you there at it and saw the manner of their devotions their formal Services and Ceremonious Worship would you not think you were in the old Jerusalem among the Scribes and Pharisees rather than in the the new where the true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth So that when we departed from the Church of Rome we did but the same thing that the Apostles Disciples and other holy converts of the Jewish Nation did they forsook Judaism to embrace the purity of the Gospel And so did we And in the way that they call Heresie we worship God If I have trespassed too much upon your patience by so prolix a discourse upon so unpleasing a subject I must crave your pardon We enquiring after the new Jerusalem where we might find it come to the place where your ways parted and one went right and the other wrong The wrong way is the broader pleasanter and more trodden and not a few that stand in it and cry This is the right way and no other It is good to give warning it is needful to take warning that we be not misled that the men and the way do not deceive us And having thus far observed where the new Jerusalem is not to be found let us now look where it is And first we must not expect to find it in any one particular place as you might have done the old Jerusalem but it is dispersed here and there abroad in the World It is the Catholick Church as we are taught in our Creed and it is not in one only but in this and that and the other Nation When the new Jerusalem is to be measured in Zach. II. an Angel bids O run after yonder young man that is to measure it and tell him that Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a City without walls for the multitude of men and cattel that shall be therein It is a City unlimited and therefore not to be bounded within this or that compass We may use this Paradox of it That it is a fluid and yet a fixed body nay fixed because fluid that is it is moving sometime into one place sometime into another and therefore it shall never fade or perish The Jews accused S. Stephen of Heresie and blasphemy because he said that the Church and Religion should not alway be pinned to that City and Temple but taken away In his answer he sheweth that the Church and Religion is a Pilgrim one while in one place another while in another in Mesopotamia in Charran in Canaan in Egypt And our own observation may tell us that when it failed in Egypt and Israel followed the Idols and manners of that Land as Ezek. XX. that then God found himself a Church in the family of Job and his three friends The saying of our Saviour may suffice for this The Kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from you and given to a people that shall bring forth the fruits of it And this is that that makes it fixed or never failing because when it decayeth in one place it groweth in another And that promise of our Saviour will ever maintain it in life and being Upon this rock will I build my Church of the Gospel and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it as they have done against the Church of the Jews In Matth. XXIV when Christ foretels of the desolation of that City Church and Nation that their Sun and Moon and Stars Religion and Church and State should be darkned and fall and come to nothing and they should then see the Son of man whom they would never own coming in a thick cloud and storm of vengeance against them it might be questioned where then will God have a Church when that is gone He gives an answer That the Son of man should send his Angels or Ministers with the sound of a trumpet the trumpet of the Gospel and gather him a Church from all the corners under Heaven To which may not improperly be applied that Heb. XII 22. Ye are come to an innumerable company of Angels God will never want his Church but if it be not in one place it will be in another Secondly There is an invisible Church as well as a visible Pauls Jerusalem which is above and out of sight as well as Ezekiels Jerusalem pitched here below There is commonly some invisible Church within the visible as Ezekiels wheel within a wheel But there is sometimes an invisible Church where there is none visible as those seven thousand men in the days of Elias when he could not discern one The Apostle speaking of the new Jerusalem that we are speaking of in that place of the Epistle to the Hebrews before alledged among other things saith Ye are not come to the Mount that might
bespoke him an old Man indeed In which regard none was freer from that which Seneca makes the great reproach of old age viz. when there is nothing to compute age by but years Nihil turpius est saith he quam grandis natu senex qui nullum aliud habet argumentum quo se probet diu vixisse praeter aetatem His body was brought from Ely to his beloved Munden where he had been Minister near two and thirty years and was there buried Mr. Gervase Fulwood formerly a Fellow of Katharine Hall and who had long known him preaching his Funeral Sermon He was interred greatly beloved and greatly lamented by all that knew him and especially his Parishioners who took their last leave of him with many sighs and tears XV. His Temper and Spirit Piety and Vertues AND thus having gone through the most remarkable stages of his Life and labours in an historical way let us now stop a little and by way of reflection look back upon the Man the subject of this long discourse and take some notice of his Temper Course and manner of Life He was of a comly Person and a full and sizable proportion of a mild and somewhat ruddy Countenance and a most strong and hail constitution good signatures of his mind Easie of access grave but yet affable and courteous in his deportment and of a sweet obliging innocent and communicative conversation And though he was plain and unaffected yet there appeared somewhat of a becoming gentility in his behaviour When he light into company of ingenious and good Men he was free and discoursive but if he happened to be present where rude idle or debauched talk was he was silent and most uneasie and would take his leave as soon as he could He was very temperate and abstemious in his diet the noblest part of Physick as Queen Elizabeth used to call it his Food was plain and coarse Wine he altogether abstained from and likewise from Beer and Ale abroad drinking only Water except he were at home where he had his Beer brewed for him which was very small and that he delighted in drinking it also very new He eat seldom above once a day namely a Dinner on the week days and a Supper on Sundays Whereby he redeemed the more time for his Studies and preserved himself in such a constant good plight of health He was of a Genius more curious than ordinary affecting an inquiry into hidden things and to tread unbeaten ways as may be sufficiently judged by the Studies that he followed He seemed to be inquisitive into the nature of Spirits and concerning the apparitions of deceased persons There was a long account of the appearance of a Spirit in Driffeild a Town in Yorkshire which was sent to Dr. Burton when fellow of Magdalen College in Cambridge by a friend of his formerly his Collegian he receiving the Relation from the Woman her self to whom this Spirit often appeared This Letter Dr. Burton communicated to our Doctor who transcribed it with his own Hand though it filled almost a sheet of paper as not only pleasing his curiosity and satisfying him of the Truth of apparitions but also surprizing him by the various and strange discourse that that Spirit used too long here to be repeated He was of a very meek and tender spirit easily discouraged often melting into tears I have been told that being to give a publick Admonition to a lad of his College for being guilty of some high misdemeanors The College Bell being rung and the Students met together in the Hall the Master gave the Scholar his admonition with much gravity and with as much compassion tears being observed to stand in his Eyes while he did it This soft disposition made him easily discouraged I know not to what better to attribute that passage whereby the World had almost been deprived of his excellent Tract of the Temple Which was this as he himself tells it That going that very morning that he began his Description of the Temple to see a piece of Land but a mile off from his House which he had been owner of many years but never saw he chose to take direction and so to go alone by himself for meditation sake But in fine mist his way and lost himself Here his Heart he said took him to task and called him fool so studiously to search into things remote and that so little concerned his interest and so neglective of what was near him in place and that so particularly concerned him and a fool again to go about to describe to others places and buildings that lay so many hundred miles off as from hence to Canaan and under so many hundred years ruines and yet not able to know or find the way to a field of his own that lay so near And this so far prevailed upon him that it put him upon a resolution to lay by that work and so he did for some time till afterward his Bookish mind made him take it in hand again So easily and upon such little accidents are generous Spirits sometimes daunted No Man was more sensible of favours than he and none more apt to pass by injuries being of a calm settled and undisturbed Spirit He was also wary and discreet in his purposes duly weighing circumstances and peircing into the consequences of things This appeared in the Arguments he made use of against certain City Ministers many years ago more zealous than wise and some of them Assembly Men who earnestly advised to lay aside the Celebration of Christmas day When besides reasons taken from Religion as that the thing was in it self lawful and that our Saviour preached at the Feast of Dedication which had an humane Original he urged the inconveniences of it in point of prudence as That it would bring an Odium upon the Assembly That it would certainly breed a Tumult and that it would be safer to let such things alone to Authority than for them to meddle in Which bespake him to be a well advised Man as well as one not affecting novelties And another thing shewed his acuteness as well as his prudence That it being moved in the Assembly that when any went out of the Assembly before all rose he should solemnly make his obeysance that the better notice I suppose should be taken of such as went out this being even ready to pass our Doctor desired that they might not leave it upon their Records to posterity that this Assembly had need to take order for common Reverence and Civility Upon which it was laid by and the Order reversed But his spiritual endowments as he was a Minister and a Christian rendred him more illustrious than all his natural and acquired These made him beloved of God as the others valued and admired of Men. He took a good course at first for the better preparing himself for the Ministry For after his departure from Cambridge having spent two or three years in the County
Mahalaleel dieth 1422      962  735 548 492 435 380 366 282 187 132 Jared dieth 1536        849 662 606 549 494 480 396 301 246 114 The CXX years begin Gen. 6. 3. 1556        869 682 626 569 514 500 416 321 266 134 20 Japhet born 1558        871 684 628 571 516 502 418 323 268 136 22 2 Sem born 1651        964 777 721 664 609 595 511 416 361 229 115 95 93 Lamech dieth 1656        969  726 669 614 600 516 421 266 234 120 100 98 5 Methushelah dieth and the Flood cometh With the story of this fifth Chapter read 1 Chron. 1. 1 2 3 4. which are an abridgment of it CHAP. VI. THE last Verse of the fourth Chapter told of prosanation of Religion or Idolatry begun in the family of Cain in the days of Enosh now the beginning of the sixth Chapter telleth of corruption crept into the family of Seth the very Church it self and this especially by their following the cursed example of Lamech The Sons of of God or the members of the Church and progeny of Seth marrying carelesly and promiscuously with the daughters of men or brood of Cain hence they also became fleshly like Cains race they grew into a gyant-like breed as well as that and those great ones became tyrannical as well as the other hence was the whole world over-spread with cruelty and rapine and all manner of corruptions so that the Lord passeth a decree upon it for destruction but to Noah he giveth a promise of preservation and the plat-form of an Ark in which he and his should be preserved The dimensions of the Ark were such as that it had contained 450000. square cubits within the walls of it if it had risen in an exact square unto the top but it sloping in the roof like the roof of an house till it came to be but a cubit broad in the ridge of it did abate some good parcel of that sum but how much is uncertain should we allow 50000. cubits in the abatement yet will the space be sufficient enough of capacity to receive all the creatures and all their provision that were laid in there The building was three stories high but of the stairs that rose from story to story the Text is silent in every story were partitions not so many as to seclude one kind of creature from another for that was needless there being no enmity betwixt them whilst they were there and it would have been the more troublesom to Noah to bring their provisions to them but there were such partitions as to divide betwixt beasts and their provisions in store betwixt provisions and provisions that by lying near together might receive damage The door was in the side of the lowest story and so it was under water all the time of the flood but God by so special a providence had shut them in that it leaked not In what story every kind of creature had its lodging and habitation is a matter undeterminable how their excrements were conveyed out of the Ark and water conveyed in the Text hath concealed All the creatures were so cicurated and of a tamed condition for this time that they lived together and dieted together without dissention The wolf dwelt with the lamb and the leopard lay down with the kid and the calf and the young lion together as the Prophet alludeth this quietness in the Ark to the tranquility and change of temper under the Gospel and Noah or any of his family might come among lions dragons serpents and they had forgot the wildness and cruelty of their nature and did not meddle with him This shews that the enmity set betwixt the serpent and woman is chiefly to be understood in a spiritual respect Now for the time of the lasting of the Flood it was betwixt Noahs going into the Ark and his coming out a just and complete year of the sun for the better viewing and observing of which it may not be amiss to take it up in a Kalendar of the year as it then ran A Kalendar of the year of the Flood which was the year of the world 1656. Tisri the first moneth Part of our September and October Days of Moneth  1 THere is no particular occurrence of this Moneth mentioned in the Text Reason and necessary collection will inform us that the fruits of the earth being now ripe Noah was very busie all this moneth in gathering them into the Ark for provision for himself and for all the cattel and creatures with him for the year to come 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Methuselah is alive in this Moneth as is apparent by the calculation of his age in the fifth Chapter And by this it appeareth how clearly the spirit of Prophecy foretold of things to come when it directeth his father Enosh almost a thousand years ago to name him Methuselah which signifieth either They dye by a dart or He dieth and then is the dart or He dieth and then it is sent And thus Adam and Methuselah had measured the whole time between the Creation and the Flood and lived above two hundred and forty years together The long ages of these men near the beginning of the world though now under sin do give a guess what a long while man should have lived upon the earth before he should have been translated if he had never sinned unless God shewed in Enoch what his time then should have been And prolonged the times of these men under the state of sin the rather that the knowledge of God which was decayed by the coming in of sin might be the more propagated 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29  30  Marheshvan the second moneth Part of October and November 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  NOAH beginneth to get the beasts and sowles into the Ark. He is seven days about it Gen. 7. 1 2 3 4. The same hand of divine providence that had brought all the beasts to Adam at the Creation to receive their names doth bring them now to Noah for preservation of their lives 11  12  13  14  15  16   17  NOAH entreth the Ark Gen. 7. 11 13. and the rains begin which continue forty days and forty nights together the seventeenth day was none of the forty days but the night that followed it was one of the nights The Cataracts of Heaven are opened and showre down terrible rains These were those clouds that were created full of water the first day of the Creation even in the very same instant with
Asa 30 Omri 4 Division 49 Ahaziah 2 Chron. 22. 2. of which Asa 31 Omri 5 Division 50 when we come there Asa 32 Omri 6 Division 51 In the one and thirtieth year of Asa 33 Omri 7 Division 52 Asa Tibni is conquered and Asa 34 Omri 8 Division 53 Omri is sole King He reigneth Asa 35 Omri 9 Division 54 six years in Tirzah and then removeth Asa 36 Omri 10 Division 55 to Samaria which he had Asa 37 Omri 11 Division 56 built for Zimri had fired the Omri 12 Kings Palace at Tirza Omri is more wicked then any that went before him he maketh cursed Statutes Mich. 6. 16. Ahab 1 AHAB reigneth in the 38 Ahab 2 year of Asa 1 King 16. 29. and Asa 38 doth more wickedly then his father World 3086 Asa 39 Division 57 Omri had done He bringeth World 3087 Ahab 3 Division 58 in the Sidonian Idoll Baal into Asa 40 Division 59 request in Israel and addeth that Idolatry to the Idolatry with the golden Calves He had married a Sidonian woman Jezabell an Idolatress a Murdress World 3089 Asa 41 Ahab 1 Ahab 4 Division 60 a Witch and an Whore and it is no wonder if Ahab grew to a height of wickedness indeed Ahab 2 Ahab 5 Division 61 when he had such a father as Omri to bring him up and such a wife as Jezabell to lye in his bosom 2 CHRON. XVII all World 3091 Ahab 3 Ahab 6 Division 62 JEHOSHAPHAT in Ahab 4 Ahab 7 Division 63 the third year sendeth Ahab 5 Ahab 8 Division 64 Priests Princes and Levites Ahab 6 Ahab 9 Division 65 to teach the Law He hath Ahab 7 Ahab 10 Division 66 great tribute from the Philistims Ahab 8 Ahab 11 Division 67 and Arabians hath Ahab 9 Ahab 12 Division 68 eleven hundred thousand and Ahab 10 Ahab 13 Division 69 sixty thousand fighting men Ahab 11 Ahab 14 Division 70 and is a terror to all that were round about him But hath already made affinity with Ahab and married his Ahab 12 Ahab 15 Division 71 Son JORAM to Athaliah Ahab 13 Ahab 16 Division 72 Ahabs Daughter see Ahab 14 Ahab 17 Division 73 2 Kings 8. 18. and 11. 1. Ahab 15 Ahab 18 Division 74 for Ahazia Son to Joram Ahab 16 Ahab 19 Division 75 and Athaliah was born in the eighth year of Jehosaphats reign See 2 Kings 8. 26. 1 King 22. ver 44. to 50. World 3105 Ahab 17 Ahab 20 Ahaziah 1 Division 76 1. JORAM the son of Jehoshaphat reigneth Observe these Texts 1 King 2â— 51. Ahaziah the Son of Ahab began to raign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat King of Judah and reigneth two years And 2 King 1. 17. And Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken and Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat King of Judah And 2 King 3. 1. Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat King of Judah By these Scriptures it is most plain that both Joram the son of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign in the seventeenth of Jehoshaphat I shall not need to make the collection it is so conspicuous in the Text for who seeth not in them that Jehoshaphats eighteenth when Joram the son of Ahab beginneth to reign is called The second year of Joram the son of Jehoshaphat Now Jehoshaphats reign was not yet expired by eight or nine years for this was in his seventeenth year and he reigned five and twenty 1 King 22. 42. Nor was Ahabs reign expired by two or three years for this was in his twentieth year and he reigned two and twenty 1 King 16. 29. But the reason that both their sons came into their thrones thus in their life time and both in this same year was because the fathers Jehoshaphat and Ahab were both ingaged in the war against the Syrians about Ramoth Gilead and while they were providing for it and carrying it on they made their sons Viceroyes and set them to reign in their stead while they were absent or imployed about that expedition we shall have occasion to observe the like of Joram the son of Jehoshaphat again afterward 1 KING XVI ver 30. to the end World 3091 Ahab 3 Ahab 6 Division 62 AHAB doth abominably Ahab 4 Ahab 7 Division 63 buildeth a Chappel and Ahab 5 Ahab 8 Division 64 an Altar to Baal in Samaria In Ahab 6 Ahab 9 Division 65 his days Hiel a man of the family Ahab 7 Ahab 10 Division 66 of Rahab living now in Bethel Ahab 8 Ahab 11 Division 67 seeing Canaanitish Idolatry Ahab 9 Ahab 12 Division 68 and Canaanitish manners come Ahab 10 Ahab 13 Division 69 on so fast he is imboldned to set Ahab 11 Ahab 14 Division 70 on to build Jericho again to make it a Canaanitish City but his eldest Son is slain in laying the foundation and his youngest son in setting up the Gates according to the curse of Joshua denounced upon such an undertaking above five hundred and thirty years before 1 King 17 18 19. In the degenerate and most wicked times of Ahab appeared the glorious piety and Prophetick spirit of Elias a seasonable reformer when times were come to the very worst He was of Jabesh Gilead he shutteth up Heaven that there is no rain for three years and six months till Baalites be destroyed and then there is rain enough He is fed by birds of prey he feedeth the Sareptane widow and becometh the first Prophet of the Gentiles He raiseth her dead Child destroyeth hundreds of false Prophets bringeth fire from Heaven and rain ere long after it Fasteth forty days and forty nights seeth the Lord where Moses had seen him accuseth Israel to him Is appointed to anoint Hazael King of Syria who should plague Israel for their Idolatry and to anoint Jehu King of Israel who should destroy the house of incorrigible Ahab and to anoint Elisha a Prophet in his stead to go on with the reformation that he had begun John Baptist was a second Elias a man in a hairy garment and leather girdle 2 King 1. 8. Matth. 3. 4. of a powerful and operative Ministry and a great reformer in corrupt times 1 KING XX XXI XXII vers 51 52 53. Ahab 12 Ahab 15 Division 71 AHAB two years together Ahab 13 Ahab 16 Division 72 hath two great Victories Ahab 14 Ahab 17 Division 73 over the Syrians but letting Ahab 15 Ahab 18 Division 74 Benhadad go he undoeth himself Ahab 16 Ahab 19 Division 75 compare the case of Saul about Agag King of Amalek 1 Sam. 15. Ahab murdereth Naboth for his Vineyard World 3105 Ahab 17 Ahab 20 Ahaziah 1 Division 76 AHAZIAH the Son of Ahab reigneth 1 KING XXII to Verse 50. and 2 CHRON. XVIII all World 3106 Ahab 18 Ahab 21 Ahaziah 2 Iehoram 1 Division 77 JEHOSHAPHAT and Ahab are now together in
Darius and their Astyages were all one and that Darius because of his Grand-fathership did bear the name of the Royalty though Cyrus in this conquest had equal share with him and was for other victories a Conqueror beyond him Not to insist upon those mixtures of fabulousness that the Heathens have invented for the inhancing of the credit of Cyrus as they were used to do about men that were the first raisers of a Kingdom as that his Grand-father Astyages delivered him to Harpagus a Noble Man as soon as he was born to be made away that Harpagus afraid of such a Fact delivered him to the Kings chief Shepherd for such a purpose that he laid and left the infant in a wood that it was there nourisht by a Bitch that the Shepherds wife took it home and nurst it and exposed an infant of her own instead of it c. To omit these things which were invented only for the honour of the beginning of the Persian Empire we may safely take up that relation which is unanimously given by all their Historians and in which there can be no flattery at all suspected and that is of the Pedigree and descent of Cyrus and the names and qualities of his Parents and so they give him for the son of Cambyses the King of Persia and of Mandane the Daughter and only child of Astyages King of Media and so was he heir to both the Kingdoms Now upon the conquest of Babylon Darius or Astyages plat-forms the Government of that Monarchy under one hundred and twenty Governours in the one hundred and twenty Provinces that belonged to it And above these he set a Triumvirate or three Princes to be supervisors to them and to take their accounts both of Tribute and Affairs Daniels knownness in Babylon which was newly taken for his divine and wonderful wisdom and spirit bringeth him to be one of these three and that promotion and his singular carriage in it bringeth him into envy and that into the Lions Den c. This occurrence may be conceived to have been presently after the conquest of Babel even in the compass of that year upon these grounds 1. Because Darius it is like would form the Government of his Monarchy as soon as he had it and Daniel would not be long unenvied when promoted 2. It is very probable that Darius reigned but a little beyond this year 3. The writing of this Chapter in the Chaldee Tongue may be some argument that this occurrence befel Daniel while he was in Chaldea DANIEL VIII THE first and second Verses of this Chapter plainly shew that Belshazzar reigned but three years for it telleth that in the third year of Belshazzar Daniel was in Shushan the royal City of Persia. It cannot be imagined that he was there in Belshazzars life time for his preferment and residence was in Babylon till Babylon fell but his coming thither was by the transporting of him thither by the Persian Monarch after he had conquered Babylon who as it appeareth by vers 27. had preferred him there and interessed him in the Kings imployment This is called the third year of Belshazzar purposely that we might learn to give the first year of Cyrus its proper date Belshazzar was dead and gone and Darius had fashioned the Babylonian Monarchy into another Government Daniel had been cast into the Lions Den in Babylon and was now removed to the Court of Persia Cyrus and Darius had ruled all for a certain space and yet is this Chapter and the occurrences in it dated by this that it was the third year of Belshazzar partly that we might learn to reckon the first of Cyrus and Darius not the very year that Babylon fell but the year after and partly that we might observe how in the very year that the Medes and Persians destroy Babel the Lord revealeth to Daniel the destruction of the Medes and Persians and the two Monarchies after them All the Chapters in Daniel from Chap. 2. vers 4. to the beginning of this Chapter are written in the Chaldee Tongue and from the beginning of this Chapter to the end of the Book he writeth in Hebrew for the affairs that fell under the Chaldean Monarchy he hath registred in the Chaldean Tongue but now that Kingdom is destroyed he will have no more to do with that Language but thence forward he applies himself to write his own native Tongue the Hebrew seeing that God would not have the Persicke under which Language he now was to be the original of any part of Scripture DANIEL IX DANIEL knowing from Jeremies Prophesie that the seventy years of Captivity were now fully expired addresseth himself to God by prayer for their return He receiveth not only a gracious answer to his desire but a Prediction of what times should pass over his people till the death of Christ namely seventy weeks or seventy times seven years or four hundred and ninety This space of time the Angel divideth into three unequal parts 1. Seven sevens or forty nine years to the finishing of Jerusalems Walls 2. Sixty two sevens or four hundred thirty four years from that time till the last seven 3. The last seven in the latter half of which Christ Preacheth viz. three years and an half and then dieth c. The twenty seventh Verse therefore is to be read thus He shall confirm the Covenant with many in the one week and in half that week he shall cause Sacrifice and Oblation to cease c. So that from this year to the death of Christ are four hundred ninety years and there is no cause because of doubtful Records among the Heathen to make a doubt of the fixedness of this time which an Angel of the Lord hath pointed out with so much exactness EZRA CHAP. I. And 2 CHRON. XXXVI vers 22. 23. CYRUS published a Decree for the Jews returning to their own Land again This Decree was signed at the very instant of Daniels prayer Dan. 9. 23. Darius was yet alive and reigning as appears by comparing Dan. 9. 1. but the Decree and Proclamation is the Act of Cyrus not only in regard of a Prophesie that went before concerning him Esay 44. 28. but also because he was the greater Conqueror and the greater Prince For 1. He was not only sharer with Darius in the Conquest of Babylon but was also sharer with him in the Kingdom of Media as being sole heir to it but Darius had no claim with him in the Kingdom of Persia. 2. Berosus not that of Annius but cited by Josephus Lib. 1. cont Apion saith that Cyrus had conquered even all Asia before he came to besiege Babel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrus delivered out to Zerubabel who by the Chaldeans was called Shesbazzar all the Vessels of the Temple that Nebuchad-nezzar had captived In the summing of them there is some obscurity for there is a particular given only of two thousand four hundred ninety nine and yet the Text summeth up
five thousand four hundred for it particulareth only those that were of a greater size but summeth up both the great and little for 2 Chron. 36. 18. it is said that the King of Babel brought all the Vessels of the House of God both great and small to Babel vid. Joseph Antiq. 11. 1. EZRA II. THIS Chapter reckoneth the number of the Jews that returned out of Captivity it first nameth the chief Conductors and Princes among the people and then the several Families and number of Persons the seventh Chapter of Nehemiah hath this Catalogue over again but with abundance of difference some reason whereof shall be given there The Commanders and Rulers in chief were twelve 1. Zerubabel the Prince of Judah 2. Jesus the son of Jozedek the High Priest 3. Nehemiah the builder and repairer of Jerusalem afterward 4. Seraiah or Azariah as he is called Neh. 7. 7. probably Ezra who is called Seraiah after the name of his father 5. Realiah called Raamiah Neh. 7. the difference of the name agreeing in the sence for Realiah signifieth The Lords terrour and Raamiah the Lords thunder 6. Mordecay the Uncle of Esther and over-thrower of Haman 7. Nachamani he is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah but omitted here For he came not up now but at some other time before Nehemiah taketh his Catalogue 8. Bilshan 9. Mispar or Mispeseth 10. Bigudi 11. Rehum or Nehum 12. Baanah The number of the people was 42360 their servants and maids proselyted 7337. EZRA III. IN the seventh month the returned Jews meet at Jerusalem build up the Altar keep the Feast of Tabernacles offer Sacrifices but yet have no Temple World 3472 Cyrus 2 In the second year of Cyrus and of the peoples return in the second month of the year or Ijar the foundation of the Temple is laid Divers are present at it that had seen the former Temple for it was but fifty three years since it was destroyed and they mourn as fast to see how short that building was like to come of that Temple they had seen as the others rejoyce to see a Temple toward that had seen none before EZRA IV. World 3473 Cyrus 3 ARTAXERXES reigneth in the third year of Cyrus and here let us take up the consideration of the Persian Kings and these times a little since there is not a little obscurity and difficulty about the reckoning and computing of them 1. At the conquest of Babylon Cyrus and Darius were Partners as was observed before Darius only named in the Scripture at that expedition because the elder and Cyrus only named in Heathen Authors because the founder of the Persian Monarchy These two reigned together two years saith Metasthenes if we may believe that Author but whether they did so or no it is past all doubt that their years were they two or more or less were reckoned together for the first year of Darius when the Decree of the building Jerusalem came out Dan. 9. 1. 23. was the first of Cyrus also Ezra 1. 1. 2. Cyrus is generally held by Heathen Writers to have reigned about thirty years Herodot Triginta annis Just. c. Now the question as to the matter we have now in hand is not how long Cyrus reigned in all but how long he reigned after the Persian Monarchy began in him or after that year that the Scripture calls his first year namely when the Lord had given him all the Kingdoms of the Earth and when he restored the Jews to their own home again Here prophane Writers the most of them say nothing towards a resolution and those that go about it speak some one thing some another The Scripture hath given us this satisfaction in this matter that either Cyrus reigned but three years after or if he lived longer yet that his ingagement in his wars abroad caused him to leave his son Artaxerxes Viceroy at home to rule what he had got whilest he was busie to conquer more Either of these two supposed doth serve our purpose to lead on the times that we have in hand Now for the concluding of the one of these the Scripture giveth us this argument It is said in Ezra 4. vers 5. that the enemies of the Jews hired counsellors against them all the days of Cyrus even until the reign of Darius King of Persia to frustrate their purpose of building the Temple and at last compassed their desire and design by information to Artaxerxes Cyrus all his days did not plainly or openly revoke nor cross his own Decree and if he connived at the crossing of it by his Son his fatal end by Tomyris was but of just reward but in the beginning of the reign of his son Artaxerxes the enemy had his desire and the building ceased Now this was in the third year of Cyrus Cyrus being either now dead as Daniels vision in Persia is said to be in the third year of Belshazzar Dan. 8. Belshazzar being dead a while before as was observed there as Artaxerxes governing as Vice-Roy and the time now reckoned by him as it is in other places of Scripture the like For in the third year of Cyrus Daniel mourned three weeks together nor did he eat any pleasant bread nor flesh or wine came into his mouth nor did he annoint himself at all Dan. 10. 2 3. And what was the reason Because of the hindrance of the building of the Temple for according to Daniels fasting and mourning one and twenty days the Angel saith That the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia had withstood him one and twenty not that an earthly King hath any power over an Angel but that this new King of Persia by hindring the Temple had hindred those good tidings which otherwise he should have brought and that the misery of Daniels people was the cause of his affliction is apparent by vers 15. because that when the Angel had told him that the vision concerning his people was for many days he is dumb for sorrow and his spirit faints within him so that the stoppage of the Temples building by Artaxerxes was in Cyrus his third year in some part of that year and continued so till the second year of Darius 3. Now how long this space was is more obscure then the matter before and that upon these two difficulties 1. Because we cannot readily determine what number of Kings came between And 2. When we have done that then are we utterly to seek how long a time those Kings reigned But for answer to these two doubts to adhere to Scripture and not to intricate our selves with the various and perplexed relations of the Heathen Writers about the Persian Kings we shall observe two or three particulars as we go along and as we have occasion to take them up and for the present this That as he that set the building of the Temple afoot again after its long stop is called both Darius and Artaxerxes vers 14 15. so that he that caused that stop
per. 2. A man which is troubled with an evil spirit and saith when the sickness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begins upon him Write a bill of Divorcement to my Wife he saith as good as nothing because he is not compossui And so likewise a drunken man when he comes neer the drunkenness of Lot c. He calls the evil spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a sickness and by it he means Lunacy or Distractedness that had its lucida intervalla So the Jews speak of a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is possessessed by Cordicus which they interpret to be a spirit that seizeth on him that drinketh too much Wine out of the Winepress Talm. in Gittin per. 7. Vid. R. Sol. and Nissim ibi And to spare more because the story in hand is of a Child take but this example of an evil Spirit which they conceived did seize upon Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shibta say they is an evil spirit that seizeth upon Children by the neck even upon the sinnews behind the neck and drieth them up from their use and strength till it kill him And the time of it is from the Childs being two months old and the danger of it is till the Child be seven years old Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which seemeth to mean nothing else but Convulsion fits or shrinking of sinnews or some such like thing a natural malady Now in this Child there were not only these fits of Convulsions or the Falling sickness and the like but he was really possessed with the Devil indeed So that though the Disciples had healed several persons of maladies which the Jews in their language and conceptions called possessings with evil Spirits and the Evangelists speak their language yet this is a subject to work upon of a further difficulty by far the devil being bodily in this Child indeed 2. Granting for we dare not deny that they had cast out Devils indeed before yet this case carried some extraordinary matter in it above other times They were then preaching up and down and their Commission gave them power to cast out Devils to confirm their Doctrine but now they were not in that imployment They were also now set upon by the Scribes and Pharisees with a possessed person of an extraordinary example as being possessed from an Infant purposely that they might puzzle them and that in the fairer opportunity when their Master and three of the chief of their company Peter and James and John were absent Therefore if by all these concurrents of disadvantage their Faith were somewhat shaken it is to be the less wondred at by how much the more the ease was more strange and unusual to them and they had not been put to such a trial before SECTION LIV. MATTH Chap. XVII Ver. 24 25 26 27. CHRIST payeth money miraculously gotten MARKS words in the beginning of the next Section laid to the first verse of this will be evidence sufficient for the order of both Christ is demanded the half shekel that every Israelite was bound by the Law annually to pay for the redemption of his life Exod. 30. 13. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaks that Now the proper time of collecting that began a little before the Passover as we have observed before out of the Treatise Shekalim And though it were now almost half a year past the Passover yet is this the first time that Jesus had been at his own house in Capernaum since the time of gathering that Money had come in This half shekel that every Israelite paid yearly went to the repair of the Temple and to the buying of things needful for the service there Christ pays his Church Duties therefore here though as his own words argue he being the Son of the great King for whom that Tribute was demanded might have pleaded immunity for Kings take Tribute of strangers not of their own Children His paying it by a miraculous compassing of it out of a Fishes mouth sheweth at once his Divine power that could make all things serve his ends and his great care to discharge his due paymentss and to avoid offence and withal his poverty when he is put to a Miracle for such a little sum of money for he would not work Miracles where there was not need His paying for Peter with him was because he was of the same Town and so was under the same demand of payment and he knew that he was in the same want of money The other Disciples were to pay in the places of their several houses When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jews were commanded to pay this half half shekel yearly to Jupiter Capitolinus Xiphilin apud Dion lib. 66. Joseph de Bell. lib. 7. cap. 27. SECTION LV. MARK Chap. IX from V. 33. to the end of the Chapter MATTH Chap. XVIII all the Chapter LUKE Chap. IX from Ver. 46. to Ver. 51. A dispute who greatest One casting out Devils and yet not following Christ Dic Ecclesiae c. THe order needeth no demonstration the seeming difference between Matthew and Mark in the beginning of the Section needeth animadversion rather Mark saith their dispute who should be greatest was as they went in the way towards Capernaum and when Christ asked them at Capernaum what their discourse had been they held their peace But Matthew saith At the same time namely while Christ was at Capernaum the Disciples came to him and asked him Who is the greatest c. in which relation he briefly coucheth the two stories that Mark speaketh of into one namely their talking by the way who should be greatest and this question coming before Christ. It may be Christs so lately taking Peter and James and John into the mount apart from the rest gave occasion to this debate which he determineth by setting a Child in the middest c. They that have held this Child to have been Ignatius in his infancy who was afterward the Martyr as see Niceph. lib. 2. c. 3. Baron ad Annum Christ 71. Marg. de la Bign in Ignat. in Biblioth Patr. tom 1. sure did not well observe his own words if they be his own in his Epistle to the Church of Smyrna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I do not only know that Christ is come in the flesh by his being born and being crucified but I saw him in the flesh after his resurrection For so the Latine renders it Vidieum in carne or be it I knew him in the flesh after his resurrection it may seem very strange that he that was so very a Child as Christ to take him in his arms this year almost at the feast of Tabernacles and the next year at Easter which was but within half a years space to become so intelligent as to take notice of his being risen Upon Christs speaking of receiving those that come in his Name John propounds a dubious case of one
sought to kill him The stories of several men in this Section that take upon them to follow Christ but they had something else to do first have been spoken to before at Sect. 38. SECTION LVIII LUKE Chap. X. from the beginning to Ver. 17. The seventy Disciples sent forth AS to the order of the story First It is to be observed that Luke saith It was after these things mentioned in the former Section that is after Christ was sent out from Galilee towards the feast of Tabernacles Secondly that it is said John 7. 10. That Jesus went up to that Feast not openly but as it were in secret whereupon it may be concluded that he had dispatched the seventy Disciples away before he came there He giveth them the same instructions that he had given the twelve and the same power to heal the sick only whereas the twelve went at large to any of the Cities of Israel these were to go to those places where Christ himself should come to make way for him and to prepare the places for the receiving of him against he came so that now Christ disposeth for the full revealing of himself for the Messias the Seventy beforehand proclaiming him and preaching in his Name and he afterward coming and shewing himself to be he of whom they preached The numbers 12 and 70 cannot but call to mind the Twelve Tribes and the seventy Elders of Israel The Seventy were but a little while abroad for thirty five couples would soon dispatch a great deal of work and they return again to their Master before he departs from Jerusalem Luke 10. 17 38. He again accuseth Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum which he had done before at Sect. 32. for having at any time occasion to speak of contempt of the Gospel they may justly be introduced as having the most tender of it and yet despised it SECTION LIX JOHN Chap. VII from Ver. 11 to the end of the Chapter CHRIST at the Feast of Tabernacles THe pregenancy of the order here speaks it self In the two preceding Sections Jesus was in the way up to the Feast and now he is come there Now is the year of the World 3960 and the year of Christ 33 begun both entring in this very month in which the Feast of Tabernacles was The great year of the world the fulness of time the year of redemption and powring down of the Spirit It was indeed the year of Jubilee however the Jews would jumble their account as see Maymon in Shemiatah veiobel per. 10. whether ignorantly or wilfully let them look to it For count from the 7th year of the rule of Joshua when the wars of Canaan ended and Jubilees began and you have 1400 years to this present year that we are upon just eight and twenty Jubilees this year the last that Israel must ever see It is the confession of Zohar in Lev. 25. that the Divine glory should be freedom and redemption in a year of Jubilee Compare the sending out of the seventy Disciples neer upon the very instant when this Jubilee began with the sounding of the Trumpet for the proclaiming of the Jubilee Lev. 25. 9. and there is a fair equity and an answerableness to that type in that very thing From this Feast of Tabernacles to the Passover at which time Christ suffered was that last half year of the last half seven mentioned Dan. 9. which compare with the last half year of Israels being in Egypt in which time Moses did his Miracles and which ended also at the Passover Among the many varieties of solemnity and festivity used at the Feast of Tabernacles of which we have given account at large in another volume there was the powring out of water fetched out of the fountain Siloam with the wine of the drink-offering and at night their most transportant joyfulness expressed by their singing dancing and the like jocund gestures for that powring out of water which by some in Jerus succah fol. 55. col 1. is interpreted to signifie the powring out of the holy Ghost The consideration of this illustrates ver 37 38. where it is said that on the last and great day of the Feast Jesus cried If any thirst c. He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of water c. Upon which words many believed him because they had seen already so fair evidence of the gifts of the Spirit in the powerfull works of himself and his Disciples and yet the text saith here The holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified a far greater gift of that being yet behind The Sanhedrin would fain have been medling with him to have tried him for a false Prophet as may be gathered from their words ver 52. but his hour was not yet come JOHN Chap. VIII A Woman taken in Adultery c. IT is said in the conclusion of the former Chapter that every one of the Sanhedrin went home and here Jesus went into the Mount of Olives which joyns the story plain enough Not that he lodged in mount Olivet in the open fields but that he went to Bethany and lodged in the House of Lazarus of which we shall find confirmation in the next Section In the morning he comes to the Temple and in the treasury or the Court of the women he sitteth down and teacheth the people For it was the custom for the Teachers of the people to sit when they taught and those that were taught to stand about them As he thus sits teaching the Scribes and Pharisees bring a Woman to him taken in the act of Adultery c. The Syriack wants this story and Beza doubts it a man always ready to suspect the text because of the strangeness of Christs action writing with his finger on the ground Mihi ut ingenue loquar saith he vel ob hunc ipsum locum suspecta est haec historia Whereas it speaks the style of John throughout and the demeanor of the Scribes and Pharisees and of Christ most consonantly to their carriage all along the Gospel The snare that they laid for him in this matter was various That he should condemn the adulteress but where was the adulterer why brought they not him too If he condemned her he seemed to assume Judicial power if he condemned her not he seemed a contemner of the Law But he in his divine wisdom used such a mean as condemned their baseness and confounded their machination against him His writing with his finger upon the ground may rather be construed from allusion to Numb 5. 23. or from Jer. 17. 13. or from a passage in Tal. Jerus in Megillah fol 74. col 2. or from several other illustrations then for that action roughly and rudely to deny the authentickness of the story The censuring and judging of this Woman belonged to a Judicial bench at the least of twenty three Judges and it would have carried a fair accusation against him had he gone
some machination against himself he had now shut up in prison and intended him presently for the execution but that his sickness whereof he died seizing on him gave some more space to the imprisoned and some hopes and possibilities of escaping His disease was all these mixed together an inward burning and exulceration an insatiable greediness and devouring the Chollick the Gout and Dropsie his loins and secrets crawling with lice and a stink about him not to be indured These wringings and tortures of his body meeting with the peevishness of old age for he was now seventy and with the natural cruelty which always had been in him made him murderously minded above all measure insomuch that he put to death divers that had taken down a golden Eagle which he had set up about the Temple And when he grew near to his end and saw himself ready to die he slew his Son Antipater and caused great multitudes of the Nobility and People to be closed up in a sure place giving command to slay them as soon as he was dead for by that means he said he should have the Jews truly and really to sorrow at his death Vid. Joseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 8 9 10. and de Bel. lib. 1. cap. 21. Vers. 20. For they are dead that sought the young childs life The like saying is to Moses Exod. 4. 19. where the word they may be understood of Pharaoh and his servants which jointly sought his life for the Egyptians sake whom he had slain and were now all dead and worn out in the fourty years of his being in Midian But here it is true indeed that the seeking of the childs life may well be applied to Herods Servants as well as himself but that all they died with him or about the time of his death who in flattery or favour or obedience to him had promoted the slaughter at Bethlehem and had sought the childs life I know not upon what ground it should be conceived I should therefore by the they in this place understand Herod and his Son Antipater jointly together For if it be well considered how mischievous this Antipater was against his own Brethren and how he wrought their ruine and misery for fear they should get betwixt him and the throne yea how he sought the destruction of his own Father because he thought he kept him out of the Throne too long it may very well be believed that he would bloodily stir against this new King of the Jews that the wisemen spake of for fear of interception of the Crown as well as his Father He died but five days before his fathers death as it was touched before out of Josephus and thus God brought this bloodliness of the Father and the Son and the rest of their cruelties to an end and upon their own heads at once and in a manner together and thus may the words of the Angel be very fairly understood Take the child and return to the Land of Israel for Herod and Antipater are dead that sought his life Ver. 22. Archelaus did reign in Iudea in the room of his Father Herod Herod had first named Antipater for his Successor in the Throne of Judea but upon detection of his conspiracy against him he altered his mind and his will and nominated Antipas and changing his mind yet again he named Archelaus and he succeeded him a man not likely to prosper in a Throne that was so bebloodied His conclusion was that in the tenth year of his reign he was accused by the Nobles of Judea and Samaria to Augustus banished to Vienna and his estate confiscate Jos. Ant. lib. 17. cap. 15. Ver. 23. He shall be called a Nazarene From Isa. 11. 1. where the Messias is called by the title Nezer which indifferently signifieth A branch and the City Nazaret one and the same word denoting Christ and the place where he should be born SECTION VIII S. LUKE CHAP. II. Christ sheweth his wisdom at twelve years old Ver. 40. AND a a a a a a Compare Exod. 2. 10. 1 Sam. 2. 26. Jud. 16. 24. the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him 41. Now his Parents went to Ierusalem b b b b b b Exod. 23. 15. 17. every year at the Feast of the Passover 42. And when he was twelve years old they went up to Ierusalem after the custom of the Feast 43. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the Child Iesus tarried behind in Ierusalem and Ioseph and his mother knew not of it 44. But they supposing him to have been in the company went a days journey and they sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance 45. And when they found him not they turned back again to Ierusalem seeking him 46. And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the Temple sitting in the middest of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions 47. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 48. And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing 49. And he said unto them How is it that ye sought me Wist ye not that I must * * * * * * Or In my Fathers house be about my Fathers business 50. And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them 51. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart 52. And Iesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and men Reason of the Order THE Order of this Section dependeth so clearly upon the proper Order of that preceding that that being made good to lie where it doth as in the proper place the subsequence of this to it can nothing at all be doubted of For whereas all the Evangelists have unanimously passed over in silence all those years of Christs minority which intervened or passed between his return out of Egypt and this passage of his at twelve years old there is nothing possible to be found in the Gospels that can come between to interpose this order and connexion The carriage and demeanour of our Saviour in the time between is only briefly comprised in the first verse of this portion And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him Harmony and Explanation Ver. 40. And the child grew c. TWO years Old he was when he went into Egypt and there he aboad in his Exile a very small time it may be some two or three months about such a space as Moses had been hid in Egypt in his Fathers house from the fury of Pharaoh When he returned to Nazareth his Mothers City being now about two years and a quarter old he
that they thereupon might the more confidently confirm the people And hereupon it is observable that while the Baptist was at liberty our Saviour contented himself with his testimony and preaching but when he was shut up then instantly chose he others Now if any doubt of the possibility of this and question how could John see and hear these things and the other company that was present not do so as well as he The answer may be readily given by example of Elishaes servant 2 King 6. 17. and the two men that went to Emmaus Luke 24. For the mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of fire and Elisha perceived them but his servant did not till his eyes were opened in a more special manner And Christ it is like was in the same shape and appearance upon the way when they knew him not that he was in the house when they did but till then their eyes were holden Yet if any one will suppose that the people saw the slashing of the opened Heaven and heard the noise of the voice that came from thence and took the one for lightning and the other for thunder as John 12. 29. we will not oppose it for now was the season of the year fit for lightning and thunder but that either they saw the Holy Ghost or distinguished the words of the voice any more then Pauls companions did Act. 9. 7. compared with Act. 22. 9. the reasons alledged do inforce to deny till better information Matth. 3. vers 16. And he saw the Spirit of God The Syntax and construction of Mark doth tye and fix these words He saw only to our Saviour as it did those before and both for the reason mentioned namely to shew the return and answer of his prayer But these words of Matthew are not so strict but that they may equally be applied unto John For first there may be observed a distinction in the verse and a kind of difference of speech betwixt what goeth before about the opening of the Heavens and this sight of the Holy Ghost For of that he speaketh thus And Jesus being baptized went straightway out of the water and lo the Heavens were opened unto him And then cometh he on with a distinct clause concerning the other And he saw the Spirit of God descending leaving it at the least in an indifferency whether to apply it to Christ or John But secondly it seemeth rather to be understood of John because he saith himself that this descending of the Holy Ghost was given to him for a sign and that he saw it and if it be not to be so taken here none of the three Evangelists have mentioned it in the story at all And thirdly the rather may it be taken of Johns seeing it because he saith He saw him descending and coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon him Had it been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon himself it must needs have been understood of Christ upon whom the Spirit came that he saw the Spirit coming upon himself but since it i◠upon him without any reciprocation it may be the better applied to John that he saw it It is true indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifieth reciprocally himself as our Lexicons do give examples and as it is of force to be taken in Saint Mark in this place like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes doth not signifie reciprocally as in the LXX in Judg. 7. 24. But why should we take the word out of its commonest and properest sense unless there were necessity to do it which in Matthew there is not though in Mark there be Fourthly and lastly These words he saw being understood of John it maketh that the three Evangelists being laid together the relation ariseth out of them the more full and the story more plain For Luke telling that the Heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended Mark addeth that Jesus saw this and Matthew that John Matth. 3. ver 16. The Spirit of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in the beginning of the old world and so doth it here of the new It is needless to instance how oft in Scripture the Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of God as Gen. 41. 38. Exod. 31. 3. Numb 24. 2. and very many other places but it is most necessary to observe that wheresoever he is so called it is in the Hebrew the Spirit of Elohim in the plural number and sheweth his proceeding from more persons then one Contrary to the opinion of the Greek Church that holdeth that the Holy Ghost proceedeth not from the Father and the Son but from the Father only Luke 3. ver 22. The Holy Ghost As he is called the Spirit not so much in regard of his own nature as in regard of his manner of proceeding so also is he called Holy not so much in respect of his person for the Father and Son are Spirits and are holy as well as he but in regard of his Work and Office which is to sanctifie the Church of God And in this respect he is called by the Hebrews not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Spirit onely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruahh hakkodesh the Spirit of Holiness for this phrase the Holy Ghost is taken from the common speech of the Jews And so is he called by Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 4. and so doth the Syrian call him Rubba dekudsha in this place §. The Holy Ghost descended This descending of the Holy Ghost was first partly for the sake of John for this token had been given him when he first began to preach and baptize whereby to know Christ when he should come Joh. 1. 33. Secondly Partly for Christ that he might thus receive his Consecration and Institution for the Office that he was now to enter upon the Preaching of the Gospel This was as his anointing to instal him into his Function as Aaaron and his Sons were with material oyl to enter them into theirs as Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me therefore hath he anointed me he hath sent me to Preach the Gospel And Thirdly Partly for the business and matter that was now to go in hand namely Christ beginning to preach accordingly For First The Gospel is the Spiritual Kingdom and Scepter of Christ in and by which he was to rule all Nations for ever and therefore it was agreeable that the Spiritualness of that should be sealed and confirmed by the Holy Spirits shewing himself even in the beginning of it The carnal rites of Moses were now to vanish and his Corporal and Ceremonial observances to be changed into a Spiritual Worship and neither at Jerusalem nor at mount Gerizim nor elsewhere must there be any more adoration with fleshly and earthly Ceremoniousness but he that will worship God must worship him in Spirit as Joh. 4. 21. Therefore it is no wonder if
far from this kind slay my two sons that is slay two of my sons for Reuben had four sons at this time Gen. 46. 9. these stones be made bread 4. But he answered and said It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by h h h h h h In the Hebr. in Deut. 8. 3. from whence these words are quoted it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By every thing that cometh out of the mouth without any determinate naming of a word but the Chaldee and the Seventy have rendred it by every word that proceedeth or cometh forth and Matthew useth the very words of the Septuagint Luke gives the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than the very construction or translation of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Gods promise Psal. 89. 34. every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God 5. Then the Devil taketh him up into the i i i i i i The holy City was the common and ordinary name of Jerusalem as Esay 48. 2. 52. 1. Dan. 9. 27. Nehem. 11. 1. Matth. 27. 53. c. yea even when it was full of all abomination and corruption yea even when the story is relating that it is crucifying Christ as in the place last cited yet is it so called in regard of Gods presence and his worship which he had placed there Separists might do well to meditate a little upon this consideration The shekel of Israel had an inscription on the one side of it carrying this same title though not in the very same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerusalem the holy The Turks own the place by the same name and title at this day and the Papist in the same notion and nature But when that worship and religion and presence of God in them which he himself had planted there was removed then was Jerusalem no more holy than other places nay more accursed for their other abominations and especially for crucifying the Lord of Life And the Lord buildeth up for himself a new holy City a new Jerusalem when the old one is destroyed namely a spiritual building a City not made with hands a Church under the Gospel when that under the Law had undone themselves Rev. 21. 2. c. holy City and setteth him on a k k k k k k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is understood variously but it seemeth to mean the battlements of the Temple wherewithal it was ledged round about as Deut. 22. 8. called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hedge or inclosure as R. Sol. renders it the Chaldee expresseth it by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a case The Seventy by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crown The Vulgar and Erasmus use Pinnaculum here as our English doth meaning some spire or broach that shot up from the roof Camerarius indifferently takes it for the top or highest part of the Temple be it pinnacle battlement spire fane or what else it would The Priests used to go to the top of the Temple Talm. in Taanith R. Sol. on Esay 22. 1. pinnacle of the Temple 6. And saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up left at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone 7. Iesus saith unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8. Again the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them 9. And saith unto him l l l l l l This helpeth to construe the phrase in Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is to be taken for the Realms and Kingdoms themselves which Satan shewed him rather than for the dominion and rule over those Realms For that expression which Matthew useth All the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them of which Satan saith All these things will I give thee Luke uttereth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship o o o o o o The two Evangelists expressions laid together may make this useful result and observation That if to worship before the Devil be to worship the Devil for whereas Matthew saith if thou worship me Luke expresseth it if thou worship before me sure to worship before an Image is to worship an Image whatsoever evasion Popery would make to the contrary or else let it shew a reason of the difference me 10. Then saith Iesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written p p p p p p In the Hebrew in Deut. 6. 13. 10. 20. from whence this citation is taken it is 1. Thou shalt fear the Lord which the Evangelist renders thou shalt worship 2. The word only in the second clause is not extant But first our Saviour applies the Text close to the present occasion for the Devil had perswaded him to worship him and he retorts the Scripture so as to face the temptation most directly and since the fearing of God contains and includes all mans duty towards God be it what it will whether in affection or action and whether in worship or in holy conversation our Saviour doth reduce it to such a particular as was most pertinent and agreeable to the thing in hand And so parallels might be shewed in great variety where one place of Scripture citing another it doth not retain the very words of the portion cited but doth sometime change the expression to fit the occasion as Matth. 2. 23. translates Netzer a branch in Esay 11. 1. A man of Nazareth And that which is sorrows in Esay 53. 4. he hath rendred sickness Matth. 8. 17. because he is there discoursing of Christs healing diseases And divers more of this nature will the Reader take up by his own observation so that it is needless to insist upon examples Secondly Although the word only be not in the Hebrew Text yet is it in the Septuagint in the place first cited and it is most ordinary for the Evangelists to follow that copy And that translation hath warrantably added it seeing as Beza well observeth so much is included in the emphatical particle him and is also understood by comparing other places Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve 11. Then the Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him St. MARK CHAP. I. AND immediately the Spirit a a a a a a Each Evangelist hath his peculiar expression and each expression its peculiar meaning though some Translators do not much mind their differences as the Syriack that useth the same word in Matthew and Luke and the Arabick the same in Matthew and Mark only either of them take it actively in the one and passively in the other 1. Luke saith
as to the instruction conviction benefit and advantage of men And therefore although the humane nature of Christ through the uniting of it to the Godhead did abound in all holiness and wisdom and graces as to the knowing of God and the best things to the enjoyment of the vision of God and communion with him to the being and persisting absolutely without the least corruption to the entire performing of the whole Law and to a non-possibility of committing sin all which capacities tended towards the satisfaction of Gods justice and mans redemption yet for the ministration of the Gospel and for his working upon the bodies minds and affections of men by teaching preaching and working miracles he is indued with the immediate gifts of the Spirit as it was the way of God to deal with Prophets and prophetick men which gifts did not so properly accrew from the union of the two natures as from the unction of the Spirit The result of the union of the two natures being more properly acceptance with God in the work of Redemption and the fruits of this unction being to the acceptance with men in the work of the Ministery And whereas it is not to be denied but that Christ before the Holy Ghost came upon him at his baptism had the power of miracles and Prophetick wisdom in him as appeareth by his disputing with the Doctors at twelve years old this was through the fulness of the Holy Ghost that was in him even from his mothers womb as it was and much more than it was with John the Baptist Luke 1. 15. and that with this difference from what it is now that it was then upon him as one to be ordained and now upon him as ordained already to the Ministery Now the difference of the fulness of the Holy Ghost in Christ from other men who are also said to have been filled with the Holy Ghost as Luke 1. 67. Acts 6. 5. may appear in these particulars 1. In the measure which may be measured by consideration of the difference of the persons and of their employments for Christ was more capable by infinite degrees of the fulness of the Holy Ghost than meer men were or could be and his employment being also so infinitely beyond the employment of men the measure of the Holy Ghosts fulness in him must needs be accordingly beyond all measure 2. In the manner and vigor of acting The power of the Prophets in working of miracles was exceeding great indeed and wondrous and their descrying and discovering the will of God and things to come was exceeding wonderful and sublime but they could neither do nor tell all things nor could they act upon all occasions but had always their bounds and had sometimes a recess of the Spirit or departure of it from them As Isaac can see what shall befal Jacob and Esau many hundred years after yet cannot know Jacob from Esau when he is in his arms And Jacob can tell what shall become of all his sons in the last time to come yet cannot tell what is become of his best son Joseph in his own time for 13 years together So Moses hath power over Egypt yet hath not power over his own stammering and the Prophet at Bethel can command the Altar that it rent it self but cannot command the Lion not to rent him Thus to this great gift of Prophecy on men as to the Ocean God set its bound which it might not pass and so far might the operating of it go and might go no further but with Christ it was not so He could work what miracles he would when he would how he would and on whom he would he could reveal all truths resolve all doubts clear all difficulties know all thoughts and had no limit of the vigor and acting of the Spirit upon him but his own will §. Was led by the Spirit into the wilderness Namely into the wilderness of Judea For 1. that was in mention in the story next preceding Matth. 3. 2 3. and a wilderness being here spoken of without any further mention what wilderness it was none can so properly be understood as that of Judea which was last named before 2. It is said by Luke that Jesus returned from Jordan by the word returned importing that he came back when he went to his temptation on the same side Jordan on which he was baptized Now that the wilderness of Judea lay on that side is more evident than needeth any demonstration Chemnitius indeed hath supposed this wilderness where our Saviour was tempted to have been the great desert of Horeb or Sinai and he giveth these three reasons for it 1. Because other wildernesses have their distinguishing titles as of Ziph 2 Sam. 23. 14. Shur Exod. 15. 22. Engedi 1 Sam. 24. 11. c. but this wilderness of Horeb is called the wilderness by a special emphasis without any other addition and so is the wilderness mentioned in this story But this is easily answered that it wants its distinctive title here because it was named by it a little before and called the wilderness of Judea 2. Because saith he Mark saith that Christ in this wilderness was with the wild beasts now in other wildernesses there are either dwellings of men here and there or they are not altogether remote from the converse of men but in the great desart of Horeb there were only wild beasts as there are mentioned to have been here Ans. Mark when he saith Christ was with wild beasts doth not therefore inforce that that wilderness was without either men or dwellings But first That Christ for that time avoided both the one and the other and kept himself in the wildest places and most retired from humane society And secondly the Evangelist seemeth to regard rather the state of Christ than the state of the place and to shew Christ to be the second Adam as in the temptation which he was now about so in his safety and security among the wild beasts as Adam in innocency had been and they hurt him not The wilderness of Judea had indeed both cities and villages and dwellings of men in it but withall it had some places wild in it without any such habitations and it had wild beasts in it in those places 1 Sam. 17. 28. 34. 2 Sam. 23. 20. Jer. 49. 19. 3. By this supposal he addeth that this wilderness where Christ was tempted was the great desart of Horeb there is a fair answerableness found out between this story and the story of Israel in that place and betwixt this fasting of Christ and of Moses and Elias in the same desart Answer it is true there would be so indeed but the being of the thing cannot be grounded upon this correspondency but this correspendency must be built upon the thing first found so to be and if this may argue for Horeb desart we may as well argue for Judea wilderness for there the sore tryals of David under the persecution
little that so we may the better skan and try whether our Architriclinus here and their Symposiarchus there were the same yea or no. He was one chosen among the guests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was most festivous of all the company and that would not be drunk and yet that would drink freely He was to rule the company and to prohibit their being disorderly yet not prohibiting their being merry He was to observe the temper of the guests and how the wine wrought upon them and how every one could bear his wine and accordingly to apply himself to them to keep them all in a harmony and an equilibrial composure that there might be no disquiet nor disorder For the effecting of this he used these two ways first to proclaim liberty to every one to drink what he thought good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am Symposiarchus said he and I license every one to drink at this time as they will And secondly upon observing who among the guests was most ready to be touch'd and distempered with wine to mingle the more water with his wine thereby to keep him in an equal pace of sobriety with the other And so the work and office of this Symposiarchus or governour of the Feast was especially double to take care that none should be forced to drink and to take care that none should be drunk though unforced Of such another office might the Architriclinus be conceived here namely someone that was specially appointed to give entertainment and that had special employment about the distributing and disposing of the wine And this might seem to appear the rather because our Saviour directeth the Servitors to bring the miraculous wine to be tasted first by him But I should understand rather by Architriclinus here the chief guest at the feast than such a Symposiarchus which it may be some question whether he were in use among the Jews or no For not to go about to give account of their manner of sitting at their Feasts in this place it will be more proper elsewhere though from thence might be shewed something toward the proof of this my supposal let it but be considered that the Architriclinus in mention was a meer stranger to the business of the wine and knew not how it went Had Pluâ—archs Symposiarchus been here he would readily have known what quantity of wine and what variety there was in the house he would have well known that all the wine was gone and that they were at a loss for more for the Yeomanry of the wine was his office at that time above all other things and above all other men but this Architriclinus knew none of these things but thought the Bridegroom had used a friendly deceit to reserve the best wine to make up their mouths whereas others used to reserve the worst And he speaks as a guest and not as a Yeoman of the Feast And our Saviour sends the wine to him as to the chiefest man at the Table and as the fittest from whom the taste of the wine and the tast of the miracle wrought might be distributed and dispersed throughout all the company of the Feast Vers. 12. After this he went down to Capernaum and continued not there many days Capernaum was his own City as was said before and his return is still thither as Samuel after his circuit his return was still to Ramah for that was his own City 1 Sam. 7. 17. see Matth. 4. 14. 8. 5. Matth. 9. 1. compared with Mark 2. 1. Matth. 17. 24. John 6. 17. c. Now his stay was but a little there because the Passeover calls him up to Jerusalem And thus when the Passeover comes there is half a year passed since he was baptized forty days of which he spent in the Wilderness in his fast before the Tempter came to him beside what time was spent in the threefold temptation and in his going to and coming from the Wilderness Three days you have account of him at Jorclan and going into Galilee John 1. ver 29 35 43. and the next day after he is at Cana at a Feast this was the fourth day from his first appearing from the Wilderness but the third from his saving and entertaining any Disciples So that we have but the account of six weeks or thereabouts upon record of all the time he spent betwixt his Baptism and his first Passeover The rest is concealed and much of it was spent in his peragration and preaching through Galilee to which he addresseth himself John 1. 43. Vers. 14. And the Iews Passover was at hand and Iesus went up to Ierusalem There are none other of the Evangelists that mention any Passover at all after Christs Baptism but that at which he suffered but John reckoneth not only that but three before and so still amongst all the four Evangelists the story is made up and compleated that there is nothing wanting Three of his Passovers John nameth plainly and expresly by name viz. this here and another Chap. 6. 4. and his last Chap. 18. 39. but a fourth he hath not so openly named but meaneth it in Chap. 5. 1. as shall be cleared by Gods permission when we come there And now hath Christ three years to his death and he hath had half a year since his Baptism and so is his time from his anointing by the Spirit for the work of the Gospel till his offering up upon his Cross three years and an half see the notes on Luke 3. 21. Now whereas the Evangelist calleth the Passover the Passover of the Jews Jansenius is of opinion that he doth it for distinction of it from the Easter of the Christians which saith he was observed by them throughout all Asia when John wrote his Gospel And Baronius yet goes further and would prove it from John's calling the Christian Sabbath the Lords day Rev. 1. Annal. ad annum 159. It is not worth the labour at least not in this place to look after the antiquity and originall of the celebration of Easter amongst the Christians in the Primitive times the quarrel about the day between the Eastern and Western Churches is famous in Ecclesiastical Stories but that this is not the intention of the Evangelist in this place we need to go no further to prove than to his own expression of the same thing in another where he calleth it The Passover a Feast of the Jews Chap. 6. 4. and so sheweth that in this short Phrase The Jews Passover he meaneth not so much to distinguish it from any festival of the Christians as to shew what it was to Jews and to distinguish it from other festivals of theirs § And Jesus went up to Jerusalem 1. In obedience to the Law of the males appearing before the Lord Exod. 23. 17. from which none were excepted but for some infirmity or incapacity All are bound to appear but only the deaf fools little ones the man that is bruised in his genitals Hermophrodites
the time is now come that he that will be taken for a true worshipper must neither worship as the Jews do ceremoneously but in spirit nor as the Samaritans do erroneously but in truth Thus may we very well divide the two words Spirit and truth to serve these two purposes as thus to answer about the worship of either Nation the one whereof worshipped God altogether in external Rites and Ceremonies and the other worshipped they knew not what and they knew not how But generally the word Spirit and truth are taken by Expositors to signifie but one and the same thing and stand in opposition only to the carnal Rites and shadowy types in which their whole Worship in a manner did consist His using of the term Father for God is not so much in reference to the other persons in the Trinity or because the woman was acquainted with that mystery but because the Jews and it is like the Samaritans also used the word very commonly in their prayers and speeches as Our Father which art in Heaven do to us as thou hast promised by the Prophet And Let the prayers and requests of all the House of Israel be accepted before their Father which is in Heaven c. Maym. in Tephilloth Vers. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him c. Here ariseth a question upon the very first reading of the verse the words Spirit and truth being interpreted as is mentioned immediately before and that is why did God so punctually ordain and so long continue a Typical and Ceremonious Worship if those that worship him must worship in spirit and truth Answer That very worship was for this end and purpose that men should learn to worship God in spirit and truth For all these rites and types were but doctrines of the way of Salvation through Christ till Christ came and the very use of them was to this end that out of them men should spel this spiritual and true worship namely to worship God in Christ and to look after his benefits for their salvation which those rites doctrinally held unto them and which lesson the true worshippers or believers did attain unto Vers. 25. I know that Messiah cometh c. he will teach us all things The Samaritans had learned from the Jews to expect Messias and how the Jews expected this to be the time of his coming we have shewed before and it may be the woman speaketh this as meaning that she looked for Messias to come shortly which occasioned Christs answer I am he as taking at her words in that sense Thou sayest Messias will come shortly and resolve all things I tell thee Messias is come already and I am he Now her referring the resolution of this doubt to Messias his coming it sheweth she did not throughly digest and entertain Christs answer to her question although she took upon her to acknowledge him for a Prophet She had no mind the thing should be so as he had resolved and therefore she had no mind to believe it How Christ was expected as the great teacher we shall observe afterward Vers. 29. A man which hath told me all things that ever I did The Disciples having now bought all things that they would have for dinner for it was now dinner time return to the well to their Master and upon their return Christs discourse and the womans is broken off and she slips a way into the City and bids come see a man that hath told me all things that ever I did But Christ did not so for he told her only of one particular or two about her husbands but besides that the word All in Scripture is not always stretched to the utmost extent of its signification he had told her so much that she concludes that he that could tell her that could have told her also all things else such expressions as these in earnest and pathetical narrations are not strange Vers. 35. Say ye not there are yet four months c. The coherence and connexion of this verse with those before which is the first thing to be looked after in it lyeth thus The Disciples had been in the City and bought some meat and when they had set it ready they invite him to dine He answers No he hath other meat to feed upon than they are aware of and that was to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work And what work was that Why the very work that he had been just now about preaching the Gospel and converting a soul and which work he knew was increasing upon him by the coming of the Samaritans to hear him whom either he now saw coming in flocks towards him or knew they would come In these words therefore he answers his Disciples to this purpose You would have me to eat but I have somewhat else to do which is meat to me which is to finish my Fathers work in preaching the Gospel for look you yonder whereas ye say it is four months to harvest see what a Gospel harvest is coming yonder what a multitude of people is yonder coming to hear me ready for the harvest therefore it is not a time to talk of eating of meat that perisheth but to fall to this harvest work which is my meat in doing the will of him that sent me The harvest of the Jews began at the Passover for on the second day of the Passover the Law injoyned them to bring a sheaf of the first fruits of their harvest and wave it before the Lord and from that day they counted seven weeks to Pentecost See Levit. 23. 10. 15. Four months therefore before the Passover which was the fourteenth day of the first month falls to be towards the latter end of our November or thereabout as is easily cast by any This therefore helps to set the clock of the time reasonable well both for the reckoning of what times are past and for the better fixing of the next Passover that is to come As 1. It shews about what time Johns imprisonment befel and how long he preached namely from Passover was twelvemonth to this November a year and a half and a month and some days above for it is like that Christ stayed not long in Judea after Johns imprisoning 2. It shews that Christ had spent some eight months in Judea from the Passover hitherto and had in this time converted abundance of people to his doctrine 3. It will help to clear that the feast of the Jews spoken of in the next Chapter is the next Passover that was to come as we shall observe when we come there In the former part of the words Say ye not There are four months and then cometh harvest He speaketh literally of their harvest of corn but in the latter the fields are already white to harvest he speaketh parabolically or spiritually of the multitudes of people both among Jews and Gentiles that were ready to be reaped and gathered
couples for breed and the odd one for Adams sacrifice upon his fall but of unclean only one couple for the propagation of the kind Vers. 26. Man created by the Trinity about the third hour of the day or nine of the clock in the morning CHAP. II. The three first verses that treat of the institution of the Sabbath are according to their proper Order of time to be taken in at the end of the third chapter Vers. 4. c. On the morning of the sixth day a mist that had gone up from the Earth fell down upon it again in rain or dew and watered the Earth with which watering the trees and plants budded to maturity in a trice this dew being as a natural cause thereof yet the effect being withal exceeding supernatural because â—o speedy Vers. 7. Of the dust of the Earth thus watered God created the body of man and to this the Psalmist alludeth The dew of thy youth Psal. 110. 3. And into that Earth so prepared he breatheth the Spirit of Life and Grace Ephes. 4. 24. Vers. 10. Eden watered by a river that overflowed it once a year after the manner of Nilus and Jordan Chap. 13. 10. To Adam thus created and made Lord of the creature the Lord himself bringeth the creatures to receive their names which he giveth to them agreeable to their natures and that at the first sight shewing at once his dominion over them and his wisdom among them all he seeth no fit match for himself but by seeing every one of them mated and that they came before him by pairs he is brought to be sensible of his own want of a fellow which thereupon God provideth for him out of his own body of a rib which part of him might best be spared And thus the Creation endeth in the making of the woman CHAP. III. The woman thinking it had been a good Angel that spake in the trunk of the Serpent she entreth communication with the Devil who perceiving her both to add and to diminish to and from the Commandment that was given them groweth the more impudent to tempt and seduceth her by the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as 1 John 2. 16. And she perswadeth her husband and so they both are fallen on the very same day that they are created Gen. 9. 1 2 3. Psal. 49. 12. Christ is promised before the man and the woman are censured and they are questioned also before they be sentenced but so was not Satan for God had mercy in store for them but none for him The curse is not upon man himself but upon the Earth to teach him to set his affections on things above and not on the cursed ground and not to look for an earthly Kingdom of Christ on this Earth which the Lord hath cursed Adam apprehendeth and layeth hold upon the promise by Faith and in evidence of this his faith he calleth his wives name Eve or Life because she was to be the mother of Christ according to the flesh by whom life should come and of all believers that by faith should live in him for an outward sign and seal of this his Faith and for a further and more lively expression of the same God teacheth him the rite of sacrifice to lay Christ dying before his eyes in a visible figure And with the skins of the sacrificed beasts God teacheth him and his wife to cloath their bodies And thus the first thing that dieth in the world is Christ in a figure At the end of this third chapter imagine the three first verses of Chap. 2. concerning the Sabbath to be observed to come in and suppose the texture of the story to lye thus Adam thus fallen censured recovered instructed and expelled Eden on the sixth day the next day following he by Gods appointment keepeth for a Sabbath or an holy rest and spendeth it only in divine duties Now the reason why it standeth in the place where it doth Chap. 2. Is partly because Moses would lay the seven days or the first week of the world altogether without interposition and partly because he would shew by setting it before Adams fall that had he persisted in innocency yet must he have observed a Sabbath The seventh day or Sabbath is not bounded in the Text with the same limits that the other days are for it is not said of it as it was of them The Evening and the Morning were the seventh day because a time should come when it should have a new beginning and end and though to the Jews it was from Even to Even yet from the beginning it was not so expressed CHAP. IV. Cain and Abel twins of one birth and first was born he that was natural and after he that was spiritual The faith of Abel appeared in the very materials of his sacrifice it being of slain beasts and so a representation of the death of Christ for this it is fired from Heaven and Cain's is not though his dry ears of Corn were materials far more combustible Cain and Abel were both their own Priests for it cannot be proved that Sacrifices were ever offered but upon emergent occasions till the Law fixed it for a common service and he that had such an occasion had liberty to be his own Priest even under the Law as it appeareth by Gedeon Manoah c. and then much more was that liberty before The word Sin in vers 7. seemeth rather to signifie an offering or attonment for sin than punishment For first God cometh not to deject Cain lower than he was but to raise him from his dejection as it appeareth both by his deigning to give him an Oracle from Heaven and also by the words wherewith he beginneth Secondly If the words Sin lieth at the door intend suddain Judgment ready to devour him what dependance can the words following have with these If thou do not well thou shalt certainly be punished and thy brothers desire shall be subject to thee for this were to threaten poor Abel more or at least as much as Cain Thirdly The Original word Chateath as it signifies Sin so also doth it the sacrifice for sin as Hos. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 21. And all along Leviticus and it was the custom according to which Moses speaketh as best known to lay the Sacrifice at the Sanctuary door Vers. 14. Cain sensible of his punishment though he was not of his sin beggeth of God that he might die to ease him of it Therefore let any one that findeth me kill me but this God denyeth to him reserving him to a lingring punishment and Cain being assured of long life giveth himself to all sensuality to sweeten it as much as he can and this is the way of Cain Jud. vers 11. Vers. 23. Lamech in horrour of Conscience for his Polygamy which now began to be examplary to the general corruption of the world acknowledgeth his sin seventy times greater than
here to Moses the first Prophet of the Church of Israel it also descended to a succession of Prophets in that Congregation from time to time But with this excellent gift it was also given Moses himself to know and so likewise them that did succeed that they had this double power not from themselves but from another Moses his stammering tongue taught himself and them so much for Prophesie and his leprous hand taught so much for Miracles This succession of Prophets began from Samuel and ended in the death of Christ Acts 3. 24. Not that there were not Prophets betwixt Moses and Samuel but because they were not expressed by name as also because vision in that space of time was exceeding rare 1 Sam. 3. 1. Now from the beginning of the rule of Samuel to the beginning of the captivity in Babel were four hundred and ninety years and from the end of that captivity to the end of Christs life upon earth were four hundred and ninety years more The seventy years of captivity between which were the seventh part of either of these two Numbers that lay on either side are called by Habbakkuk The midst of years namely from the beginning of Prophesie in Samuel to the sealing of Prophesie in the death of Christ. Revive thy work in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known Then was it justly to be feared that the spirit of Prophesie would quite have ceased from Israel when they were captived among the Heathen This made the Prophet to pray so earnestly that God would preserve alive or revive his work of Miracles in the midst of years and in those times of captivity that he would make known things to come by that gift of Prophesie And he was heard in what he prayed for and his supplication took effect in the most prophetick and powerful Spirit of Daniel The Jews had an old Maxim That after the death of Zachary Malachy and those last Prophets the Spirit of God departed from Israel and went up So that from thence forward prediction of future things and working of miracles were rarities among them To this aimed the answer of those holy ones Act. 19. 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost Not that they doubted of such a person in the Trinity but that whereas they had learned in their Schools that the Holy Ghost departed away after the death of Malachy they had never yet heard whether he was restored again in his gifts of Prophesie and Miracles till now or no. SECTION VII The two first miracles Exod. 4. 1. THE turning of Moses rod into a Serpent did utterly disclaim any power of the Devil in these wonders which he was to work which power only the Magicians wrought by For as a Serpent was the fittest Embleme of the Devil as Gen. 3. and Revel 12. 9. 80 was it a sign that Moses did not these Miracles by the power of the Devil but had a power over and beyond him when he can thus deal with the Serpent at his pleasure as to make his rod a Serpent and the Serpent a rod as he seeth good Yet it is worth the observing that he is commanded to take it by the tail vers 9. for to meddle with the Serpents head belonged not to Moses but to Christ that spake to him out of the bush as Gen. 3. 15. His rod at Sinai is said to be turned into Nahash a common and ordinary Snake or Serpent but when he casts it down before Pharaoh it becometh Tannin Chap. 7. 10. a Serpent of the greatest dimensions be like a Crocodile which beast the Egyptians adored and to whose jaws they had exposed the poor Hebrew Infants in the River 2. His Leprous hand disclaimed also any power of Moses his own in these wonders which he wrought for it was not possible that so great things should be done by that impure and unclean hand but by a greater 3. Both of these Miracles which were the first that were done by any Prophet in the world did more specially refer to the Miracles of that great Prophet that should come into the world by whose power these Miracles were done by Moses at this time For as it belonged to him only to cast out the power of the Devil out of the soul and to heal the soul of the leprosie of sin so was it reserved for him first to cast out the Devil out of the body and to heal the leprosie of the body For though the Prophets from Moses to Christ had the gift of doing Miracles and performed wonders many of them in an high degree yet could never any of them or any other cast out a Devil or heal a Leper till the great Prophet came Elisha indeed directed Naaman how he should be healed but he neither touched him nor came out to him at all that he might shew that it was not his power but such cures were reserved for Christ to come SECTION VIII Moses in danger of death because of distrust Exod. 4. 24. THE fault of Moses that brought him into this danger was not the uncircumcision of his Son as it is commonly held for that had been dispensable withal in him as it was with thousands afterwards of the Israelites in the Wilderness but his fault was grievous diffidence and distrust For this is that that makes him so much so oft and so earnestly to decline so glorious and honourable a message as the Lord would send him on and this was that that brought him into this danger of death when he was even going on this message Observe therefore his evasions and how they sound exceeding hollow and empty of belief First Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh Chap. 3. 11. This the Lord answereth I will be with thee and this my appearing to thee may be an undoubted token to thee that I have sent thee vers 12. Secondly But who shall I say hath sent me For forty years ago they refused me saying Who made thee a Prince and a Ruler over us Chap. 4. 1. This scruple the Lord removeth by giving him the power of miracles Thirdly But I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to me for though I may work miracles upon others yet is not this wrought upon my self that I speak any whit better than I did before This receiveth this answer I will be with thy mouth vers 10. 11 12. Fourthly But I pray thee send by that hand that thou wilt send or stretch out vers 13. for thou saidst to me I will stretch out mine hand and smite Egypt c. Chap. 3. 20. Now therefore I pray thee stretch out this hand of thine for the hand of man is not able to perform it At this the Lords anger was kindled against him and that deservedly For in this he denied the mystery of the Redemption which was to be wrought by a man the God-head going along with him Now it
the State desire that it might be deferred for a certain space which accordingly was done in regard of the greatness of the men The King in the mean time goeth up to Ctesiphon the Imperial City attending the coming of these two Nobles who when they put it off from day to day Surena in the presence and by the approval of very many Crowneth him on their Country manner These two Nobles and many others that were absent from this solemnity some for fear of the Kings displeasure some for hatred of Abdageses his favorite and some no doubt upon a plot premeditated betake themselves to Artabanus their old King again Him they find in Hyrcania hunting in the woods with his bow for his food rusty and dirty in habit and attire and overgrown with filth and neglect of himself At his first sight of them it is no wonder if he were stricken with amazement but their errand being related it converted that passion into equal joy For they complain of Tridates his youth and effeminacy of the Diadems translation out of the blood of the potency of Abdageses and the loss of their old King whom they now are come to desire again Artabanus believeth them and consenteth and raising speedily what Scythians he could marcheth away towards his Kingdom again But his Royal apparel he wore not with him but the poor and rugged garb of his misery and exile thereby to move the more to pity and used all his wits and policy to make himself a party strong on his side all the way as he went But he needed not all this cautelousness and preparation for Tiridates but hearing of his approaching towards Seleucia under colour of going to raise up forces departed into Syria and parted with his new Kingdom with as much facility as he had obtained it §. 2. Artabanus giveth hostages to Rome When the power and policy of Tiberius and his agent Vitellius that had served to get Artabanus out of his Kingdom would not serve the turn to keep him thence they send to treat of friendship with him suspecting what trouble such a spirit might procure should it bend it self against the Roman Empire The King wearied with the â—oils of War and knowing without a prompter what it was to defie the Romans condescendeth readily to the motion and Vitellius and he meeting upon a bridge made over Euphrates for that purpose each with a guard about him conclude upon Articles of agreement and Herod the Tetrarch entertaineth them both in a pavillion curiously seated in the midst of the stream Not long after this Artabanus sendeth Darius his son for an hostage to Tiberius and withal he sendeth Eleazar a Jew of seven cubits high for a present and many other gifts §. 3. A Commotion in Cappadocia Whilst matters went thus unquietly in Parthia the Calitae a Nation of Cappadocia grew discontented about paying tribute to the Romans and so departed into the mountain Taurus and there fortifie resolving as they never had used to pay such taxations so never to learn nor to use to do so Archelaus was now King but not now King of them for the strength of the mountains and the desperateness of their resolution do animate them to withstand him and to rebel against the Romans When tydings of this was brought to Vitellius into Syria he dispatcheth away M. Trebellius with four thousand legionary Souldiers and some other Forces raised otherways to bring the Rebels to obedience or to ruine Trebellius invironeth with Works and Men two hills Cadra and Davara where they were the most strongly trenched and those that were so hardy as to come forth he subdueth with the sword and the rest with famishing §. 4. Bloodshed at Rome These diseases of the Roman body were far from the heart and yet was the heart the City it self but little the better for though some veins were opened in these wars which one would have thought should have turned the blood another way yet did the City through the cruelty of the Emperor bleed inwardly still For L. Aurelius and some others died by the hand of the Executioner and C. Galba two of the Blesii and the Lady Aemylia Lepida by their own hands But the example of the greatest terror was Vibulenus Agrippa a Knight who being at the bar when he had heard what his accusers could say against him and despairing to escape he took poyson out of his bosom in the face of the Court Dion saith he sucked it out of his Ring and swallowed it and sank down and was ready to die yet was he haled away to prison and there strangled §. 5. Mishaps Besides this deluge of blood which overflowed the City continually there was also this year a deluge of water For Tiber rose so high and violently into the Town that many Streets became navigable and where men had walked lately on their feet they might have passed now up and down in ships And a greater misfortune happened this year likewise by the contrary element for a terrible fire consumed the buildings of the mount Aventine and that part of the Circus that lay betwixt that and the Palace For the repair of all which again Tiberius out of his own Treasure gave a great sum of money Tacitus saith Millies Sestertium which according to the value and reckoning of our English coin amounted to eight hundred thousand pounds within nineteen thousand A sum not strange in an Emperors coffer at Rome where the vastness of the Empire brought in vast revenues but somewhat strange out of the purse of Tiberius for so good a purpose whose covetousness was larger than those whole revenues And therefore as I cannot but observe the difference of Dion about this liberality of the Emperor from Tacitus and the difference of his translator from his Text so can I not but conceive his computation and account to be the more probable in regard of the niggardise of the Emperor For whereas the sum of Tacitus is eight hundred thousand within nineteen he hath so far come short of such a reckoning that he maketh nineteen thousand pounds to be the whole account For Tiberius saith he gave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two thousand and five hundred thousand meaning 2500 sestertia and each sestertium containing a thousand Sestertios this accreweth to about the sum last named of 19000 l. and yet hath his translator forsaken his Greek and followed Tacitus Latine to so vast a difference PART III. The JEWISH Story §. 1. A commotion in Samaria Pilate out of office A Great space of time is past since we heard any news of Pontius Pilate and news it is indeed that his malicious and stirring spirit hath not entertained us with some bloody Tragedy or other of all this while His Government draweth now near its expiration for he is going upon the tenth year of it and it is a kind of miracle if so mischievous an agent should part without acting some mischief before his exit and this
there continued for many ages It was innobled by b b b b b b Bab. Berac fol. 30. 2. thirteen Synagogues among which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c c c c c c Hieros Kilaim fol. 32. 3. The antient Serongian Synagogue was one It was famous also for the Sanhedrin sitting there for the Talmudic Mishna perhaps collected here by R. Judah and for the Jerusalem Talmud written there for certain That very Volume does openly speak the place where it was published in which the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hither do most plainly design Tiberias almost in infinite places But there is a greater controversie about the time it is agreed upon by very many learned Men that this Talmud was written about the year of Christ CCXXX which I do indeed wonder at when the mention of the Emperor Diocletian unless I am very much mistaken does occur in it Let us note the places d d d d d d Beracoth fol. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the King Docletinus came hither to Tiberias they saw R. Chaija bar Abba climing a Sepulchre to see him This story is repeated in e e e e e e Naz. fol. 56. 1 Nazir and he is there called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doclinus by an error as it seems of the Coppiers f f f f f f Kilaim fol. 32. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicletinus gathered the Rivers together and made the Sea of Apamia And this story is recited in g g g g g g Chetubh fol. 35 2. Chetubboth and there he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Docletianus h h h h h h Joma fol. 41. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Docletinus had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most fine gold even to the weight of a Gordian peny i i i i i i Shevuoth fol. 34 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Docletianus came thither he came with an hundred and twenty myriads k k k k k k Trumoth fol. 46. 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The boys of R. Judah the Prince bruised Diclot the keeper of hogs with blows That King at length escaped and coming to Paneas sent for the Rabbines c. He said to them Therefore because your Creator worketh miracles for you you contemn my Government 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom they said we contemned Diclot the hogheard we contemned not Diocletianus the King Hence arose a suspition among some learned Men that this was not to be understood of Diocletian the Emperor but of some little King I know not whom of a very beggerly original of which opinion I also was sometime until at last I met with something that put the thing past all doubt That you find in l l l l l l Avod Zar. fol. 39. 4. Avodah Zarah There enquiry is made by one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What of the Mart of Tsur There is this Inscription there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Diocletianus the King built this Mart of Tsur or Tyre to the fortune of my Brother Herculius eighty days The very sound perswades to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herculius and the agreeableness of the Roman History from which every one knows how near a kin there was between Diocletian and Maximian Herculius m m m m m m Of the life of Consâ—ant lib. 1. cap. 13. Eusebius mentions the travailing of Diocletian through Palestine and all the Roman Historians speak of his sordid and mean birth which agree very well with the things that are related by the Talmudists These are all the places unless I am much mistaken where this name occurs in this Talmud one only excepted which I have reserved for this place that after we have discovered by these quotations that this was Diocletian the Emperour some years after him might be computed That place is in Sheviith n n n n n n Shev fol. 38. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diocletianus afflicted the men of Paneas they said therefore to him We will depart hence but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain Sophist said to him Either they will not depart or if they do they will return again but if you would have an Experiment of it let two young Goats be brought hither and let them be sent to some place afar off and they will at last come back to their place He did so for the Goats were brought whose horns he gilded and sent them into Africa and they after thirty years returned to their own place Consider that thirty years passed from this action of Diocletian which if you compute even from his first year and suppose that this story was writ in the last year of those thirty you come as far as the ninth or tenth year of Constantine Mention also of King Sapor occurs if I do not fail of the true reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Nedarim fol. 37 4. A Serpent under Sapor the King devoured Camels Yea I have I know not what suspicion that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lulianus the King of whom there is mention in that very same place does denote Julianus the Emperor When Lulianus the King say they came thither an hundred and twenty myriads accompanied him But enough of this There are some who believe the Holy Bible was pointed by the wise men of Tiberias I do not wonder at the Impudence of the Jews who invented the story but I wonder at the credulity of Christians who applaud it Recollect I beseech you the names of the Rabbines of Tiberias from the first situation of the University there to the time that it expired and what at length do you find but a kind of men mad with Pharisaim bewitching with Traditions and bewitched blind guileful doting they must pardon me if I say Magical and monstrous Men how unfit how unable how foolish for the undertaking so divine a work Read over the Jerusalem Talmud and see there how R. Judah R. Chaninah R. Judan R. Hoshaia R. Chaija Rubba R. Chaija bar Ba R. Jochanan R. Jonathan and the rest of the grand Doctors among the Rabbines of Tiberias behave themselves how earnestly they do nothing how childishly they handle serious matters how much of sophistry froth poyson smoke nothing at all there is in their Disputes And if you can believe the Bible was pointed in such a School believe also all that the Talmudists write The pointing of the Bible savours of the work of the Holy Spirit not the work of lost blinded besotted men R. Juda who first removed the University to Tiberias sat also in Zippor for many years and there died so that in both places were very famous Schools He composed and digested the Mishnaioth into one volume For when he saw the Captivity was prolonged they are the words of Tsemach David translated by Vorstius and the
31. cap. 2. In Judea saith he a River every Sabbath day is dry Josephus otherwise h h h h h h Jos. de hell lib. 7. cap. 13. Titus saith he going to Antioch saw in the way a River very well worthy to be taken notice of between the Cities of Arca and Raphana Cities of the Kingdom of Agrippa Now it hath a peculiar nature For when it is of that nature that it flows freely and does not sluggishly glide away yet it wholly fails from its springs for six days and the place of it appears dry And then as if no change at all were made on the seventh day the like River ariseth And it is by certain experience found that it always keeps this order Whence it is called the Sabbatic River from the holy Seventh day of the Jews Whether of the two do you believe Reader Pliny saith That River is in Judea Josephus saith No. Pliny saith It is dry on Sabbath days Josephus saith It flows then The Talmudists agree with Pliny and Josephus agrees not with his own Country men In the Babylonian Tract Sanhedrin Turnus Rufus is brought in asking this of R. Akibah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Fol. 56. 2. Who will prove that this is the Sabbath day The Gloss For perhaps one of the other days is the Sabbath R. Akibah answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sabbatic River will prove this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath a Python or a familiar spirit will prove this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Sepulchre of his father will prove this The Gloss writes thus The Sabbatic River will prove this That is a rocky River which flows and glides all the days of the week but ceaseth and resteth on the Sabbath He that hath a Python or a familiar spirit will prove this For a Python ascendeth not on the Sabbath day And the Sepulchre of Turnus Rusus all the days of the year sent forth a smoke because he was judged and delivered to fire But Transgressors in Hell rest on the Sabbath day Therefore his Sepulchre sent not forth a smoke on the Sabbath day Do you not suspect Reader whence and wherefore this fable was invented Namely when the brightness of the Christian Sabbath was now risen and encreased every day they had recourse to these Monsters either of Magick or of Fables whereby the glory of our Sabbath might be obscured and that of the Jews exalted The various and indeed contrary relations of Historians bring the truth of the story into suspicion CHAP. VII The Region of Decapolis What Mark VII 30. I. Illy placed by some II. Scythopolis heretofore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bethshean one of those Decapolitan Cities III. Also Gadara and Hippo. IV. And Pella V. Caphar Tsemach Beth Gubrin Caphar Carnaim VI. Cesarea Philippi VII The City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orbo SECTION I. The Region of Decapolis not well placed by some WE meet with frequent mention of Decapolis in the Evangelists as also in forreign Authors but no where in a more difficult sense than in those words of St. Mark Chap. VII where it is thus spoken of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon he came to the Sea of Galilee through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis The difficulty lies in this that supposing by the coasts of Tyre and Sidon a place near the gates of Sidon is to be understood of which before it can scarcely be conceived how Christ went through the middle of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee unless it be supposed that Decapolis was within Galilee Hence a a a a a a Borchard cap. 6. §. 6. Saligniac Tom. 9. cap. 1. Borchard certainly and others that follow him seem to be induced to number these Towns of Galilee for Decapolitan Towns Tiberias Sephet Kedesh Naphtali Hazor Capernaum Cesarea Philippi Jetopata Bethsaida Chorazin Scythopolis Upon whose credit Baronius writes thus b b b b b b Ad annum Christi 31. The Province of Decapolis saith he was placed in the same Galilee so called because there were ten Cities in it among which one was reckoned Capernaum Confidently enough indeed but without any ground Pliny much otherwise There is joyned to it saith he on the side of Syria the Region of Decapolis from the number of the Towns in which Region all do not keep the same Towns Yet most do Damascus and Opoto watered with the River Chrysorrhoa fruitful Philadelphia Raphana all lying backwards towards Arabia Scythopolis heretofore called Nysa from Father Bacchus his Nurse being there buried from Scythians drawn down and planted there Gaddara the River Hieromiax gliding by it and that which is now called Hippo Dio Pella rich in waters Galasa Canatha The Tetrarchies run between these Cities and compass them about which are like to Kingdoms and are divided into Kingdoms namely Trachonitis Paneas in which is Cesarea with the Fountain before spoke of Abila Arca Ampeloessa Whom should we believe Borchard and his followers place all Decapolis within Galilee being extended the whole length of Galilee and adjacent to Jordan and on the shore of the Sea of Genesaret Pliny and his followers place it all in the Country beyond Jordan except only Scythopolis In Scythopolis both parties agree and I in this with both but in others I agree with Borchardus hardly in any and not with Pliny in all In them it is absurd to reckon the most famed Cities of Galilee for Cities of Decapolis when both in sacred and prophane Authors Galilee is plainly distinguished from Decapolis In Pliny it seems an unequal match to joyn Damascus and Philadelphia formerly the two Metropoles of Syria and the Kingdom of Ammon with the small Cities of Gadara and Hippo. With Pliny and his followers Josephus also consents in reckoning up some Cities of Decapolis For severely chiding Justus of Tiberias he has these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c c c c c c Joseph in his own life pag. mlhi 650. You also and all the men of Tiberias have not only taken up arms but have fought against the Cities of Decapolis in Syria Observe that The Cities of Decapolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Syria not in Galilee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast set their Cities on fire And a little after After that Vespasian was come to Ptolemais 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chief men of Decapolis of Syria sharply accused Justus of Tiberias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he had fired their Towns But what those Towns of Decapolis were he hints elswehere in these words d d d d d d Ib. pag. 618. Then Justus perswading his fellow citizens to take arms and compelling those that would not and going forth with all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he fires the Villages of the Gadarens and the Hippens You see how with Pliny Josephus joyns the Region of Decapolis to the
men were wont to wash themselves in Siloam not the Fountain but the Pool p p p p p p Midras Coheleth fol. 95. 3. Simeon Sicuensis dug Wells Cisterns and Caves in Jerusalem saith Rabban Jochanan ben Zacchai if a woman should come to thee and ask thee about her Menstrua Thou saist to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dip thy self in this Well for the waters thereof will purifie III. Those five Porches therefore seem to be the several entrances by which the unclean went down into the waters to be washed and in which before washing they might lay up their Cloths and after it put them on again being there always protected from the rain And perhaps they had their different entrances and descents according to the different sorts of uncleanness that all those that were one and the same way defiled should have one and the same entrance and descent into the Pool That this was the first design and use of these Porches I do not at all doubt though afterward there was another use for them brought in And as to the washing of the unclean in this Pool let me also superadd this one remark That when they allowed and that of necessity because of the multitudes of unclean persons the lesser gatherings of waters viz. forty Seah's of water in a place fitted on purpose both for bredth and depth if there was no greater plenty of water then we must not suppose that they would by any means neglect the Ponds and Pools VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Angel went down at a certain season IT is hardly imaginable that these impotent people lay day and night throughout the whole year at this Pool It seems rather that the troubling of the waters and healing the sick was usual only at the solemn Feasts probably only the Feasts of the Passover And so it may not be â—miss to interpret the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with this restriction it was a Feast of the Jews and an Angel went down at that certain season into the Pool c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And troubled the water We have this Story or rather this Tale concerning a certain Fountain troubled by an evil Angel f f f f f f Vajicra rabba sect 24. It is a Story in our City concerning Abba Joses saith R. Berechiah in the name of R. Simeon that when he sate at the Fountain and required something there appear'd to him the Spirit that resided there and said you know well enough how many years I have dwelt in this place and how your selves and your Wives have come and returned without any damage done to you But now you must know that an evil Spirit endeavours to supply my room who would prove very mischievous amongst you He saith to him what must we do then He answered him and said Go and tell the Towns people that whoever hath an Hammer and an Iron Pinn or Bolt let him come hither to morrow morning and have his eyes intent upon the waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when you see the waters troubled then let them knock with the Iron and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the victory is ours and so let them not go back till they see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thick drops of blood upon the face of the waters The Gloss is By this sign it will appear that the Spirit was conquered and killed And so they rest of the Legend tells us that they did as was commanded and did not depart till they saw the thick drops of blood upon the waters Let them enjoy themselves in their doughty victory When the time was not afar off wherein there should be a Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. XIII 1. viz. The Fountain of the blood of Christ divine Providence would have it that a thing of that inconceiveable excellency and benefit should not want some notable prognostick and forerunner And therefore amongst all the Fountains and Pools that were in Jerusalem for washing the unclean he chose the most noble and celebrated Pool of Bethesda or Siloam that in that might appear some prefiguration of his blood that should heal the world Those waters therefore that had been only cleansing before were made healing now that by their purifying and healing quality they might prefigure and proclaim that that true and living Fountain was not far off who should both purge and heal mankind in the highest degree How many years before our Saviour's suffering this miraculous vertue of the Pool discovered its self the Holy Story doth not tell us and as for the traditional Books I do not find that they once mention the thing although I have turned over not a few of their Writings if possible to have met with it From what Epocha therefore to date the beginning of it would seem rashness in us to undertake the determining Whether from the first structure of the Sheep-gate by Eliashib as some persons of great note judge or whether from the extinction of the Asmonean Family or the rebuilding of the Temple by Herod or from the Nativity of our Saviour or from any other time let the Reader make his own choice What if we should date it from that great Earth-quake of which Josephus g hath this passage About that time about the Battel of Actium betwixt â— Antiqu. lib. 15. cap. 7. Cesar and Antony the seventh year of the Reign of King Herod there was a mighty Earthquake in Judea that made an infinite slaughter of Beasts in that Country and near ten thousand people slain by the fall of Houses Perhaps in that ruine the Tower of Siloam fell of which Luke XIII 4. and what if then the Angel made his descent first into the Pool as Matth. XXVIII 2. There was a great Earthquake for the Angel of the Lord descended c. But in this matter I had rather learn than dogmatize It might be further enquired at what time it was first known that the healing quality followed the troubling of the waters but this is as dark and obscure as the former especially when the Spirit of Prophecy appearance of Angels and working of Miracles had been things so long unwonted in that Nation The Masters attribute such a kind of an healing virtue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the fountain of Miriam as they call it in the Sea of Tiberias h h h h h h Midras Coheleth 97. 2. The Story is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a certain Ulcerous Man who went down to the Sea of Tiberias that he might dip himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it happened to be the time when the Well of Miriam flowed so that he swam there and was healed They have a fiction about a certain Well that opened it self to the Israelites in the Wilderness for the merits of Miriam which at her departure disappeared They suppose also as it should seem that a certain Well or gulph in some part of the Sea
h h h h h h De Bell. Sacr. lib. 10. cap. 31. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He will reprove the world of sin c. THE Holy Spirit had absented himself from that Nation now for the space of four hundred years or thereabout and therefore when he should be given and pour'd out in a way and in measures so very wonderful he could not but evince it to the world that Jesus was the true Messiah the Son of God who had so miraculously pour'd out the Holy Spirit amongst them and consequently could not but reprove and redargue the world of sin because they believed not in him VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of righteousness c. THAT this righteousness here mention'd is to be understood of the righteousness of Christ hardly any but will readily enough grant but the question is what sort of righteousness of his is here meant whether his personal and inherent or his communicated and justifying righteousness we may say that both may be meant here I. Because he went to the Father it abundantly argu'd him a just and righteous person held under no guilt at all however condemn'd by men as a malefactor II. Because he pour'd out the Spirit it argu'd the merit of his righteousness for otherwise he could not in that manner have given the Holy Spirit And indeed that what is chiefly meant here is that righteousness of his by which we are justify'd this may perswade us that so many and so great things are spoken concerning it in the Holy Scriptures Isai. LVI 1. My Salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed Dan. IX 29. To bring in everlasting righteousness Jer. XXIII 6. This is his name by which he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS And in the Epistles of the Apostles especially those of St. Paul this righteousness is frequently and highly celebrated seeming indeed the main and principal subject of the Doctrines of the Gospel In the stead of many others let this serve for all Rom. I. 17. For therein viz. in the Gospel is the righteousness of God reveal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from faith to faith which words may be a good Comment upon the foregoing Clause I. The Law teacheth faith that is that we believe in God But the Gospel directs us to proceed from faith to faith viz. from faith in God to faith in Christ for true and saving faith is not a meer naked recumbency immediately upon God which faith the Jews were wont to profess but faith in God by the mediation of faith in Christ. II. In the Law the righteousness of God was reveal'd condemning but in the Gospel it was reveal'd justifying the sinner And this is the great mystery of the Gospel that sinnes are justify'd not only through the grace and meer compassion and mercy of God but through Divine justice and righteousness too that is through the righteousness of Christ who is Jehovah the Lord our righteousness And the Spirit of Truth when he came he did reprove and instruct the world concerning these two great articles of faith wherein the Jews had so mischievously deceiv'd themselves that is concerning true saving faith faith in Christ and also concerning the manner or formal cause of Justification viz. the righteousness of Christ. But then how can we form the Argument I go unto the Father therefore the world shall be convinc'd of my justifying righteousness I. Let us consider that the expression I go unto the Father hath something more in it than I go to Heaven So that by this kind of phrase our Saviour seems to hint That work being now finisht for the doing of which my Father sent me into the world I am now returning to him again Now the work which Christ had to do for the Father was various The manifestation of the Father Preaching the Gospel vanquishing the enemies of God sin death and the Devil but the main and chief of all and upon which all the rest did depend was that he might perform a perfect obedience or obediential righteousness to God God had created man that he might obey his Maker which when he did not do but being led away by the Devil grew disobedient where was the Creator's glory The Devil triumphs that the whole humane race in Adam had kickt against God prov'd a rebel and warr'd under the banners of Satan It was necessary therefore that Christ clothing himself in the humane nature should come into the world and vindicate the glory of God by performing an intire obedience due from mankind and worthy of his Maker He did what weigh'd down for all the disobedience of all mankind I may say of the Devils too for his obedience was infinite He fulfilled a righteousness by which sinners might be justify'd which answer'd that justice that would have condemned them for the righteousness was infinite This was the great business he had to do in this world to pay such an obedience and to fulfill such a righteousness and this righteousness is the principal and noble theme and subject of the Evangelical Doctrine Rom. I. 17. of this the world must primarily and of necessity be convinc'd and instructed to the glory of him that justifieth and the declaration of the true Doctrine of Justification And this rightequsness of his was abundantly evidenced by his going to the Father because he could not have been receiv'd there if he had not fully accomplisht that work for which he had been sent II. It is added not without reason and ye see me no more i. e. Although you are my nearest and dearest friends yet you shall no more enjoy my presence on earth by which may be evinced that you shall partake of my merits especially when the world shall see you enricht so gloriously with the gifts of my Spirit VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of judgment because the Prince c. IT is well known that the Prince of this world was judged when our Saviour overcame him by the obedience of his death Heb. II. 14. and the first instance of that judgment and victory was when he arose from the dead the next was when he loos'd the Gentiles out of the chains and bondage of Satan by the Gospel and bound him himself Revel XX. 1 2. which place will be a very good Comment upon this passage And both do plainly enough evince that Christ will be capable of judging the whole world viz. all those that believe not on him when he hath already judg'd the Prince of this world This may call to mind the Jewish opinion concerning the judgment that should be exercis'd under the Messiah that he should not judg Israel at all but the Gentiles only nay that the Jews were themselves rather to judg the Gentiles than that they were to be judg'd But he that hath judg'd the Prince of this world the author of all unbelief will also judg every unbeliever too VERS XII
the brook of filth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where there was a Garden The Grandees of the Nation had their Gardens and places of pleasure about the City yea even in the mount of Olives for there were none within the City its self b b b b b b Bava kamah cap. 7. ad fin The blood that was over and above after the sprinkling of the inward Altar was pour'd out toward the foundation on the west of the outward Altar And the blood that was over and above at the outward Altar was pour'd out at the foot of it on the South-side and both the one and the other meeting together ran down through a conveyance under ground into the brook Kidron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And was sold to the Gardeners to dung their Gardens with which having bought they us'd for that purpose c c c c c c Joma fol. 58. 2. For the blood having been once dedicated to sacred use might not be put to any common use without trespass so that the Gardeners paid so much money for it as would purchase a trespass-offering VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With Lanthorns and Torches THE Talm. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signifie we may make a guess out of Succah d d d d d d Fol. 51. 2. They danced that is in the Feast of Tabernacles holding in their hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 burning Torches The Gloss is They threw up their Torches into the air and caught them again in their hands and some there were so great artists in this exercise they could do it some with four others with eight Torches at once throwing up one and catching another VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malcus A Name very much in use amongst the Jews Malluch Nehem. X. 4 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e e e e e e Joseph Antiq. llb. 13. 9. Malchus the Arabian This was also the name of that implacable enemy to Christianity Porphyrius and of his father before him So Luke Holsteine in the life of Porphyrius where he reckons up more of that name Christ had stroke those to the ground that came to apprehend him by the power of his Word that he might thereby provide for the flight of his Disciples and shew his own Divine power they getting up again accost him Judas kisseth him they lay hands upon him and then Peter draws his sword c. VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Annas first FOR Annas was Father-in-law to Caiaphas as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sagan of the Priests Luk. III. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Targ. in 2 King XXIII 4. Now Sagan was the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prefect or Ruler which we have so frequent mention of amongst the Rabbins f f f f f f Joma cap. 3. hal 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ruler saith unto them Gloss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ruler is the Sagan g g g g g g Sanhedr fol. 19. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sagan is the same with Ruler There is frequent mention amongst the Talmudists of R. Ananias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sagan of the Priests h h h h h h Joma fol. 8. 1. He was destroy'd with Rabban Simeon and Ismael at the siege of Jerusalem i i i i i i Shekalim cap. 6. hal 1 c. But I am apt to think he was that sharp and unjust Judg that St. Paul had to do with Act. XXIII rather than our Annas in this place Why they should carry our Saviour when they had taken him before Annas the Sagan i Tsemach David Juchasin fol. 57. sooner than to Caiaphas the High Priest the Evangelist gives us one reason viz. because he was Father-in-law to Caiaphas under which another reason may be deduced viz. that he was the older man of greater experience and skill in the Law for there were sometimes some High Priests that were very unlearned fellows as may be gather'd from that supposition in Joma k k k k k k Cap. 1. hal 6. If the High Priest be a wise man he expounds if not they expound to him If he be accustom'd to reading he reads himself if not they read before him But for the Sagan of the Priests it was very necessary he should be a man of learning because his charge was about the things and service of the Temple and was bound to be always assistant and present there when the High Priest was seldom there or convers'd in those affairs Juchasin and Aruch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No one could by right be promoted to the High Priesthood unless he had first been Sagan A good cautelous provision indeed that so in the time of their Saganship they might gain experience in the Laws and Rituals and might be the better fitted for the High Priests Chair But when it came to that pass that persons were made High Priests for their money and not for their deserts it might easily happen that very unlearned wretches might sometimes possess that seat And perhaps Caiphas himself was of this stamp It seems therefore that they led Jesus to Annas first that Caiaphas might be directed by his counsel himself being but little versed in things of this nature might proceed in this affair by the steerage of his Father-in-law And let this High Priest pardon me if I ascribe that sentence of his It is expedient that one man should die for the people and not that the whole Nation perish not to his prudence and gravity but to his rashness and cruelty although the Holy Spirit directed it to its proper end which the High Priest himself did not dream of There might be another reason why they led Christ before Annas first but that I shall speak of anon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who was the High Priest that same year If the Gloss I had upon these very same words Chap. XI 51. will not so well fit here as they did there we may add this also which will suit well enough in both places that is that there was so great a vicissitude and change in the High Priesthood there being a new High Priest almost every year that it was not unnecessary to set down this particular circumstance Caiaphas was High Priest for that year l l l l l l Joma fol. 9. 1. In the second Temple which stood but 420 years there were more than three hundred High Priests within that time Of these 420 years deduct those forty wherein Simeon the Just ministred and those eighty wherein Johanan sat and those ten wherein Ismael ben Phabi and as it is said those eleven wherein Eleazar ben Harsom govern'd and then reckon and you will find that hardly any other High Priest sat out his whole year But this number of High Priests is very much lessen'd in Vajicra rabba
e e e Joma f. 22. 1. former times whosoever would clear the Altar of its ashes did it in the morning But when many strove together about that business and ran and went up by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ascent of the Altar c. There was a time when two strove together and ran with equal speed and went up by the Ascent of the Altar and one thrust the other so that he fell and his leg was broke c. VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To them that are without Law as without Law HE distinguished as it seems by the verse before between the Jews and those that are under the Law Which may be understood of the Jews in general and of the Pharisees in particular because the Pharisees seemed more to subject themselves to the Law than the rest of the Nation But by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such are without Law whether he means the Sadduces who altogether opposed the Laws of Pharisees or whether the Heathen enquire How he could yield himself conformable to the Heathen it is not easie to judge to the Jews the Pharisees the Sadducees he might conform himself in some things without scruple that he might gain them this only being understood of the Sadducees that his conformity is to be understood in rites not in the heresy about the Resurrection VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lest I should become a Cast away A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word very usual among the Masters especially as it is opposed to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is approved fit either thing or person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the contrary denotes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not approved not fit CHAP. X. VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And were all baptized unto Moses THEY had been newly circumcised before their going out of Egypt For when God accuseth them by the Prophet that they complied with the customs of the Egyptians and worshipped their Idols XX. 7 8. it is more than probable that they neglected Circumcision as also other of Gods appoinments and yielded themselves conformable to the Egyptians in all their irreligious rites Whence by a peculiar precept God provided when he instituted the Passover that before the eating of it every one should be circumcised Exod. XII 48. Which that it was done also is clear out of Jos. V. 5. All going out of Egypt were circumcised To Circumcision is added Baptism in the cloud and in the Sea and the latter Seal took not away the first but superinduced a new obligation They were not circumcised into Moses but they were baptized into Moses The Jews themselves confess that they were baptized at mount Sinai from those words Exod. XIX 10. But the Apostle fetcheth the thing higher that he may shew that the types of the Gospel Sacraments were both divine and also miraculous VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of that Spiritual rock that followed them NOT that the very rock in Horeb followed them but that streams of water flowing from that rock followed them and were gathered together into pools wheresoever they encamped Hence that Rhetorical figure very usual in the Prophets I will give in the Wilderness pools of water when discourse is of the watering of the Gentiles by the Gospel and the Spirit a a a a a a R. Sol. in Num. XX. 2. During all the forty years they had a Well And the Targum of Jonathan concerning another Well b b b b b b Num. XXI 19 From the time that the well in Mattanab was given them it was made again to them brooks that were overflowing and violent and again it went up unto the tops of the mountains and went down with them into the Vallies c. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three and twenty thousand BUT in Numb XXV it is Four and twenty thousand And in the Talmuds c c c c c c Hieros Sotah fol. 21. 4. Those four and twenty thousand that perished by reason of Baal-Peor c. And d d d d d d Hab. Sanhedr fol. 106. 1. Balaam came to receive his reward for the four and twenty thousand that had perished Whence therefore is it in Paul Three and twenty thousand only To omit that which is not unusual in the holy Scriptures when the same story is recited in two places to bring in somewhat different in the reckoning either of the things or the men or the years and that not without the highest reason As compare 2 Kings VIII 26. with 2 Chron. XXII 2. And 2 King XXIV 8. with 2 Chron. XXXVI 9. and very many of that nature Let us see what the Talmudists say of this story They discourse of it in divers places of the Tract Sanhedrin e to this sense upon those words of God to Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take all the heads of the people and ◠Fol. 33. 1. 64. 1. 82. 2. 106. 1. and elsewhere hang them up before the Sun they thus comment Take all the Princes of the people and make them Judges that they may stay all those that transgressed with Baal Peor If the people sinned what did the Heads of the people sin Saith Rabh Judah Rabh saith God said to Moses Divide to them Judgment seats Wherefore Because they judge not two in one day Now Jew find fault with Paul if you list and he hath wherewithal to answer you even from your own writers I. He saith not that three and twenty thousand were all that fell in the case of Baal-Peor but he saith that three and thenty thousand fell in one day II. It is manifest enough that God made use of a double vengeance against the sinners namely by Judges and by a Pestilence III. But now their own Countrymen say It is not lawful for one Bench to judge two in one day Or be it granted which is granted also by their Country-men that it is lawful to judge and slay two so it be by the same kind of death How many Benches I pray were set up Or how many days were spent in puting to death a thousand men under that provision Let one Bench put to death only one man or at most two in one day Our Apostle therefore speaks with the vulgar and saith not definitely three and twenty thousand perished just to a man but three and twenty thousand at least when according to that vulgar Canon it is scarce credible that a thousand men were put to death by those Benches when one Bench put to death only one or two at most in the space of one day The Levites being numbred presently after the plague of Baal-Peor were just so many as the Apostle here numbers Numb XXVI 62. So a number equal to the whole tribe of Levi perished in one day VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
43. And he saith unto Iesus Lord Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Acts XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say That there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both John XI 51. This spake he not of himself but being High Priest that year he prophesied That Iesus should dye for that people Rom. IX 3. For I could wish that I my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Gen. III. 20. And Adam called his wifes name Eve because she was the Mother of all living 1 John III. 12. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him Because his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous Gen. IV. 15. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him Exod. XX. 5. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Exod. XX. 11. For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. XX. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee A Discourse upon the fourth Article of the Apostles Creed He descended into Hell A SERMON PREACHED AT St. Michaels Cornhil Novemb. 25. 1658. Before the NATIVES of STAFFORDSHIRE JOHN X. 22 23. And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication and it was Winter And Iesus walked in the Temple in Solomons porch THE Text is suitable to the occasion Here is a Feast as well as yours a Feast in Winter as well as yours and as I shall shew you anon a Feast on the five and twentieth day of November as well as yours If Christ will vouchsafe his presence at yours as he did at this in the Text the parallel will not be so pregnant as it will be happy Of all the four Evangelists John is most punctual nay he only is punctual to give account of the Festivals that intercurred between Christs entrance into his Publick Ministry at his Baptism and the time of his Death that renowned and signal space of time of half a week of years as they be called Dan. 9. 27. or three years and an half in which Christ performed his Ministery and wrought Redemption And this he doth partly that he might the more remarkably count out the time and partly that he might shew how careful our Saviour was to observe those Festivals He names you the four Passovers that intervened The first Passover after his Baptism in Chap. II. when he whipped Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple The second in Chap. V. when he healed the long diseased Man at Bethesda The third in Chap. VI. 4. a little before which he fed five thousand Men miraculously The fourth and last in Chap. XVIII at which he suffered He gives you also account of his being at the Feast of Tabernacles Chap. VII and of his being at the Feast of Dedication in the words that I have read To the expounding of which the very way that I must go cannot but mind me to Observe this to you That Humane Learning is exceeding useful nay exceeding needful to the Expounding of Scripture The Text gives the rise of this Observation and it gives the proof of it Here is the mention of the Feast of Dedication and not one tittle else in all the Scripture concerning it And so there is the bare mention of Solomons porch and indeed it is mentioned once again in Act. III. 11. but neither here nor there any more than the bare name Certainly the Holy Ghost would never have mentioned these things if he would not have had us to have sought to know what they meant But how should we know them The Scripture gives not one spark of light to find them out but Humane Learning holds out a clear light of Discovery Would you know what this Feast of Dedication was Upon what occasion instituted How celebrated At what time of Winter it occurred The Scripture speaks not one word of all these but Humane Authors the Talmud Maimony Josephus the first book of Maccabes tell you all fully And would you know what Solomons porch was and where it was and in what part of the Temple it was in Scripture you can never find it but consult Humane Learning and Writers and they will tell you it was a Cloister-walk on the East bound of the utmost Court of the Temple and they will tell you the very space and fashion of it Here is a Text fallen into our Hands occasionally a Thousand others of the like nature might be produced let any of those that deny Humane Learning to be needful in handling of Divinity but expound me this Text without the help of Humane Learning and I shall then think there is something in their Opinion Two things lead them into this mistake 1. Because they conceive the New Testament which part of the Bible Christians have most to deal withal is so easie of it self that it needs no pains or study to the Expounding of it 2. And the less because say they the Spirit reveals it to the Saints of God and so they are taught of God and can teach others Give me leave partly for our settlement in the Truth about this Point and partly for the stopping the mouths of such gainsayers out of many things that might be spoken to commend these four to you I. That in the time when Prophecy flourished the standing Ministery that was to teach the people were not Prophets but Priests and Levites that became Learned by Study And for that end God disposed them into forty eight Cities which were as Universities where they were to Study the Law together that they might be inabled to teach the people And you may see the very Prophets themselves sending the people to them to be Instructed Hag. II. 2. Mal. II. 7. It is but a wild thing now when Prophesie is ceased so many hundred years ago to refuse Learning and a Learned Ministery and to seek instruction we know not of whom II. There is no ground in Scripture to believe nor promise to expect that God doth or ever will teach men the Grammatical or Logical construction of the Scripture Text. T is true indeed that he gives to a gratious Saint the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ as it is Ephes. I. 17. But how Revealing to him by experimental feeling that which he knew indeed before in Scripture but only by bare Theory As for example A man before his conversion knows by reading and hearing what Faith and Repentance are in their definitions but when he comes to
eleven hundred shekels of silver of every Philistin Prince Chap. XVI 5. And then look at the eleven hundred shekels of silver consecrated for making Micahs Idol Chap. XVII 2. which was set up in the Tribe of Dan Chap. XVIII 29. And you may easily perceive that the Holy Ghost hath laid these stories thus together that their sin in Dan and shame in the fall of Sampson of Dan might be cast up together Their last Judge Sampson of Dan came to so fatal and unhappy an end and no wonder for their first Idolatry was in Dan. And thus you see how Phinehas is still alive in this story and he named because they inquired by him and the Ark named because he enquired at the Ark. Which is the third inquiry III. But how enquired he By Urim and Thummim So was Gods direction to them Numb XXVII 21. And Joshua shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall ask counsil for him after the Judgment of Urim before the Lord. As Joshua the chief Commander in his time did enquire by Eleazar the father so did the chief commander now by Phinehas the son and both by the judgment of Urim and Thummim But how was that There are so many opinions about what Urim and Thummim was and so great obscurities made how the Oracle was given by it that it may seem to require another Oracle to tell how that Oracle was given I shall not tire you with diversities of opinions I shall briefly lay down some particulars concerning this thing upon which I my self am abundantly satisfied about it and upon which I suppose any that is not over curious may receive satisfaction 1. None but knows the Dress of the High Priest Exod. XXVIII and particularly the brest-plate the twelve stones and the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in upon them And then it is said at vers 30. And thou shalt put in the brest-plate of judgment the Urim and Thummim By the brest-plate there is meant as in vers 15 16. viz. that piece of imbroidred work foursquare and doubled of a span square in which the twelve precious stones were to be set And by the Urim and Thummim is meant the twelve precious stones themselves which are called Urim or Lights or Brightness because of their shineing Lustre and Thummim or Perfections because with most exact and perfect compacture they were all set and fixed in a plate and border of gold in that embroidred piece or that piece of cloth of gold 2. The inquiry by Urim and Thummim was not upon any private occasion nor by a private man but by the Prince or Commander in chief and that in some matter that concerned the whole Nation This might be largely cleared but needeth not only this I cannot but observe that till Solomons time there is mention and example of this enquiring by Urim by Joshua here in the Text by Saul by David but after Solomons time no such mention not because the Oracle then failed but because till David had done the work the whole Land in the full extent that God had promised namely to Euphrates was not conquered And therefore in those times this Oracle was stirring for the direction of the Prince or chief Commander in that expedition and employment 3. There was no enquiring of any Priest by Urim who was not inspired by the Spirit of Prophesie And hence it is that as the Jews well observe after the first generation after the return out of Captivity the Oracle by Urim and Thummim was not under the second Temple at all because thenceforward there never was any High Priest that had the Spirit of Prophesie or divine Inspiration The case of Caiaphas was singular and it was but once XI Joh. 51. Being High Priest that year he prophesied The emphasis and main reason lies in that year that year when Vision and Prophesie should be sealed that year when the Spirit should be poured down in so abundant a measure as it was Act. II. He being High Priest that year had one drop of that showre of divine Inspiration that fell that year and he Prophesied But before him had there been no High Priest that was indued with the Spirit of Prophesie from the times of Nehemiah Chap. VII 65. and accordingly not the Oracle by Urim and Thummim 4. That Oracle therefore was not given by any audible Voice from off the Ark nor by rising of the letters of the Names of the Tribes in the precious stones that should spel out the answer for two or three letters in the Alphabet were wanting in those Names nor was it by change of Colour in the letters or stones as is conceited by some but the manner of inquiring and receiving answer was thus The High Priest with all his Habiliments on particularly the Brest-plate with the twelve precious stones in it upon his brest the Names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in the stones stood before the Ark only the Vail between and so he presented the Names and represented the Persons of the twelve Tribes before God He proposed the thing that was inquired as Phinehas here in the Name of the People shall I go up against my Brethren And the Lord presently inspired him with immediate Revelation discovering to him what was his mind in that case and so he told it the people As Phinehas here Go up now against Benjamin again and you shall prevail And thus have we done with the Historical concernment of the Text. And now instead of any doctrinal Observations upon it I might take into Consideration three material inquiries which lie fairly hinted in the three parts I have spoken to I. From the first part that speaks of the Children of Israels inquiring of the Lord we may be justly moved to inquire how the Children of England may inquire of the Lord in their doubtings or perplexities as Israel did II. From the second part that speaks of the Ark being there in those days it may justly call upon us to consider why or whereupon the Ark carried that Name and Title that it doth here and in many other places viz. The Ark of the Covenant III. From the third and last part that speaks of their enquiring by Phinehas the High Priest it may justly move this Quaere whether the High Priest were Prophetick or Oracular by his Function I take the hint for this from the Rhemists note upon Caiaphas his Prophesying Joh. XI 50. where they say that the gifts of the Holy Ghost followed his Order and Office though he were so wicked and so bring it home to Peters chair that the Pope sitting there cannot want the Spirit I shall especially pitch upon the two first Namely to take up that Inquiry Why the Ark was called the Ark of the Covenant And the resolution of that Quaere will help not a little to resolve the first as to the mainest things that we are to enquire of the Lord about How frequently the Ark is called by this title The Ark
shall come mockers walking after their own lusts the very same men that our Apostle speaks of here But which are these last days A threefold conception is taken up concerning the thing 1. That by the last days is meant all the time of the Gospel from its first coming into the World to the Worlds end But that is too wide a compass to be a mark of such an occurrence as the Apostle speaks of here 2. By the last days some understand the last days of the World and so will apply the things and men spoken of here to these times wherein we live and hereabout and so to the Worlds end but this construction will hardly agree to what the Apostle aimeth at here when he bids Timothy Turn away from such men nor agree with other places of Scripture that speak of the same men Therefore 3. The proper meaning of the expression in the common use of the Phrase in Scripture is The last days of Jerusalem and of the Jewish state when both of them drew near their end and desolation And for confirming of this among numerous evidences that I might produce I shall give you but two places of Scripture and the reason of the expression Act. II. 17. The Apostle Peter citing those words of the Prophet Joel It shall come to pass in the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh c. He plainly and positively asserteth that the Prophesie was fulfilled at that time when now it was but forty years to their destruction The Apostle John 1 Epistle chap. II. 18. plainly tells Little children It is the last time and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh so there are now many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time And the reason of the expression Because the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish state is charactered in Scripture as the destruction of the whole World which might be evidenced by abundance of instances Therefore the last days of that City and State are named as the last days of that World Now who these were of whom in those last days of Jerusalem the Apostle speaketh may be some question viz. whether unbelieving Jews or some that had professed the Gospel but had revolted from it and had corrupted it by their false doctrine and evil lives I doubt not he means the latter which might be cleared out of several other places in Scripture and even out of this place also when the Apostle saith they had a form of godliness and that concerning the faith or doctrine of the Gospel they were reprobate The mystery of iniquity he calls it 2 Thes. II. i. e. iniquity under a mask or visor of Religion for the opposition of the unbelieving Jew against the Gospel was barefaced iniquity Iniquity above board and that had no mask or mystery in it But these under the mask of the profession of the Gospel opposed the purity and resisted the truth of it And of such Apostates the Epistles of all the Apostles are full of complainings as instances might be produced which would take up the whole time now allotted I shall alledge but these two places Act. XX. 29 30. For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And 1 Joh. II. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us And to the same tenor tends that parable Matth. XII ad â—in So that you have here the wickedest men of the wickedest generation that ever was upon the earth For so was that generation wherein they lived and they the very dregs of that generation that generation resisting Christ and the Gospel with open face these under a mask of Religion and the Gospel that generation proclaimed open enmity against the truth these practising it under pretence of friendship Those came against Christ with swords and staves these saluted Christ with a Hail Master but betrayed him They pretended to the Gospel as Herod pretended to worship Christ when he was new born but intended to murther him And herein they outvied Jannes and Jambres their samplar as commonly in writing after a wicked Copy the Transcript exceeds the Original For Jannes and Jambres had never owned the Truth as they had done for these had owned it bet now resist it I need not I suppose either to trouble my self or you by insisting to prove that the Apostle by the truth here does mean the Gospel And do I need to clear why the Gospel is called by that title of the truth If any desire that let me briefly propose these things to him I. First look upon the heathens Theology and Religion and that were but a mere lie Those poor wretches as Esa. XLIV 20. Fed on ashes and a deceived heart turned them aside that they could not say there is a lie in my right hand though there was nothing but a lie there The Devil foisting the greatest lie upon the World that all the anvils of Hell could forge viz. to perswade men to worship Devils for God 1 Cor. X. 20. The thing which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrificed to Devils and not to God That I may well remember to you that passage about the mad Emperor Caligula that would needs be a God and for that purpose had dressed himself in accoutrements possible to make him seem such a one A sober man that saw all being asked what he thought of him why saith he I think he is magnum delirium A great piece of foolery Stand and look on the Divinity of the Heathen as it is charactered by the Poets and all is but a great fable Mark the Religion of the Heathen as it was prescribed by their Augurs Pontiffs Philosophers and it is nothing but a great lie That the Gospel that was to uncharm those delusions to release those poor creatures from those cheats and impostures is most deservedly called The truth II. Look upon the Religion of the Jews that was all but types and shadows Moses face vailed Israel in the cloud all Divinity and Religion under mysteries and figures The Tabernacle was filled with a cloud as soon as it was set Exod. XL. ad finem and all the Ordinances given out of it cloudy and shadows Hereupon the Gospel is called the Truth because it unridled those mysterious Hieroglyphicks unvailed the face of Moses and shewed the substance and body which those vails and shadows did infold Thereupon it is that the Evangelist makes that most pertinent opposition Joh. I. 17. The Law was given by Moses The moral Law was given by Moses the ministration of condemnation as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. III. but grace came by Jesus Christ against
the gift of God as well as Pardon It is he that pours out the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. XII 10. Him God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Act. V. 31. Therefore that man takes the interest of God and Christ out of their hands that presumes he shall give himself Repentance and that when he pleaseth Can such a man give himself life when God will not give it health when God will not give it And can he give himself Repentance when God will not give it They in the Apostle James that say To day or to morrow we will go into such or such a City c. are justly confuted by the uncertainty of their life that can so little maintain it that cannot tell how long or little it shall be maintained So those that promise to themselves repentance the next year or the other besides that they cannot promise to themselves to live to such a time and if they do can they any more give themselves repentance then than they can now Or can they presume God will give them repentance then any more than now I remember that passage of the Apostle 2 Tim. II. 15. If peradventure God will give them repentance If the Apostle put it to a Peradventure whether God will give them repentance I dare say it is past all peradventure they cannot give it themselves It is God that gives repentance as well as he gives pardon For he and he only is the giver of all grace and repentance is the gift of sanctifying grace as pardon is of justifying 2. He that hath set conditions upon which to give repentance a rule whereby to come to repentance as well as he hath set repentance the rule whereby to come to pardon And his rule is Take Gods time as well as take Gods way His way is to attend upon his word that calls for repentance to cast away every thing that may hinder repentance So his time is Betake to repentance when God calls for repentance And that is this day this very hour every day every hour We hear of to day and while it is called to day in the claiming of mans duty but we never hear of to morrow or the next day much less of the next month or next year or I know not how long to come How ever this man in the Text neglected Gods time all his life and yet sped well enough at his later end because God would make him a singular example of Gods mercy and Christ's Purchase and triumph yet canst thou find no reason in the world to expect the like mercy if thou neglectest Gods time unless thou canst think of Gods setting thy name in the Bible for a monument to all posterity as he did this mans The Rule of our duty that we go by and not by Providence especially miraculous and extraordinary Now the rule of our duty teacheth that we delay not any time but to it to day while it is called to day And as our Saviour's lesson is about not taking care for to morrow in respect of food and clothing so we may say We are not to put off the care till to morrow in respect of repentance and amendment Object But do you think that Death-bed repentance never speeds well There have been many that have not betaken themselves to repentance nay nor never thought of repenting till death hath been ready to seize on them and yet then have shewed great tokens of repentance and have made a very hopeful end Answer We must distinguish the rule of our duty and the rule of judging others The rule of our duty is plain and legible the rule of our judging others is not so plain if so be we have any rule at all besides the rule of Charity which not seldom is mistaken It is not for us in such cases to be so wise as either to limit God or to be too confident of our own determinations or too ready to judge The words of our Saviour may hint unto us a good caution in this case Joh. XXI 22. What is that to thee follow thou me Be not inquisitive after other mens occasions but mind thine own And this may be very pertinent counsel Venture not Salvation upon such late Repentance and venture not to have the question determined in your case but keep to the stated and fixed Rule A SERMON PREACHED upon ACTS XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both TWO Parties mentioned in the Text that are oft mentioned and oft mentioned together in several other places in the New Testament viz. The Pharisees and Sadducees Simeon and Levi. Brethren in evil though at enmity among themselves Samsons Foxes looking with their faces several ways but their tails meeting together in heresie and mischiaf Their Doctrine different in many particulars but both corrupt leaven and equally to be taken heed of Mat. XVI 12. Their manners different and their hearts envious one against another yet both agreeing to be vexatious to Christ and both proving alike a generation of Vipers Matth. III. 7. Parties that differed not only about this Article of Religion viz. The resurrection and the World to come but that differed even about the whole Frame of Religion For the Pharisees would have their Religion to be built upon Traditions and the Sadducees would admit of no Tradition at all The Pharisees admitted all the Books of the old Testament to be read in the Synagogue the Sadducees the Books of Moses only The Sadducees sound in this particular that they would not admit of Traditions as the Pharisees did But as unsound again in that they would not acknowledge the Resurrection The Pharisees sound in that particular in that they acknowledged the Resurrection which the Sadducees did not But as unsound again in that they so denoted upon Traditions as they did Both erring from the truth and not a little and both maintaining opinions directly contrary to the way of Salvation and directly contrary to one another It is a saying of the Jewish writers and is very true That after the death of the later Prophets Zechary and Malachi the Spirit of Prophesie departed from Israel and went up So that there was no Prophet thenceforward among them no Vision no Revelation no Oracle by Urim and Thummim at the least for four hundred years till the rising of the Gospel Ah! poor nation how art thou not stript of thy great jewel and priviledge the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation What will now become of thee when thy Prophts are gone and such divine Guids and Teachers are no more Time was when thou mightest in thy doubting have recourse to them and they could resolve thee in thy fear have recourse to their prayers and they would prevail for thee in thy desire to know the mind of God and they would inform thee But now what
any Resurrection It follows Neither Angel nor Spirit Now why he should deny this is a great deal harder to find out than to find out why he denyed the Resurrection For that he denyed because he could not find mention of it in plain terms in all Moses But he finds mention of Angels and Spirits in terms plain enough there There is indeed no mention in Moses of the creation of Angels in the History of the Creation And that might haply give the Sadducee occasion to think there were no such creatures made But then what will he say when he meets with the mention of Angels so frequently after Gen. XXXII 1. Jacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Jacob called the name of that place Mahanaim that is two Armies viz. The army of the Angels that met him and the other army or great train of his own Family An Army of Angels then and not one now Thousands of Angels at Sinai Deut. XXXIII 2. and not one extant now What could a Sadducee think was become of those Angels of which there is so frequent mention in Moses Were they dead and not in being or were they confined to Heaven and no more to converse with men It is not easie to unriddle an Hereticks fancy a Sadducees mistery And it is very excusable ignorance to be ignorant of the depths of Satan of the depths of a Sadducean Heretick There is not indeed mention of Spirits in Moses in such plain terms but only of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Men. But though there were no more yet one would have thought that enough to have stopped his mouth that he should not say There was no Spirit when it is said in the very second verse in all Moses The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters And Numb XXVII 16. Let the Lord the God of the Spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation The First that offers it self to our consideration in this case is The distinction that is I. here made twixt Angels and Spirits Neither Angel nor Spirit And in the next verse The Pharisees cry out We find no evil in this man but if a Spirit or Angel have spoken to him let us not fight against God Where the question is What is meant by a Spirit thus distinguisht from Angels when the Angels themselves are called Spirits A further distinction of the Jews may help to clear this They in their writings thus distinguish Angels and Spirits and Devils And among other sayings that hold out this distinction they have this All things are subservient to the will and command of the Holy Blessed God Angels and Spirits and Devils Where what is meant by Angels and Devils is easie to understand but what is meant by Spirit when so distinguisht from both viz. walking Ghosts of the dead as they supposed or Spectra appearing in the shape of this or that Person that was dead So the appearing of a representation of Samuel raised by the Witch of Endor they would account a Spirit And that remarkable passage Luke XXIV 36 37. As they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed they had seen a Spirit That is They did not think that it was Jesus in his own person that stood in the midst of them but some apparition only in his shape Now the Pharisees thought there were such Ghosts and Apparitions And so did the Heathen also conceive And Tully a Heathen from that very thing doth plead the Immortality of the Soul For saith he since men that are dead appear to the living it is a sign that they also live though they be dead and that they are not quite extinguished That there have been and may be such Apparitions there is no question and Histories give us some instances in this kind As one among many that famous story of the Ghost of Julius Cesar after his being murthered in the Senate appearing to Brutus who had had a chief hand in the murther and telling him Videâ—is me apud Philippos Thou shalt see me again at Philippi And so he did And the very forbidding of Necromancy in Scripture doth argue that there may be such Apparitions Deut. XVIII 10 11. There shall not be found among you an Inchanter or a Witch or a Charmer or a consulter with familiar Spirits or a Wizzard or a Necromancer Now what is a Necromancer The very Greek word speaks it that it is one that consults or asks Council of the Dead as the Witch of Endor would do of Samuel And there is a hint of such a thing Esai VIII 19. should not a people seek unto their God should they seek for the living to the dead Now though the Pharisees with the Law condemned this wickedness and witchcraft of consulting the dead yet if any such Apparition offered it self voluntary without such calling forth by Sorcery they accounted it to be harkened to Therefore they say If a Spirit or an Angel have spoken to him let us not fight against God But the Sadducees denied there was any such thing as Spirit or Angel Where a Second question ariseth Whether they thought there were no such Incorporeal II. substances as Angels or Spirits Or whether their meaning was that the appearing of Angels and Spirits was now ceased and to be no more There is an expression something like this later Joh. VII 39. The Holy Ghost was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified The Holy Ghost was not yet for so the original Greek hath it exactly And was there ever a time when the Holy Ghost was not in being Our English hath well resolved it in adding one word The Holy Ghost was not yet given He was in being from all Eternity but he was not given and bestowed upon men as he was to be when Jesus should be glorified And so in that answer of certain Ephesians to Paul Act. 19. 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost Yes they had heard that a thousand times over that there was an Holy Ghost But their meaning is we have not heard whether he be restored again to Israel since his departing away after the death of Zechary and Malachi and those last Prophets So if the Sadducees did acknowledg such things in being as Angels and Spirits yet they might deny that such things were in acting then No appearing of Angels and Spirits then for that was clean vanished It was most true that after the death of those last Prophets the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation departed from Israel till the coming in of the Gospel For a matter of four hundred years no Vision no Prophesie no appearing of Angels no Oracle by Urim and Thummim no extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost Samsons locks and strength shaved off and gone And those great privileges that that people had
shews they are hard set when they must make Caiaphas a copy after whom to write the Infallibility of their Papal chair But they gazed so much upon the chair when they wrote this Note that they clean looked off the Book and Text they had before them For had they looked well upon that that would have given them a more proper reason of his prophesying and indeed the proper reason of it namely not so much because he was High Priest as because he was High Priest that year This he spake not of himself but being High Priest that year High Priest that year Why He had been High Priest several years before So Luke tells us Chap. III. that he was High Priest when Christ was baptized three years and an half ago and Josephus tells us as much and more and of his being High Priest after this year also And therefore why that circumstance added He was High Priest that year To speak the proper reason of his prophesying First I might say That was the year nay even the hour of the last gasp of the High Priesthood It prophesied and instantly breathed out its last There is much dispute upon those words of Paul Act. XXIII 5. which our English renders I wist not Brethren that he was the High Priest If I should render it I knew not that there is an High Priest I am sure it hath warrant enough of the Original Greek and warrant enough of the truth of the thing it self Did not the High Priesthood dye and cease and was no more when the great High Priest of Souls died and by death made expiation for his people If you will allow the other Priesthood and the employment of it to live still after the death of Christ and his sacrifice offered by the eternal Spirit till the fall of Jerusalem and dissolution of the Temple yet can you find nothing that the High Priest had then to do that it should survive any longer after Christ was sacrificed The other Priesthood had something to do besides what was most plainly typical in it and referred to the death of Christ as sacrificing and sprinkling of blood did For they had to offer the first fruits of the people for their Thankfulness to purifie women after child-birth to present the first born to the Lord c. But the distinctive work of the High Priest in diversity from the other Priesthood was on the day of Expiation to go within the Vail into the most holy place with blood and make an Attonement Which when Christ had done through the Vail of his flesh through his own blood as the Apostle tells us Heb. X. 20. what had the High Priesthood to do any more To this peculiarly related that which occurred at the death of the great High Priest Matth. XXVII 15. The vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom Which when you come narrowly to examine you will find to be the vail that hung between the holy and most holy place Which the Jews in their writings call by a Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was the vail that the High Priest turned aside as we do hangings at a door to go into the room And he went into the most holy place only once a year But now it is rent in pieces no such distinction or separation thenceforward to be had and no such work of the High Priest to be done any more So that if we take these words of Paul to the sense I mentioned viz. I knew not Brethren that there is now any High Priest or any High Priesthood at all that Function is long ago laid in the dust it was spoken like a Paul boldly and as one that very well understood and could well distinguish twixt substance and shadow and how long those Ordinances of that Oeconomy were to last and when to decay And if accordingly we take that circumstance in the Text He prophesied as being High Priest that year in the sense I mentioned namely that last year of the being and life of the High Priesthood it gives a story not much unlike that of the son of King Crâ—sus Who when he had been dumb from the birth and never spake word at last seeing in a battel an enemy ready to run his Father through he forced his Tongue so as that he broke the string of silence and cryed out O man do not kill Croesus So the High Priesthood having been dumb from Prophesying for above four hundred years together and never spoken one Prophetick word when now the King is ready to be slain its Tongue is loosed in Caiaphas and prophesieth of the Redemption of all the Israel of God and presently expireth But Secondly That year was the great year of pouring down the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation as in Act. II. the great year of sealing Vision and Prophesie as in Dan. IX And then it is the less wonder if this dog get some crumbs that fell from that plentiful table of the children and some droppings from that abundant dew that fell upon the Fleece of Gedeon Something like the case of Eldad and Medad but they were better men Numb XI 26. that in that great pouring out of the Spirit there had their share though they were not in the company of those that were assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation And thus was the case with Caiaphas as it was with Balaam that wretch inspired till then by the Devil but then by God Who went purposely to curse Israel but God so overpowered and turned the stream that he could not but bless them So this wretch inspired with malice from the Devil to plot and compass the death of Christ is now also inspired by the Spirit of Prophesie to foretel his death and to proclaim it Redemption to his people A very strange passage that while he was sinning against the Holy Ghost he prophesied by the Holy Ghost and that in those very words that he spake against Christ to destroy him he should prophesie of Christs death and Redemption to magnifie it So can the Spirit of God overpower the Hearts and Tongues and actions of Men to serve the design of his own glory And this is that that I shall speak to I might observe obiter how great diversity there is twixt the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation and the Spirit of grace and holiness The same Spirit indeed is the Author of both but there is so much diversity in the thing wrought that a Balaam a Caiaphas have the Spirit of Prophesie who are as far from having the Spirit of Sanctification as the East is from the West Hell from Heaven A mistake hath taken the Spirits of too many to account this good Language and Divinity I am a believer converted sanctified therefore I have the Spirit of Revelation and I can preach and expound Scripture by that Spirit little considering the vast diversity of the gift of Prophesie
as mere strangers For Moses to converse with God face to face when alive and when dead there is an end of all his communion How comfortless would he have gone to Mount Nebo to dye had he believed as the Papists do that he must go to Limbo and never enjoy God for so many hundred years till Christ should come to fetch him out When he appeared in Glory Luke IX 31. Think ye that he came out of Limbo in that glory And when Abraham is proposed in that parable before Christs death Luke XVI 22 23. Think ye that he is proposed as being in Limbo or in Heaven 4. It is absurd to think that Holy ones that served God all day and should at night receive their wages should be denied it God forbids to detain wages and he not to pay his workmen of a thousand two thousand years after they have done their work Abel a faithful servant of God died for him and his truth and when he comes to expect his reward in Heaven No Abel thou must to Limbo where there is no glimpse of Heaven nor comfort from God for this three thousand five hundred years David in Psal. XXIII saito He will dwell in the house of God for ever In the Temple here and then in Heaven hereafter No will a Papist say David thou must dwell a thousand years in Limbo before thou comest to Heaven A hard Master that rewards his servants no better that serve him here and when they should come to enjoy the fruit of all their labour then God puts them away far from him and they enjoy not what they laboured for Such Doctrine is that of the Romanists and such absurdities they make people believe to build up their Purgatory for their profit Nor are they only thus Absurd but as Irreligious in this Doctrine 1. That they will make men believe that there was not divine and spiritual power in Christ for salvation without his bodily power and personal presence they limit the Spirit and the operation of Christ to his presence They give that to Christs presence that God never meant They account the Virgin Mary so incomparably holy and happy above all others because she carried Christ in her womb and arms as though it were that and not Faith and Grace that made her so holy and happy Superstition is standing upon a thing over and above leaping over that which is the proper duty and reality of holiness and resting upon something besides it So concerning Christ superstition hath taught men to take up something in opinion and practise over and besides what is needful about the worship and love of Christ. To worship the Cross because Christ suffered on it To put holiness in those places where he once was as the Manger the Sepulchre c. Of this nature and rank is placing so much in the bodily presence of Christ and overlooking the efficacy and work of his Spirit Transubstantiation is of this form and this that we are speaking of the like viz. That the Patriarchs could not be saved by the divine power and Spirit of Christ but he must come first in Person before to bring them to Heaven 2. They make Grace not sufficient to save but something else must be added viz. Purgatory sire to purge out those sins that Grace did not or could not purge out It is said 2 Cor. XII 9. My grace is sufficient for thee They will say Not Purgatory fire must help out to sufficiency They will tell you It is rare for any to dye so spotless as instantly to go to Heaven but he must have some scouring elsewhere before And indeed this may deserve our consideration not to make us think of any Purgatory hereafter but to affect us with what we have to do here It is undoubted that to dye in any sin is damnable Ye shall dye in your sins is as much as when ye dye ye shall be damned because ye shall dye in sin See Joh. VIII 21. Ye shall dye in your sins whether I go ye cannot come He that dyes in his sins in any of his sins must never come where Christ is Imagine a man had got off all his sins but one and that stuck to him dying that would damn him as well as all Suppose it this I cannot will not forgive such an one that hath done me this wrong that spot of malice will keep him out of Heaven as well as if he were dawbed all over with all sins whatsoever Nay to come to a lower rate Be it but a little love of the World an unwillingness to part with the pleasures and profits of it is it possible that man should go to Heaven that had rather be here Nay yet lower Be it some particular sin that he hath chanced to forget and not repent of can he with that go to Heaven Hitherto Papists and we agree that there is no going to Heaven with any spot of sin upon the Soul but here we differ They say A man may go out of this World with many spots of sin upon him yet at last go to Heaven these being purged out in Purgatory We say with the Scripture That after death there is no Redemption that this is the acceptable time and day of Salvation that if a sinners Sun set in a cloud it will be dark with him for ever that if he dye in any sin his condition is damnable and no help afterwards Esa. XXII 14. Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye And then it shall never be purged And the Reasons of this are First Because any one sin loved unrepented of damneth as well as many by the rule of S. James Chap. II. 10 11. For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all For he that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill Now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Secondly Because the other World is a World of Eternity and in Eternity there is no change He that goes sinful into that can never be changed Thirdly Because it is impiety to make any thing sharer with the Blood and Grace of Christ in mans Salvation It is said We are saved by his Blood and by his Grace There needs no Purgatory sire unless these were weak and insufficient Object But is it possible any one should dye without some sin sticking to him Original sin sticks It may be a man has forgot some actual sin to repent of it it may be there is some impatience upon him his heart may fly out into passion never without infirmities Answer I. Let me question Durst any dye with any sin sticking on him Thou bearest malice darest thou dye so Thou art proud covetous darest thou dye so Who is so little taught the Doctrine of Salvation as to put himself to such a venture At least who is not convinced of the danger
the Doxology is added to it by Saint Matthew and omitted by Saint Luke 1139 Prayers were sometimes performed with great silence in the Temple p. 351. Prayers of the Jews consisted in Benedictions and Doxologies p. 427. Private Prayers in what part of the Temple they were performed p. 464. Dayly Prayers of the Jews were eighteen in number what they were 690 Praying for the dead founded by the Rhemists on that Text 1 John 5. 16. refuted 1094 Preaching was one part of Prophesie Singing Psalms and foretelling of Things from Divine Revelation were the two others 785 Precepts there were say the Jews six hundred thirteen Precepts in the Law of Moses 1114 Pre-existence of Souls some of the Jews held it 569 1352 Preparation of the Sabbath what 358 Presbyters and Elders were to judge in Pecuniary Affairs 755 Preservation of God how he preserves all Men alike and yet not all alike Page 1213 Presumption Monuments of Mercy were never set up in Scripture to be encouragements to Presumption 1276 Priestess one born of the Lineage of Priests of these the Priests commonly took themselves wives 379 Priesthood and High Priesthood only differed in two things 585 Priests married Gentlemens Daughters p. 42. One hundred sixty Priests were married in Gophna all in one night p. 52. Priests were the setled Ministry of the Church of Israel they always lived upon Tithes when they studied in the University Preached in the Synagogues and attended on the Temple Service p. 86. They were called First Plebeian Priests for Priests were not made but born so some of them were poor yet being of Aaron's seed though unlearned they had their Courses at the Altar Secondly Idiots or Private because still of a lower Order Thirdly Wâ— thier being besides the High Priest Heads of the Courses Heads of Families Presidents over Offices And such as were Members of the chief Sanhedrim p. 110. The Marriage of the Priests was a thing of great concern on purpose to keep them uncorrupt p. 379. Priests and Levites what was lawful and unlawful in them p. 382. Priests were examined by the Great Council whether they had any blemishes which if they had they were sent away arraied in black p. 388. Chief Priests Elders and Scribes how distinguished 469 Prince of this World the Devil how so called 591 592 Probatica or the Sheep Gate was not near the Temple contrary to the common Opinion 507 Prodigies very memorable which happened forty years before the destruction of the Temple what 248 Prophane or polluted and unclean distinguished 199 200 Promises given to Israel in the Law are most generally and most apparently Temporal Promises p. 1331 c. Scarcely any Spiritual much less any Eternal Promises in the Law of Moses p. 1332. In the Books of Moses they were all for earthly things as they belonged to the Jews p. 1332. Why God gave them such Promises p. 1333. There were spiritual Promises before the Law p. 1333. The Gospel State happy in the better Promises p. 1332 1333. God intended Spiritual Things under Temporal Promises p. 1333. Why God did not speak out Spiritual and Eternal Things but only obscurely hinted them in such Temporal Promises 1333 1334 Prophesie comprehends the singing of Psalms to Preach and Foretel something from Divine Revelation p. 785. From the death of the later Prophets the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Prophesie ceased from Israel p. 802. Prophesie expired at the fall of Jerusalem p. 1048. Prophesie was one of the two extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit p. 1157. Prophesie Revelation and Urim and Thummim was gone from the Jews for four hundred years before Christ came p. 1284 1288 1289. Prophesie was sometimes performed by ill Men as Caiaphas and Balaam 1288 to 1291 Prophesying what it was in Saint Paul's time 1157 1158 Prophets Schools of the Prophets were little Universities or Colledges of Students their Governor some venerable Prophet inspired with the Holy Spirit to give forth Divine Revelations c. p. 86. Prophets how divided by the Jews p. 407. How unrolled and distant Places put together p. 407 408. Prophets put for Prophetical Books of Scripture p. 458. From the days of Zachary and Malachy the Jews expected no Prophets till the coming of the Messiah p. 522. Prophets were not the standing Ministry of the Church neither under the Law nor under the Gospel but occasional and of necessity p. 1034 1049. The Books of the Law and Prophets only were read by the Jews in their Synagogues the rest they read not 1102 Proselyte what Page 234 Proselytes Fearers of the Lord are used for Proselytes every one of them are blessed 689 Prosperity of the wicked did once occasion both weeping and laughing p. 706. Prosperity or Peace outward in the things of this World is no sign of Peace with God p. 1053. It 's sometimes a sign of God's enmity proved from Ecclesiastes 5. 13. and from Mal. 2. 2. p. 1053. The Prosperity of wicked Men is an Argument of the Last Judgment and future state 1104 Protestant Church and Religion where they were before Luthers time 1201 Providence of God not a Rule for Men to go by but his Word 1276 Psalms put for the Hagiographa p. 265. Singing of Psalms was one part of Prophesie p. 785. Singing of Psalms in Christian Congregations is a great and heavenly work p. 1158. The Primitive Christians sung David's Psalms in their publick Congregations p. 1158. The singing whereof is a Duty incumbent upon Christians p. 1158 to 1162. Our Saviour the Apostles and the Primitive Church practised it 1159 to 1162 Ptolemais also called Acon a City of Galilee how situate 60 Ptolomy is in something amended 320 Publican what his business p. 171. Publican Heathen what 215 Publicans were odious to the Jews p. 152 c. They were of several Degrees 466 467 Purgatory the Doctrine of it p. 1341. The improbability ridiculousness and irreligion of the Papists holding that the Patriarchs were in it 1342 1343 Purification days of a Woman after Child bearing when accomplished p. 391 392. Purification after touching a dead Body what 790 Purifying water Children were born and brought up in some Courts under ground to be made fitter to sprinkle the Purifying water 34 Purifyings some were performed in a longer and others in a shorter time 586 Purim the Feast of Purim opposed by some of the Jews 578 Putting away for divorcing what p. 146. Putting away a Husband by the Wife c. among the Jews what With the Form thereof 759 Pythons what 175 Q. QUAKARISM Popery and Socinianism are great Heresies Page 1280 1281 R. RAbban Jochanan ben Zaccai something of his History Page 652 653 Rabbi an haughty Title not common till the times of Hillel which in later times was much affected 232 233 Rabbins of Tiberias were mad with Pharisaism bewitched with Traditions blind guileful doting and magical and such a like work is the Jerusalem Talmud which they made there it 's not possible to suppose that
denomination from the last Letter of Arphaxad's Name 13 Chaldean and curious Arts what 820 Chambers The Chambers in Solomon's Temple their height breadth and evenness of them without notwithstanding they were not of the same dimensions within p. 1065. * overlaid with Gold 2 Chron. 3. 9. over the Holy Place what or whether any such thing p. 1085 1086. * The Treasury Chambers what 1097. * Changers of Mony or Mony Changers what 213 550 Chapiters belonging to the Pillars what 1074. * Chargers what and of what use in the Temple 2048. * Charming was much used among the Jews 371 Chazan that is Episcopus or Overseer 375 Chel what and how put for the Temple 1089 Cherubiâ—s what number of what resemblance and where placed 1086 * Chests in the Treasury where placed and for what use p. 1095 1096. * The Chest set in the Gate of the House of the Lord what 2022 * Chief Priests put for the Sanhedrim many of them being Priests p. 282. They were the Heads of the Families of the Priests or the chief of the 24 Courses c. p. 438 439 Children How an Holy Seed p. 203. The Infants of Believers were brought to Christ to be received as Disciples which he did declaring them to be such and blessed them 248 Children came under the Title of Believers when all things were in common or else they must have farnished p. 277. When a Master of a Family was baptised his Children though never so young were baptised with him as had been the Custom among the Jews and was in the times of the Apostles unaltered p. 277. What Children are to be taught by their Fathers p. 295. They were sometimes named by the Mother as soon as born sometimes by the Standers-by but the Fathers at the Circumcision had the casting voice Whether the Name should be so or no. 421 Children for Scholars or Disciples 759 Children begot by or on Angels or Devils a nonsensical story 995 Chochebas and Barchochebas the same with Ben Coziba coyned Mony with his own Stump tortured the Christians to make them deny Christ was at the head of a most desperate Rebellion p. 366 367. He reigned two years and an half 366 367 Christ how Abraham saw his day p. 13. How Isaac typified him p. 13 14. He gave the Ten Commandments p. 28. He appeared weaponed and was Lord General in the Wars of Canaan p. 40. When he ceased to be Israels Captain and Conductor p. 45. Glorious things are spoken of him p. 102. His Divinity shewed and his fitness to be Incarnate p. 201 202. He was born in Tizri about the Feast of the Tabernacles that is about the close of September at which time 30 years after he was baptised p. 204 210 c. We have no History of him for nine or ten years p. 206. When he was twelve years of Age and all the time of his Ministry he disputed with and proved his Doctrine against the most learned Sanhedrim p. 207. He came in a double seasonableness When Learning was at the highest And Traditions had made the Word of God of none effect p. 207 440. His Life from Twelve to Twenty nine is passed over by all the Evangelists in silence they having a special eye at his Ministry only so has the Angel Gabriel Dan. 9 24 25 c. p. 208. Those years in which we hear nothing of him he spent at Nazareth in his Fathers Trade of Carpentry which made the Jews stumble at him looking for a pompous Messiah p. 208. He appeared not till fully looked for what were the things did intimate his coming p. 209. The time when he was born and when he died were both eminent p. 210 211. He was circumcised into the Jewish Church and baptised into the Church of the Gospel p. 211. He was unknown to John the Baptist and those whom John had baptised into faith in Christ until Christ himself came to be baptised of John p. 212. He was admitted at Nazareth as a Member of the Synagogue to be a Maphteir or Publick Reader of the second Lesson in the Prophets for that day p. 215. His reading and interpreting the Original Hebrew shewed him to have a Prophetical Spirit he not being educated in that Language 215. At his second Passover he declares his Authority and Power before the Sanhedrim that being a time of Wonders p. 221. He was a great Priest and a great Prophet when and how p. 239. He did not so fully and openly reveal himself to be the Messias till he sent forth the Seventy Disciples p. 242. He could not be apprehended without his own leave p. 263. The Jews transgressed two of their own Canons in arraigning and judging Christ on an Holiday and by Night p. 263. He was had before the Sanhedrim in Caiphas his house p. 263. The Wine offered him at his Crucifixion was to intoxicate him p. 268. How bewailed when he went to Execution p. 268. The manner even of his friends burying him shewed the small expectation they had of his Resurrection p. 269. His Disciples and Mary Magdalen notwithstanding their saving faith in him neither of them believed his Death nor his Resurrection p. 270. His coming in Clouds in his Kingdom and in power and great glory all signify his Plaguing the Nation that crucified him p. 342 343. His birth was called The fulness of time p. 383. He was born in the year of the World 3928. about the close of September p. 390. He was not born at the later end of December but September a Month famous indeed p. 427. Why he would be baptized that needed no cleansing being purity it self eight Reasons p. 472. Why John refused to admit him to baptism p. 472. His Ministry was just Three years and an half p. 476. Why he was tempted p. 499. What were his Temptations and where and how tempted p. 503 to 511. In his Temptations his being hurryed about by the Devil does afford some material and profitable Considerations p. 506. He is shewed to be the Son of God p. 504. That he was the Messias he easily convinced the Mind by telling of secret things p. 535. He was the seed of the Woman illustrated from Lukes Genealogy and Christs calling himself the Son of Man p. 471 491 537. His Union of two Natures in one Person is plainly shewn with what refers thereunto p. 577 578. How he could be said to be in Heaven whilst speaking with Nichodemus on earth p. 578. The several Properties of the two Natures in Christ are sometimes indifferently applied to the whole Person p. 578. Believing in Christ for salvation excellently illustrated by being healed by looking on the Brazen Serpent p. 579. He is said to do what his Servants do p. 581. His anointing was his setting apart for Mediator and Minister of the Gospel c. also his apparent Installments into that Office by the Spirit p. 616 617. His Ministry had six parts in it p. 617 to 619. Why it was
so long as four thousand years before Christ came to save Sinners p. 627. Why did Christ appear at that time of the World rather than any other p. 628. The Jews had dreadful Opinions about his coming p. 640 641. He healed all Diseases by his Touch but cast out Devils by his Word p. 642. The Diseases he cured were of three kinds p. 645. His Doctrines were comprised under Two Heads p. 645. He cured the Leprosie when the Priests could not yet Christ was tender of their reputation p. 648. He as God could do all things but as Messias nothing but as delegated and assisted by the Father As Son of God he hath all power in himself as Messias he hath all power put into his Hands by the Father p. 672 c. He was set up by his Father as King and Lord over all things affirmed in many places in Scripture He as God-man is Head of all Principality and Power five Reasons given for it p. 674. Further evidence of his being the Messias and how opposed therein by the Jews p. 680 681 682. His Life Doctrine and Miracles shewed him to be the Messias so did the Testimony of his Father John the Baptist and the Scriptures c. p. 682 683 684. His Resurrection and the History of it as also his eight several Apparitions after it p. 734 735. The year of his Ascention p. 738. The Age of the World at his Resurrection Death and Ascention p. 739. He was nailed to the Cross at the same time of the day that our first Parents fell viz. at twelve a Clock p. 748. At three a Clock he yielded up the Ghost then Adam received the promise p. 748. There was a general expectation of his appearance even when he did appear with the multitudes that then came to Jerusalem upon that account both Jews and Heathens then expecting him as is seen by their own Writers p. 751 752. Some things out of the Jewish Writers concerning the Judging Condemning and Executing of him p. 968. He paid his Church Duties p. 240. He was so poor as to be put to work a Miracle to get money p. 240. The Signs of his coming predicting his near approach what p. 462 463. Christ about the time of his death the scarlet List on the Scape Goats head turned not white as usually what against the Jews p. 1101. * Christians called by Suetonius Men of a new and evil Superstition or Religion so Tacitus calls their way a dangerous Superstition shewing how Nero persecuted them after Rome was fired as if they had been guilty to deliver himself from the just accusation of it p. 327 There was yet Christians in Nero's houshold p. 328. They were under Nero very bloodily and bâ—rbarously persecuted so as to move the pity of their Enemies saith Tacitus the Jews heightening that persecution against them p. 333 334. They were destroyed by Nero for a plot layed by himself against them the Heathens for real plotting against him now grown endlesly cruel p. 334. The Disciples were first called Christians at Antioch Page 871 Chronology was very exact from the Creation to Christs death but less cared for after the New Testament History was finished and why p. 777. The Heathen Chronology mistaken in numbring the Persian Kings 2066. * Church Church Duties were paid by Christ. p. 240. The Church a Title given the first Professors of the Gospel 871 Circumcision when and where instituted p. 13. It was renewed at Israels entring into Canaan as a Seal of the lease of the Land p. 40. It was not to be used under Christianity because the Jews looked upon it as an admission into the Covenant of Works p. 319. It enervated Justification by faith p. 319. It obliged to the observance of the whole Law p. 319. The reason of its Institution why it was not in the old World nor for some considerable time after the Flood that is why the Church injoyed it not of so long a time p. 464 465. When it was to cease 465. It was instituted in Hebron about the time of Easter p. 695. Circumcision and Meats made the difference between Jew and Gentile these being removed let the Gentiles into the Church p. 842. The Ends of its use and how used among others besides the Israelites p. 1007 1008 Citation or Quotation of Scripture one place of Scripture citing another doth sometimes change the words to fit the occasion 498 Cittim The name of a Man and of Italy and of part of Greece 996 City The City and Temple of Jerusalem were destroyed Anno Mundi exactly 4000. p. 487. Holy City the common and ordinary name for Jerusalem when even full of abomination and corruption Separatists may think of this p. 497. City what 647 Clean and Unclean Legal the Doctrine of them p. 30. The Priests could only pronounce not make Leapers clean 219 c. Cleopas was the same person with Alpheus p. 27. He had four Sons all Apostles 660 Clerks of the Sanhedrim what their Number and what their business 2006. * Cloak Paul's Cloak denoted his Jewish habit 3â—6 Cloister walks called Porches p. 661 668. Cloister Royal what 1061. * Closets for the Butchering Instruments and for the Priests Vestments described 1077. * Cloud the Cloud of Glory was taken away at Moses his death p. 40. And appeared again at the Sealing of the Great Prophet Christ. 710 Coat of the first Born what p. 905. And Coat of the High Priest and of the Ephod what 905 Coming of the Lord and the end coming denote the near approach of Vengeance on Jerusalem 332 333 335 338 342 343 Common or unclean what before the Flood and since 845 Community of Goods was not to level Estates but to provide for the Poor p. 278. How practised and of what extent 762 Communicating with others was sometimes in Sacred Things in Civil Things it was twofold 305 Communion with others was sometimes in Sacred Things in Civil Things it was twofold 305 Companying with others was sometimes in Sacred Things in Civil Things it was twofold 305 Confession of sins at Johns Baptism was after not before Baptism Page 456 457 Confirmation Imposition of Hands by the Apostles in all likelyhood was never used for Confirmation 788 Confusion of Tongues into what number of Languages it was divided 1009 to 1011 Consistory of Priests was called Beth-Din which transacted business in the Temple 914 Consolation of Israel Christs coming is often signified by that term 430 Conversion Repentance or Reformation was once general and wonderful 54 758 c. Conversion of Niniveh a very wonderful thing 1007 Cor what sort of Measure 545 Corus what sort of Measure 545 Corban what p. 237. The Gate Corban where and why so called 2020 2021. * Corinth something described 295 Cornelius a Roman Captain one that arived at an admirable height of Piety though not so much as a Proselite p. 285 286. Some things remarkable about his calling into the Gospel 832 c.