when the strain of Opinions in Divinity ran generally another way after the first Forreign Reformers before things were so calmly impartially and perhaps judiciously examined He lived and publickly appeared principally when Factions grew high and were in great ferment when the Populacy the worst of Masters all being done the most ignorant selfish and ungenerous were courted when publick accusation was the fashion and all things found fault with right or wrong when affairs were carried with clamour confidence and violence with pretences and appearances of Religion and Reformation backed with a present success And it was no wonder if some good and innocent men especially such as he who was generally more concerned about what was done in Judea many Centuries since than what was transacted in his own Native Country by the intrigues and designs of Enthusiastical or Hypocritical Polititians I say it is no wonder if some such were born away to some compliances in some opinions and practises in Religious and Civil matters which they themselves afterwards upon more sedate and serious reflection did not allow And yet it seems his innocency from any self-interest or design together with his Learning secured him from the extravagancies and follies of the Demagogues the peoples Oracles every one of which affected to distinguish and signalize himself by some peculiar Doctrine or Custom but in truth were no more fit for Teachers and Governors in Religion than Mountebanks to compose Dispensatories or to be Presidents of Colleges of Physicians For one little proof of which when in the University it self the use of the Lords Prayer was generally laid aside He did in the University Church as I remember both produce and discourse his own opinion concerning the obligations to use the form of it in Publick and accordingly to testifie his more than ordinary assurance and zeal recited it both before and after his Sermon His preaching in the University in his course which he seldom omitted was to the most judicious and best disposed and there were many who began carefully to examine things when heats were over very acceptable For he always brought with him some new and considerable notion either in the explication of some place of Scripture or confirmation of it which was usually followed with some application delivered with a very sensible and grave Piety He was for his temper as far as I know or have heard from those who knew him better and may be gathered from many of his Prefaces of as great modesty as learning humble and mean in his own opinion perhaps to an excess Where the greatness of that amiable virtue a thing rare seems to have betrayed him to an errour in judgment concerning himself and his own value and too long Commendations and Elogiums of others As he was most obliging and kind himself to others so by what I have heard he was the most sensible of their obligations to him which might be the cause why he was in some cases so liberal in his acknowledgments and praises Having more regard to the favour he received than to the right or other qualities and circumstances of the person who bestowed it He was most assiduous and laborious in his Study where he spent almost the whole time and peradventure somewhat too much when he was in a station of some action and government His Learning is best known from his Works It lay principally in History Chronology Systematical Divinity the Oriental Tongues but above all in Rabbinical and Talmudical Authors In these last doubtless he had spent a great deal of time and taken a vast deal of pains and I do believe I have reason to say as far as appears by writings that he had been the most conversant and was the most skilled in the two Talmuds the principal part of Jewish Learning being their Canon and Civil Law of any man in Europe And his Ability in this sort of Knowledge and Learning was so well known and esteemed in the time of the edition of that Herculean and incomparable Work of the English Polyglot-Bible though now too low prized that he was often consulted and did as freely communicate his Observations and Collections In the Apparatus to it are Printed his animadversions upon the Chorographical Tables or Maps of the Holy-land made by Adrichomius Trinius c. in which he discovers and corrects a great number of gross errours and his opinion is more than once cited in the Prolegomena All which is but very little in compare with what he hath since done in his Chorographical disquisitions before his Horae Hebraicae on Matthew Mark Luke and John but of this others perhaps ere long will give an account It is not so forraign to the Argument and design of this Preface to take notice here by the way and upon this occasion of the French Critick now so much in vogue with us Father Simon who as he hath indeed in that Book of his given very just commendations to so great a performance so he hath been pleased to find some faults therein and to make many other observations and reflections concerning other matters with reason little enough As for example perhaps because he saw the compilers of those many great Volumes so good husbands as to give us the Alexandrine Copy of the Septuagint as it were in the Margin by noting only the differences from the Vatican Copy He thought they would have done well to have given us in like manner the Samaritan Text and Version of the Pentateuch whereas there are not the same reasons Perhaps there are more and more considerable differences between the Hebrew and Samaritan than between the two Copies of the Seventy and then the reading of the Hebrew in Samaritan letter and that without any points as also the being acquainted with the dialect of the Samaritan Version so very remote from the Hebrew and somewhat different from all other of the Chaldee Paraphrasts were sufficient reasons besides others for the Printing them as they are done entirely And indeed they would have been much to blame if they had omitted them and followed some such advice as that of this Author But his reflection upon the Protestants in another place wants either judgment or sincerity where when he hath shewed as he thinks the very great difficulty in translating the Holy Scriptures he infers the great ignorance of the Protestants or the little pains they have taken in finding out their difficulty when they affirm that the Word of God contained in the Scriptures is plain and not at all intricate But what Protestant saith so They say indeed that the matters necessary to salvation are plainly contained in the Scriptures which in my opinion is so certain and easie a truth that neither he nor any other will be able to confute it and for my part I am so far from believing that all necessaries to salvation are not plainly contained in the Scriptures that I think both they and a multitude of not necessaries
Word The Spirit gave the Scriptures and he useth them for the end why they were given viz. mans Salvation The Spirit unhingeth not the Essential actings of the Soul but works with them Now the acting of the Soul is by reasoning and perswasion The Will chooseth being perswaded by the Understanding and the Understanding is perswaded by the object And so the Spirit does in the work of Grace Gen IX 27. God shall perswade Japhet 2 Cor. V. 11. We perswade men Now this is not done but by the Word The heart is moulded by the Spirit to receive perswasion but by the Word he works perswasion in us Common grace first grace growth of Grace are thus all wrought by the Word I mean Common grace where sanctification is to follow Sometime there is stirring of Conscience in wicked men from horror and affrightments and sometimes from the Law for the glorifying of it but where healing must come the wound is made by the Word and the healing is effected by the Word A man is perswaded and satisfied that he is in an undone condition How is he so perswaded By the Word The Law does it Rom. VII 9. before mentioned A man is perswaded to rest on Christ. The Word doth it Faith comes by hearing That in Joh. VI. 45. will illustrate this It is written in the Prophet And they shall be all taught of God Taught of God who had been taught of the Devil Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Cometh unto me as Teacher And how did they hear and learn from the father but from the Word of the Father Growth of grace also is built up by the Word 1 Pet. II. 2 3. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby What sets man upon obedience and striving against sin longing after God c The Word continually applied Man lives by the Word grows by the Word This is the means that the Spirit useth They that speak of a Light within them that serves for all if they mean Light from the Word let them then own the Word if they mean the Light of nature that never yet lighted man to Heaven That was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World viz. The Gospel that went through the World t is clear that the Evangelist means that there Joh. I. 9. VI. Having the Spirit speaks not perfection in him that hath it It speaks Holiness not Sinlesness Take this in the mouth of two witnesses as holy as any First S. Paul Rom. VII 17. Sin dwelleth in me and 25. vers with the flesh I serve the Law of sin Secondly S. John 1 Ephes. I. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us To them that distinguish not betwixt holiness and perfection but say they are perfect because they think they are holy I say two things 1. They are little seen in their own hearts 2. Little seen in the Scripture and Divinity For the Scripture is abundant to the contrary and Divinity makes the contrary most plain and facil to be understood It is a Paradox Adam had perfection though not the Spirit a Believer hath the Spirit yet not perfection and yet the Believers imperfection is more excellent than Adams perfection I might instance First in the foundation of eithers holiness Adams from his Creation and nature a Believers from the Spirit and grace Secondly In the amissibleness of Adams Adams was liable to losing a Believers not Thirdly In the manner of Acting of which anon I cannot but observe that in Ephes. IV. 24. The new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred two ways and both to the present purpose The English well and according to the Hebrew Idiom reads true holiness and so the Apostle seems to compare the holiness of the new man with Adams His was true holiness but this truer and more excellent though imperfect It is rendred also The holiness of truth The Gospel is oft called Truth and if it be so to be rendred here then it means Evangelical holiness not only in opposition to Legal but to Adams Evangelical holiness is the holiness and that that indeed restores the Image of God After God created in righteousness and the holiness of truth Hence is that in 2 Pet. I. 4. That by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature Adam was not partaker of Gods holy nature but only of his creation if his holiness were any yet it was mans only but a Believer is partaker of the Spirit when he hath holiness Let me ask this Question and Answer it and that will clear all Why are we justified by perfect justification and righteousness for so we are because it is by the righteousness of Christ which is called the righteousness of God when we are not sanctified by perfect sanctification and holiness though sanctified by the Spirit of Christ I answer First It is needful that Justification be perfect for if we are not justified from every sin it is all one as if we were from none As break one Command and break all so unjustified from one sin and unjustified from all For 1. Such persons are not accepted of God 2. They are liable to condemnation therefore Justification must be perfect But in sanctification t is not so as I shall observe by and by A man may be truly though not perfectly holy Secondly It is Gods will and disposition to glorifie his grace in holiness by its living and acting in and against contrariety As it was Abrahams glory in Rom. IV. 18. Who against hope believed in hope Whether is it greater to be holy in the midst of sinfulness or as Adam to be holy when no sin touched him Which was greater for Lot to be holy in Sodome or in Abrahams house Compare a Believer with Adam Adam had Gods Image the Believer hath Gods Image restored What was Gods Image in Adam It consisted first in the Essence of his Soul and made him spiritual intellectual immortal and secondly in the qualification of his person and made him holy righteous The former is not lost nor extinguished by sin nor could only spoiled and soiled The Devils for all their sin yet are spiritual intellectual immortal substances The latter did embalm and keep fresh the former His holiness kept his spiritualness his intellectual nature in the right temper while he kept it Now to a Believer there is so much holiness as to do the same thing He is spiritual though he be flesh his Holiness makes his intellect right viz. To know God and love him and preserves him to immortality nay goes beyond Adam in operation As namely 1. He knows God in Christ which full revealing of God Adam did not attain to 2. He loves God more excellently than Adam did or could do Adam had no pul-back
will become of thee when those thy Treasures those thy Teachers are no more Why naught become of them For presently after the death of those Prophets and the departure of the Spirit of Prophesie the Nation parted into two deadly heresies viz. The Pharisees teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men Mat. XV. And the Sadducees teaching for doctrines the very dictates of Devils That there is no resurrection nor Angel nor Spirit nor world to come The first thing that I observe hence is That two such different Parties should be in the Nation together should sit as they do here in council together So great a difference betwixt the parties and a continual contestation about that difference and yet both parties admitted to be in the Church to bear office in the Church and to sit Judges in the great Council There were Sadducee-Priests as well as Pharisee And the Jews Records have a story of a Sudducee-Priest that was to offer the drink offering upon the Altar at the Feast of Tabernacles and because he missed something of doing exactly as he should have done all the Company present fell a pelting him with Pomecitrons which every one used to carry at the Feast And there were Sadducee Magistrates and Judges as well as Pharisee And the Jews Records do give us notice that there was once a time that the great Council at Jerusalem consisted almost all of Sadducees if not altogether In reading of the Context at your leisure you will see that in that great Council now as Paul stands before it there were not a few Sadduces as well as there were divers of the other Sect. And what toleration there was of a dissenting Party in that Church is worth the considering of those that have to dispute about that Case Another Gloss that I should make upon both these opinions should be this question II. Was it possible that a Sadducee and a Pharisee should be saved Some will maintain that a man may be saved in any Religion in any opinion so that he live honestly toward men and devoutly towards God Whereas a man may take up an opinion and belief which may put such a bar against his salvation as to make it impossible for him to be saved let him live never so honestly For it is not bare civil honesty nor blind devotion will bring to Heaven Let a Sudducee live never so honestly never so devoutly was it not utterly impossible for him to be saved while he held the opinions that he did which were directly against Salvation And a Pharisee while he made it the great Article of his Faith that he could be justified and saved by his own works put a bar against all possibility of his justification and salvation Men think it a small thing to be medling with this or that new strange opinion or should I not say they think it a great thing a brave matter to invent and vent some new opinion or other when that very thing and opinion may be the very lock and key and bar to keep them out of Heaven Instance and example of such opinions might be given in men of several professions and religions in too great plenty But we will look more particularly on this before us The Sadducees say there is no resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit The Sadducees here are marked for their Heretical opinions about some main Articles of Faith and it gives us occasion I. To observe that they denyed such Articles II. To consider the Articles they denyed As to the First we may first remember that saying of the Apostle 1 Cor. XI 19. For I. there must be heresies among you that they that are approved may be made manifest among you That is a sad accent there must be heresies And whence comes that must be or that necessity Hath God any hand in it that it must be because he will have it Or is there any such necessity that it must be because the Church hath need of Heresies There must be weeds in the garden Is it because the garden hath need of weeds It hath need of weeding rather than of weeds But the must be proceedeth from the corruption of men of evil minds that will raise up heresies And it cannot be otherwise while their minds are and will be so evil That we may take some view of this unhappy necessity proceeding from such an unhappy cause let us gradually observe these things I. That God gives forth his word and truth to men authoritatively that men should beleive them at their peril He sends forth his word not to go a begging for belief of it and obedience to it but let men disbelive and disobey it at their peril Ezek. I. Whether they will hear or whether they will forbear yet shall they know that there hath been a Prophet among them And let them answer it according as they have recieved him II. Now the causes of mens not believing the World and not obeying the truth are in themselves and not at all in God He that gave his word to be believed and obeyed would not be the cause that it should not be believed nor obeyed It is the wickedness of mens own hearts that causeth it and it is the voluntary doing of their hearts not to obey it It is said Joh. XII They could not believe but the first cause was because they would not believe And so by the continual practise of not willing to believe they came to the fatal distemper that they could not believe The Prophet Esa. Chap. LIII cryeth out Who hath believed our report Why no body And what is the reason Was not the word worth believing Or could they say they could not believe it The truth was they had no mind to it They had a mind against it They in Jeremy Chap. XLII deal plainly and speak out We will not hear the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken to us And what was their reason They had no mind to it because it was not to their mind Now had they been disputed with and questioned Do you not think that God is wiser than you Are not his Councils better than your Councils and the words of his mouth more to be valued than the suggestions of your hearts What answer do they make Be it what it will we will have our own minds This is the cause of the must be because men will have it so and no perswasion to the contrary can prevail with them We have the mind of Christ is the Apostles rejoycing but we will have our own minds is the worlds language and practice And upon this mad wilfulness it is that there must be Heresies III. Now it is too tedious to enquire into all the immediate causes and originals of Heresies they are so many The Father of them was an Amorite and the Mother an Hittite the whole breed a Canaanite a cursed generation a monstrous generation bred very oft of clean contraries bred ever of
their Works quoted IV. Of Hebrew and Greek words explained V. Of Principal Matters or Things Alphabetically digested AN ELENCHUS OF The several Tracts and Discourses of the AUTHOR contained in the SECOND VOLUME Horae Hebraicae or Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon St. Matthew upon St. Mark upon St. Luke upon St. John upon The Acts of the Apostles upon Some Chapters of St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans upon I Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians XLVI Sermons preached on several Occasions never before Published A short Tract upon the Fourth Article of the Creed never before Published There are also in this Second Volume At the Beginning THE Publishers Epistle Dedicatory and Preface A Map of the City of JERUSALEM drawn according to the AUTHOR'S Chorography Page 20. At the End A Chorographical Table or Description of the several places contained and described in the Two Volumes of Dr. Lightfoots Works by Mr. John Williams Five other Tables I. Of Scriptures illustrated explained or reconciled II. Of some places of Scripture differently read from the ordinary Translation III. Of Authors or their Works quoted IV. Of Hebrew and Greek words explained V. Of Principal Matters or Things Alphabetically digested THE PREFACE TO THE READER ALthough this very Learned Author's Epistles and Prefaces to many of the English pieces contained in this Volume may save me much the labour of a general Preface to them all Yet it may be convenient to add something concerning the use of this kind of Learning the Author himself and these English Tracts of his AS for the First the Reader must not expect a Treatise about it in a Preface to Anothers Book But only some brief suggestions for the direction and encouragement of the Studious that the Author might not seem to have employed so much time and tedious labour too fruitlesly in Writing nor my self somewhat of both in Reviewing Correcting and Publishing what is here presented to him There seems to me two chief Points of a more comprehensive Wisdom the one is justly to estimate and prize the several parts of Knowledge and that principally from their usefulness not so much from their Antiquity their being esteemed and cultivated perhaps by great Personages or the like slight and pedantique considerations any further than as they are signs or arguments of the former The other is to understand the inclinations capacity and ability of any person for one or more of them These two things are principally to be observed by those who apply themselves to any study and indeed to any imployment in making their choice Which is in it self of greatest use and importance and which a person can make most progress in what is best in it self and what he can best do If any thing be of no good use or advantage it is not to be undertaken at all if a man wants ability or capacity for it it is not to be attempted by him Although there be truly great difference between the several sorts of Science in respect of their value yet there is hardly any which hath not its use and oft-times much more than the ignorance or envy or fashion or humor of an Age will allow There are four things which our Author hath been very diligent and laborious in and where we may be considerably benefited by the Reading of these Tracts I. The Chronology of the Holy Scriptures II. Their Chorography III. Their Original Texts and various Versions IV. Talmudical and Rabbinical Authors First For Chronology it is nothing but the knowledge of the Relation and the existence of things one to another before with or after and particularly with the conversions and situations of the Sun and Moon i. e. years months weeks days as being the most constant and the most universally known Though the time of a things existence may be and frequently is characterized by the existence of other things likewise nor is it so casie to define what is the first measure of time But this is not so much to our purpose The uses of the knowledge both of the times of writings and of their matter or contents are very considerable and in short these among others First From thence we collect many other circumstances and consequently a more full and adequate knowledge of things such as place Authors qualities conditions persons to whom reasons why and twenty others Whence it frequently helps to the discovery of the true writing in an Author or of its meaning and sense and in prophane and fallible writings the truth or falshood of things themselves therein delivered Instances of the former are numerous in the Scriptures for as to the latter the truth of what is delivered therein we are secure As in pag. 80. of the ensâ—ing Volume according to our Author the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of the Kingdom of Asa 2 Chron. XVI 1. in the thirty sixt year of which Baasha King of Israel is said to come up against Judah is not his personal but his National Kingdom if I may so call it not his Reign but the Kingdom of Judah in opposition to that of the ten Tribes since their division This appears from the Chronology or computation of Baasha's reign who is said 1 Kings XV. 33. to begin it in the third of Asa and to continue it but twenty four years that is to the twenty seventh of Asa and this according to all the translations too Baasha therefore could not come up against Israel in the thirty sixt of Asa's reign being understood of his personal reign or Kingdom Wee 'l take leave to argue from the Chronology of the Scripture especially where all Copies and Translations agree notwithstanding the assertions and conjectures of the late famous Critick * Praf to Crit. Hist. of Old Testament That no exact Chronology what for no time can be stated upon the Authority of these Books till he lays surer foundation for his Opinion and more particularly explains it However this and other following instances are proofs and illustrations of what use Chronology may be although the integrity and truth of the present writing in the Hebrew Copies be only supposed not proved Thus also Omri's beginning to reign over Israel twelve years in the thirty first year of Asa King of Judah according to the Hebrew Text and all the Versions must have the sense which Chronology will there allow vid. Harmony of the Old Testament pag. 81. In p. 87. Ahaziah's being forty two years old when he began to reign 2 Chron. XXII 2. and Jehojachin eight years old 2 Chron. XXXVI 9. must be otherwise rendred than it usually is to make it consistent with Chronology supposing no error in the Hebrew Text. But both the Greek and Oriental Versions in the first place having the number twenty two or twenty instead of forty two and in the other place the Oriental Versions having eighteen instead of eight makes it probable that there is a mistake Grotius's confident assertion concerning the
they either describe them or shew their situation or distance from such or such places II. They give us abundance of names of Cities Mountains and other places in that Land Which names are neither to be found in the Scripture nor Josephus nor in the Heathen or Christian Records that speak of the places of that Country but in these Judaick Writers only But yet carry a fair probability and rational Evidence that there were such names and places III. They relate many choice eminent and remarkable stories occurring in such and such places which are not to be found in any Records but their own and of singular illustration both of the situation and of the story of the Land and Nation Now the taking notice of passages of this nature had been his course for many years together as he had occasion to read the Talmudical Writers So that he had gathered a great stock of these Rarities as he styles them for the use of his Chorographical Work even to the bulk of a great Volume In so much that what he saith of his Book of the Temple That it cost him as much pains to give that description of it as to travail thither is as much or more true of this The unhappy chance that hindred the publishing this elaborate piece of his which he had brought to pretty good perfection was the Edition of Doctor Fullers Pisgah Sight Great pity it was that so good a Book should have done so much harm For that Book handling the same matters and preventing his stopped his Resolution of letting his labours in that subject see the light Though he went a way altogether different from Doctor Fuller and so both might have shewn their faces together in the World and the younger Sister if we may make comparisons might have proved the fairer of the two But that Book is lost utterly save that many of his Notions are preserved in his Chorographical pieces put before his Horae And for the last thing whereof that Preface was to consist namely to give some Historical account of the affairs of the Jews that is done in part in his Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles published Anno 1645. and in his Parergon Concerning the Fall of Jerusalem at the End of the Harmony Anno 1655. But alas these are but light touches of their story rather than any compleat and full account thereof But such as they are we must be glad of and contented in the want of the rest Indeed the Jews History from the beginning of the Gospel downwards for some Centuries would have been as excellent and useful as the subject would have been rare and unusual And a thing of that difficulty also that the modest Doctor propounds it to others rather than dares to undertake it himself For we find in one of his Epistles Dedicatory * To the Earl of Essex Anno 1645. He recommends it to some able pen to continue the story of the Jews where Josephus and Egesippus end theirs and where Jerusalem ended her days until these latter times out of the Jews own Talmud and Writings for the illustration of the Truth of those predictions of Scripture that foretel their doom and for the evidencing that justice that hath ever since haunted them for the murder of the Righteous One whom they crucified II. Concerning his Learning and Studies NAture had endued him with a strong and sound constitution of Body so that in his old age he was able closely to follow his Studies without finding any inconvenience by it and though he had not spared his Eyes in his younger years yet they still remained good for which he blesseth God in a Letter to the Learned Buxtroph Anno 1664. And divers years after that he acknowledgeth the same blessing of health in his Epistle to his last Book that he put forth which was not above a year or two before his death calling it Vivacitatem corporis animi atque oculorum The Vivacity of his Body Mind and Eyes This excellent temperament qualified him for Study Which he pursued hard all his days He had read much Which may be gathered from his Note Books wherein are short Notes from Book to Book and from Chapter to Chapter of the chief Contents of many Authors collected by his own Hand and both Fathers and Historians and especially the latter and such of them chiefly as might afford him light into the affairs of the Church in the earliest times of it And hereby he laid himself in a good stock of materials to make use of in his future Rabbinical Studies That abstruse and more recondite Learning he from his younger years greatly affected To those Studies * Ep. Ded. before the Hor. upon S. John he tells us himself he was most servently carried out ex innato mihi nescio quo genio by he could not tell what innate Genius and that there was nothing so sweet and delicate to him * ubi ante istis deliciis nihil mihi dulcius delicatiusque Indeed this Learned Man seemed to have a Genius that naturally affected the Study of such things as were beyond the sphere of ordinary and common Learning and delighted to tread in * Ep. before his Harm publish 1647. untrodden paths to use his own phrase and loved to lead rather than follow He was willing to spare no labour and to take up all things at the first Hand as he speaks somewhere And this appeared by the very Title that he gave some of his Books His Observations upon Genesis are called by him New and rarely heard of In his Handful of Gleanings he promiseth solution of difficulties scarcely given by any heretofore And in the second part of his Harmony published Anno 1647. he professeth to give Observations upon Text and Story not commonly obvious and more rare and unnoted And that Proposition before mentioned of a just History of the Jews bespake the high and more than ordinary flights of his Learned mind But especially his Harmony shewed this Wherein he reckons himself the first that ever essayed a Work of that nature in the English Language which he himself calls an untrodden path and a bold adventure But let us follow him to his beloved Rabbies or rather to the beloved Writings of the ill-beloved Authors Of whom he gave this character That the Doctrine of the Gospel had no more bitter enemies than they and yet the Text no more plain Interpreters The reason he bent himself to the Study of them was because he was fully convinced an insight into their Language and Customs was the best way to a safe and sure understanding of the New Testament which he thirstily gasped and breathed after the knowledge of And though the barbarous and difficult style and the great store of trifling wherewith they abound might and doth justly discourage many from reading them yet Dr. Lightfoot undervalued all hardships and discouragements for the compassing that great and noble end he aimed
bowels Talm. in Sanhed per. 7. Now having spoken in the clause before of being judged by the Sanhedrin whose terriblest penalty was this burning he doth in this clause raise the penalty higher namely of burning but in Hell not a little scalding lead but even with a Hell of fire c. The greatest part of the New Testament might be observed to speak in such reference to something or other commonly known or used or spoken among the Iews and even the difficultest passages in it might be brought to far more facility then they be if these references were well observed There are divers places where Commentators not able to clear the sense for want of this have been bold to say the Text is corrupt and to frame a Text of their own heads whereas the matter skilfully handled in this way might have been made plain As we have given experiment in this kind in some as we have gone along and divers others might have been instanced but our work was not now to write a Comment August 28. 1654. THE HARMONY Chronicle and Order OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The First Part. Viz. The HARMONY and ORDER OF THE FOUR EVANGELISTS SECTION I. LUKE Chap. I. Ver. 1 2 3 4. LUKE'S Preface His warrant to write his Gospel IN compiling the four Evangelists into one continued Current and Story this Preface that Luke prefixeth to his Gospel may very fitly be set before them all as a general Proem to the whole If he wrote his Gospel near about that time when he wrote his Acts of the Apostles it was not till Paul had now worn out his two years imprisonment in Rome or thereabout Acts 28. 30. which was twenty seven years after Christs Ascention by which time the Gospel had been carried by the Apostles who were Eye-witnesses of Christs Actions and by the Disciples who were Ministers of the Word through the most parts of the World From these mens Sermons and Relations many undertook to write Gospels partly for their own use and partly for the benefit of others which thing though they did lawfully and with a good intent yet because they did it not by Inspiration nor by Divine Warrant albeit what they had written were according to Truth yet was the Authority of their Writings but humane and not to be admitted into the Divine Canon But Luke had his intelligence and instructions from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 3. SECTION II. JOHN Chap. I. from the beginning to Ver. 15. CHRISTS Divinity shewed and the fitness of him the Word to be incarnate AFter the Preface this portion doth justly challenge to be ranked first for it not only treatech of Christs Divinity which is first to be looked after in his story but it also sheweth how proper it was for him the Second Person in the Trinity to be incarnate rather than either of the other Persons 1. He being the Word by whom the world was created and therefore fittest by whom it should be redeemed 2. The Word in whom the Promise of Life was given ver 4. and so most fit by whom life should be brought 3. The substance of that word of Promise that sâ—one as a light throughout all the Old Testament in the darkness of the Types Figures Prophesies and Mysteries there and the darkness of those obscure dispensations comprehended it not but that it gave light and shone in that obscurity and they could not comprehend it it being a light to break out in a far greater lustre than they afforded SECTION III. LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 5. to Ver. 57. Year of World 3927 Year of Rome 753 AUGUSTUS 30 HEROD 34 The Birth of John the Baptist and the Birth of our Saviour foretold by the Angel Gabriel The Method and Order of this Section will not need much proof or clearing The preceding gave an intimation of Christs fore-runner Joh. 1. 6. and this begins to tell his story to the full HEROD the Great by descent an Edomite and placed by the Romans King of Judea compare Gen. 27. 40. among divers other passages in his uneven and rugged Reign had slain the Sanhedrin Joseph Ant. l. 14. c. 17. and to plaster the business again by the Counsel of Bava ben Bota repaired the Temple and made it incomparably more sumptuous than it was before Jucas fol. 19. He began this Work in the 18th Year of his Reign and it cost him eight years to finish it Jos. Ant. lib. 15. c. 14. So that this new Fabrick was but eight or nine years old at this year that we are upon In this Temple Zacharias a Priest of the course of Abia was offering Incense in the Holy Place as was used daily and hath tidings brought him of a Son that should be fore-runner to the Messias Although Zacharias be said to have been of the course of Abia yet can it hardly be thought that he was of his Seed and Posterity for we find mention but of four of the Courses that returned out of Babylon and Abias was none of them Ezra 2. 36 37 38 39. But the whole number of those Priests that did return of those four Courses being about 4290 were cast by lot into 24 Courses according to the Primitive Institution and Zacharias was of the eighth as Abias Course had been before the Captivity and which yet bare his Name as the other did their Names who had denominated the Courses from their first original Of this ordering of the Courses after the Captivity both Talmuds speak largely in the Treatise Taanith cap. 4. Whether Zacharias were of the Seed of Abia or no it is apparent by his serving in Abias Course that he was not High-Priest but one of the ordinary Priests that served by course as their turn came and that had their particular imployment in the service by lot The manner of their lottery for this purpose is mentioned at large in Tamid cap. 3. in Joma cap. 2. The Angel Gabriel who about 456 years ago had given account to Daniel of the time of Messias his sufferings doth now when that time is drawing near first bring tidings of his fore-runners birth and then of his own The Jerusalem Gemara in Joma fol. 42. col 3. relates a story very parallel to this of Zachary both of his seeing an Angel in the Temple and of his stay there longer than was used at offering Incense Simeon the Just say they served Israel in the High-Priesthood forty years And on the last year he saith unto them This year I must die They say to him How knowest thou that He answered Every year hitherto when I went into the most Holy Place on the day of expiation one like an old man cloathed in white and vailed in white went in with me and came out with me Now this year he went in with me but came not out with me And instantly after The High-Priest might not stay praying in the most Holy Place long lest he should put the people into a fear
this seed of the woman was to destroy the power of Satan by the word of truth as Satan had destroyed men by words of falshood Luke doth properly draw up his Line to Adam now when he is to begin to preach the Word The Line on this side the Captivity for which there is no record elsewhere in Scripture Matthew and Luke took from some known Records then extant among the Nation R. Levi saith There was found a Book of Genealogies at Jerusalem in which it was written Hillel was of the Family of David Ben Jatsaph of the Family of Asap c. Tal. Jerus in Taanith fol 68. col 1. They kept the Records of Pedigrees and of all other they would be sure to keep those of the Family of David because of the expectation of the Messiah from it SECTION XI MATTH Chap. 4. from the beginning to Ver. 12. MARK Chap. 1. Ver. 12 13. LUKE Chap. IV from the beginning to Ver. 14. The Seed of the Woman and the Serpent combating MARK and LUKE by these words immediately the Spirit driveth him and Jesus returned from Jordan do make the order necessary so that as for the subsequence of this to what preceded there can be no scruple Only there is some difference 'twixt Matthew and Luke in relating the order of the temptations which Matthew having laid down in their proper rank as appeareth by these particles then ver 15. and again ver 8. Luke in the rehearsing of them is not so much observant of the order that being fixed by Matthew before as he is careful to give the full story and so to give it as might redound to the fullest information As our Mother Eve was tempted by Satan to the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as 1 Joh. 2. 16. for she saw it was good for food that it was pleasant to the eyes and to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3. 6. so by these had it been possible would the same tempter have overthrown the seed of the woman For he tempted him to turn stones into bread as to satisfie the longing of the flesh to fall down and worship him upon the sight of a bewitching object to his eyes and to fly in the air in pride and to get glory among men Luke for our better observing of this parallel hath laid the order of these temptations answerable to the order of those Jesus being baptized about the Feast of Tabernacles toward the latter end of our September is presently carried into the Wilderness of Judea by the acting of the Holy Spirit to enter that combate with the Serpent which was designed Gen. 3. 15. Forty days and forty nights He being all the while in watching fasting and solitude and among the wild beasts but sate as Adam among them in innocency the Devil tempteth him invisibly as he doth other men namely striving to inject sinful suggestions into him but he could find nothing in him to work upon as Joh. 14. 30. therefore at forty days end he taketh another course and appeareth to him visibly in the shape of an Angel of Light and so had Eve been deceived by him mistaking him for a good Angel and trieth him by perswasion by Scripture and by power but in all is foiled mastered and banished by a word SECTION XII JOHN Chap. I. from Ver. 15. to the end of the Chapter CHRIST is pointed out by John and followed by some Disciples COnceive the continuance of the Story thus Christ newly baptized goeth immediately into the Wilderness and leaveth John at Jordan on Judea side In the time of the forty days temptation John having now gathered his Harvest of Disciples on that side the River goeth over into the Country beyond Jordan and baptizeth in Bethabara Thither came some Pharisees by commission of the Sanhedrin to question him about the Authority whereby he baptized making no strangeness at baptizing which had been so long in use among them but questioning his Authority to baptize in that tenor that he did The next day after their questioning of him Christ cometh into sight is pointed out by John and followed by some of his Disciples For half a year John had baptized in the Name of Christ and knew him not ver 31 33. Only as all the Nation expected the Messias to come in time and John had it revealed to him that he was now ready to appear so John baptized and the People came to him upon this account He professed to all that came to him to be baptized and so he did to the Jews Commissioners now that he baptized only in the Name of him that was to come after him whose shoos latchet he was not worthy to unloose ver 27. Let a passage in Tosaphtoth comment upon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is the token of a Servant He ties his Masters shoos or looses his shoos and bears his things after him to the bath In Kiddushin cap. 1. And the like saith Maymony in Mekerah cap. 2. A Canaanite Servant is like Land as to buying and he is bought by Money or by Script or by service in way of earnest And what is the earnest in buying Servants Namely that a man use them as they use Servants before a Master As to loose his shooe or to tie his shooe or to carry his things after him to the bath c. So that those that were baptized in this time of whom there was a very great number knew not of Jesus of Nazareth his being the Christ nor knew they more of Christ than they had known before but only that he was ready to come only they were baptized into faith in him and to repentance But when Christ himself came to be baptized John had discovery of him and so is able now upon the sight of him to point him out to his Disciples whereupon Peter and probably John and Andrew and Philip and Nathanael follow him SECTION XIII JOHN Chap. II. All the Chapter Water turned into Wine CHRISTS first Passeover after his Baptism THe words The third day in ver 1. mean either the third day from Christs coming into Galilee Joh. 1. 43. or the third day from his conference with Nathanael or the third day from the Disciples first following him they give demonstration enough of the series and connexion of this Chapter to the former It was about the middle of our November when Christ came out of the Wilderness to John at Bethabara and then there were about four months to the Passeover which time he spent in going up and down Galilee and at last comes to his own home at Capernaum Those two passages being laid together The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee Joh. 1. 43. And After this he went down to Capernaum and continued there not many days and the Jews Passeover was at hand Joh. 2. 12. do make it evident that Jesus had now a perambulation of Galilee which took up
the last meaning The Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles Job Ruth Esther c. Then do they tell that the Books were particularly thus ranked The five Books of Moses Joshua Judges Samuel Kings and then the Prophets among whom Jeremy was set first and then Ezekiel and after him Esay and then the twelve But they object was not Esay long before Jeremy and Ezekiel in time Why should he then be set after them in order And they give this answer The last Book of Kings ends with destruction and Jeremy is all destruction Ezekiel begins with destruction and ends with comfort and Esay is all comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore they joyned destruction and destruction together and comfort and comfort together And thus in their Bibles of old Jeremy came next after the Book of Kings and stood first in the volume of the Prophets So that Matthews alleadging of a Text of Zachary under the name of Jeremy doth but alleadge a Text out of the volume of the Prophets under his name that stood first in that volume And such a manner of speech is that of Christ Luke 24. 44. All things must be fulfilled which are written of me in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalmes in which he follows the general division that we have mentioned only he calleth the whole third part or Hagiographa by the title the Psalms because the Book of Psalms stood first of all the Books of that part In that saying Matth. 16. 14. Others say Jeremy or one of the Prophets there is the same reason why Jeremy alone is named by name viz. because his name stood first in the volume of the Prophets and so came first in their way when they were speaking of the Prophets CHRISTS Arraignment before Pilate The chiest Priests and Elders bring Jesus to Pilate but would not go into his House the House of a Heathen lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover John 18. 28. Why They had eaten the Passover over night at the same time that Jesus ate his and well they had spent the night after it But this day that was now come in was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their day of presenting themselves in the Temple and offering their Sacrifices and peace offerings of which they were to keep a solemn feasting and this John calls the Passover In which sense Passover Bullocks are spoken of Deut. 16. 2. 2 Chron. 30. 24. and 35. 8 9. The School of Shammai saith their appearing was with two pieces of silver and their chagigah with a Meah of silver But the School of Hillel saith their appearing was with a Meah of silver and their chagigah with two pieces of silver Their burnt offerings at this solemnity were taken from among common cattel but their peace offerings from their tithes He that keepeth not the chagigah on the first day of the feast must keep it all the feast c. Chagigah per. 1. Pilate conceives him brought to him as a common malefactor and therefore he bids them take him back and Judge him by their own Bench and Law and in these words he meant really and according as the truth was that it was in their power to judge and execute him and needed not to trouble him with him And when they answer We may not put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. They speak truly also and as the thing was indeed but the words of Pilate and theirs were not ad idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a tradition that fourty years before the Temple was destroyed capital Judgments were taken away from them Jerus in Sanhedr fol. 18. col 1. But how Not by the Romans for they permitted them the use of their Religion Laws Magistracy capital and penal executions and judgments in almost all cases as freely as ever they had and that both in their Sanhedrins within the Land and in their Synagogues without as far as the power of the Synagogues could reach at any time as might be proved abundantly if it were to be insisted on here The words then of these men to Pilate are true indeed That they could put no man to death but this was not as if the Romans had deprived the Sanhedrin of its power but because theeves murderers and malefactors of their own Nation were grown so numerous strong and heady that they had overpowred the Sanhedrins power that it could not it durst not execute capital penalties upon offenders as it should have done And this their own Writings witness Juchasin fol. 21. The Sanhedrin flitted fourty years before the destruction of the Temple namely from that time that the Temple doors opened of their own accord and Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them and said O Temple Temple Zechary of old prâ—phecied of thee saying Open thy doors O Lebanon that the fire may enter c. And also becausâ— that murderers increased and they were unwilling to judge Capital matters they flitted from place to place even to Jabneh c. which also is asserted in Schabb. fol. 51. Avodah Zarah fol. 8. When they perceive that Pilate no more received the impression of their accusation of him as a malefactor like others they then accuse him of Treason as forbidding to pay Tribute to Cesar and as saying that he himself was a King and this they thought would do the business Pilate hereupon takes him into his Judgment Hall for hitherto the Jews conference and his had been at his gate and questions him upon this point and Jesus plainly confesseth that he was a King but his Kingdom not of this world and therefore he needed not from him to fear any prejudice from the Romane power and so well satisfies Pilate that he brings him out to the gate again where the Jews stood and professeth that he found no fault in him at all Then the Jews lay in fresh accusations against him to which he answereth not a word Brought before Herod Pilate by a word that dropt from them understanding that he was of Galilee Herods Jurisdiction sent him to Herod who was now at Jerusalem partly because he would be content to have shut his hands of him and partly because he would court Herod towards the reconciling of old heart-burnings between them And now Jesus sees the monster that had murthered his forerunner Herod was glad to see him and had desired it a long time and now hoped to have got some miracles from him but he got not so much as one word though he questioned him much and the Jews who followed him thither did vehemently accuse him The old Fox had sought and threatned his death before Luke 13. 31 32. and yet now hath him in his hands and lets him go only abused and mocked and gorgeously arraied and so sends him back to Pilate that so he might court him again more then for any content he had that he should escape his hands See Acts 4. 27. Before Pilate again Pilate at his gate again talks
The meaning of the whole let us take up in parts There are two main things here intended First To shew the ruine of the Kingdom of Satan and secondly The nature of the Kingdom of Christ. The Scripture speaks much of Christs Kingdom and his conquering Satan and his Saints reigning with him that common place is briefly handled here That Kingdom was to be especially among the Gentiles they called in unto the Gospel Now among the Gentiles had been Satans Kingdom most setled and potent but here Christ binds him and casts him into the bottomless pit that he should deceive no more as a great cheater and seducer cast into prison and this done by the coming in of the Gospel among them Then as for Christs Kingdom I saw Thrones saith John and they sate upon them c. ver 4. here is Christ and his inthroned and reigning But how do they reign with him Here John faceth the foolish opinion of the Jews of their reigning with the Messias in an earthly pomp and shews that the matter is of a far different tenour that they that suffer with him shall reign with him they that stick to him witness for him dye for him these shall sit inthroned with him And he nameth beheading only of all kinds of deaths as being the most common used both by Jews and Romans alike as we have observed before at Acts 12. out of Sanhedr per. 7. halac 3. And the first witness for Christ John the Baptist died this death He saith that such live and reign with Christ the thousand years not as if they were all raised from the dead at the beginning of the 1000 years and so reign all together with him those years out as is the conceit of some as absolute Judaism as any is for matter of Opinion but that this must be expected to be the garb of Christs Kingdom all along suffering and standing out against sin and the mark of the Beast and the like whereas they held it to be a thousand years of earthly bravery and pompousness But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished This is the first resurrection Not that they lived again when the thousand years were finished but it means that they lived not in this time which was the time of living when Satan was bound and truth and life came into the world The Gentiles before the Gospel came among them were dead in Scripture phrase very copiously Ephes. 2. 1 2. 4. 18. c. but that revived them Joh. 5. 25. This is the first resurrection in and to Christs Kingdom the second is spoken of at the twelfth verse of this Chapter that we are upon Paul useth the same expression to signifie the same thing namely a raising from darkness and sin by the power of the Gospel Rom. 11. 15. Now when this quickning came among the Gentiles Satan going down and Christs Kingdom advanced and the Gospel bringing in life and light as Joh. 1. 4. those that did not come and stick close to Christ and bear witness to him but closed with the mark of the Beast sin and sinful men these were dead still and lived not again till the thousand years were finished that is while they lasted though that were a time of receiving life Blessed therefore and holy are they that have part in this first resurrection for on them the second death hath no power ver 6. The second death is a phrase used by the Jews Onkelos renders Deut. 33. 6. thus Let Reuben live and not die the second death And Jonathan Isa. 65. 6. thus Behold it is written before me I will not grant them long life but I will pay them vengeance for their sins and deliver their carcases to the second death And ver 15. The Lord will slay them with the second death Observe in the Prophet that these verses speak of the ruine and rejection of the Jews now a cursed people and given up to the second death and in Chapter 66. vers 29 30 31. is told how the Lord would send and gather the Gentiles to be his people and would make them his Priests and Levites And then see how fitly this verse answers those In stead of these cursed people these are blessed and holy and might not see the second death and Christ makes them Priests to himself and his Father In this passage of John scorn is put again upon the Jews wild interpretâ—â—â—â—n of the resurrection in Ezekiel They take it litterally think some dead were really raised out of their graves came into the Land of Israel begat children and died a second time Nay they stick not to tell who these men were and who were their children Talm. Babyl in Sanhedr ubi supra After the thousand years are expired Satan is let loose again and falls to his old trade of the deceiving the Nations again ver 8. Zohar fol. 72. col 286. hath this saying It is a tradition that in the day when judgment is upon the world and the holy blessed God sits upon the Throne of judgment then it is found that Satan that deceives high and low he is found destroying the world and taking away souls When the Papacy began then Heathenism came over the world again and Satan as loose and deceiving as ever then Idolatry blindness deluding oracularities and miracles as fresh and plenteous as before from the rising of the Gospel among the Gentiles these had been beating down and Satan fettered and imprisoned deeper and deeper every day and though his agent Rome bestird it self hard to hold up his Kingdom by the horrid persecutions it raised yet still the Gospel prevailed and laid all flat But when the Papacy came then he was loose again and his cheatings prevailed and the world became again no better then Heathen And if you should take the thousand years fixedly and literally and begin to count either from the beginning of the Gospel in the preaching of John or of Peter to Cornelius the first inlet to the Gentiles or of Paul and Barnabas their being sent among them the expiring of them will be in the very depth of Popery especially begin them from the fall of Jerusalem where the date of the Gentiles more peculiarly begins and they will end upon the times of Pope Hildebrand when if the Devil were not let loose when was he He calls the enemies of the Church especially Antichrist Gog and Magog the title of the Syrogrecian Monarchy the great persecutor Ezek. 38. 39. Pliny mentions a place in Caelosyria that retained the name Magog lib. 5. cap. 23. So that John from old stories and copies of great troubles transcribeth new using known terms from Scripture and from the Jews language and notions that he might the better be understood So that this Chapter containeth a brief of all the times from the rising of the Gospel among the Gentiles to the end of the world under these two sums first the beating
verum bonum truth and goodness so the whole tenor of Scripture doth run upon these two and they are indeed the sum of all as Psal. 25. 10. and 40. 12. and 36. 5. and 138. 2. Hos. 2. 19. c. Now Christ being the substance of the promises which had the original from grace and their performance in truth they being in him yea and in him Amen the Evangelist saying that he dwelt among us full of grace and truth holdeth out that he was the performance and accomplishment of all the promises of grace and the truth of all the types and prophecies before the Law and under it that tended to such a purpose and in him was the fulness of that mercy and truth that the Patriarchs Prophets and holy men looked after and he the whole tenor scope and subject of the Scriptures SECTION III. S. LUKE CHAP. I. The Conception and Birth of Iohn the Baptist and of Christ foretold by the Angel Gabriel c. Ver. 5. THere was in the days of ††††††Herod written with Câ—eth in the beginning signifieth fear or trembling as the trembling cowardise of Gedeons souldiers named the well Harod Judg. 7. 1. c. But the Syr. Arab write this with He. Herod the King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the course of Abiah and his wife was of a a a a a a John Baptist of the Priestly line both by Father and Mother the Daughters of Aaron and her name was b b b b b b The Seventy call wife of Aaron the first Priest by the same name Exod. 6. 23. Elizabeth 6. And they were c c c c c c Such couples were Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebeccah Elkanah and Hannah both righteous and a long time childless both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 7. And they had no child because that d d d d d d Throughout the Scripture want of Children is ascribed to the woman Elizabeth was barren and they were both now e e e e e e An Hebraisme as Gen. 18. 11. 1 Kings 1. 1. c. well striken in years 8. And it came to pass that while he executed the Priests Office f f f f f f The Worship of God in the Temple was said to be before him Exod. 23. 17. Lev. 1. 3. 11. And the ark being the representation of Christ is called bis face Psal. 105. 4. yea even God himself Psal. 132. 5. before God in the order of his course 9. According to the custome of the Priests Office his lot was to burn Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the tine of Incense 11. And there appeared unto him an ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ Compare the appearing of the Angel Gabriel to Daniel about the time of Incense Dan. 9. 21. Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense 12. And when Zacharias saw him g g g g g g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the LXX to express Pharaohs trouble upon his dream Gen. 41. 8. and his Servants upon theirs Gen. 40. 6. Compare Judg. 6. 22. 13. 22. Dan. 8. 17. Joâ— 4. 14. he was troubled h h h h h h As Gen. 15. 12. and fear fell upon him 13. But the Angel said unto him fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a Son and thou shalt call his name ††††††John the same with Jochanan so frequent in the Old Testament as 1 Chr. 3. 19. 6. 9. 12. 12. 26. 3. and 2 Chron. 17. 15. 23. 1. and 28. 12. Jer. 40. 8. John 14. And thou shalt have i i i i i i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 3. 22. The Arab addeth thou shalt have great joy joy and gladness and k k k k k k As Gen. 21. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the LXX for it Lev. 10 5. Numb 6. 3. Esay 5. 11. and 28. 7. c. which sometimes signifieth Wine as Num. 28. 7. but most commonly any thing that will cause drunkenness Wine of fourty days old is called Shekar saith R. Menohem on Lev. 10. and so the Chaldee paraphraseth it Numb 6. 3. and 28. 7. Judg. 13. 4. But any thing that will make one dunk is called Shekar whether it be made of Corn Honey or Fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on Lev. 10. D. Krinch in Miclol Brucioli his Italian and the French express it by Cervisia Ale or Bear many shall rejoyce at his birth 15. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor l strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses Act. 7. 20. Jer. 1. 5. even from his Mothers womb 16. And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God 17. And he shall go before in the spirit and power of m m m m m m Heb. Elijahâ— 1 Kings 17. c. and there turned by the LXXâ— Elion but in Mal. 4. 5. the Hebr. hath it Eliah and the LXX Elias Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In or by the wisdom to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18. And Zacharias said unto the Angel whereby shall I know this for n n n n n n As Gen. 18. 12. I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years 19. And the Angel answering said unto him I am o o o o o o Dan. 8. 29. 9. 21. Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and p p p p p p This relateth to his assuming a visible shape am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings 20. And q q q q q q So a sign is given to Ahaz with a Behold Isa. 7. 14. compare Ezek. 3. 26. behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled r r r r r r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 23. at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 23. in their season 21. And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the Temple 22. And when he came out * * * * * * At the first burning of Incense the Priests miscarried Lev. 10. and thus that right which the Jews value for the highest of all legal offerings beginneth
fidelity than barely what will keep the Translatours out of danger Thirdly Therefore they strive as much as they can to conceal the Truth and Treasure of the Scripture from the Heathen and as much as they dare to delude them Their chief means for this is to use an unpricked Bible in which the words written without vowels might be bended divers ways and into divers senses and different from the meaning of the Original and yet if the Translation were questioned they might prick or vowel the word so as to agree to their Translation How they have dealt in this kind there is none that ever laid the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint together but hath observed Fourthly Their differences from the Original which were innumerable were partly of ignorance they themselves not being able to read the Text alway true in a Copy unvowelled But this ignorance was also voluntary in them they not caring to mistake so that they might do it with their own security Their general care was that since of necessity they must Translate the Bible as little of it might be imparted and revealed by the Translation as was possible Their particular and special heed was also that those places of the Text which Translated Literally or according to the true meaning might prove dangerous any ways to the Nation of the Jews or bring them into distaste with the potent King for whom they Translated should be so tempered and qualified that no hazzard might arise nor any such matter might be seen Fifthly It was a common speech among the Jews and rang ordinarily in their Schools and Pulpits That the seventy Souls of Jacobs family that went down into Egypt were equivalent or answerabe in worth to all the seventy Nations of the World This was a dangerous doctrine for the Jews if it should come to be known as it could not choose but be especially when their puissant enemies should find the numbers agreeable of seventy Souls Gen. 46. and seventy Nations Gen. 10. To prevent any such danger the Translators thought it a sure way to spoil the just number in both places and so they did reckon seventy five Souls and seventy two Nations both which accounts are followed by Saint Luke Act. 7. and in this place Sixthly The several persons reckoned Gen. 10. Every one of which was the Father and original of a several Nation be just seventy The Translatours to spoil the sum which might prove perilous have added two more and both of the same name Cainan the one the immediate son of Sem the other his Grandchild or the son of Arphaxad For ver 22. of that Chapter they read thus The sons of Sem were Elam and Ashur and Arphaxad and Lud and Aram and Cainan and vers 24. thus Arphaxad begat Cainan and Cainan begat Sala In which additions these two things are very observable First The place where they have thrust in these two men Namely so close to Sem as could not possibly be closer unless they would have had him to have had two sons of the same name Cainan Secondly The name it self that they have thus chosen twice over namely Cainan which signifieth mourning or lamenting So Enosh called his son Gen. 5. 9. Because of the lamentable corruption of Religion in those times And it is without doubt the Translatours in the iterated choice of this word or heavy and doleful name intended to shew some inward sorrow the cause of which may be best imagined by laying the name and the place of it together The blessing of Noah upon Japhet God shall inlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem Gen. 2. 27. The Jews themselves of old understood to aim at the Greek Tongue viz. that God should use that as a means for the admission of the Heathen to the secrets and mysteries of the Jews Religion This was their vexation at all times to hear or to think of the Gentiles being called as appears by Jonah Chap. 4. 1. by the Nazarites Luke 4. 28. and by them of Jerusalem Act. 22. 21 22. For Moses had plainly told them that their calling in should be the others casting off Deut. 32. 21. Therefore it could not but be a most vehement sorrow and main vexation to these Translators that they perforce and so sore against their wills must be made the instruments by translating the Bible into Greek to let Japhet or the Heathen into the tents of Sem. This sorrow as their Nation expressed by a mournful Fast so did they themselves among other things by a lamenting and sorrowing name Cainan twice over put in so close to Sem as if they called on him to mourn with them because his tents were now unlocking for the entrance of the Gentiles Seventhly God using the Septuagint as the Key for admission of the Heathen and as an Harbinger to the New Testament left it not there but therein used it also in allegations from the Old yet oftentimes differing from the letter of the same but never without special reason Eighthly Saint Luke as he followed the Doctor of the Gentiles Saint Paul so he wrote his Gospel for the Gentiles therefore whereas Matthew writing his for the Jews deriveth the Genealogy but from Abraham the first Father of the Jews This Evangelist writing for the Gentiles fetcheth the Line from Adam the common Father of all both Jews and Gentiles This is the aim and scope of this Genealogy and the reason why it is set at Christs Baptism First To shew that there was no distinction of persons in the promise given to Adam for all Nations were then equally in his loins for this the holy line runs down to him Secondly That therefore all Nations have equal interest in the Messias and that in the Preaching of the Gospel which Christ began from his Baptism there should be no difference of people made as there was before This being the intent of the Pedegrees placing here as the very placing of it doth inevitably evince it is not only warrantable but also admirably divine that Luke taketh in Cainan from the Seventy For first writing for Heathens he must follow the heathens Bible in his quotations Secondly In Genealogies he was to be a Coppier not a Corrector Thirdly and chiefly In following this insertion of the Seventy he imbraceth not their error but divinely draweth us to look at their intent When Jude mentioneth Michaels striving with Satan about the body of Moses he approveth not the story as true which he knew to be but a Talmudick Parable but from the Jews own Authors he useth this as an argument against them and for their instruction So though Luke from the Seventy the Bible of the Heathen have alledged Cainan the son of Arphaxad he alledgeth it not as the truth more than the Hebrew but from the Septuagints own authority or from the matter which they inserted in distaste of the calling of the Heathen he maketh comfortable use and instruction to the
sweetness in their sense which doth deserve and may require our serious and feeling thoughts and meditations If any one will find a knot in a bulrush and thinks he hath found a ground for the opinion of universal Redemption out of this Word the World which our Saviour useth all along let this same Evangelist give him an answer out of 1 Joh. 2. 2. where he plainly shews that the World is not to be understood de omnibus singulis of all and every singular person in the World but of all Nations and that the Gentiles come within the Compass of Christs reconciliation for sin as well as the Jews And our Saviour useth the word here the rather that by the full sense of it he might meet with the various misprisions and misconceptions of Nicodemus and the rest of the Nation about these matters that were in discourse They conceived that the Lord only loved that Nation and none else that the Messias should only come for the good of that Nation and none else nay that he should destroy other Nations for the advancement of that Nation alone but Christ informeth him here that God loved the World the Gentiles as well as the Jews that he gave his only begotten Son to the World to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews and that God sent not his Son Messias into the world to destroy and condemn it but that it might be saved the Gentiles as well as the Jewish Nation Vers. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already Not that every one that heareth the Gospel and at present believeth not is irrevocably damned for he that believeth not now may yet believe hereafter and be saved but 1. He that believeth not in Christ is yet in the State of Damnation for out of Christ out of Salvation And 2. he is already judged for so the Greek word is as deserving damnation and one that shall fall into it if he continue in his unbelief not only by God but even by the thing it self for he that will not believe in the only begotten Son of God and that will choose darkness rather than light ex reipsa he is already judged convicted and condemned as not only out of the way of Salvation but as deserving to be damned and so shall be if he thus continue These are the two emphatical things in this speech of our Saviour that aggravate the unbelief and that justifie the condemnation of the Unbeliever 1. Because he believes not in the Son of God And 2. Because light came into the world and men chose darkness rather than light If we apply the speech to the times in which Christ appeared here was the condemnation of the unbelieving Jews that they would take upon them to believe Moses and the Prophets and yet they would not believe him that sent them nay they would believe their own foolish Doctors and traditions and any one that came among them in his own name and yet they would not believe in the name of the Son of God They walked in a double darkness as namely not only in a want of the guidance of the spirit of Prophecy and of faithful Teachers but also in the leading of most blind guides and of most dark Doctors and yet when Light it self came among them they loved and imbraced this darkness and refused the Light And much in the like kind may the matter be applied to unbelievers of what time so ever Vers. 21. But he that doth truth c. As there is an opposition here of light and darkness that is of the truth and error of a true doctrine and false for so it is apparent enough that the terms are to be understood so is there an opposition of doing evil and doing the truth and the one may the better be understood by the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the phrase used here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which phrase is used by this same Evangelist 1 Joh. 3. 8. doth not nakedly signifie to sin for the Saints of God do sin Jam. 3. 2. 1 Kings 8. 46. and cannot do otherwise Rom. 7. 15 17 18. and yet John saith that whosoever is born of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3. 9. but these phrases to do evil and commit sin do signifie a setting of a mans self to do evil Dare operam peccato as Beza translates it so on the contrary To do truth is dare operam veritati as he also renders it here when a mans bent and desire is to do uprightly when gracious desires of doing truth and uprightness lie in the bottom though the sâ—um of many failings swim aloft in heart when to will is present as Rom. 7. 18. and when the mind is to serve the Law of God as Rom. 7. 25. whosoever is so composed declineth not the light but delighteth to come to it and to the touchstone of the truth that his works may be made manifest §. That they are wrought in God That is either by the power of God for so the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may import which very commonly signifieth By as might be exemplified numerously or In God is as much as to say as in the way or fear of God as to marry in the Lord 1 Cor. 7. 39. is to marry in his way or according to his will and to die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. is to die in his fear or in his acceptance And thus hath Christ opened to Nicodemus the great Doctrines of the New birth Baptism free Grace Faith obedience and the love of the Truth and made him a Disciple as appears Joh. 19. 39. and yet he keeps his place and rank in the Sanhedrin and there doth what good offices he can Joh. 7. 50. Vers. 22. After these things came Iesus and his Disciples into the Country of Iudea c. It is not determinable in what part of Judea Christ fixed and made his abode nor indeed is it whether he fixed in any one place or removed up and down here and there in the country It appeareth by the story in the following chapter that when he had occasion to set for Galilee he was then in such a part of Judea as that his next way thither was to go through or close by the City of Samaria and so it seemeth that he was in that part of Judea that lay Northward of Jerusalem Gibeon lay much upon that point of the compass and the waters there might be a very fit conveniency for his baptizing see 2 Sam. 2. 13. §. And there he tarried and Baptized Yet Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples Chap. 4. 2. It is ordinary both in Scripture phrase and in other languages to ascribe that as done by a man himself that is done by another at his appointment as Act. 7. 21. Pharaohs daughter is said to nurse Moses 2 King 6. 7. Solomon is said to build the Temple and his own house 1 Sam. 26. 11 12. 14.
not altogether groundless That since God had made those waters of so high a resemblance as to betoken so high a Kingdom and since that that resemblance held out by God himself had brought those waters into so high an esteem and observation with the people It pleased him against the coming and appearing of that promised King and Kingdom to honour and indue those waters with such soveraign and healing virtue as the story we are upon speaketh of that as they had hitherto represented his Kingdom so their healing virtue given them against his appearing did represent his healing power as Mal. 4. 2. And not only that but also gave occasion to the people to think that the glory of Davids Kingdom was near at hand when such unwonted and wondrous excellency did now appear in those waters that did signifie it So when the time of the promise to Israel in Egypt drew nigh God bestowed a miraculous and supernatural course of nature if we may so call it for the Generation and Birth of their children Act. 7. 17. V. I shall not strive to conclude any under this opinion with me I shall only conclude with two things which are remarkable about the waters of Siloam from which Fountain I do suppose the waters of Bethesda to have their flowing 1. The first is that as this collection of Siloam waters in Bethesda was honoured with this miraculous virtue of healing of all diseases so that in Joh. 9. Christ honoured the other pool that was filled from Siloam with the miraculous cure of eyes born blind 2. Secondly Let it be observed how strangely and one would wonder to what purpose the Holy Ghost doth construe the Hebrew word Siloam into a Greek expression Joh. 9. 7. Go wash in the Pool of Siloam which is by interpretation sent Who sent Let the Reader but examine whether he can find any to whom the construction may so properly be applied as to Christ sent of God whom that Fountain or waters signified §. Having five Porches We observed before that these Porches are to be understood for Cloister walks five in number according to the quinque lateral or five-angle form of the pool and place for so it is more proper to hold concerning the number rather than to look after allusions and allegories about it which give but little satisfaction as to the historical matter whether these Cloisters were built before the healing virtue of the water first appeared for the conveniency of those that had occasion to come to the waters or after the appearing of that miraculous excellency for the accommodation of them that stayed there for healing it is not much worth the labour to inquire and there is but little hope to find it out It is more generally thought that they were built upon the latter occasion and so we leave them The general silence of the Jews about the race and wondrous virtue of this pool is something strange who in the abundant praises and privileges and particulars of Jerusalem which they give yet speak not one syllable that I have ever found towards the story of Bethesda though it might have been a story of so remarkable recognisance which makes me the rather to believe that this healing virtue of it was and was taken for a presage of the near approach of the Messias as we have spoken because they to weaken the truth of his coming have subtilly been silent in such a matter I may not utterly omit to say something about the opinions of others concerning the soveraign efficacy of these waters the two that are the most current and that carry the fairest probability and colour with them are these 1. That in this pool the Sacrifices were washed and God would honour the rite of Sacrifice with such a miraculous work in the place where they were washed and fitted for the Altar which if the thing were true were not impertinent in the application but the truth I question For if they mean that the beasts that were to be sacrificed were washed here whilst they were alive as some and those not a few will have it it is neither to be proved by the Scripture nor dreamed of by any Jews that write upon that subject that any sacrificed beast was to be washed till he was slain But if they mean that the inwards of the slain Sacrifice was washed here as the inwards indeed were the only things except the legs that were to be washed Lev. 1. 9. it is easie to be proved by Scripture that the inwards were washed at the Temple and never brought out thence and the Talmudists shew us a room at the Temple for this very purpose called The washing room which we have spoken of in its place where they had their first scouring and marble Tables in the Court where they had a second 2. Another opinion is that God by this wondrous virtue of Bethesda waters would antedate as it were honour to the waters of Baptism which was now to come in But might not the Pharisees as well misconstrue the matter and say it sealed the honour of their washings which were of use already and so long before as well as of Baptism that was now coming in I am not ignorant of the conception of Tremellius in this matter in his marginal notes to Nehem. 3. but when I consider what kind of man Eliashib was to whom that opinion refers so much I can see but little satisfaction in that conjecture especially considering how dead the appearing of Angels or miracles had been from the times of Eliashib till near the appearing of Christ in humane flesh Vers. 4. For an Angel went down at a certain season c. It is but a kind of labour lost to stand to debate whether this season were fixed to all the three festivals or to Passover time alone or to Pentecost alone or to some other determinate time of the year for these opinions are severally asserted it is most probable the time was uncertain and the waiters there could not guess when the Angel would come but stood in continual expectation and attendance for his coming Whether he appeared in visible shape is also questionable but though he were not to be seen which is the more probable yet did he give so visible and apparent evidence of his being there by troubling the water either causing it to boyl or tumble in waves or some such thing that the parties present did perceive well enough when he was come The Lord would use an Angel in this imployment and the Angel must use the troubling of the water for the healing effect not only because it is Gods ordinary way of providence to use the ministration of Angels in such things nor altogether because the meer troubling of the water did produce such an efficacy but because the people might the more visibly observe the restoring of sensible ministration of Angels and of works miraculous which had been either a very meer stranger or if at
Grecian studies of Philosophy but with more vainglory than solidity He not contented to have been a personal accuser of the Jews to Caius in that their Embassie wrote also bitterly against them in his Egyptian History to disgrace them to posterity Of which Josephus that wrote two books in answer of him giveth this censure That some things that he had written were like to what others had written before other things very cold some calumnious and some very unlearned And the end and death of this blackmouthed railer he describeth thus To me it seemeth that he was justly punished for his blasphemies even against his own Country laws for he was circumcised of necessity having an ulcer about his privities and being nothing helped by the cutting or circumcising but putrifying with miserable pains he died Contr. Apion lib. 2. §. 8. Philo the Jew Philo was a Jew by Nation and Alexandrian by birth by line of the kindred of the Priests and by family the brother of Alexander Alabarcha His education was in learning and that mixed according to his original and residence of the Jews and of the Greeks his proof was according to his education versed in the learning of both the Nations and not inferior to the most learned in either From this mixture of his knowledge proceeded the quaintness of his stile and writing explaining Divinity by Philosophy or rather forcing Philosopy out of Divinity that he spoiled the one and did not much mend the other Hence his Allegories which did not only obscure the clear Text but also much soil the Theology of succeeding times His language is sweet smooth and easie and Athens it self is not more elegant and Athenian For attaining to the Greek in Alexandria partly naturally that being a Grecian City and partly by study as not native Grecians used to do he by a mixture of these two together came to the very Apex and perfection of the language in copiousness of words and in choice His stile is always fluent and indeed often to superfluity dilating his expressions sometimes so copious that he is rather prodigal of words than liberal and sheweth what he could say if the cause required b◠saying so much when there is little or no cause at all And to give him his character for this in short He is more a Philosopher than a Scripture man in heart and more a Rhetorician than a Philosopher in tongue His manner of writing is more ingenious than solid and seemeth rather to draw the subject whereon he writeth whither his fancy pleaseth than to follow it whither the nature and inclination of it doth incline Hence his allegorizing of whatsoever cometh to his hand and his peremptory confidence in whatsoever he doth allegorize insomuch that sometimes he perswadeth himself that he speaketh mysteries as pag 89. and sometimes he checketh the Scripture if it speak not as he would have it as pag. 100. How too many of the Fathers in the Primitive Church followed him in this his vein it is too well known to the loss of too much time both in their writing and in our reading Whether it were because he was the first that wrote upon the Bible or rather because he was the first that wrote in this strain whose writings came unto their hands that brought him into credit with Christian Writers he was so far followed by too many that while they would explain Scripture they did but intricate it and hazarded to lose the truth of the story under the cloud of the Allegory The Jews have a strain of writing upon the Scripture that flieth in a higher region than the writings of Christians as is apparent to him that shall read their Authors Now Philo being a Jew and naturally affecting like them to soar in a high place and being by his education in the Grecian wisdom more Philosophical than the Jews usually were and by inclination much affected with that learning he soareth the Jewish pitch with his Grecian wings and attaineth to a place in which none had flown in before unless the Therapeutae of whom hereafter writing in a strain that none had used before and which too many or at least many too much used after of his many strange and mysterious matters that he findeth out in his vein of allegorizing let the Reader taste but some As see what he saith of the invisible Word of God pag. 5. and pag. 24. 169. 152. How he is a Pythagorean for numbers pag. 8. and pag. 15 16 31. where he is even bewitched with the number Seven and pag. 32 33. as the Therapeutae were 695. from whom he seemeth to have sucked in his Divinity Pag. 9. He accounteth the Stars to presage future things whom in pag. 12. he almost calleth intelligible Creatures pag. 168. and immortal Spirits pag. 222. Pag. 12. He seemeth to think that God had some Coadjutors in mans Creation Pag. 15. God honored the seventh day and called it holy for it is festival not to one people or region only but to all which is worthy to be called the festivity of the people and the nativity of the world Pag. 43. He distinguished betwixt Adam formed and made earthly and heavenly Pag. 57. He teacheth strange Doctrine which followeth more copiously p. 61. about two natures created in man good and bad Pag. 68. Observe his temperance when his list Pag. 86. He believeth that his soul had sometime her raptures and taught him strange profound and unknown speculations as there she doth concerning the Trinity and in pag. 89. He thinketh he talketh mysteries Pag. 94. Faith the most acceptable Sacrifice an unexpected confession from a Jew Pag. 100. He checketh Joseph the Patriarch for impropriety of speech and he will teach him how to speak Pag. 102. Speaking of the death of Moses he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He is not gathered or added fainting or failing as men had done before for he admitted not either of addition or defection but he is translated or passeth away by the Authority of that efficient word by which the universe was made Pag. 122. He is again very unmannerly and uncivil with Joseph and so is he again in pag. 152. he had rather lose his friend than his jest and censure so great a Patriarch than miss his Allegory That Aaron used imposition of hands upon Moses pag. 126. Pag. 127. That Abel slain yet liveth as Heb. 11. Pag. 152. God like a Shepherd and King governeth all things in the world by right and equity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Setting over them his upright word which is his first begotten Son who taketh the care of this sacred herd like the Deputy of some great King Pag. 161. He sheweth his learning is the great Encyclica Pag. 168. He calleth Angels Genii and Heroes according to the Greeks and holdeth that they were created in the air but in the superiour part of it near the Sky and fly up and down there pag. 221 222. Pag.
in Hand In Haste So the Sacrament of the Supper to be Eaten Without Leaven of Malice With bitter Repentance With resolution of Amendment With preparation to walk Better Leaning on the Staff of true Faith Hasting to leave this worldly Egypt Thus was the Passover first Eaten in Egypt after which all Egypt is struck with death of the First Born and the Egyptians are now punished with death of their Children for murthering Israels Children This night was ill to them but the night in the Read Sea was worse At the Death of a Lamb Egypt is Destroyed Israel Delivered So by the Death of a Lamb Hell is Destroyed Mankind Delivered When Israel comes out of Egypt they bring up with them Josephs bones and so as he brought them down thither so they bring him up thence So when Christ comes up out of his Grave he brings dead bones with him by raising some out of their Graves I cannot think it idle that the Passover was at night and that S. Paul saith The Israelites were Baptized in the Sea which was also by night and in the cloud but to shew that these Sacraments of Israel looked for a dawning when the true light which they foresignified should appear The Jews do find thirteen precepts Negative and Affirmative about the keeping of the Passover 1. The slaying of it Exod. 12. 6. 2. The eating of it 8. 3. Not to eat it raw or boiled 9. 4. Not to leave ought of it 10. 5. The putting away of leaven 15. 6. The eating of unleavened bread 18. 7. That leaven be not found with them 19. 8. Not to eat ought mixt with leaven 20. 9. An Apostate Jew not to eat it 43. 10. A stranger not to eat it 45. 11. Not to bring forth the flesh of it 46. 12. Not to break a bone of it 46. 13. No uncircumcised to eat of it 48. How variously they Comment upon these as they do upon all things and how over-curious they be in observing these as they do all things their writings do witness Their folding of their bitter herbs their three unleavened cakes their water and salt their searching for leaven their casting forth of leaven and their cursing of leaven their Graces over their tables their Prayers over their hands as they wash them their Words over their unleavened bread their remembring how they lived in Egypt and came out their words over their bitter herbs their Passover Psalms the 113. 114. all these and their other Ceremonies are set down accurately in their Common Prayer Book which I would not have denied to the Reader in English both for his recreation satisfaction and some instruction but that I know not whether I should actum agere do that which some one hath done before And besides I write these things not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not set studies but stoln hours employing my idle hours to the writing of these studies that I may witness to some that my whole time is not idle But it may be I may seem more idle in thus writing than if I had been idle indeed to them that think thus I can only answer It is youth Age may do better CHAP. XXVIII Of the Confusion of Tongues THAT the World from Babel was scattered into divers Tongues we need not other proof then as Diogenes proved that there is motion by walking so we may see the confusion of Languages by our confused speaking Once all the Earth was of one Tongue one Speech and one Consent for they all spake in the Holy Tongue wherein the World was created in the beginning to use the very words of the Chaldee Paraphrast and Targ. Jerusal upon Gen. 11. 1. But pro peccato dissentionis humanae as saith St. Austen for the sin of men disagreeing not only different dispositions but also different Languages came into the World They came to Babel with a disagreeing agreement and they come away punished with a speechless speech They disagree among themselves cum quisque principatum ad se rapit while every one strives for dominion as the same Austen They agree against God in their Nagnavad lan Siguda c. We will make our selves a Rendevouz for Idolatry as the same Jeruselamy But they come away speaking each to other but not understood of each other and so speak to no more purpose than if they spake not at all This punishment of theirs at Babel is like Adams corruption hereditary to us for we never come under the rod at Grammar School but we smart for our Ancestors rebellion at Babel Into how many Countries and * * * One in Epiphanius saith this is easie to find but he doth little towards it Epiph. coâ—â— Haeret. Tom. 2. lib. 6. Tongues those Shinaar rebels were scattered is no less confused work to find out than was theirs at the Tower So divers is the speech of men about the diversity of Speech that it makes the confusion more confused ‖ ‖ ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. Euphorus and many other Historians say that the Nations and Tongues are seventy five listning to the voice of Moses which saith all the souls that came into Egypt out of Jacob were seventy five But in truth the natural Dialects of Speech appears to be seventy two as our Scriptures have delivered Thus saith Clemens Alexandrinus of whose conceit herein I must for my part say as Saint Ambrose saith of Aaron about the golden calf Tantum Sacerdotem c. So great a Scholar as Clemens I dare not censure though I dare not believe him The Jews with one consent maintain that there are just seventy Nations and so many Tongues So confident they are of this that they dare say that the seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much as all the seventy Nations of the World Jerusalems Schools rang with this Doctrine and the Children learned to high-prize themselves from their Fathers A stately claim was this to Israel but the keeping of it dangerous Men of the seventy Nations would not be so undervalued by one people Therefore when Israel wanted strength to keep this challenge they do it by sleight And so it is the thrice-learned Master Broughtons opinion that the Septuagint when they were to Translate the Bible and were to speak of the seventy souls of Jacobs house they durst not put down the just number of seventy lest tales should have been told out of their Schools concerning their scornful Doctrine and when the rumour and the number should both come to the King of Egypt the meet number might maintain the truth of the rumour So in Gen. 10. the Septuag put in two Cainans and so spoil the roundness of that seventy and by both they might incur danger therefore they added five more to spoil the roundness of the sum and Saint Steven follows their Translation Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob to him and
answer in the very words of their vulgar Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis Take heed you do not make them your Justification CHAP. XLII An Emblem A Wall in Rome had this picture A man painted naked with a whip in one hand and four leaves of a book in the other and in every leaf a word written In the first Plango I mourn Is the second Dico I tell In the third volo I will and in the fourth facio I do Such a one in the true repentant He is naked because he would have his most secret sins laid open to God He is whipped because his sins do sting himself His book is his repentance His four words are his actions In the first he mourns in the second he confesses in the third he resolves and in the fourth he performs his resolution Plango I mourn there is sight of sin and sorrow Dico I tell there is contrition for sin and confession Volo I will there is amending resolution Facio I do there is performing satisfaction CHAP. XLIII Mahhanaiim Gen. 32. 2. AND Jacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Jacob said when he saw them This is the Host of the Lord and he called the name of the place Mahanaim The word is dual and tels of two Armies and no more what these two Armies were the Jews according to their usual vein do find strange expositions To omit them all this seems to me to be the truth and reason of the name There was one company with Jacob which afterwards he calls his army and there was another company of Angels which he calls the Army of God These are the two Armies that gave name to Mahanaim two Armies one heavenly and the other earthly and from this I take it Salomon compares the Church * to the company of Mahanaim for so the Church consisteth Cant. 6. 12. of two Armies one heavenly like these Angels which is the Church triumphant and the other travailing on earth like Jacobs Army which is the Church militant CHAP. XLIV The book of Psalms THE Psalms are divided into five books according to the five Books of Moses and if they be so divided there be seventy books in the Bible the unskilful may find where any one of these five books end by looking where a Psalm ends with Amen there also ends the book As at Psal. 41. 72. 89. 106. and from thence to the end These may even in their very beginnings be harmonized to the books of the Law Gensis The first book of Moses telleth how happiness was lost even by Adams walking in wicked counsel of the Serpent and the Woman Psal. 1. The first book of Psalms tells how happiness may be regained if a man do not walk in wicked counsel as of the Serpent and Woman the Divel and the Flesh. This allusion of the first book Arnobius makes Exodus The second book of Moses tells of groaning affliction in Egypt Psal. 42. The second book of Psalms begins in groaning affliction Psal. 42. 43. Leviticus The third book of Moses is of giving the Law Psal. 73. The third book of Psalms tells in the beginning how good God is for giving this Law This allusion Rab. Tanch makes very near Numbers The fourth book of Moses is about numbring Psal. 90. The fourth book begins with numbring of the best Arithmetick numbring Gods mercy Psal. 90. 1. and our own days vers 12. Deuteronomy The last book of Moses is a rehearsal of all Psal. 107. So is the last book of the Psalms from Psal. 107. to the end In the Jews division of the Scripture this piece of the Psalms and the books of the like nature are set last not because they be of the least dignity but because they be of least dependance with other books as some of them being no story at all and some stories and books of lesser bulk and so set in a form by themselves The Old Testament books the Jews acrostically do write thus in three letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every letter standing for a word and every word for a part of the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Aorajetha or Torah the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Nebhiim the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Cethubhim or books of Holy Writ this division is so old that our Saviour himself useth it in the last of Luke and vers 44. All things written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms By the Psalms meaning that part of Cethubhim in which the Psalms are set first CHAP. XLV Of the Creation TWO ways we come to the knowledge of God by his Works and by his Word By his Works we come to know there is a God and by his Word we come to know what God is His Works teach us to spell his Word teacheth us to read The first are as it were his back parts by which we behold him a far off The latter shews him to us face to face The World is as a book consisting of three leaves and every leaf Printed with many Letters and every Letter a Lecture The leaves Heaven the Air and Earth with the Water The Letters in Heaven every Angel Star and Planet In the Air every Meteor and Soul In the Earth and Waters every Man Beast Plant Fish and Mineral all these set together spell to us that there is a God and the Apostle saith no less though in less space Rom. 1. 20. For the * * * In the Syrian translation it is the hid things of God invisible things of him that is his eternal Power and Godhead are seen by the creation of the World being considered in his Works And so David Psal. 19. 1. It is not for nothing that God hath set the Cabinet of the Universe open but it is because he hath given us Eyes to behold his Treasure Neither is it for nothing that he hath given us Eyes to behold his Treasure but because he hath given us Hearts to admire upon our beholding If we mark not the Works of God we are like Stones that have no Eyes wherewith to behold If we wonder not at the Works of God when we mark them we are like Beasts that have no Hearts wherewith to admire And if we praise not God for his Works when we admire them we are like Devils that have no Tongues wherewith to give thanks Remarkable is the story of the poor old man whom a Bishop found most bitterly weeping over an ugly Toad being asked the reason of his Tears his answer was I weep because that whereas God might have made me as ugly and filthy a creature as this Toad and hath not I have yet never in all my life been thankful to him for it If the works of the Creation would but lead us to this one Lecture our labour of observing them were well bestowed How much more
inimicis suis crediderunt qui persequebantur Aust. Ser. de Temp. 109. To omit the Jews fancy that the Israelitish women bare six at a birth and to omit questioning whether faetifer Nilus the drinking of the water of Nilus which as some say is good for generation did conduce to the increasing of Israel I can only look at God and his work which did thus multiply and sustain them in the furnace of affliction Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos God had promised this increase to Jacob as he fled to Haran Gen. 28. in a dream from the top of Jacobs ladder And here he proves faithful who had promised CHAP. LIII Israels Camp according to the Chaldee Paraphrast his description Numb 2. THE Chaldee is precise about pitching Israels Camp I have not thought much to translate a whole Chapter out of him that the Reader may see at the least his Will if not his Truth Numb 11. 1. And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron saying 2. Every one of the children of Israel shall pitch by his Standard by the Ensigns whereto they are appointed by the Standards of their fathers shall they pitch over against the Tabernacle of the Congregation * * * Chald. Round Round round about 3. The Camp of Israel was twelve miles long and twelve miles broad and they that pitched Eastward toward the Sun-rising the Standard of the Camp of Judah four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three Pearls that were in the brestplate or rational the Rubies Topaz and Carbuncle and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Judah Issachar Zebulon and in the middle was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And in it was drawn the picture of a Lions whelp for the Prince of the children of Judah Nahshon the son of Aminadab 4. And his hoast and the number of them seventy four thousand and six hundred 5. And they that pitched next him the Tribe of Issachar and the Prince that was over the Army of the Tribe of the sons of Issachar Nethaneel the son of Tsuar 6. And his Army and the number of his Tribes fifty four thousand and four hundred 7. The Tribe of Zebulon and the Prince that was set over the Army of the Tribe of the sons of Zebulon Eliah the son of Hhelon 8. And the Army and their number of his Tribe fifty seven thousand and four hundred 9. All the number of the hoast of Judah were * * * The Chaâ—â— numbers 〈…〉 wise but it 〈…〉 misprinting therefore I take the Hebrew one hundred eighty six thousand and four hundred by their Armies they went first 10. The Standard of the hoast of Reuben shall pitch Southward by their Armies four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three stones in the brest-plate the Emeraud Saphire and Diamond and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Reuben Simeon Gad and in the middle was written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And in it was drawn the picture of a young Hart but there should have been drawn in it a Bullock but Moses the Prophet changed it because he would not put them in mind of their sin about the Calf And the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of Reuben was Elitzur the son of Shedeur 12. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe fifty nine thousand and three hundred The Chaldee misseth the 11. 12. verses 13. And the Tribe of Gad and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of Gad Eliasaph the son of Devel 15. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe * * * The Chaldee cometh so short of the right number forty five thousand and six hundred 16. All the number of the hoast of Reuben one hundred fifty one thousand four hundred and fifty by their Armies they went second 17. Then went the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the hoast of the Levites in the Camps and their Camp was four mile square they went in the middle as they pitched so they went every one in his rank according to his Standard 18. The Standard of the Camp of Ephraim by their hoasts pitched Westward and their Camp was four mile square and his Ensign was of three party colours like the three stones in the brestplate a Turky an Achat and an Hamatite and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Ephraim Manasseh and Benjamin and in the middle was written c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day when they went out of the Camp and in it was drawn the picture of a Child And the Prince that was set over the Army of the Children of Ephraim was Elishama the son of Ammihud 19. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe forty thousand and five hundred 20. And next him the Tribe of Manasses and the Prince which was set over the hoast of the Tribe of the Children of Manasses Gamliel the son of Pedah tzur 21. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe thirty two thousand and two hundred 22. And the Tribe of Benjamin and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Tribe of the Children of Benjamin Abidan the son of Gideoni 23. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe thirty five thousand and four hundred 24. All the number of the Camp of Ephraim one hundred eighty thousand and one hundred by their Armies and they went in the third place 25. The Standard of the Camp of Dan Northward and their Camp four miles square and his Ensign was of three party colours according to the three stones in the brestplate a Chrysolite Onyx and Jasper and in it were deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Dan Naphtali Asher and in the middest was written and expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when it rested he said return O Lord to the ten thousand of Israel and in it was drawn the figure of a Serpent or Arrow-snake and the Prince that was set over the hoast of the Children of Dan Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai From thence to the end of the Chapter he goes on just with the Hebrew Text so that I will spare further labour about Translating only I must tell the Reader thus much that the Pearls he speaks of I have not punctually followed the Chaldee in rendring their names but have followed the Geneva Bible which was at that instant the only English Bible about me As also for perfect and future tense I find the Chaldee confused and for this I have been the less curious CHAP. LIV. Of Iob. ABOUT Israels being in Egypt Job lives in Arabia a heathen
those places since it is plain enough that they mistake in many other things and let it be without all controversie that they study not so much truth in that affair as their own gain I wish less credit had been given to them and more search had been made out of Scripture and other Writers concerning the situation of the places CHAP. XXIV Some buildings in Acra Bezetha Millo MOunt Sion did not thrust it self so far Eastward as Mount Acra and hence it is that Mount Moriah is said by Josephus to be situate over against Acra rather than over against the upper City for describing Acra thus which we produced before a a a a a a Joseph De bello lib. 5. c. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There is another Hill called Acra which bears the lower City upon it steep on both sides in the next words he subjoyns this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over against this was a third Hill speaking of Moriah The same Author thus describes the burning of the lower City b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. lib. 6. cap. 35. Then they fired the Archivum and Acra and the Councel-house and Ophla and the fire destroyed unto the Palaces of Hellen which were in the middle of Acra I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Archivum Whether he means the Magistrates Court or the Repository of the antient Records according to the different signification of the word we do not determine There were certainly sacred Records in the Temple and civil Records no doubt in the City where Writings and Memorials of Sales Contracts Donations and publick Acts c. were laid up I should more readily understand this of their Repository then of the Magistrates Court because presently after the Councel-house is distinctly named II. Acra That is either the buildings which were upon the very head and top of the Mount or some Garrison or Castle in the Mount In which sense that word doth not seldom occur in the History of the Maccabees and in Josephus III. The Councel-house He mentions elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Councel and that as it seems in the upper City For he saith that c c c c c c Ibid. lib. 5. cap. 13. the outmost wall on the North began at the Hyppic Tower and went forward to the Xystus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thence touching upon the Councel or the Court it went onward opposite against the West walk of the Temple The Councel in the upper City you may not improperly interpret the Court of the King the Councel-house in the lower City the Councel of the Sanhedrin whether it went when it departed from the Tabernae IV. Ophla Ophel Nehem. III. 26. d d d d d d Ibid. There was also a fourth Hill saith the same Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was called Bezetha situate over against Antonia and divided from it with a deep ditch Now Bezetha if you would render it in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one might call it The New City And yet there is a place where he seems to distinguish between Bezetha and the New City for he saith concerning Cestius e e e e e e Ibid. lib. 2. cap. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But Cestius passing over set fire upon Bezetha so called and the New City Bezetha was seated on the North part of Antonia and that and Caenopolis or the New City filled up that space where Sion ended on the East and was not stretched out so far as Acra was f f f f f f Idem In the place before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The City abounding with people crept by little and little out of the walls and on the North side of the Temple at the hill making a City went onward not a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and a fourth Hill is inhabited which is called Bezetha c. Interpreters differ about Millo g g g g g g Kimchi in 2 Sam. 5. There is one who supposes it to be a large place appointed for publick meetings and assemblies h h h h h h R. Esaias there Another interprets it of heaps of Earth thrown up against the wall within whence they might more easily get up upon the wall and when David is said to build Millo that he erected Towers upon these heaps and banks Some others there are who understand it of the Valley or Street that runs between Jerusalem and Sion and so it is commonly marked out in the Maps When in truth Millo was a part of Sion or some hillock cast up against it on the West side Let that be observed 2 Chron. XXXII 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he restored or fortified Millo of the City of David or as our English reads in the City of David The seventy read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fortification of the City of David When therefore David is said to build Millo and more inwards it is all one as if he had said he built on the uttermost part of Sion which was called Millo more inwardly to his own Castle And Joab repaired the rest 1 Chron. XI 8. i i i i i i Joseph de Bell. lib. 5. c 13 The Street or Valley running between Sion and Acra was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if one should say The Valley or Street of Cheesmongers There was also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The market of Beams which Josephus joyns with Bezetha and the New City l l l l l l Id. ibid cap. 39. Cestius saith he wasted Bezetha and Caenopolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is called the Bean market with flames CHAP. XXV Gihon the same with the fountain of Siloam I. IN 1 Kings I. 33 38. That which is in the Hebrew Bring ye Solomon to Gihon And they brought him to Gihon is rendred by the Chaldee Bring ye him to Siloam And they brought him to Siloam Where Kimchi thus Gihon is Siloam and it is called by a double name And David commanded that they should anoint Solomon at Gihon for a good omen to wit that as the waters of the fountain are everlasting so might his Kingdom be So also the Hierusalem Writers a a a a a a Hieros Sotah fol. 22. 3. They do not anoint the King but at a fountain as it is said Bring Solomon to Gihon The bubblings up of Siloam yielded a type of the Kingdom of David Esa. VIII 6. Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly c. Where the Chaldee Paraphrast thus Because this people are weary of the house of David which deals gently with them as the waters of Siloam slide away gently And R. Salomon Siloam is a fountain whose name is Gihon and Siloam See also the Aruch in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 II. That fountain was situate on the West part of the City but not far
should live should proceed to that degree of impiety and wickedness that it should surpass all expression and history We have observed before how the Talmudists themselves confess that that Generation in which the Messias should come should exceed all other Ages in all kinds of amazing wickedness III. That Nation and Generation might be called Adulterous literally for what else I beseech you was their irreligious Polygamy than continual Adultery And what else was their ordinary practise of divorcing their wives no less irreligious according to every mans foolish or naughty will VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the sign of Ionah the Prophet HERE and elswhere while he gives them the sign of Jonah he does not barely speak of the Miracle done upon him which was to be equalled in the Son of Man but girds them with a silent check instructing them thus much that the Gentiles were to be converted by him after his return out of the bowels of the earth as Heathen Niniveh was converted after Jonah was restored out of the belly of the Whale Than which doctrine scarce any thing bit that Nation more sharply VERS XL. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth I. THE Jewish Writers extend that memorable station of the unmoving Sun at Joshua's Prayer to six and thirty hours for so Kimchi upon that place According to more exact interpretation The Sun and Moon stood still for six and thrity hours For when the fight was on the Eve of the Sabbath Joshua feared lest the Israelites might break the Sabbath therefore he spread abroad his hands that the Sun might stand still on the sixth day according to the measure of the day of the Sabbath and the Moon according to the measure of the night of the Sabbath and of the going out of the Sabbath which amounts to six and thirty hours II. If you number the hours that passed from our Saviours giving up the Ghost upon the Cross to his Resurrection you shall find almost the same number of hours and yet that space is called by him three days and three nights when as two nights only came between and only one compleat day Nevertheless while he speaks these words he is not without the consent both of the Jeâ—ish Schools and their computation Weigh well that which is disputed in the Tract x x x x x x Cap. 9. Haâ— 3. Schabbath concerning the uncleanness of a woman for three days where many things are discussed by the Gemarists concerning the computation of this space of three days Among other things these words occur R. Ismael saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y y y y y y Bab. fol 86. 1. Sometimes it contains four 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onoth sometimes five sometimes six z z z z z z Bab. Avod Zar. fol. 75. 1. a Schabb. fol. 12. 1. But how much is the space of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Onah R. Jochanan saith Either a day or a night And so also the Jerusalem Talmud a R. Akiba sixed a day for an Onah and a night for an Onah But the Tradition is That R. Eliazar ben Azariah said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Day and a night make an Onah and a part of an Onah is as the whole And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Ismael computed a part of the Onah for the whole It is not easie to translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onah into good Latin For to some it is the same with the half of a natural day to some it is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a whole natural day According to the first sense we may observe from the words of R. Ismael that sometimes four 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onoth or Halves of a natural day may be accounted for three days And that they also are so numbred that one part or the other of those halves may be accounted for an whole Compare the latter sense with the words of our Saviour which are now before us A day and a night saith the Tradition make an Onah and a part of an Onah is as the whole Therefore Christ may truly be said to have been in his Grave three Onath or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three natural days when yet the greatest part of the first day was wanting and the night altogether and the greatest part by far of the third day also the consent of the Schools and Dialect of the Nation agreeing thereunto For The least part of the Onah concluded the whole So that according to this Idiom that diminutive part of the third day upon which Christ arose may be computed for the whole day and the night following it VERS XLV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So shall it be to this evil Generation THESE words foretel a dreadful Apostasie in that Nation and Generation I. It is something difficult so to suit all things in the Parable aforegoing that they may agree with one another 1. You can hardly understand it of unclean spirits cast out of men by Christ when through the whole Evangelick History there is not the least shadow of probability that any Devil cast out by him did return again into him out of whom he had been cast 2. Therefore our Saviour seems to allude to the casting out of Devils by Exorcisms which art as the Jews were well instructed in so in practising it there was need of dextrous deceits and collusions 3. For it is scarcely credible that the Devil in truth finds less rest in dry places than in wet But it is credible that those Diabolical Artists have found out such kind of figments for the honour and fame of their Art For 4. It would be ridiculous to think that they could by their Exorcisms cast out a Devil out of a man into whom he had been sent by God They might indeed by a Compact with the Devil procure some lucid intervals to the possessed so that the inhabiting Demon might deal gently with him for some time and not disturb the man But the Demoniacal heats came back again at last and the former outrages returned Therefore here there was need of deceits well put together that so provision might the better be made for the honour of the Exorcistical Art as that the Devil being sent away into dry and wast places could not find any rest that he could not that he would not always wander about here and there alone by himself without rest that he therefore returned into his old mansion which he had formerly found so well fitted and prepared for him c. Therefore these words seem to have been spoken by our Saviour according to the capacity of the common people or rather according to the deceit put upon them more than according to the reality or truth of the thing it self taking a parable from something commonly believed and entertained that he might express the thing which
by the forsaking of those rites partly by the bringing in of different manners and observances a Christian might be distinguished from a Jew The Law was not more solicitous to mark out and separate a Jew from an Heathen by Circumcision than the Gospel hath been that by the same Circumcision a christian should not Judaize And the same care it hath deservedly taken about the Sabbath For since the Jews among other marks of distinction were made of a different colour as it were from all nations by their keeping the Sabbath It was necessary that by the bringing in of another Sabbath since of necessity a Sabbath must be kept up that Christians might be of a different colour from the Jews VERS IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Hail IN the vulgar Dialect of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t t t t t t Hieros Taaniâ—â— fol. 64. 2. The Rabbins saw a certain holy man of Caphar Immi and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All hail u u u u u u Ib. Sheviith â— 35. 2. 36. 1 How do they salute an Israelite All hail uu uu uu uu uu uu Id. Gittin fol. 47. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They held him by the feet This seems to have been done to kiss his feet So 2 Kings IV. 27. For this was not unusual As R. Janni and R. Jonathan were sitting together a certain man came and kissed the feet of R. Jonathan x x x x x x Hieros Kiddâ—shin â— 61. 3. Compare the Evangelists here and you will find that this was done by Mary Magdalen only who formerly had kissed Christs feet and who had gone twice to the Sepulchre however Matthew makes mention but of once going The story in short is thus to be laid together At the first dawning of the morning Christ arose a great earthquake hapning at that time About the same time Magdalen and the other women left their houses to go to the Sepulchre While they met together and made all things ready and took their journey to the Tomb the Sun was up When they were come they are informed by the Angels of his resurrection and sent back to the Disciples The matter being told to the Disciples Peter and John run to the Sepulchre Magdalen also followed after them They having seen the signs of the resurrection return to their company but she stayes there Being ready to return back Christ appears to her taking him for the Gardiner As soon as she knew him she worships him and embracing his feet kisseth them and this is the history before us which Matthew relates in the plural number running it over briefly and compendiously according to his manner VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them c. I. THE enclosure is now thrown down whereby the Apostles were kept in from preaching the Gospel to all the Gentiles Matth. X. 5. For first The Jews had now lost their priviledge nor were they hence forward to be counted a peculiar people nay they were now become Lo-ammi They had exceeded the Heathens in singing they had slighted trampled upon and crucified the Creator himself appearing visibly before their eyes in humane flesh while the Heathens had only conceived amiss of the Creator whom they neither had seen nor could see and thereby fallen to worship the creature Secondly Christ had now by his blood paid a price for the Heathens also Thirdly he had overcome Satan who held them captive Fourthly he had taken away the wall of Partition And fifthly had exhibited an infinite righteousness II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is make Disciples Bring them in by baptism that they may be taught They are very much out who from these words cry down Infant-baptism and assert that it is necessary for those that are to be baptized to be taught before they are baptized 1. Observe the words here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Disciples and then after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teaching in the twentieth verse 2. Among the Jews and also with us and in all nations those are made Disciples that they may be taught * * * * * * Bab. Schab fol. 31. 1. A certain Heathen came to the great Hillel and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Make me a Proselyte that thou maist teach me He was first to be Proselyted and then to be taught Thus first make them Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by baptism and then Teach them to observe all things c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptizing There are divers ends of Baptism 1. According to the nature of a Sacrament it visibly teacheth invisible things that is the washing of us from all our pollutions by the blood of Christ and by the cleansing of grace Ezek. XXXVI 25. 2. According to the nature of a Sacrament it is a Seal of divine truth So circumsion is called Rom. IV. 11. And he received the sign of Circumcision the Seal of the righteousness of Faith c. So the Jews when they circumcised their children gave this very title to circumcision The words used when a child was circumcised you have in their Talmâ—d y y y y y y Hieros Berac fol. 13. 1. Among other things he who is to bless the action saith thus Blessed be he who sanctified him that was beloved from the womb and set a sign in his flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sealed his children with the sign of the holy Covenant c. But in what sense are Sacraments to be called Seals Not that they seal or confirm to the receiver his righteousness but that they seal the divine truth of the covenant and promise Thus the Apostle calls Circumcision the Seal of the righteousness of Faith that is it is the Seal of this truth and doctrine that Justification is by Faith which justice Abraham had when he was yet uncircumcised And that is the way whereby Sacraments confirm Faith namely because they do doctrinally exhibite the invisible things of the Covenant and like Seals do by divine appoyntment sign the doctrine and truth of the Covenant 3. According to the nature of a Sacrament it obligeth the receivers to the terms of the Covenant for as the Covenant it self is of mutual obligation between God and man So the Sacraments the Seals of the Covenant are of like obligation 4. According to its nature it is an introductory into the visible Church And 5. it is a distinguishing sign between a Christian and no Christian namely between those who acknowledg and profess Christ and Jews Turks and Pagans who do not acknowledg him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disciple all nations baptizing When they are under baptism they are no longer under Heathenism and this Sacrament puts a difference between those who are under the discipleship of Christ and those who are not 6. Baptism also brings its priviledge along with it while it
opens the way to a partaking of holy things in the Church and placeth the baptized within the Church over which God exerciseth a more singular providence than over those that are out of the Church And now from what hath been said let us argue a little in behalf of Infant baptism Omitting that argument which is commonly raised from the words before us namely that when Christ had commanded to baptize all nations Infants also are to be taken in as parts of the family These few things may be observed I. Baptism as a Sacrament is a seal of the Covenant And why I pray may not this seal be set on Infants The seal of Divine truth hath sometimes been set upon inanimate things and that by Gods appointment The Bow in the cloud is a seal of the Covenant The Law engraven on the Altar Josh. VIII was a seal of the Covenant The blood sprinkled on the twelve pillars that were set up to represent the twelve Tribes was a seal and bond of the Covenant Exod. XXIV And now tell me why are not Infants capable in like manner of such a sealing They were capable heretofore of circumcision and our Infants have an equal capacity The Sacrament doth not lose this its end through the indisposition of the receiver Peter and Paul Apostles were baptized their Baptism according to its nature sealed to them the truth of God in his promises concerning the washing away of sins c. And they from this doctrinal virtue of the Sacrament received confirmation of their faith So also Judas and Simon Magus hypocrites wicked men were baptized did not their Baptism according to the nature of it seal this doctrine and truth that there was a washing away of sins It did not indeed seal the thing it self to them nor was it at all a Sign to them of the washing away of theirs but Baptism doth in it self seal this doctrine You will grant that this Axiome is most true Abraham received the sign of circumcision the seal of the righteousness of faith And is not this equally true Esau Ahab Ahaz received the sign of circumcision the Seal of the righteousness of Faith Is not cirumcision the same to all Did not circumcision to whomsoever it was administred sign and seal this truth that there was a righteousness of Faith The Sacrament hath a sealing vertue in it self that doth not depend on the disposition of the receiver II. Baptism as a Sacrament is an obligation But now Infants are capable of being obliged Heirs are sometimes obliged by their Parents though they are not yet born See also Deut. XXIX 11 15. For that to which any one is obliged obtains a right to oblige ex aequitate rei from the equity of the thing and not ex captu obligati from the apprehension of the person obliged The Law is imposed upon all under this penalty Cursed be every one that doth not continue in all c. It is ill arguing from hence that a man hath power to perform the Law but the equity of the thing it self is very well argued hence Our duty obligeth us to every thing which the Law commands but we cannot perform the least tittle of it III. An infant is capable of priviledges as well as an old man and Baptism is privilegial An infant hath been crowned King in his cradle An infant may be made free who is born a slave The Gemarists speak very well in this matter z z z z z z Bab. Chetâ—bboth fol. 11. 1. Rabh Honna saith They baptize an infant Proselyte by the command of the Bench. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon what is this grounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On this that Baptism becomes a priviledge to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they may endow an absent person with a priviledge or they may bestow a priviledge upon one though he be ignorant of it Tell me then why an infant is not capable of being brought into the visible Church and receiving the distinguishing sign between a Christian and a Heathen as well as a grown person IV. One may add that an infant is part of his parent upon this account Gen. XVII 14. an infant is to be cut off if he be not circumcised when indeed the fault is his parents because thus the parents are punished in a part of themselves by the cutting off of their child And hence is that of Exod. XX. 5. Visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children because children are a part of their fathers c. From hence ariseth also a natural reason of infant Baptism The infants of baptized parents are to be baptized because they are part of them and that the whole parents may be baptized And upon this account they used of old with good reason to baptize the whole family the master of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In the name of the father c. I. Christ commands them to go and baptize the nations but how much time was past before such a journey was taken And when the time was now come that this work should be begun Peter doth not enter upon it without a previous admonition given him from heaven And this was occasioned hereby that according to the command of Christ the Gospel was first to be preached to Judea Samaria and Galilee II. He commands them to baptize In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost but among the Jews they baptized only in the name of Jesus which we have observed before from Act. II. 38. VIII 16. XIX 5. For this reason that thus the Baptizers might assert and the Baptized confess Jesus to be the true Messias which was chiefly controverted by the Jews Of the same nature is that Apostolic blessing Grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Where then is the Holy Ghost He is not excluded however he be not named The Jews did more easily consent to the Spirit of the Messias which they very much celebrate than to the person of the Messias Above all others they deny and abjure Jesus of Nazareth It belonged to the Apostles therefore the more earnestly to assert Jesus to be the Messias by how much the more vehemently they opposed him which being once cleared the acknowledging of the Spirit of Christ would be introduced without delay or scruple Moses in Exod. VI. 14. going about to reckon up all the Tribes of Israel goes no further than the Tribe of Levi only and takes up with that to which his business and story at that present related In like manner the Apostles for the present baptize in the name of Jesus bless in the name of the Father and of Jesus that thereby they might more firmly establish the doctrin of Jesus which met with such sharp and virulent opposition which doctrin being established among them they would soon agree about the Holy Ghost III. Among the Jews the controversie was about the true
the Fable or shall we suspect some truth in the story For my part when I recollect with my self how addicted to and skilful that Nation was in Art Magic which is abundantly asserted not only by the Talmudists but by the holy Scriptures I am ready to give some credit to this story and many others of the same nature namely that thing was really acted by the art and help of the Devil by those Ensign-bearers and Captains of errors the more to establish their Honour and Tradition Therefore from the story be it true or false we observe these two things I. How tenacious the Jews were of their Traditions and how unmoveable in them even beyond the evidence of miracles That Eleazar was of great same among them but he was a follower of Shammai Hence he is called once and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Shammean b b b b b b Hieros Trumah fol. 43. 3. Iâ—m Tobh fol. 60. 3 c. When therefore he taught something against the School of Hillel although he did miracles as they themselves relate they gave no credit to him nay they derided him The same was their practise the same was their mind against the miracles of Christ. And to this may these words of our Saviour tend Why does this generation seek a sign A generation which is not only altogether unworthy of miracles but also which is sworn to retain their Traditions and doctrines although infinite miracles be done to the contrary II. You see how the last testimony of the miracles of this conjurer is fetched from Heaven For the Bath Kol went forth c. Which the followers of Hillel nevertheless received not and therein not justly indeed when they feign such a voice to have come to themselves from Heaven as a definitive Oracle for the authority of the School of Hillel not to be gainsaid concerning which the Talmudists speak very frequently and very boastingly After the same manner they require a sign from Heaven of our Saviour not content with those infinite miracles that he had done the healing of diseases the casting out Devils the multiplying of loaves c. They would also have somewhat from Heaven either after the example of Moses fetching Manna from thence or of Elias fetching down fire or of Joshua staying the Sun or of Esaias bringing it backwards CHAP. IX VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kingdom of God coming in power IN Matthew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Son of man coming in his Kingdom The coming of Christ in his Vengeance and power to destroy the unbelieving and most wicked Nation of the Jews is expressed under these forms of Speech Hence the day of Judgment and Vengeance I. It is called the great and terrible day of the Lord Act. II. 20. 2 Thes. II. 2 3. II. It is described as the end of the world Jer. XXIV 24. Mat. XXIV 29. c. III. In that phrase In the last times Esa. II. 1. Act. II. 17. 1 Tim. IV. 1. 2 Pet. III. 3. That is in the last times of that City and Dispensation IV. Thence the beginning of the new World Es. LXV 17. 2 Pet. III. 13. V. The Vengance of Christ upon that Nation is described as his coming Joh. XXII 21. Heb. X. 37. His coming in the clouds Rev. I. 7. In glory with the Angels Mat. XXIV 30. c. VI. It is described as the inthroning of Christ and his twelve Apostles judging the twelve tribes of Israel Mat. XIX 28. Luke XXII 30. Hence this is the sense of the present place Our Saviour had said in the last verse of the former Chapter Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his father with his holy Angels to take punishment of that adulterous and sinful generation And he suggests with good reason that that his coming in Glory should be in the life time of some that stood there VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into an high mountain NOW your pardon Reader I know it will be laughed at if I should doubt Whether Christ were transfigured upon Mount Tabor for whoever doubted of this thing But let me before I give faith to the thing reveal my doubts concerning it and the Reader laying before his eyes some Geographical Map of Galilee perhaps when he shall have heard me will judge more favourably of my doubting I. Let him consider that Christ in the story next going before was in the Coasts of Cesarea Philippi Mat. XVI 13. Mark VIII 27. Luke IX 18. and for any thing that can be gathered out of the Evangelists changed not his place before this story Who will deny those words There are some that stand here who shall not tast of death c. were uttered in those coasts of Cesarea Philippi And presently the story of the Transfiguration followed II. Six days indeed came between in which you will say Christ might travail from Cesarea Philippi to Tabor He might indeed But 1. The Evangelists intimate no change from place to place saying only this that he led up into the Mountain three of his Disciples 2. It seems indeed a wonder that our Saviour would tyre himself with so long a journey to choose Tabor whereon to be transfigured when as far as we read he had never before been in that Mountain and there were Mountains elsewhere where he conversed frequently 3. Follow the footsteps of the History and of Christ in his travail from his transfiguration onwards When he came down from the Mountain he healed a child possessed with a Devil and when he betook himself into the house they said Why could not we cast out the Devil c. And they departed thence and passed through Galilee And came to Capernaum Mark IX 30. 33. III. And now Reader look upon the Chorographical Map and how incongruous will this travailing seem 1. From Cesarea Philippi to Mount Tabor through the whole length almost of Galilee 2. From thence from Mount Tabor by a course back again to Capernaum a great part of Galilee especially as the Maps place Capernaum being again passed over When Capernaum was in the way from Cesarea Philippi to Tabor and there was a Mountain there well known to Christ and very much frequented by him IV. So that it seems far more consonant to the History of the Gospel that Christ was transfigured in some Mountain neare Cesarea Philippi perhaps that which Josephus being witness was the highest and hung over the very fountains of Jordan and at the foot whereof Cesarea was placed In that place formerly called Dan was the first Idolatry set up and now in the same place the Eternal Son of God is shewn both in the confession of Peter and in the unspeakably clear and illustrious demonstration of the Messias VERS XXXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We saw one in thy name
vengeance upon the Jews the enemies of this Gospel But in the Jewish Schools this was their conceit of him that when he came he should cut off all those Nations that obeyed not his i. e. the Jewish Law redeeming Israel from the Gentile yoke establishing a Kingdom and Age amongst them that should be crowned with all kind of delights whatever In this they were miserably deceived that they thought the Gentiles were first to be destroyed by him and then that he himself would reign amongst the Israelites Which in truth fell out just contrary he was first to overthrow Israel and then to reign amongst the Gentiles It is easie to conceive in what sense the Pharisees propounded that question when the Kingdom of God should come that is when all those glorious things should be accomplished which they expected from the Messias and consequently we may as well conceive from the contexture of his discourse in what sense our Saviour made his reply You enquire when the Messias will come His coming will be as in the days of Noah and as in the days of Lot For as when Noah entred the Ark the world perisht by a deluge and as when Lot went out of Sodom those five Cities were overthrown so shall it be in the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed So that it is evident he speaks of the Kingdom of God in that sense as it signifies that dreadful revenge he would e're long take of that provoking Nation and City of the Jews The Kingdom of God will come when Jerusalem shall be made like Sodom vers 29. when it shall be made a Carkass v. 37. It is plain to every eye that the cutting off of that place and Nation is emphatically called his Kingdom and his coming in glory Nor indeed without reason For before he wasted the City and subverted that Nation he had subdued all Nations under the Empire and obedience of the Gospel according to what he foretold i i i i i i Matt. XXIV 14. That the Gospel of the Kingdom should be preached in all the world and then should the end of Jerusalem come And when he had obtained his dominion amongst the Gentiles what then remained toward the consummation of his Kingdom and Victories but to cut off his Enemies the Jews who would not that he should rule over them Of this Kingdom of God he speaks in this place not answering according to that vain apprehension the Pharisee had when he propounded the question but according to the thing its self and the truth of it There are two things he saith of this Kingdom 1. That it comes not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not with observation Not but that it might be seen and conspicuous but that they would not see and observe it Which security and supineness of theirs he both foretells and taxeth in other places once and again 2. He further tells them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Kingdom of God is within you you are the scene of these triumphs And whereas your expectancies are of that kind that you say behold here a token of the Messias in the subduing of such a Nation and behold there in the sudbuing of another they will be all in vain for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is within you Within and upon your own Nation that these things must be done I would lay the emphasis in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you when commonly it is laid in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within Besides those things which follow vers 22. do very much confirm it that Christ speaks of the Kingdom of God in that sense wherein we have supposed it they are spoken to his Disciples that the days will come wherein they shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man but shall not see it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The days of the Son of Man in the Jewish stile are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the days of the Messias days wherein they promise themselves nothing but pleasing prosperous and gay enjoyments and questionless the Pharisees put this question under this notion only But our Saviour so applies the terms of the question to the truth and to his own purpose that they signifie little else but vengeance and wrath and affliction And it was so far from it that the Jews should see their expected pleasures that the Disciples themselves should see nothing but affliction though under another notion CHAP. XVIII VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And not to faint THE discourse is continued still and this Parable hath its connection with the Chap. XVII concerning Christ's coming to avenge himself upon Jerusalem Which if we keep our eye upon it may help us to an easier understanding of some more obscure passages that occurr in the application of this Parable And to this doth the expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to faint seem to have relation viz. that they might not suffer their hopes and courage to languish and droop upon the prospect of some afflictions they were likely to grapple with but that they would give themselves to continual prayer VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There was a certain judge c. IF the scene of this Parabolical History must be supposed to have been amongst the Jews then there would some questions arise upon it 1. Whether this Judge were any way distinguisht from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elder or Presbyter For the Doctors are forced to such a distinction from those words in Deut. XXI 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Elders and Judges a a a a a a Hieros Sotah fol. 23. 2. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Judge be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elder which the Babylonian Sotah b b b b b b Fol. 44. 2. approve of then might it be enquired whether it was lawful for one Elder to sit in judgment which the Sanhedrin deny c c c c c c Cap. 1. But I let these things pass The Parable propounded is of that rank or order that commonly amongst them the Jews had the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and usually ended in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when it is argued from the less to the greater If that judge the wickedest of men being overcome by the endless importunity of the Widow judged her cause will not a just merciful and good God appear for his own much more who continually solicite him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Who feared not God c. How widely distant is this wretch from the character of a just Judge d d d d d d Maimon Sanhedr cap. 1. Although in the Triumviral Court all things are not expected there which are requisite in the Sanhedrin yet is it necessary that in every one of that Court there should be this seven fold qualification Prudence gentleness piety hatred of Mammon love of truth that
of the place is that Christ shining forth in the light of the Gospel is a light that lightens all the world the light of the Law shone only upon the Jews but this light spreads wider even over the face of the whole earth VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He gave them power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He empower'd them So Eccl. V. 19. VI. 2. He gave them the priviledg the liberty the dignity of being call'd and becoming the Sons of God Israel was once the Son and the first-born Exod. IV. 22. but now the adoption of Sons to God was open and free to all Nations whatever VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which were born not of blood IT may be a question here whether the Evangelist in this place opposeth regeneration to natural generation or only to those ways by which the Jews fancy'd men were made the Sons of God Expositors treat largely of the former let us a little consider the latter I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of bloods Observe the Plural number k k k k k k Shemoth rabba Sect. 19. Our Rabbins say that all Israel had thrown off Circumcision in Egypt but at length they were circumcised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the blood of the Passover was mingled with the blood of the circumcised and God accepted every one of them and kissed them l l l l l l Gloss. in Vajicra rab fol. 191. I said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while thou wert in thy bloods live i. e. In the twofold blood that of the Passover and that of the Circumcision The Israelites were brought into Covenant by three things by Circumcision by Washing and by offering of Sacrifices In the same manner an heathen if he would be admitted into Covenant he must of necessity be circumcised baptised and offer sacrifice m m m m m m Maimon Issure◠biah cap. 13. We see how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of bloods of the Passover and Circumcision they say the Israelites were recover'd from their degeneracy and how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the bloods of Circumcision and Sacrifices with the addition only of washing they suppos'd the Gentiles might become the Sons of God being by their Proselytism made Israelites and the children of the Covenant for they knew of no other adoption or Sonship II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the will of the flesh In the same sense wherein the Patriarchs and other Jews were ambitious by many wives to multiply children to themselves as being of the seed of Israel and children of the Covenant III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the will of man in that sense wherein they coveted so many proselytes to admit them into the Religion of the Jews and so into Covenant and Sonship with God These were the ways by which the Jews thought any became the Sons of God that is by being made Israelites But it is far otherwise in the adoption and Sonship that accrues to us by the Gospel VERS XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The glory as of the only begotten THIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place imports the same thing as worthy We saw his glory as what was worthy or became the only begotten Son of God He did not glister in any worldly pomp or grandeur according to what the Jewish Nation fondly dream'd their Messiah would do but he was deckt with the glory of holiness grace truth and the power of miracles VERS XVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And grace for grace HE appear'd amongst us full of grace and truth and all we who convers'd with him and saw his glory of his fulness did receive grace and truth Nay further we receiv'd grace toward the propagation of grace i. e. the grace of Apostleship that we might dispense and propagate the grace of the Gospel toward others that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes the end or design of a thing very frequently there are hardly any but must needs know VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Art thou that Prophet THAT is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. IX 8 19. One of the old Prophets that was risen again I. The Masters of Traditions were wont to say that the spirit of Prophesie departed from Israel after the death of Zachary and Malachy So that we do not find they expected any Prophet till the days of the Messiah nor indeed that any in that interim of time did pretend to that character II. They believ'd that at the coming of the Messiah the Prophets were to rise again a a a a a a Sanhedr fol. 91. 2. They watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing Isa. LII 8. R. Chaia bar Abba and R. Johanan say All the Prophets shall put forth a song with one voice b b b b b b Ibid. fol. 92. 2. All the just whom God shall raise from the dead shall not return again into the dust Gloss. Those whom he shall raise in the days of the Messiah To this Resurrection of the Saints they apply that of Micah V. 5. c c c c c c Succah fol. 51. 2. We shall raise against him seven shepherds David in the middle Adam Seth Methusalem on his right hand Abraham Jacob and Moses on his left And eight principal men but who are these Jess Saul Samuel Amos Zephany Zedechiah or rather Hezekiah as Kimch in loc Messiah and Elijah But indeed saith R. Solomon I do not well know whence they had these things Nor indeed do I. The Greek Interpreters instead of eight principal men have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eight bitings of men a very forreign sense They mistook in reading the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence by how much nearer still the Kingdom of Heaven or the expected time of Messiah's coming drew on by so much the more did they dream of the Resurrection of the Prophets And when any person of more remarkable gravity piety and holiness appear'd amongst them they were ready to conceive of him as a Prophet raised from the dead Mat. XVI 14. That therefore is the meaning of this question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Art thou one of the Prophets rais'd from the dead VERS XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why then baptisest thou THE Jews likewise expected that the world should be renew'd at the coming of the Messiah d d d d d d Sanhedr fol. 52. 2. In those years wherein God will renew his world Aruch quoting these words adds In those thousand years So also the Gloss upon the place Amongst other things they expected the purifying of the unclean R. Solom upon Ezek. XXXVI 26. I will expiate you and remove your uncleanness by the sprinkling of the water of purification Kimchi upon Zach. IX 6. The Rabbins of Blessed memory have a Tradition that Elias will purifie the bastards and restore them to the Congregation You have the
clauses must be distinguished We are of the seed of Abraham who are very fond and tenacious of our liberty and as far as concerns our selves we never were in bondage to any man The whole Nation was infinitely averse to all servitude neither was it by any means lawful for an Israelite to sell himself into bondage unless upon the extremest necessity u u u u u u Maimon in Avadim cap. 1. It is not lawful for an Israelite to sell himself for that end meerly that he might treasure up the money or might trade with it or buy Vessels or pay a creditor but barely if he want food and sustenance Nor may he sell himself unless when nothing in the world is left not so much as his Cloaths then let him sell himself And he whom the Sanhedrin sells or sells himself must not be sold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 openly nor in the publick way as other slaves are sold but privately VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But ye seek to kill me FRom this whole period it is manifest that the whole tendency of our Saviour's discourse is to shew the Jews that they are the seed of that Serpent that was to bruise the heel of the Messiah else what could that mean vers 44. ye are of your Father the Devil but this viz. ye are the seed of the Serpent VERS XLIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because you cannot hear my word YOU may here distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie the manner of speaking or phrases used in speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the matter or thing spoken Isai. XI 4. he shall smite the Earth with the rod of his mouth But they could not bear the smart of his rod they would not understand the phrasiology or way of speech he used VERS LXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A muderer from the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so the Hebrew Idiom would render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was a muderer from the days of the Creation And so Christ in saying this speaks according to the vulgar opinion as if Adam fell the very first day of his Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He abode not in the truth I. He abode not in the truth i. e. he did not continue true but found out the way of lying II. He did not persist in the will of God which he had revealed concerning man For the revealed will of God is called truth especially his will revealed in the Gospel Now when God had pleased to make known his good will toward the first man partly fixing him in so honourable and happy a station partly commanding the Angels that they should minister to him for his good Heb. I. 14. the Devil did not abide in this truth nor persisted in this will and command of God For he envying the honour and happiness of man took this command of God concerning the Angels ministring to him in so much scorn and contempt that swelling with most envenomed malice against Adam and infinite pride against God chose rather to dethrone himself from his own glory and felicity than he would bear Adam's continuance in so noble a station or minister any way to the happiness of it An Angel was uncapable of sinning either more or less than by pride and malice VERS XLVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil BUT what I pray you hath a Samaritan to do with the Court of your Temple For this they say to Christ whiles he was yet standing in the Treasury or in the Court of the Women vers 20. If you would admit a Samaritan into the Court of the Gentiles where the Gentiles themselves were allowed to come it were much and is indeed very questionable but who is it would bear such an one standing in the Treasury Which very thing shews how much this was spoken in rancor and meer malice they themselves not believing nay perfectly knowing that he was no Samaritan at that time when they called him so And it is observable that our Saviour made no return upon that senseless reproach of theirs because he did not think it worth the answering he only replies upon them that he hath not a Devil that is that he was not mad VERS LVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art not yet fifty years old APply these words to the time of superannuating the Levites Numb IV. and we shall find no need of those knots and difficulties wherewith some have puzzled themselves Thou art not yet fifty years old that is thou art not yet come to the common years of superannuation and dost thou talk that thou hast seen Abraham VERS LVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before Abraham was I am THEY pervert the question Christ had said Abraham saw my day on the contrary they ask him Hast thou seen Abraham This phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes is rendred from the single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I So the Greek Interpreters in the Books of Judges and Ruth for you will seldom or never meet with it elsewhere Judg. VI. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will tarry or sit here Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latine Interpreters Ego quidem manebo Ibid. Chap. XI 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine Ego quidem non peccavi tibi Ibid. vers 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I have opened my mouth Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine Et ipse aperui os Ibid. vers 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I and my fellows Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine Ego ipsa sodales meae Ruth IV. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will redeem it Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine Ego sum redimam As to this form of speech let those that are better skilled in the Greek tongue be the judges Our Saviour's expression seemeth something more difficult because he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To this purpose as it should seem Before Abraham was I am VERS LIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And they took up stones c. WOULD you also murder another Prophet in the very Court of the Temple O ye murderous Generation Remember but Zacharias and surely that might suffice But whence could they get stones in the Court of the Temple Let the answer be made from something parallel x x x x x x Schabb. fol. 115. 1. It is storied of Abba Calpatha who going to Rabban Gamaliel at Tiberias found him sitting at the Table of Jochanan the Money-changer with the Book of Job in his hand Targumised that is renderd into the Chaldee Tongue and reading in it Saith he to him I remember your Grandfather Rabban Gamaliel how he stood upon Gab in the mountain of the Temple and they brought unto him the Book of Job
upon horses and so they appeared if we will believe the Historian in that fight at the lake Regillus leading on the Roman horse and so pressing upon the enemy that under their conduct the victory was obtained b b b b b b Dionys. lib. 6. But another time the Pseudo-Castores false Castors and Pollux appeared not so fortunately c c c c c c Pausan. in Messenjacis vel lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. While the Lacedemonians were celebrating the Feast of Castor and Pollux within their Camp and had given themselves to sports and drinking after dinner Gonippus and Pandoremus two Messenian young men that were wont to wast the Lacedemonians of a sudden appear amongst these Lacedemonians clothed in white Tunicks and purple cloaks mounted on beautiful horses the Lacedemonians beholding them and supposing them no other than Castor and Pollux and that they were come to their own Festivals worship them and make their prayers to them But the young men as soon as they found themselves received in the midst of them break through them making slaughter every where with their launces and so a great number being slain they return safe to Aâ—dania casting a reproach upon the Feast of Castor and Pollux From the habit of these Pseudo-Castors false Castor and Pollux it is easie conjecturing in what form they were wont to be pictured who in the judgment of the deceived people were the true ones Comely young men in comely apparel and riding on horseback and yet they are sometimes drawn on foot as in that obscure passage of the same Pausanias d d d d d d Pausan. in Atticis vel lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Latin Interpreter renders it The Temple of Castor and Pollux is very ancient where young men are beheld sitting on horseback But the words of the Author are plainly to this purpose that Castor and Pollux are drawn standing and their boys on horseback There is something parallel in another place of this Author that gives some light in this matter e e e e e e In Corinthiacis vol. lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After this is the Temple of Castor and Pollux They are pictured themselves and their two sons Anaxis and Mnasinous and together with them their mothers Hilaria and Phebe done by the skill of Dipenus and Scyllis in Ebony-wood the greater part even of the horses being made of Ebony the rest though very little of Ivory It was believed they were propitious Deities to Mariners and therefore does the Centurion having been so lately shipwreckt so much the rather commit himself to a ship that carried that sign And what doth St. Paul say to such a superstition He knew he had the convoy and protection of a better Deity nor is it improbable but that the Centurion had imbibed something of Christianity himself and it would be strange if some of the Soldiers by so long society with St. Paul had not also But it seems there was no other ship ready at least no other that was bound for Italy VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We came to Puteoli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f f f f f f Strabo lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a City a very great Mart-Town where there are havens for Ships made by art and labour Whence it is less wonder if now there were Christians there either such as were Merchants themselves or such as were instructed in Christianity by Merchants trading there The Jewish writers make some mention of this place with this story g g g g g g Echah rabbatha fol. 81. 2. Rabban Gamaliel and R. Eliezer ben Azariah and R. Joshua and R. Akiba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 went to Rome i. e. made a voyage to Rome as in this Chap. ver 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we went toward Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they heard the sound of the multitude at Rome being distant an hundred and twenty miles Therefore they began to weep but R. Akiba laughed They say unto him O Akiba why shouldst thou laugh while we weep He saith unto them and why should you weep They make answer have we not cause to weep when these Gentile Idolaters worship their Idols and yet remain prosperous and quiet whiles in the mean time the Temple the footstool of our God is become a flame and an habitation for wild beasts Have we not cause to weep To whom he answereth for this very cause do I laugh for if it be so prosperous with those that provoke God to anger how much more shall it be so to those that do his will This story is repeated elsewhere h h h h h h Maccoth fol. 24. 1. and there instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puteolus it is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet the Gloss upon the place quoted out of Echah rabbathi tells us that in the third Chapter of the Treatise Maccoth it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul and the rest abide at Puteoli seven days at the entreaty of the Christians of that place which redounded to the credit of the Centurion whose leave must be obtained in that case so that his yielding so far may somewhat argue that he favoured Christianity VERS XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They came to meet us as far as Appii forum and the three Taverns VIA Appia and Appii forum are much spoke of in Authors but the mention of the Three Taverns is not so frequent There is mention in Zosimus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The three Victualing houses where Severus the Emperour was strangled by the Treason i Zâ—â—im lib. 2. of Maximinus Herculeus and Maxentius his Son Hebrew and Talmudical EXERCITATIONS Upon some few CHAPTERS of the EPISTLE to THE ROMANS CHAP. III. VERS XII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They are all gone out of the way c. I. THIS with the following part of the quotation is taken out of the fourteenth Psalm according to the Greek Version being indeed added to the Hebrew context which is in truth a thing not unusual either to those Interpreters or the ordinary Interpreters in the Synagogues We have already observed elsewhere that there stood by the Reader of the Law and the Prophets in the Synagogues an Interpreter that was wont to render what was read to the people in the Hebrew into their own Language and that it was a very usual thing for those Interpreters to expatiate and by way of Comment to Preach upon the words that had been read Concerning which I have given some instances a thing also observable enough in the Chaldee Paraphrasts II. That the Greek Interpreters did the same thing upon this Psalm I do not question indeed the thing speaks it self especially if we take notice of the subject which is discoursed of there But let this be taken notice of by the
with him Josua into the Sepulchre in which they buried him I say there they laid the stone knives c. And 2 Sam. XXI 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they died and Dan the son of Joa of the sons of the Giants took them 1 Sam. I. 21. This clause is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all the tiths of his land according to the Canons of the Nation concerning offering tiths at the Feast 2 King II. 1. When God would take up Elias in a whirlewind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as into Heaven so vers 11. Agreeing with the opinion of the Nation concerning the Ascention of Elias very near to Heaven but not into Heaven it self c c c c c c Succah fol. 5 1. 1 Chron. IX 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pan of the High Priest from the noted fame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the High Priests pan See Menacoth d d d d d d Cap. 11. hal 3 and in other places very frequently Psal. II. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take hold of instruction instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son e e e e e e Sanhed fol. 92 1. Bar signifies nothing else but the Law as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kiss the Son We omit more passages of the same observation and suspition and they are not a few II. We may observe in the Jerusalem Talmudists that the Greek Version of Aquila is sometimes quoted but that of the Seventy never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f f f f f f Schabb. fol. 8. 2 Aquila renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tablets Esa. III. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stomachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g g g g g g Joma fol. 41. 1 Aquila renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Over against the Candlestick Dan. V. 5. Over against the Lamps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h h h h h h Megill fol. 73 2. He shall be our guide unto death Psal. XLVIII 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Succah fol. 54 4. Fruit of goodly trees Levit. XXIII 40. R. Tanchuma saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etz Water if his conjecture fail not in the interpretation See also Bereshith Rabba l l l l l l Fol. 14. 2. fol. 19. 1 c. But I do not remember that I have found one clause alledged out of the Version of the LXX in the whole Talmud either one or other Let it also be added that m m m m m m Sanhedr fol. 100. 2. the Book of Ben Syra is a prohibited book and yet you may find it cited in both Talmuds In that of Jerusalem in the Tract Beracoth n n n n n n Fol. 11. 2. where it seems to be the book of Syracides But otherwise in divers other places o o o o o o Bab. Chetub fol. 110. 2. Chagig fol. 13 1. Bathra fol. 98. 2. especially Sanhedr in the place before But I do not I say remember that I have found the Version of the Seventy alledged in any place and I scarce think that such an allegation could pass me unobserved Which thing more encreaseth my suspicion that those Jews owned not such a Version and that they understood the Transcription of the Seventy not to be the Version but the copying out the very Hebrew Text it self And as to the Version it self whereof we are speaking how they stood affected towards it one may in some measure learn from this that when another Version is alledged by them they cite not this at all III. The Jews knew well enough that the Greek Version was not published for Jews but for Heathen and was done by their labour who came unwillingly to that work nor would have suffered any such thing if it had laid in their power to have hindred it But now with what faithfulness such a thing was done the thing it self speaks and the Jews knew it well enough who knew also well enough with what small affection the whole Jewish Nation stood towards the Heathen By no argument therefore shall any perswade me that that Version was a pure and accurate Version exactly according to the Hebrew truth which the Interpreters had in their hands and that the differences which we now perceive in our Bibles were risen thence that the Jews depraved the Hebrew Text according to their pleasure For I shall never believe that any Masters of the Jews would exhibit a pure uncorrupted and exact Bible to the Heathen in the Greek Version and obtrude an interpolated depraved corrupt one upon themselves And let us call themselves in for judges in this case I. In Gen. II. 2. The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God finished on the sixth day Was it to that very sense in the Copy which the Interpreters used They changed and wrote say the Gemarists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He finished in the sixth day The Gloss writes That it might not be said that God did any thing on the Sabbath In their Hebrew Copy it was as it is in ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God ended his work on the seventh day but they changed it in the Hebrew Transcript whereof we spake and so did the Interpreters in the Greek Version II. In Exod. XII 40. The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel which they sojourned in the Land of Egypt and in Canaan c. Did the Interpreters read so in their Hebrew Copy No. They changed say the Talmudists and writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Land of Egypt and in the Land of Canaan In the Copy which was in their hands those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Land of Canaan were absent but they added it of their own The Gloss saith Lest it should be said a lie is written in your Law for behold Kohath was among those that went down into Egypt And if you reckon all the years of Kohath Amram and Moses they amount not to four hundred III. In Numb XVI 15. The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not taken the desire of any of them Was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desire writ in the Copy the Seventy used No It is an alteration say the Masters for it was writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Asse and they transferred it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire The Gloss writes That it might not be said Perhaps he took not an Asse but he took away some other desirable thing And you may know the Lion by his paw Let these things be spoken to prove that it is not so Heterodox to suppose that the Greek Version was not read in the Synagogues of the Hellenists but the Hebrew Text so as it was in the Synagogues of the Hebrews
Law to be laid upon man that it requires it the more because in that he is not looked upon only as a Creature to serve his Creator but as a Creature that is to enjoy his Creator Accordingly when God created Adam he wrote a Law in his Heart and made a Covenant with him upon the full terms of the Law for perfect obedience and this is commonly called his Covenant of Works with Adam The short Draught of that Covenant is this If thou performest perfect obedience according to the tenor of this Law To love the Lord with all thy heart c. thou shalt be blessed and enjoy God for ever if not then thou shalt be cursed and perish for ever Now observe the two contrary parts of this Proposal of God which we cannot but conceive to have been the tenor of the Covenant of Works with him First The Promissory part If thou performest perfect obedience thou shalt be saved There is mercy that God promiseth Salvation as well as Justice that he requires obedience For Adams obedience was due from him as a Creature though there had been no Salvation for him But in the Threatning part there was nothing but Justice If thou performest not perfect obedience thou shalt perish and all the equity in the World in it For as such obedience was due from him to God so was he then able to perform it and deserved perdition if he did not But Adam fell and that Covenant of Grace came in and then what became of the equity of that Law Did the Covenant of Grace extinguish Gods just claim of mans obedience Nay of mans perfect obedience No for God must not lose one tittle of his right and due but that Grace that made the Covenant did contrive that Christ must pay the perfect obedience and the believer the best obedience he can As he under the Law that could not reach a Lamb c. his sacrifice was not remitted but that sacrifice abated and he was to bring what he could two Turtles So man is now grown poor and cannot perform perfect obedience yet the Covenant of Grace doth not remit his obedience but abates the execution takes perfect obedience in his behalf from Christ but requires the perfectest he can perform from him too So that a sinner though he cannot perform obedience is not therefore acquitted from the Laws challenge of obedience nor a Believer though Christ has paid perfect nay infinite obedience for him yet he is not acquitted from obeying the best he can And the reason is because nothing can disannul Gods just claim of obedience from his creature So that this Law of obedience being founded in Gods being God and in our being his creatures it is impossible that God should make a Covenant with man for Grace and Salvation and this not be included Now though in the Covenant of Grace it stands not as in Adams Covenant of Works as by the performance of which to be justified yet doth it so stand in it as without Works performed there is no participation of God nay without which the Covenant is no Covenant What is said of the Sacramental Elements the like may be said in this case Elementum adde verbum sit Sacramentum Here are the Elements add the word of institution and it becomes a Sacrament So hoc est promissum adde legem fit foedus Here is the promise add the Law and it is a Covenant For though Promise and Covenant be sometimes convertible yet the Promise barely considered is not the Covenant without the Conditions of the Law affixed to it And under this notion in Gods own Language the Commandments of God are the Covenant of God Psal. CIII 18. To those that keep his Covenant which is explained in the next clause which remember his Commandments to do them They that keep his Covenant One would think it should be To those to whom he keeps his Covenant But herein the main stress of the matter â—â—es if they keep his Commandments there is no doubt of the God of Truth performing his promise As the stress of Gods reconciliation to man is laid mainly in Scripture upon mans being reconciled to God II Cor. V. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself Col. I. 20. To reconcile all things to himself Not so much himself to the World as the World to himself not so much himself to all things as all things to himself for here is the great business to get man reconciled unto God and then no doubt of Gods being reconciled to man So there is no doubt of Gods performing his promise of Grace and Salvation but the great business is mans performing his part and keeping his Law And thus having spoken to that Question which in our enumeration came the second Why the Ark is called the Ark of the Covenant It hath made some way to answer the first How may Christians inquire of God in their doubtings as Israel did here and elsewhere in theirs I must answer briefly and that in the Words of Gods himself Esa. VIII 29. To the Law and to the Testament To the written Word of God Search the Scriptures As you might appeal to Balaam to bear witness concerning the blessedness of Israel whereas he was called forth to curse them So for the proof of this matter viz. That there is now no other way to enquire of God but only from his Word you may appeal to those very Scriptures that they produce that would maintain that there are Revelations and Inspirations still and that God doth still very often answer his People by them They produce that That they shall all be taught of God that is say they All the Saints shall be taught by the Spirit but that passage aims a clean other way as relating to the Gentiles as it doth in Esa. LIV. 13. hence it is quoted It means that whereas they in their Heathen blindness had been taught of the Devil by his Oracles Prophets Pythonesses and the like God would bring in the Gospel among them and so they now should be taught of God Or as relating to the Jews as Christ applies it Joh. VI. 45. the meaning is that whereas they had been taught by men either by Scribes and Pharisees which were evil men or by holy Priests and Prophets which were but men they should in time be taught and now were of God himself Christ Preaching among them as the Apostle observes Heb. I. 1. They produce that Heb. VIII 11. And they shall not teach every one his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest from Jer. XXXI whereas the meaning is but this that by the Word of the Gospel should come in so clear light and so great means of knowledge that none but might know God if they would seek to know him And to the very same sence and tenor speaks that strange expression Esa. LXV 20. There
shall be no more thence an infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days for the child shall dye an hundred years old That is there shall be so clear and great means of knowledge by the Gospel that none needed to be a child in understanding if they would but labour to know and that even the young child might speak it self to be as it were an hundred years old for knowledge if men would apply themselves to the means afforded for knowledge They produce that in I Joh. II. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you c. Whereas the Apostle himself doth explain what that anointing is namely Truth But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth which is the very common title of the Gospel in the Gospel To speak fully to this matter I should clear this I. That after God had compleated and signed the Scripture Canon Christians must expect Revelations no more It was promised by God that he would pour down of his Spirit in the last days but it means the last days of Jerusalem and when she had finished her days and seen her last the Spirit in such kind of effusion is to be looked for no more II. I should shew that the Scripture containeth all things necessary for us to know or to enquire of God about T is not for you to know the times and the seasons Act. I. T is not for Peter to enquire what should become of John What is that to him Joh. XXI 22. But what is necessary for us to know to the Law and to the Testimony there you may learn it I need not to tell you that you may enquire there and learn what to believe what to do what to avoid how to demean your selves towards God towards your Neighbours towards your Selves how to come to Heaven and the like For I hope none come hither at this time upon the present occasion but have consulted with this Oracle to direct them Whether to go to suite with their Neighbour or no how to bear Witness how to Counsil how to Determin But the common curiosity of men is ready to enquire how should I know my Fortune Why I may tell them from this Oracle if I may use the term Fortune in such a case Esa. III. 10 11. Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him But shall I propose a case of the greatest concernment that a man can possibly enquire about and that is How shall I know whether my sins are pardoned whether I have the favour and love of God whether I shall be saved At Urim and Thummim they never enquired about any of these things and I believe such questions were rarely proposed by any to any Prophet And yet this Oracle we are speaking of the Law and Testimony will resolve this Quaere as far as is needful for any man to know so little are we behind them in the advantage of inquiring of God Is there any here that proposeth this question from a good heart and for a good end Let me close with him in the words of God Esa. XXI 12. If ye will enquire enquire ye But first let me tell him That a man may be saved though he do not know he shall be saved till he come to Salvation And I doubt not but there are many in Heaven that were never certain that they should come there till they came thither A good man may die doubting fearing trembling and yet his estate be sure for blessedness though he be never assured of it till he enjoy it For it is Faith that secures Salvation and is absolutely necessary for it Assurance is not so absolutely necessary If he kill me yet will I trust in him saith Job A strong Faith but little Assurance and yet his eternal state secure enough Secondly A man may have Faith and yet not know that he hath it As how many of the dear Saints of God have groned under this doubtfulness And answerably a man may have Certainty of Salvation as to the thing it self though not Assurance as to his own apprehension I deny not all this while that Assurance may be had though it be not obtained by all and that it is to be striven after according to that give all diligence to make your calling and election sure But to the coming to satisfaction upon this inquiry do as the Priest in his inquiries put on the brest-plate and go and stand before the Ark of the Covenant and there inquire Bring your Covenant to face the Law and then consult with it For this purpose consider these properties of Conscience 1. The actings of Conscience are only about things twixt us and God 2. The actings of Conscience in this case and indeed in all are not directly but by reflexion the very name of Conscience imports no less a knowledge by reflection Thus a sinner by his Conscience knows he hath sinned How By reflecting on the Law knows he hath deserved wrath by the Law 3. As Conscience condemns in the same method it comforts and acquits In Rom. II. 15. Conscience accuses or excuses in the same way both by reflexion upon a Law For 4. The ultimate resolution in this inquiry must be from the Mandatory part of the Covenant not the Promissory Many a man deceives himself undoes himself by judging his case from the promises and not taking his Resolution thence whence it should come viz. his Conscience and Gods Commandments laid together God hath promised pardon mercy salvation therefore I doubt not saith a secure soul but all will be well with me But how knowest thou these promises belong to thee Go to the Mandatory part of the Covenant the Moral and Evangelical Law and lay Conscience to that as face and glass and there what seest thou The Law commands thus and thus look in Conscience hast thou done thus If so thou mayst conclude that thou shalt participate of the promises that are affixt to such Commandments Thou canst not look on the Sun in Heaven but mayst see it in a pail of water Thou canst not immediately discover whether God loves thee has pardoned thee intend thee for Salvation but thou canst do it by reflexion twixt Law and Conscience twixt this and the Conditions of the Covenant Peter does not conclude Lord thou lovest me but Lord I love thee Look on the Command Love the Lord then look in Conscience and that gives the reflexion and so thou mayest be secured A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise March 29. 1663. II. PET. III. 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnes IT is well they might so and had warrant of promise so to do
such a day and such a Judgment and such a Judge and you and you and you then Men and Brethren what have we to do Let me first propose this supposal Suppose this very day were the day that God hath appointed to Judge all the World and that this Assise of our County should be turned into the universal Assises of all the World Suppose that instead of the sounding of the High Sheriffâ— trumpets we should have the great trump sound and call Arise ye dead and away you living and come to Judgment Art thou prepared to meet thy God O Israel Art thou prepared to meet that Judgment O Israel How many or rather how few of us are able to say My heart is ready my heart is ready come Lord Jesus come and welcom Such a call will undoubtedly once come and we cannot tell how soon and when it comes it will not be at that lenity that Festus used with Paul Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and be judged before me of these things but For all these things God will bring thee to Judgment whether thou wilt or no. Oh! what shrugging and unwillingness and drawing back would there be with too many Oh! a little more time a little more respite a little more space of repentance and making ready No Time must be no more no way else but thou must away and go to judgment How wholesom therefore is that Counsel and oh that there were such a heart in this people as to take the lesson out II Pet. III. 11 14. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness And seeing beloved that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless How large a discourse might be made for the setting on of this exhortation from the several particulars in the Text that the day is certainly appointed that the Judgment will be of all the world that it will be in righteousness that it will be by Christ. Another hour would be too little a whole day would be little enough and the meditation of it may well take up our whole lives The same Apostle that speaks the words here hath epitomized them all into two words in the place I cited before Heb. VI. 2. Eternal Judgment Bonarges two was of thunder Judgment and that Eternal words of a dreadful sound and yet I know not a fitter motto to be written over all our occasions Eternal Judgment a very fit sentence to be written over a bench of Judgment over a Jury's chamber door in all our chambers over all our doors in all our hearts that looking upon and remembring always Eterternal Judgment we may learn righteousness Every Assise is a picture in little of this great Assise that is to be of all the World And that that draweth the truest lineaments of it and most to life is Righteous and impartial dealing I say Righteous and impartial dealing rather than Righteous and impartial Judging because there may be Righteous and impartial judging where there is unrighteous and partial dealing You will say this is a paradox or rather a contradiction and you will say the like or rather much more if I should say That there may be righteous Judging when there is not righteous Judgment and yet if you weigh these things in your thoughts you will find that they are the words of Truth and soberness A worthy upright good Judge he judgeth according to the evidence that is given in and the testimony that is laid before him here his Judging is right and righteous because he judgeth according to his Conscience and according to his evidence but it proves that the evidence was false and the testimony deceiving here the Judgment is not right because not according to the very truth of the case although the judging of the Judge be righteous because according to his Conscience and sincerity of his heart And herein indeed our Assises seem short of picturing the great Assise to the full proportion as the thing signifying commonly comes short of the thing signified because there can be no surprizal of the Judge Eternal by any false information here the best and wisest Judge may be so surprized And so was once as good and as wise a Judge as any we have upon record and that was David being deceived by the false information of wretched Ziba to pass a most unjust sentence against innocent Mephibosheth and to give away all his land to the cheating informer Therefore if I should apply my self to give direction to those that have to do in this great business that lies before you I should not be so arrogant as to offer to do it to you my Honoured Lords who know your works far better than my self No I shall not so much as offer to give you a caution that you be not surprized by false information your own wisdom and grave prudence prevents all need of such exhortation I should rather apply my self to Witnesses and Juries which it may be are not many of them here to admonish them to deal in the fear of the Lord and in remembrance of the Eternal Judgment that they go not about to deceive the Lords and the Kings Vicegerents by any false colours or dissimulation that they bring not double and redoubled guilt upon their own heads that there be no coseâ—ing Ziba among them that for base or by ends of their own shall go about to wrong an innocent Mephibosheth or to abuse a good David by fair but false suggestions to induce him to do contrary to right and equity A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise August 6. 1669. S. JOHN XVIII 31. Then Pilate said unto them Take ye him and Iudge him according to your Law The Iews therefore said unto him it is not lawful for us to put any man to death A Strange Assise is the Evangelist recording in his story here the Judge of all the World judged and condemned and he before whose tribunal all sinners must once stand standing and falling before a sinful tribunal such a person sentenced such injustice in that sentence that the World never did never must see its parallel But who is he and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do such a thing As Ahasuerus once in a far lesser matter And the answer may be given in the words of Esther that immediately follow the name only changed The adversary and the enemy is this wicked Pilate The adversaries and the enemies are these wicked Jews whom you have discoursing in the words of the Text and whom you have acting all along this Tragedy Whose persons Logical method calls upon us first to consider and then to consider of their words and discourse Pilate said and the Jews answered Persons if you look wistly upon them you may see more than their bare persons For you may read the Roman power and
or when or whereupon did they lose this power If the Romans had taken it away from them how then did they afterwards arraign and condemn and execute S. Stephen and would have done no less without all doubt to S. Paul if they might have had their own way And their own stories tell us of their judging and condemning to the fire after this a Priests daughter for playing the whore in her fathers house and execution was done accordingly And yet they say they cannot judicially put any man to death which power indeed if they had lost they lost it more like fools than like slaves and it was not at all taken from them by the Romans but they let it drop from them by their own folly Their own Writers and Records do tell us at what pass it was with them at this time in this manner Forty years say they before the destruction of the Temple did the great Sanhedrin or chief Court or Councel rise and depart out of the room Gazith and then the power of judging in Capital matters was taken away from Israel Gazith the room where this great Court sat was in the Court of the Temple near unto the altar or as themselves express it near to the divine presence which they supposed dwelt upon the altar and looked on them how they acted in judgment They thought therefore that by the very reverence and venerableness of the place and presence they were bound to judge malefactors and to execute them unfailingly which at the last they saw they could not do and therefore they resolve to rise and depart from that place The case was now with them much like to that gloss of some of the Hebrew writers upon the first words of the book of Ruth The words properly are thus It came to pass in the days when the Judges judged But they invert it thus It came to pass in the days when they judged the Judges And a shrewd inversion indeed when the people judge their Judges and malefactors aw and over-power the Magistracy And just such was their case now Their Country did so swarm with all manner of wickedness and villanies that they were grown beyond the correction of the Magistracy that they out dared the Magistracy As Jezebel The Sanhedrin could not durst not judge them Nay these go further than defie and daâ—e they even conquer and master So that not any but is glad to yield and resolve that they will not go about to punish such villanies and wickedness any more for they saw that it was but in vain to go about it and that they could not do it without their own danger And so their own Records tell us That adulteries were grown so common and open that the Sanhedrin determined there should be no more trial of the suspected or adulterous wise by the bitter waters which God had prescribed Numb V. That murders were so common and ordinary that the Sanhedrin determined there should be no more the beheading of a Heifer which God had prescribed for the expiation of an uncertain murder Deut. XXI And Murtherers so numerous and potent and impudent that the Magistrate could not durst not judge them for fear of being themselves murdered And therefore the great Sanhedrin resolves Come let us rise and sit here no longer for it is better for us to rise and depart hence than by sitting here to contract guilt to our selves when the very place challengeth from us that we do judgment and execution and we cannot do it And so they rose and went thence and then ceased and failed the judging of Capital offenders through out all the Courts of Israel And this account do their Writers and Records give how it came to pass that they lost that power that they could not might not put any malefactor to death And so you have a Commentary of their own Nation and Historians upon their words here in the Text. I might yet add further from them 1. That sometimes they returned to the Hall or room Gazith to sit upon Capital offendors as blasphemers false Prophets notoriously incestuous c. when they thought good but never returned thither to sit upon murther 2. That when they did sit there and Judged and Sentenced yet they hardly ever executed but referred the offendors to the punishment of God And they will tell you That God at one time or other did bring them to some kind of death in some sort sutable to that the Sanhedrin should have put them to Sometimes indeed malice and spite made them venture an execution doing when they saw they might do it without their own danger when they executed S. Stephen for a Heretick and Bensatda for a Seducer if by him they meant not our Saviour himself But that that we have the most reason to consider of is how the Nation came to this pass of Vice and Villany that Vice and Villany were not only incorrigible but were grown terrible to those that should correct them Wickedness strong and Magistracy feeble Murthers Plunderings Assassinations all manner of Abominations swarming and no power in them that were in power to punish them Not to speak of the secret disposal of God for the executing of his vengeance upon that sinful Nation in giving them up to themselves and to confusion but to look only at those things that are apparent I. The growth of Villany was from the not punishing of villanies in time and the Magistrates want of executing Judgment made them lose the power of executing Judgment And they could not punish malefactors when they should because they would not do it when they might The sword of Justice rusted in the scabbard that they could not draw it because they let it rest in the scabbard when they should have drawn it As that generation was the wickedest that the Earth had carried in our Saviours character A wicked and adulterous generation a faithless and perverse generation a Serpent and Viper generation a generation wicked above expression as appears by that expression of the Prophet Esay LIII 8. Who shall declare his generation i. e. the generation wherein he lived so the same Prophet speaking of the very same time and generation shews from whence the above wickedness of the generation grew Esay LIX 14. Judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afar off truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter And it displeased the Lord that there was no judgment Which very Scripture the Jews themselves do produce to prove that the Messias should come in the worst of times and generations Now II. There were two things that hindred and spoiled the execution of Justice and Judgment like two worms lying at the root of Judicature that like the worm that smote Jonas gourd kild execution of Judgment at the very root that that tree was clean blasted dried up and withered The first let me Emblem by this homely Emblem The Ape loving and hugging her young so dearly that
it self viz. a blessing from the Spirit of Messias which is the Spirit of God Let us observe these things gradually or in order I. That whereas the Jews expected Messias in his Personal and pompous presence he resolves them that his Presence is by his Spirit and his Victory by his Spirit See that John XVI 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient that I go away from you for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you He speaks there in reference to the Jews opinion that called Messias Menahem Comforter and looked for earthly comforts from him No saith he It is expedient for me to go away and my Spirit shall supply comforts unto you To that purpose is that Joh. XX. 17. Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father Greg. Nyssen for Adveniat regnum tuum speaks of Lukes having it Adveniat Spiritus sanctus tuus insted of Thy Kingdom come let thy Holy Spirit come The thing is true though the authority questionable II. For the justifying and evidencing this that his Presence is by his Spirit and so his Rule he sent his Spirit in powerful Demonstrations as you read in the Acts of the Apostles that by the sight of his Spirit men might come to own him Observe that passage Joh. XIV 12. Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father You my Disciples shall do greater things than I do why so For the magnifying of the Spirit Hence that in Mark III. 28 29. He that should speak against the Son should be pardoned but not he that should speak against the Holy Ghost He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness Because the Son appeared in meanness and his personal presence was not to be insisted on but the Holy Ghost came in all powerful and convincing Demonstration Hence Ananias and Sapphyra were so severely punisht because their sin was against the Holy Ghost Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the Holy Ghost V. Act. 3. III. The Spirit did by these demonstrations of power assert the Deity and authority of Christ and his own as sent by him and to be his Spirit See Joh. XVI 8 9 10. And when he the Spirit is come he will reprove the World of sin and of righteousness and of judgment Of sin because they believe not on me Of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more Of judgment because the Prince of this World is judged And by that very thing is shewed Christs Rule and Work in his Church by his Spirit IV. That as the Spirit by these Demonstrations was to assert Jesus so the Apostles at that time baptized only in the Name of Jesus And accordingly the gift of the Spirit was given at Baptism See Act. XIX 2. He said unto them have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed Signifying that the receiving of the Holy Ghost followed upon Baptism As the Spirit of God that is the Holy Ghost rested on Christ at his Baptism so the Spirit of Christ that is the Holy Ghost rested on His at their Baptism Not on all Why Because he was come for that end to inable the Disciples to teach and preach and to assert Jesus V. When the Doctrine of Jesus and the Spirit were thus manifested then it was ripe to baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Each Person had demonstratively approved his Godhead The Father under the Old Testament Hence is the tenor of Christs speech John V. 19 20. The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do for what things soever he doth these also doth the Son likewise For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth and he will shew him greater works than these that ye may marvel The Son hath demonstrated his Godhead by his conversation among us Joh. I. 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father And by his Resurrection Rom. I. 4. Declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead And lastly by pouring down of his Spirit when he was ascended The Holy Ghost demonstrated his Godhead by his powerful actings VI. Turn your minds back to Babel Gen. XI there the Heathen lost the knowledge of the true God Rom. I. 21. c. Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imagination and their foolish heart was darkned And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man c. Thence forward consider what was done in that peculiar people whom God had chosen for revealing the true God Father Son and Holy Ghost And when all those revealings were full than it was ripe to bring that manifestation of God among the Heathen Go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. It is as much as if Christ should have said to his Apostles The Heathens have lost the knowledge of the true God now bring that knowledge among them again and baptize them in the Name of the true God Father Son and Holy Ghost As Baptism was in the Name of Jesus among the Jews where the question was about the true Messias so among the Gentiles where the question was about the true God Baptism was in the Name of Father Son and Holy Ghost Lay Rom. I. 25. to this Text. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator The casting off the Gentiles was because they worshipped the Creature What was their Recovery in the Text Was it to bring the worship of the Creature among them again as the Arian and Socinian gloss No but to bring the knowledge and worship of the Creator among them of the true God and that was Father Son and Holy Ghost I shall not go about to confute those cursed opinions the Lord rebuke them I shall only observe these things upon them First That as they blaspheme the greatest so the plainest truths in the Bible I cannot but wonder at the denial of the Godhead of Christ and though the God-head of the Holy Ghost is not in so plain terms yet it is in as plain Evidences as can be Secondly That they go clean cross to the stream of Scripture The main purpose of that is to extol Christ and the Holy Ghost the main purpose of these to abase them Thirdly Grant them what they would have they set themselves further from Heaven and Hope when the Redeemer and Sanctifier are but Creatures Fourthly Observe here the Spirit of old Antichrist and how it hath descended First The Jews began and
manner of speech is no rare thing in Scripture as might be shewed by several instances if I would insist upon it And all the World is inevitably put upon this Dilemma either thou must be of Satans army or must fight against Satans army and expect it to fight against thee That therefore may seem an hard case that God from the beginning put enmity between the Devil and Men Gen. III. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed And was there any need of this Had not the Devil spight and enmity enough against men without Gods putting enmity between them Yes enough and enough again but man had not enmity enough against the Devil He had been too much friends with him in harkening to him obeying him complying with him to the violating Gods Command and the undoing of all mankind and should he still continue in that compliance with him there were no hope of recovery no way but eternal ruine Therefore it was a most comfortable and happy passage when God himself takes on him to dissolve this society and to set them at odds that the seed of the woman should set the Devil at defiance be an Enemy to him and fight against him and at last through Gods strength and good assistance tread him under foot But they must look for as sharp dealing from him as possible If they will be enemies to him and not obedient and compliant he will be an enemy to them to purpose and omit nothing that may tend to their ruine whether subtilty or strength For he hath his deceivings and his Army in the Text and he hath his deceivings and his strength in his temptations and assaults I need not to spread before you the parts of the Text they lye so plain in their several clauses The task before us is rather to explain them which we shall assay to do in the method and order as they lye And first the first clause And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed recals us to the third verse of the Chapter where Satan is bound for a thousand years There bound here loosed there bound for a thousand years here the thousand years are expired there bound and imprisoned that he should not deceive the Nations and here loosed he goes out to deceive the Nations again I doubt a Millenary and I should scarce agree about the explication of this Scripture He looks for the thousand years yet to come I make no doubt but they are long since past and ended He thinks Satan shall be chained up that he shall not persecute or trouble the Church when the Text tells you plainly that his chaining up was that he should not deceive the Nations And there is a great deal of difference between persecuting and deceiving between the Church and the Nations Do but call to thoughts how the Devil deceived the Nations or the Heathen for that English word of ours is the very Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the Text to worship Idols or as the Scripture phraseth it to worship Devils to believe lying Oracles false Miracles to account the highest profaneness to be Religion as the Prostitution of their bodies in Fornication to be divine adoration offering their children to Molock to be devotion sacrificing men and women to be zeal and to bury men quick to be a blessed attonement I say do but call to remembrance how the Devil thus deceived the Nations before the Gospel came among them and you may easily perceive what is meant by the great Angels binding the old Serpent the Devil and imprisoning him that he should not deceive the Nations or Gentiles as he had viz. Christ sending his Gospel among them did by the power and prevalency of it curb restrain and chain up the Devils power and activity from cheating so abominably as he had done hitherto For the Gospel cast down their Idolatry silenced their Oracles dissolved their Miracles and curbed those abominations that had reigned before As those that are any whit acquainted with History do very well know and those that but read the Bible cannot be ignorant of And thus he bound the Devil that he should not deceive the Nations Secondly His binding and imprisoning is said to be for a thousand years Which may be taken Allusively or Determinately 1. Allusively or speaking according to the common opinion of the Jewish Nation which conceiveth that the Kingdom and Reign of Messias should be a thousand years as it were easie to shew in their own Authors abundantly And so the Apocalyptick may be conceived to speak according to their common opinion that he may the better speak to their capacity and that speaking by things familiarly received and known he might intimate his mind more feelingly to their apprehensions But withal he explains what is meant by Christs reigning viz. in and by the power of the Gospel conquering Nations to the obedience of the Truth and subduing Satan from his cheating and deluding them as he had done Now the Scripture speaking so much of Christs Kingdom and reigning among the Gentiles by the Gospel that Gospel subduing the power of Satan among them and bringing them to subjection under Christs scepter and the Jews holding that Messias his Kingdom should be a thousand years our Evangelist relates to the former and allude◠to the latter that he may the better be understood when he saith Satan was bound a thousand years and the Saints of Christ reigned with him a thousand years 2. You may take the time determinately and that very properly for just so long a time And begin from the time that the Gospel was first sown by the Apostles among the Heathen and count a thousand years forward and you have them ending in the depth and darkness of Popery when Satan was let loose again and the World and Nations cheated and deceived by him into as gross ignorance palpable darkness horrid Idolatry ridiculous belief of forged Miracles and Oracles and committing all manner of abominations as ever the Heathen had been deceived and cheated by him before The Gospel from the first preaching of it among the Gentiles had now gone through all Nations and by it the World was made Christian and all People and Nations and Languages were come to the acknowledgment of it when up comes Popery in the West as Mahumetism in the East and overspreads the World with an universal darkness that it becomes as blind superstitious deluded heathenish as ever it had been And that Popery is more peculiarly here meant whereby Satan deceived the Nations as much as ever he had deceived the Nations under Heathenism besides that the calculation of the time taken determinately doth help to argue the main scope of this book from Chapter XIII hitherto doth also evince which is to speak of Rome or the Western Babylon and as it were to write her story Thus according to the first clause in the
These most abominable ones in that most abominable generation we have been speaking of and the Text speaks of were such as had been once in the right way in the profession of the Gospel but now were utterly revolted from it and become most contrary to it And so our Saviour shews the very topping up of the wickedness of that generation in that Parable of the Devil cast out by the Gospel but come in again with seven evil Spirits worse than himself So saith he shall it be with this generation Mat. XII 45. Of such the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. IV. 1. Some that should depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils And he saith that such a falling away would discover the man of sin and child of perdition 1 Thes. II. 3. And the Apostle 1 Joh. II. 19. saith that many Antichrists were abroad come out from them that professed the Gospel but now were become Antichrists And this our Apostle in this Chapter vers 2. intimates that they had once known the way of righteousness but were turned from the holy commandment that was delivered to them And being thus turned out of the way and fallen from the truth they were fallen into all manner of abomination Read but this Chapter and the Epistle of Jude at your leisure and you will see the full Character of them In little take this account of them 1. That like Balaam for love of filthy lucre they made merchandize of souls and cared not what became of them that they might get gain And accordingly 2. That they led them into all loosness and libertinism to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to Idols to â—iot in the day time and indeed to account any thing lawful I might produce Scriptures for all these but I suppose you remember them 3. They were direct enemies to the power and purity of the Gospel and bitter persecutors of the sincere professors of it The Apostle gives evidence enough of this in those few words 2 Tim. III. 8. As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth I shall spare more picturing of them read but the places I have cited and you will see them in very sad colours And now let us look upon them as very justly we may as a very sad spectacle such another as the spectacle of the fallen Angels once Angels but now Devils these once Christians but now brute beasts Atheists Devils incarnate In the cursed copy and example before us Balaam and these his disciples or followers we may see the fruits of two as cursed trees as any grows by the lake of Sodom Covetousness in Balaam and Covetousness and Apostacy or revolting from the truth in these that came after him Covetousness that makes him to sell a whole Nation to Gods curse and plague and their own ruine for the wages of unrighteousnes He hath got a bag of mony and twenty four thousand men of Israel are destroyed for it and the anger of the Lord brought upon the whole Camp And what cares Balaam for all this so long as he hath got the mony Oh the cursed fruits of covetousness that might be reckoned heaps upon heaps I shall but mention one and that may be enough Covetousness made Judas sell the very son of God for mony A monster of villany that the very Devils themselves might stand amazed at but that he played their own game And as for Apostacy or revolting from the truth how horrid fruits and effects have followed and do follow upon it Scripture and History give such evidence and instance that to speak of them would take up more time then even this whole day would afford us We shall only speak of one perticular wherein all Apostacy and all the fruits of Apostacy are met and convened and that is that which this day gives us occasion to commemorate and remember viz. the Church of Rome When you read of those that have forsaken the right way and gone astray remember Rome for who is there that hath done so more and when you read of following the way of Balaam and loving the wages of unrighteousness remember that Church and City for who hath done the one and who doth the other more than she she cavils at us as if we had forsaken the right way when we forsook her but we most truly answer that we forsook her because she hath forsaken the right way The Church at Rome was once in the right way indeed and celebrated for it through the whole world as the Apostle tells us Rom. 1. 8. But how long did it continue in that way I may very well answer as long as it was built upon the rock Christ but when it began to build it self upon Peter then and thenceforward did it forsake the right way For certainly he forsakes the right way that leaves to build upon the sure foundation Christ and builds upon the sand the person of a meer man If I were to render an account of my belief concerning the first Founders of a Church at Rome I should have recourse to that passage Act. II. 10. That there were at Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was poured upon the Apostles Strangers of Rome Jewes and Proselytes Did not some of these believe and returning to Rome carried the Gospel thither with them If any doubt it I shall name two of them that did Rom XVI 7. The Apostle from Corinth saluting the Church that was then at Rome among others names there Salute Andronicus and Junius my kinsmen and Fellow-prisoners who are renowned among the Apostles and who were in Christ before me Here are two men that were very highly respected among the Apostles and that before Paul was an Apostle and where and when could this possibly be but at that time at Jerusalem these being of those that are mentioned in those words There were then at Jerusalem Strangers of Rome Jews and Proselytes By these men and some other that we cannot name a Romanist must give me leave to believe that the Gospel was first planted in Rome and a Church first founded there And I must believe that the Church by them planted there was watered by Paul and that before ever he came to Rome That ye may think a Solaecism to say that he watered the Church of Rome before ever he came at it But the Church came to him For if you observe that Act. XVIII 2. That Claudius had expelled all the Jews out of Rome and that the Apostle met with Priscilla and Aquila and divers others of that Church mentioned Rom. XVI you must conclude that when they returned to Rome again after the death of Claudius as it is plain they did they returned fully furnished with the doctrins and instructions of that blessed Apostle and so there is a Church there then pure and holy and in the right way and renowned as the Apostle tells us through the world but how
not what spirit you are of His meaning was that they understood not what spirit the Disciples of Christ should be of not so fiery but meek charitable and forgiving Did these men think you ever consult Christ and his oracle when they went about to fire Parliament and State and Kingdom Would Christ think you ever have given such counsel and would he have owned such a spirit for the spirit of a true Chistian Certainly they are gone astray from his right way that breath nothing but fire and sword and blood and slaughter I have heard it more then once and again from the Sheriffs that took all the Powder Traitors and brought them up to London that every night when they came to their lodging by the way they had their musick and dancing a good part of the night One would think it strange that men in their case should be so merry And was it think you because God had prevented their shedding so much innocent blood as Divid once rejoyced for such a prevention by the Counsel of Abigail No it was because they were to suffer for such an undertaking accounting they should dye as Martyrs in such a cause Let them dance and make themselves merry with such a fancy I am sure we have cause to rejoyce and to leap for joy because their design was prevented For where had England been had their design taken effect It may make us even to tremble to think where England had been had their design taken effect Blessed be the God of our mercies that hath given us cause only to think of it and that we did not feel it that only shewed us the pit and did not shut us up in it The great Memorandum to Israel was I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of Egypt out of the house of bondage To England it may be I am the Lord thy God which kept thee out of Egypt and from the house of spiritual bondage And our keeping from falling into that servitude was little less if not as much as their delivery out of it A SERMON PREACHED AT ELY Novemb. V. MDCLXXIII 2 TIM III. 8. As Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth IF any one be of that curiosity as to desire to see the picture of incarnate Devils let him look here for the Apostle is charactering such from the beginning of the Chapter hitherto A generation of men as black as Hell and of that linage and kinred An ungodly breed of worthies that like the Devil himself sinned as deeply as they could against God as irrecoverably as they could against themselves and as destructively as they could to others That whereas the Lycaonians said concerning Paul and Barnabas The Gods were come down to them in the likeness of men Paul and Barnabas might very well say concerning these That fiends were come up among men in the same likeness of men From such turn away is the Apostles counsel at the fifth verse of this Chapter which words compare but with those words of another Apostle Resist the Devil and he will flee from you and guess what kind of creatures these were A man may make the Devil flee from him but there is no putting of these to flight but you must flee from them Impudent untractable ones that will by no means be moulded to Religion Reason or Humanity that will never be convinced answered satisfied that there is no way to deal with them but not to deal with them no way to deal with them but to flee from them Their manners the Apostle begins to describe as vers 2. That they were lovers of themselves lovers of money proud boasters blasphâ—mers desobedient c. so he goes on to the 5th verse There he describes their Religion That they had a form of godliness as a Devil in shape of an Angel of light but that they denied the power of it resisted the truth of it and that not in an ordinary manner and degree but as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses So that in the words you have mention of a cursed Copy and a cursed Company that wrote after it The Copy Jannes and Jambres withstanding Moses and the cursed Company that wrote after it those also resist the truth The former obscure who they were and the latter obscurer I. Of Jannes and Jambres you have no more mention by name in all the Scripture For Moses himself nameth no such men though the Apostle say They were the men that did resist him And the Apostle gives no other signification of them but only that they resisted Moses Who then were they and whence had the Apostle their names From the common received opinion and agreement of the Jewish Nation that currently asserted that the Magicians of Egypt was called by these names So their own Authors tell us in their Babylonian Talmud in the Treatise Menacoth Aruncha Talmudical Lexicon in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Chaldee Paraph. of Jonathan upon Exod. I. to omit more So that the Apostle takes up these two names neither by revelation as certainly asserting that the Sorcerers of Egypt were of these names but as he found the names commonly received by the Jewish Nation so he useth them Such a passage is that of the Apostle Jude about Michael contending with the Devil about the body of Moses which he neither speaketh by inspiration nor by way of certain assertion but only citing a common opinion and conceit of the Nation he takes an argument from their own Authors and concessions The observation of such a thing as this is useful upon general places of the New Testament which is more worth discoursing upon â—â— it suited with the time and pâ—ace Thus have we intâ—lligencâ— who Jannes and Jambres werâ— the Sorcerers or Magicians of Egypt that withstood Moseâ— helped to haâ—â—en Pharâ—â—h â—eceived the people with lying wonders affronted the real miracles of God and opposed the deliverance of Israel Wretches that one would think they should never find their matches and yet the Apostle hath found mates for them For where was there ever copy of villany set but some or other was found that hath written after it Even the crucifying of the Lord of glory when it cannot be done literally because he is not here again to be crucified yet there are but too many that in our sense crucifie the Lord of â—lâ—ry Heb. VI. 6. And if he had been again upon Earth do you not think he would have been crucified again before this II. Who these are whom the Apostle compares with Jannes and Jambres is harder to find than to find who Jannes and Jambres were For the mark whereby the Apostle would discover them seems rather to cloud than to clear their discovery viz. the circumstance of the time wherein they lived which he calls the last days vers 1. This know that in the last days shall perilous times come So 2 Pet. III. 3. In the last days
be taken for a Jacob yet she must give leave to standers by to take her for Esau when her hands and neck and other parts be as rough as his Set her and this mystery of iniquity we have been speaking of together and can you know them asunder Though I am not perswaded the Apostle speaks of Rome in 2 Thes. II. but of these first Apostate Christians yet comes not Rome an inch behind what is charactered there I. Both of them Apostatized from the truth she as well as those in the Text before us It s very true Rome had once been a famous Church whose Faith was renowned through the whole World as the Apostle intimates once and again in his Epistle thither But as the Historian Quaeres Samnium You may seek for Samnium where Samnium was and not find it so may you seek for such a Church there where once such a Church was and be far enough from finding it Corruptio optimi The corruption of that best Church that then was is become the worst corruption And if you would find either truth or a right Church there you do but look for the living among the dead They brag of their incorruption and that their Doctrine and Worship hath descended pure all along and that that Church hath not been tainted from its first foundation by Peter and Paul So the Jews of old cried The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord when they had made it a den of thieves You can hardly perswade me but some taint was got into that Church in the time of Peter I do not say for I am assured he never was there but even before Paul came there and while he was there and sure he must be of a large faith that can believe she hath kept pure so many hundred years together above a thousand When I read that Rom. XVI 17. I beseech you brethren mark those that cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine ye have learned and avoid them For they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly I cannot but strongly suspect that there were some such wretched ones as these we have been speaking of then tampering in the Church of Rome and it was well if she received no taint from them hardly any Church in the World but did And when I read that Philip I. 16. Some preach Christ of envy and contention not purely thinking to add affliction to my bonds I cannot but suspect that that was in Rome it self where the Apostle then lay prisoner And that then the quarrel I am of Paul I am of Cephas or Peter was set afoot in the Church of Rome as it was in the Church of Corinth How ever I believe that that Star that fell from Heaven to whom was given the key of the bottomless Pit and he opened the Pit and let out horrid smoke and so horrid Locust Rev. IX beginning is most truly understood by our Protestant Divines of the Bishop of Rome or the Papacy For a Star in the Revelation-language is a Doctor or Minister of the Church and falling from Heaven is falling from the Truth and the true Church II. As the Apostasie of the men in the Text and in the Apostles description in this Chapter and elsewhere was into the two contraries strictness in outward ceremony and looseness of life and conversation he that knows not the like in the Papacy is little acquainted with their story As great strictness injoyned in the one and as great loosness permitted in the other in that Church as that the Jews themselves were not more strict in the one nor the Heathens themselves more loose in the other Like Solomons Temple windows if it were fit to compare so noble a thing with so base narrow without and broad within strict in outward formality loose in inward conversation III. As these in the Text resist the Truth so that the Papacy doth none that is a child or disciple of the Truth but he knows with grief and can they of the Papacy but know it themselves How many witnesses of this matter have been in every corner of the World especiall in those where the truth or purity of the Gospel hath appeared Were you to name the greatest contrariety to the truth of the Gospel that you could name could you name any thing so directly contrary as Popery The smoke out of the bottomless pit that is as contrary to the purity of the light as what can be most contrary I should but do what is done again and again in large and numerous volumes if I should go about to prove and evidence this to you viz. That the Papacy is the great resister of the Truth and Gospel and the great contrariety to the purity of the Gospel There are two things that speak it out though all Protestants hold their peace And those are 1. Their corruption of the Scriptures and the Fathers As the messengers for Micaiah would have corrupted him to speak as the false Prophets did so do these by the Scriptures and Fathers to make them speak according to their own mind Their Index expurgatorius shews that they are void of all shame in this point as well as void of all conscience And crueller then the Gileadites that slew so many for saying Sibboleth these make those say Sibboleth whether they will or no that they may destroy the Truth that they once spoke out 2. The bitter and bloody persecution that the Church of Rome hath ever used against the true profession of the Gospel is a testimony written in blood how incomparable a resister of the Truth the Papacy is And had Christ been at Rome any time for those many and many years he had tasted of their kindness that way It is compounded of such principles that the Truth and it cannot live together but it cannot but seek to destroy the Truth The very temper of the Devil himself who not only strives to destroy the Gospel but cannot do it with all his endeavour Aut tu illum aut ille vi He must either destroy it or it will destroy him What resistance the Papacy practiseth against the Truth by persecution I suppose it needless to speak of unto any that hath heard of the bloody days of Queen Mary the Massacre in France and the Powder Treason in England that you need go no further for instance And blessed be the Lord for that we have these testimonies only to our ears and have not seen Popish resistance of the Truth by persecution with our eyes The Lord grant that England never see it Thus have we briefly taken some view of the mystery of iniquity hinted in the Text and verse whence it is taken Men of corrupt minds reprobated concerning the faith resisting the truth as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses Now how large a discourse might we take up of the mysterious dispensation of God in permitting his most sacred Truth to be so affronted and resisted His
that with God the times of the afflictions and Condition of his people are most certainly determined because all times are determined by him For the further clearing of this Point I might discourse distinctly of these two things I. That it is Gods determination that his children shall be afflicted II. Gods determining of their afflictions leaves not the time they shall last undetermined It is the latter of these I shall prosecute The Providence of God herein is not like the Ostrich that lays Eggs and leaves them in the sand as if he determined of the thing and left the time of its lasting at random but he weigheth and setteth the one as well as the other In Mene Mene Tekel Upharisin the two latter words are either of them two several Languages Tekal in Chaldee is He hath weighed Tekel in Hebrew Thou art light Parsin in Hebrew is the Persians in Chaldee They divide And accordingly Daniel doth render them So in Gods determination of the Saints affliction as those words speak of Gods determining that Kingdom there are two several providences viz. as to the thing it self and as to the manner and time of it these two are twins born together in Gods decree and when he determines the one he determines the other In those passages in the Revelations where the Church is in the Wilderness in a sad and solitary condition a thousand two hundred and sixty days Chap. XII 6. And where the beast blasphemes and tyrannizes forty two months Chap. XIII 5. though the time be not that time definitely yet the very expressions shew the times defined and determined with God Allusion is made to the time of Antiochus tyrannizing over Religion three years and an half not as though the Church was to be bewildred three years and an half and no more and no less but by using the memorial of that sum of three years and an half he speaks the sad condition of the Church in that time it was in the wilderness as the times under Antiochus were sad And so concerning the Beasts blaspheming t is not meant as though he were to blaspheme and tyrannize forty two months exactly take them either of days which make three years and an half or of years a thousand two hundred and sixty years but by the memorial of the time of Antiochus rage and mischief the rage and mischief of the Beast is intimated So I say though the time intended be not exactly and punctually the time named yet when so punctual a sum is named it must needs argue that the time intended is punctually determined with God But need I to spend time to prove this to them that have learned that not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father and that the hairs of our heads are all numbred Matth. X. 29 30. which last passage puts me in mind of that Luk. XXI 18. There shall not an hair of your head perish Observe vers 16. Some of you they shall cause to be put to death And yet Not a hair of your head fall to the ground not a hair perish With many a Saint of God head and all have fallen to the ground as it was with them Revel XX. 4. that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus And yet not an hair of their head perish Some Expositors take this to have its accomplishment in the Resurrection when the Saints say they shall rise with all their hair Which granted yet the Exposition is far fetched The expression is a Proverbial speech as appears by 1 Sam. XIV 45. Shall Jonathan die who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel God forbid as the Lord liveth there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground The meaning is he shall not suffer the least hurt or injury And to apply it to that passage of our Saviour and it speaks this comfortable Doctrine That the Saints of God in the bitterest persecution yea in death it self suffer not the least hurt or damage But however take it in what sense you will if our hairs be numbred and it be promised that not one of them shall fall to the ground then undoubtedly nothing befalls the Saints concerning affliction fortuitous or by hap hazzard but the thing matter manner measure time of affliction is determined by God Is there not an appointed time for man on Earth Job VII 1. There is an appointed time for every man which he shall not pass Job XIV 5. Be his end never so casual accidental in the Eyes of men yet it is prefixed by God and he cannot pass it or go beyond it And can we think any thing occurs to a Saint of God in the way to his end that is not likewise fixed A SERMON Preached upon HEBREWS X. 29. And hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing THE whole Verse runs thus Of how much sorâ—er punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy that hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace The spring head of this verse is at vers 26. and that bubbles out fire and brimstone Not a more dreadful portion of Scripture at the first reading and hearing in all the Bible A Text which speaks much like as the Law was spoken in Fire and Thunder If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries No sacrifice for sin if any sin wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth and nothing but fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation If the Truth mean here the Gospel as undoubtedly it doth then Men and brethren what shall we do Who hath not sinned wilfully since he received the knowledge of the Gospel Nay our English translation is as favourable as may be for the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly and that makes the case still sadder For who hath not sinned willingly nay who not wilfully since he received the knowledge of the Truth of the Gospel against Knowledge against Truth against the Gospel That Chyrurgeon had need of a tender hand that is to dress a wounded heart gashed with the keen and cutting edge of this dreadful Scripture If any heart should be darted through with this arrow of the Almighty and that the reading or hearing this Text wounds his heart to the very root as the story is Origens heart after his Idolatry was wounded with reading those words in Psal. L. 16 17. But to the wicked God said What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee So that upon reading them he sat down and wept and all the Congregation wept with
what is contrary to Right and Good Sometimes Heresie is bred of ignorance sometimes of too much knowledge sometimes of too much carlesness about the word of God sometimes of too much curiosity sometimes of leaning too much to sence and sometimes too much to carnal reason most commonly of pride of mens seeking themselves of crosness of boldness about divine things and ever of mens wilfulness to have their own minds Might I not instance and give example in all these things And hath not the Church had too sad experience of these things in all generations Weeds ever creeping up in that garden out of one peice of cursed ground or other and is never free of them There must be Heresies saith the Apostle there have been Heresies saith Experience and there will be Heresies saith the corrupt nature and heart of man that will be seeking it self and hath no mind of obeying the truth Weighty is that saying of the Apostle 2 Thes. II. 10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved For this cause God sends them strong delusion that they should believe a lie It is more proper to say and it is more commonly done that men rather fall into Heresie than that Heresie falls upon them That is that they rather choose it themselves than that they are any way inforced to it Heresie is a Greek word put into an English dress And the word in Greek as Grammarians will tell you signifies a Wish a choise Heresie is a thing that a man takes up of his own wish and choice And I think it might be a disputable poynt Whether a Heretic ever took up and maintained his opinions purely out of conscience The great Heresie abroad in one party is Popery And can I or you believe that the ring-leaders of that Religion that lead the poor silly people blindfold do maintain that Religion purely out of the principles of a good conscience when we see they make no conscience of Massacres Powder-Plots killing Kings and disquieting Kingdoms The great Heresie abroad in another party is Socinianism And can I think or believe that the ring-leaders in that doctrine do maintain that doctrine purely out of the principles of conscience when even the whole System and Body of that Divinity doth clearly speak it self to be a crossing even all the Articles of Religion of what hath been received for sound and orthodox in the Church in all ages And I must be excused if I take Quakerism to be a direful Heresie and that it is hard to find out that the ring-leaders in it do maintain it purely out of the principles of conscience while they are so bitter high cross and censorious You remember the saying of the Apostle The Wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Jam. III. 17. If their wisdom or profession carry those marks and if their Doctrine carry even any badg of Truth we do not yet understand it or them And as for the Heresie that the Text speaks of the Sadducees denying those great Articles of Religion The Resurrection Angels and Spirits Can we think they maintained their opinions meerly out of the princiâ—ples of conscience and not rather out of Faction Sectarism or some other by respect and regard Our Saviour chargeth them with Ignorance in the Scripture and in judging concerning God Do ye not err saith he not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God And it is not very suspicious that there was wilfulness in the matter too that they were resolved to stick to their opinion for some by-ends that they had of their own Let us a little consider of the Persons and then of their Opinions I. Of the Persons We read not of Sadducees but under the second Temple or after the return out of Captivity but when and how they rose then is something questionable Some think there were Sadducees in the time of Ezra and the Prophets that lived after the Captivity Haggai Zechariah and Malachi And they think that those words Mal. III. 13. Your words are stout against me do refer to the Sadducees And there are of the Jewish Writers that say that in the time of Ezra there were Sadducees that denyed the World to come And therefore to affront that Heresie they of the great Council ordained that in the end of some prayers instead of saying Amen they should say for ever and ever As instead of Blessed be the Lord Amen they should say Blessed be the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ever and ever or as the words do properly signifie To worlds of worlds or to ages of ages Others ascribe the original of Sadducees to a later date and that one Sadoc was the first author of the Heresie divers years after these holy Prophets were dead and gone Which opinion is most embraced both by Jews and Christians II. Well be it the one way or the other the first singularity of this sect was that they would receive no poynt of Faith but what they could see plainly grounded in the Books of Moses For the other Books of the Old Testament they admitted not of to be of such authority as were the Books of Moses And because they could not find the I. Resurrection and the World to come spoke of in plain terms in all Moses therefore they would not take those Articles into their Creed They would be their own choosers and what they will have to be Scripture must be Scripture and what they would not have must not be The great cause of Heresie which we mentioned before mens wilfulness to have their own minds It is a blessed thing to be led by Scripture for that will lead to Truth and to Heaven But on the contrary a cursed thing to lead the Scripture whether a man would have it For that will certainly end in error and miscarriage It is but too common a thing for men to take up an opinion or doctrine of their own heads or minds and as please themselves and then to lead and strain the Scripture to speak to their opinion and to maintain it to make the divine Oracles of God to truckle to their fancies Like that that Solomon accounts so absurd and preposterous to set Servants on horseback and Princes to lacquy by their horse side and to trudge afoot These Sadducees had learned from their Master Sadoc that there was no Resurrection nor world to come And to maintain that opinion they will make so bold with Scripture that that which speaks not plainly of those things shall be Scripture but that that does shall not be at all How the Church of Rome dealeth in this kind is very well known That Church hath taken up cursed and abominable Opinions and Doctrins and she cries down the Scriptures and would not have them meddled with And you know who among us talk so much of the light within them as all-sufficient for their guidance and salvation and
2 3. The great Angel is Christ the old Serpent is the Devil there Christ binds and imprisoneth him and that with the great chain of the Gospel Observe the passage He shut him up in the bottomless pit What In Hell for ever That he should never go abroad again Yea you have him loose again vers 7. and he hath been always going about as in 1 Pet. V. but he tyes him up that he should not deceive the Nations vers 3. and when he is loosed again vers 8. it is his being loose to deceive the Nations Observe by the way the phrase He shuts him up that is restrains him from deceiving and seducing people It is Hell and Prison to the Devil not to be doing mischief So the Psalmist speaks of the wicked children of the Devil They sleep not rest not if they do not evil It is a torment to them if they may not be sinning Well how doth Christ bind Satan that he do not deceive By sending the Gospel to undeceive them So that this is the Victory of Christ against the Devil The very telling of his Death and Merits is that that overcomes the Devil the very Word of his Death and Resurrection is that that overthrows the Devil and his power So is 1 Cor. VI. 3. to be taken Know ye not that we shall judge Angels Now needed Christs soul to go to Hell to tell the Devil these tidings and to triumph there He felt the building of his Kingdom fall about his ears every moment He needed no such message to go and tell him he had conquered him This is the Triumph of Christ over the Devil by the virtue and power of his death and not by any Vocal or actual Declaration of it by his Soul now separate from his Body IV. As to Christs Soul triumphing over the damned needed there any such thing Or could his Soul do any such thing Think you Christs Soul doth or could rejoyce in the damnation of the damned There is joy in Heaven when a sinner is saved Is there joy too when he is damned That tender expression of God As I live I delight not in the death of a sinner doth it give us any room to think that he can rejovce in their damnation That tender Soul of Christ that but six or eight days before wept for the destruction of Jerusalem with O! that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Can we think that that Soul could go to Hell to triumph and insult over poor damned Souls He had cause to triumph and rejoyce over the conquered Devils but had he the like cause or heart to triumph over damned Souls What was the reason of his triumphing over the Devils Because he had subdued themselves only He mastered them while alive in casting them out and commanding them at his pleasure He cast them into Hell by his Divine Power as soon as they had sinned but his triumph over them by his Death and Resurrection was for his peoples sake We cannot say Christ hath any pleasure in the damnation of the very Devils but he had pleasure in the Conquest of Devils because he had delivered his people from them Ah! most Divine Soul of Christ so infinitely full of charity that gave it self a Sacrifice for sin that men might not be damned can that rejoyce and insult over poor Souls damnation Look but upon Christs tenderness and earnestness for Souls here that they come not to damnation and then guess how little delight he taketh in it when they are damned Let us apply these two passages to this Ezek. XVIII 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye And vers 31. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth In the Hebrew it is in the strictest propriety In the death of him that is dead I have not pleasure that he dye and no pleasure in his death when he is dead What is there more plain in Scripture and in all Gods actings than this That God would not have men damned if they would embrace Salvation What speak these expressions 1 Tim. II. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Pet. III. 9. Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Certainly whatsoever else this is plain enough that God had rather men should be saved than damned How is this written in Scripture as in letters of gold that he that runs may read it How was it written in letters of Christs own blood that was shed that men might not be damned but that whosoever believeth might have eternal life And how is this written in Gods patience beseechings in his affording means of Salvation I need not to instance in particulars Well men will not be saved but choose death before life Doth Christ delight rejoyce to damn them when they must come to it Think ye he pronounceth Go ye cursed with as much delight as Come ye blessed That he insults triumphs over poor damned wretches in their damnation Read his heart in such passages as these Gen. VI. 6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart What Because he had made them No but because he having made them must now destroy them Lam. III. 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men So he doth not damn willingly nor destroy the children of men And once for all Esa. XLII 14. I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travailing woman I will destroy and devour at once I will cry and destroy but it is grievous to God as pangs of a travailing woman Thus much as hath been spoken may shew how unlikely and indeed how unchristian a thing it is to conceive that Christs Soul went purposely into Hell to triumph and insult over the miserable and damned And so you see that this Article cannot mean his Souls descending into the place of torment to triumph over the Devils and damned so that we must yet look for another sense of it III. A third interpretation then is this That it means the Torments he suffered in Soul III. upon his Cross. Some word it That he suffered the extream wrath of God some the very torments of Hell some that he was for the time in the state of the damned I reluct to speak these things but this Gloss some make upon this Article and while they go about to magnifie the Love of Christ in suffering such things for men they so much abase and vilifie his Person in making it lyable to such a condition The sense of the Article we must refuse unless we should speak and think of Christ that which doth not befit him The dearly beloved of the Soul of God to lye under the heaviest wrath of God The Lord of Heaven and Earth to
bloods in the plural number That is not of the kindred descent or continued Pedegree from the Patriarchal line or the blood of Abraham Isaac Jacob and successively For John the Evangelist speaketh much to the same tenor here that John the Baptist doth Mat. 3. 9. That Christ would adopt the Heathen for the Sons of God as the Jews had been though they had no relation at all to the Jewish blood or stock Nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man The Evangelist hath traced Moses all along from the beginning of the Chapter and so he doth here He used the Phrase of the Sons of God in the Verse preceding from Gen. 6. 2. And this Clause that we have in hand he seemeth to take from the very next Verse after My Spirit shall no more strive with man because he also is flesh Where as Moses by flesh understandeth the brood of Cain men that followed the swing of lust sensuality and their own corruption and by Man the Family of Seth or Adam that was regulated by Religion and reason till that Family grew also fleshly like the other so doth John here the like For having in the next foregoing words excluded one main thing that was much stood upon from any claim or challenge towards the adopting of the Sons of God or forwarding of the new birth and that is descent from Abraham and from those holy men successively that had the promise So doth he here as much for two other which only can put in for title to the same and those are first the will of the flesh or ability of nature Secondly the will of man or power of morality Ver. 14. And the word became Flesh Now hath the Evangelist brought us to the Apollinaris from this clause the word became flesh would wickedly conclude that the word assumed not an humane soul but only humane flesh and that the Godhead served that flesh instead of a reasonable soul Conâ—uted Luke 5. 52. Mat. 26. 38. great Mystery of the Incarnation in the description of which may be observed First the two terms the word and Flesh expressing Christs two natures and the word was made or became their hypostatical union Secondly the word flesh is rather used by the Evangelist then the word man though oftentimes they signifie but the same thing as Gen. 6. 12. Psal. 65. 2. Isa. 40. 5 6. First to make the difference and distinction of the two natures in Christ the more conspicuous and that according to the common speech of the Jews who set flesh and blood in opposition to God as Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 1. 16. Secondly to magnifie the mercy of God in Christs incarnation the more in that flesh being in its own nature so far distant from the nature of God yet that he thus brought these two natures together as of them to make but one person for the reconciling of man and himself together Thirdly to confirm the truth of Christs humanity against future Heresies which have held that he had not a true and real humane body but only Fantastical or of the air Fourthly to explain what he said before that Believers became the Sons of God that is not by any change of their bodily substances but by participation of divine grace for Christ on the contrary became the Son of Man by assuming of flesh and not by changing into it Fifthly to shew the Plaister fitly applyed unto the Sore and the Physick to the Disease for whereas in us that is in our flesh there dwelleth no good but sin death and corruption he took upon him this very nature which we have so corrupted sequestring only the corruption from it that in the nature he might heal the corruption Sixthly he saith he was made or became flesh and not he was made man lest it should be conceived that Christ assumed a person for he took not the person of any man in particular but the nature of man in general Was made flesh Not by alteration but assumption not by turning of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God not by leaving what he was before that is to be God but by taking on him what he was not before that is to bo man And the Evangelist saith rather He was made flesh then he assumed it i. e. that he might set out the truth and mystery of the Incarnation to the life both for the hypostatical union of the two natures and their inseparablity being so united For first whereas Nestorius said that the word was not that man that was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary but that the Virgin indeed brought forth a man and he having obtained grace in all kind of vertue had the word of God united unto him which gave him power against unclean Spirits And so he made two several Sons and two several persons of the two natures his Heresie is plainly and strongly confuted by this phrase he was made flesh which by the other he assumed it might have had more pretext and colour Secondly whereas Eutyches Valentius and others averred that Christ had not a true humane body but only a body in appearance This also confuteth them home and taketh away all probability of any such thing which the word assumed might have left more doubtful since we know that Angels assumed bodies and those bodies were not truly humane So that in this manner of speech The word was made flesh is evidently taught First that there are two distinct natures in Christ the God-head and the Man-hood for he saith not the word was turned into but was made or became flesh Secondly that these two natures do not constitute two persons but only one Christ for he saith he was made flesh and not assumed it Thirdly that this union is hypostatical or personal for he saith the word was made flesh and not joyned to it And lastly that this union is indissoluble and never to be separated For Angels in assumed bodies laid them by again and were parted from them but the word being made flesh the union is personal and not to be dissolved And dwelt among us c. That is among us his Disciples for so the next clause we saw his glory importeth And this Evangelist speaketh the same thing more at large 1 Joh. 1. 1. Full of grace and truth For these words follow next in Grammatical construction and connection lying thus And the word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth The reason of the Parenthesis and we saw his glory may seem to be First because he would explain what he meant by Us before he left it viz. us Disciples that saw his glory Secondly because the Apostles beheld not the very fulness of his grace and truth till they had beheld the fulness of that glory which he shewed on earth Grace and truth As the Soul hath tow noble faculties the understanding and the will the objects of which are