and not like Enoch and Elias as is plain by the Text for that speaketh of shutting up heaven turning water into blood and plaguing the earth which had been the actings of Elias and Moses and none but they and no mention of Enochs ever doing such a thing at all We have therefore from that place as little warrant to look for Elias his bodily coming before the end of the world as we have for the bodily coming of Moses 3. The proper meaning of that Prophesie concerning the two Witnesses is to set forth the state of the Church towards the end of the world when the Jews shall be called and knit together into one Church with the Gentiles shewing that God will raise up a powerful Ministery among either people which the Holy Ghost characters by Moses the first Minister and Prophet of the Jews and Elias the first Minister and Prophet of the Gentiles These two people and this double Ministery are as two olive trees and two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the whole earth This Ministery shall be opposed by Antichrist and almost destroyed and brought to nothing And as Antichrist hath caused a general defection and apostasie already in the world having even slain Religion and the preaching of the Truth till in the age last past they revived again So shall he cause a defection and falling away for a season in the Church of the Jews after their calling so that Religion and the truth shall be in a manner extinguisht among them that Antichrist may make the measure of his iniquity full And as Rome in her heathenish power did first destroy the old Jerusalem and then persecute the new so must she do in her Antichristian power and mischievousness first undo the Christian Church consisting of Heathens only as it hath done already in the dark time of Popery over all the world and then undo the Church consisting of Gentiles and Jews united together but God shall revive it and then the true Religion and the Ministery of the Truth shall live again by the power and Spirit of God put into them That this is the aim of that prophecy in the eleventh of the Revelation might be shewed if it were seasonable by many arguments and consequently that the expectation of Enoch and Elias to come bodily and to fight with Antichrist c. hath not the least colour or ground from thence at all but this is not a place to dispute that Text. §. Art thou that Prophet There is some question whether to read it in the force of the Article or no there are some that do read it so and some that do not The Syriack and the Vulgar Latine take no notice of the Article at all but read it as if it were without Art thou a Prophet And so doth the margin of our English Bible But others with our English Text do interpret the words as speaking of some peculiar Prophet which was neither Christ nor Elias but some other pointed at and intended by that prediction Deut. 18. 15. Vid. Cyril and Chrysost. c. It is hard to guess at the mind of these Jews that speak these words we have in hand for both the Greek expression in this Text and the Jews exposition of that in Deuteronomy do so indifferently carry it either to a Prophet in general or to some singular Prophet in particular that it may be an equilibrious case whether to take it the one way or the other I rather take it the former and cannot but apprehend that their questioning of the Baptist in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indefinitely meant art thou a Prophet Not this or that Prophet but art thou a Prophet at all For prophesie had been long decayed amongst them and when they saw one appear now of so prophetical a character as the Baptist was and when he had resolved them he was neither Christ nor Elias their properest question then was art thou then any other Prophet come after so long a time as there have been no Prophets among us And he answers No that is not in their sense not a Prophet of the same Ministery with those in the Old Testament but of another nature or not one of those Prophets of the Old Testament revived as Matth. 16. 14. but a Minister foretold of by one of those Prophets as Esay 40. 3. The reason that I refuse the strict interpretation of this question Art thou that Prophet as if they spake of some particular man is partly because the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not always to be construed in such a strictness as pointing out a particular thing or person but is very commonly nay most commonly of a more large and general signification But chiefly because I find not in the Jewish Writers any particular Prophet mentioned whom they expected to come as they did Christ and Elias and for ought I find they do not interpret that place in Deut. 18. 15. of any such a particular person but of the succession of Prophets in generall It is true indeed that Aben Ezra understands it of Joshua and Rab. Sol. on Jer. 1. understands it of Jeremy but this was of Joshua and Jeremy in their times but of any such singular person that they expected in the last times I find no mention unless the Priest of righteousness spoken of a little before or Messias ben Joseph should be reduced under this notion and name of That Prophet Ver. 25. Why baptizest thou then It is observable that they never question what he meant by his baptism but what he meant to baptize they inquire not concerning the thing but concerning his person and authority And in all the time of his course and ministery we never find that they made the least scruple what his Baptism was or what it meant but only they look on him and wonder and question what he hath to do to baptize And the reason of this was because the rite and custom of baptizing had been in common and ordinary practice and use among that Nation many hundreds of years before John ever appeared among them And as this common and known custom of Baptism used among them continually and ordinarily so long before and then made them that they never wonder nor question nor make strange of Johns baptizing as to the thing it self so the consideration of this very thing may give us much light and satisfaction in that controversie that is now afoot among us concerning the baptizing or not baptizing of Infants It is urged by those that deny Infants baptism that there is neither command for it nor example of it in the Scripture as there was for Infants circumcision Now this consideration giveth one ready answer if there were no other to be given If baptism and baptizing of Infants had been as strange and unseen and unheard of a thing in the world till John Baptist came as circumcision was till God appointed it to Abraham there is no
Pharisees for the Sanhedrim And 2. From those words of Christ to the Woman Hath no man condemned thee Which seem to imply that those that brought her had power to judge and condemn her To give one instance more In the Handful of Gleanings upon Exod. Sect. XLIX he treats of the manner of giving forth the Oracle of Urim and Thummim and so he does also in his Sermon upon Judg. XX. 27 28. but with this variety there he relates it to be by an Audible Voice from the Lord from off the Propitiatory and this being heard by the Priest was told to the people But here he corrects his former thoughts telling us it was by no heavenly Voice but that God presently inspired the High Priest with the Spirit of Prophesie and by that he resolved the doubt and question put to God by the people Which we may conclude to be his last and ripest thoughts in that matter I need not particularize any other passages in these Sermons where notions mentioned elsewhere in the Authors Books are repeated with no small advantage And where they are not so they are either wholly left out where it might be done without making a chasm and break in the thread of the discourse or where it could not without that inconvenience they are only mentioned briefly in transitu Perhaps some few passages may be censured as seeming to reflect upon the Doctrine or practice of our Church But to this I answer That they only seem to do so And if the Reader will but calmly and deliberately view those passages again he will find that they may admit of a very fair construction and the most that they speak is against placing the sum of Religion in Ceremonies and outward Formalities or the needless multiplying of them not against a sober and intelligent use of the Rites of the Church as they are appointed to be used for the preserving decency and order and promoting edification And he is very severe that will not overlook some things and pass a favourable construction upon others considering the times wherein our Author lived and what Doctrines then prevailed and carried away many good though unwary Men as with a strong and scarcely to be resisted torrent And allowance may the more reasonably be given to some few things seemingly obnoxious to censure for the sake of many others which do greatly inculcate peace and conformity and the Authority of the Church and decry separation from the National established Church I instance only in that excellent Sermon Preached in the late unhappy times in a publick Audience upon John X. 22. Where the argument of our Saviours holding communion with the Jewish Church in the publick exercise of Religion is so fully and incomparably managed that it was within these few years almost resolved to be made publick by it self for the use and information of our Dissenters which if read and considered by them with a candid and unprejudiced mind would certainly set them clear of their scruples and bring them with abundance of satisfaction into the bosom and Communion of our Church And beside that in his Sermon upon Jude vers 12. he discourseth against Praying by the Spirit and Enthusiastical pretences to revelation In that upon Luke XI 2. He argues most excellenty for set Forms of Prayer and particularly for the use of the Lords Prayer that was at that time ready to be quite justled out of Gods Worship And it was observable at that time that the Doctor ended both his Prayers both before and after that Sermon with the Lords Prayer In that Sermon speaking about casting away Religious usages because abused he hath these remarkable words Now I cannot but think how wild it is to reject a good thing in its self because another hath used it evilly This is just as if a Man should cut down Vines to avoid drunkenness How subject is he that makes it all his Religion to run from superstition to run he knows not whither And again in the same Sermon I know not what reformers should more study than to observe how near Christ complied with things used in the Jewish religious practice and civil converse that were lawful Once more in his Discourse upon 1 Cor. XIV 26. towards the conclusion he propounds two things to be considered by them who scrupled at the Religious exercise of singing Psalms because it is no where commanded to sing after that manner and with those circumstances that we do 1. That there is no plain grounds why to refrain but most plain why to sing 2. Where a duty is commanded and a scruple ariseth from some circumstance it is safer to go with the command than from it The reason I have selected these passages is to shew how our Author stood affected to the Church And indeed by these and many other expressions that are scattered in his Sermons we may plainly see that peaceableness and keeping Communion with the Church was his great principle and that his great aim in the late times was to keep up the honour of the publick Ordinances and the publick Ministry in reputation and to maintain the necessity of good Works against Antinomianism and the divine Authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures and the necessity of humane Learning in the Clergy against Enthusiasm then the great prevailing Errors And I make no doubt that by such means and Doctrines as these the blessing of God accompanying our Author did very good service to Religion and Truth then and did educate and train up young Students in the University and other Christians his Auditors into a readier and more chearful conformity to our present Church In a word All his Sermons breath a true Spirit of piety and inward goodness and an intire desire to be instrumental to the right understanding of the Holy Scriptures for the propagation of Gods glory and the building up of Christians in real substantial piety and true saving knowledge And they carry a plain easie unaffected strain of humble Oratory condescending to the meanest capacity and which hath something peculiar in it to raise attention and to make a wonderful impression upon the affections I mean by offering frequently something new and surprizing and intermixing sudden Apostrophes and affectionate and close Interrogations And now in the last place I must account for my self and for what I have done in the publishing these discourses Mr. John Duckfield Rector of Aspeden in Hertfordshire the Authors Son in Law and one of his Executors to whom the World is in the first place beholden for permitting them to be made publick kindly imparted to me the deceased learned Mans scattered Papers and MSS. and among the rest his Sermon-notes From the love and honour I had to his memory and his Learning I diligently set my self to the perusal of them and being not a little pleased with many of the Notes I resolved to select a few out of a great many with a design to let them see
Heathens that is lost p p p p p p Nedarin cap. 3. hal 4. It is lawful for Publicans to swear that is an Oblation which is not that you are of the Kings retinue when you are not c. that is Publicans may deceive and that by Oath VERS XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth c. THESE words depend upon the former he had been speaking concerning being loosed from the office of a brother in a particular case now he speaks of the Authority and Power of the Apostles of loosing and binding any thing whatsoever seemed them good being guided in all things by the Holy Ghost We have explained the sense of this Phrase at Chap. XVI and he gives the same Authority in respect of this to all the Apostles here as he did to Peter there who were all to be partakers of the same Spirit and of the same Gifts This power was built upon that noble and most self-sufficient Foundation Joh. XVI 13. The Spirit of Truth shall lead you into all Truth There lies an Emphasis in those words Into all truth I deny that any one any where at any time was led or to be led into all Truth from the Ascension of Christ unto the worlds end beside the Apostles Every holy man certainly is led into all truth necessary to him for salvation but the Apostles were led into all truth necessary both for themselves and the whole Church because they were to deliver a rule of Faith and Manners to the whole Church throughout all Ages Hence whatsoever they should confirm in the Law was to be confirmed whatsoever they should abolish was to abolished since they were endowed as to all things with a Spirit of Infalibillity guiding them by the hand into all truth VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if two of you shall agree upon earth c. AND these words do closely agree with those that went before There the speech was concerning the Apostles determination in all things respecting men Here concerning their Grace and Power of obtaining things from God I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two of you Hence Peter and John act joyntly together among the Jews Acts II. III. c. and they act joyntly among the Samaritans Acts VIII 14. and Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles Acts XIII 2. This bond being broke by Barnabas the spirit is doubled as it were upon Paul II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agree together That is to obtain something from God which appears also from the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching any thing that they shall ask suppose concerning conferring the Spirit by the imposition of hands of doing this or that Miracle c. VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them THE like do the Rabbins speak of two or three sitting in Judgment that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine presence is in the midst of them VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I forgive him until seven times THIS Question of Peter respects the words of our Saviour Ver. 15. How far shall I forgive my brother before I proceed to the Extremity What Seven times he thought that he had measured out by these words a large Charity being in a manner double to that which was prescribed by the Schools q He that is wronged ◠Maimon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 5. say they is forbidden to be difficult to pardon for that is not the manner of the seed of Israel But when the offender implores him once and again and it appears he repents of his deed let him pardon him and whosoever is most ready to pardon is most praise worthy It is well but there lies a snake under it r r r r r r Bab. Jomah fol. 86. ◠For say they they pardon a man once that sins against another Secondly they pardon him Thirdly they pardon him Fourthly they do not pardon him c. CHAP. XIX VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came unto the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan IF it were barely said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan by the Coasts of Judea one might understand the bounds of the Jews beyond Jordan Nor does such a construction want its parallel in Josephus for Hyrcanus saith he built a fortification the name of which was Tyre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Between Arabia and Judea beyond Jordan not far from Essebonitis a a a a a a Antiq. lib. 12. chap. 5. But see Mark here Chap. X. 1 relating the same storie with this our Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He came saith he into the coasts of Judea taking a journey from Galilee along the Country beyond Jordan VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause OF the causes ridiculous shall I call them or wicked for which they put away their wives we have spoke at Chap. V. ver 31. We will produce only one example here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Rabh went to Darsis whither as the Gloss saith he often went he made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day Rabh Nachman when he went to Sacnezib made a public proclamation What woman will have me for a day The Gloss is Is there any woman who will be my wife while ◠tarry in this place The Question here propounded by the Pharisees was disputed in the Schools and they divided into parties concerning it as we have noted before For the School of Shammai permitted not divorces but only in the case of Adultery the School of Hillel otherwise b b b b b b See Hierof Sotah fol. 16. 2. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because Moses for the hardness of your hearts suffered c. INterpreters ordinarily understand this of the unkindness of men towards their wives and that not illy but at first sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hardness of heart for the most part in Scripture denotes rather obduration against God than against men Examples occur every where Nor does this sense want its fitness in this place not to exclude the other but to be joyned with it here I. That God delivered that rebellious people for the hardness of their hearts to spiritual fornication that is to Idolatry sufficiently appears out of sacred Story and particularly from these words of the first Martyr Stephen Acts VII 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God turne d and gave them up to worship the host of heaven c. And they seem not less given up to carnal fornication if you observe the horrid records of their Adulteries in the holy Scripture and their not less horrid allowances of divorces and polygamies in the books of the Talmudists so that the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
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
lost the power of Judging Malefactors p. 1111 1112 c. They had a high conceit of their own Nation p. 1112. They were highly severe and strict about little inconsiderable Customs but very remiss about things of great Moment and Necessity p. 1113 1114. They were rejected by God not only for putting our Saviour to death but before also for their cursed Traditions and crying wickedness p. 1114. The calling in of the Jews expected by some is not probable and why p. 1123. The Jews were dispersed before our Saviours time p. 1144. They were cast off to a reprobate sense before the destruction of Jerusalem p. 1145. They crucified the Lord of Life out of the very Principles of their Traditional Religion p. 1177. The Jews and the Jewish Religion were very corrupt under the second Temple p. 1199 1200. The Church of the Jews was only a child under age till Christ came 1334 Jezabelites impudently oppose the Decrees of the Apostles 695 696 Ignorance and Error the common cause of them is because Men will not know and embrace the Truth 1286 1287 Image of God in Adam what p. 1153. Image of God upon Man not lost by sin though the likeness of God be 1302 Images in the Church of Rome are Idols 1312 1314 Imposition of Hands in ordination a fundamental Point as well as the Doctrin of Faith and Repentance proved from Hebrews 6. 2. 1040 Imputation of the sins or good Deeds of Parents to the Children supposed by the Jews not to be in the days of the Messias p. 569. Imputation of Parents sins to Posterity is real and rational 1316 1317 Incense the way of burning it with the manner of the Priests and Levites getting ready in order thereunto 380 381 Indifferent Things and such as were not sinful of themselves although of humane invention and used in the Jewish worship did not cause our Saviour to leave that communion nor to forsake the way of Worship but he joyned therein rather than he would give offence 1037 1038 1039 c. Infant Baptism argued for 273 274 Infants in the womb supposed by the Jews to be in a capacity to commit some sin 569 570 Institution divine defiled by corruption but not extinguished Page 165 Intercallated Month or Year what 185 226 Interpretation of the Holy Text the judgment of the Jews concerning a just Interpretation 784 Interpreters in the Synagogues stood by the Readers of the Law and Prophets to turn the words of the Hebrew Text into the Language understood by the people at the same time Commenting or Preaching upon the words p. 132 134 707. Interpreters of the Law part of their work what 803 Invention humane less dangerous to be brought into Divine Worship under the Jewish Law than under the Gospel and why 1038 Invisible Things are the greatest things of our concernment 1284 Jod of it s not passing away or eternal duration 137 138 John Baptist in all probability was no Eremite 387 388 John the most punctual of all the four Evangelists especially in giving an account of the Festivals that intercurred between Christ's entrance into his publick Ministry and the time of his death p. 1033. John the beloved Disciple was him to whom the Revelation was delivered 1196 Jordan the waters thereof were opened twelve miles when Israel passed through p. 46. The Country beyond it what p. 363. Little Jordan was from the spring of Jordan to the Lake Samochonitis but from that Lake being much a larger stream it was Jordan the greater p. 62 63 64 298. Jordan had over it two bridges at least besides other passages 492 Jordan-transmarine its division 363 Jose and Joseph are one and the same Name 640 Joshua where buried 373 374 Jot of it s not passing away or eternal duration 137 138 Journey Sabbath days Journey the length of it was two hundred cubits or one mile 485 486 Joy wicked in a strange instance in the Gunpouder Traytors 1184 Joy in Heaven over a sinner that is converted what 1267 Isaiah the Prophet say the Jews was cut in two by Manasses the King 593 Iscariot a Name given to Judas the Traytor whether given before or after his death If after his death it emphatically shews his miserable end p. 176. As a Betrayer he was to have no part in the World to come his going to his place intends his going to Hell 176 177 Iturea its situation 365 366 Juda for Jehuda and why 97 Judaism the twofold sense of the Word p. 1051. The Jews held this Maxim That if a Jew forsook his Judaism he should have no part in the World to come p. 1087. Judaism and Nicolaitism were two Errors on each hand the Gospel into which some Primitive Christians did fall 1097 Judas was present at the Eucharist p. 261. He was carried by the Devil into the Air there strangled and then cast down to the Earth and there burst assunder 264 639 Judea a sight and division of it p. 9. It was priviledged above other Parts of the Land of Israel p. 10. A description of the Coast of it p. 10. The Mountainous Country of Judea what p. 11. The South Country of it what p. 13. The North Coast of it 19 Judges what Benches of them there were among the Jews 755 Judgment Judgment to him that is angry what p. 141 142. Judgment might be unrighteous when the Judging was righteous 1106 Judgment the Day of Judgment put for Christ's coming with vengeance to Judge the Jewish Nation six differing ways of expressing it p. 346. The Last Judgment proved p. 1101 1102 1103 The objections of the Sadducces and Atheists answered p. 1101 c. Noah's Flood was a prognostication and an assurance of the Last Judgment p. 1104. The destruction of Jerusalem is set forth in Scripture terms seeming to mean the Last Judgment p. 1104. The several and providential assurances that God hath given of the Last Judgment p. 1103 1104 1109. The prosperity of wicked Men is an argument of the Last Judgment p. 1105. Assizes are an assurance and a fit representation of the Last Judgment p. 1104 1117 1119. Conscience is an assurance given by God of the Last Judgment p. 1104 1119. The manner of giving the Law is an assurance of the Last Judgment Page 1119 Judgments Capital always began on the Defendants side among the Jews and not on the Accusers p. 609. Judgments were distinguished into Pecuniary and Capital among the Jews 754 Julian the Apostate part of his character or part of what he was and did 1238 Julias There were two Cities of this Name one built by Herod the other by Philip the later was before called Bethsaida where situate 83 Just a just person or the just two sorts of them p. 448. How distinguished from the Penitent p. 449. Just Men distinguished by the Jews into two sorts and to which of them they gave the preference 1266 Justification is a great Mystery in several respects p. 1051 1052. What it is
our iniquities shall be forgiven for his sake and vers 6. 7. In the Chaldee c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. we all of us have been scattered like Sheep every one strayed and wandred in his own way But it hath seemed good to God to forgive us all our sins for his sake he prayed and was heard nay before he opened his mouth he was accepted It may indeed be some doubt whether the Paraphrast by this He who shall interceed understands the Messias or some other because those things which are spoken from vers 13. of Chap. LII to vers 4. of Chap. LIII He seems to mean them confusedly sometimes of the Messias and sometimes of the people of Israel as many of their modern Authors do But the doubt may soon be resolved by observing that he attributes remission of sins to the same person of whom he saith That he shall gather the captivity of Israel and shall send the wicked to Hell But this cannot be meant of the people of Israel and consequently it must be understood of the Messias Nor is it any wonder that the Jews should do this honour to the Messias when they give so great a part of it to their Ancestors Abraham Isaac c. The Jerusalem Targum Gen. XXII 14. introduceth Abraham desiring of God that when the children of Israel should address themselves to him in time of necessity he would remember Isaac's voluntary oblation of himself to be a sacrifice for so they think it was and pardon them and forgive their sins And in T. B. Ber. 7. 1. there is one Rabi who interprets those words in Daniel's prayer Dan. IX 17. for the Lords sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for Abrahams sake But the plainest and clearest place to this purpose as if it had been written by a Christian under the disguise of a Jewish style is extant in a book of great repute among the Jews for its Antiquity Though for some reasons I conjecture the Author lived after Mahomets time called Pesikta It is quoted in Jalkut on Isa. LX. 1. Buxtorf hath already given us this place largely translated into Latine in Arc. foed cap. 14. I 'le here set down as little as may be of it for brevity sake with an observation or two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God beginning to make a Covenant with him the Messias thus bespake him Those whose iniquities are hid with you will put you into an iron yoke with which they 'l make you like an heifer almost blind with labour and strangle you for the cause of their iniquities your Tongue shall cleave with grief and drought to the roof of your Mouth Do such things as these like you To which the Messias answers Perhaps those afflictions and sorrows may last for many years God tells him That he had decreed him to suffer them for a whole week of years but if he did not consent thereto he would presently remove them To whom the Messias returns That he would most willingly undergo them upon condition that not one Israelite should perish but that all of them should be saved Those who lived and dyed in his days those who were hid in the Earth those who were dead since Adam even all embryo's and untimely births finally all who had been or should be created Are not these expressions very near the Christian Doctrine of the Messias suffering for the sins of all mankind or of Christs being a propitiation for the sins of the whole World Only these true Jews according to their wonted uncharitableness and arrogance restrain the benefit to themselves Again the same Author Pesikta tells us That it is a tradition of their Masters that in the month Nisan their forefathers are to rise up and say to the Messias O Messias Although we are your Ancestours yet thou art more excellent than we because thou hast born the iniquity of our sons and harder and heavier afflictions have passed over thee than ever yet happened or shall happen to any man c. Is it your pleasure that our children should enjoy the benefits which God will bestow upon them For peradventure because thou sufferest even from them while they cast thee into prison he came unto his own and his own received him not John I. 11. thou mayst be less favourable unto them To whom the Messias answered That what he had done he had done it for the sake of them and their children What 's all this but what the Christians teach that the Messias was to be a person despised 't is there one instance of his condition afflicted and cruelly used even by his own Kindred and Country-men It is true in the same place of the same Author we have two traditions likewise of the victorious pompous splendid and prosperous state of the Messias at last but they are different traditions of different persons the one of R. Isaac the other of R. Simeon And then suppose they had been of the same persons yet still the Messias was to have been a man of mighty sufferings and no marvel if they withal retained their inveterate Opinion of his temporal Power and Greatness In the same place a little before they feign a short Colloquy according to their fashion between God and Satan where God tells Satan That the light which he saw under his Throne of Glory belonged to him who should in time confound him with shame and that Satan when he saw it fell down and trembled crying out that He truly was the Messias who was to cast him and all the Heathen people into Gehenna For this purpose was the Son of God manifested saith St. John I. 3 8. that he might destroy the works of the Devil Much more might be observed and transcribed in this quotation and many more instances might be brought but I am to remember I am writing a Preface not a Treatise But lastly The principal use of Talmudical and Rabbinical Authors is yet behind namely the right interpretation of the Holy Scriptures especially of the New Testament Inspired writings are an inestimable treasure to mankind for so many sentences so many truths but then the true sense of them must be known otherwise so many sentences so many Authorized falshoods Whatever therefore contributes to the finding out of that must in proportion be valuable And no greater help to do it with ease speed and plainness than the knowledge of the Phrases Opinions Laws Rites and Customs as well as other circumstances of the Jews at the time of those writings This appears from the great and frequent ignorance or mistakes of many both ancient and modern interpreters who had as great a share of piety parts and wit and other sutable qualities as other men but wanted this assistance and even Jerom and Origen who had the most skill would have done better if they had had more of it In this age all Commentaries are full of this kind of Learning and none hath more frequently and perhaps
to shew that they had the man sure whom he so much desired to be secured and to take his grave advice what further to do with him He was brought bound to him and so bound he sends him to Caiaphas His Arraignment before the Sanhedrin At Caiaphas his house was the Sanhedrin now assembled Whether we take this for his lodgings in the Temple or his house in the City it is not much material Peter follows thither and by another Disciple that was acquainted there he is helped into the Hall and sits with the Servants by the fire The Chief-Priest and Elders were busie to find out Witnesses that might accuse him and though many false Witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Talmudick language come in yet all will not do for it was not possible to touch him of any offence He all this while standing silent Isa. 37. 7. Caiaphas adjures him to tell whether he were the Christ or no he confesseth it and withal tells them that the time should come that they should find the truth of this by experience when he should shew his power and vengeance in his judgment against them and their City coming in clouds c. This confession and words they account blasphemy and that they might have the surer impression of so construing them Caiaphas rent his garments and by that action would as it were force them to agree with him that it was so when his garments had paid so dear for the confirming of it Their custom and reason of renting their clothes upon the hearing of blasphemy is handled in Jerus in Sanhedr fol. 25. col 1. 2. and in Maym. in Avrdah Zarah per. 2. where those two Canons being observed Every one that hears Gods Name blasphemed is bound to rent his garments And the Judges hearing blasphemy must stand upon their feet and must rent their clothes and may not sew them up again It will cause us to observe something in it that the Highpriest only rent his clothes and not the rest of the Bench with him Which though they did not yet they vote with him that it was blasphemy and therefore he was guilty of death which had it been executed must have been by stoning Sanhedr per. 7. halac 4. And now they begin to spit on him to buâ—â—et him and abuse him Peters denial Here Peter first denies him for being challenged as he sate by the fire by the damsel porter for one of his company he denies it and shrinks away into the porch and then the first Cock crew Luke saith that the maid came to him as he sate by the fire Matthew and Mark that he was now beneath in the Palace and without in the Palace meaning beneath or without from that place or room where the Bench sate Betwixt this first denial and the second there was but a little while Luke 22. 55. In the space between the Highpriest is questioning Jesus of his Disciples and Doctrine and because he answers Ask them that have heard me c. an officious Officer smites him as if he had not answered with reverence enough Peter this while was in the porch where he was when the Cock crew after his first denial and there another maid sees him and brings him to the company that stood by the fire and challenges him for one of his Disciples and now he denies with an oath And about an hour after Luke 22. 59. which space of time the Bench took up in examining Christ about his Disciples and Doctrine a kinsman of Malchus challengeth him and tells the company he saw him with Jesus in the Garden and he pleading the contrary is discovered to all the company to be a Galilean by his Dialect but he denies with execrations and presently the second Cock crew And Jesus looking back upon him he remembers what he had done and goes out and weeps bitterly And so presently after the second Cock the Bench riseth and leaveth Jesus in the hands of their Officers by whom he is taunted stricken and shamefully used His being delivered up to the Roman power In the morning the Sanhedrin met formally in their own Council chamber and again question Jesus brought there before them and they resolved to put him to death Whether he were the Messias or no he giveth the same answer as before that though they would not believe him if he told them he was which was the truth yet the time was coming when they should find it true They question him again Art thou the Son of God which he not denying they judge him a blasphemer again and deserving to die and so deliver him up to the secular power It is observable in both these questionings of him upon this point both in the night and now in the morning how convertible terms the Son of God and the Son of man are made In the night they question him Art thou the Son of God He answers Ye shall see the Son of man c. Mat. 26. 63 64. And now in the morning again he saith Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and they reply Art thou then the Son of God Luke 22. 69 70. Iudas his Recantation and Ruine Judas unquiet in mind for what he had done in betraying attends the trials and waits the issue and when he now saw that he was condemned by the Bench to be delivered up to the Heathen power he steps in and offers his money again and confesseth he had betrayed innocent blood and this probably as Christ stood by Having received a surly answer again from them he flings down his money in the Temple where they sat Gazith or Hhanoth it is not seasonable to question here and departing is snatched by the devil who was bodily in him into the air and there strangled and flung down headlong to the earth and all his bowels burst out With the thirty pieces of silver his wages of iniquity the Priests consult to buy the Potters field And here a quotation of Matthew hath troubled Expositors so far that divers have denied the purity of the Text. His words are these Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet And they took the thirty pieces of silver c. Matth. 27. 9. Whereas those words are not to be found in Jeremy at all but in Zechary they are found Zech. 11. 13. Now Matthew speaks according to an ordinary manner of speaking used among the Jews and by them would easily and without cavil be understood though he cited a text of Zechary under the name of Jeremy For the illustration of which matter we must first produce a record of their own The Babylon Talmud in Bava Bathra fol. 14. facie 2. is discoursing concerning the order in which the Books of the Old Testament were ordered and ranked of old And first they shew that there was this general division of it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law the Prophets and the Hagiographa By
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
maintained upon the foundation or because she was a Prophetess and so lodged in some of the buildings or chambers belonging to the Temple For so might women do as 2 Chron. 22. 11 12. SECTION VII S. MATTHEW CHAP. II. Christ at two years old is visited and honoured by the Wisemen The Children of Bethlehem murthered Herod dyeth soon after Christ returneth out of Egypt NOw when Iesus was born in Bethlehem of a a a a a a Vulg. of Juda and this is conceived by Jerom to be the better reading because it is so written ver 6. But in this verse the Evangelist telleth it was in Bethlehem of Judea to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Galilee Joh. 19. 15. and in ver 6. he saith it was in the land of Judah to distinguish it from the lot of Benjamin Judea in the days of Herod the King behold there came b b b b b b Wisemen Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is reserved by the Syr. Arab. Ital. and generally by all Latines the French readeth it Sages in the sense of our English Wisemen from the East to Jerusalem 2. Saying where is he that is born King of the Jews For we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him 3. When Herod the King had heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him 4. And when he had gathered all the chief Priests and c c c c c c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX Exod. 5. 6. Joh. 1. 10. 2 Sam. 8. 17. Jer. 36. 10. Ezr. 4. 8. and 7. 12. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 1. 15. Scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born 5. They said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea For thus it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem d d d d d d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as John 1. 4. the Preposition is understood in the Land of Juda art not the e e e e e e the LXX in Mic. 5. use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of number but Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalness of bulk or dignity least among the Princes of Juda for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my people Israel 7. Then Herod when he had privily called the Wisemen enquired diligently of them what time the Star appeared 8. And he sent them to f f f f f f Bethlehem distant from Jerusalem 35 furlongs Just. Matt. Apol. 2. Four miles and almost an half Bethlehem and said Go and search diligently for the young child and when ye have found him bring me word again that I may come and worship him also 9. When they had heard the King they departed and lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was 10. When they saw the Star they rejoyced with g g g g g g As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 61. 10. exceeding great joy 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts h h h h h h Gold and Frankincense they shall bring in Merchandize and also for a present to the King Messias and for the house of the Lord D. Kim◠on Esa. 60. 6. Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod they departed into their own Country another away 13. And when they were departed behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him 14. When he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt 15. And was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my Son 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the Wisemen was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the Coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time he had diligently inquired of the Wisemen 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremie the Prophet saying 18. In i i i i i i Rama was the birth place of Samuel 1 Sam. 1. 19. c. Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel mourning for her children and would not be comforted because they are not 19. But when Herod was dead behold an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20. Saying Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the Land of Israel for k k k k k k Compare Exod. 4. 19. they are dead which sought the young childs life 21. And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the Land of Israel 22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his Father Herod he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee 23. And he came and dwelt in a City calleth Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarite Reason of the Order TO confirm and prove the Order of this Section and Story requireth some labour because of an opinion ancient and current among men that crosseth the laying of it in this place It hath been generally held and believed almost of every one that the Wisemen came to Christ when he was but thirteen days old and it is written in red Letters in the Kalendar as if it were a golden truth by the title of Epiphany at the sixth of January An opinion which if it were as true as it is common it were readily known where to place this Story of the Wisemens coming namely between the Circumcision of our Saviour and his Presentation in the Temple betwixt Ver. 21 and 22 of Luke 2. But upon serious and impartial examination of this opinion these rubs and unliklehoods lie in the way and make it as incredible for the improbability as it seemeth venerable for its antiquity First to omit the length of their journey from their own Country to Bethlehem their preparation for so long a journy before they set out and their stay at Jerusalem by the way for I cannot think that all that passed there while they were there was done in an instant Secondly how utterly improbable it is that after all this hubbub at Jerusalem upon the Wisemens
all it will be pertinent here to take up the meaning of it once for all and to consider these two particulars concerning it 1. What our Saviour doth properly intend and mean by Amen when he useth it so oft And 2. Why John the Evangelist doth constantly use it doubled when the other three never use it so at all 1 As to the first it is to be observed and that is well enough known that the word Amen is an Hebrew word and is very commonly used in the old Testament but this withall is to be observed which it may be is not so commonly noted that it is never used in the Old Testament but by way of wishing or apprecation the sixteenth verse of Esay 65. only excepted of which anon As when it cometh single as Deut. 27 twelve times over where the LXX render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be it done 1 Kings 1. 36. where the LXX have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so be it Nehem. 5. 13. Jer. 28. 6. Psal. 106. 48 c. Or when it cometh double Numb 5. 22. Psal. 41. 13. 72. 19. 89. 52. which the LXX express 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be it done be it done or so be it so be it In all these places it is used by way of prayer or imprecation according as the subject matter was to which it was applyed as David Kimchi expresseth it in Micol in the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is spoken saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either by way of prayer or by way of undertaking as that they take upon them a curse if they transgress But in these utterances of our Saviour the sense of it is altered from precatory to assertory or from the way of wishing to the way of affirming for what one Evangelist expresseth Amen I say unto you This poor widdow c. Mar. 12. 43. another uttereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of a truth I say unto you c. Luke 21. 2. Mathew saith Amen I say unto you That some that stand here c. which Luke giveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of a truth I say unto you Luke 9. 27. So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matth. 23. 36. is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly Luke 11. 51. c. For indeed the word Amen doth properly betoken and signifie truth at is apparent by the construction of that verse forementioned Esay 65. 16. He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the God of truth as not only our English but also R. Sol. and David Kimchi do well render it and the gloss of Kimchi upon the place is worth the citing He saith in the earth saith he because in all the world there shall be one truth and that shall be the truth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of truth Now Christ is called Amen Rev. 13. 14. as being not only the faithful and true witness but even he in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. and even truth it self Therefore when he cometh to publish the Gospel which is that one truth that should be in all the world for the prophet Esay speaketh there apparently concerning the times of the Gospel he speaketh of his own as he saith the Devil doth when he speaketh a lye Joh. 8. 44. and useth a different stile from the Prophets which used to authorize their truths with Thus saith the Lord and speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon his own Authority as the God of truth Amen I say unto you In this word therefore is included two things namely the truth spoken and the truth speaking it and the expression doth not only import the certainty of the things delivered but also recalleth to consider that he that delivers it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen the God of truth and truth it self And this consideration will help to give a resolution to the second scruple that was proposed and that is why John alone doth use the word doubled and none other of the Evangelists I am but little satisfied with that gloss that is given by some upon this matter namely that John doth constantly double this word because the matters spoken by him are of a more celestial and sublime strain than the matters spoken by the other Evangelists and therefore the greater attention is challenged to them by this gemination for neither can I see nor dare I think of any such superiority and inferiority in the writings of the Evangelists Nor do I suppose that Christ used this gemination himself for it is very strange that in those speeches that this Evangelist mentioneth he should do so and in the speeches that the others mention he should not do so when it may be sometimes it was the very same speech but I conceive that the Evangelist hath doubled the word that he might express the double sense which the single word in our Saviours mouth and in the other Evangelists includeth And so he addeth nothing to what Christ spake but explaineth his speech to the utmost extent He saith in the other Evangelists Amen singly but he meaneth thus doubly This is truth and I am truth that speak it Now John that he might clear this double meaning doth double the word Amen Amen the one whereof doth refer to the thing that is spoken and the other to the person that speaketh it But the question proposed is not yet resolved why John should do thus rather than any of the other but the same answer that resolveth why John should relate so many things that none of the other three do ever mention will resolve this namely that it was Gods will and disposal that there should be four that should write the Gospel and that some writing one thing and some another some after one manner some another the Story should be divinely made up to its full perfection Now John wrote last and he had warrant and opportunity to relate what the others had omitted And as for the particular in hand he saw that the other had only produced this word single as Christ indeed had continually uttered it and that they had some of them expounded it in a place or two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that it was to be taken in these speeches in a meaning different from that precatory strain in which it was constantly used in the Old Testament but yet that there was something more included in the word and therefore he is warranted by the holy Ghost to explain it to the full in two words Amen Amen And thus the counsels of the Lord of old uttered and revealed by the Prophets do in the preaching of the Gospel by our Saviour prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth truth Esay 25. 1. § Hereafâ—er ye shall see Heaven opened Observe the manner of our Saviours answer the text saith
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.
of himself and other men 1. That Christ came from Heaven but he and others are but earthly men 2. That Christ was above all men and all things for so the Greek word may indifferently be rendred but himself and others were but of earthly and low esteem and glory And 3. that Christ spake the words of God the things which he had heard and seen but himself and others spake of the earth and could not reach to Divine things So that the first clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is of the earth is of the earth may be understood He that is of an earthly original is of an earthly temper and glory as vers 6. He that is born of the flesh is flesh And the latter clause He speaketh of the earth may be understood two ways and the better understood by laying it in opposition to Christ. 1. Christ speaketh the words of God for he could do no other the purity of his nature could not utter a vain idle or earthly word but all Divine But he that is a meer earthly man cannot speak but earthly things altogether and not heavenly things at all as 1 Cor. 2. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 5. And herein it seemeth the strength and sense of this Antithesis betwixt Christ and meer mortals lieth and that this is the proper meaning of the Baptist for as he holds out this clear difference betwixt Christ and mortals in regard of their Original that Christ is from Heaven they from earth so doth he as clear a difference in regard of their constitution that Christ could not naturally but speak the words of God but they cannot naturally speak any such words but of the earth And 2. If the men here spoken of be of the Prophetick rank as John Baptist himself was then the Antithesis lies in this that what Revelation they have of Divine things is but obscure in comparison of what Christ hath for he witnesseth what he hath seen and heard and he hath not the Spirit by measure and what they speak of Divine things is but low and slender and by earthly expressions in comparison of the high and sublime Doctrines that he uttereth But I take the former interpretation to be the more genuine Vers. 33. Hath set to his Seal that God is true Christ spake and testified nothing but what he had seen and heard of the Father as Chap. 1. 18. 5. 20. as Moses saw and heard from God what he delivered to Israel And no man receiveth his testimony that is very few as All seek their own and none the things of Christ when neither the Jews no nor Johns Disciples would entertain it But those few that did or do they seal to the truth of God for whosoever believeth the Word of God doth as it were subscribe and set to his seal that the Word is true and God true that gave it And so they that received the testimony of Christ did both seal to the truth of his Words and also to the truth of all the promises that God had made concerning Christ see 1 Joh. 5. 10. and thus is there a mutual sealing to the covenant of Grace betwixt God and man God sealeth the truth of it by the Sacraments and man by believing Vers. 34. For God giveth not the Spirit by measure Those translations that add the words To him as divers do do readily fix the sense of it upon Christ that God poured the Spirit upon him above measure but that expression To him is not in the Original and therefore some do understand it generally of all the Prophets whom the Lord sent that they spake the words of God every one of them for God had abundance of Spirit to pour upon them had they been never so many and he measured not out the same stint of the Spirit to every one of them but what measure seemed good to his good pleasure And to bring it up to the drift and scope of Johns speech in this place they apply it thus Think not much of the honour of Christ which troubles you because it seems to eclipse mine Although I have much of Gods Spirit why may not he have more For God giveth not the Spirit by measure But the Baptist seemeth to aim the speech concerning Christ alone SECTION XV. St. LUKE Chap. III. Vers. 18. AND many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people 19. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done 20. Added yet this above all that he shut up Iohn in prison Reason of the Order NOW that John is no more to appear in publick being committed close prisoner by Herod as this Section relateth the very looking back to the preceding Section which concludeth with a solemn speech of Johns and the casting forward that there is not one speech more of his to be found henceforth in all the Evangelists this doth sufficiently prove and assert the proper order and subsequence of this Section to the former especially this being added and observed that all the Evangelists do unanimously relate that our Saviours journey into Galilee which is the very next thing that any of them do mention was not till after John was shut up in prison John speaks it the least plain and yet he speaks it plain enough as shall be observed at the next Section Now if it be scrupled or wondred at why Luke should mention Johns imprisonment before the mention of Christs being baptized by him the considerate observing of Lukes method will give an answer to that doubt for there the Evangelist in one story comprehendeth the whole Ministery of John having no more to speak of it in all his Gospel He relateth what John preached to all that came to be baptized by him and what particularly to the Pharisees what to the Publicans and what to the Souldiers and divers other things saith he besides those particulars mentioned He preached to the people And he was also as plain and round with Herod as he had been with the rest of the people so that Herod at last shut him up in prison And so he compileth and wrappeth up the story of the tenour and success of Johns Ministery in general to all sorts of people in that brief relation and then he cometh to the particular relation of his baptizing Christ. And if it be scrupled again why I take not in the very fame story with this of this Section which is related in Matth. 14. 3 4 5. and Mark 6. 17 18 19 20. as most Harmonists of the Evangelists do it is because that relation will fall and come in very pertinently and methodically as the story of a thing past in the place where it lies and seeing that this Section tells the story very full the bringing of those Texts of Matthew and Mark hither would inevitably cause a chasma or hiatus in the story there when we come to
for he that is watered with grace doth thirst for the same water of grace again and again but he saith whosoever shall drink of this water which I shall give him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall never so thirst as to fail or perish by it but this water shall preserve him to eternal life Compare Esay 41. 17. Vers. 15. The woman saith Sir give me of this water c. The woman doth now fall from questioning as vers 11 12. to plain mocking and derision for this can be construed no other in her I know these words of hers are taken by divers to intimate her inclining to and imbracing this doctrine of Christ though she knew not well how to understand it and they shew say some Simplicitatem credendi her simplicity or sincerity of believing who so soon doubted not to ask for this so excellent water But be it considered 1. That as yet she took Christ but for an ordinary man until he hath told her of her secret villanies and then she takes him for a Prophet vers 19. And 2. that taking him for an ordinary man she talks with him as a Samaritan huswife would do with a common Jew between whom there was so deadly a scorn and fewd 3. The thing that Christ spake of of giving water after which the party that had it should never thirst were things so strange and would seem so ridiculous to any Samaritan nay to any flesh and blood that knew no more of him than as yet she did those words proceeding from so mean a man as he seemed to be that her words in reply thereunto Sir give me of this water c. can be no other but a jeer and scorn of what he had spoken And her calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sir doth no whit take off this construction since that was but a word of ordinary compellation or if she used it in a higher sense she used it but in the higher scorn Vers. 17. I have no husband The reason why Christ bids her call her husband may be supposed to be partly that he might check and stop her jeering by minding her of her own faults and chiefly that he might shew her that he was another kind of person then she judged of him by telling her of such things as she knew he could not tell her but divinely Now her denial that she had any husband is ascribed by some to her modesty to conceal her adultery by others to this because she knew not what Christ would do with her husband but till it can be shewed why a Samaritan quean should talk with any reverence or civility with an ordinary Jew for she took Christ for no other as yet especially when he spake to her of such unlikely things as he did it is the most proper and undisputable interpretation of her words I have no husband to take them for a scoffing and regardless answer to a question and to a person that she was careless whether she gave any any answer to or no. Vers. 18. He whom thou now hast is not thine husband It seemeth by the numerousness of her former husbands and by the same expression used concerning them and this thou hast had five and this that thou hast that she was a divorced woman and now lived in an adulterous marriage and it may be married to him who had adulterated her in her former husbands days But be it either thus or that she lived in adultery out of wedlock her conscience is convinced of the truth of the thing that Christ speaketh and withal she findeth that he had told her that which a meer stranger could not tell her but by the spirit of Prophecy and therefore she owns him for a Prophet Vers. 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this Mount Conceiving him to be a Prophet she sodainly desireth to hear what he will determine upon that great dispute that was between the Jews and the Samaritans continually namely whether was the truer and righter place of worship Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim She called Jacob Our Father Jacob ver 12. for so the Samaritans would be a kin to the Jews when they thought good but the Fathers she speaks of here were as far from the Religion and Worship that Jacob used as Jacob was from the Religion of Hamor and Sichem Josephus tells one story that gives this woman but little cause to boast of her Fathers worshipping in that Mount and that is this That when Antiochus Epiphanes did so heavily oppress the Jews and persecute their Religion these Samaritans thinking that their Religion also looked somewhat like that of the Jews and that Antiochus might happily suspect that they and the Jews and both their Religions were something a kin and so they suffer as well as the other they fairly send to Antiochus and betime disclaim any such kindred And whereas indeed they could not deny but they had a Temple they besought him that it might be dedicated to the Grecian Jupiter and called by his name and so by the Kings command it was Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 7. Here was worshipping in that Mount with a witness and much to be bragd of but see the impudence of Hereticks when such a Temple shall compare with the Temple at Jerusalem Abraham Zaccuth saith This Temple of Gerizim was destroyed by Jochanan the son of Simeon the son of Mattathias and the Hereticks slain Juchas fol. 14. Vers. 21. Woman believe me The Hour cometh c. As she owned him for a Prophet so he challengeth to be believed of her as a Prophet and as a Prophet he foretels her of what was now ready to come to pass namely that Ceremonious Worship should cease and be no more confined to particular place or Nation That there should be no Sacrifice at Jerusalem no Image at Samaria no Ephod at Jerusalem no Teraphim at Samaria as Hos. 3. 4. but that those places and that manner of worship should fail and be abolished And so he answers her question in the first place to this purpose that it was needless for her or any other to trouble themselves about that dispute whether Jerusalem or Gerizim were the more eminent place of Worship for the time was just now in coming when neither the one nor the other should be the place of worship at all And then he determins the question indeed that Jerusalem had ever been and was at that present the right place of worship but Gerizim a Temple of error and usurpation and he proves his determination by this reason We know what we worship c. Vers. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth In the term The true worshippers he looketh at the womans question and the two Nations controversie They tugged for it and she inquires about it whether of the people had the true worship amongst them why saith Christ ere long there shall be no worship at all either among the one or the other And
the time is now come that he that will be taken for a true worshipper must neither worship as the Jews do ceremoneously but in spirit nor as the Samaritans do erroneously but in truth Thus may we very well divide the two words Spirit and truth to serve these two purposes as thus to answer about the worship of either Nation the one whereof worshipped God altogether in external Rites and Ceremonies and the other worshipped they knew not what and they knew not how But generally the word Spirit and truth are taken by Expositors to signifie but one and the same thing and stand in opposition only to the carnal Rites and shadowy types in which their whole Worship in a manner did consist His using of the term Father for God is not so much in reference to the other persons in the Trinity or because the woman was acquainted with that mystery but because the Jews and it is like the Samaritans also used the word very commonly in their prayers and speeches as Our Father which art in Heaven do to us as thou hast promised by the Prophet And Let the prayers and requests of all the House of Israel be accepted before their Father which is in Heaven c. Maym. in Tephilloth Vers. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him c. Here ariseth a question upon the very first reading of the verse the words Spirit and truth being interpreted as is mentioned immediately before and that is why did God so punctually ordain and so long continue a Typical and Ceremonious Worship if those that worship him must worship in spirit and truth Answer That very worship was for this end and purpose that men should learn to worship God in spirit and truth For all these rites and types were but doctrines of the way of Salvation through Christ till Christ came and the very use of them was to this end that out of them men should spel this spiritual and true worship namely to worship God in Christ and to look after his benefits for their salvation which those rites doctrinally held unto them and which lesson the true worshippers or believers did attain unto Vers. 25. I know that Messiah cometh c. he will teach us all things The Samaritans had learned from the Jews to expect Messias and how the Jews expected this to be the time of his coming we have shewed before and it may be the woman speaketh this as meaning that she looked for Messias to come shortly which occasioned Christs answer I am he as taking at her words in that sense Thou sayest Messias will come shortly and resolve all things I tell thee Messias is come already and I am he Now her referring the resolution of this doubt to Messias his coming it sheweth she did not throughly digest and entertain Christs answer to her question although she took upon her to acknowledge him for a Prophet She had no mind the thing should be so as he had resolved and therefore she had no mind to believe it How Christ was expected as the great teacher we shall observe afterward Vers. 29. A man which hath told me all things that ever I did The Disciples having now bought all things that they would have for dinner for it was now dinner time return to the well to their Master and upon their return Christs discourse and the womans is broken off and she slips a way into the City and bids come see a man that hath told me all things that ever I did But Christ did not so for he told her only of one particular or two about her husbands but besides that the word All in Scripture is not always stretched to the utmost extent of its signification he had told her so much that she concludes that he that could tell her that could have told her also all things else such expressions as these in earnest and pathetical narrations are not strange Vers. 35. Say ye not there are yet four months c. The coherence and connexion of this verse with those before which is the first thing to be looked after in it lyeth thus The Disciples had been in the City and bought some meat and when they had set it ready they invite him to dine He answers No he hath other meat to feed upon than they are aware of and that was to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work And what work was that Why the very work that he had been just now about preaching the Gospel and converting a soul and which work he knew was increasing upon him by the coming of the Samaritans to hear him whom either he now saw coming in flocks towards him or knew they would come In these words therefore he answers his Disciples to this purpose You would have me to eat but I have somewhat else to do which is meat to me which is to finish my Fathers work in preaching the Gospel for look you yonder whereas ye say it is four months to harvest see what a Gospel harvest is coming yonder what a multitude of people is yonder coming to hear me ready for the harvest therefore it is not a time to talk of eating of meat that perisheth but to fall to this harvest work which is my meat in doing the will of him that sent me The harvest of the Jews began at the Passover for on the second day of the Passover the Law injoyned them to bring a sheaf of the first fruits of their harvest and wave it before the Lord and from that day they counted seven weeks to Pentecost See Levit. 23. 10. 15. Four months therefore before the Passover which was the fourteenth day of the first month falls to be towards the latter end of our November or thereabout as is easily cast by any This therefore helps to set the clock of the time reasonable well both for the reckoning of what times are past and for the better fixing of the next Passover that is to come As 1. It shews about what time Johns imprisonment befel and how long he preached namely from Passover was twelvemonth to this November a year and a half and a month and some days above for it is like that Christ stayed not long in Judea after Johns imprisoning 2. It shews that Christ had spent some eight months in Judea from the Passover hitherto and had in this time converted abundance of people to his doctrine 3. It will help to clear that the feast of the Jews spoken of in the next Chapter is the next Passover that was to come as we shall observe when we come there In the former part of the words Say ye not There are four months and then cometh harvest He speaketh literally of their harvest of corn but in the latter the fields are already white to harvest he speaketh parabolically or spiritually of the multitudes of people both among Jews and Gentiles that were ready to be reaped and gathered
is done in writing as might be proved by many examples I shall only give one as parallel to the phrase that we have in hand as the Author himself is unparallel to our Evangelists in matter of truth and that is Lucian in his title of the first book of true History 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the Evangelist at his entry into this History mentioneth the former Treatise of his Gospel because this Treatise of The Acts of the Apostles taketh at that and as that contained the Life and Doctrine of our Saviour himself so doth this the like of his Apostles And therefore the words immediately following Of all that Jesus began to do may not unfitly be interpreted to such a meaning that Jesus began and his Apostles finished though it is true indeed that in Scripture phrase to begin to do and to do do sound to one and the same sense as Matth. 12. 1. compared with Luke 6. 1. Mark 6. 2. compared with Matth. 13. 54. c. Now the method that the Evangelist prescribes unto himself and followeth in this Book is plainly this From the beginning of the Book to the end of the twelfth Chapter he discourseth the state of the Church and Gospel among the Jews and from thence forward to the end of the Book he doth the like of the same among the Gentiles and therfore accordingly although the title of the Book be The Acts of the Apostles as of the Apostles in general yet doth he more singularly set himself to follow the story of the two Apostles Peter and Paul Peters to the 13 Chapter and Pauls after because that these two were more peculiarly the fixed Ministers of the circumcision and of the uncircumcision Gal. 2. 8. and so doth Moses intitle a reckoning of the heads of the Fathers houses of all the Tribes of Israel in general Exod. 6. â—4 and yet he fixeth at the Tribe of Levi and goeth no further because the subject of his Story lay especially in that Tribe in Moses and Aaron §. Of all that Jesus began to do and to teach Not that Luke wrote all things that Jesus did nor indeed could they be written John 21. 25. but that 1. He wrote all those things that were necessary and not to be omitted Theophylact and Calvin 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all for many as it is frequently done in Scripture 3. And chiefly that he wrote something of all the heads of Christs actions and doctrine for he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camerarius Or 4. As the woman of Samaria saith that Christ had told her all things that ever she did Joh. 4. 29. whereas he told her but some few particulars but they were such as whereby she was convinced he could tell her all So though Luke did not specifie all and every action and doctrine of Christ that ever he did and taught yet did he write of such as whereby it was most clear that Christ was the Messias Vers. 2. After that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments to the Apostles whom he had chosen There is some diversity in pointing and reading this Verse some take it in the order and posture that our English hath it applying the words through the Holy Ghost to Christs giving commandments and read it thus after â—â— had given commandments through the Holy Ghost and so doth the Vulgar Latine Theophylact Marâ—rat and indeed the pointing in the best Copies Others as the Syrian Arabick and Beza with them conjoyn it thus Giving commandments to the Apostles whom he had chosen by the Holy Ghost Now in the main thing it self there is not so much difference as to make any great scruple or matter how the words are pointed for Christ may as well be said to command his Disciples by the Holy Ghost as to chuse them by the Holy Ghost and so e contra But it is material to consider First That it is more proper by far to conceive Christ acting the Holy Ghost upon the Disciples and that when they were called than his acting him in himself in calling them Secondly That there is no mention at all of such an acting of the Holy Ghost in the Disciples choosing but there is expresly at their receiving their charge and therefore not only the pointing of the Text and the consent of divers Copies Expositors and Interpreters that read as our English doth but even the very thing it self and truth and evidence of Story require that it should be so read Now why Christ should be said to give commandment through the Holy Ghost and what commandment this was that was so given to them is much in controversie There is mention indeed of Christ breathing of the Holy Ghost upon them Joh. â—0 22. and of a commandment or two given them afterward as To go teach all Nations Matth. 28. 19. and to abide at Jerusalem till the promise of the Father Act. 1. 4. And the exposition and interpretation that is commonly given of these words doth sense them thus That Christ by the vertue of the Holy Ghost in himself did give them these commands Whereas it is far more agreeable to the stile and phrase of Scripture to expound them in another sense namely that Christ by the Holy Ghost infused into his Disciples did command them not by the words of his own mouth but by the direction of his Spirit within them and so the Prophets were commanded Zech. 1. 6. where the LXX use the same Greek word For first else to what purpose did he breath the Holy Ghost upon them and bid them receive it Sure they had something beside the Ceremony of breathing bestowed upon them and what can that be conceived to be if not the Holy Ghost to inform them of what they yet knew not and to direct them what he would have them to do Secondly It is therefore observable that on Pentecost day they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 8. and Luke 24. 49. Power and abilities to execute their charge for indeed their charge was given them by Christ before Now Christ was not with them continually to talk with them and to instruct them but came by times among them and away again and therefore on the very first night that he appeared unto them he distributed the Holy Ghost among them to be their constant instructer and injoyner what they were to do in that calling and employment to which they were ingaged and the fruit of one of these instructions and injunctions by the Holy Ghost within them was the choosing of Matthias Vers. 3. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs §. The History of the resurrection and Christs several apparitions after it On the first day of the week a a a Luke 24. 1. very early in the morning b b b Matt. 28. 1. when it began to dawn
had no other surety for the Truth of the Old Testament Text these mens pains me thinks should be enough to stop the mouth of a daring Papist CHAP. XIV Of the marginal Readings THAT the margin should so often help the Text as I may so say as in 848 places may seem to tax the Text of so many errors But the Learned can find a reason why it is so I hope I may satisfie my self without any hurt with this reason till my Learning will afford me a better Namely that when they took in hand to review the Bible after the Captivity as all hold Ezra did that they did it by more copies than one which when they thus varied they would not forsake either because they were loath to add or diminish therefore they took even their varying one in the Text and the other in the Margin Yet do I not think it was done only thus without some more special matter in some places for the writing of Nagnarah so often Nagnar does make me think if I had nothing else to perswade me that these Marginals are not only humane corrections CHAP. XV. Ex Kimchio in Ionah 1. KImchi questioning why the Book of Jonah should be Canonical c. gives one most comfortable reason which upon reading I could not but muse on His words are observable and they are these It is questionable why this Prophecy is written among the Holy Scriptures since it is all against Niniveh which was Heathenish and in it there is no remembrance or mention of Israel and among all the Prophets besides this there is not the like But we may expound it that it is written to be a * * * Heb. Musar Instruction check to Israel for lo a strange People which were not of Israel was ready to repent and even the first time that a Prophet reproved them they turned wholly from their evil But Israel whom the Prophets reproved early and late yet they returned not from their evil Again this Book was written to shew the great miracle that the blessed God did with the Prophets who was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish and yet lived and the fish cast him up again Again to teach us that the blessed God sheweth mercy to the repentant of what Nation soever and pardons them though they be many Haec Kimchi Upon whose last words I cannot but enter into these thoughts Could we look for a Truth from a Jew or Comfort from a Spaniard And yet here the Spanish Jew affords us both comfortable Truth and true Comfort God will pardon the Repentant there is a comfortable Truth and he will pardon them of what Nation soever if they repent there is most true Comfort When a Jew thus Preaches repentance I cannot but hearken and help him a little out with his Sermon That as God is ready to forgive the Repentant of what Nation soever so for what Sins soever if they be truly Repented Here I except the impardonable Sin the sin against the Holy Ghost which what it is the Scripture conceals in close words partly because we should not despair if we fall our selves and partly because we should not censure damnably of our Brethren if they fall into a sin that is nigh this so that not into it To maintain the Jews words and mine own for pardon of Nations and of sins I have as large a field as all the Countries and all the Sins of the World to look over I will only for Countries confine my self to Niniveh and for Sins to Mary Magdalen Niniveh a Heathen Town built by a Wicked Brood inhabited by a Wicked Crew yet Repenting Niniveh is Pardoned Mary Magdalen a manifold Sinner a customary Sinner a most deadly Sinner yet Repenting Mary Magdalen is Forgiven The Jew brings me into two Christian Meditations about Niniveh or into two wholsom Passions Fear and Hope God sees the Sins of Niniveh then I know mine are not hid this breeds in me Fear of punishment But God forgives the sins of Niniveh then I Hope mine are not unpardonable this breeds hope of forgiveness Col debhaurau she amar â—ehareang libhne Adam saith the Rabbin bithnai im lo jâ—shubhu All the evils that God threatens to men are threatned with this condition if they do not Repent As before the Jew spake Comfort and Truth so here he links Comfort and Terror God threatens Evil there is Terror but it is with Condition there is Comfort Niniveh finds both in the story Forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed there is a threatned Terror But the Lord repented of the Evil that he spake to do unto them and did it not there is a Comforting Condition So that as David does so will I hopefully and yet fearfully sing of Mercy and Judgment First Mercy then Judgment Mercy upon my Repentance lest I be cast down and Judgment upon my Sins lest I be lifted up Mercy in Judgment and Judgment in Mercy Is there any one that desperately rejects Ninivehs exhibited Mercy Let him fear Ninivehs threatned Judgment or is there any that trembles at Ninivehs threatned Judgment Let him comfort himself by Ninivehs obtaining Mercy But in the mouth of two witnesses let the Mercy be confirmed Let me take Mary Magdalen with Niniveh and as I see in it the forgiveness of a multitude of Sinners so I may see in her of a multitude of Sins Those many Sinners pardoned as one Man those many Sins made as none at all Saint Bernard speaking of her washing of Christs feer says she came thither a Sinner but she went thence a Saint She came thither an Aethiope and a Leopard but she went thence with changed Skin and cancelled Spots But how was this done She fell at the feet of Christ and with sighs from her heart she vomited the Sins from her soul. Prosternere tu anima mea as saith the same Bernard And cast thou thy self down oh my soul before the feet of Christ wipe them with thine hairs wash them with thy tears which tears washing his feet may also purge thy soul. Wash his feet and wash thy self with Mary Magdalen till he say to thee as he did to Mary Magdalen thy sins are forgiven CHAP. XVI Of Sacrifice SAcrifice is within a little as old as sin and sin not much younger than the world Adam on the day of his creation as is most probable sinneth and sacrificeth and on the next day after meditates on that whereunto his sacrifice aimeth even Christ. Cain and Abel imitate the matter of their fathers piety Sacrifice but Cain comes far short in the manner Abel hath fire from Heaven to answer him and Cain is as hot as fire because he hath not Noah takes an odd clean beast of every kind into his Ark for this purpose to sacrifice him after his Delivery And so he does but for the Chaldee Paraphrasts fancy that he sacrificed on the very same Altar whereon Adam and Cain and Abel had
would have the Bible turned into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strom. 1. Pag. 124. That is For this were the Scriptures interpreted in the Grecians Tongue that they might have no excuse for their ignorance being able to understand our Scriptures if they would CHAP. XXIV Phrases taken from Iews in the New Testament THESE Phrases are by the great Broughton called Talmudick Greek when Jewish and Talmudical Phrases are used in Holy Writ Such is Gehenna frequent in all Rabbins Maranatha 1 Cor. 16. 22. the bitter excommunication The world to come so often used in the Gospel and nothing more often among the Jews and Chaldees Raka Matth. 5. 22. of which see Chap. 19. Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3. 8. whose names I find in the Chaldee Paraphrast with very little difference and a goodly legend of them As in Exod. 1. 15. Pharaoh slept and saw in his dream and behold all the land of Egypt was put in one scale and a * * * Chal. Taâ—la bar imera young lamb in the other scale and the lamb weighed down the scales of himself * * * Chal. Mliadh out of hand a Phrase most usual in Iews Authors and the very same in Eng. oâ—t of hand out of hand he sends and calls all the Sorcerers of Egypt and tells them his dream Out of hand Janis and Jimbres chief of the Sorcerers opened their mouths and said unto Pharaoh there is a child to be born of some of the Congregation of Israel by whose hands all the land of Egypt shall be wasted therefore the King consulted with the Jewish midwives c. And in Exod. 7. 11. He calls them Janis and Jambres And that you might the better understand who these two were the Hebrew comment upon the Chaldee Text saith They were Scholars for their art of enchanting to the noble wizard Balaam and so he fetches Zophar for authority to maintain them And to prove Janis and Jambres either very constant enemies and opposers to Moses or else very good dutiful Scholars to Balaam the Chaldee saith that these two were the two servants that went with Balaam Numb 22. 22. when he went to curse Israel Beelzebub or as the New Testament Greek calls it Beelzebul is a wicked phrase used by the Jews of Christ Mark 3. 22. and elsewhere Now whether this change of the last letter were among the Jews accidental or of set purpose I cannot determine Such ordinary variation of letters without any other reason even use of every Country affords So Reuben is in the Syrian called Rubil Apoc. 7. 5. So the Greek and Latine Paulus is in the Syrian Phaulus in Arabian Baulus But some give a witty reason of l in Beelzebul that the Jews in derision of the Ekronites god Baalzebub which was a name bad enough the god of a flie gave him a worse Baalzebul the god of a Sir-Reverence for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in Chaldean To omit any more Jewish Phrases honoured by the New Testament using them this very thing does shew the care is to be had for the right reading of the Greek since so many idioms and so many kinds of stile are used by it CHAP. XXV Ninivehs conversion Jonah 3. THE book of Jonah is wholly composed of wonders Some hold Jonah to be wonderful in his birth As that he should be the son of the Sarepta widow whom Eliah raised to life And because the mother of the child said Now I know that the word of God in thy mouth is true therefore he is called Ben Amittai the son of my truth whether the story may be called Ben Amittai or a true story let the Reader censure by the two Towns of Sarepta and Gath-hepher Howsoever Jonah was wondrous in his birth I am sure he was wondrous in his life A Prophet and a runnagate before his shipwrack a man drowned and yet alive in his shipwrack and a Preacher of Repentance and yet a Repiner at Repentance after The least wonder in the book is not the conversion of Niniveh It was a great wonder as D. Kimchi says that Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights and yet lived And it was another wonder that he was not stupid but continued in his senses and intellectuals and prayed And do but well consider it and it will appear almost as great a wonder that Niniveh so great a Town so long wicked in so short time should be converted To say as Rabbi Joshuah doth That the men of the Ship were got to Niniveh and had told all the occurrence about Jonah how they had thrown him over hatches and yet he it was that was among them and therefore they believed the sooner as it is without Authority so doth it lessen the wonder of the Towns conversion Jonah an unknown man of a forraign people to come into so great a City with a Fourty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed was strange But for the King upon so short a time to send a cryer to proclaim Repentance is as strange if not stranger Jonah proclaims the Town shall be destroyed the King in a manner proclaims the Town shall not be destroyed by proclaiming the means how to save it Repentance To say as * * * Aben Ezra gives 2. Reasons of poor force to provt that Ninlveh feared God in old time 1. Because otherwise he would not have sent his Prophet to them and so he lessens the wonder of Gods mercy 2. Because we read not that they brake their images therefore they had not any How far the Rab. is besides the cushion both for construction and reason one of small skill may â—edge Aben Ezra does That because the City is called Gnir gedholah leelohim a great City of God that therefore they feared God in old time but now in Jonahs time began to do evil is still to lessen the wonder about their conversion a stranger repentance than which the world never saw The old world had a time of warning of years for Ninivehs hours and yet eat and drunk till the flood came and then in the floods of many waters Repentance and Prayers would not come near God Psal. 32. Fair warning had Sodom by the preaching of Lot whose righteous soul they vexed and would not repent till their Hell as it were began from Heaven and fire and brimstone brought them to the lake of fire and brimstone and when the wicked seed of him that derided his fathers nakedness perished for their naked beastliness and their flames of lust brought them to flames on Earth and in Hell The men of Niniveh shall rise up in Judgment against the generation of the Jews and condemn them because these at the Preaching of Jonah Repented and they not for the Preaching of a greater than Jonah that was among them When the Master of the Vineyard sent his Servants nay his own Son they put him to Death In the Conversion
cross of our Saviour in the title are three Tongues Hebrew Greek and Latine Greek the foundation of the other two some few additions In the Greek Master Broughton hath given learned rules and examples of the kinds of it viz. Septuagint Talmudick Attick and Apostolick The Hebrew or Syrian for so that word Hebrew in the title of the cross must be understood is easily found out even in Translations Latine there is some in the Gospels but not much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Census for tribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ward or watch Matth. 28. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiculator Mark 6. 27. which word is used by Targum Jeruselamy in Gen. 37. of Potiphar that he was Rabh Sapulachtaria Princeps spiculatorum And some other words of the Latine Tongue which Language in our Saviours time the conquest of the Romans had scattered in Jerusalem and in the parts adjoyning and so may one find some Latine in the Syrian Testament and abundance of Greek CHAP. XXXIII Of the Chaldee and Syrian Tongues THE Chaldee and Syrian Tongue was once all one as appeareth in Gen. 31. 47. Ezra 4. 7. Dan. 2. 4. In Character indeed they differed they of Babilon using one kind of letter they of Syria another This was that that nonplust the Babilonian wizards about the writing of the wall so that they could not read it though it were in their own Language because it was not in their own letter In after-times the very Languages themselves began to vary as the Chaldee in Daniel and Onkelos and Jeruselamy and Jonathan and the Syrian in the Testament do witness The Paraphrasts do much differ between themselves for purity of speech and all far short of the Bible Chaldee They are very full of Greek words and so the Syrian a relick of Alexanders conquests some think they find some Greek in Daniel Montanus himself renders Osphaiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all along Four kind of Characters is the Chaldee to be had in or if you will the Chaldee in two and the Syrian in two Our Bible and Paraphrasts and Rabbins Chaldee is in the Hebrew letter and the other kind of letter is the Samaritan The Syrian hath either a set letter such as we have the New Testament imprinted in or their running hand such as the Maronites use in their writing for speed there is no great difference betwixt them as you may see by their Alphabet CHAP. XXXV Of the Arabian Language THIS is the most copious of the Hebrew Dialects and a Tongue that may brag with the most of Tongues from fluency and continuance of familiarity This Tongue is frequent in Scripture especially in Job a man of that Country How other parts of the Bible use it I think may be judged by the nearness of Judea and Arabia and of the two Languages In this one thing it differs from its fellow-Dialects and its Mother Tongue that it varieth terminations in declining of Nowns as the Greek and Latine do and that it receiveth dual numbers in forming Verbs as doth the Greek Of the largeness of the Alphabet and difference from other Alphabets and quiddits of the Tongue or indeed any thing of the Tongue I cannot say which I have not received of the most Industrious and thrice Learned both in this and other the noble Tongues Master William Bedwell whom I cannot name without a great deal of thankfulness and honour To whom I will rather be a Scholar than take on me to teach others This Tongue was Mahomads Alcoran written in and is still read in the same Idiome under pain of death not to mistake a letter which is as easily done in this Tongue as in any CHAP. XXXVI Of the Latine Tongue THIS is the first Idiom of our Grammar Schools A Tongue next the sacred Tongues most necessary for Scholars of the best profession Whether Latine were a Babel Language I will not controvert pro contra Sure I dare say that what Latine we read now was not at Babel if we may believe Polybius who saith that the Latine Tongue that was used in Junius Brutus time was not understood in the time of the first Punick War but only by great Scholars So much in few years it had degenerated The old Poets compared with smooth Ovid and Tully shew much alteration This spacious Tongue once almost as big as any and as large as a great part of the World is now bounded in Schools and Studies The Deluge of the North the treasury of Men overwhelmed the Romane Empire scattered the Men and spoiled the Latine Goths Vandals Lombards and the rest of the brood of those frozen Climates have beaten the Latine Tongue out of its own fashion into the French Spanish and Italian But some sparks of their hammering are flown into other Languages of the West So that most Countries hereabout may own Rome for a second Babel for their speech confused CHAP. XXXVII The Language of Britain near a thousand years ago Ex Beda lib. 1. de Hist. Angl. Cap. 1. BRitania in praesenti juxta numerum librorum c. Britain in my time saith Bede doth search and confess one and the same knowledge of the High Truth and true sublimity in five Tongues according to the five Books wherein the Law of God was written namely in the English Britain Scotish Pict and Latine Tongues And in the nineteenth Chapter of the same Book he saith that when Austen the Monk came from Gregory the great to Preach the Gospel in England he brought with him Interpreters out of France to speak to the English That Language it seems was then usual in England but whether the French that France speaks now is a question William the Conqueror took great care and pains to have brought in his Tongue with his Conquest but could not prevail CHAP. XXXVIII Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast his conceit of Levies chosing to the Priesthood translated out of his Paraph. on Gen. 32. 24. AND Iacob was left alone beyond the foord and an Angel in the likeness of a man strove with him and said Didst thou not promise to give Tithe of all that thou hadst and behold thou hast * * * He had but eleven sons as yet but the Hebrew Comment upon the Chaldee Text helps out at this dead list and saith that Rahel was great with child of Benjamin and so he is counted before he is born twelve sons and one daughter and thou hast not tithed them Out of hand he sets apart the four first born to their four mothers for saith the margin they were holy because of their primogeniture and then were eight left He begins again to count from Simeon and ended in Levi for the tenth or tithe Michael answereth and saith Lord of the World this is thy lot c. thus the Chaldee On whose words if they were worth Commenting on I could say more CHAP. XXXIX Of the Iews abbreviature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS short writing is
to consider in the second place it is not at all to be doubted but he Baptized in the name of the Messias now ready to come and it may be gathered from his words and from his story As yet he knew not that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messias which he confesseth himself John I. 31. yet he knew well enough that the Messias was coming therefore he Baptised those that came to him in his name instructing them in the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning faith in the Messias and repentance that they might be the readier to receive the Messias when he should manifest himself Consider well Malâ—c III. 1. Luke I. 17. John I. 7 31. c. The Apostles baptizing the Jews baptized them in the name of Jesus because Jesus of Nazareth had now been revealed for the Messias and that they did when it had been before commanded them by Christ baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost So you must understand that which is spoken Joh. III. 23. IV. 2. concerning the Disciples of Christ baptizing namely that they baptized in the Name of Jesus that thence it might be known that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messias in the Name of whom suddenly to come John had baptized That of St. Peter is plain Act. II. 38. Be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ and that Act. VIII 16. They were baptized in the Name of Jesus But the Apostles baptized the Gentiles according to the precept of our Lord in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. XXVIII 19. For since it was very much controverted among the Jews about the true Messias and that unbelieving Nation denied stifly and without ceasing that Jesus of Nazareth was He under which virulent Spirit they labour even to this day it was not without cause yea nor without necessity that they baptized in the Name of Jesus that by that seal might be confirmed this most principal truth in the Gospel and that those that were baptized might profess it That Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messias But among the Gentiles the controversie was not concerning the true Messias but concerning the true God among them therefore it was needful that baptism should be conferred in the Name of the true God Father Son and Holy Spirit We suppose therefore that men women and children came to John's baptism according to the manner of the Nation in the reception of Proselytes Namely that they standing in Jordan were taught by John that they were baptized into the Name of the Messias that was now immediately to come and into the profession of the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Faith and Repentance that they plunged themselves into the River and so came out And that which is said of them that they were baptized by him confessing their sins is to be understood according to the tenor of the Baptists preaching not that they did this man by man or by some auricular confession made to John or by openly declaring some particular sins but when the Doctrine of John exhorted them to Repentance and to Faith in the Messias they renounced and disowned the Doctrine and Opinion of Justification by their works wherewith they had been before time leavened and acknowledged and confessed themselves sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Iordan John could not baptize in any part of Jordan so it were within the bounds of Judea which the Evangelists assert which had not been dried up and had afforded a passage to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt and were now entring into the promised land VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees § Some few remarks concerning the Pharisees and Sadducees TO attempt a history of the Pharisees and Sadducees after so many very Learned Men who have treated of their original manners and institutions would be next to madness We will briefly touch at a few things and those perhaps less obvious I. That the Pharisees do not derive their name as some would have it from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to expound is sufficiently evinced by this that there were Women Pharisees as well as Men. c c c c c c Sâ—taâ— chap 3. hal 4. R. Joshua saith A religious man foolish a wicked man crafty A woman Pharisee And the dashing of the Pharisees against the stones destroy the World Those things are worth observing which are spoke by the Babylonian Gemarists on that clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A woman Pharisee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rabbins teach A praying Maid A gadding Widdow And a Boy whose months are not fulfilled these corrupt the World But R. Jochanan saith We learn the shunning of sin from a Maid and the receiving of a reward from a Widdow The shunning of sin from a Maid for R. Jochanan heard a certain Maid prostrate on her face thus praying Eternal Lord thou hast created Paradice thou hast created Hell also thou hast created the Righteous and thou hast created the Wicked Let it be thy good pleasure that I be not a Scandal to men The receiving of a reward from a Widow for there was a certain Widow who when there were Synagogues nearer every where she always sorted to the School of R. Jochanan to pray to whom R. Jochanan said O my daughter are there not Synagogues at hand round about you But she answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Will there not be a reward for my steps or for my journy hither for the Tradition saith These destroy the World as Joanna the daughter of Retib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by one Gloss is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Maid given to prayer or a Maid of many prayers By another it is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Maid given to fasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Losing her Virginity by fasting A gadding Widow they call her who always goes about from place to place to visit her neighbours they are the words of the Gloss. And these corrupt the World because they are no other but bands and sorceresses and yet they pretend sanctity Joanna the daughter of Retib the Gloss also being witness was a certain sorceress Widdow who when the time of any child birth drew near shut up the womb of the child bearing woman with Magic arts that she could not be delivered And when the poor woman had endured long and great torments she would say I will go and pray for you perhaps my prayers will be heard when she was gone she would dissolve the enchantments and presently the infant would be born On a certain day as a hired man wrought in her house she being gone to a womans labour he heard the charms tinkling in a pan and taking off the cover the charms presently come out and strait the infant is born and hence it was known
would do him no more wrong than you would do his brother Matthew when you should say that he was a Publican 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iscariot It may be ennquired whether this name was given him while he was alive or not till after his death If while he was alive one may not improperly derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Skortja which is written also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i i i i i i Bab. Nedarim fol 55. 2. Iskortja Where while the discourse is of a man vowing that he would not use this or that garment we are taught these things He that tyes himself by a vow of not using garments may use sackcloth vailing cloth hair cloth c. but he may not use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of which words the Gloss writes thus These are garments some of leather and some of a certain kind of clothing The Gemara asketh What is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iskortja Bar bar Channah answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Tanners garment The Gloss is A leathern Apron that Tanners put on over their cloths So that Judas Iscariot may perhaps signifie as much as Judas with the Apron But now in such Aprons they had purses sown in which they were wont to carry their mony as you may see in Aruch in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we shall also observe presently And hence it may be Judas had that title of the purse bearer as he was called Judas with the apron Or what if he used the art of a Tanner before he was chose into Discipleship Certainly we read of one Simon a Tanner Act. IX 43. and that this Judas was the son of Simon Joh. XIII 26. But if he were not branded with this title till after his death I should suppose it derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iscara Which word what it signifies let the Gemarists speak k k k k k k Bab. Berac fol. 8. 1. Nine hundred and three kinds of death were created in the World as it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the issues of death Psal. LXVIII 20. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Issues arithmetically ariseth to that number Among all those kinds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iscara is the roughest death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the easiest Where the Gloss is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iscara in the mother Tongue is Strangulament By Learned Men for the most part it is rendred Angina The Quinsie The Gemara sets out the roughness of it by this simile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l l l l Schabb. fol. 33. 1. The Iscara is like to branches of thorns in a fleece of Wool which if a man shake violently behind it is impossible but the wool will be pulled off by them It is thus defined in the Gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iscara begins in the bowels and ends in the throat See the Gemara there When Judas therefore perished by a most miserable strangling being strangled by the Devil which we observe in its place no wonder if this infamous death be branded upon his Name to be commonly stiled Judas Iscariot or that Judas that perished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by strangling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who also betrayed him Let that of Maimonides be observed m m m m m m In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 8. It is forbidden to betray an Israelite into the hands of the Heathen either as to his person or as to his goods c. And whosoever shall so betray an Israelite shall have no part in the world to come Peter spake agreeably to the opinion of the Nation when he said concerning Judas He went unto his place Act. I. 25. And so doth Baal Turim concerning Balaam Balaam went to his place Numb XXIV 25. that is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went down to Hell VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not OUR Saviour would have the Jews priviledges reserved to them until they alienated and lost them by their own perversness and siâ—s Nor does he grant the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles or Samaritans before it was offered to the Jewish Nation The Samaritans vaunted themselves sons of the Patriach Jacob Joh. IV. 12. which indeed was not altogether distant from the truth they embraced also the law of Moses and being taught thence expected the Messias as well as the Jews nevertheless Christ acknowledges them for his sheep no more than the Heathen themselves I. Very many among them were sprung indeed of the seed of Jacob though now become Renegades and Apostates from the Jewish Faith and Nation and hating them more than if they were Heathens and more than they would do Heathens Which also among other things may perhaps be observed in their very language For read the Samaritan version of the Pentateuch and if I mistake not you will observe that the Samaritans when by reason of the neerness of the places and the alliance of the Nations they could not but use of the language of the Jews yet used such a variation and change of the Dialect as if they scorned to speak the same words that they did and make the same language not the same II. In like manner they received the Mosaic law but for the most part in so different a writing of the words that they seem plainly to have propounded this to themselves that retaining indeed the law of Moses they would hold it under as much difference from the Mosaic Text of the Jews as ever they could so that they kept something to the sense n n n n n n Hieros Sotah fol. 21. 3. Bab. Sotah fol. 33. 2. R. Eliezer ben R. Simeon said I said to the Scribes of the Samaritans Ye have falsified your Law without any manner of profit accruing to you thereby For ye have writ in your Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Near the Oaken Groves of Morâ—h which is Sichem c. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added Let the Samaritan text at Deut. XI 30. be looked upon III. However they pretended to study the religion of Moses yet in truth there was little or no difference between them and Idolaters when they knew not what they worshipped which our Saviour objects against them Joh. IV. 22. and had not only revolted as Apostates from the true religion of Moses but set themselves against it with the greatest hatred Hence the Jewish Nation held them for Heathens or for a people more execrable than the Heathens themselves A certain Rabbin thus reproaches their idolatry o o o o o o Hieros Avodah Zarah fol. 44. 4. R. Ismael ben R. Josi went to Neapolis that is Sâ—chem the Samaritans came to him to whom he spake thus I see that you adore not this Mountain but the Idols which are under it for it is written Jacob hid the strange Gods under the
inheritance of Jacob is promised to those that sanctifie the Sabbath because he sanctified the Sabbath himself Yea and more backwards yet even to the beginning of the world q q q q q q Targ. Id Cant. â— The first Psalm in the world was when Adams sin was forgiven and when the Sabbath entred he opened his mouth and uttered the Psalm of the Sabbath So also the Targum upon the title of Psalm XCII The Psalm or Song which Adam composed concerning the Sabbath day Upon which Psalm among other things thus Midras Tillin What did God create the first day Heaven and Earth What the second The Firmament c. What the seventh The Sabbath And since God had not created the Sabbath for servile works for which he had created the other days of the week therefore it is not said of that as of the other days And the evening was and the morning was the seventh day And a little after Adam was created on the Eve of the Sabbath the Sabbath entred when he had now sinned and was his Advocate with God c. r r r r r r â—ab Sanhedr fol. 38. 1. Adam was created on the Sabbath Eve that he might immediately be put under the Command c. III. Since therefore the Sabbath was so instituted after the fall and that by a Law and Condition which had a regard to Christ now promised and to the fall of man the Sabbath could not but come under the power and dominion of the son of Man that is of the promised seed to be ordered and disposed by him as he thought good and as he should make provision for his own honour and the benefit of Man VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days THESE are not so much the words of Enquirers as Denyers For these were their dicisions in that Case s s s s s s Maimon in Schabb. c. XXI Let not those that are in health use physic on the Sabbath day Let not him that labours under a pain in his loyns anoynt the place affected with oyl and vineger but with oyl he may so it be not oyl of Roses c. He that hath the tooth ach let him not swallow vineger to spit it out again but he may swallow it so he swallow it down He that hath a soar throat let him not gargle it with oyl but he may swallow down the oyl whence if he receive a cure it is well Let no man chew Mastich or rub his teeth with spice for a cure but if he do this to make his mouth sweet it is allowed They do not put wine into a sore eye They do not apply fomentations or oyls to the place affected c. All which things however they were not applicable to the cure wrought by Christ with a word only yet they afforded them an occasion of cavilling who indeed were sworn together thus to quarrel him that Canon affording them a further pretence t t t t t t Talm. Schabb. cap. XIX This certainly obtains that what soever was possible to be done on the Sabbath Eve driveth not away the Sabbath To which sense he speaks Luke XIII 14. u u u u u u â—n Hieros Avodah Zaraâ— fol. 40. 4. Let the Reader see if he be at leisure what diseases they judge dangerous and what physic is to be used on the Sabbath VERS XI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If a sheep fall into a ditch on the Sabbath days c. IT was a Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 x x x x x x Hieros Jom Tobâ— fol. 62. 1. We must take a tender care of the goods of an Israelite Hence y y y y y y Maimon in Schabb. â— 25. If a beast fall into a ditch or into a pool of waters let the owner bring him food in that place if he can but if he can not let him bring clothes and litter and bear up the beast whence if he can come up let him come up c. If a beast or his foal fall into a ditch on a holy day z z z z z z Hieros in the place above â—â— R. Lazar saith Let him lift up the formes to kill him and let him kill him but let him give fodder to the other lest he die in that place R. Joshuah saith Let him lift up the former with the intention of killing him although he kill him not let him lift up the other also although it be not in his mind to kill him VERS XVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they should not make him known BUT this not that he refused to heal the sick nor only to shun popular applause but because he would keep himself hid from those who would not acknowledge him This prohibition tends the same way as his preaching by Parables did Mat. XIII 13. I speak to them by parables because seeing they see not He would not be known by them who would not know him VERS XX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A bruised reed shall he not break THESE words are to be applied as appears by those that went before to our Saviours silent transaction of his own affairs without hunting after applause the noise of boasting or the loud reports of fame He shall not make so great a noise as is made from the breaking of a reed now already bruised and half broken or from the hissing of smoking flax only when water is thrown upon it How far different is the Messias thus described from the Messias of the expectation of the Jews And yet it appears sufficiently that Esaiah from whom these words are taken spake of the Messias and the Jews confess it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Till he send forth judgment unto victory The Hebrew and LXX in Esaiah read it thus He shall bring forth judgment unto truth The words in both places mean thus much That Christ should make no sound in the world or noise of pomp or applause or state but should manage his affairs in humility silence poverty and patience both while he himself was on earth and by his Apostles after his Ascension labouring under contempt poverty and persecution but at last he should bring forth judgment to victory that is that he should break forth and shew himself a judg avenger and conqueror against that most wicked Nation of the Jews from whom both he and his suffered such things and then also he sent forth judgment unto truth and asserted himself the true Messias and the Son of God before the eyes of all and confirmed the truth of the Gospel by avenging his cause upon his enemies in a manner so conspicuous and so dreadful And hence it is that that sending forth and execution of judgment against that Nation is almost always called in the New Testament his coming in Glory When Christ and his Kingdom had so long lain hid under the vail of humility and
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
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
thus Thou wilt be call'd the Rock and let us apprehend our blessed Lord speaking Prophetically and foretelling that grand error that should spring up in the Church viz. that Peter is a Rock than which the Christian world hath not known any thing more sad and destructive VERS XLVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come and see NOthing more common in the Talmudick Authors than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come and behold come and see sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VERS XLVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Israelite indeed COmpare it with Isai. LXIII 8. I saw thee saith Christ when thou wert under the fig-tree What doing there doubtless not sleeping or idling away his time much less doing any ill thing This would not have deserv'd so remarkable an Encomium as Christ gave him We may therefore suppose him in that recess under the fig-tree as having sequestred himself from the view of men either for prayer meditation reading or some such Religious performance and so indeed from the view of men that he must needs acknowledg Jesus for the Messiah for that very reason that when no mortal eye could see he saw and knew that he was there Our Saviour therefore calls him an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile because he sought out that retirement to pray so different from the usual craft and hypocrisie of that Nation that were wont to pray publickly and in the streets that they might be seen of men And here Christ gather'd to himself five Disciples viz. Andrew Peter Philip Nathanael who seems to be the same with Bartholomew and another whose name is not mention'd ver 35. 40. whom by comparing Joh. XXI 2. we may conjecture to have been Thomas VERS LI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verily Verily IF Christ doubled his affirmation as we here find it why is it not so doubled in the other Evangelists if he did not double it why is it so here I. Perhaps the asseveration he useth in this place may not be to the same things and upon the same occasion to which he useth the single Amen in other Evangelists II. Perhaps also St. John being to write for the use of the Hellenists might write the word in the same Hebrew letters wherein Christ used it and in the same letters also wherein the Greeks used it retaining still the same Hebrew Idiom III. But however it may be observ'd that whereas by all others the word Amen was generally used in the latter end of a speech or sentence our Lord only useth it in the beginning as being himself the Amen Revel III. 14. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai. LXI 16. The God of Truth So that that single Amen which he used in the other Evangelists contained in it the Gemination Amen Amen I the Amen the true and faithful witness Amen i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a truth do say unto you c. Nor did it become any mortal man to speak Amen in the beginning of a sentence in the same manner as our Saviour did Indeed the very Masters of Traditions who seem'd to be the Oracles of that Nation were wont to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak in truth but not Amen I say unto you IV. Amen contains in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and Amen II Cor. I. 20. Revel I. 7. i. e. truth and stability 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai. XXV 1. Interlin Veritas firmitas Faithfulness and truth The other Evanglists express the word which our Saviour useth St. John doubles it to intimate the full sense of it I have been at some question with my self whether I should insert in this place the blasphemous things which the Talmudick Authors belch out against the Holy Jesus in allusion shall I say or derision of this word Amen to which name he entitled himself and by which asseveration he confirm'd his Doctrines But that thou mightest Reader both know and with equal indignation abhor the sâ—arlings and virulency of these men take it in their own words although I cannot without infinite reluctancy alledg what they with all audaciousness have utter'd a a a a a a Schabb. fol. 116. 2. They have a Tradition that Imma Shalom the wife of R. Eliezer and her brother Rabban Gamaliel went to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain Philosopher the Gloss hath it a certain Heretick of very great note for his integrity in giving judgment in matters and taking no bribes The woman brings him a golden candlestick and prayeth him that the inheritance might be divided in part to her Rabban Gamaliel objects It is written amongst us that the daughter shall not inherit instead of the son But the Philosopher answer'd Since the time that you were removed from your land the Law of Moses was made void 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Aven was given he means the Gospel but marks it with a scurrilous title and in that it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son and the daughter shall inherit together The next day Rabban Gamaliel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought him a Lybian Ass then saith he unto them I have found at the end of Aven i. e. the Gospel that it is written there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Aven came not to diminish but to add to the Law of Moses where he abuseth both the name of our Blessed Saviour and his words too Mat. V. 17. And now after our just detestation of this execrable blasphemy let us think what kind Judg this must be to whose judgment Rabban Gamaliel the President of the Sanhedrin and his sister wife to the great Eleazar should betake themselves A Christian as it should seem by the whole contexture of the story but alas what kind of Christian that should make so light of Christ and his Gospel However were he a Christian of what kind soever yet if there be any truth in this passage it is not unworthy our taking notice of it both as to the History of those times as also as to that question whether there were any Christian Judges at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ye shall see heaven open and the Angels of God There are those that in this place observe an allusion to Jacob's Ladder The meaning of this passage seems to be no other than this Because I said I saw thee under the fig-tree believest thou Did this seem to thee a matter of such wonder Thou shalt see greater things than these For you shall in me observe such plenty both of revelation and miracle that it shall seem to you as if the heaven's were opened and the Angels were ascending and descending to bring with them all manner of revelation authority and power from God to be imparted to the Son of man Where this also is included viz. that Angels must in a more peculiar manner administer unto him as in the vision of Jacob the whole Host of Angels had been shew'd and promis'd to him in
East c. If therefore the Temple was not finished till that time then much less was it so when Christ was in it Whence we may properly enough render those words of the Jews into such a kind of sense as this It is forty and six years since the repairing of the Temple was first undertook and indeed to this day is not quite perfected and will thou pretend to build a new one in three days VERS XXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he spake of the Temple of his body IF we consider how much the second Temple came behind that of the first it will the easilier appear why our blessed Saviour should call his body the Temple a a a a a a Hierosol Taanith fol. 6. 1. Bab. Joma fol. 21. 2. In the second Temple there wanted the fire from Heaven the Ark with the Propitiatory Cherubims Urim and Thummim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Glory the Holy Ghost and the Anointing Oyl These things were all in Solomon's Temple which therefore was accounted a full and plenary type of the Messiah But so long as the second Temple had them not it wanted what more particularly shadowed and represented him I. There was indeed in the second Temple a certain Ark in the Holy of Holies but this was neither Moses's Ark nor the Ark of the Covenant b b b b b b Joma fol. 52. 2. which may not unfitly come to mind when we read that passage Revel XI 19. The Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his testament It was not seen nor indeed was it at all in the second Temple The Jews have a Tradition that Josias hid the Ark before the Babylonish Captivity lest it should fall into the hands of the Enemy as once it did amongst the Philistines c c c c c c Joma ubi supra Cherithuth fol. 77. 2. But there is no mention that it was ever found and restored again II. In Moses his Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple the Divine presence sate visibly over the Ark in the propitiatory in a Cloud of Glory But when the destruction of that Temple drew near it went up from the Propitiatory Ezek. X. 4. and never returned into the second Temple where neither the Ark nor the Propitiatory was ever restored III. The High-Priest indeed ministred in the second Temple as in the first in eight several Garments d d d d d d Joma fol. 71. 2. Amongst these was the Pectoral or Breast-plate wherein the precious stones were put out of which the Jasper chanced to fall and was lost e e e e e e Hieros Peah fol. 15. 3. Bab. Kiddush fol. 60. 2. but the Oracle by Urim and Thummim was never restored See Ezra II. 63. and Nehem. VII 63. if not restored in the days of Ezra or Nehemiah much less certainly in the ages following when the Spirit of Prophecy had forsaken and taken leave of that people For that is a great truth amongst the Talmudists f f f f f f Joma fol. 73. 2. Things are not askt or enquired after now by Urim and Thummim by the High-Priest because he doth not speak by the Holy Ghost nor does there any divine Afflatus breath on him This to omit other things was the state of Zorobabel's Temple with respect to those things which were the peculiar glory of it And these things being wanting how much inferior must this needs be to that of Solomon's But there was one thing more that degraded Herod's Temple still lower and that was the person of Herod himself to whom it is ascribed It was not without scruple even amongst the Jews themselves that it was built and repaired by such an one and who knew not what Herod was They dispute whether by right such a person ought to have meddled with it and are fain to pump for arguments for their own satisfaction as to the lawfulness of the thing They object first g g g g g g Bava bathra fol. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is not permitted to any one to demolish one Synagogue till he hath built another Much less to demolish the Temple But Herod demolished the Temple before he had built another Ergo They answer Baba ben Buta gave Herod that counsel that he should pull it down Now this Baba was reckoned amongst the great wise men and he did not rashly move Herod to such a work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saw such clefts and breaches in the Temple that threatned its ruine They object secondly concerning the person of Herod that he was a Servant to the Asmonean Family that he rose up against his Masters and killed them and had killed the Sanhedrin They answer We were under his power and could not resist it And if those hands stained with blood would be building it was not in their power to hinder it These and other things they apologize for their Temple adding this invention for the greater honour of the thing that all that space of time wherein it was a building it never once rained by day that the work might not be interrupted h h h h h h Taanith fol. 23. 1. Joseph Antiqu. lib. 15. cap. 14. The Rabbins take a great deal of pains but to no purpose upon those words Hagg. II. 9. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than the former i i i i i i Bava bathra fol. 3. 1. R. Jochanan and R. Eliezer say one that it was greater for the Fabrick the other that it was greater for the duration As if the glory of the Temple consisted in any Mathematical reasons of space dimension or duration as if it lay in walls gilding or ornament The glory of the first Temple was the Ark the divine cloud over the Ark the Urim and the Thummim c. Now where or in what can consist the greater glory of the second Temple when these are gone Herein it is indeed that the Lord of the Temple was himself present in his Temple he himself was present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Coloss. II. 9. as the divine glory of old was over the Ark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 typically or by way of shadow only This is the glory when he himself is present who is the great High-Priest and the Prophet who answerably to the Urim and Thummim of old reveals the counsels and will of God He who is the true and living Temple whom that Temple shadowed out This Temple of yours O ye Jews does not answer its first pattern and exemplar There are wanting in that what were the chief glory of the former which very defect intimates that there is another Temple to be expected that in all things may fall in with its first type as it is necessary the Antitype should
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
assert or argue for the calling of the whole Nation but of that remnant only and that he discourses concerning the present calling of that remnant and not about any future call of the whole Nation V. That is a vast mystery the Apostle is upon ver 25. of that Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blindness hath severally happen'd to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles shall be come in I render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 severally or by parts not without warrant from Grammar and according to the meaning and intention of St. Paul for the mystery mention'd by him is that blindness severally and at several times happen'd to the Israelites First the Ten Tribes were blinded through Idolatry and after many ages the two Tribes through Traditions and yet both those and these reserv'd together to that time wherein the Gentiles who had been blinded for a longer space are called and then both Israelites and Jews and Gentiles being all call'd together do close into one body It is observable that the Apostle throughout this whole Chapter doth not so much as once make mention of the Jews but of Israel that he might include the Ten Tribes with the two within his discourse And indeed this great Shepherd had his flock or his sheep within the Ten Tribes as well as within the two and to me it is without all controversie that the Gospel in the times of the Apostles was brought and preacht as well to the one as the other Doubtless St. Peter whiles he was in Babylon preached to the Israelites dispersed in those Countries as well as to the Jews VI. Some of the Gemarists do vehemently deny any conversion of the Ten Tribes under the Messiah let them beware lest there be not a conversion of their own p p p p p p Sanhedr fol. 110. 2. The Ten Tribes shall never return as it is written And he cast them out into a strange land as it is this day Deut. XXIX 28. As this day passeth and shall never return so they are gone and shall not return again They are the words of R. Akibah It is a Tradition of the Rabbins that the Ten Tribes shall not have a part in the world to come as it is written the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them out into another land He rooted them out of their own land in this world and cast them out into another land in the world to come They are the words of Rabbi But in truth when the true Messiah did appear the Ten Tribes were more happily call'd if I may so speak that is with more happy success than the Jews because amongst those Jews that had embrac'd the Gospel there happen'd a sad and foul Apostacy the like to which we read not of concerning the Ten Tribes that were converted VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. By the door into the sheepfold c. THE sheepfold amongst the Talmudists is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some Inclosures or Pen wherein I. The sheep were all gathered together in the night lest they should stray and where they might be safe from thieves or wild beasts II. In the day-time they were milked As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ◠Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Trojans as the rich mans numerous flocks Stand milked in the fold III. There the Lambs were tythed r r r r r r Becoroth fol. 38. 2. How is it that they tythe the lambs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They gather the flock into the sheepfold and making a little door which two cannot go out of at together they number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and the tenth that goes out they mark with red saying this is the tythe The ews are without and the lambs within and at the bleating of the ews the lambs get out So that there was in the sheepfold one larger door which gave ingress and egress to the flock and shepherds and a lesser by which the Lambs past out for tything 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is a thief and a robber 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Talmudick language s s s s s s Maimon Ginebah cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is a thief He that takes away another mans goods when the owner is not privy to it as when a man puts his hand into another mans pocket and takes away his money the man not seeing him but if he takes it away openly publickly and by force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is not a thief but a robber Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Porter I Am mistaken if the servants that attend about the flock under the shepherd the owners of them are not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles. XII 11. i. e. those that fold the sheep at least if the sheepfold its self be not so called And I would render the words by way of Paraphrase thus The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastned by those that gather the flock into the fold Goads to drive away the thief or the wild beast and nails to preserve the sheepfold whole and in good repair Which goad and nails are furnisht by the chief Shepherd the Master of the flock for these uses Now one of these servants that attended about the flock was call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Porter Not that he always sat at the door but the key was committed to his charge that he might look to it that no sheep should stray out of the fold nor any thing hurtful should get or be let in VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the door PURE Israelitism among the Jews was the fold and the door and all things For if any one was of the seed of Israel and the stock of Abraham it was enough themselves being the Judges for such an one to be made a sheep admitted into the flock and be fed and nourisht to eternal life But in Christs flock the sheep had another original introduction and mark VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that ever came before me are thieves OUR Saviour speaks agreeably with the Scripture where when there is any mention of the coming of this great Shepherd to undertake the charge of the flock the evil Shepherds that do not feed but destroy the flock are accused Jer. XXIII 1 c. Ezek. XXXIV 2 c. Zach. XI 16. And our Saviour strikes at those three Shepherds before mention'd that hated him and were hated by him the Sadduces and Essenes under whose conduct the Nation had been so erroneously led for some ages I should have believed that those words All that ever came before me are Thieves and Robbers might be understood of those who having arrogated to themselves the name of the Messiah obtruded themselves upon the people but that we shall hardly or not at
shelter of the Night He was to go two miles viz. from Bethany to Jerusalem then was he to seek out and get the Chief Priests together to make his bargain with them for betraying Christ. Whether he did all this this very night or the day following as the Holy Scripture sayeth nothing of it so is it of no great moment for us to make a business of enquiring about it It is not so difficult to shew how many difficulties they involve themselves in that would have all this done the very same night wherein the Paschal Supper was celebrated as it is a wonder that the favourers of this opinion should take no notice thereof themselves VERS XXXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Little Children BEhold h h h h h h Vajicra rabb fol. 177. 3. I and the Children whom God hath given me Isai. VIII 18. Were they indeed his Sons or were they not rather his Disciples Hence you may learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That any one's disciple is called his Son Nor is it unlikely but that Christ in calling his Disciples here my little Children might have an eye to that place in Isaiah For when the Traitor the Son of Perdition had removed himself from them he could then properly enough say Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me VERS XXXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cock shall not crow WE must not understand this as if the Cock should not crow at all before Peter had denied Christ thrice this had not been true because the Cock had crowed twice before Peter had denied him But we must understand it the Cock shall not have finished his crowing c. Nor indeed was that time above half over before Peter had denied his Master i i i i i i Joma fol. 21. 1. The Jewish Doctors distinguish the Cock crowing into the first second and third The first they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cock crowing The second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he repeats it The third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he does it a third time The distinction also amongst other Nations is not unknown When the time indeed was near and the very night wherein this was to happen then Christ saith This very night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cock shall not crow his second time c. But here two days before that night he only saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cock shall not crow That is shall not have done all his crowing before thou deny me And thus our Saviour meets with the arrogance of Peter foretelling him that he should not have the courage he so confidently assumed to himself but should within the time and space of Cock-crowing deny him thrice CHAP. XIV VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not your heart be troubled THEY could not but be exceedingly concerned at the departure of their Master drawing on so very near But there were other things besides his departure that grieved and perplext their minds I. They had run along with their whole Nation in that common expectation that the Kingdom should be restored unto Israel through the Messiah Acts I. 8. They had hoped to have been rescued by him from the Gentile Yoke Luke XXIV vers 21. They had expected he would have entertained his followers with all imaginable pomp and magnificence splendor and triumph Matth. XX. 20. But they found Alas all things fall out directly contrary they had got little hitherto by following him but poverty contempt reproach and persecution and now that their Master was to leave them so suddenly they could have no prospect or hope of better things Is this the Kingdom of the Messiah Against this depression and despondency of mind he endeavous to comfort them by letting them know that in his Father's House in Heaven not in these Earthly Regions below there Mansions were prepared for them and there it was that he would receive and entertain them indeed II. Christ had introduced a new rule and face of Religion which his Disciples embracing did in a great measure renounce their old Judaism and therefore they could not but awaken the hatred of the Jews and a great deal of danger to themselves which now they thought would fall severely upon them when left to themselves and their Master was snatcht from them That was dreadful if true which we find denounced a a a a a a Sanhedr cap. Helek hal 1. The Epicurean that is one that despises the Disciples and Doctrine of the Wise Men have no part in the world to come and those that separate themselves from the customs of the Synagogue go down into Hell and are there condemned for all Eternity These are direful things and might strangely afright the minds of the Disciples who had in so great a measure bid adieu to the customs of the Synagogues and the whole Jewish Religion and for him that had led them into all this now to leave them What could they think in this matter To support the Disciples against discouragements of this nature I. He lays before them his Authority that they ought equally to believe in him as in God himself where he lays down two of the chief Articles of the Christian Faith 1. Of the Divinity of the Messiah which the Jews denied 2. As to true and saving Faith wherein they were blind and ignorant II. He tells them that in his Fathers House were many Mansions and that there was place and admission into Heaven for all Saints that had lived under different Oeconomies and administrations of things Let not your heart be troubled for this great change brought upon the Judaick dispensation nor let it disquiet you that you are putting your selves under a new Oeconomy of Religion so contrary to what you have been hitherto bred up in for in my Fathers House are many Mansions and you may expect admission under this new administration of things as well as any others either before or under the Law VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I go to prepare a place for you COmpare this with Numb X. 33. And the Ark of the Lord went before them to search out a resting place for them VERS VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the way the truth and the life WHY is this superadded of truth and the life when the question was not only about the Way I. It may be answered that this was perhaps by an Hebrew Idiotism by which the way the truth and the life may be the same with the true and living way Jerem. XXIX 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To give you an end and hope or expectation That is an hoped or expected end So Kinch in loc A good end even as you expect II. Our Saviour seems to refute that opinion of the Jews concerning their Law as if it were the way the truth and the life and indeed every thing and assert his own Authority and power to introduce a new rule of
h h h h h h De Bell. Sacr. lib. 10. cap. 31. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He will reprove the world of sin c. THE Holy Spirit had absented himself from that Nation now for the space of four hundred years or thereabout and therefore when he should be given and pour'd out in a way and in measures so very wonderful he could not but evince it to the world that Jesus was the true Messiah the Son of God who had so miraculously pour'd out the Holy Spirit amongst them and consequently could not but reprove and redargue the world of sin because they believed not in him VERS X. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of righteousness c. THAT this righteousness here mention'd is to be understood of the righteousness of Christ hardly any but will readily enough grant but the question is what sort of righteousness of his is here meant whether his personal and inherent or his communicated and justifying righteousness we may say that both may be meant here I. Because he went to the Father it abundantly argu'd him a just and righteous person held under no guilt at all however condemn'd by men as a malefactor II. Because he pour'd out the Spirit it argu'd the merit of his righteousness for otherwise he could not in that manner have given the Holy Spirit And indeed that what is chiefly meant here is that righteousness of his by which we are justify'd this may perswade us that so many and so great things are spoken concerning it in the Holy Scriptures Isai. LVI 1. My Salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed Dan. IX 29. To bring in everlasting righteousness Jer. XXIII 6. This is his name by which he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS And in the Epistles of the Apostles especially those of St. Paul this righteousness is frequently and highly celebrated seeming indeed the main and principal subject of the Doctrines of the Gospel In the stead of many others let this serve for all Rom. I. 17. For therein viz. in the Gospel is the righteousness of God reveal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from faith to faith which words may be a good Comment upon the foregoing Clause I. The Law teacheth faith that is that we believe in God But the Gospel directs us to proceed from faith to faith viz. from faith in God to faith in Christ for true and saving faith is not a meer naked recumbency immediately upon God which faith the Jews were wont to profess but faith in God by the mediation of faith in Christ. II. In the Law the righteousness of God was reveal'd condemning but in the Gospel it was reveal'd justifying the sinner And this is the great mystery of the Gospel that sinnes are justify'd not only through the grace and meer compassion and mercy of God but through Divine justice and righteousness too that is through the righteousness of Christ who is Jehovah the Lord our righteousness And the Spirit of Truth when he came he did reprove and instruct the world concerning these two great articles of faith wherein the Jews had so mischievously deceiv'd themselves that is concerning true saving faith faith in Christ and also concerning the manner or formal cause of Justification viz. the righteousness of Christ. But then how can we form the Argument I go unto the Father therefore the world shall be convinc'd of my justifying righteousness I. Let us consider that the expression I go unto the Father hath something more in it than I go to Heaven So that by this kind of phrase our Saviour seems to hint That work being now finisht for the doing of which my Father sent me into the world I am now returning to him again Now the work which Christ had to do for the Father was various The manifestation of the Father Preaching the Gospel vanquishing the enemies of God sin death and the Devil but the main and chief of all and upon which all the rest did depend was that he might perform a perfect obedience or obediential righteousness to God God had created man that he might obey his Maker which when he did not do but being led away by the Devil grew disobedient where was the Creator's glory The Devil triumphs that the whole humane race in Adam had kickt against God prov'd a rebel and warr'd under the banners of Satan It was necessary therefore that Christ clothing himself in the humane nature should come into the world and vindicate the glory of God by performing an intire obedience due from mankind and worthy of his Maker He did what weigh'd down for all the disobedience of all mankind I may say of the Devils too for his obedience was infinite He fulfilled a righteousness by which sinners might be justify'd which answer'd that justice that would have condemned them for the righteousness was infinite This was the great business he had to do in this world to pay such an obedience and to fulfill such a righteousness and this righteousness is the principal and noble theme and subject of the Evangelical Doctrine Rom. I. 17. of this the world must primarily and of necessity be convinc'd and instructed to the glory of him that justifieth and the declaration of the true Doctrine of Justification And this rightequsness of his was abundantly evidenced by his going to the Father because he could not have been receiv'd there if he had not fully accomplisht that work for which he had been sent II. It is added not without reason and ye see me no more i. e. Although you are my nearest and dearest friends yet you shall no more enjoy my presence on earth by which may be evinced that you shall partake of my merits especially when the world shall see you enricht so gloriously with the gifts of my Spirit VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of judgment because the Prince c. IT is well known that the Prince of this world was judged when our Saviour overcame him by the obedience of his death Heb. II. 14. and the first instance of that judgment and victory was when he arose from the dead the next was when he loos'd the Gentiles out of the chains and bondage of Satan by the Gospel and bound him himself Revel XX. 1 2. which place will be a very good Comment upon this passage And both do plainly enough evince that Christ will be capable of judging the whole world viz. all those that believe not on him when he hath already judg'd the Prince of this world This may call to mind the Jewish opinion concerning the judgment that should be exercis'd under the Messiah that he should not judg Israel at all but the Gentiles only nay that the Jews were themselves rather to judg the Gentiles than that they were to be judg'd But he that hath judg'd the Prince of this world the author of all unbelief will also judg every unbeliever too VERS XII
amongst the vulgar crowd fearing them if the Council themselves should have decreed his Execution They seek this evasion therefore which did not altogether want some colour and pretext of truth and it succeeded according to what they did desire Divine Providence so ordering it as the Evangelist intimates vers 32. That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he slake signifying what death he should dye That is be Crucified according to the custom of the Romans Whiles I am upon this thought I cannot but reflect upon that passage than which nothing is more worthy observation in the whole description of the Roman Beast in the Revelations Chap. XIII 4. The Dragon which gave power to the Beast We cannot say this of the Assyrian Babylonish or any other Monarchy for the Holy Scriptures do not say it But reason dictates and the event it self tells us that there was something acted by the Roman Empire in behalf of the Dragon which was not compatible with any other that is the putting of the Son of God to death Which thing we must remember as often as we recite that Article of our Creed He suffered under Pontius Pilate that is was put to death by the Roman Empire VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is truth CHRIST had said For this end came I into the world that I might bear witness to the truth q. d. I will not deny but that I am a King as thou hast said for for this end I came that I might bear witness to the truth whatever hazards I should run upon that account Upon this Pilate asks him what is Truth that is what is the true state of this affair That thou who art so poor a wretch shouldst call thy self a King and at the same time that thou callest thy self a King yet saiest thy Kingdom is not of this world Where lyes the true sense and meaning of this riddle But supposing when Christ said he came that he might bear witness to the truth he meant in general the Gospel then Pilate asks him what is that truth However the Evangelist mentions nothing either whether our Saviour gave him any answer to that question or whether indeed Pilate stayed in expectation of any answer from him CHAP. XIX VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Platted a Crown of Thorns c. AMost unquestionable token this that Christ's Kingdom was not of this world when he was crowned only with Thorns and Briars which were the curse of this Earth Gen. III. 18. Herod had put upon him a purple Robe Luke XXIII 11. and the Souldiers added this Crown It is likewise said that they also clothed him with this Robe that is after he had been stripped in order to be scourged VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a place that is called the Pavement WHAT is it could be objected against it should we say that the Evangelist by this title of the Pavement should mean the room Gazith where the Sanhedrin sate And that when the Jews would not go into Pilate's Judgment-Hall he would himself go into theirs Aristeas tells us concerning the Temple that it looked toward the East the back parts of it towards the West 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the floor was all paved with stone To this the Talmudists all witness and to the pavement especially Josephus by a memorable story l l l l l l De Excid lib. 6. cap. 6. One Julian a Centurion in Titus his Army pursuing and killing the Jews with infinite hardness and strength in the very Court of the Temple having many and very sharp nails fastned to the bottom of his shooes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as every other Souldier had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and running along upon the pavement his heels tripped up and he fell backward c. But had not the room Gazith a Pavement laid in a more than ordinary manner whence else had it its name It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the room Gazith saith Aruch because it was paved with smooth square stone Were not all the other places so too m m m m m m Bava Meziah fol. 117. 2. Bathra fol. 2. 1. They distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Bricks and half Bricks squared hewn stones and rough or unhewn Now therefore when there were so many apartments about the Courts were those all paved with rough Stone or Bricks and this only of square and hewn Stone without doubt the whole building was much more uniform And then we shall hardly find out any more probable reason why this place was particularly and above all other Rooms called Gazith but that it was laid with a more noble and rich pavement than all the rest And therefore what should forbid that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pavement in this place should not be meant of the room Gazith Object But Gazith was in the Holy place and it was not lawful for Pilate being a Gentile to enter there Sol. I. If he would do it per fas nefas who could hinder him II. It is a question whether he could not sit in that Room and yet be within the bounds of the Court of the Gentiles into which it was lawful for a Gentile to enter Half of that Room indeed was within the Court of Israel but there the Fathers of the Council themselves did not sit because it was lawful for none to sit in that Court but the King only The other half part in which they sate was in Chel and extended it self as it should seem into the Court of the Gentiles For if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was but ten cubits breadth within the Walls n n n n n n Middoth cap. 2. hal 3. it would be much too narrow a room for seventy men to sit in if the Gazith did not extend it self a little within the Court of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in the Hebrew Gabbatha The Syriack renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mound or fence which may fall in with what we have said For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chel in which was part of this Room was the fence to all the Courts excepting the Court of the Gentiles But let us see whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Hebrew for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or no. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gab amongst other things signifies a surface doth not stand in need of much proof and so the pavement and surface of the floor are convertible And as that Room might be peculiarly called Gazith in the antient Jewish language upon the account of its pavement so might it in their more modern language be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the same reason What if that in Jerusalem Sanhedrin o o o o o o Fol. 18. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred the Elders
distinction called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabban Gamaliel the old He was President of the Council after his own Father Rabban Simeon who was the Son of Hillel He was Saint Pauls Master and five and thirtieth Receiver of the Traditions and upon this account might not improperly be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctor of the Laws because he was one that kept and handed down the Cabbala received from mount Sinai only that the Rabbins of an inferior degree enjoyed also the same title He died eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem his Son Simeon succeeding him in the chair who perisht in the ruines of the City Whereas he doth in some measure apologize for the Apostles one might believe he did favour Christianity But he died a Pharisee and if he was not the author yet did he approve and recommend that prayer entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prayer against the Hereticks Samuel the little being the Author and who they meant by Hereticks is easie enough to apprehend The Counsel therefore that he giveth here seems to be of that nature that had all along been practised between the Sadducees and the Pharisees one Sect always wishing and looking for the destruction of the other VERS XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before these days rose up Thudas JOsephus makes mention of one Theudas an impostor f f f f f f Antiqu. l. 20. cap. 2. whose Character indeed agrees well enough with this of ours but they seem to disagree in time For Josephus brings in his Theudas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when Fadus was Governour of Judea about the fifth or sixth year of Claudius and Gamaliel brings in his before the times of Judas the Galilean Those that are advocates for Josephus do imagine there might be another Theudas besides him that he mentions and they do but imagine it for they name none I could instance indeed in two more of that name neither of which agree with this of Gamaliel or will afford any light to the Chronology of Josephus I. We meet with one Theudas a Physician in Bab. Sanhedr g g g g g g Fol. 53. â— where there is a dispute upon no mean question viz. where Daniel was at that time that Nebuchadnezar's image was set up and worshipped that he should all that while come under no examination nor have any the least harm fâ—ll to him And it â—…g answered amongst other things that he was then sent into Egypt to fetch some swâ—â—e thence it is objected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it so indeed but this is the tradition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theudas the Physitian saith that neither Cow nor Sow come from Alexandria of Egypt II. There is mention of one Theudas a Jew living at Rome h h h h h h Hieros Jon. Tobb fol. 61. 3. Moâ—d Katon fol. 81. 4. Beb. Beracoth fol. 19. 1. The Tradition of R. Jose saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theudas a man at Rome taught men i. e. Jews at Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on the Passover nights they should eat whole kids roasted the Gloss is the trotters legs c. The Wise men sent to him threatning excommunication because he taught Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eat holy things without i. e. the Passover at Rome which it was not lawful to eat but at Jerusalem for as the Gloss hath it whosoever should see kids so roasted would conceive they were consecrated for Paschal Lambs I am very apt to believe that the procoenium or meal before the Lord's Supper Cor. XI 21. might be some such thing as this Can we suppose now that Gamaliel could have either of these Theudas in his eye Indeed neither the one nor the other have any agreeableness with that Character that is given of this Theudas about whom we are enquiring That in Josephus is much more adapted and grant only that the Historian might slip in his Chronology and there is no other difficulty in it Nor do I indeed see why we should give so much deference to Josephus in this matter as to take such pains in vindicating his care or skill in it We must forsooth find out some other Theudas or change the stops in the verses or invent some other plaister for the sore rather than Josephus should be charged with the least mistake to whom yet both in History and Chronology it is no unusual thing to trip or go out of the road of truth I would therefore think that the Theudas in Josephus is this same in Gameliel only that the Historian mistook in his accounts of time and so defaced a true story by false Chronology VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—das of Galilee IN Josephus it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—udas the Gaulonite i i i i i i Antiqu. lib. 18. cap. 1. and yet in the title and inscription of that Chapter it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning Judas of Galilee which hath elsewhere occasioned a question whether some part of the Country beyond Jordan went not also under the name of Galilee but I shall not repeat it here CHAP. VI. VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews FIRST let us consider who these Hebrews were I. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hebrew admitted another kind of signification under the second Temple than it had before and under the first because in the Old Testament it had reference to the original and Language of that Nation in the New Testament to their Tâ—avels and their Language Abraham is first called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. XIV 13. an Hebrew So Symmachus the Vulgar and others But the Greek Interpreters render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Passover k k k k k k Vid. Nobil in loc But this Version need not concern us much when it is plain the Interpreters have rendered the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the common use under the second Temple and not according to the primitive and original use of it For the same reason the Rabbins incline the same way l l l l l l Beresh Rabba fol. 47. 1. R. Nehemiah saith Abraham is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hebrew because he was of the posterity of Heber â—ut the Rabbins say he is so called because he came from beyond the river And they add withall which deserves some enquiry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for that he used the Language beyond the River I would rather have said he might fitly be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Hebrew because even in Mesopotamia and Chaldea he retained the Hebrew Language in the proper sense For if he brought over the transfluvian or Chaldean Language into Canaan as his owâ—… families mother-tongue it is hardly imaginable by what means the Hebrew Tongue strictly so called should become the native and proper Language of his posterity I have
Avoth R. Nathan cap. 5. Antigonus Socheus had two disciples who delivered his doctrine to their Disciples and their Disciples again to their Disciples They stood forth and taught after them and said what did our Fathers see that they should say It is possible for a labourer to perform all his work for the whole day and yet not receive his wages in the Evening Surely if our Fathers had thought there was another world and the resurrection of the dead they would not have said thus c. d d d d d d Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antigonus Socheus had two Disciples their names Sadoc and Baithus He taught them saying be ye not as hirelings that serve their Masters only that they may receive their pay c. They went and taught this to their Disciples and to the Disciples of their Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they did not expound his sense Mark that There arose up after them that said if our Fathers had known that there were a resurrection and a recompence for the just in the world to come they had not said this So they arose up and separated from the Law c. And from thence sprung those two evil Sects the Sadducees and Baithusians Let us but add that of Ramban mentioned before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sadoc and Baithus did not understand the sense of their Master in those words Be ye not as Servants who serve their Master for the rewards sake c. From all which compared together as we find the Jewish writers varying from one another somewhat in relating this story so from the later passages compared one would believe that Sadoc was not a Sadducee nor Baithus a Baithusian that is that neither of them were leavened with that heresie that denied the resurrection c. There was an occasion taken from the words of Antigonus misunderstood and depraved to raise such an heresy but it was not by Sadoc or Baithus for they did not understand the sense of them saith Ramban and as it appears out of the Aruch they propounded the naked words to their Disciples without any Gloss at all upon them and their Disciples again to the Disciples that followed them So that the name sect and heresie of the Sadducees does not seem to have sprung up till the second or third generation after Sadoc himself which if I mistake not is not unworthy our remark as to the Story and Chronology There was a time when I believed and who believes it not being led to it by the Author of Juchasin and Maimonides that Sadoc himself was the first Author of the Sect and Heterodoxy of the Sadducees but weighing a little more strictly this matter from the allegations I have newly made out of R. Nathan and Aruch it seems to me more probable that that sect did not spring up till many years after the death of Sadoc Let us compare the times The Talmudists themselves own that story that Josephus tells us of Jaddua whom Alexander the great met and worshipped but they alter the name and say it was Simeon the just Let those endeavour to reconcile Josephus with the Talmudists about the person and the name who believe any thing of the story and thing it self but let Simeon the just and Jaddua be one and the same person as some would have it e e e e e e Vide Juchas fol. 14. 1. So then the times of Simeon the just and Alexander the great are coincident Let Antigonus Socheus who took the chair after him be contemporary with Ptolomeus Laguâ— Let Sadoc and Baithus both his Disciples be of the same age with Ptolomeus Philadelphus And so the times of at least one generation if not a second of the Disciples of Sadoc may have run out before the name of Sadducees took place If there be any truth or probability in these things we shall do well to consider them when we come to enquire upon what reasons the Sadducees received not the rest of the Books of the sacred Volume with the same authority they did those of the five Books of Moses I ask therefore first whether this was done before the Greek Version was writ You will hardly say Antigonus or indeed Sadoc his Disciple was toucht with this error He would have been a monster of a president of the Sanhedrin that should not acknowledg that distinction of the Law the Prophets and Holy writings And it would be strange if Sadoc should from his Master renounce all the other books excepting the Pentateuch The Sadducees might learn indeed from the Scribes and Pharisees themselves to give a greater share of honour to the Pentateuch than the other Books for even they did so but that they should reject them so at least as not to read them in their Synagogues there was some other thing that must have moved them to it When I take notice of this passage f f f f f f Massech Soph. cap. 1. that five of the Elders translated the Law into Greek for Ptolomy and that in Josephus g g g g g g â—â—tiqu lib. 1. cap. â— that the Law only was translated and both these before so much as the name or sect of the Sadducees were known in the world I begin to suspect the Sadducees especially the Samaritans might have drawn something from this example At least if that be true that is related by Aristeas that he was under an Anathema that should add any thing to or alter any thing in that Version When the Sadducees therefore would be separating into a Sect having imbibed that heresie that there is no resurrection and wrested the words of Antigonus into such a sense it is less wonder if they would admit of none but the Books of Moses only because there was nothing plainly occured in them that contradicted their error and further because those antients of great name having rendred those five Books only into Greek seem to have consigned no other for Books of a divine stamp I do not at all think that all the Sadducees did follow that Version but I suspect that the Samaritans took something from thence into their own text It is said by some in defence of the Greek Version that in many things it agrees with the Hebrew Text of the Samaritans as if that Text were purer than our Hebrew and that the Greek Interpreters followed that Text. They do indeed agree often but if I should say that the Samaritan Text in those places or in some of them hath followed the Greek Version and not the Greek Version the Samaritan Text I presume I should not be easily consuted Shall I give you one or two agreements in the very beginning of the Pentateuch In Gen. II. 2. the Hebrew Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For God ended his work on the Seventh day But the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God finished his work on the sixth day The Samaritan
True indeed the Adults that were baptized confessed their sins but this restrains not baptism to them alone because there are several ends of it applicable to those that know not especially that in the next particular As to the second That Baptism belongs to none but such as are in the Covenant and that it is a seal of our righteousness This phrase is fetched from IV. Rom. 11. And he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the Faith Which place is expounded to mean a seal of the persons righteousness that receives it But to examine this place 1. It is said to be a sign now a sign is to help unbelief and to confirm doctrine Exod. IV. Moses miracles there mentioned were to be signs to make the Israelites believe his message 1 Cor. XIV 22. Tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not And to that purpose is that of our Saviour Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe 2. The Doctrines there delivered are well worth such a Confirmation namely first That a sinner upon his believing in Christ becomes righteous this is the greatest truth Secondly That he becomes righteous by another this was a wonder to the Jews Thirdly That it is by a better righteousness than Adams Fourthly That it is by a righteousness infinite viz. A righteousness that outvies condemning righteousness and that very same righteousness that God gives to Christ. So that the meaning of those words the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the Faith is that it was a Seal to confirm that great Doctrine So Sacraments are to Seal the truth of God He hath put to his Seal in the Sacrament as a Seal to a Dead confirms the truth of it So that Circumcision is a Seal of the same truth to Esau Judas c. else it loses its nature which is to confirm Gods truth And so the Sacraments are Seals of Gods truth Baptism seals that truth that washing by the blood of Christ cleanseth us from our sins So that though children know not what baptism means yet it hath this nature III. They were all baptized unto Moses i. e. unto his discipline They were circumcised unto God viz. unto true religion Now they are baptized into Moses that is into his Way Baptism is to enter us into the true profession Matth. XXVIII 19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that is into the profession of the true God So in the Name of Jesus that is into his belief and religion Hence also Infants are capable of Baptism as it is a distinctive body that marks us out for Christians And therefore we are said to be all baptized into one body 1 Cor. XII 13. So the children of Israel were circumoised though they were born Israelites that they might be marked for Gods people As to the fourth observable in the Text baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea I cannot now insist on that The Conclusion is that we retain this Sacrament without doubting It carries its warrant in its institution and in its own nature I will leave two directions with you I. Rest not in a negative Religion only II. Let the practise of the Church have authority with you A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge Febr. 24. 1655 6. LUKE XI 2. When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven THE words are our Saviours And they are a sweet condescention to a pious request in the verse before where Christ praying publickly as it seems among his Disciples one affected with it prays Lord teach us to pray Where was this Disciple at the Sermon in the Mount Matth. VI. 9. where Christ had taught them to pray Was he absent or had he forgot Or did he not rightly understand However it was Christ yields to his request and gives the same directions again here as he had done there There it is After this manner pray ye Here When ye pray say In the Text are two things contained The one is Christs giving a Platform of prayer When ye pray say The other is The form given Our Father which art in Heaven c. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When leaves us not at liberty but commands us and is of the same import with another saying of our Saviour when he instituted his holy Supper As oft as ye do this do it in remembrance of me Out of the former I Observe two things I. That we had need to pray II. That we had need to be taught to pray Two truths confirmed by three witnesses John this Disciple and Christ. Ask John why he taught his Disciples to pray he will answer these two things viz. because they had need to pray and because they had need to be taught to pray Ask the Disciple why he asked Christ to teach him to pray he will answer so Ask Christ why he taught his Disciples to pray he will answer so also As there are many Comments on these subjects so there is as copious handling them So that I shall not handle them at large but speak to them in a few illustrations and so pass to insist rather on the second viz. The Form it self I. That we had need to pray And that first because of our Duty Secondly Because of our Wants In regard of what we owe to God and in regard of what we expect from him These both draw and drive us Accordingly the Lords Prayer consists of two general parts first we pray in adoration to his Name Kingdom Will in the three first petitions and then for our wants in the last I shall not now speak how Prayer is Adoration of God nor how it is commanded by Scripture on that account I shall only at present shew First That it is a duty and that we had need pray because of our Duty And for ◠that purpose observe 1. It is a Duty written in nature That in Gen. IV. ult Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord however understood shews it from the beginning Hence the Heathen prayed though they mistook in the manner of praying Matth. VI. 7. 2. It is a Duty for every man and woman in the World to perform All flesh come to thee LXV Psal. 2. And Psal. CL. ult Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. T is a Duty due upon our creature-ship It is the Duty of the holiest men Psal. XXXII 6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee And of the wickedest also even Magus was to pray to God Act. VIII 22. It is so a Duty for the holiest that it lay upon Adam in innocency It lay upon Christ in the Flesh he prayed both because of his Duty and because of his wants V. Heb. 7. Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
the gift of God as well as Pardon It is he that pours out the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. XII 10. Him God hath exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Act. V. 31. Therefore that man takes the interest of God and Christ out of their hands that presumes he shall give himself Repentance and that when he pleaseth Can such a man give himself life when God will not give it health when God will not give it And can he give himself Repentance when God will not give it They in the Apostle James that say To day or to morrow we will go into such or such a City c. are justly confuted by the uncertainty of their life that can so little maintain it that cannot tell how long or little it shall be maintained So those that promise to themselves repentance the next year or the other besides that they cannot promise to themselves to live to such a time and if they do can they any more give themselves repentance then than they can now Or can they presume God will give them repentance then any more than now I remember that passage of the Apostle 2 Tim. II. 15. If peradventure God will give them repentance If the Apostle put it to a Peradventure whether God will give them repentance I dare say it is past all peradventure they cannot give it themselves It is God that gives repentance as well as he gives pardon For he and he only is the giver of all grace and repentance is the gift of sanctifying grace as pardon is of justifying 2. He that hath set conditions upon which to give repentance a rule whereby to come to repentance as well as he hath set repentance the rule whereby to come to pardon And his rule is Take Gods time as well as take Gods way His way is to attend upon his word that calls for repentance to cast away every thing that may hinder repentance So his time is Betake to repentance when God calls for repentance And that is this day this very hour every day every hour We hear of to day and while it is called to day in the claiming of mans duty but we never hear of to morrow or the next day much less of the next month or next year or I know not how long to come How ever this man in the Text neglected Gods time all his life and yet sped well enough at his later end because God would make him a singular example of Gods mercy and Christ's Purchase and triumph yet canst thou find no reason in the world to expect the like mercy if thou neglectest Gods time unless thou canst think of Gods setting thy name in the Bible for a monument to all posterity as he did this mans The Rule of our duty that we go by and not by Providence especially miraculous and extraordinary Now the rule of our duty teacheth that we delay not any time but to it to day while it is called to day And as our Saviour's lesson is about not taking care for to morrow in respect of food and clothing so we may say We are not to put off the care till to morrow in respect of repentance and amendment Object But do you think that Death-bed repentance never speeds well There have been many that have not betaken themselves to repentance nay nor never thought of repenting till death hath been ready to seize on them and yet then have shewed great tokens of repentance and have made a very hopeful end Answer We must distinguish the rule of our duty and the rule of judging others The rule of our duty is plain and legible the rule of our judging others is not so plain if so be we have any rule at all besides the rule of Charity which not seldom is mistaken It is not for us in such cases to be so wise as either to limit God or to be too confident of our own determinations or too ready to judge The words of our Saviour may hint unto us a good caution in this case Joh. XXI 22. What is that to thee follow thou me Be not inquisitive after other mens occasions but mind thine own And this may be very pertinent counsel Venture not Salvation upon such late Repentance and venture not to have the question determined in your case but keep to the stated and fixed Rule A SERMON PREACHED upon ACTS XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both TWO Parties mentioned in the Text that are oft mentioned and oft mentioned together in several other places in the New Testament viz. The Pharisees and Sadducees Simeon and Levi. Brethren in evil though at enmity among themselves Samsons Foxes looking with their faces several ways but their tails meeting together in heresie and mischiaf Their Doctrine different in many particulars but both corrupt leaven and equally to be taken heed of Mat. XVI 12. Their manners different and their hearts envious one against another yet both agreeing to be vexatious to Christ and both proving alike a generation of Vipers Matth. III. 7. Parties that differed not only about this Article of Religion viz. The resurrection and the World to come but that differed even about the whole Frame of Religion For the Pharisees would have their Religion to be built upon Traditions and the Sadducees would admit of no Tradition at all The Pharisees admitted all the Books of the old Testament to be read in the Synagogue the Sadducees the Books of Moses only The Sadducees sound in this particular that they would not admit of Traditions as the Pharisees did But as unsound again in that they would not acknowledge the Resurrection The Pharisees sound in that particular in that they acknowledged the Resurrection which the Sadducees did not But as unsound again in that they so denoted upon Traditions as they did Both erring from the truth and not a little and both maintaining opinions directly contrary to the way of Salvation and directly contrary to one another It is a saying of the Jewish writers and is very true That after the death of the later Prophets Zechary and Malachi the Spirit of Prophesie departed from Israel and went up So that there was no Prophet thenceforward among them no Vision no Revelation no Oracle by Urim and Thummim at the least for four hundred years till the rising of the Gospel Ah! poor nation how art thou not stript of thy great jewel and priviledge the Spirit of Prophesie and Revelation What will now become of thee when thy Prophts are gone and such divine Guids and Teachers are no more Time was when thou mightest in thy doubting have recourse to them and they could resolve thee in thy fear have recourse to their prayers and they would prevail for thee in thy desire to know the mind of God and they would inform thee But now what
Balaam loved the wages the wages of unrighteousness yet he could wish to dye the death of the righteous Numb XXIII 10. Even Conscience beareth witness to this truth that dying in any sin is damnable But how is it possible but some sin will stick to the best of men I answer II. True that there is no man living without sin but we are to distinguish upon two things First Twixt sin and guilt If we consider presly it is not the sin that immediately damns but the guilt of the sin A thief hanged the sin of robbing is past and gone but the guilt of it brings him to the gallows so sin as to the act is over and gone but the guilt sticks Now there is some sin which binds not a man over to guilt to condemn him Psal. XXXII 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin There is sin but the guilt of it is not charged on men But what sin is that I might answer All sins already pardoned have they been never so great Rom. VIII 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth But we speak of sins that stick at the instant of death Therefore Secondly We distinguish upon the sticking of sin to the flesh and to the heart A Saint hath sin sticking to the flesh not to the heart Rom. VII ult With the mind I serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin As if we get the disease from the heart it is not so deadly so Saints having got sin from their hearts it is not damning to them They hate it but it cleaves to their flesh So that the guilt of such sins is pardoned all along because the Saint all along strives and prays against them It is not I but sin in me Not my heart or consent but sin in my flesh that will neither be got out nor quiet In a word a dying sin cannot kill a dying man Sin is mortified all along and if in death it stirs yet it is dying and hath not power to kill And this have I spoken to remove that error about this Article of the Creed that Christ descended to Hell to fetch Souls to Heaven that yet wanted something to bring them thither II. A second opinion and interpretation is that he descended locally to triumph over II. the Devils and the damned An Interpretation that seems to carry more sense and innocence and yet is far from the meaning of the Article To take it into examination First To consider something concerning Christs Soul when separate from his body I. It is undoubted that it went to Heaven assoon as departed and it is very unwarrantable to look for it in Hell unless we have good evidence of the Scripture at least of reason for it His words on the Cross to the good thief were To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke XXIII 43. and his last words to God were Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit vers 46. Now who can doubt but he was instantly in Heaven and his Soul with God And when and indeed why should it go to Hell Christ was dead but thirty six hours and his Soul to be on the Cross in Heaven and Hell in that time is a flitting up and down that unless the Spirit of Christ himself in Scripture tell us so how can we believe it That it flitted from the Cross to Heaven Scripture is plain but that it flitted from Heaven to Hell we are yet to seek Ye shall seek me and not find me Truly according to this opinion we know not where to seek him nor to find him in that time If you will take the propriety of his own words Luke XXIII 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And John XVII 11 13. I am no more in the World but these are in the World and I come to thee And now I come to thee you may certainly conclude that his Soul was with God while it was separate but that it was in Hell any moment of that time there is not one tittle of Scripture to give any evidence but Act. II. 27. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell and this Article of which we shall shew a far other sense II. Was it possible that Christs Soul should go from Heaven to Hell The Souls of the glorified Saints cannot and I question whether Christs could or not See Luke XVI 26. Between us and you there is a great gulph fixed so that they which would pass from us to you cannot Whence I observe two things 1. What is meant by a great Gulph an unsuperable unpassableness from one to another But especially 2. They that would pass from hence to you Are there any in Heaven that ever would go to Hell The Devils indeed chose it but I question whether they understood what Hell meant so well as they do now But never blessed Soul did nor could do it They are too much delighted with the happy enjoyment of God to make such a choise But Christ by that expression in the Parable does the more shew how it is impossible for a Soul once in Heaven to go thence to Hell that if it could be supposed they would do it it cannot be done And could Christs Soul do it any more Could Christs Soul have any delight to leave the joys of Heaven to go to Hell III. There is no reason no Scripture to tell us that Christs Soul had any thing to do as to the work of Redemption or Mediatorship when separate from the body What will you make of this Triumphing Was it any part of his Redeeming or Mediatorship If it were not what was it If it were why not acted per totum Christum by whole Christ Christ performed the whole Law as Totus Christus whole Christ viz. As to his humane nature in Soul and Body He was upon the Cross as Totus Christus Whole Christ he rose ascended sits in Heaven as Totus Christus Whole Christ Body and Soul And we are bound to believe in toto Christo In whole Christ as Redeemer and Mediator as God so perfectly Man of Body and Soul consisting And it were but an improper piece of Faith to believe so great a thing as his work in Hell is made to be to be done by a part of Christ for his Soul was but one part of him But Secondly Let us speak a little to this Triumphing I. The opinion is taken up I suppose in allusion to the custom of the Romans They conquered and then led their prisoners in Triumph the Conqueror in his triumphal Chariot the Captives in chains after it Cleopatra would kill her self rather than be thus led in triumph Now what was this but a pompous proud and vain shew And what will they make of this Triumph of Christ Nothing but a shew For what did he in this Triumph Who can imagine what but shew himself there Did he
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
he propounded more plainly and familiarly II. But however it was whether those things were true indeed or only believed and conceived so by a most apt and open comparison is shewn that the Devil was first cast out of the Jewish Nation by the Gospel and then seeking for a seat and rest among the Gentiles and not finding it the Gospel every where vexing him came back into the Jewish Nation again fixed his seat there and possessed it much more than he had done before The truth of this thing appears in that fearful Apostasie of an infinite multitude of Jews who received the Gospel and most wickedly revolted from it afterwards concerning which the New Testament speaks in abundance of places CHAP. XIII VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that he sate and the whole multitude stood SO was the manner of the nation that the Masters when they read their lectures sate and the Scholars stood Which Honorary custom continued to the death of Gamaliel the Elder and then so far ceased that the Scholars sate when their Masters sate Hence is that passage a a a a a a Sotah cap. 9. hal 15. From that time that old Rabban Gamaliel died the Honor of the Law perished and purity and Pharisaism died Where the Gloss from Megillah writes thus Before his death health was in the world and they learned the Law standing but when he was dead sickness came down into the world and they were compelled to learn the Law sitting VERS III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Parables I. NO Scheme of Jewish Retoric was more familiarly used than that of parables which perhaps creeping in from thence among the Heathen ended in Fables It is said in the place of the Talmud just now cited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the time that R. Meri died those that spake in Parables ceased not that that Figure of Rhetoric perished in the Nation from that time but because he surpassed all others in these flowers as the Gloss there from the Tract Sanhedrin speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A third part of his discourses or sermons was Tradition a third part Allegory and a third part Parable The Jewish books abound every where with these Figures the Nation enclining by a kind of Natural Genius to this kind of Rhetoric One might not amiss call their Religion Parabolical folded up within the Coverings of Ceremonies and their Oratory in their Sermons was like to it But it is a wonder indeed that they who were so given to and delighted in Parables and so dextrous in unfolding them should stick in the outward Shell of Ceremonies and should not have fetched out the Parabolical and spiritual sense of them neither should be able to fetch them out II. Our Saviour who always and every where spake with the vulgar useth the same kind of speech and very often the same preface as they did in their Parables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To what is it likened c. But in him thus speaking one may both acknowledg the divine Justice who speaks darkly to them that despise the light and his divine Wisdom likewise who so speaks to them that see and yet see not that they may see the shell and not see the Kernel VERS IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Some fell by the way side c. COcerning the husbandry of the Jews and their manner of sowing we meet with various passages in the Tracts Peah Demai Kilaim Sheviith We shall only touch upon those things which the words of the Text under our hands do readily remind us of There were ways and paths as well common as more private along the sown fields see Chap. XII 1. hence in the tract b b b b b b Cap. 2. Peah where they dispute what those things are which divide a field so that it owes a double corner to the poor thus it is determined These things divide a River an Aqueduct a private way a common way a common path and a private path c. See the place and the Gloss. VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some fell among stony places c c c c c c In Hieros Kilaim fol. 27. 1. DIscourse is had concerning some laws of the Kilaim or of the seeds of different kinds and of the seventh year where among other things we meet with these words R. Simeon ben Lachish saith That he is freed from those Laws who sows his seed by the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon rocks Shelves and rocky places These words are spoken according to the reason and nature of the land of Israel which was very rocky and yet those places that were so were not altogether unfit for tillage VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others fell among thorns HERE the distinction comes into my mind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a white field that is which is all sowen and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a woody field that is in which trees and bushes grow here and there Concerning which see the Tract d d d d d d Chap. 2. Sheviith So there is very frequent mention in the Talmudists of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beds in fields and vineyards e e e e e e Peah cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which speaks the same thing f f f f f f Kilaim c. 3. And of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baldness in a field that is when some places are left not sowen and some places lying between are g g g g g g Kilaim c. 4. VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And brought forth fruit some an hundred c. THESE words are spoken according to the fruitfulness of the land of Israel concerning which the Talmudists speak much and hyperbolically enough which nevertheless they confess to be turned long since into miserable barrenness but are dim-sighted as to the true cause of it h h h h h h Hieros Peah fol. 20. 1 2. They treat of this matter and various stories are produced which you may see we will only mention these two R. Jochanan said The worst fruit which we eat in our youth excelled the best which we now eat in our old age for in his days the World was changed R. Chaijah bar Ba said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Arbelite bushel formerly yelded a bushel of flower a bushel of meal a bushel of bran and a bushel of course bran and a bushel of courser bran yet and a bushel of the coursest bran also but now one bushel scarcely comes from one bushel VERS XIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They seeing see not HERE you may observe this people to have been given up to a reprobate mind and a spirit of deep sleep now a great while before the death of Christ Which being observed the sense of the Apostle will more easily appear Rom. XI where these very words are repeated If you there state aright the