many other graces are necessary 2 Pet. 1. and above all charity But they will say that it is not the saving faith which S. Peter there speaks of I answer It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is equally pretious faith with that which the Apostles themselves had And yet saith he Adde in that your faith vertue but in that vertue knowledge but in that knowledge temperance but in that temperance 2 Pet. 1. v. 5 6 7. patience but in that patience godliness but in that godliness brotherly kindness but in that brotherly kindness charity or common love to God and men 2 Pet. 1.1 7. There is a kinde of Acidia or spiritual slothfulness which would cause us lazily to sit down in faith alone without this train of graces following it as many do at this day and which is worse dangerously misunderstand the very foundation the true Christian faith Which S. Peter foreseeing adde saith he in your pretious faith vertue or prowess and courage therein the lazy soul would rest but saith the Apostle adde in that your vertue knowledge that is experimental knowledge that what we believed through vertue prowess is found possible And this is the reason of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the note of diversity repeated often both precedent and following all which our Translators contrary to the express text have rendred by the copulative And. The Apostle goes on For these things being and abounding make you neither barren nor unfruitful towards the knowledge or acknowledgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And v. 10. So an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patience or expectation of Christ 2 Thess 3.5 Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or his Ox fall down by the way Deut. 22. v. 4. and hide thy self from them Thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again By this translation some elegancy of the holy tongue is lost and somewhat of the mystery contained in these words obscured The Hebrew words of the later part are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Raising thou shalt raise them up with him Wherein the Hebrew elegancy imports and supposes a cooperation in the brother or neighbour the owner of the Asse and Ox and the like reason there is of his Sheep Horse mule or other beast Which the Samaritan version expresseth Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or any other of his cattle c. What the Hebrew text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum illo with him is not neglected by the LXX where we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him nor by the Samaritan Syriac or Arabic versions nor by the Chald. Par. Vulg. Lat. the Spanish French nor Italian Translations Castellio hath Vnà cum eo sublevabis thou shalt lift him or it up together with him So the Tigurin Translation and Piscator Luther and the Low Dutch which followes him This curiosity as some will call it is not nodum in scirpo quaerere to seek a knot in a Bulrush to search for a fault where there is none For to help him to lift them up and to raise them up with him are not the same The later is more emphatical and full The words thus turnd have a sense very important whether we consider the literal or spiritual meaning of them As for the literal sense the words imply thus much 1. That they whom our God would that we should help they should be helpful unto themselves 2. What is here called thy brothers Asse is Exod. 23.5 called the Asse of him that is hating thee who is in actual enmity against thee For the book of Deuteronomy is much of it Evangelical and holds forth unto believers early what is that good acceptable and perfect will of God which our Lord that Prophet like to Moses more clearly reveals when he teacheth us to love our enemies Mat. 5. v. 44. to bless those who are cursing us to do good to those who are hating us and to pray for those who are using us despightfully and persecuting us Matth. 5.44 3. These and such like actions tend much to the melting of enmity and hatred into love and favour For there is no greater incentive unto love then preventing love 4. Especially if these or like actions be agitated and used frequently so often as occasion calls for them So much is implyed by the repetition of the verb Raising thou shalt raise them up 5. But no doubt if this we ought to do to the Ox or Asse we ought much more to do it unto the owner himself or brother Matth. 18.22 But hath God care of Asses or Oxen 1 Cor. 9.9 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes The words no doubt have their mystical sense The Lord Jesus Christ deals so with his brethren He is not ashamed to call us so Hebr. 2.11 He could not he cannot see the humanity fallen to the ground and cleaving to the earth and minding earthly things embracing Dunghils Lam. 4.5 to such the solemn Feasts are compared Mal. 2.3 and all ceremonial services yea all things if opposite unto Christ Phil. 3.8 He could not he cannot hide himself from his own flesh Esay 58.7 Hebr. 2.14 but he stoops to take and raise up the fallen man from minding earthly things to a conversation in the heavens Phil. 3.19 20. Yet would he not that the fallen man should be like the Lunt heavie and lazy beast Psal 32. v. 8.9 Job 35. v. 11. 36. v. 22. I will make thee understand saith he and I will teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt walk I will give counsel with mine eye unto thee Be not as the Horse as the Mule without understanding c. For why He teacheth us rather then the cattle of the earth Indeed who is teaching like him who gives man reason and understanding which other teachers cannot give but suppose in those they teach Yea in the fallen Ox and Asse there is a principle of life and power toward the raising of it self And how much better principle is there in the fallen believing man toward the raising of himself to a more eminent life For otherwise all exhortations dehortations reproofs in a word all Gods dealings with fallen men would be in vain and to no purpose Our brother would raise them with them but they have no power in them to comply with him Wherefore thus saith the Apostle out of the Prophet Esay 1.9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a seed Rom. 9. v. 23. we should have been as Sodom and should have been made like unto Gomorrha Rom. 9.29 This divine seed lives when all what is temporal and earthly is dead and that recovers and restores all what shall live unto life Of which our Lord saith Except a corn of Wheat fall into the ground and die
tense in the Hebrew which is put for all the parts of time past Howbeit Gods resting after the Creation is not literally only to be understood but also spiritually God rested in his Son through whom he made all things And so we may read the words as now we do in our last Translation without that critical distinction of Tenses God finished his work on the seventh day that is on and in his Son by whom he made the Worlds He is the true Sabbath Gods well-beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Matth. 3.17 and 17.5 of whom the Father saith Esay 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innitor ei I will rest upon him so Vatablus turnes those words mine elect in whom my soul delighteth So S. August Sabbato enim significatur spiritualis requies For by the Sabbath is signified the spiritual rest-whither men are called by the Lord himself saying Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 As for Gods cessation or privative Rest after the Creation our Lord Jesus denies it For when he had commanded an impotent man who had been sick thirty eight years to carry his bed on the Sabbath-day John 5.5 16. He saith to the Jewes Verse 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work viz. works of righteousnesse which he hath alwayes wrought without beginning and shall alwayes work without end He rested on the Sabbath from making new kindes of creatures But he ceaseth not from his preservation government and ordering of those creatures which he hath made The Carpenter leaves the House and the Shipwright the vessel which he hath built and it is all one to him whether it sink or swim But the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato cals the wise Master-builder He having made the World leaves it not but governs it Yea he works hitherto even on the seventh day even on the Sabbath-day Ideò dicitur Deus requievisse quia jam creaturam nullam condebat God is said to have rested because now he made no creature saith S. Aug. that he may admonish us that we shall rest after our labours and that we should not hope for any rest unlesse we return to the similitude wherein we were made For so God rested after he had made man after his image and similitude Thus also S. Hierome in Hebraeo Habetur die Septima c. In the Hebrew its said God finished his work on the seventh day Wherefore saith he we shall straiten the Jews who glory of the Sabbaths rest because even then in the beginning the Sabbath was dissolved while God works on the Sabbath therein finishing all his works An help meet for him The Marginal reading is as before him Gen. 2. Ver. 18. which answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again Verse 20. This I prefer before that in the context both because it answers exactly to the Original and because the Woman the Church whereof the Woman here to be made was a type is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before him that is before Christ Ephes 1.4 For as Adam was a figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 so was Eve a type of the Church and therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because she was the Mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the living Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat Gen. 2. Ver. 16. Doubtlesse the better translation is in the Margent as it is evident from the words immediately before The Lord God commanded the Man saying Of every Tree in the Garden eating thou shalt eat The words are a command not a permission as the context speaks them Thus also the French Bible the Spanish and Italian as also Luthers translation and the Low Dutch Yea all our Old English translations That which I beleeve moved the Translators to cast the true version into the Margent and make the words a permission not a command was their humane consideration of a seeming impossibility that the Man should eat of all the Trees in the Garden They seem not to have remembred that in Parables and Allegories many things are improper in the figure which yet are made good and proper in the truth and thing figured and signified To eat of a Tree is not proper but of the fruit of it Howbeit to eat partake of and enjoy Christ who is the Tree of Life yea the Life it self its proper Yea where it is said Revel 2.7 To him that overcometh I will give to eat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word of the wood of Life Or if it signifie a Tree rather a dry Tree then a green which is not an Hebraism but an Hellenism For whereas the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies wood and a tree hence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often signifies a tree But neither tree nor wood of the tree is properly food How then shall we eat of either We may partake of that which is signified by both viz. the Crosse patience and sufferings of Jesus Christ who is the tree of life That 's the wood that makes the bitter waters sweet Exod. 15. And Blessed is the wood by which righteousnesse cometh Wisd 14.7 Surely the true trees of the Garden whereof the Man is commanded to eat and that of all of them are the Plants of our heavenly Fathers planting every grace every vertue all the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance Unto these Nine the Vulg. Latin addes three other Modesty Continency and Chastity twelve in all and so many we read of Revel 22.1 2. A river of living water or water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb that is the holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son according to John 7.37 Out of his belly the heart of the believer in Christ shall flow rivers of living waters this he spake of the Spirit It followes that in the midst of the street and of either side of the river was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits c. These fruits must be exceeding plenteous there must be Gods plenty of them And so there is For as the Father hath life in himself so he hath given to the Son to have life in himself John 5.26 from whom flowes righteousness as a mighty stream Amos 5.24 to water the Paradise of God And peace like a river Esay 66.12 And joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 For the end to which the fruits of the tree of life serve unto require abundance of fruit so much as may satisfie all Nations For Christ is the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 And when that desire comes it is a tree of life Prov. 13.12 Which gives life to the world John 6.33 And that in more abundance John 10.10 And as the fruit must be plenteous so must the leaves
the Lapidary only who can value and duly esteem a precious stone It is the Astronomer only that can judge of the Stars Phil. 1.10 the Apostle prayed that the Philippians might discern of things that differ The Psalmist calls Jesus Christ the fairest of men And the Spouse the chief of ten thousand And his Saints are the excellent ones There is no doubt but in that which they call the visible Church there are many great lights and stars of the first magnitude which ignorant and malicious men dis-esteem such an one is Lampas contempta in cogitationibus divitum There is many a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is accompted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As deceivers yet true as unknown yet well known But when the sons of God shall be made manifest when the new heavens shall appear all shall be such Obs 1. This answers the great doubt that hath been long time made and disputed which is the true Church and who are the genuine and true children and seed of Abram Who else but they who are as the heaven and stars such are Abrams children What ever men talk of tenents and opinions and being Orthodox or Catholick and what other notes are given of the true Church if the light of life be not in them if they shine not as the heaven and stars it matters not of what Church they are or of what religion they are or whose children they are Yet the Apostle tels us whose they are 1 John 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousnes is not of God nor he that loveth not his brother Obs 2. We cannot see the true seed of Abram except the Lord reveal them the things of God are spiritual and inward which cannot be discerned but by Gods discovery of them Since therefore according to these the true children of Abram have their denomination they cannot be certainly known unlesse the Lord discover them unto Abram and the children of Abram Rom. 8.19 therefore he must first make a manifestation of the sons of God Elijah thought he was alone and knew none other nor was Paul known to Ananias nor the Eunuch unto Philip nor Cornelius to Peter until the Lord made them known unto them Consol Unto the genuine children of Abram in these perillous times They shall be as the heaven and stars Esay 57.21 they are not troubled by commotions and tumults The ungodly are so moved that they have no peace no rest They are truly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impeacable and unquiet and full of perplexity when the sons of Abram keep on their course constant and steady Phil. 2.15 Psal 119.165 as the stars shine clearest in the coldest night They have peace when all the world besides them wants it they are not afraid by any evill tidings Yea the weaker sex the daughters of Sarah are not terrified by any amazement They dwel in the new heaven and new earth that cannot be moved when the star pointed to the morning star as Christ is called the great ones of the earth are moved the Meteors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have a con-signification with Princes and Potentates lifted up above others for their good these are tossed with the winds too and fro while mean-time the heavens and the stars the true children of Abram they keep on their course As the Orbs of heaven are involved one in an other as in Ezechiels vision there was a wheel with in a wheel even so here is an heaven with in an heaven there are visible and invisible heavens and stars And the seed hath a visible and earthly substance which dies and is resolved into the earth as the principle of it It hath also an invisible substance Naturale balsamum which is immateriall and the cause of life increase and multiplication Esay 51.16 Christ in us according to his divine and spirituall nature is the inward heaven Col. 2.5 2 Pet. 1.5 The faith in him is as the firmament as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the firmament of faith All the vertues proceeding from the divine nature through faith are as the stars Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowldge temperance and to temperance patience c. Such are all the vertues and graces love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness temperance Gal. 5.22 all the stars of light shining from the father of lights Reproof The degenerate sons of Abram yea rather Bastards then sons who pretend to be children of Abram yet have nothing of the heavenly nature in them they seem as stars even of the first magnitude and talk of heaven and heavenly things as if their Common-wealth were there when yet their lives declare them earthly-minded like the foolish Stage-player they name heaven Mat. 24.29 but point to the earth according to the inclination of their earthly spirit being fallen from the firmament of the living and operative faith which works by love who sore aloft ambitious of domineering and ruling over others they would be better and greater then their Master a servant of Rulers Esay 9.15 and 49.7 but minde earthly things cover it with a form of godlinesse without any power Ad populum Phaleras Esay 8.20 1 Pet. 1.9 Away with all vain pretences What â—s all this trapping without the light of life not so much as the morning light how much lesse then the day-star and therefore he that sits in heaven will laugh them to scorn the Lord will have them in derision They are inquisitive after heaven and heavenly things as the Pharisees and Saduces their predecessours would see a signe from heaven Mat. 16.1.4 Ion. 2.2 Iude v. 13. but our Lord points them to a signe from hell more fit for them so Jonah called the belly of the fish Hell These are the wandring stars they have a diurnal motion common with the rest of the heavens and you would think they were no other but as the planets so these have their proper motions they steal a private and undiscerned course And walk according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Exhort To shine as the stars It s the nature and property of Abrams children they are children of light children of life and righteousnesse such was Abram For where our Translators render the words who raised the righteous man from the East c. the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse Esay 44 2. For want of a few such Sodom and the other Cities of the Plain perished For want of a few such this City yea the whole Land yea whole Christendome hath now long time bin and is yet perishing Are we such stars The stars are seen in the night Phil. 2.15 in times of darkness 1. In the darknesse of sin such bright
should be counted among the unclean birds yet should have no ill qualities which might make them worthy of that Classis I have sometime heard good fellowes complain of the Preachers that they inveigh bitterly against excessive drinking but say nothing of the like excesse in eating perhaps obliquely intimating as if they spared themselves For satisfaction therefore of those Club-men they may know that the Vulture and Pelican are extreamly ravenous birds and that the Pelican hath a double craw or crop whereof one like the end of a Neat both which she fills and yet is soon again empty Pliny calls her inexplebile animal that 's never satisfied Vlysses Androvandus relates a story out of Franciscus Sanctius of a Pelican or Onocratalus which hath this name from her voice like the braying of an Asse that being born-down to the ground by her weight and so taken an Ethiop or little black childe was found in her crop Yet is she alwayes lean whether from her speedy concoction or because all her inwards are velut unum sine diverticulo intestinum rectum or hath no retentive faculty or that she hath a kinde of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or greedy appetite like too many who resort to our Churches who are insatiable and gluttonous hearers yet thrive not by their spiritual food so that when they have consumed many a laborious Ox 1 Cor. 9.9 10. they are altogether as lean and meager as they were before Genesis 41.21 So great an Eater is the Pelican and so little a Drinker if we believe Turnerus who saith that the Pelican drinks but twice in a year 'T is hard to believe this of a bird that 's alwayes in the water and how could Turnerus observe this unless some Pelican carried him alwayes in her crop like the black boy How otherwise was it possible Let our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the slow-bellies the Apicii the belly-gods and insatiable Gluttons of this age take notice of this whose Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat saith the Satyrist who bear before them a Paunch a foot and-half thick like the craw or gorge of the Onocratalus I want Sequipedatia verba words fit and of like measure to their odious unreasonableness and unsatiableness The Son of Sirach gives excellent counsel Ecclus 31.12 If thou sit at a bountiful table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 open not thy weazon-pipe that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly not the throat as ours turn it in the margent that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 open not thy gullet thy weazon-pipe indeed thine appetite upon it And v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eat as becomes a man not like a brute beast like a Vulture or Onocratalus Read from ver 12. to the end of that Chapter it s a seasonable lesson and proper for the Table Whereby also the Drunkard may know that no one sin excuseth another nor is the Drunkard therefore justified because he is not a Glutton O Israel They are both unclean fowls Away with them Solomon gives thee good advice Hear thou my son and be wise and guide thine heart in the way Be not among wine-bibbers among riotous eaters of their flesh For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags Prov. 23.19 20 21. What they turn the Heron Levit. 11. Ver. 19. is indeed the Bittaur as will appear upon due examination It is true that R. Salomon turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Milvus irritabilis an angry Kite and then addes It seems to me that it is the same which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hairon Howbeit others by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand the wrathful Pie others the Vulture rather And Mercer tells us that the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by diverse diversly rendred as by the names of four several other birds beside those already named as the Ring-dove the Chough the Bustard and the Dunghil Cock So that we are left in great doubt what to make of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arias Montanus that he might be sure not to erre interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the signification of the word Avis furibunda a furious bird But since there may be many such he leaves us to conjecture which R. Salomon is of greatest authority to prove it an Heron whose words being interpreted a Kite Hairon Pye and Vulture and he himself understanding the Hairon let us enquire into the nature of this fowl which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Translators render an Heron whether it may probably be judged to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea or not The Heron which in the Greek is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latin Ardea is of divers kindes I shall speak the more fitly to our purpose if I mention only what is delivered by the Naturalists in common to them all as the Scripture here speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heron according to her kinde And so they report her one of the most vertuous of all the Birds The most notable vertues in the Heron are continency piety wisdom and providence The continency and temperance of the Heron is highly commended by Michael Glyca lib. 1. Animal who saith I must leave this upon his credit though the continency of this fowl may be more easily proved by him then the sobriety of the Pelican by Turnerus that the male Heron perceiving a necessity of copulation before he hath company with the female he mourns forty dayes as if he would signifie a business that must be done which yet is most unpleasant and irksom to him so that Pliny saith in treading that he weeps bloody tears though this later be denied by Albertus Magnus upon his own frequent ocular observation Howbeit Aristotle and he agree that the like temperance is observable also in the female Some things come to pass by violence and even against nature saith Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Heron couples with the female with much pain and she brings forth with sorrow saith Aristotle No less commendable is the piety of the Heron toward her young and the reciprocal love of the young ones toward their Dams And although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew such natural affection hath gotten the name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Stork yet is this mutual descending and ascending love as vigorously exercised by the Herons as by the Storks and Pelicans saith Aelian lib. 3. cap. 23. But whereas it s commonly said Difficile est amare simul sapere It s hard to love and to be wise together The wisdom and prudence of the Heron is most remarkable and that above all other Birds For although the most of them can foresee the change of weather yet few or none know how to escape a storm when it comes none that I have yet read of so wisely and providently as the Heron which foreseeing the rain
Ministry as are blinde or lame or crook-backt or have some other visible biemish for that reason a most unreasonable one even because their children are so deformed For why they either think them fit for no other imployment meantime they remember not that curse Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver who hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Or else they look at the Ministry only as a livelyhood like a Corrodie of so much a year to maintain an Abby-Lubber with what he may eat In the interim they consider not that they expose their children to a curse like that on Eli's house who shall say suppose to the Patron Put me I pray thee into one of the Priests offices that I may eat a piece of bread 1 Sam. 2.36 Doubtless such considerations as these are base and sordid and unworthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and evidently prove that such Parents have a poor opinion of Christs Ministers yea very low thoughts if any of the most high God who from the consideration of Gods eminency and Majesty ought to offer unto Him the very best they have It is the Lords own reasoning in the fore-named place Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver who hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen I deny not but it may please the only wise God to set-off his illustaious and glorious truth with a black Foile as Jewels and Pretious stones are best set in a dark ground And truly the good news of a voice and power from Heaven routing our spiritual enemies though worthy a Quire of Angels Luke 2.13 14. yet it s welcome although they who brought it were scabby and nasty Lepers 2 Kings 7.6 11. Accordingly Moses Gods Ambassadour unto Pharaoh was a man slow of speech and of a slow tongue Exod. 4.10 So of S. Paul who was an Ambassadour for Christ his enemies said that his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.10 And his friends say of him that he was a short man and somewhat crooked Niceph. lib. 2.37 According to what Chrysostome calls him a man three cubits high And experience hath proved in these last dayes that the dumb Asse with mans voice hath forbidden the madness of the Prophets 2 Pet. 2.16 Yea God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. However all this be true yet neither all this nor any testimony else in Scripture nor any sound reason out of Scripture can warrant that selfish and ungodly designe of Parents though frequently practised in this and our Neighbour-Nations to set apart for the Ministry their impotent crook-backt or otherwise deformed children even because they are such These men no doubt seek their own things not the things of Jesus Christ Phil. 2.21 How much more pious and honest is their purpose and endeavour who intend the very best and principal of their children unto that holy Function For although Forma virûm neglecta feature of body in it self be neglected as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this business not considerable yet may a comely body be a more serviceable instrument and vehicle of towardly noble and vertuous dispositions according to that of the Poet Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtâ—s Vertue is more acceptable when it proceeds out of a graceful man-case Nor can I but approve of that part of a certain local stature of a Colledge which speaks thus Nec caecus nec claudus though the words following be invidious nec Gallus nec Wallus Neither let the Blinde nor the Lame be admitted into this Society But the inward deformities no doubt were here intended and principally prohibited by Moses as hindring the sons of Aaron from executing the Priests office And there are like spiritual blemishes which by like reason disable men from officiating in the Evangelical Priesthood For neither must the Gospel-Priest be blinde And he is spiritually blinde saith S. Gregory who knowes not the light of heavenly contemplation who being inveloped in the darknesse of this present life by not loving the life to come he sees it not according to 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. S. Peter better He who lacks these things saith he which are faith vertue knowledge temperance patience godliness brotherly kindness and charity he who lacketh these things is blinde 2 Pet. 1.5 9. Their office requires of them that they should open mens eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 That they cause all men to see the mysteries of God And how can he so do if he himself be blinde How ill put together are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blinde guides Matth. 23.24 as our Lord calls the Scribes and Pharisees But it s more unreasonable that they be lame guides also And who is lame Who else but he who though he see the way of life yet through infirmity and instability of his affections walks not in it unto such saith the Lord how weak is thine heart Ezech. 16.30 How absurd a thing therefore is it for Gods Priests to be lame who are by profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as must be guides and leaders unto others in the way of life Acts 8.31 Now if they themselves halt in that way how can they say as S. Paul that excellent way-guide to his Philippians Be ye followers together of me and mark them who walk so as ye have us for an example Phil. 3.17 Goodly guides I wiss who like the Statue of Mercury point Travellers to the way while they themselves stand still as the Prophet saith of Idols they have feet and walk not and of the same Noses they have and smell not Psal 115.6 7. By the Nose S. Gregory understands Discretion Prudence and Sagacity according to the known use of Nasutus and homo acutae naris Prudence is as laudable a vertue of the soul as the Nose is comely for the body But I shewed before by sufficient authority that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 note defect and excess in the parts of the body which imply that the Priest must have a perfect body and by analogy according to Philo that he have a perfect soul Because Perfectum est cui nihil deest aut superest that is perfect to which nothing is wanting nothing is superfluous And what is the breaking of the foot but the revolt of the heart and affections broken off from the wayes of God whereof the
judgement the wicked compassing about the righteous c. Habac. 1. v. 2 3 4. which causeth Jerusalem to mourn make lamentation He is wont saith one of the pious Antients to be a type of the Devil This King of all the children of pride Job 41.34 This Prince of this World sets all the World against this little City All that is in this World the lusts of the flesh c. all temptations unto sin all occasions of sin c. He summons his Servants all Tyrants Hereticks the Wisemen and wisdom of the world and the wisdom of the flesh Ye read of such a straight siege Revel 20.8 when the City is so little and so few to defend it it seems it might easily be taken How much more when the Prince of this World comes and begirts it with all the power of this World This City the poor Wiseman who for our sakes became poor delivers yet who remembers this poor Wiseman Axiom 2. Wisdom strengthens the wise more then ten mighty men who are in the City These words of the Wiseman present us with the pirase of Wisdom compared with Strength and Authority For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifies one that 's strong and powerful whence the Arabians and Turks call their Governours Soldans or Sultans that is men of power and authority mighty men Whereas the wisdom of the Wiseman is compared with ten such Princes or mighty men and preferred before them The number of Ten is not here exactly and precisely of necessity to be understood but as we often in common speech use a definite number for an indefinite as Castellio here Decies tantum ten times as much that is many times And the reason is because the number Ten is the boundary beyond which we number not but by repeating Hence it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Ten is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to contain because it comprehends all numbers The Scripture speaks thus Job 19.3 These ten times have ye reproached me that is oftentimes And so Jacob complains that Laban had changed his wages ten times Gen. 31.7 And the Lord saith he was tempted so often by his people Numb 14.22 Thus Matth. 25.1 ye read of Ten instead of the whole number of the Church and diverse the like The truth of this is evident both by testimony of natural experience and Scripture 1. Experience as the Heathen found it true who said Cedant arma togae Arms must yield to the Gown And Archimedes the Mathematitian was more feared by the Romans then all the power of Syracuse Insomuch as if the Souldiers besieging the City saw but a Line or a small piece of wood hanging down the wall they presently suspected some Engine and would cry out Archimedes Archimedes and turn their backs and flye which they disdained to do at all the strength of the Souldiery But the Scripture proves this expresly Prov. 21.22 Eccles 7.17 and 9.14 And the weaker Sex arm'd with wisdom prevail'd against the strong witness Debora Jahel and the wise Woman of Abel 2 Sam. 20. The reason why this wisdom so strengthens the wise even more then many mighty men so that one wise man more preserves the City then many strong men it seems to be because Wisdom both originally and formally is concrete with power and might and therefore whatsoever strength can do alone that also can Wisdom do more Therefore Wisdom is described the breath of the power of God and a pure efflux from the glory of the Almighty Wisd 7.25 Wis 7. v. 25. And formally the same Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God 1 Cor. 1. which is the second necessary for our spiritual war 3. Besides there is a priority in nature For Vis consilii expers mole ruit suâ Force without Counsel perisheth by his own weight And therefore if strength be successful and prosperous in the actions of it it must presuppose Wisdom as the guide and director of it Yea Wisdom is the Teacher of Valour yea of Prudence Temperance and Justice according to Wisd 8.7 If a man love Wisdom her labours are vertues For she teacheth Temperance Prudence Justice and Fortitude which are such things that men can have nothing more profitable in their life which are the four Cardinall Vertues known and famous among the wise Heathen Obs 1. If that wisdom which is the fear of God and but the beginning of wisdom as it s often called be yet stronger then many mighty men how much more strong is the progress and increase of divine wisdom in faith which overcomes the world 1 John 5.4 Yea how much more strong is that mighty power of love which is God himself 1 John 4.8.16 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15. And love is strong as death it self Cant. 8.6 Obs 2. How should this inflame our soules with the love of Christ which is not only power but wisdom also yea and righteousness and holiness Job 36. He is mighty in strength and wisdom Yea he is all things Col. 3.11 and in whom are hid all the treasures of this wisdom and plenipotence of power Obs 3. The divine wisdom is of more power and force then all humane wisdom and strength This appears by the examples of holy men not trained up in Trades Arts and Sciences yet able to judge of them even better then they who professed them As Joseph no States-man Paul no Mariner yet able to out-vie them to out-shoot them in their own Bow The like we may truly say of the divine wisdom in regard of all humane power and might What is the most glorious pretence of using might and power Is it not the cause of Religion the building up and defence of pure religion Does not the Wiseman tell us here that wisdom strengthens the wise more then ten mighty men that are in the City And therefore what ye read Zach. 4.6 spoken of the material Temple the building of it not by might nor by power and the same is most true if understood of the spiritual Temple the Church of God All the Zelots in all Ages they have found that by their tyranny all that could be effected was but to make many Hypocrites like themselves But to build up the Church of God of living stones it is the work of divine wisdom which reaches from end to end strongly and disposes all things sweetly Wisd 8.8 And therefore when the Lord appeared to Eliah now zealous of Gods glory who might seem to pray for fire from Heaven to destroy Jezabel 1 Kings 19.11 The Lord was neither in the strong winde nor earthquake nor fire but in a still voice And let them take notice of this who like James and John even out of zeal for God and Christ wish for fire from Heaven to consume their supposed enemies the wisdom of God tells them They know not of what spirit they are Luke 9.55 Mysticè The