there any inconsistency betwixt baptizing and preaching Answ. As baptism was in use among the Jewes for admission of proselytes under the Law these two things were required to it 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that was baptized must be baptized before three 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The thing required a consessus or to be done by the allowing of some eldership And because it required this saith Maymony whose words the former are also therefore they baptized not on the Sabbath nor on the holy dayes nor in the night A man that baptized himself and proselyted himself although it were before two witnesses or that came and said I was proselyted in such a mans consessus and they baptized me he is not permitted to come into the Congregation till he bring witnesse Maym. in Issure biah par 13. The reason of this strictnesse was because of their strict nicenesse about conversing or matching with a Heathen till they were sure he was fully Israelited Christ and the Apostles in the administration of baptisme followed or forsook their custom as they saw cause In the case alledged he followes it he preacheth and calleth in Disciples and they are baptized by these Disciples but Christ chief in the action and therefore one text tells us that he baptized though we are taught by another text that he baptized not Now the Disciples are not to be looked upon as private men since they were men of such privacy with the Messias and not only converted by him but called to be with him and intended by him to be solemnly inducted into the ministeriall function when he should see time And answerably in that saying of the Apostle I came not to baptize but to preach he setteth not an inconsistency between these two which were joyned by Christ in Pauls and all Ministers Commission Matth. 28.19 but he speaketh according to this custome that we have mentioned which the Apostles followed when disciples came in to be baptized by multitudes they themselves preaching and bringing in disciples to be baptized and others baptizing them and they not private men neither but fellow-labourers with them in the Gospel and Ministers of it Fishers of men Maym. in Talm. Torah par 7. speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fishers of the Law SECTION XX. MARK Chap. I. from Ver. 21. to Ver. 40. LUKE Chap. IV. from Ver. 31. to the end of Chapter MATTH Chap. VIII Ver. 14 15 16 17. A Devill cast out in Capernaum Synagoge Peters wives Mother and divers more healed IF the transition of Mark from the preceding story to this be observed it cleereth the order For having declared there how Christ had called his Disciples And they saith he that is Christ and his new called Disciples went into Capernaum his own City There on the Sabbath day he casteth out a devill in the Synagogue who by confessing Christ for the Messias would have terrified the people with the dread of him that they might not dare to entertain him From the Synagogue they go to dinner to Peters house and there he raiseth his wives Mother in law from a Feaver And after Sun-set when the Sabbath was done many more are brought to him and are healed They began their Sabbath from Sun-set and at the same time of the day they ended it Talm. Hierosolm in Sheviith fol. 33. col 1. And their manner of observing it briefly was thus for the consideration of such a thing may be of some use in some places of the Gospel as we go along since there is so frequent mention there about their Sabbath The Eve of the Sabbath or the day before was called the day of the preparation for the Sabbath Luk. 23.54 and from the time of the evening sacrifice and forward they began to fit themselves for the Sabbath and to cease from their works so as not to go to the barbor not to sit in Judgment c. nay not to eat thenceforward till the Sabbath came in Nay thenceforward they would not set things on working which being set awork would complete their businesse of themselves unlesse it would be completed before the Sabbath came As they would not put Galls and Coperas to steep to make Ink unlesse they would be steeped while it was yet day before the evening of the Sabbath was entred Nor put wooll to dying unlesse it would take colour whilest it was yet day Nor put Flax into the oven unlesse it would be dried whilest it was yet day c. Talm. in Sab. par 1. They washed their face and hands and feet in warm water to make them neat against they met the Sabbath and the ancient wise men used to gather their scholers together and to say Come let us go meet King Sabbath Maym. in Sab. par 36. Towards Sun-setting when the Sabbath was now approaching they lighted up their Sabbath candle Men and women were bound to have a candle lighted up in their houses on the Sabbath though they were never so poor nay though they were forced to go a begging for Oyl for this purpose and the lighting up of this candle was a part of making the Sabbath a delight and women were especially commanded to look to this businesse c. Ibid. They accounted it a matter of speciall import and command to hallow the Sabbath with some words because it is said Remember the Sabbath day to hallow it and accordingly they used a two-fold action to this purpose namely a solemn form of words in the way of hallowing it at its coming it and this they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kiddush and another solemn form of words in way of parting with it at its going forth and this they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habdalah The solemnity accompanying the hallowing of it at its coming in was thus They spred and furnished the table with provision and had the Sabbath candle burning by and the master of the house took a cup of wine and first rehearsed that portion of Scripture in Gen. 2. ver 1 2 3. and then blessed over the wine and then pronounced the hallowing blessing of the Sabbath and so drank off the wine and the rest of the company drank after him and so they washed their hands and fell to eat This helps to understand those verses of Persius in Satyr 5. At cum Haeredis venere dies unct áque fenestris Dispositae pinguem nebulam vomuere lucernae Portantes violas rubrumque amplexa catinum Cauda natat thyuni tumet alba fidelia vino Labra moves tacitus recutitaque Sabbata palles They used to eat their meals on the Sabbath and thought they were bound to it in honour of the day the first of which was this that they ate at the very entrance of it over night Yea the poor that lived of alms were to eat three meals that day and those that were of ability were to get choice provision and alwayes better at the least not the same that they used on
he heard of Peters trouble and danger that he had been in at Ierusalem and desired to see him for that he had some speciall interest and familiarity with Peter may be collected from 1 Pet 5.14 and in that Peter was so well acquainted at his mothers house Act. 12.12 c. Or whether in regard of this his relation to Peter the Minister of the Circumcision he made it nice to go among the Gentiles into the thickest of which he saw they were coming every day more then other For at Paphos where they had last been was a Temple of Venus and at Perga where they now are was a Temple of Diana Strab. lib. 14. Pomp. Mela. lib. 1. cap. 14. Or whatsoever the matter was his departure was so unwarrantable that it made a breach betwixt him and Paul for the present nay it occasioned a breach betwixt Paul and Barnabas afterward And so we leave him in his journey to Ierusalem whither when he came he staied there till Paul and Barnabas came thither again ACTS CHAP. XII from Ver. 20. to Ver. 24. CHRIST XLIV CLAVDIVS IV HERODS death was in the beginning of this year the fourth of Claudius or neer unto it according as Iosephus helpeth us to compute who testifieth that the third year of his reign was compleated a little before his death Vid. Antiq. lib. 19. cap. 7. He left behinde him a sonne of seventeen years old in regard of whose minority and thereby unfitnesse to reign Claudius sent Cuspius Fadus to Govern his Kingdom His daughters were Berenice sixteen years old married to Herod King of Chalcis her fathers brother And Mariam ten years old and Drusilla six who afterward married Felix ACTS CHAP. XIII from Ver. 14. to the end of the Chapter And CHAP. XIV CHRIST XLV XLVI XLVII XLVIII XLIX CLAVDIVS V. VI. VII VIII IX AT the fifteenth Chapter we have some fastnesse of the time viz. in what year the Council at Ierusalem as it is commonly called did occurre which certainty we have not of the times of the occurrences henceforward thitherto so that since we cannot determinately point any passage to its proper year we must cast them in grosse under this grosse summe of years and distribute them to their proper seasons by the best conjecture we can From Perga in Pamphilia Paul and Barnabas come to Antioch in Pisidia and on the Sabbath day going into the Synagogue are invited by the Rulers of the Synagogue after the reading of the Law and Prophets to speak a word of exhortation to the people But how could the Rulers know that they were men fit to teach It may be answered By former converse with them in the City and it is very like that the Rulers themselves had drunk in some affection to the Gospel by converse with them which made them so ready to urge them to preach For it is not imaginable that this was the first time that they had seen them nor that they came to Town that very day but that they had had some converse before Paul preacheth and the Synagogue broke up and the Jews gone out the Gentiles desired that the same words might be preached to them in the week between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely on the second and fifth daies of the week following which were Synagogue daies on which they met in the Synagogues as on the Sabbath day And which daies their traditions said were appointed for that purpose by Ezra Talm. in Bava Kamah per. 7. R. Sol. and Nissim in Chetubboth per. 1. in Alphes Their preaching on those daies had so wrought that on the next Sabbath almost all the City was gathered together to hear the word and many of the Gentiles receive it but the Jews stirred up some female unbelieving proselytes against them and some of the chief of the City so that they drave them out of those coasts and they shaking off the dust of their feet against them go to Iconium This Ceremony injoyned them by their Master Matth. 10.14 was not so much for any great businesse put in the thing it self as that even from a tenet of their own they might shew how they were to be reputed of It was their own Maxime That the dust of a Heathen Country or City did defile or make a person unclean Tosaphta ad Kelim per. 1. hath this saying In three things Syria was like unto any Heathen Land The dust of it made a person unclean as the dust of any other Heathen Country did c. So that their shaking off the dust of their feet against them was to shew that they reputed them and their City as Heathenish ACTS CHAP. XIV AT Iconium they continue long and with good effect but at last they are in danger of stoning and thereupon they slip away to Lystra and Derbe Cities of Lycaonia and to the region that lieth round about That region Strabo describeth lib. 12. where among other particulars he tels that Derbe lay coasting upon Isauria and in his time was under the dominion of Amyntas At Lystra or Derbe Paul converteth Lois and Eunice and Timothy and as some will tell you here or at Iconium he converteth Tecla For healing a Creeple they are first accounted Gods but presently by perswasion of some Jews Paul is stoned but being reputed dead recovereth miraculously From thence they go to Derbe and return to Lystra Iconium and Antioch and ordain Elders in those Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 24. is unproperly rendred here Per suffragia creantes Presbyteros for so they could not do there not being a man in all these Churches fit to be chosen a Minister or qualified with abilities for that Function unlesse the Apostles by Imposition of hands bestow the holy Ghost upon them which might inable them For the Churches being but newly planted and the people but lately converted it would be hard to finde any among them so thoroughly completed in the knowledge of the Gospel as to be a Minister but by the Apostles hands they receive the Holy Ghost and so are inabled It is true indeed the Greek word in the first sense denoteth suffrages but that is not the only sense And so doth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the proper sense signifie laying on of hands yet there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordination that was without it Maym. in Sanhedr 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How is ordination to be for perpetuity Not that they lay their hands on the head of the Elder but call him Rabbi and say Behold thou art ordained c. ACTS CHAP. XV. CHRIST L CLAVDIVS X WE are now come up to the Council at Hierusalem The occasion of which was the busie stirring of some who would have brought the yoke of Mosaick observances upon the neck of the converted Gentiles Multitudes of the Jews that beleeved yet were zealous of the Law Act. 21.20 and it was hard to get them off from those Rites in which they had been ever
it as you may observe it doth in ver 15 18 19. but here there is no such thing expressed therefore it is so to be understood and the Apostles words to be construed to this sense Wherefore it is or the case is here as it was in Adam as by one man sin entered into the world c. there imputation so here The second is ver 18. in the Originall verbatim thus As by the transgression of one upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one upon all men to justification of life What upon all men Our Translation hath added some words to clear the sense but the shortnesse of the Apostles style doth better clear his intent namely to intimate imputation as speaking to this purpose As by the transgression of one there was that that redounded to all to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one there is that that redoundeth to all to justification of life And to clear that he meaneth not that all that were condemned by Adams Fall were redeemed by Christ he at once sheweth the descent of Originall sin and the descent of it for all the death and righteousnesse of Christ Quae tamen profuerunt antequam fuerunt Ver. 13. For till the Law sinne was in the world but sinne is not imputed where there is no Law Neverthelesse death reigned from Adam to Moses By what Law was sinne sinne and did death reign when the Law was not yet given Namely by that Law that was given to Adam and he brake the guilt of which violation descends to all Having to the end of the fifth Chapter stated and proved Justification by faith in Chap. 6 7 8. he speaks of the state of persons justified which though they be not without sinne yet their state compared with Adams even whilest he was sinnelesse it is farre better then his He invested in a created finite changeable humane righteousnesse they in the righteousnesse of God uncreate infinite unchangeable He having the principles of his holinesse and righteousnesse in his own nature they theirs conveyed from Christ He having neither Christ nor the Spirit but left to himself and his naturall purity they having both See Chap. 8.1 2 9 10 c. At the nineteenth verse of Chap. 8. he begins upon the second mystery that he hath to treat upon the calling of the Gentiles whom he cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Creation or Every creature by which title they also are called Mark 16.15 Coloss. 1 23. and he shews how they were subject to vanity of Idolatry and the delusions of the devil but must in time be delivered from this bondage for which deliverance they now groaned and not they only but they of the Jews also which had received the first-fruits of the Spirit longed for their coming in waiting for the adoption that is the redemption of their whole body for the Church of the Jews was but the child-like body and accordingly their Ordinances were according to child-like age of the Church but the stature of the fulnesse of Christs mysticall Body was in the bringing in of the Gentiles Being to handle this great point of the Calling of the Gentiles and Rejection of the Jews he begins at the bottome at the great doctrine of Predestination which he handles from ver 29. of Chap 8. to Chap. 9.24 and then he fals upon the other That Israel stumbled at Messias and fell seâ—king indeed after righteousnesse but not his but their own and that they are cast away but not all A remnant to be saved that belonged to the Election of Grace As it was in the time when the world was Heathen some of them that belonged to the Election came in and were proselyted to the worship of the true God so some of these while all the rest of their Nation lie in unbelief And in this unbelief must they lie till the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and then all Gods Israel is compleated The most that he salutes in the last Chapter appear to have been of the Jewish Nation and the most of them though now at Rome yet sometime to have been of Pauls company and acquaintance in some other place The expulsion of the Jews out of Rome by Claudius Decree might very well bring many of them into his converse as well as it did Priscilla and Aquila whom he names first among them Epenetus was one of his own converts of Achaia Mary had bestowed much labour on him yet he hitherto had never been near Rome He that would dispute the point of the first planter of the Gospel at Rome might do well to make the first muster of his thoughts here And whereas the Apostle speaks of the saith of the Roman Church as spoken of throughout the world Chap. 1. ver 8. it is very questionable whether he look to the times before the Decree of Claudius or those since Claudius death when all the scattered were returned again and many of those that had come out unbeleeving Jews had returned Christians thither as I beleeve the case was of Aquila and Priscilla and some converted in other places had now taken up their residence there as Epenetus Andronicus and Iunia c. Those whose salutations he sendeth thither may be the better judged of who they were by observing who were of his retinue at this time which are named Act. 20.4 as 1. Timothy 2. Lucius who seemeth to be Luke called now by a Latine name in an Epistle to the Latines He was with Paul at Corinth at the sending away of the Epistle for having mentioned the others that were gone to Troas these saith he staied for us joyning himself in Pauls company going now to Corinth 3. Iason seemeth to be he that is called Secundus Act. 20.4 the one his Hebrew name and the other the same in Latine for Secundus is said to be a Thessalonian and so was Iason Acts 17.7 4. Sosipater here in all probability he that is called Sopater of Berea there 5. Tertius that wrote out the Epistle it may be was Silas an Hebrician will see a fair likelihood of the one name in the other it being written in Hebrew letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Hebrew names to the Romans are rendred in the Roman Idiome 6. Gaius the same in Greek with the ordinary Latine name Caiâ—s it appears that he was a Corinthian 1 Cor. 1.13 and in that Paul here cals him Mine host and the host of the whole Church to the understanding of which the observing of a custom of the Jews may give some illustration Maymony in his Treatise concerning the Sabbath speaketh about that rite that they used of hallowing the Sabbath with a seâ— form of words at his coming in per. 30. hath this saying This hallowing of the Sabbath may not be used but only in the place where they eat as for example he may not use the hallowing words in one house and eat in another Why then
of them or only to be pondering how to lay all in their right current I have not only gone the way before him but have shewed his way all along with variety of observations as not obvious for such would have but added one tediousness to another so I hope not unprofitable nor without his delight I have not set my self to Comment but in a traâ—sient way to hint the clearing of some of the most conspicuous difficulties and that partly from the Text it self and partly from Talmudicall collections Of which later I have alleadged very many and the most of them I hope not impertinently but for usefull illustration For though it is true indeed that there are no greater enemies to Christ nor greater deniers of the Doctrine of the Gospel then the Hebrew Writers yet as Cerah's Censers and the spoils of David's enemies were dedicated to the Sanctuary service so may the Records to be met with in these men be of most excellent use and improvement to the explication of a world of passages in the New Testament Nay multitudes of passages not possibly to be explained but from these Records For since the scene of the most actings in it was among the Jews the speeches of Christ and his Apostles were to the Jews and they Jews by birth and education that wrote the Gospels and Epistles it is no wonder if it speak the Jews Dialect throughout and glanceth at their Traditions Opinions and Customs at every step What Author in the world but he is best to be understood from the Writers and Dialect of his own Nation What one Roman Writer can a man understandingly reade unless he be well acquainted with their History Customs Propriety of phrases and common speech So doth the New Testament loquitur cum vulgo Though it be penned in Greek it speaks in the phrase of the Jewish Nation among whom it was penned all along and there are multitudes of expressions in it which are not to be found but there and in the Jews Writings in all the vvorld They are very much deceived that think the New Testament so very easie to be understood because of the familiar doctrine it containeth Faith and Repentance It is true indeed it is plainer as to the matter it handleth then the Old because it is an unfolding of the Old but for the attaining of the understanding of the expressions that it useth in these explications you must go two steps further then you do about the Old namely to observe vvhere and how it useth the Septuagints Greek as it doth very commonly and when it useth the Jews Idiome or reference thereunto which indeed it doth continually A Student well versed in their Language and Writings would finde it no great difficulty to translate the New Testament into Talmudick language almost from verse to verse so close doth it speak all along to their common speech The allegations that I have produced of this nature in this present Tract I have done but cursorily as not writing a Comment but a running Survey of the Times Order and History of the whole New Testament So that it may be many of them may not speak to every Reader that full intent for which they are produced and which would I have spent time to have been their Interpreter but I was willing to avoid prolixity I could have made them to have spoken plainly What I might have done in this kinde I shall shew but by one instance which let not the Reader think tedious here since I have avoided tediousness in this kinde all along hereafter and this is by a Comment in the way we have been speaking of but upon one verse and that is the 22d verse of the 5th Chapter of Matthew which I have picked out the rather to make an exercitation upon because it is generally held by all Expositors that in it there is a plain reference to something in the Jewish Customs which is the thing we have been mentioning Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of Iudgement c. The sense which is ordinarily given of this verse in the construction of many Expositors is made to referre unto the three sorts of Judicatories among the Jews the lowest consisting of three Judges the middle of twenty three and the supream of seventy one With which allusion and explication I cannot close upon these three Reasons 1. Because the lowest Judicatory to which they apply the word The Iudgement had nothing to do in capitall matters and so the conclusion of the verse before cannot be understood in this verse The murderer shall be in danger of being judged by the Iudicatory of three for they judged no such thing and answerably the first clause in this verse where the same word The Iudgement is reserved cannot have the same application 2. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used only in the second clause and it will be hard to give a reason why the middle Sanhedrin should only be so called as that interpretation makes it to be when all the three and most eminently the highest did bear that name 3. To apply Gehenna ignis to penalty inflicted by the highest Sanhedrins as divers do doth cause so hard straining as may be observed in the severall allusions that are framed of it that it is very farre from an easily digested and current sense I deny not indeed that Christ in the verse alluded to something of the Jews practises in some point of Judicature but unto what I shall defer to conjecture till its course come in the method in which it seemeth most genuine to take the unfolding of the verse up and that is 1. To consider of three words in it which also are to be met in other places and so carry a more generall concernment with them then to be confined unto this verse and those are Brother and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gehenna 2. To consider of the three degrees of offences that are spoken of namely causeless anger saying Raka and calling Thou fool And 3. to consider of the three penalties denounced upon these offences viz. Iudgement The Councill and Hell fire 1. The word Brother which doth so constantly wrap up all professors of the Name of Christ in the signification of it in the New Testament may not unfitly be looked upon by reflexion upon the sense of the word Neighbour in the Old Testament as that was commonly interpreted and understood by the Jews By using the word Neighbour saith Rabbi Nathan he excludeth all the Heathen Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And let this passage of Maymony be well weighed It is all one saith he to slay an Israelite and to slay a Canaanite servant he that doth either must be put to death for it An Israelite that slayeth a stranger sojourner is not put to death by the Sanhedrin for it because it is said If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour Exod. 21.14 and it is
needless to say he is not to be put to death for a Heathen And it is all one for a man to kill another mans servant or to kill his own servant for he must die for either because a servant hath taken upon him the Commandments and is added to the possession of the Lord. In Rotseahh c. per. 2. By which it is apparent that they accounted all of their own Religion and them only to come under the title Neighbour to which opinion how our Saviour speaketh you may observe in Luke 10.29 30. c. So that in the Jewish Church there were those that went under the notion of Brethren that is Israelites who were all of one blood and those that went under the name of Neighbours and those were they that came in from other Nations to their Religion They shall no more teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother Jer. 31.34 c. Now under the Gospel where there is no distinction of Tribes and kinreds the word Brother is ordinarily used to signifie in the same latitude that Neighbour had done namely all that come into the profession of the Gospel and it is so taken also as that had been in contradistinction to a Heathen Any man that is called a Brother 1 Cor. 5.11 If thy brother offend thee c. Let him be as a Heathen Mat. 18.15 17. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English rendereth Is in danger of translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are as ordinarily used among the Jewish Writers as any words whatsoever as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Guilty of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Guilty of cutting off c. Every page almost in either Talmud will give you examples of this nature 3. Gehenna It is well known that this expression is taken from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The valley of Hinnom of which and of the filthiness and abominableness of which place there is so much spoken in Scripture There was the horrid Idol Molech to which they burnt their children in the fire And thither as D. Kimchi saith was cast out all the filth and unburied carcases and there was a continuall fire to burn the filth and the bones In Psal. 27. From hence the Jews borrowed the word and used it in their ordinary language to betoken Hell And the Text from which they especially translated the construction seemeth to have been the last verse of the Prophesie of Isaiah which by some of them is glossed thus And they shall go forth out of Ierusalem into the valley of Hinnom and there they shall see the carcases of those that rebelled against me c. Vid. Kimch Ab. Ezr. in loc It were endlesse to shew the frequency of the word in their Writers let these few examples suffice Chald. Paraph. in Isa. 26.15 Lord thou wilt drive all the wicked to Gehinnom And on Isa. 33.14 The wicked shall be judged and delivered to Gehinnom the everlasting burning And on ver 17. Thou shalt see those that go down to the Land of Gehinnom R. Sol. on Isa. 24.22 They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in prison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that guilty of Geâ—innom into Gehinnom Targ. in Ruth 1.12 Be thou delivered from the Iudgement of Gehinnom Midras Mishle fol. 69. Do you think to be delivered from the Iudgement of Gehinnom Baal Tur. in Gen. 1.1 Because of the Law they are delivered from the Iudgement of Gehennah c. See the phrase Matth. 23.33 And now we have done with words let us come to sentences and consider the offences that are prohibited which are easily acknowledged to be graduall or one above another About the first viz. Causelesse anger there needeth no explanation the words and matter are plain enough The second is Whosoever shall say to his brother Racha A nickname or scornfull title usuall which they disdainfully put one upon another and very commonly and therefore our Saviour hath specified in this word the rather because it was of so common use among them and they made no bones at it Take these few examples A certain man sought to betake himself to repentance and restitution His wife said to him Rekah if thou make restitution even thy girdle about thee is not thine own c. Tanchum fol. 5. Rabbi Iochanan was teaching concerning the building of Ierusalem with Saphires and Diamonds c. One of his scholars laughed him to scorn But afterward being convinced of the truth of the thing he saith to him Rabbi Do thou expound for it is fit for thee to expound as thou saidest so have I seen it He saith to him Rekah Hadst thou not seen thou wouldest not have beleeved c. Midras Tillin fol. 38. col 4. To what is the thing like To a King of flesh and blood who took to wife a Kings daughter he saith to her Wait and fill me a cup but she would not whereupon he was angry and put her away She went and was married to a sordid fellow and he saith to her Wait and fill me a cup She said unto him Rekah I am a Kings daughter c. Idem in Psal. 137. A Gentile saith to an Israelite I have a dainty dish for thee to eat of He saith What is it He answers Swines flesh He saith to him Rekah even what you kill of clean beasts is forbidden us much more this Tanch fol. 18. col 4. The third offence is to say to a brother Thou fool which how to distinguish from Racha which signifies an empty fellow were some difficulty but that Solomon is a good Dictionary here for us who takes the term continually for a wicked wretch and reprobate and in opposition to spirituall wisdom So that in the first clause is condemned causelesse anger in the second scornfull taunting and reproaching of a brother and in the last calling him a reprobate and wicked or uncharitably censuring his spirituall and eternall estate And this last doth more especially hit the Scribes and Pharisees who arrogated to themselves only to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisemen but of all others had this scornfull and uncharitable opinion This people that knoweth not the Law is cursed Ioh. 7.49 And now for the penalties denounced upon these offences let us look upon them taking notice of these two traditions of the Jews which our Saviour seemeth to face and to contradict 1. That they accounted the command Thou shalt not kill to aim only at actuall murder So in their collecting of the 613 precepts out of the Law they understand that command to mean but this That one should not kill an Israelite Vid. trip Targ. ibid. Sepher Chinnuch ibid. Maym. in Rotseah per. 1. And accordingly they allotted this only violation of it to judgement Against this wilde glosse and practise he speaketh in the first clause Ye have heard it said Thou shalt not kill
and he that killeth or committeth actuall murder is liable to judgement and ye extend the violation of that Command no further but I say to you that causelesse anger against thy brother is a violation of that Command and even that maketh a man liable to judgement 2. They allotted only that murder to be judged by the Councill or Sanhedrin that was committed by a man in propriâ personâ Let them speak their own sense A murderer is he that kils his neighbour with a stone or with Iron or that thrusts him into water or fire out of which it is not possible to get out again if the man die he is guilty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if he thrust him into fire or water out of which it is possible to get out again though he die yet he is quit He sets on him a dog or a serpent he is quit He intended to kill a stranger and kils an Israelite To kill a little one and kils one of stature To hit him on the loins and such a blow on the loins could not kill him but it misses the loins and hits him on the heart and kils him he is quit He intended to hit him on the heart and such a blow on the heart was enough to kill him but it lights on the loins and such a blow on the loins was not enough to kill him yet he dies he is quit He intended to strike one of stature and the blow was not enough to have killed one of stature but it lights on a little one and there was enough in the blow to have killed a little one and he dies yet he is quit He intended to hit a little one and there was enough in the blow to kill a little one but it lights on one of stature and there was not enough in the blow to kill one of stature yet he dies he is quit R. Simeon saith Though he intended to kill one and kils another he is quit c. Talm. in Sanhedr per. 9. Any one that kils his neighbour with his hand as if he strike him with a sword or with a stone that kils him or strangles him till he die or burns him in the fire seeing that he kils him any how in his own person lo such a one must be put to death by the Sanhedrin But he that hires another to kill his neighbour or that sends his servants and they kill him or that violently thrusts him before a Lion or the like and the beast kils him Any one of these is a shedder of blood and the guilt of shedding of blood is upon him and he is liable to death by the hand of heaven but he is not to be put to death by the Sanhedrin And whence is the proof that it must be thus Because it is said He that sheds mans blood by man shall his blood be shed This is he that slays a man himself and not by the hand of another Your blood of your lives will I require This is he that slays himself At the hand of every beast will I require it This is he that delivers up his neighbour before a beast to be rent in pieces At the hand of man even at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man This is he that hires others to kill his neighbour In this interpretation requiring is spoken of all the three behold their judgement is delivered over to heaven or God And all these manslayers and the like who are not liable to death by the Sanhedrin if the King of Israel will slay them by the Iudgement of the Kingdom and the Law of Nations he may c. Maym. ubi supr per. 2. You may observe in these wretched traditions a twofold killing and a twofold judgement a mans killing another in his own person and with his own hand and such a one liable to the judgement of the Sanhedrin to be put to death by them as a murderer And a man that killed another by proxy not with his own hand but hiring another to kill him or turning a beast or serpent upon him to kill him This man not to be judged and executed by the Sanhedrin but referred and reserved only to the judgement of God So that from hence we see plainly in what sense the word Iudgement is used in the later end of the preceding verse and the first clause of this namely not for the Judgement of any of the Sanhedrins as it is commonly understood but for the Iudgement of God In the former verse Christ speaks their sense and in the first clause of this his own in application to it Ye have heard it said that any man that kils is liable to the Judgement of God But I say in you that he that is but angry with his brother without a cause is liable to the Judgement of God You have heard it said That he only that commits murder with his own hand is to be judged by the Councill or Sanhedrin as a murderer But I say to you that he that but cals his brother Racha as common a word as ye make it and a thing of nothing he is liable to be judged by the Sanhedrin Lastly He that saith to his brother Thou fool wicked one or cast-away shall be in danger of hell fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two observable things in the words The first is the change of case from what was before there it was said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And hereupon S. Petit in his variae Lectiones lib. 1. cap. 1. professeth that he cannot wonder enough that Expositors should not observe this variation and what he himself maketh of the observation of it I shall not insist upon but referre the Reader to his own words Surely he little mindes the Greek Text that sees not this in it and there needs not any farre fetched Exposition to satisfie about it It is but an Emphaticall raising of the sense to make it the more feeling and to speak home He that saith to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the Councill but he that saies Thou fool he shall be in danger of a penalty even to hell fire And thus our Saviour doth equall the sin and penalty in a very just parallel Injust anger with Gods just anger and judgement Publick reproach with publick correction by the Councill And censuring for a childe of hell to the fire of hell 2. It is no said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the fire of hell but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To a hell of fire in which expression he doth still set the Emphasis higher And besides the reference to the valley of Hinnom he seemeth to referre to that penalty used by the Sanhedrin of burning the most bitter death that they used to put men unto the manner of which was thus They set the malefactor in a dunghill up to the knees and they put
Sanhedrin at Iabneh afterwards And till that time also lived the sons of Betirah mentioned before Shammai was little inferiour to Hillel in learning or in breeding learned men and their equall learning and schools bred differences between them in point of learning and determination about some things in their traditions The two Masters controverting about a few Articles but their Schollers about very many and their differences very high This contention of the Schollers grew so very high even in the Masters time that it is recorded that the Schollers of Shammai affronted and bandied against Hillel himself in the Temple court Ierus in Iom Tobh fol. 61. col 3. And the quarrellings of these Schools were so bitter that as the same Talmud relateth it came to effusion of blood and murdering one another Shabb. fol. 3. col 3. These are some of the Traditions that were made or setled in the Chamber of Hananiah the son of Ezekia the son of Baron The persons were numbred and the Schollers of Shammai were more then the Schollers of Hillel That day was a grievous day to Israel as was the day of the making of the golden Calfe The Schollers of Shammai stood below and slew the Schollers of Hillel Nor did these animosities cease but they were ever crossing and jarring till at the last the Schools of Hillel carried it by the determination of a divine voice from Heaven as was pretended for to such fictions they glad to betake themselves Till the divine voice Bath Kol came forth it was lawfull for any one to practise according the weighty or light things of the School of Shammai or according to the weighty or light things of the School of Hillel There came forth a divine voice at Jabneh and said The words of the one and of the other are the words of the living God but the certain determination of the thing is according to the School of Hillel And whosever transgresseth against the words of the School of Hillel deserveth death Ibid. in Beracoth fol. 3. col 2. At these times then that we are upon their School-Learning was come to the very height Hillel and Shammai having promoted it to a pitch incomparably transcendent above what it had been before and accordingly now began the Titles of Rabban and Rabbi Rabban Simeon the Son of Hillel being the first President of the Sanhedrin that bare a Title for till these times their great and Learned men had been called only by their bare proper names So that now in a double seasonablenesse doth Christ the divine wisdome of God appear and set in among them at twelve years old beginning and all the time of his Ministry after going on to shew them wisdome fully and his own Word and Doctrine the divine oracles of wisdome In a double seasonablenesse I say when their Learning was now come to the height and when their Traditions had to the utmost made the word of God of no effect This twelfth year of Christ was the last year of the reign of Archelaus the Sonne of Herod of whom is mention Matth. 2.22 He is accused to Augustus for male-administration and thereupon banished by him to Vienna as was mentioned before And Coponius comes Governour of Iudaea in his stead CHRIST XII XIV AUGUSTUS Caesar dieth this fourteenth year of Christ on the nineteenth day of August duobus Sextis Pompeio Apuleio Coss. Suet. in Augusto cap. 10. He was 75 years 10 moneths and 26 dayes old having been Monarch since his victory at Actium 44 years wanting 13 dayes Dion Cass. lib. 56. TIBERIUS Caesar reigneth in his stead CHRIST XV. XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX. XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII All this space of Christs life from his twelfth year of age to his twenty ninth is passed over by all the Evangelists in silence because they were not so much to treat of his private life and imployment as of his publike Ministry And here they follow the same course that the Angel Gabriel had done in his foretelling of the time of his appearing Dan. 9.24 25 c. where speaking of the years that should passe from his own time unto Messiah the Prince he beginneth the story of Messiah from the time of his Ministry only or from the latter half of the last seaven years there mentioned the time when he should confirm the Covenant with the many c. These years he spent with his Parents at Nazaret Luk. 2.51 following his Fathers trade of Carpentry Matth. 13.55 with Mark 6.3 And these two things were they especially that did so mainly cloud him from the eyes of the Jews that they could not own him for the Messias namely because he was of so poor condition and education and they looked for the Messias in a pompous garb and because his first appearing in his Ministry was not from Nazaret his birth at Bethlehem so many years ago either having been out at all taken notice of when it was or if it were by this time worn out of notice and remembrance SECTION IX LUKE Chap. III. from the beginning to Ver. 18. MATTH Chap. III. from the beginning to Ver. 13. MARK Chap. I. from the beginning to Ver. 9. The Gospel began in JOHNS Ministry and Baptisme CHRIST XXIX THe order of this Section is confirmed by all the three Mark hath made this the beginning of his Gospel because the preceding occurrences of Christs birth and Minoitry were committed by the holy Ghost who held his pen to the pens of others He calls the Ministry and Baptisme of Iohn the beginning of the Gospel and that deservedly both in regard of Iohns preaching and proclaiming Christs appearing to be so neer as also in regard of the great change that his Ministry introduced both in doctrine and practise He preaching and administring the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins whereas baptisme till that time had been used and taken up as an obligation to the performance of the Law And he baptizing Jews into another religion then their own whereas till then baptizing had been used to admit Heathens into the religion of the Jews Here is the standard of time that the holy Ghost hath set up in the new Testament unto which as unto the fullnesse of timâ— he hath drawn up a chronicall chain from the Creation and from which as from a standing mark we are to measure all the times of the new Testament if we would fix them to a certain date There are two main stories that Luke layeth down in his third Chapter the one is Iohns baptizing and the other is Christ baptized by him and he hath dated the former in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Cesar and how to date the latter we are taught and helped by these collections 1. He intimateth to us that Christ when he was baptised by Iohn was but entring on his thirteeâ—th year as the wonders that he hath used do plainly evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was beginning to be
wine was about the middle of our November or little further The Jews marriages were fixed to certain dayes of the week For a virgin was to be married on the fourth day of the week and a widow on the fifth Talm. in chetub cap. 1. The reason why is not pertinent to produce here Now if this marriage at Cana were of a virgin and on the fourth day of the week or our wednesday then Christs first shewing himself to Iohn and his Disciples at Iordan was on the first day of the week afterward the Christian Sabbath These marriage feasts they held to be commanded and thereupon they have this maxime It is not fit for the Schollers of the wise to eat at feasts but only at the feasts commanded as those of espousals and of marriages Maym. in Deah cap. 5. At the Passeover it is half a year since Christ was baptized and thenceforward he hath three years to live which Iohn reckoneth by three Passeovers more viz. Ioh. 5.1 6.4 18.28 In this first half year he had gone through his forty dayes temptation had gathered some Disciples and had perambulated Galilee At Ierusalem at the Passeover in the face of all the people he acted in the evidence of the great Prophet and purgeth his own Temple as Mal. 3.1 3. doth many miracles knoweth the false hearts of many and trusteth not himself with them He found in the Temple those that sold Oxen and Sheep ver 14. For some illustration to this passage take a story in Tal. Ierus in Iom tobh fol. 61. col 3. One day Baba ben Bota came into the Temple Court and found it solitary or destitute that is not having any beasts there for sacrifice He saith Desolate be their houses who have desolated the house of our God What did he He sent and fetched in three thousand sheep of the sheep of Kedar and searched them whether they were without blemish and brought them into the mountain of the house or the utmost court the place where Christ found sheep and Oxen at this time and saith My brethren the house of Israel whosoever will bring a burnt-offering let him bring it whosoever will bring a peace-offering let him bring it Among other things that Iesus did for the purging of his Temple it is said He powred out the changers money and overthrew the Tables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so again Matth. 21.12 Maym. in Shekalim cap. 1. It is an affirmative precept of the Law that every Israelite pay yearly half a shekel yea even the poor that lives on almes is bound to this either begging so much money that he may give it or selling his coat to get so much Talm. in Shekalim cap. 1 c. On the first day of the moneth Adar proclamation was made about this half shekel that they should get it ready On the fifteenth day of that moneth the Collectors sate in every City for the receiving of it and as yet they forced none to pay But on the five and twentieth day they began to sit in the Temple this was some eighteen or nineteen dayes before the Passeover and then they forced men to pay and if any refused they distrained They sate with two Chests before them into the one of which they put the money of the present year and into the other the money that should have been paid the year before Every one must have half a shekel to pay for himself Therefore when he brought a shekel to change for two half shekels he was to pay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some profit to the changer And when a shekel was brought for two there was a double profit to be paid for the change SECTION XIV JOHN Chap. III. All the Chapter Nicodemus The Disciples baptize in the Name of Iesus BEfore our Saviours departure from Ierusalem Nicodemus one of the Judges of the great Sanhedrin cometh to him and becometh his Disciple for we cannot so properly look for a member of that great Council in any place as at Ierusalem He had observed in his miracles the dawning of the dayes of Messias or the Kingdom of Heaven but having but grosse and erronious apprehensions concerning the Kingdom of Heaven or of the state of those dayes as was the generall mistake of the Nation he is rectified about that matter and is taught the great doctrines of regeneration and beleeving in Christ Christ teaching regeneration by the spirit and Water exalteth baptisme and closely calleth to Nicodemus to be baptized The Talmudish records make mention of a Nicodemus in these times who had to do about waters to provide sufficient for the people to drink at the festivals He is taught against the great misprision of the Nation that Messias should be a redeemer of the Gentiles as well as the Jews The Jews in their common language did title the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Nations of the world The earth they divided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The land of Israel and out of the Land and the people they parted into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel and the Nations of the world The new Testament which followes their common language exceeding much useth both these expressions very often whereby to signifie the Gentiles sometimes calling them those that are without and sometimes the world Nicodemus very readily understood the word in this common sense when Christ sayes God so loved the world that he gave his Sonne And he very well perceived that Christ contradicted in these his words their common and uncharitable errour which held that the Messias should be a redeemer only to Israel and those Gentiles only that should be proselyted to their Judaisme but as for the rest of the Heathen he should confound and destroy them Examples of this their proud uncharitablenesse might be produced by multitudes let these two or three suffice The Jerus Talm. in Taanith fol. 64. col 1. speaking of the coming of Messias saith and produceth these words Isa. 21.12 The morning cometh and also the night It shall be the morning to Israel but night to the Nations of the world Midr. Till on Psal. 2. The threshing is come the straw they cast into the fire the chaff into the winde but preserve the wheat in the floor and every one that sees it takes it and kisses it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Nations of the world say the world was made for our sakes but Israel say to them Is it not written But the people shall be as the burning of the lime kilne But Israel in the time to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an expression whereby they commonly mean the times of the Messias shall be left only as it is said The Lord shall lead him alone and there shall be with him no strange god Baal turim on Numb 24.8 on those words He shall eat up the Nations his enemies and shall break their bones observeth the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
in the beginning We have parted the story of the calling of Levi from the story of the feast that he made for Christ after his call although all the Evangelists that handle his story have laid them close together The warrant upon which we have parted them although they be so neerly joyned in the text is from these two things 1. From undoubted evidence by the current of the history and the progresse of the Evangelists hitherto which makes it plain that Levies calling was at that time that we are now upon or as it is laid in the end of this Section 2. From this evidence that his feast was not of a good while after his call in that Matthew saith while he was speaking namely about fasting and putting new cloth into an old garment c. which speech both the other Evangelists place at Levies feast or presently upon it Iairus came unto him See Matth. 9.18 Mark 2.15 18 19. Luk. 5.29 33 c. Now it is plain by the processe of the history of Mark and Luke that very many things and a good space of time intercurred between the calling of Matthew or Levi and the coming of Iairus for Levies call is in Matth. 2.14 and Luk. 5.27 and the story of Iairus his coming is not till Matth. 5.22 and Luk. 8.41 Now in that these words that Christ was in speaking when Iairus came to him Matth. 9.18 were spoken at Levies feast Luk. 5.29 33. it is apparent that his feast was a good space of time after his call and hence have we warrant for the putting of those stories in the harmonizing of the Evangelists The three indeed that speak of these stories do handle them together because they would dispatch Levies story at once and Mark and Luke do mention what occurred at his feet but when they have done that they return to the story and time that properly followed in order after his calling Here therefore is the reason of Matthews so farre dislocating the story of the palsie man that is before us as he hath done namely because in that ninth Chapter he pitcheth upon the time of Levies feast and from that time goes on forward with the story succeeding it And so having pitched upon the time of his feast he also brings in the story of his call because he would take up his whole story in one place as the other Evangelists have also done and with the story of his call he hath likewise brought in the story of the palsie man because it occurred at the same time Matthew is not ashamed to proclaim the basenesse of his own profession before he was called that that grace might be magnified that had called him He was a Publican and as it seemeth at the Custom-house of Capernaum to gather custom and tribute of those that passed over the water or that had to deal on that sea of Galilee The Ierus Talm. hath this Canon Demai fol. 23 col 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Pharisee or one of the religion that turns Publican they turn him out of his order but doth he leave his Publicanisme they restore him to his order again so unconsistent did they repute this profession and religion Maym. in Gezelah par 5. Men of whom it may be presumed that they are robbers and of whom it may be presumed that all their wealth is gotten of rapine because their trade is a trade of robbers as Publicans and theeves it is unlawfull to use their wealth c. He becomes an Apostle and a penman of the Gospel He wrote his Gospell first of all the four and wrote it in Greek though he wrote it more particularly for Hebrews for the Hebrew tongue was so lost that it was not ordinarily to be understood and the Greek Bible was the readiest in the hands of the unlearned to examine the quotations from the old Testament that he or any other of the divine Penmen should alledge The Prophets had been but very lately before Matthews time turned into the Chaldee tongue by Ionathan ben Vzziel and the Law by Onkeles a little after and the Ierusalem Talmud tells of a Targum or tradition of Iob which Gamaliel Pauls Master had Shabb. fol. 15. col 3. and all this because the originall Hebrew was not commonly understood And in the reading of the Law and Prophets in the Synagogues they had Interpreters that rendred it into the Syriack as was said a little before because they understood not the Originall therefore it were unreasonable that Matthew should write in Hebrew a Language then to the most unknown SECTION XIV JOHN Chap. V. All the Chapter An infirm man healed at Bethesda FOr the justifying and cleering of the order in this place these things are to be taken into consideration 1. That the first thing that the two Evangelists Mark and Luke who are most exact for order have placed after the calling of Levi is the Disciples plucking the ears of Corn. They have indeed interserted Levies first and Iohns disciples questioning about fasting but that was more for the dispatching of Levies story altogether then for the propriety of their subsequence each to other as hath been shewed already 2. In that the story of the Disciples plucking the ears of Corn is joyned by them next we are to look for a Passeover between for till the Passeover was over and the first-fruits sheaf offered the second day after it was not lawfull to meddle with any Corn to use or to eat it Lev. 23.14 3. Christ had said in the field of Sichem that it was then four moneths to harvest Joh. 4.35 that is to the Passeover at what time their Barley harvest began Lev. 23.11 c. Now casting up the time from that place and speech taken up in the current of the story from thence hither we cannot but conclude the four moneths to be now up and this to be the Passeover then thought upon in those words And we may conceive that the Evangelâ—st hath the rather omitted to call it by its proper name or to speak it expresly that this feast was the Passeover because in that speech he had given fair intimation how to understand the next feast of the Iews that he should speak of He mentioneth indeed a Passeover in Chap. 6.4 but we shall finde by the progresse of the story in the other Evangelists that that was yet so farre yet to come that it cannot in the least wise be supposed to be that which was to come within four moneths after Christs being in the field of Sichem The feast of the Iews therefore that he speaketh of in the first verse of this Chapter must needs be that Passeover referred to Ioh. 4.35 and this considered doth cleer the order At this Passeover a man is healed at Bethesda who had been diseased from seaven years before Christ was born This was a pool first laid up by Solomon as may be conjectured from Iosephus de Bel. lib. 5. cap. 13.
compared with Nehem. 3. and at first called Solomons Pool but now Bethesda or the place of mercy from its beneficiall virtue It was supplied with water from the fountain Sileam which represented Davids and Christs Kingdom Isa. 8 6. The five porches about it and the man when healed carrying his bed out of one of them calls to minde the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mevuoâ—h or Entries that are so much spoken of in the treatise Erubhin the carrying of any thing out of which into the street on the Sabbath day was to carry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of a private place into a publick and was prohibited He is hereupon convented before the Sanhedrin and there he doth most openly confesse and prove himself to be the Messias And he asserteth that all Power and Judgment is put into his hand and that he hath the same authority for the dispensing of the affairs of the new Testament that the Father had for the old And this he doth so plainly that he leaveth their unbelief henceforward without excuse The Jews speak of divers ominous things that occurred fourty years before the destruction of the City As It is a tradition that fourty years before the Sanctuary was destroyed the western Lamp went out and the scarlet list kept its rednesse and the Lords lot came up on the left hand And they locked up the Temple doors at even yet when they rose in the morning they found them open Jerus in Joma fol. 43. col 3. And Sanhedr fol. 18. col 1. Fourty years before the Temple was destroyed power of judgeng in capitall matters was taken away from Israel Now there are some that reckon but thirty eight years between the death of Christ and the destruction of the City and if that be so then these ominous presages occurred this year that we are upon It being just fourty years by that account from this Passeover at which Christ healeth the diseased man at Bethesda to the time of Titus his pitching his Camp and siege about Ierusalem which was at a Passeover But of this let the Reader judge SECTION XXV LUKE Chap. VI. from the beginning to Ver. 12. MARK Chap. II. from Ver. 23 to the end and Chap. III. from the beginning to Ver. 7. MARK Chap. XII from the beginning to Ver. 15. The Disciples plucking ears of Corn. A withered hand healed on the Sabbath THe words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Luke hath used ver 1. being rightly understood will help to cleer the order of this Section and to confirm the order of the preceding The Law enjoyned that the next morrow after the eating of the Passeover should be kept holy like a Sabbath Exod. 12.16 and accordingly it is called a Sabbath Lev. 23.7 11. And there the Law also enjoyns that the next day after that Sabbaticall day they shall offer the sheaf of first-fruits to the Lord and from that day they should count seaven Sabbaths to Pentecost which was their solemn festivall and thanksgiving for that half harvest viz. Barley harvest which they had then inned Lev. 23.15 16 17. That day therefore that they offered their first Barley sheaf and from which they were to count the seaven Sabbaths or weeks forward being the second day in the Passeover week the Sabbaths that followed did carry a memoriall of that day in their name till the seaven were run out as the first was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first second-day Sabbath The next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second second-day Sabbath the next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the third second-day Sabbath and so the rest all the seaven through Now let it be observed 1. That no Corn no not ears of Corn might be eaten till the first-fruits sheaf was offered and waved before the Lord Lev. 23.14 2. That it was waved the second day of the Passeover week 3. That this was the first Sabbath after that second day when the Disciples pluckt the ears of Corn and it will plainly evince that we must look for a Passeover before this story and so it will shew the warranty and justnesse of taking in the fifth of Iohn next before it But the order of Matthew may breed some scruple and that the rather because that though he hath placed this story after divers occurrences that are yet to come yet he hath prefaced it with this circumstance At that time Now this expression doth not alwayes center stories in the same point of time but sometimes it hath made a transition betwixt two stories whose times were at a good distance asunder as Gen. 38.1 Deut. 10.8 and so likewise the phrase In these dayes Mat. 3.1 The latter story about healing the man with the withered hand is so unanimously ordered by all the three after the other that there is no doubt of the method of it It was a speciall part of religion which the Jews used on the Sabbath to eat good meat and better then they did on the week dayes yea they thought themselves bound to eat three meals on that day as was said before and for this they alledge Isa. 58.13 Nid Kimch ibid. Tamh fol. 1. Talm. Maym. in Shab c. compare Phil. 3.19 Observe how farre the Disciples are from such an observance and from such provision when a few ears of Barley for that was the Corn plucked must make a dinner The plucking of ears of Corn on the Sabbath was forbidden by their Canons verbatim Talm. in Shab par 7. Maymon Shab par 7 8. He that reapeth Corn on the Sabbath to the quantity of a fig is guilty And plucking Corn is as reaping And whosoever plucketh up any thing from it growing is guilty under the notion of reaping Christ before his healing the withered hand is questioned by them Is it lawfull to heal on the Sabbath day Their decretals allowed it in some cases Tanch fol. 9. col 2. our Doctors teach the danger of life dispenseth with the Sabbath And so doth Circumcision and the healing of that But this is rule saith Rabbi Akibah that that which may be done on the eve of the Sabbath dispenseth not with the Sabbath Talm. in Shabb. par 19. Such was this case Compare Luk. 13.14 They accounted that this might have been done any other day SECTION XXVI MARK Chap. III. from Ver. 7 to Ver. 13. MATTH Chap XII from Ver. 15 to Ver. 22. Great multitudes follow Christ who healeth all that come to him THe connexion that both these Evangelists have at this story doth abundantly assert the order The Pharisees took counsell to destroy him but when Iesus knew it he departed c. The Herodians joyn with them in their plotting which seem to have been these learned and great men of the Nation who had gone into the service of Herod the Great and now of his sonne mentioned before SECTION XXVII LUKE Chap. VI. from Ver. 12 to Ver. 20. MARK Chap. III. from Ver. 13. to the middle of Ver. 19. MATTH Chap.
he had done Ioh. 1.34 36. 3.29 30. Noâ— that Iohns Disciples were so wilfully ignorant of him as not to be perswaded by their Maâ—ter that he was he but his message to him seems to this purpose Iohn and his Disciples had heard of the great and many miracles that Christ had done healing the sick and raising the dead c. and it may be they thought it strange that Christ amongst all his miraculous workings would not work Iohns liberty out of thraldom who lay a prisoner for him and for the Gospel he preached before him And this may be was â—he bottom of their question Art thou he that shall come or look we for another as expecting somewhat more from the Messias then they had yet obtained They received a full answer to their question by the miracles they saw wrought which abundantly proved that he was he that was to come But as to their expectation of his miraculous enlargement of Iohn his answer was that his work was to preach the Gospel and that it was a blessed thing not to take any offence at him but to yeeld and submit to his wise dispensations And accordingly when the messengers of Iohn were returned he giveth a glorious testimony concerning him to the people but yet sheweth how far one truly and fully acquainted and stated in the Kingdom of Heaven went beyond him in judging of it who looked for temporall redemption by it The Method of Matthew is somewhat difficult here but he seemeth purposely to have joyned the mission of Christs Disciples and Iohns disciples together I suppose Christ was at Ierusalem when Iohns messengers came to him and if it were at the feast of Pentecost Iohn had then been seven or eight moneths in prison SECTION XXXII MAT. Chap. XI from Ver. 20 to the end of the Chapter Chorazin and Bethsaida upbraided BEsides Matthews continuing this portion to that that went before the upbraiding of these Cities is so answerable to the matter contained in the end of the former Section that it easily shews it to be spoken at the same time See Ver. 17 18 19 of this Chapter When Christ saith that if the things done in these Cities had been done in Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Gomorrhâ— they would have repented and would have remained till now he understandeth not saving grace and saving repentance in them but such an externall humiliation as would have preserved them from ruine As the case was with Nineveh they repented and were delivered from the threatned destruction their repentance was not to salvation of the persons but to the preservation of their City as Ahabs humbling prevented the present judgement and not his finall condemnation SECTION XXXIII LUKE Chap. VII from Ver. 36 to the end of the Chapter Mary Magdalen weepeth at Christs feet and washeth them with tears c. THe continuation of this portion in Luke to that in Sect. 31. will plead for its order and the reader will easily observe that the interposition of the preceding Section in Matthew is so farre from interrupting the story that it is necessarily to be taken in there and is an illustration of it The actings of the two severall parties in this Section the Pharisee that invited Christ to eat with him and the woman sinner that comes and weeps at his feet for mercy may seem to have had some rise from or some occasionall reference to the speech of Christ in the two Sections next preceding In the former he had said The sonne of man came eating and drinking and this possibly might induce the Pharisee to his invitation and in the latter he had said Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden and that might invite the woman to her addresse This woman was Mary the sister of Lazarus who was also called Mary Magdalen of whom there is mention in the very beginning of the next Chapter That she was Mary the sister of Lazarus Iohn giveth us ground to assert Ioh. 11.2 as we shall shew when we come there where we shall evidence that these words It was that Mary which annointed the Lord with oyntment and wiped his feet with her hair can properly be referred to no story but this before us And that Mary the sister of Lazarus was called Mary Magdalen we shall prove in the next Section Christ in the story in Sect. 31. when Iohns disciples came to him we supposed to be at Ierusalem and answerably it may be conceived that this passage occurred at Bethany where Simon the Pharisee may not improbably be held to be the same with Simon the Leper Matth. 26.6 where this very woman again annointed him SECTION XXXIV LUKE Chap. VIII Ver. 1 2 3. Certain women that followed Christ. LUKE again is the warrant for the order In the former story he had spoken of one woman that had found healing and mercy with Christ and he speaks here of divers and among them Mary Magdalen Now that she was Mary the sister of Lazarus let but these two arguments be weighed not to insist upon more The first is this If Mary Magdalen were not Mary the sister of Lazarus then Mary the sister of Lazarus gave no attendance at Christs death nor had any thing to do about his buriall or at least is not mentioned as an agent at either which is a thing so incredible to conceive that it needs not much discourse to set forth the incredibility of it There is mention of Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of Iames and Salom Mark 15.40 and Ioanna Luk. 24.10 but not a word of Mary the sister of Lazarus She had twice annointed Christ in the compasse of that very week she had ever been as neer and as zealous a woman disciple as any that followed him and her residence was at Bethany hard by Ierusalem and what is now become of her in these two great occasions of attending upon Christs death and imbalming Had she left Christ and neglected her attendance on him at this time above all others or have the Evangelists whilest they mention the other that attended left her out It is so unreasonable to beleeve either of these that even necessity inforceth us to conclude that when they name Mary Magdalen they mean Mary the sister of Lazarus And Secondly take this argument of Baronius which hath more weight in it then at first sight it doth seem to have who in his Annals ad Annum Christi 32 goes about to prove this thing that we assert and he shews how it also was the opinion of the Fathers and those in former times His words are these We say upon the testimony of John the Evangelist nay of Christ himself that it plainly appears that Mary the sister of Lazarus and Mary Magdalen was but one and the same person For when in Bethany the same sister of Lazarus annointed the feet of Jesus and Judas did thereupon take offence Jesus himself checking the boldnesse of the furious Disciple said
the bones were gathered and buried in the graves of their fathers Talm. ubi supr fol. 46.1 The proper writing and pronunciation of the word had been Golgolta but use had now brought it to be uttered Golgotha which very pronunciation the Samaritan Version useth in Num. 1. They first strip him and then offer him intoxicating wine which when he tasted he refused to drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When any person was brought forth to be put to death they gave him to drink some frankincense in a cup of wine that it might stupifie him as it is said Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts And there is a tradition that the Gentlewomen of Ierusalem afforded this of their good will c Tal. Bab. ibid. fol. 43.1 And let it not be impertinent to adde that which immediatly follows in the same page A crier went before him that was to be executed which proclaimed N. the son of N. is going to execution because he hath committed such a fact and N. and N. are witnesses against him if there be any that can clear him let them speak And instantly after There is a tradition that they hanged Iesus on the eve of the Passeover and a Crier went before him fourty daies Such a one goes to be put to death because he hath bewitched deceived and perverted Israel if any one can say any thing for his clearing let him come and speak but they found no clearing of him therefore they hanged him upon the eve of the Passeover c. He is nailed to his Crosse hands and feet and so the Jews themselves confesse Abel his figure to have been wounded by Cain Tanch fol. 3. col 4. and Isaac to have been bound on the Altar Idem fol. 12. col 2. And with him are crucified two malefactors compare Ioseph betwixt two offendors Gen. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iosephus his construction will help us to understand the sense of the word here Four souldiers part his garments and cast lots for his coat and sit down to watch him Over his head was his cause written in the expression of which the variety of the Evangelists shews their stile and how where one speaks short another inlargeth and what need of taking all together to make up the full story Mark hath it The King of the Iews Luke This is the King of the Iews Matthew This is Iesus the King of the Iews Iohn Iesus of Nazareth the King of the Iews Where the main thing regarded is that he was condemned for taking on him to be King of the Iews as they pretended which was also pretended to be Treason against Cesar and to this point all the Evangelists speak alike and their variety is only in wording this for the readers understanding and he that spake shortest spake enough to expresse the matter of his accusation and the rest that speak larger are but a comment upon the same thing The three tongues in which this was written Hebrew Greek and Latine are thus spoken of in Midras Tillin fol. 25. col 4. R. Iochanan saith There are three tongues The Latine tongue for warre The Greek tongue for speech and the Hebrew for prayer All sorts of people had followed him to the execution Some openly wept for him and bewailed him which was not a thing usuall in such cases In the Talmudich Tract last cited fol. 46.2 there is this strange doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They bewailed not him that went to be executed but only mourned inwardly for him And what think you was the reason The Glosse tels you thus They bewailed him not because his disgrace might be his expiation meaning that whereas they accounted that the more shame and punishment a condemned person suffered the more these tended to his expiation they therefore would not openly bewail him for that would have been some honour to him and so would have abated of his expiation but none lamenting for him it was the greater disgrace and the greater the disgrace the better was his sinne as they thought expiated and atoned for This strange custom and opinion doth set forth this publick bewailing of Christ the more remarkably Others when he was now raised upon his Crosse reviled him among whom were the chief Priests Scribes and Elders who had so little to do or rather their malice so much as to attend the execution They were at first in some hesitancy whether he would not deliver himself by miracle but when they saw he did not then they triumph and insult at no measure Nay the theeves that were crucified with him spared him not for so Matthew and Mark tell us but at last one of them becomes a convert and receives assurance of being that day with him in Paradise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase very usuall with them Compare the case of Iosephs fellow prisoners Gen. 40. the one desiring him to remember him and escaping and the other not It may be the darknesse now begun in an extraordinary and dreadfull manner was some means of working upon this thief for his conviction that Iesus was the Messias For instantly upon his raising upon his Crosse it was now the sixth hour or high Noon compleat and the darknesse began and continued till three a clock afternoon the very space of time of the day that Adam lay in darknesse without the promise from the time of his Fall till God came and revealed Christ to him By the Crosse stood the mother of Iesus now a widow and as it seemeth destitute of maintenance therefore he commendeth her to the care and charge of his beloved Disciple Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A widow was to be maintained out of the estate of her husbands heirs untill she received her dowry Maym. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 18. But the poverty of Ioseph and Mary afforded neither heritage nor dower nor had they any children but Iesus who was now dying If those that are called the brethren of Iesus were the sons of Ioseph by another wife as some have thought them they had been fittest to have been charged with the maintenance of the widow About the ninth hour Jesus crieth out Eli Eli lama sabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou left me Not forsaken him as to the feeling of any spirituall desertion but why left to such hands and to such cruel usage Some said hereupon he called Elias but was this said in mockery or indeed did they think his words Eli Eli meant Elias Two things might make them really think so the unusualnesse of the word Eli or Elohi in their Syriack tongue the word Mari being it by which they commonly expressed the sense of that And 2. the common opinion and legends that they had of Elias his coming to comfort and resolve men in distresse and perplexity of which their Talmuds give not a few examples Complaining of thirst he had vinegar given
invested with distinct power from the other But the Gomarists especially the Babylonian do make it plain that no such thing can be inferred from this action for they tell us that the Priests determined this businesse of 400 zuzims dower to their own daughters only for the honour of their Tribe and blood So that this was not any act of judiciall power binding others but an act of consent among themselves to keep up the credit of their Function and Families But here is not time and place to discusse this point a matter of no small Controversie further then what may give illustration to the subject before us How to understand therefore this judiciall activity of the chief Priests throughout this book the Evangelist hath given us a rule betime in the story Chap. 4. ver 5. Where he shews that the whole Sanhedrin is to be understood of which the Priests were a great if not the greatest part and were in this cause the busiest men In case of necessity there might be a Sanhedrin though never a Priest or Levite was of it for so is their own Canon namely if fit men of either rank were not to be found but in common carriage and experience they were the greatest and most potent number as whose profession and Function bespake studiousnesse and pleaded honour In all the New Testament we meet but with these men by name of all the Sanhedrin Annaâ— and Caiaphas and Iohn and Alexander Gamaliel Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea And how many of these were not Priests Gamaliel indeed was of the Tribe of 〈◊〉 and of the Progeny of David being grandchilde of Hillâ—l But as for all the rest some of them were undoubtedly of the Priesthood and the others more probably so 〈◊〉 then of any other Tribe Of Annas and Caiaphas there is no question And if Iohn Acts 4.6 be the eminenteâ—â— Iohn that was then among them it means Rabban Iochanan ben Zaccai who was now Vicepresident of the Council and he was a Priest as Iuchusiâ— tels us And if Nicodemus be the same with the eminentest Nicodemus of those time of whom Avoth R Mathan per. 6 and Talm. bab in Cetubbeth fol. 66. make as we have no cause to think otherwise then was he by their plain description a Priest likewise And so was Ioseph of Arimathea if his stile and title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to be understood according to the common speech of the Nation as there can be no reason why it should not be so understood And as for Alexander of whom is least evidence it is not worth spending so much time upon as to discusse since these already mentioned may be witnesse enough In all the busie stirring therefore of the Priests in this story of the Acts of Apostles as chap. 7.1 23.2 and about this Commission of Saul we are not to take them as a distinct and separate power from the Sanhedrin but as a part of it and such as whose Function and interest as they thought did most of all the other urge them to look to the prevention of this growing evil of the Gospel as they did as heartily as erroniously repute it and therefore the story doth more especially pitch upon them as the most stirring men And so Paul himself doth help to interpret Lukes relation For wherâ—â—s chap. 9.1 2. it is said Saul went to the high Priest and desired of him letters to Damascus 〈◊〉 who best could tell how this should be understood explains it thus chap. 22.5 Of the High Priest and of all the estate of the Elders I received letters to the brethren c. The words of all the estate of the Elders determine the point we have in hand and the other words to the brethren call us to the consideration of another and that is how farre the Sanhedrins decrees and injunctions had power and command over the Jews in forrain Lands By producing the words of one of their Acts we shall better judge of this matter and understand the words to the brethren both at once In Talm. Ierus Sanhedr fol. 18. col 4. they say thus For the three Countries they intercalated the year for Iudea and beyond Iordan and Galilee For two of them together they did it for one alone they did it not There is a story of Rabban Gamaliel and the Elders that they sate at the going up to the Temple and Iochanan the Scribe sate before them Rabban Gamaliel saith to him Write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To our Brethren that dwell in the upper South Country 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to our Brethren that dwell in the lower South Country Peace be multiplied to you We give you to understand that the time of setting forth your tithes is come c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to our Brethren of Galilee the upper and Galilee the lower Peace be multiplied unto you We give you to understand that the time of setting forth your tithes is come c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to our Brethren of the captivity of Babel of Media of Greece and the whole captivity of Israel Peace be multiplied unto you We give you to understand that since the Lambs are yet little and young Pigeons small and the time of the first ripe ears is not yet come that it seemeth good to me and to my fellows to adde thirty daies unto this year And the very same is related again in Maasar shein fol. 56. col 3. By which we see that when Luke saith that Saul had the Sanhedrins letters to the brethren he speaks but the very language that such letters used to speak in and by this we see also that their letters missive to their brethren in forrain Lands were rather Declarations then Commands For it was not so much the awe of the Sanhedrins power reaching to those remote places that kept the whole Nation to obedience of their decrees as it was their innate and inured ambition to be held and kept a peculiar and distinct and conform people and their devotednesse to their Law and Worship the great Oracle of which they held the Sanhedrin to be in all ages Such letters may we conceive were these to the Synagogues at Damascus not imperious but declarative and perswasive which before Saul had delivered who was now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolus Synhedrii magni he is converted and designed for an Apostle of Iesus Christ. He saw Christ ver 17. 1 Cor. 9.1 though he saw him not for as Israel at Sinai saw the Lord not in any representation but only his glory so did he Christ in his glory and a voice And so they that travelled with him heard the voice ver 7. in its terrible sound but they heard it not Acts. 22.9 in its articulate utterance so as to understand it the like to that in Ioh. 12.29 At three daies end he receiveth his sight and Baptism and was filled with the Holy Ghost ver 17 18. but how he
received the last is somewhat obscure whether before his Baptism or upon it by immediate infusion as they did chap. 10.45 on by imposition of Ananias his hands which if he did as it was extraordinary for any besides an Apostle to conferre the Holy Ghost so could not Ananias do or think of doing this without an extraordinary warrant Whether way it was he is now so compleatly furnished with all accomplishments for his Ministry that he confers not with flesh and blood that is not with any men nor goes he up to Ierusalem no not to confer with the Apostles Gal. 1.16 17. but hath the full knowledge of the Gospel and full assurance of his knowledge that it was right And so he begins to preach in Damascus CHRIST XXXV XXXVI These two years Paul spendeth in Damascus and Arabia and Damascus again Gal. 1.17 ACTS CHAP. IX from Ver. 23. to Ver. 32. CHRIST XXXVII AFter three years from his Conversion he cometh to Ierusalem being driven from Damascus by a machination of the Iews who had wrought with the Governour to apprehend hâ—m but he is let over the wall in a basket 2 Cor. 11.32 33. He goeth up 〈◊〉 Ierusalem to see Peter Gal. 1.18 but at his first coming thither the Disciples are afraid of him all Barnabas makes way for his intertainment Act. 9.27 His going to see Peter is to confer with the Minister of the Circumcision himself being appointed Minister to the Uncircumcised And how Barnabas who was to be his fellow should come to be acquainted with him before any of the rest we can hardly finde out any other way to resolve then by conceiving he had some intimation from God of his own Apostleship among the Gentiles and Pauls with him He staieth at Ierusalem but fifteen daies and seeth none of the Apostles but Peter and Iames the lesse Gal. 1.18 19. He preacheth boldly there and disputes so vehemently with the Hellenists that they go about to kill him Act. 9.29 But why him rather then Peter Iames Barnabas and others that were now at Ierusalem we may answer Because he himself was a Hellenist one once of their own Colledge and the more zealous he was now against them the more incensed were they against him for an Apostate as they accounted him and now he that with them had contrived the death of Steven is forced by them to fly for his own life ACTS CHAP. IX from Ver. 32. to the end CHAP. X. all CHAP. XI to Ver. 19. CHRIST XXXVIII XXXIX XL. THe Stories succeeding to ver 19. of Chap. 11. as they are of a doubtfull date because neither the Historian here nor any other part of Scripture hath fixed the determinate time of their occurring so is not the limiting of them to their year or time so very needfull if only it be secured that they follow in time to those preceding that we have spoken to and that we may be assured of their order though we cannot be of their precise time And this is easie to resolve upon without much debate The last verse of the former Section informs us of a peace and rest come to all the Churches and the beginning of this brings in Peter as in this calm passing through all quarters preaching and confirming them And that this could not be but after the times of the stories mentioned hitherto appeareth by this that though it is true indeed that Peter was abroad in Samaria upon the conversion of it yet he was returned again to Ierusalem Chap. 8.25 and was there three years after when Paul comes up thither This therefore is a new voyage in which he doth three great things healeth Aenâ—as of a Palsie at Lydda raiseth Dorcas from the dead at Ioppa and openeth the door of the Gospel to the Gentiles in Caesarea Aeneas is a name that we finde in the Jewish Writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Samuel the sonne of R. Aeneas is mentioned in Ierus Iebamoth fol. 6.2 And Lod or Lydda they speak exceeding frequently of and produce remarkable stories and memorials of it And indeed the quarters of Peters present walk compared with the Hebrews records concerning these places may well claim some observation For when he is at Ioppa he is in the middle as it were of those places which in a little time after this nay it may be at this very time were two of their greatest and eminentest Schools At Iabneh on the one hand of Ioppa did the great Sanhedrin sit long both before the destruction of Ierusalem and after for when it began to be unsetled and to flit up and down fourty years before the destruction of the City its first removall from Ierusalem was hither and here sat Gamaliel Pauls Master with his Sanhedrin a good space of time and for ought can be said to the contrary it might very well be there at this time when Peter was at Ioppa Now as the Jews called that place Iabneh so the Gentiles called it Iamnia and how neer it was to Ioppa you may guesse from these words of Strabo lib. 16. This place speaking of Ioppa was so populous that out of the neighbour Town Iamnia and other places thereabout it was able to raise 40000 men At Lydda on the other hand of Ioppa were most famous Schools and eminent men as well as at Iabneh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was a Town that wanted little of the bignesse of a City Joseph Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 5. It lay West of Ierusalem a daies journey off as the Talmud seats it and measures in Maasar Sheni per. 5. hal 2. It was in Iudea And thereupon four and twenty of the School of Rabbi came thither to intercalate the year but an evil eye came in upon them and they died all at one time Jerus Sanhedr fol. 18. col 3. For they might not intercalate the year but in Iudea Maym. in Kiddush Hedesh per. 4. but upon this mischance they removed that businesse into Galilee Here it seems the Sanhedrin sat also sometimes or at least they had a great Bench of their own for there is mention of stoning ben Satda at Lydda on the eve of the Passeover Ibid. fol. 25.4 To reckon the stories and eminent men belonging to this place were endlesse at the least it is needlesse here But the mention and gender of Saron which is also named with Lydda Act. 9.35 may plead excuse if we alledge one or two Talmudich passages for the clearing of it Jerus in Sheviith fol. 38.4 From Bethoron to Emmaus was hilly from Emmaus to Lydda plain and from Lydda to the sea vale Idem in Sotah fol. 18.4 R. Iochanan and R. Eliezer went from Labneh to Lydda and met with R. Ioshua in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bekiin Gittin per. 1. hal 1. He that bringeth a bill of Divorce from a Heathen Country must be able to say In my presence it was written and sealed in my presence Rabban Gamaliel saith Yea he that brings one from Rekam and
farre as the bounds of Iudea extended then some of them stepped our as farre as into Phaenice Cyprus and Syria but all this while dealing with the Jews only At last some of them at Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spake to the Hellenists ver 20. Here the word Hellenists is of doubtfull interpretation only this is doubtlesse in it that it means not Iews as the word doth Acts 6.1 for it is set in opposition to them ver 19. Doth it mean Proselytes then That it cannot neither for they were reputed as Jews to all purposes Means it Heathens Yes that is undoubted it doth both by the scope of the story here and by the quarrell urging these believers at Antioch to be Circumcised Chap. 15. But why then should they be called Hellenistae rather then Hellenes Some conceive because they were become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselyte sojournours meaning that they had forsaken their Idolatry as Cornelius had done his though he were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Proselyte circumcised But what if these were native Syrians by pedegree and language could they then for that be called Hellenists or Greeks The word therefore must mean that they were such as were Syrogrecians Antioch it self indeed having been once the head of the Syrogrecian Empire Hellenes or purely Greeks they could not be called though it will not be denied they spake that Language because they were not only no inhabitans of that Country but not altogether of that blood but such as were of a mixture of Syrian and Greek the progeny of the old plantations and infranchisments of the Syrogrecian Monarchy Whatsoever their title Hellenists includeth they being undoubtedly Heathens it sheweth that these Ministers preached to them understood of the liberty given to preach to the Gentiles and the passage betwixt Peter and Cornelius or they durst not have been bold to have gone beyond the partition wall without their warrant And the readinesse of the Church at Ierusalem to send Barnabas to them shews that they also were satisfied in this matter and so this evidenceth that this story was after that about Cornelius Their sending Barnabas and his fetching Saul to the same work with him giveth some confirmation of that which was touched before namely that it is very probable that Barnabas knew of his own being designed for a Minister to the uncircumcision and of Pauls being joyned with him in that work a great while before they were sent away from Antioch upon it They now spend a whole year in the Church there and there the Name Christian is first taken up and that in a Gentile Church Antioch of old had been called Hamath but now it bare the name of one that had been as bloody a persecutor of the Church and truth as the Church of Israel had ever seen Antiochus The very name of the place may raise a meditation ACTS CHAP. XII XIII HEre we meet with some scruple in Chronology and about the precedency of the story in these two Chapters for though the actions in Chap. 12. be laid first and that very properly that the story of Peter may be taken up together and concluded before the story of Paul come in which is to be followed to the end of the Book yet there may be just question whether the sending of Paul and Barnabas from Antioch to preach among the Gentiles which is handled in the beginning of Chap. 13. were not before some if not all those things related in Chap. 12. And the question ariseth from these two scruples 1. Because it is doubtfull in what year of Claudius the famine was that is spoken of Chap. 12.28 And 2. because it is obscure how long Paul and Barnabas staid at Antioch after their return from Ierusalem Chap. 12.25 before they were sent away among the Gentiles But about this we need not much to trouble our selves since as to the understanding of the stories themselves there can be little illustration taken from their time save only as to this that the publick Fast in the Church of Antioch may seem to have some relation to some of the sad stories mentioned before as coincident with them or near to them namely either the famine through the world Chap. 11.28 or the Persecution in the Church Chap. 12. We shall not therefore offer to dislocate the order of the stories from that wherein they he the Holy Ghost by the intertexture of them rather teaching us that some of them were contemporary then any way incouraging us to invert their order Only these things cannot passe unmentioned toward the stating of their time and place partly of coincidency and partly of their succeeding one the other and which may help us better to understand both 1. That whereas Dion the Roman Historian lib. 60. hath placed a sore famine at least at Rome in the time of Claudius in his second year Iosephus carries it Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 2. as if the bitternesse of it at Ierusalem were in his fourth which Euseb. in Chron. determines positively both may be true for for famines to last severall years together is no strange thing in History Divine or Humane nor in experience in our own age 2. That Agrippa's murdering of Iames and imprisoning of Peter could not be before the third year of Claudius for Iosephus a witnesse impartiall enough in this case informs us that Claudius in his second Consulship which was indeed the second year of his reign made an Edict in behalf of the Jews and sent it through the world and after that sent Agrippa away into his own Kingdom Now his Consulship beginning the first of Ianuary it was so next impossible that those things should be done at Rome and Agrippa provide for his journey and travell it and come to Ierusalem and murder Iames and apprehend Peter and all before the Passeove unlesse he hasted as it had been for a wager that he that can believe Peter to have been imprisoned in Claudius his second year of Consulship and reign must exceedingly straiten the time of these occurrences to make room for his belief 3. In the third year of Claudius therefore are those stories in Chap. 12. to be reputed only the last about Herods death in the beginning of his fourth for a Passeover in his fourth Herod lived not to see 4. It may be observed that Luke hath placed the going up of Paul and Barnabas with the alms of the Church of Antioch to the poor of Iudea before the murder of Iames Chap. 11.30 but their return thence not till after that and Herods death Chap. 12.25 not that thereupon we are necessarily to think that they staid there so long as while all those things in Chap. 12. were acting but that by that relation the story of Paul and Barnabas is begun again and we may very well conceive for all that postscript of Luke after the story of Iames his Martyrdom Peters imprisonment and Agrippa's death their return to Antioch and going
from thence among the Gentiles Chap. 13. to have been at that time while some of the things in Chap. 12. occurred CHRIST XLII CLAVDIVS II We will therefore take the Chapters up in the order in which they lye and only carry along with us in our thoughts a supposall that some of the stories in either might concurre in time And because we have found here some need to look after the Years of the Emperour which we have not had before and shall have much more forward especially when we come up to the times of Nero it may not be amisse to affix their Years also as they went along concurrent with the Years of our Saviour The famine begun the Church of Antioch send relief into Iudea ACTS CHAP. XII from the beginning to Ver. 20. CHRIST XLIII JAMES beheaded by Herod for so doth the Jews Pandect help us to understand these words He slew Iames with the sword 〈◊〉 Sanhedr per. 7. hal 3. They that were slain by the sword were beheaded which also was the custom of the Kingdom that is of the Romans The ceremonious zeal of Agrippa in the Jewish way bending it self against the Church may be construed as a Jewish act wicked as upon the score of that Nations wickednesse and guilt The underling condition in which they had lain all the time of Caius he having no good affection to that people being now got loose and aloft knows no bounds and being somewhat countenanced by the Edict of Claudius they cannot be content with their own immunities unlesse they seek also the suppression of the Christian Church Though Claudius his Proclamation had this speciall clause and caveat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should not go about to infringe the liberty of other mens Religion This unbounded incroaching of theirs did within a little time cause the Emperour who had now made a Decree for them to make another against them Peter designed by the murderer for the like butchery escapes by miracle and the Tyrant before that time twelve moneth comes to a miraculous fearfull end ACTS CHAP. XIII from beginning to Ver. 14. THe Divine Historian having hitherto followed the Story of the Church and Gospel as both of them were dilated among the Jews and therein pitched more especially upon the Acts of Peter and Iohn the singular Ministers of the Circumcision more peculiarly Peters he doth now turn his Pen to follow the planting and progresse of the Gospel among the Gentiles and here he insisteth more especially upon the Story of Paul and Barnabas the singular Ministers of the uncircumcision more peculiarly Pauls There were now in the Church of Antioch five men which were both Prophets and Teachers or which did not only instruct the people and expound the Scriptures but had also the Prophetick spirit and were partakers of Revelations For though Prophets and Teachers were indeed of a distinct notion 1 Cor. 12.28 Ephes. 4.11 and their abilities to teach were accordingly of a distinct originall namely the former by revelation and the latter by study yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which phrase may not passe without observation according to the state of the Church then being they not only had prophetick Teachers but there was a kinde of necessity they should have such till time and study had inabled others to be Teachers which as yet they could not have attained unto the Gospel having been so lately brought among them Among these five the names of Barnabas and Saul are no strangers to the Reader but the other three are more unknown 1. Simeon who was called Niger If the word Niger were Latine it might then fairly be conjectured that this was Simon of Cyrene the Moorish complexion of his Country justly giving him the title of Simeon the black but since the Patrionymick Cyrenean is applied only in the singular number to the next man Lucius and since the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was then used among the Jews in severall significations as may be seen in Aruch we shall rather conceive this man a Cypriot from Chap. 11.20 and as Barnabas also was Chap. 4.36 and his surname Niger whatsoever it signified used to distinguish him from Simon Peter and Simon the Cananiâ—e 2. Lucius of Cyrene Held by some and that not without some ground to be Luke the Evangelist which it is like hath been the reason why antiquity hath so generally held Luke to be an Antiochian true in regard of this his first appearing there under this name Lucius though originally a Cyrenian and educated as it may be supposed in the Cyrenian Colledge or Synagogue in Ierusalem Chap. 6.9 and there first receiving the Gospel In Rom. 16.21 Paul salutes the Roman Church in the name of Lucius whereas there was none then in Pauls retinue whose name sounded that way but only Luke as we shall observe there 3. Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrach Iuchasin fol. 19. mentioneth one Menahem who was once Vicepresident of the Sanhedrin under Hillel but departed to the service of Herod the great with fourscore other eminent men with him of whom we gave some touch before It may be this was his sonne and was called Manaen or Menahem after the father and as the father was a great favourite of Herod the great the father so this brought up at Court with Herod the Tetrach the sonne As these holy men were at the publick ministration with fasting and prayer the Holy Ghost gives them advertisement of the separating of Paul and Barnabas for the Ministry among the Gentiles A mission that might not be granted but by such a divine warrant considering how the Gentiles had alwaies lain behind a partition wall to the Jews For although Peter in the case of Cornelius had opened the door of the Gospel to the Heathen yet was this a farre greater breaking down of the partition wall when the Gospel was to be brought into their own Lands and to their own doors When God saith Separate them to the work whereunto I have called them it further confirmeth that it was and had been known before that they should be Ministers of the uncircumcision The Romish glossaries would fain strain the Masse out of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Rhemists think they have done us a courtesie that they have not translated it to that sense whereas besides that the word naturally signifieth any publick ministration the Holy Ghost by the use of it seemeth to have a speciall aim namely to intimate to us that this was a publick fast as well as another publick ministration Publick fasts were not ordinary services and they were not taken up but upon extraordinary occasions and what the present occasion might be had been a great deal better worth studying upon then how to make the Greek word speak the Masse which it never meant How publick fastings and daies of humiliation were used by the Jews and upon what occasions there is a speciall Treatise
in the Talmud upon that subject called Taanith and the like in Maymony that beareth witnesse and it was no whit unsutable to the Gospel upon the like exigencies to use the like kinde of service and devotion And the present famine that was upon all Countries might very well minister occasion to this Church at Antioch at this present for such a work for we cannot but suppose that the famine was now in being Whatsoever the occasion was the Lord in the midst of their humiliation pointeth out Paul and Barnabas for an imployment of his own who were but a while ago returned from an imployment of the Churches And so the other three Simeon Lucius and Menaen understanding what the Lord meant and having used another solemn day in fasting in prayer lay their hands upon them and set them apart by Ordination According as the ordaining of Elders among the Jews was by a Triumvirate or by three Elders Sanhedr per. 1. halac 3. This is the second Imposition of hands since the Gospel began which did not confer the Holy Ghost with it for these two were full of the Holy Ghost before and this is the first Ordination of Elders since the Gospel that was used out of the Land of Israel Which rite the Jewish Canons would confine only to that Land Maym. Sanhedr per. 4. Which circumstances well considered with the imployment that these two were to go about and this manner of their sending forth no better reason I suppose can be given of this present action then that the Lord hereby did set down a platform of ordaining Ministers in the Church of the Gentiles to future times Paul and Barnabas thus designed by the Lord and ordained and sent forth by this Triumvirate and guided by the Holy Ghost they first go to Seleucia most likely Seleucia Pieriae of which Strabo saith that it is the first City of Syria from Cilicia Geogr. lib. 14. to which Pliny assenteth when he measureth the breadth of Syria from Seleucia Pieriae to Zeugma upon Euphrates Nat. hist. lib. 5. cap. 12. The reason of their going thither may be judged to be that they might take ship for Cyprus whither they intended for that this was a Port appeareth by what follows in Strabo when he saith That from Seleucia to Soli is about a thousand furlongs sail and so it is plain in Lukes text when he saith they departed unto Seleucin and from thence they sailed to Cyprus where let us now follow them Cyprus was a Country so exceeding full of Jews that it comes in for one in that strange story that Dion Cassius relates in the life of Trajan The Iews saith he that dwelt about Cyrene choosing one Andrew for their Captain slew the Greeks and Romans and ate their flesh and devoured their inwards and besmeared themselves with their blood and wore their â—kins Many they sawed asunder from the head downward others they cast to wilde beasts many they made to slay one another so that there were two hundred and twenty thousand destroyed in this manner There was the like slaughter made in Aegypt and Cyprus where there also perished two hundred and fourty thousand From whence it is that a Iew may not since come into Cyprus and if any by storms at sea be driven in thither they are slain But the Iews were subdued by others but especially by Lucius whom Trajan sent thither This was the native Country of Barnabas Act. 4.36 Although these two Apostles were sent to the Gentiles yet was it so far from excluding their preaching to the Jews that they constantly began with them first in all places where they came They begin at Salamis the place next their landing and there they preached in the Synagogues of the Iews having Iohn Mark for their Minister From thence they travailed preaching up and down in the Iland till they come to Paphos which was at the very further part of it toward the Southwest Angle There they meet with a Magicall Jew called Barjesus and commonly titled Elymas which is the same in sense with Magus Such Jewish deceivers as this went up and down the Countries to oppose the Gospel and to shew Magicall tricks and wonders for the stronger confirming of their opposition Such were the vagabond Iews exorcists Act. 19.13 and of such our Saviour spake Matth. 24.24 and oâ— some such we may give examples out of their own Talmudicall Writers And here we may take notice of a threefold practice of opposition that the Jews used in these times and forward against the Gospel and the spreading of it besides open persecution unto blood 1. Much about these times was made the prayer that hath been mentioned which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prayer against Hereticks which became by injunction one of their daily prayers Maymony speaketh the matter and intent of it in his Treatise Tephillah in these words In the daies of Rabban Gamaliel Hereticks increased in Israel by Hereticks he meaneth those that turned from Judaism to Christianity and they troubled Israel and perswaded them to turn from their Religion He seeing this to be a matter of exceeding great consequence more then any thing else stood up he and his Sanhedrin and appointed a prayer in which there was a petition to God to destroy those Hereticks and this he seâ— among the common prayers and appointed it to be in every mans mouth and so their daily prayers became nineteen in number Pereh 2. So that they daily prayed against Christians and Christianity 2. The Jews had their emissaries every where abroad that to the utmost in them cried down the Gospel preached against it went about to consute it and blasphemed it and Christ that gave it Of this there is testimony abundant in the New Testament and in the Jews own Writings And 3. they were exceeding many of them skilled in Magick and by that did many strange things by such false miracles seeking to outface and vilifie the Divine miracles done by Christ and his Apostles and striving to confirm their own doctrines which opposed the Gospel by backing them with such strange and wondrous actings Iuchasin speaks of Abba Chelchiah and Chamin and Chamina Ben Dusa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men skilled in miracles fol. 20. And the Ierus Talmud speaks of their inchantings and magicall tricks in Shabb. fol. 8. col 2. 3. Sanhedr fol. 25. col 4. nay even of their charming in the Name of Iesu. Shabb. fol. 14. col 4. Paul miraculously strikes Elymas blind and inlightens Sergius Paulus with the light of the Gospel This was at Paphos where old superstition dreamed of the blinde God Cupid Doting Elymas grope for thy fellow The first miracle wrought among the Gentiles is striking a perverse Jew blinde which thing may very well become an Allegory From Paphos they go to Perga in Pamphylia and there Iohn departs from them and returns to Ierusalem but what was the occasion is hard to conjecture Whether it were that
the conjunction of these two words so common in their Writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He vailed himself and prayed And this for a current rule The wise men and their schollars may not pray unlesse they be vailed Maymon in Tephillah per. 5. To which let us adde that of Sueton. in Vitell. cap. 2. Lucius Vitellius saith he had an excellent faculty in flattering he first set afoot the worshipping of Caius Caesar for a God when returning out of Syria he durst not go to him but with his head vailed and then turning himself about he fell prostrate Again it was the custom of the Jewish women to go vailed or their faces covered whensoever they went into publick A woman saith Maymony may not go into publick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if she have not a vail on In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 24. And this the Talmudists call this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iewish Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The garb of modesty Chetubboth per. 7. and Alphes ibid. Where they say that those women transgresse the Iewish Law that go forth unvailed or that spin in the streets or that talk with every man Now in this Church of Corinth the men retained the Jewish custom that they prayed vailed or with their head and face covered but the women transgressed their Jewish Law for they went unvailed and bare faced into the publick Congregation and their reason was as it seemeth by the Apostles discourse because they in regard of their beauty and comely feature needed lesse to be ashamed before God in his worship then the men The Apostle reproves both and argues that if the man pray vailed who is the Image and glory of God then much more should the woman who is but the glory of the man But he cries down the mans praying vailed as dishonouring his head and exhorts that the woman have power on her head because of the Angels cap. 11.10 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we observed instantly before out of Maymony signified a womans vail doth also signifie power or dominion and accordingly the Apostle speaketh Let the woman have power on her head But what means he by Because of the Angels I should answer Because of the devils for these he had called Angels also a few Chapters before viz. Chap. 6.3 And his words may be construed to this sense that women should not expose their faces openly in the Congregation lest the devil make a bait of their beauty and thereby intangle the eyes and hearts of the men who should be then better imployed then gazing and longing after beauty There are that by Angels understand the Ministers and interpret it that women should be vailed lest the Ministers eyes should be intangled by their faces which exposition if it be admitted it may speak for the admission of that also which we give which provides for the eyes of the whole Congregation as well as of the Ministers 4. In the same eleventh Chapter he also blameth their disorder in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the height of their heats and contestations Wherein they did not only not discern the Lords Body a Symbole and tie of communion but they even transgressed that rule now Christians which those of them that were Jews would not have done in their Judaism It was then a Canon current and binding amongst them that none should eat and drink in their Synagogues and none should sleep Jerus in Megilla fol. 74. col 1. Maym. in Tephillah per. 11. and Gloss. in Maym. in Shabb. 30. But now as they ate and drank the Bread and the Cup in the Sacrament in their Churches and that warrantably so did they also presume unwarrantably to eat their own common suppers there and that only in defiance one of another the rich to outface the poor and one party another with their good commons some banketing and feasting to the full whilest others sat hungry by and looked on See how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 21. signifies in the LXX Gen. 43.34 Cant. 5.1 Thus did they eat and drink judgement to themselves in the Sacrament whilest they would receive the symbole of communion and yet shew such signs and evidences of disunion at the very instant And the Lord accordingly overtook some of them with evident judgements weaknesse sicknesse and death avenging at once upon them the indignity done to his Sacrament and the indignity done to their brethren Much like surfeting Nabals case and end 5. And as the people were thus irregular in this part of worship in their publick assemblies so were their Ministers faulty in others namely about the managing of spirituall gifts there The pretence to the spirit where indeed it was not hath alwaies been the great usherer in of all errour and delusion And to this the very unbeleeving Jews pretended and often backed their pretences with magicall impostures and of this the Apostle speaks Chap. 12.3 No man speaking by the Spirit of God as these men took on them to do can call Iesus accursed as they called him And on the other hand some that had spirituall gifts indeed failed in the using of them to the edification of the Church but put them forth sometime for their own vainglory and such was their miscarriage which he taxeth Chap. 14. They that from that Chapter would ground a preaching by the Spirit now sure do little observe what they do to build upon an example which the Apostle reproveth and they inferre from a place much mistaken There were indeed the extraordinary gifts of tongues and prophecying in the Church of Corinth but who had them and what had they in having them and how used they them 1. It was not every or indeed any private member of the Congregation that had them but the Ministers only and by these very gifts and imposition of the Apostles hands by which these gifts were conferred they were inducted into the Ministry and inabled to it The learned Reader will observe the difference that in ver 16. is made betwixt him that spake with the tongues and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A private man that sat by 2. It was not to gabble with any tongue that is called speaking with a tongue for to what edification possible could it be for any Minister in Corinth to speak Persick Coptick Gallick or any other strange language in that Congregation where all of them understood one and the same language but it was to understand and speak the Originals of Scriptures as was touched before and to be able to unfold them and so to prophesie or preach to the people Observe these passages in the Chapter He that speaketh with a strange tongue edifieth himself ver 4. And I would you all spake with tongues Now how could a man edifie himself by speaking in some strange remote language when he might speak or understand the very same thing in his own mother tongue And what were they better if they all
painfull and faithfull Among the Jewish Churches that received the Gospel there grew in time a very epidemicall and dangerous Apostacy either totally from the Doctrine of the Gospel or partially from the purity of it as we have frequent occasion to observe upon severall passages that we meet withall as we go along And this backsliding from the Doctrine and Profession of Christ once received was the topping up of the iniquity of that Nation and was a forerunner and a hastener of their destruction and casting off The first principles whereby their false teachers did poison them toward this recidivation were puzzling them with idle fables intricate genealogies and especially nice curiosities and needlesse obligations of the Law Their fables that were likeliest to serve their turn for this purpose as near as one may guesse upon view of the whole heap in their Talmudick records may be supposed to have been those strange legends that they related of the wondrous sanctity devotion and facts of some of their Pharisaicall and legall righteous ones and the wondrous gallantry and golden daies that they conceited in a carnall construction of the times of Messias Their endlesse genealogies which the Apostle speaketh of Tit. 3.9 and mentioneth together with these fables 1 Tim. 1.4 were not any of the genealogies of Scripture holy and divine but their long and intricate pedigrees that they stood upon to prove themselves Jews Levites Priests and the like thereby to interest themselves in chain to all those brave things that they perswaded themselves belonged to a Jew as a Jew upon that very account And to these we may adde the long genealogy and pedigree of their traditions which they derived by a long line of succession through the hands of I know not how many Doctors of which the Talmudick Treatise Avoth is as a Herald And if we will construe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuchasin Genealogies in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aserah Iuchasin Ten linages that they speak of that came out of Babel at the return of the captivity I am sure we may finde endlesse questions wherewithall they puzzled mens mindes about them as Vid. Talm. in Kiddushin per. 4. Alphes ibid c. And as for their making their baits of the Law for the catching and withdrawing of simple souls either totally from the acknowledging or at least from the simplicity of the Gospel it is very obvious in the Epistles of Paul and the other Epistles how they wrought and how they prevailed the witchery of old customs and long use and the gawdinesse of a Ceremonious Religion helping them to speed in their designes and forwarding their deceivings Such canker began to break out in the Church of Ephesus whose creeping and infecting it is the first and great work of Timothy to prevent and to fill the ears of his hearers with sound doctrine and admonitions which might keep such deceit and infection out And answerably it must be his care to settle the Church in such a salubrious constitution of Worship Ministry and Government as that it should not be ready to sway and incline to such dangerous seductions Hereupon doth the Apostle lay a divine Directory before him concerning their manner of praying choosing and ordaining Ministers approving Deacons admitting widows and regulating the people that nothing could be wanting to the healthfull temper of that Church if they receive and imbrace these applications In the most of which prescriptions he useth exceeding much of their Synagogue language that he may be the better understood and reflecteth upon divers of their own Laws and customs that what he prescribeth may imprint upon them with the more conviction He calleth the Minister Episcopus from the common and known title The Chazan or Overseer in the Synagogue Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prescribeth rules and qualifications for his choice in most things sutable to their own cautions in choosing of an Elder Maym. in Sanhedr per. 4. He speaketh of Elders ruling only and Elders ruling and labouring in the Word and Doctrine meaning in this distinction that same that he had spoken of in Chap. 3. Bishops and Deacons Both these in the common language then best known were called Elders and both owned as Rulers Yea the very title that they usually tearmed Deacons by Parnasin was the common word that was used to signifie a Ruler The Ierusalem Talmud in Peah fol. 21.1 speaking of the three Parnasin or Deacons that were in every Synagogue hath these two passages which may be some illustration to two passages in this Epistle They appoint not lesse then three Parnasin in the Congregation for if matters of money were judged by three matters of life much more require three to manage them Observe that the Deacons Office was accounted as an Office that concerned this life namely in taking care for the subsistence of the poor According to this may that in Chap. 3.12 be understood For they that have used the Office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree A good degree towards being intrusted with souls when they have been faithfull in discharge of their trust concerning the life of the body The other passage is this R. Haggai whensoever he appointed Parnasin Deacons he urged the Law upon the people saying All rule that is given is given from the Law c. And here you may likewise observe that Deaconship is called Rule We observed before that it were not so monstrous as it might seem if by Elders that ruled only we should understand a Civil Magistracy or Bench in every Congregation as there was in every Synagogue but since the Apostle nameth only Bishops and Dâ—â—cons his interpretation here is best taken from and within himself and to understand the â—lders that ruled only of the Deacons which were called both Elders and Rulers as well as the Ministers and in the Jews Synagogues were professed Scholars The Talmudick place now cited tell us that R. Eliezer one of their greatest Rabbins was a Parnas or Deacon in a Synagogue The Episcopi or Ministers are titled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that laboured in the Word and Doctrine which most properly is to be understood distinctly thus which laboured in the Word and which laboured in teaching and the former to denote their laboriousnesse in study to inable them to teach and the later their laboriousnesse in teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but the common phrase of the Jews turned into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Syriack here by which they mean a great student in the Law Among multitudes of instances that might be alledged I shall produce but this one out of Ierus in Maasar sheni fol. 56. col 2. R. Ionah paid his tithes to R. Acha bar Vlla not because he was a Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because he laboured in the Law that is was a great student and an able teacher They that suppose that the tithes under the Law were paid
VI WE are now come to the second year of Pauls imprisonment in which he had the changeable and different occurrences of loving visits and salutes from some Churches abroad and crosse dealing from some ill-willed at home some sadnesse of heart by the sicknesse of Epaphroditus near unto death but comfort and reviving again by his recovery The Church of Philippi had sent him to visit Paul in their name and to bring him some tokens of their love for his support and maintenance in his imprisonment and the good man fell sick in Rome very like to die upon his recovery and return home again Paul sendeth by him THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS written in his name and in the name of Timothy who according to his appointment was now come to him He sheweth in this Epistle that as there were some which preached the Gospel of sincerity so were there others that preached of envy and contention and so added affliction to his bonds He was yet in bonds but in some good hopes of deliverance as he sheweth in Chap. 2.24 for he saith he hoped ere long to send Timothy to them and himself to come with him but we shall observe ere long that when Paul hath got his liberty Timothy is got into prison and so his journey for the present stopt He saluteth no Church in the platform of Bishops and Deacons but only this not but that there were Bishops and Deacons in other Churches as well as here but it may be he doth it here the rather because of the contribution that the Bishops and Deacons had gathered for him and sent to him or because he would shew the platform of office and order in this Church of Philippi which was purely Gentile agreeable to that of the beleeving Jews Churches He giveth warning to beware of the hereticall and unbeleeving Jews whom he cals dogs and the concision and now the name they used to give to the Gentiles Dogs is light upon themselves The very Talmudists speak as evil of that generation in which Messias should come as the Scripture doth 2 Tim. 3.1 c. and among other things they say thus When the sonne of David cometh the Synagogues shall become stews Galilee shall be destroyed Gablan shall be desolate the Samaritan Version of the Pentateuch doth constantly render Seir Gablah and the men of the border of Israel shall go from City to City and the wisdome of the Scribes shall be abominated and Religious persons shall be scorned And the faces of that generation shall be as dogs Talm. Bab. in Sanhedr fol. 97. He cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The concision The word signifies such superstitious and vain and impious cuttings in the flesh as Heathens used as 2 King 18.28 c. No more doth he make of their Circumcision the Greek word is used by the LXX Levit. 21.5 He speaketh of one in Philippi whom he calleth his true yokefellow alluding it may be either to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the Jews did ordinarily expresse great professors of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most ordinary phrase in the Ierusalem Talmud Or the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yokes or couples whereby they expressed the President and Vicepresident of the Sanhedrin those famous couples Shemaiah and Abtalion Hillel and Shammai c. Of whom it is that he speaketh is undeterminable Barnabas or Silas might best bear the title Whosoever it was it seemeth it was some worthy person who was at this time in that Church whom he intreats to compose some differences that were then afoot and to be helpfull in som◠occasions and cases that he knew needfull It is not to be doubted but Epaphroditus had acquainted him particularly with the state of the Church and he applies his exhortations accordingly As the Church of Philippi had sent Epaphroditus to visit him so did the Church of Colossi send Epaphras one of their Ministers to do the like Colos. 1.7 8. whereupon by Tychicus who had been the last year at Ephesus to fetch Timothy and returned with him to Rome Col. 4.7 and by Onesimus a Colossian Col. 4.9 Paul and Timothy send THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS The naming of Mark now with him Chap. 4.10 doth state the time of writing this Epistle and fixeth it to this year or else it would be easier for Tychicus his travell to have supposed that he brought it the last year when he came to Timothy to Ephesus and Colosse was not farre off but the observing of Marks being now at Rome puts the matter out of doubt And whereas it might be thought more likely that Epaphras that came with the visit from the Church should bring this return of Paul back again it appeareth by Chap. 4.12 that he staid still with Paul and was fellow-prisoner now with him Philem. ver 23. The Colossians had never seen Pauls face no more had the Laodiceans for no lesse can be gathered from his own words Chap. 2.1 yet had he been a means by some of his agents to plant these Churches or at least to afford them plentifull watering The Apostles had subordinate Ministers under them that they imployed to this purpose I know not how the word Helps 1 Cor. 12.28 can be better understood The Laodiceans had sent him an Epistle as the Corinthians had also done 1 Cor. 7.1 and this is that Epistle that he speaketh of Chap. 4.16 See that ye reade likewise the Epistle from Laodicea Not that he had written any Epistle from thence which is now lost as is conceived by some for he was never there but it meaneth that Epistle which the Laodiceans had sent to him Not that he would have it read as of equall Divine authority with his own but as a good copy and example to the Colossians If any be not satisfied with this construction we shall offer another when we come to the Epistles of Iohn rather then conceive that any Epistle of Paul is lost that was once read in the Churches Among those whose salutations he sends he nameth Demas who the last year was departed from him and imbraced as he thought the present world 2 Tim. 4.10 but now is come in a good man again The sparks of grace once kindled can never be quenched yea though not discernable to the eye of a Paul which however raked up under the ashes by vehement temptation or corruption yet covered with an everlasting decree of everlasting love are unextinguishable The act of grace it is true may be in a swone and seem dead to the eyes of a Paul himself whilest yet there is the habit in life I mean that gracious changednesse which by regeneration is wrought in the soul the stony heart turned into flesh which though it may congeal into ice again yet can never again congeal into the stone it was Fides quà apprehendens its hand may slip but fides quà apprehensa his hand cannot slip that hath laid hold upon it By these
Representatives of the whole Church built from twelve Tribes and twelve Apostles In the hand of him that sate on the Throne was a Book sealed which no creature could open This justly cals us back to Dan. 12. v. 4. where words are shut up and a Book sealed unto the time of the end and now that that is near drawing on the Book is here opened REVEL CHAP. VI. THe opening of the six Seals in this Chapter speaks the ruine and rejection of the Jewish Nation and the desolation of their City which is now very near at hand The first Seal opened ver 2. shews Christ setting forth in Battell array and avengement against them as Psal. 45.4 5. And this the New Testament speaketh very much and very highly of one while calling it his coming in clouds another while his coming in his Kingdome and sometime his coming in Power and great Glory and the like Because his plagueing and destroying of the Nation that crucified him and that so much opposed and wrought mischief against the Gospel was the first evidence that he gave in sight of all the world of his being Christ for till then he and his Gospel had been in humility as I may say as to the eyes of men he persecuted whilest he was on earth and they persecuted after him and no course taken with them that so used both but now he awakes shews himself and makes himself known by the Judgement that he executeth The three next Seals opening shew the means by which he did destroy namely those three sad plagues that had been threatned so oft and so sore by the Prophets Sword Famine and Pestilence For The second Seal opened sends out one upon a red Horse to take Peace from the earth and that men should destroy one another he carried a great Sword ver 4. The third Seals opening speaks of Famine when Corn for scarcity should be weighed like spicery in a pair of ballances ver 5 6. The fourth Seal sends out one on a pale Horse whose name was Death the Chaldee very often expresseth the Plague or Pestilence by that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so it ' is to be taken Revel 2.22 and Hell or Hades comes after him ver 8. The opening of the fifth Seal reveals a main cause of the vengeance namely the blood of the Saints which had been shed crying and which was to be required of that generation Matth. 23.35 36. These souls are said to cry from under the Altar either in allusion to the blood of creatures sacrificed poured at the foot of the Altar or according to the Jews tenet that all just soules departed are under the Throne of Glory Answer to their cry is given that the number of their Brethren that were to be slain was not yet fulfilled and they must rest till that should be and then avengement in their behalf should come This speakes sutable to that which we observed lately that now times were begun of bitter persecution an hour of temptation Rev. 2.10 3.10 the Jews and devil raging till the Lord should something cool that fury by the ruine of that people The opening of the sixth Seal ver 12 13. shews the destruction it self in those borrowed termes that the Scripture useth to expresse it by namely as if it were the destruction of the whole world as Matth. 24.29 30. The sunne darkened the starres falling the heaven departing and the earth dissolved and that conclusion ver 16. They shall say to the rocks fall on us c. doth not only warrant but even inforce us to understand and construe these things in the sense that we do for Christ applies these very words to the very same thing Luke 23.30 And here is another and to me a very satisfactory reason why to place the shewing of these visions to Iohn and his wring of this Book before the desolation of Ierusalem REVEL CHAP. VII IN the end of the former Chapter was contained the intimation of the desolation of Ierusalem and in the beginning of this the ceasing of Prophesie under the similitude of the four windes restrained from blowing upon the earth Compare Cant. 4.16 Ezek. 37.9 only a remnant of Israel are sealed unto salvation and not to perish by that restraint and with them innumerable Gentiles Ezekiel helpeth here to confirm the explication that we have given of the Chapter before for he hath the very like passage upon the first destruction of the City Ezek. 9. 10. 11. Compare the marking in the foreheads here with Exod. 28.38 Dan not mentioned among the Tribes in this place Idolatry first began in that Tribe Iudg. 18. 1 King 12. REVEL CHAP. VIII THe opening of the seventh Seal lands us upon a new scene as a new world began when Ierusalem was destroyed and the Jews cast off The six Seals in the two former Chapters have shewed their ruine and the appearing of the Church of the Gentiles and now the seven Trumpets under the seventh Seal give us a prospect in generall of the times thence forward to the end of all things I say in generall for from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter and forward to the end of the nineteenth they are handled more particularly Silence in heaven for a while and seven Angels with seven Trumpets may call our thoughts to Ioshua 6.4 10. and intimate that the Prophetick story is now entred upon a new Canaan or a new stage of the Church as that businesse at Iericho was at Israels first entring on the old Or it may very properly be looked upon as referring and alluding to the carriage of things at the Temple since this Book doth represent things so much according to the scheme and scene of the Temple all along And in this very place there is mention of the Altar and Incense and Trumpets which were all Temple appurtenances It was therefore the custom at the Temple that when the Priest went in to the Holy place the people drew downward from the Porch of the Temple and there was a silence whilest he was there yea though the people were then praying incomparably beyond what there was at other times of the service for the Priests were blowing with Trumpets or the Levites singing The allusion then here is plain When the sacrifice was laid on the Altar a Priest took coals from the Altar went in to the Holy place and offered incense upon the Golden Altar that stood before vail that was before the Ark and this being done the Trumpets sounded over the sacrifice Here then is first intimation of Christs being offered upon the Altar then his going into the Holy place as Mediatour for his people and then the Trumpets sounding and declaring his disposals in the world His taking fire off the Altar and casting it upon the earth ver 5. is a thing not used at the Temple but spoken from Ezek. 10.2 which betokeneth the sending of judgement which the Trumpets speak out These seven Trumpets and
intended and their meaning is easie to be understood but to come to allot them severally to this or that time or place is but to do that that when ye have done all you can will come to no surer bottom to rest upon then your own conceit and supposall The matter of them is expressed as to the most part by allusion to the plagues of Egypt as boils blood darknesse and so it clears the thing intended namely in generall to shew how the mysticall Egypt Chap. 11.8 after all her oppression and persecution of the Israel of God should at last come to receive her just reward as old Egypt had done and that God would follow her with plagues till he had destroyed her They are somewhat like the plagues of the seven Trumpets some of which as we observed did in generall speak the state of the world till the rising of Antichrist and those Vials may be understood as the generall description of his plagues and ruine We observed in Chap. 6. and that upon good Scripture ground that the six Seals did all but speak one effect namely the destruction of the Jewish Nation but brought to passe by severall judgements and the like interpretation may be made here The first Viall brings a noisom Boyl upon the worshippers of the Beast this was the sixth plague of Egypt but here the first for that plague in Egypt came home to Iannes and Iambers the Magicians that they could not stand before Moses Exod. 9.11 And that both this and all the rest might be shewed to reach home even to the veriest deceivers and ringleaders of mischief in Antichristian Egypt this is justly set in the first rank The second and third here referre to the one plague of blood in Egypt and these exceed that For there all the rivers and ponds were indeed turned into blood but the Egyptians digged for water about the river to drink Exod. 7.24 and found it and it was not turned into blood The question and answer of Aben Ezra is pertinent It is said there was blood throughout all the Land of Egypt And the Magicians did so with their inchantments Now how could the Magicians turn water into blood when there was no water left but all was blood And he answers Aaron only turned the waters that were above ground into blood not those that were under ground but here sea and rivers and fountains and all are become blood still to shew how throughly the plagues should come home At these plagues there is mention of the Angel of the waters ver 5. which since all the Angels here are characted in the garb of Priests as hath been said may also be understood as alluding to that Priest whose office it was to have care of the waters and to look that there should be water enough and fitting for the people to drink that came up to the three Festivals Among the offices of the Priests at the Temple this was one Maym. in Kele Mikdash per. 7. and Nicodemus whom the Talmud speaks of was of this office Aboth R. Nathan per. 6. The fourth Viall poured into the sunne brings scorching heat this seems to allude to Ioshua's or Deborah's day when the starres from heaven fought the sunne standing still so long did not only give light to Israel but probably heat and faintnesse to the Canaanites and Psal. 121 6 seems to referre thither The sun shall not smite thee by day As in the fourth they are plagued by the sun so in the fifth by want of it The seat of the Beast darkened as Pharoahs Throne and Kingdome was and this darknesse bringing horrour and pains as Egypts did through dreadfull apparitions in the dark The drying up of Euphrates for the Kings of the East under the sixth Viall seems to speak much to the tenour of the sixth Trumpet the loosing of the four Angels which were bound at Euphrates Those we conceived the Turks to plague Christendom these we may conceive enemies to plague Antichrist The allusion in the former seems to be to the four Kings from beyond Euphrates that came to scourge Canaan Gen. 14. this to the draining of Euphrates for Cyrus and Darius to take Babylon For having to treat here of a Babylon as ver 19. the scene is best represented as being laid at the old Babylon Now the Historians that mention the taking of Babylon by Cyrus tell us it was by draining the great stream of Euphrates by cutting it into many little channels The Egyptian plague of frogs is here translated into another tenour and that more dangerous three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet spirits of devils working miracles c. This is named betwixt the sixth and seventh Viall though the acting of the delusions by miracles were all the time of the Beast and false Prophet because of the judgement now coming for though all deluders and deluded received their judgements in their severall ages yet being here speaking of the last judgements of Antichrist they are all summed together He is here called the false Prophet as being the great deluder of all The fruit of all these delusions is to set men to fight against God whose end is set forth by allusion to the Army of Iabin King of Canaan Iudg. 5.19 broken at the waters of Megiddo The word Armageddon signifies a mountain of men cut in pieces Here that solemn caution is inserted Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments The Priest that walked the round of the Temple guards by night had torches born before him and if he found any asleep upon the guard he burnt his cloathes with the torches Middoth per. 1. halac 2. The seventh Viall concludes the Beasts destruction The great City is said to be divided into three parts either as Ierusalem was Ezek. 5.11 12. a third part to pestilence a third part to the sword and a third part to dispersion and destruction in it or because there is mention of an Earthquake this speaks its ruining in generall as Zech. 14.4 5. A tenth part of it fell before Chap. 11.13 and now the nine parts remaining fall in a tripartite ruine REVEL CHAP. XVII MYSTICAL Babylon pictured with the colours of the old Babylon Rome so called as being the mother of Idolatry as Babel was the beginning of Heathenism and the mother of persecution Babylon destroyed Ierusalem so did Rome and made havock of the Church continually She is resembled to a woman dockt with gold c. as Isa. 14.4 sitting upon a seven-headed and ten-horned Beast as Chap. 13.1 Which Beast was and is not and yet is it shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and shall go to perdition Rome under the Papacy was not the same Rome it had been and yet it was Not Rome Heathen and Imperiall as it had been before and yet for all evil Idolatry persecution c. the same Rome to all purposes
It is plainly described as sitting upon seven hils upon which there is hardly a Roman Poet or Historian but makes a clear comment The seven heads denoted also seven Kings or kindes of Government that had passed in that City Five are fallen ver 10. Kings Consuls Tribunes Dictators Triumvirs and one then was when Iohn wrote namely Emperours And one not yet come Christian Emperours which continued but a short space before the Beast came which was and is not He is the eight and he of the seven They that hold Rome to be the fourth Monarchy in Daniel cannot but also hold from this place that that Monarchy is not yet extinct The ten horns upon the Beast in Dan. 7.24 are ten Kings arising and succeeding one another in the same Kingdom but here at ver 12. they are ten severall Kingdoms all subject to the Beasts both Imperiall and Papall but at last shall rise up against the mysticall Whore and destroy her It is like there must yet be conversion of some Kingdoms from the Papacy before it fall REVEL CHAP. XVIII XIX to Ver. 11. AN Elegy and a Triumph upon the fall of Babylon The former Chap. 18. almost verbatim from Isa. 13. 14. 21. 34. Ier. 51. Ezek. 27. The later also Chap. 19. the phrase taken from the old Testament almost every word The triumphant Song begins with Halleluja severall times over The word is first used at the later end of Psal. 104. where destruction of the wicked being first prayed for Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more he concludes with Blesse thou the Lord O my soul. Hallelujah The observation of the peoples saying over the great Hallel at the Temple or their great Song of praise doth illustrate this The Hallel consisted of severall Psalms viz. from the 113th to the end of the 118th and at very many passages in that Song as the Priests said the verses of the Psalms all the people still answered Hallelujah Only here is one thing of some difference from their course there for here is Amen Hallelujah ver 4. whereas It is a tradition That they answered not Amen in the Temple at all What said they then Blessed be the Name of the glory of his Kingdom for ever and ever Jerus in Beracoth fol. 13. col 3. But the promises of God which are Yea and Amen being now performed this is justly inserted as Christ for the same cause in this Book is called Amen Chap. 3.14 The marriage of the Lamb is now come and his Wife is ready ver 7. the Church now compleated REVEL CHAP. XIX from Ver. 11. to the end of the Chapter HEre begins a new Vision as it appeareth by the first words And I saw heaven opened and here Iohn begins upon his whole subject again to summe up in brief what he had been upon before Observe what is said in ver 19. I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the horse and against his Army and observe withall that there is the story of the destruction of the Beast before Chap. 18. and of the marriage and marriage Supper of the Lamb before Chap. 19.7 8 9. therefore the things mentioned here cannot be thought to occurre after those this therefore is a brief rehearsall of what he had spoken from the twelfth Chapter hither about the battell of Michael and his Angels with the Dragon and his Angels REVEL CHAP. XX. THe preceding Section spake what Christ did with the Beast and those that carried his mark he fought against them alwaies and when he saw his time destroyed them here the holy Ghost tels us what he did with the devil that set them on You heard of Christ fighting with the Dragon Chap. 12. and the Dragon foiled and cast out sets to prosecute the Womans seed but what course takes he for that He resignes his Throne and Power and Authority to the Beast Rome and it must do and it did his businesse for him Chap. 13.3 and how throughly it did its masters work is shewed all along from that place forward But what becomes of the old Dragon the master of mischief He sits by as it were and looks on while his game is played and hisses on his Deputy Rome first Imperiall then Papall They at the last receive their due wages for their work Imperiall and Papall go to perdition But what must become of the Dragon that set them on It would be very improper to tell so largely of the fearfull vengeance and destruction upon the agents and to say nothing of the principall and chief mover That therefore is done here and this Chapter takes at Chap. 13.3 and tels you what became of the old Dragon after the resigning of his Throne to the Beast namely that he sate not at his own quiet as if Michael had nothing to do with him or let him alone having so much to do with his instruments but that he curbed and destroyed both principal and agent and cast them both together into the bottomlesse pit The Devil had two waies of undoing men the Church by persecution the world by delusion of Oracles Idolatry false miracles and the like His managing of the former by his Deputies the former Chapters have related and how they sped in his service and this comes to tell how he speeds about the other The great Angel Michael the Lord Christ who hath the key of the bottomlesse pit in his hand as Chap. 1.18 chains him by the power of the Gospel that he should no more deceive the Nations for a thousand years Weigh the phrase Not deceive the Nations it is not not persecute but not deceive nor is it the Church but the Nations His persecuting of the Church hath been storied before and here is told how he is curbed for deceiving the Nations and indeed when he deputed Rome and let that loose for the former he was chained up as for the later It is easily construed how Satan deceived the Nations by Idols which are called a lie Isa. 44.20 Rom. 1.25 by his Oracles in which was no light Isa. 8.20 and by magicall miracles which were meer delusion Hence the world for the time of Heathenism is said to be in his Kingdom of darknesse Act. 26.18 Colos. 1.13 c. Now the spreading of the Gospel through the world ruined all these before it and dissolved those cursed spels and charms of delusion and did as it were chain up Satan that he could no more Deceive the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Heathen as he had done by these deceits so that the words speak the ending of Satans power in Heathenism and the bringing in of the Gentiles to the knowledge of the truth out of darknesse and delusion The date of this his chaining up was a thousand years Now the Jews counted the daies of the Messias a thousand years as