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
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 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
with me and came out with me Now this year he went in with me but came not out with me And instantly after The high-Priest might not stay praying in the most holy place long lest he should put the people into a fear One once staid long and they were about to go in after him Some say it was Simeon the Iust. They said to him Why didst thou stay so long He answered I was praying for the Sanctuary of your God that it should not be destroyed They say to him Though thou diddest so yet shouldest thou not have stayed so long If this relation carry any truth with it it might be looked upon as the expiring of Vision as Prophesie had also ceased not long before that time for Simeon the Iust is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the remnant of the men of Ezraes great Synagogue Aboth R. Nathan cap. 4. and upon the death of Zachary and Malacy who were of that Synagogue the spirit of Prophesie departed And here Vision and Prophesie is dawning again Zacharias for not beleeving the words of the Angel is struck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deaf and Dumb and doth foresignifie the silencing of the Leviticall Priesthood ere long to be In the Jews Canons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one of the five sorts of persons that they commonly exclude from all imployments and matters of honour trust or import and it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that can neither hear nor speak Jerur in chegigah fol. 75. col 4. His wife Elizabeth conceiving with childe retires as a recluse for five moneths space that she might keep her self from all defilement she carrying as choice a Nazarite in her womb as she did ver 15. Five moneths were not the whole time of her retiring for that that urged her to keep close so long had the same tie upon her all the time she went with childe but five moneths are only named by way of introduction to the story and occurrence in the sixth moneth mentioned instantly after In the sixth moneth the same Angel appeareth to the Virgin Mary and telleth her of the birth of the Messias to be of her which she beleeving though by the course of nature so impossible she presently goeth to her Cosen Elizabeth into the hill-countrey of Iudea to Hebron see Iosh. 21.11 not only to visit her and to rejoyce with her nor only to see the proof of those things that the Angel had told of her but very probably acted by the holy Ghost that she might conceive the Messias in Hebron where so many choice and eminent types of him and references to him had been in ancient time These tidings come to the Virgin at the very latter end of the year that we are upon or the beginning of the next and her journey to Hebron is in the middle of winter SECTION IV. MATTHEW Chap. I. All the Chapter CHRISTS Genealogy by the Line of Solomon and by his supposed Father Joseph His Mother in danger to be divorced upon false suspicion of Adultery WHether it were that Mary conceived with childe at the instant of the Angels telling her of her conception as hath been held most generally or at the instant that she came to her Cosen Elizabeth in Hebron by the time that she had stayed with her three moneths she might easily be discovered to be with childe as Tamar was after the same space of time Gen. 38.24 Whose case and danger of death in that story compare with the Virgins case and danger of divorce in this The Talmudish Decretals do allot three moneths for such a discovery Every woman say they that is divorced or become a widow behold she may not be married nor espoused till she have stayed 90 daies that it may be known whether she be with childe or no and that there may be distinguishing betwixt the seed of the first husband and the seed of the second Likewise a stranger and his wife which are proselytes they keep them asunder 90 dayes that there may be a discerning between the seed sown in holinesse that is when they are come into the true Religion out of Heathenisme Compare 1 Cor. 7.14 and the seed not sown in holinesse Talm. in Jehameth cap. 4. in Chetubeth cap. 5. Maym. in Gerushin cap. 11. This space of time considered in the present story it sheweth how fitly the last verse of the preceding Section viz. Luk. 1.56 and the 18th verse of this do joyn together The Genealogy interposed doth not interrupt but illustrate the story intended And it is not only properly but even necessarily set in the front of the Evangelicall history that satisfaction might be given by it in that main point concerning Christ which the Scriptures do so often inculcate and which the Jews would first of all look after namely to prove Iesus of Nazaret how ever so meanly born yet to be The son of David There were two remarkable Maxims among the Jewish Nation 1. That there was to be no King for Israel but of the house of David and line of Solomon Talm. in Sanhedr cap. 10. And consequently they looked for King Messias from that Line 2. That the family of the Mother is not called a family Juchasin fol. 55. Hereupon hath Matthew most pertinently brought this pedigree through the house of Solomon and ended it in Ioseph a male whom the Jews looked upon as the Father of Iesus The last verse of this Chapter as it referreth to the demeanour of Ioseph and Mary in their mutuall society till the birth of Christ lyeth properly in the Harmonizing of the Evangelists in the place where it doth But as it referreth to the birth of Christ it is coincident with Luk. ◠7 The Reader in his thoughts will place it as he seeth cause in these severall relations SECTION V. LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 57. to the end Iohn Baptist born WHen Maries three moneths stay with her Cosen Elizabeth was expired it is easily guessed that if Elizabeth by that time were not delivered of her child yet she was very neer it and that consideration doth cleer the subsequence of this Section to the preceding Iohn Baptist born in Hebron the place of the residence of Abraham and of the first Royalty of David Here Circumcision was first ordained and here is he born that was to bring in Baptisme instead of Circumcision The Priests at the Temple as they looked for break of day used oft to say The face of all the skie is bright even unto Hebron Talm. in Joma cap. 3. in Tamid cap. 3. Compare the dawning of the Gospel now rising there in the birth of the Baptist and compare the words of Zacharias a Priest ver 78 The time of the Baptists birth will be found by setting that clock from our Saviour to have been in the Spring much about the time of the Passeover about which time of the year Isaac was born SECTION VI. LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 1. to
of causlesse anger and that that deserves the judgement of God that the uncharitable scornings of a brother under their usuall word Raka deserved the judgement of the Sanhedrin and especially the calling him fool in Solomons sense or censuring rashly his spirituall estate deserved hell fire They construed the command Thou shalt not commit adultery barely of the act of adultery and that with another mans wife Trip. targ in marg ad Exod. 20. but he tells that it prohibits lustfull thoughts and looks and that looking upon a woman to lust after her is adultery in heart Rabban Simeon delighted to look upon fair women that he might take occasion by the sight of their beauty to blesse God A fair excuse Tal. Ierus in Baracoth fol. 12. col 3. The Law had permitted divorces only in case of fornication Deut. 24.1 but they had extended it to any cause and to so loose an extent that R. Ahibah said A man may put away his wife if he see another woman that pleaseth him better then she Gittin par 9. The Law had forbidden forswearing or swearing falsly thereupon they had made bold to take liberty of vain swearing at pleasure so that what they swore were not false as see Tal. Maym. in Shevnoth These cursed constructions of theirs by which they had made the Law of no effect he divinely damneth and stateth the proper and true intent of the Law in these cases 3. He prescribeth Christian duties and especially rules of piety charity and sincerity and condemneth the hypocriticall vainglory of the Pharisees about these things They used when they gave almes in the Synagogue to have it openly proclaimed and published what they gave as if a Trumpet had been sounded for every one to take notice of their charity Ierus in Demai fol. 23. col 2. And they had an open proclaiming in the streets for the calling of the poor to gather the corner of the field that they had left them Id. Peah per. 4 c. They loved to be seen praying in the streets especially in their Phylactery prayers morning and evening besides other occasionall Oraisons Id. Beracoth per. 1 2. They used to pray those prayers often and often other prayers in the Synagogue apart and distinct from the prayers or service that the Synagogue was then upon and so their particular devotion was the more subject to be observed Ib. fol. 8. col 3 c. They used on their fasting dayes to use such a carriage and demeanour in face and garb that all might observe that it was fasting day with them Piske Tosaph in Taanith per. 1 c. And in all their devotions and demeanour they hunted after the praise of men which he condemneth and urgeth for sincerity and care to approve the heart to God Throughout all this Sermon this great oracle of divine truth doth not only shew and hold out the sacred doctrines of faith manners duty and eternall life but he evidenceth throughout that he was throughly acquainted with all the learning doctrines and traditions of those times And to the explication of this divine Sermon is required quick and ready versednesse in the Jews Records for Christ hath an eyed and reference to their language doctrines customes traditions an opinions almost in every line SECTION XXIX LUKE Chap. VII from the beginning to Ver. 11. MATTH Chap. VIII Ver. 1. and then Ver. 5 to Ver. 14. A Centurions servant healed LUKES transition When he had ended all his sayings doth prove the order The four verses that speak about the Leper in Matthew were taken up before and their order spoken to then A proselyte Captain that had so far affected the Jews religion that he had built a Synagogue in Capernaum having seen and heard the works and words of Christ beleeveth him for the Messias and beggeth of him the healing of his servant Which that Christ could do he concludeth from a comparison of the power of his own word and command among his souldiers for since they were ready to come and go or run at his command much more doth he conclude was the word of Christ of power to command away the disease of his servant if he pleased Christ had often in his sermon on the Mount asserted the authority of his own word against and above the words of their traditionaries and equalized it with that word that gave the Law And here is a very high and seasonable confession of the authority of that word made by this Centurion and an evidence of the power of it by the healing of his servant at distance The mans faith is justly extolled though he were a Gentile and the casting off the Jews is cleerly foretold which Christ had not so plainly spoken out hitherto SECTION XXX LUKE Chap. VII Ver. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. The Widows Sonne of Naim raised AS Christ yesterday recovered a young man from the point of death so doth he another to day from death it self The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 11. do confirm the order The day after c. Ioseph Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 5. speaks of the Village Nais as being upon the edge of Samaria in the way as the Galileans passed to Ierusalem And it is not improbable that Christ was going thitherward at this time to one of the Festivals most like to Pentecost As he comes to Naim he meets with a dead man carried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Talmudish Language for they might not bury within their cities no nor at the Levites Cities within the compasse of that ground without the City that was allotted for its suburbs Maym. in Shemittah veiobel per. 13. If Ierusalem went parallell with the Levites Cities in this as it did in other things Christs Sepulchre will not prove so near the City as it hath been commonly reputed He raiseth this dead man openly and in the sight of all the company there present which was very great and yet when afterward he raiseth Iairu◠daughter he chargeth that those that had seen him do the miracle which were but five persons that they should tell no man what was done Luk. 8.56 which prohibition was given rather in regard of the place where it was done then in any other respect it being in Capernaum against which City he had denounced a curse before SECTION XXXI LUKE Chap. VII from ver 18. to ver 36. MATTH Chap. II. from ver 2. to ver 20. JOHNS Message to Christ Christs testimony of Iohn THE Transition of Luke from the Stories before about the raising of the dead men and healing the Centurions Servant And the Disciples of John shewed him of all these things doth confirm the order JOHN from Machaerus Castle where he lay Prisoner sendeth two of his Disciples to Christ to enquire of him Whether he were he that should come Not that Iohn was ignorant who he was having had so many demonstrations of him as he had had and having given so ample testimony of him as
the looking into it but the wise men bound it Id. in Jam. tobh fol. 60. col 1. R. Iochanan went from Tsipporis to Tiberias he saith Why brought ye to me this Elder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For what I loose he bindeth and what I binde he looseth Maym. in Hhamets umatsah per. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scribes have bound leaven that is they have prohibited it Tanchum fol. 1. col 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have upon necessity loosed salvation on the Sabbath that is they have permitted it or taught that it was lawfull Thousands of instances of this nature might be produced by all which it is clear that the Jews use of the phrase was of their Doctors or learned mens teaching what was lawfull and permitted and what unlawfull and prohibited Hence is that definition of such mens office and work in Tosaphta ad Iebamoth per. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wise man that Iudgeth Iudgement maketh unclean and maketh clean bindeth and looseth that is teacheth what is clean and unclean what is permitted and prohibited And Maymony in Sanhedr per. 4. giving the relation of their ordaining of Elders and to what severall imployments they were ordained saith thus A wise man that is fit to teach all the Law the Consistory had power to ordain him To Iudge but not to teach Bound and loose or power to teach Bound and loose but not to judge in pecuniary matters or power to both these but not to judge in matters of mulct c. So that the Ordination of one to that Function which was more properly Ministeriall or to teach the people their duty as what was lawfull what not what they were to do and what not to do was to such a purpose or in such a tenour as this Take thou power to binde and loose or to teach what is bound and loose for they use both the expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this vulgar and onely sense of this phrase in the nation the meaning of Christ using it thus to his Disciples is easily understood namely that he first doth instate them in a Ministeriall capacity to teach what bound and loose what to be done and what not and this as Ministers and thus all Ministers successively to the end of the world But as they were Apostles of that singular and unparalleled order as the like never in the Church again he gives them power to binde and loose in a degree above all Ministers that were to follow namely that whereas some part of Moses Law was now to stand in practise and some to be laid aside some things under the Law prohibited were now to be permitted and some things then permitted to be now prohibited he promiseth the Apostles such assistance of his Spirit and giveth them such power that what they allowed to stand in practise should stand and what to fall should fall what they bound in earth should be bound in heaven c. SECTION LIII MATTH Chap. XVII from the beginning to Ver. 24. MARK Chap. IX from Ver. 2. to Ver. 33. LUKE IX from V. 28. to Ver. 46. CHRIST transfigured A devil cast out of a childe MATTHEW and Mark link this story to the preceding with this link After six daies c. which Luke hath uttered About an eight daies after which is but the same in sense Six daies compleat came between the day that Christ had spoken the words before and the day of his Transfiguration So that the day of his Transfiguration was the eight day from the day when Christ said There are some standing here that shall not taste of death till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power This story oâ— Christs Transfiguâ—acion relateth to that prediction concerning the great Prophet Deut. 18.18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee c. And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him A Prophet that is a succession of Prophets till the great Prophet should come who should seal Vision and Prophesie Christ had been sealed for the great Priest at his Baptisme when entring into his Ministry at the same age that the Priests entered into their Office he is attested from heaven This is my wellbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased He is sealed for the great Prophet here by the like attestation from heaven with the same words This is my wellbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased but withall it is added Hear him answerable to those words Whosoever will not hearken c. Deut. 18.19 Moses the first Prophet had all his Oracles out of a Cloud and the Cloud of Glory that lead Israel in the Wildernesse departed at his death think of that when you see a cloud here overshadowing and a Divine Oracle given out of it at the sealing of the Prophet greater then he Moses was the first Prophet of the Jews and Elias the first Prophet of the Gentiles and they both now appear to attend their Master Christ and the three Disciples were in this mount of his Transfiguration all night for Luke saith It came to passe the next day when they were come down c. ver 37. Compare Christ transfigured and his face shining with the shining of Moses his face and so compare that first Prophet and this great Prophet again together The Disciples that had authority and power given them over all devils Luke 9.1 are not able here to cast one out and their Master sheweth a double reason why namely because of their unbelief and because that kinde went not out but by Fasting and Prayer Now that their unbelief should be any more then it had been before for they had cast out devils before this Matth. 6.13 it might seem strange but that here were some concurrents towards that more then they had met with before now and that we may observe especially in these two things 1. There were divers diseases which in their own nature were but naturall diseases which yet the Jews did commonly repute as seizure and possessing by the devil especially those that distempered the minde or did in more speciall manner convulse the body and according to this common language and conception of the Nation the language of the Gospel doth speak exceeding frequently Examples of this kinde of Dialect among the Jews we might produce divers as that in Maym. in Gerushin per. 2. A man which is troubled with an evil spirit and saith when the sicknesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begins upon him Write a bill of Divorcement to my wife he saith as good as nothing because he is not compos sui And so likewise a drunken man when he comes neer the drunkennesse of Lot c. He calls this evil spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a sicknesse and by it he means Lunacy or Distractednesse that had
Secondly that it is said Ioh. 7.10 That Iesus went up to that Feast not openly but as it were in secret whereupon it may be concluded that he had dispatched the seventy Disciples away before he came there He giveth them the same instructions that he had given the twelve and the same power to heal the sick only whereas the twelve went at large to any of the Cities of Israel these were to go to those places where Christ himself should come to make way for him and to prepare the places for the receiving of him against he came so that now Christ disposeth for the full revealing of himself for the Messias the Seventy beforehand proclaiming him and preaching in his Name and he afterward coming and shewing himself to be he of whom they preached The numbers 12 and 70 cannot but recall to minde the twelve Tribes and the seventy Elders of Israel These Seventy were but a little while abroad for thirty five couples would soon dispatch a great deal of work and they return again to their Master before he departs from Ierusalem Luk. 10.17 38. He again accuseth Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum which he had done before at Sect. 32. for having at any time occasion to speak of contempt of the Gospel they may justly be introduced as having the most tender of it and yet despised it SECTION LIX JOHN Chap. VII from Ver. II to the end of the Chapter CHRIST at the Feast of Tabernacles THe pregnancy of the order here speaks it self In the two preceding Sections Iesus was in the way up to the Feast and now he is come there Now is the year of the World 3960 and the year of Christ 33 begun both entring in this very moneth in which the Feast of Tabernacles was The great year of the world the fullnesse of time the year of redemption and powring down of the Spirit It was indeed the year of Jubilee however the Jews would jumble their account as see Maymon in Shemittah veiobel per. 10. whether ignorantly or wilfully let them look to it For count from the 7th year of the rule of Ioshua when the warres of Canaan ended and Jubilees began and you have 1400 years to this present year that we are upon just eight and twenty Jubilees this year the last that Israel must ever see It is the confession of Zohar in Lev. 25. that the Divine glory should be freedom and redemption in a year of Iubilee Compare the sending out of the seventy Disciples neer upon the very instant when this Jubilee began with the sounding of the Trumpet for the proclaiming of the Jubilee Lev. 25.9 and there is a fair equity and unanswerablenesse to that type in that very thing From this Feast of Tabernacles to the Passeover at which time Christ suffered was that last half year of the last half seven mentioned Dan. 9. which compare with the last half year of Israels being in Egypt in which time Moses did his miracles and which ended also at the Passeover Among the many varieties of solemnity and festivity used at the Feast of Tabernacles of which we have given account at large in another volume there was the powring out of water fetched out of the fountain Siloam with the wine of the drink-offering and at night their most transportant joyfulnesse expressed by their singing dancing and the like jocund gestures for that powring out of water which by some in Ierus succah fol. 55. col 1. is interpreted to signifie the powring out of the holy Ghost The consideration of this illustrates ver 37 38. where it is said that on the last and great day of the Feast Iesus cried If any thirst c. He that beleeveth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of water c. Upon which words many beleeved him because they had seen already so fair evidence of the gifts of the Spirit in the powerfull works of himself and his Disciples and yet the text saith here The holy Ghost was not yet given because Iesus was not yet glorified a far greater gift of that being yet behind The Sanhedrin would fain have been medling with him to have tried him for a false Prophet as may be gathered from their words ver 52. but his hour was not yet come JOHN Chap. VIII A woman taken in Adultery c. IT is said in the conclusion of the former Chapter that every one of the Sanhedrin went home and here Iesus went into the mount of Olives which joyns the story plain enough Not that he lodged in mount Olivet in the open fields but that he went to Bethany and lodged in the house of Lazarus of which we shall finde confirmation in the next Section In the morning he comes to the Temple and in the treasury or the Court of the women he sitteth down and teacheth the people For it was the custom for the Teachers of the people to sit when they taught and those that were taught to stand about them As he thus sits teaching the Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman to him taken in the act of Adultery c. The Syriack wants this story and Beza doubts it a man alwayes ready to suspect the text because of the strangenesse of Christs action writing with his finger on the ground Mihi ut ingenuè loquar saith he vel ob hunc ipsum locum suspecta est haec historia Whereas it speaks the style of Iohn thoroughout and the demeanour of the Scribes and Pharisees and of Christ most consonantly to their carriage all along the Gospel The snare that they laid for him in this matter was various That he should condemn the adulteresse but where was the adulterer why brought they not him too If he condemned her he seemed to assume Judiciall power if he condemned her not he seemed a contemer of the Law But he in his divine wisdom used such a mean as condemned their basenesse and confounded their machination against him His writing with his finger upon the ground may rather be construed from allusion to Numb 5.23 or from Ier. 17.13 or from a passage in Tal. Ierus in Megillah fol. 74. col 2. or from severall other illustrations then for that action toughly and rudely to deny the authenticknesse of the story The censuring and judging of this woman belonged to a Judiciall bench at the least of twenty three Judges and it would have carried a fair accusation against him had he gone about to judge in such a matter The woman was espoused and not yet married as see Deut. 22.24 for their Judicials punished him that lay with an espoused maid with stoning Sanhedr per. 7 halac 4. but him that lay with a married wife with strangling Ibid. per. 11. halac 1. Christs words at ver 25. I am even the same that I said to you from the beginning refer to his open and manifest asserting himself for the Messia a year and a half ago before the Sanhedrin Joh. 5. Their words to him
for the proof and cleering of the order to be as we have laid it these things are to be observed 1. That this story wherewithall this Section beginneth One said to him Lord Are few to be saved c. was on the same day that he crieth out O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. ver 31 34. Now that this was when Christ was no more to come up to Ierusalem till his last coming up thither is evident from his words ver 35. Ye shall no more see me till the time when ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord So that this was after his coming up to the Feast of Dedication And those words were spoken whilest he was yet at Ierusalem before he went away thence from that Feast to go beyond Iordan The word Then therefore wherewith this Section beginneth in our English tranâ—lation doth not enforce the necessary conjunction of the times for in the Originall it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Whereas it is said in Chap. 17.11 That as he went to Ierusalem he passed through Samaria and Galilee it is to be understood of his last journey thither and the manner of expression doth help to confirm our order as we shall see there Herod was now at Ierusalem as compare ver 31 34. and it may be he being Ruler of Galilee had helped forward the death of these Galileans whom Pilate had slain as they were sacrificing and an intimation of such like danger from him is given Iesus And this may be conceived one cause that sets him out of the City and to go beyond Iordan which is recorded in the last verses of the preceding Section Ioh. 10.40 and how the order of story is to be cast in the readers thoughts it is easie to see Christ being at the Feast of Dedication at Ierusalem one comes and asks him Lord are few to be saved Luk. 13.23 And the same day ver 31. some Pharisees tell him of danger from Herod He answers that it was true indeed that he was to die at Ierusalem for a Prophet could not be tried but by the great Council there Talm. in Sanhedr per. 11. but he had yet some time to walk and work miracles before and so he goes away from Ierusalem Chap. XIV He healeth the Dropsie on the Sabbath and pleadeth the lawfullnesse of the action from their own pity to their beasts to pull them out of a pit on the Sabbath of which Maym. in Schabb. Per. 25. R. Abuhabh in praesat ad Ner. 7. hath a Parable somewhat like that passage at ver 8. and forward Three men saith he were bidden to a feast A Prince a wise man and an humble man The Prince sate highest next him the wise man and the humble man lowest The King observed it and asked the Prince why sittest thou highest He said Because I am a Prince To the wise man Why sittest thou next He said Because I am a wise man And to the humble man Why sittest thou lowest Because I am humble The King seated the humble man highest and the wise man still in his place and the Prince lowest Chap XV. By three eminent and feeling Parables is set forth Gods readinesse to receive sinners c. in the last of which is a cleer intimation of the calling of the Gentiles Chap. XVI The Parable of the unjust steward of the rich man and Lazarus from Psal. 49. Lazer is used constantly in the Jerus Talm. for Eleazer The word signifies God help me or God is my help a fit name under which to personate a begger Ahrahams bosome a phrase used by the Jews That day that Rabbi died R. Ada ben Ahava said This day he sits in Abrahams bosome Juchasin fol. 77. col 4. That the tongue of the damned in hell thirsts for water as ver 24. is also their conception Talm. Ierus in Chagigah fol. 77. col 4. is relating a story of a good man and a bad man that died And the good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had no buriall rites but the bad man had Afterward one in a vision saw the good man walking in gardens and among pleasant fountains of waters but the bad neer a river and his tongue reach after water but could not reach it Chap. XVII At ver 11. it is said As he went through Ierusalem he passed through Samaria and Galilee This meaneth his last journey thither but the expression is somewhat strange Had it been as he went to Ierusalem he passed through Galilee and Samaria this had set his face towards Ierusalem but uttered as it is it seems to set his back upon it But by this passage the Evangelist helpeth to explain what Iohn and the other Evangelists speak of his journey from Ierusalem beyond Iordan namely that he went not to Iericho and so the next way to the next place beyond Iordan but that he went through Samaria up into Galilee and there crossed over Iordan to Bethabara which was over against Galilee From ver 20. and forward there is a speech of Christ much like that in Matth. 24. which still giveth us occasion to observe how Christ rehearsed things over and over Chap. XVIII By two Parables he sheweth the needfullnesse and efficacy of fervency constancy and humility in prayer In the Pharisees prayer ver 11. we may observe what kinde of faith in God the Judaich faith was He waited for good from God but grounded this in himself because of his own righteousnesse But in the Gospel the righteousnesse of God is revealed and that from faith to faith In the Publicans posture in his prayer two of their Canonicall gestures in prayer are exhibited standing and looking downward Maym. in Deah per. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A scholer of the wise must look downward when he stands praying The Pharisees fasting twice a week may be explained from Ierus Taanith fol. 64.3 Maym. Taanith per. 1. SECTION LXIII MATTH Chap. XIX from the beginning to Ver. 13. MARK Chap. X. from the beginning to Ver. 13. CHRIST beyond Iordan Concerning Divorce MATTHEW saith When Iesus had finished these sayings he departed from Galilee and came into the coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan Which sayings that he speaketh of were finished a long while ago at Sect. 55. but because he setteth down nothing betwixt that time and this journey over Iordan therefore he thus joyneth their stories together The time and actions that he hath omitted we have seen how Luke and Iohn have supplied Were there any Coasts of Iudea beyond Iordan Either the conjunction And is to be understood He came into the coasts of Iudea and beyond Iordan as it is understood Psal. 133.3 Acts 7.16 c. or by Fines Iudaeae trans Iordanem is meant Fines Iudaeorum because the Syrians also dwelt in the coasts beyond Iordan Moses at the very same instant of time gave a Law to put an adulterous wife to death Deut. 22.22 and a
and Vespasian of which the Romane Historians especially Tacitus is very large the like to which there had not been before even to the sacking of Rome it self and the burning of the Capitoll SECTION LXXX MATTH Chap. XXVI from the beginning to Ver. 14. MARK Chap. XIV from the beginning to Ver. 10. LUKE Chap. XXII Ver. 1 2. And after these portions read JOHN Chap. XIII from the beginning to Ver. 27. CHRISTS head annointed at a supper at Bethany two nights before the Passeover At the same supper he washeth his Disciples feet giveth Judas the sop and the Devil entreth into him THe proof of the proper order here will require some dispute not so much in regard of any obscurity or difficulty of the order it self but in regard of needlesse and groundlesse difficulties that are put upon it There are two strange opinions we meet with here The one is that holdeth that this supper mentioned by Matthew and Mark was the same supper which is mentioned in Ioh. 12. which was six dayes before the Passeover And the other is that holdeth that this supper in Ioh. 13. was the supper on the Passeover night so that for the shewing and asserting of the order as we have laid it these three things are to be done First It is to be proved that the supper in Ioh. 12. and the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. were not one and the same supper but two suppers at some dayes distance Secondly That the supper in Ioh. 13. was not on the Passeover night but before the Passeover night And thirdly That the supper in Ioh. 13. was the same supper with that in Matth. 26.6 and Mark 14.3 two dayes before the Passeover First That the supper in Ioh. 12. and the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. were two different suppers to which something hath been said before appears by these observations 1. The supper in Ioh. 12. was in the house of Lazarus unlesse we will unwarrantably strain the construction of the story but the supper in Matth. 26. and Mar. 14. was in the house of Simon the Leper 2. At the supper in Ioh. 12. Christs feet were annointed but his head was annointed at the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14.3 The supper in Ion. 12. was six dayes before the Passeover but the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. was but two dayes before For observe Mark 14.1 After two dayes was the feast of the Passeover and then ver 3. And Iesus being at Bethany c. Here they that hold the opinion that we are confuting will not acknowledge the order of the Evangelists direct but say there is a dislocation so that though two dayes be mentioned before yet the story following was six dayes before the Passeover But the method of Matthew and Mark hath been so direct hither through the story of Christs actions since his last coming to Ierusalem that no reason possible can be given why they should invert the order here They had punctually mentioned his actions five four three dayes before the Passeover and now they come to speak of two dayes before and under that account bring in this supper and what sense or reason can there be to surmise that it was six dayes before They had shewed you Christ five dayes before the Passeover at Bethany Joh. 12.1 12. Mark 11.1 11. And four dayes before the Passeover at Bethany Mark 11.12 15 19 20. And three dayes before the Passeover at Bethany Mark 11.20 27. 13.3 And then they come and speak of two dayes before the Passeover and they speak also of Christs being at Bethany and yet would the opinion under confutation apply the reckoning of the two dayes only to point at the high-Priests assembling and Christs being at Bethany to be jumped backward over all the story before even to beyond Matth. 21. Mark 11. An opinion that by its improbability is confutation enough to it self A second think to be cleered is that the supper in Ioh. 13. was not on the Passeover night but before which may be evidenced by these arguments instead of more 1. Because Iohn saith expresly ver 1. that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the festivall of the Passeover for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constantly signifies not the meal of the Paschal as some would construe it here but the whole festivall 2. The Disciples when Iesus said to Iudas What thou doest do quickly thought he spake about buying something against the feast ver 29. by which it appears that the feast was not yet come Thirdly Luke sheweth that the entring of Satan into Iudas which was at the supper Ioh. 13. was before the Passeover day came for observe his order Luk. 22.3 Then entred Satan into Iudas and he went and communed with the chief Priests c. and then ver 7. Then came the day of unleavened bread Upon all which considerations it is apparent that this supper in Ioh. 13. at which Satan entred into Iudas whereupon he went and compacted for his Masters betraying was not on the Passeover night but some space before the Passeover day came There is indeed a passage in Ioh. 13.38 which may seem to bring that supper to the Passeover night which is when Christ saith at the supper to Peter The Cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice which seemeth to carry it as if this supper were on that very night when Peter denied him For answer to which let it be observed 1. That Peter denied Christ but once before the Cock crew Mark 14.68 69 70. and it will teach us to expound the words of Christ Ioh. 13.38 Matth. 26.24 not as meaning that he should deny him three times over before any Cock crew but that he should deny him thrice in the time of Cocks crowing which time was a fourth part of the night Mark 13.34 And that it meaneth in such a sense is yet more apparent by Mark 14.30 where he utters it The Cock shall not crow twice 2. Let it be observed that in Ioh. 13.38 it is only said The Cock shall not crow but in Matth. 26. Mark 14. when the speech refers to the very night when his deniall was it is said This night before the Cock crow And This day even this night before the Cock crow c. And so it is to be understood that Christ used that speech to Peter twice over and in it he doth twice refute his presuming upon his own strength which Peter twice shewed First at the supper in Ioh. 13. which was two dayes before the Passeover and there the emphasis of the speech lieth especially in the word Thrice as if he had said to him Art thou so confident of thy strength and standing for me I tell thee the time will be when thou shalt deny me thrice in the time of Cocks crowing The second was at the Passeover supper and then Christ puts the emphasis upon the word This night Art thou so
confident I tell thee this night thou shalt deny me c. Thus having shewed that that supper in Ioh. 13. was not on the Passeover night but before a third thing is to shew that it was two dayes before the Passeover and the same with that supper mentioned by Matthew and Mark in Bethany And for the proof of this we need go no further then this observation That both the Evangelists Matthew and Mark do begin the treason of Iudas from that supper in Bethany Matth. 26.13 14. Mark 14.9 10. for as soon as they have related the story of that supper they presently tell Then one of the twelve called Iudas went to the chief Prists c. Now it is apparent that he began the acting of his treason from the time of Satans entring into him with the sop which was at that supper Ioh. 13. and so it concludeth that to be the same supper with that in Matth. 26.6 The texture of the story then lieth thus Six dayes before the Passeover Christ suppeth and lodgeth in Bethany five dayes before the Passeover he rideth in triumph to Ierusalem and at even cometh and lodgeth in Bethany again four dayes before the Passeover he goeth to Ierusalem again and at night cometh to Bethany again to lodge The third day before the Passeover he goeth again into the City and at even cometh to Bethany again And that night he suppeth in the house of Simon the Leper it being now two dayes to the Passeover As he sits at supper Mary the sister of Lazarus called also Mary Magdalen annoints his head c. And he before the table was taken away ariseth from the table and washeth the Disciples feet and after sits down and gives Iudas the sop SECTION LXXXI JOHN Chap. XIII Ver. 27 28 29 39. MATTH Chap. XXVI Ver. 14 15 16. MARK Chap. XIV Ver. 10 11. LUKE Chap. XXII Ver. 3 4 5 6. Satan entreth into Judas he compacts for the betraying of his Master THe continuation of the story in Iohn cleareth the connexion He dipped the sop and gave it to Iudas And after the sop Satan entred into him This was at a supper in Bethany two dayes before the Passeover as hath been shewed From thence though it were night Iudas trudgeth to Ierusalem acted intirely by Satan and agreeth with the Sanhedrin for his Masters betraying They had met purposely to contrive the apprehension and death of Christ but had resolved that it must not be at the feast for fear of tumult but Iudas coming in undertakes to deliver him up though at the feast yet quietly enough in the absence of the people And they bargain to give him thirty pieces of silver the price of a servant Exod. 31.22 Maym. in Nizkei Mamon per. 11. The price of servants whether great or little whether male or female is thirty Selas of good silver be he a servant worth a hundred pound or be he a servant but worth a penny Now the same author in Shekalim per. 1. rateth Sela at 384 barly corns weight in silver SECTION LXXXII JOHN Chap. XIII from Ver. 31 to the end and Chap. XIV all the Chapters CHRISTS speech to comfort his Disciples c. THe first words Therefore when he was gone out continue the story When Iudas was gone out about his cursed work and the hour was now come when Christs passion was beginning for we may justly take his being sold for a part of his sufferings he giveth his Disciples divers lessons some of admonition some of instruction some of comfort For the better judging of the time of this speech besides the connexion which joyns it to Iudas his going forth upon the devils entring into him with the sop these two things are observable 1. That the last words of the 14th Chapter are Arise let us go hence by which it is plain that the speech contained in this present Section and the speech in Ioh. 15 16 and 17. were spoken at two severall times and in two severall places That at the Passeover supper for Iohn tells Chap. 18.1 that when Jesus had finished that speech he went over the brook Kidron but this before and in another place because upon the ending of it it is plain Jesus removed to another place by his saying Arise let us go hence 2. That Christ saith Yet a little time I am with you Chap. 13. ver 33. Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more Chap. 14. ver 19. Hereafter I shall not talk much with you ver 30. which intimate some space of time yet to come and not so suddain a parting as the space was betwixt his rising from his last supper and his apprehension This speech therefore was spoken at Bethany after Iudas his going out and the Section contains the summe of Christs discourse with his Disciples while he staid there which was the night that Iudas received the sop and the next day and night and till towards the evening of the day after And the last words Arise let us go hence intimate his removall from Bethany to Ierusalem on the Passeover day Iudas either that night that he had received the sop or the next day layeth the plot with the high-Priests for the delivering up of his Master at the feast and having so done he returneth to his Master to Bethany again And the next day which was the Passeover day Christ sendeth Peter and Iohn from thence to prepare the Passeover for him and when he saw time he calls Arise let us go hence and so he setteth for Ierusalem with the rest of the Disciples and Iudas in the company SECTION LXXXIII MATTH Chap. XXVI from Ver. 17. to Ver. 30. MARK Chap. XIV from Ver. 12. to Ver. 26. LUKE Chap. XXII from Ver. 7. to Ver. 24. CHRIST eateth the Passeover ordaineth the Lords Supper c. PETER and Iohn who were sent to prepare the Passeover had this work to do They were to get a room fitting to that their Master directs them by a sign They were to get a Lamb and to bring him into the Temple and there to have him killed and his blood sprinkled under the name of a Paschall for thirteen persons For no Lamb could be eaten for a Paschall whose blood was not first sprinkled at the Altar and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the name of a Paschall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by count for such a number of persons as had agreed to be at the eating of him Talm. in Pesachin per. 5. as Christ died but for a certain number Which shews had not the Evangelists done it otherwise that Christ ate his Passeover on the same day that the Jews did theirs which some upon misunderstanding of Ioh. 18.28 have denied nay that it was not possible otherwise for how impossible was it to get the Priests to kill a Paschall for any upon a wrong day Having got the Lamb thus slain at the Temple they were to bring him home to the house where
of Zechary under the name of Ieremy doth but alleadge a Text out of the volume of the Prophets under his name that stood first in that volume And such a manner of speech is that of Christ Luke 24.44 All things must be fulfilled which are written of me in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalmes in which he follows the generall division that we have mentioned only he calleth the whole third part or Hagiographa by the title the Psalmes because the Book of Psalmes stood first of all the Books of that part In that saying Matth. 16.14 Others say Ieremy or one of the Prophets there is the same reason why Ieremy alone is named by name viz. because his name stood first in the volume of the Prophets and so came first in their way when they were speaking of the Prophets CHRISTS Arraignment before Pilate The chief Priests and Elders bring Iesus to Pilate but would not go into his house the house of a Heathen lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passeover Ioh. 18.28 Why They had eaten the Passeover over night at the same time that Jesus ate his and well they had spent the night after it But this day that was now come in was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their day of presenting themselves in the Temple and offering their sacrifices and peace offerings of which they were to keep a solemn feasting and this Iohn cals the Passeover In which sense Passeover bullocks are spoken of Deut. 16.2 2 Chron. 30.24 35.8 9. The School of Shammai saith their appearing was with two pieces of silver and their chagigah with a Meah of silver But the School of Hillel saith their appearing was with a Meah of silver and their chagigah with two pieces of silver Their burnt offerings at this solemnity were taken from among common cattell but their peace offerings from their tithes He that keepeth not the chagigah on the first day of the feast must keep it all the feast c. Chagigah per. 1. Pilate conceives him brought to him as a common malefactor and therefore he bids them take him back and Judge him by their own Bench and Law and in these words he meant really and according as the truth was that it was in their power to judge and execute him and needed not to trouble him with him And when they answer We may not put any man to death Joh. 18.31 They speak truly also and as the thing was indeed but the words of Pilate and theirs were not ad idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a tradition that fourty years before the Temple was destroied capital Iudgements were taken away from them Jerus in Sanhedr fol. 18 col 1. But how Not by the Romans for they permitted them the use of their Religion Laws Magistracy capitall and penall executions and judgements in almost all cases as freely as ever they had and that both in their Sanhedrins within the Land and in their Synagogues without as far as the power of the Synagogues could reach at any time as might be proved abundantly if it were to be insisted on here The words then of these men to Pilate are true indeed That they could put no man to death but this was not as if the Romans had deprived the Sanhedrin of its power but because theeves murderers and malefactors of their own Nation were grown so numerous strong and heady that they had overpowred the Sanhedrins power that it could not it durst not execute capitall penalties upon offenders as it should have done And this their own Writings witnesse Juchasin fol. 21. The Sanhedrin flitted fourty years before the destruction of the Temple namely from that time that the Temple doors opened of their own accord and Rabban Iochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them and said O Temple Temple Zechary of old prophecied of thee saying Open thy doors O Lebanon that the fire may enter c. And also because that murderers increased and they were unwilling to judge Capitall matters they flitted from place to place even to Iabneh c. which also is asserted in Shabb. fol. 51. Avodah Zarah fol. 8. When they perceive that Pilate no more received the impression of their accusation of him as a malefactor like others they then accuse him of Treason as forbidding to pay Tribute to Cesar and as saying that he himself was a King and this they thought would do the businesse Pilate hereupon takes him in into his Judgement Hall for hitherto the Jews conference and his had been at his gate and questions him upon this point and Iesus plainly confesseth that he was a King but his Kingdom not of this world and therefore he needed not from him to fear any prejudice to the Romane power and so well satisfies Pilate that he brings him out to the gate again where the Jews stood and professeth that he found no fault in him at all Then the Jews lay in fresh accusations against him to which he answereth not a word Brought before Herod Pilate by a word that dropt from them understanding that he was of Galilee Herods Jurisdiction sent him to Herod who was now at Ierusalem partly because he would be content to have shut his hands of him and partly because he would court Herod towards the reconciling of old heart-burnings between them And now Iesus sees the monster that had murthered his forerunner Herod was glad to see him and had desired it a long time and now hoped to have got some miracles from him but he got not so much as one word though he questioned him much and the Jews who had followed him thither did vehemently accuse him The old Fox had sought and threatned his death before Luke 13.31 32. and yet now hath him in his hands and lets him go only abused and mocked and gorgeously arraied and so sends him back to Pilate that so he might court him again more then for any content he had that he should escape his hands See Acts 4.27 Before Pilate again Pilate at his gate again talks with the Jews and motions the release of the Prisoner and whether him or Barabbas and leaves it to their thoughts and goeth to his Judgement seat again By this time is his Lady stirring and understanding what business was in hand she sends to him about her dream He goes to the gate again inquires what is their vote about the Prisoners release they are all for Barabbas He puts it to the vote again and they are the same still he urgeth a third time and pleadeth the innocency of Iesus but they still urge for his crucifying Then cals he for water and washeth his hands but instantly imbrues them in his blood By this time it was the third hour of the day or about nine a clock the time of the beginning of the morning Sacrifice Hence Mark begins to count Mark 15.25 namely from the time that Pilate delivered him up He is whipped by Pilate led into the
him which having tasted and feeling the pangs of death come upon him he saith It is finished and giving up a great cry and committing his spirit to God he dieth at the time of the evening sacrifice At which instant there was an earthquake which rent the rocks and the vail of the Temple was then also rent in the middle The Priest that offered incense that evening sacrifice time could bring an amazed testimony of this when he came forth The renting of the rocks light in such a place as where were the graves of many Saints hewen out which now were opened and shewed the conquest over the grave and at another earthquake at which Christs grave was opened on the morning of his resurrection the mouldred bodies of these graves revived and after his rising they came out of the graves also and came into the holy City Observe that Matthew cals Ierusalem The holy City when it hath now murdered Christ chap. 27.53 How great a matter must it be that must unchurch a Nation The Centurion and the company present at the sight of what strange things had occurred return much affected and full of thoughts about what was done As the evening grew on the Jews desire and obtain that the legs of them might be broken so to hasten their end that they might not hang on the Crosse all night This dispatcheth the penitent thief howsoever it did the other as we may conclude from the words of Christ that told him of being that day in Paradise But Christ being dead already they brake no bone of him but one with a spear pierceth him and out of his side cometh water and blood distinct and discernable the one from the other At Even Ioseph of Aramathaea Samuels Town 1 Sam. 1.1 a Priest or a Levite one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Council-chamber of the Temple begs the body of Iesus which otherwise should have been buried in the common graves of malefactors and intombs it in his own Tomb Nicodemus joyning with him and the women observing where he was laid go and prepare spices for his further imbalming when the Sabbath was over all shewing their love to him but in this very action shewing their little expecting his Resurrection SECTION LXXXVII MATTH Chap. XXVIII from the beginning to Ver. 16. MARK Chap. XVI from the begin to Ver. 12. LUKE Chap. XXIV from the begin to Ver. 13. JOHN Chap. XX. from the beg to Ver. 19. CHRISTS Resurrection his first appearing viz. to Mary Magdalen AS for the subsequence of this Section to the preceding there can be no scruple but it requires some heedfulnesse to lay the story in it in its proper currency because of some seeming diversities in the four in their relating the story of it The Lord of life was under death about 36 hours and so long was that day wherein the Sun stood still in the time of Ioshua as Kimchi saith it is the acknowledgement of the Jews on Iosh. 10. Christ himself calleth this space three daies and three nights Matth. 12.40 whereas it was but two nights and one whole day and two small parts of two more And yet herein he speaketh warrantably even by the known and allowed Dialect of the Nation Both the Talmuds in the Treatise Shabbah per. 9. do dispute about the three daies that Israel separated from their wives before the giving of the Law Exod. 19.15 and among other things they have these passages R. Akibah made the day a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the night a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so did R. Ismael But this is a tradition R. Eliezer ben Azariah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A day and a night make a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a part of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is accounted as the whole Observe these last words to the purpose that we are upon Three naturall daies by this rule were three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and any part of any of these was accounted as the whole of it The Evangelists seem to differ somewhat in the mention of the time of the womens coming to the sepulcher Iohn saith Mary Magdalen came while it was yet dark Matthew when it began to dawn whereas Mark saith she and the other women came thither at Sunrising All which together speak the story to the full to this tenour That at the dawning and while it was yet dark the women as soon as they could see at the least Mary Magdalen set out to go to the Sepulchre and that was at the very instant of Christs rising when there was a great earthquake and an Angel came and rolled away the stone Mary Magdalen came from Bethany from her brother Lazarus his house if she came from her own home and the other women were at their severall lodgings and to get them all together for they were to go about this work all together would spend some time so that though Mary were so early stirring yet before they were all got together to the Sepulchre it was Sunrising These women little knew of the watch that was set over the grave and the sealing of the stone which was done on the morning of the Sabbath for all their care is how to get the stone rolled away When they come there they finde that done already and the watch was fled and the Angel that had rolled it away sitting on it on the right hand of the entring in and when they were entred in they saw another Angel which both told them of his being risen And thus Matthew and Mark that mention but one Angel are to be reconciled to Luke who speaketh of two The women return and tell the Disciples what they had seen but their words seemed to them as idle tales yea Mary her self yet beleeved not that he was risen It is worth studying upon the faith of the Disciples it was a saving faith in Christ and yet they beleeved not that he should die till he was dead nor beleeved that he should rise again no not when he was now risen Peter and Iohn runne to the Sepulchre and Mary Magdalen follows them They see the body gone and the clothes lying there and Iohn proves the first that beleeves his resurrection and they return home but Mary staies there weeping still And looking in she sees two Angels the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body had lain like the two Cherubins at either end of the Ark And looking behinde her she seeth Iesus and thought it had been the Gardiner but presently knew him and comes away to bring the Disciples word Here Matthew speaks short for he mentioneth but one journey of the women to the grave and back and saith that as they came back Iesus met them Whereas Mary had two journeys and it was she alone that met him and that in her second return As she returned now the watchmen are come into the City and bribed to deny that he was risen and
Matth. 5. was not barely to appear to the eleven for that had he done before and that could he have done at Ierusalem but it was an intended meeting not only with the eleven but with the whole multitude of his Galilean and other Disciples and therefore he published this appointment so oft before and after his Resurrection and we cannot so properly understand his being seen of above five hundred brethren at once of which the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 15.6 of any other time and place as of this He had appointed the place and the concourse argueth that he had appointed the time too or at least this concourse waited at the place till his time should come And here may we conceive that he kept the Lords day or the first day of the week for the Christian Sabbath with this multitude of his Disciples revealing himself clearly to them and preaching to them of the things that concerned the Kingdom of God Particularly he gives command and commission to go and disciple all Nations For whereas hitherto he had confined them to preach only to Israel now must they preach to every creature Mark 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Colos. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Jews ordinary language that is to all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon in his Proverbs makes known Theory and Practice to the creatures Kafvenaki in Prov. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He causeth the holy Ghost to dwell upon the creatures Mid◠Til. in Psal. 135. Nimrod made Idols 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and caused the creatures to erre Tanch fol. 8.4 The Lord requires that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the creatures should pray before him Id. fol. 16.4 In which and an hundred other instances that might be given the word Creatures signifieth only Men and their charge and commission to preach the Gospel to every creature means to all men the Gentiles as well as the Jews Warrant then and charge is given for the fetching of them in the great mystery Ephes. 3.4 6. who had lain subject to vanity of Idolatry and under the bondage of all manner of corruption ever since their casting off at Babel 2203 years ago They had been taught of the devil his oracles and delusions c. but now they must all be taught of God Isa. 54.13 by the preaching of the Gospel They had in some few numbers in this space been taught by Israel to know the Lord and proselyted into their Religion but now such proselyting should not need for all must come to the knowledge of God Heb. 8.11 the Gospel carrying the knowledge of him and it being carried through all Nations Those of them that had come into the Church of Israel and the true Religion had been inducted and sealed into it by being baptized Talm. in Iebam per. 4. c. And so that proselyte Sacrament as I may so call i◠must be carried and continued among all Nations as a badge of homage and subjection to Christ to whom all power is given in heaven and earth and of the profession of the true God The Father Sonne and holy Ghost against all false Gods and false worship Infants born of Christian parents are to bear this badge though when they undertake it they understand not what they do because none in Christian families should continue without the note of homage to Christs soveraignty and this distinctive mark against Heathenism that worshippeth false Gods as no male among Israel after eight daies old must be without the badge of Circumcision Discipling was not of persons already taught but to that end that they should be taught and if the Disciples understood this word in Christs command after any other sense it was different from the sense of the word which the Nation had ever used and only used For in their Schools a person was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scholar or Disciple when he gave in himself to such a Master to be taught and trained up by him and in the Discipling of Proselytes to the Jews Religion it was of the very like tenour That sense therefore that many put upon these words viz. that none are to be baptized but those that are throughly taught is such a one as the Apostles and all the Jewish Nation had never known or heard of before That wretched and horrid opinion that denieth the Godhead of Christ and the Godhead of the holy Ghost little observeth or at least will not see why the administration of Baptism among the Gentiles must be in the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost whereas among the Jews it was only in the Name of Iesus Act. 2.38 namely for this reason that as by that among the Jews Iesus was to be professed for the true Messias against all other so by this among the Gentiles who had worshipped false Gods The Father Sonne and holy Ghost should be professed the only true God And it would be but a wild as well as an irreligious Paraphrase that that opinion would make of this passage Go preach the Gospel to every creature and Baptize them in the Name of the Son a creature and the holy Ghost a creature He promiseth the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost to them that should beleeve not to all but to some for the confirmation of the Doctrine and chargeth the Disciples to return to Ierusalem and there to stay till he should pour down the holy Ghost upon them to inable them for this Ministry among all Nations to which he had designed them Mark and Luke do briefly adde the story of his ascension because they will dispatch his whole story but that is related more amply Act. 1. A seventh appearing To Iames. After the appearing to above five hundred Brethren at once which we suppose and not without ground to have been that last mentioned the Apostle relateth that he was seen of Iames 1 Cor. 15.7 and then of all the Apostles which doth plainly rank this appearance to Iames between that to the five hundred Brethren on the mountain in Galilee and his coming to all the Apostles when they were come again to Ierusalem Which Iames this was Paul is silent of as all the Evangelists are of any such particular appearance It is most like he means Iames the lesse of whom he speaks oft elsewhere and so doth the story of the Acts of the Apostles as one of specialler note in the time of Pauls preaching among the Gentiles We reade oft in the Gospels of Peter and Iames and Iohn three Disciples of singular eminency in regard of the privacy that Christ vouchsafed to them at some speciall times more then to the other Apostles and in that he badged them with a peculiar mark of changing their names and did not so by any of the other But that Iames was the sonne of Zebedee Now when he was Martyred Act. 12. you finde that Iames the sonne of Alpheus called Iames the lesse came to be ranked in the like
till their Synagogue service was done Maym. in Schab per. 30. which was not of a good while after nine a clock His alleadging of Ioel In the last daies I will pour out my Spirit c. teacheth us how to construe the phrase The last daies in exceeding many places both of the Old Testament and the New as Isa. 2.1 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Tim. 3.1 1 Pet. 4.7 1 Ioh. 2.19 c. namely for the last daies of Ierusalem and the Jewish State For to take his words in any other sense as some do for the last daies of the world is to make his allegation utterly impertinent and monstrous Three thousand converted are Baptized In the Name of the Lord Iesus ver 38. which no whit disagreeth from the command Baptize in the Name of the Father and of the Son c. Matth. 28.19 For the form of Baptism in those first daies of the Gospel of which the New Testament giveth the story may be considered under a threefold condition 1. Iohn the Baptist baptized in the Name of Messias or Christ that was then ready to come but that Iesus of Nazareth was he he himself knew not till he had run a good part of his course Ioh. 1.31 as was observed before 2. The Disciples baptizing the Jews baptized them in the Name of Iesus upon this reason because the great point of controversie then in the Nation about Messias was Whether Iesus of Nazareth were he or no. All the Nation acknowledged a Messias but the most of them abominated that Iesus of Nazareth should be thought to be he therefore those that by the preaching of the Gospel came to acknowledge him to be Messias were baptized into his Name as the criticall badge of their imbracing the true Messias But 3. among the Gentiles where that question was not afoot they baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost And so that baptizing in the Name of Iesus was for a season for the setling of the evidence of his being Messias and when that was throughly established then it was used no more but Baptism was in the Name of the Father and Son c. Of the same cognizance were those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit evidences of Iesus his being the Messias and means of conveying the Gospel through the world and when both these were well established then those gifts ceased for ever All that beleeved were together and had all things common ver 46. The children of those that beleeved must come under the title of Beleevers too or they must famish For this community of goods being for the relief of the poor as we shall shew at the fourth Chapter the children babes and infants of beleeving parents that were poor must be taken in under this expression All that beleeved c. or how did they for support If the community of goods reacht them as well as their parents the title must reach them too When a Master of a family was baptized his children were they never so young were baptized with him and hence the mention of baptizing whole housholds Act. 16.15.33 They that pleading against Infants Baptism do cavill that it may be there were no Infants in those families that are mentioned bewray that they little understand the manner of administring Baptism in its first use For the stress of the business lies not in this whether it can be proved that there were Infants in those families where it is recorded that whole housholds were baptized but the case is this that in all families whatsoever were there never so many Infants they were all baptized when their parents were baptized Thus was the constant custom among the Jews for admission of Proselytes and thence this Canon That a woman proselyted and baptized when she was great with child her childe needed not then to be baptized when it was born Maym. in Issure biah per. 13. For if he had been born before she was baptized he must have been baptized with her And the New Testament gives so little evidence of the altering this custom at those first baptizings under the Gospel that it plainly on the contrary shews the continuance of it when it speaketh of the Apostles baptizing whole housholds ACTS CHAP. III IV. PEntecost Feast lasted eight daies as well as their other Feasts Passeover Tabernacles and Dedication did Ierus in Moed Katon and Chagigah at large The occurrences of the very day of Pentecost it self are related already Now whether the healing of the Creeple and the consequences upon that contained in the third Chapter befell upon the same day in the afternoon or on the next day after which was the day when all the males appeared before the Lord in the Temple or further in the Feast is not certain but that they were within the compasse of the Feast is more then probable by the great multitude that was converted at one Sermon Peter and Iohn go into the Temple at the ninth hour the hour of prayer Talm. in Pesachin per. 5. The dayly sacrifice of the evening was killed at the eight hour and a half and offered at the ninth hour and an half Joseph Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Twice a day nvmely in the morning and about the ninth hour they offered on the Altar There as they go in at the East-gate that led into the Court of the women they finde and heal a Creeple which had been so from his birth The Jews looked upon this miracle as wrought by their own holinesse as appears by the Apostles answer to them ver 12. For such a conceit walked among the Nation that extraordinary holinesse might attain to miraculous workings R. Phinehas ben Iair saith Industry bringeth to purity Purity to cleannesse Cleannesse to holinesse Holinesse to humblenesse Humblenesse to fear of sin Fear of sin to partaking of the holy Ghost Jerus Schab fol. 3. col 3. Yet are they imprisoned that night and the next morning convented before the Councill Among others which are named of the Councill which were Priests Alexander and Iohn mentioned ver 6. seem to be Alexander Alabarcha or his son and Rabban Iochanan ben Zaccai the later Vice-president at this time under Rabban Gamaliel They dismissed come to their own company and related what had occurred and upon joynt prayer the place is shaken and they are again filled with the holy Ghost Why What could be added to them they having been so filled with the holy Ghost before In their prayer they petitioned these two things That God would give them boldnesse to speak his Word and that Healings and Signes and Wonders might be done in the Name of Iesus And the power of both these fals now upon them and especially it may be conceived that Wonder of Wonders upon the twelve power to bestow the holy Ghost The community of goods with the mention of which the second and the fourth Chapters conclude may be considered
is said Thy people shall all of them be righteous But these have no share in the world to come He that saith The resurrection is not taught in the Law and that the Law is not from God and Epicurus Now by Epicurus they mean not luxurious one as the word Epicure is commonly used by us but as the Gemara explains it there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that despiseth their Doctors and elsewhere they yoke it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostates and Epicures Resh hashanah per. 1. and so they brought all that started from the vain doctrine of their traditionaries under this title and under that terrour of having no share in the world to come 2. They went about to perplex the mind of these converts with urging how near the day of the Lord was The Scripture and the Apostl◠had spoken of the day of the Lords coming when he should come to take vengeance of the Jewish Nation for their wickednesse and unbelief and these would terrifie this Church with inculcating the nearnesse of it pretending for this partly revelation and partly the words or writing of the Apostle The aim in this terrour was to amaze the new beleevers and to puzzle them about what to hold and what to do in that sad time which they pretended was ready to fall upon their heads The Apostle resolves that there was some good space of time to be before for there was to be a falling away and the man of sin to be revealed The phrase The man of sin and childe of perdition is plainly taken from that place Isa. 11.4 With the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked one and the Apostle makes it clear that he referreth to that place by using the very words of the Prophet at ver 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth The Jews put an Emphasis upon that word in the Prophet The wicked one as it appeareth by the Chaldee Paraphrast who hath uttered it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall destroy the wicked Roman And so the Apostle puts an Emphasis upon it and translates it the Man of sin And in that Christ is introduced in the Prophet as having a speciall quarrell and vengeance against him he is called the son of perdition or he that is so certainly and remarkably to be destroyed It is true this meaneth the Roman as the Chaldee and our Protestant Divines by the warrant of Iohn in the Revelation do interpret it but in the first place and sense it meaneth the Jewish Nation which proved Antichrist as well as Rome ever did and as far as Rome ever did and before Rome ever did and as long and longer then Rome hath yet done As Iews and Rome joyned in the murder of Christ so are they joyned in this character of Antichrist but the Jews to be understood first See ver 7. the mystery of iniquity was already working when the Apostle wrote this Epistle which cannot possibly be understood but of the Jewish Nation and so it is explained again and again 1 Iohn 2.18 4.3 2 Ioh. v. 7 c. The severall characters that the Apostle gives of the Man of sinne agree most throughly to that generation and Nation and so the Scripture plainly applies them to it 1. There was a falling away in that Nation of multitudes that had imbraced the Gospel See Matth. 24.12 Christ foretelling it and Paul from thence 1 Tim. 4.1 by the later times that he there speaks of meaning the last daies of Ierusalem and the Jewish state as the phrase is used in that sense abundantly Such apostacy may be observed hinted in the Epistle to the Galatians to the Hebrews Colossians Rev. 2.4 2 Tim. 1.15 and to spare more observe the conclusion of that Parable Matth. 12.43 44 45. So shall it be with this wicked generation The devil once cast out of it by the Gospel but returned by their Apostacy 2. How this Nation was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great opposer of the Gospel needeth no instance to any that hath read the new Testament And he that reades the Jewish Records shall finde evidence enough of it of which we have given some brief account at Chap. 13. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which exalts himself against every thing that is called God or worshipped were it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against God it were most true to the very letter their Scribes in the Temple of God it self sitting and setting up their traditions above the commands of God Mat. 15.6 But how they exalted themselves against every thing called God or the Magistracy and those that were set over them we may observe in such passages as these 2 Pet. 2.10 They despise government c. Iude v. 8 They despise dominion and speak evil of dignities c. and in their own stories to endlesse examples 4. As for the fourth mark mentioned ver 9. namely his coming after the working of Satan with all Magicall power and delusion our Saviour had foretold is of that generation Matth. 24.24 compared with ver 34. of that Chapter and it is abundantly asserted by Scripture by Iosephus and other of their own Writers as we have given some examples before Now what the Apostle meaneth when he speaketh of one that letted ver 6. And now ye know what withholdeth and ver 7. He who now letteth will let is of some obscurity we may without offence give this conjecture As the term The day of the Lord is taken in Scripture especially in this double sense for his day of judging the Iewish Nation and for his day of judging all the world so are we to understand a falling away and a Man of sin of the Jewish Nation before the former and a falling away and Antichrist betwixt the former and the later This last is readily concluded upon to be the Papacy and he that letted to mean the Imperiall power but what was he that letted in the former that the Antichrist among the Jews was not revealed sooner I should divide this stake betwixt Claudius the Emperour who by his decree against the Jews in Rome Act. 18.2 give a check by the appearance of his displeasure to all the Jews elsewhere that they durst not tyrannize against the Gospel whilest he lived as they had done And Paul himself who by his uncessant travelling in the Gospel and combatting by the truth every where against the Jews did keep down very much their delusions and Apostacy whilest he was at liberty and abroad but when he was once laid up then all went to ruine as see Act. 20.29 2 Tim. 1.15 c. Paul when he departs from Corinth leaves a Church fairly planted there but how soon and how miserably it grew degenerate we shall meet vvith cause to observe before it be long He cometh to Ephesus striving to get up to one of the feasts at Ierusalem he leaves Priscilla and Aquila there
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
we touched before The Babylon Talmud in Sanhedrin in the Chapter Helek doth shew their full opinion about the daies of Messias and amongst other things they say thus as Aruch speaks their words in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a tradition of the house of Elijah that the righteous ones that the blessed God shall raise from the dead they shall no more return to their dust but those thousand years that the holy blessed God is to renew the world he will give them wings as Eagles and they shall flee upon the waters The place in the Talmud is in Sanhedrin fol. 92. where the text indeed hath not the word thousand but the marginall glosse hath it and shews how to understand the thousand years And Aruch speaks it as a thing of undeniable knowledge and intertainment And so speaks R. Eliezâ—r in Midras Tillin fol. 4. col 2. The daies of the Messias are a thousand years As Iohn all along this Book doth intimate new stories by remembring old ones and useth not only the Old Testament phrase to expresse them by but much allusion to customs language and opinions of the Jews that he might speak as it were closer to them and nearer their apprehensions so doth he here and forward This later end of his Book remembers the later end of the Book of Ezekiel There is a resurrection Ezek. 37. Gog and Magog Ezek. 38. 39. and a new Ierusalem Ezek. 40. and forward So here a resurrection ver 5. Gog and Magog ver 8. and a new Ierusalem Chap. 21. 22. There a resurrection not of bodies out of the grave but of Israel out of a low captived condition in Babel There a Gog and Magog the Syrogrecian persecutors Antiochus and his house and then the description of the new Ierusalem which as to the place and situation was a promise of their restoring to their own Land and to have Ierusalem built again as it was indeed in the daies of Ezra and Nehemiah but by the glory and â—â—rgenesse of it as it is described more in compasse then all the Land of Canaan they were taught to look further namely at the heavenly or spiritual Ierusalem the Church through all the world Now the Jews according to their allegoricall vein applied these things to the daies of Christ thus that first there should be a resurrection caused by Messias of righteous ones then he to conquer Gog and Magog and then there must come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brave world to come that they dreamed of Beside what they speak to this tenour in the Talmudick Treatise last cited there is this passage in Ierus Megillah fol. 73. col 1. They are applying particular parts of the great Hallel to particular times what the great Hallel was we shewed a little before And that part say they I love the Lord because he hath heard me refers to the daies of Messias that part Tye the sacrifice with cords to the daies of Gog and Magog And that Thou art my God and I will praise thee refers to the world to come Our Divine Apocalyptick follows Ezekiel with an Allegory too and in some of his expressions alludes to some of theirs not as approving them but as speaking the plainer to them by them Here is a resurrection too but not of bodies neither for not a word of mention of them but of souls The souls of those that were beheaded for the witnesse of Iesus lived and reigned ver 4. and yet this is called The first resurrection ver 5. The meaning of the whole let us take up in parts There are two main things here intended First to shew the ruine of the Kingdom of Satan and secondly the nature of the Kingdom of Christ. The Scripture speaks much of Christs Kingdom and his conquering Satan and his Saints reigning with him that common place is briefly handled here That Kingdom was to be especially among the Gentiles they called in unto the Gospel Now among the Gentiles had been Satans Kingdom most setled and potent but here Christ binds him and casts him into the bottomlesse pit that he should deceive no more as a great cheater and seducer cast into prison and this done by the coming in of the Gospel among them Then as for Christs Kingdom I saw Thrones saith Iohn and they sate upon them c. ver 4. here is Christ and his inthroned and reigning But how do they reign with him Here Iohn faceth the foolish opinion of the Jews of their reigning with the Messias in an earthly pomp and shews that the matter is of a farre different tenour that they that suffer with him shall reign with him they that stick to him witnesse for him dye for him these shall sit inthroned with him And he nameth beheading only of all kindes of deaths as being the most common used both by Jews and Romans alike as we have observed before at Acts 12. out of Sanhedr per. 7. halac 3. And the first witnesse for Christ Iohn the Baptist died this death He saith that such live and reign with Christ the thousand years not as if they were all raised from the dead at the beginning of the 1000 years and so reign all together with him those years out as is the conceit of some as absolute Judaism as any is for matter of opinion but that this must be expected to be the garb of Christs Kingdom all along suffering and standing out against sinne and the mark of the Beast and the like whereas they held it to be a thousand years of earthly bravery and pompousnesse But the rest of the dead lived not again untill the thousand years were finished This is the first resurrection Not that they lived again when the thousand years were finished but it means that they lived not in this time which was the time of living when Satan was bound and truth and life came into the world The Gentiles before the Gospel came among them were dead in Scripture phrase very copiously Ephes. 2.1 2. 4.18 c. but that revived them Ioh 5.25 This is the first resurrection in and to Christs Kingdom the second is spoken of at the 12th verse of this Chapter that we are upon Paul useth the same expression to signifie the same thing namely a raising from darknesse and sin by the power of the Gospel Rom. 11.15 Now when this quickning came among the Gentiles Satan going down and Christs Kingdom advanced and the Gospel bringing in life and light as Ioh. 1.4 those that did not come and stick close to Christ and bear witnesse to him but closed with the mark of the Beast sin and sinfull men these were dead still and lived not again till the thousand years were finished that is while they lasted though that were a time of receiving life Blessed therefore and holy are they that have part in this first resurrection for on them the second death hath no power ver 6. The second death is a
Galilee the Universities in Babylonia from henceforward bearing all the renown yet were they not utterly extinct and out of them at last ariseth the famous R. Hillel grandchild of R. Iudah who stated the Jews Almanack into that posture in which it stands at this day And Hierom had for his help in the Hebrew tongue a learned man of Tiberias §. IX The posture and temper of the People HAving taken this brief account of their Scholastick and Magistratick History as also of some generall occurrences that befell the Nation in these times let us a little observe the carriage and temper of the men for the better discerning of the Lords dispensing in reference to them as a people of his curse rejection and abhorring They themselves little thought it but were yet as proud and self-confident of their being the only people of God as ever and unlesse it were in their plague by Ben Coziba a stander by would hardly think they lay under those curses that had been so oft and so terribly denounced against them and it may yet appear the more strange when we do consider the setled way of their Religion in which they walked with as much confidence and security as ever The Land full of Synagogues these frequented every Sabbath and the second and fifth daies of the week their paying Tithes observing purifyings clean and unclean meats and drinks and in a word all their Rites but what unseparably belonged to the Temple in as setled a course as they had done before the Temple fell But in this very thing was their misery and the vengeance upon them and that which they accounted was their happinesse and with which they sweetned their Captivity and desolation of their City was that very thing that was their unhappinesse and undoing A double badge of reprobation they visibly carried though themselves could not see it namely their doting upon their wretched Traditions and their rancour and enmity against the Gospel besides what other brands of a curse may be read upon them He that reads their Talmuds may observe this mark of perdition upon them in every page that the generations after the destruction of Ierusalem were more mad if possible after their foolish and wicked Rites and Traditions that made faith and the Word of God of no effect then the generations before had been A man that reades there may stand amazed to see a people of a lost and languishing condition yet building up of those toies and trifles an airy structure as if they were building an everlasting Kingdom It speaks a palpable blindnesse upon them that they took so little advertisement by the fall of their City of the fall of their carnall and beggerly Rites that they set them up more zealously then ever before Let any man observe who they are that make the greatest noise in the Talmuds and they will see this plain This mindes me of a fancy of the great women among them a ridiculous way that they used for the remembrance and mourning for Ierusalem namely by wearing a golden Crown upon their heads wrought in the fashion of a City they called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The golden City It is spoken of in Ierus Shabb. fol. 7. col 4. where they are disputing whether the women might go forth with this ornament upon their heads on the Sabbath And there they tell that R. Akibah made a golden City for his wife and when Rabban Gamaliels saw it she was envious at it A pretty way of mourning by pride and to carry Ierusalem in gold on their heads when Ierusalem lies in ashes under their feet Much like did they by their Ceremonies and Traditions when at the ruine of the City they should by right have been all buried in ashes with it they inhanced them and made them more high and gallant then ever before It is needlesse to instance their derision and detestation of Christ and Christianity their blasphemy against his blessed name their hatred and mischievousnesse against the professors of it their Writings proclaim their impiety and when many of the ancient Fathers have been put to write against the Jews it argues they were busie and stirring as farre as they might They had continuall opposings among themselves yet they all agreed like Simeon and Levi brethren in evil to oppose vilifie and blaspheam the Gospel Hardly one of the Grandees that we have named but he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his opposite one or other that stood out in contestation of opinion with him Nay they went sometimes to it by the ears as R. Eliezer and R. Iosi are so strugling together that they rent the Book of the Law betwixt them Ierus Shekalim fol. 47. col 1. and as we observed before the Shammaeans and Hillelians fought it to blood and death Rabban Gamaliel at Iabneh deposed R. Akibah from his Rectorship at Lydda Rosh hashan fol. 57. col 1. And divers such bickerings which still ended in an unanimous consent to oppose Christianity as much as possible We spake before of the commonnesse of Magick amongst them one singular means whereby they kept their own in delusion and whereby they affronted ours The generall expectation of the Nation of Messias coming when he did had this double and contrary effect That it forwarded those that belonged to God to believe and receive the Gospel and those that did not it gave incouragement to some to take upon them they were Christ or some great Prophet and to others it gave some perswasion to be deluded by them These deceivers dealt most of them with Magick and that cheat ended not when Ierusalem ended though one would have thought that had been a fair term of not further expecting Messias but since the people were willing still to be deceived by such expectation there rose up deluders still that were willing to deceive them The Ierusalem Talmud will furnish us with variety of examples in this kinde and I cite it the oftner because it was made among these men we are speaking of the Jews in Iudaea To begin with dreamers and interpreters of dreams which was a degree of delusion with them In Maasar Sheni fol. 45. col 2 3. there is mention of Rabbi Iosi ben Chalpatha of this trade and R. Ismael ben Rabbi Iosi and R. Lazar and R. Akibah and there are many dreams recorded that they interpreted and it seemeth by a passage in the place that they taught their Scholars this trick as a piece of their learning And finding of R. Akibah in this catalogue we cannot but think how well Ben Coziba and he were met for if the one were a cheater in one kinde the other was a deceiver in another If that of the Apostle Iude in his Epistle ver 8. These filthy dreamers should be construed in this literall sense it would finde enow in those times to make it good In Shabb. fol. 3. col 2. it speaks of an apparition to one of their
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