three chests full of tattared Phylacteries containing three bushels every chest Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith there were 500 Schools and to the least there belonged 500 Scholars and they said If the enemy should come against us we could prick out their eyes with our pens But when it came to it they folded them all up in their books and burnt them and there was not one of them left but only I. Not that he reckons himself in the number of the children for he was now well in years but that none of all that great University was left but himself And yet besides the eminent men that we have named there were R. Meir a great speaker in the Talmud but most commonly against the common vote R. Simeon ben Jochai and Eleazar his son the first Authors of the book Zohar R. Nathan the Author of Avoth R. Josi Galileus and his son Eliezer R. Jochanan ben Nuri. Ben Nanas R. Joshua ben Korcha R. Eliezer ben Chasma and why should we reckon more when Berishith Rabba makes this Summa Totalis on Gen. 25. That R. Akibah had 24000 disciples Of some decretals made at Usha you may read Jerus in Rosh hashan fol. 58. col 3. Chetub fol. 28. col 3. In these times of Hadrian which we are yet upon Aquila the Proselyte was in being and in repute In Jerus Chagig fol. 77. col 1 he is introduced discoursing with Hadrian about the universe being supported by a Spirit In Megil fol. 71. col 3. It is said that Aquila the Proselyte interpreted the Law before R. Eliezer and R. Joshua and they highly commended him for it and said Thou art fairer then the children of men By which it may be conjectured what a translation this was when these men so extolled it The Jerusalem Gemarists do cite his version Megil fol. 73. col 2. Succah fol. 53. col 4. Joma fol. 41. col 1. and several other places Rabban Simeon now President sate about thirty years namely from about the sixt or eighth of Hadrian to the fifteenth or sixteenth or thereabout of Antoninus Pius the honour and power of that Bench growing low and in the wane every day more then other This Rabban Simeon you have a great spokesman in the Talmud his grandfather of the same name that died with Jerusalem is seldom introduced speaking there Once you have him swearing by the Temple Cherithuth per. 1. halac 7. SECTION VII The Sanhedrin at Bethshaarain Tsipporis and Tiberias R. Iudah President UPON the death of Rabban Simeon his son Rabbi Judah succeeded him a man of note equal with if not above any named before him he bare not the title of Rabban as his Ancestors had done for five generations before him yet had he those appellations that dignified him equal with it he was called sometimes eminently Rabbi and no more sometime R. Judah the holy sometimes our holy Rabbi sometime R. Judah the Prince and oft in the Jerus Talmud R. Judan Vid. Jerus Sanhedr fol. 30. col 1. where it speaks of all his Titles There are innumerable stories of him we shall only pick up those that are most pertinent to our present subject Juchasin fol. 2. tells us that he was with the Seventy of the Sanhedrin in Bethshaaraim Tsipporis and Tiberias and Tilerias was the tenth and last flitting that the Sanhedrin had How long in Bethshaaraim is uncertain and little is mentioned of that place but Tsipporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is famous It was the greatest City of Galilee Joseph de Bell. lib. 3. cap. 3. a place planted in a fruitful situation for sixteen miles about it saith Talm. Jerus was a Land flowing with milk and honey Biccurim fol. 64. col 2. Rabbi Judah sate here seventeen years and he applied that to himself Jacob lived in the Land of Egypt seventeen years and Judah lived in Tsipporis seventeen years There are these two memorable stories of this place That a Butcher cousened the Jews here with carcases and beasts torn and made them eat them nay he made them eat dogs flesh Jerus Trumoth fol. 45. col 3. And divers of Tsipporis were glad to wear patches on their faces to dissigure them that they might not be known when inquisition was made after them Id. Jevamoth fol. 15. col 3. and Sotah fol. 23. col 3. The numerous passages about the Doctors and disputes and Scholastick actions in this place would be too tedious to mention though with the briefest touch we could From Tsipporis the Sanhedrin removed to Tiberias upon the brink of the lake of Genesaret This was about eight or nine miles from Tsipporis Id. Sanlied fol. 21. col 1. the Jews hold it to be the same with Rakkath in Josh. 19. 35. Megil fol. 70. col 1. And that Chammath there mentioned also was a place that joyned to it Erubhin fol. 23. col 4. so called from the hot bathes there Bab. Megil fol. 6. 1. How long Rabbi sate here is uncertain Their Records do make him exceedingly in favour with Antoninus the Emperour but whether Pius or Philosophus they name not it is generally held to be Pius whethersoever it was there are abundance of discourses 'twixt R. Judah and him dispersed in their Writings and they stick not to tell you that he became a Proselyte and when the Proselytes of righteousness shall come in the world to come Antoninus shall come in the head of them Jerus Megil fol. 74. col 1. Antoninus Philosophus or Marcus Aurelius was the likelier to converse with Scholars R. Judah outlived them both and Commodus also Two famous things as that Nation reputed it did this man in his time First he gathered up and compiled into one Volume all the traditional Law that had run from hand to hand to his time the Mishuah that we have now in our hands which is the Jews great pandect according to which they live He saw their state wane daily more and more and though they had now many Learned Schools yet their Cabbala or great stock of traditions he thought might fail and be lost now the Sanhedrin failed therefore he thought to make sure work and committed it to writing that it might be preserved to the Nation and so he helped to rule them And a second thing that he did was that he took care that there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scribes and Teachers of the Traditions in all the Cities in the Land of Israel Jerus Chagigah fol. 76. col 3. In the same Tract fol. 77. col it is reported of him that at six portions of the Scripture when he came to read them he wept He compiled the Mishnah about the year of Christ 190 in the later end of the reign of Commodus or as some compute in the year of Christ 220 an hundred and fifty years after the destruction of Jerusalem SECTION VIII The Schools and Learned after the death of Rabbi Iudah BESIDES the places where the Sanhedrin had sitten which yet
Overseer of the waters for the peoples accommodation at the festivals for such an office one of the Priests had Maymon in Keli Mikdash per. 7. But whether he were the same man and of that Office or no the Evangelist hath set this double character upon him that he was a man of the Pharisees and so principled clean contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel and that he was a Ruler of the Jews or one of the great Sanhedrin Joh. 7. 5. and so had power in his hands to act in opposition of the Gospel according to his principles It was not therefore an ordinary conversion when Nicodemus is converted as it was in the conversion of other sinners but it was a work of a more singular wonder when he and such as he were brought home to the obedience of the Gospel who were not only under the power of corruption and domineering of sin as others also were but under religious principles as they held them clean opposite and contramilitant to the Gospel And thus in the conversion of Nicodemus a man of power and of such principles at Christs first coming up to Jerusalem in his publick Ministry the power of the Gospel and of the work of grace is demonstrated and a Patron for the rising Gospel is provided Vers. 2. The same came to Iesus by night This his coming by night is spoken of again by this same Evangelist Chap. 7. 50. 19. 39. and commonly is interpreted to be because of the weakness of his faith as not daring to own Christ in the sight of the Jews Which although we will not wholly deny yet may there some other reasons be given also of his coming by night besides fear and weakness of faith only As 1. If his coming to Christ was to be instructed and satisfied by Christ in discourse concerning the Kingdom of God and whether he were the Messias or no c. as it may be well supposed it was in that concourse of people that was then at Jerusalem and especially about Christ all day long after they had once seen his miracles it was not possible for him to have any privacy with him but by night 2. If he came the night after the day of the Feast on which Christ did his miracles it shews his as much willingness toward the Gospel in coming so soon as it shewed weakness that he came by night 3. The traditions of the Jews did set a singular esteem and value upon the study of the Law and Divinity by night Although the command say they be to learn by day and by night yet a man learns the most of his wisdom by night c. Therefore whosoever will obtain the Crown of the Law let him study every night and not lose one The wise men say The song of the Law is not but in the night as it is said Arise sing in the night and he that studies the Law by night a thread of mercy is drawn out for him by day Every house in which they hear not the words of the Law by night fire devours it Maym. in Talmud torah per. 3. §. Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God Rabbi was the distinctive title of a man ordained with which he was stiled when he received Ordination to be a Doctor or a Judge How is ordination saith Maymony Not that they always lay their hands upon the head of the Elder that is to be ordained but that they call him Rabbi and say to him Behold thou art ordained and thou hast power to judge c. Sanhedr per. 4. But the word came into more inlarged use among them so as to be given in compellation to any of learning rank or Religion And whether Nicodemus do so title Christ in the proper or in the common use of the word it is not much material to look after It is like he doth it because he acknowledgeth him a Teacher and a Teacher come from God as John is said to be a man sent from God Joh. 1. 3. and called Rabbi Joh. 3. 26. Now these phrases come from God and sent from God do stand in contradistinction to teachers coming from men and sent from men Which way of emission of Teachers and Preachers by Ordination though it were according to the Ordinance and way of God yet because the action was done immediately by the hands of men it was of a very great difference from theirs whose immediate commission was from the Lord by revelation inspiration or some such Divine warrant of the Spirit of Prophecy Nicodemus therefore when he calleth Christ a Teacher come from God he meaneth some more special mission from God than the ordinary and mediate one by ordination and he acknowledgeth him to be a Prophet at least immediately sent from God as the Prophets had been of old by the word of the Lord with the power of miracles in their hand if he do not in the term acknowledge him more than a Prophet of which hereafter But whom doth Nicodemus join with himself in this acknowledgment when he saith We know in the plural number Were there any of his Scholars with him now with Christ when he speaketh these words Or did he mean that himself and his fellows of the Sanhedr were convinced of Christs being a Prophet Truly were it not that I knew the phrase is otherwise taken and construed then always in a definite sense or fixed to a certain number I should as soon understand it so as any other way applied to any particular company or number of persons For do but imagin upon the appearing of the great and wondrous miracles of Christ after that the working of miracles had been out of date and use for so many ages together what a serious recognisance and solemn debate must the great Sanhedrin needs take up about this matter whom it concerned to look after things of that nature It is past all doubting that they would sadly canvass the case amongst themselves whether Christ were a true Prophet yea or no and it can be but little doubted neither that when they fully skanned the case and weighed the miracles that he did they could not but in heart consent that he was a Teacher sent from God for that no man could do such miracles as he did unless God were with him which thing indeed in action and in their demeanour towards him they always denied scorning opposing and persecuting him as it appeareth all along in the story yet certainly they could not in heart deny it and so their sin in acting so was so much the greater If one should therefore understand the word we know in this strict construction as if Nicodemus having been in the Sanhedrin all day and it in debate about Christ and not able to gainsay his Divine mission because of his wondrous workings he should come at night and tell Christ how he and his fellows of the Sanhedrin were convinced that he was a Teacher sent from God
proved and in the progress of the discourse to come the particulars both for year and time may be cleared more fully Now the times of the Roman Emperors that came between the death of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem are thus reckoned by the Roman Historians themselves Tiberius began to reign about August the 18. He reigned 22 years 7 months and 7 days Dion And died in the 23 of his reign Suet. He died March 26. Dion Or the 17 of the Calends of April Sueton. Caius Caligula began March 27. Reigned 3 years 9 months 28 days Dion Or 3 years 10 months 8 days Sueton. Died January 23 or the 9 of the Calends of February Suet. Claudius began January 24. Reigned 13 years 8 months 20 days Dion He died in the 14 year of his reign Suet. Died October 13. Dion Or the 3 of the Ides of Octob. Suet. Nero began Octob. 14. Reigned 13 years 8 months Dion Galba reigned 9 months 13 days Dion Died in his 7 month saith Suet. Otho reigned 90 days Dion 95 days Suet. Vitellius reigned 1 year wanting 10 days Dion Vespasian reigned 10 years wanting six days Dion In his second year Jerusalem is destroyed by his son Titus Joseph de Bello Judaic lib. 7. cap. 18. And now if we cast up the times from the 18 of Tiberius to the second of Vespasian and compare and parallel them with the years of our Saviour we shall find them running together in this manner Christ Tiberius Christ Claudius 33 18 54 13 34 19 55 14 35 20 56 1 Nero. 36 21 57 2 37 22 58 3 38 1 Caius begins in March 27. 59 4 39 2 60 5 40 3 61 6 41 4 62 7 42 1 Claudius begins Ianuary 24. 63 8 43 2 64 9 44 3 65 10 45 4 66 11 46 5 67 12 47 6 68 13 48 7 69 14 49 8 70 1 Galba and Otho 50 9 71 1 Vitellius 51 10 72 1 Vespasian 52 11 73 2 Ierusalem destroyed 53 12   Vers. 4. And being assembled together with them There is no small difference among Interpreters about rendring this clause out of the Original Some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others leave the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out as thinking the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient some render it Eating with them as the Syrian Arabick Oecumenius Chrysostome Vulgar Latine Deodate and our English in the Margin the Rhemists and those that follow the Vulgar which Valla thinketh was mistaken and read convescens in stead of conversans Others Assembling them or being assembled with them as Beza Camerarius Deodate and our English in the Text the Tigurine Spanish French Erasmus and others Epiphanius as he is cited by Camerarius readeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Valla as he is cited by Erasmus saith it is so written in some Greek Copies For the setling therefore of the right construction of this place First It is the concurrent agreement of all men this last excepted to read the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word indeed the thing it self will not bear for though Christ conversed and was much among his Disciples after his Resurrection yet do we not read that he ever lodged with them which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly import Secondly In the difference about the translation whether to render it eating or being assembled with them the current of Greek Authors in the use of the word do vote for the latter sense and not at all for the former as Beza and Camerarius do prove at large and more proofs might be given were it needful Now this phrase seemeth to refer to Christs meeting his Disciples on the mountain of Galilee which he himself had appointed for a meeting place Matth. 28. 16. And the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not be wanting For in other of his appearings it was accidental and unexpected when he came among them but upon this mount he was assembled together with them upon appointment And here it is like were the five hundred Brethren mentioned by Paul and spoken of before for where was it so likely so many should have the sight of Christ at once as in that place where he had promised that he would meet them and had appointed to assemble with them §. Commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem Not that they were at Jerusalem when they received this command but that he commandeth them now to Jerusalem and there to contine Till they were come into Galilee they had no warrant to stay at Jerusalem at all but command to the contrary for he commanded them away from thence into Galilee Matth. 28. 7. 16. because he would appear to all those at once that had been most constant Auditors of him for there had been his greatest converse and being there assembled together with them according to his promise and his appointment he then chargeth them to return to Jerusalem and not to depart from thence till the promise of the Father be come Christ confineth them to Jerusalem for the receiving of the Holy Ghost 1. Because of the Prophesie Esay 2. 3. Out of Zion shall go forth the Law c. 2. Because there would be the greatest company to be spectators of that great work and to be wrought upon by it as is proved by the sequel 3. Because that this great work of Christs power was fittest to be shewed there where had been his great humiliation and that those that would not be convinced by the resurrection might be convinced by this miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost Vers. 6. They asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel This was and is the great delusion of that Nation unto this day and not a few Christians do side with them in it supposing that at the Jews conversion they shall be brought home to Canaan there inhabit with Christ visibly among them Jerusalem built again and their peace and prosperity so great as never the like and so constant as never interrupted To this tune spake the petition of Salome the wife of Zebedee and James and John her two sons Matth. 20. 20. and the speech of Cleopas Luke 24. 21. And how common this Doctrine is among the Jewish Authors it is needless for it might be endless to recite it is evidence enough in that we see it the common and general quaere of all the Disciples met together Christ since his Resurrection had spoken to them of the things that concerned the Kingdom of God and they find belike that he had passed a great Article of their belief unspoken of about restoring the Kingdom of Israel Our Saviour answers their curiosity with a check as he had done Poter Joh. 21. 22. and diverts their thoughts to the more needful consideration of the calling that he would set them about as in the next verse and sheweth that the Kingdom of
finished there shall be the general resurrection And accordingly they construe the words before us to this sence The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished And then lived An opinion as like the opinion of the Jews as one egg is like another They think Christ shall reign among them on earth a thousand years pompous reign So do these They think that at the beginning of his reign the holy Prophets and Patriarchs shall be raised from death and reign with him So these They think that at the end of his thousand years reign there shall be the general resurrection and world of Eternity so do these So that the Millenary doth Judaize and he knows it not he is fallen into the Jews opinion and is not aware of it This book of Revelations is exceeding full of expressions that allude to the Jewish customs and opinions I say again is exceeding full but it were ridiculous to think that such passages are to be construed in the same literal sense that the Jews took them in Only those common and well known things as being familiar to the Nation are used to signifie or illustrate some spiritual sence or matter Expressions are used in this place that are agreeable in sound to the opinion of the Jews but not agreeable in sence but signifying something else They conceit a personal pompous reign of Christ on earth a thousand years in all earthly state and gallantry These words speak of a reign of Christ a thousand years but they mean his reign and ruling by his Word and Spirit and of his subduing and bringing the Nations into subjection and obedience but by the Ministry of the Gospel They speak of those that had been martyred reigning with him but the meaning only is to intimate that the children of his kingdom must suffer persecution and that they shall lose nothing by their persecution but as the Apostle speaks If they suffer with him they shall also reign with him Let us read the verse before I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God And which had not worshiped the beast neither his image neither had received his his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished And did they live then That is not imaginable the time of reviving being then past and over For at the end of the thousand years Satan is let loose again brings in Popery and Mahumetism and the World grows as Heathenish as it had been before Satans binding and imprisoning So that they had lost the opportunity of reviving which was in the thousand years The word Until signifies doubly either concluding or else excluding you may see my meaning by these examples The Master in the Parable gives Talents to his servants and bids them Occupy till I come Here the word until concludes that he would come again This iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye Es. XXII 14. Here the word till excludes them from ever having their iniquity purged The word until in the text is of this latter construction and means that they let slip and embraced not the opportunity of reviving all the thousand years when was the time of reviving and so they lived not again at all And if we well observe the Histories both of the Heathen and of the Church we shall find that all along this time that the Gospel was dispersing through the World there were multitudes of Heathens that would not forsake their Heathenism and multitudes in the Church in a little time fell to superstition and worshiping of Images and so even turned to Heathenism also Therefore God suffers Satan to be let loose again to go about in the world again with his delusions he brings in Popery in the West and Mahumetism in the East and so the whole World is returned to blindness and darkness again because when the light shone they would none of the light They would not embrace the offer of reviving when the time and opportunity of reviving was therefore they lived not again till those thousand years were finished and then the time of living again was over So that in the words before us we observe three things I. That the raising of the Gentiles from the Death of Sin is called the first Resurrection II. That in that time of raising some lost the opportunity and would not be raised III. That they losing the opportunity of rising and living missed always of rising and living I. As to the first thing named That the raising of the Gentiles from the death of sin is called the first Resurrection It gives us occasion to consider how a mans getting out of the state of sin into the state of grace is a Resurrection or a rising from the dead And with all to compare this first and last resurrection together and to see what connexion there is between them I. To Sadduces and Atheists that deny the resurrection at the last day because they can see no reason for it I should propose this question Whether there hath not been a raising of dead souls from the death of sin Abraham once an Idolater was not his soul dead then Yet afterwards he was the great Father of the faithful Was there not then a Resurrection of that dead soul Manasseh the King an Idolater a Conjurer a Sacrificer of his Sons to Molech was not this man dead in trespasses and sins and yet this man afterwards was a Penitent a Convert a Promoter of piety and the true worship of God Was not here a Resurrection of a dead Soul Is God less able to raise a dead body out of the grave than to raise a dead soul out of its sins Nay is not this as great a work of God as that will be Christ that can make such vile souls that they may be like unto his most glorious soul cannot he make these vile bodies that may be like his most glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself II. But let us look upon this first resurrection a little and blessed and holy is he that hath part in it over such an one shall the second death have no power In some things it is not parallel or like to the second resurrection in more it is First The Second Resurrection shall be of all bodies this First is not of all souls And if we come to seek for the reason of the difference where shall we find it Cannot the same power that shall raise all bodies also raise all souls The reason of the difference lies not in the difference of that power Were it not as much for the glory of God to raise all souls as to raise all bodies The reason of the difference lyes not there neither For God chooseth freely the
THE WORKS Of the REVEREND and LEARNED John Lightfoot D. D. LATE Master of KATHERINE Hall in CAMBRIDGE Such as were and such as Never before were PRINTED In Two Uolumes WITH THE AUTHORS LIFE AND Large and Useful TABLES to each Volume Also Three Maps One of the TEMPLE drawn by the AUTHOR himself The others of JERUSALEM and the HOLY LAND Drawn according to the AUTHORS Chorography with a DESCRIPTION collected out of his Writings LONDON Printed by W. R. for Robert Scot in Little-Britain Thomas Basset in Fleet-Street Richard Chiswell in St. Paul's Church-yard and John Wright on Ludgate-Hill MDCLXXXIV THE WORKS OF THE REVEREND LEARNED John Lightfoot D. D. LATE Master of KATHERINE Hall in CAMBRIDGE and Prebend of ELY In two Uolumes VOLUME 1. Being a Collection of all those Tracts which he Published in English the Titles whereof are in the Page following Revised and Corrected By GEORGE BRIGHT D. D. Rector of Loughborough in Leicester-shire LONDON Printed by W. R. for Robert Scot in Little-Britain Thomas Basset in Fleet-Street Richard Chiswell in St. Paul's Church-yard and John Wright on Ludgate-Hill M DC LXXXIV TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS AND High-born Princess MARY PRINCESS OF ORANGE c. MADAM WHEN my unhappy Circumstances obliged me to retreat from Your Highnesses Person and Service it soon came into my mind what engagements I remained still under to testifie as I had occasion my sincere and Profound Respect and Devotion to both And that although I could not enjoy the Honour and Happiness of a near attendance yet I should never think my self emancipated and at liberty The rare Goodness and Sweetness of Your Temper and Behaviour The exemplary Piety Virtue and Prudence of so exalted a condition have so powerful an influence upon all who approach Your Highness that nothing but a perfect inability can hinder them from serving You without any other reward than the honour and satisfaction of its performance and acceptance Persons of our Garb and Profession have seldom any better way of signifying our respect than a Book sometimes our own sometimes anothers of the former I had none ready of the latter it hath happened I had no contemptible one under my hand A Divine of Your Highnesses own Country A Son and Dignitary of the Church of ENGLAND In one sort of Learning the most knowing perhaps of any Man in Europe and the most enquired after in the Country where Your Highness now resides of any English Divine Insomuch that most of these English Works are as I am informed Translating into Latine by some of our own Country-Men here and in Holland as his Latine ones are here in England now Translated into English These last with some pieces in English never before Printed are Collected into a Second Volume and with the first humbly beg the honour of admission into Your Highnesses presence This will still more confirm Your Highnesses own Observation and the proof of Your Highnesses own Closet that no one Country hath and doth still more abound in Learned Pious Judicious writing Divines than ENGLAND In Talking Noise and Gesture perhaps they may be equallized or out done Not that I will answer for all or perphaps a great number of Notions and Observations of the Author that 's enough to do for ones self Some things were written when young Some things were the Systematical and received Opinions of the Times But generally speaking as many useful and peculiar Notions are to be found in this Author as in most other I am not unsensible that although the Author be in English yet not only the meanness but also the unsuitableness of such a Present to Your Highness being so full of Hebrew and Chronological Learning may seem to want excuse enough But first the greatest part of this Volume is the whole History contained in the Scriptures the most Venerable and Valuable for Antiquity Certainty Variety Rarity and Use of any extant and that so well Methodized and laid together according to order of time as to make it very easie and pleasant And then for the Hebrew as all other the Learned Languages they are generally rendred into English except the unusualness of the Writing or the Emphasis of the Phrase or some other such cause hinder Finally for the Chronological part The great Condescension and most obliging Freedom with which Your Highness is pleased to Treat those who have served You in my Quality have given me opportunity enough to know so much as notto doubt of Your Highnesses capacity to understand and make use of it when You please Besides the Dedication of this Authors Works thus Revised and Corrected to so Great so Judicious and exemplary a Patroness of the Church of England and so Illustrious an Ornament to it by Your Practise seems a convenient expiation for I had almost said the innocent fault or the unhappy mistakes of the Author in that kind having through an excess of misguided Gratitude prefix't the Name of one of the Worst of Men free Confession may sooner gain pardon to one of the best of his pieces I am not here to detain Your Highness any longer than with the addition of my unfeigned and uncessant Prayers for the improvement of those excellent Qualities already attained in so great a degree by Your Highness of Religion Virtue and Prudence the proper Characters of great Minds who are to fill great Places the Continuance and Preservation of Health the Blessing of Posterity in Gods due time the Encrease of all Prosperity here and the Immortal reward of Pious and Virtuous Souls hereafter These I am sure have the concurrence of all who have had the happiness of knowing any thing of Your Highness But are more especially due from him who hath had the Honour and Benefit too of attending Your Highness in Holy things and still retains the just Ambition of ever continuing Your Highnesses Most Devoted and Most Humble Servant GEORGE BRIGHT Advertisement to the Binder AN ELENCHUS OF The several Tracts and Discourses of the AUTHOR contained in this FIRST VOLUME I. THE Harmony c. of the Old Testament II. The Harmony c. of the New Testament III. The Harmony of the Four Evangelists I II III Parts IV. Observations upon Genesis V. Aâ— handful of Gleanings out of the Book of Exodus VI. A Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles VII The Temple Service as in the days of our Saviour VIII Miscellanâ—es IX The Temple described as it stood in the days of our Saviour which by mistake is placed last in order X. A Map of the TEMPLE drawn by the AUTHOR himself Page 1049. There are also in this Volume At the Beginning THE Publishers Epistle Dedicatory and Preface The LIFE of the AUTHOR with an Appendix to the same A Map of CANAAN according to Dr. LIGHTFOOT Page 1. At the End Five Tables I. Of Scriptures illustrated explained or reconciled II. Of some places of Scripture differently read from the ordinary Translation III. Of Authors or
their Works quoted IV. Of Hebrew and Greek words explained V. Of Principal Matters or Things Alphabetically digested AN ELENCHUS OF The several Tracts and Discourses of the AUTHOR contained in the SECOND VOLUME Horae Hebraicae or Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations upon St. Matthew upon St. Mark upon St. Luke upon St. John upon The Acts of the Apostles upon Some Chapters of St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans upon I Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians XLVI Sermons preached on several Occasions never before Published A short Tract upon the Fourth Article of the Creed never before Published There are also in this Second Volume At the Beginning THE Publishers Epistle Dedicatory and Preface A Map of the City of JERUSALEM drawn according to the AUTHOR'S Chorography Page 20. At the End A Chorographical Table or Description of the several places contained and described in the Two Volumes of Dr. Lightfoots Works by Mr. John Williams Five other Tables I. Of Scriptures illustrated explained or reconciled II. Of some places of Scripture differently read from the ordinary Translation III. Of Authors or their Works quoted IV. Of Hebrew and Greek words explained V. Of Principal Matters or Things Alphabetically digested THE PREFACE TO THE READER ALthough this very Learned Author's Epistles and Prefaces to many of the English pieces contained in this Volume may save me much the labour of a general Preface to them all Yet it may be convenient to add something concerning the use of this kind of Learning the Author himself and these English Tracts of his AS for the First the Reader must not expect a Treatise about it in a Preface to Anothers Book But only some brief suggestions for the direction and encouragement of the Studious that the Author might not seem to have employed so much time and tedious labour too fruitlesly in Writing nor my self somewhat of both in Reviewing Correcting and Publishing what is here presented to him There seems to me two chief Points of a more comprehensive Wisdom the one is justly to estimate and prize the several parts of Knowledge and that principally from their usefulness not so much from their Antiquity their being esteemed and cultivated perhaps by great Personages or the like slight and pedantique considerations any further than as they are signs or arguments of the former The other is to understand the inclinations capacity and ability of any person for one or more of them These two things are principally to be observed by those who apply themselves to any study and indeed to any imployment in making their choice Which is in it self of greatest use and importance and which a person can make most progress in what is best in it self and what he can best do If any thing be of no good use or advantage it is not to be undertaken at all if a man wants ability or capacity for it it is not to be attempted by him Although there be truly great difference between the several sorts of Science in respect of their value yet there is hardly any which hath not its use and oft-times much more than the ignorance or envy or fashion or humor of an Age will allow There are four things which our Author hath been very diligent and laborious in and where we may be considerably benefited by the Reading of these Tracts I. The Chronology of the Holy Scriptures II. Their Chorography III. Their Original Texts and various Versions IV. Talmudical and Rabbinical Authors First For Chronology it is nothing but the knowledge of the Relation and the existence of things one to another before with or after and particularly with the conversions and situations of the Sun and Moon i. e. years months weeks days as being the most constant and the most universally known Though the time of a things existence may be and frequently is characterized by the existence of other things likewise nor is it so casie to define what is the first measure of time But this is not so much to our purpose The uses of the knowledge both of the times of writings and of their matter or contents are very considerable and in short these among others First From thence we collect many other circumstances and consequently a more full and adequate knowledge of things such as place Authors qualities conditions persons to whom reasons why and twenty others Whence it frequently helps to the discovery of the true writing in an Author or of its meaning and sense and in prophane and fallible writings the truth or falshood of things themselves therein delivered Instances of the former are numerous in the Scriptures for as to the latter the truth of what is delivered therein we are secure As in pag. 80. of the ensâ—ing Volume according to our Author the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of the Kingdom of Asa 2 Chron. XVI 1. in the thirty sixt year of which Baasha King of Israel is said to come up against Judah is not his personal but his National Kingdom if I may so call it not his Reign but the Kingdom of Judah in opposition to that of the ten Tribes since their division This appears from the Chronology or computation of Baasha's reign who is said 1 Kings XV. 33. to begin it in the third of Asa and to continue it but twenty four years that is to the twenty seventh of Asa and this according to all the translations too Baasha therefore could not come up against Israel in the thirty sixt of Asa's reign being understood of his personal reign or Kingdom Wee 'l take leave to argue from the Chronology of the Scripture especially where all Copies and Translations agree notwithstanding the assertions and conjectures of the late famous Critick * Praf to Crit. Hist. of Old Testament That no exact Chronology what for no time can be stated upon the Authority of these Books till he lays surer foundation for his Opinion and more particularly explains it However this and other following instances are proofs and illustrations of what use Chronology may be although the integrity and truth of the present writing in the Hebrew Copies be only supposed not proved Thus also Omri's beginning to reign over Israel twelve years in the thirty first year of Asa King of Judah according to the Hebrew Text and all the Versions must have the sense which Chronology will there allow vid. Harmony of the Old Testament pag. 81. In p. 87. Ahaziah's being forty two years old when he began to reign 2 Chron. XXII 2. and Jehojachin eight years old 2 Chron. XXXVI 9. must be otherwise rendred than it usually is to make it consistent with Chronology supposing no error in the Hebrew Text. But both the Greek and Oriental Versions in the first place having the number twenty two or twenty instead of forty two and in the other place the Oriental Versions having eighteen instead of eight makes it probable that there is a mistake Grotius's confident assertion concerning the
to be found in any of the Evangelists that can interpose The four Monarchies which Daniel had told should be and should expire before the coming of Christ have now run their course and a fifth is risen far more potent and fully as cruel as all the four put together and therefore it is pictured with the badges of all the four Rev. 13. 2. compared with Dan. 7. 4 5 c. A Decree of Augustus given out at Rome becomes an occasion of accomplishing a Decree of the Lords namely of the Birth of the Messias at Bethlehem He is born under a Roman taxation and now that Prophesie of Chittim or Italy afflicting Heber Numb 24. 24. beginneth livelily to take place The time of his Birth was in the Month Tisri which answereth to part of our September and about the Feast of Tabernacles as may be concluded upon by observing that he lived just two and thirty years old and an half and died at Easter That Month was remarkable for very many things In it the World was created the Tabernacle begun and the Temple consecrated and as the Jerusalem Gemarists well observe In it were the Fathers before the Flood born In Rosh hashanah fol. 56. cap. col 4. His Birth was in the night and attended with the Song of a whole Quire of Angels as Heb. 1. 6. and compare Job 38. 7. and with a glorious Light about Bethlehem Shepherds to whom this great Shepherd is first revealed At eight days old he is Circumcised and made a Member of the Church of Israel At forty days old he is presented in the Temple in the East Gate of the Court of Israel called the Gate of Nicanor and Maries poverty is shewed by her Offering compare ver 24. with Lev. 12. 6 8. yet her Child is owned as the consolation and expectation of Israel The first year of his Age and Infancy Christ spent at Bethlehem for whereas the Lord by the Prophet had appointed his Birth there Mich. 5. 2. his Parents had no warrant for his Education in any place but there till the Lord should give them an express for it which he did by an Angel Mat. 2. 22. Therefore how the words of Luke in chap. 2. ver 39. are to be understood we shall observe upon the next Section SECTION VII MATTH Chap. II. All the Chapter CHRIST II CHRIST homaged by the Wise Men Persecuted by Herod flies into Egypt THE order of this Section and Story is cleared by ver 7. and ver 16. by which it appeareth that Christ was two years old when the Wise Men came to him For Herod had enquired diligently of them the time when the Star appeared and according to the time that they had told him he slew the Male Children from two years old and under From two years old because they had told him it was so long since the Star appeared And under two years old because he would make sure work as to that scruple that might arise namely whether the Star were a fore-runner or a concomitant of the Birth of that King of the Jews that they spake of Now that the Star appeared at the instant of his Birth cannot but be concluded upon this consideration if there were no more That otherwise it left the Wise Men so uncertain of the time when he should be born as that they could not tell whether he were born or no no not when they were come to Jerusalem The appearance of the Star therefore was on the night when he was born and they having told Herod how long it was since it appeared he accordingly slayeth all the Children of two years old for so old according to their information did he account the Child to be for whom he sought and yet withal he slew all the Children under that age that he might be sure to hit and not fail of his design This considered it sheweth that Christ was in his second year at the Wise Mens coming and withal it proveth the order of this Section to be proper and that this Story is to be laid after the Story of Maries Purification and not before as many have laid it It may be objected indeed that Luke having given the Story of his presenting in the Temple concludeth When they had performed all things according to the Law they returned into Galilee Now if they returned into Galilee when Christ was 40 days old how was he found at Bethlehem at two years old Answ. Luke is to be understood in that passage according to the current of his own Story He had nothing to say about this matter of the Wise Men nor of Christs Journey into Egypt because Matthew had handled that to the full before and the next thing that he hath to relate is his coming out of Galilee to Jerusalem to one of the Festivals having nothing therefore to insert between his presenting in the Temple at forty days old and his coming again to the Temple at twelve years old he maketh this brief transition between when they had performed all things according to the Law they returned into Galilee that he might thereby bring Christ to Galilee from whence he came when he shewed his wisdom at twelve years old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture is always taken in the worst sense for men practising Magical and unlawful Arts and if it be to be understood so in this place it magnifieth the power and grace of Christ the more when men that had been of such a profession become the first Professors of Christ of any among the Gentiles They seeing a new and uncouth Star in the Heavens it may be the light that shone about Bethlehem-Shepherds seemed to them at distance a new strange Star hanging over Judaea are informed by God two years after what it signified and are wrought upon by his Spirit to come and homage Christ whom it pointed out Herod at the report of the King of the Jews born and that with the attendance of such a glorious Star looks upon him as the Messiah yet endeavours to murder him He is sent by the direction of an Angel with his Mother into Egypt where there was at this time an infinite number of the Jewish Nation Succah cap. 5. At Alexandria there was a great Cathedral double cloistered and sometime there were there double the number of Israel that came out of Egypt and there were 71 Golden Chairs according to the 71 Elders of the great Sanhedrin And there was a Pulpit of wood in the middle where the Minister of the Congregation stood c. The Babylon Talmud saith Alexander the Great slew these multitudes but the Jerusalem saith Trajanus did And the Author of Juchasin will shew you a truth in both For In the days of Simeon the Just saith he Alexandria which was Amon Min No was full of Israelites double the number of those that came out of Egypt c. But they were all slain by Alexander But after this it was re-peopled again
punishments but they had of corporal namely of scourging to fourty stripes save one Hence it is that Christ foretels his Disciples In the Synagogues you shall be beaten Mark 13. 9. and hence had Paul his five scourgings 2 Cor. 11. 24. So that in every Synagogue there were Elders that ruled in Civil affairs and Elders that laboured in the Word and Doctrine And all things well considered it may not be so monstrous as it seems to some to say it might very well be so in those times in Christian Congregations For since as it might be shewed that Christ and his Apostles in platforming of the model of Christian Churches in those times did keep very close to the platform of the Synagogues and since the Romans in those times made no difference betwixt Jews in Judaism and Jews that were turned Christians nor betwixt those Religions for as yet there was no persecution raised against Christianity why might not Christian Congregations have and exercise that double Function of Ministry and Magistracy in them as well as the Jewish Synagogues And if that much controverted place 1 Tim. 5. 17. should be interpreted according to such a sense it were neither irrational nor improbable Nor to interpret Paul speaking to such a tenour here Only his appointing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the less esteemed in the Church to be appointed for that work is of some scruple what if it allude to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Committee of private men Of which there is frequent mention among the Hebrew Doctors See Maymon in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 253. col 1. 3. It was the old Jewish garb when they went to pray to hide head and face with a vail to betoken their ashamedness and confusion of face wherewithal they appeared before God And hence is the conjunction of these two words so common in their Writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He vailed himself and prayed And this for a current rule The wise men and their schollars may not pray unless they be vailed Maymon in Tephillah per. 5. To which let us add that of Sueton. in Vitell. cap. 2. Lucius Vitellius saith he had an excellent faculty in flattering he first set afoot the worshipping of Caius Caesar for a God when returning out of Syria he durst not go to him but with his head vailed and then turning himself about he fell prostrate Again it was the custom of the Jewish women to go vailed or their faces covered whensoever they went into publick A woman saith Maymony may not go into publick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if she have not a vail on In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 24. And this the Talmudists call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jewish Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The garb of modesty Chetubboth per. 7. and Alphes ibid. Where they say that that those women transgress the Jewish Law that go forth unvailed or that spin in the streets or that talk with every man Now in this Church of Corinth the men retained the Jewish custom that they prayed vailed or with their head and face covered but the women transgressed their Jewish Law for they went unvailed and bare faced into the publick Congregation and their reason was as it seemeth by the Apostles discourse because they in regard of their beauty and comly feature needed less to be ashamed before God in his worship then the men The Apostle reproves both and argues that if the man pray vailed who is the Image and glory of God then much more should the woman who is but the glory of the man But he cries down the mans praying vailed as dishonouring his head and exhorts that the woman have power on her head because of the Angels cap. 11. 10. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we observed instantly before out of Maymony signified a womans vail doth also signifie power or dominion and accordingly the Apostle speaketh Let the Woman have power on her head But what means he by Because of the Angels I should answer Because of the Devils for these he had called Angels also a few Chapters before viz. Chap. 6. 3. And his words may be construed to this sense that Women should not expose their faces openly in the Congregation lest the Devil make a bait of their beauty and thereby intangle the eyes and hearts of the men who should be then better imployed then gazing and longing after beauty There are that by Angels understood the Ministers and interpret it that Women should be vailed lest the Ministers eyes should be intangled by their faces which exposition if it be admitted it may speak for the admission of that also which we give which provides for the eyes of the whole congregation as well as of the Ministers 4. In the same eleventh Chapter he also blameth their disorder in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the height of their heats and contestations Wherein they did not only not discern the Lords body a Symbole and tye of communion but they even transgressed that rule now Christians which those of them that were Jews would not have done in their Judaism It was then a Canon current and binding amongst them that none should eat and drink in their Synagogues and none should sleep Jerus in Megilla fol. 74. col 1. Maym. in Tephillah per. 11. and Gloss. in Maym. in Shabb. 30. But now as they ate and drank the Bread and the Cup in the Sacrament in their Churches and that warrantably so did they also presume unwarrantably to eat their own common Suppers there and that only in defiance one of another the rich to outface the poor and one party another with their good commons some banketing and feasting to the full whilst others sat hungry by and looked on See how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 21. signifies in the LXX Gen. 43. 34. Cant. 5. 1. Thus did they eat and drink judgement to themselves in the Sacrament whilst they would receive the symbole of communion and yet shew such signs and evidences of disunion at the very instant And the Lord accordingly overtook some of them with evident judgements weakness sickness and death avenging at once upon them the indignity done to his Sacrament and the indignity done to their brethren Much like surfeting Nabals case and end 5. And as the people were thus irregular in this part of worship in their publick assemblies so were their Ministers faulty in others namely about the managing of spiritual gifts there The pretence to the Spirit where indeed it was not hath alwaies been the great usherer in of all errour and delusion And to this the very unbelieving Jews pretended and often backed their pretences with magical impostures and of this the Apostle speaks Chap. 12. 3. No man speaking by the Spirit of God as these men took on them to do can call Jesus accursed as they called him And on the other hand some that had spiritual gifts indeed failed in
8. Matth. 3. 4. Seventhly Both of them had Heaven opened to them near Jordan To which two parallels more might be added if these two opinions of the Jews concerning Elias might be believed First That he was of the Tribe of Levi for they take him to be Phinehas as see R. Lev. Gersh on 1 King 17. Secondly That he restored circumcision when it was decayed from those words in 1 King 19. 14. They have forsaken thy Covenant To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children That is The hearts of the Jews to the Gentiles For first the hatred of a Jew against a Gentile was deadly and it was a special work of the Gospel and consequently of John that began to Preach it to bring both these to imbrace Christ and for and in him to imbrace one another Secondly Experience it self confirmeth this exposition for as the Gospel belonged to the Gentiles as well as the Jews and as John came for a witness that all through him might believe so did he convert and baptize Roman Souldiers as well as Jewish Pharisees Thirdly Baptism at its first institution was the Sacrament for admission of Heathens only to the Church and true Religion when therefore the Jews also begin to desire it and to consent to the Heathens in the undertaking of it then was the heart of the fathers turned to the children Fourthly It is the common and constant use of the Prophets to stile the Church of the Gentiles by the name of children to the Church of the Jews as Isa. 54. 5 6 13. 60. 4 9. 62. 5. 66. 12 13. Fifthly The Talmud expounding these words in Malachi seemeth to understand them of such a communion or reconciliation as is spoken of Vid. R. Sol. in loc Malach. Herod saith Josephus Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 7. slew John the Baptist being a good man and injoyning the Jews that exercising vertue and using right dealing one towards another and piety towards God they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convene or knit together in Baptism And the disobedient c. In Malachi it is And the hearts of the children to the fathers But first the Holy Ghost is not so punctual to cite the very letter of the Prophet as to give the sense Secondly It was not very long after the Baptizing and Preaching of John that the Jews ceased to be a Church and Nation nay even in the time of John himself they shewed themselves enemies to the Gospel and the professors of it as concerning the general or the greatest part of them therefore he saith not that the heart of the children the Gentiles should be turned to their fathers the Jews which should cease to be fathers and should cease to be a people but to the wisdom of the righteous ones The disobedient As in this clause he refuseth to use the term of Fathers for the reason mentioned so doth he also of the correlative children because of his refusing that And yet he coucheth the sense of that title under the word disobedient which word in its most proper and natural signification reflecteth upon untowardly children disobedient to their parents As therefore by his omitting to call the Jews fathers he insinuateth their opposition against the Gospel so by terming the Gentiles disobedient in stead of children he sheweth what they were before they imbraced it In the wisdom of the righteous For so is it in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in and not to Wisdom in Scripture is often taken for Religion As Psal. 111. 10. Deut. 4. 6. c. and so is it to be understood here And this Wisdom is not to be held the terminus ad quem or the ultimate end to which these disobedient Gentiles were to be converted but in this wisdom or religion unto God For first let the two clauses of this speech be laid in Antithesis or opposition one to another as naturally indeed they lie the one aiming at the Jews as the proper subject and the other at the Gentiles and it appeareth plainly that two several acts were to be performed by the Baptist as concerning the Jews and their conversion First That he should turn their hearts or affections to God as in the verse preceding He shall turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God And secondly That he should turn their hearts and affections also to the Gentiles whom they hated before as here He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children Secondly According therefore to this double work of John upon the Jews in that part of the Angels speech must the like duplicity be looked for in this that concerneth the Gentiles and to be understood though it be not expressed For the Angel in this part purposely changeth his stile and neither calleth the Gentiles children but disobedient because they were generally so before the coming of Christ nor the Jews Fathers because they ceased to be so shortly after nor mentioneth he the Gentiles turning to God but includeth it partly because he had set that as the chiefest work and bent of the Baptist of all to go before the Lord and turn men to him and partly he includeth it in this phrase In the wisdom of the righteous Thirdly It is not without divine reason that the hearts of the Gentiles are not said to be turned to the Jews as on the contrary it was said of the Jews to the Gentiles but that they should be turned in the wisdom of the righteous For the enmity feud and detestation that was betwixt Jew and Gentile and Gentile and Jew proceeded not from the same cause and Original The Jew abhorred the Gentile not of ignorance but of scorn and jealousie partly because they stood upon their own dignity of being the people of God which the other were not and partly because they were provoked with suspition that the other should be the people of God when they should not And therefore when the reconciliation is to be wrought between them it is said that their hearts or affections should be turned to them for they were point blank or diametrically against them before But a Gentile abhorred a Jew out of ignorance because of his Religion hating him as a man separate from and contrary to all men and accounting that to be singular and senseless superstition which was indeed the divine command and wisdom of God and not so much detesting his person for it self as for his religion and profession Therefore when the Gentiles must be brought to affect and to unite to the Jews it must be in the wisdom of the righteous or in the understanding knowledge and imbracing of that religion which the righteous ones professed which the Gentiles till they knew and understood what it meant accounted but vanity singularity and foolishness Ver. 18. Whereby shall I know this The Jew requireth a sign 1 Cor. 1. 22. And his so doing in these times when miracles had been ceased so long
he do paraphrase it thus According as I by an humble submission desire to be baptized by thee so it becometh us because we are sent of God the Father to call men away from all unrighteousness and to teach the people to fulfill and perform in work whatsoever is right omitting nothing be it never so little which we know to be agreable to the will of God Therefore he importeth not that by the receiving of baptism all righteousness is fulfilled but that by them that are Masters and Teachers of all righteousness nothing is to be passed over which is right although they be not bound thereto by necessity and though the thing it self seem never so small Which exposition though it be good and sound in regard of the truth contained in it yet seemeth it not to be punctuall and seasonable for this place For whereas the very marrow and pith of it lyeth in this that Christ and John being teachers of the people must practice themselves what they teach others to practice and therefore must Christ be baptized for example to others let the Reader judge whether the inference be good by this that John himself was never baptized and consequently whether the application of such a sense to these words be fitting and agreeable Sixthly Chemnitius yet goeth nearer the text and the mark and bringeth the word Righteousness to reflect upon men explaining it thus that since Christ came to conferr and apply righteousness to men and accordingly to sanctifie every thing and means that might conduce to convey the same unto them therefore would he thus consecrate baptism by his own being baptized and give vigor to it to be a seale and strengthener of righteousness and grace begun and in this sense he saith that it becometh him to fulfill all righteousness or every thing whereby the righteousness of man may be forwarded and promoted and because John was the Minister of Baptism therefore in the word us he joyneth him also in the fulfilling with him To this purpopose he and far more largely coming as close to the mark as any we meet with and yet if I judge aright not so close as to hit it in these two respects First in that he seemeth to hold and so also do many others with him that Christs performance of the several parts of righteousness personally in himself was requisite to the sanctifying of such things to others whereas his very institution of any such a thing giveth validity sufficient to it without his own actual example As in this very thing in hand concerning baptism if Christ instituted that in the hand of John for a Sacrament to continue in his Church for ever I cannot see what vertue vigor or efficacy his being baptized by John added to it more than his institution of it before had done save only for the more sensible reverence of it in the eyes of the People Secondly and chiefly because it is harsh and bold to conceive that Christ in the performance of any thing that might tend to mans justification should take a man to be a sharer and co-worker in such equality as the words thus and us do make the Baptist. By righteousness therefore in this place may rather be understood the equity and justice of the Law and Christs fufilling of the same Not the moral for that opinion we refused before but the other parts of it which were either Prophetical or figurative and tipical Not denying his fulfilling the moral Law neither for that he performed to a tittle being without the least taint of sin either in thought word or deed but rather illustrating and setting forth his performance of that the more in that he was also so punctutual to fulfill the other parts of the Law which were less material And to this exposition of righteousness namely for the equity of the Ceremonial or typical Law not only the matter or thing in hand it self but even every word also that is in this clause do give their consent and confirmation For first if we look upon the Ceremonial Law it self and the reason why it was given we shall find that it was neither so exact and exquisite in regard of it's injunctions nor so strict or necessary to be performed in it self according to the Letter as it was in regard of its significancy of good things to come the force and vertue of it consisting not so much in its very verbal precepts and corporal observances as in its representative and typical predictions and fore-shewing of some better things to come thereafter And howsoever those Rites and Ceremonies had their obedience in the practices of the Jews yet their equity and very intent indeed they had not but in the fulfilling of Christ. Secondly if we look also upon baptism which was the matter now in agitation and the baptism of Christ also how they were both fully and plainly prefigured under legal Rites and Ceremonious observances was shewed before Thirdly it was requisite that Christ should fulfill the Ceremonial Law as well as the moral in some kind of necessity though not as much for the one as for the other For as the Moral was a Law of Faith so also was the Ceremonial a Law of hope as the judicial was also of Charity In the Moral Law it was shewed to man what he was to do but withall he saw by the same Law his own disability and impossibility of performing what was to be done The sight of this driveth man to lay hold of Christ that performed that Law for him and thus the Law though it be according to the letter a message of death yet in the spirit it is a doctrine of Faith unto life The Jew being thus entred by the moral Law into the School of Faith then came in the Ceremonial and was as an usher of hope for by those rites and legal observations the memory of Christs coming was continually kept fresh and the eye and expectation and the fruit and application of his performance of the moral Law for the good of men dayly read in those typical and shadowed lectures As therefore as it was absolutely necessary that Christ should fulfil the moral Law in regard of all men so was it respectively necessary that he should answer and accomplish the Ceremonial in regard of the Jew For if the outward observance thereof were for nothing so much as to lead his eye and expectation to Christ and the very life and equity thereof were included in him how necessary was it that for the sake of that people and for confirmation both to them and all others that he was Christ that was to come that he should fulfill that part of the Law as well as the other At the least how fitting And so he saith in the place in hand Thus it becometh us to fulfill all the equity of the Ceremonial Law Now the Ceremony to which our Saviour looketh in these words was the washing of the Priests in water when
miracle of his birth his adoration by the Wisemen his wisdom at 12 years old the voice from heaven and his saftety among wild beasts at this time shew that impossible But concluding the thing it self to be so he argueth from it to perswade Christ to act as the Son of God and to do things miraculously And the If in his speech is not so much of doubting as of assurance as the If in those words of Lamech If Cain shall be avenged seventy fold and he forceth it as the consequence upon a thing undoubted Seeing thou art the Son of God as the voice from heaven did proclaim thee it is very agreable to thy so being that thou shouldst exert thy divine power and command these stones into bread for the satisfying thy hunger And so in the other temptation that carryeth the same front Seing thou art the Son of God it is very fit thou shouldest act according thereunto and not go down the stairs as men do but cast thy self headlong and shew thy power In both which temptations though a close perswasive to distrust Gods provision for him in the wilderness to rely too much upon second causes and to presume without warrant upon a promise be included yet Satans main bent and aim is to move him to act according to the dictate and direction of the Devil And as he had perswaded Eve from the commandement of God to follow his advice so would he fain do Christ from that work and injuction which God had laid upon him for the Ministery and for mans redemption to do things tending nothing at all to that purpose but rather to vain-glory and self-exalting and the Devil had had enough if he could have moved the Redeemer to have acted any thing upon his instigation Ignatius Martyr Hilary and others of old and Beza Chemnitius some others of late suppose that Satan knew not yet the mystery of the incarnation no more than the Disciples did till after the resurrection but that he proposeth this if thou be the Son of God as doubting of the truth of the thing and seeking to be resolved in it nay that by the phrase the Son of God is to be understood and was so in Satans apprehension only a very holy and an extraordinary qualified man as whereas the Centurion calls Christ the Son of God Mat. 27. 4. Luke expresseth it only a righteous man Luke 23. 47. Answer 1. It is most true indeed that the mystery of the Incarnation is a mystery most high and deep and which created understandings cannot fadome and that the Disciples were exceedingly ignorant of it till more than flesh and blood revealed it to them but yet for all this the Angels good and bad might know the truth of the thing though they could not reach the mystery of it and the Disciples have some light of it before though they had the more perfect understanding of it after the resurrection as see Mat. 16. 16. The Devil was not ignorant of the Angels proclaiming him Christ the Lord or Jehovah Luke 1. 16 17. 2. 11. of an Angels and Gods proclaiming him The Son of God Luke 1. 35. 3. 22. Of the Prophets calling him Jehovah Jer. 23. 6. And the mighty God and Father of Eternity Esay 9. 6. and an hundred such expressions as these which could not but put him past all questoning who it was with whom he dealt 2. It is true indeed that the Church and people of God are called his Sons but it will be hard to find this applyed to any one particular person or single man in all the Scripture That in 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psalm 89. 28 27. is readily known to be spoken of Christ and that in Luke 3. 38. we have explained before 3. It is likewise true that whereas the Centurion in Matthew is brought in saying This was the Son of God Luke hath brought him saying This was a righteous or just man but must it therefore follow that he took him not for the Son of God but that he called him so only because he was a holy man In very many of the Evangelists various expressions we are not always to take the one to mean the other but we must take them both in their proper sense to make up the full sense as will fall to be observed in divers places And so is it to be done here The Centurion and his company upon the sight of the wonders that attend our Saviours death concluded that not only he was a most holy man but some rose higher and sure say they He was the Son of God Compare and examine the places Now the daring impudence of the Devil thus to assault and assail him whom he knew to be the Son of God will be the less wondrous and strange if we consider joyntly with his pride desperate wickedness and malice the ground that he might think he had to undertake such an attempt as this to go about to foil him who his own heart told him was the Son of God And that was from those words of God in the garden to him when upon the denunciation upon him that the seed of the woman should break his head yet God tells him withall That he should bruise his heel Hence did his impudence take its rise to do and dare what he did and dared at this time and the having this very passage in ones eye and consideration upon the reading of this story of the temptation will help exceedingly to clear inlighten and explain it For whereas two main scruples may arise about this temptation besides this that we have in hand of the Devils daring to assault Christ thus namely how chance it was now and not before and why it is said by Luke after these temptations that the Devil departed from him for a season the consideration of this thing doth give so much satisfaction to both these doubts For 1. it is indeed some matter of wonder that Christ should live to thirty years and the Devil never attempt to tempt him of long a time but should now come to assail him when he had a testimony from heaven that he was the Son of God and when he had the fulness of the Spirit in him above measure which were greater disadvantages to Satan than ever but the reason was because that now Christ was offered to the Duell in an apparent manner which he never had been before to try that mastery with the Devil about breaking and brusing head and heel and the Devil having an assurance that he should bruise his heel undertakes the combate and dares be thus impudent And 2. when he saw that he could not prevail with him this way to bruise him namely by temptation he departs from him for a season till he can find an opportunity for another way to do it namely by open and actual persecution Sect. Command that these stones be made bread To change the form of a Creature is the greatest miracle as
David took the Spear and cruse meaning Abishai by Davids appointment 2 King 22. 16. The Book which the King of Judah hath read that is which they have read before him as 2 Chron. 34. 24. explains it c. Jesus himself baptizeth not 1. Because he was not sent so much to Baptize as to preach as Paul also saith of himself 1 Cor. 1. 17. 2. Because it might have been taken as a thing something improper for Christ to have baptized in his own name 3. The baptizing that was most proper for Christ to use was not with water but with the Holy Ghost Act. 1. 5. 4. Because he would prevent all quarrellings and disputes among men about their Baptism which might have risen if some had been baptized by Christ and others only by his Disciples It is no doubt but these Disciples of Christ that baptized others were baptized themselves Now who baptized them Not Christ for he Baptized none but they were baptized by John the Baptist for it is apparent that some of them were baptized by him Joh. 1. 35. 37. 40. and that teacheth us also to judge so of the rest And by this very thing it is evident that the Baptism of John and the Baptism of the Apostles was but one and the same whatsoever the Schoolmen have said to the contrary unless the Disciples baptized others with a better Baptism than they themselves were baptized with Observe that the administration of the Ordinances of Christ by his Ministers according to his institution is as his own work The Disciples baptizing is called his baptizing Vers. 23. And Iohn also was Baptizing His Sun is now ere long to set and the Evangelist here giveth you account of his last actions and Ministery whilest he was abroad and at his liberty If his imprisonment were but a little before Christs departure into Galilee mentioned in the next chapter as it is like it was he had been a publick preacher and baptizing near upon twenty months §. In Aenon near Salim c. 1. I cannot hold that this Salim was a City near Sichem as the most general opinion doth from Gen. 33. 18. where the LXX and divers others render as our English doth And Jacob came to Salem a City of Sichem For 1. It is Salem there and not Salim 2. It may be as well and is generally by the Jews rendred Jacob come safe to the City Sichem for till then he had no miscarriage in his family as he had afterward 3. The Scripture in all the Chorography of Ephraim never nameth any such place as Salim 4. The ground that Jacob bought Gen. 33. 19. was before Sichem and not before a Salem Joh. 4. v. 5 6. c. 5. If Salem and Aenon were near Sichem they were in Samaria and what had John to do among the Samaritans See Matth. 10. 5. 15. 24. 2. Salim and Aenon appear to be on this side Jordan westward from v. 26. They came to John and said to him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Jordan to whom thou barest witness behold he baptizeth c. Now 1. Bethabara beyond Jordan was the only place that the Evangelist had mentioned before of Johns Baptizing and he speaketh according to his own story and so in Chap. 10. 40. he calleth it the place where John first baptized speaking still according to his own story for that was the first place that he had named And 2. at Bethabara had John pointed out Christ and born witness to him so that Disciples there began first to follow him therefore it appeareth by their speech that came to John ver 26. that Bethabara and Aenon were on the two several sides of Jordan Bethabara beyond and Aenon on this side 3. I should as soon look for Aenon and Salim in Galilee as in any other place that I have found mentioned by those that expounded this place For 1. Since Christ was first to appear in Galilee why should not his forerunner appear there also before him How much more proper is it to hold that as John baptized in Judea and there Christ was baptized of him and in Peraea or beyond Jordan and there Christ was pointed out by him so that also he baptized in Galilee and there Christ succeeded him then of all places to let him miss Galilee where Christ did first shew himself How could Herod whose residence and place was in Galilee and John come into so great converse and acquaintance as the Gospel giveth evidence they did Mark 6. 20. if John resided not in Galilee as well as Herod 3. The Septuagint mention a Salim in Galilee in the Tribe of Issachar Josh. 19. 22. differing indeed from the Hebrew Text but naming the place as may be supposed as it was called in their time as the Chaldee Paraphr also use to do Shaalim in 1 Sam. 9. 4. in some Editions of the Septuagint is written Saalim which whether it may not be the same with their Salim in Josh. 19. 22. and whether the Evangelist here refer not to that word and place I leave it to be discussed by others and whether Aenon in the Septuagint in Josh. 15. 61. can be to our purpose here 4. There is one stumbling block lies in the way of this mine opinion which holds Aenon and Salim to be in Galilee and that is in that Josephus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John Baptist upon Herods suspition was sent Prisoner to Machaerus Antiq. 18. lib. 7. Now Machaerus Castle was in Peraea or beyond Jordan on the North-east part of that Country and confining upon Arabia which was a great distance from Galilee as the same Author averreth De Bel. lib. 3. cap. 4. to which scruple satisfaction may be given also from the same Author For it appeareth by him that the pretence of Herods imprisoning John was fear of innovation in regard of the peoples high esteem of him though the true cause indeed was about Herodias That Machaerus was a frontier garrison between the territory of Herod for he had land there though so far from Galilee but upon what title here is not a place to insist to shew and of his Father in Law Aretas King of Arabia whose daughter he put away when he took Herodias upon which occasion there was long and sad war betwixt Aretas and him therefore that he might secure John far enough from the people amongst whom he had so high repute and sure enough from rescue and tumult about him he got him into that strong hold so remote and whether he lay not there with his Army when John was beheaded it will be a more seasonable place to examine at the story of his beheading when the Lord shall bring us thither 5. I should rather take Aenon for the name of some large and spacious compass of ground full of fresh springs and waters than for any one particular Town River or City As Sharon was a large champaign from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to let loose
saith to him That is not lawful For as the Law was given in fear and terror so must it be used with fear and terror The same man went into a Synagogue and saw the Angelus Ecclesiae reading and setting no man by him no Interpreter as Alphesi expounds it He saith to him That is unlawful for it was given by the hand of a Mediator so is it to be used by the hand of a Mediator He also went into a Synagogue and saw a Scribe reading his interpreting out of a Book He saith to him That is unlawful for what by word of mouth by word of mouth and what out of the book out of the book The Reader of the Haphtaroth or portion out of the Prophets was ordinarily one of the number of those that had read the Law he was called out to read by the Minister of the Congregation he went up into the desk had the Book of the Prophet given him began with Prayer and had an Interpreter even as it was with them that read the Law And under these Synagogue rulers are we to understand Christs reading in the Synagoue at this time namely as a member of the Synagogue called out by the Minister reading according to the accustomed order the portion in the Prophet when the Law was read and it is like he had read some part of the Law before and having an Interpreter by him to render into Syriack the Text he read he then begins in Syriack to preach upon it Now if it be questioned Under what notion may the Minister of the Congregation be thought to call him out to read It may be answered 1. It is possible he had done so many a time before while Christ lived amongst them as a private man for though none but men learned and in orders might Preach and Teach in their Synagogues yet might even boys and servants if need were read there if so be they were found able to read well And Christ though his education was but mean according to the condition of his parents John 7. 15. yet it is almost past peradventure that he was brought up so as to read as generally all the children of the Nation were 2. Christ in other parts of Galilee had shewed his wisdom and his works and his fame was spread abroad and no doubt was got to Nazareth where he was best known and this would readily get him such a publick tryal in the Synagogue if he had never been upon that imployment before to see what evidences he would give of what was so much reported of him Vers. 17. And there was delivered to him the Book of Esaias It is a tradition and so it was their practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they read not in the Synagogues in the five books of Moses bound together but every book of the five single by it self And so also may it be conceived they did by the Prophets that the three great Prophets Esay Jeremy Ezekiel were every one single and the twelve small Prophets bound together And we may conclude upon this the rather because they had also this Tradition and practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Maphtir or he that read in the Prophets might skip from passage to passage that is from one text to another for illustration of the matter he read upon but he might not skip from Prophet to Prophet but only in the twelve small Prophets The delivering of the Book unto him by the Minister to whom he also delivers it again when he hath read vers 20. doth confirm what was said before that Christ stood up to read as a member of the Synagogue and in the ordinary way of reading used there for so it was the custom of the Minister to give the book to those that did so read But if Christ had gone about to read beside or contrary to the common custom of the place it can little be thought that the Minister would so far have complied with him as to give him the Book that he might read irregularly or beside the custom To which may also be added that if our Saviour intended only to rehearse this passage of Esay that he might take it for his text to ground his discourse upon he could have done that by heart and had not needed the Book but it sheweth that he was the Reader of the second Lesson or of the Prophets this day in the ordinary way as it is used to be read by some or other of that Synagogue every Sabbath § He found the place where it was written c. Not by chance but intentionally turned to it Now whether this place that he fixed on were the proper lesson for the day may require some dispute They that shall peruse the Haphtaroth or Lessons in the Prophets which were precisely appointed for every Sabbath to be read will find some cause to doubt whether this portion of the Prophet that our Saviour read were by appointment to be read in the Synagogue at all But not to insist upon this scrutiny in the reading of the Prophets they were not so very punctual as they were in the reading of the Law R. Alphes ubi supr but they might both read less than was appointed and they might skip and read other where than was appointed And so whether our Saviour began in some other portion of the Prophet and thence passed hither to illustrate what he read there though the Evangelist hath only mentioned this place as most punctual and pertinent to Christs discourse or whether he fixed only upon this place and read no more than what Luke hath mentioned it is not much material to controvert his reading was so as gave not offence to the Synagogue and it is like it was so as was not unusual in the Synagogue He that read in the Prophets was to read at the least one and twenty verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if he finished the sense in less he needed not to read so many Megill Maym. ubi ante Vers. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me The Jews in the interpretation of this Scripture do generally apply the sense and truth of it to the Prophet himself as the Eunuch was ready to apply another place in this same Prophet Acts 8. 34. So the Chaldee renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prophet saith The spirit of Prophecy from before the Lord is upon me And David Kimchi These are the words of the Prophet concerning himself In which application they did not much amiss to bring the meaning of the words to Esay himself if they did not confine and limit the truth of them there For the words do very well speak the function of the Prophet his calling and Ministery being to those very ends and purposes that are named here but to restrain it to him only is to lose the full and vigorous sense of it which the words hold out and which the Prophet could not reach unto to have
we come up to the time of our Saviours death and to a wretch that had not a small hand in it Annas or Ananus who had been High-priest four changes before him is said to be High-priest with him Luke 2. 41. JONATHAN the son of Ananus made High-priest by Vitellius in the room of Ibid. c. 6. Cajaphas whom he removed 42. THEOPHILUS the brother of Jonathan upon the removal of Jonathan by Ibid. c. 7. the same Vitellius is made High-priest 43. SIMON called also Kantheras made High-priest by Herod Agrippa Theophilus Lib. 19. c. 5. being removed this was he whose daughter Herod married and who was removed from the High-priesthood so many changes ago 44. JONATHAN the son of Ananus restored by Agrippa again but he desires Ibid. c. 6. that his brother Matthias might be put in the place as a fitter man than himself which was a wonder in the great ambition for the High-priesthood which commonly was afoot 45. MATTHIAS put in the room of Jonathan 46. ALIONEUS or Elioenai placed by Agrippa in the room of removed Matthias Ib. cap. 7. 47. JOSEPHUS the son of Kanei promoted by Herod King of Chalcis Lib. 20. cap. 1 48. JONATHAN slain by an Assassin by the contrival of the Governour Felix Ibid. c. 6. 49. ISMAEL the son of Fabi. Ibid. 50. JOSEPH the son of Simon Ibid. 51. ANANUS the son of Ananus mentioned before This man was a Sadducee Ibid. c. 8. He put to death James the brother of our Lord he is called Ananias a whited wall one whom Paul will not own for High-priest Act. 23. 3 5. 52. JESUS put in by Agrippa King of Chalcis in the room of Ananus this Jesus was Ibid. the son of one Gamaliel 53. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus And here began the Wars of the Jews Ibid. which at last were their destruction In which time the confusion of the times did breed such confusion and jumbling about the High-priesthood in choosing and counterchoosing and putting in and out according to the pleasure of this or that faction that prevailed that it would be but confused work to go about to give a Catalogue or account of them therefore having led the row of the High-priests thus far as till all order both in Church and State were perished and the dignity and respect of that Order was utterly lost we will supersede with this number that hath been related and pass on to the other ranks of Priests that are before us CHAP. V. The Sagan Katholikin Immarcalin and Gizbarin SECT I. SAGAN THE word Sagan is rare in the Scripture but both the name and the dignity is very commonly known and used in the Hebrew writers It is undoubted that he was next to the High-priest or Vicegerent to him but under what notion he came into this deputation is disputable and a a a Iuchasin fol. 57. Abraham Zaccuth doth purposely dispute it One conjecture about this matter is from that Tradition mentioned in Joma That against the day of expiation when the High-priest was to go into the most Holy place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b Ioma per. 1. ab initi◠They appointed another Priest in his stead who might supply the solemn work of that day if any uncleanness did befal the High-priest himself And R. Judah also saith they appointed him another wife lest his own wife should have died because he was enjoyned to atone for himself and for his house that is for his wife Now it is conceived by some that this Priest that was appointed as a reserve if any thing had befallen the High-priest to make him unfit for that work was called the Sagan c c c Ioseph Ant. lib. 17. cap. 8. Josephus giveth one example when the work of the day of Expiation was carried on by such a substitute but this opinion maketh the Sagan useful but for one week in the year whereas it appeareth by the Jewish records that he was in a continual office all the year thorough Some therefore again conjecture that the Sagan was to be he that was to be the next High-priest and in his Sagan-ship was as a Candidate for that Office d d d R. Sol. in Num. 19. So R. Solomon calleth Eleazar the son of Aaron the Sagan And e e e Aruch in Sagan Iuchas ubi sup the Jerusalem Talmud observes that none was High-priest unless he had been Sagan first but there are two arguments that oppose this opinion the first is because the High-priests after the time of Herod especially were so made at the arbitrary disposal of the Governor that it is not imaginable that they ever regarded whether he had been Sagan before or no. And another is because in all the Old Testament where the succession of the High-priesthood was fair and legal and it was still known who should be High-priest next yet there is never mention of the word or of the thing Sagan but only in 2 King 25. 18. and Jer. 52. 24. where is mention of Zephaniah the second Priest and the Chaldee Paraphrast calls him Sagan Now unless he were son to Serajah which I know not who ever held he was in no possibility of the High-priesthood had the Temple scaped the Babylonian fire and desolation For the discovering therefore what the Sagan was and under what notion he came into his Office it is observable that he is most commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sagan of the Priests So the Chaldee in the two places cited titleth Zephaniah So the Talmud in two places in the Treatise Shekalim speaketh of f f f Shekalim per. 3. per. 6. Ananias the Sagan of the Priests and in divers places both in the Talmud and in other Hebrew writers the phrase is used in this conjuncture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sagan of the Priests By the which it seemeth his Office had relation as much if not more to Priests below him as to the High-priest above him and I know not what fitter conception to have of him than this that he was as the High-priests Substitute in his absence to oversee or in his presence to assist in the oversight of the affairs of the Temple and the service of the Priests For although it is true that in some particulars his attendance did especially respect the High-priests person as in three reckoned by g g g Talm. Ierus Ioma per. 3. the Talmud of Jerusalem yet did his Office also relate to the Priests below him and so saith Maymonides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h h h Maym. in Kele Mik per. 4. That all the Priests were under the disposal or command of the Sagan For the High-priest having the chief charge and care of the holy things and that burden and incumbency being of so great a weight he was forced to get an assistance to help him to bear the burden nay sometime the silliness and
the other Abarbinel disputing concludeth thus a a a Abarbinel in Exod. 12. fol. 151. that it lay in this because it signified unto them the hastiness of their coming out of Egypt insomuch that they had not time to leaven their bread as Exod. 12. 39. and he addeth withal that in those hot Countries bread will not keep above a day unless it be leavened so that the command of unleavened bread might read unto them in that respect a Lecture of dependance upon Providence when they were enjoyned to forsake the common and known way of preserving their bread and to betake themselves to a way extraordinary and unsafe but only that they had the Command of God and his Injunction for that way and they must learn to live by the word of God The Jews to meet with this Command that was so exceeding strict and to make sure to provide for its observance soon enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b Talm. in Pesachin per. 1. Did on the fourteenth day while yet there was some light make search for leaven by the light of a Candle Thus is the Tradition in which by the light of the fourteenth day their Glossaries tell us that we must understand c c c R. Sol. Gloss. R. Alphes in Pesach per. 1. Maym. in Hâ—amets â—matsah per. 2. the thirteenth day at even when it began to be duskish and candle-lighting The rubrick of the Passeover in the Hebrew and Spanish tongues renders it in Hebrew Letters but in the Spanish Language thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 En entrada di quatorze del mez de Nisan d d d Seder Haggadah Shel Pesach fol. 1. At the entrance of the fourteenth day of the Month Nisan they searched for leaven in all the places where they were wont to use leaven in Barnes Stables and such out houses they needed not to search even in holes and cranies and that not by light of Sun and Moon or Torch but by the light of a wax candle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 con candela di cera And the reason why they used a Candle rather than any other light was e e e R. Alphes ubi supr because it is the fittest for searching holes and corners f f f Tosapht in Pesach per. 1. and because the Scripture speaketh of searching Jerusalem with Candles g g g Seder Haggadah ubi supr After the evening of the fourteenth day was come in which was after Sun setting they might not go about any work no not to the study of the Law till they had gone about this search therefore h h h Maym. ubi supr there was not so much as Divinity Lectures that evening lest they should hinder that work i i i Id. ibid. cap. 3. Seder Haggad â—â—isâ—p Before he began to search he said this short ejaculation Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King everlasting who hath sanctified us by his commandments and hath enjoyned us the putting away of leaven And he might not speak a word betwixt this praying and searching but must fall to work and what leaven he found he must put it in some box or hang it up in such a place as that no Mouse might come at it And he was to give it up for nul in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the leaven that is within my Possession which I have seen or which I have not seen be it null be it as the dust of the earth SECT II. The passages of the forenoon of the Passeover day WHen the Passeover day it self was now come which the New Testament commonly called the first day of unleavened bread from their custom newly mentioned but the Jewish Writers do ordinarily call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Passeover eve some part of the People made it a Holiday by ceasing from bodily labour all the day long and others made it but half holiday by leaving work at noon a a a Talm. in Pesach per. 4. c. the Talmud relates that in Galilee they left work all the day long from morning till night but in Judea that they wrought till noon and then gave over which may seem somewhat strange that those further off were so observant of the Passeover and those nearer hand were so much less but the reason is this because in Galilee those that were at home on that day had nothing else to do towards the Passeover but only to meditate upon it and rest from labour in honour of it but those in Judea it may be they travelled all forenoon to get up to Jerusalem or had some work to do towards the forwarding of the Passeover or to dispatch that they might follow their Passeover work the better It is in dispute in the place cited immediately before concerning resting from labour on this day that we have in hand and it proves a controversie between the schools of Shammai and Hillel whether they should not also rest from labour the night before but at last the determination comes so low as that it gives liberty to works that were begun on the thirteenth day to be finished on the fourteenth nay yet lower that where the custom was to leave off work for all day there they should leave work and where it was the Custom to work till Noon there they should do according to the Custom But whatsoever they did in this case cease from their labour in the forenoon or cease not one work they must not fail to do and that was to cast out and put away leaven out of their houses this day as they had searched for it the night before and that it might not be seen nor found amongst them The Law indeed concerning this work doth pitch upon the fifteenth day for the doing of it as if it were soon enough to do it on the fourteenth day at Even Exod. 12. 18 19. but the Jews do not impertinently observe that the expelling of leaven was by the Law to be before the time wherein the eating of it was forbidden b b b Maym. in Hbamets umats per. 2. For whereas it is said on the first day you shall put leaven out of your houses their tradition taught them that by the first is meant the fourteenth day And a proof for this there is from what is written in the Law Thou shalt not kill the bloud of my sacrifice with leaven that is Thou shalt not kill the Passeover whilest leaven is yet remaining non the killing of the Passeover was on the fourteenth day in the afternoon On this fourteenth day therefore for a good part of the forenoon they might eat leaven or leavened bread and c c c Pesach per. 2. in Mishu. might give it to any Bird or Beast or might sell it to a stranger but the fixing of the certain time is not without some debate d d
Children of Ammon 1 King XI 7. namely on the right hand of the Hill as you looked upon it from Jerusalem 2 King XXIII 13. In this Text of the Kings it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hor Hammashchith instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Har Hammishchah The Mount of Corruption instead of The Mount of Unction or of Olives the Holy Ghost branding the fact and the place for the fact with so visible and notable a mark of distaste and displeasure at it To so great a contrariety to what he once was when he was himself had Solomons Idolatrous Wives bewitched him that as he had built a sumptuous Temple on Mount Moriah to the true God so they perswade him to build an Idolatrous Temple to their abominations on Mount Olivet in the face of the Temple and â—ffronting it The valley beneath this accursed Idoleum was called The valley of Tophet and the valley of the Son or the Sons of Hinnom Jer. VII 31 32. and XIX 6 c. The valley of Tophet that is k k k Vid. Buxt Heb. Lex in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The valley of Drums or Tabers from the noise that was made with such kind of instruments to drown the cries and shrieking of the burning Children And the valley of the Sons of Hinnom that is the valley of Children of shrieking and roaring from the woful cries of those poor Children frying in the fire This was probably that which is called the valley of the carkasses or the dead bodies Jer. XXXI 40. of which name the Chaldee Paraphrast in that place hath given this reason Because the dead bodies of the Camp of the Assyrians fell there and to which Josephus also giveth testimony when he relateth that a place was called l l l Jos. de Bell. lib. 6. cap. 26. 31. The Assyrian Camp And here may we give a check a little to the peremptoriness of Rabbi Solomon upon the Text of Jeremy lest he grow too proud who glosseth the fortieth verse thus m m m R. Sol. in Ier. 31. 40. The valley of dead bodies is the valley where the carkasses of the Camp of Senacherib fell and the valley of the Ashes is the plaâ—â— whither they carried the ashes forth which was without Jerusalem These places they shall bring within the City even within the walls And this Prophesie is to be accomplished in the last redemption in despight of the Hereticks for it was not accomplished under the second Temple By Hereticks he virulently meaneth Christians who deny any other Messias yet to come and that there shall be any more an earthly Jerusalem For he would construe those words of the Prophet strictly according to the letter as if there should be a time when these valleys should be walled within Jerusalem really and indeed whereas the Prophet in mentioning of those most defiled and polluted places to be taken into the City meaneth only the bringing in of the Heathens who had been polluted with all manner of defilement of Idolatry and other abominations into the spiritual Jerusalem which is above or the Church And yet if we would follow him even in his literal construction we might shew out of his own Authors the Talmudists how Bethphage the Town that stood even in these places mentioned by the Prophet though it stood out of the Walls of Jerusalem yet by their own confession it is reckoned as a member or part of Jerusalem and so was that prophecy literally fulfilled by their own Chorography at the coming of our Messias But here is not a place for such disputes This was the prospect that you had before you on the right hand as you stood in the East-Gate of the Mountain of the Temple namely a part of Mount Olivet divided from the City Jerusalem by the valley of Tophet and by the valley of Ashes on the side of the valley near Jerusalem stood the Town Bethphage and on the Hill on the further side of the valley over against it stood Bethany renowned for the raising of Lazarus from the dead there and for our Saviours frequent resort thither and ascension thence Directly before you was the place upon Mount Olivet where they used to burn the Red Cow into purifying ashes when they had occasion to do such a work and n n n Maym. in Parah per. 3. in Shekalim per. 4. thither went a double arched Cawsey of the same manner of arching that we have mentioned under the Temple Courts and for the same caution namely for security against graves by which the Priest that went about that imployment might have been defiled and so the work mar'd Upon your left hand as you stood ran Mount Olivet still and the valley betwixt you and it and all along on the East point and on the North side of Sion was called the valley of Kidren of famous memory and mention in Scripture 2 Sam. XV. 23. 2 King XXIII 6. John XVIII 1 c. At the foot of the hill beyond this valley you might see Gethsemany or the place of the Oyl Presses whither they brought the Olives they had gathered upon Mount Olivet to be pressed and the Oyl got out And there it was whither our Saviour went after his last Supper and where he was apprehended having supped that night as it is most likely in Sion or the City of David CHAP. IV. Of the two South-Gates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gates of Huldah AS the East quarter of the enclosing Wall did face Mount Olivet so did the South quarter face Jerusalem the City it self For take we the whole City either built upon seven Hills a a a Jelammed fol. 52. as Tanchuma asserts it or upon three Acra Moriah and Sion as it is commonly described or add Bezetha and Ophla if you will the situation of it will be found thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b Iosaph ad Kelim That the Mountain of the Temple will be found lying Northward of Jerusalem and Sion Northward of the Mountain of the Temple And thus do the Jews in their Antiquities generally seat it and that not without sufficient warrant of the Scripture For how can those words of the Psalmist Beautiful for situation the joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North Psal. XLVIII 2. be more properly and plainly interpreted than as Aben Ezra doth interpret them c c c Aben Ezr. in Psal. 46. Sion on the North side of Jerusalem And those words of Ezekiel He set me upon a Mountain by which was the frame of a City towards the South Ezek. XL. 2. who can give them a sense more genuine and proper than Kimchi hath done when he saith d d d Kimch in Ezek. 4. 2. The Mountain is the Mountain of the Temple and this City is Jerusalem on the South On this side therefore that faced Jerusalem or that looked South there were two Gates that were called e e
Temple that we are surveying which was the Temple built by Herod the Temple that was in the days of our Saviour though Ezekiel speak of such Pillars at the door of his Temple Chap. XL. 49. yet because we desire to give account chiefly of what we find recorded in Scripture concerning the Temple in general we cannot pass over two such memorable Monuments as these two Pillars of whom the Story and relation is held out by the Scripture so largely and exactly 1. These two Pillars which were of brass consisted either of them of two parts the Pillar it self and the Boll and Chapiter that was set on the head of it The Pillar it self was hollow the circle incompassing the hollow four fingers thick and the compass of that circling twelve cubits about Jer. LII 21. 1 King VII 15. a a a R. Sol. in 1 King VII R. Lev. Gers. ibid. the whole thickness or diameter of either Pillar four cubits or three cubits and four fifth parts of a cubit as is the reckoning of Levi Gersom The Chapiter or Boll likewise of either Pillar was hollow and was a huge piece of Brass Boll or oval fashion which had a very large hole in it into which the top of the Pillar was let and so this Chapiter sate upon it 2. The length or height of either Pillar was eighteen cubits besides the Chapiter for the Text doth clearly reckon the height of Pillar and Chapiter distinctly Now the Book of Chronicles summeth the length of both Pillars together and saith they were five and thirty cubits high 2 Chron. III. 15. in which it cometh short a cubit of that account and summ that is given in the Book of Kings and Jeremiah which say That either Pillar was eighteen cubits and so the whole of both was six and thirty But half a cubit of either Pillar was taken up and hid in the hole of the Chapiter that sate upon it and so that Text in the Book of Chronicles measures them as they stood with the Chapiters upon them two and twenty cubits and an half high Pillar and Chapiter and all 3. The Chapiter or oval on the head of either Pillar is called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Rabbi Solomon renders in the vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pumels Kimchi A Crown with which the Chaldee agrees who expresseth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corona but Levi Gershom more exactly saith it was like two Crowns joined together It was a huge great oval of five cubits high and did not only sit upon the head of the Pillars but also flowred or spread them being larger about a great deal than the Pillars themselves 4. Whereas it is said both in 1 King VII 16. Jer. LII 22. that the height of either Chapiter was five cubits and yet in 2 King XXV 17. it is said that the height of the Chapiter was three cubits it is generally and well answered by the Jews that the lowest two cubits of the Chapiter were plain and without any graving or imbroidering but the three upper cubits were of such imbroidery To which may be added and some of them do add it that the two lower cubits were but the rising into the spreading or belly of the Chapiter and that they there are not reckoned in that place but only from the belly upward the account is taken 5. The ingravery or imbroidery or both of these Chapiters is thus described by the Holy Ghost in various particulars As. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King VII 17. which our English renders Nets of Checker-work And so the Seventy useth the word Nets also The original word doth properly signifie the inwrapping and infolding of the branches of Trees one within another as Neh. I. 10. Gen. XXII 13. Jer. IV. 7. Esai X. 34. As Vines or Thickets saith b b b Michol in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi explaining the word that are caught and infolded one within another And so some others express this clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the imbroidery was like the branches of Palm Trees or like the handful of branches they used to carry in their hands at the Feast of Tabernacles This I conceive to be the proper meaning of the words that the Chapiters were curiously wrought with branch-work seven goodly branches standing up with their feet from the belly of the oval and their boughs and leaves curiously and lovelily intermingled and inwoven one with another And the words might not improperly be translated thus for the clearer understanding of their meaning and of the manner of the work it self With thickets of branch-work and wreaths of chain-work 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wreathes of Chain-work The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deut. XXII 12. signifies the fringes that they wore upon their Garments for memorials of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Chaldee Paraphrast And according to such a sense is it to be taken here that about the belly of the Chapiter was a curious Fring or border of wreathen and intwined work upon which border stood the feet or root of the branch-work spoken of before and those branches from thence went upward spreading upon the swelling of the Chapiter and bowing toward the top of the oval as the oval bowed and they there growing into their contracted tops 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two rows of Pomgranates were wrought artificially below the boughs of these branches as if they had been the Apples that those branches bare but only that they were not scattered dispersedly among the branches as Apples use to be in their Trees but were ranked into two several rows or borders severally below them But here we had need to look upon the Text with much seriousness for in two things about this very thing it speaks obscurely and with much difficulty For first in speaking of these rows it saith That the Chapiters were above or upon the Pomgranates 1 King VII 18. Now it is so harsh to hear of the Chapiters being upon the Pomgranates whereas it is most undoubted that the Pomgranates were upon the Chapiters that some Copies as David Kimchi tells us have been so bold as to change the word and instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the head of the Pomgranates to read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the head of the Pillars but as he well observes the Masoreth by putting a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon it or a note that it is not read so any where else doth conclude that it is and must be read so here upon the head of the Pomgranates Now the construction of this may be fetched from 2 Chron. III. 16. where it is said That he put the Pomgranates upon the chains that is the two rows of the Pomgranates were close above the Fring or border of chain-work which was as it were the bottom and basis of the imbroidery and so the bulk and body of the Chapiter where the imbroidery was was above
and seeing Darius its last King and probably his last times Nehem. XII 12. Nay Ezra who was born either before or in the first year of the Babylonion Monarchy yet liveth near the expiration of the Persian by which it is easie to conclude how far the Heathen Histories are out who reckon fourteen Kings successively in the Persian Throne and two hundred years of their rule before its fall In the first year of Cyrus the returned Captives out of Babel only built an Altar and sacrificed thereon for seven months together having yet no Temple but in this second year the second month of that year they lay the foundation of the House Ezra 3 8 c. the progress of which work is soon opposed and indeavoured to be made frustrate by the Samaritans all the time of Cyrus Ezra IV. 5. but in his time they prevailed not In his third year Artaxerxes cometh to the Kingdom who is also called Ahashuerosh Ezra IV. 6 7. he is perswaded by evil Counsellors to interdict and prohibit the Temple building and so it lay intermitted all his time Dan. X. 1 2 3. Ezra IV. 23 24. Darius succeeded him called also Artaxerxes Ezra VI. 1. VII 1. c. In his second year the building goes on again and is finished in his sixth Hag. I. Ezra VI. 14. And thus had the Temple lien waste and desolate just seventy years from the nineteenth of Nebuchadnezzar in which year it was fired to the second of Darius when it began to be wrought upon so as that it came to perfection Zech. I. 12. IV. 3 5. In the seventh year of this Darius which was the year after the Temple was finished Ezra cometh up Ezra VII 8. and thirteen years after namely in the twentieth year of this Darius called also Artaxerxes Nehemiah cometh up to Jerusalem Neh. I. 1. and both help to repair settle and rectifie Temple City and People as their Story is at large in their own Books In the two and thirtieth year of this Darius Nehemiah having finished what he had to do about the building beautifying and settling of City Temple and People he returneth again unto the King Neh. XIII 6. and here ends Daniels first parcel of his seventy weeks namely seven weeks in which Street and Wall should be built and that in troublous times Dan. IX 25. By seven weeks he meaneth seven times seven years which amounts to nine and forty and so there were hitherto namely three of Cyrus fourteen of Ahashuerosh and thirty two of Darius After Darius there reigned Artaxerxes commonly known in Heathen Stories by the name of Xerxes the invader of Greece with his huge Army c. He was a favourer of the Jews at the least for a while as it appeareth by that passage in Ezra VI. 14. They builded and finished according to the Commandment of the Lord and according to the Commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes where this Artaxerxes is set in parallel equipage with Cyrus and Darius for favouring the Temple It is true indeed the work was finished in the time of Darius as to the very building of the House yet were the buildings about it still coming on and encreasing and this Xerxes did favour the work as well as those Princes had done before him Yet did there an unhappy occurrence befal in this Kings time in the Temple it self which if it did not alienate and change his affection from well-willing to it yet did it prejudice the Temple in the affection of him that was chief Commander under this King in those parts whose name was Bagoses The occasion was this a a a Ioseph Ant. lib. 11. cap. 7 Jochanan who was then High Priest upon some displeasure against his own Brother Jesus did fall upon him and slay him in the very Temple Bagoses favoured this Jesus and intended to have made him High Priest and it is like that Jochanan smelt the design and out of jealousie of such a thing thought to prevent it by his Brothers dispatch whatsoever was the cause of this his murder the fruit of it was this that Bagoses violently presseth into the Temple which he might not have done and layeth a mulct upon the People namely forty Drachmes upon every Lamb that was to be Sacrificed Ezra and Nehemiah were both now alive and do but imagine how their piety would digest a thing so impious The next in the Throne after this Artaxerxes mentioned in Scripture was Darius Nehem. XII 22. the Man with whom the Empire fell under the victorious Sword of Alexander the Great In his time another occasion from another Brother of an High Priest occurreth which accrewed not a little to the prejudice of the Temple and Nation and that was this b b b Ibid. cap. 8. Neh. XIII 28. Manasseh one of the sons of Joiada the son of Eliashib the High Priest had married Nicasso the Daughter of Sanballat for which being driven from the Altar and Priesthood he betaketh himself to his Father-in-law to Samaria and they betwixt them obtain a Commission from Danius and get it confirmed also by Alexander the Great to build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim John IV. 20. which being built in affront to the Temple of Jerusalem it proved no small disadvantage to it and the Service there for it not only caused a faction and defection in the Nation but also it became the common refuge and shelter of all lawless and irregular despisers of discipline and Government In this Darius was the end of the Persian State and Kingdom having continued for the succession of these Kings but whether any more and how many precise years is not easily determinable what times went over the Temple in their Reigns besides what is mentioned here may be observed in the Books of Nehemiah Ezra Haggai Zechary and Malachi SECT II. The occurrences of the Temple under Alexander a a a Ios. Ant. sup ALEXANDER the Great the Conqueror of Darius and overthrower of the Persian Kingdom did in his own Person visit Jerusalem and the Temple coming towards it like a Lion but he came into it like a Lamb. He had taken indignation at Jaddua the High Priest Nehem. XII 22. because he denyed him assistance at the Siege of Tyrus for Jaddua had sworn fealty to Darius Hereupon he cometh up towards Jerusalem breathing fire and fury against it till he came within the sight of the City There he was met by Jaddua in the High Priests garments and by all the Priests in their vestments and the People in white whom when he came near in stead of offering them violence he shewed reverence to the High Priest and courteously saluted all the People When his Commanders wondred at such a change he told them that in a dream in Macedon he saw one in the very same Attire that the High Priest was in who encouraged him to invade the Persian Empire and promised to lead his Army and to make him
water hath never seen any rejoycing at all This offering of water they say was a Tradition given at Mount Sinai a a a a a a Rambam in loc and that the Prophet Jonah was inspired by the Holy Ghost upon this offering of water b. If you ask what foundation this usage hath Rambam will tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Gloss in lot there are some kind of remote hints of it in the Law however those that will not believe the Traditional Law will not believe this article about the sacrifice of water I. They bring for it the authority of the Prophet Isaiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of drawing for it is written Ye shall draw waters with joy c. Isa. XII 3. b b b b b b Succah fol. 50. 2. This rejoycing which we have describ'd before they call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rejoycing of the Law or for the Law for by waters they often understand the Law Isa. LV. 1. and several other places and from thence the rejoycing for these waters II. But they add moreover that this drawing and offering of water signifies the pouring out of the Holy Spirit c c c c c c â—…h rabba fol. 70. 1. Why do they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of drawing because thence they draw the Holy Spirit Gloss in Succah ubi supr In the Jerusalem Talmud it is expounded that they draw there the Holy Spirit for a divine breathing is upon the man through joy Another Gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Flute also sounded for encrease of the joy Drawing of water therefore took its rise from the words of Isaiah they rejoyc'd over the waters as a symbol and figure of the Law and they lookt for the Holy Spirit upon this joy of theirs III. But still they add further d d d d d d â—oh Hashaâ—â—h fol. 16. Why doth the Law command saying offer ye water on the feast of Tabernacles The Holy Blessed God saith offer ye waters before me on the Feast of Tabernacles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the rains of the year may be blest to you For they had an opinion that God decreed and determin'd on the rains that should fall the following year at that Feast Hence that in the place before mention'd e e e e e e â— Taanith fol. 2. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Feast of Tabernacles it is determin'd concerning the waters And now let us reflect upon this passage of our Saviour Whosoever believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water They agree with what he had said before to the Samaritan woman Chap. IV. 14. and both expressions upon the occasion of drawing of water The Jews acknowledg that the latter Redeemer is to procure water for them as their former Redeemer Moses had done f f f f f f Midras Coheleth fol. 85. But as to the true meaning of this they are very blind and ignorant and might be better taught by the Messiah here if they had any mind to learn I. Our Saviour calls them to a belief in him from their own boast and glorying in the Law and therefore I rather think those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Scripture hath said should relate to the foregoing clause Whosoever believeth in me as the Scripture hath spoken about believing in Isa. XXVIII 16. I lay in Sion for a foundation a try'd stone He that believeth c. Habak II. 4. The just shall live by faith And the Jews themselves confess g g g g g g Maccoth fol. 24. 1. that six hundred and thirteen precepts of the Law may all be reduc'd to this The just shall live by faith And to that of Amos v. 6. Seek the Lord and ye shall live II. Let these words then of our Saviour be set in opposition to this rite and usage in the Feast of Tabernacles of which we have been speaking Have you such wonderful rejoycing at drawing a little water from Siloam He that believes in me whole rivers of living waters shall flow out of his own belly Do you think the waters mention'd in the Prophets do signifie the Law they do indeed denote the Holy Spirit which the Messiah will dispense to those that believe in him and do you expect the Holy Spirit from the Law or from your rejoycing in the Law the Holy Spirit is of faith and not of the Law Gal. III. 2. VERS XXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this Holy Ghost was not yet THESE words have relation to that most receiv'd opinion of the Jews about the departure of the Holy Spirit after the death of Zachary and Malachi to this also must that passage be interpreted when those of Ephesus say Act. XIX 2. We have not yet heard whether there were a Holy Ghost or no. That is we have indeed heard of the Holy Ghosts departure after the death of our last Prophets but of his return and redonation of him we have not yet heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years in midst of the years make known Hab. III. 2. He calls the seventy years of Captivity the midst of the years For on the one hand it had been seven times seventy years from the birth of Samuel the first of the Prophets to the Captivity Act. III. 24. and on the other hand it was seven times seventy years from the end of the Captivity to the death of Christ. The prayer is that the gift of Prophesie might not be lost but preserv'd whiles the people should live exil'd in an heathen Country And according to the twofold virtue of Prophesie the one of working miracles the other of foretelling things to come he uses a twofold phrase revive thy work and make known Nor indeed was that gift lost in the Captivity but was very illustrious in Daniel Ezekiel c. it return'd with those that came back from the Captivity and was continu'd for one generation but then the whole Canon of the Old Testament being perfected and made up it departed not returning till the dawn of the Gospel at what time it appear'd in inspiring the Blessed Virgin John Baptist and his Parents c. and yet the Holy Ghost was not yet come that is not answerably to that large and signal promise of it in Joel II. 28. VERS XLIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This people c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people of the earth in common phrase oppos'd to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the disciples of the wise men whom they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy people h h h h h h Setah fol. 39. 1. but the former they call the accursed VERS LII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Art thou also of Galilee IT seems to be spoken scoffingly Art thou of those Galileans that believe in this Galilean CHAP. VIII EXPOSITORS
Religion because himself is the way the truth and the life in a sense much more proper and more sublime than the Law could be said to be It had been happier for the Jew if he could have discerned more judiciously concerning the Law if he could have distinguished between coming to God in the Law and coming to God by the Law as also between living in the Law and living by the Law It is beyond all doubt there is no way of coming to God but in his Law for what Out-law or one that still wanders out of the paths of God's Commandments can come unto him So also it is impossible that any one should have life but in the Law of God For who is it can have life that doth not walk according to the rule of his Laws But to obtain admission to the favour of God by the Law and to have life by the Law that is to be justified by the works of the Law this sounds quite another thing For it is by Christ only that we live and are justified by him alone that we have access to God These are the fictions of the Rabins There was one shewed a certain Rabbin the place where Corah and his Company were swallowed up and listen saith he what they say So they heard them saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses and his Law are the truth Upon the Calends b Bava bathra fol. 74. 1. Bemidb. rabb fol 271. 1. of every Month Hell rolls them about as flesh rolls in the Cauldron Hell still saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses and his Law are truth a It is indeed a great truth what is uttered in this most false and ridiculous legend that the Law of Moses is truth But the Jews might if they would attain to a much more sound way of judging concerning the truth of it and consider that the Law is not the summ and ultimate of all truth but that Christ is the very truth of the truth of Moses Joh. I. 17. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. VERS VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If ye had known me c. IT was a very difficult thing to spell out the knowledge of the Messiah from the Law and the Prophets under the first Temple but it was doubly more difficult under the second For under the first Temple Moses had only his own veil over him and the Prophets only their own proper and original obscurity but under the second Temple the obscurity is doubled by the darkness and smoke of Traditions which had not only beclouded the true Doctrines of Faith and Religon but had also brought in other Doctrines diametrically contrary to the chief and principal Articles of Faith those for instance concerning Justification the Person Reign and Office of the Messiah c. What measures of darkness these mists of Tradition had covered the minds of the Apostles with it is both difficult and might be presumptuous to determine They did indeed own Jesus for the true Messiah Joh. I. 41. Matth. XVI 16. But if in some things they judged amiss concerning his Office undertaking and government we must put it upon the score of that epidemical distemper of the whole Nation which they still did in some measure labour under And to this may this clause have some reference If ye had known me and had judged aright concerning the Office undertaking and Authority of the Messiah ye would in all these things which I teach and do have known the Will Command and Authority of the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from henceforth ye know him We may render it Henceforward therefore know him Henceforward acknowledge the Father in all that I have done brought in and am to introduce still and set your hearts at rest in it believing that you see the Father in me and in the things that I do VERS VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us WHEN the Law was given to Moses the Israelites saw God in his glory do thou therefore now that thou art bringing in a new Law and Oeconomy amongst us do thou shew us the Father and his glory and it will suffice us so that we will have no more doubt about it VERS XVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall give you another comforter ALthough the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in frequent use amongst the Jews to signifie an Advocate and that very sense may be allowed to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place yet may it seem more fit and proper to render it by comforter at present For I. Amongst all the names and titles given to the Messiah in the Jewish Writers that of Menahem or the Comforter hath chiefly obtained and the days of the Messiah amongst them are stiled the days of Consolation c c c c c c Bab. Sanhedr fol. 98. 2. The names of Messiah are reckoned up viz. Shiloh Jinnon Chaninah Menahem And in Jerusalem Beracoth d d d d d d Fol. 5. 1. we are told how the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem under the name of Menahem Luke II. 25. Waiting for the consolation of Israel Targumist upon Jerem. XXXI 6. Those that desire or long for the years of consolation to come This they were wont to swear by viz. the desire they had of seeing this Consolation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So let me see the Consolation Now therefore bring these words of our Saviour to what hath been said q. d. You expect with the rest of this Nation the Consolation in the Messiah and in his presence Well I must depart and withdraw my presence from you but I will send you in my stead another Comforter II. The minds of the Disciples at present were greatly distressed and troubled so that the promise of a Comforter seems more suitable than that of an Advocate to their present state and circumstances VERS XVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit of truth LET us but observe how the whole world at this time lay in falsehood and error the Gentiles under a Spirit of delusion the Jews under the cheat and imposture of Traditions and then the reason of this title of the Spirit of truth will appear as also how seasonable and necessary a thing it was that such a spirit should be sent into the world VERS XXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall teach you all things SO Chap. XVI 13. He shall lead you into all truth Here it might be very fitly enquired whether any ever beside the Apostles themselves were taught all things or led into all truth It is no question but that every believer is led into all truth necessary for himself and his own happiness but it was the Apostles lot only to be led into all truth necessary both for themselves and the whole Church VERS XXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prince of this world cometh SEEING this
hardned their faces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gloss renders it h h h h h h Moed Katon fol. 16. 1. He reproacheth the Messenger of the Sanhedrin More particularly i i i i i i â—rach Chaaiâ— cap. 359. Rambam of blessed memory saith For twenty four causes they Excommunicate either man or woman and these are they that are to be Excommunicated 1. He that vilifies a wise Man yea after his death 2. He that vilifies the Messenger of the Sanhedrin 3. He who calls his companion Servant 4. He that sets at nought one word of the Scribes There is no need to say he that sets at nought the Law 5. Who appears not at the day set him by the Bench. 6. Who submits not to the judgment of the Bench they excommunicate him till he do submit 7. Who keeps any hurtful thing for example a fierce Dog or a broken Ladder they excommunicate him till he put it away 8. Who sells his farm to a Heathen they excommunicate him until he take upon himself all the wrong which may thence come to an Israelite his neighbour 9. Who gives evidence against an Israelite before a Heathen Tribunal and by that Evidence wracks mony from him they excommunicate him until he pay it back again 10. A Butcher Priest who divides not a portion to the other Priest they excommunicate him until he gives it 11. Who profaneth the second Feast day of the Captivity although it be according to custom Of this day see Maimonides l l l l l l In Kiddush Hodesh cap. 5. 12. Who doth any servile work on the Passover Eve afternoon 13. Who mentioneth the name of God in vain either in an Oath or in Words 14. Who compels the people to eat the holy things out of the bounds 15. Who compels the people to prophane the Name of God 16. Who intercalates the year or months without the Land of Israel 17. Who lays a stumbling block before the blind 18. Who hinders the people from performing the precept 19. The Butcher who offers a torn beast 20. The Butcher who sheweth not his knife to a wise Man to be approved of 21. Who hardens himself against knowledge 22. Who hath put away his wife and yet hath partnership and dealing with her 23. A wise Man that lies under an ill fame 24. Who excommunicates him that deserves not excommunication These you have likewise in the Learned Buxtorph his Talmudick Lexicon in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niddui By how much the more carefully I look upon the causes and reasons of Excommunication so much the more I persist in my opinion that Excommunication was invented as a punishment for those faults for which no kind of punishment was decreed either by the Law or by any Traditional Canons Consider them singly and perhaps you will be of my opinion III. He against whom they were to proceed by Excommunication was first cited and a day set him wherein to appear by a Messenger sent him by the Bench which certified him of the day and of the persons before whom he was to appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m m m m m m Moed Katon fol. 16. 1. They appoint him the second day of the week on which day they sit in the Court and assemble in the Synagogue and the fifth day of the week on which day also there is an Assembly and a Session and the second of the week following If he appeared not on the day first appointed they look for him unto the day that was secondly appointed and thirdly appointed And this was when the case was about mony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if it were for Epicurism if he made not his appearance on the first day appointed they Excommunicate him without delay IV. They first struck him with simple Excommunication which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niddui in which there was not absolute cursing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n n n n n n Piske 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Moed Katon art 55. In Niddui was not absolute cursing For they said only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let N. be under Excommunication V. This Excommunication was for thirty days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Hieros Moed Katon fol. 81. 3 Excommunication Niddui was not less than for thirty days As it is said Until a month until the flesh come out of your nostrils Numb XI 20. But if the Excommunicated person appeased those that Excommunicated him within that time they absolve him forthwith VI. But if he persisted in his perversness the thirty days being ended they Excommunicate him again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adding also a curse And this second Excommunication they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shammatha 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p p p p p p Bab. Moed Katon in the place before Whence is it that we Shammatize In that it is written Curse ye Meroz Judg. V. 23. Rabbenu Asher upon the place q q q q q q Fol. 34. 2. Barak Shammatized Meroz as it is written Curse ye Meroz which is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excommunication and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cursing for in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both Excommunication and Cursing VII They published his offence in the Synagogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r r r r r r Moed Katon in the place before We particularly publish his crime in the Synagogue The Gloss is They said to his fellow Citizens For this and this cause we Shammatize him VIII If he persist still for these thirty days in his perversness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They Anathematized him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They Excommunicate him and after thirty days they again Excommunicate Shammatize him and after sixty they Anathematize Rabbenu Asher s s s s s s In the place above saith They Anathematize saying Let him be under Anathema And this much more heavy than either Niddui or Shammatha For in this is both Excommunication and Cursing and the forbidding the use of any men unless in those things only which belong to the sustaining of life And they Anathematize not but when a man hath hardened himself against the Bench once and again IX They give the reason of these proceedings in Moed Katon t t t t t t In the place alledged in these words Whence is it that they send a messenger to him from the Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the house of judgment Because it is written And Moses sent to Dathan and Abiram Whence is it that they summon him to judgment Because it is written And Moses said to Korah Be thou and all thy company present Whence is it that they cite him before some great and eminent man Because it is written Before the Lord. Whence is it that it is before N. or such a man Because it is writien Thou and they and Aaron Whence is it
and between the operations and speech of the Holy Ghost For many false Prophets had at that time gone out into the World 1 Joh. IV. 1. and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to the working of Satan in all power and signs and lying wonders So that it was not easie I had almost said it was impossible to distinguish between their wonders and the true miracles of the Holy Ghost But the most merciful God taking pity upon his people among other gifts of the Holy Ghost shed abroad for the edification of the Church granted this also to some that they might distinguish of prophetical Spirits whether they were true and divine or false and diabolical That this deep reach is pointed out under this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostles order the signification of the word and the thing it self do not a little perswade For when among all the gifts of the Spirit there was scarce any either more useful or more necessary than this judging of Spirits I think he would hardly omit it in his second Enumeration But where will you find the mention of it if not in that word CHAP. XIII VERS I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With the tongues of Angels RAbban a a a a a a Bava Bathra fol. 134. 1. Jochanan ben Zaccai omitted not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The speech or the Talk of Devils of Palms and of Angels but had learned it The Gloss is The speech of Devils to exorcize them and of Angels to adjure them The Apostle speaks according to the conception of the Nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A tinkling Cymbal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Cymbal in the Talmudists is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of which thus they write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b b b b b b Erachin fol. 13. 2. And Asaph with loud Cymbals 1 Chron. XXV The little bells or Cymbals were two as appears from the Dual number But when they performed one work and one man performed it they are called one The Aruch saith They were two balls of brass and they struck one against another But now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A tinkling Cymbal was when these two Balls were struck one against another without any either measure or tone of Musick but with a rude inartificial and howling sound Mark V. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weeping and howling We may observe in these instances which are compared with charity and are as good as nothing if charity be absent that the Apostle mentions them which were of the noblest esteem in the Jewish Nation as also the most precious things which could be named by them were compared with this more precious and were of no account in comparison of it I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To speak with the Tongues of men with those Interpreters is to speak the Tongues of the seventy Nations or at least To speak the Tongues of many Nations So they relate it to the praise of Mordechai that he perfectly understood the Languages of the seventy Nations and they require of the Fathers of the Sanhedrin that they be skilled in many Languages that the Sanhedrin hear nothing by an Interpreter c c c c c c Maimon in Sanhedr cap. 2. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To speak with the Tongues of Angels For this singular praise they extol Jochanan ben Zaccai in the example alledged III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To know all mysteries c. So they from the same place cited above Hillel the Elder had eighty Disciples thirty who were worthy to have the holy Spirit dwell upon them as it did upon Moses Thirty worthy for whom the Sun should stop his course as it did for Josua Twenty were between both The greatest of all was Jonathan ben Uzziel the least was Jochanan ben Zaccai He omitted not but perfectly understood the Scripture the Mishnah the Gemara the Idiotisms of the Law and the Scribes Traditions Illustrations Comparisons Equalities Gematries Parables c. IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To remove mountains By this expression they denoted Doing things in a manner impossible as we have observed at Matth. XXI 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He rooted up mountains d d d d d d Bava Bathra fol. 3. 2. CHAP. XIV VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that speaketh in a Tongue SPeaking in a Tongue In what Tongue You will find this to be no idle question when you have well weighed these things I. There is none with reason will deny that this whole Church of Corinth understood one and the same Corinthian or Greek Language as also that the Apostle here speaks of the Ministers of that Church and not of strangers But now it seems a thing not to be believed that any Minister of that Church would use Arabic Egyptian Armenian or any other unknown Languague publickly in the Church from whence not the least benefit could accrue to the Church or to the Minister himself For although these Ministers had their faults and those no light ones neither yet we would not willingly accuse them of mere foolishness as speaking an unknown Language for no reason nor of ostentation as speaking only for vain glory And although we deny not that it was necessary that those wonderful gifts of the Holy Ghost should be manifested before all the people for the honour of him that gave them yet we hardly believe that they were to be shewn vainly and for no benefit II. The Apostle saith vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that speaketh in a Tongue edifieth himself Which how could he do from those Tongues when he could have uttered those very things in his Mother Tongue and have reaped the same fruit of edification III. The Apostle tolerates an unknown Tongue if an Interpreter were present But I scarce believe he would tolerate that one should prate in Scythian Parthian or Arabick c. when he could utter the same things in the Corinthian Language and without the trouble of the Church and an Interpreter We are of opinion therefore nor without reason that that unknown Language which they used or abused rather in the Church was the Hebrew which now of a long time past was not the common and Mother Tongue but was gone into disuse but now by the gift of the Holy Ghost it was restored to the Ministers of the Church and that necessarily and for the profit of the Church We enquire not in how many unknown Languages they could speak but how many they spake in the Church and we believe that they spake Hebrew only How necessary that Language was to Ministers there is none that doubts And hence it is that the Apostle permits to speak in this as we suppose unknown Language if an Interpreter were present because it wanted not its usefulness The usefulness appeared thence as well to the speaker while he now skilled and more deeply understood the original Language as also to the
43. And he saith unto Iesus Lord Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Acts XXIII 8. For the Sadducees say That there is no Resurrection neither Angel nor Spirit But the Pharisees confess both John XI 51. This spake he not of himself but being High Priest that year he prophesied That Iesus should dye for that people Rom. IX 3. For I could wish that I my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Gen. III. 20. And Adam called his wifes name Eve because she was the Mother of all living 1 John III. 12. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him Because his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous Gen. IV. 15. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him Exod. XX. 5. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Exod. XX. 11. For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. XX. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee A Discourse upon the fourth Article of the Apostles Creed He descended into Hell A SERMON PREACHED AT St. Michaels Cornhil Novemb. 25. 1658. Before the NATIVES of STAFFORDSHIRE JOHN X. 22 23. And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication and it was Winter And Iesus walked in the Temple in Solomons porch THE Text is suitable to the occasion Here is a Feast as well as yours a Feast in Winter as well as yours and as I shall shew you anon a Feast on the five and twentieth day of November as well as yours If Christ will vouchsafe his presence at yours as he did at this in the Text the parallel will not be so pregnant as it will be happy Of all the four Evangelists John is most punctual nay he only is punctual to give account of the Festivals that intercurred between Christs entrance into his Publick Ministry at his Baptism and the time of his Death that renowned and signal space of time of half a week of years as they be called Dan. 9. 27. or three years and an half in which Christ performed his Ministery and wrought Redemption And this he doth partly that he might the more remarkably count out the time and partly that he might shew how careful our Saviour was to observe those Festivals He names you the four Passovers that intervened The first Passover after his Baptism in Chap. II. when he whipped Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple The second in Chap. V. when he healed the long diseased Man at Bethesda The third in Chap. VI. 4. a little before which he fed five thousand Men miraculously The fourth and last in Chap. XVIII at which he suffered He gives you also account of his being at the Feast of Tabernacles Chap. VII and of his being at the Feast of Dedication in the words that I have read To the expounding of which the very way that I must go cannot but mind me to Observe this to you That Humane Learning is exceeding useful nay exceeding needful to the Expounding of Scripture The Text gives the rise of this Observation and it gives the proof of it Here is the mention of the Feast of Dedication and not one tittle else in all the Scripture concerning it And so there is the bare mention of Solomons porch and indeed it is mentioned once again in Act. III. 11. but neither here nor there any more than the bare name Certainly the Holy Ghost would never have mentioned these things if he would not have had us to have sought to know what they meant But how should we know them The Scripture gives not one spark of light to find them out but Humane Learning holds out a clear light of Discovery Would you know what this Feast of Dedication was Upon what occasion instituted How celebrated At what time of Winter it occurred The Scripture speaks not one word of all these but Humane Authors the Talmud Maimony Josephus the first book of Maccabes tell you all fully And would you know what Solomons porch was and where it was and in what part of the Temple it was in Scripture you can never find it but consult Humane Learning and Writers and they will tell you it was a Cloister-walk on the East bound of the utmost Court of the Temple and they will tell you the very space and fashion of it Here is a Text fallen into our Hands occasionally a Thousand others of the like nature might be produced let any of those that deny Humane Learning to be needful in handling of Divinity but expound me this Text without the help of Humane Learning and I shall then think there is something in their Opinion Two things lead them into this mistake 1. Because they conceive the New Testament which part of the Bible Christians have most to deal withal is so easie of it self that it needs no pains or study to the Expounding of it 2. And the less because say they the Spirit reveals it to the Saints of God and so they are taught of God and can teach others Give me leave partly for our settlement in the Truth about this Point and partly for the stopping the mouths of such gainsayers out of many things that might be spoken to commend these four to you I. That in the time when Prophecy flourished the standing Ministery that was to teach the people were not Prophets but Priests and Levites that became Learned by Study And for that end God disposed them into forty eight Cities which were as Universities where they were to Study the Law together that they might be inabled to teach the people And you may see the very Prophets themselves sending the people to them to be Instructed Hag. II. 2. Mal. II. 7. It is but a wild thing now when Prophesie is ceased so many hundred years ago to refuse Learning and a Learned Ministery and to seek instruction we know not of whom II. There is no ground in Scripture to believe nor promise to expect that God doth or ever will teach men the Grammatical or Logical construction of the Scripture Text. T is true indeed that he gives to a gratious Saint the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ as it is Ephes. I. 17. But how Revealing to him by experimental feeling that which he knew indeed before in Scripture but only by bare Theory As for example A man before his conversion knows by reading and hearing what Faith and Repentance are in their definitions but when he comes to
2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World i. e. know ye not that there shall be a Christian Magistracy that Christians shall be Kings and Magistrates to rule and judge the World And the very same sense speaketh Dan. VII 18. 26 27. from whence both my Text and that passage of Paul are taken know ye not saith he that the Saints shall judge the World How should they know it Why Plainly enough out of that place in Daniel where in vers 18. it is foretold That the Saints of the most High should take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever and ever And in vers 26 27. The Judgment shall sit as in the Text and the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Two considerations will put the matter out of all question I. That the word Saints means not strictly nor really Sanctified in opposition to men not really sanctified but it means Christians in general in opposition to Heathens And so the Apostle himself clears it in the verse before that I cited Dare any of you go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints What is meant by the unjust there Heathens or Infidels as he calls them vers 6. And then what is meant by Saints But Christians in opposition to Heathens II. Observe the tenor of the contents in Daniel and that will illustrate the sense of these verses that I produced He speaks before of the four Heathen Monarchies the Babylonian Mede-Persian Grecian and Syrogrecian that had had the Kingdom and Dominion and Rule in the World and had tyrannized in the World especially against the Church that was then being but at last they should be destroyed and upon their being destroyed Christ should come and set up his Kingdom through the World and then the Kingdom and Rule and Dominion in the World should be put into the hands of Saints or Christians and they should Rule and Judge in the World as those Heathen Monarchies had done all the time before And thus you have the words unfolded to you and I hope according to the meaning of the Holy Ghost And now my Lords and Gentlemen you may see your own picture in the glass of the Text for you are of the number of those of whom it speaketh In it you may see your selves Imbenched Commissioned and your work put into your hands In the first clause The institution of the Function the ordaining of Magistracy and Judicature I saw Thrones set In the second The Commissionating of Christians unto that Office and Function They sat upon them In the last The end of this Office and the employment they are set upon in it Judgment was given unto them Thrones set by whom By him that had been the great agent in the verse before Christ that had bound the Devil and chained him up They sat upon them Who They that are the persons mentioned in the verse before Men of the Nations undeceived from the delusions of Satan and brought into the truth of the Gospel Judgment was given them for what end For Judgment sake that they might execute judgment and righteousness among the Nations And so I have my words fairly cut out before me and the matter and the method of the Text calls upon me to speak unto these three things I. Of the institution of Magistrates as an ordinance of Christ. II. Of Christian Magistracy as a Gospel mercy III. The great work the all in all of Magistracy The execution of Judgment I. Of all the offices of Christ he executed only one of them peculiarly and reservedly himself without the communicating of any acting in it to any other but as to the execution of the other two he partly acteth himself and partly importeth some acting therein by deputation to others His Priestly office that that most concerned and had the greatest stroke in mans redemption he executed intirely himself and no other had share no other could have share in the executing of that with him None could be capable of offering any of his all-sufficient Sacrifice with him none could be capable of offering the incense of mediation with him But in his Kingly and Prophetick offices he acteth himself and he deputeth others to act for him As the great Prophet he teacheth his Church himself by giving of the Scriptures and instructing his holy ones by his Spirit yet withal hath he deputed Ministers to be her Teachers And as the great King of the Church and of all the World he ruleth in both himself in the hearts of his people by his Word and Spirit and amongst his enemies with a rod of Iron yet withal hath he deputed Kings Judges and Magistrates to be Rulers for him These two great Ordinances you have couched in this very place In the verse before the Text Christ chaineth up the Devil that he should no more deceive poor men as he had done before And how did he this By the Ministry of the Word and Preaching of the Gospel And in the words of the Text he setteth up Thrones and sets men upon them for what To execute Magistracy and to administer Judgment And so likewise are they closely hinted in that place of the Apostle that I cited I Cor. VI. Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the World or Christians be Magistrates and in the next verse following know ye not that we shall judge Angels or we Apostles and Ministers judge Devils and overthrow their Idols Oracles Miracles and Delusions by the Ministry of the Gospel And so if I should take Pastors and Teachers Ephes. IV. 11. for Magistrates and Ministers I believe there were no soloecisme in the thing and I am sure the Jews called their chiefest Magistrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastores in their common speech And if the Apostle may be shewed there to speak in their vulgar dialect as he doth indeed all along his Epistles it would save a controversie and question that is raised upon that place These two Functions are the two standing Pillars and Ordinances the Jachin and Boaz that our great Solomon hath set up in his Temple to stand with the Temple while it standeth These are two choice strainings and distillings of the precious ointment that was poured on the head of our great Aaron that runs down upon the skirts of his clothing Yours my Lords and Gentlemen is a beam of that lustre that shineth in the Royal Crown of Christs Kingly office It is a coin stamped with the Image and superscription of the great Cesar of Heaven and Earth sitting in his Empire and Dominion over all I remember a Phrase of Pliny in his Epistles speaking of a vertuous and gallant daughter that imitated to the life the vertues and gallantry of a noble Father Filia patreni exscripserat the daughter had copied out her father to the life Magistracy is a daughter of
Will so to do And that it is his Will so to do he hath given assurance in that he hath appointed a day wherein to judge the world in righteousness by the man that he hath ordained And of that appointment and ordaining he hath given assurance in that he raised him from the dead And so we are come to the second part of our task or the second thing that I named to be spoken viz. the assurance that God hath given of the Judgment to come and more particularly of that whereby he hath assured that Christ shall be Judge viz. in that he raised from dead The assurance God hath given of the Judgment to come we may distinguish into verbal and real Assurance that he hath given in his Word and in his Providential dispensation I need not to insist upon his verbal assurances of the certainness that he hath given of such a thing in Word for he that runs may read them Such as these Eccles. XI 9. XII ult II Cor. V. 10. and multitudes of passages to the same purpose So that the Apostle reckons Eternal Judgment for one of the fundamental Articles of our Christian Faith and that it is so clearly asserted that he finds he needs not to insist much upon the proving of it Heb. VI. 2. And as the verbal assurances that God hath given of this in Scripture are so very many so the real ones that he hath given in his dispensations are not few I shall but mention some and pitch only upon this mentioned in the Text Christs Resurrection I. Was not the Judgment of all the World by Water in the days of Noah a prognostication and assurance of the Judgment to come at the end of the World Certainly they must need conclude so that thinks that Peter speaks of the last Judgment in II Epistle III. 6 7. where he hath these words The World that then was being overflowed with water perished But the Heaven and Earth that now are are kept in store reserved unto fire II. Was not the Judgment and sad conflagration of Jerusalem and destruction of the Jewish Church and Nation an assurance of the Judgment to come when the expressions whereby it is described are such as you think they meant nothing else but that final Judgment As Christs coming coming in clouds in his glory in his Kingdom The day of the Lord the great and terrible day of the Lord The end of the World the end of all things The Sun darkned the Moon not giving light The Stars falling from Heaven and the powers of Heaven shaken The sign of the Son of man appearing in Heaven Heaven departing as a scroll rolled together and every mountain and hill removed out of its place c. You would think they meant nothing but the last and universal Judgment whereas their meaning indeed is Christs coming in Judgment and vengeance against the Jewish City and Nation but a fore signification also of the last Judgment III. I might speak of particular fearful judgments upon persons and places Are not they assurances of the Judgment to come I am sure the Apostle Peter raiseth them to such a signification in his second Epistle and second Chapter where when he had mentioned the Judgment of the Angels that fell of the Judgment of the old World by water and of Sodom by fire he makes this conclusion vers 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the ungodly to the day of Judgment to be punished IV. Are not the Tribunals and Judicatures that God hath set up on Earth assurances that he hath given of a final Judgment to come Upon which we may take up the stile of the Psalmist in Psal. XCIV 9. He that planted the car shall he not hear So he that hath erected Judicatures shall not he Judge V. Is not the Judicature that he hath set up in every mans soul an undoubted assurance of the Judgment coming Where the Conscience as one very well defines it is Praejudicum judicii A foretaste a Preface to the Judgment to come VI. And lastly The very prospering of the wicked in this World and the affliction of the righteous is an undoubted assurance that the day is coming when both the one and other is to be judged according to their works and receives a reward according to their works And with this very Argument Will. Tyrius in his bello sacro relates that he satisfied Amalrich King of Jerusalem when he desired him to give him some proof of this very point So that that very prosperity in this World that deâ—â—ives Atheistical men to think there shall be no Judgment is continually a growing argument that there shall Upon all these things I might have spoken very largely but I hasten to that assurance that is in the Text viz. The Resurrection of Christ may give assurance to all the World of his coming to Judgment It is worth your observing these two things about the Jews asking a sign from our Saviour 1. That he ever denies to give them a sign Matth. XII 39. He wrought signs and wonders among them above number but he would never work that that should be a mere sign His healing diseases c. were not mere signs but were benefits by miracle wrought for the People as the Plagues on Egypt were not mere signs but punishments wrought by miracle 2. That he still when they asked a sign referred them to his Resurrection Joh. II. when he whips the buyers and sellers out of the Temple and they ask him what sign shewest thou seeing thou doest these things He refers them thither vers 19. Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up speaking of the Temple of my body So Matth. XII 39. when the Scribes and Pharisees are at it Master we would see a sign from thee he still refers to his Resurrection No sign shall be given but the sign of the Prophet Jonas As Jonah was three days and three night buried in the Whales belly but rose again and was cast alive on shore so shall the Son of man be buried and rise again And why thus refer them still to his Resurrection Because that was the great sign and demonstration that he was the Missias the Son of God Rom. I. 4. Declared to be the Son of God with power by his Resurrection from the dead And Observe that allegation of the Apostle Act. XIII 33. God hath raised up Jesus as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Was this Resurrection day the day of the Lords begetting him was that the first day that he was the Son of God It was the day that he was first declared in full power and that it was manifest that he was the Son of God It was the day of his Victory and putting on his Kindom the day of his Trophea and Triumph and the sign that he was the Son of
when the Judge cometh to plead their cause and behold the Judge standeth before the door If we should take the words in this sence and pointing at such a time and matter I suppose it might not be far from the Apostles meaning But do his words reach no further Are not these things written for our learning as well as for theirs to whom he wrote Is it not a truth spoken to us as well as it was spoken to them Behold the Judge standeth before the door Dispute it not but rather down on our knees and bless and magnifie the patience and goodness of this Judge for that he is standing at the door and hath not yet broke in upon us In handling of the words I suppose I need not to spend time in explaining the Phrases For none that hears of this Judge but he knows who is meant and none can but know what is meant by his standing at the door viz. as near at hand and ready to enter And if the Apostle speak here of the nearness of the destruction of Jerusalem our Saviours words of the very same subject may help to explain him Matth. XXIV 33. So likewise ye when ye see all these things know that it is near even at the doors So behold the Judge is near even at the door But the Judge of whom And at the door of whom These shall be the two things that my discourse shall enquire after The Jews in their Pandect mention several things of which they say they are two and yet are four and when they explain themselves they shew they speak very good sence I may speak much like of the Propositions that rise out of the words that they are two but indeed are four The two are these That there is a Judge or God is a Judge and That this Judge stands before the door But the very stile and expression doth double it That God is the Judge of all and That this Judge stands at the door of all Because there is no exception about whom he judgeth nor any exception at whose door he standeth I cannot say it is as essential to God to be a Judge as it is essential to him to be holy infinite eternal good c. because he had been there had these never been creature to judge as he was these from eternity before the creature was but since there is a creature to judge I may say it is as essential to God to be Judge of his creature as it is to be God For we may truly say if he were not Judge he were not God For what kind of God were that that had not to do about judging the creature I need not to produce places of Scripture to prove that that is before us for what more plain what more frequent than such testimonies That God is Judge himself Psal. L. 6. That he is the Judge of all the Earth Gen. XVIII 25. That he is the Lord the righteous Judge 2 Tim. IV. 8. That he sits upon the Throne judging right Psal. IX 5. That with righteousness he shall judge the world and the people with equity Psal. XCVIII ult But because the language of the Text is Behold the Judge let me speak as I may say unto your eyes according to the expression O generation see ye the word of the Lord Jer. II. 31. So let me lead your eyes to behold some specimens of this great Judges judging and some demonstrations and assurances that he hath given that he will so judge Eternal Judgment is one of the first principles of Christian Religion Heb. II. 6. viz. the judgment that doth determine of every mans state for eternity for of Gods temporal judgments we shall not speak here And that judgment is either particular passed upon every one at death or general which shall be at the last day Of either of these I shall take some prospect I. Concerning the particular Judgment When mans day is done the day of the Lord begins with him and when his work is done he is to receive his wages according as his work hath been good or evil Lazarus and the rich man no sooner dead but the one is in torment and the other in Abrahams bosom And how come they there Conceive you see their passage The souls of all good or bad as soon as ever departed out of the body are slipt into another world And what becomes of them there Do they dispose of themselves Do they go to Heaven or Hell by their own disposal There would never soul go to Hell if it were at those terms But the departed soul meets with its Judge as soon as ever it is departed and by him it is doomed and disposed to its eternal estate The Judge stands at the very door of that World of Spirits to dispose of all that come in there to their everlasting condition according as their works have been here good or evil So that those words of the Apostle as they speak the subsequence of judgment to death so they may very well speak this nearness It is appointed for all men once to die and then cometh the judgment Heb. IX ult Those words of our Saviour are very regardable Luk. XX. 30. He is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live unto him Though dead and gone to the World and to themselves yet to him they are not dead but alive and he deals with them as such as are alive And though he be not the God of all that so live yet he is the Judge of them all He calls himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob when they had been now dead and in the dust a long time for they lived though they were dead And so Cain and Cham and Pharaoh lived though they were dead that is were not utterly extinct and yet God was far from owning himself the God of Cain Cham and Pharaoh but he was their Judge And do but think how these men looked upon their Judge when they met him A carnal wretch that never thinks of God never dreams of judgment but is all for his pleasures and delights here when he dies and instantly meets his dreadful Judge to doom him Can any tongue express what a horrid surprizal that soul is taken at I cannot but take some scantling of conception of it from that passage Rev. I. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead The beloved Disciple to be thus terrified at the sight of his beloved Master He that used friendly to lean in his bosom now to fall at his feet for fear as dead And Christ not coming to him neither with any message of terror but in a friendly manner with instructions concerning things that were to come to pass thereafter And if so dreadful a consternation fell upon him upon meeting and seeing the glory of his dear what is the wretched souls case when it so unexpectedly meets with the dreadful terrors of its angry Judge
Pet. II. Their sins will not let them linger and slumber but continually cry in the ears of God for judgment The injuries they do to Law Gospel and Blood of Christ will not let them linger nor slumber but these are continually crying to God to avenge their cause And will not God avenge his cause What need I speak of his Soveraignty challenging that he dispose of all mens eternal being as he brought them into being here What should I speak of his Justice challenging that every one be rewarded according to his work And indeed what need I to insist much to prove that God is Judge of all and that he will bring all to judgment to any that call themselves Christians and have the Bible in their hand And so I have done with the first double Proposition in the Text viz. That God is Judge and Judge of all And now briefly to speak to the second duplicity viz. He stands before the door and before the door of all I know the Apostles expression means in general the Judge is near but if it should come to particularizing of this or the other or any person would he not say the same And will not any say the same that will acknowledge a Judge or Judgment Who can say who dares say the Judge stands not before my door I am sure a good man dares not say so for he accounts his God and Judge near unto him Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways Psal. CXXXIX 3. And if any wretched man dare say so let him take heed that he finds not his Judge a great deal nearer than he supposes nay the nearer for his putting him so far off The Scripture speaks of two kinds of people but indeed are but one and they seem to look two several ways whereas indeed they look but one and the same way viz. those that put the evil day far from them and those that desire the evil days coming You have mention of them both near together in one and the same Prophet Of the former Amos VI. 3. Wo to you that put the evil day far away And of the latter Amos V. 18. Wo to you that desire the day of the Lord. How they put away the evil day in their own foolish fancy and conceit is no hard thing to understand I wish that too common experience had not acquainted us with that too much and too many a time But how do such wicked wretches desire the day of the Lord The Prophet Esay tells you of some Chap. V. 19. That say let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it and let the counsil of the holy one of Israel draw near and come that we may know it And all this in scorn as making a puff at the Word of the Lord that tells of an evil day and a day of the Lord to come Here is talk of the Word of the Lord I pray you let us see it and telling of the Lords coming where is it Let him come that we may know it Directly these mockers 2 Pet. III. 2. That say in scorn where is the promise of his coming Now is the Judge ever the farther off for these mens putting him and his judgment far away Nay is he not the nearer In that place of Esay the wretches that spake so in scorn are said to draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes And if they draw these do they not draw judgment on too Judgment is the nearest when the sinner is securest and when men cry peace peace then sudden destruction cometh upon them 1 Thes. V. But First At whose door doth not the Judge stand harkening and taking notice of mens behaviour Rev. III. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock He knocks that if it may be he may be admitted but if he be not he stands not in vain but takes notice of what passes in the house that he may take account of it in his due time Jer. VIII 6. I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done Mal. III. 16. The Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him The Judge writes what passes and in time will have a reckoning about it And so may the counsil of the Apostle here be very well construed Grudge not brethren one against another grumble not repine not one against another for the Judge is at the door and he takes notice of every thing that passeth and you must account for it It were an excellent lesson for every Christian to get the hundred and nine and thirtieth Psalm not only by heart but in his heart and to be convinced and have a feeling of what is there spoken concerning Gods nearness to every man in what place and posture soever he is I need no more proof for that we are speaking of than only that Psalm I would every heart would make the Use of the doctrine there taught and make Application by his practise Secondly Who can say otherwise then that the Judge is at the door and may break in any moment by death and judgment And this needs no other proof than only to remember the uncertainty of death and judgment Isaac was of this belief when he said I know not the day of my death Gen. XXVII 2. whereas he lived many a fair year after And remarkable is that of the Apostle that when he is speaking of the Judgment to come he states it as if it were to come even in his time whereas so many hundred of years above a thousand are passed since his time We shall not all die but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. XV. And 1 Thes. IV. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout And then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him into the clouds Why Blessed Apostle dost thou think the resurrection and general judgment shall come while thou art alive Do it or do it not I have learned always to think that the Judge always stands before the door And I would teach all generations and ages to believe the same that the Judge standeth c. And Thirdly who can keep him out when he is pleased to break in Elisha could shut the door against the Kings messenger that was sent to take away his life can any man do it against the great Judge when he comes to do it Are any doors judgment proof when the Lord will batter against them Rather list up your heads O ye gates and be lift up O ye everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in Prepare to meet thy God O Israel that when he comes thou mayest comfortably entertain him It may seem a very hard passage that of the Apostle 2 Pet. III. 12. Looking for and hasting to the day of God when the heavens being on fire shall
to hinder him from the Love of God the Believer hath Sin the World the Flesh the Devil nay Deum Visum iratum God himself when he seems to be angry yet he loves God through all these Whereas Adam fell in the first opposition 3. A Believers obedience is more excellent than Adam did or could perform Adam had no hindrance nay he was not in a condition of passive obedience A Believer obeys through poverty sadness pains nay to death it self Thus Having the Spirit speaks not perfection yet at last brings to perfection in Heaven Adam begun in perfection and grew imperfect Holiness begins and sojourns in imperfection here and ends in perfection hereafter VII Having the Spirit speaks having it for ever XIII Joh. 1. Having loved his own which were in the World he loved them unto the end The falls of them that have the Spirit as for example of Peter of David speaks not the loss of the Spirit nor the weakness of the Spirit but only the Spirits disposing Every sickness is not loss of life so every fall is not the loss of the Spirit I might illustrate this from the Spirits acting in ruling and guiding the course of nature The Spirit as Creator preserves the Universe in its being and order How In that he hath set rules in the course of nature that there should be such seasons such productions such causes to produce such effects that warmth and nearness of the Sun should cause Spring and Summer and so contra And the Spirit sits above all and gives influence So when Nature is inverted that there happen winter-weather in Summer and contra Summer-weather in Winter the Spirit is not departed from his work nor is he become weak but so disposes and that after his own Rule viz. Northern cold winds and rain to breed cold though in Summer thick cloudy air and sky warmth even in Winter So though he fails of the Rule set in regard of the seasons yet not of the Rule set of such causes producing such effects So the Spirit hath set a Rule in Course in the work of Grace that such cause produce such effect that it should be Summer or Winter with the Christian as the Sun of Righteousness is near or far off And in Winter we have not lost the Sun though he be not so near Now when the Course of Grace is inverted and man falls the Spirit is not lost but this is according to the Rule set of causes and effects care of mens ways to produce growth and comfort neglect thereof to produce failings But yet the Spirit is not quite gone from his work VIII Having the Spirit speaks not having the gift of Prophesie As some did not distinguish before concerning the Indowments of the Spirit so do others not distinguish here or at least confound Hence some will say I believe therefore I have the Spirit of prophesie Of all men I believe least they have the Spirit that boast of it But to this I shall only say two things First Did the very holiness of Christs person necessarily indue him with the Spirit of Prophesie If so then what need had he of the gift of the Spirit It is said of John Luke I. 15. That he should be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb But it is not said so of Christ. Nor was John Baptist filled with the Holy Ghost in that sense Secondly These are of so different natures that one is not the cause of the other 1. The Spirit of Sanctification is only to help our infirmities c. the Spirit of Prophesie not 2. The Spirit of Sanctification is beneficial to the person in order to his Salvation the other not 3. The Spirit of Sanctification only proves good the other may be the occasion of evil S. Pauls revelations were in danger to puff him up 2 Cor. XII 7. Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations there was given unto me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me 4. The Spirit of Sanctification changeth the heart the other not 5. It goeth through the whole soul the other not And thus I have done with the eight Observations I named which may serve as good directions for our understanding what it is to have the Spirit and what is the nature of his operations I might add more As First One may have the Spirit and not know it Secondly One may have a great measure of the Spirit and yet doubt whether he have it at all Thirdly The Spirit is not had upon courtesie of mans will but by the over-powering of Gods grace Fourthly The chief way of the working of the Spirit is to work Faith and Love and to build up Christians by Faith and Love A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARIES Cambridge June 24. 1660. 1 COR. XIV 26. How is it then Brethren When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation let all things be done to edifying THE last time I spoke of one abuse in the Publick Assembly of this Church of Corinth and that was misjudging and misreceiving the Holy Sacrament Here in the Text is another disorder and confusedness in the exercise of the Publick Ministry from what arising uncertain but certainly ending in non-edification as the Apostle intimates by the conclusion of the verse Such confusion indeed in their business that we know not where to find them and indeed the Chapter is very hard very hard either to find out what it was they did or what it is the Apostle would have them do or whence proceeded that enormity that he doth correct We will inquire after it the best we can and keep as near as we can to the words of the Text. In it are three parts I. What to do in a certain case How is it then Brethren II. The case propounded When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation III. The Determination given Let all things be done to edifying I. What to do in a certain case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a School-phrase and if I be not much deceived the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used infinitely in the Talmud and in Tanchum of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word occurs a thousand times It means most commonly What is to be done in this case or May such a thing be done Either will serve here Every one hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue c. What is to be done in this case Or may we do thus and keep to this Custom The Apostle resolves the case in the end of the Verse Let all things be done to edifying And so vers 15. compared with vers 14. If I pray in an unknown Tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful And then comes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is
condemnation The ceremonial Law was given by Moses a ministration of types and shadows but truth came by Jesus Christ substantiating and resolving all III. Look into the Gospel it self It is the greatest and most Divine truth that can be given And as the Devil when he brought in the Heathen Religion brought in the greatest lie that could be imposed upon men So when God brought in the Gospel he brought in the greatest Truth that could be received by men And should I exceed my bounds if I said The greatest Truth that could be revealed by God For what could God reveal to mortal men more than he hath done in it himself his Son his Spirit his Grace his Salvation More than what is revealed in the Gospel shall never be revealed to men on this side Heaven And is not Heaven it self revealed very plainly in it And yet there are men in the Text and men in the World that make it their work to resist this Truth This light to lighten Gentiles they would put out This glory of the people Israel they would corrupt and this great and Divine Oracle of God they would silence and stop its mouth Very fitly resembled in the Emblem where the candle being lighted and set up the Devil the Turk the Pope and a company of Hereticks and Persecutors set with all their earnestness and indeavour to blow it out More than an Emblem of such an indeavour was the great plot and design of this day from the stroke of which we are here met to render our acknowledgment and thanksgiving An indeavour to have blown up and blown out the Truth of God and the purity and power of the Gospel out of this nation for ever In the words before us you plainly see two things an Act and the Agents resisting of the Truth and the men that resisted it But do you not also observe one out of sight or behind the vail viz. the providence of God looking on and permitting such a thing to be done A mystery of iniquity in the cursed acting of the persons and a mystery of providence and dispensing in suffering them so to act I. Concerning the persons and their acting The Truth might take up the complaint and expostulation of David It was not an open enemy that did me this evil for then I should have born it neither was it an open adversary that magnified himself against me for then peradventure I might have hid my self from him but it was thou my companion and familiar which took counsel with me together and we walked to the House of God as friends He that eateth at my table hath lift up his heel against me These men and the Truth or Gospel had been old acquaintance they had conversed and been familiar together they had taken counsel together and gone to Church too as friends but now they become her enemies because she is Truth They had approved the Gospel been initiated into it profest it and it may be some of them had preached it but now they become its enemy because she is Truth They had once received the knowledge of the Truth but now they wilfully sin against it Heb. X. 26. They had once known the way of Righteousness but now were utterly turned away from it 2 Pet. II. 21. They had once run well as Gal. III. but now they run clear counter to what they had done and seek to destroy the Gospel which they had once professed and resist the Truth with as much nay more fervency and earnestness than ever they owned it It was Pauls honour and comfort that He now preached the Gospel which he once destroyed Gal. I. 22. but it was these wretches dread and condemnation that they destroyed the Gospel which they once preached That general Apostasie or revolting from Truth that was then in the Church brought forth twins of a clear contrary complexion as different as Jacob and Esau if I may use Jacobs name with such persons when both of them are of the manners and conditions of Esau and you could hardly tell which of them was the worse For some Apostatized to pure Judaisme some to meer or worse than Heathenism some to dote upon the rites of Moses and to look to be justified by the works of the Law and to betake themselves to a Pharisaical austerity hoping thereby to be justified Others revolted to all loosness of life and Atheism abusing the liberty of the Gospel to libertinism and turning the grace of God into wantonness and accounting all things lawful that might content the flesh and please a carnal mind Now the Apostles give intimation of both these and sadly complain and invey against them I need not to particularize he that runs may read it more especially in the Epistle to the Galatians concerning the former and in 2 Pet. II. and Jude concerning the latter I might speak how these wretches did resist the Gospel or what instruments or machinations they used for the opposing of it As 1. Venting damnable Heresies and Doctrines of Devils as our two Apostles tell us 1 Tim. III. 1. 2 Pet. II. 2. Using the trade of Jannes and Jambres conjuration and sorcery and lying miracles as our Law had foretold Matth. XXIV 24. That they should shew signs and wonders to deceive the very elect if it were possible And the Apostle tells it was so as our Saviour had foretold 2 Thes. II. 9. That the coming of this mystery of iniquity was according to the working of Satan in all power and signs and lying wonders 3. They used the trade that the Roman Emperors afterward used of bitter sharp and cruel persecution Of which you have several memorials in the Epistles ravening Wolves breaking into the Church in sheeps clothing and making sad havock of the flock all before them This was the judgment that begun at the house of God 1 Pet. IV. 17. The hour of temptation that came upon all the Earth Rev. III. 10. I might by the way observe How far a man may fall from the true profession of the Gospel viz. so far as to become the worst of men and the Gospels most bitter enemy And that the bitterest enemies of the Gospel have ever been some that have pretended to the Gospel Persecution never did that mischief in the Church that Heresie hath done And the sorest wounds that the Gospel ever received were like his in Zach. in the house of her friends but this I shall not insist on You see Jannes and Jambres have here met with their match but is there any match to be found for these men that have matched them Yes look at Rome and you find them there As many Protestants and Papists by the last days do indeed understand the last days of the World So many Protestant Divines do attribute all the characters of those wretched men to the Papacy And indeed they are so like that it is no wonder if they be not clearly discerned asunder Though the Papacy would
what to do with them stript of their ornaments so must the Soul be stript out of the Body loosed of all that that pinioned hampered or any ways strainted it And what think you of the Souls of Infants of Fools and Ideots then and there Can we think their Souls are Infants Fools and Ideots in the other world For Thirdly Though the Soul be of a vast capacity while in the body yet the acting of it even there is many and many a time hindred and curbed that it cannot reach to its acting in its full capacity which it could reach to even here if there were not some hindrance Take instead of more an instance or two of what may seem nearest to folly and ideotism and are not A man is drunk does his Soul then act according to the proper capacity that it were able to act in if he were sober There is a man learned and an hundred that have no learning at all Now the reason why those unlearned ones are not learned as well as he is not because their Souls were not of capacity to have received learning but because they had not the means of education in learning that he had So the acting of the Soul according to its capacity is often time hindred by the want of apt organs or instruments in the body Do you not see before your eyes by experience a man or woman moped their understanding clean spoyled by a sad stroke of the Palsy or Apoplexy that the person is not the same that he was before and yet his Soul is the very same but the right acting of it spoyled by the spoyling of the organs or instruments by which it should act The brain is so shattered by the stroke of a Convulsion that it cannot be so serviceable to the Soul as it hath been And so those Naturals and Ideots we are speaking of their Souls are like to other Souls spiritual substances as well as others immaterial and intellectual as well as others but there is some defect of the organ or instrument in the body something that the Intellect should use is failing or bruised Now not to wade farther into this question these two things are undeniable concerning all Souls in the world 1. That they are all of the workmanship of God and no Souls but come out of his hand Ezek. XVIII 4. Behold all Souls are mine XXXVIII Jer. 16. Zedekiah sware to Jeremiah As the Lord liveth who made us this Soul And he spake very true though Jeremiah was as good and he as bad yet God made both their Souls alike Jeremia's as well as Zedekiahs contra In that dispute about Praeexistence of Souls some hold Praeexistence and some not yet both hold that the Soul comes immediately from the hand of God And sure God sends no maimed Soul out of his hand 2. That all Souls have equally need of Gods support There is a double support of the Soul Either that God preserve and keep it in the body for the life of the body or preserve and keep it in grace for the good of the Soul This distinction the words of the Apostle mean 1 Tim. IV. 10. He is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe He preserves the lives of all that live but especially he preserves the Souls of those that believe in him So that if the Question be Doth God preserve all alike Doth his providence set it self to keep all alike If not why should all be bound by this tax in the Text to pay for their preservation alike The Answer is easy though it may seem strang when given He doth and he doth not But I may facilitate it by this distinction First He preserves all alike that is all that are preserved have their preservation alike from him and alike owe their preservation to him So that none is able to say I owe my preservation to God less than thou doest Thou art much beholden to him for the preservation of thy life but I am not so much Thou hast had more need of his preservation than I have had Secondly He preserves not all alike viz. in this sence That he takes care of the preservation of the Souls of some in another manner than he doth of others He preserves the persons even of ungodly men and keeps their Souls in them but he preserveth the Souls of the godly in well being as well as their bodies in life Hence those frequent expressions He keepeth the Souls of his Saints The Lord careth for my soul. Commit the keeping of your souls to him 1 Pet. IV. ult And that one instead of more Psal. CXXI 7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil yea he shall keep thy soul. He shall preserve thee from all evil to thy body but which is the preservation indeed he shall take care of the welfare of thy soul. I shall not need to insist to shew the great difference of these two kinds of preservation even all the wicked of the world are under the former Gods preservation of their lives but the children of God are under both the preservation of their bodies and souls also There is nothing that differenceth men in the sight of God but good or evil actions And the Judge of all the world that cannot but do right judgeth and rewardeth every one according to their works As the Apostle hints Rom II. 6 7 8. Who will render to all men according to their works and For there is no respect of porsons with God He respects not whether men be high or low rich or poor but deals with all according to their works Hence that in Eccles. IX beginning Outward accoutrements distinguish men in the world but not with God and poverty or riches high place or contempt are not signes of his favour or disfavour but he looks on men according to their doings Well by Gods thus equally valuing all we are taught that we should undervalue I none God hath set a stint that we should not be proud nor despise any For 1. What are we better then another Yes I have more estate than another I go braver such an one a poor pitiful fellow not to be compared with me I but he is Gods workmanship as well as thou Ye are twins so like that ye cannot be known assunder Yea God himself knows no difference betwixt you Hast thou an immortal soul so hath he Hath he a mortal body so hast thou Hast thou a soul that is made in the image of God so he Hath he a body that is but dust and ashes so hast thou What is added by the world as we say of wealth and honour and cloths are such things as will once be clean stript off and where is the difference then 2. And who hath made the difference as to their outward condition Answer the Apostles question What hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why boastest thou thy self as if thou hadst
and obtained life Let us now in the next place view the means of their believing II. A New Covenant was made with them They were under two Covenants in one day As Noah saw two Worlds so Adam saw an old Creation and a new As it was said of him Idem dies vidit Consulem exulem The same day saw him Consul and a banished man So the same day saw Adam under two vastly different conditions according to the tenor of the two Covenants The form of either Covenant was not exprest plainly but resulting The Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works both somewhat obscure to him But I. The enjoyment of God was necessarily intimated in both not the enjoyment of the Creature Adam was made a reasonable Soul for this purpose II. Obedience was the way This is a Duty to God and this is the way of the enjoyment of him when we conform to God III. He saw he had now lost obedience and the power of obedience He had lost God and the power of the enjoyment of him IV. God held out one that should recover him And he 1. A root of a seed as Adam was 2. Of an infinite Righteousness and Obedience beyond Adam 3. One that should by Obedience destroy the works of the Devil for his own seed V. Adam saw no way of recovery but by trusting in him God must be satisfied he could not do it obeyed he could not obey Therefore he had no way but to cast himself on Christs obedience VI. The Covenant only held out Christ to be trusted and believed on Obedience was required even by the Law of Nature and creatureship Faith was therefore enforced because they could not perfectly obey VII The Promise given in the curse of Satan that God would put enmity between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent and that the Womans seed should bruise the Serpents head this had that effect upon them that they set themselves to defy Satan and cleave to the seed promised VIII That Mercy that created them in an instant so perfect recovered them in an instant Let us now in the third place view their condition under believing III. I. They were now representative no more as they were of mankind before the Fall They were stated in another representative Christ. Now they acted for themselves and he for them Hence their Faith was not imputed to posterity though their sin was II. They were built on another foundation than they were before Then it was on Nature Self-holiness Freedom of Will sandy foundations because changeable Now on a Rock Grace and the Righteousness of Christ. III. Now they have the Spirit of God working in them With Christ God gave his Spirit whereas before they had only natural abilities IV. Now they were under a Promise before not That Christ should break the head of the Serpent contained the promise of all good things V. They were under such Evangelical revealings that they wanted nothing needful for Salvation The Improvement of this discourse shall be in two or three Uses I. This magnifies Gods Grace to them and mankind How great is this Grace which will appear if you consider these things 1. There was as much done to provoke God for ever as was possible Compute the sin of Adam with all its circumstances 2. Here was greater Mercy than to the Angels that fell 3. Nay than to the Angels that fell not 4. Grace restored man to a better condition than he was in before We may admire all this and resolve all into Grace What comfort then is here to poor sinners Look on an Example that of St. Paul who was the chief of sinners yet Grace was exceeding abundant towards him 1 Tim. I. 14 15. He was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious Here were sins like scarlet yet forgiven You that are under the pangs of conscience consider this Grace Thou canst not sin so hainously as Adam did if thou addest not wilfulness and impenitency nor fall so high nor damn posterity as he did and yet he obtained pardon Take one Example more There were some pardoned that Crucified the second Adam II. See the wretchedness of the sin of Devils that is beyond pardon Their unpardonableness in what lay it In these two things 1. They sinned of pride and malice Adam and Eve of ignorance and weakness Take heed of sinning proudly and presumptuously 2. They were in the state of Eternity therefore their change to evil was unchangable Man carried the plea of weakness in his nature they not III. There is the same Grace Christ Promise Covenant from the beginning A SERMON PREACHED upon 1 JOHN III. 12. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him Because his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous THESE words refer to vers 11. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning that we should love one another and indeed to the tenor of all John's Epistles every where exhorting to love and not to be as Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother He had given two marks of one not born of God vers 10. Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother They are both here in Cain Who was so far from love and righteousness that he hated his Brother and slew him Wicked mens sins are set down that we may avoid them as Rocks 1 Cor. X. 6. These things were our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted But Cain's sin reads more It is the first story after the Fall And it shews I. The enmity 'twixt the seeds II. What poison Satan bad breathed into mans nature The Holy Ghost in that story bids us look on him Thou art the Man This is Man fallen Of Seth it is said Gen. V. 3. that he was begot in Adam's image here it needs not be said it is so plain In the words we have a description of the Father and the eldest son viz. the Devil and Cain I. The Devil described by a most proper denomination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wicked one II. Cain by his extraction and action He was of the wicked one and slew his Brother We will first clear these and then make some observations from them I. The denomination of the Devil That wicked one So he is stiled Matth. XII 45. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other Spirits more wicked than himself Eph. VI. 16. Taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the siery darts of the wicked So some understand that petition in the Lords Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deliver us from Evil that is the Evil one Nay Ephes. VI. 12. the Devil is called Wickedness in the Abstract We wrestle c. against spiritual wickedness in high places First He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
The Wicked one in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy one As the unclean Spirit is opposed to the holy Spirit so the wicked to the holy As the Children of God and the Children of the Devil are opposed vers 10. so here in regard of their nature There are some therefore that define the Devil by what is most contrary to God 1. He is become contrary As Christ and Belial light and darkness 2 Cor. VI. 14 15. In what Not in regard of his essential subsistence as he is a spirit intellectual immortal nor in regard only of want of righteousness and holiness but in regard of the bent of his will As in our selves we may read too much of the Devil in that respect that our Wills run so contrary to Gods No contrary to that that will be contrary as Hannibal was to the Romans For 2. He sets himself to be contrary He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that opposeth His contrariety is resolved and wilful In the first Fall he set himself up against God to be head He despised his charge and would head the creature against him And he continually fights against Gods Will and ways See those two things vers 10. which distinguish the Children of God and of the Devil Love and Righteousness the same make the distinction between God and the Devil God loves Man He hates him God loves Righteousness He opposeth it He stands up against Christ. There are two Heads in the world Christ and the Devil and he by his own pride and putting on Secondly He is the Wicked one as he is the Father of Wickedness As Joh. VIII 44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Ask who begat wicked works the answer must be The Devil 1. He is Father of his own wickedness He is his own Tempter and begat his sin within himself Whereas Adam had something ab extra from without that tempted him 2. He is the Father of others wickedness vers 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil He was the Father of the first Sin How might Adam have stood if not tempted by one above him He could not have believed a Creature could be against God but believed him one that was as a Messenger from God as Angels were He is the Father of all sins He hath concurrence to every sin we commit A general concurrence by poison infused into our Nature As sin hath a general concurrence to death so the Devil hath such a concurrence to sin And such a particular concurrence as we cannot say any sin is without him As no grace is without the spirit I shall not speak of his presence with all his influence with all Thirdly He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Wicked one in that he is perfectly wicked That is perfect Cui nihil addi potest vel detrahi To which nothing can be added or taken away So God is perfect and so is the Saints Happiness in Glory perfect happiness The Devil can be no more wicked or less as God can be no more or less good In Satans first sin he could sin no more than he did nor against more light nor could his sin be of more pride and malice He knew he should be damned if he fell yet he sinned and fell His continual sinning cannot be more than it is he cannot have more hate of God than he hath For he hates every thing that is like God or likes him And that not because God damned him but because God is God above him Nor can he be less wicked For an Angel cannot sin at a less rate than the deepest willfulness and malice cannot be tempted deceived ignorant wants not power to stand And thus we see how the Devil is the Wicked one Now II. We come to the Description that is given of Cain and that is twofold viz. by his extraction he was of that wicked one And by his action And slew his Brother I. Let us consider him with relation to his Extraction He was of that wicked one Such a phrase you have Joh. VIII 44. mentioned before You are of your Father the Devil It may be Questioned Whether all in an unregenerate state may be said alike to be of the Devil They are all Children of wrath Eph. II. 2. Whether are they all alike Children of the Devil I Answer 1. All are alike guilty and Children of corruption Sin is come over all One hath as much original guilt as another Because Adams whole sin is on all as Christs whole righteousness is on His. 2. One hath as much sinfulness and depravation of nature as another Abel as much as Cain For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. III. 23. Because all alike from Adam 3. All Children of wrath alike Eph. II. 2. That is First Quoad meritum in respect of merit Secondly Quoad indignationem Dei in peccatum in respect of Gods indignation against sin But not Quoad aeternam iram in respect of Eternal wrath 4. All slaves to Satan alike which that expression doth suppose where it is said That we are delivered out of the power of darkness But all are not under the claim of Satan alike The Elect have God claiming something in them even before they escape from the bondage of Satan As Israel in Egypt before their redemption God had a claim to them Therefore Men are not said to be of the Devil but where the visible acting is according to the Devil So in the place quoted already Joh. VIII 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Works of your Father ye will do 1 Joh. III. 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil And in the Text Cain was of that wicked one and slew his Brother So the Pharisees were of the seed of the Serpent Elymas was the Child of the Devil And from hence I lay down this Doctrine That wicked mens wicked actings shew they be of the wicked one See vers 8. Cain had pious education taught to sacrifice His Parents could tell him more of God and the Devil than almost any since He made an outward profession for he brought his Sacrifice to God Yet his works manifested him to be of the wicked one So wicked ones by their wicked actings shew that they belong to the Wicked One. They are of him That is 1. Of his Kingdom and pay a subjection to it 2. Of his Spirit 3. Of his Acting And this brings us to the next particular Viz. II. To consider Cain with relation to his action He slew his Brother He was of that wicked one and slew his Brother Here we may observe three things obiter by the way First That malice and murther is justly referred to the first Murtherer As Joh. VIII 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a murtherer from the beginning Ye would murther me because
at the last be brought into the Gospel as the Protestant party hath been yet that to the end numerous multitudes also shall continue in the Antichristian spirit of unbelief and opposition and blaspheming and both parts of Antichrist the Roman and this so to perish together Nor doth this opinion any whit cross any place of Scripture that is produced about the calling of the Jews but rather settle its sense and explain it That eminent place of the Apostle Rom. 11. carrieth such a limitation throughout and the very intent of his discourse speaketh to such a tenour all along For his drift in that Chapter is not to determine whether all the Jews should be once called but whether all the Jews were wholly cast off and this he states that there is a remnant ver 5. that the election hath obtained but the rest are blinded ver 7. and that blindness in part is happened to Israel c. v. 25. And this is the mystery that he there speaketh of and not as some would wrest it their universal conversion A mystery indeed that God should cast off his old Covenanted people and that they that had always had the light and only seen of all the Nations of the world should now sit in darkness and be blind and that the Gentiles by their blindness should come to see It is remarkable in this place and others of the Apostles Epistles that though the destruction of Jerusalem were the most signal time and evidence of Gods casting them off yet that they were indeed cast off long before as to spare more allegations may be observed in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians Ch. 2. ver 15 16. which was the first Epistle that the Apostle wrote Whence punctually to date their rejection whether from the death of Christ or from the first sending the Gospel among the Gentiles is not much material to inquire after here it is enough for our present purpose to observe that they are given for cast off so early in the dispersion of the Gospel So that the Apostle doth clearly include their conversion even at that first spreading of the Gospel as well as their conversion in future times He saith their casting off was the riches of the Gentiles and the reconciling of the world and their fulness should much more inrich the Gentiles and be as life from the dead By their fulness not meaning the whole number of their Nation but the full number of Gods Elect of them when they should be brought in The casting off of the Nation inriched the Gentiles in that they came in to be the Lords people in their stead but much more shall it be an inriching to them when the full number of them that belong to God shall come in also and be joyned to the Gentiles and help to make their body up This is apparently the drift of the Apostle in those words which that opinion is exceedingly wide of that holds that the calling of the Jews shall not be till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in It is true indeed that he saith that blindness in part is happened to Israel till that time v. 25. and so our Saviour saith that Jerusalem shall be troden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luke 21. 24. but this means her final desolation and the final blindness of that part that is blinded not that Jerusalem should be built again when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in which the Jews conceit nor that then the Jews should be unblindfolded and become a Gospel Church as the Gentiles had been for what a strange world doth such a supposal imagine And how often doth the Gospel gainsay any such distinctiveness and peculiarity As we need not to go far for instance that very place of the Apostle that is under our hands doth hold out all along that the Gentiles and the Jews that belong to the election of grace do make up but one Body And that very passage that is chiefly pleaded for their universal Call And so all Israel shall be saved means no other Therefore though it may be hoped that God hath multitudes of them yet to be brought in from under their Antichristian darkness and opposition of the Gospel yet that they shall be generally called and no Antichristian party left behind and that not till Antichrist of Rome be fallen and the fulness of the Gentiles be come in as some circumstantiate the thing needeth clearer evidence of Scripture to evince then yet hath been produced FINIS THE HARMONY OF THE Four Evangelists Among themselves and with the OLD TESTAMENT The First Part. FROM THE Beginning of the Gospels TO THE BAPTISM of our SAVIOUR WITH An Explanation of the Chiefest DIFFICULTIES both in LANGUAGE and SENSE By JOHN LIGHTFOOT D. D. LONDON Printed by W. R. for Robert Scott Thomas Basset John Wright and Richard Chiswell MDCLXXXII The Epistle to the READER Gentle Reader THE veil of the Sanctuary was supported by four pillars and wrought with great variety of works and colours So is the Story of the veil of Christs flesh by the four Evangelists and the Texture of it of like variety For one relateth what another hath omitted one more largely what another more brief one more plain what another less one before what another after one after one manner and another after another And so they bring their several pieces of Imbroidery differing in colours but not in substance various in workmanship but not in the ground-work to constitute and make up a perfect and sacred Tapestry and Furniture in the House of the Lord And carrying several faces in the manner of their writing and composal like those living Creatures in Ezekiel and the Revelation yet they sweetly and Harmoniously meet together in the one body and compacture of a perfect Story To sew these parcels together into one piece and so to dispose and place them in their proper order as the continuance and Chronical method of the History doth require is hic labor hoc opus a thing of no small pains and difficulty and yet a thing that with pains and industry may be brought to pass For in many passages and dislocations the Text hath shewed the proper place of such dislocated parcels and the proper way and manner to join them where they should be joined so plainly and in all places it hath hinted this so surely though sometimes more obscurely that serious study and mature deliberation may certainly fix and settle them Divers great and learned Pens have laboured in this work both Ancient and Modern both Romish and Protestant but hardly any if any at all in our own mother Tongue so fully and largely as a Work of this nature doth require this hath incited me though the unfittest of all others for a task of so much Learning Iudgment and Seriousness to attempt this work and if possibly my dimness might to give some light and facility to the History
of the Gospel and if my poorness could some contribution towards the building of Sion The Method that I prescribed to my self in this undertaking some glimpse whereof thou maist see in this present Parcel was 1. To lay the Text of the Evangelists in that order which the nature and progress of the Story doth necessarily require 2. To give a Reason of this Order why the Text is so laid more largely or more briefly according as the plainness or difficulty of the connexion doth call for it 3. To give some account of the difficulties in the language of the Original as any came to hand either being naturally so in the Greek it self or being made difficulties when they were not so by the curiosity misconstruction or self-end-seeking of some Expositors 4. And lastly to clear and open the sense and meaning of the Text all along as it went especially where it was of more abstruseness and obscurity These two last things did I assay and go on withal a great way in the work with much largeness and copiousness both concerning the language and the manner For for the first I did not only poise the Greek in the ballance of its own Country and of the Septuagint but I also examined translations in divers languages produced their sense and shewed cause of adhering to or refusing of their sense as I conceived cause And for the second I alledged the various Expositions and interpretations of Commentators both ancient and modern and others that spake to such and such places occasionally I examined their Expositions and gave the Reader reason to refuse or imbrace them as cause required When seeing the Work in this way likely to rise to vastness of bulk it self and of trouble to the Reader I chose to abridg this first part for a trial and therein having expressed only those things which were most material for the understanding of the Text where it is less plain for where it is plain enough why should I spend time and labour about it And spoken mine own thoughts upon it and omitted unless it be for a taste of what I had done the glosses and thoughts of others I now wait for the direction and advice of my learned and loving Friends and Readers whether to exhibite the other parts that are to follow by Gods good blessing and assistance in that large and voluminous method that at the first I prescribed to my self or in that succiseness that this present parcel holdeth out I have partly chosen and have partly been constrained to tender this work to publick view by pieces whereof only this and this but a small one neither appears at this time I have chosen so to do that I might give the world my thoughts upon the Evangelists as the Lord giveth time for who would defer to do any thing of such a work till he have done all since our lives are so short and uncertain and the work so long and difficult And I have been constrained thus to do partly because of mine other occasions many and urgent which deny me opportunity to follow that business as such a bulk would require and partly because of the straits of the times which have straitned our Presses that they Print but rarely any thing voluminous Every year by Gods permission and good assistance shall yield its piece till all be finished if the Lord spare life health and liberty thereunto Divers things were fitting to have been premised to a work of this nature but because that if they should all be set before this small piece that we now exhibit the Preface or Prolegomena would be larger than the Book it self therefore have I reserved to every piece that shall come forth it s own share and portion And the things that I have thought upon and hewed out unto this purpose are these 1. To fix the certain year of our Saviours birth as a thing very fit to be looked after and to shew the certain grounds whereupon to go that our fixing upon such a year may be warranted and without wavering This have I premised to this first part wherein comes the Story and Treatise of our Saviours birth 2. To give account of all the dislocations of Texts and Stories in the Old Testament which are exceeding many to shew where is their proper place and order and to give the reason of their dislocation And this being so copious and frequent in the Old Testament the like will be thought the less strange and uncouth in the New 3. To make a Chorographical description of the Land of Canaan and those adjoyning places that we have occasion to look upon as we read the Gospel a thing of no small necessity for the clearer understanding of the Story 4. To make a Topographical description of Jerusalem and of the Fabrick of the Temple which will facilitate divers passages in the Gospel which are of no small obscurity 5. To give some account and Story of the State and Customs of the Iews in these times when the Gospel began and was first preached among them out of their own and other Writers which things the Evangelists mention not and yet which conduce not a little to the understanding of the Evangelists These as things very necessary for the matter in hand shall wait severally upon the several parts that shall follow as the Lord shall please to vouchsafe ability time health and safety From my Chamber in Westminster Octob. 1. 1644. PROLEGOM I. The Age of the World at our Saviours birth fixed the account proved the chiefest difficulties in the Scripture Chronicle resolved IN the Stories of times the times of the stories do challenge special notice and observation and of all other that of our Saviours birth being the fulness of time may best as best worthy make such a challenge A time to which all the holy ones that went before it did bend their eyes and expectation and a time from which all the Christians that have lived since have dated their Chronical accounts and computation And yet how unfixed is this time and age of the world in which so great a mystery came to pass and upon which so general accounting doth depend in the various reckonings of learned and industrious men It is not only to be seen in their writings wondered at in regard of the great difference at which they count but the fixed time is the more to be studied for upon this very reason because such men do so greatly differ among themselves The only way to settle in such variety is to take the plain and clear account and reckoning of the Scripture which hath taken a peculiar care to give an exact and most certain Chronicle to this time and not to rely upon the computation of Olympiades Consuls or any other humane calculation which it cannot be doubted must of necessity leave the deepest student of them in doubting and uncertainty Now the Scripture carrying on a most faithful reckoning of the times from