seventh day and sanctified it surely this blessing and sanctifying of it was for mans use God needed no day therfore in that place Exod. 16.29 hee saith The Lord hath given you the Sabbath alluding to the first institution and the word Remember which beginnes the Fourth Commandement imports that the day was given before though much forgotten and neglected And what if there bee no particular testimony which mentions the patriarchs keeping of it before the Law it doth not follow therefore it was not kept There is no mention of keeping it in Joshuah in Judges in Samuel is it therefore a warrantable or good argument to conclude that it was not kept yea if it were granted that they did not keep it doth this prove that they were not required to keep it For Justin Martyr Ireneus Doceant in preteritum justos sabbatizasse aut circumcidisse sic amicos Dei effectos esse Tertul. adversus Iudaeos and Tertullian their scope is to shew that none of the fathers of those times were justified or obtained salvation by keeping of the Sabbath If the Sabbaths were given before how are they said to be given when they were in the wilderness this is answered in the next words To be a sign between me and them The first giving of the Sabbath was to bee a memoriall of the Creation Gen. 2.3 and therefore was observed by the Primitive Fathers whom the Creation of the World did most nearly concern and was in use before Moses daies who was above two thousand years after But when God gave it out again by Moses it was upon another account viz. to bee a sign between him and his people the Jews whom he brought out of Egypt and that upon the Sabbath day as Junius observes A sign The Sabbath was a signe of the true Sabbath wherein we shall rest from the labour of this world So Jerome a sign of love and reconciliation so Vatablus a signe of Holinesse that by the time dedicated to God we might know our selves dedicated to God So Cajetane a sign of difference between the Jews and all other People who were prophane and derided the Jews for loosing the seventh part of their time So Tostat and Sanctius They were distinguished from other Nations by Circumcision and by meats but these were not so visible observable in the eye of the world as their Sabbaths A sign that God had taken this people to himself separated them from Egyptians and others and would have them in a special manner remember their Egyptian deliverance on that day as formerly the Creation It was a sign between God and them they glorified him owning him for their God and he sanctified them owning them for his people So that here was a second edition and as it were a new institution of the Sabbath Because hee brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand therefore hee commanded them to keep the Sabbath Deut. 5.15 I am the Lord which sanctify them Sanctifying as it referres to God notes sometimes preparation to some special service as Jer. 51.27 28. Prepare the Nations against them the Hebrew is Sanctify the nations against her that is Babylon preparing of the Nations to the destruction of Babylon is sanctifying of them sometimes it notes separation to an holy use as Joel 1.14 Sanctify yee a fast that is separate a time from common imployments to Religious So Christ is said to bee sanctifyed John 10.36 Sometimes it notes making holy Levit. 21.23 I the Lord do sanctify them that is make them holy so John 17.17 Rom. 15.16 we are here to take it in the two last senses I have given them my holy-daies times separated from all Common use and worldly imployments times for drawing near to and worshipping of mee times wherein they ought to bee holy and to minde holy things and so know that it is I which separate them from others and do make them holy a peculiar People unto my self Quest. Whether was not the Sabbath a mutable Ceremony seeing he calls it a sign here Answ That proves it not to bee so for Gen. 9.12 the Rain-bow is called a Token or sign between God and man and that was no mutable Ceremony but continues to the end of the World Besides it s not a sign or type of future Grace something to come but a signe of their deliverance out of Egypt or of the Creation which were things past or a signe of Gods sanctifying them at the present when they met before him on those daies And further signe here by some is put for argumentum or documentum it s a note of your distinction from others of your being my people and of my sanctifying of you Obs 1 When God is in a way of mercy with a people hee hath his moreovers Moreover I gave unto them my Sabbaths Neh. 9. hee reckons up many mercies and vers 22. hee saith Moreover thou gavest them kingdomes and nations so in Isa 30. hee tells them of what mercies they shall have and vers 26. Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light c. God doth alwaies perform his promises shewing his faithfulnesse and many times hee gives more than he promises good measure pressed down and running over to shew his bountifulness Obs 2 That of holy times and daies God is the Author I gave them my Sabbaths God blessed and sanctified the seventh day and gave it unto the Jews Gen. 2.3 it is his prerogative to make persons things or times holy it is not in the power of man or any sort of men to make days holy It was no small sin in our fore-fathers that took upon them to make Lent and other times holy and some daies more holy than the Lords day it self The Jewes had no holy daies but at the Lords appointment Obs 3 The Lord gave forth and appointed holy and resting daies upon weighty and considerable grounds alwaies after some great mercy some special thing or other which hee had done As here when hee had brought them out of Egypt drowned Pharaoh and his Host in the deeps then hee gave them out the Sabbath again At first it was instituted after that great and glorious work of the Creation God would have great works and mercies to bee kept in memory So the day wee keep was appointed in memorial of that great work mans redemption by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and therefore is honoured with the Title of Lords Day Rev. 1.10 Obs 4 The Sabbath is a day of special concernment to God and his people I gave them my Sabbaths to bee a signe between mee and them As the Rain-bow is a sign of special concernment between God and the world so is the Sabbath It s an argument and evidence that God looks upon them as his People where his Sabbath is and that they acknowledge God their God who keep his Sabbaths By it God keeps alive the memory of his glorious great and gratious works
plague vers 49. and many by the Amorites in Sâ—ir Deut. 1.44 now notwithstanding so many were destroyed yet all were not he did not make an end of them in the Wildernesse hee did not consummate and perfect his wrath upon them his eye sâ—ared them hee was moved to mercy and had compassion on them Though men have sinned much and God have let out much wrath yet neverthelesse hee hath an eye to spare and an heart to pitty If hee should punish destroy none hee would bee thought to bee like unto sinners Psalm 50.21 if hee should destroy all hee would bee thought to bee cruel to shew therefore that hee is a just God hee cuts off some and to shew he is a mercifull God he spares some In the late powder blow some were destroyed It was the 4th of Jan. 1649. about eight a clock at night some were spared yea wonderfully spared and preserved Vers 18. But I said unto their children in the wildernesse walk yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their Judgements nor defile your selves with their Idols Vers 19 I am the Lord your God walk in my statutes and keep my judgements and do them In the 18. vers God dehorts them from following their fathers waies In the 19. hee exhorts them to follow his waies and shews them the reason why they should do so because he is their God Where the Lord spake thus unto them in the Wilderness is not recorded by Moses but that hee did speak what is in the 18. vers Our Prophet assures us who spake as he was moved by the Spirit you have that is aequivalent thereunto Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left not to your Fathers on the right hand nor to the Heathen on the left The 19. vers you have Levit. 18.4 5. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgements Nothing in these verses requires explication Take these observations Obs 1 Children are prone to follow the corrupt decrees counsels and examples of their parents I said walk not in the statutes of your fathers That is in what they decree appoint observe not their judgements that is their Counsels and advisements nor defile your selves with their Idols that is follow not their examples They were addicted much to what their sinful Fathers said or did Of the Kings of Israel its said they did evil as their Fathers had done 2 King 15.9 ch 23.32 ch 24.9 and Jer. 44.17 the Children would sacrifice to and defile themselves with Idols as their Fathers had done Fathers Laws Customes Traditions Examples perswasions counsels are loadstones and draw them strongly to that is evill Obs 2 Posterity are not tyed to the statutes and Judgements of their Fathers or fore-fathers I said walk not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their Judgements c. Though there bee a strong tye between Parents and Children and they bound by the Command of God to obey their Parents yet when they shal command or counsel them any thing unlawful contrary to the statutes and judgements of God they are not to hearken not to observe or obey them Here is Divine authority for it I said If it bee Gods Command that lead Children to obey Parents and People to obey Magistrates in Lawful things then Gods prohibition must keep them from obeying in unlawful things When Masters or Parents are so wicked as to put their Servants or Children upon lying or swearing to put off their commodities they should remember what God hath said Walk not in their statutes c. This holds especially in matters of Faith and worship mens statutes and judgements must not come in there what is not Divine is no matter for my faith nor rule for my worship Mens chaffe and bran must not come among Gods wheat their weeds and nettles must not come amongst his flowers It is not Popes decrees Canons of counsels judgements of Fathers Votes of Synods Customes of Churches Religion of Auncestors that must tye my Conscience or guide my practice in the worship of God He hath said it who is above them all Walk not in their statutes neither observe their Judgements and defile not your selves with their Idols Men have their Statutes their judgements their inventions and additions to points of Faith and matters of worship which are no other than Idols and will defile Obs 3 That wee are onely to walk in Gods statutes and to keep his Judgements Not mens statutes or judgements I am the Lord your God I have authority over you I am in Covenant with you I have given you statutes and judgements which are right Psalm 19.8 true and good Neh. 9.13 therefore walk in my statutes keep my Judgements when the Israelites walked in other statutes the statutes of the Heathen or the statutes that themselves made the Lord was wroth with them and afflicted them for it 2 King 17.8 19 20. and commanded them to observe his statutes and Ordinances and to do them for evermore vers 37. Josh 24.14 15. Vers 20. And hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a signe between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord your God In this 20. verse the Lord proceeds in his exhortation of the Children of those rebellious Israelites in the wildernessâ— and exhorts them to hallow his Sabbaths which their Fathers had polluted Hallow my Sabbaths Not make holy but keep holy the Hebrew word is the same with that Exod. 20.8 The hallowing or sanctifying of the Sabbath here consisteth in two things 1 In resting from labour and work Servile work Levit. 23.7 8. that is such work as men may lawfully do on other daies works for gain and profit might not bee done on Sabbath days they were to rest from their own works words and pleasures Isa 58.13 see Exod. 20.10 Nehem. 13.15 Jer. 17.22 Exod. 16.29 cha 31.14 2 In doing those things which God required on that day as meditation on the works of Creation for which it was first instituted Gen. 2.23 remembrance of their servitude in Egypt and deliverance thence Deut. 5.15 meeting in solemn assemblies Levit. 23.3 in which the word was to be read opened and reverently heard Luk. 4.16 Act. 15.31 Ec. 5.1 prayer to be made Acts 16.13 God to be praised Psalm 92. Sacrifices to be offered Numb 28.2 10. and they were to exercise works of mercy on that day Mat. 12.10 11 12. John 5.9 and all these duties they were to do with delight Isa 58.13 They shall be a sign between me and you Of these words you heard in the 12. vers besides what was said there the Sabbath was a sign of the Covenant God made with them to bee their God and to own them for his people for it follows That you may know I am the Lord your God The Sabbath day was the time wherein
Nations Heylin Cosmogrâ— Vide Lyra in Ezek. 20 6 besides women children and such as were not able to fight 2 Sam. 24. this land was the glory of all lands in regard of the fruitfulnesse and plenty of it of which see Deut. 8.7 8 9. cha 32.13 14. Isa 36.17 a land beyond Egypt though some have affirmed the contrary for Deut. 11.10 11 12. the land thou goest in to possesse is not as the land of Egypt from whence ye came out when thou sowedst thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbes But the land whither thou goest to possesse it is a land of Hells and Vallies and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end thereof This is a divine Testimony and an high praise of it and doth justly intitle it to bee the glory of all lands What our Prophet saith here of Canaan may bee suspected and seems to bee contradicted by Isaiah ch 13.19 where hee calls Babylon the glory of Kingdomes and if that be the glory of them how can Canaan bee the glory of all lands Hee speaks of the City Babylon which was the head of Chaldea and gave denomination to a great part of Mesopotamia and Assyria the walls whereof were two hundred foot high filty Cubits broad and sixty miles in Compass which the Babylonians counted the glory of Kingdomes and boasted of if it did exceed Jerusalem in its greatnesse richnesse strength and populousness yet it fell short of it in other things Jerusalem represented the true Church Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 Babylon the malignant and false Church Rev. 17.5 glorious things were spoken of Jerusalem and it was the faithful City Isa 1.21 the Holy City Isa 52.1 the City of Truth Zach. 8.3 a City of Righteousnesse Isa 1 26. the City of the Lord of Hosts such things were never spoken of Babylon Again if Babylon bee the Glory of Kingdomes it s not said to bee of all kingdomes it might bee the glory of Heathenish Kingdomes it was not the glory of Canaan for there was the Idol Bel other Images and abominable Idolatry Jer. 51.44 47. which eclipsed the other glory it had Again if it bee granted that Babylon was the glory of all Kingdomes and so of Judea or Canaan yet take Canaan in its latitude with all its excellencies and so considered it is the Glory of all Lands and beyond Babylon taken for the City or the Countrey for besides its milk and honey its fruitfulnesse and plenty there was something of an higher nature which made it so For 1 It was the land of promise Heb. 11 9. 2 A type of Heaven Heb. 3.11 3 The land God chose to dwell in Ps 132.13 14. Exo. 15.17 4 In it was the Temple Worship Ordinances and Oracles of God 1 Kin. 6. 8. chapt Whence it was called the Holy Land Zach. 2.12 holy Habitation Exod. 15.13 the land of the Lord Isa 14.2 Ps 85.2 the land of uprightnesse Isa 26.10 the land of Immanuel Isa 8.8 and upon this account it was the glory of all lands For no land besides in all the world was so called as this or had such prerogatives Obs 1 Old mercies should bee minded not onely by those they were first bestowed upon but also by their posterity who had benefit by them also In the former vers and this God mindes them of Old mercies his choice of them his making known himself unto them his professing himself to bee their God his bringing them out of Egypt which were some eight or nine hundred years before and his espying out a land for them which was four hundred years before that for it was in Abrahams daies that God took notice of that land Gen. 12. get thee to a land that I will shew thee vers 7. unto thy seed will I give this land These Old mercies God would have them to mind though they were in Babylon and deprived of that good land God had given them Let men bee in what condition they will Old mercies should not bee forgotten especially signal great emphatical mercies When God shall publikely own a people deliver them from great slavery put them into a state of freedome safety and honour provide all good things for them such mercies ought not to bee forgotten but to bee remembred from generation to generation This was done in Davids dayes Ps 44.1 2. Wee have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what worâ— thou didst in their daies in the times of Old how thou didst drive out the Heathen with thy hand Judges 6.13 Fathers told their children of the miracles God had wrought for them and how hee brought them out of Egypt and because men are apt to forget former mercies when they grow old they grow out of minde the Lord laid a charge upon the Jews that they should not forget them Deut. 6.10 11 12. And commanded them to remember the daies of Old and to consider the years of many generations and to inquire of the ancient what he had done for them Deut. 32.7 There bee no works like unto Gods works and they ought to bee had in remembrance David kept them in mind for hee professes to the Lord himself I remember the daies of Old I meditate on all thy works I muse on the work of thy hand he looked back to the daies of Noah of Abraham of Joseph of the Israelites and of Gods dealing with them because the heart is not quickly affected with old mercies and works of God he meditated and mused on them and that till his heart was warmed and stirred up to praise as it is Psal 105.5 remember his marvellous works that hee hath done his wonders and the judgements of his mouth O yee seed of Abraham his servant Obs 2 That Lands Countries and Habitations of People are appointed ordered and disposed of by the Lord hee brings them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that hee had espyed for them All souls and all lands are the Lords and whom hee will hee plants where hee pleases Hee distributes lands and habitations to whom hee thinks meet The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24.1 hee is the sole owner thereof the true Lord of the soil and all it brings forth and hee hath given it to the children of men Psal 115.16 hee hath assigned them their several portions Deut. 32.8 the most high divided to the Nations their inheritance when he separated the Sonnes of Adam the most high God being Lord paramount would not have the Sonnes of Adam to live all in one Country or Land but appointed them several lands and Countries to dwel in and set them their bounds and limits as you may see in Gen. 10. especially vers 25. where Eber names his Son Peleg which signifies division because the earth was divided in
and by it the people are brought to glorify and magnify his name for those works by it hee distinguisheth his people from the Prophane and by it they distinguish him from the Idol gods in it the Lord sanctifies his People and they in it do worship him it s the day wherein they meet visit and make each other cheerful and glorious let us have more honourable thoughts of the Sabbath and not think it concernes not us if wee bee his people it s still a signe between him and them If wee have no Sabbath or no day answerable to it wee come short of the Jews who had it given unto them as a great mercy I gave unto them my Sabbaths my holy resting daies Obs 5 Sanctification is the work of the Lord and specially of the Lord when people meet on his day Hee gave them his Sabbaths and they were called holy Convocations because on them the people met Levit. 23.3 and why did hee give them those daies that they might know that hee was the Lord which sanctified them There is none which can sanctify persons by way of separation or inherent holinesse but the Lord. Hee assumes this power and priviledge to himself Levit. 20.8 Ezek. 37.28 and his sanctifying is chiefly when People meet on his day Then the Law was read and opened unto them Act. 15.21 Neh. 8.8 then did God appear amongst them and work by the means hee appointed for their sanctification Psal 89.7 God is greatly to bee feared in the Assembly of Saints there hee convinces them of their sinfulnesse and sinful practises there hee beats down their strong holds and captivates their thoughts to the obedience of his will what was it made David openly to proclaim it that a day in Gods Court was better than a thousand one Sabbath day wherein hee had communion with God and found him sanctifying his head and heart was more esteemed of him than a thousand other daies for the Lord saith hee is a sunne and a shield hee inlightens mee hee strengthens mee and so separates my darknesse and weaknesse from mee and makes mee more holy Let us therefore look unto God alone for sanctification and wait upon him on his daies in the solemn assemblies and hee will sanctify us those are daies of his special presence power and blessing Obs 6 Gods people should observe and take notice what God doth in them on Sabbaths when they appear before him they had the Sabbaths given them that they might know the Lord did sanctify them that they might have experience in themselves of the powerfull operations of God in them God observed what they did that day and they were to observe what hee did that day They read the Law and the Prophets and expounded them Act. 13.15 Neh. 8.8 they Prayed Act. 16.13 they discoursed reasoned and perswaded men out of the Scriptures Act. 18.4 they offered Sacrifices Numb 28.2.10 they did sing Psalm 92. the Title These things they did and God observed their spirits in the doing of them hee observed how they sanctifyed the day and himself in the duties of the day and they were to observe what hee did in the Assemblies and in their bosomes This David did Psal 96.6 strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary saith he and Psalm 63.2 hee confesses hee had seen Gods Power and glory there the strength and beauty in one place is the same with Power in the other it s a glorious beautiful work when God sanctifies a sinner it s a work of Power and strength when hee breaks the snares of our lusts the chains of unbeleef and inlarges our hearts quickens comforts strengthens and inlightens us It s a common sin and sicknesse amongst Christians that they heed not what the Lord does in his Ordinances for them and in them they cannot say from experience wee know it is the Lord that sanctifies us most can say this from the Tongue few from the heart 't was not without cause that Solomon said Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and bee more near to hear than to offer the sacrifice of Fools Eccl. 5.1 some thinke hee alludes to Exod. 3.5.30.19 and Josh 5. last Where is mention of putting off their shooes and washing their feet because they were to approach unto the holy God and surely wee had need look to our feet that is our affection foot is put for feet the singular for the plural for we approach near to God when we go to his house wee go to be sanctified and therefore should take heed we defile not our selves Vers 13. But the house of Israel rebelled against mee in the wildernesse they walked not in my statutes and they despised my judgements which if a man do hee shall even live in them and my Sabbaths they greatly polluted then I said I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them Having represented unto them the mercies he conferred on them in the wildernesse here hee declares what their carriage was towards him therein and what his purpose was towards them 1 Their carriage towards him is laid down 1 In General the house of Israel rebelled against me 2 In Special and that in three particulars 1 They walked not in my statutes 2 They despised my judgements 3 They polluted my Sabbaths and that greatly Now all these are aggravated 1 From the place where they were done in the wildernesse where they had special need of Gods protection and provision where they had and saw his miracles daily 2 From the nature of the statutes and judgements given which were such as if done kept they might have lived 2 The Lords purpose towards them was to pour out his fury upon them and consume them and that in the wilderness Little shall I speak of this Vers because in the 8. and 11. verses you have already had most things in it The house of Israel rebelled against me Of their rebellion in the wilderness you may read Deut 1.26.43 Exod. 17.7 with Numb 20.24.27 ch 14. Deut. 9.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reprobavit ex odio abjecit contempsit significat fastidio quodam rem aliquam aut personam ranquam vilem contemptam rejicere The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They despised my judgements The Hebrew word for despise notes rejecting hating villifying they looked upon them as contemptible things and threw them away they did not onely refuse to walk in his Law Psal 78.10 but they despised his judgements and abhorred his Statutes Levit. 26.43 it was such despising as had an abhorrency accompanying it My Sabbaths they greatly polluted Of their Polluting his Sabbaths you may read Exod. 16.27 they went to gather Manna on the Sabbath day one gathered sticks signifies cum sputo quasi rejicere Numb 15.32 they carried burdens and did servile work Jer. 17.22 23. whereas they should have highly prised the Sabbaths resting from doing their own waies finding their own pleasure speaking
his people into streights he will not leave them destitute he will shew them some mercy in such a condition He brought them into the wildernesse and what then hee gave them his Statutes and shewed them his judgements When they were in the wildernesse they had the Cloud the Pillar of fire the Manna the Tabernacle the water out of the rock many great mercies did God bestow on them whilst they were in the Wildernesse Jacob by the hand of God was brought into streights hee must leave his fathers house to secure his life Gen. 27.42 43. lye in the open field all night where the earth was his bed and the stones his bolsters where the wild beasts might have found and devoured him but in this condition the Lord appeared to him and told him what hee would give and do for him it was a good night to Jacob hee met with sweeter greater mercies when hee lay without doors than ever he did by lying in his fathers house God brought Jerusalem into a streight by Senacherib and did hee leave it so and let him sack and spoil it No hee prepared an Angel that was both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a saviour to the Jews and a destroyer to the Assyrians Christ by the Spirit was led into the wildernesse where the tempter set upon him very fiercely and ceased not for forty daies together to shoot his fiery darts against him but did not the Lord mind him in that condition yes he sent Angels unto him Mat. 4.11 Behold Angels came and ministred unto him Obs 2 God is the Law-giver to his people I gave them my Statutes and shewed them my judgements God gave them Laws to govern and direct them both in their worshiping of him and carriage one towards another It was no small mercy that God gave them Statutes and Judgements for no Nation had the like mercy Deut. 4.8 What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day said Moses to them Other Nations had their Statutes and Judgements but either they were not righteous or at best not so righteous as theirs were if some were righteous others were not Here all were righteous Ps 119.128 They are called judgements of righteousnesse Psal 119.7 and Commands that are righteousness v. 172. They are the judgements and commands of the righteous God they are full of righteousnesse and make men righteous If the Law of the twelve Tables among the Romans did exceed all the libraries of Philosophers in weight and worth as Tully said what then did the Statutes and Judgements God gave to this people they exceeded all the Laws that ever were or shall be this made David to value them above thousands of Gold and Silver Psal 119.72 and to pray unto the Lord to open his eyes that hee might see the mysteries and depths were in them vers 18. and 129. and that he would incline his heart to keep them vers 36. God gave them these Laws to shew that hee would bee their governour that they ought to obey him Isa 33.22 The Lord is our Law-giver Obs 3. The great bounty and wisdome of God in making promise of an happy life here and eternal life hereafter to the keepers of the Law to those should observe his Statutes and Judgements 1 His great bounty for suppose a man could perfectly in all things keep the Law and that perpetually he deserves nothing thereby being Gods creature it s his duty to do what hee appoints and commands mans works do not excell nor carry that intrinsecal worth before God as to merit at his hands the life therefore attainable hereby is ratione pacti promissi not from the nature of mans obedience but of Gods promise and so is from his bounty and good-will For God to promise life to mans obedience was great mercy transcending what ever possibly or imaginably could bee therein whereas hee might have commanded all man could do without any promise of life at all neither let any say this Promise was to no purpose because man was not able to keep the Law The fault thereof was not in God nor in the Law but in man himself who had disabled himself and here appears Secondly the Great wisdome of God that made this promise of life to the keepers of the Law that so hee might draw out their indeavours to the utmost and that seeing when they were at the height they fell short of that perfection the Law required they might look for life upon another account viz. the righteousnesse of faith Deut. 30.12 13 14 15. with Rom. 9.30 31 32. and ch 10.5 6 7 8. Therefore the Law finding us uncapable of life through our sin directed us unto Christ where wee might have it through his grace Gal. 3.24 the Law was our Schoolmaster unto Christ that we might be justifyed by faith Vers 12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths to bee a sign between me and them that they might know that I am the Lord which sanctify them Here is another mercy which the Lord bestowed upon this people namely his Sabbaths which were 1 To be a sign between him and them 2 To Evidence that the Lord was hee which sanctified them My Sabbaths To status upon the second of Genesi saith Quod Deus non dederit preceptum illud de observatione Sabbati in principio sed per Mosen datum esse And â—eylin in his History of the Sabbath saith no Patriarks before Moses time did ever observe the Sabbath and he alledges Justin Martyr Ireneus and Tertul. for it He also cites Musculus and Hospinian saying it cannot be proved that the Sabbath was kept by any of the fathers before the Law Vide Ames Medul Theol. l. 2. c. 15. Nam 9.10 Vide Rivetum in decalog The word Sabbath signifies Rest and such Rest as work hath gone before from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cease to bee quiet and give over working it imports not a sitting still or doing nothing but a resting from what formerly was a doing Some by Sabbaths here understand not onely the Sabbath of daies but the Sabbaticall years also the seventh and fiftyeth years which were years of rest But it s more genuine to take Sabbaths here for Sabbatical daies One of which came every week and those Sabbaths were the signes between God and them It may bee inquired whether they had the Sabbath before they came out of Egypt because it s said that God brought them out thence into the wildernesse and gave them his Sabbaths and there bee some of Note who hold that the Sabbath was not given at first but in Moses daies To this inquiry the Answer is that they had the Sabbath before that time of Moses giving the Law at Mount Sinai as appears Exod. 16.23 25 26. On the Sabbath day there was no manna to bee found or gathered and Gen. 2.3 God blessed the
their own words and wholly have been taken up in the worship of God and the duties peculiar to the day Obs 1 Such is the corruption of mans nature that nothing will keep it within its bounds but it breaks out against God neglects and abuses the Ordinances and means hee hath appointed for mans salvation But the house of Israel rebelled against me they walked not in my statutes they despised my Judgements and they greatly polluted my Sabbaths These God gave them for their good life salvation but they sleighted perverted polluted them God had done great things for them hee provided for them in the wildernesse manna water shooes cloaths all in a miraculous way so that they could not subsist without him yet they rebell against him despise him Numb 11.20 Cast off his statutes and judgements and prophane his Sabbaths to his face Thus they dealt with the Lord when hee brought them out of Babylon Nehem. 13.15 16. they greatly polluted the Sabbaths of the Lord whereupon saith Nehemiah vers 18. did not your Fathers thus and so bring evil upon us and will you bring more wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbaths Neither the mercies their fathers had when they were brought out of Egypt nor the mercies themselves had when they were brought out of Babylon kept in their Corruptions but they rose to a great height and brake out so farre as to set at nought all his counsels Prov. 1.25 to reject the word of the Lord Jer. 8.9 to mock and misuse his messengers and Prophets 2 Chron. 36.16 to speak stoutly against God Mal. 3.13 yea so strong grew their corruptions that their souls abhorred God Zech. 11.8 Is it not thus in our daies neither miraculous mercies nor wonderful judgements do keep men within bounds or chain up their corruptions but they break out greatly polluting the Lords day despising all or some Ordinances do they not set at nought and reject the whole Counsel of God the very Scriptures do they not mock and misuse the messengers and Ministers of God do they not blaspheme curse and glory in it do they not speak stoutly against Christ and God Do not some turn Jews and others Atheists denying Christ God Surely iniquity abounds and is within little of its perfection the harvest is near sinners are almost full ripe for judgement and ere long God will say thrust in the sickle Obs 2. When men do neglect despise and abuse the ordinances of God and means of grace they provoke God even to their destruction They neglected to walk in Gods statutes they despised his judgements they polluted his Sabbaths and what then Then I said I would pour out my fury upon them to consume them Men think that neglecting and slighting of Ordinances prophaneing of the Lords day and holy things is no such great evil if it bee an evil at all but there is hardly any thing kindles the wrath of God hotter than the casting off despising and abusing the Ordinances and mediums appointed of God for his worship our good comfort and salvation Their sins here of this nature put God into fury which is more than anger or wrath upon pouring out of fury and such pouring out as to consume them Heb. 10.25 26 27. hee tells you of some that did forsake the assemblies cast off the Ordinances of God which was a wilful and provoking sin excluding mercy and hastening judgement and fierce indignation which should destroy When God in his infinite wisdome and mercy hath condescended to mans weaknesse given him Ordinances and mediums wherein hee will bee worshipped and through which hee will do good to the creature and now the foolish creature to neglect despise or prophane them this pierces Gods heart and transformes his patience into fury and puts him into waies of destruction Those despised Moses Law were to dye without mercy and what will be their portion who despise Christ the Gospel and Ordinances thereof see Heb. 12.25 Act. 2.23 every soul that will not hear Christ shall bee destroyed that is whosoever shall not hearken to Christs voice in the Gospel submit to the Ordinances appointed by him therein and worship the Father the way hee hath prescribed hee shall bee destroyed The Corinthians abused and prophaned the Supper of the Lord and were they not smitten and destroyed for that sinne 1 Cor. 1â— 30 Moses had the sword drawn upon him by the Lord himself because he neglected the Circumcision of his Son Exod. 4.24 Vers 14 But I wrought for my name sake that it should not be polluted before the Heathen in whose sight I brought them out Whilest they were in the wildernesse and Moses in the Mount they made a Calfe and fell to Idolatry which exasperated the Lord so that hee thought to destroy them and had not Moses interposed and pressed God with the honour of his name hee had done it Exod. 32.12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say for mischief did hee bring them out to slay them in the Mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evill against thy people God did so and wrought for his name sake Of these words was spoken in the ninth vers Vers 15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wildernesse that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them flowing with milk and honey which is the glory of all lands 16 Because they despised my Judgements and walked not in my Statutes but polluted my Sabbaths for their heart went after their Idols 17 Neverthelesse mine eye spared them from destroying them neither did I make an end of them in the Wildernesse In the 15. verse you have mention of Gods swearing that hee would not bring them into Canaan in the 16. the reason thereof In the 17. his indulgence and pity towards them I lifted up my hand unto them c. This was when upon the ill report the Spies had brought upon the land of Canaan the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron as you may see Numb 14.28 29 30. and ch 26.65 But here a difficulty ariseth in the 6. vers of this Chapter it s said that God had lift up his hand and so sworn to bring them not onely out of Egppt but into the land of Canaan and here it s said hee had lift up his hand to the contrary that he would not bring them into the land hee had given them so that it seems here is one oath against another and in Numb 14.34 God acknowledges his breach of Promise for hee saith yee shall know my breach of promise I have promised and sworn to bring you into the land of Canaan but you have so sinned against and provoked mee that I will not do it yea have sworn you shall not enter into my rest Psalm 95.11 This difficulty is removed by considering that God did not make promise or swear to those individual men that were
out of Gods way is worse than all Obs 2 That Gods punishments are his pleadings when hee visits men for their sinnes he pleads with them Every rod of his hath a voice and pleads for God Quoties apparent aliqua signa irae Dei ipse discertat nobiscum Gods strikeings are real pleadings Isa 66.16 by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh His punishments are arguments hee uses to convince or confound sinners and whatsoever punishments hee inflicts upon any they are just and righteous for hee never pleads an ill cause they are judicia Dei hee is infinitely wise and as he judgeth aright so he executeth judgement righteously Obs 3 Those be like in sinning must bee like in suffering like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernesse of the Land of Egypt so will I plead with you These Jews were their Children and did as their fathers had done Their fathers shook off the God of Israel and chose them an Egyptian god Exod. 32.4 they mingled with the Heathen and learnt their works Psal 106.35 they polluted his Sabbaths caused their children to pass through the fire ver 13. and 26. of this chap. and these their posterity chose Babylonish gods became as the Heathen made their sonnes pass through the fire and trode in their fathers steps v. 30 31 32. Vers 37. And I will cause you to pass under the rod and I will bring you under the bond of the Covenant 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that transgresse against mee I will bring them forth out of the Country where they sojourn and they shall not enter into the land of Israel and yee shall know that I am the Lord. God being in a judiciary way pleading with this people here he proceeds further in the manner thereof 1 Hee would examine and reduce them to their former state ver 37. 2 Hee would make a Discrimination between them ver 38. I will cause them to pass under the rod. The Hebrew word for Rod is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in this place may signify either a Scepter as frequently it doth in Scripture and is so rendred chap. 19.11 14. or a Shepheards staffe or crook which hee useth among his sheep so it is used Psalm 23.4 If it bee taken the first way the sense is this that though they scattered themselves among the Babylonians and put themselves under Heathenish power yet the Lord would make them pass under the Rod that is come under his Kingly power hee would rule over them they should still bee his subjects But of this hee spake in the 33. vers therefore I conceive Rod here is to be taken in the latter signification that God would deal with them more pastorâ—tio like a Shepheard or Heardsman who were wont to number their Cattle with a wand or Rod which is called passing under the Rod Levit. 27.32 To this purpose is that of Jer. 33.13 In the Cities of the Mountaines in the Cities of the vale and in the Cities of the South and in the land of Benjamin and in the places about Jerusalem and in the Cities of Judah shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them When the flocks went into the field or fold and when they went out their practice was to tell them by a Rod in their hand and so they passed under the Rod. Hereunto Christ alludes John 10.3 when hee saith hee calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out The meaning then of the Lord here is that hee would take an exact account of them tell them as a shepheard doth his flock and see which were rotten and which were sound Gods rod are afflictions and judgements as you may see Psal 89.32 I will visit their transgressions c. Lamen 3.1 I will bring you under the bond of the Covenant You think to break the bond of the covenant made between me and your Fathers by becoming Babylonians and ceasing to bee my people but it shall not bee I will keep the Covenant and cause you to come under the bond of it and performe that obedience I look for The word for bond is Masoreth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obstringere ad obedientiam or paenam to bind unto obedience or punishment when men are in Covenant they are bound to obey or to suffer if they disobey Vatablus and others carry it thus that God would deal with them as hee had done with their fathers that hee would make a Covenant with these as hee had done with them and so make it another covenant by which God would bind them up and refer it to the Covenant made in Ezraes daies but rather I conceive the Lord intends the former Covevant especially that mentioned Ezekiel 16.8 when God in a solemn manner took this People to be his in Moses's daies wherein he made good his Promise and Covenant with Abraham and bound them unto him by the Law The Covenant bound them from other gods and waies of worship And I will purge out from among you the Rebels The Septuagint and Vulgar read the words I will chase out the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both to chuse and purge God would number them distinguish them one from another and then purge out those were rebellious they should no longer bee in his flock but bee discovered and declared to the world what they were By Rebels hee means those that cast off God and his works and turned heathens I will bring them forth out of the Country where they sojourn and they shall not enter into the Land c. The Hebrew is Out of the Country of their sojournings or peregrinations I will bring them Some make these words to point out those were then in Judea whom God would bring forth and not suffer to return any more and not onely them but many of those were in Babylon before God suffered not to return into the land of Israel for if we understand these words of the return after the seventy years as they must long before that time were these Jews with Zedekiah brought out of the Land of their sojourning and they with many others were never suffered to enter into that land more for here is a comparing of their return from the Babylonish Captivity to that of their comming out of Egypt Then they were brought into a Wildernesse where their carkasses fell for their rebellions and so never entered the promised Land so here likewise God brought them into a wildernesse pleaded with and consumed many of them who by that means never returned to the land of Israel Obs 1 The Lord doth not onely know but takes special notice of his and doth distinguish them from others I will cause you to pass under the Rod I will examine which are sheep and which are goats and will sever the one from the other Christ knew his sheep his little flock from all the goats of the
any wickedness In Psal 50.17 18 19 20. many sinnes of the Jews are recited and what was the ground of those sinnes they forgat God vers 22. Consider this ye that forget God See Psalm 106.19 Sicut memoria dei excludit cuncta flagitia ita dei oblivio convehit omnium vitiorum catervam Hierom. 20. Jerem. 13.25 ch 18.15 when men forget God they forget his Law which should regulate their lives and so they live without God and without law they follow the lusts of their own hearts and lye exposed to all evils 13 Behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made and at thy bloud which hath been in the midst of thee 14 Can thine heart indure or can thine hands be strong in the daies that I shall deal with thee I the Lord have spoken it and will do it 15 And I will scatter thee among the Heathen and disperse thee in the Countries and will consume thy filthiness out of thee 16 And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy self in the sight of the Heathen and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Having rehearsed Jerusalems sinnes here the Lord comes to set down his dislike of their waies the judgements should come upon them and the end of those judgements 1 His dislike in the 13. vers 2 The Judgements in the 14. and 1.5 v. 3 The End of them in the 15. and 16. 13 Behold therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made Smiting of hands is sometime a signe of joy as ch 21.17 and sometimes of grief and anger as here God was so provoked with the heinousnesse of their sinnes that hee smites his hands together both to testify his indignation against them and readiness to take vengeance on them when Parents smite their hands at the lewd doings of their children Percurere manus hoc loco non est exhortari sed dolere Mald. Irascentâ— figuram habitum dâ—scribit oratio Prad En signe de dueil French Pecuniam vâ— malis artibus quaesitam it s an argument of Anger and grief not of joy God hath no hand but it s spoken after the manner of men The word for dishonest gain is bitzah from Batzah opened before Montanus renders it avaritiam Covetousness Others mony gotten by fraud and force such gain is dishonest gain The French is avarice that gain comes in by over-reaching by forcing or sinking of others that is dishonest gain when we do not as we would be done unto And at thy bloud which hath been in the midst of thee Here bee onely two sinnes mentioned of all that went before but the other are intended also God smit his hands against them though Principally against these Jerusalem had shed much innocent bloud which cryed to God for vengeance and caused him to smite his hands at her Obs Covetousnesse and Cruelty are sinnes Notavit R David ex majorum traditione â—4 sceleta esse numerata in hoc capite nulli eorum nili soli avaritiae tribui eversionem urbis Prad that do sorely provoke God hee smote his hands at their dishonest gain and bloudy doings His spirit boiled up against them and hee was comming to bee avenged on them The Hebrews say there bee twenty four sinnes reckoned up in this Chapter and that God threatens the destruction of the City onely for Covetousnesse The Jews were a people greedy of gain given to Covetousnesse which makes men cruel and oft bloudy Prov. 1.19 those are greedy of gain they take away the life of the owners they suck their bloud Amos 8.4 they swallow up the needy Mic. 3.2 3. they pluck off their skins break their bones and eat their flesh and if covetous men bee not cruel and bloudy yet they are abhorred of God for their Covetousnesse Psalm 10.3 the wicked blesse the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth the word for Covetous and that here for dishonest gain are both of the same verbe and differ very little God abhorres the Covetous and smites his hands at Covetousness and so hee doth at bloudiness Psal 5.6 He will abhor the bloudy and deceitful man The Lord abhors them at the present and hee will make it manifest that hee doth abhor them God hath done it in the Gospel 1 Cor. 6.10 Rev. 22.8 there it appears that neither the Covetous nor the bloudy shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven let us learn of God to smite our hands against these sins 14 Can thine heart indure The Hebrew for indure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Montanus and Aecolampad render stabit will thy heart stand or consist when I shall deal with thee The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thine heart shall stand it out but the interrogation is more emphatical Can thine heart stand or indure and carries the force of a negation O Jerusalem thou thinkest that when my judgements come thou shalt bee able to stand under them but bee thine heart never so stout or strong my judgements will be too heavy for thee to bear them when they come thine heart will fail thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Illiad fail thee of counsel that thou shalt not know what to do and fail thee of strength that thou shalt not bee able to do what thou knowest thine heart will bee in thine heels thou wilt bee more forward to flie than to consult or stand it out upon consultation Can thine hands bee strong Thou thinkest to do some great matters if Nebuchadnezzar draw neer to thy gates thou wilt call upon thy strong men to appear and make resistance but their hands will bee feeble and unserviceable not fit to handle or use weapons of war Jerusalem thou art deluded consider with thy self can thine hands bee strong when I have smitten mine hands against thee canst thou withstand me or bear my judgements when I shall thunder and throw them upon thee with a strong hand what ever phansies possesse thine head thou art not able to do it In the daies that I shall deal with thee In the daies that men have dealt with thee thy Counsell and power have prevailed but what wilt thou do In the daies that I shall deal with thee I that am wonderful in Counsel excellent in working Isa 28 29. I that work and none can hinder ch 43.13 I that am terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.12 I that plead with fire and sword in my hand Isa 66.16 I that make mountains flow and nations to tremble at my presence Isa 64.1 2. I that make fruitful plâ—ces wildernesses and break down Cities Jer. 4.26 what wilt thou do then Those daies are comming upon thee and they will be the saddest daies thou ever mettest with I the Lord have spoken it and will do it Thou maiest hope it shall not bee that I will deal severely with thee in whom I have delighted and upon whom I have bestowed so many mercies
of this verse wee have had before chap. 21.31 ch 19.12 ch 9.10.16.43 Obs 1 When a people is universally corrupt the hedges of religion and justice trod down and none appears to make up those hedges God will certainly visit that people with his judgements Prophets Priests Princes and people were degenerated and greatly corrupted all hedges down God looked for some or other to appear against the corruptions were amongst them and because there was none therefore he would pour out his indignation upon them and consume them with the fire of his wrath and they found it so shortly after Lam. 2.4 ch 4.11 they and their foundations were devoured Obs 2 That God in his severest judgements is most just I have or will recompense their own way upon their head God did not punish them for others waies but for their own it was their own evil doings brought his judgements upon them he did them no wrong when sword famine plague fire consumed them what ever dreadful judgements have fallen out in our daies in this or other nations let us justify the Lord hee hath recompensed mens own waies upon their heads he is righteous in all his works and holy in all his waies CHAP. XXIII 1 The word of the Lord came again unto me saying 2 Son of man there were two women the daughters of one mother 3 And they committed whoredomes in Egypt they committed whoredomes in their youth there were their breasts pressed and there they bruised the teats of their virginity 4 And the names of them were Aholah the Elder and Aholibah her sister and they were mine and they bare sonnes and daughters thus were their names Samaria is Aholah and Jerusalam Aholibah IN this chapter are contained these generals 1 A Complaint of or prophesy against the idolatry and wickednesse of the whole body of the Jews under the names of Aholah and Aholibah shewing their several sinnes and the greatnesse of Aholibahs above Aholahs 2 Denunciation of judgement against them and their destruction 1 The Word of the Lord came c. This verse shews our Prophet spake not out of his own heart or spirit as the false Prophets did it was the spirit of the Lord brought the word of the Lord unto him and hee spake as he was moved by the Spirit which shews the divine authority of this prophesy 2 There were two women the daughters of one Mother The Jews were at first one people till the days of Rhehoboam and then they were divided Ten Tribes fell off to Jeroboam which frequently after were called Ephraim and Israel or the children of Israel the house of Israel The other two Tribes were called Judah and the house of Judah One was the Kingdome of Israel the other the kingdome of Judah These two are the two women here mentioned The word for Women is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to forget they are so called from their forgetfulnesse and these metaphorical women Israel and Judah forgat their God greatly and thereupon are called Nashim women or forgetters The Daughters of one Mother In the Scripture language the whole of things is tearmed the Mother and the parts thereof Daughters Ezek. 21.21 The King of Babylon stood at the mother of the way so is the Hebrew while the way was intire and one it was called the Mother and when it divided into parts those parts were as the daughters of that mother The whole body of the Jews was as the one Mother and when that body divided into two Kingdomes those Kingdomes were as the Daughters of that Mother When they were in Egypt and a long time after they were as one woman but in Rhehoboams daies this woman grew big brought forth Twins and so became one mother of two daughters 1 King 12. Vers 3 They committed whoredomes in Egypt They being in the loins of their mother forsook the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and fell in love with the Egyptian gods Josh 24.14 Ezek. 20.7 8. They committed whoredomes in their youth This Jewish Nation at her first beginning while young and little plaied the Harlot and defiled her self with the Egyptian idolatry what she did is set out by way of aggravation shee sinned in her youth or these sisters sinned betimes their spirits were carried out that way early and that in Egypt or house of bondage and suffering There were their breasts pressed and there they bruised the teats of their virginity In this Metaphorical whoredome Puellae dum viâ—gines sunt ubera solida turgentia habent quae simul atque virginitatem amittunt comprimuntur quodammodo franguntur Maldon hee alludes to the corporal When Virgins are defiled their breasts suffer also they are more loose and hanging whereas before they were erecta integra virginali pudore stantia and so natural signes of chastity The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There their breasts fell there they were unvirgined the meaning is this that quickly after the Jews came into Egypt the Egyptians prevailed with them by Flatteries or threats to imbrace their Idolatrous worship whereby they lost their chastity and became like the nations 4 The names of them were Aholah the Elder Here hee comes to the Names of these women and shews you who they were The name of the one was Aholah and this Aholah was Samaria the chief City of the Ten Tribes where the Kings of Israel had their chief residency Aholah is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tent or Tabernacle and Aholah is Tabernaculum suum his own or their own Tabernacle that is Samaria or the ten Tribes have not mee or my worship amongst them they have devised a worship of their own set up Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel they have forsaken my Temple and set up their own Tabernacle and dwell by themselves separate from me The Elder The Hebrew is not Elder but the greater This woman Aholah had ten Tribes the other onely two this wee had ch 16.46 where it s said Thine Elder sister is Samaria Aholibah her sister Thus is the name of the other woman Aholahs sister was Aholibah which signifies my Tabernacle or dwelling in her and this was Jerusalem where the Temple and worship of the Lord were what was done there the Lord himself appointed and that was the place he chose Psa 132.13 14. They were mine I tyed them unto mee by a Covenant Ezek. 16.8 I became their God and they became my people the Hebr. is They were for mee that is for mee alone for no other God no other way of worship than what I should prescribe them And they bare Sons and Daughters God blessed them so that they multiplyed greatly they had many Sonnes and many Daughters Ezek. 16.7 I caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field Obs 1 That going after false waies of worship is in Gods account whoredome they committed whoredomes when they bowed to any of the false Gods in Egypt
chap. 20.13.16 and chap. 22.8 One thing here is to bee considered viz. the time when they did defile the Sanctuary and prophane the Sabbaths it s said in the same day what day that was the next verse tells us more fully 39 When they had slain their children to their idols then they came the same day into my Sanctuary to prophane it It was unnatural and barbarous for them to slay their children impious to offer them to idols to Devils and to do those things upon the Sabbath days wherein they were to rest from ordinary works how extreamly wicked and abominable was it and then after such evils to come into the Temple and appear before God as if they had done no wickedness but well what height of iniquity was here It was as if a woman playing the whore with another should immediately come from him to her Husband pretending conjugal love The bloud of their children was yet hot upon their hands and fresh upon their skirts and in that pickle they came into the Temple to have communion with God in his worship Loe Thus have they done in the midst of mine house They have not onely set up Idols in Hills and Groves offered their children to Molech in the valley of Hinnom but they have set up Idols in the Temple and have sacrificed their children to them there So I find some interpreters to understand these words Maldonate saith Etiam in ipso Templo filios suos sacrificaverunt and hee grounds it upon Jer. 7.30 Ezek. 8.10 11. which places prove there were Idols in the Temple that they sacrificed unto them but not that they sacrificed their children there but rather came with the guilt of their childrens bloud upon them into the Temple and so polluted it and the worship of it Obs 1 That wicked ones make little or no conscience of horrible sinnes or holy duties they do pass from the one to the other immediately When Aholah and Aholibah had slain their children to their idols the same day they came into the sanctuary and joyned in the duties of the place and day from shedding of bloud and sacrificing to Idols they step into the Temple and worship of God Had not their Consciences been seared they would have accused them and told them they were unclean not fit to meddle with holy things that they might look for vengeance every hour who had done such things and that if they came before the Lord hee would bee a consuming fire unto them but they go boldly and impudently into his presence not being troubled for what they had done nor considering how they polluted holy things So in Jerem. 7.9 10. they did steal murther commit adultery swear falsely burn incense to Baal walk after other gods and then come presently and stand before him in his house and say wee are delivered they passed from wicked practises unto holy duties making no conscience of the one or the other Obs 2 The Lord takes notice how men draw near to him on his daies in the duties of his worship when they slew their Children to their Idols then they came to my Sanctuary the same day they defiled themselves with bloud and idolatry on my Sabbaths and in those defilements they came to worship mee Jer. 7.10 God observed them there how they came in their sinnes and stood before him they were notoriously wicked and thrust into the Temple worship and into the presence of God as if they had been innocent and as acceptable to God as any Men may deceive others and themselves but they cannot deceive the Lord hee sees their spirits knows them intus in cute whether they come before him with bloudy idolatrous unclean prophane covetous proud froward and malicious hearts or no whether they come unprepared in the guilt of former or present sinnes Obs 3 Prophaning of holy things is wronging of God provokes greatly and causes him to set an emphasis thereon When they had sinned and so came into the Sanctuary and prophaned that and the Sabbath saith God This they have done unto mee Loe Thus have they done in the midst of mine house God takes the wrong done to his house worship and day as done unto himself for hee dwelt in the Temple instituted the worship and day had stamped holinesse upon them and therefore the defiling and prophaning of them hee counted the defiling and prophaning of his name and of himself and it did so sorely offend him that he sets a double mark or brand thereupon This have they done to mee Thus have they done in my house Three waies especially are holy things defiled prophaned 1 When men come in their sinnes without purging themselves and preparing for them James 4.8 if men draw near to God without cleansing their hands and purifying their hearts God will not draw near them hee will not touch unclean things they will defile him 2 When we mingle ought of ours therewith Additions of humane things are pollutions of divine things when they brought ought into the Temple which God appointed not that was a defiling that and the worship thereof when Nadab and Abihu put strange fire into the censers they defiled them the worship and provoked God to their destruction Levit. 10. and when they set their threshold with Gods threshold they defiled his name and worship Ezek. 43.7 8. 3 When holy things are handled irreverently The Bethshemites in a rude manner peeped into the Ark and prophaned it which caused the Lord to smite them with suddain death 1 Sam. 6.19 Hence it is that Solomon gives Counsel Eccl. 5.1 that men should keep their feet when they go to the house of God why then because they are to bee conversant in holy things and if they look not well to their affections they will play the fools and prophane those holy things and procure a curse instead of a blessing 40 And furthermore that yee have sent for men to come from far unto whom a messenger was sent and loe they came They were not content to do wickedly themselves but they sent to and invited others the Chaldaeans Assyrians and Egyptians These Metaphorical Harlots were wanton with those did provoke them thereto and also provoked others a farre off to wantonize with them according to what you had Ezek. 16.33 the meaning is they sent for men of other Nations to make leagues with them and being come admitted their idols and idolatrous waies of worship as appeared vers 7. For whom thou didst wash thy self paintedst thine eyes and deckedst thy self with Ornaments Here is set forth the practice of whores they wash they paint they deck themselves for their lovers and so did these City Harlots Aholah and Aholibah they fitted themselves for the Babylonians and Egyptians their courtings and loves Paintedst thine eyes The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cachal is onely in this place and signifies to colour to paint with stibium or Red Montanus renders the words Thou hast coloured thine
at the end thereof hee would shew them mercy This is that Jeremy speaks of chap. 46.25 26. The Lord of Hosts the God of Issael saith behold I will punish the multitude of No that was a great City in Egypt afterward called Alexandria and Pharaoh and Egypt with their gods and their Kings even Pharaoh and all them that trust in him that was Johanan and all the Jews who fled into Egypt for safety contrary to the mind and counsel of Jeremy chap. 42.19 20 21 22. and I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon and into the hand of his servants here you have the judgement of God upon Egypt Egyptians and the Jews trusting in them but now what followes And afterwards it shall bee inhabited as in the daies of old after forty years suffering Egypt should receive her scattered ones and become a Kingdome again 14 And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt Here the abstract is put for the Concrete Captivity for Captives so you have it Jerem. 48.47 I will bring again the captivity of Moab and Ezek. 39.25 I will bring again the captivity of Jacob that is the Captives of Jacob the Captives of Moab and the Captives of Egypt or Egyptian Captives And will cause them to return into the land of Pathros Maldonate makes Pathros a City towards the South borders of Egypt furthest off from Chaldaea Bonfrerius judges it to bee that City in Egypt called Babylon but here it s called The Land of Pathros and Jerem. 44.1 The Country of Pathros where the Jews which fled into Egypt dwelt and though it were distinct from Egypt Isa 11.11 for it s said there God shall recover his People from Assyria from Egypt and from Pathros yet it was in the land of Egypt Jerem. 44.15 The Jews dwelt in the land of Egypt in Pathros Junius conceives this Country to bee near unto Arabia Petraea and by Jerome it was reputed formerly to be Nemus Arabiae a wood of Arabia Pathros its most probable was so called from Pathrusim the Son of Misraim Gen. 10.14 as all Egypt was called Misraim from the father so might some part be called Pathros from the Son viz. that part lay between the Red-Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and as God had carried them out that way so he would bring them again the same way Into the land of their habitation The Hebrew for Habitation is Mecuratham Negotiationum tuarum the land of thy tradings where they did buy and sell for the word is from Machar to sell and deliver wares to others Piscator hath the words thus into the land of their commerce The Egyptians dealt in fine linnen broidered works flax silk and other rich commodities now God would bring them into the land of their trading again Obs 1 The goodnesse and mercy of God extends to heathens he hath a care of them in their Captivity and after they have suffered his appointed time hee will shew kindnesse to them The Egyptians after forty years scattering shall bee gathered Isa 19.23 24 25. In that day shall there bee an high way out of Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians In that day shall Israel bee the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the Land whom the Lord of Host shall bless saying blessed be Egypt my People and Assyria the work of my hand and Israel mine inheritance The Assyrians Egyptians and Israelites had their daies and times of suffering and God had his daies and times of shewing mercy to those Heathen Nations as well as to Israel It s blessed bee Egypt my People and blessed be Assyria the work of my hand and blessed be Israel mine inheritance Obs 2 The afflictions of nations and Persons may be long yet not without end they may suffer seven and seven years yea twenty thirty fourty years together which is a long time and then see an end of their suffrings At the end of forty years will I gather c. the Egyptians were Captives forty years to the King of Babylon the Israelites were in bondage to the Philistims forty years Judg. 13.1 and then there came an end of their slavery they and many other Nations were captives to the King of Babylon seventy years which was a long time to sufferers but when they were run out their captivities ended Jerem. 25.11 God sometimes lengthens out the afflictions of people very much for ends best known unto himself as Gen. 15.13 God said unto Abraham know of a surety that thy seed shall bee a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years here was a long season to bee afflicted but then it had an end Jehoiachin was thirty seven years a prisoner in Babylon but in the twelfth moneth of that year hee was set at liberty Jerem. 52.31 the man in the Gospel had been afflicted thirty eight years with an infirmity Joh. 5.5 and then hee was delivered from it Though warres famines plagues Captivities diseases and other afflictions may bee long yet they are not they shall not bee for ever they must have an end Ob. 3 That God sometimes deals more favourable with heathens than with his own people At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians but it was the end of seventy years before hee gathered the Jews out of Babylon his own people were thirty years or near upon longer under the Babylonish yoak than the Egyptians There was just cause for this Gods people had sinned worse than the Heathens and so provoked him above them Ezek. 5.6 Jerusalem hath changed my judgements into wickednesse more than the Nations and my statutes more than the Countries round about her there were no people near or far off who did like unto the Jews they forsook God the fountain of living waters and trusted in Pharaoh that great Dragon and in his rivers of waters Obs 4 Nothing is too hard for God or can hinder the fulfilling of his will The Egyptians were scattered among the nations here a family and there a family and that forty years together so mingled with the people of other Countries that they had well nigh forgotten Egypt and had so drunk in the manners and customes of the places where they lived that they were naturalized thereunto they were so rooted among the Nations that it seemed impossible to pluck them up and plant them in their own Countries yet notwithstanding these things saith God I will gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered It s like the Babylonians and other Nations that had them held them under and made advantage of their labours made laws against their flight or departure and struggled hard to detain them as they of old in Moses daies did to retain the
enemy to God and his people how much more should Christians do and indure any thing for Christ their King and heavenly Commander if hee say go wee should go if come wee should come if pluck out your right eye cut off your right hand or right foot we should do so if hee calls us to indure affliction and suffer hard things wee should not stick at them no though it be the jeoparding of our lives knowing hee hath a spiritual and eternal reward for us Seeing men have done and suffered so much for heathens how can wee do or suffer too much for Christ Scipio Africanus had three hundred Souldiers who would clime a Tower if hee bid them or throw themselves from the top of a Tower at his command what dishonor will it bee to Christ if his souldiers will not do as much at his command as others have done at their Lords Commands Obs 5 Armies with their Generals and Commanders may serve long labour soâ—ely suffer hard things and after all these bee dis-appointed of their expectations Nebuchadrezzar caused his Army to serve a great service thirteen years so that their heads shoulders sides were bald and peeled and what then yet had hee no wages nor his Army they expected great matters in Tyrus which was so rich and full of all sorts of Commodities but found nothing considerable nothing answering their expectation or sufficient to recompence their charge and suffering This undertaking could not be without millions of money hopes they had that Tyrus being now the Mart of Nations would repay them with advantage but Tyrus wealth was dispersed and there was no money in Cash Sometimes armies find rich spoil and fat prey in the Towns and Cities they take and sometimes they find empty houses Obs 6 Nations Lands Kingdomes are the Lords and he disposes of them to whom hee pleases Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar Hee would take it from Pharaoh King thereof and give it to another Neither did the Lord do any wrong unto Pharaoh because he was tenant at will and held upon these tearmes quam diu se bene gereret to bee King while hee carried himself well but hee grew proud insolent and like a Dragon lay in the midst of his rivers saying my River is mine and I have made it for my self God therefore took away his Kingdome from him and gave it to the King of Babylon hee looseth the loines of King and dis-misseth them from their Kingdomes Hee rejected Saul 1 Sam. 15.23 and gave his Kingdome to David chap. 16.1.13 hee rent ten Tribes from Rhehoboam and gave them to Jeroboam 1 Kin. 11.31 hee cast out many Kings and gave their lands to Nebuchadrezzar Jerem. 27.3 7. and v. 5. you may see upon what ground hee doth so I have made the earth the man and the beast that are upon the ground by my great power and by my stretched out arm and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto mee and now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar hee made the earth hee may give it to and take it from whom hee please it s his not ours no man is owner of the earth or any part of it it s the Lords therefore if hee break in peices mighty men without number and sets others in their stead hee wrongs hee oppresses none Job 34.24 Let not us be troubled that God hath done such things in our daies Obs 7 God in his holy and wise Providence makes use of Heathens or any instruments to do his work Nebuchadrezzar and his Army wrought for him they were his servants hee set them on work though they knew it not When Armies of Heathens do plunder Townes take Cities lay waste Kingdomes they are working for God they are executing his judgements though they minde it not God carries on his work let instruments bee what they will He can make use of the worst of men as well as of the best Hee can promote his interest by an Army of heathens as well as by an Army of Christians and let Armies bee what they will good or bad when they are at work they work for God they wrought for mee saith God It s good therefore not to stick upon the instruments which work but to look at the hand in which they are how that directs and regulates them look at him whose tooles whose servants they are This will quiet mens spirits and keep their tongues within compass Obs 8 The Lord suffers not any no not heathens and Infidels to labour for him in vain Hee gave the land of Egypt with all the wealth of it to Nebuchadrezzar and his Army who were the worst of the Heathen Ezek. 7.24 because they served and wrought for him God is just not like those Masters who set men on work and then will give them no wages whosoever works for God shall have his penny when the mid-wives would not destroy the male children of the Jews but save them alive because they feared God â—e dealt well with them and gave them houses Exod. 1.17 20 21. hee gave them habitations and blessed their families They were Infidels yet God rewarded their work Jehu was wicked yet because hee did the work of the Lord in rooting out Ahabs Family in destroying Baal with all the Priests and Temple of Baal therefore the Lord rewarded him and that largely 2 King 10.30 Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel which was made good in Jehoahaz Joash Jeroboam and Zachariah who came out of his loines and reigned after him 2 King 13 14 15. chapters How should this stir us up to do good and serve the Lord if Heathens shall not labour for him in vain much lesse shall Christians who know how to act from a right principle in a right manner and for a right end if they meet with hardship in his service hee will remember and reward it fully not with a temporal Kingdome but with an eternal the land of Egypt shall be given to Babylonians because the kingdom of Heaven shall bee given to Christians Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome let us therefore bee stedfast and immoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as wee know our labour shall not bee in vain A cup of cold water two mites cast into the treasury a sigh a tear laid out for God and his interest shall not bee forgotten what Paul told the Hebrews I may tell you that God is not unrighteous to forget your work men may forget or reward poorly but God will not forget because hee cannot bee unrighteous nor reward poorly because he deals bountifully with his servants Psal 116.7 Obs 9 Execution of judgement upon proud