issue is unclean Levit. 15.2 10. And to the same purpose Levit. 15.16 11. And in a woman v. 25. 12. A dead body is unclean and defileth Numb 19.14 13. All cleansing must be accompanied with bathing or washing Levit. 15.16 14. The cleansing of the Leper must be with Cedar Hysop scarlet Wool and the other Ceremonies Levit. 14.2 15. The Leper must shave all the hair off his head on the seventh day Levit. 13.45 16. The Leper must not go abroad but with the signs of his Leprosie Levit. 13.45 17. That the red Heifer be burned according to order Numb 19.2 18. That the water of the ashes of a red Heifer be sprinkled in Purification Numb 19.19 The fifth Family of this sort of commands concerns Alms and Tithes consisting § 10 of thirty two Precepts 1. That Alms be given to the poor Deut. 15.8 2. That he who promiseth the price of Redemption for the first-born pay it assuredly Lev. 27.2 3. That he who is to pay the Redemption price of an unclean first-ling pay it accordingly Lev. 27.11 4. That the price of a devoted house be so paid according to the judgement ot the Priest Lev. 27.14 5. The same of a Field Lev. 27.16 6. That he who deceiveth by ignorance add a fifth part unto the price of the thing its self Lev. 15.16 7. That the fruits of the fourth year be dedicated to God Lev. 19.24 8. That the corners of the Fields be left unto the poor to cut and gather Lev. 19.9 9. That ears of Corn be left for the poor in Harvest Lev. 19.9 10. That a sheaf of corn forgotten be left for the poor not sought for again Deut. 24.19 11. That the gleanings of the Vine branches be left to the poor Lev. 19.10 12. And the Grapes that fall to the ground v. 20. 13. That all first fruites of the Earth be brought to the Sanctuary or Temple Exod. 23.19 14. That the Words appointed Deut. 26.5 6 7. be repeated over the first fruits 15. That the Heave-Offering or Terumah for the Priest be observed Deut. 18.4 16. That the Tythes be separated for the use of the Levites 17. That a Second Tythe be taken by the owners to spend at the Tabernacle or at Jerusalem Deut. 14.22 18. That out of the tenth of the Levites a tenth be taken for the Priests 19. That on the third and sixth year in the room of this second tenth a tenth be given to the poor Deut. 14.28 29. 20. That Confession be made over the Tythes Deut. 26.13 21. That a Cake of the Dough be separated unto the Priests Numb 15.20 22. That the whole encrease of the Land every seventh year be common to all Exod. 23.10 11. 23. That the seventh year be a year of rest unto the whole Land Exod. 24.21 Lev. 25.2 24. That the year of the Jubilee be reckoned by the years of rest or weeks of years Lev. 25.8 9 10. 25. That the year of Jubilee be separated or sanctified v. 8 9 10. 26. That on the tenth day of the Moneth Tisri the Trumpet sound for the beginning of the Jubilee Lev. 25.10 27. That a Redemption or restitution of the Land be granted in the year of Jubilee Lev. 25.24 28. He that sells an House in a walled Town may redeem it within an year Lev. 25.29 29. That debts be remitted on the seventh year Deut. 15.2 30. That in all Offerings and Sacrifices for sin the Priest have the right shoulder the breast and the cheek for his portion Deut. 18.3 31. That the first fleece of Sheep being shorn be given to the Priests Deut. 18.4 32. That right Judgement be made of things devoted as to the part of God and that of the Priests § 11 The Sixth Family contains seven Precepts about things to be eaten 1. That all Creatures to be eaten Beasts and Birds have their heads taken off Deut. 12.2 2. That the blood of Beasts and Birds killed to be eaten be covered with earth or dust Lev. 17.23 3. That the Mother be left free from the Nest when the young ones are taken Deut. 22.6 4. That the signs of clean and unclean Beasts be diligently observed Lev. 2.25 5. That signs to the same purpose be observed in some Birds Deut. 14.11 6. And the same concerning Locusts that may be eaten Lev. 11.21 7. That the signs in Fishes be observed Lev. 11.9 § 12 The Seventh Family of Affirmative precepts respects the Passeover and other Feasts as to the time of their observation having twenty commands appertaining unto it 1. That the Course of the Sun and Moon be exactly observed for the right constitution of the Anniversary Feasts Deut. 4.6 2. That the beginning of the moneths be appointed by the House of Judgement Exod. 12.2 3. That we rest on the Sabbath Exod. 23.12 4. That the Sabbath be sanctified Exod. 20.8 5. That all Leaven be thrust out of doors on the Feast of the Passeover Exod. 12.15 6. That on the night of the Passeover the first discourse be about the deliverance out of Aegypt Exod. 13.8 7. That unleavened bread be eaten on that night Exod. 12.18 8. That the first day of the Feast of the Passeover be a day of rest 9. Likewise the seventh day also Exod. 12.16 Lev. 23.7 10. That forty nine dayes be reckoned to the Feast of Weeks Lev. 23.15 11. That on the fiftieth day rest be declared Lev. 23.21 12. That on the first day of the seventh moneth there be rest from all works Lev. 23.24 13. That the Trumpet sound on that day Numb 29.1 14. That every one afflict his own soul on the tenth day of September Lev. 23.27 28 29. 15. That there be a rest and ceasing from all works on the day of Expiation Lev. 23.32 16. That there be a rest from labour on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23.35 17. Likewise on the eighth day v. 36. 18. That the people dwell in Booths seven dayes Lev. 23.43 19. That on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles branches of Palms be carried Lev. 23.40 20. That every Israelite that is a Male offer every year half a shekel to the Lord Exod. 30.13 The Eighth Family concerns Rule and Judgement made up of thirteen Precepts § 13 1. That obedience be yielded to every Prophet speaking in the name of God Deut. 18.15 2. That the people chuse a King Deut. 17.15 3. That Judges and Rulers be appointed in every City of the people Deut. 16.18 4. That the Laws and Decrees of the great Councel be observed and obeyed Deut. 17.10 5. That in doubtfull Cases the major part of suffrages is to determine Exod. 23.1 6. That all men be judged equally without respect Lev. 19.15 7. That every one who can testifie the Truth in any cause he is of his own accord to repair to the Judges so to do Lev. 5.1 8. That Witnesses be examined strictly and their testimony duly weighed Deut. 13.14 9. That false Witnesses have that
he intended to exalt himself in thereby Yet God hath so ultimately laid up his glory in the new Creation as that he will not lose any thing of that which also is due unto him from the Old but yet he will not receive it immediately from thence neither but as it is put over into a subserviency unto the work of the New Now God ordered all things so as that this might be effected without force coaction or wresting of the Creation or putting it besides its own order And is there any thing more genuine natural and proper than that the world should come into subjection unto him by whom it was made although there be some alteration in its state and condition as to outward dispensation in his being made Man And this I take to be the meaning of that discourse of the Apostle about the bondage and liberty of the creature which we have Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. The Apostle tells us that the Creature it self had an expectation and desire after the Manifestation of the Sons of God or the bringing forth of the Kingdom of Christ in Glory and Power v. 19. and gives this reason for it because it is brought into a condition of vanity corruption and bondage wherein it did as it were unwillingly abide and groaned to be delivered from it that is by the entrance of sin the Creation was brought into that condition as wherein it could not answer the end for which it was made and erected namely to declare the glory of God that he might be worshipped and honoured as God but was as it were left especially in the Earth and the Inhabitants of it to be a stage for men to act their enmity against God upon and a means for the fulfilling and satisfaction of their filthy lusts This state being unsuitable unto its primitive constitution preternatural occasional and forced it is said to dislike it to groan under it to hope for Deliverance doing that in what it is by its nature which it would do voluntarily were it endowed with a rational understanding But saith the Apostle there is a better condition for this Creation which whilst it was afar of it put out its head after and unto What is this better state Why the glorious liberty of the Sons of God that is the new state and condition that all things are restored unto in order unto the glory of God by Jesus Christ. The Creation hath as it were a natural propensity yea a longing to come into a subjection unto Christ as that which retrieves and frees it from the Vanity Bondage and Corruption that it was cast into when put out of its first Order by sin And this ariseth from that plot and design which God first laid in the Creation of all things that they being made by the Son should naturally and willingly as it were give up themselves unto Obedience unto him when he should take the Rule of them upon the new account of his Mediation Thirdly God would hereby instruct us both in the Vse that we are to make of his creatures and the improvement that we are to make of the work of the Creation unto his glory For the first it is his Will that we should not use any thing as meerly made and created by him though originally for that purpose seeing as they are so left they are under the curse and so impure and unclean unto them that use them Tit. 1.15 But he would have us to look upon them and receive them as they are given over unto Christ. For the Apostle in his Application of the eighth Psalm unto the Lord Christ chap. 2.6 7 8. manifests that even the beasts of the field on which we live are passed over in a peculiar manner unto his Dominion And he lays our interest in their use as to a clear profitable and sanctified way of it in the new state of things brought in by Christ. 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer The word of promise confirmed in Christ called on by the Spirit given by Christ in prayer gives a sanctified use of the creatures This God instructs us in namely to look for a profitable sanctified Vse of the creatures in Christ in that himself ordered them in the very first Creation to fall at length naturally under his Rule and Dominion making them all by him And hereby also we are instructed how to learn the glory of God from them The whole mystery of laying the works of the old Creation in a subserviency unto the New being hidden from many Ages and Generations from the foundation of the world men did by the Effects and works which they saw conclude that there was an Eternal Power and Infinite Wisdom whereby they were produced But whereas there is but a two-fold holy use of the works of the Creation the one suited unto the state of Innocency and the moral natural Worship of God therein which they had lost the other to the state of Grace and the Worship of God in that which they had not attained the world and the inhabitants thereof being otherwise involved in the Curse and Darkness wherewith it was attended exercised themselves in fruitless speculations about them foolish imaginations as the Apostle calls them and glorified not God in any due manner Rom. 1.21 Neither do nor can men unto this day make any better improvement of their contemplation on the Works of Creation who are unacquainted with the Recapitulation of all things in Christ and the Beauty of it in that all things at first were made by him But when men shall by faith perceive and consider that the Production of all things owes it self in its first original unto the Son of God in that by him the world was made and that unto this End and Purpose that he being afterwards Incarnate for our Redemption they might all be put into subjection unto him they cannot but be ravished with the Admiration of the Power Wisdom Goodness and Love of God in this holy wise beautiful disposition of all his works and ways And this is the very subject of the Eighth Psalm The Psalmist considers the Excellency and Glory of God in the Creation of all things instancing in the most glorious and eminent parts of it But doth he do this absolutely as they are such doth he rest there No but proceeds to manifest the cause of his Admiration in that God did of old design and would at length actually put all these things into subjection unto the Man Christ Jesus as the Apostle expounds his meaning chap. 2. which causeth him to renew his Admiration and praise v. 9. that is to glorifie God as God and to be thankful which yet Paul declared that they were not who considered the works of God only absolutely with reference to their first Original from infinite Power and Wisdom
followeth from the Apostles Application of the Psalmists words unto the Person of Christ and consequently the regard of God unto us in his Mediation And this is such as that the Apostle tells us that at the last day it shall be his great Glory that he will be admired in all them that do believe 2 Thess. 1.10 When the work of his Grace shall be fully perfected in and towards them than the Glory of his Grace appeareth and is magnified for ever This is that which the Admiration of the Psalmist tends unto and rests in That God should so regard the nature of man as to take it into Union with himself in the Person of his Son and in that nature humbled and exalted to work out the Salvation of all them that believe on him There are other wayes wherein the Respect of God towards man doth appear even in the effects of his Holy Wise Providence over him He causeth his Sun to shine and his rain to fall upon him Mat. 5.45 He leaves not himself without witness towards us in that he doth good and gives us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Acts 14.17 And these wayes of his Providence are singularly admirable But this Way of his Grace towards us in the Person of his Son assuming our nature into union with himself is that wherein the exceeding and unspeakable riches of his Glory and Wisdom are made manifest So the Apostle expresseth it Ephes. 1.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. He hath that to declare unto them which because of its Greatness Glory and Beauty they are no way able of themselves to receive or comprehend And therefore he prayes for them that they may have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to give them the knowledge of Christ or that God by his Spirit would make them wise to apprehend and give them a gracious discovery of what he proposeth to them as also that hereby they may enjoy the blessed effect of an enlightned Understanding without which they will not discern the Excellency of this matter and what is it that they must thus be helped assisted prepared for to understand in any measure What is the Greatness the Glory of it that can no otherwise be discerned why saith he marvel not at the necessity of this preparation that which I propose unto you is the glory of God that wherein he will principally be glorified here and unto Eternity and it is the Riches of that Glory the treasures of it God hath in other things set forth and manifested his Glory but yet as it were by parts and parcels one thing hath declared his Power another his Goodness and Wisdom and that in part with reference unto that particular about which they have been exercised But in this he hath drawn forth displayed manifested all the Riches and Treasures of his Glory so that his Excellencies are capable of no greater Exaltation And there is also in this work the unspeakable Greatness of his power engaged that no property of his nature may seem to be uninterested in this matter Now whereunto doth all this tend why it is all to give a blessed and eternal Inheritance unto believers unto the hope and expectation whereof they are called by the Gospel And by what way or means is all this wrought and brought about even by the working of God in Jesus Christ in his Humiliation when he dyed and his Exaltation in his Resurrection putting all things under his feet crowning him with glory and honour which the Apostle shews by a citation of this place of the Psalmist for all this is out of Gods regard unto man it is for the Church which is the body of Christ and his fulness So full of glory such an object of eternal Admiration is this work of the Love and Grace of God which as Peter tells us the very Angels themselves desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 And this further appears First Because all Gods regard of man in this way is a fruit of meer Soveraign Grace and condescension And all Grace is admirable especially the Grace of God and that so great Grace as the Scripture expresseth it There was no consideration of any thing without God himself that moved him hereunto He had glorified himself as the Psalmist shews in other works of his hands and he could have rested in that Glory Man deserved no such thing of him being worthless and sinful It was all of Grace both in the head and members The Humane nature of Christ neither did nor could merit the Hypostatical Vnion It did not because being made partaker of it from the instant of his Conception all antecedent Operations that might procure it were prevented and a thing cannot be merited by any after it is freely granted antecedently unto any deserts Nor could it do so Hypostatical Union could be no reward of obedience being that which exceeds all the order of things and Rules of Remunerative Justice The Assumption then of our nature into Personal Union with the Son of God was an Act of meer free soveraign unconceivable Grace And this is the foundation of all the following fruits of Gods regard unto us and that being of Grace so must they be also What ever God doth for us in and by Jesus Christ as made man for us which is all that he so doth it must I say be all of Grace because his being made man was so Had there been any merit any desert on our part any Preparation for or Disposition unto the Effects of this regard had our nature that portion of it which was sanctified and separated to be united unto the Son of God any way procured or prepared it self for its Union and Assumption things had fallen under some rules of Justice and Equality whereby they might be apprehended and measured but all being of Grace they leave place unto nothing but eternal Admiration and thankfulness Secondly Had not God been thus mindful of man and visited him in the Person of his Son incarnate every one partaker of that nature must have utterly perished in their lost condition And this also renders the Grace of it an object of Admiration We are not only to look what God takes us unto by this Visitation but to consider also what he delivers us from Now this is a great part of that vile and base condition which the Psalmist wonders that God should have regard unto namely that we had sinned and come short of his Glory and thereby exposed our selves unto eternal misery In that condition we must have perished for ever had not God freed us by this Visitation It had been Great Grace to have taken an innocent a sinless man into Glory Great Grace to have freed a sinner from misery though he should never be brought to the enjoyment of the least positive Good But to free a sinner from the utmost and most inconceivable misery in eternal ruine and to bring him unto
I will wait for him so that their words seem to be taken from this place of the Apostle as apprehending his Testimony to be cited from the Prophet which that it is not we shall prove evidently afterwards The same Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I and the children which God hath given me From Isa. 8.17 CHAP. III. § 6 VEr 7 8 9 10 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the day of Provocation in the day of Temptation in the Wilderness when your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my Works forty years wherefore I was grieved with that Generation and said they do alwayes err in heart and they have not known my wayes so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest From Psalm 95. v. 7 8 9 10 11. The Translation of the LXX agrees with the words of the Apostle both of them answering the Original Only the Apostle clearly to express the Reason of Gods Judgements on that people in the Wilderness distinguisheth the Words somewhat otherwise than they are in the Hebrew Text. For whereas that saith When your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my Works Forty years long was I grieved with that Generation The Apostle adds that season of forty years to the mention of their sins and interposing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore refers his Speech unto the words foregoing as containing the cause of the ensuing Wrath and Judgement And although our present Copies of the Greek Bibles distinguish the Words according to the Hebrew Text yet Theodoret informs us that some Copies made the distinction with the Apostle and added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also is observed by Nobilius and this could arise from no other cause but an attempt to insert the very words of the Apostle in that Text as did the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also reckoned amongst its various Sections though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remain in the vulgar Editions CHAP. IV. § 7 VEr 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God râ—sted on the seventh day from all his works From Gen. 2. v. 2. The Apostle adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Text to complâ—â—t his Assertion and leaves out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he had made as to his purpose The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and otherwise also differing from the Apostle CHAP. V. VEr 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art a Priest for ever after § 8 the Order of Melchisedech From Psalm 110. v. 4. So also the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Jod superfluous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mos. There is nothing of Variety remaining in these words from any other Translations Ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee From Gen. 22. v. 17. The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will multiply thy seed CHAP. VIII VEr 9 10 11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 9 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquity will I remember no more From Jer. 31. v. 32 33 34 35. Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his neighbor ver 11. the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his fellow Citizen But some Copies of the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some of this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes it evident that there hath been tampering to bring them to Vniformity But the greatest difficulty of this Quotation ariseth from the Agreement of the Apostles words and the Translation of the LXX where both of them seem to depart from the Original For those words in the Hebrew Text v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which my Covenant they made void and I was an Husband unto them or ruled over them are rendered by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not The Reason of the Apostles Translation of those words we shall manifest and vindicate in our Exposition of the Context At present the coincidence of it with that of the LXX and that wherein they both seem to differ from the Original and all Translations besides the Syriack and the Arabick which are made out of it though the Syriack follow it not in the confused transpositions that are made of Jeremiah's Prophesies from Chap. 25. to Chap. 40. as the Arabick doth is only to be considered which shall be done so soon as we have recounted the remaining Testimonies whereof some are attended with the same difficulty CHAP. IX § 10 VEr 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the blood of the Covenant which God hath enjoyned unto you From Exod. 24.8 The sense of the Hebrew Text is alluded unto not the words absolutely The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much difference from the words of the Apostle CHAP. X. § 11 VEr 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not have a Body thou hast prepared me From Psalm 40. v. 6. So also the LXX both with great difference from the Original For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my ears hast thou digged or bored is rendered a Body thou hast prepared me Of the Reason of which difference and agreement we shall treat afterwards Ver. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast not required the Apostle expresseth exactly the sense of the Holy Ghost but observes not the first exact signification of the word The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in some copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soughtest not Ver. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I come in the Head or beginning of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God That is Gen. 3. v. 15. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the roll of the Book Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
almost all the eminent kinds of Revelation whereby themselves would distinguish the Spirit of Prophesie from the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost Neither have they any Reason for this distribution but finding the general division before mentioned to have been received in the Church of old they have disposed of the particular Books into their orders at their pleasure casting Daniel as is probable into their last order because so many of his Visions and Prophesies relate unto other Nations besides their own The Law or the Books of Moses they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Pentateuch from the number of the Books or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fives or the five parts of the Law whereunto Hierom in his Epistle to Paulinus wrests those words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.19 I had rather speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five words in the Church as if he had respect to the Law of Moses These five Books they divide into Paraschae or Sections whereof they read one each Sabbath day in their Synagogues Genesis into twelve Exodus into eleven Leviticus into ten Numbers into ten Deuteronomy into ten which all make fifty-three whereby reading one each day and two in one day they read through the whole in the course of a year beginning at the Feast of Tabernacles And this they did of old as James testifies Acts 15.21 For Moses of Old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Some of them make fifty four of these Sections dividing the last of Genesis into two beginning the latter at Chap. 47. v. 18. constituting the following Chapter in a distinct Section though it have not the usual note of them prefixed unto it but only one single Samech to note as they say its being absolutely closed or shut up on the account of the Prophesie of the coming of the Messiah Chap. 49. whose season is unknown to them They also divide it into lesser Sections and those of two sorts open and close which § 3 have their distinct marks in their Bibles and many superstitious Observations they have about the beginning and ending of them Of the first sort there are in Gen. 43. of the latter 48. In Exodus of the first sort 69. of the latter 95. In Leviticus of the first sort 52. of the Latter 46. In Numbers of the first 92. of the latter 66. Deuteronomy of the first sort 34. of the latter 379. in all 669. Besides they observe the number of the Verses at the end of every Book as also that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Levit. 11.42 is the middle letter of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 10 16. the middle word Levit. 13.33 the middle Verse the number of all which through the Law is 23206. Moreover they divide the Law or five Books of Moses into 153. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sedarim or Distinctions whereof Genesis contains 42. Exodus 29. Leviticus 23. Numbers 32. Deuteronomy 27. which kind of Distinctions they also observe throughout the Scripture assigning unto Joshuah 14. Judges 14. Samuel 34. Kings 35. Isaiah 26. Jeremiah 31. Ezekiel 29. the Lesser Prophets 21. Psalms 19. Job 8. Proverbs 8. Ecclesiastes 4. Canticles and Lamentations are not divided Daniel 7. Ester 7. Ezra and Nehemiah 10. Chronicles 25. Besides they distribute the Prophets into Sections called Haphters that answer the Sections which are read every Sabbath day in their Synagogues And this Division of the Prophets they affirm to have been made in the dayes of Antiochus Epiphanes whom they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wicked one when the reading of the Law was prohibited unto them All which things are handled at large by others Having for a long season lost the Promise of the Spirit and therewith all saving § 4 spiritual Knowledge of the mind and will of God in the Scripture the best of their employment about it hath been in reference to the Words and Letters of it wherein their diligence hath been of use in the preservation of the Copies of it entire and free from corruption For after that the Canon of the Old Testament was compleated in the dayes of Ezra and Points or Vowels added to the Letters to preserve the Knowledge of the Tongue and facilitate the right Reading and Learning of it it is incredible what industry diligence and curiosity they have used in and about the Letter of the whole Scripture The collection of their pains and Observations to this purpose is called the Massora or Messara consisting in Criticall Observations upon the words and letters of the Scripture begun to be collected of old even it may be from the dayes of Ezra and continued untill the time of Composing the Talmud with some additional Observations since annexed unto it The Writers Composers and Gatherers of this work they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose principal Observations were gathered and published by Rabbi Jacob Chaiim and annexed to the Venetian Bibles whereas before the Massora was written in other Books innumerable In this their Critical Doctrine they give us the number of the Verses of the Scripture as also how often every Word is used in the whole and with what variety as to Letters and Vowels what is the whole number of all the Letters in the Bible and how often each Letter is severally used with innumerable other useful Observations the summ whereof is gathered by Buxtorfe in his excellent Treatise on that subject And herein is the knowledge of their Masters bounded they go not beyond the Letter but are more blind than Moles in the Spiritual sense of it And thus they continue an example of the righteous Judgement of God in giving them up to the Counsells of their own hearts and an evident instance how unable the Letter of the Scripture is to furnish men with the saving knowledge of the Will of God who enjoy not the Spirit promised in the same Covenant to the Church of the Elect Isa 59.21 § 5 Unto that ignorance of the mind of God in the Scripture which is spread over them they have added another prejudice against the Truth in a strange Figment of an Orall Law which they make equall unto yea in many things prefer before that which is written The Scripture becoming a lifeless Letter unto them the true understanding of the mind of God being utterly departed and hid from them it was impossible that they should rest therein or content themselves with what is revealed by it For as the word whilest it is enjoyed and used according to the mind of God and is accompanied with that Spirit which is promised to lead them that believe into all Truth is full of sweetness and life to the souls of men a perfect Rule of walking before God and that which satiates them with wisdom and knowledge so when it is enjoyed meerly on an outward account as such a writing without any dispensation of suitable Light
the Effects of Satans Temptation and that to be wrought by the Messiah or as they speak in his dayes And hence they have a common saying that in the last dayes which is the Old Testament Periphrasis of the Dayes of the Messiah all things shall be healed but the Serpent and the Gibeonites by whom they understand all Hypocrites and Unbelievers Satan therefore is to be conquered by the bruising of his Head and conquered he is not nor can be unless his work be destroyed In the destruction of his work consists the Delivery of mankind from the twofold evil mentioned And this is to be effected by the seed of the Woman to be brought forth into the world unto that end and purpose For when the Production of this Seed is restrained unto the Family and Posterity of Abraham it is said expresly that in or by it all the Kindreds of the earth should be blessed which they could not be without a removal and taking away of the Curse We may now therefore take the summ of this Discourse and of the whole matter § 26 that we have insisted on about the Entrance of sin into the world and the Remedy provided in the Grace and Wisdom of God against it It appears upon our Enquiry First That the Sin of our First Parents was the Occasion and Cause of all that Evil which is in the world of all that is felt or justly feared by mankind For as those who knew not or received not the Revelation of the Truth in these things made unto us in the Scripture could never assign any other cause of it that might be satisfactory unto an ordinary rational Enquiry so the Testimonies of the Scripture make it most evident and especially that insisted on Secondly It hath been evinced tha◠mankind could not recover or deliver themselves from under the power of their own innate corruption and disorder nor from the effects of the Curse and Wrath of God that came upon them Neither is there any ground of Expectation of Relief from any other part of Gods Creation But yet that God for the praise of the glory of his Grace Mercy and Goodness would effect it and bring it about Thirdly That this Relief and Deliverance is first intimated and declared in those words of God unto the Serpent I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Which appears First Because in and with the Serpent Satan who was the Head of all Apostasie from God and by whom our first Parents were beguiled is intended in these words This we have made evident from the Confession of the Jews with whom in this matter principally we have to do And to what hath been already observed unto that purpose we may add the Testimonies of some other of them to the same Purpose Rabbi Bechai he whom they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bechai the Elder in his Comment on the Law unto these words Gen. 3. v. 15. speaks to this purpose We have no more enmity with the Serpent than with other creeping things Wherefore the Scripture Mystically signifies him who was hid in the Serpent For the body of the crafty Serpent was a fit instrument for that force or vertue that joyned its self therewithall That was it which made Eve to sin whence death came on all her Posterity And this is the Enmity between the Serpent and the seed of the Woman And this is the Mysterie of the Holy Tongue that the Serpent is sometimes called Saraph according to the name of an Angel who is also called Saraph And now thou knowest that the Serpent is Satan and the evil Figment and the Angel of Death And Rabbi Judah in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many Interpreters say that the Evil Figment hath all its force from the Old Serpent or Satan To the same purpose the Author of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caphtor Vapaerach The Devil and the Serpent are called by one name And many other Testimonies of the like importance might be collected out of them We have also asurer word for our own satisfaction in the Application of this place unto Satan in the Divine Writings of the New Testament as 2 Cor. 11.3 2 Tim. 2.14 Rom. 5.11 12 13 15. Heb. 2.14 15. 1 John 3.8 Revel 12.9 and Chap. 20. v. 2 3. but we forbear to press them on the Jews Besides it is most evident from the thing it self For 1. Who can be so sottish as to imagine that this great Alteration which ensued on the works of God that which caused him to pronounce them accursed and to inflict so sore a Punishment on Adam and all his Posterity should arise from the Actings of a Brute Creature Where is the glory of this dispensation How can we attribute it unto the Wisdom and Greatness of God What is there in it suitable unto his Righteousness and Holiness Whereas supposing this to be the work of him who was in himself the beginning of all Apostasie and who first brake the Law of his Creation all things answer the Excellency of the Divine Perfections Moreover is it imaginable that the nature of man then flourishing in the vigour of all its intellectual Abilities Reason Wisdom Knowledge in that Order and Rectitude of them which was his Grace should be surprized seduced and brought into subjection unto the Craft and Machinations of an inferiour Creature a Beast of the Field and that unto its own Ruine Temporal and Eternal The whole nature of the inferiour creatures James tells us is tamed by the nature of Man Chap. 3. v. 7. and that now in his lessened and depraved condition and shall we think that this Excellent Nature in the blossom of its strength and right unto Rule over all should be tamed corrupted subdued by the nature of a Beast or a Serpent And yet again whereas in the whole action of the Serpent there is an open design against the glory and honour of God with the welfare and happiness of mankind and that managed with Craft Subtilty and Forecast how can we imagine that such a contrivance should befall a brute Worm uncapable of Moral Evil and newly framed out of the dust by the power of its Creator Hitherto it had continued under the Law and Order of its Creation and shall we now think that suddenly on an instant it should engage thus desperately against God and man And further the actings of the Serpent were by Reason and with Speech And doth not a supposal that he was endowed with them plainly exempt him from that Order and kind of Creatures whereof he was and place him among the number of the intellectual and rationall parts of the Creation And is not this contrary to the Analogie of the Scripture and the open truth of the thing its self he being cursed among the Beasts of the Field To say as Aben Ezra seems to do that God gave him Reason
opposition to the Gospel and Doctrine thereof And unto these as was said such others shall be added as their Chiefest Masters do yet acknowledge directly to intend him § 3 The first of this sort that occurs is the First Promise before insisted on and vindicated Gen. 3.15 It the seed of the Woman shall bruise thy Head the Head of the Serpent Mention is made here expresly of the Messiah in the Targums of Jonathan and Hierusalem and this Promise applyed unto him after their manner The seed of the Woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent and they shall obtain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 healing or a Plaister for the Heel the hurt received by the Serpent in the dayes of Messiah the King so Jonathan and Targ. Hierusal useth words to the same Purpose Both of them expresly refer the Promise to the dayes of the Messiah that is to himself or the work that he was to do whence they insert his name into the Text. And this is perfectly destructive unto the present pretensions of the Jews The work here assigned unto him of recovering the Evil of sin and misery brought on the world through the Temptation of the Serpent is that wherewith they would have him to have nothing to do Besides his suffering is intimated in the foregoing Expression that the Serpent should bruise his heel which they much desire to free their Messiah from But that which principally lyes against them in this Testimony is that whereas they appropriate the Promise of the Messiah unto themselves and make the Doctrine concerning him to belong unto the Law of Moses whereof say some those that follow Maimonides it is one of the Fundamentals others as Josephus Albo that it is a branch of the Fundamentall concerning Rewards and Punishments it is here given out by the Testimony of their Targums unto the Pâ—â—terity of Adam indefinitely two thousand years before the Call and Separation of Abraham from whom they pretend to derive their Priviledge and much longer before the giving of their Law whereof they would have it to be a part which is diligently to be heeded against them § 4 Concerning the Promises made unto Abraham we have spoken before the next mention in the Targum of the Messiah is on Gen 35. v. 21. where occasion is taken to bring him into the Text. For unto those words and Israel journyed and spread his Tent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto or beyond the Tower of Edar Jonathan adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is the place from whence the King Messiah shall be revealed in the end of the dayes And this Tradition is taken from Micah 4. v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou Tower of Edar or of the flock unto thee shall it come the first Dominion Now this Tower of Edar was a place in or near to Bethlehem as is manifest from the place in Genesis For whereas Jacob is said to stay at Ephrah that is Bethlehem where he set up a Pillar on the Grave of Rachel v. 19 20. upon his next removal he spread his Tent beyond the Tower of Edar which must therefore needs be a place near unto Bethlehem and the Prophet assigning the rise of the Kingdom of the Messiah unto that Place because he was to be born at Bethlehem the Paraphrast took occasion to make mention of him here where that place is first spoken of declaring their expectation of his being born there which accordingly was long before come to pass § 5 Gen 49. v. 1. And Jacob called unto his Sons and said Gather your selves together that I may tell you what shall befall you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter dayes or the last days or end of the Days Jonathan Paraphraseth on these words after that or although the Glory of the Divine Majesty was revealed unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time that is the express time wherein the King Messias was to come was hid from him and therefore he said come and I will declare unto you what shall befall you in the End of the dayes This expression of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the End or last of the dayes is an usual Periphrasis of the dayes of the Messiah in the Old Testament To that purpose it is used Numb 24. v. 14. Deut. 4. v. 30. Isa. 2. v. 2. Hos. 3. v. 5. Micah 4.1 and our Apostle expresly refers unto it Heb. 1.1 Now whereas this Expression denotes no certain season of time but only indefinitely directs to the last dayes of the Posterity of Jacob continuing a distinct Church and people for those Ends for which they were originally separated from all others and this being the first place wherein it is used and which all the rest refer unto the Paraphrast here took occasion both to mention the Messiah of whose time of coming this was to be the constant description as also to intimate the Reason of the frequent use of this Expression which was because the precise time of his coming was hidden even from the best of the Prophets unto whom the Glory of the Divine Majesty was in other things revealed Besides the ensuing Predictions in the Chapter do sufficiently secure his application of the dayes mentioned unto the time of the Messiah Gen. 49. v. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill Shiloh come All the three Targums agree in § 6 the Application of these words unto the Messiah Onfelos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill Messiah comes Jonathan and Hierusalem use the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the time wherein the King Messiah shall come An illustrious Prophesie this is concerning him the first that limits the time of his coming with an express circumstance and which must therefore afterwards be at large insisted on At present it may suffice to remark the suffrage of these Targums against the perversness of their later Masters who contend by all Artifices imaginable to pervert this Text unto other purposes who are therefore to be pressed with the Authority of the Targumists which with none of their cavilling exceptions they can evade The following words also v. 11 12. are applied by Jonathan unto the Messiah in the pursuit of the former Prediction and that not unfitly as hath been shewed by others already See Aynswâ—rth on the plâ—ce Exod. 12. v. 42. It is a night much to be observed Hierusal Targ. This is the fourth § 7 night it had mentioned three before when the End of this present world shall be accomplishâ—d to be dissâ—lved and the Cords of impiety shall be wasted and the Iron Yoke shall be broken that is the people of God shall be delivered whereunto is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mâ—sâ—s shall come forth from the middâ—â—t of the Wilderness and the King Messiah from the middest of Rome That of the Messiah coming out of Rome is Talmudical depending on a Fable which we shall afterwards give an account of And we may here once for all observe that although
him the Name of God and shall fulfill the whole Law is a blessed Truth This Fagius and Munster before him observed out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bundle of Myrrh a Cahalistical Comment on the Pentateuch by R. Abraham But they all contend against the Application of this Prediction unto our Lord Jesus Christ for when say they did he smite the Corners of Moab when did he destroy all the Children of Seth and how were those words v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they interpret and Israel shall gather wealth or substance fulfilled But we have sufficiently proved the Messiah to be a Spiritual Redeemer and therefore however his Kingdom may be expressed in words signifying literally outward and temporal things yet things spiritual and eternall are to be understood as figuratively set out by the other Neither can these words be absolutely understood according to the Letter For whereas Seth was the Son given unto Adam in the room of Abel and all the Posterity of Cain wa◠cut off at the Flood if the Messiah destroy literally all the children of Seth he must not leave any one man alive in the world which certainly is not the work he was promised for Besides the Lord Christ hath partly already and in due time will utterly destroy all the stubborn Enemies of his Kingdom Neither can the Jews press the instance of Moab literally seeing themselves by Edom do constantly understand Rome or the Roman Empire Deut. 18. v. 15 16 17 18 19. This place is an eminent Prophesie concerning the § 11 Messiah and his Prophetical Office not before any where mentioned But the Law being now given which was to continue inviolably unto his coming Mal. 4.4 when it was to be changed removed and taken away this part of his work that he was to make the last full perfect Declaration of the will of God is now declared The Targums are here silent of him for they principally attend unto those places which make mention of his Kingdom Rashi refers the words unto the series of Prophets which were afterwards raised up Aben Ezra to Joshua others to Jeremiah upon the rejection of whose warnings the people were carried into captivity which they collect from v. 19. Whatever now they pretend of old they looked for some one signal Prophet from this place which should immediately come before the Messiah himself Thence was that Question in their Examination of John Baptist Art thou that Prophet John 1.21 namely whom they looked for from this Prediction of Moses But it is the Messiah himself and none other that is intended For First None other ever arose like unto Moses This is twice repeated in the words of Moses unto the people v. 15. God will raise thee up a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto me and in the words of God to Moses v. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto thee as thou art Lipman a blasphemous Jew in his Nizzachon contends that Jesus cannot be intended because he was not like Moses for Moses was a man only Jesus declared himself to be God Moses had Father and Mother Jesus had not as we say But the comparison intended doth not at all respect their Persons or their Natures but their Office It was in the Prophetical Office that the Prophet foretold was to be like unto Moses It is a Law-giver one that should institute New Ordinances of Worship by the Authority of God for the use and Observance of the whole Church as Moses did one that should reveal the whole will of God as Moses did as to that season wherein God employed him That this could not be Joshua nor any of the Prophets that ensued is evident from that Testimony of the Holy Ghost Deut. 34. v. 10. There arose not since a Prophet in Israel like unto Moses This must therefore be referred unto some singular Prophet who was then to come or there is an express contradiction in the Text. And this is none other but the Messiah concerning whom they acknowledge that he shall be a Prophet above Moses Secondly the extermination threatned unto the people upon their disobedience unto this Prophet here promised v. 19. never befell them untill they had rejected the Lord Jesus the true and only Messiah Wherefore this place is rightly applyed unto him in the New Testament Acts 3.22 23. Chap. 7.37 And we have hence a farther discovery of the Nature of the Deliverer and Deliverance promised of old and therein of the Faith of the Antient Church He was to be a blessed Prophet to reveal the mind and will of God which also he hath done unto the utmost And from this place it is that the Jews themselves in Midrash Coheleth cap. 1. say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The latter Redeemer is to be like the former Deut. 25. v. 19. Thou shalt blot out the Remembrance of Amaleck from under Heaven § 12 thou shalt not forget it Jonathan Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And also in the dayes of the Messiah the King thou shalt not forget it But as this savours too much of those revengefull thoughts which they frequently discover themselves to be filled withall so all these apprehensions proceed from the Old Tradition that by the Messiah we should be delivered from the hands of all our Enemies which they being carnal and earthly do wrest to give countenance unto their own desires and imaginations Deut. 30. v. 4. If any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven from thence § 13 will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he fetch thee Jonath Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from thence will the word of the Lord gather thee by the hand of Elijah the great Priest and from thence will he bring thee by the hand of Messiah the King The place is not amiss applyed unto the Deliverance which they shall one day have by the Messiah for it is to happen after the whole Curse of the Law is come upon them for their disobedience and that they shall turn again unto the Lord by Repentance v. 1 2. And whereas the words are doubled they suppose them to intimate a-double work of Deliverance one whereof they have committed to Elias from Mal. 4. v. 5. who was to be and was the fore-runner of the Messiah And these are places in the Books of Moses wherein they acknowledge that mention is made of the Messiah For that way whereby the Church of old was principally instructed in his work and office namely in the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law they know nothing of it nor shall it here be insisted on seeing it must have so large a place in the Exposition of the Epistle its self § 14 1 Sam. 2.10 He shall give strength unto his King and exalt the horn of his annointed Targ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall exalt the Kingdom of his Messiah In Midrash Tillim also on
shall bring gifts to the King Messiah referring the Psalm to his dayes and work The same Exposition is given of the place in Midrash Esther cap. 1. v. 1. and by R. Obodia Haggaon on the Place § 24 Psal. 72. v. 1. Give the King thy Judgements O God Targ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give the sentence of thy Judgement unto the King Messiah And herein they generally agree Midrash on the Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the King Messiah as it is said a Rod shall come forth from the stemm of Jesse Isa. 11. v. 1. And Aben Ezra on the same Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Prophecy of David or of one of the Singers concerning Solomon or concerning the Mâ—ssiah And Kimâ—hi acknowledgeth that this Psalm is expounded by many of them concerning the Messiah Rashi applies it unto Solomon as a Prayer of David for him whereof he gives this as the occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He Prayed this Prayer for his Son Solomon because he saw by the Holy Ghost that he would ask of God an heart to understand and keep or do Judgement And although he endeavours vainly to apply v. 5. unto his dayes They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon endure and v. 7. In his dayes shall the Righteous flourish and abundance of Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill there be no Moon yet when he cometh unto those words v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there shall be an handfull of Corn in the Earth he adds Our Masters interpret this of the Cates or Dainties in the Dayes of the Mâ—ssiâ—h and expound the whole Psalm concerning Messiah the King And this he was enforced unto lest he should appear too openly to contradict the Talmudists who frequently apply this Psalm unto him and have long Discourses about some passages in it especially this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 16. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 17. which are much insisted on by Martinus Raymundus Petrus Galatinus and others The vulgar Latin for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reads erit Firmamentum in terra which I should suppose to be corrupted from frumâ—ntum but that the LXX who are followed also by other Translations as the Arabick and Aethiopick read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firmamentum And this some think to be corrupted from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an handfull of Corn which is very probable Neither is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any where else used in the Scripture and may as well have something forreign in it as come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also v. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where else used for sobolescet or pliabit as it is here rendered from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Son which is but thrice used in that signification Gen. 21. v. 23. by a Philistin and Job 18. v. 19. by an Arabian and Isa. 14. v. 22. concerning a Son among the Chaldaeans which argue it to be a forreign word being properly used in a Prophesie of the calling of the Gentiles as this is so in the same subject it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasmannim shall come to the Messiah Psal. 68.32 which we render Princes and it may be such were intended but the word seems to be Aegyptian for Hebrew it is not though afterwards used among the Jews whence the family of Mattathias were called Hasmoneans But to return it is evident that in this Psalm much light was communicated unto the Church of old into the Office Work Grace Compassion and rule of the Messiah with the Calling and glorious access of the Gentiles unto him There is mention likewise made of him in the Targum on Psalm 8. v. 16. The vineyard § 25 which thy right hand hath planted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and on the branch thou hast made strong for thy self so our Translation but all Old Translations as the LXX vulgar Latin Syriacâ— interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in Analogie unto the preceding Allegory of the Vine but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 18. and render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super filium hominis and upon the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thy self Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the King Messiah whom thou hast strengthened or fortified for thy self And we know how signally in the Gospel he calls himself the Son of man and among other names ascribed unto him the Talmudists say he is called jinnâ—n from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Son And v. 18. he is expresly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thy self And hereunto doth Aben Ezra refer the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the foregoing Verse And for that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let thy hand be upon the man of thy Right hand he observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when ever Jad the hand that is the hand of God hath Beth following it it is for reproach or punishment unto them whom it respects as Exod. 9. v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold the hand of the Lord is upon thy Cattel that is for their destruction And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if Beth follow not it is for praise or help as Psalm 119. v. 173. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let thine hand help me or be for my help So that the words are a prayer for the Son of man And as our Lord Christ was the Son of man so he was the true Vine whereof the Father is the Husbandman and his Disciples the branches John 15. v. 1 2 3 4 5. And he himself also was called out of Aegypt Matth. 2. v. 15. as was the Vine spoken of in this Psalm so that he who is afflicted in all the afflictions of his People is principally intended in this Prophetical Psalm Aben Ezra would have the Son of man to be Israel but not seeing how well it can be accommodated unto them he adds the words may respect Messiah Ben Ephraim an Idol of their own setting up But the Targum acknowledgeth the true Messiah here For whose sake the Church is blessed and by whom it is delivered The 110th Psalm is a signal Prophesie of him describing his Person Kingdom § 26 Priesthood and the work of Redemption wrought by him But whereas sundry things in this Psalm are interpreted and applied unto the Lord Christ by our Apostle in his Epistle unto the Hebrews where they fall directly under our consideration I shall here only briefly reflect on some of their own confessions although it be a signal declaration of the faith of the Church of old scarcely to be parallel'd in any other place The later Masters indeed observing how directly and openly this Psalm is applied unto the Lord Christ in the New Testament and how plainly all the Passages of it are accommodated unto the Faith of Christians concerning the Messiah his Office and Work do endeavour their utmost to wrest it unto any other as shall elsewhere be manifested Yea
not Moses but their Church under the Law refused that Angel of Gods Presence who was to conduct them that obey him into everlasting rest And the Church of Believers under Joshua which was a Type of the Church of the New Testament adhering unto him found rest unto their souls And this Angel of whom we have spoken was he whom the Talmudists call § 23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metatron Ben Vzziel in his Targum on Gen. 5. ascribes this name unto Enoch He ascended saith he into Heaven by the Word of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his name was called Metraton the great Scribe But this Opinion is rejected and confuted in the Talmud There they tell us that Metatron is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince of the world Or as Elias calls him in Tishbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince of Gods Presence The mention of this name is in Talm. Tract Saned cap. 4. where they plainly intimate that they intend an uncreated Angel thereby For they assign such things unto him as are incompetent unto any other And as Reuchlin informeth us from the Cabbalists they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metatron was the Master or Teacher of Moses himself He it is saith Elias who is the Angel alwayes appearing in the Presence of God of whom it is said my name is in him And the Talmudists add that he hath power to blot out the sins of Israel whence they call him the Chancellor of Heaven And Bechai a famous Master among them affirms that his Name signifies both a Lord a Messenger and a Keeper on Exod. 23. A Lord because he ruleth all A Messenger because he standeth alwayes before God to do his Will and a Keeper because he keepeth Israel The Etymologie I confess which he gives unto this Purpose of that name is weak and foolish Nor is that of Elias one jot better who tells us that Metatron is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Tongue One sent But yet it is evident what is is intended by these obscure intimations which are the corrupted relicts of antient Traditions namely the increated Prince of Glory who being Lord of all appeared of old unto the Patriarchs as the Angel or Messenger of the Father And as for the word its self it is either a corrupt expression of the Latin Mediator such as are usual amongst them or a more Gematrical Fiction to answer unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Almighty there being a coincidence in their numericall signification of their Letters And this was another way whereby God instructed the Church of old in the Mysterie of the Person of the Messiah who was promised unto them Exercitatio XI Messiah promised of Old Faith of the antient Church of the Jews concerning him State of the Jews at his coming Expectations of it Exposed to the seducements of Impostors Faith of their Fore-fathers lost among them Sadducees expected a Messiah On what Grounds Consistency of their Principles True Messiah rejected by them General Reason thereof Story of Barcosba and Rabbi Akiba Miracles to be wrought by the Messiah State of the Jews after the dayes of Barcosba Faith of their Fore-fathers utterly renounced Opinion of Hillel denying any Messiah to come Occasion of it Their Judgement of him The things concerning the Messiah mysterious Seeming inconsistencies in the Prophesies and Descriptions of him Reconciled in the Gospel That rejected by the Jews Their imagination of two Messiah's Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David Story of Messiah Ben Joseph Of Annillus Rise and occasion of the Fable concerning him Jews acqainted with the Revelation Their story of the building of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Death of Ben Joseph The Fable concerning him disproved The same with that of the Romanists concerning Anti-christ Of Messiah Ben David The faith and expectation of the Jews concerning him The Opinion of Maimonides Summ of the Judaicall Creed Ground and Reason of their present Vnbelief Ignorance of their miserable condition by Nature Ignorance of Acceptable Righteousness And of the Judgement of God concerning Sin Also of the Nature and End of the Law Corrupt Assertions Envy against the Gentiles Because of the Priviledges claimed by them And their Oppressions Judaical Faith concerning the Messiah The Folly of it Of the Promises of the Old Testament Threefold Interpretation of them § 1 WEE have proved the Promise of a Person to be born and annointed unto the Work of relieving mankind from sin and misery and to bring them back unto God And what kind of Person he was to be we have also shewed It remains that we consider what was the Faith of the Antient Church of the Jews concerning him as also what are and have been for many Generations the Apprehensions and Expectations of the same People about the same object of faith with the Occasions and Reasons of their present Infidelity and obstinacy § 2 For the faith of the Antient Church it hath been already sufficiently discoursed What God revealed that they believed They saw not indeed of old clearly and fully into the sense of the Promises as to the way and manner whereby God would work out and accomplish the Mercy and Grace which they lived and dyed in the Faith and hope of But this they knew that God would in his appointed time in and by the nature of man in one to be born of the seed of Abraham and house of David caused Attonement to be made for sin bring in Everlasting Righteousness and work out the Salvation of his Elect. This was abundantly revealed this they stedfastly believed and in the faith thereof obtained a good report or Testimony from God himself that they pleased him inherited the Promises and were made partakers of Life eternal and farther at present we need not enquire into their Light and Apprehensions seeing they must be considered in our Exposition of the Epistle it self which now way is making unto § 3 For the Jews as divested of the Priviledges of their Fore-fathers we may consider them with reference unto two Principal Seasons First From the time of the actual exhibition of the promised seed or the coming of the Messiah to the time of the composition of their Mishnae and Talmuds that ensued thereon Secondly from thence unto this present day and in both these seasons we may consider the prevailing Opinions amongst them concerning the promised Messiah his coming and the work that he hath to do That towards the close of Prophesie in the Church of old the hearts and Spirits of men were intently fixed on a desire and expectation of the coming of the Messiah the last of the Prophets clearly testifies Mal. 3. v. 1. The Lord whom ye are seeking the Angel of the Covenant whom you are desiring shall come suddenly As the time of his coming drew nigh this expectation was encreased and heightned so that they continually looked out after him as if he were to enter amongst them every moment No sooner
did any one make an appearance of something extraordinary but instantly they were ready to say is not this the Messiah This gave advantage unto sundry seditious Impostors as Theudas and Judas of Galilee to deceive many of them unto their ruine John the Baptist also they enquired about John 1. v. 19 20. Yea and they had divulged such a report of their expectations with the Predictions and Prophesies that they were built upon that the whole world took notice of it as hath been elsewhere manifested out of the best Roman Historians This was the state of the Judaical Church not long before the destruction of the Second Temple And so fixed were they in their Resolutions that he was to come about that season that during the last desolating Siege of the City they looked every day when he would come and save them But together with this earnest desire and expectation they had utterly lost the § 4 Light and Faith of their Fore-fathers about the Nature Work and Office of the promised Messiah For being grown carnal and minding only things earthly and present they utterly overlooked the Spiritual Genealogie of the seed of the Woman from the first Promise and wresting all Prophesies and Predictions to their ambitious covetous corrupt inclinations and Interests they fancied him unto themselves as one that was to deliver them from all outward trouble and to satisfie them with the glory and desirable things of this world without respect to sin and the curse or deliverance from them And hence the Saaducees who denyed the immortality of the soul and consequently all Rewards and Punishments in another world yet no less desired and expected the coming of the Messiah then the Pharisees and their Disciples And the Truth is they had brought their Principles unto a better consistency than the others had done For if the Promised Messiah was only to procure them the Good things of this world and that whilest they lived in it it was in vain to look for another world to come and the blessings thereof To look for eternal life and yet to confine the Promise of the Seed to the things of this life only there was neither ground nor Reason So that the Pharisees laid down the Principle which the Sadducees naturally drew their Conclusion from Some in the mean time among them Gods secret ones as Simeon Anna Joseph Zechary and Elizabeth but especially the Blessed Virgin with many more retained no doubt the antient Faith of their Fore-fathers But the Body of the People with their Leaders being either flagitiously wicked or superstitiously proud fancied a Messiah suited unto their own lusts and desires such an one as we shall afterwards describe And this prejudicate opinion of a terrene outward glorious Kingdom in and of this world was that which working in them a neglect of those spiritual and eternal purposes for which he was promised hardened them to an utter rejection of the True Messiah when he came unto them That this was the Ground on which they rejected the Promised Messiah is evident § 5 from the Story of the Gospel and we shall farther prove it upon them in our ensuing Discourses How they did that and what was the End thereof is well known But after they had done this and murdered the Prince of Life to justifie themselves in their wickedness and unbelief they still with all earnestness looked after such a Messiah as they had framed in their own imagination And herein they grew more earnest and furious than ever For they had not only their own false pre-conceived Opinion strengthened by their carnal Interests and desires of earthly things to act and provoke them but also their Reputation and pretence unto the Love and favour of God to heighten them in their Presumptions because they could not retain the least sense of them if it might be supposed that they had rejected the true Messiah because in his way and work he answered not their Expectation For this is the course of Pride and carnal Wisdom to pursue those miscarriages with violence wherein they have been wickedly engaged and to lay hold on any pretence that they may seem to justifie them in what they have done And on this account they exposed themselves as a prey unto every Seducer who made the least appearance of being such a Messiah as they thought meet for them to receive This at last cast them on a second shipwrack in the business of Barchocheba who pretending himself to be their Messiah sent to deliver them from the Roman Yoke and to set up a Kingdom amongst them drew them all the world over into that Sedition Outrage and War which ended in an almost universal extirpation of the whole Nation from the face of the Earth Now because in the business of this Barchosba they met with a sore disappointment § 6 that turned the stream of their imaginations and expectations for a long season it may not be amiss to give in our passage a brief account concerning him and the things which befell them in those dayes Some of the Jews affirm that there were two of that name both Heads of Sedition amongst them One of these they place under Domitian and the other who was his Grandchild under the Reign of Trajan and Hadrian So do the Authors of Schalschelet Hakabala and of Tzemach David But the Stories of those times with the condition of the Jews under Domitian will allow no other place unto the former but in their own imaginations The latter was well known in the world and hath left himself a Name such as it is in the Writings of Christians and the Histories of the Romans For Hâ—drian the Emperour provoked by seditious Tumult and Rebellion of the Jews in the second year of his Reign which he suppressed â—y Mâ—rtius Turbo as Dio Eusebius and Orosius declare drove them from Jerusalem and built a Temple to Jupiter in the place where the Old Temple stood This proved a great provocation to the Jews all the world over yea turned them into rage and madness And they were in those dayes exceedingly prone unto Tumults and Vproars as being poor and needy not having as yet given themselves to scrape wealth together the love whereof hath been the great means of keeping them in quietness in succeeding Ages In this condition Barcosba shews himself amongst thâ—m pretending that he was their Messiah as they confess in the Talm. Tract Saned Dist. Cheleck He reigned thâ—y say three years and an half a fatall period of time and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he said to the Rabbins I am the Mâ—ssiah Immediately one of their famous Masters whose memory they yet much Reverence Rabbi Akiba became his Armour-bearer and so far his Trumpeter also as to proclaim him to be their King Messiah For this is their way when they get a false Messiah they have also a false Prophet to usher him in or to set him off unto the People And this Akriba as Mâ—imâ—nides
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text. Evasions of Abarbinel Kimchi and Aben Ezra examined Their Opinion of the Glory promised to the second House Of the greatness of it Things wanting in it by their own confession The Glory of this House not in the dayes of the Hasmonaeans or Herodians Not in its continuance Circumstances proving the true Messiah to be the Glory Anomalous Construction of the Words removed Mal. 3.1 explained Confession of the antient Jews WEE shall now proceed to other Testimonies of the same evidence and importance § 1 with the foregoing The end of calling and separating the people of the Jews from the rest of the world the forming of them into a Nation and the setting up of a Political State and Rule amongst them being solely as we have declared to bring forth the promised Messiah by them and to shaddow out his Spiritual Kingdom It was necessary that he should come before their utter desolation and final rejection from that state and condition which also he did according to the promise and prediction before insisted on and explained The same was the end of their Ecclesiastical or Church-State with all the Religious Worship that was instituted therein Whilest that also therefore continued and was accepted of God in the place of his own appointment he was to be brought forth and to accomplish his work in the world This also in sundry places of the Old Testament is foretold one or two of the most eminent of them we shall consider and manifest from them that the true Messiah is long since come and exhibited unto the world according to the Promise given of old to that purpose The first we shall fix upon is that of Haggai Chap. 2. v. 3 4 6 7 8 9. whereunto we shall add Mal. 3.1 The words of the former place are Who is left among you that saw this house in her first Glory and how do you see it now Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land and I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come And I will fill this House with Glory saith the Lord of Hosts The Silver is mine and the Gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts and the Glory of this latter House shall be greater then the former saith the Lord of Hosts And in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of Hosts Those of the latter are Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom I seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts Both to the same purpose The occasion of the former words must be enquired after from the story of § 2 those times in Ezra and the whole Discourse of the Prophet in that place The people returning from their Captivity with Zerubbabel in the dayes of Cyrus had laid the foundation of the Temple but having begun their work great opposition was made against it and great discouragements they met withall as it will fall out with all men that engage in the work of God in any Generation The Kings of Persia who first encouraged them unto this work and countenanced them in it Ezra 1.7 8 9. being possessed with false reports and slanders as is usual also in such cases at first began to withdraw their assistance as it should seem in the dayes of Cyrus himself Ezra 4.5 And at length expresly forbad their proceedings causing the whole work to cease by force and power v. 23. Besides this outward opposition they were moreover greatly discouraged by their own poverty and disability for the carrying on their designed work in any measure so as to answer the beauty and glory of their former House builded by Solomon Hence the Elders of the people who had seen the former House in its glory wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundations of this laid Ezra 4.12 13. As fore-seeing how much the splendor and beauty of their Worship would be ecclipsed and impaired for as the measures of the Fabrick it self assigned unto it by Cyrus Ezra 6.3 did no way answer Solomons Structure so for the Ornaments of it wherein its magnificence did principally consist they had no means or ability to make any provision of them Being therefore thus hindered and discouraged the work ceased wholly from the end of Cyrus Reign unto the second year of Darius Hystiages For there is no reason to suppose that this intercision of the work continued unto the Reign of Darius Nothus Between the first year of the whole Empire of Cyrus to the second of Darius Nothus there were no less then a hundred years as we shall afterwards declare Now it is evident in Ezra that Zerubbabel and Joshuah who began the work in the Reign of Cyrus were alive and carried it on in the dayes of Darius And it is scarcely credible that they who it may be were none of the youngest men when they first returned unto Jerusalem should live there an hundred years and then return unto the work again Outward force and Opposition then they were delivered from in the second year of Darius Hystiages But their discouragements from their poverty and disability still continued This the Prophet intimates v. 4. Who is there left among you who saw this House in its first glory and what do you now see it Is it not as nothing in your eyes There is no necessity of reading the words with a supposition As Scaliger contends if there were any amongst you who had seen For it is much more likely that some who had seen the former House of Solomon and wept at the laying of the foundation of this in the dayes of Cyrus should now see the carrying of it on in the second year of Darius Hystiages that is about ten or twelve years after then that those who began the work in the Reign of Cyrus should live to perfect it in the second year of Darius Nothus an hundred years after However it is evident that the old discouragement was still pressing upon them The former House was Glorious and Magnificent Famous and Renowned in the world and full of comfort unto them from the visible pledges of the presence of God that were therein To remove this discouragement and to support them under it the Lord by this Prophet makes them a Promise that whatever the streightness and poverty of the house were which they undertook to build however short it came of the glory of that of old yet from what he himself would do he would render that House far more glorious then the former namely by doing that in it for which both it and the former were instituted and erected Saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
The glory of this latter house shall be great above that of the former To clear our Argument intended from these words we must consider 1. What was this latter House we spoke of 2. Wherein the Glory of it did consist § 3 First We are to enquire what House it is whereof the Prophet speaks now this is most evident in the Context This House saith he v. 4. that your eyes look upon and which you so much despise in comparison of the former And v. 8. I will fill saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this House which you are now finishing with glory And v. 9. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this latter House The Prophet doth as it were point to it with his finger This House that you and I are looking upon this House which is so contemptible in your eyes in comparison with that of Solomon which you have either seen or read of this House shall be filled with glory It is true this Temple was three hundred years after re-edified by Herod in the eighteenth year of his Reign which yet hindered not but that it was still the same Temple For this first Structure was never destroyed nor the materials of it at once taken down But notwithstanding the reparation of it by Herod it still continued the one and the same House though much enlarged and beautified by him And therefore the Jews in the dayes of our Saviour overlooked as it were the re-edification of the Temple by Herod and affirm that that House which then stood was forty six years in building John 2.20 as they supposed it to have been upon the first return from Captivity when the whole work and building of Herod was finished within the space of eight years The Targum also of Jonathan Aben Ezra and Kimchi and others interpret the words of that House which was then building by Zerubbabel and Joshua nor do any of the Antient Jews dissent Abarbinel one of their great Masters and Chief among them who invent pretences § 4 to their impenitences and unbelief in his Comment on this place after he hath endeavoured his utmost against the interpretations of the Christians and made use of the reasonings of former Expositors to apply the whole Prophecy unto the second House at least as it was restored by Herod at length refers all that is spoken of the House here unto a third Temple prophesied as he fancieth by Ezekiel to be built in the dayes of the Mâ—ssiah because he saw that if the second House was intended it would be hard to avoid the coming of the Messiah whilest that House stood and continued But we need not insist long in the removall of this fond imagination For 1. It is contrary to express re-doubled affirmations in the Text before insisted on 2. To the whole design of the Context and Prophecy which is expresly to encourage the Jews unto the building of that House which seemed so contemptible in the eyes of some of them 3. To the repetition of this Prophecy Mal. 3.1 where the second Temple is evidently expressed 4. To the Prophecy of Ezekiel wherein a Spiritual and not a material Temple is delineated as we shall elsewhere demonstrate 5. To the time assigned to the glorifying of the House spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet a little while which in no sense can be applyed unto a Temple to be built longer afterwards then that Nation had been a people From the Call of Abraham to the giving of this Promise there had passed about fourteen hundred and ten years and it is now above two thousand years since this Prophecy which in what sense it can be called a little while is hard to imagine This then is the sense that Abarbinel would put on these words It is yet a little while and I will fill this House with Glory that is a very great while hence longer hence then you have been a people in the world I will cause another House to be built 6. To the Targum and all the antient Masters among the Jews themselves 7. To its self for it is by his own confession promised that the Messiah should come to the Temple that is promised to be filled with Glory but the other Third Temple that he fancies is as he said to be built by himself so as he cannot be said to come unto it So that this evasion will not yield the least relief to their obstinacy and unbelief It is evidently the second Temple built by Zerubbabel whose Glory is here foretold The Glory promised unto this house is nextly to be considered This is expressed § 5 absolutely v. 7. I will fill this House with Glory and comparatively with reference unto the Temple of Solomon which some of them had seen v. 9. The Glory of this latter House shall be greater then of the former To understand aright this Promise we must reflect a little upon the Glory of the first House which the glory of this second was to excell It would not answer our present design to digress unto a particular description of Solomon's Temple It is also done by others with great Judgement Diligence and Accuracy I shall therefore only give a brief account of some of the heads of its excellency which our present Argument doth require First then It was very Glorious its principal Architect which was God himself § 6 He contrived the whole Fabrick and disposed of all the parts of it in their order For when David delivered unto Solomon the pattern of the House and the whole Worship of it he tells him All these things the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me even all the Work of this pattern 1 Chron. Chap. 25.19 God gave him the whole in writing That is divinely and immediately inspired him by his holy Spirit to set down the frame of the House and all the concernments of it according to his own appointment and disposal This rendered the House Glorious as answering the Wisdom of him by whom it was contrived And herein it had the advantage above all the Fabricks that ever was on the Earth and in particular the Second Temple whose Builders had no such Idea of their Work given them by inspiration Secondly It was Glorious in the Greatness State and Magnificence of the Fabrick § 7 it self Such a Building it was as was never paralelled in the world which sundry Considerations will make evident unto us as First The design of Solomon the Wisest and Richest King that ever was in this world in the building of it When he undertook the work and sent to Hyram King of Tyre for his assistance he tells him that the House which he was to build was to be great because their God was great above all Gods 2 Chron. 2.5 Nay saith he The House which I am about to build shall be wonderfull and great No doubt but he designed the Structure Magnificent to the utmost that his Wisdom and Wealth would
extend unto And what shall he do that comes after the King What shall any of the sons of men think to contrive and erect to enlarge that in Glory wherein Solomon laid out his utmost There can doubtless be no greater fondness then to imagine that it could in any measure be equalled by what was done afterwards by Zerubbabel or Herod § 8 Secondly The vast and unspeakable summs of Treasure which were expended in the building and adorning of it I know there is some difference among Learned Men about reducing the Hebrew Signatures of moneys unto our presâ—nt account But let the estimate be as low as by any can reasonably be imagined setting aside what Solomon expended of his own Revâ—nue and getting the provision left by David towards the work of an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and a thousand thousand Talents of Silver Besides Brass and Iron without weight with Timber and Stone 1 Chron. 22.14 doth far exceed all the Treasures that the greatest part if not all the Kings of the Earth are at this day possessed of For on the ordinary computation and ballance of Coyns the Gold amounted to 450000000. l. and the Silver unto 3750000000. l. besides what was dedicated by his Princes and out of his peculiar Treasure He that would be satisfied what immense summs of his own Solomon added to all this may consult Villalpandus on this subject And what might be the product of this Expense Wisely managed is not easie to be conceived It seems to me that the whole Revenue of Herod was scarce able to find Bread for Solomons Workmen so unlikely is it that his Fabrick should be equal unto that other It was surely a Glorious House that all this charge was expended about § 9 Thirdly It appears farther from the number of Workmen employed in the Structure We need not greaten this number out of conjectures with Villalpandus who reckons above four hundred thousand seeing there is evident mention in the Scripture of an hundred and fourscoure and three thousand and six hundred Besides the Tyrians that were hired who by their Wages seem also to have been a great number 2 Chron. 2.10 That is there was an hundred and fifty three thousand and six hundred strangers of the posterity of the Canaanites 2 Chron. 2.17 18. and thirty thousand Israelites 1 Kings 5.13 Neither was all this multitude engaged in this work for a few dayes or moneths but full seven years 1 Kings 6.38 And therein as Josephus observes the speed of the work was almost as admirable as its magnificence And what a glorious Structure might be raised by such numbers of men in such a space of time when nothing was wanting unto them which by the immense Treasures before mentioned could be procured may easily be conceived It doth not appear that the whole number of the people rich and poor who were gathered together under Zerubbabel after the return from the Captivity did equal the numbers of Solomons Builders so that they were not like to erect a Fabrick answerable unto what he effected nor can it be imagined that Herod employed so many in the whole work as Solomon had to oversee his Labourers § 10 We may add hereunto what is recorded concerning the adorning of this House Not to mention the Pillars of Brass with their Chapiters whose Magnificence was wonderful and Workmanship inimitable the Molten Sea with the Oxen and the like Ornaments innumerable If we do but consider that the whole House upon the vaulting and Coiling with Cedar was overlaid with pure beaten Gold how glorious must it need be rendred to the thoughts of every man who remembers the greatness of the structure In especiall those Vtensils of the Sanctuary the Ark Oracle Mercy-Seat and Cherubims that represented the presence of God what tongue can represent their beauty and glory In the second House there was little of all these and for the things of most cost and charge nothing at all Nor did the riches of this House consist only in the solid parts of the Fabrick but in those vast treasures of Silver and Gold with other precious things which being dedicated to the service of God were laid up therein for besides what was consecrated by himself and his Princes Solomon brought in all the things which David his Father had dedicated 2 Chron. 5. v. 7. And put them them among the treasures of the House of God And although I do not think with some that the whole summs of money before mentioned were herein included because it was dedicated by David for so also was his Brass and Iron and Timber It is all to be expended about or used in the building of the House it self yet I cannot but judge that those treasures were exceeding great and such as the poverty and confusion of the people under the second Temple never allowed them to do any thing that was answerable unto it Lastly The glory of the Worship of this Temple consummated its beauty Now § 11 this was principally founded in the glorious entrance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine Presence into it upon its Consecration by the Prayer of Solomon Hereof God gave a double pledge First The falâ—ing down of the Fire from Heaven to consume the first Offerings and to leave a Fire to be kept alive perpetually upon the Altar a Type of the effectual operation of the Holy Ghost making all our Sacrifices acceptable to God And this the Jews expresly confess to have been wanting in the Second Temple 2 Chron. 7.1 Secondly The Glory of the Lord as a Cloud filling the whole House and resting upon it v. 2 3. This foundation being laid and attended with a Sacrifice of many thousands of Cattle the whole Worship was gloriously carried on according to the institution revealed unto David by the Spirit of God And the better to enable them to a right performance hereof some of the chief Ministers as Heman Ethan and Jeduthan were themselves inspired with the Spirit of Prophecy So that plainly here we had the utmost Glory that a Worldly Sanctuary and Carnal Ordinances could extend unto Having taken this brief view of the Glory of Solomons Temple we may now enquire § 12 after what that Glory was which was promised to this second House concerning which the Prophet affirms expresly that it shall excell all the Glory which on any account belonged unto the first And first we shall consider the apprehension of the Jews in this matter First Some of them plainly insinuate that this whole Promise was conditional and depended upon the obedience of the people wherein they sailing it is no wonder if the Promise was never accomplished Thus Abarbinel would have the Prophet speak to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If your works be right in the Observation of the Law And to this end Kimchi after Aben Ezra giveth us a new connection of the words For that expression v. 4. Be strong all ye people of the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 and work he carries on to the beginning of the next verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and work it coheres in sense with the following Verse or this word if you do the work that I covenanted with you and so leaps over those words in the end of ver 4. and whereon the whole fifth verse doth evidently depend For I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts And these following words so my Spirit remaineth among you he interprets for a Promise depending upon the same condition If you do the word that I covenanted with you that is observe the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But after they sinned and observed not the Law the Holy Ghost and Prophecy-ceased from amongst them in the dayes of Zachariah and Malachi And to the same purpose Abarbinel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The glorious Presence Prophecy and the rest of the Holy thâ—ngs that were then wanting should return unto them if their wayes were right and good And in this fancy they all agree But this wresting of the Text is evident There is no condition intimated in the § 13 words but rather the contrary God promising to be with them as he was in the days of their coming out of the Land of Aegypt wherein the work that he wrought for them depended not on their Obedience but was a meer effect of his own faithfulness as he often declares And those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my Spirit standing abiding or remaining in the midst of you among you is no Promise of any thing that was future but a declaration of the presence of God by his Spirit then amongst them to carry them through all difficulties and discouragements that they had met withall And this is evident from the Inference that is made thereon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fear ye not For as the presence of God with them by his Spirit and power was their great encouragement so a Promise of any thing that was future was not suited unto that purpose And hence the Targum of Jonathan supposing the Spirit of Prophesie to be intended referreth the words to the Prophets that wâ—re then amongst them who instructed them in the Will of God But by the Spirit nothing is there intended but the efficacious working of the Providence of God in their Protection as it is explained Zech. 4.6 Not by Might nor by Power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts And the trajection of the words invented by Kimchi is a bold corruption of the Text and contrary to the whole design of the Prophets message to the people His business was to encourage them to go on with the building of the Temple To this end he bids them be strong and do their work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Rabbi Levi Work on this building carry on this Fabrick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Jonathan fall to your labour and thereunto he adds the encouragement from the presence of God who was powerfully present with them by his Spirit as in the dayes that he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt § 14 This Evasion being of no use something more satisfactory must be enquired after something wherein the glory of the latter House must excell that of the former That they may not be utterly silent the Masters of the present Judaical Infidelity fix upon two things which they would perswade us this Glory might consist in First They say the Structure it self either as built by Zerubbabel or at least as restored by Herod was Higher as more capacious then that built by Solomon and the glory of it was encreased by the great riches of the Nations that were brought into it in the dayes of the Hasmonaeans and of Herod when that was accomplish'd which was here foretold that the riches of the Nation should come to that House So Kimchi I will shake this is an Allegorical Expression saith he of the great glory and good that God would bring to Israel in the dayes of the second Temple and when was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was in the dayes of the Hasmonaeans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in the time of Herod for which he refers us to the Book of Joseph Ben. Gorion the Plagiary of the time of Josephus And this also is repeated by Jarchi and Aâ—arbinel for the Glory of the House its self The same man tells us that his Masters of blessed Memory were divided some referring it unto the time of the standing of the second House of which afterwards Some to its greatness And for its greatness he informs us The second House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Structure of it was great as it is written in the words of our Rabbins of blessed memory and in the Book of Joseph Ben Gorion namely that there was no building in the whole world to be compared with that Structure which Herod built for beauty and excellency But there are not many of this opinion and those that pretend themselves so to be speak contrary to their own Science and conscience They know well enough that the latter Temple was in nothing to be compared unto the former And this Abarbinel acknowledgeth in the entrance of his Exposition of this Prophecy affirming that the people were troubled at the remembrance of the House built by Solomon which was great and high filled with multitudes of Vessels of pure Gold and pretious Stones whereas that which they were building was small according to the Command of the King of Persia and without treasure because of the poverty of the people and though this House was built higher by Herod yet it was not at all enlarged by him but erected precisely on the old foundation But not to enter at present into consideration of the measures of the former Structure Let the latter Temple be thought as wide and long as the former and some Cubits higher doth this presently give it a greater glory then the other a Glory so much greater as to be thus eminently promised and intimated to be brought in with the shaking of Heaven and Earth Sea and dry land Can any thing more fondly be imagined It were endless to reckon up the particular instances wherein it came short of the Glory of the first House Let but the heads of the Beauty and Magnificence thereof above recounted be run over and this will quickly appear In a word notwithstanding the imaginary greatness pretended it had not the hundredth part of the Glory of Solomons House which also these Masters on all occasions acknowledge for besides all the Golden Glorious Vessels and Ornaments of it Besides all the treasures disposed in it besides sundry of the most magnificent parts of the building it self they generally acknowledge that there were five things wanting in the last wherein the principal glory of the first House consisted These are diversly reckoned up by them but in general they all agree about them and they are given us by the Author of Aruch in the
sufferings of Jesus Christ. 3. The places quoted out of Isaiah have no respect unto the Churches of the latter dayes other then all Scripture hath which is written for their Instruction 4. The things mentioned Apoc. 21. v. 27. are effects of this work of Christ in and towards his Church not the work its self here expressed as the first view of the place will manifest § 12 He adds In the other Prophets the Restauration of the Christian Church from the Babylon of Antichrist is in like Types proportionably represented Isa. 10. 11. 13 14. Jer. 50 51. Apoc. 14.6.7 8. 16.19 15.7 18.2 10 21. Answ. I know not what is understood by represented in the like Types Here are no Types in this Prophecy but a naked Prediction of the State and continuance of the Judaical Church untill the coming of the Messiah and of the Work that he should accomplish at his coming with the effects and consequences thereof To allow Types in these things is to enervate all the Prophecies which we have of him in the Old Testament 2. The places directed unto in Isaiah and Jeremiah intend not the deliverance of the Christian Churches unless it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that in expressions no way coincident with or suited unto this Prophecy 3. Where any thing is represented in a Type there must be an accomplishment of somewhat answerable unto it in the Type its self and such was the deliverance of the Israelites from Babylon of old insisted on by those Prophets But here our Author allows no such Type but refers the whole Prophecy firstly and only unto the Christian Churches 4. In the Revelation indeed the deliverance of the Churches of Christ from Antichristian Persecution is foretold which hinders not but that the coming and suffering of the Messiah may be immediately intended as undoubtedly it is in this place He sayes Thirdly In all other Prophecies of Daniel the main subject of them is the History § 13 of Antichrist the Waldensian Saints and their Successors restored and reduced out of Antichristian Captivity See Chap. 7. 2. 8. 10 11 12. Answ. This is Petitio Principii and hath no foundation but the arbitrary Hypothesis of our Author and it seems strange that there should be so many Prophecies of the Churches of Christ and none amongst them of Christ himself For this is far from the Genius and strain of the Old Testament all the principal Prophecies whereof firstly and directly intend him and the Church only as built on him 2. Grant therefore for we will not needlesly contend that some of those Prophecies may concern these latter times it doth not at all follow that this also must so do considering the great variety of Daniels Visions and there are Arguments unanswerable that it doth not do so as will afterwards appear It is added fourthly That the parallel proportion of phrase argueth the annointed Prince § 14 v. 25. to be the Prince of the Covenant Chap. 11.22 which there doth signifie the Princes of the Waldenses Answ. 1. That expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 25. is not well rendered the Annointed Prince It is Messiah the Prince King or Leader as all Translations what ever agree And indeed this is if not the only yet far the most signal place in the whole Old Testament wherein the promised Redeemer is directly called the MESSIAH whence his usual Appellation in both Churches Judaical and Christian is taken For there is not above one place more where he is immediately and directly so called and not in his Types neither is that place without Controversie To interpret this expression therefore in this place otherwise is to take away the foundation of that Name of our Redeemer by which the Holy Ghost in the New Testament doth principally propose him unto our Faith and Obedience which certainly would be in prejudicium fidei Christianae 2. The Prince of the Covenant Chap. 11. v. 22. in those wars of Antiochus Epiphanes or Persecutions of Antichrist I determine not whether may be another from Messiah the Prince here promised The streights of times he sayes Fifthly v. 25. and the destruction of the City v. 26. do fitly § 15 agree to the Antichristian Persecution See Chap. 8.24 11.23 Answ. They do more fitly agree to the times of the building of Jerusalem and last destruction thereof concerning which they are spoken All Streights and Destructions have somewhat alike in them wherein they may seem to agree but it doth not thence follow that one is intended in the Prediction of another It is further urged The effects of the last weeks are parallel with the Antichristian § 16 Persecution described Apoc. 11. For as the Christian Church is in both places signified by the Holy City Apoc. 11.2 with Dan. 9.26 and streights of time said in both places to go before the last afflictions Apoc. 11.5 3 7. with Dan. 9.25 so the last afflictions are also proposed with marvellous agreement those three years and an half of Tyranny over the conquered Saints in the end of the Persecution here â—alf a week of years that is precisely three years and an half cut out for the same end The War immediately preceding the foresaid Triumph Apoc. 11.7 here in like manner Answ. 1. The likeness of Phrases and Expressions in setting out different Events agreeing only in some generalls especially in the Predictions that concern Christ and his Church which is predestinated to be conformed unto him is so frequent in the Prophecies of the Old Testament that nothing unto the purpose of this Learned Author can be concluded from such an Observation concerning these places 2. The Christian Church is not intended by the Holy City Dan. 9. v. 26. but expresly that City which was to be built upon the Decree of the King of Persia whose condition was revealed unto Daniel upon his prayer for it and about it 3. It is no wonder that there should be Streights before Desolations at all seasons of them whatever 4. The half week cut off from the rest of the weeks is not to be three years and an half of Persecution Tyranny and Triumph but on the contrary it is designed for the Confirmation of the Covenant by the Preaching of the Gospel so that here is nothing of the parallelism pretended in the places compared He proceeds From the beginning of the second half of the last week or of the three years § 17 and an half a Prince is said to cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease v. 27. a Phrase ascribed unto Antichrist Chap. 8.11 11.31 Answ. I have shewed before that the similitude of Phrases in different places is no ground to conclude a coincidence of the same things intended 2. The Phrases are not the same nor alike in the places compared Concerning him who is spoken of Chap. 8.12 it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of them Chap. 11.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they
refrained or kept my feet from every evil way Psal. 40. v. 12. Thou Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wilt not with-hold or restrain thy mercy from me So also to shut up or put a stop unto as Jerem. 52. v. 3. Haggai 1. v. 10. 1 Sam. 25. v. 33. Psalm 88. v. 9. Thence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Carcer a Prison wherein men are put under restraint From the similitude of Letters and Sound in Pronuntiation some suppose it to have an affinity in signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consummate to end to finish But there is no pregnant instance of this coincidence For although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do sometimes signifie to restrain or shut up as Psalm 74. v. 11. yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no where signifies to consummate finish or compleat The first thing therefore promised with the Messiah which he was to do at his coming was to coerce and restrain Transgression to shut it up from overflowing the world so universally as it had done formerly Trangression from the day of its first entrance into the world had passed over the whole lower Creation like a flood God would now set bounds unto it coerce and restrain it that it should not for the future overflow mankind as it had done This was the work of the Messiah By his Doctrine by his Spirit by his Grace and the Power of his Gospel he set bounds to the rage of wickedness rooted out the old Idolatry of the world and turned millions of the Sons of Adam unto Righteousness And the Jews who deny his coming can give no instance of any other restraint laid upon the prevalency of Transgression within the time limited by the Angel and so directly deny the Truth of the Prophecy because they will not apply it unto him unto whom alone it doth belong The second thing to be done at the season determined is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seal § 31 up sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seal or to seal up The expression is Metaphorical To seal is either to keep safe or to hide cover and conceal The former can have no place here though the word seem once to be used in that sense with reference unto sin Job 14. v. 14. But this sense hath a perfect inconsistency with what is spoken immediately before and what follows directly after in the Text. And the most proper sense of the word is to cover or conceal and thence to seal because thereby a thing is hidden Cant. 4. v. 12. Now to hide sin or transgression in the Old Testament is to pardon it to forgive it As then the former expression respecteth the sâ—op that was put to the power and progress of sin by the Grace of the Gospel as Titus 2. v. 11 12. so doth this the pardon and removal of the guilt of it by the mercy proclaimed and tendred in the Gospel And in this way of expression is God said to cast our sins behind his back to cover them and to cast them into the bottom of the sea That this was no way to be done but by the Messiah we have before evinced Neither can the Jews assign any other way of the accomplishment of this part of the prediction within the time limited For setting aside this only consideration of the pardon of sin procured by the Mediation of the Messiah and there was never any age wherein God did more severely bring forth sin unto Judgement as themselves had large experience § 32 Thirdly This season is designed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make Reconciliation for iniquity To reconcile iniquity so our Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renders this expression Heb. 2. v. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reconcile iniquities That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make reconciliation with God for iniquity to make attonement The sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when applied unto sin is known and granted If it be spoken of God it is to hide to cover to pardon sin to be gracious unto sinners if of men in the use of any of his institutions it is to propitiate appease attone make attonement or reconciliation as I have elsewhere at large declared How this was to be done by the Messiah hath been already evinced This was that work for which he was promised unto our first Parents from the foundation of the world That he was to do it we are taught in the Old Testament how he did it in the Gospel To expect this work of making attonement for sin from any other or to be wrought by any other wayes or means is fully to renounce the first promise and the Faith of the Fathers from the foundation of the world § 33 That which in the fourth place is mentioned answers the former To make Reconciliation for iniquities and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring in everlasting Righteousness There was a Legal Righteousness amongst the people before consisting partly in their blameless observation of the institutions of the Law and partly in their ritual attonements for sin made annually and occasionally Neither of these could constitute their Righteousness everlasting Not the former for by the deeds of the Law can no flesh be justified that is not absolutely what ever they might be as to the possession of the promised Land Not the latter for as our Apostle observes the annual repetition of Legal Sacrifices did sufficiently manifest that they could not make perfect them that came unto God by them In opposition unto these an Everlasting Righteousness such as is absolute perfect and enduring for ever is promised to be brought in by the Messiah the Righteousness which he wrought in his life and death doing and suffering the whole will of God being imputed unto them that believe And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Everlasting Righteousness procureth and endeth in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 everlasting Salvation mentioned Isa. 45. v. 17. both opposed unto the ritual Righteousness and temporal deliverance of the Law To declare the nature and the way of bringing in this Righteousness is the design of the Gospel Rom. 1. v. 16 17. And I desire to know of the Jews how it was brought in within the time limited According unto their Principles the time here determined was so far from being a season of bringing in Everlasting Righteousness that by their own confession it brought in nothing but a deluge of wickedness in the sins of their Nation and oppressions of the Gentiles This therefore is the proper work of the Messiah foretold by the Prophets expected by all the Fathers and not denyed by the Jews themselves at this day though they would shamefully avoid the application of it unto him in this place But he who ever he be that brings in Everlasting Righteousness He and no other is the Promised Seed the true and only Messiah § 34 The fifth thing here foretold is in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seal Vision and Prophet 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophet for Prophecy the concrete for the abstract The expression being Metaphorical is capable of a triple Interpretation or Application every one of them proper unto the Messiah his work and the times wherein he came and to no other 1. To seal is to consummate to establish and confirm Things are perfected compleated established and confirmed by sealing Jer. 34. v. 44. Isa. 8. v. 16. John 3. v. 34. Rom. 4. v. 11. In this sense Vision and Prophecy were sealed in the Messiah They had all of them respect unto the coming of the Just One the promised seed God had spoken of him by the mouths of his Holy Prophets from the foundation of the world In the bringing of him forth he sealed the Truth of their Predictions by their actual accomplishment The Law and the Prophets were untill John and then they were to be fulfilled This was the season wherein all Vision and Prophecy centred this the Person who was the principal subject and End of them He therefore and his coming is here foretold 2. To seal is to finish conclude and put an end unto any thing Isai. 29. v. 11. Thus also were Vision and Prophecy then sealed among the Jews They were shut up and finished The Priviledge Use and Benefit of them were no more to be continued in their Church And this also fell out accordingly By their own confession from that day to this they have not enjoyed either Vision or Prophet That work as unto them came wholly to an end in the coming of the Messiah 3. By sealing the confirmation of the Doctrine concerning the Messiah his Person and Office by Vision and Prophecy may be intended The Visions and Prophecies that went before by reason of their darkness and obscurity left the people in sundry particulars at great uncertainty Now all things were cleared and confirmed The Spirit of Prophecy accompanying the Messiah and by him given unto his Disciples foretold by Joel Chap. 2. v. 28 29. was in his Revelations express clear and evident directing unto and confirming every thing belonging unto his Person and Doctrine Neither had these words any other accomplishment but what is contained in these things Sixthly It is affirmed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messiah shall he cut off Not occidetur shall § 35 be slain as the Vulgar Latin renders the word but excidetur shall be cut off that is poenally as one punished for sin For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it includes death constantly denotes a poenal excision or cutting off for sin See Gen. 17. v. 14. Exod. 12. v. 15. Numb 15. v. 30. This the Jews themselves acknowledge to be the meaning of the Word So Rab. Suadias Gaeon in Haemunâ—th cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not used for slaying unless it be of him who is slain by the sentence of the Judge or is judicially cut off as it said every one that eats of it shall be cut off Levit 17. v. 14. It is then foretold that the Messiah shall be cut off poenally for sin which he was when he was made a curse for sin all our iniquities meeting upon him And this also is intimated in the ensuing particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not to him For an Objection is prevented that might arise about the poenal excision of the Messiah for how could it be seeing he was every way Just and Righteous To this it is answered by way of concession that it was not on his own account not for himself but for us as is at large declared Isa. 51. Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to him may be a farther declaration of of his state and condition namely that notwithstanding those carnal Apprehensions which the Jews would have of his outward Splendour Glory Wealth and Riches yet in Truth he should have nothing in or of this world none to stand up for him not where to lay his head And this is that part of the Prophecy for the sake whereof the Jews do so pertinaciously contend that the true Messiah is not here intended For say they he shall not be poenally cut off But who told them so Shall we believe the Angel or them Will they not suffer God to send his Messiah in his own way but they must tell him that it must not be so To cast off Prophecies when and because they suit not mens carnal lusts is to reject all Authority of God and his Word This is that which hath proved their ruine temporal and eternal they will not receive a Messiah that shall suffer and be cut off for sin though God foretold them expresly that it must be so It is added Seventhly concerning the person here spoken of and whose coming is § 36 foretold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall confirm or strengthen the Covenant unto many The Covenant spoken of absolutely can be none but that everlasting Covenant which God made with his Elect in the promised seed The great Promise whereof was the foundation of the Covenant with Abraham And hence God sayes that he will give him for a Covenant unto the people Isa. 42. v. 6. Chap. 49. v. 8. And the Salvation which they looked for through him God promiseth through the blood of the Covenant Zech. 9. v. 11. This Covenant he strengthened unto many in the Week wherein he suffered even unto all that believed in him This everlasting Covenant was ratified in his blood Heb. 9. v. 15. and after he had declared it in his own Ministry he caused it to be proclaimed in and by his Gospel At the time here determined the especial Covenant with Israel and Judah was broken Zech. 11. v. 10. and they were thereon cast off from being a Church or people Nor was there at that season any other ratification of the Covenant but only what was made in the death of the Messiah § 37 Then also Eighthly did he cause to cease the Sacrifice and Gift or Offering First He caused it to cease as unto force and efficacy or any use in the Worship of God by his own accomplishment of all that was prefigured by it or intended in it Hereby it became as a dead thing useless unprofitable and made ready to disappear Heb. 8. v. 13. And then shortly after he caused it utterly to be taken away by a perpetual desolation brought upon the place where alone Sacrifices and Offerings were acceptable unto God according unto the Law of Moses And this is the third evidence that this Prophecy affords unto our Assertion namely that it is the true promised Messiah and none other whose coming and cutting off is here foretold The great things here mentioned were fulfilled in him alone nor had they ever the least respect unto any other And the Jews do not in any thing more evidently manifest the desperateness of their cause then when they endeavour to wrest these words unto any other sense or purpose § 38 Moreover
above sixteen hundred years beyond what is allotted unto it in their Tradition § 16 Many other the like concessions and acknowledgements hath the evidence of truth wrested from sundry of them which having been collected by others we shall not trouble the Reader with their recital these that have been insisted on may and do suffice to make good the Argument in hand And so we have fully demonstrated the second thing proposed unto confirmation Namely that the true Messiah is long since come and hath finished the work allotted unto him Now whereas we have in our passage vindicated the Testimonies insisted on from the particular exceptions of the Jews It remaineth for the closing of this Discourse that we consider the general Answer which they give unto the whole Argument taken from them all That which they principally insist on is a concession with an exception rendring § 17 as they suppose the whole useless to our purpose They grant therefore that the time fixed on was determined for the coming of the Messiah But add withall It is prolonged beyond the limited season because of their sins that is that the promise of his coming at that season was not absolute but conditional namely on supposition that the Jews were righteous holy and worthy to receive him Thus unto the Tradition of Elias before mentioned determining the coming of the Messiah upon the end of the second two thousand years of the worlds duration they add in the Talmud Tractat Saned distinct Cheleck cap. 11. these words as an exception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of our sins those dayes have exceeded the time all that is past And again they add in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rab. said all times appointed are finished and this matter is not suspended but upon account of repentance and good works And nothing is more common with them then this condition if they deserve it if they repent the Messiah will come the time is already past but because of our sins he is not come If all Israel could repent but one day he would come This is the summ of their Answer There was a time limited and determined for the coming of the Messiah This time is signified in general in the Scripture to be before the destruction of the Second Temple and the utter departure of Scribe and Law-giver from Judah but all this designation of the time was but conditional and the accomplishment of it had respect unto their righteousness repentance good works and merits which they failing in their Messiah is not yet come To this issue is their infidelity at length arrived But there are reasons innumerable that make naked the vanity of this pretence Some of them I shall briefly insist upon at present and more fully afterwards First We have before proved that not the Jews only but the Gentiles also even § 18 the whole world was concerned in the coming of the Messiah The first promise of him concerned mankind in general without the least particular respect unto any one peculiar people Gen. 3.15 The next solemn renovation of it unto Abraham extends the blessing wherewith it was to be attended unto all the kindreds of the earth Gen. 12.3 Chap. 18.18 The whole restriction of the promise unto him and to his posterity consisted only in the designation of them to be the means of bringing forth that Messiah who was to be a blessing unto all Nations And when Jacob foretells his coming of Judah Gen. 49.10 he declares who were to have an equall share in the blessing of it together with his posterity to him saith he shall be the gathering of the people The same course do all the succeeding Prophets proceed in They every where declare that the Gentiles the Nations of the world were equally concerned with the Jews in the promise of the coming of the Messiah if not principally intended because of their greatness and number In mercy love compassion and philanthrophy did God provide this blessed remedy for the recovery of mankind both Jews and Gentiles out of that misery whereunto they had cast themselves by sin and Apostacy from him The time of exhibiting this remedy unto them he promised also and limited stirring them up unto an expectation of its accomplishment as that whereon all their happiness did depend Shall we now suppose that all this love grace and mercy of God towards mankind that his faithfulness in his promises were all suspended on the goodness righteousness merits and repentance of the Jews that God who so often testifies concerning them that they were a people wicked obstinate stubborn and rebellious should make them keepers of the everlasting happiness of the whole world that he hath given the fountain of his grace and love which he intended and promised should overflow the whole earth and make all tâ—e barren Wildernesses of it fruitful unto him to be closed and stopped by them at theiâ— pleasure that it should be in their power to restrain all the promised â—ffects of them from the world As if he should say in his promises I am resolved out of mine infinite Goodness and Compassion towards you O ye poor miserable Sons of Adam to send you a Saviour and a Deliverer who at such a time shall come and declare unto you the way of life eternal shall open the door of Heaven and save you from the wrath that you have deserved but I will do it on this condition that the Jews an obstinate and rebellious people be good holy righteous and penitent for unless they be so the Saviour shall not come nor is it possible he should untill they be so This of themselves they will never be nor do I intend to make them so If they can perswade us that God hath thus placed them in his Throne and given his Grace and truth into their hands to make effectuall or frustrate at their pleasure and suspended his good will towards the residue of mankind on their obedience whom he testifieth to have been alwayes stubborn and disobedient they may also hope to prevail with us to believe that they only are men and all other beasts as some of their Talmudical Masters have affirmed At present we find it by blessed experience that their wickedness hath not made the Truth of God of no effect § 19 Secondly When God limited and foretold the time of the coming of the Messiah he either foresaw what would be the State and condition of the Jews as to their Repentance and Good Works or he did not If they say he did not then besides that they deny him to be God by denying those Essential Attributes of his nature which the very Heathen acknowledged in their Deities They also utterly overthrow all the Prophecies and predictions of the Old Testament for there is not any of them but depend on a supposition of the prescience of God and this is nothing but to countenance their unbelief with perfect Atheism If they say he did
trial above sixteen hundred years in the world challenging the wit and malice of its adversaries to discover any one thing or circumstance of any thing that is untrue false evil uncomely not useful or inconvenient in it or to find out any thing that is morally good virtuous useful praise-worthy in hâ—bit or exercise in any instances of opâ—rations in any degree of intention of mind any duty that man owes to God others or himself that is not taught injoyned incouraged and commanded by it or to discover any motives incouragements or reasons unto and for the pursuit of that which is good and the avoidance of evil that are true real solid and rational which it affordeth not unto them that embrace it This absolute perfection of the Doctrine of this Prophet joyned with those Characters of Divine Authority which are enstâ—mped on it doth sufficiently evidence that it contains the great promised full final Revelation of the Will of God which was to be given forth by the Messiah Add hereunto that since the delivery of this Doctrine the whole race of mankind hath not been able to invent or find out any thing that without the most palpable folly and madness might be added unto it much less stand in competition with it and it will it self sufficiently demonstrate its Author Secondly We have declared in the entrance of this discourse that the Messiah was § 38 the means promised for the delivery of mankind from that woful estate of sin and misery whereunto they had cast themselves This was declared unto all in general this they believed whom God graciously enabled thereunto But how this deliverance should be wrought in particular by the Messiah how the works of the Devil should be destroyed how God and Man should be reconciled how sinners might recover a title unto their lost happiness and be brought to an enjoyment of it this was unknown not only unto all the Sons of Men but also to all the Angels in Heaven themselves who then shall unfold this mysterie which was hid in the counsel of God from the foundation of the world It was utterly beyond the reason and wisdom of man to give any tolerable conjecture how these things should be effected and brought about But all this is fully declared by this Prophet himself In his Doctrine in what he taught doth this great and hidden mysterie of the Reconciliation and Salvation of mankind open it self gloriously to the minds and understandings of them that believe whose eyes the God of this world hath not blinded and them alone for although this promise of the Messiah was all that God gave out unto Adam and by him unto his posterity to keep their hopes alive in their miserable condition in the Earth yet such was its obscurity that meeting with the minds of men full of darkness and hearts set upon the pursuit of their lusts it was as to the substance of it utterly lost to the greatest part of mankind Afterwards the thing it self was again retrived unto the faith and knowledge of some by new Revelations and Promises only the manner of its accomplishment was still lost hid in the depths of the bosom of the Almighty But as we said by the preaching of Jesus both the thing its self and the manner of it are together brought to light made known and established beyond all the power of Satan to prevail against it This was the work of the promised Prophet this was done by Jesus of Nazareth who is therefore both Lord and Christ. § 39 Thirdly We have also declared how God in his Wisdom and Soveraignty restrained the Promise unto Abraham and his posterity shadowing out among them the accomplishment of it in Mosaical Rites and Institutions And these also received manifold Explications by the succeeding Prophets From the whole a Systeme of Worship and Doctrine did arise which turned wholly on this hinge of the promised Messiah relating in all things to the salvation to be wrought by him But yet the will and mind of God was in this whole dispensation so folded and wrapt up in Types so vailed and shadowed by carnal Ordinances so obscure and hid in Allegorical Expressions that the bringing of them forth unto light the removal of the clouds and shades that were cast upon them with a declaration of the Nature Reason and Use of all those Institutions was a work no less glorious then the very first Revelation of the promise it self This was that which was reserved for the great Prophet the Messiah for that God would prescribe Ordinances and Institutions unto his Church whose full Nature Use and End should be everlastingly unknown unto them is unreasonable to imagine Now this is done in the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ. The spiritual End Use and Nature of all these Sacrifices and Typical Institutions which unto them who were conversant only with their outside Servile performances were an insupportable yoke of bondage as the Jews find them unto this day being never able to satisfie themselves in their most scrupulous attendance unto them are all made evident and plain and all that was taught by them accomplished This was the work of the Prophet like unto Moses He fulfilled the End and unvailed the mind of God in all these Institutions And he hath done it so fully that whoever looks upon them through his declaration of them cannot but be amazed at the blindness and stupidity of the Jews who rejecting the Revelation of the Counsel of God by him adhere pertinaciously unto that whereof they understand aright no one title or syllable for there is not the meanest Christian who is instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel but can give a better account of the Nature Use and End of Mosaical Institutions then all the profound Rabbins in the world either can or ever could do He that is least in the Kingdom of God being greater in this light and knowledge then John Baptist himself who yet was not behind any of the Prophets that went before him This I say is that which the promised Prophet was to do and moreover to add the Institutions of his own immediate Revelations even as Moses had given them the Law of Ordinances of old And in this superinstitution of new Ordinances of Worship thereby superceding those instituted by Moses was he like unto him as was foretold § 40 Lastly The Event confirms the Application of this Character unto the Lord Jesus Whoever should not receive the word of this Prophet God threatens to require it of him that is as themselves confess to exterminate them from among the number of his people or to reject them from being so Now this was done by the body of the Jewish Nation they received him not they obeyed not his voice and what was the end of this their disobedience they who for their despising persecuting killing the former Prophets were only corrected chastened afflicted and again quickly recovered out of the worst and greatest of
10.17 18. This being performed by him after the dissolution of his humane nature in the open visible separation of his body and soul in which state it was utterly impossible that that nature should put forth any act toward the retrievement of its former condition manifested his existence in another superiour nature acting with power on the humane in the same Person And this one Miracle was a sufficient vindication of the truth which he had taught concerning himself namely that he was the Messiah the Son of God And though any should question his being raised again from the dead by his own power yet the evidence is uncontrollable that he was raised again by the power of God without the application of the means and Ministry of any other whereby the Holy and Eternal God of truth entitled himself unto all that he had taught concerning his Person and Office whilest he was alive And this leaves no room for haesitation in this matter For this being granted none will deny but that he was the Messiah and what principles we proceed upon for the proof of it unto the Jews hath been before declared § 68 Unto what hath been summarily recounted we may lastly add the continuance of the miracles wrought by his power after his leaving of this world and his Ascention into Heaven And there is in them an additional evidence unto what hath been insisted on For whereas the miraculous works that were wrought by himself and his Disciples whilest he conversed with them in the flesh were confined as we observed before unto the Land of Canaan those who afterwards received power from above by his Grant and Donation continued to assert the like mighty works and miracles all the world over so that within the space of a few years there was scarce a famous Town or City in the world wherein some of his Disciples had not received the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost And this also distinctly confirms him to be the promised Messiah for whereas the Isles of the Gentiles were to wait for and to receive his Law it was necessary that among them also it should receive this solemn kind of attestation from Heaven § 69 Now from what hath been spoken it appears not only that the Miracles wrought by Jesus were sufficient to confirm the Testimony which he gave concerning himself namely that he was the promised Messiah the Son of God but also that they were so much more eminent then those wherewith God was pleased to confirm the Ministry of Moses in the giving of the Law that the Jews have no Reason to doubt or question his Authority for the reversing of any Institutions of Worship which they had formerly been obliged unto To close this Argument I shall only manifest that the Jews of old were convinced § 70 of the truth of the Miracles wrought by the Lord Jesus and therein a little discover the variety of those pretences whereby they attempt to shield themselves from the natural consequence of that conviction 1. For those who lived in his own dayes see Matth. 18.11 12 13 14. Joh. 7.31 Chap. 19.16 24. Acts 4.16 Acts 19.13 Neither did they at any time dispute his works but only the power whereby they were wrought of which afterwards 2. The fame and reputation of them was such amongst them that those who made an Art and Trade of casting out of Devils used the invocation of the name of Jesus over their possessed which the notoriety of his exerting his Divine power in that kind of works induced them unto See Acts 19.13 They adjured the Spirits by the Name of Jesus whom Paul preached observing the miracles that he wrought in that name For they being ignorant of the true way and means whereby the Apostle wrought his miraculous works after the manner of Magicians they used the name of him whom he preached in their Exorcisms as it was ever the custom of that sort of men to intermix their charms with the names of such persons as they knew to have excelled in mighty works And that this was common among the Jews of those dayes is evident from Luke 9.49 which could no otherwise arise but from a general consent in the acknowledgement of the works wrought by him 3. We have also hereunto the suffrage of the Talmudical Rabbins themselves the most malitious adversaries that ever the Lord Jesus had in this world They intend not indeed to bear witness unto his miracles but partly whilest they relate stories that were continued amongst them by Tradition partly whilest they endeavour to shield their unbelief from the Arguments taken from them they tacitly acknowledge that they were indeed wrought by him This I say they do whilest they labour to shew by what wayes and means those Prodigies and wondrou◠works which are recorded of him were wrought and effected For they who say this or that was the way whereby such a thing was accomplished do plainly acknowledge the doing of the thing it self Greater evidence of their self-conviction it is impossible they should give in or need we desire First In the Talmud its self they have traditional stories of miracles wrought by the § 71 Disciples of Jesus and by others in his name which although they are like the rest of their Narrations foolish and insipid yet they evidence the Tradition that was amongst them from the forementioned conviction Thus in Aboda Zara they have a story concerning James who lived longest amongst them It happened they say that Eleacer the Son of Dama was bitten by a Serpent and James of the Village of Sechaniah that is Bethany came to cure him in the name of Jesus the son of Pandira but R. Ishmael opposed him and said it is not lawful for thee thou Son of Dama So owning that Miracles and Cures were wrought by James in the name of Jesus And in Sabbat Hierusal Distinct. Schemona Scheraticin they tell us that the Son of Rab. Jose the Son of Levi had swallowed poyson a certain man came and communed with him in the name of Jesus the Son of Pandira and he was healed but when he was gone out one said unto him how didst thou advice him he said by such a word the other replied tha◠it had been better for him to have dyed then to have heard that word I mention these things only to shew that they were never able to stifle the Tradition that passed among themselves concerning the Miracles wrought by Jesus and his Disciples But this conviction more evidently discovers its self in their endeavours to assign his § 72 mighty works unto other causes so that they may not from them be forced to acknowledge his Divine power and the presence of God with him And there are two pretences which they make use of The first is that of their fore-fathers Mat. 12.24 They would have the Devil to be the Author of them and that he wrought them by Magical Incantations This they pleaded of old and this
not our Neighbour in our heart v. 17. 31. That none put an Israelite to reproach v. 17. 32. That none exercise revenge on his Neighbour 33. That none bear ill will in their mind v. 18. 34. That the Mother and its young be not taken together Deut. 22.6 35. That a Scall be not shaven Lev. 13.33 36. That the signs of Leprosie be not removed Deut. 27.8 37. That the place where the Heifer is beheaded be not tilled Deut. 21.4 38. That a Sorcerer be not suffered to live Exod. 22.18 39. That a new Married Man be not bound to go forth to War Deut. 24.5 40. That none be rebellious against the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem and their Doctrine Deut. 17.11 41. That nothing be added to the precepts of the Law 42. That nothing be taken from them Deut. 4.2 43. That we speak not evil of the Judge nor of the Prince of the People Exod. 22.28 44. That none speak evil of any in Israel Lev. 19.14 45. That none curse Father or Mother 46. That none strike Father or Mother Exod. 21.17 § 29 The Ninth Family of Negative Precepts concerns Feasts and contains Ten Prohibitions 1. That no work be done on the Sabbath Exod. 20.10 2. That none go out or beyond the bounds of the City on the Sabbath Exod. 16.29 3. That no punishment be inflicted on the Sabbath Exod. 35.3 4. That no work be done on the first day of the Passeover 5. That no work be done on the seventh day of the Passeover Lev. 23.7 8. 6. That no work be done in the Feast of Weeks v. 21. 7. That no work be done on the first day of the seventh moneth v. 24 25. 8. That no Work be done on the day of Expiation v. 30. 9. That no work be done on the first day of Tabernacles 10. That no work be done on the eighth day of release v. 34 35 37. The Tenth Family of Negative Precepts is concerning Chastity and affinity and § 30 purity in twenty four Precepts 1. That none uncover the nakedness of his Mother 2. Of his Fathers Wife 3. Of his Sister 4. Of the Daughter of his Fathers Wife Lev. 18.7 8 9 11. 5. Of the Daughter of his Son 6. Of the Daughter of his Daughter 7. Of his own Daughter v. 10. 8. Of a Woman and her Daughter 9. Of a Woman and the Daughter of her Son 10. Of a Woman and the Daughter of her Daughter v. 17. 11. Of a Fathers Sister 12. A Mothers Sister v. 12.13 13. Of an Vnkles Wife v. 19. 14. Of a Daughter in Law v. 15. 15. Of a Brothers Wife v. 16. 16. Of a Wifes Sister she being living ver 14. 17. Of a married Woman Exod. 20.13 18. Of a separated Woman Lev. 18.19 19. That none commit the sin of Sodomy v. 22. 20. That none uncover the nakedness of her Father 21. Nor of the Brother of her Father v. 7.14 22. That filthiness be not committed with any Beast by a Man 23. Nor by a Woman Lev. 18.23 24. That none draw nigh to a prohibited Woman Lev. 18.6 The Eleventh Family concerns Marriages in eight Prohibitions 1. That a Bastard § 31 take not an Israelitess to Wife Deut. 23.2 2. That no Eunuch take a Daughter of Israel v. 1. 3. That no male be made an Eunuch Lev. 22.24 4. That there be no Whore in Israel Deut. 23.17 5. That he who hath divorced his Wife may not take her again after she hath been married to another Deut. 24 4. 6. The Brothers Daughter marry not with a stranger Deut. 25.5 7. That he divorce not his Wife who hath defamed her in her youth Deut. 22.19 8. He that hath forced a Maid shall not divorce her Deut. 22.29 The Twelfth Family concerns the Kingdom and is made up of four Precepts § 32 1. That no King be chosen or a strange Nation Deut. 17.15 2. That the King get not himself many Horses v. 16. 3. That he multiply not Wives 4. That he heap not up to himself Treasures of Silver and Gold v. 17. This is the Account that the Jews give of the precepts of the Law and both the § 33 number of them as also their distribution and distinction which they have cast them into are part as they pretend of their Oral Law which may easily be improved unto a conviction of the vanity of it For whereas it is evident that many of these precepts are coincident many pretended so to be are no precepts at all and sundry of them are not founded on the places from whence they profess to gather them yea that in many of them the mind of the Holy Ghost is plainly perverted and a contrary sense annexed unto his words so it is most unquestionable that there are sundry Commands and Institutions especially in about and concerning Sacrifices that are no way taken notice of by them in this collection as I could easily make good by instances sufficient it is evident that that Rule cannot be of God whereof this collection is pretended to be a part But as I have said before because there is a Representation in them of no small multitude of commands especially in things concerning their carnal Worship it was necessary that they should be here represented though they have been before transcribed from them by others My principal design herein is to give light into some passages of our Apostle as also to other expressions concerning this Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances in other places of the Scripture The Censure our Apostle gives of this whole System of Divine Worship Chap. 9. § 34 v. 1 10. The first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal Ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation is very remarkable Let any one cast an Eye upon this multitude of commands about meats and drinks washings and outward carnal observances which are here collected and he will quickly see how directly and pertinently the description given by our Apostle is suited to their services And that not only as to the manner and multitude of them but also as to their natures They are carnal things and could by no means effect the great spiritual glorious and eternal ends which God had designed proposed and promised in that Covenant unto whose administration they were annexed until the time of Reformation should come Hence elsewhere as Coloss. 10.20 He calls them the rudiments of the world Ordinances about touching tasting and handling about meats and drinks things outwardly clean or unclean all which perish with their using § 35 A little view also of the multiplicity of these precepts and the scrupulous observances required about them and their circumstances will give light into that of another Apostle Acts 15.20 Calling the Law a yoke which neither their Fathers nor themselves were ever able to bear For although the weight of this yoke did principally consist in the matter of it
Acts 3.32 Hos. 2.23 Isa. 10.22 23. Rom. 9. These are the Heads of the punishments which God took upon himself to inflict in an extraordinary manner on the transgressors of the Law that is those who proceeded to do it so with an high hand as that his Covenant was made void thereby as to all the ends of its re-establishment in the administration of the LaW The second sort of penalties annexed unto the transgression of the Law were such as Men by God's institution and appointment were enabled to inflict concerning § 13 which we must consider First who and what the Persons were who were enabled and authorised to inflict these penalties Secondly of what sort these penalties were and for what transgressions necessarily inflicted § 14 The original division of the people after the dayes of Jacob was into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tribes whereof at first there were Twelve which by dividing the Tribe of Joseph into two were encreased into Thirteen and upon the matter reduced again unto Twelve by the special Exemption of the Tribe of Levi from Inheritances and their separation to the Worship of God Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Families or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Houses of Fathers which on many probabilities may be supposed to have been seventy the number of them who went down with Jacob into Aegypt each of which constituted a particular Family And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particular Housholds all which are enumerated Josh. 7.14 This distribution continued amongst the people whilest they were in Aegypt and this only they being not capable to cast themselves into any Civil Order there by reason of their Oppressions and therefore contented themselves with that which was natural Accordingly there were three sorts of persons that were in some kind of Dignity and preheminence among the people although it may be after their Oppression began they were hindered from exercising the Authority that belonged unto them First As to the Tribes there were some who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Princes or Heads of the Tribes Numb 1.16 Twelve in number according to the number of the Tribes Secondly For the Families or principal Houses of the Fathers there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elders who presided over them These Moses and Aaron gathered together at their first coming into Aegypt Exod. 4.29 And these as I said before being the Rulers of the first Families were probably in number seventy from whence afterwards was the constitution of seventy Elders for Rule Exod. 24.1 Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Priests it may be in every private Houshold the first born which are mentioned and so called before the constitution of the Aaronical Priesthood Exod. 19.21 Besides these there were Officers who attended the service of the whole People as to the Execution of Justice and order called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shoterim which we have rendered by the general name of Officers Exod. 5.14 And they are afterwards distinguished from the Elders and Judges Deut. 16.18 For there are two sorts of persons mentioned that were over the people in respect of their works even in Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exactors or Task-Masters and Officers Exod. 5.6 the former or the Nogheshim the Jews say were Aegyptians and the latter or the Shoterim Israelites which occasions that distinct expression of them Pharaoh commanded the same day the Task-masters of the People and their Officers and v. 13 14. And the Task-Masters hasted them saying fulfill your works and the Officers of the Children of Israel were beaten And they tell us in Midrash Rabba on Exod. Sect. 1. that one of these Nogheshim was over ten of the Israelitish Officers and one of them over ten Israelites whence was the following division of the people into tens and hundreds and unto this in the same place they add a putid Story of an Exactor killed by Moses § 15 What was the Authority of these and how it was executed by them in Aegypt nothing is recorded Probably at the beginning of their works and Afflictions they were made use of only to answer for the pretended neglects or miscarriages of the multitude of their Brethren as Exod. 5.14 After their coming up out of Aegypt during their abode in the Wilderness Moses presided over them with all manner of Authority as their Law-giver King and Judge He judged and determined all their causes as is frequently affirmed and that alone untill by the advice of Jethro he took in others unto his assistance Exod. 15.16.25 And there is mention of four particular cases that he determined One Religious one Civil and two Capital relating to Religion in these he made especial enquiry of God The first was about the Vnclean that would keep the Passeover Numb 9.7 8. The second about the daughters of Zelophead who claimed their Inheritance Numb 27. 4 5. The third about the Blasphemer Lev. 24. The last about him that profaned the the Sabbath Numb 15.32 33 34. In which also as the Jews say he set a pattern to future Judges as determining the lesser causes speedily but those wherein blood was concerned not without stay and much deliberation § 16 In the Wilderness the body of the People was cast into a new distribution of Thousands Hundreds Fifties and Tens all which had their peculiar Officers or Rulers chosen from amongst themselves Exod. 18.25 Deut. 1.13 14. And Moses is said to chuse them because being chosen by the People he approved of them as the places foregoing compared do manifest The principal distributions of these planting themselves together in the Cities or Towns of Canaan however afterward they multiplyed or were decreased continued to be called by the names of the thousands of Israel or Judah So Bethlehem Ephratah is said to be little among the thousands of Judah Micah 5.2 One of those thousands that had their especial Head and Ruler over them and their distinct Government as to their own concernments among themselves sate down at Bethlehem which Colony afterwards variously flourished or drew towards a decay After these things by Gods appointment was constituted the great Court of the § 17 Sanhedrin which because we have treated of a-part elsewhere with those lesser Courts of Justice which were instituted in imitation of it sufficiently to our purpose I shall here wholly omit Neither shall I need to mention their Judges raised up extraordinarily of God for the general Rule of the whole People Nor of their Kings continued by Succession in the Family of David because their story in general is sufficiently known and the especial consideration of their power with the manner of the Administration of it would draw us too far out of the way of our present design And these are they unto whom the Lord in their several Generations committed the execution of those punishments that he had allotted unto the transgression of the Law The Penalties themselves with the especial causes of them are lastly to
in the Faith is here aymed at These in general were the Hebrews the Posterity of Abraham and the only Church of God before the promulgation of the Gospel who in those dayes were distributed into three sorts or parties 1. Some of them believing in Christ through the Gospel were perfectly instructed in the Liberty given them from the Mosaical Law with the foundation of that Liberty in its accomplishment in the Person Office and Work of the Messiah Acts 2.41 42. 2. Some with their Profession of Faith in Christ as the Messiah promised retained an opinion of the necessary observation of Mosaical Rites and these also were of two sorts 1. Such as from a pure Reverence of their Original Institutions either being not fully instructed in their Liberty or by reason of prejudices not readily admitting the consequences of that Truth wherein they were instructed abode in their observation without seeking for Righteousness or Salvation by them Acts 21. v. 20. 2. Such as urged their observation as indispensably necessary to our Justification before God Acts 15.1 Gal. 3.4 The first sort of those the Apostles bare with in all meekness yea and using the Liberty given them of the Lord to avoid offending of them joyned with them in their practice as occasion did require Acts 16.3 Chap. 21.23 24 26. Chap. 27.9 1 Cor. 9.20 whence for a long season in many places the Worship of the Gospel and Synagogue Worship of the Law were observed together James 2.2 though in process of time many disputes and differences were occasioned thereby between the Gentile and Jewish Worshippers Rom. 14. The other sort they opposed as perverters of the Gospel which they pretended to profess Acts 15.5 Gal. 2.13 14 15 16. Chap. 4.9 10 11. Chap. 5.2 And of these some afterwards apostatized to Judaism others abiding in a corrupt mixture of both professions separated themselves from the Church and were called Nazarenes and Ebionites 3. Others far the greatest number of the whole people persisted in their Old Church-State not receiving the salvation that was tendered unto them in the preaching of the Gospel and these also were of two sorts 1. Such as who although they had not embraced the faith yet were free and willing to attend unto the Doctrine of it searching the Scriptures for a discovery of its Truth and in the mean time instantly serving God according to the Light of the Old Testament which they had received and in these was the essence of the Judaical Church preserved to its final dissolution Acts 17.11 Chap. 28.22 23 24. 2. Such as being hardned in their Infidelity blasphemed scoffed at and persecuted the Gospel with all that professed it Acts 13.45 50. Chap. 15.19 Chap. 17.5 1. Thess. 2.15 16. Rom. 11.7 8 9 10. whom not long after the vengeance of God overtook in their total destruction Now our Apostle vehemently thirsting after the salvation of the Hebrews in general Rom. 9.1 Chap. 10.1 having all these several sorts or parties to deal withal he so frames his Epistle unto them that it might be suited to all their Good in their Conversion Instruction Edification and Establishment as their several conditions did require the latter sort only excepted who being under judicial blindness were cast out of the care of God and his Acts 13.46 51. Hence in part is that admirable contexture of this Epistle which Peter ascribes unto his eminent wisdom 2 Pet. 3.18 As it is indeed evident from the story that he did excell in applying himself to the various Principles Capacities and prejudices of them with whom he had to do The Lord Christ having set him forth as a great example of that diligence zeal and prudence which he requires in the dispensers of the Gospel Divine reasonings instructions exhortations promises threats arguments are so interwoven in this Epistle from the beginning to the end that all to whose hands or hearing it should come might every where meet with that which was of especial and immediate concernment to themselves unto which of the sorts before mentioned soever they did belong And this Principle we must have respect unto in that intermixture of Arguments to prove the Truth of the Gospel with Exhortations to constancy in the profession of it which we shall meet withall The several conditions of those to whom the Apostle wrote required that way of proceedure Hence no one Chapter in the Epistle is purely dogmatical the first only excepted nor purely Paraenetical For though the design that lyes in view and is never out of sight be Exhortation yet far the greatest part of the Epistle of taken up in those doctrinalls wherein the foundations of the exhortations do lye both interwoven together somewhat variously from the method of the same Apostle in all his other Epistles as hath been observed that to the Galatians which is of the like nature with this only excepted II. A second thing to be previously observed is that although those to whom the Apostle wrote were of the several sorts before mentioned yet they centered in this that they were Hebrews by Birth and Religion who all agreed in some common Principles relating to the subject he treated with them about These he makes use of unto them all For though the unbelieving Jews did deny or did not yet acknowledge that Jesus was the Christ yet they also consented unto or could not gainsay what in the Old Testament was revealed concerning the Person Office Dignity and Work of the Messiah when he should come that being the faith whereby they were saved before his appearance Acts 26 6 7. Vpon these genoral Principles wherein they also agreed and which were the general perswasion of the whole Judaical Church the Apostle layes the foundation of all his Arguments And hence he oft times takes that for granted which without this consideration should we look on any of those to whom he writes under the general notion of unbelievers would seem to be the thing principally in question And therefore have we at large already manifested what was the avowed Profession of the sounder part of the Judaical Church in those dayes concerning the Messiah which the Apostle here and elsewhere in dealing with the Jews built upon Acts 26.22 23 27. Chap. 28.23 Chap. 13.16 17 c. which the Reader must have constant respect unto III. In urging Testimonies out of the Old Testament he doth not alwayes make use of those that seem to be most perspicuous and apposite to his purpose but often times takes others more abstruse obscure and of less evident consequence at first view And that upon a double account First That he might instruct the Believers amongst them in the more abstruse Prophecies of the Old Testament and thereby incite them to the further search after Christ under the Mosaical Veil and Prophetical Allegories whereby he is therein expressed aiming to lead them on towards perfection Chap. 5.12.6.1 Secondly Because most of the Testimonies he makes use of were generally granted
by the Jews of all sorts to belong to the Messiah his Kingdom and Offices and his design was to deal with them chiefly upon their own concessions and principles As we have some few other helps remaining to acquaint us with what was the received sense of the Judaical Church concerning sundry passages in the Old Testament relating unto the promised Christ so the Paraphrases of Scripture that were either at that time in use amongst them as was the Greek Translation amongst the Hellenists or about that time composed as the Targums at least some parts of them will give us much light into it What of that antient sense appeareth yet in the corrupted Copies of those Translations which remain being considered will much evince the reason and suitableness of the Apostles Quotations And this is needful to be observed to refute that impiety of some as Cajetan who not being able to understand the force of some Testimonies cited by the Apostle as to his purpose in hand have questioned the Authority of the whole Epistle as also the mistake of Hierom who in his Epistle to Pammachius rashly affirmed that Paul did quote Scriptures that were not indeed to his purpose but out of design to stop the mouths of his Adversaries as he himself had dealt with Jovinian which was very far from him whose only design was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to promote the Truth in Love IV. He takes it for granted in the whole Epistle that the Judaical Church-State did yet continue and that the Worship of it was not yet disallowed of God suitably to what was before declared concerning his own and the other Apostles practice Had that Church-State been utterly abolished all observation of Mosaical rites which were the Worship of that Church as such had been utterly unlawfull as now it is Neither did the determination recorded Acts 15. abolish them as some suppose but only free the Gentiles from their observance Their free use was yet permitted unto the Jews Acts 21.20 22 25 26. Chap. 27.9 and practised by Paul in particular in his Nazaretical Vow Acts 21.26 Which was attended with a Sacrifice Numb 6.13 Nor was Mosaical Worship utterly to cease so as to have no acceptance with God until the final ruine of that church foretold by our Saviour himself Mat. 24. by Peter 2 Ep. 3. by James also Chap. 5.6 7 8 9. and by our Apostle in this Epistle Chap. 10.37 Chap. 12.25 26 27. was accomplished Hence it is that our Apostle calls the times of the Gospel the world to come Chap. 2.5 Chap. 6.5 the name whereby the Jews denoted the State of the Church under the Messiah proper unto it only whilest the legal administrations of Worship did continue Thus as de facto he had shewed respect unto the Person of the High Priest as one yet in lawful Office Acts 23.5 So doctrinally he takes it for granted that that Office was still continued Chap. 8.4 5. with the whole worship of Moses institution Chap. 13.11 12. And this dispensation of Gods patience being the last tryal of that Church was continued in a proportion of time answerable to their abode in the Wilderness upon its first Erection which our Apostle minds them of Chap. 3. c. 4. The Law of Moses then was not actually abrogated by Christ who observed the rules of it in the dayes of his flesh nor by the Apostles who seldom used their liberty from it leaving the use of it to the Jews still but having done its work whereunto it was designed and its obligation Expiring ending and being removed or taken away in the death and resurrection of Christ and promulgation of the Gospel that ensued thereupon which doctrinally declared its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or uselesness God in his Providence put an end unto it as to its observation in the utter and irrecoverable overthrow of the Temple the place designed for the solemn exercise of its Worship so did it decay wax old and vanish away Chap. 8.13 And this also God ordered in his infinite wisdom that their Temple City and Nation and so consequently their whole Church-State should be utterly wasted by the Pagan Romans before the power of the Empire came into the hands of men professing the name of Christ who could neither well have suffered their Temple to stand as by them abused nor yet have destroyed it without hardning them in their impenitency and unbelief V. That which is proposed unto confirmation in the whole Epistle and from whence all the Inferences and Exhortations insisted on do arise and are drawn is the Excellency of the Gospel and the Worship of God therein revealed and appointed upon the account of its manifold relation to the Person and Offices of Christ the Mediator the Son of God Now because those to whom it is directed did as hath been declared some of them adhere to Mosaical Ceremonies and Worship in conjunction with the Gospel others with a preferency of them above it and some to a relinquishment of it especially when they once found its profession obnoxious to Persecution the Apostle institutes and at large prosecutes a comparison between Moses's Law and the Gospel as to their usefulness and excellency in reference unto mens acceptation with God of the one and the other as also of the Spirituality Order and Beauty of the Worship severally required in them And herein though he derogates in no respect from the Law that which was justly due unto it yet on the accounts before mentioned he preferreth the Gospel before it and not only so but also manifests that as Mosaical Institutions were never of any other use but to prefigure the real Mediatory work of Christ with the benefits thereof so he being exhibited and his work accomplished their observation was become needless and themselves if embraced to a neglect or relinquishment of the Gospel pernicious This comparison wherein also the proof of the positive worth and Excellency of the Gospel is included omitting for weighty reasons intimated by James Acts 21.21 by himself Acts 9.25 Chap. 22.19 20 21. all Prefatory salutations he enters upon in the first verses of the Epistle and being thereby occasioned to make mention of the Messiah from whose Person and Office the difference he was to insist upon did wholly arise he spendeth the residue of the Chapter in proving the divine excellency of his Person and the Eminency of his Office as the only King Priest and Prophet of his Church on all which the dignity of the Gospel in the Profession whereof he exhorts them to persevere doth depend He then that would come to a right understanding of this Epistle must alwayes bear in mind 1. To whom it was written which were the Jews of the several sorts before mentioned 2. To what End it was written even to prevail with them to embrace the Gospel and to persist in the Profession of it without any mixture of Mosaical Observations 3. On what Principles the Apostle deals with
considered The summ is that the end of their Church and State being foretold to be a perpetual desolation Dan. 9.27 the last dayes being now come upon them they might understand what they were shortly to expect and look for The end of the Jews being a People a Church and Kingdom was to bring forth the Messiah whose coming and work must of necessity put an end to their old station and condition Now because herein is enwrapped the most infallible demonstration that the Messiah is long since come the Apostle mentioning the last dayes to intimate that upon necessity he must be come in them I shall further open his design in this matter but with briefness having been large on this head in our Prolegomena and for their sakes who by any difficulties may be deterred from the consideration of them God having from the foundation of the world promised to bring forth the seed of the woman to work out the Redemption of his Elect in the Conquest of Satan did in the separation of Abraham from the rest of the world begin to make provision of a peculiar stock from whence it should spring That this was the cause and end of his Call and Separation is evident from hence that immediately thereupon God assures him that in his seed all the Kindreds of the earth should be blessed Gen. 12.1 2 3. Chap. 22.18 which is all one as if he had expresly said unto him for this cause have I chosen and called thee that in thee I might lay a foundation of bringing forth the promised seed by whom the curse is to be taken away and the blessing of everlasting life procured as Gal. 3.13 14. For this cause was his Posterity continued in a state of separation from the rest of the world that he might seek an holy seed unto himself Numb 23.9 Mal. 2.15 For this cause did he raise them into a Civil Regal and Church-State that he might in them type out and prefigure the Offices and Benefits of the promised Messiah who was to gather to himself the Nations that were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham Gen. 49.10 Psal. 45. Hos. 3.5 Ezek. 34.23 And all their Sacrifices did but shadow out that great expiation of sin which he was to make in his own Person as hath been already proved Things being thus disposed God promised unto them that their Civil Political State their condition as a peculiar Nation and People should be continued until the coming of the Messiah Gen. 49.10 Ezek. 21.27 And this was made good unto them notwithstanding the great oppositions of those mighty Empires in the midst of whose devouring jaws they were placed with some such short intercisions of the actual administration of Rule amongst them as being foretold impeached not the Promise They lost not their Civil State untill he came unto whom was the gathering of the Nations After that though many of the individuals obtained mercy yet their being a Nation or People was of no peculiar use as to any special end of God Therefore was it immediately destroyed and irrecoverably exterminated From that day God in a wonderful manner blasted and cursed all their endeavours either for the preservation of what they then had or for its recovery and restauration when lost No means could ever retrive them into a People or Nation on the old account What may be hereafter on a New God knows The End of the dayes was come and it was to no purpose for men to endeavour to keep up that which God having accomplished the utmost of his design by and upon would lay aside And this season was fully evidenced to all the world by the gathering of the people to the Shilo or the coming in of the Nations to partake in the blessing of faithful Abraham Mic. 4.1 2. Of their Church-State there were two Principal parts The Temple its self and the Worship performed in it The first of these as was the Tabernacle was set up to typifie him in whom the fulness of the Godhead should dwell bodily and the latter the same Person as he was himself to be the great High Priest and Sacrifice Both these also were to be continued until the coming of the Messiah but by no endeavours afterwards Hence was that Promise of the glory of the second House built after the Captivity and restored by Herod because of his coming unto it who was signified by it Hag. 2.9 Malach. 3.1 He was to come whilest that Temple was standing after which it was to be of no more use And therefore Ezekiel describes a third spiritual Temple to succeed in the room thereof The condition of their Sacrifices was the same Therefore Daniel fore-telling the coming of the Messiah four hundred and ninety years after the Captivity adds that upon his death the daily Sacrifice must cease for ever and a total desolation ensue on all the things that were used for the end accomplished Dan. 9.24 25 26 27. The Nation State Temple Sacrifices being set apart set up and designed for no other end but to bring him forth he was to come whilest they were standing and in use after which they were none of them to be allowed a being upon their old foundation This is that which the Apostle pointed at in mentioning the last dayes that they might consider in what condition the Church and People of the Jews then were To discover the evidence of this demonstration as confirmed in our Prolegomena I shall here also briefly add some considerations of the miserable entanglements of the Jews in seeking to avoid the Argument here intimated unto them by the Apostle It is a common Tradition among them that all things were made for the Messiah whereby they do not intend as some have imagined the whole old Creation but all things of their Church State and Worship So the Targum Psal. 40.8 in the person of the Messiah I shall enter into life eternal when I study in the volume of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was written for my sake By the Law they understand their all All depended on their Messiah all was written for him They see by experience that there was a coincidence of all these things in the last dayes when Jesus came No sooner had he done his work but Scepter and Scribe departed from Judah They ceased to be a Church and Nation The Temple which the Lord whom they formerly sought came to was destroyed their Sacrifices wherein they trusted caused to cease and the Nations of the Earth were gathered into the faith of Abraham From that time they have no more been a people nor have had any distinction of Tribes or Families Temple Priesthood or Sacrifice nor any hope of a retrivement into their pristine condition Let us then see what course they do or have taken to countenance themselves in their infidelity Two wayes to relieve themselves they have fixed on 1. Granting that the Messiah was to come to their Government and
Worship they laboured to keep them up and to restore them being cast down that so they might prolong their expectation of that to come which indeed was already past This in the righteous and holy Providence of God proved the means of their ruine For their endeavour to maintain their Liberty Rule and Government after the coming of the Messiah was the cause of the utter overthrow of all Rule Authority and publick Worship amongst them by Vespasian and Titus his Son Their endeavour to restore themselves into a State and People under their false Messiah Barcosbi was the means of their utter desolation from all hopes of being a people and Nation any more by Adrian as also of their extermination for ever out of that Countrey wherein they were separated from all Nations for that End which God appointed unto them After this once more still to avoid the thoughts that the Messiah was come and had put an end unto their former condition they endeavoured and were encouraged by Julian the Emperour to rebuild their Temple and restore their Sacrifices And this attempt also God turned to their further confusion For whereas in former dayes in the building of the Temple he encouraged and supported them against all difficulties and oppositions being now upheld and strengthened by the favour and wealth of the Roman Empire in the same work he sets himself against them and scatters them with no less indignation than he did the builders of Babel of old When he would have a Temple amongst them he punished them with famine for building their own houses and suffering his to lye waste Hag. 2. v. 8 9 10 11. Now they may build houses for themselves where they please but if they take in hand to build a Temple God is against them This State of theirs being now continued sixteen hundred years were not blindness come upon them to the utmost they could not but see that it is not the Will of God that they should be a People State or Church on the former account any more What then is become of their Messiah who was to come unto them whilest they were so seeing they were so by their own confession only for his sake This puts their latter Masters to their last miserable shifts For 2. Contrary to the open nature of all things relating unto them from the appropriating of the Promise to the Family of Abraham contrary to the whole design of the Scripture and the express testimonies of it before mentioned with many other to the same purpose they deny that their Messiah was to come to them or at least to abide with them for the work whereunto he was destinated whilest their State Temple and Sacrifices continued In the management of this shift of unbelief they are wofully divided amongst themselves 1. For the Continuance of their State untill the coming of the Messiah Gen. 49.11 Some say that by Shilo the Messiah is not intended who are confuted by their own Targums all rendring the word Messiah and the constant Tradition of the Elder Doctors Some that by the Scepter and Scribe that the Rod of Affliction and Instruction only are intended which is a gloss evidently contrary to the design of the Prophecy the use of the words in all places where their sense is not restrained by evident circumstances the Targums all Old Writers asserting that which was not peculiar to Judah nor true in its self that Tribe having for so long a season enjoyed as flourishing a condition as any people in the world as good as the Jews look for under the Messiah This State then is utterly gone and their Messiah as it seems not come 2. What say they unto their Temple that second House whereunto he was to come and so render the glory of it greater than that of the former Hag. 2. Mal. 3. Of old they unanimously agreed that he was born whilest the Temple stood or that day that it was destroyed as Aben Exra confesseth on Isa. 53. Many stories out of them might be told to this purpose where he was born how and of whom to whom it was revealed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who saw him where he was disposed of where he is but being all the fancies of idle curious heads and unbelieving hearts which St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.7 prophane and old wives fables we shall not trouble the Reader with them Abarbinel who in corrupting the Prophecies concerning the Messiah hath a reach beyond his fellows affirms that Haggai speaks not of the Second but of a Third Temple to be built under the Messiah but this is nothing but a bold contradiction of the Prophet who three or four times signally declares that he spake of that House which was then building which their eyes saw and which so many contemned as not to be compared with the former Ch. 1.4 this House Ch. 2.7 This House v. 8. This House so v. 18. Others say that the glory of that House did not consist in the coming of the Messiah unto it but in its duration and continuance for it stood ten years longer than the former But this also is contrary 1. To the Catholick perswasion of their fore-fathers Targums Talmuds and all antient Doctors 2. To experience for what could the miserable languishing of ten years by that House whilest it was by their own confession a Den of Thieves contribute unto it to enable it to vye for glory with that wonder of the world the Temple of Solomon in comparison whereof their fore-fathers thought it no more than some of them of old thought themselves compared to the Sons of Anak 3. To the Truth affirming that the glory of that House was to consist in the coming of the Lord whom they sought the desire of all Nations unto it All which things are vindicated in our Prolegomena 3. Their Temple being utterly destroyed as well as their State and their Messiah not yet come what think they of their Sacrifices Daniel tells them that he was to come and to be cut off before the ceasing of the daily Sacrifices But they must confess that all Sacrifices are long since utterly ceased for surely their offering of a Cock to the Devil on the day of Expiation is no continuance of them Some say that the Messiah intended by Daniel was King Agrippa whom Vespasian slew at Rome But this obstinacy is intolerable that a Semi-Pagan as Agrippa was should be their Messiah so honourably foretold of is a figment which whatever they pretend themselves believe not Nor was Agrippa slain or cut off but lived in peace to the day of his death The most of them know not what to say but only object that the computation of Daniel is dark and obscure which Christians themselves are not agreed about Concerning which I must refer the Reader to our Proiegomena as also for the full and large handling of the things here by the way only touched upon This makes it evident
the people were formed in the air by the Ministry of Angels so that they heard not the immediate voyce of God Now in the last dayes did the Lord take that work into his own hands wherein from the foundation of the world he had employed Angels and Men. 3. Though the Apostles argument arise not immediately from the differing wayes of Gods revealing himself to the Prophets and to Christ but in the difference that lyes in his immediate speaking unto us in Christ the Son and his speaking unto the Fathers in the Prophets yet that former difference also is intimated by him in his affirming that he spake to them variously or diversly as hath been declared and therefore we must consider that also And herein we are to obviate the great Judaical prejudice against the Gospel to which end observe 1. That though the Apostle mentions the Prophets in general yet it is Moses whom he principally intends This is evident in the Application of this Argument which he makes in particular Chap. 3.3 where he expresly prefers the Lord Jesus before Moses by name in this matter of Ministring to the Church in the name of God For whereas as was before intimated the Apostle mannages this thing with excellent Wisdom in this Epistle considering the inveterate prejudices of the Hebrews in their adhering unto Moses he could not mention him in particular until he had proved him whom he preferred above him to be so excellent and glorious so far exalted above Men and Angels that it was no disreputation to Moses to be esteemed inferiour to him 2. That the great Reason why the Jews adhered so pertinaciously unto Mosaical Institutions was their perswasion of the unparallel'd excellency of the Revelation made to Moses This they retreated unto and boasted of when they were pressed with the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ John 9.28 29. And this was the main foundation in all their contests with the Apostles Acts 15.1 Chap. 21.21 28. And this at length they have made a principal root or fundamental Article of their Faith being the fourth of the thirteen Articles of their Creed namely that Moses was the most excellent and most sublime among the Prophets so far above that excellency that degree of wisdom and honour which men may attain unto that he was equal to Angels This Maimonides the first disposer of their Faith into fundamental Articles expounds at large More Nebuch p. 2. cap. 39. Declaravimus saith he quod Prophetia Mosis doctoris nostri ab omnium uliorum Prophetiis differat dicemus nunc quod propter solam illam apprehensionem ad legem vocati sumus quia nempe vocationi illi qua Moses nos vocavit simiis neque antecessit ab Adamo primo ad ipsum usque neque etiam post ipsum apud ullum Prophetam sequuta est sic fundamentum Legis nostrae est quod in aeternum finem non sit habitura vel abolenda ac propterea etiam ex sententia nostra alia lex nec unquam fuit nec erit praeter unicam hanc Legem Mosis Doctoris nostri We have declared that the Prophecy of Moses our Master differed from the Prophecies of all others Now we shall shew that upon the account of this perswasion alone namely of the excellency of the Revelation made unto Moses we are called to the Law For from the first Adam to him there was never any such call from God as that wherewith Moses called us nor did ever any such ensue after him Hence is it a fundamental Principle of our Law that it shall never have an end or be abolished and therefore also it is our Judgement that there was never any other divine Law nor ever shall be but only this of our Master Moses This is their present perswasion it was so of old The Law and all Legal Observances are to be continued for ever other way of worshipping God there can be none and this upon the account of the incomparable Excellency of the Revelation made to Moses To confirm themselves in this prejudicate apprehension they assign a fourfold preheminency to the Prophecy of Moses above that of other Prophets and these are insisted on by the same Maimonides in his explication of Cap. 10. Tractat. Sanedr and by sundry others of them 1. The first they fix on is this that God never spake to any Prophet immediately but only to Moses to him he spake without Angelical Mediation For so he affirms that he spake to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mouth to mouth Numb 12.13 2. All other Prophets they say received their visions either in their sleep or presently after their sleep but Moses in the day time standing between the Cherubims Exod. 29.52 And 3. That when other Prophets received their Visions or Revelations although it was by the mediation of Angels yet their nature was weakened by it and the state of their bodies by reason of the consternation that befell them Dan. 10.8 but Moses had no such perturbation befalling him when the Lord spake unto him but it was with him as when a man speaks unto his friend 4. That other Prophets had not inspirations and Answers from God at their own pleasures but sometimes were forced to wait long and pray for an answer before they could receive it But Moses was wont when he pleased to say stay and I will hear what God will command you Numb 9.9 So they And to reconcile this unto what is elsewhere said that he could not see the face of God and live they add that he saw God not immediately but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in speculo or speculari a word formed from the Latin in a glass an expression which the Apostle alludes unto 1 Cor. 13.12 only they add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Prophets saw through nine perspectives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Moses saw through one only Vaiikra Rabba sec. 1. whereunto they add that his Speculum was clear and lucid theirs spotted It must be granted that Moses being the Law-giver and first Revealer of all that Worship in the observation whereof the Judaical Church State â—nd Priviledge of that people did consist had the preheminency above the succeeding Prophets whose Ministry chiefly tended to instruct the people in the nature and keep them to the observation of his Institutions But that all these things by them insisted on were peculiar to him it doth not appear nor if it did so are the most of them of any great weight or importance The first is granted and a signal Priviledge it was God spake unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 face to face Exod. 33.11 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mouth to mouth Numb 12.13 and this is mentioned as that which was peculiar to him above the Prophets which should succeed him in the Ministry of that Church But that Moses saw the essence of God which the Jews contend from those words is expresly denyed in the Text it self For even then when it
all the concernments of it Nothing is in it needless nothing useless Men sometimes perplex themselves to find out the suitableness of some Testimonies produced out of the Old Testament unto the confirmation of things and Doctrines in the New by the Pen-men of the holy Ghost when all the difficulty ariseth from a fond conceit that they can apprehend the depth and breadth of the Wisdom that is laid up in any one Text of Scripture when the Holy Ghost may have a principal aim at those things which they are not able to dive into Every letter and tittle of it is teaching and every thing that relates unto it is instructive in the Mind of God And it must be so because 1. It proceeds from infinite Wisdom which hath put an impress of it self upon it and filled all its capacitie with its blessed effects In the whole Frame Structure and Order of it in the Sense Words Coherence Expression it is filled with Wisdom which makes the Commandment exceeding broad and large so that there is no absolute comprehension of it in this life We cannot perfectly trace the foot-steps of infinite Wisdom nor find out all the Effects and characters of it that it hath left upon the Word The whole Scripture is full of Wisdom as the Sea is of Water which fills and covers all the parts of it And 2. Because it was to be very Comprehensive It was to contain directly or by consequence one way or other the whole Revelation of God unto us and all our Duty unto him both which are marvelous great large and various Now this could not have been done in so narrow a room but that every Part of it and all the Concernment of it with its whole Order were to be filled with Mysteries and Expressions or intimations of the Mind and Will of God It could not hence be that any thing superfluous should be put into it or any thing be in it that should not relate to Teaching and Instruction 3. It is that which God hath given unto his servants for their continual Exercise day and night in this world And in their enquiry into it he requires of them their utmost Diligence and endeavours This being assigned for their Duty it was convenient unto Divine Wisdom and Goodness to find them blessed and useful work in the whole Scripture to exercise themselves about That every where they might meet with that which might satisfie their Enquiry and answer their Industry There shall never be any Time or Strength lost or mispent that is laid out according to the Mind of God in and about his Word The matter the Words the Order the Contexture of them the Scope Design and aim of the Holy Ghost in them all and every one of them may well take up the utmost of our Diligence are all divine Nothing is empty unfurnished or unprepared for our spiritual use advantage and benefit Let us then learn hence 1. To admire and as one said of old to adore the fulness of the Scripture or of the Wisdom of God in it it is all full of Divine Wisdom and calls for our Reverence in the Consideration of it And indeed a constant Awe of the Majesty Authority and Holiness of God in his word is the only teachable frame Proud and careless spirits see nothing of Heaven or Divinity in the Word but the humble are made wise in it 2. To stir up and exercise our Faith and Diligence to the utmost in our study and search of the Scripture It is an endless store-house a bottomless Treasure of Divine Truth Gold is in every sand All the wise men in the world may every one for himself learn somewhat out of every Word of it and yet leave enough still behind them for the Instruction of all those that shall come after them The fountains and springs of Wisdom in it are endless and will never be dry We may have much truth and power out of a word sometimes enough but never All that is in it There will still be enough remaining to exercise and refresh us anew for ever So that we may attain a True sâ—nse but we can never attain the full sense of any Place we can never exhaust the whole impress of infinite Wisdom that is on the Word And how should this stir us up to be meditating in it day and night and many the like inferences may hence be taken Learn also 2. That it is lawful to draw consequences from Scripture Assertions and such consequences rightly deduced are infaliibly true and de fide Thus from the Name given unto Christ the Apostle deduceth by just consequence his Exaltation and Preheminence above Angels Nothing will rightly follow from Truth but what is so also and that of the same nature with the Truth from whence it is derived So that whatever by just consequence is drawn from the Word of God is it self also the Word of God and of Truth infallible And to deprive the Church of this liberty in the interpretation of the Word is to deprive it of the chiefest benefit intended by it This is that on which the whole Ordinance of Preaching is founded which makes that which is derived out of the Word to have the Power Authority and Efficacy of the Word accompanying it Thus though it be the proper Work and Effect of the Word of God to quicken regenerate sanctifie and purifie the Elect and the Word primarily and directly is only that which is written in the Scriptures yet we find all these effâ—cts produced in and by the preaching of the Word when perhaps not one sentence of the Scripture is verbatim repeated And the Reason hereof is because whatsoever is directly deduced and delivered according to the Mind and Appointment of God from the Word is the Word of God and hath the Power Authority and Efficacy of the Word accompanying of it 3. The Declaration of Christ to be the Son of God is the Care and Work of the Father He said it he recorded it he revealed it This indeed is to be made known by the Preaching of the Gospel but that it shall be done the Father hath taken the care upon himself It is the design of the Father in all things to glorifie the Son that all men may honour him even as they honour the Father This cannot be done without the Declaration of that Glory which he had with him before the world was that is the Glory of his Eternal Sonship This he will therefore make known and maintain in the world 4. God the Father is perpetually present with the Lord Christ in Love Care and power in the Administration of his Office as he is Mediator Head and King of the Church He hath taken upon himself to stand by him to own him to effect every thing that is needfull unto the Establishment of his Throne the enlargement of his Kingdom and the Ruine and Destruction of his Enemies And this he will assuredly do to the
is to be understood But 1. This suits not at all with the Purpose and Design of the Apostle which is plainly to prove that the Lord Christ then when he spake to us and revealed the will of God and in that work was above the Angels which is not at all proved by shewing what befell him after his work was accomplished 2. It receives no countenance from that other place of chap. 2.5 whither we are sent by these Interpreters For that the Apostle is there treating of a matter quite of another nature without any respect unto these words shall be there declared Neither doth he absolutely there mention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world but with the addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come which what it is we shall enquire upon the place 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly the Habitable Earth and is never used absolutely in the Scripture but for the habitable world or men dwelling in it and causelesly to wrest it unto another signification is not to interpret but to offer violence unto the Text. 2. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the World or Habitable Earth with them that dwell therein and nothing else is intended for as the word hath no other signification so the Psalmist in the place from whence the ensuing testimony is taken expounds it by the multitude of the Isles or the Nations lying abroad in the wide earth This is the World designed even that Earth wherein the rational creatures of God converse here below Into this was the Lord Christ brought in by the Father We are therefore nextly to enquire wherein the Fathers bringing of the Son into this world did consist We have seen formerly that some have assigned it unto One thing in particular some Another some to his Incarnation and Nativity some to his Resurrection some to his Mission of the Spirit and propagation of his Kingdom that ensued The Opinion about his Coming to reign in the world a thousand years as also that of his coming at the general Judgment we have already excluded Of the others I am apt to think that it is not any one particular exclusive to the other that the Apostle intendeth or designeth That which was intended in the Old Testament in the Promises of his coming into the world is that which is here expressed by the phrase of bringing him in See Mal. 3.2 The Lord whom ye seek shall come but who may abide the day of his coming Now it was not any one special Act nor any one particular Day that was designed in that and the like Promises But it is the whole work of God in bringing forth the Messiah by his Conception Nativity Unction with the Spirit Resurrection Sending of the Holy Ghost and preaching of the Gospel which is the subject of those Promises And their accomplishment it is which those words express When he brings the first-born into the world that is after he had kept his Church under the Administration of the Law given by Angels in the hand of Moses the Mediator in the expectation of the coming of the Messiah when he bringeth him forth unto and carries him on in his work unto the accomplishment of it he says Let all the Angels of God worship him And herein most of the former senses are comprised And this Interpretation of the words compleatly answers the intention of the Apostle in the citation of the ensuing Testimony namely to prove that in the discharge of his work of revealing the Will of God he was such an One as by reason of the Dignity of his Person had all Religious Worship Honour due unto him from the Angels themselves This sense also we are led unto by the Psalm whence the ensuing testimony is taken Psal. 97. The Exultation which the first verse of the Psalm requires and calls for is not unlike that which was in the Name of the whole Creation expressed at his Nativity Luke 2.11 And the four following verses are an Allegorical description of the work that the Lord Christ should make in and by the preaching of the Gospel See Mal. 3.2 3 4. chap. 4.1 Matth. 3.10 Luke 2.24 And hereon ensues that shame and ruine which was brought upon Idols and Idolaters thereby v. 7. And the joy of the whole Church in the presence of Christ v. 8. attended with his glorious Reign in Heaven as a consequent of the Accomplishment of his work v. 9. Which is proposed as a motive unto Obedience and a matter of confidence and rejoycing unto the Church And this is the Fathers bringing of the Son into the world described by the Psalmist and intended by the Apostle It remains that we enquire why and in what sense Christ is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primogenitus or the first-born The common Answer is Non quod post illum alii sed quod ante illum nullus Not that any was born after him in the same way but that none was born before him which as we have shewed before will agree well enough with the use of the Word And this is applied both to the Eternal Gâ—neration of his Divine Person and to the Conception and Nativity of his Humane Nature But if we suppose that his Person and Eternal Generation may be intended in this Expression we must make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the first-born to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or only begotten which may not be allowed for Christ is absolutely called the only begotten of the Father in his Eternal Generation his Essence being infinite took up the whole Nature of Divine Filiation so that it is impossible that with respect thereunto there should be any more Sons of God But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first-born is used in relation unto others and yet as I shewed before it doth not require that he who is so should have any other brethren in the same kind of Sonship But because this is by some asserted namely that Christ has many Brethren in the same kind of sonship whereby he is himself the Son of God and is on that account called the first-born which is an assertion greatly derogatory to his Glory and Honour I shall in our passage remove it as a stumbling-block out of the way Thus Schliclingius on the place Primogenitum eum nomine Dei Filium appellat innuens hoc pacto plures Dei esse Filios etiam ad Christum respectu habito scilicet ut ostenderet non ita Christum esse Dei Filium quin alii etiam eodem filiationis genere contineantur quanquam filiationis perfectione gradu Christo multò inferiores And again Primogenitus dicitur Christus quod eum Deus ante omnes Filios eos nimirum qui Christi fratres appellantur genuerit eo scilicet modo quo Deus Filios gignere solet eos autem gignit quos sibi similes efficit primus est Christus qui Deo ea sanctitate similis fuit qualem
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning And our Translation needed not to have used any difference of expression in the Psalm and this place of the Apostle as they do there of old here in the beginning Thou hast founded not laid the foundation of the earth And the heavens are the works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work which the Greek renders works because of their variety of thy hands They shall perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but thou shalt stand or dost abide The word used in our Translation of the Psalm endure doth ill answer the Original but the margin gives relief Psal. Yea all of them shall wax old like a garment here And they shall all wax old as doth a garment A little variety without difference and that needless the Greek Text exactly expressing the Hebrew And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shalt thou change them The change of a vesture whereunto the change of the Heavens is compared being by folding up and laying aside at least from former use the Apostle instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt change renders the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shall fold or roll them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tu ipse and thou art he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thy years shall have no end shall not fail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not consume There is no question but that these words do sufficiently prove the Preheminence of him of whom they are spoken incomparably above all Creatures what ever Two things therefore are questioned by the Enemies of the Truth contained in them 1. Whether they were originally spoken at all of Christ which the present Jews deny 2. Whether they are spoken all of Christ which is questioned by the Socinians These Enquiries being first satisfied the words shall be opened and the force of the Apostles Argument from thence declared 1. That what is spoken in this Psalm doth properly respect the Messiah is denied by the present Jews That it was owned by the antient Hebrews is sufficiently evident from hence that the Apostle dealing with them on their own Principles urgeth them with the testimony of it The Psalm also it self-gives us light enough into the same instruction It is partly Euctical partly Prophetical both parts suited unto the condition of the Church when the Temple was wasted and Sion lay in the dust during the Babylonish Captivity In the Prophetical part there are three things signal 1. The Redemption of the people with the Re-edification of the Temple as a Type of that Spiritual Temple and Worship which was afterwards to be erected As v. 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come And v. 16. When the Lord shall build Sion he shall appear in his glory 2. The Calling of the Gentiles to the Church and Worship of God v. 15. The Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory V. 21 22. To declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve the Lord. 3. Hereby the creation of a new people a new world is brought in v. 18. This shall be written for the generation to come the world to come and the people that shall be created the new creation of Jews and Gentiles shall praise the Lord. These are the heads of the Prophetical part of the Psalm and they all respect things every where peculiarly assigned unto the Son who was to be incarnate or the days of the Messiah which is all one For 1. The Redemption and deliverance of the Church out of trouble is his proper work Where ever it is mentioned it is he who is intended Psal. 98.18 so signally Zech. 2.8 9 10 11 12 13. and other places innumerable 2. The bringing in of the Gentiles is acknowledged by all the Jews to respect the time of the Messiah it being he who was to be a light unto the Gentiles and the salvation of God unto the ends of the earth 3. Also the Generation to come and people to be created the Jews themselves interpret of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 world to come or the new state of the Church under the Messiah These two last put together the gathering of the people and the world to come created for the praise of God makes it evident that it is the Son whom the Psalmist hath respect unto Grotius in this place affirms that the Apostle accommodates unto the Messiah what was spoken of God And he thinks it a sufficient argument to prove the words were not spoken of the Messiah because they were spoken of God whereas they are produced by the Apostle to prove his Excellency from the properties and works of his Divine Nature And he addes as the sense of the words as accommodated unto Christ Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth that is the world was made for thy sake But this Interpretation or violent detortion of the words destroys it self For if they are spoken of God absolutely and not of the Messiah to whom they are accommodated how can it be said that the world was made for his sake and not by him both senses of the words cannot be true But this is indeed plainly to deny the Authority of the Apostle It appeareth then that many things in this Psalm are spoken directly and immediately of the Son though it be probable also that sundry things in it are affirmed distinctly of the Person of the Father And hence it may be are those frequent variations of speech from the Second to the Third Person that occur in this Psalm 2. As to the second Enquiry the Socinians who grant the Divine Authority of this Epistle and therefore cannot deny but that these words some way or other belong unto the Lord Christ yet plainly perceiving that if they are wholly understood of him that there is an end of all their Religion the creation not of a new but of that world which was made of old and which shall perish at the last day being here ascribed unto him fix here upon a new and peculiar Evasion Some words they say of this testimony belong unto Christ so much they will yield to the authority of the Apostle but not all of them whereby they hope to secure their own errour Now because if this pretence hold not this testimony is fatal to their perswasion I hope it will not be unacceptable if in our passage we do consider the distribution they make of the words according to their supposition and the Arguments they produce for the confirmation of their Exposition as they are managed by Crellius or Schlictingius in their Comment on this place 1. He says that this testimony doth so far belong unto Christ as it pertaineth unto the scope of the
Will and Understanding of the Humane Nature is the principle of those Theandrical acts whereby Christ ruleth over all in the Kingdom given him of his Father Rev. 1. v. 17 18. As he was God he was Davids Lord but not his Son As he was Man he was Davids Son and so absolutely could not be his Lord. In his Person as he was God and Man he was his Lord and his Son which is the intention of our Saviours Question Matth. 22. v. 45. 3. For the Nature and Manner of this speaking when and how God said it four things seem to be intended in it 1. The Eternal Decree of God concerning the Exaltation of the Son incarnate So David calls this Word the Decree the Statute or Eternal Appointment of God Psal. 2. v. 7. This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Internal and Eternal Word or speaking of the Mind Will and Counsel of God referred unto by Peter 1 Epist. 1. v. 20. God said this in the Eternal Purpose of his Will to and concerning his Son 2. The Covenant and Compact that was between the Father and Son about and concerning the Work of Mediation is expressed also in this saying That there was such a Covenant and the nature of it I have else-where declared See Prov. 8. v. 30 31. Isa. 53. v. 10 11 12. Zech. 6. v. 12 13. Joh. 17. v. 4 5 6 In this Covenant God said unto him Sit thou at my right hand which he also pleaded in and upon the discharge of his work Isa. 50. v. 8 9. Joh. 17. v. 4 5. 3. There is also in it the Declaration of this Decree and Covenant in the Prophesies and Promises given out concerning their accomplishment and execution from the foundation of the world Luke 1. v. 40. 1 Pet. 1.11 12. Gen. 3.15 He said it by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began And in this sense David only recounts the prophesies and promises that went before Luke 24. v. 25 26 27. And all these are comprised in this speaking here mentioned Thus the Lord said unto him And all these were past when recorded by David But he yet looks forward by a Spirit of prophesie into the actual accomplishment of them all when upon the Resurrection of Christ and the fulfilling of his work of Humiliation God actually invested him with the promised Glory which is the fourth thing intended in the expression Acts 2. v. 33.36 chap. 5.33 1 Pet. 1. v. 20 21. All these four things center in a new Revelation now made to David by the Spirit of Prophesie This he here declares as the stable Purpose Covenant and Promise of God the Father revealed unto him The Lord said And this also gives us an account of the manner of this Expression as to its imperative Enunciation Sit thou It hath in it the force of a promise that he should do so as it respected the Decree Covenant and Declaration thereof from the foundation of the world God engaging his Faithfulness and Power for the effecting of it in its appointed season speaks concerning it as a thing instantly to be done And as those words respect the glorious accomplishment of the thing it self so they denote the acquiescence of God in the work of Christ and his Authority in his glorious Exaltation 4. The thing spoken about is Christ's sitting at the right hand of God wherein that consists hath been declared on verse 3. In brief it is the Exaltation of Christ into the glorious Administration of the Kingdom granted unto him with Honour Security and Power or as in one word our Apostle calls it his Reigning 1 Cor. 15.25 Concerning which we have treated already at large And herein we shall acquisce and not trouble our selves with the needless curiosity and speculation of some about these words Such is that of Maldonat on Matth. 16. before remarked on verse 3. saith he Cum filius dicitur sedere ad dextram Patris denotatur comparatio virtutis filii Patris potentia filii major dicitur ratione functionis Officii administrationis Ecclesiae Paterque videtur fecisse filium quodammodo se superiorem donasse illi nomen etiam supra ipsum Dei nomen quod omnes Christiani tacitè significant cùm audito nomine Jesu detegunt caput audito autem nomine Dei non item Than which nothing could be more presumptuously nor foolishly spoken For there is not in the words the least intimation of any comparison between the Power of the Father and the Son but only the Father's Exaltation of the Son unto Power and Glory expressed But as was said these things have been already considered 5. There is in the words the End aimed at in this sitting down at the right hand of God and that is the making of his Enemies the foot-stool of his feet This is that which is promised unto him in the state and condition whereunto he is exalted For the opening of these words we must enquire 1. Who are these Enemies of Christ. 2. How they are to be made his foot-stool 3. By whom For the first we have shewed that it is the glorious Exaltation of Christ in his Kingdom that is here spoken of and therefore the Enemies intended must be the Enemies of his Kingdom or Enemies unto him in his Kingdom that is as he sits on his Throne carrying on the work designed and ends of it Now the Kingdom of Christ may be considered two ways First in respect of the Internal Spiritual Power and Efficacy of it in the hearts of his subjects Secondly with respect unto the outward glorious Administration of it in the world And in both these respects it hath enemies in abundance all and every one whereof must be made his foot-stool We shall consider them apart The Kingdom Rule or Reigning of Christ in the first sense is the Authority and Power which he puts forth for the conversion sanctification and salvation of his Elect. As he is their King he quickens them by his Spirit sanctifies them by his grace preserves them by his faithfulness raiseth them from the dead at the last day by his power and gloriously rewardeth them unto Eternity in his righteousness In this work the Lord Christ hath many enemies as the Law Sin Sathan the World Death the Grave and Hell all these are enemies to the Work and Kingdom of Christ and consequently to his Person as having undertaken that work 1. The Law is an enemy unto Christ in his Kingdom not absolutely but by accident and by reason of the consequents that attend it where his subjects are obnoxious unto it It slays them Rom. 7. v. 9 10 11. which is the work of an enemy is against them and contrary unto them Col. 2. v. 14. and contributes strength to their other adversaries 1 Cor. 15. v. 56. which discovers the nature of an enemy 2. Sin is universally and in its whole nature an enemy unto Christ Rom. 8. v. 7. Sinners
all Nations for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Psal. 2.8 Upon this grant a twofold Right ensued 1. A Right to call gather and erect his Church in any Nation in any part of the World to give unto it his Laws and Ordinances of Worship to be owned and observed by them in a visible and peaceable manner Matth. 28.18 19 20. 2. A Right Power and Authority to dispose of and Order all Nations and Persons for the Good Benefit and Advantage of his Kingdom In pursuit of this Grant and Right erecting his Church and therein his visible Kingdom in the world great Opposition is made unto him by all sorts of persons stirred excited and instigated thereunto by Satan And as this Enmity was first acted against himself in his own Person Psal. 2.1 2 3. So it hath continued against him in his Church in all Ages and Places and will do so unto the End of the world The world understands not his Right hates his Government and would not have him to reign Hence hath been all that Rage which hath been executed upon the Professors of his name Kings Rulers Potentates Counsellors the multitude have set themselves against him They are many of them and have been his Enemies Great havock and Destruction have they made of his subjects all the world over and continue to do so in most places unto this very day Especially in these latter Ages after other means failed him Satan hath stirred up a fierce cruel subtle Adversary unto him who he hath foretold his Disciples of under the name of Anti-christ the Beast and false Prophet After the ruine of many other this Enemy by various subtilties and pretences hath drawn the world into a new combination against him and is at this day become the greatest and most pernicious Adversary that he hath in this world Now the aym and design of all these is to dethrone him by the ruine of his Kingdom which he hath set up in the world And this in every Age they have hoped to accomplish and continue to do so unto this day but in vain For as hitherto his Kingdom and Interest in the world hath been maintained against all their enmity and opposition themselves been frustrated and brought to destruction one after another so by vertue of this Promise he shall reign in Security and Glory until all their hearts be broken their strength ruined their Opposition finished and themselves brought under his feet unto all Eternity as our Apostle declares 1 Cor. 15.24 25. And this may suffice to declare the meaning of these words Thirdly We are to consider by whom these Enemies of Christ shall be made thus his footstool I will make them saith God the Father unto him And this Expression wanteth not its difficulty For is it not the work of Christ himself to subdue and conquer his Enemies Is it not said that he shall do so So doing is he described in the Revelation with Glory and Power Chap. 19.11 12 13 14. From Isa. 63.2 3 4 5 6. Who should this work more become or belong unto than him who was persecuted and opposed by them And doth it not directly belong unto his Kingly power Whence is it then that he is here described as one resting in glory and security at his Fathers Right Hand whilest he subdues his Enemies Answer There is no doubt but that the Work of subduing the Enemies of the Mediation and Kingdom of Christ is immediately wrought by himself All Prophecies of him all Promises made unto him the nature of his Office do all require that so it should be and so the Apostle directly expresseth it 1 Cor. 15.26 But yet there are sundry Reasons why that Work which is immediately wrought by the Son may by the way of Eminency be ascribâ—d unto the Father as we see this to be First Power and Authority to subdue and conquer all his Enemies is given unto the Lord Christ by the Father in the way of Reward and it is therefore said to be his work because the Authority for it is from him See Isa. 53.12 Joh. 5.27 Phil. 2.9 Rom. 14.9 This Power then I say of subduing all his Enemies being granted unto the Lord Christ in the love of the Father as a Reward of the Travail of his soul which he underwent in his work on the earth is ascribed unto the Father as his And this Expression signifies no more but that as God hath given him Authority for it so he will abide by him in it until it be accomplished And on this account he takes it on himself as his own Secondly The Work of subduing Enemies is a work of Power and Authority Now in the Oeconomy of the Holy Trinity among the works that outwardly are of God those of Power and Authority are peculiarly ascribed unto the Father as those of Wisdom or Wisdom in the works of God is unto the Son who is the Eternal Wisdom of the Father And on this account the same works are ascribed unto the Father and the Son Not as though the Father did them first or only used the Son as an immediate instrumental cause of them but that he worketh by him as his own Eternal and Essential Wisdom John 5.17 19. But there is also more in it as the Son is considered as Mediator God and man for so he receives and holds his especial Kingdom by grant from his Father and therefore the works of it may be said to be his VI. The last thing remaining for the Exposition of these words is the consideration of the appearing Limitation of this Administration of the Kingdom of Christ in his sitting at the right hand of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill untill I make thine enemies c. First It is confessed and may be proved by Instances that those Particles thus used are sometimes exclusive of all things to the contrary before the time designed in them but not assertive of any such thing afterwards In that sense no limitation of the Duration of the Kingdom of Christ is here intimated but only his secure and glorious Reign unto the accomplishment of his work in the subduing of his Enemies is asserted The only time of Danger is whilest there is Opposition but this saith God I will carry it through unto the end And this sense is embraced by many to secure thereby the Promises that are made unto the Lord Christ of the Perpetuity of his Kingdom So Isa. 9. v. 7. Of the increase of his Government there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth even for ever His Kingdom shall not be destroyed but stand for ever Dan. 2.24 it is an everlasting Kingdom Chap. 7.27 Others suppose that this Perpetuity of the Kingdom of Christ is not absolutely exclusive of all Limitation but that these two things only are intimated in those Prophecies and
their hand With this Resolution they come upon the breadth of the earth and compass the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City Rev. 20.9 They go about their work with Glory and Terror as if they would do it in a day So they have done in all Ages so they continue to do to this day and what is the issue This City which they look on as an unwalled Town no way defensible or tenable is not yet taken by them nor ever shall be but there they fall before it one after another and their bones lye under the walls of the City they oppose They fall upon the Mountains of Israel and leave a stink behind them the shame and reproach of their Names unto Eternity Sometimes they seem to have prevailed and to have done their work but still the issue is that they dye or are destroyed and go down to the Pit and come under the feet of Christ leaving the City untaken Disappointment shame and everlasting punishment is their Portion And they find at last by experience that this feeble folk whom they so despise are Wise and have their Habitation in a Rock This pledge we have already of the Truth proposed that all who have formerly risen up in Enmity to the Kingdom of Christ are dead gone perished under his feet and have left their work undone as far from Accomplishment as the first day they undertook it The same shall be the Lot of those that are and those that follâ—w to the end of the world And when they have all done their utmost then shall the end be Then shall all their misery be compleated the Joy of the Saints filled and the Glory of Christ exalted For the Enemies themselves What can be more shameful unto them than to be so stupid as not to learn from the Experience of so many hundred of years to give over a work wherein never any prospered more miserable than to engage in that design wherein they must necessarily fall and be ruined More woful than to work out their own Eternal Destruction under the Wrath of Christ in a business wherein they had no success And what profit is it if for the present they grow a little rich with the gain of Oppression if there be a Worm in it that will devour both it and them What Advantage if they drink a little precious blood and find sweetness in it if it make them sick and swell and dye The beloved City still abides and their misery shall never end For the Saints what more joyful thing can there be than for them to take a view of these things to look backwards and see all the Nimrods of the earth that have opposed the Kingdom of Christ lying in shame and misery with their necks under the footstool of his feet There they may see Pharaoh lie and Nebuchadnezzar Nero Domitian Dioclesian with all their multitudes and all that have walked in their steps brought down to the sides of the Pit in shame and Eternal Misery for their Opposition to the Kingdom of Christ There are they fallen and perished all of them who laid their swordâ— under heads and caused terror in the Land of the living And the like Prospect may they take of what is to come They may by faith see Babylon fallen the whole Conspiracy that is in the world against them and their Lord disappointed and all his Enemies that shall arise even to the Consummation of all things brought to ruine How may they triumph in a glorious Prospect of this certain and unavoidable Issue of the Opposition that is made to the Kingdom of their Redeemer And this must be the issue of these things For 1. God hath promised unto the Lord Christ from the foundation of the world that so it should be It was part of his Eternal Covenant and Compact with him as hath been declared And after the first promise of breaking the Serpents head and prevailing therein against the Enmity of his seed no season of the Church passed wherein the promises of the same success and issue were not renewed and hereunto do the Writings of Moses the Psalms and the Prophets bear witness And hereof it was that Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied so expresly unto the Old world before the flood Jude v. 14 15. other Prophecies and Promises to the same purpose occurr every wherein the Scripture And this God also in several Ages for the greater pledge of his veracity typed out as in the Victory of Abraham over the four Kings representing the great Monarchies of the world wherein he had a pledge that he should be Heir of the World in his seed in the Conquest of Canaan the seat and inheritance of the Church by Joshua in the Successes and Victories of David and by many signal Instances given in the Visible ruine of the most potent Opposers of his interest in the world And it cannot be that this Word of God should be of none effect 2. The Lord Christ expects this Issue and Event of all things and shall not be frustrated in his Expectation Having received the Ingagement and faithful Promises of his Father he rests in the foresight of its accomplishment And thence it is that he bears all the Affronts that are put upon him all the Opposition that is made unto him and his Kingdom with Patience Long-suffering and Forbearance When we consider the injuries reproaches oppressions persecutions blasphemies that he is exposed unto in his Wayes his Servants his Spirit and Worship we are ready to admire at his patience as we ought to do that he breaks not forth against his enemies as a consuming fire But he knows the time and season that is allotted for the Execution of Vengeance upon them and nothing of their Pride Rage boasting or triumphing against him shall ever provoke him to anticipate their ruine so secure he is of their Destruction in the appointed season and so certain of their Day that is coming 3. He is himself furnished with Authority and Power for the accomplishment of this Work when and how he pleaseth He hath not only Assurance of the Fathers Concurrence but is himself also throughly armed and furnished with Power to destroy all his Enemies even in a moment And he will not fail to put forth his power in the appointed season he will bruise them all with a rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel If all his Enemies should at once combine themselves against him should the world receive the utmost contribution of craft subtilty and strength that Hell is able to afford unto it what is it all to stand before the incomprehensible power of Jesus Christ See Rev. 6.16 4. His Glory and Honour require that it should be so This is a thing that he is very tender in God hath raised him up and given him Glory and Honour and care must be taken that it be not lost or impaired Now if his Enemies should go free if
that all the Angels stood ministring before him as John declares the matter Rev. 5.11 And therefore the Apostle expresly here affirms that they are all ministring spirits cutting off one member of their distinction Neither is there more intended in the ministery of that upper part of the Family of God than is expressed concerning the lower part of it of old Deut. 18.5 God chose the Priests and the Levites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stand and to minister in the Name of the Lord. The same persons were both assistentes and ministrantes they stood to minister before the Lord. Now because of this standing and ministring of Angels that is their waiting on God in a readiness to do his Will they may be said in some sense to be the Throne of God from whence he executeth Justice and Judgment for as he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 80. v. 1. He that dwelleth between the Cherubims as also Psaâ— 99. v. 1. So the Jews say that the Thrones mentioned Dan. 7. were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher Princes or Angels as Abarbinel on the place This then is their Office they are all ministring spirits 3. Their Execution of their Office in their actual employment is here also expressed They are ministring spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent out unto a ministery sent out that is they are daily so continually so the word denoting the present time which is always They stand before the presence of God and are continually sent out by him sometimes some sometimes others always those that are sufficient for his work Now as we observed before that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes the whole family service of God which in general is ascribed unto these children and servants of his in the upper part thereof they being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministring spirits So here the execution of thâ—ir work is expressed by two words which comprize the whole Ministery of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostleship and labouring Ministery and therein the Harmony is still preserved that is between both parts of the family of God And as in the service of the Church the Ministers thereof do not minister unto men but unto the Lord for and in the behalf of men Acts 13.2 So is it with thâ—se spirits also they are sent out to minister for the good of men but it is the Lord unto whom they minister his Ministers they are not ours Psal. 103. v. 21. though in their ministery belonging unto the same Family with Believers they are their fellow servants As all the servants of a King though otherwise greatly differenced agree in this that they are all servants unto the same Person And these two words express both their Honour that they are immediately sent out from the presence of God they are his Apostles as also their Obedience and diligence they undertake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ministery to be discharged with Care and due Observance of him by whom they are sent 4. There is expressed the Restriction of their Ministery unto the especial Object of their work and employment it is for them that shall be heirs of salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them for their sakes for their good in their behalf who shall inherit salvation Heirs they are at present and hereafter shall inherit or actually obtain salvation by vertue of their Heirship that is elect Believers Yet the Apostle speaketh not of them as Elect nor yet absolutely as Believers but as of Heirs which they obtain by the priviledge of Adoption This gives them Heirship and an interest in the Family of God And the ministery of the superiour part of the Family in behalf of the lower respects them as such that is as Adopted as Children as Heirs as Co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. v. 16 17. This priviledge I say amongst others innumerable and inexpressible we have by our Adoption that being admitted into the Family of God those blessed Angels whose special ministery respects that Family have us under their constant care It is true that the ministery of Angels is not always absolutely restrained unto the Church or Family of God they are employed also in the government of the world So the Angel that was sent unto Daniel affirms That in the first year of Darius he stood to confirm and strengthen him Dan. 11.1 that is to assist him in the weilding of his new gotten Empire As also chap. 10. v. 13 20 21. he declares how he acted in opposition to the Prince of Persia and stirred up the Prince of Grecia that is how he should do so in the appointed time And so also doubtless are they employed about other Affairs in the world from whence much good redounds unto many who yet belong not unto the Family of God But yet two things we may here observe First That though this Ministery of theirs was not immediately yet it was ultimately for the Church For their sakes were those mighty Empires first raised and afterwards razed to the ground And this is that which they consider in their ministery See Zech. 1.8 9 10 11. And thence it appears that the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia who withstood the Angel was not any Angel of God but the King of Persia himself who laboured to obstruct the work committed unto him Secondly That the Apostle treats in this place of that immediate respect which the ministery of the Angels had unto the Church because in that regard alone he carries on his comparison between them and the Son that only being unto his purpose in hand But it may be objected that this their Ministery will not clearly evince their inferiority and subordination unto Christ seeing he himself also was sent and that for the good of them who shall inherit salvation and is thence called the Apostle of our profession But the differences between him and them in their being sent are so great and manifest that his superiority unto them and preheminence above them is not in the least thereby impeached He was sent by his own voluntary previous choice and condescension they are so in pursuit of the state and condition of their creation He was sent to minister in the form of a servant only for a short season in the days of his flesh they continue to be so from the Beginning to the End of the world He was sent unto that great and mighty work of Mediation which none was worthy to undertake none able to go through withall but himself alone the only begotten Son of God they are sent about the ordinary concernments of the Saints He as the Son they as servants He as the Author of the whole work of the Redemption and Salvation of the Church they as subordinate assistants in the particular promotion of it The general Agreement then of his and their being sent for the good of the Church hath so many and so great differences in the Mannâ—r Causes
v. 33. Herein are we to rest and to put a stop unto all our enquiries So it pleased him Matth. 11. v. 25. And he giveth no account of his matters Job 33. v. 12 13. This we are to acquiesce in as the great Reason of all God's dispensations and ways even his own infinite Wisdom and sovereign Pleasure He alone knows what becomes his own Goodness and Greatness and of creatures not one but as he is pleased to reveal it For can we find out the Almighty unto perfection can we by searching find out God Job 11. v. 7. How shall poor limited finite creatures come to know what beseems the Infinite Holy One to do any otherwise but as himself declareth that he hath done it And then we know the work is holy and wise and such as becometh Infinite Perfection because he hath done it Herein then we principally rest as to the meetness and condecency of the ministery of Angels God hath appointed it Whereunto we may adde those other Reasons which the Scripture suggests unto us as 1. God doth it for the preserving and manifestation of the Glorious Order of his Kingdom God is pleased to rule his Creation as a Supreme Lord and King Hence there is so often mention made in the Scripture that he is the King the only Potentate the Lord of Lords and King of Kings as also of his Throne his Kingdom Dominion Reign and Government And God doth this that he might thereby give an Understanding of his Sovereignty unto his creatures and make way thereby for the manifestation of his Glory Now unto a Kingdom there are three things essential Rule Obedience and Order In this Kingdom the Sovereign Ruâ—e is in the hand of God alone the Kingdom or Monarchy is his Obedience is the work and duty of the whole Creation every thing according to its nature capacity and condition The Glory of both these lies in Order Hereof there are two parts first that which respects the Being of the Creatures in their dependance on God secondly that which respects their Operation in Obedience unto him God hath in infinite Wisdom endowed the works of his hands with such various natures whereon their uses do depend as that they are placed thereby in several ranks series and Orders in an useful subserviency unto one another so far as they are advantaged thereby in their common and absolute subjection to himself This is the Order of their Being the Order of their Operation is such as they are fitted for by their natures and whereby they set out the Glory of this Kingdom of God Thus he takes the Angels being fitted thereunto in that place which they hold in the Order of Nature and Being unto the next and immediate attendance upon the Throne of his Kingdom There they wait upon him to receive and execute his commands in all the affairs of his Kingdom So are they every where described in the Scripture Psal. 68. and 103. Dan. 7. Revel 5. Isa. 6. and else-where And by this Ministery of Angels doth God insinuate unto us the Glory and Order of his Kingdom His glorious and fiery Throne being attended with millions of these mighty Angels ready to accomplish his will And whereas God hath erected imperium in imperio a Kingdom in a Kingdom like the wheels within the wheels in Ezekiel's Vision namely the Oeconomical Dispensatory Kingdom of Christ in his Oecumenical Kingdom over the whole Creation and hath annexed thereunto the principal manifestation of his Glory Rule and Dominion those blessed Ministers do principally attend the Affairs thereof And thus though God can govern and dispose of all things solo nutu by the Almighty immediate Emanations of his own Power yet for the manifestation of the glory of his Kingdom especially of that Rule which is committed unto the Lord Christ he useth the ministery of his creatures in that Order which his infinite Wisdom had disposed them unto at the first Creation 2. God is pleased to do this to exercise the Obedience of the Angels themselves and that upon a three-fold account First to keep preserve and rule them fitly to their state and condition Being Creatures they have a natural and necessary dependance on God their Creator and being Intellectual creatures they have a moral dependance on him according to a Law and Rule with reference unto the utmost End whereunto they were created This requires their constant Obedience unto the Will of God without which they leave and forsake the Law of their Creation and Condition and also deviate from the End for which they were made Wherefore to exercise them unto and in this their Obedience God makes use of their ministery and service in his Government of the Church And this they shall continue to do unto the end of the world when the course of their Obedience being accomplished they shall be everlastingly satiated with the contemplation of God's infinite Excellencies and enjoyment of him as their Reward Secondly That in them he might give an Example of ready Obedience unto the Church These Angels of God being in their nature excellent and great in power always ready watchful and free from all Diversions or Avocations eminent in Light and Holiness as always beholding the face of God and filled with his Grace are proposed unto us in their Obedience and readiness to do the Will of God as an Example and pattern which we are to imitate unto our utmost though we are never able perfectly to express And thence are we directed by our Saviour to pray that we may do the will of God on earth as it is done by them in heaven Thirdly That they themselves may be made partakers of this singular Honour and Glory to serve the most High God in his most glorious work the preservation and salvation of his Church for that this is their Honour was before declared 3. God emploieth them in an especial manner in this ministery for the good of them that are Heirs of salvation to manifest unto them the Greatness and Glory of the work of the gathering preserving and redemption of his Church with the value that he puts upon all the fruits of the Death and Concernments of the Mediation of his Son Jesus Christ. For as of themselves they desire to look particularly into these things which in general appear so glorious unto them 1 Pet. 1. v. 12. that their delight in the Wisdom and Love of God may be more and more encreased so by God's dealings with his Church in whose behalf they are employed they learn therein the manifold Wisdom of God and riches of his grace Ephes. 3. v. 10. And thus in all their employment about the Saints wherein they are sent out to minister for their good they learn much of the Wisdom and Love of God and are thereby excited to honour applaud glorifie him and praise him Somewhat of this they shall see in the least and meanest work toward any Believer that is committed unto them
pride and persecution Acts 12. And this Ministry of theirs is in an especial manner pointed unto in several places of the Revelation where the Judgements of God are foretold to be executed on the persecution of the world And this work they wait for in an holy Admiration of the Patience of God towards many a provoking Generation and are in a continual readiness to discharge it unto the uttermost when they shall receive their Commission so to do Dan. 7. 7. They carry the souls departed into Abrahams bosom Luke 16.22 8. Lastly The Ministry of Angels respects the general Resurrection and Day of Judgement The Lord Christ is every where described coming to Judgement at the last day attended with all his holy and glorious Angels Matth. 24.31 Chap. 25.31 2 Thess. 1.7 8. Jude 14.15 And great shall be their work towards the Elect in that day when the Lord Christ shall be admired even by them in all those that do believe For although the work of the Resurrection like that of the Creation is to be effected by the immediate Operation of Almighty Power without the interveniency of any secundary finite Agents limited in their Power and operation yet many things pâ—eparatory thereunto and consequents thereof shall be committed unto the Ministry of Angels By them are the signs and tokens of it to be proclaimed unto the world to them is the sounding of the last Trumpet and general summons given out unto all flesh to appear before Jesus Christ committed with all the glorious solemnity of the Judgement it self And as they bear and accompany the departing souls of the Saints into the receptacles of their rest in Heaven so doubtless also shall they accompany them in their joyful return unto their beloved old Habitations By them also will the Lord Christ gather them together from all parts wherein their redeemed bodies have been reduced into dust and so also at length by them bring all the heirs of salvation triumphantly into the full Possession of their inheritance And thus much may suffice to have spoken about the Ministry of Angels here mentioned by the Apostle by all which it farther appears how neither in their Nature nor their Office they are any way to be compared with the Son of God in his Ministry towards the Church Some deductions also for our especial Use and Instruction may here be added from what hath been spoken As 1. That we ought to be very careful to use sobriety in our Speculations and Meditations about this matter Herein doth the Caution of the Apostle take place in an especial manner that we should be wise unto sobriety Rom. 12.3 and not to think our selves wise above that which is written This some neglecting of old and endeavouring to intrude themselves into the things which they had not seen Col. 2.18 that is boasting of the knowledge and acquaintance with Angels which they had no ground for nor any safe Instruction in fell into Pride Curiosity Superstition and Idolatry as the Apostle in that place declareth And almost in all Ages of the Church men have failed on this account The Curiosity of the Jews we did in some measure before manifest To them in their Imaginations succeeded the Gnosticks whose portentous Aeones and Genealogies of inferiour Deities recounted by Irenaeus Origen Tertullian Epiphanius and others of the Antients were nothing but wicked and foolish Imaginations about Angels Unto them succeeded those about the beginning of the fourth Century who flatly Worshipped Angels and had Conventicles or private meetings for that purpose who are expresly condemned in the thirty fifth Canon of the Councel of Laodicea An. 364. in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein they plainly adjudge that practice to be Idolatry and Apostasie from Jesus Christ. After these about the end of the fourth or beginning of the fifth Century He vented his curious speculations about their Hierarchy Orders and Operations who personated Dionysius the Areopagite of whom we spake before From them all did that sink of Idolatry Superstition and Heresies the Church of Rome derive her present Speculations Adoration Worship and Invocation of Angels But as these things are all of them without besides and against the Word in general so they are in particular expresly prejudged and condemned by the Apostle in the place to the Colossians before mentioned And of such kind of needless useless unprofitable dangerous Speculations we are to beware and many of them I could in particular recite but that I would not teach them unto any by condemning them before all but yet 2. Danger should not deter us from Duty Because some have miscarried in this matter we ought not therefore wholly to neglect it there being so great a concernment of the glory of God and our own good enwrapped therein Had others erred or wandred indeed because they had neither Way to walk in or Guide to attend unto it had been sufficient to restrain us from attempting any thing in this matter but whereas it is evident that they wilfully neglected the Way or pressed farther than the paths of it lead them and despised their Guide following their own imagination instead thereof shall others be discouraged in their Duty whereas they may avoid their miscarriages Wary indeed this may and ought to make us in our enquiries but not neglective of our duties We have the Word of God for our Way and Guide if we go not besides it if we go not beyond it we are as safe when we treat of Angels as if we treated of Worms We have seen in part of what signal use their Ministry is as unto our good and the glory of Jesus Christ. And it is pride to the height not to enquire after what may be known because there are many things that we may not know nor comprehend If that take place it will debar us from all search into the Mysteries of the Gospel For upon our utmost Attainments we know but in part Gods Revelation is the Object of our knowledge So far as that is made and given so far we may enquire and learn Besides it is the height of Ingratitude not to search after what may be known of this great Priviledge and Mercy whereof we are made partakers in the Ministry of Angels God hath neither appointed nor revealed it for nothing He expects a reverence of Praise and Glory for it and how can we bless him for it when we know nothing of it This Ministry then of Angels is that which with sobriety we are in a way of Duty to enquire into 3. Let us on this account glorifie God and be thankful Great is the Priviledge manifold are the Blessings and Benefits that we are made partakers of by this Ministry of Angels Some of them have been before recounted What shall we render for them and to whom Shall we go and bow our selves down to the Angels themselves and pay our homage of Obedience unto them They all cry out with one accord see
by every lazie passenger on the surface of the earth they must dig seek and search who intend to be made partakers of them and they do so accordingly And so must we do for these treasures of heavenly wisdom The mystery of the grace of the Gospel is great and deep such as the Angels desire to bow down and look into 1 Pet. 1.12 which the Prophets of old notwithstanding the advantage of their own especial Revelations enquired diligently after verse 11. Whereas now if any pretend though falsly to a Revelation they have immediately done with the Word as that which by the deceit of their imaginations they think beneath them when indeed it is only distant from them and is really above them As if a man should stand on tip-toe on a mole-hill and despise the Sun appearing newly above the Horizon as one beneath him Diligent sedulous searching into the Word belongs unto this heeding of it Psal. 1.1 Or a labouring by all appointed means to become acquainted with it wise in the mystery of it and skilled in its doctrine Without this no man will hold fast his profession Nor doth any man neglect the Gospel but he that knows it not 2 Cor. 4.3 4. This is the great principle of Apostasie in the world men have owned the Gospel but never knew what it was and therefore leave the profession of it foolishly as they took it up lightly Studying of the Word is the security of our faith 3. Mixing the Word with faith is required in this attention See chap. 4.2 As good not hear as not believe Believing is the end of hearing Rom. 10.11 And therefore Lydia's faith is called her attention Acts 16.14 This is the life of heeding the Word without which all other exercise about it is but a dead carcase To hear and not believe is in spiritual life what to see meat and not to eat is in the natural it will please the fancy but will never nourish the soul. Faith alone realizeth the things spoken unto the heart and gives them subsistence in it Heb. 11.1 without which as to us they flow up and down in loose and uncertain notions This then is the principal part of our duty in heeding the things spoken for it gives entrance to them into the soul without which they are poured upon it as water upon a stick that is fully dry 4. Labouring to express the Word received in a conformity of heart and life unto it is another part of this Attention This is the next proper end of our hearing And to do a thing appointed unto an End without aiming at that End is no better than the not doing it at all in some cases much worse The Apostle says of the Romans that they were cast into the mould of the doctrine of the Gospel chap. 6.13 It left upon their hearts an impression of its own likeness or produced in them the express image of that Holiness Purity and Wisdom which it revealeth This is to behold with open face the glory of the Lord in a glass and to be changed into the same image 2 Cor. 4.18 that is the image of the Lord Christ manifested unto us and reflected upon us by and in the glass of the Gospel When the heart of the hearer is quickned enlivened spirited with Gospel truths and by them is moulded and fashioned into their likeness and expresseth that likeness in its fruits or a Conversation becoming the Gospel then is the Word attended unto in a right manner This will secure the Word a station in our hearts and give it a permanent abode in us This is the Indwelling of the Word whereof there are many degrees and we ought to aim that it should be plentiful 5. Watchfulness against all opposition that is made either against the Truth or Power of the Word in us belongs also unto this duty And as these Oppositions are many so ought this Watchfulness to be great and diligent And these things have we added for the further Explication of the Duty that is pressed on us by the Apostle the necessity whereof for the preservation of the truth in our hearts and minds will further appear in the ensuing Observation II. There are sundry times and seasons wherein and several ways and means whereby men are in danger to lose the word that they have heard if they attend not diligently unto its preservation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at any time or by any way or means This our Saviour teacheth us at large in the Parable of the Seed which was retained but in one sort of ground of those four whereinto it was cast Matth. 13. And this the experience of all Times and Ages confirmeth Yea few there are at any time who keep the Word heard as they ought We may briefly name the Seasons wherein and the Ways whereby the hearts and minds of men are made as leaking vessels to pour out and lose the Word that they have heard 1. Some lose it in a time of Peace and Prosperity That is a season which slays the foolish Jesurun waxes sat and kicks According to mens pastures they are filled and forget the Lord. They feed their lusts high until they loath the Word Quails often make a lean soul. A prosperous outward estate hath ruined many a Conviction from the Word yea and weakened faith and obedience in many of the Saints themselves The warmth of Prosperity breeds swarms of Apostates as the heat of the Sun doth Insects in the Spring 2. Some lose it in a time of persecution When persecution ariseth saith our Saviour they fall away Many go on apace in profession until they come to see the Cross this fight puts them to a stand and then turns them quite out of the way They thought not of it and do not like it We know what havock this hath made amongst Professors in all Ages and commonly where it destroys the Bodies of ten it destroys the Souls of an hundred This is the season wherein Stars fall from the Firmament in reference whereunto innumerable are the Precepts for Watchfulness Wisdom Patience Enduring that are given us in the Gospel 3. Some lose it in a time of trial by temptation it pleaseth God in his Wisdom and Grace to suffer sometimes an hour of temptation to come forth upon the world upon the Church in the world for their trial Rev. 3.10 And he doth it that his own thereby may be made conformable unto their Head Jesus Christ who had his especial hour of temptation Now in such a season temptation worketh variously according as men are exposed unto it or as God seeth meet that they should be tried by it Every thing that such days abound withall shall have in it the force of a temptation And the usual effect of this work is that it brings Professors into a slumber Matth 25.5 In this state many utterly lose the Word They have been cast into a negligent slumber by the secret power and efficacy
full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ Chap. 2.2 that is that they might have a spiritual and saving acquaintance with the Mysterie of this great salvation the Love Grace and Wisdom of God therein which without this Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation from above we shall not attain unto This then in the first place is to be sought after this are we to abide in constant Prayers and supplications for the teaching instructing revealing enlightning Work and Efficacy of this Spirit that we may be enabled to look into these deep things of God that we may in some measure with all Saints comprehend them and grow wise in the Mysterie of salvation Solomon tells us how this wisdom is to be obtained Prov. 2.3 4 5. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding if thou seekest for her as for silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God It is by praying crying supplications with diligence and perseverance that we attain this Wisdom abide herein or all other attempts will prove but vain How many poor souls otherwise weak and simple have by this means grown exceeding wise in the Mysterie of God And how many more wise in this world through the neglect of it do walk in darkness all their dayes Secondly Diligent study of the Word wherein this Mysterie of God is declared and proposed unto our faith and holy contemplation but this hath been spoken unto in part already and must again be considered and so need not here to be insisted on Thirdly Sincere love unto and delight in the things that are by the Spirit of God revealed unto us is another part of this duty Herein our Apostle declares what was his frame of heart Phil. 3.8 How doth his heart triumph in and rejoyce over the knowledge he had obtained of Jesus Christ and then indeed do we know any thing of the Grace of God aright when our hearts are affected with what we know Peter tells us that the Saints of old in their believing rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Ep. 1.8 They discovered that in Christ which maâ—â— their hearts leap within them and all their affections to overflow with delight and joy And this is an Essential part of this Holy Admiration which distinguisheth it from that barren fruitless notional speculation of it which some are contented withall This are we to stir up our hearts unto in all our Meditations of the Grace of God and not to rest untill we find them affected satisfied and filled with an holy complacency which is the most eminent evidence of our interest in and Union unto the things that are made known unto us Fourthly All these things are to be attended with thankfulness and praise This the Apostle was full of and brake forth into when he entred upon the description of this Grace Eph. 1.3 4. and this will be the frame of his heart who is exercised unto an holy admiration of it When our Lord Jesus Christ considered the Grace of God in revealing the mysteries of this salvation unto his Disciples it is said of him that he reioyced in Spirit Luke 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Spirit leaped in him and he breaks forth into a solemn Doxologie giving Praise and Glory unto God And is it not their duty to whom they are revealed to do that which out of love unto them our Lord Christ Jesus did on their behalf Thankfulness for the things themselves thankfulness for the Revelation of them thankfulness for the Love of God and the Grace of Jesus Christ in the one and the other is a great part of this duty Secondly This will teach us what esteem we ought to have of the Word of the Gospel by which alone this great salvation is revealed and exhibited unto us the great means and instrument which God is pleased to use in bringing us unto a participation of it This one consideration is enough to instruct us unto what valuation we ought to make of it what price we should set upon it seeing we cannot have the pearl without the purchase of this Field Some neglect it some despise it some persecute it some look upon it as foolishness some as weakness but unto them that believe it is the power of God and the wisdom of God To further us in this duty I shall take up some of those considerations which the words we insist upon do offer unto us and thereby also pass through what yet remains for our instruction in them And we may consider 1. The Excellency and Preheminence of the Gospel which ariseth from the first Revealer that is the Lord Christ the Son of God It was begun to be spoken unto us by the Lord Herein the Apostle prefers it before the Law It is that Word which the Son came to reveal and declare from the bosome of the Father and surely he deserves to be attended unto Hence it is so often called the Word of Christ and the Gospel of Christ not only because it treateth of him but because it proceedeth from him and on that account is worthy of all Acceptation And 2. To neglect the Gospel is to neglect and despise the Son of God who was the Author of it and consequently the Love and Grace of God in sending him So the Lord Christ tells them that preach the Gospel he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Neglect of the Gospel reflects immediately upon the Lord Christ and the Father and therefore our Apostle bids us take heed that we despise not him who spake from Heaven which can be no otherwise done but by neglect of his word Some pretend to honour Christ but they have no regard for his Word yea they may say of it as Ahab of Micaiah that they hate it and have therefore some of them endeavoured to extirpate the preaching of it out of the world as the Papists have done at least have looked on it as an useless thing that the Church might be well enough without But such men will find themselves mistaken when it is too late to seek after a remedy the true Cause of their hatred unto the word is because they can find no other way to express their hatred unto Christ himself Neither did ever any man hate or loath the Gospel but he that first hated and loathed Jesus Christ but against the Word they have many pretences against the Person of Christ none that are as yet passable in the world This makes the Word to bear that which is intended against Christ himself and so will he interpret it at the last day 3. Consider that this Word was confirmed and witnessed unto from Heaven by the mighty Works and Miracles which attended the dispensation thereof So our Apostle here informs us and
not put in subjection unto Angels in its Erection or Institution That work was not committed unto them as the Apostle declares in the entrance of this Epistle They did not reveal the Will of God concerning it nor were intrusted with Authority to erect it Some of them indeed were employed in messages about its preparatory work but they were not employed either to reveal the mysteries of it wherewith they were unacquainted nor authoritatively in the Name of God to erect it For the Wisdom of God in the nature and mystery of this work they knew not but by the effects in the work it self Ephes. 3.9 10. which they looked and enquired into to learn and admire 1 Pet. 1.12 and therefore could not be intrusted with authority for its Revelation and the building of the Church thereon But things were otherwise of old The Law which was the foundation of the Judaical Church-state was given by the Disposition of Angels Acts 7.53 Gal. 3.19 And our Apostle here calls it the Word spoken by Angels They were therefore intrusted by God to give the Law and the Ordinances of it unto the people in his Name and Authority which being the foundation of the Mosaical Church-state it was so far put in subjection unto them Secondly It is not put in subjection unto Angels as to the Rule and disposal of it being erected Their Office in this world is a Ministery chap. 1.13 not a Rule or Dominion Rule in or over the Church they have none but are brought into a co-ordination of service with them that have the testimony of Jesus Rev. 19.10 chap. 22.9 being equally with us subjected unto him in whom they and we are gathered into one head Ephes. 1.10 And from their ministerial presence in the Congregations of Believers doth our Apostle press women unto modesty and sobriety in their habit and deportment 1 Cor. 11.10 And the Church of old had an apprehension of this truth of the presence of an Angel or Angels in their Assemblies but so as to preside in them Hence is that caution relating to the Worship of God Eccles. 5.5 6. Better it is that thou shouldst not vow than thou shouldest vow and not pay suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the Angel that it was an errour why should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands By vowing and not paying a man brought upon his flesh that is himself and his posterity a guilt not to be taken away with excuses of haste or precipitation made unto the Angel presiding in their Worship to take an account of its due performance It is true the absolute sovereign power over the Church of old was in the Son of God alone but an especial immediate power over it was committed unto Angels And hence was the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Judge Mighty One communicated unto them namely from their Authority over the Church that Name expressing the Authority of God when unto him ascribed And because of this their acting in the Name and representing the Authority of God the Saints of old had an apprehension that upon their seeing of an Angel they should die from that saying of God that none should see his face and live Exod. 33.20 So Manoah expresly Judg. 13.22 He knew that it was an Angel which appeared unto him and yet says to his wife We shall surely die because we have seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Angel vested with the Authority of God And hence it is not unlikely but that there might be a respect or Worship due unto the Angels under the Old Testament which themselves declare not to be meet for them under the New Rev. 19. not that they are degraded from any Excellency or Priviledge which before they enjoyed but that the Worshippers under the New Testament through their Relation unto Christ and the Exaltation of their nature in his Person are delivered from that under-age estate wherein they differed not from servants Gal. 4.1 and are advanced into an equality of liberty with the Angels themselves Heb. 12.24 25. Ephes. 1.10 chap. 3.14 15. As amongst men there may be a respect due from an inferiour to a superiour which may cease when he is advanced into the same condition with the other though the superiour be not at all abased And to this day the Jews contend that Angels are to be adored with some kind of Adoration though they expresly deny that they are to be invocated or prayed unto Furthermore about their Power and Authority in the disposal of the outward concernments of the Church of old much more might be declared from the Visions of Zechary and Daniel with their works in the two great typical deliverances of it from Aegypt and Babylon But we must not here insist on particulars Thirdly as to the power of judging and rewarding at the last day it is openly manifest that God hath not put this world to come in subjection unto Angels but unto Jesus alone This then is the main Proposition that the Apostle proceeds upon in his present Argument The most glorious effect of the Wisdom Power and Grace of God and that wherein all our spiritual concernments here are enwrapped consists in that blessed Church state with the eternal consequences of it which having been promised from the foundation of the world was now to be erected in the days of the Messiah That you may saith he no more cleave unto your old institutions because given out unto you by Angels nor hearken after such works of wonder and terrour as attended their Disposition of the Law in the Wilderness consider that this world so long expected and desired this blessed estate is not on any account made subject unto Angels or committed unto their disposal the Honour thereof being entirely reserved for another Having thus fixed the true and proper sense of this verse we may stop here a little to consult the Observations that it offers for our own instruction Many things in particular might be hence educed but I shall insist on one only which is comprehensive of the design of the Apostle and it is That This is the great priviledge of the Church of the Gospel that in the things of the Worship of God it is made subject unto and immediately depends upon the Lord Jesus Christ and not any other Angels or Men. That this is the priviledge thereof and that it is a great and blessed priviledge will both appear in our consideration of what it is and wherein it doth consist And among many other things these ensuing are contained therein 1. That the Lord Christ is our Head So it was promised of old that their King should pass before them and the Lord on the head of them Mic. 2.13 He shall be their King Head and Ruler God hath now gathered all things all the things of his Church into an Head in Christ Ephes. 1.10 They were all scattered and
the highest happiness in eternal Glory and all this in a way of meer Grace this is to be admired Thirdly Because it appeareth that God is more glorified in the Humiliation and Exaltation of the Lord Christ and the salvation of mankind thereby than in any of or all the Works of the first Creation How glorious those works are and how mightily they set forth the glory of God we have before declared But as the Psalmist intimates God rested not in them He had yet a farther design to manifest his Glory in a more eminent and singular manner and this he did by minding and visiting of man in Christ Jesus None almost is so stupid but on the first view of the Heavens the Sun Moon and Stars but he will confess that their Fabrick Beauty and Order is wonderful and that the Glory of their framer and builder is for ever to be admired in them But all this comes short of that Glory which ariseth unto God from this Condescension and Grace And therefore it may be the day will come and that speedily wherein these Heavens and this whole old Creation shall be utterly dissolved and brought to nothing For why should they abide as a monument of his power unto them who enjoying the blessed vision of him shall see and know it far more evidently and eminently in himself However they shall undoubtedly in a short time cease as to their Vse wherein at present they are principally subservient unto the manifestation of the glory of God But the Effects of this regard of God to man shall abide unto Eternity and the glory of God therein This is the foundation of Heaven as it is a state and condition as it denotes the Glorious Presence of God among his Saints and holy ones Without this there would be no such Heaven all that is there and all the glory of it depends thereon Take away this foundation and all that beauty and glory disappears Nothing indeed would be taken from God who ever was and ever will be eternally blessed in his own Self sufficiency But the whole Theatre which he hath erected for the manifestation of his glory unto Eternity depends on this his holy Condescension and Grace which assuredly render them meet for ever to be admired and adored This then let us exercise our selves unto Faith having infinite eternal incomprehensible things proposed unto it acts it self greatly in this Admiration We are every where taught that we now know but imperfectly in part and that we see darkly as in a glass not that the Revelation of these things in the Word is dark and obscure for they are fully and clearly proposed but that such is the nature of the things themselves that we are not in this life able to comprehend them and therefore faith doth principally exercise it self in an holy admiration of them And indeed no Love or Grace will suit our condition but that which is incomprehensible We find our selves by Experience to stand in need of more Grace Goodness Love and Mercy than we can look into search to the bottom of or fully understand But when that which is infinite and incomprehensible is proposed unto us there all fears are overwhelmed and faith finds rest with Assurance And if our admiration of these things be an Act an Effect a fruit of faith it will be of singular use to endear our hearts unto God and to excite them unto thankful obedience For who would not love and delight in the eternal fountain of this inconceivable Grace And what shall we render unto him who hath done more for us than we are any way able to think or conceive II. Observe also that such was the inconceivable Love of Jesus Christ the Son of God unto the souls of men that he was free and willing to condescend unto any condition for their good and salvation That was the end of all this dispensation And the Lord Christ was not humbled and made less than the Angels without his own Will and consent His Will and good liking concurred unto this work Hence when the Eternal Counsel of this whole matter is mentioned it is said of him as the Wisdom of the Father that he rejoyced in the habitable part of the earth and his delights were with the Sons of men Prov. 8.31 He delighted in the counsel of redeeming and saving them by his own Humiliation and suffering And the Scripture makes it evident upon these two considerations First In that it shews that what he was to do and what he was to undergo in this work was proposed unto him and that he willingly accepted of the terms and conditions of it Psalm 40.6 God sayes unto him that sacrifice and offering would not do this great work burnt-offering and sin-offering would not effect it that is no kind of Offerings or Sacrifices instituted by the Law were available to take away sin and to save sinners as our Apostle expounds that place at large Heb. 10 1 2 3 4. confirming his Exposition with sundry Arguments taken from their nature and Effects What then doth God require of him that this great design of the salvation of sinners may be accomplished even that he himself should make his own soul an offering for sin pour out his soul unto death and thereby bear the sin of many Isa. 53.10.12 That seeing the Law was weak through the flesh that is by reason of our sins in the flesh that he himself should take upon him the likeness of sinful flesh and become an offering for sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 That he should be made of a woman made under the Law if he would redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. that he should make himself of no reputation but take upon him the form of a servant and be made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man to humble himself and to become obedient unto death the death of the Cross Phil. 2.7 8. These things were proposed unto him which he was to undergo if he would deliver and save mankind And how did he entertain this proposal how did he like these Conditions I was not saith he rebellious I turned not away back Isa. 50.5 He declined them not he refused none of the terms that were proposed unto him but underwent them in a way of Obedience and that with Willingness Alacrity and delight Psal. 40.6 7 8. Thou saith he hast opened my ears or prepared a body for me wherein I may yield this obedience that the Apostle declares to be the sense of the expression Chap. 10. This Obedience could not be yielded without a body wherein it was performed and whereas to hear or to have the ear opened is in the Scripture to be prepared unto obedience the Psalmist in that one Expression Mine ear hast thou opened comprizeth both these even that Christ had a body prepared by a Synechdoche of a part for the whole and also in that body he was
without some probability As 1. Some think that his bringing him to glory is intended it became him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring him to Glory by and through sufferings so to perfect him But besides that the word is no where so used nor hath any such signification the Apostle doth not declare what God intended to bring him unto but by what in and about him he intended to bring many Sons to glory 2. Some would have it to denote the finishing of Gods work about him whence in his sufferings on the Cross he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is finished John 19.30 This answers indeed the sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in that place by our Saviour but not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used by the Apostle which never signifies to end or finish or to perfect by bringing unto an end 3. Some think God made the Lord Christ perfect by sufferings in that he gave him thereby a full sense and Experience of the condition of his people whence he is said to learn obedience by the things that he suffered Chap. 5.8 And this is true God did so but it is not formally and directly expressed by this word which is never used unto that purpose This is rather a consequent of the Act here intended than the Act it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then in this place signifies to consecrate dedicate to sanctifie unto an Office or some especial Part or Act of an Office This is the proper meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Mysteries and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred Acts and Offices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are those who are initiated and consecrated unto sacred Offices or employments See Exod. 29.33 35. in the LXX Hence the Antients called Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Consecration unto the sacred Service of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word next insisted on by our Apostle is so used by Christ himself John 17.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their sakes I sanctifie that is dedicate consecrate separate my self to be a Sacrifice And his blood is said to be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.29 wherewith he was so consecrated Nor is this word used in any other sense in this whole Epistle wherein it is often used when applyed unto Christ See Chap. 5.9 Chap. 7.28 And this was the use of the word among the Heathen signifying the Initiation and Consecration of a man into the Mysteries of their Religion to be a Leader unto others And among some of them it was performed through the instigation of the Devil by great sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Gregory Nazianzen Orat. cont Jul. 1. No man could be consecrated unto the mysteries of Mithra the Sun unless he proved himself holy and as it were inviolable by passing through many degrees of punishments and trialls Thus it became God to dedicate and consecrate the Lord Christ unto this Part of his Office by his own sufferings He consecrated Aaron to be Priest of old but by the hands of Moses and he was set apart to his Office by the Sacrifice of other things But the Lord Christ must be consecrated by his own sufferings and the Sacrifice of himself And thence it is that those very sufferings which as antecedaneous unto his being a Captain of salvation to this End that he might lead the Sons unto Glory are the means of his dedication or consecration are in themselves a great part of that means whereby he procures salvation for them By all the sufferings then of the Lord Christ in his life and death by which sufferings he wrought out the salvation of the elect did God consecrate and dedicate him to be a Prince a Leader and Captain of salvation unto his people as Peter declares the whole matter Acts 5.30 31. and Chap. 2.36 And from these things last mentioned of the Lord Christ being the Captain of our Salvation and being dedicated unto that Office by his own sufferings it appeareth First That the whole work of saving the Sons of God from first to last their guidance and conduct through sins and sufferings unto Glory is committed unto the Lord Jesus whence he is constantly to be eyed by believers in all the concernments of their Faith Obedience and Consolation Behold saith the Lord I have given him for a witness to the people a leader and commander to the People Isa. 55.4 A Witness to testifie the truth in revealing the mind and Will of God a Leader going before them as a Prince and Captain as the word signifies and a Commander that gives out Laws and Rules for their Obedience God hath set him as a Lord over his whole House Chap. 3.5 and committed all the mannagement of all its concernments unto him There is no Person that belongs unto Gods design of bringing many sons to glory but he is under his Rule and Inspection Neither is there any thing that concerns any of them in their passage towards glory whereby they may be farthered or hindered in their way but the care is committed unto him as the care of the whole Army lyes on the General or Prince of the host This the Prophet sets out in his type Eliakim Isa. 22.21 22 23 24. He is fastned as a nayl in a sure place and all the glory of the house and every vessel of it from the greatest unto the least is hanged on him the weight of all the care of all is upon him committed unto him When the People came out of Aegypt with Moses they were numbered unto him and he being the Administrator of the Law they dyed all in the Wilderness but they were delivered again by tale and number unto Joshuah the type of Christ and none of them not one failed of entring into Canaan And he dischargeth this trust as a faithful Captain First With Care and Watchfulness Psal. 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep There is no time nor season wherein the Sons committed unto his Care may be surprized through any neglect or regardlesness in him His eyes are alwayes open upon them They are never out of his heart nor thoughts they are engraven on the palms of his hand and their walls are continually before him or as he expresseth it Isa. 27.3 I the Lord do keep my Vineyard I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Greater Care and Watchfulness cannot be expressed night and day and every moment in them he is intent about this work Oh how great an encouragement is this to adhere unto him to follow him in the whole Course of Obedience that he calls unto This puts life into Souldiers and gives them security when they know that their Commander is continually careful for them Secondly He dischargeth this great trust with Tenderness and Love Isa. 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a Shepheard he shall gather the Lambs