retein the number of ten words so loth are Hereticks to have their assâ—â— cars seon they divide the last which yet is called the Commandement not the Commandements Rom. 7.7 Vasques not able to answer our Argument saith That the second Commandement belonged to the Jews onely Ver. 2. Which have brought thee God's blessings are binders and everie deliverance a tie to obedience Ver. 3. Thou shalt have This Thou reacheth everie man Xenophon saith of Cyrus that when hee gave anie thing in command hee never said Let som one do this but Do thou this Hoc tu facias Xenophon Cyropaed No other Gods before mee But know and serv mee alone with a perfect heart and with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28.9 Hoc primo praecepto reliquorum omnium observantia praecipitur saith Luther In this first Commandement the keeping of all the other nine is commanded Ver. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee i. e. For religious use for civil they may bee made Mat. 22.20 Howbeit the Turks will not indure anie Image no not upon their coins becaus of this second Commandement The Papists by their sacrilegeous practices have taken away this Commandement out of their vulgar Catechism This is a great stumbling-block to the Jews and a let to their conversion for ever since their return from Babylon they do infinitely abhor Idolatrie And for their coming to Christian Sermons they saie That as long as they shall see the Preacher direct his speech and praier to that little wooden Crucifix that stand's on the Pulpit by him Specul Europ to call it his Lord and Saviour to kneel to it to embrace it to kiss it to weep upon it as is the fashion of Italie this is preaching sufficient for them and perswade's them more with the verie sight of it to hate Christian Religion then anie reason that the world can allege to love it Ver. 5. Thou shalt not bow down Images came first from Babylon For Ninus having made an Image of his father Belus all that came to see it were pardoned for their former offenses whence in time that Image came to bee worshipped through the instigation of the Divel who is saith Synesius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that rejoiceth in Images Am a jealous God Bee the gods of the Heathens good-fellows saith one the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glorie with another nor bee served by anie but in his own waie They that wit-wanton it with God may look to speed wors then that Citizen in K. Edward the Fourth's daies did who was executed in Cheapside as a traitor Speed's Chron for saying hee would make his son heir of the crown though hee onely meant his own hous having a crown for the sign Visiting the iniquitie This second Commandement is the first with punishment becaus men do commonly punish such as worship God in spirit and truth As therefore one fire so one fear should drive out another the fear of God the fear of men Ver. 6. Vnto thousands Of succeeding generations Personal goodness is profitable to posteritie And this promiss though made to all yet is more specially annexed to this second Commandement to teach saith one that parents should chiefly labor to plant pietie in their families as they would have God's blessing intailed upon their issue Ver. 7. The Name of the Lord That holie and reverend Name Psal 111.9 that Nomen Majestativum as Tertullian calleth it dreadful among the Heathen Mal. 1.14 The verie Turks at this daie chastise the Christians that live amongst them for their oaths and blasphemies darted up against God and Christ The Jews also are much offended thereat and it should bee no small grief to us to hear it When one of Darius his Eunuchs saw Alexander the Great setting his feet upon a low table that had been highly esteemed by his master hee wept Diod. Sic. lib. 17. Beeing asked the reason by Alexander hee said It was to see the thing that his master so highly esteemed to bee now contemned and made his foot-stool Ver. 8. Remember the Sabbath daie Hee saith not The seventh daie from the Creätion but the daie of religious rest such as is now our Christian Sabbath called a Sabbath-daie by our Saviour Mat. 24.20 who is Lord of this Sabbath called therefore the Lord's-daie Rev. 1. 1 Cor. 10. as one of our Sacraments is called the Lord's Supper and the table of the Lord becaus instituted by him Pope Sylvester presumed to alter the Christian Sabbath Hospin de fest Christ decreeing that Thursdaie should bee kept through the whole year becaus on that daie Christ asscended and on that instituted the blessed Sacrament of his bodie and bloud And generally Papists press the sanctification of the Sabbath as a mere humane institution in religious worship an ordinance of the Church and do in their celebration more solemnly observ the Festivals of the Saints then the Lord's Sabbaths making it as Bacchus's Orgies c. that according to what their practice is it may more fitly bee styled Dies daemoniacus quà m Dominicus The divel's-daie then God's To sanctifie it Let everie one of us keep the Sabbath spiritually saith Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist 3.2d Magnesian rejoicing in the meditation of Christ's Law more then in the rest of our bodies The ox and ass must rest wee must consecrate a rest â—s God on the seventh daie rested not from his works of preservation John 5.17 Ver. 9. Six daies shalt thou labor God hath reserved but one daie in seven as hee reserved the Tree of knowledg of Good and Evil. Gen. 2. yet wretched men must needs clip the Lord's coin In manie places God's Sabbaths are made the voider and dunghil for all refuse businesses The Sabbath of the Lord the sanctified day of his rest saith one is shamelesly troubled and disquieted B. King on Jon. Lect. 7. The world is now grown perfectly profane saith another and can plaie on the Lord's-daie without book Ver. 10. But the seventh daie Or a seventh daie Not onely Hebrews but also Greeks and Barbarians did rest from work on the seventh daie witness Josephus Clemens Alexand. and Eusehius That which they tell us of the river Sabbatius it's resting and not running on that daie I look upon as fabulous Thou shalt not do anie work Onely works of Pietie of Charitie and of Necessitie may bee don on the Sabbath daie Hee that but gathered sticks was paid home with stones The first blow given the Germane Churches was upon the Sabbath daie Dike of Cons pag. 276. which they carelesly observed Prague was lost upon that daie Thou and thy son c. Everie mother's childe The baser sort of people in Swethland do alwaies break the Sabbath David's desire by R. Abbot saying That it 's for Gentlemen to keep that daie Thy man-servant There is an old law of the Saxon King Ina If a villain work on Sundaie
by his Lord's command hee shall bee free Sr. H Spelman in Concil Ver. 11. For in six daies God took six daies to make the world in to the end that wee might bee in a muse when wee think of it and think on his works in that order that hee made them And rested the seventh daie Not as tired out for hee made all without either tool or toil his Fiat onely did the deed but to give us example as John 13.15 Wherefore the Lord blessed c. How God esteemeth the strict observation of the Sabbath daie may appear by the exact deliverie of it For hee hath fenced it about like Mount Sinai with marks and bounds that profaneness might not approach it 1. By his watch-word Remember 2. By his bountie Six daies c. 3. By his sovereigntie It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 4. By the latitude Thou and thy son c. 5. By his own example And rested the seventh daie 6. By his benediction as here Hee blessed it and ordained it to bee a means of much blessing to those that observ it Add hereunto that God hath placed this Command in the midst of the Decalogue betwixt the two tables as much conducing to the keeping of both It stand's like the sensus communis between the inward and outward senses Boâ—in Theat Naturae beeing serviceable to both And hallowed it Diem septimam opifex ut mundi natalem sibi sacravit Ver. 12. Honor thy father c. Philo well observeth that this fifth Commandement which therefore hee maketh a branch of the first Table and so divide's the Tables equally is a mixt Commandement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and differ's somwhat from the rest of those in the second Table They consider man as our neighbor in nature like us this as God's Deputie by him set over us and in his name and by his autoritie performing offices about us That thy daies may bee long A good childe lengthneth his father's daies therefore God promiseth to lengthen his Ill children as they bring their parents graie hairs with sorrow to the grave so they are manie times cut off in the midst of their daies as Abimelech was God rendring upon him the evil that hee did to his father Judg. 13.5 Besides the pnnishment they have in their posteritie to whom they have been peremptores potiùs quà m parentes Bern. One complained that never father had so undutiful a childe as hee had yes said his son with less grace then truth my grandfather had Ver. 13. Thou shalt not kill A crying sin Gen. 4. For the which God make's inquisition Psalm 9.12 and strangely bring 's it to light It was a saying of King James that if God did leav him to kill a man hee would think God did not love him Ver. 14. Thou shalt not commit adulterie Adulterie onely is named because bestialitie Sodomie and other uncleannesses though more hainous yet they do not directly fight against the puritie of posteritie and humane societie which the Law mainly respect's Ver. 15. Thou shalt not steal i.e. Not rob or wrong another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. either by force or fraud 1 Thes 4.6 See the Note there Basil chargeth the Divel as a thief of the truth in that hee had decked his crows with her feathers And it was of the Divel surely that Shee had learned her answer who beeing charged by her mistress for stealing her linnens Light for smoke p. 85. and other things which shee found in her trunk said that shee stole them not and when shee was asked how came they to bee laid and locked up there Did not you do this No said shee it was not I but sin that dwelleth in mee Ver. 16. Thou shalt not bear Neither bear it nor hear it rais nor receiv wrong reports of another Deut. 19.16 Make a lie nor love it when it is made Rev. 22.15 The truth must bee spoken and that in love Doeg had a fals tongue though hee spoke nothing but truth against David Psal 120.3 Ver. 17. Thou shalt not covet See the Note on Rom. 7.7 and on Heb. 13.5 Thy neighbor's hous House is here first set as that which hold's and harbor's all the rest To these ten words written by God himself in the daie of the Assemblie Divines have reduced those other Laws Moral Judicial and Cerimonial written by Moses 34.27 28. Deut. 10.4 And herein Alstedius that excellent Methodist hath in his Harmonia Musica as in all those brief but pithie Notes upon the Pentateuch don the Church of Christ singular good service whom therefore for a Preface to that which follow 's in the opening of this and the three next Books and for the use of mine English Reader I have abbridged translated and the same here inserted SECT I. Of reducing all the Moral Laws to the Decalogue TO the first Commandement belong laws that concern Faith Hope and Love to God First Faith as that there is but one God and three Persons Jehovah Elohim that hee will send them a Prophet greater then Meses Deut. 18. that hee is to bee honored with our confidence patience and inward worship Next Hope of Favor Grace and Glorie Thirdly Love to God with the whole heart filial fear humble praier holie vows constant care to avoid idolizing the creature seeking to the Divel tempting of God listening to Seducers c. To the second Commandement belong laws made against gross Idolatrie will-worship c. and for right worship To the third pertein laws for Praier Thanksgiving Oaths Lots Blasphemies worthie walking c. To the fourth all laws of sanctifying the Sabbath To the fifth of honoring and reverencing Parents Princes Elders c. and of punishing rebellious children To the sixth may bee reduced all laws concerning Murther Revenge Rancor Smiting Fighting cursing the Deaf laying a block before the blinde c. To the seventh all that is said against Fornication Adulterie Sodomie Incest wearing the Apparel of the other Sex To the eighth Laws against Robberie Rapine Usurie Sacrilege deteining Wages or Pledges removing Land-marks accepting of Persons taking of Gifts fals Weights c. To the ninth belong laws against Back-biting Tale-bearing Fals-witnessing judging not admonishing c. To the tenth no laws are referred becaus it is wholly spiritual and hath no visible violations SECT II. Of reducing Judicial Laws to the Decalogue TO the first Commandement It was death 1. to denie obedience to the Priest who was a type of Christ 2. To perswade Apostacie from the true God 3. To seek to witches and wizzards It was likewise unlawful to make a covenant with the Canaanites whom God had cursed to make mixtures of divers kindes of creatures c. whereby they are taught sinceritie in Religion and conversation To the second Commandement God commanded to abolish Images Pictures Idolatrous temples Altars Groves c. and forbad them upon pain of death to bow to Sun Moon or anie other strange
is a rich roial virtue best beseeming the best Princes Ver. 6. Where I will meet with thee To give oracles and answers of Mercie God still meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness Isa 64.5 Ver. 7. Shall burn thereon sweet incens Facium vespae favos The Heathens had the like custom Verbenásque adole pingues Virgil. mascula thura Ver. 8. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps To shew that our praiers must bee made according to the light and direction of God's Word lest wee ask wee know not what and worship wee know not how Ver. 10. An attonement upon the horns of it Pardon must bee sought for the defects found in praiers as Nehemiah craved mercie for his Reformations Ver. 12. That there bee no plague David in numbering the people neglected this dutie thence the plague Ver. 13. half a shekel Towards the making of the Tabernacle and as an amercing himself for his sin that subjected him to utter destruction Vers 15. Ver. 15. The rich shall not give more They are both of a price becaus in spirituals they are equal 2 Pet. 1.1 Ver. 16. That it may bee a memorial A perpetual poll-monie in token of homage and subjection to the Almightie Ver. 18. Between the Tabernacle and the Altar The laver and Altar situated in the same court signified the same as the water and blood issuing out of Christ's side viz. the necessarie concurrence of Justification and Sanctification in all that shall bee saved Ver. 19. For Aaron and his sons Here they were to wash before they praied for the people Heb. 10.22 Wee must first make our own peace with God before wee take upon us to intercede for others So did David Psalm 25.22 and Psalm 51.18 19. So wee are advised to do Lam. 3.39 40. Ver. 21. That they die not Com not to an untimelie end as they did Lev. 10.1 2. Ver. 26. And thou shalt annoïnt the Tabernacle So to consecrate the same to God's service and to set forth how joifully and gladly men should serv the Lord. Ver. 29. Whatsoever toucheth them So are all those annointed holie that by a lively faith touch the Lord Christ Ver. 30. Aaron and his sons Those onely that succeeded him in the office of High-priest Lev. 4.3 5 16. and 16.32 Ver. 32. Vpon man's flesh A Latine Postiller hence infer's in an hyperbolical sens that Priests are Angels not having humane flesh Ver. 33. Whosoever compoundeth anie thing like it Holie things must not bee profaned on pain of death No people so abuse Scripture to common and ordinarie use as the Jews do CHAP. XXXI Ver. 3. And I have filled him GOd gift's whomsoever hee call's to anie emploiment Ver. 4. To devise cunning works All skill in lawful callings whether manual or mental is of God Isa 28.26 Ver. 5. And in cutting of stones Moses might well doubt where hee should finde fit work-men among those brick-makers for Egypt Ver. 6. I have given with him Two is better then one four eies see more then two God usually therefore coupleth his agents See the Note on Mat. 10.2 3. Luke 10.1 Ver. 13. Verily my sabbaths yee shall keep q. d. Though this Sanctuarie-work is to bee don yet it shall bee no Sabbath's-daies work The good women in the Gospel forbare on the Sabbath to annoint the dead bodie of our Saviour resting according to the Commandement For it is a sign And withal an effectual means to conveigh holiness into the heart Ver. 14. For it is holie unto you Hence the Hebrews gather but falsly that onely Israël was charged with the Sabbath-daie and not the nations of the world But the Sabbath was kept before Israël was born Ver. 15. Whosoever doth anie work A certain Indian that had been taught by the English coming by and seeing one of the English profaning the Lord's daie by felling of a tree said to him New-England's first-fruits Do ye not know that this is the Lord's daie in Massaqusets one of the English Plantations much machet man that is verie wicked man why break you God's daie Ver. 18. Written with the finger of God Of the Decalogue above all other holie Writ God seem's to saie as Paul Philem. 19. Behold I have written it with mine own hand i. e. by mine own power and operation CHAP. XXXII Ver. 1. Vp Make us Gods A Aron might make a Calf but the people made it a God by adoring it Qui fingit sacros auro vel marmore vultus Martial Non facit ille Deos qui rogat iste facit Ver. 2. Break off your golden ear-rings Hereby hee hoped to break their design but all in vain for they were mad upon their Idols Jer. 59.38 Ver. 3. Brake off the golden ear-rings which they had got of the Egyptians Exod. 12.35 To make use of Heathen Autors for ostentation is to make a Calf of the treasure gotten out of Egypt Ver. 4. A molten Calf In imitation of the Egyptian Idol Apis a Pied-bullock A man may pass through Ethiopia unchanged but hee cannot dwel there and not bee discolored Ver. 5. A feast to Jehovah Whom these Idolaters pretended to worship in the golden Calf as did also Jehu 2 King 10.16 29. 2 Chron. 11.15 and as the Papists at this daie but with what face can som of their Rabbins excuse this people from Idolatrie Ver. 6. Rose up to plaie To dance about the Calf Now if they were so cheared and strengthned by those baneful bits those murthering morsels should not wee much more by God's spiritual provisions to dance as David did to do his work with all our might Ver. 7. For thy people which thou broughtest God will own them no longer they are now dis-covenanted The Saints by gross sins may lose their jus aptitudinale non jus haereditarium their fitness for God's Kingdom they may sin away all their comfortables Ver. 8. They have turned aside quickly Moses's back was but newly turned as it were I marvel that you are so soon removed c. Gal. 1.6 See the Note there When wee have spent all our winde on our people their hearts will bee still apt to bee carried away with every winde of doctrine Ver. 9. A stiff-necked people And so they are still to this verie daie Hierom complain's that in his time they thrice a daie cursed Christ in their Synagogue Hieron in Isa lib. 12. cap 49. tom 5. lib. 14 cap. 42. and closed up their praiers with Maledic Domine Nazaraeis They are thought to advise most of that mischief which the Turk put 's in execution against Christians They counterfeit Christianitie in Portugal even to the degree of Priesthood and think they may do it either for the avoiding of danger or increasing their substance There are verie few of them that turn Christians in good earnest Adeò in cordibus eorum radices fixit pertinacitas River Jesuita Vapul 322. So stubborn they are to this daie and stiff-necked their
Heaven and the Angels were of necessity say some to be created the first instant that they might have their perfection of matter and form together otherwise they should be corruptible For whatsoever is of a praeexistent matter is resolvable and subject to corruption But that which is immediately of nothing is perfectly composed hath no other change but by the same hand to return to nothing again But if this were the Heaven Quest what was the Earth here mentioned Not that we now tread upon for that was not made till the third day But the Matter of all Answ that was afterwards to be created being all things in power nothing in act Vers 2. And the earth was without form and voyd That is as yet it had neither essential nor accidental perfection The Lord afterward did form it into Light the Firmament the Water and the Earth So beginning above and building downwards in the new Creature he doth otherwise and in three days laying the parts of the World and in other three days adorning them The Rabbins tell us Alsted Lexic Theol. p. 111. that Tohu and Bohu do properly import Materia prima and privatio and others of Tohu derive Chaos whence the ancient Latines called the World Chohus and borrowed their word Inchoâ— c. And darkness was upon the face of the deep That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of Hell as Origen expounds it but of the deep waters see the like Luke 8.31 Which as a garment covered the earth and stood above the mountains Psal 104.6 This darkness God created not for it was but the want of Light And to say That God dwelt in darkness till he had created Light was a devilish sarcasm of the Manichees as if God were not Light it self and the Father of lights 1 John 1.5 James 1. Or as if God had not ever been a Heaven to himself Ere ever he had formed the earth and the heavens Psal 92.2 What he did or how he imployed himself before the Creation is a Sea over which no ship hath sailed a Mine into which no spade hath delved an Abyss into which no bucket hath dived D. Preston of Gods Attributes p. 34. Our sight is too tender to behold this Sun A thousand yeers saith a great Divine are to God but as one day c. And who knoweth what the Lord hath done Indeed he made but one World to our knowledg but who knoweth what he did before and what he will do after Thus he As for Saint Augustine Prasul ad haec Lybicus Sabin Poâ—â— fabricabat Tartara dixit His quos scrutari â—â—lia mente juvat Excellently another Cuff his Differ of Ages p. 22. who wanted no wit As in the eliament of fire saith he there is a faculty of heating and inlightning whence proceedeth heat and light unto the external neer bodies And besides this faculty there is also in it a natural power to go upward which when it cometh into act is received into no other subject but the fire it self So that if fire could by abstractive imagination be conceived of as wanting those two transient operations yet could we not justly say it had no action forasmuch as it might move upward which is an immanent and inward action So and much more so though we grant that there was no external work of the Godhead until the making of the World yet can there be no necessary illation of idleness Seeing it might have as indeed it had actions immanent included in the circle of the Trinity This is an answer to such as ask what God did before he made the World Plotin Eunâ—â—d 3. lib. 2. c. 2. God saith Plotinus the Platonist not working at all but resting in himself doth and performeth very great things And the Spirit of God moved c. Or hovered over and hatched out the creature Ferebatur super aquas non pervagatione sed potestate non per spatium locorum ut Sol super terram sed per potentiam sublimitatis suae Eucberius Psal 145 9. as the Hen doth her chickens or as the Eagle fluttereth over her young to provoke them to flight Deut. 32.11 Or as by a like operation this same holy Spirit formed the childe Jesus in the Virgins womb in that wonderful over shadowing Luke 1.35 The Chaldee here hath it The Spirit breathed and David saith the same Psal 33.6 He became to that rude dead mass a quickning comforting Spirit He kept it together which else would have shattered And so he doth still or else all would soon fall asunder Heb. 1.3 Psal 104.29 were not his conserving Mercy still over or upon all his Works Verse 3. And God said Let there c. He commanded the light to shine out of darkness He spake the word and it was done 2 Cor. 4.6 Psal 33.9 148.5 Creation is no motion but a simple and bare emanation which is when without any repugnancy of the Patient or labor of the Agent the work or effect Dei Dicere eft Efficere doth voluntarily and freely arise from the action of the working cause as the shadow from the body So Gods irresistible power made this admirable Work of the world by his bare word as the shadow and obscure representation of his unsearchable wisdom and omnipotency And there was light This first light was not the Angels as Augustine would have it nor the Element of fire as Damascen nor the Sun which was not yet created nor a lightsome cloud or any such thing but the first day which God could make without means as Galvin well observeth This light was the first ornament of the visible World and so is still of the hidden man of the heart the new Creature Acts 26.18 The first thing in Saint Pauls commission there was to open mens eyes to turn them from darkness to light c. To dart such a saving light into the soul as might illighten both Organ and Object In which great work also Christs words are operative together with his commands in the mouths of his Ministers Know the Lord understand O ye bruitish among the people c. There goes forth a Power to heal as it did Luke 5 1â— Or as when he bade Lazarus ariâ—e he made him to arise So here the Word and the Spirit go together and then what wonder that the spirit of darkness falls from the heaven of mens hearts Ephes 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 2 9. as lightning Luke 10.18 So as that they that eâ—st were darkness are now light in the Lord and do preach forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Verse 4. And God saw the light that it was good Praeviderat autèm â—â—sberellus so one rendereth it he saw this long before but he would have us to see it he commends the goodness of this work of his to us Good it is surely
vengeance Well might K. James say that if God did leave him to kill a man he would think God did not love him David Gods darling falling into that crimson sin carried the bruise of that fall with him to his grave Woe to those Italians Sands his Relation of West Relig. Sect. 13. that blaspheme oftner then swear and murther more then revile or slander Vers 23. They stript Joseph out of his coat For 1. It was an eye-sore to them 2. Therewith they would colour their cruelty And this whiles they were doing Ioseph used many intreaties for himself but they would not hear him Gen. 42.21 Reuben also pleaded hard for the child but all to no purpose Gen. 42.22 their tender mercies were cruelties Vers 24. They cast him into a pit Where they meant he should pine and perish with hunger which is a more cruel death Druso adcò alimenta subducta ut tomentum a culcitra tentaverit mandere Tacit. then to dye by the sword Lam. 4.5 Thus dyed Drusus by the command of Tiberius meat being denyed him he had eaten the stuffings of his bed I have heard of a certain Bishop saith Melancthon who having cast ten men into a dungeon for their religion sake kept them there so long without all manner of meat that they devoured one another Joh. Manl. loc com 124. Vers 25. And they sate down to eat To weep for their wickedness they should have sate down rather But the Devill had drawn a hard hoof over their hearts that either they felt no remorse of what they had done for present or else they sought to ease themselves of it by eating and merry-making They drank wine in bowles but no man was sorry for the affliction of Joseph Nay perhaps Amos 6.8 they had so tyred themselves with making away their brother that they were even spent again and stood in need of some refreshing The good providence of God was in it howsoever that they should there sit down till the Merchants came by from Gilead which was a Mart for Merchants Ier. 8.22 22.6 All things co-operate for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 Vers 26. What profit is it c. Cui bono said that old Judge in Rome Cic. orat pro C. Rabir. This is a song that most men will listen to As the Jassians in Strabo delighted with the musick of an excellent Harper ran all away when once they heard the Market-bell ring save a deaf old man that could take little delight in the Harpers ditties But it were to be wisht that whenever we are tempted to sin we would ask our selves this question What profit is it c. Vers 27. For he is our brother and our flesh This consideration should be as the Angels call to Abraham to stay our hand from striking another 1. That he is our brother in respect of God for have we not all one father hath not one God created us Mal. 3.10 Next that he is our flesh in regard of our first parents Act. 17.26 Esay 58.7 Vers 28. For twenty peeces of silver A goodly price not all out the price of a slave Exod. 21.32 Here they sold the just one for silver Pirke R. Eliez ch 38. and the poor for a pair of shooes Amos 2.6 The Hebrews tell us that of these twenty shekels every of the ten brethren had two to buy shooes for their feet And they brought Ioseph into Egypt Little knowing what a price they had in their hand even the Jewel of the world and him that should one day be Lord of Egypt The Saints for their worth are called Princes in all lands Many righteous are many Kings Compare Matth. 13.17 with Luk. 10.24 Psal 45. Kings in righteousness though somewhat obscure ones as Melchizedek Heb. 7. They are called the world Joh. 3.16 every creature Mark 16.16 all things Col. 1.20 Gods portion Deut. 32.9 the dearly beloved of his soul Jer. 12.7 a royal Diadem in the hand of Iehovah Esay 62.3 This the cock on the dunghill the Midianitish muck-worms take no notice of They could see no comliness in Christ though the fairest of ten thousand nothing more then a despicable man Joh. 6. How can this man give us his flesh to eat God had hid him in whom all the treasures of worth and wisdom were hid under the Carpenters son Colos 2. This pearl was covered with a shell-fish so are all Gods precious people for most part abjects in the worlds eye their glory is within their life is hid they are great heirs but as yet in their non-age Kings but in a strange country heads destinated to the diadem but this the world knows not 1 Ioh. 3.1 Let it suffice us that God and all that can spiritually discern know it and so shall others as Ioseph's brethren did him in his bravery For when Christ our life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory Vers 30. The child is not and I c In an old Manuscript I met with these words thus pathetically rendred Heu quid agam periit puer ille puer puer ille Reuben was the eldest and therefore thought he should be most blamed Besides he had not forgot how highly his father had been lately offended with him for his detestable incest Vers 32. Know now whether it be thy sons coat One Philip Bishop of Beau-vieu in France in the time of our Richard the first being a martial man and much annoying our borders was by King Richard in a skirmish happily taken and put in prison The Bishop hereupon complained to the Pope who wrote in the behalf of his son as an Ecclesiasticall person c. The King sent to the Pope the armour he was taken in with these words engraven thereon Know whether this be thy sons coat or not Heyl. Geog. pag. 108. Which the Pope viewing sware it was rather the coat of a son of Mars then a son of the Church and so bad the King use his pleasure Vers 33. It is my sons coat c. The Lord may well say as much of hypocrites Their outward from of godliness is the garb of my sons and daughters but some evil spirit hath devoured them who use it only in hypocrisie They are fair professors but foul sinners And when the filthy sinner goes damâ—ed to hell what shall become of the zealous professor As the Churl said to the Bishop of Cullen praying in the Church like a Bishop but as he was a Duke going guarded like a tyrant Whither thinkest thou the Bishop shall go when the Duke shall be damned Vers 34. Mourned for his son many dayes Puerilitas est periculorum pelagus Few live to be old for one evil beast or another that devours them As for one apple that hangs till it falls many are endgel'd down or gathered off the tree We should learn to bury children and friends whiles yet alive by acting their death to our selves aforehand
killing him nor as the Angel did Balaam with a drawn sword in his hand to destroy him Neither did he rush upon him as David ran upon Goliah and cut off his head But with a soft and slow pace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gressu grallatorio Isai 28.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad vesperam dici as if he had no minde to it he comes walking toward them to do this his work his strange work of sentencing sinners and that in the cool of the day too or towards the evening as Saint Ambrose hath it after the Septuagint Whereas to shew mercy behold he comes leaping upon the Mountains skipping upon the Hills Lo this is the voyce and the pace of my beloved Cant. 2.8 God was but six days in making the whole world yet seven days in destroying one city Jericho as Chrysostom long since observed He scourgeth not his people Isai 42.14 till there be no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 He forbears us though he cry like a travelling woman to be delivered of his judgments And Adam and his wife hid themselves Their covering of figleaves then was too short for here they run with their aprons into the thicket to hide from God A poor shift God wot but such as is still too much in use If I have covered my transgressions as Adam Job 31.33 or after the maner of men saith Job then let this and this evil befal me The bad heart runs from God and would run from its own terrors as the wounded Deer from the deadly Arrow that sticks in his side Facti sunt à corde suo fugitivi Tertul. but refusing ordinary tryal it is in danger to be prest to death inevitably We have no better refuge then to run from God to God Blood-letting is a cure of bleeding a Burn of a burn To close and get in avoyds the blow c. Vers 9. Where art thou Not as if God knew not for he searcheth Jerusalem with lights Jam. 1.17 yea himself is the father of lights the great eye of the world to whom the Sun it self is but a snuff Zach. 3.9 2 Chron. 16 9. Heb. 4.13 exp He hath seven eyes upon one stone yea his eyes run to and fro through the earth and all things are naked and open Naked for the outside and open for the inside before the eyes of him with whom we have to deal Simple men hide God from themselves and then think they have hid themselves from God like the Struthiocamelus they thrust their heads into a hole Plin. when hunted and then think none seeth them But he searcheth so one may do yet not finde and knoweth Psal 139.1 He seeth so one may do yet not observe and pondereth Prov. 5.21 Though men hide their sins as close as Rachel did her idols or Rahab the spyes Though they dig deep to hide their counsels God can and will detect them Prov. 15.11 with a wo to boot Isai 29.15 For hell and destruction are before him how then can Saul think to be hid behinde the stuff or Adam behinde the bush At the voyce of the Lord he must appear will he nill he to give account of his fear of his flight This he doth but untowardly in the words following Vers 10. I heard thy voyce So he had done before his fall and feared not Are not my words good to the upright Micah 2.7 Excellently Saint Austin Adversarius est nobis quamdiú sumus ipsi nobis Quamdiú tu tibi inimicus es inimitum habebis Sermonem Dei Yea but I was naked and therefore hid my self This also was non-causa pro causa There was another pad in the straw which he studiously conceals viz. The conscience of his sin Hic verò non factum suum Excusando seipsum accusat Gregor Prov. 19.3 sed Dei factum in semetipso reprehendit saith Rupertus He blames not himself but God for making him naked and so verifies that of Solomon The foolishness of man perverteth his way and then to mend the matter his heart fretteth against the Lord. O silly simple Vers 11. Who told thee His own conscience awakened and cited by Gods voyce Joh. 4. told him as the woman of Samaria said of our Saviour all that ever he did Before and in the acting of sin we will hear nothing but afterwards Conscience will send forth a shrill and sharp voyce that shall be heard all the soul over such as was that of Reuben to his brethren Did not I warn you saying Sin not against the childe c. The Books of our Consciences are now sealed up and the woful contents are not read by the Law They remain as Letters written with the juyce of Oringes or Onions which are onely to be made legible by the fire of Gods wrath Then shall the wicked run away but all in vain with those words in their mouthes Isai 33.14 Who amongst us shall dwell with this devouring fire Who shall abide by these everlasting burnings Then shall they tire the Mountains with their hideous out-cryes Fall upon us hide us crush us in pieces grinde us to powder But how can that be when the Mountains melt and the Rocks rent asunder at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob Vers 12. The woman whom thou gavest Here he rejects the fault upon the woman and thorow her upon God who gave her to be with him or before him or such another as himself with reference to that Lenegdo Chap. 2.20 or a help meet for him This she might have been to him had he been that he ought to her a manly guide in the way to Heaven He should have rebuked her as Job did his wicked wife for transgressing Gods Law and tempting him to the like Then had her sin been personal rested upon her self and gone no further had not he hearkned to her voyce But he not onely not did thus but insteed of agnizing his fault seeks to transfer it upon God That sith he could not be like unto God in the divinity which he aymed at he might make God like unto himself in iniquity which was to fill up the measure of his sin that wrath might have come upon him to the utmost but that Gods mercy was then and is still over all his own good and our bad works Vers 13. And the woman said The Serpent Thus the Flesh never wants excuses Nature need not be taught to tell her own tale Sin and shifting came into the world together never yet any came to Hell but had some pretence for coming thither It is a very course Wool that will take no Dye Sin and Satan are alike in this they cannot abide to appear in their own colour Men wrap themselves in excuses as they do their hands to defend them from pricks This is still the vile poyson of our hearts that they will needs be naught and yet will not yield but that
Patriarks to those spirits once in pleasure now in prison but prevailed not 1 Pet. 3.18 19. shall not alway strive with perverse men by preaching disputing convincing in the mouths of my servants whom I have sent unto them nor in their own mindes and consciences by inward checks and motions which they have made no good use of Delicata res est spiritus Dei Grieve it once and you may drive it away for ever Ideò detâ—riores sumus quia meliores esse dâ—bâ—mus Saâ—v It bloweth where it listeth and will not be at your whistle For that he also is flesh He is therefore the worse because he ought to be better God expects singular things from his people and takes it ill when they are carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3.3 They should be higher then others by head and shoulders as Saul was and all that is in them or comes from them should be as the fruit of the trees in Paradise fair to the eye and sweâ—t to the taste Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty yeers It shall be so long ere I destroy 1 Pet. 3.19 20. 2 Pet 2.5 This long-suffering of God is celebrated by St. Peter and well it may for had he not been God and not man he could never have held his hands so long Neither indeed did he for so extream was the provocation that he cut them off twenty yeers of this promised count That all the earth might know to their wo Numb 14.34 his breach of promise Vers 4. There were Gyants Gigantes quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth-sprung John 3.31 They were of the earth they spake of the earth and the earth heard them Heard them I say and fell before them as the beasts of the field do before the roaring Lyon Hence they are called in Hebrew Nephilim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as being faln from God fell upon men Job 1.15 and by fear and force made others fall before them Thus they sought to renown and raise themselves by depressing others and doing violence But this was not the way For now they lie shrowded in the sheet of shame To do Worthily in Ephrata is to be famous in Bethlehem Ruth 4.11 To be patiently perseverant in well-doing is to seek for glory and honor yea to attain immortality and eternal life Romans 2.7 Vers 5. The wickedness of man was great in the earth Which was now grown so foul that God saw it but time to wash it with a flood as he shall shortly do again with streams of fire He destroyed the world then with water for the heat of lust he shall destroy it with fire for the coldness of love as saith Ludolfus Devita Christi l. 2. c. 7. And that every imagination of the thoughts Omne figmentum cogitationum The whole fiction or every creature of the heart as the Apostle hath it Hebr. 4.13 speaking there of the thoughts All the thoughts extensively are intensively onely evil and protensively continually and intents of the heart There is a general ataxy the whole frame is out of frame The understanding dark as hell and yet proud as the devil The will cross and overthwart The memory slippery and waterish to receive and retain good impressions but of a marble firmness to hold fast that which is evil The affections crooked and preposterous The very tongue a world of wickedness what then the heart Si trabes in oculo strues in corde The operations thereof are evil onely evil Every day evil saith this Text And assigneth it for the source of the old worlds wickedness David also resolves his adultery and murther into this pravity of his nature as the principle of it Psal 51.5 so doth Job Chap. 40.4 Paul Rom. 7.24 Isaiah Chap. 6.5 The whole Church Isai 64.6 cryes out Vnclean Vnclean and Chap. 53.6 Lev. 13.45 Esa 1.3 All we like sheep have gone astray Now as no creature is more apt to wander so none less able to return then a sheep The Oxe knoweth his owner the Asse his masters crib The very Swine accustomed to the trough if he goe abroad yet at night will finde the way home again Not so the Sheep Loe such is man Quintilian therefore was quite out when he said It is more marvell that one man sinneth then that all men should live honestly sin is so against the nature of man But he erred not knowing the Scripture For doe ye think Jam. 4.5 saith St. James alluding to this text that the Scripture saith in vaine The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy The civill mans namans nature is as bad as the worst not changed but chained up Truely said Tully Cum primùm nascimur in omni continuò pravitate versamur We are no sooner born then buried in a bog of wickedness Vers 6. And it repented the Lord c. and it grieved him These things are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men but must be taken and understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it beseemeth God Perkins When Repentance is attributed to God saith Mr. Perkins it noteth onely the alteration of things and actions done by him and no change of his purpose and secret decree which is immutable M. Gataker Gods repentance saith another learned Divine is not a change of his will but of his work Repentance with man is the changing of his will Repentance with God is the willing of a change Mutatiorei non Dei effectus non affectus facti non consilii Vers 7. I will destroy man See here the venemous and mischievous nature of sin It causeth God to make a World and again to unmake it it sets him against Man his Master-piece and makes him though he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely to devise but to delight in the destruction of his owne creature to mock at and make merry in his calamity Prov. 1.26 to deliver the beloved of his soule into the hands of the destroyer Time was when Christ being by at the Creation Jer. 12 7. rejoyced in this habitable part of Gods earth his delights were with the sons of men Prov. 8.31 But since the Fall it is far otherwise Habaâ— 1. for he is of more pure eyes theâ—â— to behold sin with patience He hates it worse then he hates the Devill for he hates the Devill for sins sake and not sin for the Devills sake Now the naturall and next effect of hatred is revenge Hence he resolves I will destroy man Both man and beast the creeping thing c. Why what have those poore sheep done They are all undone by mans sin and are for his punishment to perish with him as they were created for him This is a piece of that bondage they are still subject to and grievously groan under waiting deliverance Rom. 8.21 22. Vers 8. But Noâ—h found grace Because in Covenant with God who of himself was
God will not alway serve men for a sinning-stock Crudelem medicumâ— intemperans ager facit Every thing that is in the earth shall dye A dismall doom and God is now absolute in his threatning because he will be resolute in his execution Oh tremble and sin not Psal 4. while others sin and tremble not Kisse the Son lest he be angry Who knoweth the power of his anger Surely according to our fear Psal 90.11 is his wrath It is a just presage and desert of ruine not to be warned God hath hang'd up the old world in gibbets as it were for our admonition Worthily are they made examples that will not take them Who pities the second Captaine consumed by fire with his company 2 King 1. sith he had a fair warning but would not beware by it Mal. 4.1 Behold the day of the Lord commeth that shall burne as an Oven This last day was foretold by Enoch before the deluge was by Noah Longer it is before it comes but shall be more terrible when it is come Vers 18. Thou and thy sons Yet Ham soon after degenerated for the present he concealed his wickedness from men from God he could not He beares with hypocrites in his visible Church for a season till the time of separation Augustiâ— Matth. 3.12 Zach. 14.21 In area nobiscum esse possunt in horreo non possunt He will throughly purge his floore The Canaanite shall not be in the land any longer nor the uncleane spirit Zach. 13.2 O faelicem illam dieculam Vers 20. Two of every sort shall come unto thee For they are all thy servants saith David they wait upon thy word Psal 119.91 This Noah might make good use of and did no doubt See how sequacious these poor creatures are to God their Centurion If he bid them come they come if go they go And shall not I obey God and follow his call be there never so many Lions in my way Vers 21. Take thou unto thee of all food God could have kept them alive without either food or arke But he will have us serve his providence in use of lawfull means and so to trust him as that we do not tempt him Vers 22. Thus did Noah according to all c. The wicked world could not slout him out of his faith Heb. 11.7 but that moved with fear he preacheth and buildeth and finisheth He preached without preaching saith Basil of Selucia every stroke upon the Arke being a reall Sermon as Nazianzen hath it to forewarn them to flee from the wrath to come which yet they did not No not the very Ship-wrights that made the Arke but were all buried together in one universall grave of waters CHAP. VII Vers 1. For thee have I seen righteous before me NOt onely before men as Pharisees Luke 16.15 and civill Justitiaries Rom. 2.29 but before me who see the inside and love truth in the hidden man of the heart Psal 51.6 1 Pet. 3.5 And here Noahs sincerity prevailed with God for his safety as did likewise Lots whom God hid in Zoar and Abrahams to whom God was a shield to save him from the deadly thrusts of destruction when he pursued the four Kings and foyled them because he walked before him and was upright Gen. 15.1 with Gen. 14.15 So true is that of Solomon Prov. 10.9 Prov. 14.26 Isai 26.3 He that walketh uprightly walketh safely as if he were in a tower of brass or town of war And again In the fear of the Lord is strong considence and his children have a place of refuge The old Rock is still ready to relieve them In this generation 2 Pet. 2.5 Called by Saint Peter a world of ungodly ones far worse no doubt then those in Henochs days The greater praise was it to Noah that by an holy Antiperistasis he kindled from their coldness and became nothing the worse but much the better as it is the nature of true goodness by their oppositions It was an invincible Faith whereby he both conquered the world and condemned it What else could have carried him over so many difficulties as he must needs encounter Well might the Apostle say Heb. 11.7 By faith he prepared an Ark. For if he had been led by sense he would have fled as far as Jonas did ere ever he had gone about it Vers 2. Of every clean beast thou shalt take by sevens Three pair for generation and a single one for sacrifice after the flood was past as Chap. 8.20 God must have a moyetâ— and good reason But that two onely of a sort of the unclean hurtful creatures were preserved note his fatherly providence To this day we see though sheep and birds be so killed up for mans use yet there are far more of them then of other unserviceable or cruel creatures Besides the weaker creatures go in herds together the stronger and savager go alone For if they should go in multitudes no man nor beast could stand before them This you shall finde set down to your hand Job 37. Psal 104. Ammianus Marcellinus writeth That in Chaldaea there are a huge number of Lyons which were like enough to devour up both men and beasts throughout the Countrey But withal he saith That by reason of the store of water and mud thereof there breed yeerly an innumerable company of gnats whose property is to flee into the eye of the Lyon as being a bright and orient thing Where biting and stinging the Lyon he teareth so fiercely with his claws that he puts out his own eyes And by that means many are drowned in the rivers Boâ—in in Theatro lib. 3. others starve for want of prey and many the more easily killed by the inhabitants Bodin telleth us That the Wolf never seeth his sire his dam nor his young For that the herd of Wolves sets upon and killeth that Wolf which by the smell they perceive to have coupled with the she-wolf which unless they did what a deal of mischief would be done by them every where among cattle Vers 4. For yet seven days c. God could have destroyed them by water or otherwise in a far shorter space But of his Free-grace he gives them yet seven days further and then rains upon the earth fourty days as not willing that any should eternally perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 The Hebrew Doctors as they are very injurious to Noah because we read not that he prayed for the old world but onely took care of himself and his own family censuring him therefore of self-love and hard-heartedness so they judg very uncharitably of those that perished in the flood sending them all to hell and wresting some Scriptures thereunto As that in this present verse God saith He will destroy them or blot them out That is R. Menachem in loc say they out of the land of the world to come the land of the living I deny not
but many of their spirits are in prison so saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 But withal in the next Chapter the same Apostle tells us That for this cause the Gospel was preached also to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the Spirit Compare these words with those 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. and it will appear the Apostle speaks of these Antediluvians All were not saved that were in the Ark nor all damned we may well think that were out of it Could they see their foundation overflown with a flood as the phrase is Job 22.16 and not lay for themselves a good foundation by laying hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.19 Saint Ambrose conceiveth that Noah was seven days in the Ark afore the flood came That as God was six days in creating the world and rested the seventh so these perishing persons admonished by the number of the days of the Creation Eccles 12.1 might remember their Creator and make their peace Nunquam serò si seriò Vers 5. And Noah did according unto all This All is a little word but of large extent He doth not his masters but his own will that doth no more then himself will A dispensatory conscience is an evil conscience God cryes to us Quicquid propter Dâ—â—m fit aqualis or fit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will have universal obedience both for subject and object We must be entirely willing in all things to please God or we utterly displease him Herod did many things and was not a button the better Jehu's golden calves made an end of him though he made an end of Baals worship He that doth some and not all Gods wills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13.22 with David in desire and affection at least doth but as Benhadad recover of one disease and die of another yea if he take not a better course for himself he doth but take pains to go to hell Psal 119.6 Then shall we not be ashamed when we have respect at least to all Gods Commandments Vers 7. And Noah went in and his sons c. Not till he was compelled by the coming in of the flood say the Jews Of no good will but because there was no other remedy Thus they belye the good old Preacher Let no man think much to be mis-judged Jo. Wooveâ—ius in Polymath Novit sapiens ad hoc scomma se productum ut depugnet cum iis qui maledictis aluntur ut venenis capreae Vers 9. There went in two and two Of their own accord by divine instinct Noah was not put to the pains of hunting after them or driving them in Onely he seems to have been six days in receiving and disposing of them in their several cells and fetching in food When God bids us do this or that never stand to cast perils but set upon the work yield the obedience of Faith and fear nothing The creatures came into Noah without his care or cost He had no more to do but to take them in and place them The Prophet allâ—des hereto â—sai 11.6 7. all bloodiness and rapine laid aside Vers 10. The waters of the flood were upon the earth God is as faithful in his menaces Zeph. 3.5 as in his promises The wicked think them but wind but they shall feel them to be fire Jere. 5.14 Your fathers where are they Vexatio dat intellectum Did not my words though never so much slighted lay hold upon them And they returned that is changed their mindes when they smarted and said Like as the Lord thought to do unto us so hath he delt with us Zach. 1.5 6. There wanted not those in the old world that held all the threats of a flood to be interrorem onely and when they heard Noah thundering Luke 20.16 put off all as those in the Gospel with God forbid We cannot get men to believe that God is so just or the devil so black or sin so heavy or hell so hot till it hath even closed her mouth upon them Prov. 14.16 Prov. 12.3 The fool rageth and is confident passeth on and is punished and will not be better advised But what said the Martyr Brâ—dford They that tremble not in hearing shall be crusht to peeces in feeling Gods wrath is such as none can avert or avoyd Vers 11. In the second moneth In April as it is thought then when every thing was in its prime and pride birds chirping trees sprouting c. nothing less looked for then a flood then God shot at them with an arrow suddenly as saith the Psalmist Psal 64.7 1 Thes 5.3 So shall sudden destruction come upon the wicked at last day when they lest look for it So the Sun shone fair upon Sodom the same day wherein ere night it was fearfully consumed What can be more lovely to look on then the corn-field a day before harvest or a vineyard before the vintage Nos quasi medios inter duo sâ—pulchra posuit All the fountains of the great deep c. So we live continually betwixt two deaths the waters above and below us Serve the Lord with fear Vers 13. In the self same day Things are repeated that they may be the better observed and the greatness of the mercy the more acknowledged that God should single out so few and save them c. Vers 16. And the Lord shut him in A mean office one would think for God to shut the door after Noah He could not well do it himself the door doubtless being great and heavy and others that were without would not do him so much service God therefore doth it himself and therefore it could not but be well done indeed In a case of necessity we need not question Gods readiness to do us any good office so long as we keep close to him in a holy Communion In a Letter of B. Hoopers 2 Chron. 15.2 to certain good people taken praying in Bowe Church-yard and now in trouble thus he writes Read the second Chapter of Luke there the shepherds that watched upon their sheep all night assoon as they heard Christ was born at Bethlehem by and by they went to see him They did not reason nor debate with themselves Act. Mon. fol. 1347. who should keep the Wolf from the sheep in the mean while but did as they were commanded and committed their sheep to him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well he will help the husband comfort the wife guide the servants keep the house preserve the goods yea rather then it shall be undone he will wash the dishes and rock the cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God c. Thus he Vers 17. It was lift up above the waters Afterwards it went upon the
simplicitatem columbinam August Vers 8. Also he sent forth a Dove A bird that being swift and simple â—â—ai 60.8 willingly flies back to his Windows through â—ove and faithfulness to his mate and young Besides he fleeth a long while together and very near the ground and so was fitter for this service Josephus saith That he came into the Ark with his feet and wings wet and dirty which could not but be good news to Noah Vers 9. Psal 38.10 My heart paâ—tâ—th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Merchants run from Countrâ—y to Couanâ—y Buchâ—lâ— And the Dove found no rest No more doth mans soul Gods Turtle till it rest in God Domine saith Saint Augustine fecisti nos ad te ideoque cor nostrum inquietum est doneâ— requieverit in te Hic finis nostrae formationis saith another ut homo sit templum Dei Deus ara hominis How oft doth the good soul cry Oh that I had the wings of a Dove c. Or if that Oh will not set him at liberty she takes up that wo to express her misery Wo is me that I sojourn in Meshec c. Vers 11. In her mouth was an olive-leaf The olive never casteth her leaf and is greenest in the spring saith Pliny It might very well continue so under water during the flood It may also very well by an allegory set forth that Grace and Peace by Jesus Christ brought in the mouth of his Ministers in this Evening of the World Rom. 10.15 The Dove returned at first without her errand but sent again she brought better tidings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epictet The Man of God must not onely be apt to teach but patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves proving if at any time God will give them repentance All are not sent into the vineyard at the same hour of the day Holy Melancthon being himself newly converted thought it impossible for his hearers to withstand the evidence of the Gospel But after he had been a Preacher a while 't is said he complained That old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon And yet he wanted not afterwards the Seal of his Ministry For among many others converted by him was that sweet Saint George Prince of Anhalt whose house was Ecclesia Academia Curia Melch. Adam and whose heart was so upright with God his life so laudable amongst men that Melancthon once publikely defending the certainty of our future felicity by this Argument that godly men must be hereafter rewarded wicked men punished he named this pious Prince Scultet ex ore Bucholceri quâ— Melancthonis fuit auditor as an unquestionable example of such a man as might assuredly expect the promised Crown of Life eternal which God the righteous Judg will give to all his 2 Tim. 4.8 Vers 16. Go forth of the Ark Learn we of this holy Patriark to do all by Gods direction and not dare to attempt any thing without his warrant approving our selves to him in our comings in and goings out Psal 91. He hath charged his Angels with us so long as we keep the Kings high way Jere. 20.7 But if we go out of his precincts we go out of his protection Take counseâ— at his mouth and then we may safely say Lord if I be deceived thou hast deceived me This as at all times we have need to do so now especially when there is as 2 Chron. 15.5 〈◊〉 peace to him that goeth out nor to him that cometh in but great vexation upon all countries Nation being destroyed of Nation and City of City c. Vers 19. Every beast after their kinde Heb. after their families That is not confusedly and pell-mell as we say but distinctly and in order The Lyon with the Lyoness c. every male with his female the clean by themselves and the unclean by themselves And as these latter came to the Ark unclean and unclean they departed so do millions now-adays to the Ordinances A Preacher hath as much joy to see them there as John Baptist had to see the Pharisees thronging to his Baptism when he cryed out Matth. 3. O generation of vipers who sent for you who hath forewarned you c Vers 20. And Noah builded an altar to the Lord. This was his first care and so it was Abrahams where-ever he came It must be also ours after great deliverances especially Gods mercies are binders Beneficium postâ—lat officium He is content we have the comfort of his blessings so he may have the praise of them This Pepper-corn is all the rent he looks for O cover we Gods Altar with the calves of our lips Heb. 13.15 Psal 69.31 giving thanks to his name This will please him better then an ox that hath horns and hoofs Onely let it be done the first thing that we do after the receipt of a benefit which else will soon wax stale and putrifie as fish No part of the thank offering might be kept unspent to the third day Hezekiah wrote his song the third day after his recovery Noah was no sooner out of the Ark but he offered on his new-built Altar as well for testification of his thankfulness as for confirmation of his Faith in that Lamb of God slain and sacrificed from the beginning of the world 2 Cor. 5.19 God was now also in Christ reconciling this new world to himself Vers 21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor Heb. a savor of rest Minimo capiâ—ur thuris honorâ— Deu◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 1. Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle followeth saying That Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a small of sweet savor Ephes 5.2 All our sacrifices are accepted for this of Christ which otherwise would be turned off with who required these things at your hands The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord yea though he should bring thousands of rams Micah 6.7 and ten thousand rivers of oyâ— with those miscreants in Micah that by their munificence would fain have purcreants chased a dispensation to sin whereas Noah with his Oxe Ram Propter animalia multa vel grandia non placuit Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He-goat Turtle and young Pigeon laid in for him by God himself for this same purpose is highly accepted in that beloved One as Christ is called Eph. 1.6 The Lord said in his heart All his promises are heart-sprung the issue of a most faithfull and righteous will void of any the least insincerity and falshood whatsoever he speaks he speaks from his heart we may write upon 't The Eternity of Israel cannot lye 1 Sam. 15.29 I will not again curse the ground c for the imagination of mans heart As who should say Man doth but his kind now in committing evill before me He hath by his fall brought upon himself a miserable
in it as Scaliger doth Ham. Vers 23. And Sem and Japhet took a garment Ham had no hand in this good work Constant Mag. Theodoret. lib. 1. Eccles hist â—ap 11. which shews what a good one he was and how far from being of that good Emperors minde who said That if he should finde a Bishop committing adultery he would rather cover that unclean act with his imperial cloak then suffer it to come abroad to the scandal of the weak and the scorn of the wicked Vers 24. And Noah awoke from his wine And returned no more to it Once was enough the time past may well suffice to have walked in excess of wine 1 Pet. 4.3 saith Peter Wee 'l buy repentance so dear no more It is expresly noted of Judah that he knew Tamar again no more Gen. 38.26 And we may be well assured That Noah was never drunk again Prov. 23.35 Solomons drunkard cryes When shall I awake I will seek it yet again As Swine break their bellies so do such men their heads Hos 4.11 Malle se vitam quam vinum cripi August de temp serm 131. with filthy quaffing yea Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart saith the Prophet They besot and infatuate yea rob a man of himself and lay a beast in his room Our drunkards say as the Vine in Jothams parable Non possum relinquere vinum meum Take away my liquor you take away my life Mr. Harris his drunkards cup. How often saith a grave Divine have I seen vermine sucking the drunkards blood as fast as he that of the grape and mault yet would he not leave his hold or loose his draught Some be buckt with drink and then laid out to be sun'd and scorn'd And knew what his yonger son had done unto him It is probable That finding himself covered with a cloke he asked his wife and children how he came covered Piscator and that then Sem and Japhet told him all the matter which moved him to bless them It is our wisest way to do what good we can to others And though they for present being drunk with malice or rash anger know it not yet a waking-time may come when they may see the good and bless us for it as David did Abigail 2 Sam. 25.33 When he had slept out his drunken passion he saw cause to bless God to bless her and to bless her counsel Master Gilpins plain-dealing with the Bishop of Durham how well it succeeded See his life written by Bishop Carleton pag. 58. Vers 25. And he said Cursed be Canaan Because an imitator and abbettor of his fathers sin Neither good egg nor good bird as they say God himself hath cursed such caytiffs with a curse Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young eagles shall eat it Now they are cursed with a witness Effossos oeidos voret atro gutture corvus Catul. Per coacervatos poreat domus impia luctus Oedip. apud Ovid. Daniels Chron. pag. 112. whom the Holy Ghost thus curseth in such emphatical maner with such exquisite terms Their parents also through their unnaturalness are compell'd to curse them as Noah here As Oedipus of old and our Henry the second who seeing a few hours before he died a list of their names that had conspired with the King of France and Earl Richard his son and successor against him and finding therein his son John to be the first falls into a grievous passion both cursing his sons and the day wherein himself was born and in that distemperature departs the world which so often himself had distempered The causeless curse indeed though from a parents mouth shall not come Prov. 26.2 Such as was that that befel Julius Palmer Martyr who when he asked his mother blessing Thou shalt said she have Christs curse and mine wheresoever thou goest He pausing a little as one amazed at so heavy a greeting at length said O mother your own curse you may give me which God knoweth I never deserved but Gods curse you cannot for he hath already blessed me and I shall be blessed As for money and goods said she which thou suest to me for as bequeathed thee by thy father I have none of thine Thy father bequeathed nothing for hereticks Faggots I have to burn thee more thou gettest not at my hands Mother said he whereaâ— you have cursed me I again pray to God to bless and prosper you all your life long And so he departed and shortly after valiantly suffered for the truth Act. Mâ—n fol. 1755. 1761. The wilde Irish inflict an heavy curse on all their posterity if ever they should sow corn build houses or learn the English tongue Heyl. Geog. 508. Camdens Elisab p. 116 117. at Newbury in Barkshire having sometimes been Fellow of Magdalen Colledg in Oxford and all King Edwards days an obstinate Papist Thus for the causeless curse of parents But where it is just it lights heavy The very complaint of a parent makes a loud cry in Gods ears Judg. 9.56 It is said That God by cutting off Abimelech rendred the wickedness that he did to his father And who can read with dry eyes that pitiful supplication of the old Emperor Andronicus to his young nephew of the same name Turk hist fol. 172 But when it proceeds to a corse lamentable effects have followed Leonard son of the Lord Dacres one of the Rebels in the North against Queen Elizabeth whose father prayed God upon his death-bed to send him much sorrow for his disobedience drew forth a most poor life in the Netherlands whither he escaped living upon a very slender pension from the Spaniard That Rebellion like the bubbles which children blow up into the ayr was no sooner blown up then blown out and fell into the eyes of those which with the blasts of ambition and superstition held it up But most remarkable is that and apposite to our present purpose that Manlius reports of a certain mother Jâ—â— Manlii loc coâ— 228. Involeâ— in te diabâ—â—us whom he and many others had seen leading about her miserable daughter who was possessed by the devil upon her cursing her and bidding the devil take her Luther and others prayed publikely for the Girl and when Luther said to the Devil Increpet te Dem The Lord rebuke thee Satan the Devil answered muttering through the Maids lips Increpet increpâ—t Another like example the same Author hath of a certain angry old man Idem ibidem in the Town of Friburg in Misnia Who bidding his son do some business for him and he making no hast to do it nor stirring from the place he stood in the father cursed him and wished he might never stir alive from that place God said Amen to it and although he lived seven yeers after yet there he
that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Romans in Plutarch said of Pâ—mpey is repentance that fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother Swear not in heat and choller as David did when he was going against Nabal but soon after blessed Abigail for better counsell Swear not in jest lest ye go to hell in earnest Jam. 5.12 Swear not petty oaths those civilified complements and interjections of common talk Faith and Troth c. Thou must not swear by thy hairs thou canst not make one of them white or black much less by Faith and Troth that is more worth then hairs Remember that large rowl ten yards long and five yards broad full of curses against the swearer Zach. 5.2 And it reâ—â—s upon his house where he thinks himself most secure When we are called to take a lawfull oath we must be reverently affected as this good servant in the text according to the excellency of the duty and greatness of the person whom we attest and invocate The ancient form of taking and imposing an oath was Give glory to God Josh 7.19 Joh. 9.24 And he that took the oath was said to confess to God Esa 45.23 with Rom. 14.11 Therefore also St. Paul in swearing useth a word of attention and saith Behold I speak it before God Gal. 1.20 Lewis the French King was taken prisoner by Meletisaka the Sultan and conditions of peace being concluded between them for more assurance thereof the Sultan offered to swear that if he failed in performance of any thing to renounce his Mahomet Turk Hist requiring likewise of the King to swear if he failed in any thing that he had promised to deny his Christ to be God which profane oath the King detesting and wishing rather to dye then to give the same the Sultan wondring at his constancy took his word without any oath at all and so published the League As o'tother side King Iohn of England being overlaid in his Barons Wars when he sent Embassadors to the Monarch of Morocco for aid Heyl. Geog. p. 714. offering to swear fealty unto him and to receive the law of Mahomet he grew into such dislike of our King that ever after he abhorred the mention of him Vers 6. That thou bring not my son thither again Where yet he had never been but in his fathers loyns He would not his son should part with the promised Land for any out ward accommodations Let us fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 4.1 lest a promise being left us of entring into Gods rest any of us should seem to come short to fall back or be lâ—ft behinde Take we all heed lest for our lingering and hankering after the flesh-pots of Egypt God carry us back again into Egypt which was the last greatest curse threatned against the people of Israel and is the greatest misery can come upon this Nation Deut. 28.68 Vers 7. He shall send his Angel There are myriads of Angels and all sent out for the solace and safe conduct of the Saints Dan. 7. Heb. 1.14 Oh the dignity and safety of a childe of God! Thou shalt take a wife He argues from what God hath done for him to what he will doe Every former favour is a pledge of a future Thou hast thou wilt is a Scripture demonstration See Psal 86.1 2 3 4 Six Thou-hasts whereupon he infers and inforceth his Turn us O God of our salvation c. Vers 8. Onely bring not my son thither again This second time he layes charge on his servant not to do it Better no wife then displease God then violate conscience He purchaseth his pleasure at too dear a rate that payes his honesâ—y to get it He hath lesse of the ballast and more of the sayl makes more haste then good speed that thus speeds himself Vers 9. And the servant put his hand c That and the lifting up of the hand to heaven Gen. 14.22 was the ceremony of old as now it is laying the hand upon the book Let it be what it will if not wicked we need not struple it Henry the Third of England undertaking the croysade in taking his oath laid his right hand on his breast according to the manner of a Priest Daniels Chron. saith the History and after on the book and kissed it as a Lay-man The Moors when they swear to be faithfull to any Turk Hist fol. 747. they put their sword to their own throats At the siege of Norwich by Ket and his complices in Edward the sixths time the Earle of Warwick Generall for the King Life of Edw. 6. by Sir Jo. Heywood p. 75. drew his sword and caused others to do the like and according to a Souldery custome in cases of extremity by enterchange of a kiss by every of them upon the swords of others they bound themselves as by an oath to maintain the place Vers 10. Took ten Camels Creatures that are famous for their swiftness strength hardiness for they will travell they say three dayes together without water which in those hot Countries is in many places hard to come by Sir Francis Drake in his Travels tells us of certain Sheep in America as big as a Cow World encomp p. 55. and supplying the room of Horses for burden or travell The Mule they say must have the bag hang by his mouth so must some the pipe or the pot at their elbows Vers 11. And he made his Camels kneel down Or rest themselves Prov. 12.10 Rom. 8.22 as the Greek interprets it A good man is mercifull to his beast but the poor creature groaneth and travelleth in pain under our abuses Vers 12. And he said O Lord God Begin we all our enterprizes with prayer God may give good success without but it will be nothing so sweet See therefore that Hoc primum repetas opuâ— Hor. Ep. 6. hoc postremus omittas Vers 13. And the daughters c. So did Rachel and those in Deborahs Song that rehearsed the Acts of the Lord at the places of drawing water Judg 5.11 and Jethro's daughters though he were Prince of Midian Oh the simplicity and plainness of those times They that plead Rebecca's ornaments for their garish attire would be loath to take her office be at the pains that she was Vers 14. Drink and I will give thy Camels c. This argued a good nature a kinde courteous disposition which therefore it may be he singled out as a token of a meet wife as a thing especially to be looked at in a wife Good dispositions sanctified become more usefull because more amiable and so more graceful to the Gospel and powerful with others As if not yet sanctified yet there is more hopes they may be For where a good nature is the Soul is a plain smooth board whereon a Painter may more easily draw a Picture and a harsh crabbed nature is as a board full of knots and rugged whereon
Spirit of promise whereby we are daily sealed to the day of redemption as the merchants goods are signed with his seal Vers 11. I am God Almighty This is hardly perswaded and yet it is the ground of all true comfort and spiritual security We are apt to measure things according to our own model as to think God so powerful as our understanding can reach c. But for a finite creature to believe the infinite All-sufficiency of God he is not able to do it thorowly without supernatural grace nor can he be soundly comforted till he comes to comprehend it Of his will to do us good we doubt not till in some measure we doubt of his power to help Vers 13. And God went up from him Not by local ascension for he is every-where but in respect of that visible signe of his glory which he now withdrew from over or from upon Iacob For the righteous are as Gods chariot say the Hebrews on this Text. Confer Cant. 6.12 Where he talked with him Prayer is a free and familiar conference or intercourse with God a parling with his Majesty as Saint Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.1 a standing upon interrogatories with him especially when Satan sin and conscience accuse It was a part of the Persian Kings silly glory to keep their greatest subjects from coming neer them without special license Esth 4.11 To God we have free access upon all occasions and are bid to come boldly Heb. 4.16 If Seneca could say Audacter Deum roges nihil illum de alieno rogaturus how much more may the faithful Christian sith All is his God and all 1 Cor. 3.22 Moses and Luther could have what they would of God Fiat voluntas mea saith Luther and then he addes Mea voluntas Domine quia tua Let my will be done but no otherwise mine then as thine Lord. Vers 14. And Iacob set up a pillar Or had set up a pillar had poured a drink offering c. to wit Chap. 28.18 19. And now he either repeats it in the presence and for the edification of his family or else he repairs the pillar now ruinated and new consecrates it by the old name Bethel Vers 16. She had hard labour Woman of all creatures bringeth forth with most pain and peril as the Philosopher observeth Arist de anima l. 7. and experience confirmeth Her onely way is to send for Lady Faith the best Midwife and thereby to repose upon him whose voice causeth the hindes to calve Psal 29.9 which yet of all bruit creatures bring forth with greatest trouble bowing themselves Job 39.4 6. bruising their young and casting out their sorrows Vers 17. Thou shalt have this son also So she had children according to her desire but this last to her cost for a chastisement of her strong affections which drew on strong afflictions as hard knots must have hard wedges They that would needs have a peny for their pains had no joy of their peny Matth. 20.13 when the end of the day came when they were to go into another world they saw that their peny was no such good silver that preferment profit credit were but empty things and could not satisfie It is best to be moderate in our desires after these outward things and not so set upon 't as to indent with God for such and so much this may be dangerous Vers 18. As her soul was in departing Viz. To God that gave it It is a spiritual immortal substance distinct from the body and can subsist of it self Epicharmcum est illud Concretum fuit discretum est rediitque unde venerat terra deorsum spiritus ursum as the Mariner can when the ship is broken For she died In our birth we rent our mothers to death sometimes whom before we had burthened so far Nature witnessing our viperous generation because of sin which we bring into the world But his father called him Benjamin Lest the former name should be a daily revival of his loss Let men make their burdens as light as they can and not increase their worldly sorrow by sight of sad objects It will come as we say of foul weather soon enough we need not send for it What should dropsie-men do eating salt meats Vers 19. Juâ—aei vitrum ex quo spoâ—sus sponsa biberunt confringunt ut memores â—int sponsi fragilitatis humanae And Rachel died We forfeit many favours by over-affecting them Our jealous God will not endure us to idolize any creature Let them that have wives or any other thing they hold most dear to themselves be as if they had none So love as to think of loss Let all outward things hang loose as an upper garment that we can throw off at pleasure Vers 20. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave To testifie his love and continue her remembrance Dead friends may be lawfully thus honoured with Monuments modò vitetur luxus superstitio Vers 21. beyond the tower of Edar Or of the flock This tower was built it seems for the safety and service of shepherds There it was probably that those shepherds Luke 2. watched their flocks There also Helena mother to Constantine the Great did afterwards build a Temple for a memorial of the Angels that there appeared to those shepherds carolling Christ into the world Vers 22. Reuben went and lay with Bilhah A foul fault in so good a family but so it sometimes falls out by the malice of Satan Selcucus Syriae rex tradidit filio Antiocho novercam Stratonicen cujus amore ille decumbebat Appian in Syriacis Dani. Chron. pag. 12. for the discrediting of Religion Such ugly incest was committed at Corinth as was hardly heard of among Heathen that a man should have his fathers wife 2 Cor. 5.1 Some such there were among the Kings of Egypt but not many Ethelbald King of West Saxons with great infamy marrying his fathers widow Judith enjoyed his Kingdom but two yeers and a half But how hateful is that Spanish incest by Papal dispensation King Philip of Spain might call the Arch-duke Albert both Brother Couzen Nephew and Son for all this was he unto him either by blood Sands his Relation of West Religion or affinity being Uncle to himself Couzen-german to his father Husband to his sister and Father to his wife Abhorred filth And Israel heard it And held his peace because he saw God in it chastising him for his Polygamy The punishment is sometimes so like the sin that a man may boldly say Such a sin was the mother of such a misery And here 's a pause in the Hebrew to shew Jacob's great amazement at this sad tidings Dolores ingentes stupent He was even dumb and opened not his mouth because God was in it Psal 39.9 Vers 23. Reuben Jacobs first-born Who though by his sin he fell from his birth-right yet is here reckoned as
Lysimachusses came of this tribe that as Sampson and David first fought with lions and then with their enemies all which were types of that lion of the tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 The divell is a roaring lion Leo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyes in wait for the Church but Christ her invincible Champion is ever at hand for her help who is also Leo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Paul hath it the Lion of the tribe of Iâ—dah 2 Thess 1. ult that delivereth us from the wrath to come And when this Lyon roareth all creatures tremble Amos 3.8 Saint Ambrose tells us that when the Lyon puts forth his voyce many creatures that could out-run him are so astonied at the terrour of his roar that they are not able to stir from the place And Isidore writeth that the Lions whelp for the first three dayes after it comes into the world lyeth as it were asleep and is afterwards rouzed and raised by the old Lions roaring which makes the very den to shake Christ at the last day shall come with the voyce of the Archangell and trump of God c. And then shall they that sleep in the dust of death awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting horrour and amazement Dan 12.2 Vers 10. Till Shiloh come Shiloh is by some expounded Vsque dum venturae erunt secundinae ejus id est Judae ut masculin genua in Heb. ostendit Athemate Shalab unde Shaluab Tranquillitas Unde Lat. Salvere Salvus salvare Amama Sub Augustâ— cuncta atque continua totius generis humani aus pax fuit aut pactio Flor. hist l. 4. the son of his secundines The Hebrew word implyes His son and Her son that is the son of the Virgin that came of the line of Iudah Secundines are proper to women He therefore whom Secundines alone brought forth without help of man is Christ alone the promised seed Others render Shiloh Tranquillator Salvator The Safe-maker The Peace-maker The Prosperer This Prince of Peace was born in a time of peace not long after that Pompey had subdued Iudaea to the Romane Government and reduced it into a Province Then was the Scepter newly departed from Iudah and Herod an Edomite made King of the Country And unto him shall the gathering of the people be As unto the standard-bearer Cant. 5.10 the carkase Matth. 24.28 the desire of all nations Hag. 2.7 with Heb. 12.25 Totus ipse desideria saith the Church Cant. 5.16 and When I am lifted up saith He I will draw all men after me Joh. 12.32 they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth as the hop and heliotrope do the sun Vers 11. Binding his foal unto the vine Vines shall be so plentiful that as Country-men tye their asses to briars and shrubs so shall Judah to the vines that shall grow thick every where Where Christ is set up in the power and purity of his ordinance there is usually a confluence of all inward and outward comforts and contentments He is the Cornu-copia of both to his Church and chosen Vers 12. His eyes shall be red c. Wine and milk are used to signisie plenty of spiritual blessings in heavenly things Esay 55.1 25.6 Vers 13. Act. 17. Zebulun shall dwell c. It is God that appoints us the bounds of our habitations Be content therefore and although we have not all things to our minds yet having God for our portion let us cry out with David The lines are fallen unto me in a fair place c. Zebulon is placed by the sea-side Now shore men are said to be borridi immanes latrociniâ—â— dediti omnium denique pessimi Hence the Proverb Maritimi mores And hâ—â—ce haply that rash and harsh character that Scalâ—ger gives of us Scal. de re Poet. cap. 16. Heyl. Geog. p. 468. Angli pâ—rfidi inflati feri contemptores stolidi amentes inertes inhâ—â—pitales immanes His bolt you see saith One is soon shâ—t and so you may haply guess at the quality of the Archer Be it that our Ancestors were such yet the Gospel hath civilized us at least whatever the more be Christ left Nazareth and came and dwelt at Capernaum which is upon the sea-coast in the borders of Zabulon and Napbtali Ever since which The people which sate in darkness have seen a great light c. Matth. 4.13 16. And when Gilead abode beyond Jordan and came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty Reuben was busic about his sheep Dan about his ships Asher about his breaches c. Zabulon and Naphtali are much commended Judg. 5.16 17 18. for a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field that studied and promoted the publike more then their own pirticular interests Oh it is a brave thing to be of a pablike spirit and to study Gods ends more then our own Surely if â—od saw us to be such we might have what we would and God even think himself beholden to us Shall a Heathen say Cicero Loel Non nobis solùm nati sumus c. And again Mihi non minoris curae est qualis resp post meam moâ—tem futura sit quam qualis hodiè sit And shall Christians be all for themselves looking only to their own things and not to the things of one another the common good of all â—specially S. Chrysostome upon those words 1 Cor. 10.33 Not seeking mine own profit c. saith that to seek the publike good of the Charch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to prefer the salvation of others before his own safety and commodity is the most perfect Canon of Christianity the â—â—â—ghest pitch of perfection the very toâ—-gallant of Religion And I could not but love the man saith Theodosius the Emperour concerning Ambrose who when he dyed Magis de Ecclesiarum statu quam de suis periculis angebatur was more troubled for the Churches troubles then for his own dangers This made the same good Emperour say that he knew none that deserved to be called a Bishop but Ambrose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul n. Nolan in vita Amb. He was called the walls of Italy whiles he lived As when he dyed Stilico the Earl said that his death did threaten the destruction of that whole country Vers 14. Issachar is a streng asse c. He so commends his strength that withal he condemns his dulness This Christ can so little abide that he said even to Judas That thou doest do quickly God utterly refused an asse in sacrifice The firstling of an asse must either be redeemed or have his neâ—â— broke Bellarmine gives the reason and it is a very good one quia tardum pigrum animal because it is a slow sluggish creature segnis quasi seignis without fire heavy to action which God who is himself a pure act cannot abide Vers 15. And he saw that rest was good He submitted to any burdens
conjurgium Shee was not so hot but Moses was as meek Ver. 26. A bloodie husband thou art This peal shee ring 's oft in his ears and so taught him patience Conjugium humanae divina Academia vitae Certain it is that wee are a bloodie spous to Christ the Church is Acheldama a field of blood Ver. 27. And the Lord said unto Aaron To this religious Familie rather then to anie other God appeareth which mercie is remembred 1 Sam. 2.27 Met him in the mount of God His wife either had left him or was sent back by him to her father God suppli'es that comfort by the coming of Aaron Ver. 28. And Moses told Aaron So clouds when full powr down and the spouts run and the eavs shed and the presses overflow Aromatical trees sweat out their precious oils and as Amber-greece is nothing so sweet in it self as when compounded with other things so good men are great gainers by communicating themselvs to each other Ver. 31. They bowed their heads An ordinarie gesture among the Jews then as at this day the reverence they shew is in standing up Spec. Europ and the gesture of adoration in the bowing forward of their bodies for kneeling they use none neither stir they their bonnets in their Synagogues to anie man but remain still covered CHAP. V. Ver. 1. That they may hold a Feast CHap. 4.23 That they may serv mee Let us keep the feast 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5.8 which is the same with Let us serv God acceptably Heb. 12.28 It is a Feast and better for a good soul to convers with God Psal 63.5 Isa 25.6 Ver. 2. Who is the Lord God's attributes either shew what hee is or who hee is To the question of Moses what hee is God gave a short answer I am To this second by Pharaoh Who hee is God made a large replie till Pharaoh was compelled to answer himself The Lord is righteous Ver. 3. Three daies journie viz. to mount Horeb. They made it three months journie e're they came there Exod. 13.17 18. God lead's his people oft not the nearest but the safest waie to their journies end Ver. 4. Let the people from their works Moses talk's of sacrifice Pharaoh of work Anie thing seem's due work to a carnal minde saving God's service nothing superfluous but religious duties Aug. de Civit. Dei Seneca saith the Jewes cast away a seventh part of their time upon a weekly Sabbath To what end is this loss said Judas Ver. 5. The people of the Land are manie nihil agendo malè agere discent Iphicrates never suffered his souldiers to bee out of emploiment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Polym stratag lib. 3. but if out of militarie services hee set them to dig or lop trees or carrie burdens c. to keep them from mutining or wors doing Ver. 6. And Pharaoh commanded Hee raged the more for the message of dismission so wholesom admonitions make ill men wors Corruptions encreas and biggen by the Law Rom. 7. ver 8. Ver. 7. Yee shall no more give the people straw Speculum tyrannidis semper augescentis atque invalescentis The matter mend's with us Acts and Mon. said those Martyrs in prison as sowr Ale doth in Summer Ver. 8. For they bee idle I heard a great man once say saith Luther Necesse est otiosos esse homines qui ista negotia Religionis curant They must needs bee idle fellows that are so much taken up about the business of religion See the Note on vers 4. Vers 9. And not regard vain words Vain lying words So this profane Prince calleth and counteth the word of God What 's Truth saith Pilat scoffingly Vers 10. I will not give you straw Cold comfort things commonly go backward with the Saints before they com forward as the corn groweth downward ere it grow upward Hold out faith and patience deliverance is at next dore by Cùm duplicantur lateres venit Moyses When things are at worst they 'le mend Vers 11. Yet not ought Such hard service put 's Satan his slaves to and yet they rejoice in their bondage Vers 12. So the people were scattered So are most people now-a daies busied about trash and trifles neglecting the one thing necessarie In the inthronization of the Pope before hee put 's on his criple Crown a wad of straw is set on fire before him and one appointed to saie Sic transit gloria mundi the glorie of this world is but a blaze of straw or stubble soon extinct They that highly esâ—eâ—m it rejoice in a thing of nought feed upon ashes c. Amos 7.8 9. with 13. Vers 13. And the task-masters Who were Egyptians as the officers under them were Israëlites and beaten vers 14. Vers 14. Were beaten It is the miserie of those that are trusted with autoritie that their inferiors faults are beaten upon their backs Vers 15. Came and crie'd unto Pharaoh They did not rail upon him to his face as the Janizaries did in an uproar upon Bajazet the second their Prince saying that they would by and by teach him as a drunkard Turk hist fol. 444. a beast and a rascal to use his great place and calling with more sobrietie and discretion Neither did they go behinde his back and call him as Sanders did Q. Elisabeth his natural Sovereign Lupam Anglicanam the English wolfe or as Rhiston calleth her leaenam omnes Athalias Maachas Rivetti Jesuita vapulans page 263. Jezabeles Herodiades c. superantem a lioness wors then anie Athaliah Maacha Jezabel A foul-mouthed Jesuite made this fals Anagram of her Elisabeth Jezabel T is omitted Fuller's holy State fol. 317. the presage of the gallowes whereon this Anagrammatist was afterwards justly executed Aretine by a longer custom of libelous and contumelious speaking against Princes had got such a habit that at last hee came to diminish and disesteem God himself Vers 16. But the fault is in thine own people Fffugiunt corvi vexat censura columbas As a man is friended so is his matter ended And where the hedg is low a man may lightly make large leaps Or as the French man saith Qui son chien vult tuer la rage luy met sus Hee that hath a minde to kill a dog give 's out that hee is mad It was fault enough in God's Israël that they would not bee miserable Vers 17. Yee are idle See the Note on vers 4 and 8. Vers 18. Yet shall yee deliver the tale of bricks Or bee miserably beaten if but one bee missing The Spaniards besides other intolerable burdens and bondages that they laie upon the poor Indians suppose they shew the wretches great favor when they do not Sir Fran. Drake World encompas pag. 53. for their pleasure whip them with cords and daie by daie drop their naked bodies with burning bacon Regiment without Righteousness turn's into tyrannie Vers 19. In an evil case For
For which caus also it was a received tradition among the the Jewes that during those four daies the Lamb was tied to their bed posts Ver. 4. Shall make your count seil of Communicants that the whole may bee eaten up and everie one have enough Spiritual blessings may bee divided in solidum one may have as much as another and all alike The Gentiles also are called to fruition and feeding on the Lamb. Ver. 5. Without blemish Christ that immaculate Lamb of God was hereby typified 1 Pet. 1.19 See the Note there From the sheep or from the goats A lamb to shew Christ's innocencie meekness patience profitableness Or a kid to shew that hee was a sinner 1. By Imputation for God made our sins to meet upon him Isa 53.6 2. By Reputation for hee made his grave with the wicked ver 9. Ver. 6. Vntil the fourteenth daie See the note on ver 3. In the evening Christ came in the evening of the world Heb. 1.2 in the last hour 1 Job 5. when all laie buried in darkness in the even-tide of our sin and death Ver. 7. And strike it on the two side-posts Not on the threshold Wee may not tread under foot the Son of God or count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Heb. 10.29 but get our hearts sprinkled therewith by the hysop-bunch of Faith from an evil conscience that wee may serv the living God Heb. 9.14 Ver. 8. In that night By candle-light so must wee feed upon Christ lumine supernaturali Isa 53. by his knowledg doth God's righteous servant justifie manie Rost with fire Not raw wee may not grosly conceiv of Christ nor rashly receiv him Not boiled bur rost to shew that Christ was rosted in the fire of his father's wrath sicut tostis cibariis non adhibentur alia ut in â—lixis fieri consuevit it à solum Christum debemus apprehendere fide Alsted saith an Interpreter And unleavened bread See the Note on 1. Cor. 5.7 8. And with bitter herbs To teach that looking upon Christ whom they have pierced men must bee in bitterness Zach. 12.10 and feel what an evil and bitter thing sin is Jer. 2.19 beeing readie to suffer hardship with Christ though hee should feed us to the full with bitter herbs and make us drunk with wormwood Lam. 3.15 Ver. 9. His head with his legs To let us see our need of whole Christ and our most perfect comunion with Him Ver. 10. And yee shall let nothing of it remain Wee may not presume to sin in hope of pardon Christ will not stand us for a sinning-stock Ver. 11. With your loins girt As prest and intent to the service so wee should bee at all times but especially when to depart out of the Fâ—ypt of this life and to take heaven by force Then if ever wee should hoc agere gird up the loins of our minds c. 1 Pet. 1. And yee shâ—ll â—at it in hast As not doubting of deliverance and waiting a call out of life It is the Lord's passover A sacramental expression like that of our Savior This is my bodie Mat. 26.26 see the Note there The sacraments of the old Testament were both saeraments and types but those of the New are sacraments onely Ver. 12. And will smite all the first-born This crosseth not that in Ezek. 18. The son shall not bear the iniquitie of his father for God never punisheth the innocent becaus all are guiltie before Him These Egyptians had slain Israël God's first-born And it is the observation of Theodoret that when God smote Pharaoh's first-born hee drew blood of the arm for the cure of the head which becaus it mended not thereupon came also to confusion and upon all the Gods of Egypt As hee did here upon the Popish Idols in the begining of the Reformation by detecting their vanitie and laying their honor in the dust Ver. 13. I will pass over you Or over-skip you So hee dealeth oft by his who should therefore keep a passover for our safetie Ver. 14. By an Ordinance for ever Till Christ our passover should bee sacrificed for us and then the Christian passover was to succed Ver. 15. Yee shall put away leaven All unsoundness in point of Faith and insinceritie in point of Practice See the Note on 1 Cor. 5.7 Ver. 16. An boliâ— convocation This same word in the Hebrew signifieth the holie Scriptures Nehem. 8 9. to teach us saith one that the Scriptures ought to be read in the Congregation and holie Assemblies Ver. 17. In this self-same daie Heb. In the bodie or strength of this daie so the mid-daie is called Art thou delivered helped write up the time and place Ver. 18. Vntil the ane and twentieth daiâ— As Austin said of the feast of Pentecost might these of the Passover may wee of the Powder plot Gaudet produci haec solemnitas It were well iâ— this holie-daie were a double-daie Ver. 19. No leaven found See the Note on ver 15. Shal bee cut off For a smal fault as it may seem to som but the less the matter the greater is the contempt in denying to do it Keep therefore God's commandement as the sight of thine eie Look to those minntula Legiâ— that yee may live Ver. 20. Yee shal eat nothing leavened Watch carefully against corruption in life and doctrine bee punctual in your preparation to and participation of the Christian passover Ver. 21. All the elders of Israël The masters of Families who in this Familie-service were to kill and eat and set before the rest of the houshold as priests at home and to shew them the meaning of that mysterie Ver. 22. A bunch of hysop An herb of a purging propertie See 1 Cor. 6.11 The blood that is in the bason The remembrance of Christ's bloodie passion must bee kept fresh in our hearts Strike the lintel Profess Christ crucified Tâ—m recent milâ—i nunc Christus ac si hac borâ â—â—dissâ—t sanguinem Luth. honor him by a holie conversation minde him in your out-goings and in comings None of you shal go out Bee not of those that withdraw to perdition but of them that believ to the salvation of the soul Heb. 10.39 Mingle no more with the Egyptians Ver. 23. Will not suffer the destroier Angels delight to bee executioners of God's judgments and Saviors of his people Ver. 24. For ever See the Note on ver 15. Ver. 25. Yee shal keep this service yet with som variation of circumstance Ver. 26. When your children Children are to bee carefully catechised and informed Eph. 6.4 See the note there Luther scorned not to profess himself discipulum Catechismi a Catechism Scholar Ver. 27. Bowed the head In token of submission to the command and thank fulness for such a salvation Ver. 28. Went away and did c. They that will not timously obeie God's sweet precepts shal one daie have no other command to obeie but that bitter Ite maledicti Go
Moses Aaron and Hur went up into the Mount where Moses's hands are thus supported while Amalek is discomfited and that Moses the Prophet Hur the Prince and Aaron the Priest all put together were a type of Christ who on the fourtieth daie after his Resurrection asscended into the Mount of Heaven where as our Prophet Priest and Prince hee hold's up the hands of his Intercession for his Church Militant whiles shee fight 's with spiritual Amalek Sin Satan Antichrist World Flesh c. Ver. 13. And Joshua discomfited How should hee do otherwise when hee fought with such weapons Praiers are the bombardae instrumenta bellica Christianorum saith Luther The great guns and warlike weapons of the Saints The Romans in a great distress were driven to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods and overcame The Parliament souldiers at Edg-hill-battle falling on with courage and crying out Now for the fruit of praier Now for the fruit of praier prevailed mightily slaying near ten to one c. Ver. 14. In a book Or in the book that thou art now in writing viz. the Pentateuch the most antient book that is extant I will utterly put out c. The portion of wicked men is to bee forgotten in the citie where they had so don Eccles 8.10 their memorie die's with them or if it bee preserved it stink's in keeping and remain's as a curs and perpetual disgrace Ver. 15. And Moses built an Altar As a lasting monument of God's great Mercie in that first victorie The Romans had a custom that the Conqueror in his triumphant chariot rode to the Capitol and offered a white ox to Jupiter Liv lib 6. Decad 3. Ver. 16. Becaus the Lord c. Heb. The hand upon the throne of the Lord. God's hand is laid upon his own throne as swearing to root out Amalek Or Amalek's hand is lifted up against God's throne that is the Church called God's throne of glorie Jer. 4.21 and crown of glorie Isa 62.3 therefore hee will have perpetual war with him Tua caussa erit mea caussa said the Emperor Charls the Fifth to Julius Pflugius who beeing his Agent had received wrong by the Duke of Saxonie so saith God to all that belong to him CHAP. XVIII Ver. 1. Heard of all ANd thereby was converted saie the Rabbins beeing the first Proselyte to the Jewish Church that wee read of in in Scripture Ver. 2. After hee had sent her back Becaus shee was troublesom with her peevishness and a hinderance to the good work in hand Chap. 4.25 26. Sylla felix fuisset ni uxorem duxisset Adrianus ni imperitâsset Moses both Ver. 3. In a strange land See the Note on Chap. 2.22 Ver. 4. Eliezer Or Lazarus Wee should write God's mercies upon the names of our children or som other waies perpetuate the memorie of them Ver. 5. At the Mount of God Horeb whither they were removed from Rephidim though the remove bee not mentioned Ver. 6. And hee said That is sent him word so God's messages to us are to bee received as his own immediate words Hee that heareth you heareth mee Ver. 7. And did obeisance Sr. Thomas More Lord Chancellor would in Westminster-hall beg his Father's blessing on his knees Ver. 8. All that the Lord bath don It is not enough to relate God's mercies to us in the lump and by whole sale but wee must instance the particulars both to God and men That had com upon them Heb. Had found them yet not without a providence Job 5.6 God cut 's us out our several conditions it is his hand that finde's us when wee suffer ought Ver. 9. And Jethro rejoiced So must all Sion's sons Isa 66.10 Ver. 10. And Jethro said c. Cheerfulness make's thankfulness Luke 1.46 Jam. 5.13 Ver. 11. Now I know See the Note on Ver. 1. So the people knew that Jehovah was God 1 King 18.37 See 2 Cro. 33.13 Hee was above them God sit's in the heavens Psal 2.4 where hee see 's that their daie is coming Psal 37.16 and mean while scorneth these scorners Prov. 3. Fright's them as hee did those Syrians 2 King 7.6 Over-aw's them as hee did Laban Divert's them as hee did Saul Senacherib c. or otherwise defeat's them as hee did Benhadad disclosing their counsels blasting their designs c. Ver. 12. Before God i.e. as in his presence with reverence and godlie fear To feed without fear is a foul fault Jude 12. See my Common-place of Abstinence Ver. 13. And the people stood by Moses Beeing haply as the French are said to bee verie litigious and thereunto abuting Moses's lenitie whereas had they been soundly whipped as among Mahumetans they are that go to law for light â—â—attâ—rs there would have been but few and short suits amongst them Sure it is that if men's hearts were not bigger then their suits there would not bee half so manie Ver. 14. What is this thing A man by good counsel may becom an Angel nay a God to another Alexander beeing requested by som Embassadors to shew them his treasures shewed them his faithful Counsellors Ver. 15. To enquire of God For a divine sentence is in the mouth of the Judg therefore also the place of Judicature is called the holie place Eccles 8.10 Let those that go to law inquire of God and rest in his will Ver. 16. When they have a matter In our ordinarie suits there is for the most part more malice then matter The late Judg Dier if there came anie such trilling controversies to bee tried before him would usually saie That either the parties are wilful or their neighbors without charitie becaus their suits were not quietly compromised Ver. 17. Is not good Wee commonly saie Hee that receiv's a curtesie sell's his libertie But so did not Jethro Ver. 18. Thou wilt surely wear away Heb. Fading thou wilt fade as a leaf that wanteth moisture Melanchthon was wont to saie that none labored so hard as Travelling women Magistrates and Ministers Politici Ecclesiastici labores maximi sunt saith Luther Atterunt enim corpus tanquam ex imis medullis exhauriunt succum Ver. 19. I will give thee counsel A Midianite counsel's Moses God hereby teacheth him humilitie Ver. 21. Out of all the people Magistrates must bee drained from the dregs sifted from the bran of the ordinarie sort of people Able men Able and active strong and stout-hearted wealthie also and well underlaied See Jethro's Justice of Peace in a Sermon by Mr. Sam. Ward Ver. 22. So shall it bee easier c. How thankless is their labor that do wilfully over-spend themselvs in their ordinarie vocations Ver. 23. To their place To the promised land Or to their own homes well apaid and with good content Ver. 24. So Moses hearkned Of a meek man it is said that a childe shall lead him Isa 11.6 how much more so grave a counsellor as Jethro Dio. in Augusto Augustus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was
made by a live and a slain goat Upon the live goat called the scape-goat were put the offenses of the Children of Israël and the goat thus Cerimonially laden was let go into the wilderness the other goat was set apart for a whole-burnt-offering The former Cerimonie signified that the Son of God came down from heaven into the wilderness of this world that hee might take away the sins of the world The later shadowed out the blood of Christ which alone cleanseth us from all sin 10. The seventh-year-seventh-year-Sabbath had both an Ecclesiastical and a Civil use For 1. it did set forth and commend to the people the spiritual Sabbath which begineth in the expiation wrought by Christ 2. It distinguished this Nation from others 3. It exercised the people in confidence of God's Providence 4. It much conduced to the fruitfulness of the fields which if exhausted with continual tillage would have grown barren and so an evil report would have passed of the holie Land 11. The years of Jubilee had their Ecclesiastical Political and Chronological use For 1. they signified the Jubilee of Grace and Glorie both which Christ doth both proclaim and confer upon his people 2. They were a great help to the poor 3. They preserved the distinction of Tribes 4. They served to distinguish the times thence forth from the division of the Land in the year of the World 2050 to the destruction of Jerusalem 5. They figured the Rest that the Land should have by the just judgments of God for the sins of the people SECT V. Treating of Holie Things HOlie Things were either Common as Oil or Proper and these again were either Principal or less Principal The Principal things were Sacrifices the requisites whereof were three viz. fire salt and fat the kindes of Sacrifices were six viz. 1. A whole-burnt-offering 2. An Oblation or Meat-offering 3. A Peace-offering 4. A Sacrifice for sin of Ignorance or Error 5. A Sacrifice for wilful wickedness 6. A Sacrifice of Consecration The less principal things perteined either to all in general as First-fruits tenths vows c Or to the Priest peculiarly as Incens Holie-water Trumpets The application of these is thus 1. Oil is said to bee a most holie thing becaus use was made of it in the consecration of the Tabernacles Priests and People It sigured out the oil of Gladness that is the gifts of the Holie Ghost which Christ received without measure and after that by him all the parts of the Church both Pastors and all Christians for all and onely such are annointed with the Oil of Gladness Now this Oil was so made up of most pretious things and the confection thereof by none to bee imitated as might best set forth that reprobates are not consecrated with the annointing of God's children 2. The sire that came down from heaven and was to bee continually kept alive signified four things 1. The fire of God's wrath kindled and kept in by our sins 2. The fire of God's favor whereby our sins are consumed in Christ 3. The fire of the Holie Spirit 's operation upon all believers but especially upon the Apostles and their successors 4. Lastly the fire of tribulation which causseth us to asspire towards heaven 3. The Salt of the Covenant was a symbol of incorruption that is of perpetual continuance in the Covenant of God And so it signified that everie faithful Christian is so confirmed in the Covenant of God by Faith that by the salt of affliction hee is preserved against temptations and assaults of all sorts 4. The Fat of the Sacrifices was holie to God alone and hereby was signified that wee ought to consecrate our choicest things to God that so wee may obtein the fatness and sweetness both of Grace and Glorie laid up for us in Christ 5. A Rite common to all Sacrifices offered up of living creatures was the sprinkling of the blood by the Priest upon the Altar Hereby was signified the blood of Christ who is both our Priest Altar and Sacrifice Those great drops of his blood I saie are hereby signified wherewith believer's hearts which also are so manie altars are sprinkled 6. The whole-burnt-Sacrifice was an Offering whereby the Sacrificer testified that hee gave himself up wholly to Christ and that hee believed that Christ was his with all his benefits as also that hee was all of a light flame with the fire of Charitie 7. In the Meat-offering it was not lawful to offer leaven or anie thing that leaveneth as honie whereby was signified that corruption both in Doctrine Life and Discipline is to hee put far away if wee would offer up our selves to God 8. In Peace-offerings leavened bread also was made use of that together with our chearful praising of God wee may remember our afflictions the propertie whereof is to leaven the heart Psalm 73.21 9. The Waving of som part of the Sacrifice in Meat-offerings and Peace-offerings signified the continual motion of our lips in Praiers and Praises 10. The Sacrifice for Errors and infirmities signified that all our sins are mortal and cannot bee pardoned but through Christ alone 11. The Sacrifice of Consecration shewed the difference between the Levitical Priests and Christ viz. that they had need to offer for their own sins but hee for the sins of his people onely And these are the Cerimonial Sacrifices all which signified the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifices of Christians such as are all their Moral works proceeding from Faith viz. a contrite Spirit Alms Praier c. And lastly that offering up of the Gentiles mentioned by the Apostle Rom. 15.16 Furthermore in all Sacrifices clean things onely were to bee offered whereby was signified the puritie of Christ and of all his members Like as the offering of Doves signified that dove-like simplicitie of Christ and his people which simplicitie proceedeth from the Holie Ghost who is also represented by the Dove 12. First-fruits were holie to God and thereby all a man's substance also was made holie This signified 1. that the holiness of Christ was the holiness of the whole Chruch 2. That the children of believing parents are holie 13. Tithes by Divine Cerimonial right belonged to the Priests for their maintenance but by Moral right they were holie to God who by this means required to bee acknowledged the owner and giver of all good things In the New Testament Tithes though they bee not of necessitie yet are they of perpetual equitie as to the maintenance of the Ministerie 14. The tenth of the Tithes which the Levites out of their Tithes offered to the High-priest signified the Prerogative of Christ in whom wee are all tithed 15. The Cerimonial Vow and the Redemption thereof was part of the Worship of God yet without opinion of Satisfaction and Merit this then make's nothing at all for those that now adaies impose upon the people laws of Vows and Redemption of Vows with an opinion of Necessitie Satisfaction and Merit Vows are a
When hee goeth in before the Lord sc to consult with God who answered the Priest by voice Num. 7.89 Ver. 31. The robe of the ephod Which signified the roial robe of Christ's righteousness reaching down to the feet large enough to cover all our imperfections Ver. 32. That it bee not rent To shew that there should bee no rents or schisms in the Church 1 Cor. 1.10 13.1 Tim. 1.3 Ver. 34. A golden bell and a pomegranate Shadowing out 1. The Prophetical office of Christ here and his perpetual intercession in heaven 2. The dutie of Ministers which is Vivere concionibus concionari moribus to live sermons to bee fruitful as well as painful teachers Not like him of whom it was said that when hee was out of the pulpit it was pitie hee should ever go into it and when hee was in the pulpit it was pitie hee should ever com out of it Ver. 35. And his sound shall bee heard Necesse erat ut Pontifex totus vocalis ingrederetur sanctuarium nè fortè non audito sonitu morte lueret silentium A dumb dog is a childe of death Isa 56.10 Ministers must bee both able and apt to teach upon all occasions Ver. 36. Holiness to the Lord Hence it was not lawful for the High-priest saie the Jews to put off his bonnet to whomsoever hee met were hee never so great a man lest the Name and Glorie of God whose person hee susteined should seem to submit to anie man Ver. 37. Vpon the mitre Which had an holie crown with it Chap. 29.6 signifying the Deïtie and Dignitie of Christ Ver. 38. The iniquitie of the holie things Get the people's pardon This Christ did indeed for all his 1 John 2.1 2. Ver. 39. Embroider the coat Rev. 1.13 Christ is clothed with such a robe as King and Counsellor of his Church Ver. 40. Coats Linnen garments for innocencie 2. Girdles for constancie and stabilitie 3. Bonnets for safetie from the rage of Satan and his instruments 4. Breeches for comlie reverence in God's service CHAP. XXVI Ver. 1. Take one young bullock ALL sorts of Sacrifices Sin-offerings Burnt-offerings Peace-offerings were to bee offered for the Priests becaus of the special holiness and honor of their calling Ver. 2. And unleavened bread See 1 Cor. 5.7 8. with the Notes there Ver. 4. Wash them with water A type of Christ's Baptism Matth. 3. Ver. 6. The holie crown See the Note on Chap. 28.37 Ver. 7. The annointing oil Typing out that abundance of the holie Spirit powred upon Christ Isa 61.1 and upon Christians 1 John 2.27 Psalm 133.2 Ver. 8. Coats c. See the Note on Chap. 28.40 Ver. 9. Consecrate Heb. Fill their hands se with sacrifices they were not to fill their own hands as Jeroboam's Priests did 1 King 13.31 See Heb. 5.5 Ver. 10. Shall put their hands As transferring the guilt of their sins upon Christ Isa 53.6 Ver. 11. By the door Pointing to Christ the door into heaven Heb. 10.20 Ver. 12. The blood of the bullock For without blood there was no remission of sin Beside the bottom of the Altar To signifie the plenteous Redemption wrought by Christ Ver. 13. All the fat that covereth God must have the verie best of the best sith Christ offered himself and the best parts hee had Ver. 14. Without the camp See the Note on Heb. 13.12 and on Heb. 7.27 28. Ver. 15. Thou shalt also take After the Sin-offering other offerings till sin bee expiated no service is accepted Ver. 16. Sprinkle it See 1 Pet. 1.2 Ver. 17. Wash the inwards of him This signified that intire holiness that through sanctification 1 Thes 5.23 Ver. 18. The whole ram Rom. 1.1 with the Note Ver. 19. Put their hands Both their hands between the horns of the ram Ver. 20. Vpon the tip of the right ear To set forth the holie obedience required of them in all their senses actions and motions Iohn 13.5 6 9. Ver. 21. Of the blood and of the annointing oil Signifying Christ's Merit and Spirit Ver. 22. A ram of the consecration A Thank-offering to God for advancing Aaron to the Priest-hood See the like in S. Paul 1 Tim. 1.12 Ver. 23. Vnleavened bread See 1 Cor. 5 7 8. with the Notes there Ver. 24. And shalt wave them As acknowledging God's Omnipresence and that manie should com from East West North and South to partake of the Merits Benefits of Christ our true sacrifice Ver. 25. It is an offering made by fire Christ in like sort having offered himself for a Burnt-offering for a sweet savor before the Lord asscended up into heaven and gave gifts unto men Ver. 26. It shall bee thy part Becaus hee did for this time extraordinarily execute the Priest's office Ver. 27. The breast of the Wave-offering and shoulder To teach the Priests to serv the Lord with all their hearts and with all their strength Ver. 28. A Heav-offering Signifying the heaving of Christ upon the Cross and the heaving up of our hearts to God for so great benefits Ver. 29. Shall bee his sons after him His garments remained for ever so doth the robe of Christ's righteousness Isa 61.10 Ver. 30. And that son There were garments but for one there is but one Mediator the Man Christ Jesus Ver. 31. And thou shalt take the ram i. e. The remnant of him Ver. 33. And they shall eat those things Applie Christ's death by faith to their own souls John 6.51 Ver. 34. Thou shalt burn the remainder The Thank-offering was not to bee kept till the morrow to teach us to bee prompt and present in praising God and applying Christ Ver. 35. Seven daies To teach the Priest's to consecrate their whole lives to God's service Ver. 36. Cleans the Altar Which as well as the creatures may bee defiled by man's sin Lev. 16.16 Ver. 37. Whatsoever toucheth the Altar See Matth. 23.19 with the Note there Ver. 38. Daie by daie continually When this dailie sacrifice was intermitted as in the daies of Antiochus that little Anti-Christ they counted it an abomination of desolation Ver. 39. Thou shalt offer in the morning These two lambs were types of the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world with a commemoration of whose benefits the daie was begun and ended Wherefore also from David's daies and forwards they sang the 22 Psalm at the Morning Sacrifice and the 136 Psalm at the Evening Ver. 45. And I will dwell See the Note on 2 Cor. 6.16 CHAP. XXX Ver. I. An Altar to burn incens in SHadowing Christ as perfuming and presenting the Praiers of Saints Rev. 8.3 and 5.8 and obteining answer thereto from the four horns of the golden Altar Rev. 9.13 Ver. 2. A cubit shall bee the length That in Ezekiel Chap. 41.22 is much larger as setting forth the service of God under the Gospel Ver. 3. Overlaie it with pure gold Shadowing Christ's Deïtie yielding glorie to his humanitie A crown of gold round about To shew that Devotion
the Lord See the Note on vers 8. Vers 22. We will send men before us Thus empty man will be wiser then God Iob 11.12 though Man be born like a wild asse-colt It was unbelief that prompted them to this practice for they could not enter because of unbelief Carnall policy serves the worldling as the Ostrich wings to make him outrun others upon earth but helps him never a whit towards Heaven Vers 23. Pleased we well Seeing you were set upon it and it would be no better Vers 25. And brought us word again Ioshua and Caleb did for the rest are not here reckoned of God counts of men by the goodness that is in them Vers 27. Because the Lord hated us A gross mistake Why should it then so greatly grieve us that our good intentions are so much misconstrued That is here complain'd of as an argument of Gods hatred that he intended for an instance of his love Deut. 4.37 7.8 In quo dilexistinos Mal. 1.2 wherein hast thou loved us said those Male-contents in Malachy that cast the helve after the hatchet as the proverb is and like children because they might not have what they would grew sullen and would have nothing Vers 31. As a man doth bear his son Charily and tenderly as his own bowels not hating them as they desperately belyed the Lord vers 27. For if a man finde his enemy will he let him go well away 1 Sam. 24.19 Will he accommodate him as God did these murmurers Never was any Prince served in such state as they were Vers 32. Ye did not believe Sic surdo plerunque fabulam there was none within to make answer Who hath believed our report c We cannot get men to credit us Vers 37. The Lord was angry with me The Saints afflictions proceed oft from love displeased from love offended Fury is not in God Isai 27. Vers 41. We have sinned we will go up Temporaries are set upon sin in the very confession therof Unless to the confession of sin we add confusion of sin we do nothing Prov. 28.13 Yet honour me before the people said Saul Give me a bribe said trembling Felix CHAP. II. Vers 1. THen we turned viz. When we had bought our wit and had paid for our learning by our late discomfiture Vers 3. Turn you North-ward Thus God word was their directour unto all places and in all actions In which respect these historics of holy Scripture excell all humane histories in the world as is well observed That which they tell us of their Dea vibilia guiding passengers c. is a meer fiction Vers 4. Which dwell in Seir To distinguish them from the Amalekites Esaus seed too but devoted to destruction And they shall be afraid of you Though worse afraid then hurt Hic rogo non furor est ne moriare mori We read of some Iewes that at the sack of Ierusalem killed themselves lest they should be taken by the enemy Vers 5. Because I have given mount Seir Thus the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance Deut. 32.8 And a man must needs have some right to his inheritance to his portion Psal 17.14 What Ananias had Act. 5. was his own whilest he had it as Peter tells him yet Satan had filled his heart It is therefore a rigour to say the wicked are usurpers of what they have and shall be called to account for it When the King gives a traitour his life he gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life That Duke D' Alva is worthily taxed for a tyrant that starved his prisoners even after quarter saying though he promised to give them their lives he did not promise to finde them meat Grimston hist of Netherlands Wicked men have both a civile title to that they have and a title before God who will call them to account indeed at last day not for possessing what they had but for abusing that possession Vers 6. Buy meat of them for money Money answereth all things saith Solomon Eccles 10.19 Money is the monarch of the world saith another and heares most mastery But that covetous Chaliph of Babylon taken by Haalon brother to Mango the great Cham of Tartary Turk hist fol. 113. and commanded to eat his fill of that great wealth that he had heaped up together found ere he dyed that one mouthfull of meat was more worth then a whole housefull of money Vers 7. For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee viz. With money to fetch thee in other commodities It is the blessing of God when all 's done that maketh rich without this men do but labour in the fire labour all night and take nothing trouble themselves to no purpose all their endeavours are but Arena sine calce sand without lime they will not hold together but like untempered morter fall asunder there being a curse upon unlawfull practices though men be never so industrious as you may see in Iehoâ—achiâ— Ier. 22. Vers 9. Because I have given Ar The royall city set upon an hill Num. 21.15 28. God as liberall Lord gives not some small cottage or annuity for life to his elder servants great men use to do but bountifully provides for them and theirs to many generations Who would not serve thee then O King of nations Vers 10. Many and tall are the Anakims And if God cast out those Emims or terrible-ones before the Moabites will he not much more cast out these Anakims before the Israelites Nihil unquam ei negasse credendum est Hieronym quem ad vituli hortatur esum Vers 12. As Israel did unto the land This and some other parcels scattered here and there seem to have been added to Moses his words whether by Ioshua or Ezra or some other Prophet it much matters not after the conquest of the land of Canaan Vers 19. Because I have given it See the Note on vers 5. Vers 20. Zamzummims 1. Big and boisterous bearing down all before them presumptuous wicked ones they were and yet they called themselves Rephaims that is Phisitians or preservers such indeed rulers ought to be Isai 3.7 The Greeks therefore call a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 medela Cornel. a Lapid in Isai 3.7 because he is to be ligator vulnerum chirurgus Reip. medicus the common-wealths Surgeon and Physitian But such were not these Zamzummims more then in name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As he said of his bow thy name is life but thy use is present death Vers 23. And the Avims which dwelt in Hazeroth These are ancient things as it is said in another case 1 Chron. 4.22 such as whereof there is no record but this extant in the world Well might that Egyptian Priest say to Solon that wise man of Greece You Greeks are very babyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diod. Sic. neither is there an ancient writer amongst you Vers 26. With words
suo palpet quisque sibi Satan est saith a Father _____ which the Lord thy God hath divided And shall we fight against God as Jehn did against Jehoram with his own servants nay with those things which he hath given us for common servants to us all Vers 20. But the Lord Deliverance commands obedience Servati sumus ut serviamus Vers 21. And sware that I should not So that you have a priviledg above me only beware how you provoke him as I did thorow unbelief Vers 22. But I must dye This was a sore affliction to this good man and is therefore so often mentioned Plut. Cato Major also dyed three years before the destruction of Carthage which he had so vehemently urged and would so gladly have out-lived Vers 24. For the Lord thy God And should therefore be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving Heb. 12.28 29. Vers 25. And shalt have remained long So that thou thinkest there is no removing thee thou art so rooted and rivetted Nicephorus Phocas having built a mighty wall heard from heaven Though thou build as high as heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin is within all will be lost Vers 28. And there ye shall serve gods As ye have made a match with mischief so ye shall have enough of it Ephraim is joyned to Idols c. See Act. 7.42 Vers 29. But if from thence Sweet and soure make the best sauce Promises and menaces mixt soonest operate upon the heart The Sun of righteousness loves not to set in a cloud nor the God of consolation to leave his children comfortlesse Vers 30. Even in the latter dayes This is by some understood of the Messias his dayes which are the latter times of the world as Hos 3.5 1 Cor. 10.11 and they believe that here is pointed at the great and last conversion of the Jews Vers 32. For ask now of the dayes Historiae sunt fidae monitrices great good use is to be made of history this holy history especially whereof every word is pure pretious and profitable Vers 37. Therefore he chose He chose for his love and then loved for his choyce After Gods example deligas quem diligas Vers 39. Empedocles That the Lord he is God in heaven A Philosopher could say that God is a Circle whose Center is every where whose circumference is no where ubi est Deus quid dixi miser sed ubi non est Where is God or rather where is not God He is higher then heaven lower then hell broader then the sea longer then the earth Nusquam est ubique est quia nec abest ulli Bernard nec ullo capitur loco He is no where and yet every where far from no place and yet no contained in any place Vers 40. That thou mayst prolong thy dayes Hence some Lutherans have gathered that God hath not determined the set period of mans dayes Heming alii but that it is in mens power to lengthen or shorten them But this is against Job 7.1 14.14 Eccles 2.3 Isa 38.5 15. Stat sua cuique dies Our haires are numbred much more our dayes Vers 42. That the slayer See the Note on Numb 35.9 10 c. Vers 44. And this is the law That is this that followeth in the next chapter whereunto these verses serve for a preface CHAP. V. Vers 1. ANd keep and do them The difference between Divinity and other Sciences is that it is not enough to learn but we must keep and do it as lessons of Musick must be practised and a copy not read only but acted Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour untill the evening Psal 104.23 He must arise from the bed of sin and go forth out of himself as out of his house to his work and to his labour working out his salvation with fear and trembling until the evening till the Sun of his life be set Vers 2. God made a Covenant with us We also have the Covenant the seals Ministers c. But alass are not these blessings amongst us as the Ark was among the Philistims rather as prisoners then as priviledges rather in testimonium ruinam quà m salutem Vers 3. With our fathers i. e. With our fathers only Or if it be understood of all the foregoing Patriarches then it is to be expounded by Gal. 3.17 Vers 4. Face to face i. e. Openly and immediately by himself and not by a messenger or mediatour Prosper's conceit was that the Israelites were called Judaei because they received jus Dei Vers 5. I stood between the Lord Sc. after the decalogue delivered by God himself out of the fire For of that he might say as once Joseph did to his brethren Behold your eyes see that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you Gen. 45.12 And as Paul did to Philemon vers 19. I Paul c. so I the Lord have written it with mine hand I will require it Vers 6. I am the Lord c. See the Notes on Exod. 20. It is well observed by a Reverend Writer Mr. Ley his Pattern of Piety that the two tables of the Law are in their object answerable to the two natures of Christ For God is the object of the one man of the other And as they meet together in the person of Christ so must they be united in the affections of a Christian Vers 12. Keep the Sabbath-day In this repetition of the law some things are transposed and some words changed Happly to confute that superstitious opinion of the Iewes who were ready to dreame of miraculous mysteries in every letter Vers 15. And remember that thou It being a figure of our redemption by Christ and so a fit subject for Sabbath-meditations Vers 18. Neither shalt thou commit Or And thou shalt not commit c. and so in the following laws to teach us that the law is but one copulative as the Schooles speak Lex tota est un◠copulatioa For the sanction indeed it is disjunctive but for the injunction it is copulative The sanction is either do this or dye but the injunction is not either do this or that but do this and that too See Mat. 23.2.3 Ezek. 18.10 11 13. Iam. 2.10 Do every thing as well as any thing to leave one sin and not another is with Benhadad to recover of one disease and to dye of another Vers 22. These words the Lord spake If humane laws are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the invention of the gods as Demosthenes calls them how much rather this perfect law of God that needs no alteration or addition Vers 23. Even all the heads of your tribes These are called all Israel vers 1. as being their representatives Vers 25. Why should we dye But why should they fear to dye sith they had seen that day that God doth talk with man and he liveth It is answered that they looked upon their present
the furnace Dan. 3.25 was a miracle so it is that men so favoured love not God Vers 2. And which have not seen Segniùs irritant animos demissa per aures Horat. Quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus He speaks unto them as to eye-witnesses and those that have such evidence and self-experience are usually more affected then those that have things by hear-say only Mine eye affects my heart Lam 3.51 Vers 4. Hath destroyed them unto this day i. e. Hath so destroyed and dismaid them that to this day we hear no more of them As the Romanes so quailed and quelled King Aitalus that he made a law that none of his successours should make war with that State for ever Vers 5. And what he did unto you A Diary should be diligently kept of what God does for us Psal 102.18 for the help of our slippery memories and the firing up of our dull hearts to a contention in godliness Vers 9. And that ye may prolong See the Note on Chap. 4.40 Vers 10. And wateredst it with thy foot Fetching and carrying water called therefore the water of their feet as our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because maintained with the labour of our hands Vers 11. And drinketh water of the rain of heaven God crowning the year with his goodness and his pathes dropping fatness Psal â—5 10 11 12. In the Hebrew it is thy chariot-wheel-tracks for the clouds are Gods chariots Psal 104.3 in which water is bound Job 26.8 How they are upheld and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder The Egyptians used in a prophane mockery to tell other nations that if God should forget to rain they might chance to starve for it they thought the rain was of God but not their river Nilus See Ezek. 29.3 9. Isai 19.5 6. Vers 12. Which the Lord thy God careth for Deus sic curat universa quasi singula sic singula quasi sola Aug. From the beginning of the year How easie were it for God to starve us all by denying us a harvest or two Vers 13. And it shall come to passe This passage of Scripture following the Jews read daily in their families as Maimonides reporteth Vers 14. That I will give you the rain Rain God gives to all by a providence Act. 14.17 Job 38.26 but to his Israel by vertue of a promise whereby the might live not as by bread only but as by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God Vers 16. That your heart be not deceived Having first deceived it self for the heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17.9 c. and may say to many as the heart of Apollonius the Tyrant seemed to say to him who dreamed one night that he was fleaed by the Scythians and boyled in a Caldron and that his heart spake to him out of the kettle and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. It is I that have drawn thee to all this Those in hell cry so Vers 17. And he shut up the heaven The keys of heaven of the heart of the womb and of the grave God keeps and carries under his own girdle as we may say Vers 18. In your heart Yea upon your heart Esay 47.7 57.11 so as they may sink thereinto Luk. 9.44 as the best balm cast into water sinks to the bottom Vers 19. Teach them your children See the Note on Chap. 6.7 Vers 21. As the dayes of heaven i. e. As long as the world standeth Hence haply we may conceive hope of the repentance of the Jews and their re-establishment in this promised land Vers 26. A blessing and a curse With the way to either that if ye miscarry ye may have none to blame but your selves For oft it falls out that whereas the foolishness of man perverteth his way his heart fretteth against the Lord Prov. 19.3 Vers 29. Put the blessing upon Mount Gerizim That is pronounce it there See Josh 8.33 Hence the Samaritans built their Temple on this mount as a blessed place and there worshiped they knew not what Joh. 4.20 22. calling themselves Those that belong to the blessed Mount CHAP. XII Vers 1. THese are the Statutes Here Moses begins to comment upon the second Commandement of the law See the Note on Chap. 6.1 Vers 2. Ye shall vtterly destroy This clause of this law is judiciall peculiar onely to the Jewes saith a grave Interpreter as being cheifly intended to prevent their worshipping God in any other place then that one that he had appointed to which we in the dayes of the Gospell are not tied See Vers 5 6. It was a temporary Ordinance saith another and a part of Moses politie now abrogate Vers 3 And you shall hew downe As was here done notably in King Edward the sixths dayes notwithstanding the withstandings of the rude rabble Life of Edw. 6. by Sir Joh. Heyw. which more regarded commotioners then Commissioners and were more guided by rage then by right c. So that as one Master Body a Commissioner was pulling down images in Cornwall he was suddenly stabbed into the body by a Priest with a knife Vers 4. Ye shall not do so As wicked Ahaz did 2 Chron. 27.24 by the advice and help of Vriah that turn-coat 2 King 16. who had once passed for a faithful witness Isai 7.2 but afterwards proved a factour for the Devil Vers 5. And thither shalt thou come In token of an holy communion with God Vers 6 Heave-offerings of your hand For none might appear empty-handed before the Lord. Vers 7. And there ye shall eat before the Lord Loe this ye shall have of Gods hand as a recompence of all your charge and pains ye shall feast before him with joy This made those good souls go bodily on from strength to strength though they took many a weary step yet their comfort was that they should every one of them in Zion appear before the Lord Psal 84.7 This was the sweet-meats of that feast other dainty dishes there might be but this was the banquet Vers 9. For ye are not as yet come to the rest No more are any of us indeed till we come to that rest which remaineth for the people of God Heb. 4.3 8 9 10. The Ark was transportative till setled in Solomons temple so till we come to heaven are we in continual unrest Vers 10. So that ye dwell in safety Having peace both external and internl of country and of conscience Regionis Religionis Vers 12. And ye shall rejoyce No one duty is more pressed in both the Testaments then this of rejoycing in the Lord alwaies but specially in his immediate services And the contrary is complained of Mal. 2.13 and sorely threatned Deut. 28.47 Vers 14. But in the place This taught them unity and uniformity in divine worship as also that there was but one only way to obtain pardon of their sin
away well mounted till overtaken by hue and cry he is apprehended sentenced and executed Your sin will find you out as a blood-hound et patientia Dei erga impios quò diuturnior Hioron in Jerem. eò minacior Morae dispendium foenoris duplo pensatur the longer God forbeareth the heavier he punisheth Vers 35. To me belongeth vengeance and recompence The Hebrew word for vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies comfort also for God will be comforted in the execution of his wrath Ezek. 5.13 See the Note on Chap. 28.63 He shew such severity sometimes as if he had blotted that out of his title Exod. 34.6 and now took up that Emperours Motto Fiat justitia pereat mundus Their foot shall slide in due time They are set in slippery places Psal 73.18 they ever walk as upon a mine of gun powder ready to be blown up Nemo crimen gerit in Pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo Nemesis dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods wrath is such as none can avert or avoid Vers 36. And repent himself for his servants Thus God mingleth and allayeth the rigour of his justice with the vigour of his mercy Vers 37. And he shall say i. e. He shall upbraid them with the inability of their idols to do for them Vers 39. I even I am he I is emphatical and exclusive Vers 41. If I whet my glittering sword God first whets before he smites and first takes hold on judgement before his judgments take hold on men Est piger ad poenas ad proemia velox See the like Psal 7.12 God was but six dayes in making the whole world yet was he seven dayes in destroying that one city of Iericho as Chrysostome observeth Fury is not in me Esay 27.4 As a bee stings not till provoked so God punisheth not till there be no other remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 Vers 43. Rejoyce O ye Nations Give God the glory of his just severity which is no less commendable in a Judge then seasonable clemency Vers 47. For it is not a vain thing Gods favour is no empty favour it is not like the Winter-Sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little comfort and heat CHAP. XXXIII Vers 1. BEfore his death The words of dying men are living oracles they should therefore be pious and ponderous Vers 2. Went a fiery law for them This fire wherein the law was given and shall be required is still in it and will never out hence are those terrours which it slasheth in every conscience that hath felt remorse of sin Every mans heart is a Sinai and resembles to him both heaven and hell The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law Vers 3. Yea he loved the people With a general love with a common Philanthropie But the love of God in Christ is that we must all labour after such a love as doth better for a man then restore him to sight or raise him when bowed down Psal 146.8 Are in thy hand And so in a safe hand Ioh. 10.29 And they sate down at thy feet As attentive and tractable Disciples See Act. 22.3 Luk. 10.39 2 King 2.5 Knowest thou not that the Lord will take thy master from thy head A phrase taken from their manner of sitting at the feet of their Teachers Vers 4. Moses commanded us a law These are the words of those Saints above-mentioned expressing their good affection to the law and to Moses by whose mediation they received it Even the inheritance For perpetual use to us and our posterity Indeed the law lyes not upon the righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.9 nor urgeth them as it doth upon the wicked To those the law is as chains and shackles to those as girdles and garters which gird up their loyns and expedite their course the better It confines them to live in that element where they would live as if one should be confined to paradise where he would be though there were no such law Vers 5. And he was King in Jesharu◠An herrick King raigning by vertue and justice only not by force and violence One that said not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This I can do but This is fit for me to do When the heads of the people and the tribes Here was a government made up of King Lords and Commons The best of governments doubtless so that the boam be kept right betwixt Soveraignty and subjection The contention now again flagrant in England between Prince and people about command and obedience ceased not till the Magna Charta first obtained of King John after of his son Henry 3. though observed truly of neither was in the maturity of a judicial Prince Edward the first freely ratified after fourscore years Vers 6. Let Reuben live and not dye Let him have a nail and a name in Gods house notwithstanding the hainousness of his sin and the severity of Iacobs sentence Gen. 49.4 See the Note there Vers 7. And this is the blessing Simeon is not mentioned but implyed in Iudah's blessing in the midst of whose inheritance lay his portion Josh 19.1 Besides that tribe was exceedingly defiled with fornication spiritual and corporal and by that means much decayed and diminished Numb 26.14 Hear Lord the voyce of Judah Putting thy promises Gen. 8.9 10 11. into suit by his prayers and pressing thee for a performance Vers 8. Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim Sincerity of life and soundness of doctrine See the Note on Exod. 28.30 There is great cause That Ministers of all men should be much pray'd for Vers 9. Who said unto his father In that heroical fact Ezod 32.26 29. Not to be wryed or biassed by respect to carnal friends is a high and hard point of self-denial Mark was Barnabas his sisters son hence he stood so stiffe for him against Paul his faithfull fellow-traveller Act. 15.37 Colos 4.10 Moses to please Zipporah displeased God and it went hard with him Exod. 4.24 Eli was too indulgent to his wicked sons and so perhaps was Samuel too 1 Sam. 8.1 3. Vers 10. They shall teach Jacob Apt and able to teach must all Ministers be as Paul Act. 20. Praedicationis officium suscipit quisquis ad sacerdotium accedit saith Gregory Hee 's no Minister that 's no teacher Aidanus the first Bishop of Durham Anno Dom. 636. neglected no duty of a good Pastour travelling up and down the country even on foot Godw. Catalog to preach the Gospell giving whatsoever he could get unto the poor and by the example of his own vertues instructing as well as by word and doctrine Amongst the Greeks Tragedians and Comedians were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to labour in teaching the people What should Ministers then do They shall put incense before thee i.e. Pray for the people as well as preach to them So Act