he saw would grow greater every day albeit his Predecessors cruel Project against the Male-children had succeeded according to his intention for the Female Sex would still have multiplyed and these he thought to be a secure Possession as being not likely to make insurrection against him or to become confederates in warr with his Enemies Nor is it probable that either of the two Pharaohs ever intended the extirpation of the males any further then that they might have enough to propagate such a perpetuall generation or succession of Slaves so competent in number as the Egyptians might easily master them 7. This Attempt had been lesse dangerous and the cruel Practise lesse wicked against any other People under heaven then against the Seed of Abraham and of Isaac because these were the Lords own inheritance His Peculiar Charge This People when they were first invited into Egypt was scarce an Oligarchie a small Congregation of men indued with no other power or Jurisdiction but only such as every Father of a Familie hath over his Children and Grand-children and theirs And this Jurisdiction after Jacobs death was divided amongst his sons Every one of them was a Patriarch that is a Chief over his own Tribe or Clan Nor had these twelve Patriarchs any Civil or Coercive Power one over another or respectively over their several Families after they setled in Egypt but as the King and State of Egypt would permit or allow of Not any power at all to make any Warr whether offensive or defensive or Leagues of Peace with any other Nation Free-men notwithstanding they were de jure and this new King of Egypt which knew not Joseph much lesse considered upon what Title of deservings Jacob and his sons were permitted to enjoy a Competent measure of the Land of Egypt did most unjustly attempt to put the yoke of slavery upon their necks Yet how to right themselves they knew not as having no Superior Lord on earth unto whom they might appeal from Pharaoh But the more destitute they were of any help from earth the more easie and speedy entrance their Prayers found into heaven their teares and cries were accepted of the Lord God of their Fathers for more then Legal Appeals 8. But from the time of His appearance to Moses in the Bush which was after the first hard-hearted Pharaohs death the Lord himself vouchsafed to to become their King not in general only as he is Lord of all Lords and King of all Kings and People throughout the World but in a Proper and peculiar manner Whatsoever Authoritie or Power of Jurisdiction the Kings or Supreme Majesties of other Nations or Soveraignties did exercise or by Divine permission and Ordinance of Providence do now exercise over their People as Power of Life and death or of making Lawes or Leagues whether of Peace or Warr with other States all these and the like Prerogatives the Lord of heaven and earth did reserve immediately unto himself alone over the Seed of Jacob and of Abraham his Friend Upon the Lords Reservation of this Royal Power entire unto himself Moses is delegated to be his Embassador unto the King and State of Egypt and constituted his Deputy or Vice-Roy over Israel Nor shall the Reader whether Christian or other be ever able to understand the Literal or Punctual meaning of the Historie of Exodus to the 14. chapter or of those places in St Paules Epistle to the Romans which referre unto that Historie unlesse he take This Rule or Principle along with him whil'st he reads them viz. That all the Messages which Moses delivered to Pharaoh from God all the Answers which Pharaoh returned by him were true and formal Treaties of a Legal and Solemn Embassage The Law of Nature and of Nations was never so accurately observed by any Embassador as it was by Moses whilst he exercised this Function in his many Treaties with Pharaoh One Principal if not the only Fact that can come within the Suspicion of Injustice on Moses's part was the spoyling the Egyptians of their Jewels But if we consider what unsufferable wrongs the King and people of Egypt had done unto this People of God which had now become His Peculiar Subjects or his Proprietarie Lieges This Fact even by Course of Humane Law or Law of Nations was more justifyable then Royall Grants of Letters of Mart or other like remedies against such other Nations as have wronged their Subjects or suffered them to be wronged by any under their command without restitution when they solemnly or by way of Embassage demanded it are Whatsoever the Hebrew women had borrowed of or taken from the women of Egypt they took and did possess it Reprisaliorum jure by the Law of Reprisal that is by way of special Warrant granted by God himself as he was now become not only this peoples God but their King in Special This warrant for spoiling the Egyptians not by any strong or violent hand but with their own Consent we have Registred Exod. 3. 21. c. And I will give this people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians and it shall come to pass that when ye go ye shall not go emptie But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour and of her that sojourneth in her house jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters and ye shall spoil the Egyptians 9 In all this time or in all the instructions given by God to Moses Exod 3. there is no mention of Gods purpose or menacing to harden Pharaoh but only a Divine Prediction that Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go and yet be at length as willing to let this people of God depart as Pharaohs people should be to bestow their Jewels and other rich Presents upon them The Miracles which Moses was for the present and afterward authorized and enabled to work Moses's miracls Letters of Credence both in the sight of his own people and in the presence of Pharaoh were as Authentick Letters of Credence legible enough to the Egyptians that the Lord of Hosts had designed him unto this Embassage and given him power to command all the hosts of reasonless creatures to fight for Israel against the Egyptians All the several Armies of inferiour Creatures which brought the many ensuing plagues upon the Egyptians were but as so many fingers of that mighty hand by whose strength God had lately foretold Moses that Pharaoh would in the â—ssue be content to let the Israelites depart upon fair terms out of his Land 10 The former Pharaoh and his Predecessor according to the apprehension of their proud imaginations had played the Foregame so cunningly against the seed of Jacob that this present or later Pharaoh at least thought himself sure of winning the Sett or of drawing the whole Stake about which the controversie was and that was the present libertie or perpetual thraldom of Israel Now God instructs his
Flesh or to Free himself from the Servitude of the Flesh These and the like Inconveniences have perswaded some to attribute this whole work unto the Spirit of God which is able to do all things without the Coagencie or Consort of the Spirit of Man But thus to avoyd the former Inconveniences is but as if a man having found a Way out of a thicket of Thornes should instantly intangle himself in the Bryars For it is not so Great a Solaecisme to say That the Spirit of Man or man himself should be an Agent in this businesse As to Affirme That whence it would follow that The Spirit of God should in this work of Mortification be mans Instrument For that which Man worketh by the Spirit Man is more properly said to work it then the Spirit Now our Apostle saith that we must mortifie the deedes of the Body And he that Mortifieth is the Agent That by which we work this Mortification is but our Instrument And better it were to say That the Spirit of Man should be mans Instrument in this work rather than the Spirit of God 2. It were according to our Former Principles easily answered that Wee by Our spirit Mortifie the Deedes of our Bodies Consecutivè non Formaliter aut Efficienter that is not by any Efficacie in us or Influence derivable from us The Spirit of God must directly work or Effect it But though this be True yet is it not Punctual to the point proposed For by this Answer the Spirit here meant should only be the Spirit of man For by this Spirit only we work our Mortification Consecutivè That which the Spirit of God doth work in us it works Directly Immediatly and Entirely and in produceing its proper Effects it hath no Partner or Co-Agent It may notwithstanding be yet further replyed that we must Mortifie the Flesh by the spirit of God not as by any Instrumental Cause subordinate to us but in such a sense as we say Inferiour Magistrates do the Acts of the Magistracie by the Kings or Supreme Magistrates Authoritie unto which they and their Magistracie are Subordinate Thus some good * Pasqualius Interpreters upon this place say that we must Mortifie the Flesh by our own Spirit but by our own Spirit as it is Subordinate to the Spirit of God and Consequently to this Assertion it must be granted that this Subordination of our Spirit to the Spirit of God is in this place necessarily included or persupposed though not expressed by our Apostle All this for ought I know may be most True and Orthodoxal but withall too General For Inferiour or subordinate Magistrates are more properly said to be the Agents Even in those things which they do by the Authoritie and warrant of the Superiours whereas the Spirit of God is not only the Author or sole Authorizer but the Principal Actor or Agent in this work of mortification For a more particular and punctual Resolution of the Question proposed we are to unfold the divers acceptions of these Words or Termes to wit THE SPIRIT and MORTIFICATION 3. There is the Spirit of God and there is the Spirit of man Both of them have their several and divers Importances in scripture The Spirit of man may be considered as it is in the Natural Man or in the man altogether unregenerate and This Spirit is at Enmitie with God or in the Man as yet unregenerate yet in the way to Regeneration And the Spirit of this man is privatively opposite to the Spirit of God so as Darknesse is to Light Blindnesse to Sight or Death to Life There is a Spirit likewise in the man Regenerate the same for Substance with the Spirit of the Natural Man the same for Substance that it was in himself before Regeneration but altered in Qualitie And This Spirit though it cease not to be in man yet is it not usually called The Spirit of Man as being no way opposite unto the Spirit of God but Subordinate unto it so Subordinate unto it that it is called The Spirit that is of God and sometimes The Spirit of God 4. These diverse Acceptions of the word SPIRIT as likewise the Distinction or Opposition between the Spirit of God and the Spirit of man are set down by our Apostle 1. Cor. 2. from the ninth verse unto the end of the Chapter What Man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God ver 11. He doth not say the spirit of God which is in God or with God And when He saith What man knoweth the things of man save the Spirit of Man he supposeth there is even in the Natural and unregenerate Man a Spirit able to discerne the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart though blind and ignorant in the things concerning God Againe when he saith the things of God knoweth no man he excludeth the Natural man only or the man to whom God hath not imparted the Gifts of the Spirit For so he hath said ver 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Into What Mans heart have they not entred Or unto What Man doth this Negative belong Only to the Natural or unregenerate Man For so he adds verse 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 5. What Spirit is this which searcheth all things Even the deep things of God the Spirit of God which is without Vs or which communicateth knowledge and reveales things hidden unto us If this Spirit were here meant How should those deep things of God be revealed unto us Revealed to us they cannot be unlesse they be known by us and known by Us they cannot be but by the Spirit which is in us So he adds more expressly Ver. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world that is the Spirit which is of man but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to Vs of God If by the Spirit which we have received we know the things which are freely given to us of God This Spirit must be made Ours it must be One with Our Spirit it is not the Spirit of God which is Without Vs or which works our Regeneration but the Spirit by which we become formally Regenerate and Spiritual And Punctually to this purpose the Apostle haveing said ver 14. The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Neither can he know them so long as he remaines a Natural Man because they are Spiritually discerned he adds by way of opposition ver 15. 16. But he that is Spiritual judgeth or discerneth all things Yet He himself is judged of no man For who hath known the mind of the Lord
out of Seneca De Ira l. 3. c. 23. 1. Among other Athenian Ambassadors that came to Philip of Macedon Demochares for his ill Tongue surnamed Parrhesiastes was one Philip treated them very benignly asking them what courtesie they wanted that was in his power Demochares with most prodigious Barbaritie unexpectedly answered That Philip might do the Athenians a Great kindness if he pleased to hang himself The Hearers Gnasht their teeth for Indignation But the King quieted them and dismist him safe only bidding His Fellows tell their Masters of his courtly Facultie in Complements The 2. of Diogenes the Stoick He was reading a Lecture About Anger when lo on a suddain comes in an Impudent Youth and spits in his Face Cap. 38. thinking perhaps to try whether himself had learn't what he Taught as he had indeed for not moved at all he said I am not yet but I begin to doubt whether I ought not to be angry at this A 3. Was Cato minor who when Lentulus in the face of the Court most contumeliously spit in his Face said no more then this Affirmo Lentule falli eos qui Negant te habere Os. St. Basil 1. Tom. 24. Hom. Tells this of one Pericles A Circumforaneus Base Fellow rail'd on him bitterly for a whole day together This he indured with much patience and with more kindness lighted him home at night 2. Of Euclide of Megara A Man in his Rage swore he would kill him He again swore that if he did he would take it patiently forgive him and be reconciled unto him 3. Of Socrates who having sufferd a Fellow with great Patience to beat his Face black and blew did no more but lay upon the Spots A Paper inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Deed of his says St. Basil was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neere of Kin to that Duty Enjoyned by our Saviour To him that smites thee on the one Cheek As the Former two to Christ's other Precept Do good to them that hate you And sure from him did Plato in Crito learn that Axiom of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He has hurt himself in wronging me De Ira. lib. 2. I will not hurt my self by wronging him Cap. 32. said Epictetus Lips Not. Non ut in Beneficiis honestum est merita meritis repensare ita injurias injuriis Illic vinci turpe est hic vincere Inhumanum verbum est pro justo receptum Ultio Qui dolorem regerit tantùm excusatius peccat says Seneca Our next Instance shall be Themistocles the Turpitude of whose youth was branded by his Fathers Abdication of him and executed by his poor Mothers hanging her self for grief at his Lewd Courses yet was this young Man so reformed by Philosophie that he became the best bloud of Greece Clarissimus virorum Graij sanguinis says Val. Maxim l. 6. c. 9. and the Centre upon which did sway the Reciprocating hopes and despaires of Europe and Asia We mention'd before Pythagoras's Rules for dyet Those he layd as the grounds of Moral vertue Vpon these with good success he raised Faire Structures of Iustice and Moderation yea some of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion too That Praecept of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear an Oath made such an Impression upon Clinias Pythagoricus one of his Schollers that when in a Suit depending before the Judges he might by taking a True and Just Oath have freed himself from a Fine of three Talents he chose rather to pay down the mulct then by swearing truly to avoid it He held not so much money so much worth as to call God to witness and judge about it Nec Deus inter sit nisi Dignus vindice nodus Inciderit Whether every Reader will think this worthy his Notice I know not This I know S. Basil thought it worthy His. See his 1. Tom. Hom. 24. De. Legend Libr. Gentil Another of his precepts was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let your prayers be Vocal I suppose he was not ignorant that God could hear Mental prayers and that he considered not the Angels who can understand words but not Thoughts His Design then was Tollere de Templis murmúrque humilésque susurros O si nunc Patrui praeclarum funus See Persius O si Pupilli Satyra 2. Nerio jam tertia ducitur Vxor. To teach men to put up to God Pure Prayers not such as they would shame that Honest Men nay the vilest of Men should hear Quae nisi seductis nequeas committere Divis. Such as were fit for none but Divels to be of Counsel or Advocates in Such as Horace Epist 16. Lib. 1. Detests and derides thus Pulchra Laverna Da mihi fallere da sanctum justumque videri Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem Laverna Fair teach me the Holy cheat Though Goat or Wolf to seem Saint Lamb and bleat To Gild Sin cloud or justifie Deceit In summe His meaning was to Teach men Aperto vivere voto So to speak to God as if men heard To which other Philosophers have added another claâ—se So speak to Men as in Gods hearing Seneca Lipsij Epist. 10. Macrob. Saturnal l. 1. And For this we have the Authority of Clemens Alexandrinus Stromat Lib. 4. Fine These for Religion the next for Iustice Seneca 7. l. de Benef. 21. c. has a story of a Pythagorean that had bought a paire of shooes upon Trust and at length coming to pay for them found the Shoomaker dead and the Shop shut up whereupon he went home shaking the money in his Hand and well pleas'd with the chink of it as who should say this is clear gain but Lo suddainly his heart smote him for having â—oy'd in such a poore but unjust Thing back he speeds to the Shop says to himself Ille tibi vivit Tu redde quod debes and so put the money in through a Crevice or the Key-hole of the Dore laying this Nomine poenae as a Fine or Amercemem upon himself for his evill Covetize and to teach himself Ne alieno assuesceret hereafter not to long for other mens Goods Christian Reader look about and find me such faith here in this our Israel And for matter of Moderation how happy his Endeavours were soe Justin 20. Book The Crotonians being vanquisht by the Locrians desperatly cast of all Practises of Vertue Militarie or Moral And but for Pythagoras had been quite over-run with Luxury He having travail'd through Aegypt Babylonie and Lacedaemon and Learnt thâ— Laws of Minos Lycurgus c. did with them and his own Authority added to them so indefatigably ' plye that people that at last what by praysing Frugality as the Mother of all Vertue what by inveighing against Luxury and numbring the sad Examples of Cities destroyed thereby exhorting sometime the graver sort of Women to Modesty and Dutifulness sometime their Youth to soberness and Industry prevaild so much by this assiduity of discoursing that the Women were perswaded
sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Intreat the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thundrings and bail and I will let you go and ye shall stay no longer Now albeit Moses after he had promised him to remove this Plague did foretell him that he would not be so good as his promise ver 30. But as for thee and thy servants I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God Yet as it followeth ver 34. When he saw the rain and the bail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants And again Chap. 10. ver 7. After his servants upon the sight of the Plague of the Locusts did thus boldly intreat him How long shall this man be a snare unto us Let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God knowst thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Though he yeild to their request in part yet he instantly faulters ver 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh and he said unto them Go serve the Lord your God but who are they that shall go And Moses said we will go with our young and with our old with our sons and with our daughters with our flocks and with our herds will we go for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them let the Lord be so with you as I will let you go and your little ones Look to it for evil is before you Not so Go now ye that are men and serve the Lord for that you did desire and they were driven out from Pharaohs presence The like raving Fitt or Phrenetical Symptom you may observe in him ver 16 17. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and he said I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you Now therefore forgive I pray thee my sin only this once and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only Now though Moses did remove this Plague yet upon his fresh entreatie for Moses to remove another Plague to wit of palpable darknesse he turns unto his vomit again ver 24. 25. And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said Go ye serve the Lord only let your flocks and your heards be stayed let your little ones also go with you And Moses said thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God c. And ver 28. Pharaoh said unto him Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt dye A speech more foolish then proud to come from a man whom the Lord had so much impoverished and so often humbled and given sufficient proof of his Power to bring farre greater Plagues upon him 19. Though his heart had been thus often hardened yet is it not become so flinty but that the slaughter of his own and of every First-born Male in Egypt did make deeper impression upon it then any of the former Plagues had done The mightie Out-cry which followed upon this sad and woful spectacle to be seen in every house did so farr awake the drowsie spirits amongst the Egyptians even of such as had no children to mourn for that they joyned in Petition with the rest to have the Israelites fairely dismissed and were ready to make them a Golden bridge for their speedier Passage out of Egypt From this time and not before were the Women and Maides of Egypt willing to bestow their jewels and ear-rings upon the Israelitish women that they might wooe their men and children to depart with speed Thus then that which the Lord had indefinitely promised unto Moses from his first Instructions given unto him Exod. 3. 21. was not accomplished till this last Plague was exhibited Nor was the like Prediction of hardening Pharaoh Exod. 4. 21. put in execution before the Plagues of the Murrain of Cattel and of Blains Exod. 9. 12. 20. But from this Mollification of Pharaoh and of his peoples hearts by the slaughter of the First-born there did result a more strange Induration then at any time before had befallen them Of all the infatuated resolutions which either King or People had adventured upon the pursuing of the Israelites with such a mighty army or strong hand after they had fairly intreated them to depart out of their coasts may well to every indifferent Reader seem the most stupid And so the Author of the Book of Wisdom censures it Chap. 19. 3. For whilest they were yet mourning and making lamentation at the graves of the dead they added another foolish Device and pursued them as Fugitives whom they had intreated to be gone Yet Josephus a grave and sagacious Historian gives the intelligent Reader good hints that even this effect or Phrenetical Symptom of Divine Infatuation was but such as hath seised upon worldly wise Princes and States-men in former Ages And hereafter may be inflicted upon more The greatest varietie of Miracles or Wonders in any one Age experienced is scarce sufficient to make up a perfect Induction to perswade superstitious prophane or wilfull Spirits of Gods absolute Power to effect or of his Wisdom to contrive the like in every kind Most men are prone by nature to make such Collections as the servants of the King of Syria did Their Gods are Gods of the bils therefore they were stronger then we but let us fight against them in the plain and surely we shall be stronger then they c. 1 King 30. 23. The undoubted Experiments of the forecited signs all done in Egypt might well perswade Pharaoh and his People That The Lord God of the Hebrews was more skilful in producing wonders then the Gods which the Magicians of Egypt served were that Moses under him had a greater command over the wind and water over the ayre and clouds over the dust of the earth and over all the host of reasonless creatures then either the King the Princes or Priests of Egypt could ever procure from their Gods a more Soveraign Authority over Flies then Baal-zebub had All this being granted they might notwithstanding thus Reason in their hearts Who knows whether all this power was given unto Moses to be exercised onely within the Meridian or Climes of Egypt or whether his Commission might extend over Palestina and Madian The Egyptians at least presumed that The Lord God of the Hebrews had not given Moses such a great command over the armies or hosts of men as the King of Egypt had because the Israelites they knew had no skill in Feats of arms no Captains of Insanteâ—ie no Cavalrie at all no weapons or engins of war offensive especially amongst them Of all which the Egyptians had abundance plentie of Magazines full of them 21 Upon these or the like Presumptions