wise Salomon directed by the onely wise God have injoynd the same in vain that every one should keep himself his heart his soul diligently If no man had power so to do At least they were confident that the Sons of wisdom the Israel of God Believeres in Christ such as we all profess our selves to be that such as they have power over their own soules hearts and spirits to keep them Because they have in them the power of God which is Christ himself to keep them 1 Cor. 1.24 3. A man cannot be too strict too carefull too diligent in the keeping of his own heart He must keep it with all keeping yea above all keeping So that what care and regard men have to their houses their fields their treasures the safety of their wives their children their friends their servants Such care such vigilancy yea greater care greater regard ought to be had of the heart If these must be garded the heart must be re-garded the gards must be doubled in defence of the heart If we set on locks for the preservation of our treasure we must set on locks double locks and barres for the preservation and keeping of our heart 4. If this care this watchfullnes be required of every one in regard of himself Hebr. 13. v. 17. how great must their care their observation be who watch for others souls Hebr. 13.17 Obey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that lead you and submit your selves for they watch for your soul c. How much greater must their care be who have charge of all 2 Cor. 11.28 the care of all the Churches Such was S. Pauls charge But the keeping of others and Watching over them is not the ministers duty onely but even every mans in regard of every man according to his power And therefore the wiseman Ecclus 17.14 He that is the Lord said unto them Beware of all unrighteousnes that 's a command to look to our selves and to keepe our owne hearts and he gave every man commandement concerning his neighbour that 's the care for others And that men are grown careless and regardless of others it proceeds from that Cainish nature which men have gotten by long walking in the way of Cain It was his speech Gen. 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper 1. This justly reproves the gross mistake if we may so call it of this precept Moses saith only take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently And how many of the Apostate Israelites take heed to their brutish those carnal selves and keep their body diligently take care of their flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. v. 14. Rom. 13.14 pamper their bodies feed them riotously and gluttonously clothe them gorgeously They who wear soft raiment are in Kings houses saith our Lord Matth. 11.8 Should some one of our Saviours genuine Disciples behold our Congregations he would think we were all Courtiers 2. Others when they are counselled by Moses to take heed to themselves and keep their souls diligently let them alone to provide for their natural their animalish selves and they keep their souls diligently Their money is their souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gold is the blood and soul of these men Meantime that divine self that off-spring of God its troden under the feet of the beastly the brutish self the sensual self The immortal soul born out of God and created to bear the image of the heavenly it s wholly neglected miserable poor and naked This this is the wisdom of the carnal man to take great heed unto the flesh which is corruptible and must shortly perish to provide with greatest care for the body which is no better then a man-case feed it clothe it deck it wash it trim it rub it paint it powder it spot it c. In cute curanda plus aequo operati Too busie men and women are in caring for their skin As for the immortal soul bought with an inestimable price which should feed on faith Psal 34. v. 3. Psal 34.3 and be gloriously clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ and his Spirit made to be the dwelling of the Deity it s so little cared for so slighted and disregarded as if indeed it were not at all Minima maximi maxima minimi aestimantur least things are most regarded the greatest least O thou degenerate unworthy brutish man Consider once what thou art and know thy self Call thy self seriously to an account whence thou art and of how noble a stock who was thy maker and for what end he made thee and how unlike thou art unto thy God to whose image thou wert made and how unlike thy self when thou camest out of Gods hands Humble thy self and sit in the dust whereinto that flesh thou tamperest is ere long to be resolved Put off thine ornaments that the Lord may know what to do to thee Exod. 33.5 Clothe thy proud flesh with beasts skins as our God clothed sinful Adam to teach him thereby mortification of his sin Gen. 3.21 Be exhorted O Israel to take heed to thy self to keep thy heart to keep thy soul diligently Care O care for thy soul as a thing of greatest price as that whose worth cannot be countervailed by all the creatures as being better worth then all the world For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world Mark 8. v. 36 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lose or be punished with the loss of his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Mark 8.36 37. Consider how easily the heart walks after the eyes Job 31.7 How slippery our standing is how dangerous our fall that being fallen we can never rise by our selves that sin which defiles the soul may be engendred by an evil word yea by a vain thought Jer. 4.14 Jer. 4. v. 14. O Jerusalem cleanse thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved How long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wilt thou cause thy vain thoughts to lodge in the midst of thee That consent unto the temptation compleats and perfects the sin That sin being perfected brings forth death O what great need therefore is there that we take heed to our selves and that we keep our souls diligently that we keep our hearts above all keeping The meanes to keep thy self thine heart thy soul O Israel is not here prescribed by Moses The most effectual meanes was reserved for him whom the Lord would raise up who should be like unto Moses For surely the Lord such is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his moderation and equity would not injoyn such an hard duty as this is to be done but he would also shew the most effectual meanes and way how it should be done Wherefore the Lord Jesus whose main end of comming into the world was to save mens soules he prescribes two powerfull expedients and meanes to be used by his disciples for the effecting of it Luke 9.23 1. Self-denyall and 2.
v. 15. O how contrary to this is the love of our God! when his love has touched our heart with his finger that is with his spirit when he drawes us with the cords of his love when he manifests himself unto us The more near we draw unto him by so much our love more and more increaseth toward him and in his presence is the fulness of joy and at his right hand pleasures for ever more Psalm 16.11 This Commandement is said to be the first by our Saviour Mat. 22. and that both in regard of the Lawgiver and in respect of man to whom the Law is given 1. In regard of the Lawgiver he is the first and chief good Since therefore love is naturally carried unto goodness and first in order of dignity unto the first and chief good there is good reason why we should first love him and consequently that this should be the first Commandement Yea first it is in order of intention or the end which the Lawgiver aims at and that 's love 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is love For howsoever the knowledge of God must precede in order of time because Ignoti nulla cupido there is no desire of that which is unknown no nor love nor hope nor fear nor joy no affection at all toward that whereof there is first no knowledge nor can we love desire hope in or fear God unless first we know him yet this is to be understood in order of time As for the order of intention which God aimes at he would not that the man should rest in a contemplative knowledge of himself but that he should be affected according to his knowledge which must cease but love must remain 1 Cor. 13. Charitas intrat ubi scientia foris stat Charity enters when Knowledge stands without doores Yea although fear go before love Primus in orbe deos fecit timor and that it is Prima mensura divinitatis the first measure of the Deity yet this is to be understood in regard of the man 's fallen estate For fear of punishment had never been unless first sin had entred into the World as appears Gen. 3. Yea and initial fear makes way for love as a serviceable means for that end which being obtained and perfected as being principally intended fear is cast out as being used only as a means to obtain the end with which it cannot consist as Physick having brought us to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good habitude of body is it self purged out and the Needle is cut off when it hath drawn in the threed and united the cloath And therefore the Wiseman saith that fear is the beginning of love Ecclus 25.12 2. In regard of man to whom this Law is given this Commandement is first and that in respect 1. Of mans obligation to act and 2. In respect of his principle of action 1. Gods work of creation and preservation whereby he prevents the man layes the first obligation and tye upon the man to love and to be thankful unto his God which truth the Gentiles held in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 21. 2. In regard of the principle of action in the man For howsoever there be diverse principles whence the observation of the Commandements is said to proceed as Fear Faith Hope yet none of them either severally or joyntly brings forth that obedience to the Commandements which God requires but love For howsoever faith be the fundamental saving principle yet that works not but by love Gal. 5.6 Which principle we finde in the promulgation of the Law Exod. 20.5 6. And the same method our Lord observes in the Gospel John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandements He saith not if ye fear believe or trust in me The Apostle gives the reason of it 1 Tim. 1.5 the end of the Commandement is charity Now if charity be the end that is the perfection of the Commandement then is it the first and chief principle out of which obedience to the Commandements must proceed Sapiens incipit à fine a wise man begins from the end Yea till the man keep the Commandements out of this principle he cannot be said to keep the covenant of his God nor God to keep covenant with the man But when the man loves his God and out of that love obeyes his God then the Lord keeps covenant with him So Dan. 9.4 O Lord the great and dreadful God keeping the Covenant and mercy towards them that love him and keep his Commandement c. As this is the first Commandement so it is also called by our Lord the great Commandement And whereas a thing is said to be great Quantitate molis or quantitate virtutis in regard of bulk or power and vertue this later way this Commandement is said to be great or the greatest according to S. Hierom by reason of the vertue power and efficacy of it and that both in respect of the subject and of the duty it self 1. In regard of the subject whoever thus loves God with all his heart his heart and minde must be enabled thereunto by the Spirit of God 1 Tim. 1.5 It is the first fruit and strength of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 And the Lord so circumciseth his heart that he may so love him with all his heart and with all thy soul and keep the Commandements and live Deut. 30.6 Zach. 11.19 20. Rom. 6.11 13. 2. The duty it self is most required and best accepted by our God For as love is in nature the first of all the affections which like the great wheel of the Clock turns about all the rest For so we desire rejoyce in fear hope for grieve for c. some thing which we love such is the divine love to all other graces The Spirit of God in this great wheel actuates and moves all the other graces Yea and this divine love swallowes up all other inferiour affections all other love concupiscence and desire As the Serpent of Moses devoured all the Serpents of the Egyptian Magicians For he who loves God with all his heart and keeps all this Commandement he can love nothing repugnant unto God nothing but in order unto God he loves himself only in order unto God and for God He loves his neighbour out of his love of God even as he loves himself that is in order unto God So he loves his neighbour that he is of one heart and one soul with his neighbour Acts 4.32 So that his love of his neighbour and of himself are no way contrary to the intire love of God Yea howsoever many other duties are enjoyned us beside this Commandement yet this of all the rest is the greatest and most excellent 1 Cor. 12. ult and that for two reasons 1. It s most durable and outlasts all the rest and therefore it s preferred before Prophesie Tongues Knowledge yea before Faith and Hope it self 1 Cor. 13. ult 2. The love of God is the Seisin and the common
all the hearts of the children of men and alone can work upon them widen and inlarge them He alone hath wherewithall to fill them as wisdom understanding fullness of joy yea God Himself the Objectum beatiâ—cum Author actus fruitivi 1. King 4.29 Yea whereas the Lord hath made the man for his Temple and dwelling place and himself is immense and beyond all bounds Job 11.7 8 9. it's necessary that he inlarge the strait heart of man and make him in some proportion capable of himself whence is that prayer of the Apostle Ephes 3.14 21. that They may be filled with all the fulness of God Reproof 1. Those who walk at large in a latitude according to their own corrupt hearts even as the evill spirit drives them who deny themselves in nothing that their own flesh or the Devil and the lusts of men Suggest unto them These are the beasts that walk in actu not in via in the broad way where the beasts go not in the path and the narrow way wherein the men of God walk God doth not inlarge these Reproof 2. The sonns of Japhet who walk in a strictness of their own chosen holiness and that without any warrant out of the word of God they have chosen this to themselves not the narrow way that leades unto the broad but a narrow path taken out of the broad way Who required these things at your hands Consol For the sonns of Japhet True it is the Lord invites to enter into the straite gate Math. 7.13 14. but they shall not alwaies be in straits there shall come a time of inlargment Nor doth the Lord cast his Japhets into straits that they should continue in them much less perish in them The Gold is not cast into the furnace to be consumed in it but to be purged and purified by it Zach. 13.9 Our God is a consuming fire Hebr. 12. and who shall dwell with everlasting burnings Esay 33. 15 16. The Apostle declares for himself and his fellow Apostles and all the Ministers of God how their way lyes throw straits 2. Cor. 6.4 but does it end in straits also vers 11. Our heart is inlarged The Psalmist declares as much in regard of the whole Church Psal 66.10 11 12. We went through fire and water but thou broughtest us to a wealthy or a large place as I shewed before Exhort To the sonns of Japhet to be inlarged The Apostle makes this exhortation to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.13 be ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be genuine children of Japhet be ye also inlarged It was a noble desire of the sons of Joseph which we read Ios 17.14 Means We must pass thorow the narrow before we can come unto the broad 2 Esdr 7 1-14 Ye remember a great part of Japhets portion was the sea and the Islands in the sea Viam qui quaerit ad mare illum oportet omnem quaerere comitem sibi saith the Comedian Gen. 26.19 22. Esec Sitnah Rehoboth 1. Esec contention between the flesh and spirit 2. Sitnah opposition of Satan 3. Through these we come to Rehoboth inlargment Our Lord requires us to go thorow the narrow passages before we can come unto the broad and this cannot be without contention and strife Math. 7. Open thy mouth wide pray largely and he will fill it O that all our contentions hart-burnings bitter invectives detractions slanders oppositions one against another O that all were laid down O that every one of us would mind his own dutie Prose quisque which the Lord requires of him to enter into the narrow way that the Lord might inlarge us The Lord perswade our hearts hereunto God shall perswade Japhet This is the first and proper signification of the word to entice or perswade which our translators have in the margent which yet might have been put in the Text if it had pleased them But because this word perswade hath a two fold signification 1. To sollicite allure and intice which is an endeavor to bring one off to some-what we desire 2. So to sollicite and intice that we prevail which is properly to perswade The word may be understood in both senses here For the better understanding of this point we must inquire 1. What it is to perswade 2. Whereunto God may be said to perswade And 3. How The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a middle nature and used in Malum Bonum 1. What it is to perswade it signifies to induce lead or draw one by arguments and reasons to think believe and do some thing yet so that there is a power left to dessent Thus when we commend something as honest honourable or profitable and exhort to the doing of it by motives reasons and arguments we may be said to perswade And this I much suspect was the reason why the major part of our Translators cast the word perswade into the margent because they conceived that God acts upon the minde and will not by motives and reasons inducing it to believe and so leaves it free but by a super pondium overpoysing it and determining the act of it and so here not perswading but inforcing Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. The event of perswasion is either belief of what is perswaded unto or unbelief Now because that whereunto God perswades cannot but be good what is that good whereunto God may be said here to perswade Japhet If we here understand the person of Japhet we may conceive that the object of Gods perswasion is love brotherly love and that he should not envie his yonger brother Shem his precedencie and preeminency of blessing Thus the Lord perswaded Cain Gen. 4.7 But the blessing being propheticall as the former it concern'd not onely Japhet himselfe in his person but also in his posteritie even all the Gentiles Church even all the Islands of the Gentiles Gen. 10.5 whereof we are a part God shall perswade Japhets Sons But whereunto whereunto else but unto himself to believe in God the Father and to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God who should break the Serpeents head so God the Father first perswades Japhet and his sons to believe in himself Hebr. 11.6 2. God perswades Japhet and his sons to believe in Christ and so to dwell in the Tents of Shem Joh. 14.1 This is the main aim but non pervenitur ad finem nisi per media 3. How does God perswade Japhet and his sons to believe Mediately and outwardly by the Ministers of his Word Immediately and inwardly by the operation of his Spirit 1. Mediately and outwardly and so God perswades by the Word Miracles 1. By the Word it self read and meditated on or by the same Word preached and heard for so Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. Thus God makes his Ministers his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.9 Workers together with God Such as plant and water his husbandry which is the Church Such as build and rear up the Tabernacle
believed when he left his country yet unless he had then believed God promising an other land he had not left his own country No man will part with the present good but in hope of inioying that which is better and therefore Hebr. 11.8 It is said by faith he obeyed and desired a better country that is an heavenly vers 6. This is belief in the father correcting us and nurtering us under the law And such belief is that Hebr. 11.6 This is the portch of the Temple the fear the beginning of wisdom which is an entrance into the holy even the holy faith Axiom 6. Abram believed in the Lord and he accounted it unto him for righteousnesse These words contain Gods acceptance of Abrams belief The LXX here have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passively it was imputed unto him and so this place is thrice cited Rom. 4.3 Gal. 3.6 James 2.23 Herein let us inquire 1. What is meant by Righteousnesse 2. Counting for Righteousnesse 3. How God may be said to count Abrams belief for Righteousnesse 1. Esay 51.1 Deut. 6.25 Psal 24.5 Dan. 4.24 Esay 56.1 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred often by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be your righteousnesse he shall receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy from the Lord and righteousnesse One expounds the other do away thy sins by mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep judgment and do righteousnesse for my salvation is neer to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my mercy The word we turn to count is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but most frequently by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to think esteem reckon impute It is used in Scripture in regard of sin 1. 2 Sam. 19.19 Psal 32.2 negatively as to discount it to discharge it not impute it unto the sinner Let not my Lord impute iniquity to me saith Shimei to David Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity 2. In regard of righteousnesse affirmatively and so to impute for righteousness Psal 106.30 with Num. 25 12 13. Mal. 2 5. is for God to accept and reward what good is found in us working according to his will whereby we give him honour though it were our bounden duty so to do Phineas gave God the honour of his power fearing before his name and the honour of his justice then executed upon Israel for their idolatry and whordome and this the Lord accepted as a righteous and well pleasing service at his hand and rewarded it with his Covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood in his posterity who kept the conditions of the covenant 3. To count or impute faith for righteousness or to esteem it as righteous may be two wayes understood 1. Either as faith in Christs obedient death the attonement for our sinns is accounted to the belief for righteousness whereby the sinner is acquitted and pardoned as if he were innocent and had not sinned 2. Or else as faith in the truth and power of God who promiseth and is faithfull and true and able to performe what he promises is imputed for righteousness The latter is here meant as it is evident in the Text. Thus Abram believed in God promising him a son and able to perform what he promised And herein lies no small part of our happiness that though our natures were fully repaired by sanctification and holiness which is the positive part of righteousness yet unless the guilt of our former sinns be taken away by non-imputation pardon and forgiveness of our old sinnes we should yet perish What is it then to be justified not to be imagined righteous Rom. 8.10 Psal 24.5 Jer. 23.6 Rom. 6.18.22 and 14.17 but to be truly made so by the spirit of God which is the very righteousness it self The spirit is life because of righteousness He shall receive righteousness from the Lord Thus Christ is called the Lord our righteousness or the righteousness of our God given unto us Reason Why did the Lord count faith to Abram for righteousness 1. Whither can this imputation be referred but unto the gratious estimation of God whereby he is pleased to over-value the act of his creature wrought by his power and esteeme it and reward it above the worth of it 2. That reason which may be considered in regard of Abram was the glory he gave unto God by believiug in his truth and power For he who believes and trusts in another hath an high opinion of him that he is faithfull and true in what he speakes and is able and willing to effect what he promises If any unexperienced chapman should come to one of you and profess his ignorance in the commodity he is to buy and say that he relied wholly upon you and trusts you ye will not deceive such a man The deceiving of confidence is the very worst of all deceipts Such a belief had Jehoshaphat a son of Abram we have no might saith he against this great company 2 Chron. 20.12 that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are towards thee God accepted that faith and bountifully rewarded it Rom. 4.20 21 22. Thus when Abram believed God and so gave glory to his truth faithfullness and power God for that very reason imputed righteousness unto Abram Objec If faith be imputed for righteousness then possible it is that a justified man may be an unjust man and the holy Text seemes to countenance this inference what saith the Scripture Rom. 4.3.8 Abram believed and it was counted to him for righteousness but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly faith is imputed for righteousness whence David Blessed is the man Psal 32.2 saith he unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Hence some of great name collect these consequences how truly I say not 1. That Abram was one who wrought no works of righteousness but only believed in God and 2. That God justifies the ungodly so that though they be lewd and ungodly yet he accounts them just what strange collections are these yet such as I fear too many make from these words Yea 3. Hence it will follow that he is a blessed man who hath only the non-imputation of his sin whose sins are forgiven him though otherwise he be a sinful man Let us answer to these three doubts 1. It seems that Abram wrought no works of righteousness Why To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly c. he works not but believeth We must know therefore that the Scripture makes no opposition between good works and believing in him that justifies the ungodly but the opposition lies between the works of the Law without faith and with exclusion of faith and belief on him that justifieth the ungodly For without doubt to walk in
have done John 4.29 which will teach us all things and bring them to our remembrance Chap. 14.26 For although the memory be the keeper of those words which our eyes have seen yet Quis custodiet ipsum custodem who shall keep the keeper it self unless God himself through faith and patience keep the heart and memory it will forget the things which our eyes have seen And therefore Solomon exhorts us to keep our heart above all keeping Surely his meaning is not that we should keep it above all power we have to keep it the keeping of the heart above all keeping is the committing of it unto God by prayer and resignation of our selves unto him Prayer therefore is to be made unto him by lifting up the heart and minde unto him as naturally when we imagine any thing we lift up the fore-part of our head When we would recall any thing to memory we lift up the hinder part of the head towards heaven From him descends every good giving and every perfect gift He it is who preserves us from all evil yea he it is who will keep our soul yea the Lord will preserve our going out and our comming in from this time forth and for evermore Psalm 121.7 8. Hitherto we have heard the former precept touching the keeping of our own hearts that we forget not the words which our eyes have seen and lest they depart from our heart all the dayes of our life We should proceed unto the next Axiom touching the conveyance of them to our sons and our sons sons But that precept is more fully delivered Deut. 6.6 7. and there I shall speak of it if the Lord will The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain The word which we turn To hold guiltless is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 5. v. 11. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be clear from a fault or from a punishment And accordingly there are different translations of the words The LXX render them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord will by no means purge the man c. Arias Montanus also turns the words Non mundificabit the Lord will not cleanse the man So Exod. 20.7 and 34.7 Numb 14.17 In which sense the Arabic and Chaldee may be understood Other Translations in all languages that I have seen render the words as ours do or to the same effect as not to clear from punishment The phrase 't is according to a figure called in Rhetorick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containing much more in it then the words seem to express Such is that in the Poet Nec tibi cura canum fuerit postrema if applyed to one who spent his time in following Hounds as if he should have said you spend much of your time and care that way We have like examples in Scripture 1 Sam. 12.21 Follow not after vain things that will not profit he means Idols which not only not profit but do the greatest mischief Jer. 32.35 They caused their sons and their daughters to pass thorow the fire to Moloch which I commanded them not No he severely prohibited it Levit. 18.21 Such a figure we have in these words if understood in this sense he will not hold him guiltless that he will certainly punish him he will not leave him unpunished so Luther in his translation Both Translations are divine truths and the truth saith let nothing be lost They are serviceable unto two sorts or degrees of men 1. One under the Law such are acted by the spirit of fear and so it is a demonstration the Lord will not hold him guiltless but will certainly punish him 2. Others are under grace and to them the Law is spiritual and so it is the will of God revealed unto them that the Lord will not cleanse him from his sins who takes his Name in vain And that its such a revelation of grace appears Exod. 34.7 Numb 14.17 where it is reckoned among all the names of God wherein he declares his goodness and grace unto Moses The name nature and being of God may be taken or born in vain or falsly so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies two wayes 1. More especially by false swearing so the Chald. Paraph. the Syriac and Arabic versions here 2. By hypocritical pretences and arts of seeming holy just and good like unto God without the reality truth and being of these in the heart and life The holy Ghost meets with both these James 5.12 Where first the Apostle prohibits vain and false swearing Above all things my brethren swear not James 5. v. 12. neither by the Heaven nor Earth nor any other oath then he forbids hypocrisie but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that your yea be yea and that your nay be nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest ye fall into hypocrisie So the Tigurin Bible Arias Montanus Castellio Luther two Low Dutch and four of our old English Translations I would now propound the question to the godly Reader what might be the cause of so great conspiracy among the Translators in different tongues that they have enclind to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord will not leave him guiltless and unpunished rather then the Lord will not cleanse him There is no doubt but the words will bear both Translations as hath been shewen But I much fear the true reason is men rather desire to be clear'd from the guilt and punishment of their sins then to be cleansed from the sins themselves Is it not so why otherwise do so many understand the Angel Gabriels etymologie of the Name Jesus Mat. 1.2 For he shall save his people from their sins rather of the punishments then of the sins themselves And the like mis-understanding there is of many like places as I have formerly shewen The reason why the Lord will not cleanse hypocrites who bear his name vainly and falsly may be because hypocrisie pollutes and defiles the name of God Ezech 20.39 they offered outward sacrifice to the true God yet inwardly had their idols in their hearts as Ezech. 14.2 3. These are said to defile God name So are they said to pollute the Sanctuary of strength who take away the daily sacrifice that is the mortification of sin and our daily dying thereunto And therefore according to that Lex Talionis the law of rendring like for like the righteous God will not cleanse such hypocrites 1 Cor. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.17 If any defile Gods Temple him will God defile That is he will leave him in his pollution and not cleanse him according to Revel 22.11 He who is filthy let him be filthy still 1. Whence it appears that the alone outward performances of duties wherein the Name of God is pretended do not purifie a man from his sin Such are giving of almes with a Trumpet praying to be seen of men and fasting for the same end Unto all these our our Lord adds they have their
the commanding of these same words and this day I render them the same words because there is a double emphasis upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These same words are either extended unto all the Commandements of God as often elsewhere so especially in this Book or else they have special reference unto the words next preceeding even the great Commandement of the Law 1. These same words are extended to all the Commandements both affirmative and negative more specially to those principal precepts of the Decalogue delivered in the former Chapter So Aben Ezra And this is clear out of the context For v. 1 2. Moses propounds to Israel all the Commandements the Statutes and the Judgements 2. By these same words those next preceding may be understood even the first and great Commandement as our Lord calls it Matth. 22.37 Mark 12.29 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might Then followes and these same words shall be upon thy heart c. In the fourth verse is contained the Object of our duty in the fifth the duty it self The Object of our duty is Triunus Deus the Unity in Trinity The Lord that 's the Father our God that 's the Son Immanuel God with us and again the Lord who is the Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.17 and these are one God There 's the Uunity of the Object There is also an Universality of the duty required of all Nations inhabiting in the four quarters of the World For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hear hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Capital letter and bigger then the other which being numerical signifies the LXX Nations which may be reckoned up Gen. 10. and are implyed by Moses Deut. 32.8 which Seventy Nations inhabited the four quarters of the Earth which is intimated in the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another Capital letter which is the last in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then followes the Vniversal duty of all the Seventy Nations inhabiting the four parts of the World Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy might These same are the words which the Lord is commanding may be understood both wayes both generally of all the Commandements and more specially of the first and great Commandement which comprehends vertually all the rest 2. Now what is the commanding of these same words As for this manner of speech I am commanding It is no nice or formal difference but indeed a material and real one between these two expressions I command and I am commanding For the former imports only a present act the later signifies the continuation of the act Ye have a like example v. 2. of this Chapter and very often elsewhere where the act is put for the conntinuation of the act which is no doubt a wrong to the holy Text and that a greater then men at first conceive as I shall shew more fully hereafter if the Lord will For although it seem to some no more then a circumlocution of the present yet we shall finde that there is more in it This will appear in part by one or two brief Observations from these words and so I shall leave this point 1. Observe hence what an excellent Lawgiver the Lord our God is he has given Commandements and he is yet commanding them he is yet giving them Inferiour Lawgivers as Lycurgus Numa Solon c. when they have once published their Lawes they leave them to the people to observe them at their peril Not so the Lord our Lawgiver as he is called Esay 33.22 He gives Lawes and Lawes for publication of those Lawes and himself is still giving them Artificers having done their work they leave it to the care of others whom it concerns as the Carpenter having built an house he takes no more thought for it The Shipwright having made a vessel fit to sail it concerns him no more whether it sink or swim The Husbandman having planted a Vineyard he leaves it to the weather and to the ordinary providence of God Our most gracious God having done any spiritual work like these or any of these though he has done it yet he has not so done it but that he is still doing it Gods people are his Vineyard Esay 27.2 I the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Custodiens eam Esay 27. v. 3. 1 Cor. 3. v. 6.7 I am keeping it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day I have planted Apollo hath watered the words are indefinite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabat did give that is he so gave as he is yet giving increase And so the Apostle expresseth himself in the next words Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that is planting is not any thing nor he that is watering but God who is giving increase Ye are Gods building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Pagnin and Beza turn aedificatio a work in fieri which is yet a doing 1 Cor. 3.9 And therefore the Apostle I commend you saith he unto God and to the word of his grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able further to buiid you which Beza turns Superstruere the Son of God saith My Father worketh hitherto and I also work John 5.17 2. Whence appears the great goodness love and care of the Lord our God toward his people in that he is alwayes instructing informing counselling admonishing reproving correcting chastening comforting exhorting dehorting and performing all other acts of a fatherly Lawgiver and Teacher Who like him saith Elihu Job 36.22 That spirit which spake very often to the old Romans whom therefore they called Locutius at length lest speaking when they had built him a Temple But the Lord who is yesterday and to day and the same for ever hath spoken in every soul even from the beginning whence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word by S. John This is very often expressed in the Chald. Paraph. when God is said to say or do something the Paraphrast adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his word Thus Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand the Thargum hath the Lord said unto his Word and Psal 144.2 where the Hebrew hath I will trust in him the Chaldee paraphraseth it I will trust in his Word Where it is in the Hebrew your new Moons and Feasts my soul hateth the Paraphrast puts my Word hateth Esay 1.4 and 45.17 Israel is saved by the Lord is express in the Chaldee by the Word of the Lord. So Jer. 1.8 where the Lord saith to the Prophet I will be with the the Paraphrast expresseth it my Word shall be with thee And many the like Which it were much to be wished that they well
Feast 3. The Lord expects a gradual obedience of his people of every one according to what power he hath And as he gives to every one according to his ability Matth. 25.15 So he requires a proportionable improvement of what he gives of every one as he is able Non eadem à summo minimoque not the same of the greatest and least a Lamb-like innocency and fincerity from the weakest from those who are better growen a fruitfulness and profitableness such are the Sheep of the true Shepherd John 10. He requires an helpfulness and cooperation with himself of those who are his strong Oxen 1 Cor. 3.9 that they break up the fallow grounds and tread out the corn and when they have done all to suffer as Lambs Sheep and Oxen Jer. 11. v. 19. as the Prophet saith of himself I was as a Lamb an Ox brought to sacrifice Jer. 11.19 This discovers much hypocrisie in the present generation For there are who exceedingly magnifie the grace mercy of God and his love to mankinde in that he made Christ the spotless and innocent Lamb to be sin or an offering for sin not having known sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Who exceedingly cried up the dignity of Christs person that Lamb of God and the invaluable merit of his personal death and passion At quis vituperat But who dispraiseth him said one to him who made a long Oration in the praise of Hercules These can well make large Panegyrical Orations of what God hath done and what Christ hath suffered for them but meantime they consider not nor acknowledge that they themselves have crucified and slain that innocent Lamb in Sodom and Egypt Revel 11.8 and 13.8 Gal. 3. v. 1. even Christ crucified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.1 in you by the secret sin and the open and manifest sin They boast much of the Paskal Lamb sacrificed for them yet are they not sincere nor purge they out the old leaven of naughtiness and wickedness 2 Pet. 1. v. 9. but take forgetfulness both of Christs expiation and purging them and of their own duty of cleansing themselves of their own old sins 2 Pet. 1.9 One and All. OR Love the fulfilling of all the Commandements SER. XVI SERMON XVI Deuteronomie 19. ver 9. If thou shalt keep all these Commandements to do them which I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God and to walk ever in his wayes THis is Pendula sententia a sentence which depends on somewhat preceding in the former words and hath something depending upon it in the words following It s necessary therefore to the understanding of these words that we know the structure and natural order of the eighth ninth and tenth verses which contain one entire Paragraph The Lord having commanded the building of three Cities of Refuge in the midst of the Land v. 2. He gives order to build three Cities more but this command is upon a condition on Gods part If the Lord enlarge their Coast according to his promise and oath unto their fathers v. 8. But because there is no question but the Lord the faithful God will perform his promise and his oath the two immutable things the only doubt would be whether Israel would perform their duty that the Lord might perform his promise and his oath and therefore the condition on Gods part depends on performance of another condition on mans part which ye have v. 9. If thou shalt keep all these Commandements If this condition be performed then thou shalt build thee three Cities more The end why these Cities must be built ye have v. 10. That innocent blood be not shed in thy land Ye perceive my Text is the second condition according to the order of the words namely that which is required on mans part that the Lord might perform the condition on his part To enlarge their coast Rom. 7. v. 19.21 and so the three other Cities might be built Before we can speak as we ought to these words we must render them right For they are not truly translated as they are now read I read them thus If or when thou shalt keep all that Commandement to do it which I am commanding thee this day to love the Lord thy God and to walk in his wayes all dayes These words are considerable in themselves or with reference unto the neighbour words In themselves considered they afford us these Axioms 1. The Lord is commanding thee this day to love the Lord thy God and to walk in his wayes all dayes 2. Thou oughtst to keep all that Commandment to do it These words considered with reference to the neighbour words If thou shalt keep all that Commandement to do it the Lord will enlarge thy Coast 1. The Lord is commanding us this day to love the Lord our God and to walk in his wayes all dayes This in nature is first For there must be a command before there is an obeying the command Wherein we have the general duty 1. Love of the Lord our God 2. Obedience out of that love 3. The duration or continuance of that love and obedience 4. Gods precept enjoyning that love obedience and duration of it 1. The Lord is commanding us this day that we love the Lord our God This form of speech notes a continued act of commanding The Lord gives not his commands of love and obedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all at once Esay 3. v. 9. There hath been a dispute whether the Creator having once in the beginning put an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impetus or principle of motion into his creature that were sufficient for the perpetual motion of every respective creature according to its kinde Or whether the perpetual concourse of the Creator be needful to the motion of every respective creature This later hath been more generally received in the School The reason may be 1. In regard of man averse and turned from his God and turned into a vitious self-love a love of the world and the things of the world and therefore he stands in great need of divine concourse continually reclaiming him recalling him requiring and commanding him entreating and requesting him exciting and exhorting him dayly while it is called to day continually every way winning upon him to regain him unto his love 2. Besides the Lords continual claim as I have formerly shewen preserves his right This discovers mans wonderful apostasie from the love of his God who although he be the chief good and therefore naturally most amiable and lovely yet the Lord sees it needful to command man to love him 2. We ought to keep all that Commandement to do it to love the Lord our God What our Translators here turn all these Commandements to do them in the plural is in the singular number only in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that Commandement to do it Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are emphatical importing the excellency of that Commandement and demonstrative and pointing at that Commandement here intended and expressed in the next following words If thou keep all that Commandement to do it which I am commanding thee this day To love the Lord thy God It s strange that there hath been so great an inadvertency in the Authors of all the old English Translations as well as of this last as also in the French Spanish and Italian yea in Hierom also in Luther and the Low Dutch that they should not take notice of the singular number this Commandement which would have directed them to the first and great Commandement in the next words Howbeit a matter of so great moment past not without due observation of some learned Translators as Pagnin Vatablus Castellio Tremellius Munster the Tigurin Bible Piscator and of our English Ainsworth who with one consent read the words to one effect Thou shalt keep all that Commandement to do it viz. to love the Lord thy God c. Herein we must inquire 1. What it is to keep that Commandement which is the duty here commanded 2. What it is to keep all that Commandement which is the latitude and generality of the duty To keep that Commandement and do it are phrases sometime equipollent and of the same extent for so to keep the Commandement is to do the Commandement Sometime they are distinguished and the former is in order to the later as Gen. 18.19 Deut. 4.6 and 5.1 Ye shall learn them and keep to do them And thus the observing and keeping the Commandement is in or with the heart as Psal 119.34 I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it in the whole heart Here then I commend unto you the highest service of God even the love of the Lord our God That ye may perceive it to be no other ye may consider the man on whom God first works to be moved by the spirit of bondage under which he lives in fear Rom. 8. Fear takes away half the understanding from servants saith Plato out of Homer Yea Timor minuit it takes away half their strength A man is not able to do half so much in his fear as when it is off him Then is he brought to faith but that works not but by love Gal. 5.6 And at the last he comes to the love of God And that is the end 1 Cor. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfect that is to come And therefore we read of a threefold obedience The first out of fear and that takes away half the spirit and strength of men This was figured by the Porch of the Temple whence they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Acts 10.2 and 13.16.26 2. There is an obedience of faith Rom. 1. and 16. This was figured by the holy Lastly there is an obedience of charity 1 Pet. 1.1 Castificantes sub obedientia charitatis This was figured by the Most-Holy wherein Jesus Christ himself is the High Priest the Minister of the heavenly good This is tacitly enjoyned Exod. 20.6 doing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements This is the most durable service of God When Faith and Hope have an end 1 Cor. 13. ult The true light the resurrection and the everlasting life The new birth the new heaven and earth wherein righteousness dwels the kingdom of God and his righteousness the Paradise of God wherein is the tree of life wherein is the fulness of life and peace In a word this is God himself 1 John 4.8.16 The Son of God Col. 1. v. 13. Col. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son his love The holy Spirit of God shed in the hearts of men as Peter Lombard excellently explains that place Then that which is perfect is come We have hitherto heard the duty of the first and great Commandement the love of the Lord our God now followes the generality and integrity of that duty of love and obedience of love we ought to keep all that Commandement to do it That we may the better understand the generality and integrity of this duty I shall refer you to our Lords Commentary upon this Commandement Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy minde which words commend unto us the generality and integrity of this duty even all this Commandement as considerable extensively and intensively 1. Extensively in regard of parts and so we ought to love the Lord our God with heart soul and minde 2. Intensively in regard of degrees with the utmost degree of all these parts we ought to love the Lord our God and so to keep all this Commandement to do it with all our heart with all our soul and as it is in S. Luke with all our strength and with all our minde Doubt 1. But how can we love the Lord our God so intensively and extensively and keep all this Commandement to do it God is immense unmeasurable and infinite But thou and I and every creature of us is finite and hath certain bounds and limits of being Between infinite and finite we say there is no proportion How then can we so keep all this Commandement to love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our minde with all our soul and with all our strength Beloved we are subject to be much mistaken as in other things so most of all in ourselves The man was taken according to his better part out of his God therefore he hath greater resemblance unto him then he is aware of God is infinite and man is in a sort infinite Infinite in his thoughts and imaginations Name the utmost part of the known World of the Eastern or Western Indies or toward the Northern of Southern Pole the thoughts are presently there upon the very first naming of them Put case there were more Worlds and those larger then this known World the thoughts could enlarge themselves according to the number of them and utmost extent of them The like we may say of the will and appetite it is infinite Eccles 6.7 All the labour of the man is for his mouth and his appetite or will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not filled no but it ranges and seeks about for what may fill it as the Wiseman intimates v. 9. Better is the sight of the eyes then the wandring of the desire Yea by reason of the unsatiable and infinite appetite the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing Eccles 1.8 nor the desire with lusting He that loveth silver shal not be satisfied with silver Eccles 5.10 As therefore God himself is infinite so is the desire an abyss a bottomless depth which cannot be filled otherwise then by an infinite God So that by how much the soul desires God more by so much the more it may desire him And by how much the more it loves God by
servants to righteousness unto holiness Let us return to the Lord our God Hos 14.1 5. For we have fallen by our iniquity Let us take with us words and turn unto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously So will we render the fruit of our lips Ashur shall not save us We will not ride upon horses neither will we say to the work of our hands ye are our Gods For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy Then shall we hear that gratious answer of our God I will heal their back-sliding or rebellion I will love them freely for mine anger is turn'd away from him Get thee out of thy countrey and from thy kindred Genesis Chap. 12. Verse 1. and from thy father house What our Translators turn Get thee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vade tibi or ad te go to thy self to thine own benefit which is not expressed but neglected by ours and most other Translators as also the duty signified hereby is slighted by most men Rom. 4.23.24 the introversion or turning into our selves The Lord here speaks to Abraham and to every son of Abraham according to the Apostles reasoning Phil. 3.19 James 3 1◠Go out of thine own countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of thine own earth thine earthly minde thine earthly wisdom Go out of thy kindred thine own corrupt nature opposite unto the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 thine innate inbred corruptions Martin Lhther turns it Freund-schaft thy friendship thy lewd companions none worse then thine own carnal senses affections and lusts thine own-ship thy selfnesse Go out of thy fathers house While thou livest in Vr of the Chaldees the false light the light of Devils Iohn 8.44 Prov. 9.12 so S. Hierom renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi Daemones who is thy father but the Devil himself Go thou out of this thy countrey kindred and fathers house be wise for thy self go thou though none else will go Rehoboam would not quit his youthful company Ecclus 47.23 but followed their counsel and so became the foolishness of the people Thy God calls thee to himself It s Vetus proverbium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sequere Deum follow thy God could even Tully say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the end according to most divine Moses to follow God So Philo de Migrat Abrah Follow him calling thee into thy self tecum habita enter into thine own heart where thou hast been a stranger Psal 85.8 and hear thy God speaking to thee there as David resolved to do I will hear what God will speak in me for he will speak peace to his merciful ones and to those who turn unto their heart or turn their heart unto him So the LXX and Vulg. Lat. For surely the Lord speaks inwardly unto men as well now as formerly Hos 1.2 The Lord spake in Hosea And the Angel spake in Zachary Zach. 1.9.13 14.19 as often in that and other Prophesies In all which places instead of In me I know not by what Authority our Translators turn With me 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me c. saith S. Paul Thus the Lord speaks to us but we hear him not by reason of that great din which the world makes in our ears Turn to thine own heart O son of Abraham and thou wilt soon hear him speaking to thee saying as here to Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go into thy self which thou wilt finde experimentally to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most convenient for thee and most profitable for thee saith R. S. J. And he removed from thence Genesis Chap. 12. Verse 8. c. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Evulsit he drew or plucked up from thence viz. the stakes of his Tent in order to removing from thence Abraham was now in Sichem That signifies a part He could not settle in a part who aimed at perfection Therefore righteous Abraham travailed toward the south vers 9. According to what the wisman saith That the path of the just is as the morning light Prov. 4.18 which shineth more and more to the perfect day To thee be it spoken O Son of Abraham Set not up thy rest in Sichem in any part or degree of holyness The Lord promised all the holy Land to Abraham and to his seed for ever Gen. 13.14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pluck up thy stakes Dwell not in what is mutable and changeable Follow thy father Abraham and as he followed God who called him to his foot Esay 41.2 Rom. 4.12 So do thou follow the stepps of thy father Abrahams faith and go on unto perfection Which is no more than what the Apostle who was of the seed of Abraham often exhorts unto 1 Cor. 11.1 Be yee followers of me as I am of Christ And be not slothfull Hebr. 6.12 but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises SERMON V. SERM. V. Imputation of best Reputation And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now toward heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy seed be And he believed the Lord and he imputed it unto him for righteousnesse THe Jewes have a tradition that Abram having now obtained so notable a victory of four Kings who had conquered five since victory is reckoned among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sweetest and most delightfull things Abram feared lest his glorious conquest should be the reward of his obedience and righteousness And therefore the Lord here puts him out of that fear Fear not Abram c. But we cannot think that our father Abram served the Lord in this war as a mercenary or hireling or looked at any less any other reward then God himself Whence it was that he refused all the spoyles which the King of Sodom offered unto him he expected his reward from him who had chosen him to be a souldier We may therefore rather think that Abram after so great a victory was wisely provident and wary lest the Babylonians or Canaanites might surprize him and least his good sccess should make him secure As it is said to one of our antient Kings Quando victor eras ad crastina bella pavebas Quando victus eras ad crastina bella parabas The Lord therefore ingaged himself for his pay promiseth himself for his protection and encourageth him by both From this gracious promise Abram gathers in upon his God and is imboldened to ask a Son and heir of all his goods Many goods God had given him Gen. 13. but no child no heir to possess them after him Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless my servant will be mine heir It is one of the great evills of barrenness Haeredem habere non suum There is nothing will satisfie Abraham but a Son
of the Kings Life-gard did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minister unto him Here again is a mis-translation of that word The chief fathers and Captains of thousands and hundreds and their Officers that served the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who ministred unto the King 1 Chron. 27.1 These are more evidently differenced in the Levites offices Num. 8.24 25 26. This is that which belongeth to the Levites From twenty and five years old and upward they that is every one of them for the Verbs are all singular shall go in to war the warfare in the service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Tabernacle of the Congregation And from the age of fifty years they shall return from the warfare of the service and shall serve no more but shall minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with their brethren in the Tabernacle of the Congregation to keep the charge and shall do no service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here is a clear difference observed by the Translators themselves whereby they really acknowledge the exception against their two former mistakes to be just From fifty years old and upward the Levites were exempted from labour and then imployed in works more easie according to their strength Such provision the Lord made for the Levites in the time of the Law And should not they who have served him in this time of the Gospel and have warred a good warfare become milites emeriti veterans and such as may rest after all their labour There is much discretion and equity commended unto us in that old Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laborious works belong to young men who are strong to labour Middle-aged men who are passed their hard labour have learned by experience to give counsel to the younger As for old men Quid enim nisi vota supersunt what can they do but pray for Gods blessing and good success to others labours and counsels But the service and ministry here spoken of may concern all who hope to be made Kings and Priests unto God There is a time of great labour wearisome service and hard duty while we fight the Lords battels against the spiritual enemies nor is any one man or woman exempted from this ingagement For the Levites must war that warfare of the Lords service And we read of the women who warred their warfare also at the door of the Tabernacle a place mis-translated Exod. 38.8 1 Sam. 2. who came thither to pray so the Chald. Par. or to fast so the LXX or to watch as the word also signifies all good duties to be performed at the door of the Tabernacle at the entrance of Gods service which is the fear of God that so growing up we may approach unto the door that is Christ and in conformity unto his death we may enter into the true Tabernacle This is the young mans work who overcomes the evil one 1 John 2.12 This war continues until the fiftieth year which is the year of Jubilee the year of Remission when the sins are remitted and removed and done away by the Spirit of the Lord which gives liberty to run the way of Gods Commandements Psalm 119.32 Hither the Apostle was come when he said He had fought the good fight and kept the faith 2 Tim. 4.7 8. For so after this time of service followes the time of ministring unto the Lord when having done our own work we are vacant Ezech 44.15 16. and at leisure to do the Lords work in his Church so we understand those to be idle Matth. 20.3.6 as the promise is made to the Levites the sons of Zadoc that they shall be the Priests of the Lord and shall draw neer to minister unto him in his mystical Temple and offer unto him the fat and the blood The Lord enable us all to become such servants that we may be Ministers such Soldiers that fighting the good fight of faith that we may obtain the crown of Righteousness such Levites that we may be adjoyn'd unto the Lord they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true Levites who cleave unto the Lord and become of one spirit with him even the sons of Zadoc righeous ones who minister unto the Lord in newnesse of the Spirit and Truth and Life They shall be on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brethren Gen. 49. Ver. 26. The words which the Translators turn Separate from his brethren are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I rather render The Nazarite of his brethren as he who was more eminently holy then any then all his brethren A Nazarite was such an one as separated himself unto God 1. from Wine 2. from shaving his head 3 From uncleanness by coming at the dead how near or deer so ever to him as Father or Mother Brother or Sister as it appears largely Num 6. The Nazarites were such unto the Jewes And these they stirred up in times of distresse to call upon the Lord. Joseph was such a Nazarite of his brethren as being the most eminent of all his brethren for 1. Piety and holiness as appears by his whole story and for 2. Dignity also for the birthright was Josephs 1 Chron. 5.1 2. And most reasonable it is that in Gods account and true estimate he who in vertue excels others should also exceed them in bâ—iss and happiness And so some of the learned Jews understood here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prince and Ruler Whence the LXX The blessings shall be on the crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his brethren whom he ruled though they mistake and set the crown not on the head of Joseph but of his brethren And therefore although he were the youngest save one of all his brethren yet had he the honour of the Birthright as if he had been the eldest This promotion is according to divine Heraldry For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time nor that is measured by number of years but wisdom is the gray hair unto men and the unspotted life is old age Wisd 4.8 9. In which respect Joseph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by Castellio Excellenti sâ—imas fratrum suorum the most excellent of his brethren Thus the Vulg. Lat. hath Nazaraei inter fratres suos a Nazarite among his brethren Pagnâ—n Nazaraei fratrum suorum So Vatablus so Munster so the Tigurin and Spanish Bibles Martin Luther also and three Low-Dutch translations but not one of all our English translations from the first to the last which all have one expression not true without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood Separate from his brethren Now in that Joseph was the Nazarite of his brethren and the most excellent of them as Castellio renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was a notable type of the Lord Jesus as he who is eminently holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7.26 and the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 who also
hidden and invisible Church as those names signifie Obs 2. What is principally to be partaken of in Christ his Head his ruling part we are to receive him as our Prince our Ruler and Governour This is that which is aimed at first in these words Many can be content to partake of him as a Prophet as a Priest as a Sacrifice but few as an Head few as a Prince Head and Governour As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2.6 Obs 3. What part of the word is principally intended by the Head what else but the ruling part the Head-sum of the Law and Faith even love out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Reproof 1. Those who aim at a Church like the Cyclops a Common-wealth without an Head without order of the members superiour and inferiour Reproof 2. Who reject Christ and will none of him as their Head We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19.14 2. His Legs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have their name in the Hebrew from bowing or being bowed They have analogie and proportion to the arms and legs of a man which are the instruments of motions and actions And therefore commonly by the feet and legs we mystically understand the passions and affections which move and carry out the soul and the whole man and put him upon actions which are signified by the hands and arms The eating therefore of the legs of the Paschal Lamb is having communion with Christ in motions and actions to walk as he walked 1 John 2.6 So S. Paul walked and he tels the Corinthians of his wayes that were in Christ 1 Cor. 4.17 Communion in power and strength signified by the Arm which is Christ Esay 40.10 and 53.1 By the Feet of the Lamb we may understand the lesse Commandements as by the Head the greater Hos 8.12 These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie the great things of the Law in regard of the lesse Matth. 23.23 For the Commandements of God are not all of one cise Whence it follows That Obs 1. There are degrees of the word and Commandements of God some greater some lesse 2. Both greater and less must be kept Head and feet of the Lamb must be eaten Axiom 3. His appurtenance The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his inwards The word properly signifies all the intrails more specially the Heart And by the Heart the will love and mercy is to be understood The eating then of the inwards of the Pascal Lamb is the partaking of the will of Christ that it may be our meat to do his will John 4.34 S. Paul had Christs love and mercy in him I long after you saith he in the bowels of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.8 Obs 1. All the Commandements prohibitions promises and threatnings are to be received fed upon by faith and inwardly digested into life Observe all things whatsoever I command you Matth. 28.20 Believe all things which the Prophets have written Luke 24.25 To receive the most intimate requiring of the Law inwardly and to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with the spirit of our minde Obs 2. The participation of Christ is not outward onely but also inward His words are spirit and life John 6.63 His law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. His whole worship is spiritual John 4.23 24. Hitherto we have considered these members a part Come we now to the handling of them joyntly And here let us inquire Why must these three be eaten The whole Lamb must be eaten And why is there more special mention made of these three parts 1. They are the three parts which specially suffered in the true Pascal Lamb. His Head crowned with Thorns His Hands and Feet pierced with Nails and his Side with a Spear 2. We have been wounded in all these in our Head our intellectuals in our inwards our morals in our actions and affections From the sole of the foot even to the head Esay 1.6 3. We have wounded him in all these we have crowned his head with our thorny cares In his hand is the hiding of his power Hab. 3.4 But what are these wounds in thy hands These with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zach. 13.6 even in those who enfeeble Christs power under pretence of infirmity and weakness of the Saints Obs 1. All our motions and actions which are signified by the outward members these are directed by the Head by the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 All our inward willing and nilling all our love hope desire fear joy grief all the actions proceeding from these these are guided by the minde and understanding by the Head Christ And therefore the words in the text if truly translated are very observable Ye shall eat the head with the legs and the purtenance thereof The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head above the legs and above the purtenance thereof The head must rule the legs and feet all the motions and actions The head must be above the inwards it must guide the passions and motions and affections of the heart Though these parts be specially enjoyned the whole Lamb must be eaten Obs 2. The holy Spirit of God implies and requires our whole conformity to Jesus Christ under the names 1. of eating and drinking unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you John 6.53 His flesh is his Word the Word made flesh John 1.14 His Spirit is drink He hath made us to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence is our spiritual life Christ our life Col. 3.4 To me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 2. The Spirit requires our conformity unto him in clothing put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Yea we must be armed with him what the Apostle calls the armour of light Rom. 13.12 13 14. he explains and calls the Lord Jesus Christ Reproof 1. Who will eat the Head who will be contemplative Christians but not the legs and feet they are not practical not affectionate Such an one was Judas he knew Christ and preached him but his bowels gushed out he had no mercy Reproof 2. Those who are practical and perform some outward work materially good without the inwards As the Pharisees would perform some outward duties without the inward and spiritual commandment Our Lord saith Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Nor is that Authors tenent other then Pharisaical who writing a work of Wisdom adviseth men to supply the necessities of the poor and miserable but not to be moved or troubled at their miseries His reason Because saith he it damps a noble spirit I know not wherein he placeth the nobility of spirit unless with Aristotle he account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
persons devotions and prayers shall be accepted of God being sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15.16 If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the Commandements of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done Levit. 4. Ver. 2.13.22 and shall do against any of them I have three exceptions against the translation of this second verse whereof two are common to verse 13. 22. 1. What is here rendred against any of the Commandements is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex omnibus praeceptis of all the Commandements 2. What they put in a Parenthesis concerning things which ought not to be done is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which should not be done 3. What is turn'd against any of them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from one of them 1. What a difference is here in the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among all the significations reckoned up by Grammarians doth not signifie against nor doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie any unless joyn'd with a negative as Exod. 20.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non facies omne opus i.e. ullum that is as our Translators turn that place well thou shalt not do any work 2. What reason had they to put those words in a Parenthesis concerning things which ought not to be done And what need was there of that supplement concerning things I suppose to make the best of it it might be this pious consideration whereas these words the Commandements of the Lord come immediately before if these words which ought not to be done shold so follow there might be an ill inference made viz. That some of the Commandements ought not to be done But they well knew that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well a negative precept as an affirmative as the Rabbins call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a precept-do an affirmative precept and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a precept-thou shall not do a negative precept so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a precept or Commandement is common unto both Yea themselves elsew where so render the words without scruple as Psal 15. wherein there are more negatives then affirmatives yet they conclude the Psalm he that doth these things shall never fall Zach. 8.16 17. These are the things which ye shall do c. where there are things to be left undone which the Lord saith he hateth Yea although the Decalogue or Ten Commandements are more of them negative then affirmative yet how ordinary is it with the Lord to enjoyn us to do his Commandements For to do them is to obey them whether affirmative or negative 3. What they turn against any of them is from one of them And ver 13. If they have done some what against any of the Commandements whereas the Hebrew words are if they have done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of all c. And again verse 22. If the Ruler hath done somewhat against any of the Commandements c. the words are to be rendred as before if he hath done one of all c. In these places the note of universality all the Commandements and the singularity of the breach and violation of one of them are both slur'd and vanish in conceptum confusum into an obscure indefinite How much better hath the Tigurin Bible expressed both in ver 2. If a soul shall sin through errour in cunctis prohibitionibus Domini quae fieri non debebant ipse verò unum ex illis fecerit c. In all the prohibitions of the Lord which ought not to be done but he hath done one of them c. So Vatablus So Luther also mentions one of the Commandements and two Low Dutch Translations Pagnin also and Tremellius Piscator and the French Bible I note this the rather because of that almost general neglect of Gods Commandements held by some not to belong to a Christian man by others to be impossible to be kept through the grace of God by any man and this opinion amounts to the same in effect with the former whereas these three verses beside manifold other Scriptures forcibly prove that as the Lord requires both of the Priest and the People of the Ruler and all and every one under his power an universal regard to be had to all and every one of his Commandements so he supposeth that all and every one of these have respect unto all the Commandements of God and to every one of them in that he prescribes an offering in case any one of them hath broken one Commandement and that out of ignorance and errour And certainly the like care and observation yea greater ought to be had by us Christians in respect of all every Commandement of God For although it be now almost commonly believed that there is something to be remitted and abated of the strictness and rigour of the Law in our Evangelical obedience in regard of that which was required of them who lived under the Law that assertion is altogether groundless and untrue which yet therefore hath obtained belief and approbation amongst most men because it is easie For they love an easie religion a-life Proclives à labore ad libidinem men by corrupt nature hate what is hard and difficult love their ease But the Gospel indeed requires more obedience of us then the Law which may appear as by that which our Lord affirms Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees which yet was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most strict Heresie as the Apostle calls it Acts 26.5 ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 As also by our Lords exposition of the Law that the obligation of it reacheth to the soul and spirit Matth. 5.21 c. Yea the penalty of disobedience to the Gospel is more grievous then that for the breach of the Law For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Hebr. 2.2 3. and 10.28 29. He who despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses How much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy of who hath troden under foot the Son of God c. And great reason there is For where the Lord hath given more grace he may justly expect more obedience and duty from us according to our Lords rule of equity Luke 12.48 Let us well consider this O Reader who ever thou art and let us conscientiously regard every one of Gods Commandements and take great heed lest we break any one of them since he who breaks but one Commandement is guilty of all James 2.10 As in a copulate Axiom saith the Logician one false part renders the whole Axiom false And a Chrystal Glass or Mirrour though broken but in one part yet the whole Glass is said to be broken And one breach made in the Glass of righteousness the holy Word of God
part of the plant There is an earth that is the Serpents food Esay 65.25 which is indeed the terra damnata the damn'd earth the disobedient knowledge and the disobedient in their knowledge who detain the truth of God in their unrighteousness Against these the wrath of God the Judge is revealed from Heaven There is another sort of earth which becomes a part of the heavenly plant which growes up in all things into that plant of renown Ephes 4. The same was figured by Moses killing the Egyptian a type of sin and iniquity Mich. 7.19 and hiding him in the sand damned earth to earth But he rebuked the Hebrew and flew him not who wronged his brother even the Edomique nature the animalis homo who wrongs his brother the spiritual heavenly man Adde yet a third representation of this mystery figured by Joseph in prison of whom the chief Butler saith to Pharaoh Gen 41.13 Me he restored to mine office and him he hanged The work of the true spiritual Joseph the perfect one in the judgement Which he as evidently sets forth upon the Cross with whom were crucified two Thieves whereof one according to an antient tradition was an Edomite a Red man as Edom signifies the other an Egyptian a black thief The Edomite the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the animalish or souly man being crucified with him he takes with him into Paradise the Egyptian the sin it self and all who will by no means part with it but become one with it he sends away to Azazel Let us well consider this O ye Israel of God! Herein is pourtrayed before us in the High Priest whose duty alone it was to officiat on the day of Expiation the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true High Priest for ever He is here brought in offering up himself without spot unto God He is the true sin-offering figured in the Bullock and the true burnt-offering signified by the Ram as the Apostle shews largely Hebr. 9.7 28. The Lord ordains that Aaron must take for the congregation of the sons of Israel two Kids of the Goats Hereby the Lord prefigures his judgement wherein two parties are principally concerned the Judge with his Assessors and the persons to be judged The Judge with his Assessors of whom Enoch prophesied Behold the Lord cometh with his holy ten thousands as the words properly signifie Jude v. 14. The persons to be judged are of two sorts both represented by the two Goats which must be taken for the Congregation of the Sons of Israel ver 5. These must be separated as a Shepherd separates the Sheep from the Goats the Sheep on the right hand and the Goats on the left To the Sheep shall be commemorated their works of mercy to the Goats on the left hand their unmercifulness And accordingly the merciful obtain mercy to whom it is said Come ye blessed of my Father c. To the unmerciful ones depart from me c. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and description of the judgement is here presigured by Moses The Judge and his Assessors are the same the same also are the persons to be judged represented by two Goats But how come the Goats to be Sheep They had done away their sins by righteousness and their iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 they made friends of the unrighteous Mammon the other keep their unrighteous Mammon and perish with it O ye sons of Israel this neerly concerns us all We all wait at Bethesda the house of Mercy and every one merciful or unmerciful if ye ask him will say he hopes to be saved he hath hope of mercy Yet every one almost judgeth another and condemns another Must we not all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ Why then do we censure and judge one another and that concerning our final estate who shall bee saved who damned Some have been very bold in obscurities of this nature positively to affirm what others have as boldly denied and both upon equal grounds when neither party hath had authority of Scripture or sound reason whereon to build his assertion Above twenty years since two books came out printed at Millan The Title of the one is De Inferno Of the other De animabus Paganorum The Author of the former hath so curiously described Hell and all the parts and nooks of it and for what uses the feveral Cels therein are you would think he had been there imployed as a Surveyor or a Viewer so punctual he is in his relation and survey of the place He having thus provided Hell the other as a Judge by his own cise and rule very strictly examines those whom we would have thought out of all question whether saved or not as Melchisedec Job and his three friends as also Elihu who with much a-do escaped this Authors condemnation But as for the Philosophers and of them the very best we read of he represents them living very holy lives and leaving to posterity very many divine sayings but at length like et Minos Aeacas or Rhadamanthus he adjudges them all to Hell all to Azazel O were it not much better and more safe to examine our own lives and consider our own later end We have here a clear and evident demonstration O ye sons of Israel that we are saved by grace We stand all before the Judgement seat of Christ as the two Goats taken for the whole Congregation of Israel and are presented here before the Lord ver 5. The distinctive and separating Lots pass upon us one for the Lord and the other for Azazel Who of us knows whether Lot shall fall upon him We all know that we have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory of our God Rom. 3.23 And the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 And they who are blessed and called to inherit the kingdom of God because they have dote works of mercy they remember them not Matth. 25.37 38 39. These things considered why may not the Lot for Azazel fall upon us It is the Lot which makes the distinction John 19.24 and therefore the eternal inheritance is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a distribution by lot Acts 20.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inheritance obtained by lot among those who are sanctified and often elsewhere And we are said to obtain that inheritance by lot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance by lot And the means qualifying us to obtain the inheritance 2 Pet. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them who have obtained by lot equally precious faith with us Which hath allusion to the Israelites receiving their inheritance from Joshuah in the Land of Canaan who divided unto them the Land by lot and by lot the true Joshuah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Joshuah is also called and his book after his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he divides the true inheritance of the holy land or land of holiness which is called his
the two former Chapters the Lord gives divers precepts which in this Chapter he ratisies with sanctions by their respective punishments The words contain a denuntiation of punishment for a crime and the confirmation of that punishment by repetition both of the crime and punishment When any man curseth his Father or his Mother he shall surely be put to death Which words are repeated for aggravavation 1. The crime he hath cursed his Father or his Mother 2. The punishment of the crime his blood shall be upon him What is here turn'd Father or Mother although read copulatively in the Hebrew his Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his Mother yet are the words dis-junctively to be understood his Father or his Mother and that by the authority of the only Lawgiver who warrants the dis-junctive reading of this sentence Matth. 15.4 He that curseth Father or Mother let him die the death So that he who curseth one and but one of his parents is liable to death otherwise the Law might have been eluded Howbeit the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here read is not only to speak evil to or of or to imprecate and so wish evil unto any one as it is wont to be rendred by maledicere to curse or speak evil of And so what we read Exod. 22.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Paul Acts 23.5 renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not speak evil of c. Yet the word signifies more properly to slight and make light of to vilifie and dishonour And so this verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to honour as elsewhere so 1 Sam. 2.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those who honour me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will honour but they who despise me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vili pendentur they shall be lightly esteemed When any man speaks evil of or to his Father or Mother or flights either of them he shall die the death that is he shall certainly die as he is worthy to die being guilty of so great a crime Which is explaind in the close of the verse his blood shall be upon him Under the notion and name of parents we are to understand not only our Fathers that begat us and our Mothers that bare us Prov. 23.22 Nor only those whom the Law makes such Ruth 3.1.5 but the name is also extended in a civil respect unto Governours and Magistrates as Eliakim was a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem Esay 22.20 21. And Naamans servant called him Father 2 Kings 5.13 And Deborah was a Mother in Israel Judges 5.7 Yea in a spiritual sense God himself is our Father and Jerusalem above is the Mother of us all as I may shew afterward And they are also called our Fathers who beget us unto God Gen. 45.8 1 Cor. 4.14 15. And consequently honour is due unto them and for slighting or cursing them like penalty is due to those who analogically are called their children This denuntiation of punishment will appear to be reasonable if we shall consider 1. What the duty is which is here violated and 2. the reason of that duty as also 3. the violation and breach of the duty and 4. the punishment of that breach and violation The duty violated is honour of parents And what is it to honour The word used in the fifth Commandement and elsewhere is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be heavy or weighty and that in quantity as in bulk or number Prov. 27.3 Or quality as dignity honour glory whence we say that Honos est onus Honour is a burden accordingly the Scripture speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 So 2 Cor. 12.16 I was not burthensome unto you In this sense the Apostle speaks 1 Thes 2.6 Neither of men sought we glory neither of you nor of others when we might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have been burdensome the Syriac hath been honourable as the Apostles of Christ that is such as God and Christ appointed first in his Church 1 Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 and therefore ye read in the margent we might have had authority 1 Thes 2.6 Now the honour due to parents from their children is a weighty business a matter of great weight and moment which is either inwardly performed as an high esteem of them love and fear of them Or 2. outwardly expressed as a testimony of that estimation love and fear in Reverence to their persons Obedience to their commands Supply of their necessities The reason why this honour is to be given to parents will appear whether we consider the parents themselves or their children who owe this duty to them The parents deserve all honour from them as being in eminency above them both because Authors of their being and of their better being by nurture and education Their love and care and labour and cost challenge all respect from them for their unrequitable love For when they have done all that possibly can be done by them and have followed them with all their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their utmost requital that they can make yet being and education exceeds all gratitude as the hinder wheels of the Charet run as fast but can never overtake the former The Father hath his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to will desire to be tenderly affected to his children as implying that all that influence of care and labour and cost is from love which sweetens the authority of Parents over their children 2. In regard of the children themselves justice and gratitude requires this duty of them Children obey your parents in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this is just Ephes 6.1 That natural love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mixt with due awe makes up Reverence which is the first part of that honour unto parents And love is the strongest principle of obedience Exod. 20.6 that 's the second Whence will easily follow requital of parents to the utmost of their power because to love is not only bene velle but also bene facere Which is the third part of honour due to parents 3. Since the duty is so just so reasonable the breach and violation of that duty must needs be most unreasonable and unjust The violation and breach of the duty it is slighting vilifying disesteeming dis-honouring whether by word as cursing and evil speaking to parents or of them or by gesture or deed as denying them obedience to their commands or supplying their wants as Matth. 15.4 5. This slighting which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little-accounting is a great sin yea a greater injury done to him whom men slight then if they did some open violence unto him Quem quis contemnit eum non curiosiùs calcabit him whom a man contemns he will not take any great care how he kicks him saith Seneca When Paracelsus begun in Germany to make known his principles
he apprehends God to be that will not for his cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will make any account at all of his life but will hazard it and all he had and is to serve his God Bravely resolved Noble Israelites But would we indeed serve the Lord of Hosts be of his Militia enter and list our selves in his Matricula his Military Roll as his Souldiers 1. All his Souldiers must be Males in regard of dignity strength and courage Pharaoh reason'd right though to a wicked purpose Exod. 1.9 10.16.22 The sons of Israel are mightier then we Come on let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to pass that there falleth out any war and they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them out of the Land Therefore lay servile works upon them enfeeble and abase their spirits and bring them low As for their off-spring kill all the male children and save the female alive Thus Pharaoh reasoned and that rightly for the males of Israel are they who most annoy the spiritual Egypt and are most fit to expel the spiritual Canaanites Yet is this no prejudice unto no exemption of the female sex from the spiritual warfare But as there have been Virago's Man-like women famous for their Martial exploits their stout and masculine valour as Semiramis Tomyris the whole Nation of the Amazons beside many other so there have been are and must be of the same sex women as valiant and able to wage the Lords wars Ye read of such Exod. 38.8 who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waged war at the door of the Tabernacle how so they did I have shewed elsewhere and the like examples ye have 1 Sam. 2.22 For there is the spiritual and masculine part of the inward man in all faithful and holy women even strength and vigour of minde and life Such was in Sarah Hebr. 11.11 and in all the genuine daughters of Sarah who are not afraid of any amazement 1 Pet. 3. So that the natural difference of Sex makes no spiritual difference in Christ the Leader and Captain of salvation in whom there is neither male nor female Gal. 3.28 But as the Christian fortitude is here signified by the masculine Sex Christs Souldiers must be males so likewise by their age 2. The Lords warriours must be twenty years old This age imports the strength of the yong man The Lord requires this age in a Souldier who is to fight against the inward and spiritual enemies For what is here implied by this number twenty what else but the Law of God doubled in their number The Ten Commandements in the letter only Deut. 4.13 they are proper to the childe and one as yet under age So the Law is weak by reason of the weakness of the flesh Rom. 8.3 This weak Law came from Mount Sinai but the Law is also spiritual Rom. 7.14 and that comes from Mount Sion Hebr. 12.22 Even the Ten words which the Lord gave out of the midst of the fire Deut. 10.4 the fiery Law Deut. 33.2 or rather as in the Hebrew the fire of the Law that is the Spirit of the Law which is as fire Matth. 3.11 Even the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.2 This is not written in Tables of stone 1 John 2. Ver. 13 14 the hard heart will not yet receive impression but in the fleshy Tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3.3 This Law bring life and strength and power with it For as the man is so is his strength Judg. 8.21 I write to you yong men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye have overcome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one the Devil 1 John 2.13 and again ver 14. I have written to you yong men that ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you even the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.2 and ye have overcome the wicked one It is not the literal law the Ten words in the letter only but the spiritual law written in the heart which having brought us to Christ makes us powerfull and valiant in him This was figured by Abner who brought about all Israel to David 2 Sam. 3.12 And what is David but as anciently etymologized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manu fortis the strong and able of his hands and a notable type of Christ the strong one born in Bethlehem as Christ also was that is not only the house of bread but also the house of war And the Lord had said of David By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies 2 Sam. 3.18 But David hath another Etymologie from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dilectus the Beloved one a figure of the love it self which is strong as death Cant. 8.6 Unto this David Abner comes Abner what 's he but the light of the father that is the fathers law Psal 40.8 Prov. 6.23 which brings us to Christ And he comes with twenty men 2 Sam. 3.20 the Commandements in the Letter and in the Spirit 3. There is no discharge from the spiritual warfare every one who is listed in the Army of Israel must be twenty years old and upward or above So old he must be but not only so old but above How much above The Scripture no where limits no where sets any period or end to the Christian souldiers duty and service But more of this anon 4. The Lords Souldier must come out of Egypt Otherwise how can he be said to be redeemed out of Egypt How can he obtain any benefit of his redemption A price indeed is paid for redemption but it profits not them who continue in their slavery but those who come forth of it and serve their Redeemer in his wars For being redeemed out of the hands of our enemies we ought to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1.74 75. For what is it to Come what else but to believe so one explains the other John 6.35 Howbeit this belief is not that Christ hath come out of Egypt for us not that we should believe this and still continue in Egypt The people believed the Lord and his servant Moses Exod. 14.31 but the people themselves came out of Egypt and so must we To believe is expressed by coming and to be coming is to be yielding pliable and obedient 5. Here is a great difference between the outward and inward souldiery Old age as of sixty years exempts men from going to war and some of the Jews have so limited the time but without warrant of Scripture For hereby was figured the Christian warfare from which no man can be discharged no man can be relieved Paul the aged was also a servant and souldier of Jesus Christ Nor can
sickness excuse us from this warfare as it doth from the outward The Egyptian was left behinde because he was sick 1 Sam. 30.13 But too many who in time of health and strength and welfare being called to the spiritual warfare would not hear Jer. 22.21 the same being pressed by sickness and old age they then begin to learn the use of their spiritual arms to repent deny themselves mortifie their lusts their youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2.22 as of surfeting and drukenness which follow them to their old age the iniquity of their heels Psal 49.5 which dogs them to their graves and now they would part with it when they can enjoy it no longer T is true better late then never But I much fear it will be then too late For the Captain of our salvation calls us to this duty strive to enter in at the strait gate For many I say unto you shall seek to enter and shall not be able Luke 13.24 6. Howbeit the Lord would not that any of his souldiers should dispair or be discouraged and therefore he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnem egredientem every one who is coming forth of Egypt every one who hath a good will and endeavoureth to come out of the Spiritual Egypt the Lord accepts of such an one according to the time sincerity and faithfulnesse of his endeavours He would not that a good thought or will should be lost but accepts it for the deed when God himself is the cause why the deed cannot be done Completa voluntas pro facto aestimatur a complete will accompanied with our utmost diligence is esteemed for the deed it self 7. Provided alwayes that he who so cometh forth of Egypt adjoyn himself to the Army in Israel that is to the Church of Christ which is Acies ordinata an Army or Armies with Banners Cant. 6.4 He must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he must not fight alone but adjoyn himself to the Army as Paul and Barnabas assembled themselves with the Church Acts 11.26 that so he may receive and contribute his strength as the Poet speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Testudo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the souldiers by joynt Targets and Shields mutually defended one the other And thus it is or ought to be in the Church of Christ to which he who comes out of Egypt ought to unite himself 2. Moses and Aaron were commanded by the Lord to visit number and muster all the males from twenty years old and above c. And who so fit as they Moses the King in Jeshurun Deut. 33.5 and Aaron the High Priest Moses the King by his authority and as his name signifies drawing forth the souldiery Aaron the Priest interpreted Mons Scientiae the Mountain of Knowledge the teaching Priest It was his duty to instruct and incourage the souldiers Deut. 20.5 And it is the Evangelical Priests office to do the like in the spiritual warfare Ephes 6.10 18. The Law commanding the Priest making intercession for the transgressours of the Law These had their assistants Numb 1.4 principal men of every Tribe a man of these or most of these names Ainsworth hath given notations which with some additions and alterations we may fit unto the present purpose Such was 1. Elizur My God is the Rock and the Rock is Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 His father is Shedeur the light of the Almighty The light of wisdom and counsel and the Rock of strength two main requisites for the holy war 2 Kings 18.20 2. Shelumiel God is my recompence the souldiers wages their exceeding great reward Abrahams pay after his war Gen. 15.1 Shelumiel was the son of Zurishaddai the Almighty or All sufficient God is my Rock The Psalmist puts both together God is the Rock or strength of my heart and my Portion for ever Psal 73.26 3. Naashon Experiment an experienced Souldier the son of Amminadab my noble or willing people Of such Deborah and Barak sung Judges 5.9 My heart is toward the Governours of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people all volunteers which was not of themselves but of God So 4. Nathaneel the gift of God the son of Zuar The little one the humble one the watchman of the City as the name signifies 5. Eliah My God is the father the strong God the son of Helon mighty and strong 6. Ammihud the glory of my people A figure of him who is the true glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 the son of Elishama My God hath heard or the hearing and obeying of God And whosoever obey him he plentifully rewards them that 's 7. Gamaliel God is my reward and he is the rewarder of every one who diligently seeks him Hebr. 11.6 He is the son of Pedazur the Rock who is the Redeemer even Christ 8. Abidan My father is the Judge even God the Father who is Judge of all the Judge of our just cause for which we fight his battels The son of Gideoni who treads down breaks and cuts off the iniquity according to the Hebrew and Syriac etymologie 9. Achiezer the helper of his brother According to Joabs speech to his brother Abishai If the Syrians be too strong for me then thou shalt help me but if the sons of Ammon be too strong for thee then I will help thee 1 Chron. 19.12 So we ought to help one another against pride and deceit that 's Aram the Syrian and the secret sin that 's Ammon He was the son of Ammishaddai the people of the Almighty Such must they be who fight against such spiritual enemies 10. Pagiel who meeteth God and God meeteth him as Melchisedec met Abraham returning after the slaughter of the Kings Hebr. 7.1 Yea God meeteth him who rejoyceth and worketh righteousness Esay 64.5 Or who maketh intercession with God for the people as the word also signifieth and is spoken of Christ and prophesied of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Mediator shall make intercession for sinners Esay 53.12 He was the son of Ochran who troubles the enemies of Israel 11. Eliasaph God shall increase or adde viz. courage strength knowledge He was the son of Deguel the knowledge of God S. Paul puts both together Increasing in the knowledge of God Col. 1.10 who Numb 2.14 is called according to the frequent change of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reguel the friend of God 12. Ahira a friendly brother or brotherly friend the son of Enan their eyes as a Scout or Scout-master of the Army According to what Moses saith to Hobab Numb 10.29 whom he intreats to accompany the Armies of Israel in their Expedition Leave us not I pray thee forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the Wilderness And thou mayest be to us instead of eyes Indeed Hobab is so necessary unto Israel that they can do nothing without him Hobab signifies Dilectus Beloved or Love and Charity whereby and wherein Israel doth all things according
For si bonus est insons contrarias malus est sons Auson So that Sons is an evil man from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebellious against God and man Or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 odious hateful to God and man and to himself also If we consider the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred here to be guilty which from its affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports an horror and abominatiou as from blasting and as it were a lovely and desolate estate such as needs must the guilty mans be who is broken off from the society with God and man So that to be so guilty to be in fear and horrour after committing some of all the sins of man to trespass a trespass against the Lord to be so guilty its a duty an obligation that lies upon the sinner as in the day of expiations the people are commanded to afflict their souls Levit. 16.29 under penalty of being cut off Levit. 23.29 And such a duty it is as the Lord expects Hos 5.15 I will go and return to my place until they acknowledge their offence Hos 5. Ve 15. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until they be guilty Dones deficiant as Pagnin turns the word until they fail faint and quail in their courage till fear and horrour overtake them and so the words following sound Until they be guilty and seek my face in their affliction or strait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto them they will seek me early Such a desolate state sin committed against God and man the sinner through mercy is disposed unto Lam. 3.28 29 30. He sits alone and keeps silence because he hath born the yoke upon him He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him he is filled with reproach Such an abased condition the Lord requires toward repentance remission of sin and expiation of it 2 Chron. 7.14 It my people upon whom my Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil wayes then will I hear from heaven c. If we consider this well what it is to be guilty and how it follows upon sin committed against God and man we cannot but wonder at an impudent and daring generation who have on their souls an heavie load of guilt yet beat it lightly at least with pretence of much innocency Spem vultu simulat premit alâ—o corde dolorem Confident in face but full sad in heart Nil conscire sibi nullâ pallescere culpâ Own 's no guilt to himself appall'd at no fault Yea with great boldness they intrude into the Congregation of Saints as if they were of their communion The Lord himself seems to marvel at the peoples impudence Jer. 7.8 9 10. Jer. 7. ver 8 9 10. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say we are delivered to do all those abominations as if they should say we come into the Temple to thank God for the success of our sins or to pray for help to do them or we are free'd or redeem'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to commit these abominations And truly its wonderful that the just God shewes not some notable example upon such hypocrites He hath so done as appears by what the Wiseman speaks Ecclus 1.29 30. Be not an hypocrite in the sight of men and take good heed to what thou speakest Exalt not thy self lest thou fall and bring dishonour upon thy soul and so God discover thy secrets and cast thee down in the midst of the Congregation because thou camest not in truth to the fear of the Lord but thy heart is full of deceit Hence it followes that the man hath in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Judicatory a Tribunal where he judges or may judge himself 1 Cor. 11. Judge your selves c. accuse or condemn himself Rom. 2. According to which a man is said to be worsted in his cause 1 Cor. 6.7 This is utterly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 6. ver 7. a fault among you that ye go to law one with another it is a worsting as when a man does causa cadere lose his suit According to which a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-judged and condemned Tit. 3.11 according to which a man being self-judged self-worsted self-condemned he is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-tormentor yea too often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-executioner Take notice hence how partial men are unto themselves they will not own their own guilt Achan took Josh 7. And Micha took Judg. 17.2 Neither of them stole And the Civil Law calls stoln goods Res amotae things put out of their place The figures Euphemismus and Charientismus whereby graceful names are put upon dishonest and soul actions are of notable uss in these evil dayes Which may discover the egregious folly of many vain men who go about to silence the clamour of their guilty conscience with a noyse of Musitians Alas to what purpose are the Minstrels when the Damsel is dead Matth. 9.23 Or who put themselves into merry company of some Buffoons who may jeast away their sorrow Or else they get them among their associates and carnal friends perhaps as deep in guilt as themselves and there they hope to drive away their guilt with a Club or play it away at Cards or Dice Or else they get into the countrey and hope to run away from their pursuing guilt But evil hunts the wicked man to overthrow him Psal 140.11 haeret lateri lethalis arundo Alas These and such shifts as these are but like the skinning over of a festred wound It will break out again And when men have used all their arts and policies to hide themselves from their guilt their sin will at length finde them out Mystice We read Verse 5. that the Lord spake unto Moses This form of words so often iterated are not vainly to be neglected like Homers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor to be understood onely according to the dulness and incapableness of the hearer but according to the Majesty of him who so speaks For the Lord Jesus tels us that God is a Spirit John 4.24 And the Apostle The Lord is a Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 And therefore what he speaks must be spiritually understood Yea it is not only spiritual but even Spirit it self The Lord Jesus John 6. when he had in mystical words delivered at large the secret of his body and blood some who were fleshly minded said How can this man give us his flesh to eat My words saith our Lord are spirit and they are life And whereas the words before us are a part of the Moral Law and belong to the eighth Commandement Thou shalt
at sixty years yea at sixty three years of age after nine climactericals when old age it self begins to be burden enough Provision was made for the Levite now super-annuated under the Law And did the Lord wholly neglect his Evangelical Levites when their strength faileth them Surely no Liberal maintenance was provided for them whereby their old age might be cherished after their hard duty performed But when the Gospell Levites made the people stumble at Gods Law as impossible to be kept or which amounts to the like not belonging to those under the Gospel when they corrupted the covenant of Levi Mal. 2.8 when the people enlarged their desire like hell Habak 2.5 The Levite now past his labour is as much regarded as an old Horse which hath ease and rest only when he is dead But this is a remediless complaint when what was provided and consecrated unto the support of the aged Levites is diverted unto other and those to speak most sparingly whrse ends May not the consideration of this shame us who pretend our selves to be spiritual Levites such as cleave unto the Lord they are the true Levites yet spend our strength and chief time of our strength from twenty five till fifty years of age may I not say of some till sixty yea seventy years of age and upward in the war of their members following their fleshly lusts which fight against their souls Be we rather exhorted to hasten the coming of the fiftieth year that year of release from our hard duty and service That acceptable year of the Lord that day of the Lord whose approach we must hasten 2 Pet. 3. v. 12. Hasten the comming of the day of God So Erasmus renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 3.12 Accelerantes adventum hastening the coming or presence of that day of God It s an expression somewhat strange for we rather wish Phosphore redde diem that the time were come then that we should come to the time or day Indeed that day of the Lord is alwayes ready and would shine unto us but we interpose our clouds or mists and darkness of our sins between it and us We draw our selves in a boat with cords to the shore when the shore seems to come unto us And so it is when we are drawn by the cords of love unto that day of our God and the Lord is drawn by his love toward us as when the Prodigal son returned his father saw him a far off ran unto him and kissed him Thus the Lord meeteth him who rejoyceth and worketh righteousness Esay 64.5 But when the Levites strength is spent in warring the warfare of the Lord must the Levites then be idle Surely no they must now minister There is no part of time that wholly exempts any man from serving God If the enemies be subdued in the spiritual warfare being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we must serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life As for the two following divine sentences 3. That the Levites must minister 4. Not serve but minister I have noted somewhat that may give light unto them on Gen. 39.4 upon the Translators mistake there which I shall not here repeat Let the children of Israel also keep the Passeover at his appointed season Numb 9. v. 2 3. in the fourteenth day of this moneth at even ye shall keep it in his appointed season according to all the rites of it and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it These words contain the Law touching the due observation of the Passeover to be kept in the due time appointed for it and according to the manner prescribed of keeping it But special charge is given concerning the time which is twice mentioned in his appointed season and again in his appointed season Why then do our Translators point us to one evening when the Scripture tels us of two evenings and mentions them precisely both here and Exod. 12.6 And appoints the set time when the Passover must be killed and the Feast kept viz. between the two evenings It is true that secundùm idolum fori according to our common notion we know but one evening in one day and that about Sun-setting whence our English word evening is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bed because the evening or eventide is Bed-time But it s reasonable yea necessary that our notions be conformed unto the Scriptures expressions not that we should force the Scriptures to our notions For our understandings wills affections actions life and manners are all of them to be shaped and fashioned according to the Canon and rule of the Word the Word is not to be formed or modeled according to our understandings wills affections life and maners It was a foul oversight of the Translators to render these words Rom. 6. v. 17. Rom. 6.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But ye have obeyed that form of doctrine which was delivered you whereas the words sound thus But ye have obeyed that form of doctrine unto which ye were delivered This they acknowledge to be the sense of the Greek text which yet they cast into the margent Where this true translation and many other more agreeable to the Original then what they put in the text are utterly lost in all our English manual Pocket Bibles But come we to our two Evenings whereof the one is the declination of the Sun from the Noon-point the other is the setting of the Sun And therefore the Chald. Par. renders between the two Evenings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as he is translated ad vesperam toward the evening but between two Suns viz. the declining and setting Sun The LXX therefore hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 toward the Evening And that this was the preceise time of killing the Passover Josephus testifies Antiq. lib. 16. cap. 10. And Solomon Jarchi and from them Cajetan and others The reason of this exact observation of time for the killing of the Passover was that there might be a due correspondence between the type and the truth between the slaying of the Passover and the crucifying of Christ who is our Passover 1 Cor. 5.7 For whereas the Jewes divided their day into twelve hours which they made longer or shorter according to the divers parts of the year so saith our Lord Are there not welve hours in the day John 11.9 at the third hour that is our nine a clock in the morning they offered up the Morning Sacrifice a perfect Lamb and betwetn the two Evenings about our three a clock after noon they offered up the Evening Sacrifice Exod. 29.38.39 Numb 28.3 This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord two Lambs of the first year perfect in a day for a continual burnt offering the one Lamb shalt thou offer in the morning and the other Lamb shalt thou offer between the two Evenings These things befel that people in figure and were written
Piscator all the Low Dutch all the old English translations It s strange they should all so unanimously agree when yet there is no word in the Hebrew that answers to sequi or ire to follow or go Hierom Qui plenus alio spiritu secutus est me who being full of another spirit hath followed me he regarded rather the sense of the words which he conceived then the order of them That which deceived them was the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after me which they understood not how to make sense of unless they supplyed the word sequi or ire to follow or go after me Surely they are all out and miss of the main drift of Gods Spirit in this phrase which is often used as Numb 32.11 Deut. 1.36 Josh 14.8.9 14. 1 Kings 11.6 Yet in none of all these places is any mention made of following Nor took they any notice of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He fulfilled whereas indeed therein is intimated the meaning of this phrase where the object subject or thing to be fulfilled is understood which is no other then the word and will of God and Calebs own duty And so Vatablus explains it Implevit voluntatem meam sequendo me he fulfilled my will in following me which last words might be spared as I shall shew anon Munster also expounds it Implevit subaudi verbum vel voluntatem meam he fulfilled understand my word or will Castellio Suum mihi praestitit officium he performed his duty to me To this purpose a learned Jew on the place be hath fulfilled the word after me When Caleb is said to fulfil and do the will of the Lord after him the Lord is supposed to have fulfilled the same will before him But how is this to be understood I shewed before that these words are to be understood as spoken by the Lord Christ That we may the better understand this we must know that what God Almighty wills he either himself wills and does or else he wills that it be done by others Psal 135.6 whatsoever the Lord pleased he did in heaven and earth in the seas and in all depths Accordingly the Prophet my counsel shall stand and I will do all my will Esay 46.10 Yea the things which he himself would that others should do after him he himself first does them Jer. 9.24 I the Lord do exercise loving-kindness judgement and righteousness in the earth The son of God came down from heaven not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him John 6.38 This will of the Father the Father himself doth and the Son doth the Fathers will and word after him But is not word or will or duty as bold a supplement as followed Surely it is not For we read no such expression in the holy Scripture as fully to follow which this phrase is made to signifie But what phrases are more ordinary then fulfilling the word of the Lord his Law his Commandements fulfilling righteousness c. But in the sense which our Translators and others make of these words they render the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully as if it were an Adverb and adde hereunto followed which is not in the text But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be read alone as here it is with supply of will or word or law such a defect when the object is so well known may be well understood as in other phrases of Scripture Thus to over come is often used alone and no object named but supposed as known How often read we this phrase in the second and third chapters of the Revelation To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life c. He that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death Where and elsewhere we read an act exhorted unto without any object added yet to the performance of every such act and duty there is a respective reward annexed The object to be overcome is the old Serpent and his temptations Which may be understood from the first enmity put between the holy seed or Christ and the Serpent and their seeds as also from the frequent combates between them thorowout the Scripture And the like defect may easily be supplied where Caleb is said to have fulfilled others not to have fulfilled that is the law will or commandment of the Lord Josh 14.8 9. Num. 32.11 12. 1 Kings 11.6 1. There is a vacuum an emptiness and voidness where the word and will of God is not done such before the new creation as there was before the old And therefore when the Lord had complain'd Jer. 4. that his people were wise to do evil but to do good they knew not he presently addes I beheld the earth and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emptiness and voidness Jer. 4.22 23. Jer. 4. v. 23. Disobedience empties and makes void the will of God which obedience fulfils 2. As the Lord propounds his word and will to be done so likewise he sets himself before us as our patern and example that as he hath done so should we also do 3. Hence it appears that to fulfil the Lords word and will is a most reasonable service For what servant will grutch to do what his Master does before him Caleb the Lords servant thought it just to fulfil the Lords will which the Lord himself had first fulfilled wherefore our Lord faith it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his Lord Mat. 10.25 4. The will word and law of God is to be fulfilled The law of God is practical and consists of duties to be done by us not imagined or fansied to be done already for us How often may we read this Deut. 6.25 observe to do all his commandements and 15.5 and 19.9 Revel 22.14 Blessed are they who do his Commandements James 1.22 Be ye doers of the word not hearers only c. 5. Christ hath not so fulfilled the law for us as to exempt us from fulfilling it after him in him and through him For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.3 4. Beside when the Lord saith as it s supposed that the Lord hath done the work himself so hence it s required to be done by us 6. This will of the Father as the Son fulfils after him so the believers also in the Father and Son fulfill the will of the Father and Son after them Ephes 5.1 Be ye imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ loved us c. And as the Father doth loving kindness judgement and righteousness so doth the Son after the Father and so ought we after the Son Matth. 3.15 It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness
us to fulfil all righteousness as S. Paul saith of the true Jehoshua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am able or strong to do all things through Christ who inwardly enableth me as was shewen before Phil. 4.13 4. Caleb had been in the land Caleb was one of the Spies who were to give testimony concerning the land It was therefore necessary that they should have been there Doth this concern Caleb alone that he went into the land or doth it concern us and others as well as Caleb Surely there is a spiritual land of peace and rest a better and heavenly countrey Hebr. 11.16 It is called the Lords land yea the Lord himself is so called Esay 33.21 That land which the meek inherit Matth. 5.5 In the New Testament this true land of peace and rest is understood by the everlasting life the promised inheritance salvation the kingdom of God and many the like As Caleb entred into this spiritual land so likewise do all believers Hebr. 4.3 We who have believed do enter into rest and the like v. 10. As Caleb and the other Spies entred and searched the holy land and brought report unto Moses even so the believers and obedient ones who have entred the spiritual land they report unto the Congregation what they have seen and heard 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Who ever is a spiritual Spy who makes report how good the holy land is its necessary that he have been there that he may speak upon his own knowledge as our Lord saith to N codemus John 3.11 Verily verily I say unto thee we speak what we do know and testifie what we have seen 1. This may justly give check to the over-forwardness of too hasty novices who speak much of the holy laud the heavenly countrey and the kingdom of God whereof they have no experience they were never there Qui non est expertus pauca recognoscit he that hath no experience knoweth little Ecclus 34.10 And therefore in reason he should speak but little A young man discoursing largely of the World abroad especially of the lesser Asia one present asked him whether he had ever been at Sigaeum a Town there which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it has the name from silence when he answered no I thought so quoth the other for there you might have learned to hold your peace concerning things whereof you have no knowledge O how many are there liable to this reproof who speak much out of their hear-say memory or reading who can say little or nothing out of their own experience 2. But much more are they to blame who had been in the holy land and had eaten of the fruit of it yea and brought of it unto the Congregation and gave testimony that it was a land flowing with milk and honey Numb 13.27 That it was a good land which the Lord our God doth give us Deut. 1.25 This was the common Veredict of the twelve men even of all the twelve Spies yet when the people believed not but rebelled against the Lord and murmured then ten of those Spies to humour and please the people brought up an evil report upon the land Numb 13.31 32 33. Deut. 1.26 27 28. Surely since all things befel that people as types 1 Cor. 10. v. 11. and were written for our admonition on whom the ends of the world are come there are some without doubt who in these times of the Gospel answer unto these types as the truth of them And therefore how much more are these false Spies to blame who have been in the holy land and tasted the gift Hebr. 6.4 5. that which is heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have been made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the age to come whereby was signified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time of the Messiah whereof he is the father Esay 9.6 Yet even these men to please the people or out of self-love to preserve a good report of themselves among the people as Oxthodox or pretious men they discourage or rather melt the hearts of men affirming Deut. 1. v. 28. that their enemies are too strong for them and that it is impossîble to overcome them 4. The Lord saith of Caleb I will bring him into the land whereinto he went Caleb must fight and by fighting must cut his way into the holy land yet the Lord saith I will bring Caleb into it The Lords promises exempt not men from their utmost endeavour to perform their duty Yea although the Lord adde his oath unto his promises that he will bring us into the holy land yet unless we be obedient and fulfil after him we shall not come into the land Deut. 8.1 All the Commandements which I command you this day shall ye observe and do that ye may go in and inherit the land The Lord hath made promise unto their fathers yea he hath sworn that he will give his people the land T is true yet this promise this oath supposeth our obedience yea it forcibly infers it Hebr. 6.12 Be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises What is the Apostles argument the Lords oath as it followes in the next words For when God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself c. So S. Paul having assured the Corinthians that God would be their father and they should be his sons and daughters c. So far is it that his promise should secure us and make us negligent that indeed the Apostle useth these promises of God the more to excite us to our obedience having these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all pollution of flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 6.18 and 7.1 The Lord saith not that he will enforce or compel Caleb to enter into the land The word is of very large use which here and for the most part signifies to lead into The Lord compels not any man to be happy forceth no man to inherit his heavenly kingdom He leads Caleb into the land he drives him not No nor his seed Of whom the Lord saith 5. Calebs seed shall possess it Wherein we must inquire 1. Who are Calebs seed 2. What it is for Calebs seed to possess the land 1. The seed of Caleb are either his off-spring according ing to the flesh or according to the spirit 1. According to the flesh we read that Caleb had three sons Iru Elah who had also his son Kenaz and Naham 1 Chron. 4.15 and one daughter Achsah Josh 15.16 These were the seed of Caleb according to the flesh 2. What was the seed of Caleb according to the Spirit By the spiritual children and seed of men we understand such as are like them in their mindes wills dispositions actions wills or good wills Thus they are the seed of Abraham who walk
down to the earth and earthly things prefigured by the Canaanites who have their name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curvari incurvari deprimi to be bowed down and depressed toward the earth such souls as cannot or indeed rather will not raise themselves to the consideration of things above heavenly things Of which the Prophet speaks They are wise to do evil but to do good they know not Jer. 4.22 This gross and supine ignorance preceding those things which a man is bound to know doth not simply excuse the act of the will from sin in toto or altogether but somewhat in or à tanto as they speak because so doing he commits a sin against the law which commands ands him to enquire what is right and just Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall enlighten thee And be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is Ephes 5. But this ignorance excuseth somewhat and à tanto because the contempt of the command and authority commanding is by reason of ignorance so much the less The less knowledge the less contempt and the less contempt the less sin So that it rests that the invincible ignorance preceding the act of the will whether positive or negative whether juris or facti of the law or the fact simply excuseth from sin both in tanto and in toto in whole and in part if I may so English that distinction This invincible ignorance is that which remains after a man hath used all diligence due and possible and hath done all things expedient which he is bound to do for the removal of it And this is the ignorance which excuseth Howbeit because many things are known by nature which require duty and he who knew not his Lords will but did things worthy of stripes 1 Cor. 4. v. 4. shall be beaten though with few stripes Luke 12.48 And although a man know nothing or be not conscious or guilty to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle yet thereby he is not justified doubtless it is most safe not to stand upon strict termes of commutative justice with our God but to leave our selves and our condition unto his goodness who knowes us and what we know better then we our selves do It was S. Pauls case I was saith he before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief There had been no need of mercy maugre his ignorance if there had been no sin 1 Tim. 1.13 And that sin seems to have been that which he names blasphemy persecution of the truth and injury unto the professors of it all which he might have known to be sin according to Mich. 6.8 and according to Gamaliels reason Acts 5. v. 39. If the counsel be of God ye cannot dissolve it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest ye be found even fighters against God sinners with an high hand 1. Hence upon the whole matter we may infer that the Heathen cannot plead invincible ignorance Mic. 6.8 Rom. 1.19 no not of the Gospel Psal 98.3 Rom. 10.18 if the Apostle reason right 2. Hence also it appears that sins are not equal which is evident from the words before us where it is supposed that some sins may be committed out of errour and ignorance others with an high hand Yea sins of the same kinde yet differenced by the persons offending are not equal Levit. 4.4 with ver 13 14. There is as great an expiation required of the Priests sin as of the sin of the whole congregation I which case Duo cum faciant idem non est idem when two men do the same thing yet it is not the same 1. Whence also they are justly blamed who pretend ignorance of those things which they may and ought to know 2 Cor. 4.3 2. They also who say they know the will of God and think it a great indignity that any should question their intellectuals yet they practise not what they pretend to know and so betray their morals or rather immorality and consequently their ignorance Such is disobedience in Gods esteem Rom. 1.21 22. and the wicked man how knowing soever is yet Solomons Fool. The Scripture here speaks of the Soul the soul that doth ought c. though the person of the man be understood because Animus cujusque is est quisque every mans soul is himself or at least the better part of every man of which I have spoken elsewhere more largely as also because the sin originally proceeds from the soul and it is the heart lifted up which lifts up the hand Wherefore O ye immortal souls your errours your ignorances are too many Adde not O adde not thereunto your wilful transgressions your sins of an high hand your mighty sins as the Prophet calls them Amos 5.12 Stand not out against the Almighty God but yield your selves unto him and give the hand It is the advice which Hezekiah gives to Israel to turn again to the Lord God of their fathers not to harden their necks but to yield themselves to the Lord the Hebrew words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give the hand 2 Chro. 30 v. 8. submit your selves to the Lord c. And the Posts passed from City to City to carry the Kings Decree and to perswade the people But what was the event of this good counsel They laughed them to scorn and mocked them 2 Chron. 30.6 10. But diverse of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves c. Verbum Domini ad te This counsel this word of the Lord is to thee O Israel The Counsellour as Christ is called Esay 9.6 the Power and strength of the Lord as Christ is called 1 Cor. 1.24 that 's Hezekiah he exhorts us to turn unto the Lord God of our father Abraham Isaac and Israel that we harden not our hearts that we sin not against him with an high hand but submit our selves and yield our hand to the Lord. And the Posts the Ambassadors carry this Decree of the Lord from City to City These Ambassadors for Christ beseech us yea as though God did beseech us by them they pray us in Christs stead that we will be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 that we give our hand unto him But alas I well foresee that these Ambassadors and their exhortations as often heretofore will have a like event to those there will be who will laugh them to scorn and mock them And for this the wrath of God is come and will come upon the present generation in variety of Diseases Consumptions burning Agues Plagues fire and sword wherewith the Lord pleads and will plead with all flesh Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Esay 66.16 For thus the Lord dealt with Israel according to the flesh they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets till the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no healing therefore he
the Latin Antequam Abraham fieret before Abraham was made or born I am not I was The former before Abraham was it notes a temporary being I am signifies the eternal being proper to God alone signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods proper name a being without beginning or end and best signified by the present I am And so the Jews understood him Thus oftentimes Christ makes known his eternal being by I am though our Translators obscure it by turning the words otherwise This eternal being this light this day of the Lord Abraham saw and rejoyced This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lords day wherein S. John the Divine was Revel 1.10 This is the day which the Lord hath made Psal 118.24 we will rejoyce and be glad in it he hath made and honoured this day above all other as he is understood to have made Moses and Aaron 1 Sam. 12.6 Thus he made twelve Mark 3.14 he advanced them and preferred them before all others And thus the Lord made the eighth day The eighth day supposeth all the other seven preceding And since Non pervenitur ab extremo ad extremum nisi per medium nor can we come to the eighth but by the intermediate seven dayes Let us therefore enquire into the seven dayes preceding which may be some wayes helpful towards our attainment unto the eighth day Whereas therefore our unregenerate estate is compared to darkness wherein we walk not knowing whither we go of which the Apostle Rom. 1.21 They became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned and Ephes 4.17 18. Acts 28.26 27. Hearing ye shall hear and not understand that the true light the day of the Lord may shine unto us Let us consider these dayes 1. With reference to Gods creation and according to their mysterie and 2. More plainly and in relation to our duty The number of six is the first perfect number because it results and ariseth from the combinations of the parts one two and three Whence the Pythagoreans call it Gamon the number of Mariage because the parties joyned one to other beget the whole number The parts also multiplyed one by other produce the same As six times one thrice two twice three A number fit for the fabrick of the world which consists of the first proportion as of four to two which with the principles from which it ariseth and to which it tends makes the Diapason of all harmonies and agreements of sounds the most harmonical and consonant And therefore Pythagoras applyed it to Wedlock and more eminently to that mariage and conjunction of the creatures among themselves And this number being the first perfect number agrees to the perfect Architect and Workman as also to his work to whom to which nothing is wanting nothing is superfluous And therefore when the Creator had finished his work of creation and produced and parted it into this number of six Moses adds his Epiphonema Perfecti sunt igitur coeli terra omnis exercitus eorum Gen. 2.1 Thus the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the host of them And therefore Orpheus who had read these works of God in Genesis as Socrates Plato and many others of the learned Gentiles had done he put a Period and a full close to his Hymns and Songs in the sixth generation because the argument of his Hymns were in this sixth generation wholly concluded and perfected because in that number of dayes the great workman God himself had finished his work in six dayes Now if more curiously we consider the egress and progress of the Workmaster the number of six wherein this Fabrick was made is fitly represented by a Triangle whose base is three the top one and the middle two For the whole Fabrick or work of the World is raised proceeds from the three subsistences which are called persons whose works Ad extra are undevided and they tend unto one end the glory of the one and onely God The Transitus or passage is by a Binarius a Duality by two which is the matter and is consummate and perfected by union which is the form Thus the divine Philosopher in his Timaeus Where God saith he the Maker of the World hath produced the number of Heaven and Earth he presently made the light whereby the Creators might be distinguished and distinctly known the Chaos was the matter the light the form the first dayes work On the second day he set the Firmament between the waters above and beneath even the Divine Wisdom and the Humane lest there should be a greater influence then this inferiour World could receive This is the second dayes work which the antient Divines account unhappy and the Jews of old read mournfully with the Accent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as grieving for that Obstacle that bar which hindred the influence of the Divine Wisdom and goodness upon us The Fountain of Divine Grace and Goodness it is most plentuous most exuberant and abundant but the Divine Justice weighs out unto every one its measure whereof it is capable For unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift Christ Ephes 4.7 divided to every one according as he will Ephes 4. v. 7. 1 Cor. 12.11 On the third day according to the formal number which is three the formes of things are explained and thereby they are severed one from other That the distinction of these might appear more evidently the the two great Lights and all the other Stars are made and set in Heaven and that is the fourth dayes work On the fifth day signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the character of life the living souls were made which fill the air and water On the sixth signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also is a character of life the living creatures were made which replenish the earth Last of all when the house is builded and finished the Man the Lord of it is made in the most perfect form even the similitude and image of his God Now because the Lord in six dayes made Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day therefore man is commanded to labour six dayes and to rest the seventh day The reason of this consequence is man was made in the image and similitude of his God From this when man fell he was again invited thereunto to imitate his God in doing and leaving undone and renewing his work in labour and in rest As by the six dayes our God had his egress and rested in the seventh so man fallen man hath his regress and return to his God by his six dayes of abour and rests in the seventh As before God made the World there was darkness c. The like we read Jer. 4.23 As therefore God said Let there be light and he who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shines in the heart 2 Cor. 4.6 The light that enlightens every one coming into this
world that light of faith which precedes in our regress and return unto our God Deus lumen perfecit operibus suis 2. There follows Discrimen honestorum turpium that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Firmament dividing between those waters above and those waters beneath even that spirit of faith discerning whereby we know how to refuse the evil and choose the good to sever the spiritual and heavenly love from the carnal and earthly other wise the former as experience often proves would easily degenerate into the later Col. 2. v. 5. unless there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.5 A Firmament of faith and divine and spiritual wisdom to put difference between them 3. Thirdly there is a separation of the waters from the earth when the natural and sensual passions are gathered together and made subject to divine reason Then the minde free from sensual delights and other perturbations as the earth dryed from the waters must bring forth the Plants of Gods planting 4. Because the light must not be hid and put under a Bushel but on a Candlestick that may give light to all and shine before men two great lights the Sun to rule the day even the great light by which we see God the light In lumine tuo videbimus lucem and the less light to rule the night even humane wisdom to guide us in the affairs of this life which is but as the night in regard of the day light of Heaven The Stars are examples of the holy ones they who turn many to righteousness who shine as the Stars Dan. 12. to whom the children of Abraham are compared Gen. 1 5. 5. Moving creatures the motions and inspirations of Gods Spirit The gifts and graces of the holy Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charismata So one of the most ancient and pious Fathers understood that word By these we take the wings of a Dove and we flye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the face of the firmament by contemplation and elevation of the minde above all earthly things By these our soul escapes as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler 6. Then the earth brings forth the living souls even such as live unto God and are conformed unto him with whom God is so delighted that he approves it is good and cooperates with us saying Let us make Man after our image even male and female the female the thoughts 2 Cor. 11. which receive the seed of God A facie tua concepimus Domine peperimus spiritum salutis the male when he works according to grace received Thus the man being perfected is fruitful and multiplies and brings forth fruit and fills the earth even the earthly man with the gifts of Gods grace so that the heart and the flesh rejoyce in the living God Thus he brings under the earth and subdues it and all the beasts Thus the man after his six dayes egress returns and comes to the seventh and so both meet in the Sabbath the true rest Esay 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness that remembers thee in thy wayes Behold the glorious patern propounded to our imitation even God himself God goes out of himself by six dayes or degrees and rests in the seventh and man goes out of himself by six dayes and he also rests in the seventh But whereas there are two things in rest considerable rest from something and rest in something this is the first rest even rest with Christ according to the flesh being armed with the same minde and dying to him The second rest is in Christ according to the Spirit even in the eighth day when we return again into God as our Lord saith John 16.28 I come forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to my Father For we are also come forth from the same Father Luke 3. ult Acts 17. into this troublesome world that we may return by the like six dayes and then finde our rest in God Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours in Christ to whom they live who are dead unto the world and then arise with Christ unto a better life even the resurrection and the life of the eighth day I am come that they might have life and have it in more abundance 2. Hitherto we have considered these seven dayes preceding the eighth with reference to Gods creation and according to their mysterie let us now consider them more plainly and in reference to our duty And so we read of six legal dayes or lights of the Law which must fit and prepare us and lead us unto the seventh and eighth day I read them in a very pious Author who is called Hiel and stiled by Arias Montanus who himself was a great light of his age Christianae veritatis viventis testis cui nomen ipsa Christi virtus veritas Hiel indidit a witness of the Christian living truth to whom the power and truth of Christ gave the name Hiel The first six lights he names in this order 1. The Light 2. The Hearing 3. The Understanding 4. Confession 5. Obediencè 6. Delight and Pleasure in the law of God Which we may illustrate thus We have the two former Prov. 20.12 The seeming eye and the hearing ear the Lord hath made them both Leah is labour which brings forth Reuben the son of light and Simeon the hearing in the humanity Out of the mouth of the Lord comes understanding Prov. 2.6 or wisdom which is to fear the Lord and to depart from evil Job 28.28 Then follows confession of sin which we now forsake and finde mercy whence we take courage to be obedient unto righteousness Rom. 6.16 So that by frequency of obedient actions we attain to delight in the law of God according to the inward man Rom. 7.22 This is that they call a good will which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vigil Eve or preparation for the Sabbath day or rest from sin which is the dawning of the eighth day when the day-Star ariseth in our hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 O ye free-born Israelites Who desire the appearing of the last day the great day of the feast of Tabernacles let us finish our six dayes works and keep the seventh a holy Sabbath a restraint a rest from all our sins 2 Pet. 3. v. 11.12.18 and hasten the coming or presence of the eighth day the day of God in all holy conversations and godlinesses So shall the Day-Star arise in our hearts and the Son of God will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take up his Tabernacle with us To him be glory both now and to the day of eternity 2 Pet. 3.18 Deuteronomy These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan Deut. 1. ver 1 2. in the Wilderness in the Plain over against the Red Sea between Paran and Toph l and Laban and Hazeroth
up take your journey and pass over the River Arnon 2. Executory Begin possess and contend with him in battle The inducement and motive perswading hereunto is by divine artifice situate between these two kinds of exhortation as a powerful perswasive unto both Behold I have given you c. The Exhortations may be considered either in themselves and a part or joyntly as one is in order to other Thus Arise ye take your journey Arise ye that ye may take your journey and pass over the river Arnon Arise ye take your journey and pass over the river Arnon c. But I shall not speak so particularly of all the divine truths which this Text may afford SER. XII but I shall take the exhortations in their order and speak of them as they are serviceable to our edification And first of the first 1. Rise ye up The word here turn'd to Rise up is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly is a change or motion of the body upward which had sitten lyen or fallen down before Generally it imports a change in order to some other state and so it signifies 1. Surgere to Rise which in regard of the term à quo is from sleep from sin and uncleanness from a low estate from great abasement from bondage we have all these together Esay 52.1 2. Awake awake put on strength O Zion put on thy beautiful garments c. There shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean Shake thy self from the dust Arise and sit down O Jerusalem loose thy self from the bands of thy neck O Capive daughter of Zion Yea rising is from sleep and that sleep in death Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead saith the Apostle 2. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies also Insurgere to rise against to rise up Hostili more as also to make insurrection against the predominant and oppressing sin This seems to be more proper here as the Lord exhorts to a warlike engagement against Sihon and to a spiritual warfare against sin and iniquity And so this command is Secundum motum Antitypiae Christ our Head is risen and it is most reasonable that his body arise with him He hath risen from a dead sleep his low estate abasement and humiliation and it is the duty of those who are Christs to arise from a like a worse sleep in death Christ hath conquered and abolished death and brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 And according to the exceeding greatness of Gods power to us-ward who believe we rise up as mighty men and tread down our enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle and we fight because the Lord is with us Zach. 10.5 We call upon the Lord and awaken him in us Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise Psal 44.23 And again v. 26. Arise an help for us so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies And the Lord calls upon us Psal 44. v. 26. Ephes 5. v. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illuminabit te Christ shall enlighten thee Whence we may take notice 1. That men are commonly asleep or lazy or at ease in the flesh or drown'd in speculation or dejected and in a drooping despondency and not soon or easily rouz'd or raised up to difficult and hard duty 2. The Lord supposeth in us believers a power to arise when we are awakened by his outward call as that of the Minister as that of Moses here and by his inward call annexed to the outward the voice of Christ speaking from heaven Hebr. 12.25 3. And this is the great mercy of our God to his Israel that he hath raised up his Son Jesus and sent him to raise us up and to bless us by turning every one of us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 or as it is in the Vulg. Lat. Ut convertat se unusquisque à nequitia sua Acts 3. v. 26. that every one of us turn himself from his iniquity which the most antient English Translations follow and the Greek will bear it This goodness and mercy of God will be frustrate and so great grace we shall receive in vain if as Christ is risen we arise not with him Wherefore 2. The second Exhortation is Take your journey Whence it followes 1. Psal 119. v. 1. The Law of the Lord is a way O the blessednesses of those who are perfect in the way What is that way It follows who walk in the law of the Lord. The Gospel also is a way Acts 19.9 They spake evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that way and v. 23. There arose no small stir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about that way In both places the Vulg. Latin hath De via Domini concerning the way of the Lord which is the way of life Yea it is called the life it self Acts 5.20 Go stand and speak in the Temple to the people all the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this life 2. There are diverse stages diverse steps in the way of life diverse degrees of lalitude extension and intention in the divine vertues and graces There is an increase of faith Rom. 1.17 An abounding in hope Rom. 15.13 A walking and progress in love Ephes 5.2 A growth in grace 2 Cor. 9.8 2 Pet. 3.18 According to which we may out-go one another and exceed our selves 3. We are all of us by profession not at home but Travailers and such as seek a countrey a better countrey that is an heavenly Hebr. 11.16 4. The way to the heavenly Canaan consists not in indivisibili It is not finished all at once Justification is not in an instant but as in nature place and space motion and time they are all Continua continued Revel 22. v. 11. and therefore they have Partem extra partem one part beyond another So in our spiritual journey he that is righteous let him be righteous still The Greek text is otherwise in some Copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him that is righteous work righteousness still Revel 22.11 For since the way to the state of bliss here prefigured by the Lords land Rom. 2. v. 7. Hebr. 10. v. 38 39. is signified by a journey it imports progress and going on a patient continuance in well doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of good worke Rom. 2.7 And as Justification it self is progressive so likewise is the justifying faith from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 And the just shall live by faith or out of his faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which found thus And if he the just draw back my soul hath no pleasure in him there 's no any man in the text but the just man necessarily understood So Hierom Justus autem mens ex fide vivet Quòd si subtraxerit se non placebit animae
7.14 Mat. 6.10 Wherefore be couragious O ye faithfull Israelites who march against your spiritual enemies ye have the promise of the Lord of hosts that ye shall eat up all the peoples which the Lord your God is giving to you Hearken not to the faint-hearted and unbelieving Spies who say that the people are greater and taller then ye are and that ye are as Grashoppers or rather as Locusts Num. 13. v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your own eyes and in the peoples eyes Numb 13.33 Let them not discourage or rather melt your heart Why should that significant metaphore be obscured and lost by mis-translation whereof the Spirit of God makes use as taken either from Ice resolved into water Josh 7.5 or from Wax melted Psal 22.15 Unbelief and fear soften and melt the heart which is strengthened by belief and courage Gen. 45.26 Psal 27.13 14. Believe the faithful and valiant Spies and witnesses of God Jehoshua the Lord the Saviour and Caleb the hearty and couragious man according to the heart of God these will assure us that we are well able to overcome and eat up the peoples For so they say Numb 14.9 Fear not ye the people of the land for they are bread for us If we be thus strong in the Lord the Lord will strengthen us Psal 31.24 and the Lord Jesus will take away the sin John 1.29 and the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the pretiousness of Lambs they shall consume into smoke Psalm 37.20 For so the Altar of Christs patience consumes and eats up the Sacrifices Therefore the Altar is called Ariel that is the Lion of God Ezech. 43.16 which devours the flesh of sin which is laid upon it And thus the spiritual enemies of the Lord and his people are consumed by the fire and spirit of love burning on the Altar the patience of Jesus Christ So the Prophet prayes Consume in wrath consume and let them not be He prayes against the sinnes not the persons of his enemies for ver 11. he had prayed slay them not He prayes that the Lord would consume the iniquity that it might not be For should he pray here against the sinners that they should not be how could he pray for them in the words next following Let them know that the Lord ruleth in Jacob and to the ends of the earth And to shew that what he had said is worth our consideration he adds Selah Which imports the suppressing of our earthly thoughts and raising up our heavenly meditations like that Psal 9.16 Higgaion or medidation Selah Even so O Lord impower us by thy mortifying spirit Rom. 8.13 which may kill eat up and consume all the wicked populacy all the seven nations the deadly sins which will otherwise eat up and consume us And quicken us unto the life of thee our God through the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Gods request unto his People SER. XV. OR Gods Petition of Right SERMON XV. Deuteronomie 10. ver 12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul to keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good SOme of these words are otherwise to be rendred as I shall shew in the particular handling of them Meantime we may know that they contain a summary comprehension These words are a summary comprehension of the peopses duty to their God inferred from the consideration of his goodness in renewing the Law continuance of the Priesthood and adding thereto the Levites Whence the words before us are deduced as a conclusion The 1. And is here collective as gathering all the promises together conclusive and illative as inferring from those promises Israels obedience and very emphatical as often elsewhere If for our better understanding of these words we take in the two following verses which depend upon the two former we shall finde that this Paragraph hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Request or Desire 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Rendring of a reason for that Desire and Request In the former which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Request and Desire is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing desired and requested and the end why it is requested and desired 1. The thing desired and requested is either the peoples holy affections or the sutable effects issuing from them Their holy affections are either the holy fear of the Lord whose effect is walking in all his wayes Or the holy and intire love of God whose effect is serving him with all the heart and with all the soul The common effect of both these holy affections is keeping Gods Commandements and Statutes 2. The End aimed at in all this is either Cujus as they call it for which the request is made that is for good or Cui for whose sake and for whose benefit this duty unto God is requested for thee 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reason of this Request and Desire is either negative implicitly set down not that the Lord needs thee O Israel or any thing of thine For behold the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens are the Lords thy Gods the earth also with all that therein is 2. Positive and express the affection of God toward the holy Fathers only the Lord did cleave unto thy Fathers to love them Deut. 10. v. 16. out of which he chose their children above all other people Which was the special grace of Christ toward his Church Ephes 1.3 4 5. Ye perceive by this Analyse that the Text is Oratio argumentosa a speech full of Arguments and may afford manifold Axioms of greatest regard But I have elsewhere spoken to diverse of them The divine Axiomes contained in these words are either 1. Gods Requests unto his people or 2. Gods Requesting these of them or his servant Moses Requiring of them or the ends why the Lord requests and Moses requires these of Israel Gods Requests are that 1. Israel fear the Lord their God 2. That Israel walk in all his wayes 3. That Israel love him 4. That Israel serve the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul 5. That Israel keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes 6. The Lord requires all these of Israel 7. Moses requstes or commands all these this day 8. The Lord requests nothing more nor does Moses require any thing more of Israel but these 9. For what end doth the Lord request or Moses require these of thee O Israel but for good and to thee O Israel I intend not to treat of all these having spoken to many of them upon their Texts of Scripture Wherefore I shall waive the Press handling of what I have formerly
others different in judgment from them Sadducees they themselves may be thought to differ little from Epicureans if what is said of them be true that they confine the divine essence within the heavenly bodies and admit no operation of God below the Moon Yea how like those are they who say the Lord hath forsaken the earth Ezech. 8.12 And however they pretend modesty and high thoughts of God they are doubtless a daring generation For what boldness what presumption is it to adde unto Gods words Prov. 30.6 If they say it is no addition but only an explication Surely explication of Scripture especially such as is of so great moment as this is touching the being of God and Christ and his spirit in us ought to be taken out of Scripture which I am confident they are never able to do not out of their own imagination and as they think good which S. Hierom calls Boni opinio good thinking Yea the spirit of God foreseeing such false Glosses hath left some such expressions as are not easy to be corrupted whereby the truth of Gods and Christs being in his Saints is averred As when Christ is called Immanuel God with us that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the indwelling deity That the Kingdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is inwardly within you That the people of God are partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 That Christ by himself is making the purging of our sins Hebr. 1. v. 3. Hebr. 1.3 And many the like What they say that it is presumption to think that God and Christ should be in his Saints as the Scripture often holds forth unless understood according to their influence that it is against our modesty to judg that God should entreat and request any thing of Israel which he should rather require and command Whether to understand Gods word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he hath left it to his Church or to impose a sense upon it of our own be more breach of modesty and the greater presumption let the Godly learned judge Surely the onely-wise God can best determin what is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the decorum and what expressions may best become himself in his dealing with his Israel But the entreaties of Princes are interpretative their commands their Requests are their Requirings And therefore what the Lord here entreats or is entreating 7. Moses commands or is commanding this day whether understood of the Law of Gospel Lex imperat Evangelium impetrat saith one of the Antients The Law commands The Gospel obtaines power to be obedient unto the Law Commands befit the law Entreatyes and Requests the Gospel The Lord leaves no meanes untryed he makes use of both But why does the Lord entreat and Moses command 1. Our God in himself is Love sweetness and goodness which inclines him to request and desire of us our bounden duty And that his goodness ought to lead us unto repentance Rom. 2.4 But sin iniquity and obstinacy in sin brings in rigour and austerity yea wrath and fury which is no genuine property of our God who saith Fury is not in me Esay 27.4 and 28.21 vengeance is his strange work his strange act which when he executes he puts on his armour Esay 59.17 2. He well knowes our heart who made it that it being perverted it s not fit to be wrought upon by love goodness and mercy which by accident hardens it as in the case of Pharaoh but then severity commands and threatnings are most proper for it And therefore since è malis moribus ortaesunt bonae leges good lawes arise from and suppose ill manners of men hence it is that they are propounded imperatively and have their due and respective sanctions by punishments annexed And the Magistrate in such case is more feared then God himself Which was wisely considered by John Fisher Bishop of Rochester who composed the local statutes of Christs Colledge in Cambridge in the Chapter de visitatore he hath these or the like words Si Deum non timeant at visitatorem saltem reformidabunt if they fear not God yet they will at least be affraid of the Visitour They who will not grant the Lords Request will be obedient unto the Command of Moses 1. Note hence how wisely and gratiously God deals with his people He dispenseth his acts of grace by himself his acts of severity by his servant Israel is the seed of Abraham his friend He therefore softens the Commands of Moses by his own entreaties and lest his own Requests should be thought too much indulgence they are somewhat straitned by Mose's commands Yea such is the intimacy of his friend-ship with his Israel that as friends have mutual power one over the other he vouchsafes to Israel power over himself as Israels name imports and as Israel entreats his God so God interchangeably entreats his Israel Yea and as the Lord commands Israel so a wonderful dignation and condescent he gives power to Israel to command himself Esay 45.11 2. It is in Israels power or may be obtained by faith and prayer to fear the Lord his God SER. XIV to walk in his wayes to love him to serve him with all his heart and with all his soul and to keep his Commandements and his Statutes How does this appear from the context what is the Lords requesting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tecum from with thee Thou hast power with thee So St. Paul chargeth Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him The gift was with him and in him and wanted onely stirring up 2 Tim. 1.6 And the Lord tells the Church of Thyatira that somewhat they had which he warns them to hold fast till he came What ye have hold fast till I come Revel 2.25 And the Apostle knew what power he had when he told the Philipians that he was able to do all things through Christ inwardly enabling him Phil. 4.13 Much more does the Lord know what Israel can do when he requests him to fear him walk in all his wayes love him serve him and keep his Commandements and Statutes The Lord requests no more Moses requires no more then we have power with us to perform The Lord is most wise and most righteous and would injoyn no more nor request any more nor would his servant Moses require more in the name of the Lord then might stand with Gods wisdom and righteousness to request or require 8. What doth the Lord request of thee and what doth Moses require of thee O Israel but these duties named Does the Lord request or require no more Are there not 248 affirmative Precepts in the Law answerable to the same number of bones in a mans body which also import the strengths and powers of the inward man to be perfected by the Commandements of God And therefore when the Lord was now about to give Abraham his name which contains in the letters of it the same number the Lord
saith unto him walk before me and be perfect Gen. 17.1 Implying that he had given him strength to obey all the affirmative precepts as indeed he did For the Lord himself testifies so much Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge my Commandements my Statutes and my Lawes Gen. 26.5 Yea are there not 365. negative Precepts answering to the same number of sinews and ligaments in a mans body as the skilful Anatomists affirm and by like spiritual ligatures the strengthes and powers of the inward man are united and bound together Ephes 4.26 Col. 2.19 that when the powers of the inward man are united and bone joyned unto its bone the spirit may enter into the body so joyned together Ezech. 37.10 and the whole man may be compleated and perfected as our Lord saith John 7.23 He made the man every whit sound on the Sabbath day when men rest from their own workes and work the works of God even in that acceptable year of the Lord figured by the like number of dayes 365. The Lord having given so many affirmative and negative Commandements he contracts them unto ten which are the Decalogue or ten better known then practised Commandements of God SER. XV. and the radical precepts unto which the whole number of affirmative and negative commandements being 613 are reduced and wherein virtually they are contained Yea and as there are six hundred and thirteen affirmative and negative Precepts so there are the same number of Letters in the Ten Commandements And so every letter in the Decalogue imports one precept So that after a sort all the affirmative and negative precepts are comprehended in the Decalogue This is the supputation of the Cabalists reported by Georgius Venetus which I leave to the examination and judgement of others Only thus much we may note that as the multitude of sins occasioned the multitude of precepts so God in mercy contracts the number of his lawes according as his people cease from their sinnes Now whereas this book of Deuteronomy was called by the learned Jewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Book of Reproofs or Rebukes Prov. 15. v. 32. the people being probably amended by their rebukes according to Prov. 15.32 He who is obedient to reproof is possessing an heart that is getting understanding And the argument of this Book answering in many parts of it to the Gospel unto which when Israel now became obedient the Lord was pleased to contract his Ten Commandements to half their number even to five requests And upon supposal of Israels increase and improvement of their obedience the Lord diminisheth the number of his Commandements Whence it is that we read that the Commandements reduced unto four Zach. 8.16.17 These are the things or words which ye shall do 1. Speak yee every man truth to his neighbour Zach. 8. v. 16 17. 2. Judg truth and the judgment of peace in your gates 3. And let none of you think evill against his neighbour in his heart 4. And love ye not an oath of falshood For all these are things which I hate Which yet another Prophet abbridgeth unto three Mich. 6.8 He hath shewed unto thee O man what is good Mich. 6. v. 8. and what is the Lord seeking of thee or from thee but 1. To do judgement 2. To love mercy and 3. Humble thy self to walk with thy God Our Lord Jesus yet shortens the number of the Commandements and brings them to two 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy minde or rather reasoning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the minde Mens hath the name from resting but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports discoursing and reasoning this is the first and great Commandement But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators turn and the second is like unto it 2. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self There is reason why our Lord should use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. in regard of him who moved the question a Pharisee v. 34 35. That sect as it is notoriously known like the Pharisees of our dayes pretended much to the first Table and the love of God but little regarded the second Table and the love of their neighbour Wherefore out Lord having satisfied the Pharisees question touching the first and great Commandement The love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unexpectedly he infers the second The love of our neighbour which our Lord knew to be more needful for the Pharisees as it is for those of the same faction in our dayes This was the reason why our Lord directed the Pharisaical yong man to the duties of the second Table only Matth. 19.18 19. Mark 10.19 The Commandements can be but once more contracted viz. unto one and that 's done by S. Paul Rom. 13.9 10. He that loves another hath fulfilled the Law c. And this is the end of the Commandement even love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 and that which advanceth the chief good even thy good O Israel That 's the last Axiom in these words 9. The Lord entreats and Moses commands these duties for good for thy good O Israel When we read that our God entreats us to fear him walking in all his wayes love him serve him and keep his Commandements and his statutes and further that Moses Commands all these we might think that God and Moses had some notable ends upon us That God would not request nor Moses require these duties of us but for their own great advantage Whereas indeed the end whereat all these aime which the Lords entreates and Moses's commands tend unto is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Good at which all things indeed aim or ought to aim Finis bonum convertuntur good is as large as the end and the end is as large as goodness So great an end or reward there is in keeping the Commandements Psal 19.11 And in this end where at all the whole creation aimes or ought to aim the good of Israel is involved And therefore there is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thee or for thy good thine advantage as that word signifies which is a more full expression then that our Translators give for thy good Whence it appears that the obedience to the Commandements of God is comprehended in true self-love For as the beginning of the Christian Religion is self-denial denial of the false self-love Luke 9.23 So the end of it consists in the true self-love when we fear the Lord our God and walk in all his wayes and love him and serve him with all our heart and with all our soul and keep his Commandements and his Statutes for good for our selves What an easie precept is it Love thy self And that 's the end of this Text. Does the Lord entreat us petition us yea beg all this of us and that for good for our own good O Israel Does Moses
command all this this day Let us command our selves to obey what Moses commands Let us with all readiness and alacrity grant what the Lord requests of us There is an overture toward this in thine immortall soul O Israel That off-spring of God having departed from him carnestly though secretly desires again union with him Hence are the many pantings and breathings the deep sighings and groanings whereof there can be no other reason given but that the immortal soul broken off from the living God intensely and vehemently desires to be reunited unto Him her true Original This the Prophet David well expresseth Psal 42.1 As the Hinde brayeth after the streams of water so brayeth my soul unto thee O God Psal 42. v. 1. My soul hath thirsted for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God I render it the Hinde the femal as the LXX have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the feminin joynd to it requires it so to be understood The desires of the pious and zealous soul after God and his Righteousness are compared to those naturall appetites of hunger and thirst Matth. 5.6 Whereof the later is more vehement and less tolerable then the former especially in femal creatures as the Hinde And thirst is yet more intense and eager when that beast is chased and hunted Whence Christ Psal 22. in the tittle is compared to the Hinde compassed about with Doggs Ver. 16. And most justly may the living God the fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 and 17.13 elicit and draw forth the height of our most intense affection And if Amor complacentiae that love of complacency in God toward his Israel be so great surely Amor indigentiae the love of indigency and want in Israel ought in some measure to be correspondent thereunto And if the most high God out of wonderfull condescent vouchsafe even to petition Israel for his own Right and for good unto Israel how much more ought Israel to meet his God with humble petitions and prayers That the Lord would knit our heart unto him that we may fear his name and walk in his wayes That the Lord will be pleased to circumcise our heart to love the Lord our God and serve him with all our heart and with all our soul Deut. 30.6 O Israel do this right unto thy God Yea do this right unto thy self O Israel If thou honour thy God thy God will honour thee 1 Sam. 2.30 Even with that honour which cometh of God onely Joh. 5.44 Which is Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Pet. 2.7 To whom be all honour fear and love and service and obedience 1 Pet. 2. v. 7. now and for evermore Amen Thou shalt therefore sacrlfice the Passeover unto the Lord thy God Deut. 16. v. 2. of the flock and of the herd So the Vulgar Latin renders the words Immolabisque Phase Domino Deo tuo de ovibus de bobus And thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover unto the Lord thy God of the Sheep and of the Oxen. So likewise the Chaldee Paraphrast And Pagnin hath De pecudibus bobus of the Sheep or smaller cattle and of thine Oxen. So likewise Ainsworth This Translation leads unto a great errour as if the yong Lamb for the Passeover were here changed into a grown Sheep or an Ox which at first was instituted by the Lord to be a Lamb or Kid of the first year Exod. 12-3 5 And it is enjoyn'd to Israel to be observed in their generations as an Ordinance for ever ver 14.17 Some of the learned Jewes were of this opinion And they feigned a reason viz. Because in a great family one Lamb or Kid was no enough And therefore they conceived that the Lord here exchanged a yong Lamb or Kid for a growen Sheep or Ox. But the Lord himself wisely foresaw and graciously provided for such a case as appears Exod. 12.4 If the houshold be too little for the Lamb let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls c. Beside the Lamb for the Passeover was not ordained for the filling of their bellies but for a thankful memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt that the heart might be established with grace Hebr. 13. v. 9. and not with meats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which they who have been walking or conversant have not been profited But why then are Sheep and Oxen here added if they be not the Passeover or a part of it I answer The Lords Sacrifices were to be offered in their appointed times Howbeit beside the precise observation of every respective offering there were certain incidental oblations which though offered unto God the same day yet they properly appertained not unto the service and offering of that day Thus the daily burnt offering was commanded to be offered day by day continually Exod. 29.38 42. Yet beside the daily burnt offering other Sacrifices were offered which distinguished from it as we read expresly Numb 28. where the continual burnt offering is again enjoyn'd ver 3. 8. But every Sabbath day had its proper service and offering ver 9. which yet did not discontinue nor yet was it co-incident with the daily burnt offering but distinguiwed from it ver 10. This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath beside the continual burnt offering and his drink-offering The like is observable in the oblations at the beginnings of the moneths ver 11. which were offered beside the continual burnt offering ver 15. So in the day of the first fruits ver 26. the Sacrifices proper to that day must be beside the continual burnt offering ver 31. The like may be noted in the solemnity of the Passeover it self which as it was to be observed apart and beside the daily burnt offering ver 23.24 So likewise was the service and duty of that day sacred from the proper services and offerings of the feast of unleavened bread For so ver 16. on the fourteenth day of the first moneth is the Passeover of the Lord. And in the fifteenth day of this moneth is the feast according to the first institution Exod. 12.14 15. So that on the fourteenth day the Paskal Lamb only was slain and eaten but on the feast of unleavened bread beginning on the fifteenth day and continuing seven days were Sacrifices offered of Bullocks Rams and Lambs Numb 28.18 24. Whence its evident that where Moses saith Thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover of the flock and of the herd he speaks compendiously of the Passeover it self and the Sacrifices of the feast of unleavened bread annexed thereunto Hitherto we have considered the Law and rule of the Passeover Practise and example will best expound that Law and Rule which we finde 2 Chron. 30.15 Where it s said that they killed the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the second moneth Num. 9.10.11 And the Priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified
ingredient of all the Christian mans actions that pretious tincture that turns all it touches into gold as they say Midas did And what ever wants this divine tincture of holy love t is like the Terra damnata t is nothing worth Hence the Apostles general advise is Let all your things be done in charity 1 Cor. 16.14 A rule so necessary that the very best and greatest duties otherwise performed whether towards God or towards our neighbour are of no value in the sight of God 1 Cor. 13. I shall adde no more motives Let us rather come to discover our love to the Lord our God whether we keep this Commandement or not 1. The love of God proceeds from a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 How then canst thou love thy God when thou sayest thy heart cannot be pure And how can thy faith be unfeigned when thou believest not that thou art able to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart 2. Love will suffer nothing to intervene or separate us from the party we love that may hinder our union Love knits unites and makes one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is continued is one Our love unto God unites us and makes us one with him according to our Saviours prayer John 17.21 and that of the Apostle he who is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 Such love of our God will not endure any mixture of what is contrary to our God And therefore S. Paul having exhorted to sincerity of love which is required even in the lowest degree of it as hath been shewen Let love be without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 he presently adds Abhor that which is evil Sincerity of love unto our God will not endure any corrival any thing or person to share with our God in our love of him How then canst thou say thou lovest the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and keepest all that Commandement when yet thou knowest that thou lovest thy pleasures more then thou lovest thy God when thou knowest thou lovest the world and the things of this world Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses Know ye not that the friendship of the world is the enmity of God Jam. 4.4 So the Greek text hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is made an enemy of God Wouldst thou believe thy wife should she say she loved thee whilest she prostitutes her self unto another man And wilt thou pretend to be the loving Spouse of thy Maker yet love his enemy 3. The love of God puts us upon such works as he loves Whence the Apostle This saith he is the love of God that we keep his Commandements It puts us upon the love of our neighbour Love works no evil to his neighbour Rom. 13.10 Ad populum Phaleras Away with all trappings and false pretences of love without the reality of it Good discourse and holy conference proceeding from a life worthy of God and a heart and soul which loves God is an edge which pierceth to the assimilating of others unto it self Such a soul edifies and conveighs grace to the hearers For charity edifies not knowledge not holy talk without it The Pharisees of old knew very much of God and his Word and wayes and spake very much of God And they of all others most reasoned with our Lord concerning God and his truth But our Lord tells them I know that ye have not the love of God in you John 5.42 And we may say the like of the Pharisees of our time They are great talkers of God and of Religion and indeed would seem to be the onely people of God and to know all things knowable They are indeed the true Amorites great Talkers and most bitter men in their invectives against all who are not of their opinion as no wise man is And therefore we may know that they have not the love of God in them They have a knowing knowledge or such as reflects upon it self as the Apostle saith we know that we all have knowledge This knowledge puffs men up and makes them proud but charity edifies 1 Cor. 8.1.2 That knowing knowledge is the dust the food of the Serpentine generation according to their doom Gen. 3.14 which the Prophet Esay 65.25 tells us must be fulfilled in these last dayes a food wherewithal they so glut themselves that there is no place left for the love of God in them Therefore Jehu cuts off and destroyes the knowing knowledge so the Chald. Paraphrast renders 2 Kings 9.8 Every one that pisseth against the wall all the knowing knowledge which excludes the love of God For so the true Jehu Hebr. 1. v. 12. who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui est a type of Christ Hebr. 1.12 Thou art He for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat aliquid divinitatis saith Galatinus it imports somewhat of the Divinity And therefore Scaliger having reckoned up many names of God concludes them all with Ipse He. This spiritual Jehu destroyes all the false the knowing disobedient knowledge which is the true spiritual inward Antichrist and consumes him with the spirit of his mouth and destroyes him with the brightness of his coming or presence 2 Thes 2.8 Psal 90. v. 12. And therefore Moses the man of God prayes Psal 90.12 that the Lord would teach him to number his dayes that he might bring unto him a wise heart so the words signifie not a wise not a subtil crafty head not a strong head-piece as they call it Let us name some means and helps to advance this great duty 1. The fear of God is the beginning of his love Ecclus 1.14 And that fear drives out the evil And when the love of God is brought into the soul it makes a compleat separation from the sin O ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is evil Psal 97.10 2. Whatsoever thou seest amiable and lovely in the creature love it wholly for God and in order unto God the Creator of it How shall that be done When thou seest ravishing Beauty in the Creature reason thus O how much more beautiful is my God who created this Beauty When thou seest great strength think how much more strong is He who is the Power Mark 14.62 Thou lovest wealth consider how much better is it to be rich towards God! Or thou art desirous of Honour Reason thus How much more excellent is the honour that comes of God only Thou lovest Pleasures but think how much more satisfying and durable are the pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore 3. Pray we unto the Lord that he will be pleased to circumcise our hearts that we may love him with all our heart and with all our soul that we may live Deut. 30.6 For the advancement of this divine and eternal life and kingdom of God there are who point us unto faith only But beside it