the outward profession and practise They are to heal the Nations Revel 22.2 to heal the diseased So the Sun is not only the cause of life but of medicin also Therefore the Poets made Apollo the Sun the Author of both Which is true of the Sun of Righteousnesse in both respects Mal. 4.2 For unto those who fear the Lords Name the Sun of Righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings The same tree of life affords both Revel 22.2 Hitherto we have heard the Lords first precept which is affirmative The second followes which is negative But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it Through the subtilty of the Serpent the woman given for an help to the man fell a lusting after her own will to be somewhat her self by that desire she had to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil And hereby she desired in a way contrary to Gods command to be like unto God to see and know all what God sees and knowes And of this forbidden fruit she her self did eat and gave her husband also to eat of it And so fell away from the light and life and wisdom and will of God to her own vain opinion earthly wisdom and will of the flesh This is that we call the fall of man whereby the life is mingled with the death good with evil light with darknesse truth with errour This is the Mother sin and Nurse of all other Hence it is that man was driven out of the light of life out of the Paradise of God and hath lost the power to eat of the tree of life It must be given him anew Do we consider all this only as a most antient History and look at it as done only so many Ages since Or may we not finde the same acted over and over many ten thousand times since in all after generations and even in our own selves I might name many Scriptures I shall note but one which I beseech you read and consider well of it 1 Cor. 11.2 And let us observe the direfull effects of our fall and what an evill and bitter thing it is that we have departed from our God and feed not upon the trees of His Paradise but upon such Plants as are not of our Heavenly Fathers planting For whose plants are envy division contention strife and discord which grow up ranck among us as they say The Serpents teeth did-seges clypeata Whose plant is pride the beginning of sin as the wisman calls it Whose is coveteousness the root of all evill Whose is wrath and revenge and other roots of bitterness Whose plants are lasciviousness luxury gluttony surfeting and drunkeness and other such like Pot-herbs Whence grow the briars and thorns the heathenish cares the curses of the earth These all these are sown and planted and grown up thick in us Are these of Gods planting O no The envious man hath done this All this wickedness is grown up as a tree Job 24.20 Of which the fallen man eates freely contrary to the Command of God The rib which the Lord God had taken from the man Gen. 2.22 made He a woman What they turn made is in the Hebrew built as in the margin Which I prefer the rather because it answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to edify or build which is very often applyed to the Church as the Truth of this type Act. 9.31 15.16 and 20.32 1 Cor. 14.4 This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh Word for word This for this once is bone out of my bones Gen. 2. Ver. 23. and flesh our of my flesh And so it answers to the LXX and to the Apostle Ephes 5.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the words following prove this translation Because she was taken out of man implying that the Church is taken out of Christ which S. Paul calls a great mystery Ephes 5.32 For so we receive from Christ a suffering flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 as he promises to us an heart of flesh Ezech. 36.26 a soft heart and sit to receive impressions from the Spirit of God as Josiahs heart was tender 2 Kings 22.19 We receive also bone from his bones The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies strength as well as a bone Job 21.23 and elsewhere And hereby we are enabled to act and do according to divine impressions made in our tender and fleshy heart And hereby we become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Ephes 6.10 and able to do all things through Christ who thus inwardly enableth us Phil. 4.13 SERMON I. SERM. I. The Law and Gospel preached from the begining GEN. 3.15 ANd I will put enmity between thee and the woman Gen. 3. Ver. 15. and between thy seed and her seed c. The obscurity of the Scripture proceeds much what either from mistakes of Translation or else from false Glosses and mis-interpretations The words I have propounded now for my Text may prove an instance of them both For whereas in reading of the Old Testament Moses hath a vail upon his face 2 Cor. 3. v. 13. And not as Moses which put a Vail over his face that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished In reading the three first Chapters of Genesis Moses is double vailed And therefore those three with the book of Canticles and some other Scriptures were by the wise men of the Jews prohibited to be read by Novices lest they might make ill constructions of them as I shewed before in part This was needful to be premised because the Text propounded is a part of the third Chapter and hath in it more difficulty then appears at the first reading of the words And therefore whereas the Apostle saith concerning the Jews 2 Cor. 3.15 that When Moses is read the vail is upon their hearts but that vail is done away in Christ The Lord be pleased to turne all our hearts unto himselfe that that vail may be done away Moses having described the fall from verse the first to the seventh he brings in God the Judge examining the fact and making inquiry into the causes of it searching out this sin not unknown to himselfe before from Adam to Eve and from Eve to the principall malefactor the Serpent Wherein we may note how the Lord Parts laesa yea Laesa Majestas the highest majestie the party offended how wisely Obs 1. justly mercifully he proceeds in this and the two following sentences Yea hence we may take notice Obs 2. that although the Lord permits sin for the tryall of his creatures and the manifestation of their weaknes and inconstancy in the good wherein they are not unmoveable like himself yet he will certainly call the offenders to an account afterwards Whence also we learn that he is greater then the Devill and all that sin against him Obs 3. both in knowledge
that in the very words immediatly before where they make no scruple to joyn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin lieth or lying at the dore Where if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be Feminine certainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Masculine And here is the same reason of Syntax in the later Sentence which is in the former The reason is evident out of the former words For since the Lord promises reward for well doing and threatens punishment for evill doing in all reason and equity there must be a power in man to will the good and nill the evill 2. Another reason may be from the great wisdom and goodnes of God who albeit he permit sin in the world for exercise and tryall of his own people as he permitted some of the Canaanites to remain in the Land yet he reserves a power and imparts a power unto man for the subduing of it Obs 1. Hence it follows that there is in man a free principle of well and evill doing and that even in evill men as in Cain here This we finde in Saul making apologie to Samuel for his offering Sacrifice before he came 1. Sam. 13.11 Obs 2. This acquaints us with that which we call free will which is very much mistaken by most men For true freedom is a power to will and do what is good without any hindrance in him who wills and does it So that the true liberty imports a releasing from a mans own self-bondage as his carnall reason from his false and erroneous principles from his own lusts whereunto he was a servant John 8. from the law of sin And being set free from all this bondage the true libertie is the addicting ones whole selfe understanding reason will affections actions life unto God and his righteousness This freedom is wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 8.32.36 Rom. 6.17.18 and 8.2 So that Cain according to this Doctrine evident out of Gods word might do well or not do well might do good or evill yet not have free will according to the Scriptures Obs 3. Hence it appeares that to sin is a voluntary and free act of man it is the knowen saying of one of the Antients Peccatum si non sit Voluntarium non est peccatum Obs 4. The fallen man is not wholly destitute of all power and all strength though impotent and weake he be Surely our Lord knew and knowes best what strength man lost by his fall and what strength yet temaynes with him when he describes the man in that parable Luk. 10.30 fallen amongst theeves who left him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being not quite dead but halfe dead And therefore our last Translatours much wrong the text and the Christian reader when they turn Rom. 5.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we were yet without strength For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not simply without strength but onely weake feeble infirme or sick as the English Manuscript has it For he who is said to be weake is not wholly without strength Nor can be said to have no strength at all but only impaired in his strength For whereas 1. Cor. 8.7 Their Conscience being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weake is defiled And Rom. 14.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that is weake in the faith These words do not imply a total privation of strength in faith and conscience but only a weaknes of both and so the Apostle is to be understood when we were weake not wholly without strength As the V. Lat. turnes it infirme So Vatablus so Castellio so Pagnin so the French Spanish Italian High and low Dutch Bibles so Coverdale and all our English Translations except only that of Geneva and our last Translation Which for greater conviction of them ye may take notice that in most other places they render the same word not without strength but only weake as Math. 26.41 The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 4.10 we are weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ye are strong And 9.22 To the weake I became as weake that I might gain the weake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and elsewhere But what great injury is done either to the Text or Reader if we turn the words when we were without strength Surely whereas most men are Proclives à labore ad libidinem and in the matter of obedience will rather listen to the ten Spies who said we are not able then to the two who said we are well able Num. 13.30.31 If we render the words we are without strength who will go about to use that strength which the Scripture as he reads it tells him he has not Yea hence it comes to pass that he yeilds to all temptations from the world the flesh and the Devil and lies down like a great Lubber and letts all the messengers of Satan buffet him Why He has no power to resist them The Scripture as he reads it tels him he has no strength Axiom 4. God saith to Cain Thou shalt rule over it That is over thy sin Obs 1. Sin and temptation to sin is not so unruly but that Cain if he will do well may master it The Lord himself saith the desire of sin shall be subject unto thee and thou shalt rule over it Whence it evidently appears that there is some power from the Lord even in the fallen man to subdue his corruptions and toward the overcoming evil with goodness Rom. 12. Obs 2. Learn we hence that some men are so hardned in their sinful courses that though God himself preach unto them from Heaven yet they will not be moved at it but wilfully and obstinately persist in them The Lord himself had preached to Cain both the Law and the Gospel yet he remained in his hardness of heart and his bloody purpose of killing his Brother as appears by the sequel of the story Beloved I may here take up a sad serious complaint and lamentation over our much preaching and hearing and our little practice and obedience They who consider the former the frequent preaching and much hearing would judge us of this City to be the best Christians in the world They who see the later the lives and practices and dealings in the world of many of us may judge rightly that they are the very worst And this brings a shame upon the profession of Christianity and causes a neglect in many of resorting to the Congregation who observe that many place their religion in going to Church and hearing and especially such or such a precious man For they observe also that he goes to Church an envious person and returns from thence an envious person He who comes into the Assembly a covetous man he goes out as covetous as he came he who comes in a Drunkard goes out a Drunkard He who resorts to the Assembly a Cain rull of murderous thoughts and purposes he goes away as arrant a Cain as resolved a murderer
I believe to be the true meaning of the place What we have now in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and turn'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierom also read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and turns it Iste this man So far they agree but then they part Hierom goes on Iste caepit This man began He turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Invocare to call upon which the LXX render very often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach I turn the sentence thus This man began to preach in the name of the Lord that is This man was the first Preacher before the Flood as S. Peter cals Noe The eighth Preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 according to the constant reading of the Greek and Vulg. Lat which Beza also acknowledgeth Of which interpretation I shall give the Reader a further account when I shall examine that place if the Lord will ADam begat a son in his own likeness Gen. 5. Gen. 3. after his image Hierome read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad similitudinem after or according to his likenesse and the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeated according to his image So Vulg. Lat. the LXX Tremellius and Piscator also read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both places but Pagnin the Tigurin Bible and the French Munster Vatablus and others read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The difference is not great either in the letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the sense of the words Nor do I here blame the Translation but the interpretation built upon it by many who aver that Adam begat Sheth in or according to his sinful and depraved image Whence they infer that Sheth also must be depraved as he who was begotten according to the corrupt similitude and image of his father Truly it is a great unhappinesse to any one to have gotten an ill name especially among some men it 's a thousand to one he shall never regain a good report among them Adam fell and his fall is so aggravated as if it were like the fall of a Potters vessel that could never be made whole or like that of the Devils which can never be repaired 'T is true The fall depravation and degeneration of our first Parents is notorious Notorium facti the notoriousnesse of the fact as the Civilians speak ye read Gen. 3. But was that Factum permanens continuum Jer. 8.4 Must the fall last for ever Shall they fall and not arise shall be turn away and not return Surely the rising again return and recovery of our first Parents out of their fall depravation and degeneration is as notable as their fall was notorious For as the promise of means and helps conducing thereunto both the Law and Gospel Gen. 3.15 and 3.22 are clear and evident so likewise the use of those means as I have shewn And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and effect answerable unto those means used is as clear and manifest For as Moses tels us of the darknesse and the light and 5.1.2 Gen. 1. and 4.1 1 John 3.12 so he relates the genealogie of the children of darknesse from Cain downward who was of the wicked one born of that filthy seed say the Jews which the Serpent cast into Eve He figuring the propriety in the flesh slew Abel that breathing from God and unto God and vigorously carries on his work of deformation throughout the fourth Chapter of Genesis Gen. 4. per. tot Cap. 5. Moses having related the Genealogy of Cain and the children of Darkness he gives us the Genealogy of Sheth and the Children of Light and so sets good against evill life against death Ecclus 33.14 the godly against the sinners And whereas Gen. Chap. 4. he numbers up seven generations of Cain Chap. 5. he reckons up ten generations from Adam to Noe. Whereby he implies that the Good shall at length overcome the Evill and that when the darkness is past and the children of darkness 1 John 5. the true light shall then shine and the children of light as lights in the world Both these so different so contrary Families have their proportionable originals and fathers of them 1 Sam. 24.13 as saith the proverb of the antients Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked And we may say of these trees of opposit genealogies as our Lord saith Mat. 7.17 18. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth sorth evill fruit A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit c. Surely therefore according to our Lords own reasoning as from fallen corrupt degenerate Adam proceeded a fallen corrupt and degenerate Cain according to his image and from him answerably a sinfull generation So from a restored renewed and regenerated Adam proceeded Sheth according to his image And that this image of Adam was a righteous image and the image of God appeares evidently Vers 1.2 of this Fifth Chapter In the image of God made he him male and female created he them and blessed them and called their name Adam in the day when they were created Compare now herewith Gen. 1.26.27.28 and judge impartially whether this be not the same image which Adam had before his fall If so as it is clear out of that text then as sinfull Adam begat Cain according to his sinfull image and similitude so righteous Adam begat Seth according to his righteous image and similitude that is according to his living soul wherin the first man was made 1 Cor. 15. and whereunto he was now renewed And wherein God blessed them that is He made them fruitful gave them power to procreate beget and bring forth children like themselves Genuit ad imaginem similitudinem suam i. e. rationalem ad similitudinem Dei hoc est praeditos animâ rationali Ad similitudinem enim Dei creatus suit Adam Igitur ipse Adam genuit filios ad similitudinem Dei hoc est praeditos animâ rationali Adam begat a son after his own image and similitude that is reasonable and after the similitude of God that is endued with a reasonable soul For Adam was created after the image of God therefore Adam himself begat children after the image of God that is endued with a reasonable soul So Vatablus reasons enforced from the context By which reasonable soul he understood no doubt the living soul as the first man was made saith the Apostle And according to this image S. Luke saith Adam was the son of God And according to this image of God Luke 3.38 S. Paul tells the Athenians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are his off-spring It 's part of a verse taken out of Aratus who having begun his Phaenomena with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a few words interposed he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are his off-spring That which the Poet wrote and the
walk before Criples in Gods way and with their broken hands instruct others to do Gods Commandements which they themselves professe are impossible to be done Who have eyes full at least of spiritual adultery and cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable souls an heart they have exercised with covetous practises children of the curse who have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Besor who loved the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.14 15. and the residue also of that Chapter belongs to such audacious unqualified persons who intrude into the Priests office When every such scurvy fellow every such paltry Scab dares quando omnis res Janum ad medium fracta est repentè sic Theologus prodire when they can thrive no more at their trade extempore start up Divines S. Hierom heavily bemoan'd his own times O how would he have lamented had he lived in our times In the holy Scripture saith he Nullus apex vacat mysterio there is not a tittle without a mystery yet every man thinks he understands it Yea though the meanest and easiest trade requires long time perhaps seven years to learn the mysteries contained in it some notwithstanding entertain so poor a conceit of that most mystical Art of life that without living the same life yea though they live a life contrary thereunto and turn not from their iniquities yet they can understand Gods truth Daniel was of another minde Dan. 9.13 Nay if they have been so industrious as to learn Brachygraphy and have gathered some Short-hand notes they doubt not then but when all trades fail to step out of the shop into the pulpit and out-preach yea preach-out any not so qualified Divines out of their places And being thus initiated with Enoch the dedicated one the son of Cain Gen. 4.17 they hope in due time to preach themselves into some places of trust and profit For this is the mode the method and fashion of the times and the high-way unto preferment And then they lay away their Nets when they have caught the fish Sed nos ab iâ—ta scabie tenemus ungues There is yet one imperfection remains which unqualifies the legal Priest he must not be Concussus testiculo he must be a perfect man and fit to beget others unto God 1 Cor. 4.15 But let us draw toward an end of this Essay Such perfection in the body of the Priests symbolically required like perfection in their souls as I shewed before out of Philo Jâ—daus But how far alas how far differ we in these dregs of time from that spiritual growth and pious endeavours of the Primitive holy Fathers toward the perfect life when now every Dâ—arff takes himself to be a grown perfect man or as perfect as he need to be Whereas in those first times they had their Penitentes their Catechumeni their Constrâ—maâ—â— their Fideles their Sancti their Justi most of them distinct degrees of Christs Disciples as appears out of Tertullian and others according as they were capable of few or more heavenly mysteries and were grown up in the life and obedience unto them All which in this hudling age and confusion of all things are but meer names and they scarce known when every Novice in his nonage of Christianity thinks himself altogether as tall a grown man in Christ as the most perfect Scribe that 's taught into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 13.52 When to believe a possibility of perfection is judg'd to be as great an errour in the Priest under the Gospel as to be blinde or tame scabbed or itchy or what ever other defect was held a blemish in the Priest under the Law When to teach perfection renders the Priest ignorant scandalous and insufficient When the doctrine of perfection frequently delivered in holy Scripture though industriously obscured by our Translators held forth in all Ages taught in the School believed and endeavoured after by all good men from the beginning all along until aetas parentum pejor avis tulit nos nequiores imò nequissimos vitiosissimos until these last and worst dayes when to believe and teach this doctrine That its possible through the Spirit and power of Christ to be a perfect Priest and stand compleat in all the will of God it s held to be a reasonable just and sufficient crime and cause to out a Minister of living and livelyhood O Lord when shall thy gracious promise be fulfilled that Faith shall flourish and corruption be overcome and the truth which hath been so long without fruit be declared When shall that victorious Belief be made known which subdues the World and all that world of iniquity whatsoever is in the World that the Truth may appear and Mercy meet with it When shall Righteousness and Peace kiss each other O thou Israel of God who hopest to be made an holy Priesthood unto thy God! How otherwise can this come to pass but by obeying the voice of thy God and keeping covenant with him Exodus 19.5 6. Let us Per viam negationis by the negative description of the legal Priesthood learn the positive qualifications of the Gospel-Priesthood Let us not be blinde and unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is Ephes 5.17 And when we know the Lords will and way let us walk in it Let us be guides unto others that they may walk as they have us for examples that we cast off the burden of all unnecessary cares that we propound not to our selves any low measure of sanctity but perfect holiness in the fear of God That having eyes we may see and avoid the confusions of Babel That we may lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness That being perfect Priests our selves we may beget others unto God and present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Such Briests the Lord makes unto God his Father to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Revel 1.6 SERMON VIII SER. VIII Gods meeting with men in their own way Leviticus 26. ver 27 28. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me Then will I walk contrary unto you also in fury THere are two sinewes of the Common-wealth in Heaven whereby the great Lawgiver obligeth his people to obedience from whence also inferiour Lawgivers have taken example Rewards and Punishments They are both very powerful arguments and motives but of the twain the will of the Lord is that the former should rather prevail with us Behold saith he I have set before thee this day life and good death and evil He sets life and good before death and evil Deut. 30.15 Yea ver 19. he gives us that counsel expresly I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and seed may live And accordingly as he instructs Israel to deal with the Canaaaites
that our walking with our God might be noble free and without constraint he hath put this light in earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 He hath made us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a souly man whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leading power or reason is apt to conclude either way Ex quovis medio dato according to any argument given and being furnished with a competent measure of divine light of life he leaves us in the hand of our own counsel Ecclus 15.14 which is an inconsistent estate moveable and inclinable either to good or evil Beside this innate principle of mutability in our rational part many leading men have learned and art Probabiliter in utramque partem de quovis themate disputandi of disputing Pro Con de quovis ente non ente This although what ever is rational and true in it it proceeds from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and him that is true 1 John 5.20 yet it s mixt with much wisdom of the flesh which darkens the true reason and hinders the light of life from shining to it 2 Cor. 4.4 But as we have a reasonable soul which ought to be guided by the minde of God so we have also vertibile principium a mutable and changeable principle in our soul our will which is prone in utramque partem to follow the dictate and conclusion either way which the uncertain and undetermined reason shall lead unto And these two greater wheels turn the whole fabrick of the inferiour powers the passions affections and lusts which are easily moved to run riot especially since there are so many sensible objects distracting and troubling this lower region of the soul which like the turba the populacy consisting most-what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of earthly minded men for such as is the earthy such are they that are earthy 1 Cor. 15.48 they are easily stirred up to mutiny and tumult as the dust is soon raised but not so easily laid For the affections being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the unreasonable part of the soul they are easily inclined downward by the allurements of their sensible present objects and as a steep descent and slippery way causeth oftentimes the unwary traveller to make more hast then good speed Such and so violent is the attraction and drawing of the present seeming good which too often is disjoyned from the true good whereby the rational appetite the will and the reason it self is preposterously brought off to side with the rebellious Rout as the Pilot in a storm leaves the helm and suffers the vessel to be carried by the violence of the winde and weather All which laid together and well considered may make up a sufficient reason why the only wise God should suppose it possible that his people may walk by chance or at all adventure with him But we meet with one objection that makes all this contemplation quite void For if the way of man be not in himself so that he hath no power at all to walk with God to what purpose does the Lord command us to walk in his way and why does he threaten us for not walking in it yea why does he suppose it possible that we may walk otherwise then he hath commanded Jer. 10. ver 23. Jeremy saith so much O Lord I know that the way of the man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps There is no doubt but this Scripture hath a truth in it and somewhat toward that sense wherein it s commonly understood For in God we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 Nor can the man think one good thought of himself without the Lord nor withstand an evil Yea without him we can do nothing John 15.5 And it true which the Schoolmen say that the works of grace which are to eternal life are not in the power of man without the inspiration and help of God So Aquinas Ideo gratia prevenit quia non est liberum arbitrium sed potius infunditur ab ipso Deo Grace is therefore said to prevent because it is not the faculty of reason and will so he defines liberum arbitrium 1 part quaest 83. a 3. 4. but is rather infused of God himself For if in natural actions we need divine direction how much more in supernatural These sayings and other like are true but not grounded upon this speech of the Prophet Jeremy For what if this Scripture be not thus to be understood Surely the holy Word of God is not tanquam scopae dissolutae not arena sine calce it is not alwayes incoherent and without connexion of one part with other as some would have this to be Whereas if we look well into it we shall finde that the Prophet having warned Jerusalem of the distress coming upon them Jer. 10.17 18. he takes upon himself the person of the Church lamenting the ruine of it ver 19 20. which he demonstrates from the causes meriting ver 21. and inflicting ver 22. which yet he denies to be in Nebuchadnezzars own power but in Gods over-ruling hand ver 23. O Lord I know that the way of that man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of Nebuchadnezzar is not in himself Then followes 1. Precatio his prayer for the Church O Lord correct me let thy fatherly chastisement excuse or prevent my utter destruction 2. Deprecatio which ruine he prayes against Correct me not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing 3. Imprecatio he prayes against the Gentiles Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not Which clearly appears to be the meaning of this Scripture by comparing with it Ezech. 21.18 24. where the Lord governs Nebuchadnezzar and directs and turns him from Rabbah of the Ammonites whither he was marching to Jerusalem So that the way of that man was not in himself it was not in that man that walked to direct his steps Good use therefore may be made of that Scripture as hath been shewen but the History must be maintained however some other sense may be couched under it So that it no way excuseth any believer but that he may walk in the way of of Gods statutes keep his Commandements and do them and so through the grace and mercy of God live and walk with God Wherefore dissemble not with thy God O man not tempt him with thy pretence of weakness or ignorauce nor abuse that Scripture beyond the scope of it to maintain thine habitual sins under the colour of infirmities One came before the Oracle at Delphos to try whether Apollo could discover his fraud or not He had under his Cloak a live Bird and he asked the Oracle Utrum vivum proferam an mortuum shall I bring forth somewhat that lives or somewhat that 's dead Apollo or his Priest perceiving his hypocrisie and deceit answered In te est stulte Fool it is in thy power whether of the twain thou wilt do Dissemble not with
place and authority aged and gray-headed c. whom the Word of God commands us to honour whether an unmannerly disrespect of these ought to be introduced and brought in among Christians whether honour of all men enjoyned 1 Pet. 2.17 ought from this pretence to be waived whether the outward signes of honour since honour it self is a signe and in the person honouring ought for this reason to be forborn let them well consider who go about to bring in an universal parity with a rude and unwinning behaviour among the people of God which the Scripture every where holds forth as the most civil most courteous best behaved of the most winning conversation of all societies in the world Let them well ponder this in their mindes who think to excuse all outward honour with pretence of inward If it be inward what inconvenience will follow if it be brought forth and become outward How else can it be known to the person honoured Our Lord Jesus the Head of his Church judged not according to the sight of his eyes nor reproved according to the hearing of his ears c. Esay 11.3 and he forbids us to judge according to sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and commands us to judge righteous judgement John 7. v. 24. John 7.24 Yet he teacheth us to salute not onely our brethren but others also Yea the scope of his exhortation is that herein we should out-do all other men If ye salute your brethren onely what do ye more Our Lords will is that we should herein do more then others do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what do ye more do not the Publicans so His Disciples must exceed them in their salutations and salutations of others beside their brethren Matth. 5.47 Certainly they who forbear such outward salutations as they pretend lest they should foment and nourish pride in those whom they salute it s much to be feared lest that forbearance of salutation proceed from pride As when the Cynic slovenly trampled upon Plato's handsom Bed with his durty feet saying That he trod down Plato's pride he was well answered At superbiâ majori but with greater pride then his How needful therefore is it my brethren in our judging to begin with our selves when the Lord is come 1 Cor. 4 5. and to judge righteousness for righteousness and approve of it because it is such and condemn for sin even because it is such Rom. 8.3 Not for any other respect as profit pleasure credit or what ever else is impertinent and belongs not to the object or matter to be judged when we our selves are stablished and confirmed in righteousness we shall be able to judge righteousness without acknowledging of faces For Righteousness is neither Actor nor Reus neither one brother nor another neither brother nor his stranger but a third thing more sacred then them both For justitia est aliena virtus justice is anothers vertue saith Aquinas Deut. 1. v. 17. Psal 7. v. 6. and the judgment that is Gods Deut. 1.17 2 Chron. 19.8 Even so raise up thy self unto us O Lord for the judgement that thou hast commanded Psal 7.6 Your little ones which ye said should be a prey and your children which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil Deut. 1. v. 39. they shall go in thither and unto them will I give it and they shall possess it These words contain part of Gods sentence against this apostate people which is the frustration of their fear but in favour of their obedient children They said Numb 14.3 That their wives and children should be a prey but v. 31. the Lord secures them of that fear and here again these the Lord saith shall go in to the land c. Accordingly there are in these words two Axioms 1. They had said despairingly that their little ones and their children who had no knowledge between good and evil should be a prey 2. The Lord saith with confidence that those their little ones and their children who had no knowledge between good and evil should go into the land and unto them he would give the land and they should possesse it In the former two things are to be explained 1. What is here to be understood by the little ones 2. What it is to have knowledge between good and evil 1. The word turnd little ones is in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to be understood plurally and so the LXX render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your little children which two are explained in the following words to be such as had no understanding between good and evil Howbeit the words are not so to be rendred but thus word for word Your sons which knew not or had not knowen in that day good or evil So the Chald. Paraphrast So likewise the LXX which yet they turn distinctively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good or evil Vulg. Lat. Boni mali ignorant distantiam they know not the distance of good and evil It s literally the description of that age which wants discretion or discerning good and evil By good and evil we are to understand what is honestum turpe honest and dishonest just and unjust righteousness and unrighteousness The knowledge of good and evil is either laudable divine and godly or blame-worthy humane that is belonging to the fallen man and ungodly There is a laudable a divine and god-like knowledge of good and evil such as is in God himself Gen. 3.5 whereby he knowes all the good and evil that is done in the world how else could God judge the Earth Gen. 18.25 For knowledge is necessarily required unto judgement according to that of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every man judgeth well of what he knowes and of these he is a good judge And like knowledge in his measure man had before his fall So we may understand Gen. 3.22 Behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man was or hath been as one of us knowing good and evil Of which I have spoken in its place The humane the fallen mans ungodly knowledge of good and evil is practical and consists in the disobedient life in not doing what good he knowes ought to be done and doing and not eschewing the evil which he knowes ought to be avoyded And thus the little ones the sons of the apostates had not known good and evil whom their unbelieving fathers predestinate to be exposed as a prey to their enemies and themselves to be devoured by the sword Numb 14.3 And the reason of this surmise is intimated by the Lord himself ver 11. of the Chapter They believed not in his mighty power for the subduing of their enemies and for their own preservatition nor thought they the innocency of their little ones a defence unto them nor that it won upon the favour of their strong helper nor durst they trust him with the tuition of their supposed Orphans 1. Whence we may note how dear children are to
the Lord thy God turn'd the Curse to a Blessing Deut. 23.5 that ye may know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justitias the righteousnesses or mercies of the Lord. What though the Aramites the Syrians curse yet bless thou Psal 109.28 and thou shalt obtain a blessing Psal 21. v. 6. yea a double blessing For there is a double blessing pronounced by the Lord Jesus who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessings Psal 21.6 upon his persecuted ones Mat. 5.10 11 12. For as we are called unto suffering so likewise are we called unto a blessing to a double blessing for our sufferings 1 Pet. 2.20 21. that we render not evil for evil or rayling for rayling but contrariwise blessing knowing that we are hereunto called that we should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 which the Lord vouchsafe to all his persecuted ones through him who is the Blessings and Son of the Blessed Jesus Christ our Lord But if thine heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear Deut. 30. v. 17. but shalt be drawen away and worship other gods and serve them I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish Ver. 15. Moses sets life and good and death and evil before us 1. Life and good if we love the Lord our God to walk in his wayes and keep his Commandements and his Statutes and his Judgements c. 2. Death and evil if our heart turn away and we shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them c. I read the words according to the Hebrew text thus If thine heart turn itself away and thou wilt not obey and thou be driven away and worship other gods and serve them I denounce unto you this day that perishing ye shall perish that is by little and little or by degrees ye shall perish This text may be considered in it self absolutely or with reference to the words before injoyning the love of God and walking in his wayes But if c. The words are a serious commination denuntiation or threatning of judgement upon condition and supposition of sin 1. In aversione turning away not hearing not obeying 2. In conversione turning-to being driven away to worship other gods and serve them Now because in every serious conditional threatning a possibility of offending is supposed the Antecedent of this connex or conditional Axiom will afford us these divine Truths 1. That its possible the heart may turn it self away from God 2. That the people of God may not hear or obey God 3. That they may be driven away from the true God 4. That they may worship and serve other gods 5. That they may be so driven from the true God that they may worship other gods and serve them 6. If the heart turn it self away if the people of God obey him not if they be driven away and worship other gods and serve them the Lord denounceth unto them that perishing they shall perish 1. The heart may turn it self away from God So or to the same effect all Translations that I have seen render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The heart is sometime taken more specially for the affective part of the soul and so it is distinguished from the minde and from the will Matth. 22.37 Sometime it s taken more generally for all the parts of the soul and the whole inward man all that is within us Mark 7.21 22. compar'd with Matth. 15.19 20. We may understand the heart here largely as the affective part following the dictate and determination of the understanding The reason of this is evident 1. From the precedent words where life and good and death and evil are set before us whereunto the heart may indifferently turn it self And 2. the Lord having made man after his own image Ecclus 15.17 left him in the hand of his own counsel Ecclus 15.14 17. Before men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is life and death and whether him liketh shall be given unto him 1. Hence it appears that the heart is Vertibile principium a mutable a changeable principle 2. The heart may decline may turn it self away even from the Summum Bonum even the chief good while it is Non clarè cognitum not yet clearly understood Hence we may note a decision and determination of that great question controverted by Philosophers and Divines concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Principale or as Tully calls it Principalus that supream and principal part of the soul I shall not name the manifold opinions of the Antients Many with Plato have thought it to be in the Head which therefore is called Arx totius corporis regia capitolium Others with the Stoicks rather place it in the heart and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Laertius Which Plutarch renders and explains thus The Stoicks say That the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or principal part of the soul is that which makes the imaginations assents senses and appetites whence proceeds and ascends the rational which saith he is in the Heart 2. T is possible the people of God may not hear or obey The word here used signifies both but being applyed to the heart the hearing of that is obeying as it should here have been rendred and elsewhere though our Translators turn it to hear as Eccles 5.1 Eccles 5. v. 1. Be more ready to hear that is to obey then to give the sacrifice of Fools which is parallel to 1 Sam 15.22 To obey is better then sacrifice Hos 6.6 and in many other Scriptures That this is possible its evident by the complaints of all the Prophets and needs no proof Come we rather to the next Axiom which hath somewhat more difficulty 3. The people of God may be driven away from him So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not to be drawn away as it is here turn'd but to be driven away Deut. 22. v. 1. And so our Translators themselves turn the word Deut. 4.19 and 22.1 Thou shalt not see thy brothers Ox or his Sheep go astray the word is the same we have in question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impulsos so Arias Montanus driven away So Vatablus turns the word here Impulsus driven so Tremellius so Pagnin Munster hath Expelleris if thou be driven away How comes this to pass Doubtless by misapprehensions of God whence men conceive false and erroneous opinions of him So the Disciples were affraid when they saw Jesus walking on the Sea and said He was a Spirit or rather indeed a fansie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 14. v. 26. Matth. 14.26 Thus the Devil deceived and drove away our first parents from their God when he perswaded them that he envied them their happiness But more of this anon 4. It s possible that the people of God may worship and serve other gods Wherein let us inquire 1. What these other gods are and what it is to worship and serve these other gods The other gods are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The
affection word and work and therefore as when these are corrupted the foundation is layd for corrupting all the rest so when these are duely informed a sutable reparation will follow of all the rest Now because we by the fall are not able to thinke any thing that good is of our selves as of our selves the wise and good God Vouchsafes a sufficiency to thinke and doe 2 Cor. 3. vers 5. not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Hence we learn Obs 1. that although our God be love it selfe as he is called 1 Joh. 4.8.16 he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love c. and goodnes it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that essentially there is none good but God yet hath this love and goodness its enmity against the evil whether it be open and manifest evill or else appearing and seeming rightousness wherewith it is gilded and hansomed over Psal 5. vers 4.5 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednes neither shall evill dwell with thee c. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity first the wickedness then the wicked men workers of iniquity that will not part with it and Psal 11.5 but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soule hateth Pro. 6. vers 16.17 these six things doth the Lord hate c. Zacha. 8. vers 17. and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts c. These are manifest evills there are other varnished over with shewes of righteousness Esay 1.13.14 bring no more vain oblations c. and 61.8 I hate robery for a burnt offering c. And this enmity against the evill is no lesse gloriouss unto God and his Christ than his love unto the good Psal 45.7 thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickednes c. 2. Obs 2. Hence we know the reason and ground of that promise which the Lord made afterward more explicitely and plainly Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk c. which is the enmity or a part of it which the Lord promises to put into our understandings and thoughts against Satan and his machinations thus Col. 3.10 The new man is renewed in knowledge c. 3. Obs 3. Hence appears the Etymology or the reason of Eve her name Adam called the name of his wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the promise made of the enmity because she was the mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all living or all that which liveth for whereas the will and affections and all actions which proceed from thence follow the direction and guidance of the mind thoughts and understanding if God put the enmity as a principle of life into these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that principle of life will bring forth living ones such as shall be answerable unto the life of God as living wills affections words actions For that principle of life in the thoughts minds and understanding is enough to work out and take away all darknesse and blindnesse and furnish the man with the light of life 2. Axiom The Lord saith he will put enmity between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman We have heard what the Serpent the Woman and generally what the enmity is It remains to be enquired what the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman is and what it is to put enmity between them The seed of the Serpent is all rebellious motions all false perswasions with all lying promises and contradictions unto Gods word But it is not so clear nor agreed upon by Expositors what is here meant by the Womans seed The most by the womans seed understand Christ as he was the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary and him onely But this cannot be true for the Woman here meant is clean another thing as hath beon shewn viz. The Minde Understanding Thoughts and Memory so the seed of the Woman must be also another thing For there was and ever hath been since the fall an enmity between the Serpent and his seed and the Woman and hers before Christ appeared in the flesh Besides God the Father cannot be said to put enmity against the evil into his Son for then some time there must have been when the Son should not have had an enmity against the evil but an amity with it before God should put it into him which is at least absurd to affirm yea the Son of God hath ever had by inheritance an enmity against the evil in all fulnesse Psal 45.7 Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore c. What then is the seed of the woman What else can be the seed of the fallen woman but disobedience unto God and consequently obedience unto the Serpent What else can be the fruit of the fallen mans thoughts the corrupted thoughts can bring forth no better thing then themselves are Water ascends no higher then whence it descends That which is born of the flesh is flesh John 3. Jer. 6.19 The fruit of their thoughts and 7.23 and 24. Verses Obey my voice c. But they walked in the counsel and in the imagination of their evil hearts Thus murder is the fruit of the corrupt thoughts John 16.2 The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service or rather brings God an Oblation or acceptable Sacrifice So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies And Acts 26.9 I thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth The fuid between the Serpent and the Woman is great which yet increases in the seed of both What then more specially is the enmity between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Surely the enmity put into the seed of the Woman must be opposite unto that evil which is in the seed of the Serpent That evill first is subtilty Genesis 3.1.2 The Serpent was more subtill c. 2 Corin. 11.3 The Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty Therefore the Apostle saith to Elymas Acts 3.10 O full of all subtilty and all mischief c. Opposite hereunto the Lord puts simplicity even the simple life of Abel which breatheth from God and breatheth towards God So Abel signifies and this winde or breath is in order to regeneration John 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth c. This simple life once Paul lived until Sin by the Law deceived him and slew him that is it made him confident and proud upon the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 7.9 10 11. I was alive without the Law once c. 2. The evil in the seed of the Serpent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an easinesse to commit wickednesse as the word properly signifies Therefore S. Paul saith thus to Elymas the Sorcerer Acts 13.10 O thou full of all subtilty and full of all mischief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The enmity
opposite hereunto which the Lord puts into the seed of the woman is the work of the Law in us both discovering sin and righteousness to a knowledge of our condemnation for sin and a sense thereof whereby our will and readinesse and easinesse to commit sin is curb'd and checkt and broken in us and some inclination unto obedience out of fear of Hell is wrought in us As the first enmity is Abel so this second is Sheth which signifies a positive Law This Sheth is the Father of Enosh the miserable and wretched man as the word signifies for then men began to call upon the name of the Lord for mercy as our Translators turn the words which shall otherwise render as Saul or Paul did Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am c. Acts 9.11 Behold be prayeth This no doubt is a blessed enmity and a good preparation for our conversion unto and our reconciliation with God Psal 94.11 12. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity Blessed is the man c. and Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Vers 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 3. The third evil in the seed of the Serpent is enmity unto all righteousnesse as Paul saith further unto Elymas Acts 13.10 Thou enemy of all righteousnesse c. And therefore the third enmity hereunto opposite is the glad tydings of grace and mercy unto salvation life and righteousnesse signified by John The grace of the Lord which sweetly melts the heart into godly sorrow inclines it unto the love of all righteousnesse and to serve God freely out of love and good will Psal 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared John 4.10 4. The fourth evil in the seed of the Serpent is Caput mali The chief evil even the son of Satan himself the son of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 That man of sin to be revealed the son of perdition And therefore Paul cals Elymas The child of the Devil Acts 13.10 And therefore opposite hereunto the Lord puts the great enmity even Christ the Son of God working in us to will and to do according to the minde and will of God and against the lusts and will of Satan Thus 2 Cor. 5.19 Christ is reconciling the world c. Ephes 2.14 For he is our peace who hath made both one c. and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us c. and in 15 16 verses Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the Law of Commandements Col. 1.21 22. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works c. and 2.14 Blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us c. All this is done meritoriously and exemplarily by Christs sufferings for us but effectually by his spirit his Crosse and sufferance in us but most fully when we in the second and new birth are made of one heart and spirit with him 1 Pet. 4.1 For as much as Christ hath suffered in the flesh arm your selves with the same minde for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God Obs 1. Hence we learn That the only wise God who suffered the man to fall he well knew how to recover him out of his fall unlesse the man himself should prove the only obstacle and hindrance of his own restitution Otherwise no doubt he had not permitted the man to fall but that he could and would turn it unto his greater glory and the greater shame and confusion of the enemy The Lord repayes and requites his enemies in their own kind by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 2. Lege talionis by rendring them like for like as he did to Adonibezec and he acknowledgeth it Judges 1.7 As I have done so God hath requited me Thus here the most righteous God puts in an enmity against him who had first brought in the enmity against and between God and man Obs 3. There was no other way to recover and save the fallen man then to breake the inward league and amity between him and the Devil and so to reconcile the man unto himselfe for that outward pacification and atonement which Christ purchased by his death could not alone and by it self prove availeable unto salvation without a divorce made and a deliverance wrought from Satan and his kingdom and communion with him Nor could we have had communion with our God again in his spirit presence and Kingdom without this enmity first wrought and put into the woman and her seed Agree then with thine adversary Consent unto the law that it is good Let us who love the Lord be like unto him and he will the more love us Similitudo est causa amoris Now wherein should we expresse our love unto him even by hating sin and iniquity it is the Prophets exhortation Ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is evill Psal 97.10 Such an hater of evill and the evill one was holy Iob who had his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the text With allusion hereunto he speaks unto the Lord Thou hast reputed me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thine enemy as if he should say thou hast changed my name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 13.24 If such enemies we be against the evil hence it will come to pass that the Lord will put a perfect enmity into us so that wee shall hate the evill with a perfect hatred and the seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Axiom 3. It shall bruise thy head c. These words with those following contain the effect of the fuid between the seed of the Serpent and the woman wherein we must inquire First what is meant by the head Secondly what it is to bruise the head Thirdly who it is or what it is that shall bruise it 1. The word here turned head is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the chiefe part of the man or beast whence the chief of any thing hath the name In the French Chefe is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the head In it all the senses and their instruments the sinewes are centred This is in the body as a watch-tower whence the watch-man foresees what ever good or evill is to come whence is the German word haupt from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see or foresee unto this part the Iudgment is referred whence to heed or consider hath the name from the head hence is the direction of the members in their functions whence Aquinas saith the two parts of
condemnation 2 Cor. 3. It is not said that Saul overcame them No the law is weak and while we are under the Law we are weake with it as it is said that the people under Saul followed him trembling 1 Sam. 13.6.7 The Law is as a weak purger it serves onely for a preparative it provokes and stirs the humour but it 's not able to purge it out that 's the work of the stronger one Rom. 8.3 What the law could not doe in that it is weake c. 2. The Gospell that 's signified by the holy seed breaking the Serpents head This Saul the figure of the Law could not do This was left for the spirituall David 2 Sam. 22.38.39.40.41 I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them c. this is indeed the worke of the Gospell which is therefore said to be the power of God to Salvation Rom. 1. Therefore when the Angels brought the glad tydings unto the shepherds that watched over their flock by night they sung glory to God on high on earth peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men of good will Hominibus bonae Voluntatis as the Vulgar Latin constantly reads it and diverse of the Latin and Greek Pathers To these whom the enmity or Law of God the Father and his grace John hath made willing Christ the holy seed the power of God is promised to breake the Serpents head Unto such the true Joshua preaches his Gospell Joshua 10. Set your feet in the necks of these Kings the ruling and reigning sins c. Thus when the Disciples Luke 10.17 brought our Lord an account of their embassy that the devills were subject unto them through his name I beheld Satan saith he as lightning fall from heaven even the spiritual wickedness in heavenly things is subdued to the power which Christ gives through his Gospel and he adds I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you Obs 3. The fallen man is of one mind with the Old Serpent called the Devill and Satan The Serpent hath corrupted his mind from that simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.2.3 so that he now walkes according to the Prince of the power of the air Ephes 2.2 Obs 4. The holy seed is not promised in the Gospell as a cover of sin but as a conquerer of sin as one who should subdue and breake the power of it The antient Jewes had a saying that the Messias should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of propitiation a man who should make atonement for transgression which yet may as well be rendred a man of purging and purifying from sin Psal 65.4 As for our transgressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt purge them away and 79.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purge a way our sins for thy names sake Nor is the Gospell the glad tydings onely of remission and pardon of sin but of taking a way the sins of the world Iohn 1.29 behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world And although they be pronounced blessed whose sins are covered Psal 32.2 it is to be understood of them who have no guile in their Spirits no subtilty of the Serpent corrupting their minds but they are upright in heart vers 11. otherwise the Prophet denounces a woe to them who cover with a covering that is not of Gods Spirit Esay 30.1 1 Iohn 1. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousnes Obs 5. Note here how mighty a power is communicated unto the Sons of men even so great as to overcome and tread under foot the great enemie of mankinde The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 Obs 6. Hence it followes that Non datur summum malum Although there be a chief good which is God himself yet there is not a chiefe evill For the Lord reserves a power in himself and for his Church to subdue iniquity Esay 27.1 The Lord shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan that crooked Serpent c. Though the wicked one be as the raging sea whose waves cast up myre and dirt Esay 57. yet the Lord sayth to it hither shall thou come and no further Obs 7. The woman the Church through the enmity against the Serpent bruiseth yea breaketh his head What else is meant by Jael Judges 4. But the Woman the Church the pure and holy Thoughts Ascending from corporal to spiritual things from earthly to heavenly whereby Sisera Visio equi the brutish reluctancy stirred up by Jabin the serpentine Wisdom is subdued and brought under So that we are no more like the Horse and Mule without understanding but instructed by the Divine Wisdome and taught in the way wherein we should go Psal 32.8.9 The like we may understand by that woman Judg. 9.53.54 And that wise Woman even the wisdom it self 2 Sam. 20.16 c. which causeth the head of Sheba the son of Bichri to be cut off What is Bichri but the first-born the son of Perdition who begets even Sheba the Seven capital sins which cause us to revolt and become rebellious against the true spiritual David And the like may be meant by Judith who cut of the head of Olofernes Jud. 13. Obs 8. This dscovers a grand imposture and deceit of the subtill Serpent wherewithall he beguiles the Sons of men That Prince of the power of the air that Spirit workes and rules in the Sons of disobedience Ephes 2.2 The hearts of men are inflamed with the burning concupiscence as the fiery Serpents destroyed the Israelltes Numb 21.6 They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity they hatch the Cockatrice Eggs and weave the Spiders Web Esay 59.4 5. Their poyson is as the poyson of a Serpent like the deaf Adder that stoppeth her ears Psal 58.4 5. Yea in a word they are Serpents and generations of Vipers ye though the old Serpent whose brood they are and who exercises daily his enmity in them he perswades them and they believe it That the holy seed of the Woman hath broken the Serpents head in them yea that all that victory that Christ hath obtained over Satan is imputed unto them and is as really and truly theirs as if they themselves had wrought it in their own persons If men inquire into a ground of this would know a proof of it all that they can say is They believe it so to be that is they imagine it And what will not self-love believe Quae volumus facile credimus Thus the man conceives himself to be saved by acts imagined without him and that the whole work is done to his hand when yet in truth the man is lost utterly lost For meane time the Serpents head is yet unbroken the sin unmortified in these men And Satan wins infinitely more By this after-game then he lost by the
old whom our Lord calls the Children of the Devill Ioh. 8. dealt with our Lord bringing all false testimonies against him And as they dealt with him they have dealt and yet deal with his followers Rom. 3.8 They declare evidently whose seed they are This discovers the nature of the Serpent he is a slanderer he is a deceiver he is a Supplanter Debort Let no man beguile you of your reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all your labours Col. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly to defraud and deprive him that runs a race or strives for Mastery of that reward that is due unto him when he has finished his course The Serpent In malis separat finem à mediis in good things separates the end from the meanes It was his first plot upon our first parents Whereas the Lord had said In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die he Subtilly perswades them that though they eat of that Tree yet they should not die and so separates the end from the meanes In bonis separat media à fine in good things he separates the meanes from the end These meanes which the Lord hath ordained as necessary for the obtaining of the everlasting life the Serpent perswades men that the everlasting life may be obtained without them Our Lord saith by the Apostle If we die with him we believe that we shall live with him Rom. 6.8 and 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Nay saith the Serpent Only beleive and thou shalt live He perswades us that we need not die with Christ By this meanes He perswades men that though they continue in their sinnes and uncleannesses yet they shall obtain the everlasting life Thus by his false Apostles he had perswaded the Galatians that they must be circumcised and keep the law and that faith working by love was to no purpose The holy Apostle not ignorant of his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 he tells them Gal. 5.2 8. If they be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing that neither circumcision availes any thing nor uncircumcision but faith that worketh by love c. Exhort Look to our footing Whereas the Scripture tells us every where that the holy Citie is reserved for those who are holy and righteous and obey the truth Esay 26.12 and that he who Believes not or obeyes not the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not see life Ioh. 3.36 And S. John having described the holy Citie Revel 21. ver 27. he tells us who shall bee excluded from thence and shall not enter into it Whereas our Saviour tells us what the things are that defile a man Math. 15.19.20 Wheras the Scripture tells us all this and many thereupon have believed and endeavoured through the power of the holy Spirit to purge themselves from all these 2 Cor. 7.1 The Serpent fearing lest all men should so do he layes wait at the heel He perswades too many that this is Supervacaneum opus a needless business That Christ has long since wrought the purging of our sins that its impossible to be purged from them that there is a Purgatory hereafter that will cleanse us which indeed must needs follow if their former assertion were true Meanes Keep in the way The Serpent lies in wait by the way side In the way there is no evil occurrence Psal 119.165 Great peace have they who love thy law and they have no stumbling-block The danger is not in the way of Gods Commandements but they have sharpned their tongues like a Serpent They have purposed to overthrow my goings they have spread a Net by the way side Beloved I beseech ye let us consider advisedly and timely the great and imminent hazard and danger of our soules how subtill the Serpent is in striking at the heal at the end of all What great folly what a disparagement and disgrace it will be to be deceived What an irrecoverable loss when we have done all to lose all Have yee suffered so many things in vaine if it be yet in vaine Gal. 3. Take heed of the iniquity of our heels Psal 49.6 The Prophet propounds this as a riddle to mankinde after a long preface in the words before Why should I feare in the evill day that is what then can terrifie me What then can make me secure In the great day of recompense both of good and evill An hard Problem and that which concernes us all and every soul The Prophet answers it That which will make me fear is 1. Not povertie The Judge is not corrupted with gifts It is 2. Not a low condition and state of life God is no respecter of Persons It is 3. Not the malice either of Advocates or witnesses The Judge with whom we have to do knowes the hearts of all men It is 4. Not the power of adversaries The Judge fears no man What is it what else but the iniquity of my heeles the iniquity that continues with me till the end of my dayes If that continue with me in that day it will be impossible to escape On the contrary what can make us secure and fearless in that day not riches not nobility not diligence of Advocates not power of friends what else but faith in Christ and the obedience of faith What else but perseverance in holiness What else but a pure heart whereby we may see God This comforted Hezekiah 2 King 20.3 This also will comfort us By this we shall then break the Serpents Head when he goes about to bruise our Heel Genesis 3.22 ANd the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us knowing good and evill Most men commonly understand these words Ironically The man is become as one of Us as upbrayding unto man Satans lying Speech ver 5. Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and Evill So Vatablus Piscator Diodate The Glosse of the French Bible and others But whether it be safe to attribute unto the most gratious and mercifull God so tart an ironie I leave it to the consideration of Godly men Surely such a kind of Mockery might seem to savour of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the good God rejoyced at the miserable mans calamity who yet fell thereinto not of himself not simply out of pride or reflexion upon himselfe and his own excellency as the Angels are said to have fallen and therefore God laid not hold on them Hebr. 2.26 but man fell not without a Tempter but was overreached by the crafty false perswasion of the Serpent more subtil then any beast of the field by which subtilty he beguiled Eve 2 Cor. 11. And therefore the mercifull God pitied the deceived man promised him victory over the Tempter ver 15. confirmed his blessing to the woman ver 20. That she should be the Mother of all those who live the naturall life and of all those also who live the Spiritual life yea the mother of Christ himselfe He clothed them with skins of dead beasts figuring
the Law 1 John 3.4 Esay 5.18 Sometime punishment of sin as Zach. 14.19 Sometime an Oblation for fin Thus 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ was made sin for us 2. This sin and punishment of sin is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cubans lying down as a Beast doth Gen. 49.9 Even such a dangerous Beast is sin whether taken for the transgression of the Law it self or for the punishment of that transgression in both senses it is true that sin lies 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the door it is neer at hand as the phrase is understock Mark 13.39 Sin if once committed it lies at the door of the will waiting for consent and re-admission And the punishment of sin that lies couchant and hard at hand after the sin is committed Deut. 29.20 Object But does not God justifie the ungodly Rom. 4.5 How then does he require doing well to procure acceptance and punish doing evil Answ If we understand Justifying the ungodly in such sense as Prov. 17.15 and 24.24 Esay 5.23 It is a great dishonour to God to say He justifies the ungodly But most true it is that God justifies the ungodly that is he makes an ungodly man just not in Sensu composito while he is ungodly but an Sensu diviso by taking his ungodlinesse from him Thus he makes a Drunkard sober a Lecher chaste c. Thus he justified Abraham who was before an Idolater Josh â—4 2 and made him of an Idolater a worshipper of the true God Obs 1. To omit and not to do what is good is a sin There is a sin of omission or not doing what is good Our Lord accompts them two evils Jer. 2.13 to forsake the Fountain of living waters and dig Cisterns Luke 6.9 Our Lord esteems the omission of curing the impotent man no lesse a sin than the destruction of him Obs 2. Hence it follows that sin that is the punishment of sin follows the sinner Sequitur scelestes ultor à tergo Deus The punishment of sin enters where sin goes before Ezech. 8.5 the Idol of jealousie was in the entry of the North-gate And Chap. 9.1 2. At the same Gate the Destroyers enter Obs 3. Consider we these two together The Lord saith If thou do well c. But If thou do not well c. Hence it appears that doing well or not doing well consists not in offering Sacrifice or not offering Sacrifice Cain had offered Sacrifice Obedience is here doing well and this Obedience is better then Sacrifice And this Obedience is seen in doing well and ceasing to do evil 1 Sam. 15.22 And therefore whereas the people had offered many Oblations and performed all kindes of Ceremonial Services to the Lord Esay 1. Hee calls them all vain Oblations c. Doing well did not consist in these therefore having rejected all these He showes wherein consists that doing well that pleaseth him vers 16.17 Wash ye make ye clean c. Heb. 10.8.9 And there is the same reason of all our forms of Godliness preaching and hearing and receiving the Sacrament keeping a Feast or a Fast-day doing well or not doing well consists not in these or any of these but in Obedience to the will of God Obs 4. The reason why Cains Sacrifice was not accepted aswell as Abells was that he for matter or manner or both had not done well as Abell had done Axiom 3. The desire of sin shall be subject unto Cain word for word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto thee the desire of it where a Supplement is necessarily understood which we adde also in the English unto thee shall be the desire of it that is the desire of sin shall be under thee Vulg. Lat. Sub te erit appetitus ejus in thy power The evill concupiscence which allwayes desires to cast thee down it shall be in thy power or subject unto thee We have the like phrase Gen. 3.16 where the Lord saith to the woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy desire shall be to thy Hushand which the LXX and Chald. par render Thy turning shall be unto thy Husband And the Vulg. Lat. Sub. viri potestate eris thou shalt be under the power of thy Husband So that whatsoever thou shalt desire it shall be necessary that thou have recourse to him as the Lord requires in vowes Numb 30. So in the Text unto thee shall be the desire of it it shall desire thee and stir thee up to consent unto it but so That it shall be turned unto thee and desire thy consent So that without thee it can do nothing The desire of it shall be subject unto thee The desire of it shall be subject unto thee of it that is of sin whereas our Translatours turn it unto thee shall be his desire and thou shallt rule over him And so they would insinuate unto the reader that the Lord here speakes of Abel that Abels desire should be unto Cain and Cain should rule over Abel But the Lord speakes not one word of Abel but of sin For that goes immediately before in the sentence and to it undoubtedly the word hath reference So Martein Luther understood the text So Munster and Castellio and two or three English translations Object Here I know some will object that this construction of the Relative in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and afterward in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contrary to the Syntax for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin is of the Feminine gender whereas the Relatives are Masculine To this purpose sounds the Gloss of the French Bible I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here of the Masculine gender not of the Feminine For whereas words whose gender is doubtfull are discovered of what gender they are by the Verb Adjective Pronoune or participle joyned with them since therefore the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the undoubted Antecedent unto these Relatives it 's evident that here it 's Masculine however elsewhere it may be Feminine Beside S. Hierom one of the most learned of all the Fathers in all the three Originall Tongues he in his commentary upon the place affirms that the word is Masculine Quest Heb. in Gen. And S. Austin lib. 15. de Civit. dei Cap. 7. Shews plainly to what Antcedent the Relative referrs us Tu dominaberis illius Num quid fratris Absit cujus igitur nisi peccati Thou shalt rule Over what Over thy Brother O no over what then but over Sin Yea Aben Ezra in his Commentary on the place judges it absurd to refer the Masculine Relative to any other Antecedent then unto sin But suppose that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were here and elsewhere onely a Feminine I appeal unto the learned in the Hebrew tongue whether this kinde of Anomaly of joyning Masculines and Feminines in Grammatical Construction be not usuall in holy Scripture But the best proof wherewith to convince the Translatours or who ever else shall herein defend them is their own practice and
thou indeed reign over us Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us which yet was afterward fulfilled when they bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth This Canaan was the yonger son of Ham to whom with his father Ham and his Brethren Cush Mizraim and Put Noah gave Africa as to Japhet Europe and Asia to Shem. But Canaan invaded Phoenicia part of Shems portion whence Phoenicia is called after the name of Canaan the Land of Canaan And Shaul the son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the LXX Exod. 6.15 with Gen. 46.10 Mat. 15.22 with Mark 7.26 of a Phoenician is said to be the son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Canaanitish woman And that woman whom S. Matthew calls a Canaanitish woman the same in S. Mark is called a Syrophenician And among the antient names of Phaenice Stephanus in his Book Devrbibus tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a contract of Canaan is one and the inhabitants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 25 What kinde of servant Canaan was appears where he is called a Servant of servants even the basest of servants And the Reason is from the breach of Gods law imprinted in the minde that honour is due unto our parents as therefore there is a reward promised unto those who honour their parents it being the first Commandement with promise it followes that the transgression of that great Comandement must draw after it a curse as a due recompence of reward 2. This punishment seemes equall according to the law of man which condemnes those to vassalage and slavery who are ungratefull to their Patrons and Founders Libertus ingratus patrono redit in pristinam servitutem 1. Doubt But why did Ham offend and Canaan suffer punishment It 's said that Ham saw his Fathers nakedness It 's answered by some that Canaan first saw the nakedness of his Grand-Father Noah and told his Father of it Others satisfie the doubt by saying that Canaan is here put for his father Ham and so Vatablus with other learned men understood here Ham not Canaan and so the Arabick Version How ever Ham was not Exempted from the curse though not named but understood to be accursed in the curse of his son as Jacob is said to blesse Jeseph when he blessed his sonns And the reason seemes to be Gen. 48.6 Hebr. 11.21 Deut. 28.4.28 because the father and the son is taken as one person so that as the blessing of the obedient Father extends unto the children so the curse likewise to the diisobedent Hence it is that we shall finde Ham as well as Canaan partaker of this curse And therefore Egypt is called the house of servants For whereas Egypt is by the Psalmist called the land of Ham Psal 105.25.27 and Plutarch among the names of Egypt reckons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hams land whom the inhabitants worshipped afterward under the name of Jupiter Hammon Hams posterity in Egypt as well as Canaans in the land of Canaan were under the curse of bondage For beside the brand of blackness upon their skin as Servants were wont to be branded by their Masters whence Egypt hath its name so Aeguptium is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is black in the old Glossary the Egyptians according to the curse have been of old noted as servants and Vassalls unto other Nations Hence it is that in Aristophanes the Egyptian is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tile or Brick bearer Where the Scholiast saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Egyptians are noted in Comedies as Brick or Tile-bearers And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's the property of the Egyptians to bear burdens Aristophanes scoffing at the Verses of Euripodes a far honester man than himself saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Tragical Verses being made of Spondees and so running some what heavily An hundred Egyptians saith be are not able to carry his Verses But not onely miserum fortuna Sinonem Finxit vanum etiam mendacemque The Egyptians were not miserable onely by their service unto men but by that also which alone renders men truly miserable and base their Vassalage and bondage unto sin The Egyptians of old were infamous as notorious Thieves according to the proverbial speech Quot servi tot fures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scholiast on Aristophanes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deal knavishly and thievishly Suid. 2. Doubt Is it simply a blessing to be aloft and to rule as Shem did or is it a curse to be below and a Servant as Canaan was The Scripture seems plainly to speak as much Deut. 2◠1.13 But let us inquire what is the true libertie the true freedom of all the children of Shem. Not a power to will or not to will this or that not a power to do or not to do this or that as to sin or not to sin which they call Libertas contradictionis liberty of contradiction No nor is it a power to will or do this or the contrary which they call Libertas contrarietatis liberty of contrariety as a power to love or hate to do good or evill to save life or to kill If either of these were the true freedom then were he truly free who hath a power to will or do what is good or not to will or do it He that hath a power to will or do what is good or to will or do the contrary what is evill As when Laban said Gen 31.29 Iohn 19.10 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt And what Pilat said Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee If either of these were free then were they with whom they had to do not truly free or not so truly free as they then was Laban a more free-man then Jacob. Yea Pilat should be a more true free-man then Christ himself For Laban could have done Jacob hurt or not c. And Pilat could have crucified Christ or released him Yea if this were to be free then could not God himself be said to be free who yet is Liberrimum Agens the most free Agent For God being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot but will Good nor can he will or do that which is truly evill Mark 3.4 He cannot sin He cannot lie If this were true freedom then should not Christ be free Nor should the confirm'd Angels or souls made perfect be so free as those in via These can do good or evill save alive or kill Christ could not do both nor the confirmed Angels nor the souls made perfect Our Lord asks the question Is it lawfull to do good on the Sabbath Day or to do evill to save life or to kill He imphes he could do but one of them So that the true liberty imports a releasing from a mans own self-bondage the bondage of his own carnal
them Thou canst dwell next neighbour to one with whom perhaps thou never exchangest one word scarce in a year I have heard it is very usual in this City Hath not Noah foretold it that Canaan should be a servant unto the Shemites according to the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an houshold servant Most true it is they dwell in me and nothing else In me dwells no good thing This proves not his right but his usurpation It is no new thing for servants to usurpe authority over their Masters The sons of Zerviah were too strong for David You tell me I am Lord of Canaan Canaan is rather Lord over me 'T is true the time is when the childe differs little from a servant although he be Lord of all Gal. 4. The good that I would do I do not and the evil which I hate that I do The Canaanites will dwell in the Land but the servant abides not in the house alwayes John 8.34 Yet trouble not thy self overmuch what thou yet doest it is not thou but sin that dwels in thee I say while thou art yet a childe this comes to passe and God is merciful 1 John 2.12 Thy sins are forgiven thee for Shems sake that is for his Names sake But thou must not be alwayes a childe They are too strong for us True while only Moses is our Captain Deut. 7.1 But when Joshuah the Lord Jesus leads us in him we overcome them Then the Gibeonites are made hewers of wood and drawers of water When Soâ—omon the true Shemite and type of Christ the true Shem and the true Solomon the Prince of peace overcomes the world John 16.33 and bids thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Considere Be of good courage The God of peace treads Satan under the Saints feet Rom. 16.20 The Canaanites 1. are first made tributaries when the Spirit lusts against the Flesh Gal. 5.17 They are 2. made servants and bondmen when the Flesh becomes obedient unto the Spirit 3. They are lastly driven out and destroyed when they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts as crucifixion was wont to be the death of servants But alas The Canaanites have Chariots of Iron Jos 17. They have so What are the Chariots spiritually Eliah and Elisha were called The Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof The true Prophets of the Lord are such they are Chariots of fire whose motion is upward Heavenward Godward carrying our thoughts and affections to heavenly things and things above These are the Chariots of Amminadab Cant. 6.12 the people of good will The Chariots of the Canaanites they are earthly of Iron heavie tending downward toward earthly things and carrying mens thoughts and affections downward toward things below He that is of the earth speaks of the earth And therefore the sons of Joseph Jes 17.17 Manasseh and Ephraim they have a promise from the true Josuah to overcome the Canaanites Phil. 3.13 14. Manasseh that is forgetfulnesse forgets that which is behinde and Ephraim fruitfulnesse and increase endeavours after what is before and presses hard after the mark c. The true Joshua he saith it Thou shalt cast out the Canaanites though they have Chariots of Iron and though they be strong This promise is to be performed in these last dayes Zach. 14.21 In that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts O but I have been a Canaanite by sinful life and evill manners Even such have the best of us been as the Lord tells those who were of Shems race and progeny Ezech. 16.3 thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittit So was that woman Math. 15.21 and her daughter Acknowledge thine own vileness as she did a Dog And then shalt thou hear that even the Doggs eat of the crums c. In a cursed condition But the Lord by a divine art proper to himself can bring light out of darkness good out of evill blessing out of cursing He turned the curse into a blessing Nehem. 13.2 The Temple was built on the Threshing-floor of Arauna the Jebusite 2. Chro. 3.1 where the Jebusites dwelt there the Temple must be built Christ who is the true Temple Revel 21.22 must be there builded and reared up where he was trodden down before Arauna the Jebusite as a King gave to David that area that ground whereon the Altar and afterward the Temple was built 2 Sam. 24.18.23 and David commanded to gather the strangers of Jsrael c. 1 Chro. 22.2.3 whose number is reckoned 2. Chron. 2.17 who were these A poor contemptible people of the Canaanites implyed in the building of Gods Temple and these must be the men and no other In every Nation he that feares God c. Even the Tria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have yet had notable men among them S. Paul was a Cilician by birth and one of the Gregories was a Cappadocian as Julian brands him Our Lord Magnifies the faith of the Canaanitish woman Matth. 15. Vriah the Hittite is famous for his faithfulness to David Though these were all servants yet Esay 10.27 The yoke is taken away because of the Anointing even the unction of the Spirit Luk. 4.18 For where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie The true Shem gives this liberty He takes from off us the yoke of servitude under Sin and Satan Matth. 11.28 29. under which we laboured and were heavy laden and we taking his yoke of patience upon us and learning of him lowlyness and meekness we finde rest for our souls Exhort 1. To the true Shemites to exercise their power and authority over their servants They have rebelled and usurped power The Lord hath promised unto Abraham and his seed the Land of Canaan Canaan is now Malae fidei possessor he detaines from us the holy Land the Land of holiness Jos 5.15 It is a good Land All the spies say so Num. 13.14 Even the Prophets who have search'd diligently 1. Pet. 1.10 The Lord hath delivered them to utter destruction Deut. 7.1 and 20.16 17. If we drive them not out they will be pricks in our eyes c. Num. 33.55 Despair not they are all conquerable 1. The Zidonian by Gods Fishermen the Preachers of his Word 2. The Hittite is cast out by love perfect love casts out fear 3. Christ gives power to tread down the Jebusite all the power of the enemy 4. The Amorite bitter words bitter envy is subdued by meekness of wisdom Jam. 3.13 14.5 Minding things above subdues the Gergashites earthly mindedness Col. 3.1.6 The Hivite by Christ who is our life Col. 3.7 The Arkite persecution by him who is born after the Spirit He cast out the bond-woman and her son 8. The Sinite or legal righteousness by the righteousness of Christ 9. The Arvadite the ruling sin by the reign of Christs righteousness 10. The Zemarite
not deceive our selves No evill shall dwell with him Psal 5.4 5. what communion hath light with darkness c. 1. Joh. 2.6 and 4.12 16. There remains only the sixth and last Axiom Canaan shall be his servant or a servant unto them The doom of Canaan was first denounced generally A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren ver 25. Then follows a special application of his servitude under Shem and the Jewes of which I have spoken more largely It remains that I shew how Ham and Canaan was a servant unto Japhet and the Gentiles Which because it is not true in regard of the persons of Ham and Canaan we must seek it in their posterity And so we shall finde that what remnants there were of Ham and Canaan in Tyre and Zidon in Thebes and Carthage in Egypt and Ethiopia they all submitted themselves and became servants to the Greek Monarchy raised by Alexander the Great or his Successors as also to the Roman Monarchy Both which sprung of Japhet And so it is true according to the History That Ham and Canaan or the Canaanites became servants unto Japhet or the sons of Japhet I have considered hitherto Shem and Japhet Ham and Canaan severally and apart both in their history and in their mystery Come we now to the Consideration of them joyntly The most antient historians and from them the Poets among the Heathen tell us that Saturn was the first father of all after the flood And therefore Orpheus calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father of all the author of mankinde They adde that he devoured all his children except onely three Jupiter Neptune and Pluto which three remaining divided the world among them Most certain it is that truth is more antient than a lie or fable For a lie is the corruption of truth and truth is the substance and foundation of a profitable fable And therefore it supposeth truth before it The Mythologie therefore and truth of his fable is this Whereas Saturn is said to have devour'd all his children it is to be understood that Noah whom they meant by Saturn condemned the world Hebr. 11.7 to perish by the flood And this is no uncouth manner of speech in Scripture wherein the Prophets are said to do that Gen. 49.7 which they fortell shall be done Jacob divided Simeon and Levi in Jacob Jer. 1.10 and scattered them in Israel Jeremy must pluck up and plant Ezech. 43.3 destroy and build And Ezechiel went to destroy the City And thus Noah condemned and consumed all men whom he foretold that they should perish by the flood being a Prophet and the eighth preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 As for his three sons remaining the first Jupiter Hammon who was that but Ham He was famous in Africa which was Hams portion I will punish saith the Lord the multitude of No. That is Hammon of No Jer. 46.25 No where Hammon their God was worshiped Whence it 's called No-Hammon Ezek. 30.15 Nah. 3.8 which the LXX turn Diospolis the City of Jupiter Hammon By Neptune their God of the Sea they understood Japhet as I have shewen to whom all the Isles of the Gentiles were allotted by Noah And then what remained for Shem Shem they understood by Pluto For Shem being a most holy man and a sincere worshipper of the true God he was most hated by the Idolaters of his time as I shewed before whom they made a God indeed but thrust him down to Hell Out of all which we learn what a perverse judgement the wicked world hath of good and evil Ham the worst of all the three brethren they made the highest God Shem the best of all men a figure of the true God they made a Devil yea the Prince of Devils Japhet because a better man then Ham therefore they made him inferiour unto Ham. And because he was not so good a man as Shem therefore he is made superiour unto Shem. And this is the judgement of the wicked world They put good for evil and evil for good darkness for light and light for darkness Esay 5.20 bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Why then should it discontent any one of the true Shems children to be dis-esteemed by the wicked world Did they not say that the true Shem the Lord Jesus who had God with him that he had a Devill Yea they thought they said well Mat. 11.18 Iohn 8.48 Matth. 10.25 when they said so Nay did they not call him Beelzebub the prince of the Devills And what great matter is it If they so call those of his household Nay did they not say of Simon Magus who had a Devill Acts 8.10 that he was the great power of God The like is the judgement of the evill world even at this day So that it may seem a safe rule and very often true to judge of good and evill men quite contrary of the worlds judgement of them Malum esse oportet quem laudat Nero. Bonum esse oportet quem odit Nero. He must needs be an evill man whom Nero commends and good whom Nero hates What a great folly then is it to esteem or disesteem our selves according to such perverse judgements of wicked men Examenve improbum in illa Castiges trutina nec te quaesiveris Extrà But what application can we who profess our selves Christians make of these three joyntly The soul of man or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the souly man or natural man is Japhet This natural man is in the midst between two he hath somewhat above him as the heavenly man or man from heaven with all his graces and vertues this is Gods Candle Prov. 20.27 Iob 29.3 which shined upon Jobs head This is the true Shem the divine light He hath something beneath him which is the brute nature figured by Ham a zeal and fervent heat in its due posture and subordination to serve the divine and humane nature whence proceeds a serviceable inclination a bowing down and humbling it self to purvey and inquire after what is necessary or convenient for the well-being of the divine and humane nature and this is Canaan which signifies a Merchant Luke 16.11 12. This suits well with what our Lord teacheth If ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true treasure And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own Here the natural man or Japhet is put between Shem and Ham. Ham and Canaan are purveyours for Mammon called the Mammon of unrighteousness because often gotten and often used unrighteously and so said to be another mans The true treasure that 's Shem the treasure hidden in the field of the mans heart which by grace is said to be our own according to that of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things
which are freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.8 Hence it is that Plotinus who is said to have in him much of a Christian tells us that in a man there are three things 1 Cor. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The minde of God and Christ which is the Lords Candle 2. the soul of man and 3. the brutish nature The two former make up that which is truly a man so called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so the Wiseman saith That the fear of God and the keeping his Commandements are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole man Eccles 11.13 What ever is more then these is either the beast or the Devil whereby Ham and Canaan called by the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a domestick servant become rebellious and unserviceable unto God and man and therefore must be put out of dores for the servant abides not in the house for ever Iohn 8.35 Zech. 14.21 For the time then is come when the Canaanite shall be no more in the house of the Lord of hosts Out of that Land went forth Ashur Genesis Chap. 10. Ver. 11.12 and builded Nineveh and the City Rehoboth I prefer the marginal reading which is this He went out into Assyria It is true that it gives good satisfaction to the Reader to know the antient monuments and records of old time touching the Authors and Founders of Cities but to the Godly learned it 's more profitable and delightfull to know what both of old and also at this day is doing in the world yea to understand that what so long since and so far off is reported to be done is now present and brought home into a mans own bosom And such is this old story of Nimrod He is said to be the son of Cush vers 8. Whence the Poets have made their God Bacchus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bar-cush the son of Cush who by an Euphony is called Bacchus This Nimrod went out into Assyria Nimrod that is the Rebel the mighty and cunning hunter and persecutor of men For there is craft and subtilty required to hunting Gen. 25.27 and therefore Esau is said to be a cunning hunter And whereas Nimrod is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prevalent and powerfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Fortitudo animi corporis a prevalency in mind and body Nimrod now become a cunning bold and daring hunter even before God he proceeds to seek an happiness in his wickedness that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Happy according to the Etymon which Leah gives of her son Asher Gen. 30.13 And this his process is to him an happiness as actions have their denomination from the end they tend unto So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to proceed signifies to be happy and blessed which is beatitudo viae 3 John 2. the bliss of the way of wicked men And in this tyranny Nimrod placeth his happinesse his ultimate end which is beatitudo patriae the bliss of the countrey which ungodly men travel unto accordingly our Lord saith of such they have their reward they have their consolation According to this the Apostle writes to the Corinthians Now ye are full now ye are rich 1 Cor. 4 8. ye have reigned as Kings without us And the Church of Laodicea saith of her self I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing which yet knew not that she was wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked So the daughter of Babel said I shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lady or Queen for ever She was given to pleasures and dwelt securely saying in her heart I am and there is none beside me c. Thus Babylon glorifies her self and saith in her heart I sit as a Queen Thus Nimrod the Rebel come out of Babel having found his bliss and happiness his Ashur he builds the City Nineveh which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a world of iniquity and Rehoboth the broad streets of that City And truly it very nearly concerns every one of us to beware and take great heed of the direful increase of sin For as it is true and well known Bonum est sui diffusivum That which is good is diffusive of it self so is it as true that malum est diffusivum sui evil is also of a spreading nature It begins in the fansie and vain thoughts of the earthly man which knowing no better thing then earthly objects things neer a-kin unto it and delightful unto sense it easily draws the concupiscence unto them Which howsoever according to original rectitude it propends to good and that Bonum honestum and is subject to the rational appetite and so to right reason as the Philosopher could say and right reason to the Law of God yet having declined from that first integrity unto the sensible present and delightful good which most-what is dis-joyn'd from the true and honest good it becomes more and more prone unto evil as he that 's falling down a steep precipice easily falls lower and lower Dum in profundum venerit peccatorum Prov. 18.3 V. Lat. until he be immersed and overwhelmed with sin and drawes with it the superiour the rational appetite yea the reason it self the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rudder of the soul as he that 's sinking will lay hold though on his best friends and pluck them with him into the same pit of destruction And the reason it self being brought off to Nimrod that rebellious party like Ahitophel fallen off to Absalom the faction growes so strong that the heart gathers iniquity to it self Psalm 41.6 and takes delight and pleasure in it So that when the man does evil then he rejoyceth Jeremy 11.15 Then Nimrod is come to Ashur then the rebellious heart is come to its happiness This great mischief proceeds from a very small beginning The contagion of this leprosie begins with a spot and spreads it self over the whole man It kindles from a spark and then iniquity burns all before it like a fire Levit. 13. Esay 9.18 Jam. 3.5 Behold how much wood a little fire kindleth It enters into the vain thoughts and fansie and is conceived often-times by a word concepta cogitatio carnem commovet ad concupiscendum evill words corrupt good manners Prophane and vain bablings increase to more ungodliness 2. Tim. 2.17 Sin hath no measure And as unsatiable is the tyranny of iniquity For Nimrod the Rebel having gotten an hold in the soul leaves it to iniquity in succession As the Father left his Slave as a chattel to his son and so the wrongfull right descends from iniquity to iniquity Or as a Tyrant having usurped a power in the Common-Wealth betrayes it to his issue Rom. 6.19 All this comes to pass by our voluntary yielding of our members servants to uncleanness and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to iniquity unto iniquity Let us now therefore yield our members
Such a marvellous separation the Lord made when he divided Noah and his family from the world of the ungodly Lot and his houshold from the Sodomites and the obedient who at Gods command yielded themselves captives to the King of Babylon from those who disobeyed and remained in Jerusalem Which the Prophet compares to good and evil Figs. And of the good he saith I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord c. And of the evil I will deliver them to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the earth for their hurt Jer. 24. per tot by these exact separations of the good from the evil whereby God preserves the good and signally punisheth the evil he makes himself known the Lord separated between his Church and the rebellious Jewes when Jerusalem was to be destroyed warning his people to remove to Pella Euseb lib. 3. cap. 5. which was a marvellous separation intimated in Pella somewhat like to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used The Psalmist takes notice of this providence Psal 9.15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made in the Net which they hid is their own foot taken Whence he infers v. 16. The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked are snared by the works of their own hands Which David accounts worthy of deep meditation and therefore addes Higgaion A Meditation or object worth our thinking and speaking of it as that word signifies Which because it cannot be done without depressing our earthly and carnal thoughts and raising up our spiritual and heavenly the Psalmist addes thereunto Selah which therefore is far from being a meer Musical Note or dictio sine sensu a word without a meaning as yet some have thought I say not how unworthily of any part of Gods Word The like effect of this providence he notes Psal 58.10 11. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance c. So that the earthly man Adam hereby convinced shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth This is Gods constant providence in the world though in some examples more eminent than others whereby he leaves not himself without witness unto any person or nation So that when Pharaoh frustrated the end of Gods goodness towards himself as all Atheists and Epicureans do he and they sin against much light For God the Creator who made us this soul he knows his own work and how men are apt to reason from their observation of humane counsels actions and their events so that when they see as they may see if they will be patient and duly consider a marvellous separation of the good from the evil a requital of the good with good and the evil with evil they may hence collect that there is a Wisdom Justice Power and Goodness acting and ruling in the world ordering and disposing humane actions unto their respective ends even the Lord the Ruler in the midst of the Earth This marvellous separation of the good from the evil the good God therefore makes that men may acknowledge and own his eternal power and God-head Rom. 1.20 Heb. 11.6 believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him Otherwise if they hold this truth in unrighteousness and become vain in their imaginations so that their foolish heart is darkned they render themselves as Pharaoh did without excuse O let the true Israel of God timely and seriously consider this They are in Goshen a people near unto God Psal 148.14 that 's Goshen appropinquatio approximatio the Lord hath marvellously separated between you and the Egyptians Yea saith Moses if the Lord be with us we shall be wonderfully separated from all the people that are upon the face of the earth Exod. 33.16 An honourable a glorious separation as the LXX here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will glorifie even to wonderment the land of Goshen All the Land of Egypt is pestered with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 8.24 a mixture of sundry sorts whether of Flies and so its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a troublesome evil or of wilde beasts Lions Bears Wolves c. and so its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a destructive evil though the former be more probable according to Hierom and the LXX The good God hath made promise marvellously to separate us from all these the evil beasts the roaring Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 and all his lusts unreasonable and bruitish affections from the swarms of Flies Beelzebub dominus muscae the Lord of the Flie as he is interpreted the god of Ekron 2 Kings 1 2. whence the Poets had their Acheron he stirs up swarms of worldly thoughts and cares From these troublesome and destructive mixtures he hath graciously promised marvellously to separate his Israel Yet hath he not exempted his Israel from separating themselves from these swarms and mixtures yea he requires of us sobriety and vigilancy and stedfastness in the faith that we may resist them 1 Pet. 5.8 9. For he that is born of God keepeth himself and the evil one toucheth him not 1 John 5.18 He keepeth himself in Goshen even drawing near to God and the evil one cannot draw near to him as it is in the Syriack It s said by some that all the sins committed in the Wilderness were suggested by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great mixture it is not said of whom or what that went up with them out of Egypt Exod. 12.38 And 't is very true for hence indeed proceeds the sin of Israel when we mix our selves with beastly lusts when we entertain into our hearts swarms of earthly thoughts and worldly cares O thou Israel of God! if God so marvellously separate us from these let us also marvellously separate our selves from them Let us draw near unto God and he will draw near unto us James 4.8 Hear what he saith unto us Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty And I will put a division between my people and thy people Exod. 8. Ver. 23. It is confessed in the margent by the Translators that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word which they render division signifies in the Hebrew Redemption And why then was Redemption cast into the Margent and Division put into the Text Surely beside that the genuine proper signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption Psal 111.9 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome and price of redemption Exod. 21.30 is here neglected the minde of the holy Spirit also is hereby obscured which under the outward Redemption aims at and figures an inward Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ the spiritual Redeemer Whereof the Prophet David speaks
purpose The Lamb is raw There hath been more paper blotted about this controversie and opposition of science and humane learning against humane learning and science then about any other that I know in the Christian Church Reproof 1. Those who kindle their own fire and boyl the Word in the water of their own doctrine contrary to the express precept here not sodden at all in water All the New Lights which have shined now many years they have not brought forth or shined to the life which is the end of all The young Prophet went forth to gather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gathered wilde Gowrds 2 Kings 4.39 which are called fel terrae the Gall of the earth for their bitterness these he gathered and shred into the pot and when they came to be eaten they cried out O man of God death is in the pot c. They could never have eaten it had not Elisha cast in his Meal Many sons of the Prophets have gone forth into the field to gather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lights new lights of humane learning lights of imagination which shine like rotten wood in the night of ignorance what else can be gathered in the field of the world but fel terrae the gall of the earth Matth. 13.38 which they gather out of their own earthly minde Phil. 3.19 And these they shred into the pot and powre out to feed the people withal But the hungry souls after the word of righteousness cannot feed on this food for it s no food of life they cry out that death is in the pot And it would prove death did not Elisha cast in the Meal even the meal of that wheat which fals into the ground and dies John 12. and brings forth much fruit of life It is that Meal which takes away the bitterness from all mens learning and what followed upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was no harm in the pot the words are there was no evil word in the pot and so Arias Montanus turns that Text Non fuit verbum malum in olla there was no evil word in the pot Reproof 2. The people who contentedly feed upon the Word boyled in the water of mans doctrine heated by the fire of their own spirit which works not out the creudities nor scum of the sinful life It is a dreadful threatning ye read Ezech. 24.6 14. Wo to the bloody City to the pot whose scum is therein c. 4. Come we to the positive preparation of this spiritual food It must be rosted with fire Fire is natural and indifferent or spiritual and that good or evil The rosting by a natural fire is the drawing of crudity and rareness out of the meat Mysticè But the spiritual fire is here to be understood and that which is good and that either good in it self or good for us 1. Good in it self so God himself is a fire Hebr. 12.29 And he is essentially good and his Spirit is a fire S. Luke 4.16 2. Temptations also inward and outward Afflictions are a fire called a fiery trial that is to try us 1 Pet. 4.12 and these are good for us It is good for me that I was afflicted Psal 119.71 3. The Word also is prepared by the patience and practice of it and the examples of the Lord himself the Prophets and Apostles Being so prepared it becomes more savory and more easie of digestion Of this the Psalmist speaks Psal 119.140 thy word is fiery 4. Zeal also is a fire and although in it self it be indifferent yet in regard of the object in a good matter it is good to be zealous How shall the Paschal Lamb be rosted When they rost meat the superfluous moysture and crudity is dried and drawn out of it But is there any supersluity in the true Pascal Lamb surely no What necessity then is there that it be rosted The Word has been sodden by Commentators and Expositors and every one hath left his false gloss upon it according to every mans humour according to which there are many Christs Matth. 24.24 and all these must be consumed by the fire of Gods Spirit 2. The Word is most savoury when we partake of it in our afflictions then it has the best relish At other times it is like meat to men that have no appetite But when we are under the fire of afflictions pressures and calamities O how sweet the Word is then unto us as to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet Prou. 27.7 as a morsel cut off the Spit The Apostle remembers the Thessalonians of their appetite 1 Thess 1.5 6 7. Our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost there 's one fire And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction there 's another Doubt Why does the Lord propound these mysteries under outward things as of a Lamb c. Love is defined affectus unionis an affection of union oneness and sameness with the party loved Now because one man who loves another cannot really be one and the same with him Disparata non possunt fieri unum disparates cannot be the same he imparts something to him wherewith he may be in a sort one and the same with him such is that which enters into us as our meat and drink and such as is nearest to us as our garments and what else is needful for the preservation of our being Thus Jonathan loved David 1 Sam. 18.1 3 4. Their soules were in a sort one but how did Jonathan expresse that He stript himself of the robe that was upon him and gave it to David and his garments c. Does the Scripture think we intend only to express humane passion Jonathan figures the holy Spirit so his name signifies The gift of the Lord and he clothes David as when Judges 6.34 the Spirit of the Lord is said to come upon Gideon the Hebrew Text saith the Spirit clothed Gideon Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess 2.8 Being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you our own souls because ye were dear unto us There is no love without communication of something from the party loving to the party loved Thus John 3.16 God so loved that he gave his only begotten Son Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave himself for me Ephes 5.2 Christ loved us and gave himself for us So he loved the Church and gave himself for it ver 25. And thus the Lord Jesus Christ to testifie his intimate love unto us he communicates himself unto us by the Sacrament of his body and blood which is called therefore Sacramentum unionis whereby he affectionately imparts himself unto us John 6.55 56 57. My flesh is meat indeed c. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me c. Terms of art are as weights wherewith we weigh silver and
our souls Jer. 6.16 Let us hasten to that unity that one Commandement that day of love Let us hasten the coming of that day that one day Zach. 14.7 8 9. It s a strange exhortation but it s the Apostles 2 Pet. 3.12 We rather say Phosphore redde diem we wish for the day Acts. 27. That the day would hasten to come to us not that we should hasten to the coming of the day But such is the goodness of the Sun of Righteousness that he shines alone in his Saints as Apollo and Sol the Sun have their names from shining alone saith Macrobius when his day-light appears He then contracts all that multiplicity of starlight into himself For as the multitude of Stars were made in the firmament of heaven and every one of these contributed its share of light unto the World before the Sun was made Even so the multitude of Lawes and every respective Commandement gives light unto the man until the day begins to dawn and as the day-light appears one Star after another disappears and still they become fewer and fewer until the Day-star that is the Sun according to the Syriac ariseth in our hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 If the Priest Levit. 4. Ver. 3. that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people The words rendred as they are make a good sense according to that of Hos 4.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the people so the Priest But it is not here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more frequently used in Scripture for the expression of similitudes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most-what rather notes a motion toward some end as Judges 8.27 Gideon made it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an Ephod 2 Sam. 2.4 They anointed David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Chal. Par. turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should be King And of like nature is this Scripture If the high Priest so the Chaldy Paraphrast and the LXX here understand him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin to the guilt of the people or to the sin of the people to make them sinful and guilty So the Chald. Par. If the great Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin to the sin of the people and the LXX clearly render the words so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the high Priest being anointed sin to cause the people to sin or that the people sin Which must not be understood not on set purpose for then it could not be a sin of ignorance which in this Chapter is principally intended but a sin of malitious wilfulness which admits of no Sacrifices Hebr. 10.26 but deserves outting off Num. 15.30 So Hierom also turns the words Delinquere faciens populum making the people sin So Vatablus and the Tigurin Bible Piscator also both in his High Dutch and Latin Translation turns the words thus If the Priest so sin that he brings a guilt upon the people So likewise Diodati if the chief Priest so sin that the people is made culpable To the same purpose Luther three Low Dutch Translations There are also two of our old English Translations that of Coverdale and another which so render the words Tremellius speaks home to this purpose If the Priest who is anointed sin ad reatum populi to make the people guilty which he explains by leading them into guilt giving them matter of offending either by doctrine or example And he confirms this Translation with a parallel Scripture 1 Chron. 21.3 where Joab saith thus to David urging him to number the people why shall it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a guilt unto Israel And Castellio having turn'd the words si deliquerit in noxiam populi if the Priest shall sin to the offence of the people he explains it in his Annotations Cujus delicto c. by whose fault the people may be made guilty as the disease of the head or other member reacheth to the whole body and as Achats and Davids sin hurt all the people And this translation may be confirmed by the constant tenor of the Scriptures which blame not the people for the sinnes of the Priests or of the Prophets as the other translation doth but the Priests and Prophets for the sinnes of the people Thus for the sin of Eli's sons the Priests the people abhorred the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.17 as he tels them ver 24. Ye make the Lords people to transgress And the Prophet out of compassion toward the people he tels them O my people they who lead thee cause thee to erre Esay 3.12 and the like Chap. 9.16 And Jer. 23.15 From the Prophets of Jerusalem is prophaneness gone forth into all the Land and 9 10 11. The adultery swearing or cursing and violence of the people is laid to the Prophets and the Priests charge And the Prophets and Priests are said to have shed the blood of the just in the midst of Jerusalem Lam. 4.13 that is by their sins they occasioned them to be slain as Ezech. 13.19 they are said to slay the souls that should not die Yea that whole Chapter is on this argument And very often elsewhere the Lord takes up the same complaint against the Priests and Prophets Whence it appears that their sin is peccatum peccans a brooding sin which makes the people sin and becomes exceeding sinful Let them sadly consider this who I hope out of ignorance as being themselves deceived by their Authors whom they follow teach the people such doctrine as not accidentally and occasionally but directly and per se causeth them to sin such is that catechetical doctrine That no man is able either of himself or by any grace received in this life perfectly to keep the Commandements of God but doth daily break them in thought word and deed Surely the people to whom the Law was given first thought themselves able to keep it as appears Exod. 24.3.7 8. Nor did Moses blame them for promising so to do but he directs them how to keep it Deut. 30.6 7 8. 14. Other Scriptures sound the same thing Psal 119.1 2 3.6.10.32 c. and 130.8 and 138.8 Prov. 2.7 beside manifold more Scriptures It is true that no man is able of himself either to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 or repel an evil But is not this a disparagement unto the Spirit of God that no man should be able by any grace received in this life perfectly to keep the Commandements of God but doth daily break them in thought word and deed I shall instance but in one Scripture If what is there delivered be true what then is meant by the Apostle Rom. 8.3 4. 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 Is God the Father and Son utterly frustrate of their end so
reprieved and his punishment only delayed a while The palliated sore will break-out again Judgement and vengeance will follow the sinner unless the sin be taken away and it will appear at length when it will be too late to remedy it that such as Job calls Physitians of no value Job 13.4 have cured the bruise of Gods people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace Jer 6.14 The ancient Jewes called the Messias or Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of expiation as he who should finish transgression and make an end of sinnes and make reconciliation for or expiation of iniquity and bring in the everlasting righteousness c. Dan. 9.24 Which if it be done in all the world and not done in thee and me what is that greatest of God and Christs works unto us O let us therefore now while we have time endeavour after such an Atonement and Reconciliation which will most certainly follow upon precedent expiation and purging of sin Wicked men out of self-love and fear of punishment pray for pardon of sin and peace of conscience But let us out of hatred of sin and love of righteousness repent turn to God mortifie our sin and pray that the Lord would expiate and take away iniquity This I am sure is most suitable with the end of Christs coming described Dan. 9.24 and by the Evangelist to dissolve the work of the Devil 1 John 3.8 and to take away the sins of the world John 1.29 O that that work were wrought in every one of our souls As the sin-offering is so is the trespass-offering Levit. 7. Ver. 7. there is one law for them the Priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it What the Translators here turn the sin-offering and the trespass-offering is in the Hebrew only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin and trespass and howsoever our and other translations in this place and often elsewhere understand and adde an oblation or offering it s more then they have any warrant to do from the holy Text. Which they together with other Transsators acknowledge when sometimes they leave out the word oblation or offering yet understand the same thing Thus Hos 4.8 the Lord saith that the Priests eat up the sin of his people that is that which here they call the sin-offering as all agree the word is to be understood For which the Lord blames them not for it was their own Levit. 10.14 but for other sins as if the Lord will I shall hereafter shew Thus 2 Cor. 5.24 God made him to be sin for us who knew no sin Where by sin first named we understand that which they call a sacrifice for sin or sin-offering And accordingly Arias Montanus and Castellio both in this place and elsewhere what ours and others turn the sin-offering and trespass-offering they render peccatum or noxa and delictum the sin and trespass There hath been and yet is great difference of judgements concerning these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether they differ one from other or not and if so how That they do not differ one from other there are who stiffely affirm But the place before us proves undeniably a difference between them yet how they differ its hard to discern One of the pious Antients puts the difference herein that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peccatum sin is the commission of evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delictum the trespass or transgression is the forsaking of the good and indeed the Spirit of God makes them two evils Jer. 2.13 Another makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sinne of knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sin of ignorance wherewith a man is surprized Gal. 6.1 Divers other distinctions there are brought by others of the Ancients What if we adde one more That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that sinne whereinto a man fals of himself but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sin wherein he falls by offence and occasion of another There are examples of this distinction Genesis 26.10 Abimelech blames Isaac Thou mightest saith he have brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guiltiness upon us Levit. 4.3 If the Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin to the guilt of the people 1 Chron. 21.3 Joab dehorts David from numbring the people Why saith he should it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for guiltiness unto Israel Prov. 30.10 Accuse not a servant to his master lest he curse thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou be guilty and many the like Yet I will not be too confident of this distinction because I know there may be some examples found where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the like use However its clear from the words before us that there is a difference between them Let us learn from this distinction of sin and trespass as also from the various names of them not to content our selves in our confessions unto God with a general acknowledgement as that we are sinners but as particular oblations were offered for them so to make a more particular enumeration of our sins The Hebrew tongue though it be very scanty and penurious of words in comparison of other languages yet hath it very many words to express sin and wickedness as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beside many words signifying more special sins importing sins to be so many and manifold that they cannot easily be expressed The vain thoughts are dangerous in-mates Jer. 4.14 And there is no word so secret that shall go for nought saith the Wiseman Wisd 1.11 And we shall give an account of idle words in the day of judgement saith the Wisdom Matth. 12. How much more of sinful actions Nor are all known unto us for who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults as David prayes and may teach us to pray But blessed be the Lord that though our sins be numerous yea innumerable yet he hath given us who believe and obey him an High Priest whose blood and spirit cleanseth us from all our sins 1 John 1.7 Yea this King of Saints and High Priest makes his believers and lovers Kings ruling over their own wils affections and lusts and Priests to sanctifie and purifie others That Priest who makes the expiation to him belongs the sin and trespass That 's an hard saying how belongs the sin and trespass unto him Levit. 6.26 The Priest who expiates the sin shall eat it And ver 29. Every male among the Priests shall eat thereof And wherefore hath the Lord given this to the the Priests Moses tells Eleazar and Ithamar the sons of Aaron that the Lord had given it them to eat that they might bear the iniquity of the congregation Levit. 10.17 So we read that the Priests were to bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary Numb 18.1 2. It was the Priests duty to eat up the sins of the people as was shewen before Hos 4.8 as by sympathy bearing their sins as their
Thus Esay 40.10 Behold the Lord will come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with strong hand where hand is supplyed In the marg ye finde against the strong that is he whom our Lord calls the strong man Luke 11.22 Howbeit I know not how truly diverse Learned men make Azazel the president of the Desert But whereas Franciscus Georgius Venetus Cornelius Agrippa and Reuchlin and other Learned men have written with great confidence concerning Angels and Spirits good and evil and among these of Azazel that he is the President of the Desert I shall leave his particular presidency and principality upon their credit although I doubt not but as there are Hierarchies and orders of the good Angels as I have elsewhere shewen so are there presidencies and distinctions of honours such as they are among the evil Angels as not only the sorenamed Authors aver but also our Lord John 12.31 and his Apostle Ephes 2.2 and the Jews Mat. 12.24 Wherefore I shall so far consent with these Authors in the general that by Azazel here we are to understand the Devil Which word they commonly compound of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Goat and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiit as it hath affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiit in contemptum to be vile and contemptible So the LXX render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to despise to account base and viie according to which the Prophet speaks Thou didst debase thy self even to Hell Esay 57.9 Beside a Goat and the Devil have the same name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 7. The Priest shall take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two Goats and so often in this Chapter But in the Chapter following Levit. 17.7 They shall not sacrifice any more their sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Devils Thus 2 Chron 11.15 Jeroboam ordained him Priests for the High places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the Devils Thus also Esay 13.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daemones the Devils which our Translators turn the Satyrs shall dance there so Pagnin and the like we have Chap. 34.14 The Devils were called by this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goats because they appeared in that form saith Kimhi As also because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Goat hath its name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horruit exhorruit so extreamly to fear as when the hair stands on end Whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hordeum Barley and frit in Varro which according to him is the top of an ear of corn which stands up like hair Whence our English word fright extremity of fear into which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devils drive those to whom they appear That Azazel ought so to be left untranslated and not to be rendred a Scape-Goat may appear from this consideration that where ever either of the two Goats is named in this Chapter its never called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath its name but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whereas Azazel is four times named in this Chapter ver 8.10 twice and 26 the translation renders it self suspected in the last place especially where it s read He that let go the Goat for a Scape-Goat when there was no other but that the former being sacrificed Munster was aware of this and therefore howsoever in the three other places he translates the word as ours do yet in the last place he translates it not but leaves it Azazel Which also the Tigurin Translators perceived and therefore turn'd it in ver 26. campum caprarum the field of the Goats Others with Arias Montanus retain Azazel in all the four places as Tremellius Vatablus Diodati the Spanish Bible What therefore they render One lot for the Lord and the other lot for the Scape-Goat I would turn One lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel Otherwise instead of a distribution of the two Goats here by lot the words will contain an equivocation as that the one lot shall be for the Lord as proper to him and his use the other shall be for a Scape-Goat that should be all one as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for were left out because for in this sense signifies no more then the word alone to which it is joyn'd as I will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a father c. 1 Chron. 17.13 is no more then a father Whereas indeed these two Goats are distributed according to their subjects or owners the one to the Lord the other to Azazel But why must one Goat be for the Lord and the other Goat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Azazel or the Devil For the understanding of this we must know that the Lord in this Chapter ordaines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of Expiations as it is called Levit. 23.27 and the reason is given Levit. 16.30 the Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall expiate for you to cleanse you that ye may be cleansed from all your sins before the Lord. This cleansing must be thorow full and accurate as appears both by the plural of the Nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the conjugation of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the people to be purged are defiled with two kindes of sins whereof the one is open and manifest Gal. 5.19 the other hath an appearance and shew of righteousness John 16.8 By both these we may understand the whole body of sin to be destroyed Rom. 6.6 with both these the creature is polluted The Body of sin to be destroyed is figured by that Goat which is to sent to Azazel as by the Goats on the left hand in the judgement Matth. 25. And upon the head of this Goat the Priest must lay both his hands and confess over him all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins putting them upon the head of the Goat and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the Wilderness and the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land of separation and he shall let go the Goat in the Wilderness Now whereas the creature of God hath been polluted with the Body of known sin and false righteousness it is not the will of the Lord that his creature should perish in sin nor is it his will nor is it possible that his creature should be saved in his sin which implyes a contradiction because to be saved is so to be from sin Matth. 1.21 And therefore the sinful man signified by the Goat which is for the Lord ver 9. must die from the sin he must be mortified and the will in him unto sin must be altogether dead in him We may see this prefigured unto us in the creature The seed is cast into the ground suppose a grain of Wheat the earthly part of it falls asunder and some of it returns to the earth the other part being reduced by the Quintessence or natural Balsam becomes a
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their business by the bye following with their utmost endeavour those things which will not profit them in the latter end little regarding those things which will then profit us and indeed nothing else but they Hezekiah had now a message of death sent unto him by the Prophet Esay 2 Kings 20.3 Thus faith the Lord set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live it s said that Hezekiah turn'd his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying I beseech thee O Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Let the Atheists of our time consider this who think it a vain thing to serve God and that there is no profit to keep his Ordinance and to walk mournfully before the Lord of hosts Mal. 3.14 Let the Edomites the earthly minded ones consider this who hunt after the lusts of the old man and slight the blessing and the eternal inheritance as if it were good for nothing The time will come when they shall experimentally finde that nothing but humble walking with God with a perfect heart 〈…〉 11. 〈◊〉 and doing what is good in his sight will profit them and unless they timely enter into that way walk in Godt statutes keep his Commandements and do them they shall seek the blessing and eternal inheritance and the way leading thereunto with tears and not be able to finde it but die in their sins Gen. 25.33 34. and 27.38 Hebr. 12.16 17. This also reproves our hankering and halting between two opinions whether we should walk with God or walk with Baal or rather with Baalim or many lording lusts which have dominion over us If the Lord be God serve him if Baal be god serve him We cannot serve the Lord and Baal God and Mammon But there is yet another meaning of these words that the Lord supposeth its possible that his people might attribute the good or evil which befel them to Chance and Fortune not to God himself And so they should make Fortune their god The Mythologists whose proper business it is to search out the original and truth of old Poetical Fables they report that among all humane Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fortane was never held to be a god or goddess till Homer made it one Nor doth Hesiod mention any such deity in all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is true Chance and Fortune were taken notice of long before as I have shewed And the Philistines owned it but not as a god 1 Sam. 6.9 But when Homer had found out such a new god the after Poets easily added to his invention and so enlarged the power of Fortune that they gave her at length the soveraignty over all humane affairs And if this fiction had rested among them who have authority to dare any thing it had not been so strange But can we think that the Orators and of them the most sober men should entertain the same opinion of it What saith Demosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For great is the moment yea rather Fortune is all in all as to all the affairs of men Yea Tully saith as much Magnam vim esse in fortuna in utramque partem c. that Fortune hath great power on both sides either in prosperity or adversity who knowes not for if we have her prosperous gale we are carried to our wished ends and when she is â—â—â—trary we are afflicted and much more to this purpole lib. 2. de officiis wherein indeed he makes Fortune such a goddess as ruleth and disposeth of all things in the world as I shall shew by and by But all these own'd a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a plurality of gods and if so why might not Fortune have a place among them since what the Apostle faith of idols is most crue of Fortune that it is nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8. But who can imagine that the people of the only true God should take Fortune for a god yet the onely true God supposeth this possible Esay 65. ver 11. Yea this was so possible that it proved fecible and was actually done by Gods own people as he complains Esay 65.11 Ye are they who have forsaken the Lord and have forgotten my holy mountain who prepare a Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that troop or for Gad as our Translators turn it in the margent Pagnin understood the host of heaven Arias Montanus turns it Jove So Munster explains Gad by Jovi and tells us that the Jewes thereby understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Jupiters star Luther retains Gad but understands by it in his Notes Mars or Mercury But it s most probable that by Gad in that place Fortune is to be understood for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Good fortune or success And therefore Leah called her son born of Zilpah her hand-maid Gad and gives her reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good fortune success or prosperity cometh Gen. 30.11 Hence it was easie for the Heathen Poets especially Homer to counterseit their god Fortune as they were wont to do others out of the ancient Monuments of persons recorded in the Scriptures as I have formerly showen by divers examples Hence it is that the Vulgar Latin turns Gad Fortune Ponitis Fortunae mensam ye prepare a Table or Altar for Fortune So Vatablus and Castellio in the margent as also the French Bible But the Spanish Bible and that of Coverdale hath Fortune in the Text. But I may speak more to this on Esay 65.11 if the Lord will Meantime concerning Fortune we may affirm thus much 1. That although the Heavens and Stars have their instuencies motions and operations although all inferiour second causes whether necessary or contingent have their energie and causality and may possibly be so shuffled and hudled together that their effect is unknown to us whence it immediately proceeds and so may be said to come to pass by Chance or Fortune yet is the most high God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first cause and cause of all causes and he so disposeth and ordereth all second causes whether acting naturally and necessarily or freely and contingently that its impossible that any thing should be fortuitous casual or accidental in regard of him And therefore when such actions which to men are fortuitous and accidental come to pass the less of man there is in them the more there is of God As where it s said that a certain man drew a Bow at adventure or in his simplicity and hit Ahab there is no doubt but God who would have Ahab fall at Ramoth Gilead he directed the arrow 1 Kings 22.34 And when our Saviour tells the Story or Parable of the man descending from Jerusalem to Jericho Luke 10. By chance saith he there came down a certain Priest that way ver 31. the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by
worst The best Cauda jubetur adoleri Deo saith S. Gregory ut omne bonum quod incipimus etiam perseverantiae fine impleamus that what ever good we begin we may also fulfil with the end of perseverance The rump or tail of the Ram hath a special name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to curse which is due to the Prophet who perseveres in speaking lies Esay 9.15 The inward part that is the heart as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as also the minde and so what Hebr. 8.10 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the minde that Jer. 31.33 is the inward part which may be good or evil for the good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil Luke 6.45 And the like may be said of all the rest Who puts all these in the Priests hand who else but the great God as was shewen before He puts in the mans power to do good or to do evil Take notice from hence what the Wiseman saith Ecclus 15.14 God himself made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his counsel the good and evil is put into thy power if thou wilt to keep the Commandements of God and to perform acceptable faithfulness He hath set fire and water before thee Stretch forth thine hand to whether thou wilt Before man is life and death and whether him liketh shall be given him This however Apocryphal hath prime Canonical Scripture to confirm it with a witness I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live that thou mayest love the Lord thy God and mayest obey his voice c. Deut. 30.15.19 20. And I beseech you take notice how the Angel in Esdras interprets that place having spoken of this argument with the Angel 2 Esdr 7.1 58. then ver 59. the Angel saith This is the life whereof Moses spake unto the people while he lived saying choose thee life that thou mayest live God puts the good in special into our hand Thus to fill the hand is to give possession of the heavenly goods whereof God hath made Christ the high Priest Hebr. 9.11 and put all things into his hand and he makes his believers such when he gives them an earnest of the holy Land As when possession is given a clod of the land is given into his hand who takes possession of it Acts 20.32 Ephes 1.14 Note from hence who is the great high Priest of our profession who else but the Son of God John 3.35 The Father loved the Son and hath given all things into his hand his right hand is full of righteousness Psal 48.10 Here is the accomplishment of all the typical Priests in Christ For what was meant by the first-born Priests but Christ the first-born of every creature What was Aarons Priesthood or Melchisec's and the execution of their respective offices in expiation and intercession and manifold particulars but representations of Christ and his Priesthood and the execution thereof he was the true Aaron the Mountain of knowledge the Teaching Priest who teacheth like him The true Melchisedec Heb. 7.1.2 3. The true Eleazar Gods helper the true Abiathar that excellent Father Esay 9.6 Pater futuri seculi the Father of the after-world as Hierom turns it the everlasting Father Sadoc the righteous one Jehoshuah the Lord the Saviour the son of Jehosadac the righteous Lord Zach. 6.11 Such an high Priest becomes us to have Observe whence the true believers obtain their office of a royal Priesthood unto God Revel 1.6 Here is no man named neither Moses nor Aaron who fils the hand of the Priests it is the Lord alone who makes Priests Hence also we learn what manner of men the Evangelical Priests ought to be Clean-handed men Man us habere consummatns as one of the Ancients speaks to have perfect hands Hear what Philo Judaeus speaks to this purpose God requires of a Priest first of all a good minde holy and exercised in piety then a life adorned with good works that when he layes his hands on any he may say with a free conscience Those hands are neither corrupted with bribes nor polluted with innocent blood they have done hurt injury wounds violence to no man they have not been instruments unto any dishonest thing but have been imployed in things honest and profitable such as are approved by just honest and wise men So he 2. Axiom Wherefore was the Priests hand filled To minister in the Priests office That 's the end of his consecration And it is in the Hebrew in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators express by so many the LXX render it by one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Castellio succinctly turns all the words thus Quorum manûs ipse Sacredotio sacravit whose hands he hallowed for the Priesthood 1. Hence we may learn who they are who truly judge themselvs to be of the royal Priesthood Who but they who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made perfect or consecrated so the Apostle renders that phrase whofe hand is filled and so the LXX express it who stand complete in all the will of God And having done their own work are ready to offer something up for others as prayers intercessions giving of thanks c. Such were they who stood idle in the market place They had done their own work For shall wee think they were a company of Circumforanei a sort of lazy fellons such as are often in our markets Our Lard entertaines no such into his service 2. Hence it appears that no man taketh this honour to himself Hebr. 5. That is that no man ought to take in hand the Priests office unless it be first put into his hand by the Lord. This justly reproves those who do involare violently take unto themselves the Priesthood who assume and arrogate that office to themselves by their own private that is no â—â—â—â—ority under pretence of gifted men who boast of a false gift whereas indeed God hath not filled their hand with any such gift but they have gotten it by a kinde of Legier de main they have taken it to themselves by Brachygraphy or Short-hand and so by a competent measure of boldness intrude into the Priests office and into the things which they have not seen vainly puft up by their fleshly minde Col. 2. Nor yet do I here confine the gifts of God unto mans approbation or ordination Surely the Lord may fill whose hand he will speak by whom he will as he is said to speak not only by the mouth as Acts 1.16 3.18 but also by the hand of his Prophets as by the hand of Moses Numb 4.37 by the hand of Abijah 2 Chron. 10.15 and many the
Or which borders upon that corrupt principles of false Christianity That the duties of the Moral Law belong not unto them who are in Christ as they fansie themselves to be That God will see no sin in them That all things indeed are theirs and that they who are thought to be the true owners of them are but intruders and usurpers That sin is unavoidable and that it is impossible to cease from sin though by the power of God yea by the greatest power that can be given to man in this life That solemn agreements and covenants between man and man are but covenants of works That we must not hope to be justified by our own works though they proceed from the spirit of God but by faith in Christ That he has been just for us and done all things that we are commanded to do 1600 years ago and has suffered the punishment due to us for our not doing them That the very best works we do are sins That cheating cousening deceiving circumventing fraudulent dealing overreaching of all the sins that men commit the very worst of them are but infirmities in the Saints what ever they are in other men From these corrupt principles and such as these men work and for one end men work to be rich in this world and by the abuse of these riches to take their ease in their old age eat drink and be merry as our Lord discovers the rich mans reasoning Luke 12.19 So violent men argue Prov. 1.11 12 13. Wisd 2. In like manner the deceived heart is inticed by hope of stoln waters Prov. 9.17 and bread of deceit Prov. 20.17 So that the true reason of all deceit and violence and wrongful dealing among men who pretend religion is corruption of doctrine and may be referred to it directly and demonstratively as to the proper source and Fountain of it Esay 30.10 They say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Jer. 5. the last ver The Prophets prophesie lies c. and the people love to have it so But who sets the false Prophets a work who but the Abaddon and Apollyon the destroyer the author of violence and wrong who but the same subtil Serpent who deceives all the world Revel 12.9 who is called in the Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Deceiver What therefore our Philosophers commonly ascribe to habits contracted by frequent actions either good or evil are indeed to be referred to the good or evil spirit As the Apostle saith of the good spirit all these things saith he worketh that one and the self-same spirit 1 Cor. 12.11 So on the contrary all these evil things worketh the evil spirit which fils men with all unrighteousness deceit and violence Rom. 1.29 And because the universal and first cause cannot be idle we shall finde him giving those up to a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 who refuse to retain God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their experimental knowledge ver 28. O that men and women the Lord here speaks of both could or rather would yield to be disswaded from their gainful sins This Scripture reacheth all as well on the military profession as the civil state as well the Souldier as the Citizen The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the sins of man especially those sins of injury and wrong done one to another for gain and advantage sake whether by violence or deceit John Baptist saith to the Souldier do violence to no man accuse no man falsly and be content with your wages S. Paul saith to the Citizen especially let no man go beyond and defraud his brother 1 Thess 4.6 Vend not false wares Put not Quid pro quo Set not forth the refuse for good Amos 8.6 Set not your clothes nor your consciences too much upon the tainters Do not falsifie the ballance by deceit Use no false weights false measures false balances false coynes false lights Get not your treasures by a lying tongue Prov. 21.6 Officers use no false accusation forged cavillation Luke 19.8 Exact not undue fees Do not falsifie your trust Work-masters Grinde not the faces of your poor workmen whose labour is your gain Delay not detain not defalcat not his due Pay him clear off Keep him not obnoxious to thy work and service by withholding part of what thou owest him Covet not thirst not after a long mornings-draught out of his dear earnings out of the swet of his wife children servants who want that for their necessary support which thou causest thy workman wastefully to spend at the Tavern Alehouse or Gaminghouse These are crying sins which enter into the ears of the Lord of hosts James 5.4 who is the avenger of all such 1 Thess 4.6 These are some of all the sins of man Some of our Cities sins O that we considered aright how contrary these things are not only to our Christian presession as hath been shewen but also to the very light of nature Would it not shame us to hear this out of the mouth of an Heathen man as he is accounted Detrahere aliquid alteri 〈◊〉 hominis incommodo suum augere 〈◊〉 inagâ—◠〈…〉 mors quam paupertas quà m deloâ— quà m caetera quae possunt aâ—t 〈◊〉 accidere aut rebus externis To take some what from another and one man to increase his own profit by the disprofit of another it s more against nature then death then poverty then grief then what ever else can befal the body or outward estate So Tully and much more to the same offect 2. 〈◊〉 possible that a man or woman may commit some one or other of all the sins of man to trespass a trespass against the Lord. This expression to trespass a trespass ought not to seem strange unto us that the Nown of the same Verb is repeated with it as gaudere gaudium pâ—gnare pugnam vevere votum militare militiam which the N. Test hath made familiar as to war a good warsure 1 Tim. 1.18 to fight a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 What some say that the sin committed against man is here said to be committed against the Lord in regard of his denial or oath Levit. 6.2 3. It hath some truth in it But in other sinnes against men where no denyal or oath is interposed the sin yet is said to be committed against the Lord as Gen. 38.7 8. and 39.9 Sins committed against men are committed also against God 1 Cor. 8.12 The 2 Tables of the Commandments are said to contain laws teaching our duties toward God and toward our neighbour Which is not so to be understood as if the soure first Commandments adequately contained our duty towards God and the six last our duties toward men For without doubt the six last contain our duty towards God also and forbid the breach of it Our heavenly Father is to be honoured according to the fifth Commandment And spiritual murder as by
from this restraint What if his Father or Mother his brother or Sister die may not the Nazarite go in to them or one or other of them when they die It is true Father and Mother Brother and Sister they are near and endeering relations and such as may much win upon us This is a racite objection made unto the former strict precept Unto which the Lord makes express answer in the following words He shall not make himself unclean for his Father or his Mother for his Brother or for his Sister when they die In these words are contain'd the great restraint of the Nazarite from uncleanness Herein we have two divine Axioms 1. The Nazarites Father or Mother or Brother or Sister by dying become unclean 2. The Nazarite must not make himself unclean for his Father or his Mother for his Brother or for his Sister The latter of these supposes the former for unless the dead were unclean how could they render the Nazarite unclean But it may yet be enquired what uncleanness this is in the dead father or mother brother or sister For as for natural uncleanness albeit there be in the dead man a resolution of the humours and in time of the elements which may be noysom and perhaps contagious yet neither of these is so speedy as commonly their Funerals are However to come in to the same house where the dead are or to accompany the corps to the grave can be no annoyance because the soul being departed and the natural heat gone which is the vehicle and conveys contagion and infection while there is life in the body the body being now dead conveys no contagion corruption or uncleanness unto those who come at it so the Italian Proverb When the beast is dead the poyson is dead with it Thus much we may say for natural uncleanness As for ceremonial uncleanness it s meerly positive and according to the nature of a ceremony it is Pro arbitrio instituentis according to the will of him who ordains it and so only temporary and for a time whence caeremonia hath the name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only for a certain time and that significant also of somewhat that 's real moral and lasting It remaines therefore that the uncleanness here spoken of is only ceremonial and that which imports unto us a morall uncleanness And what 's that Sin and iniquity is the only true uncleanness And therefore it s called by such names as in nature are unclean as mire and vomit 2 Pet. 2.22 the menstruous cloth of an unclean woman Esay 64.6 The dung of a man Prov. 30.12 you will say these things should not be named They are named so in Scripture to discover unto us how abominable sin is unto God and ought to be unto us Yea such is the odiousness and loathsomeness of it that what ever in nature is or seems filthy sin borrows a name from it This uncleanness is of a diffusive and spreading nature both in them in whom it first is and in those also to whom they do affricare scabiem they communicate their uncleanness The leprosie begins with a spot of uncleanness and spreads it self in the skin and defiles the whole man Levit. 13. Iniquity kindles from a spark then it burns all before it like a fire Esay 9.18 Behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 3. v. 5. how much wood a little fire burneth 2. This uncleanness is contagious and infectious and spreads it self unto others also especially if disposed and fitted to receive it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evil words corrupt good manners Or as some understand the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 light and unsetled manners For this uncleanness enters oftentimes into the soul and is conceived only by a word concepta cogitatio carnem commovet ad concupiscendum Prophane and vain bablings saith the Apostle increase to more ungodliness and such words eat like a Canker 2 Tim. 2.17 And the eye is as treacherous in betraying the soul as the ear is for mors intrat per fenestras Jer. 9.21 the dead soul is infectious and death from it enters in by the eyes the windows of the soul Eccles 12.3 and corrupts it Thus it first entred Gen. 3.6 and having found the way it s become a beaten rode troden by many of old and at this day Judg. 14.1 2. 2 Sam. 11.2 3 4. Mars videt hanc visamque cupit potiturque cupitâ Mars sees and seen desires desired enjoyes Whence from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to love saith the Etymologist And therefore Job makes a covenant with his eyes that he would not look upon a Maid Job 31.1 And David prayes Psal 119. Turn away mine eyes that they behold not vanity But what reason may there be why the Lord gives special charge to the Nazarite that he come not at his Father or his Mother his Brother or his Sister when they die There is greatest danger from them of all others For according to the nature of love Amor transformat amantem in rem amatam Love changes the party loving into the party loved And therefore especially in such deer and neer relations men commonly oversee and take no notice of their faults whom they love Beside honour being a more eminent degree of love is more attractive and drawes more uncleanness from the party honoured And therefore some followers of Plato pourtraied in themselves what blemish their Master had in his body others the errours of his minde Ye know whose speech it was but not worthy of him Malo errare cum Platone quà m cum caeteris Philosophis rectè sentire I had rather erre with Plato then be orthodox with other Philosophers Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an imitating creature And therefore Apes Monkies and Baboons who resemble men in their feature are all Mimicks and imitate what they see done Now children brought up by their parents and taught to honour them have indeed no other patern for their imitation and what either good or evil they see in them they swallow it without difference and rather the evil because that most-what is rather predominant and more attractive of its like in those who are already disposed thereunto So that children insensibly by little and little steal the sins and corruptions of their parents and become unclean by them 3. The consecration of his God is upon his head These words are considerable either in themselves or as they comprehend the general reason of the whole Law preceding Being considered in themselves two things are to be inquired into 1. What 's here meant by Consecration 2. How we are to understand that the consecration of his God is on the Nazarites head The word here turn'd Consecration is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vow whether they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a vow as Drusius
in the steps of Abrahams faith Rom. 4.12 And Abrahams children do the works of Abraham John 8.39 And thus the seed of Caleb are they who are like unto Caleb servants of the Lord who have another a new spirit and fulfil the will of the Lord after him 2. What is it to possess The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haereditabit eam his seed shall possess it So that to possess is as an heir haereditario jure by right of inheritance But what right have the seed of Caled to the inheritance in the holy land This right will appear whether we consider the seed and heirs of the land or the Lord Paramount 1. The seed of Caleb have a right not by law but by grace to inherit the land This land they hold by service so Psal 69.35 36. The Lord shall save Sion and build the Cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession The seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love thy Name shall dwell therein This speaks home to our business Caleb is the Lords servant he owns him my servant Caleb And these are Calebs seed and therefore they shall inherit the land 2. The Lord our God is Lord Paramount the Possessour of heaven and earth Gen. 14.22 And the land is his and accordingly he layes claim to it Levit. 25.23 The land is mine The Lord Jesus is heir of all things by whom also God made the worlds Hebr. 1.2 And in the right of the Lord Jesus Abraham became heir of the world Rom. 4.13 For whom and for his seed the Lord Jesus made a purchase Hebr. 9.15 And by this right Caleb and his seed receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance Whence we may observe 1. That the state of bliss is compared to an inheritance 2. The state of bliss is obtain'd as an inheritance is obtain'd upon certain terms and conditions 3. Observe what is the best inheritance that parents can give unto their children What so good as this to make them heirs of heaven rich in faith heirs of that kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 2. v. 5. James 2.5 4. Our God deals with his holy seed even the seed of his servants according to the law of nature and law of Adam 2 Sam. 7.19 2 Sam. 7. v. 19. 2 Tim. 1. v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth in a sort entayl the eternal inheritance unto the childrens children of believers to Caleb and his seed So that Paul writes to Timothy having or receiving the remembrance of that unfeigned saith in thee which dwelt first in that Grandmother of thine Lois and that Mother of thine Eunice but I am perswaded that in thee also So the words sound in the Greek text 2 Tim. 1.5 A noble a blessed descent 5. Of how great advantage it is unto children to have good parents This is here evident by the great good which accru'd by Caleb to his feed They are by him provided for by him they are enstated in an inheritance an eternal inheritance A good man leaveth an inheritance to his childrens children saith Solomon Prov. 13.22 This all men know and practice for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the law of Adam as David calls it 2 Sam. 7.19 Yea even evil parents give good things to their children and lay up inheritances for their children if they be gotten so well that they will last so long because De malè quaesitis vix gandet tertius heres otherwise the third heir wil scarce enjoy them It is a natural and usual providence common to all parents good and evil to be provident for their children and to lay up and if they can to leave inheritance for them 2 Cor. 12.14 Yea this providence hath so far possessed some that while they have thought themselves good parents by their carking and caring for an inheritance in this world they become evil men and lose their inheritance in the world to come And while some approve themselves provident parents and take that of the Apostle for their ground that he who provides not for his own especially those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 by their immoderate and inordinate pursuit after the things of this life and their unbelief and distrust of divine providence so it comes to pass that while they provide for their children that they may not be Infidels they become worse then Infidels Whence it appears that both good and evil men leave such inheritances So that Solomon speaks too straitly of a good man as if it were proper to him Besides its possible a good man may not have what to leave for an inheritance unto his children Surely when the Wiseman called his book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book of Proverbs and implyed that it is a Key to unlock mysteries to know wisdom and instruction to perceive the words of understanding to understand a Proverb and the interpretation the words of the wise and their dark sayings its clear he understood not only an earthly inheritance Prov. 13. v. 24. but an heavenly But if so how can a good man be said to leave an inheritance to his childrens children For what a man leaves to another to possess he himself ceaseth to be possessor of it And therefore Haeres est qui defuncto succedit in jus universum an heir succeeds one deceased in all his right If therefore the heir succeed the good man in all his right how can this be understood of the eternal inheritance Yea how can the good man be said to leave an inheritance to his childrens children That which a man leaves to another he disowns and possesseth no more himself But this cannot be so with the good man for as he gives or conveyes to his children the eternal inheritance so he remains a coheir himself of the same inheritance And therefore the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not signifie only to leave an inheritance but Haereditare faciet he shall make or cause to inherit or he shall make his childrens children heirs as of the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away preserved or kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens in vos Hebr. 10. v. 34. unto you into you Indeed there our inheritance lies Hebr. 10.34 knowing that ye have in your selves a better and enduring substance O ye seed of Caleb ye faithful and corragious Israelites Be we exhorted to inherit the holy land It is not a strong fansie but a strong and valorous faith which sets before us the eternal inheritance and enstates us in it Hebr. 11. v. 1. Hebr. 6.12 and 11.1 So the Apostle saith that faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjectio the setting before us things hoped for For faith cannot be the substance of things hoped for For if faith were the substance of things hoped for how could the things be hoped
as he who is greater then all and indeed our true Master yet was minister of all so should he who is the greatest among his brethren be as their minister Whence we may reason convictively that if our Lord supposed some of his Apostles and Disciples greater or greatest of their brethren then surely he supposeth they are not equal 2. Hence also appears the spiritual excellency of the eighth day which is the true Lords day when the Lord God omnipotent reigneth and his Kingdom is come unto us in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost For so we shall finde that in this number these are comprehended The number eight is a full number and called by the Pythagoreans the number of justice and righteousness because as it is compounded so it is also resolved into numbers Paritèr pares equal parts and particles of those parts Whence Georgius Venetus observes That they who were saved from the flood were Eight which according to the number of Justice implyes that all who shall be saved must be just men righteous men Yea that Noah for this reason is said to be a just man in his generation Gen. 6.9 Yea he himself is said to be the eighth Preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 which is true without that absurd suppliment of person as I have heretofore shewen 2. In this mystical number also of eight the peace is represented when by Circumcision performed on the eighth day Gen. 17. the body of sin in the flesh which lusted against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 is put off Col. 2.11 and we now worship God in the spirit Phil. 3.3 when all jarring dis-harmony all differences between our God and us are silenced and taken away by Christs mediation as the binding cord and we hear nothing but the most harmonical diapason Wherein two things are considerable 1. A Return to the same Tone from whence we departed 2. Though it be not altogether of the same Key yet great agreement great peace there is an union identity and sameness The only difference between them is The one is lower the other is higher These are discernable even to every ear though the learned Musitian can best judge of these things But what is this to us When man thus imitates his God thus returns unto him then as the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles is holy so is the eighth and last also Levit. 23.35 36. When as it was in the beginning so it is now When the one extreme is God the other Man most like unto God and both make a most harmonical and peaceable Diapason There 's but one minde in both 1 Cor. 2.16 One heart in both David according to Gods heart In both one will Gods will done in earth as it is done in heaven O most perfect peace 3. From this righteousness and peace cannot but Echo and resound answerable joy joy in the holy Ghost How can it be otherwise For when the Lord hath circumcised the heart Deut. 30.6 with the circumcision of the spirit on the eighth day the day of the spirit of love and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath cleansed and purged it round about according to the LXX and taken away the foolishness of it so the Chald. Paraph. expresseth it so that the man now loves the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul when now the mans love is fixed upon what is most lovely even the Christ of God in his Tabernacle the desire of all nations Hag. 2.7 When the man delights in what is most lovely most desireable and most delightful then the desire coming is a tree of life Prov. 13.12 Such joy must then be in great measure proportionable to him in whom we rejoyce and so in a sort unmeasurable and infinite such is the joy in the spiritual feast of Tabernacles when the Lord takes up his Tabernacle with us and dwels with us and we with him Revel 21.3 Such as when Nehemiah even the consolation of the Lord the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Comforter as his name imports keeps the feast of Tabernacles it must needs be joy great joy exceeding great joy Nehem. 8.17 As we may reason from what S. Peter writes to the believers in Christ Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye rejoyce 1 Pet. 1. v. 8. or leap and dance with joy unspeakable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorificata glorified joy Such is that which ariseth not from the knowledge of Christ according to the flesh for though we have known Christ according to the flesh yet now we know him so no more for we walk by faith and not by sight by faith in the might and power of God according to which our Lord saith Blessed are they who having not seen yet are believing Joh. 20. v. 29. John 20.29 Who can duely esteem this faith and love but he who can experimentally say My Beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 The excellency of the holy assembly and restraint on the eighth day may justly reprove both the assemblies and restraints of known wicked men and of seeming holy ones for there are of both sorts The Prophet tells us of an assembly of treacherous men Jer. 9.2 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as restrained themselves from what was good Jer. 9. v. 2. 8. and were in the bond of iniquity He describes them verse 3. They cause their tongue their bow to shoot a lie and have not strengthened themselves for truth in the earth For they proceed from evil to evil and have not known me saith the Lord. And the Prophet gives warning of such Take ye heed every one of his friend and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will not be Israel prevailing with God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will utterly supplant will imitate Jacob in deceiving his brother and every companion will walk deceitfully They will use deceit every one against his neighbour they will not speak the truth they have taught their tongue to speak a lie They have laboured or wearied themselves to commit iniquity Whereupon the Lord tells Jeremy Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit wherefore I am melting them and I will try them saith the Lord. For what shall I do for the Daughter of my people As if the Lord should say they are indeed thus wicked an assembly of treacherous men but some good men there are among them as some gold among much dross wherefore I will melt them and try them Their tongue is an arrow shot out it speaketh deceit One speaketh peace with his neighbour with his mouth but in the midst of him or in his heart he laieth his wait These sins the Prophet found and reproved at Jerusalem and so did David before him Psal 5.5 He had found a like assembly of treacherous men like those before the confusion of tongues Gen. 11. of whom the
their parents They are a part of them and therefore they fear all evil that may befal them as incident unto themselves 2. Of children the males commonly take up most of their parents affections Your sons because these carry their fathers name and propagate it unto posterity These build up their fathers house and family whence they have their name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to build 3. Of children and males the little ones and of little ones the least takes up most of their parents cares the word is here in the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parvulus your little one which is here rendred little ones So careful was Jacob for Joseph the yongest and afterward for little Benjamin 4. See from hence what is our Primitive estate the state of innocency the not knowing of good and evil otherwise then God knowes it the good as to love it and do it the evil as to hate it and avoid it Thus not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man is made So Solomon saith that God made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man upright and its evident it must be understood of man in general for it followes But they have found out many inventions Eccles 7.29 Yea how can man be said to be fallen man unless we first have stood 5. Take notice hence what is the fallen mans estate The knowledge of good and evil The knowledge of the good and holding it captive under the evil the disobedient knowledge of what is holy just and good The knowledge of the evil the obeying unrighteousness Rom. 2.8 6. Observe what good education of children there was among the people of God and that under evil parents All under twenty years are here called little ones and they retained their innocency so that they had not known good and evil Such a little one was Saul in the beginning of his reign innocent as a childe of one year old 1 Sam. 13.1 as the Paraphrast improves the Hebraism and the Lord tels Samuel and he saith to Saul when thou wert little in thine own eyes c. 1 Sam. 15.17 If evil fathers love their children care for them procure good for them how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things Matth. 7.11 Yea his holy Spirit Luke 11.13 unto his children who ask it of him 2. The Lord saith your little ones which ye said should be a prey and your sons which in that day had not known good and evil they shall go in thither and unto them will I give it and they shall possess it These words contain the Lords frustration and disappointment of the unbelieving and rebellious fathers fears and cares touching their little ones for whom their heavenly Father provides better The sins of evil parents shall not prejudice or hurt their children as to their entrance into the heavenly countrey Note hence the qualification of those who shall enter into the holy land even the little ones even they who have not known the good and the evil Such little ones not knowing good and evil we have been innocent simple without malice humble and obedient 1 Cor. 14.20 But when we grow up from this childehood we lose our innocency become subtil crafty malicious prowd disobedient and so we are excluded out of the holy land for none such inherit it 1 Cor. 6.9 10. The holy Spirit could as well have expressed it self in the plural and it had been more proper to this place had it intended only a literal meaning of these words Our Lord saith that our little one and our sons shall go in c. There is one in us and he a little one whom we know not Joh. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humble and lowly and little in his own eyes and the Teacher of littleness Matth. 11. whom we have esteemed stricken smitten of God and afflicted Esay 53. even exposed as a prey to the roaring Lion and such as are the sons born of the everlasting Father For what one man is he who shall chase a thousand Josh 23.10 Who when he ariseth scatters all his enemies Psal 68.1 He is the guide and Captain of all his little ones who know not good and evil This is that one who obtaines the prize and all his little ones through him 1 Cor. 9.24 Let us strive to enter into the promised land It s the same exhortation in the type and figure which our Lord Jesus gives to his Disciples under another metaphore when he exhorts us to strive to enter in at the strait gate We are estrang'd from the womb and turnd backward full and swollen big with the knowledge of good and evil 1 Cor. 8.1 2. And so we proceed and flatter our selves in our knowing knowledge and thereby justifie our selves when all this while we are more and more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alien'd from the life of God while we think our selves neer unto it yea partakers of it Thus the Cynic wittily reproved the Stoicks whom they laughed at because he walked backward in their School Ye jeer me saith he but think your selves wise who go backward in your life A tart retorsion and a true one And therefore there is a necessity of rav'ling all our partial work Our Lord assures us of this Matth. 18 v. 3. Matth. 18.3 Verily I say unto you except ye be converted or turn'd about and become as little children ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven Wherefore let us pray to the Lord that he will set that little one in the midst of us that we may be renewed in the spirit of our minde that we may put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him that created him that so we may become fools in this world that we may be wise that we may become little ones like that little one that we may know the good and the evil as God knowes it That we may so run so strive that we may obtain That we may enter into the holy land and receive the kingdom of heaven as little ones through the little one the heir of the kingdom Jesus Christ our Lord. NOHMATOMAXI'A OR The Conflict with Evil Thoughts SERMON XII Deuteronomie 2. ver 24. Rise ye up take your journey and pass over the river Arnon Behold I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon and his land Begin to possess it and contend with him in battle THese words are part of a Military Oration whereby the Lord of hosts exhorts and stirs up Israel to engage themselves in war against Sihon King of Heshbon and thereto he encourageth them by a free gift of him and his land into their power Wherein we have 1. A forcible cohortation adhortation or manifold exhortation 2. A powerful inducement and motive perswading thereunto The exhortation is 1. Preparatory to the war Rise ye
to the utter wasting of nations and desolation of kingdoms So that howsoever the war began and whatever the cause and quarrel was at first yet the quarrel in the end will be for necessary support of nature for bread Thou hast bread and I have none thou hast meat and I have none thou hast clothes and I have none And therefore the Wiseman gives good counsel the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out waters Or rather according to the order of the words Prov. 17. v. 14. He who letteth out waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as the beginning of strife therefore leave off contention before it be medled withal Prov. 17.14 The vast level in the North and North East of this Nation which lay long time under water might at first have been prevented with half a dayes labour which hath cost much treasure and the labour of many years and it may be yet questioned whether in vain or not Such advice as this was given in this place many years ago while it was Res integra when as yet no blood was drawen but in vain Yea even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that counsel was imputed as a great crime to the Author of it when yet the effect hath proved that it was good counsel how ever it was taken War is an eater a waster a consumer 2. Although war in diverse cases may be lawful yet Gods people ought to wait upon Gods summons Gods Trumpet must sound Alarum when they go forth to battle Numb 10. 3. Hence it appears that although ambitious Tyrants and Invaders usurp a power over others as Sihon did over the Moabites and are permitted so to do by the patient and long-suffering God yet Altissimus est patiens redditor Ecclus 5.4 the most High hath his Jubile Levit. 25. when he will restore every one to his right 4. Although the Lord give to Israel Sihon and the Amorite King of Heshbon and his land into their power yet must Israel fight for it The promises of God do not disoblige us from that duty which is required of us for the obtaining of the promises No not the Oath of God Deut. 8.1 Hebr. 6.13 14 15. Yea the promises of God are a stronger obligation to binde us to obedience 2 Cor. 7.1 Mysticè 1. Heshbon is no free City but under the tyranny of Sihon Thoughts are not free as many think who make little account of them It s true indeed that the judgement of the heart and thoughts belongs not to mans day nor can man judge of them It is also true that the thoughts or dinarily without our choice glide into our mindes as light into a room but whether these be good or evil they are not free from Gods knowledge or cognisance For he judges the thought of the righteous to be judgement Prov. 12. v. 5. Prov. 12.5 and the thought of foolishness to be sin Pro. 24.9 and 15.26 And if the Lord take cognisance of the evil thought and judge it to be sinful surely the sinful man is liable to punishment for the sinful thought And therefore S. Peter directs Simon to pray that the thought of his heart may be forgiven him Acts 8.22 2. The exhortation is medle or mingle with him with Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon in war or battle What shall we mingle with him Deal with him at his own weapon So our Lord coped with the Devil Scripture against Scripture Object But Sihon suggests evil thoughts Suggest thou good thoughts against them Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts T is true but good thoughts also proceed from thence For Prov. 4.23 Out of the heart are the issues of life What though Sihon and Heshbon be strong the good thoughts are from God and they are stronger Igneus est illis vigor coelestis origo Good thoughts have fervent force and heavenly birth Does Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon fight against thee with wrathful thoughts answer him with milde and gentle Does the Amorite set upon thee with hard speeches Give him a milde answer It was the Jews stratagem when the Romans fought against Jerusalem and forced their Engine their Iron Ram against the City walls to batter them they cast out Wooll-packs which met the Ram and saved their wals A soft answer turneth away wrath Prov. 15.1 Does the Amorite proceed to cursing and bitterness Though they curse yet bless thou Psal 109.28 Bless them that curse you Matth. 5.44 It s the precept of the true Jehoshuah Not rendring evil for evil 1 Pet. 3.9 nor rayling for rayling but contrary wise blessing as knowing that ye are called that ye should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 It was the practice of the true Jehoshuah when he was reviled he reviled not again 1 Pet. 2.23 Why therefore should the opposition of Sihon with his Heshbonites his Amorites his Army of evil thoughts discourage the Israel of God For why should any true Israelite complain Alas my vain thoughts lodge in me Heshbon prevailes over me Jer. 4.14 Mistake not thine own state poor soul The thoughts are quick and nimble mortons which its possible may be indifferent or naturally good or if evil haply not evil to thee There is an open passage from all sensible things to the senses as they say Quodlibet visibile radiat every visible thing sends forth a species or image of its self the like we may say of other objects in regard of their respective senses And the way lies as open from the senses unto the common sense and fansie and thoughts If now the thought be evil as injected and cast into the soul by the Evil one its evil to thee only if thou entertain it well If you feed a Dog hee 'l be sure to resort to you and faun on you as one who loves him But if you beat him away and be constant and earnest in so doing hee 'l be gon and look at you as his enemy Even such are our thoughts to us as we are to them They faun upon us as if they loved us and presented somewhat convenient for us if we give them good entertainment feed them with consent and delight in them they will abide with us and lodge with us Jer. 4. But if we beat them away with the Staff of the Law as the Chald. Par. calls it Psal 23.4 they will forsake us The Lord knowes the thoughts of man that they are vain Ps 94.11 12. but then follows Blessed is the man whom thou correctest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law T is true a Dog is impudent his Epithet is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shameless and our thoughts they are bold and thrust themselves upon us They were so bold so unseasonable and saucy they were that they intruded into the company of the Disciples even at a time most unseasonable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 9.46 Luke 9. v. 46. There entred in a reasoning among them this which of them should be
and to themselves Hos 12.4 He found him in Bethel and there he spake with Us saith Hosea many ages afterward However this be true and satisfactory yet are there inward and spiritual words and an inward sight of them What other words are they whereof the Psalmist Psal 19. and the Apostle speak Rom. 10.18 Have they not heard Yea verily Their sound went into all the earth and their words into the ends of the world 1. Hence it followes that Gods words are visible words S. John saith as before That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life And again v. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you The Word of life was visible unto S. John and his fellow Apostles For howsoever some men may satisfie themselves and others with saying that S. John here speaks of the dayes of Christs flesh when the Apostles saw and heard him surely the same may as well be said of those who apprehended him smote him crucified him For these saw him heard him handled him and that roughly Besides the humanity and flesh of Christ is no where called the Word but the Word is said to be made flesh and to dwell in us John 1.14 Adde hereunto that what S. John saw heard and handled was from the beginning 1 John 1.1 Whereas the flesh of Christ was not from the beginning but in time and the fulness of time Gal. 4. There are inward and spiritual senses whereby the man of God sees and hears savors tastes and handles the words of God Such senses there must be because there is an inward man of the heart which must not want his due powers and faculties For since his words are spirit and life John 6. how can they be otherwise perceived then by spiritual senses according to the Apostles reasoning 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural animalish or souly man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him Hebr. 5. v. 14. and he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned And therefore the perfect men have their senses exercised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the discerning of both good evil Heb. 5.14 The words of God are sure firm and certainly true as being demonstrable and that by the most principal demonstration even from the evidence of sense The words which thine eyes have seen For although the words of God are conveyed by hearing whereby faith cometh Rom. 10.17 Yet the most certain sense is that of seeing according to that well-known and approved speech of the Poet Tardiùs irritant animos demissa per aures Quà m quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus Things heard more slowly move the minde then they Which are committed to faithful eyes Hence proceeds the tactual approbative and experimental knowledge of the divine words So that unto such experienced men we may appeal Do you not see this truth do you not handle with your hands this word of life do you not taste that the Lord is gratious 1 Pet. 2.3 This is the most certain knowledge and most beneficial attainment of the living Word of God when we relish savor handle see and taste it when we have our share of what we know Thus according to the old Etymologist Sapientia est sapida scientia Wisdom is a savory knowledge of divine things I shall end this point with the Apostles prayer for his Philippians For this I pray Phil. 1. v. 9. that your love may abound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in acknowledgement and all or every sense Phil. 1.9 2. Only take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently In which words we must inquire 1. What this self is 2. What the taking heed and keeping of thy self is and 3. What it is only and diligently so to do 1. Moses explaines thy self by thy soul and thy soul by thy heart For so no doubt Animus cujusque is est quisque every mans soul and minde is himself and is very frequently so used in Scripture as I have heretofore shewen Thus what S. Luke 9.5 cals himself S. Matth. 16.26 cals his soul And the soul is here explained by the heart for although the heart sometime be specially taken for the affective part of the soul Phil. 1. v. 9. and is so distinguished from the minde Matth. 22.37 Yet most-what it s understood more generally of all the parts of the soul and the whole inward man so what is called the heart Matth. 15.19 is what is within Mark 7.21 This is thy self here understood when Moses saith Take heed to thy self The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turnd take heed is passive and properly signifies Be thou observed or kept and it is the Passive of the same Verb following howbeit the force and use of it is reciprocal and reflex as Deut. 2.4.23.10 Josh 23.11 Mal. 2.15 The LXX render this word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heed which is elliptical and defective in regard of the sense For it signifies no more then adhibere to apply and lay to as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to apply the minde the understanding the thoughts the heart the memory as we say adhibere applicare adjicere advertere animum to apply ones minde to something This we often meet withal in Scripture Esay 42.25 he laid it not to heart and 47.7 and 57.11 Ezech. 40.4 Set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee Dan. 10.12 Thou didst set thine heart to understand This is done when we fix our wandring thoughts and desires by meditation and laying them up in our memory and reserving them for life and practice As for the manner measure and degree of keeping it s two wayes expressed in the text 1. Only 2. Diligently 1. Only excludes all other keeping and care of any thing else to be kept except thy self thy heart thy soul at least comparatively so that the keeping of thy self thine heart thy soul is either sufficient of it self in lieu of all other duties or to be preferred before and above all other To which is also added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which they render diligently which imports two things 1. Not only care whence Hierom turns it Solicitè carefully and the Orator defines care Aegritudinem animi cum cogitatione a pensiveness of minde with taking thought 2. It implies also strength to be used that thereby we may prove and improve our care whence it s rendred by Valdè which is Validè strongly mightily The Wiseman exhorting to the same duty keep thy heart saith he with all diligence which is better rendred in the margent Prov. 4. v. 23. keep thy heart above all keeping which answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a note of comparison so that the Wiseman requires a great degree of keeping the heart above all other keeping And
dishonoured by us but in this the Father shall be glorified that we bring forth much fruit SER. XIV and be made the disciples of Iesus Christ John 15. v. 2.8 So will he cleanse us when we thus bear his name Even so O God make clean our hearts within us and take not thine holy spirit from us Thou shalt not kill What not according to Law and justice Deut. 5. v. 17. Is the act of the Magistrate here inhibited who proceeds according to the Law of God when he adjudgeth him to die who bath shed mans blood Gen. 9.6 No act of justice is hereby forbidden but established rather But what if a private man kill another ignorantly whom he huted not before time Deut. 19.4 5. Casually comes not under this precept It s possible a man may not lie in wait to shed blood yet may God deliver a man into his hand whom though he slay yet he is excusable for the Lord hath provided Cities of refuge and propounds a case whereby he who kills another shall not be put to death Deut. 9.4 5. Yet the act of the Magistrate and of him who slayes another without laying wait for him both acts come under the word killing Which therefore is not adequate and proper to this prohibition before us Yea the taking away life from the beast for the sustenance of man is killing also but not forbidden The killing here forbidden in regard of the object is of an innocent person in respect of the act it s wilfully and felloniously committed and out of propense malice as our Lawyers speak And that is Murder as our old Translators have held forth this Commandment in these terms Thou shalt do no murder The old is better Touching this word as I remember I spake somewhat on Exod. 20. parallel unto this place before us But because in the book of Deuteronomie there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an iteration and repetition as of the Law so of divers other matters formerly spoken of in the former books I shall either wholly waive or very briefly touch upon what arguments I have spoken unto The Law is spiritual whereunto our Lord here directs us As for the outward murder of what extent it is and what punishment is due unto it humane lawes civil and municipal take cognisance of it The spiritual murder is committed 1. Against ones own soul or 2. Against ones neighbour or against ones God and his Christ There is a murder committed against ones own soul Prov. 6.32 and 29.24 Job 5.2 In these and like cases a man is felo de se a self-murderer 2. Spiritual murder is also committed against ones neighbour Matth. 5.21 22. 1 John 3.15 3. There is also a spiritual murder of the divine nature and the Lord Christ three wayes 1. In Adam when his innocent nature in us is murdered Revel 13.8 2. In the flesh upon the Cross 1 Cor. 15.3 3. In the spirit so often as his good motions in us are suppressed Hebr. 6.6 These and such as these he calls murderers For whereas every sin hath the name from the end whereat it aimes and is to be esteemed according to the will and purpose whence it proceeds as wrath envie or hatred against our neighbour may be called murder because they tend thereunto and the will and purpose of him who is angry envious or malitious is a murderous will and purpose although really and in the event they murder not their neighbour Even so the wrath envie and malice against the Lord and his Christ may be called murders although they proceed no further then the perverse will Ye go about to kill me saith our Lord John 8. So Traytors are esteemed and suffer death according to their will and purpose although they effect it not What reason is there for this There are in the heart these three notable parts 1. The Rational the 2. Concupiscible and the 3. Irascible which answers unto these three necessary Offices in a City the chief Magistrate which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rational ordering all things by reason the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the concupiscible which is the Quaestor or Treasurer who provides and layes out for what is necessary for the support of the City Now if any obstruction or hindrance happen in the execution of the Questors office then ariseth in the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the irascible which answers to the Militia and Garrison-souldiers who remove those impediments and obstructions This irascible though it be the seat of more compounded affections yet the principle here understood is wrath or anger which is not sin because implanted of God in our nature and the Psalmist really distinguisheth them and after him the Apostle Be angry and sin not Howbeit from the exorbitancy of the concupiscible the appetite inflamed toward something desirable and hindred from fruition naturally there is a boyling of the blood about the heart whence the Questor or Treasurer desires the help of the Militia the souldery for the removing of the impediment The wrath being kindled sometimes burnes excessively and beyond measure and it is a sin We shall observe this in the way of Cain as S. Jude calls it v. 11. Cain signifying possession and peculiar propriety in the flesh desiring yea ingrossing all things natural humane and divine all must serve it as Psal 73.9 According to Martin Luther what they say must be spoken from Heaven and what they speak must prevail upon Earth Whence it is that the sensual propriety challenges Gods acceptance of whatsoever it doth yea and ingrosseth it unto it self so that Gods approbation being given to the simple harmless and righteous Abel wrath and envie burns against him and all the holy Prophets from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah This inordinate desire and wrathful and envious disposition is from the evil one who is called Abaddon and Apollyon Revel 9.11 a murderer from the beginning and by the Jews at this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a destroyer This we finde 1 John 3.11 12. Whence the Greek tongue retains the memory of the first murderers name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to kill Quaere Since it is murder while yet in the heart and such in Gods sight whether is any thing added by performing the outward act yea or no surely there is For proof of this let the first murder be examined Gen. 4.4 It was such in Gods sight when Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell But all that time the Lord was patient and dehorted him and reasoned with him If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted And if thou doest not well sin lieth at the dore c. All this time Cain was guilty before God and in danger of the judgement but having performed the outward act then the Lord denounced his judgement against him This will further appear from Gods different rewards of good or evil works intended and performed For since God
rewards every man according to his works the reward of good works and the punishment of the evil finished must be greater then of the same intended God was patient all the time that David was plotting the death of Vriah but when it was effected then he sent Nathan and denounced his judgement Hence we learn that 1. The heart is Murdrorum officina the flesh-bank the slaughterhouse the murdering den wherein the wicked one slayeth the innocent Psal 10.8 2. A man may possibly be a murderer who yet layes no violent hands on any Is he angry with his brother he is guilty of the judgement Matth. 5.22 yes if he be angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause S. Hierom and S. Augustin both agree that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause is not to be found in any old Greek copy Ut scilicet ne cum causa quidem debeamus irasci saith Augustin nor indeed is it extant in the vulgar Latin 3. Hence we learn to judge our selves and others if angry and malitious if hateful and hating one another 4. Yea hence learn the bloody-mindedness of this present generation what murdering and malitious hearts full of rancor and hatred they bear one party against another one man against another Shall not the Lord be avenged of such a nation as this This is harsh doctrine Alas if to be angry with my brother be no less then murder if he who hates his brother be a murderer what shall become of me I have been angry and hated my brother and spoken despitefully against him said to him Racha called him out of bitterness of spirit a fool Cease from wrath redeem thine envie and malice with love and mercifulness As all thy doings before were done in malice and hatred let them now be all done in love and kindness 1 Cor. 16.14 John 3.21 But alas thoughts of revenge assault me These are the messengers of Satan like him sent to kill Elisha 2 Kings 6.32 even God the Saviour in thee and therefore take his counsel there keep these revengeful thoughts fast at the door give no consent unto them they rome to take away thy head The head of every believer is Christ 1 Cor. 11. If thou consent unto them thou openest the dore of thy heart and lettest them in while thou keepest them without dore they cannot hurt thee No evil without thee no not the Devil himself the murderer from the beginning not he nor any evil can hurt thee while it is without thee no more then any good can help thee if it be without thee Alas I have crucified the life of God even the Christ of God in me I have murdered the Lord Jesus Haply this thou hast done indeed who hath not done it yet despair not There is a twofold killing as the Scripture distinguisheth Deut. 19. the one wilful and presumptuous the other at unawares And both these wayes the Lord Jesus hath been killed There are who have slain him wilfully Heb. 6.4 5. and 10.26 There are who slay him ignorantly who suppress the motions of Christs spirit in themselves not knowing that they proceed from him God was in this place and I knew it not Gen. 28. There is one in the midst of you whom ye know not Such an ignorant manslayer was Paul who persecuted the Lord Jesus 1 Tim. 1.13 but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly Yea and he is a patern to them that offend Acts 3.17 The greatest sin without hatred is pardonable Deut. 19. The greatest good work without charity is nothing worth 1 Cor. 13. Yea in this case the Lord hath made provision of a refuge if we have slain the man Christ ignorantly if we have slain him by our unholy and profane life we must then fly to Kadesh that is unto holiness This counsel the Prophet Esay gives Esay 1.16 17 18. and Daniel to Nebuchadnezzer Dan. 4.27 This Kadesh is in Galilee that is conversion or turning about Jer. 18.11 Therefore when S. Peter having told the Jews that they had crucified the Lord Jesus he directs them to Galilee that is to turn to the Lord Acts 3.19 This City of refuge is on a Mountain as the Church of God is Esay 2.2 a state hard to be attained unto And we must contend and strive for it therefore it is said to be in the Tribe of Nephtali Such an one was S. Paul 1 Cor. 9.26 Phil. 3.14 not with flesh and blood c. Ephes 6. 2. Yea we must go about this work early Therefore the second City of refuge is Shechem which signifies early This also is in a Mountain hard difficult in ascent in the Tribe of Ephraim in fruitfulness growing and increasing Thus doing we shall come to the third City even Hebron the society of all 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 â—â—â—ting our hearts unto the living God that 's Hebron This is 〈…〉 a Mountain Heb. 12. and in the Tribe of Judah praysing and glorifying our God confessing to his name and singing Hallelujahs for ever Yea the Lord Jesus prayes for his persecutors and murderers Father forgive them c. This is proper to the Christian spirit as appears Luke 9.5 6. they as yet were of a legal spirit Abels blood cryed from the earth Zachariah the son of Jehoiada 2 Chro. 24.22 Jer. 11. â—0 and 20.21 But what saith our Lord Father forgive them And S. Stephen Acts 7. Christs blood of sprinkling speaks better things then that of Abel This is the strength of the Spirit of Jesus which rejoyceth in tribulation So S. Paul prayes for the Colossians Col. 1.11 that they may be strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Attende Tibi Doctrinae Look to thy Self and the Doctrine SERMON XIV Deuteronomie 6. ver 6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children BEfore we can consider a-right and speak to these words particularly let us render them and read them right as thus These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be in or upon thine heart And thou shalt whet them upon thy sons I shall shew this to be the true translation of the Text as I come to the Axiomatical handling of it The words contain an injunction to parents and those in place of parents to transmit and conveigh the Commandements of God unto their sons and all under their care Wherein we have a Series Process or Succession of commands one in order to other 1. These same words I am commanding thee this day 2. These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be in or upon thine heart 3. These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be upon thine heart and thou shalt whet them upon thy sons 1. These same words I am commanding thee this day Wherein we must inquire 1. What these same words commanded are 2. What is
glory be turned into shame that she may be made to know her self that she was born to be a servant and to perform the drudgery about the letter and serviceable word of the Lord. And therefore Moses who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Acts 7.22 he was a servant in Gods house Hebr. 3. And S. Paul a very learned man in Arts and Languages as appears in all his Epistles was a servant of God in the Gospel of his Son and the Lord found use for both kinds of learning in his Church and both may be taught as serviceable unto these same words 1. Observe with how great caution how warily Moses commends the Commandements of God unto Israel to be conveyed unto their sons they must be these same words Moses no doubt foresaw that there would be a generation who should afterward teach for doctrines the commandements of men as the Pharisees and Scribes laid aside the Commandement of God and held the tradition of men Mark 7.8 That if they own'd the Law yet so as to pick and choose among the Ten Commandements of God take some one and reject all the rest As in the dayes of Christs flesh yea and at this day great account is made of the Sabbath as if it were indeed the onely Commandement of God and that extreamly misunderstood and all the rest are neglected And will not our Lord call us to a reckoning for all these same words and say like what he spake of the Lepers were there not ten words ten cleansing healing saving words given but where are the other nine 2. Take notice hence that Moses speaks not this to Eleazar or any other teaching Priest only though that was their duty also but to Israel v. 3. Hear O Israel and again v. 4. Hear O Israel Moses speaks this to thee and me to every one who hath these same words in his heart and hath others under his care who ought to be as his sons S. Paul wrote not to the Priests but indifferently to all in like condition with those to whom he saith Hebr. 5.12 For the time ye ought to be Teachers c. Nor were they Priests only to whom he orders Timothy to convey these same words 2 Tim. 2. v. 2. 2 Tim. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things or words which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses these commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also 3. Gods truths are not so committed to any person or generation and age of men as to rest there there must be a conveyance of them unto others who ought Vitae lampada tradere to hand the Lamp of life from age to age Deut. 4.9 and 11.19 4. It is not enough that these same words be in or upon our heart unless they be there as a form of words whereby and out of which we may instruct others 5. How stupid how dull we are in receiving these same words Israel must sharpen and whet them often and often inculcat them iterate and repeat them again and again yet hardly do we receive them Such improficients the Apostle met withal Hebr. 5.11 12. 6. Though the sons of Israel be dull fungantur vice cotis and are as a Whetstone yet must Israel with unwearied patience whet and sharpen and inculcate these same words unto them 7. Take notice how qualified he ought to be to whom the only wise God gives licence and authority to teach the sons of men He must have these same words of God written in his heart as a living form and Idea or exemplary cause and principle according to which he must speak Jer. 23.28 Jer. 23. v. 28. The Prophet with whom a dream is let him tell his dream and with whom is my word let him speak my word faithfully or rather the truth of my word what is the chaff with the Wheat saith the Lord. The Lord would that the truth and spirit of his Word be spoken as for the Letter only without the spirit and truth it is but as the chaff Now my words saith our Lord are spirit and they are life John 6.63 and what is the chaff to the wheat what is the letter to the spirit And the Lord himself is that word and that spirit and that life and unless he be in the heart and speaks these same words there what authority hath any man to speak these same words what else means the Apostle Gal. 1.15 when God was pleased separating me from my mothers womb and calling me by his grace Gal. 1. v. 15. to reveal his Son in me that I might preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glad tydings of him to the Gentiles Gal. 1.15 the Son must first be revealed in the Preacher before he can preach the Son or whet these same words upon his sons 8. These same words are a form patern and example according to which the thoughts are inwardly molded and made up outwardly into words and so conveyed unto men But whereas a form is either good or evil as the Rabbins say that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good or evil frame of the heart which may be understood as well of the minde and thoughts as of the concupiscence unto which many restrain it According to which our Lord saith that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things Of the former of these David speaks 1 Chron. 29.18 where when the people had offered willingly to the Lord David prayes Keep for ever saith he in the frame or form which ours turn imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For whereas the heart of the people was willing and joyful in offering to the Lord David prayes not for a floting and unsetled imagination but for a constant permanent and setled form to be imprinted on their heart Such is that form of doctrine 2 Tim. 1. v. 13. Rom. 6.17 that form of sound or rather healing words 2 Tim. 1.13 9. If Israel must teach his sons then must the sons of Israel learn these same words This necessarily followes according to the Law of relation 1. They are much to blame who when their fathers whet these same words upon their sons they oppose their hard their stony hearts unto them they say really and in their life and practise unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 2. How justly may this reprove parents and those whoare in place o◠parents who whet not inculcate not these same words upon their sons I doubt not to say it that some men take more pains and care to teach a Colty to pace or amble then they do to instruct their sons to walk in the way of Gods Commandements What enemies are they to the Church of God and to
with authority and it is the act of a Superiour who commands somewhat by authority to be done by his inferiour under his power 3. Postulamus jure we demand by right and it is an act common to all who have right to make demand that right be done The word here used to require answers to the two later significations And indeed it is a word used by the supream Magistrate as in that usual form of speech We will and require we require and command c. Now although the most high God have soveraigne authority and independent right unto his creatures especially to man in whom he hath a manifold right of 1. Creation 2. Preservation which is a continuing and perpetuating creation 3. Covenant 4. Forefeiture 5. Redemption and 6. New Covenunt of which I have spoken heretofore particularly yet here the Lord Non postulat he requires not his right Non poscit he interposeth not his authority and command but Petit he desires intreats and requests which last word in our language is equipollent to the two former And though it be of the same Latin Original Requiro yet it differs in usu SER. XIV whence vis norma loquendi use is the rule of speech O the wonderful condescent of the most high God King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the only Ruler of Princes He hath all authority all right beyond all compare yet he deigns to petition for that which he hath independent right and authority to command and require of his Israel But lest this discourse should seem to be meerly critical we shall finde a like condescension expressed by S. Paul 2 Cor. 5.20 We are therefore Ambassadours for Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tanquam Deo precante or exhortante as God praying you so Beza or exhorting you so Pagnin we beseech you c. The word is in the Participle present The Lord is praying is exhorting you by us And so in the Text the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petens so Arias Montanus requesting desiring entreating thee O Israel Thus the Lord hath done thus he is still doing And what reason is there that the Lord intreats and is continually intreating these duties of us 1. He knowes our necessity and how extream needful these are for us 2. He loves exceedingly our immortal souls which being come forth from God whose off-spring we are Acts 17.28 and by sin separated from God he would not that our immortal souls should perish in sin and death And therefore he labours their return unto him by all means both by fear whereby we may depart from the sin and by lave whereby we may be reunited and adjoyned unto him and his righteousness This is the scope of the Apostle in the place now named 2 Cor. 5.20 God is entreating you by us we beseech you be ye reconciled unto God But why does the Lord thus continually sollicit us hereunto entreating and beseeching us daily to be reconciled unto him He knowes the daily necessity of his Israel in all successive generations He has a right unto all these duties which he requests of us And hence it is that he continually moves us inwardly and outwardly And this continal claim preserves his right 1. Behold O Israel what thy debts and engagements are unto thy God to fear him and to walk in all his wayes and to love him and serve him with all thine heart and with all thy soul and to keep his Commandements and his Statutes These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things which are Gods Matth. 22.21 These and such as these are the debts which we confess and acknowledge that we owe when we pray the Lord to forgive them Matth. 6.12 2. Hence also it appears that Israel detains these dues and debts from his God and aliens them to whom Israel is not indebted Rom. 8.12 We have given his fear unto men Esay 51.12 13. which is his due and he claims it Mal. 1.6 A Son honoreth his father and a servant his Lord. If then I be a father where is mine honour And if I be a Lord where is my fear SER. XV. saith the Lord of hosts I rather turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord then Master as ours have here done both 1. Because Master is doubtful as answering to Magister and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 13.13 14. 2. It s the same also with Herus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath relation to any private and obscure family to any one Cui servus est atque arca who hath a servant and a Chest as the Poet describes him as a very poor man Cui neque servus neque arca who hath neither Whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used in the plurall to render the Lord more illustrious so Esay 19.4 We have walked in our own wayes which are extreamly different from Gods wayes Esay 55.8 9. We have withdrawn our love from our God and placed it on vain things which will not profit in the later end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambitious and lovers of vain glory lovers of money lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3.4 Yea and thus we become abominable according to the things which we have loved Hos 9.10 For Amor transformat amantem in rem amatam love transforms him who loveth into the thing which is beloved whether it be good or evil We have served our own lusts and the idols of our own hearts all the other gods and have not served the one and only true God with all our heart and with all our soul We have detained the truth in unrighteousness and the power of our God in pretence of impotency and weakness So that we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his lawes which he set before us All these Rights Debts and dues Israel hath with-held from the Lord his God And for these the most high God condescends even to petition Israel He takes on him the form of a servant Yea and what a servant would not do what a servant was ashamed to do Luke 16.3 He vouchsafes to do even to beg for that which he might most justly require and command 3. The most eminent and highest degree of Majesty and the very meanest and lowest degree of humility are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they may well consist and stand together The most high God condescends to petition and beg for his own right of his own subjects 4 Since the King of the worlds 1 Tim. 1. v. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condescends to entreat and request his Israel for what is his right it will not misbeseem the greatest Monarchs and Potentates upon earth to petition and supplicate their subjects for their right Yea it is their safest way for the obtaining of it When maugre all the conspiracy and opposition of the Kings and Rulers of the earth the Lord had set his King upon his holy hill of Sion he gives serious
themselves and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord. First they are said to have killed the Passeover then the Priests and Levites ashamed of their uncleanness brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord which must be understood of those offered in the feast of unleavened bread For we read of no other prescribed in the Passeover but one Lamb or Kid and this Rite and Ceremony is said to have been performed according to the law of Moses the man of God 2 Chron. 13.15 16. There is another example which speaks more home to this purpose viz. that Passeover of Josiah whereof it s said Surely there was not such a Passeover from the dayes of the Judges that judged Israel nor in all the dayes of the Kings of Israel nor of the Kings of Judah 2 Kings 23.22 This Passeover is related more particularly 2 Chron. 35.1 19. where express mention is made of killing the Passeover in the fourteenth day of the first moneth ver 1. which consisted of Lambs and kids according to Exod. 12. The King also is said beside the Passeover offerings to have given to the people 3000 Bullocks ver 7. And the Princes are said to have done the like where the Passeover is killed on the fourteenth day ver 1.11 and the other Sacrifices are said to be removed v. 12. The distinct wayes of dressing these offerings prove this for ver 13. they rosted the Passeover which is said before to consist of Lambs and Kids v. 7. with fire according to the Ordinance But the other holy offerings sod they in Pots and in Cauldrons and in Pans By all which it appears that although mention be made of the flock and the herd yet by these are not to be understood the Passeover which was offered by it self but the offerings annexed thereunto in the feast of unleavened bread v. 17. I could wish therefore that of were left out and the words read thus Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passeover unto the Lord thy God Sheep and Ox. Thus the Greek Interpreters render the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheep and Oxen. So Munster Ovem Bovem Arias Montanus also and Tremellius So likewise the Tigurin Bible Thus also the French and Italian and Luthers Translation with that which was turned out of Luthers in the Low Dutch To prevent the errour noted before Piscator turns the words thus Thou shalt kill the Passeover to the Lord thy God also Sheep and Oxen. And two of our old English Translators have done the like whom it had been to be wished that our last had followed All this might have been a kinde of Rationale divinorum or a Directory to the Levitical ceremonial service of the Passeover but what is it unto us It is an Essay towards the amendment of the last English Translation of the Bible and so a part of my business But I intended not a bare critical discourse Surely beside the commemoration of our Lords death who is our true Passeover or Paskal Lamb the Spirit of God requires of us that we offer up also our spiritual Sacrifices That we may the better understand this we must remember that the Lamb is called the Lords Passeover Exod. 12.11 as he who gives the Paskal Lamb. It s also called our Passeover as being given to us 1 Cor. 5.7 Now it s a worn saying Omne beneficium postulat officium Every benefit requires an answerable duty And every holy rite and ceremony as it imports and holds forth something unto us so it claims something of us And such is the Passeover a divine rite signifying the Lamb of God slain and the blood sprinkled on the Lentil or upper door-post and the two side-posts which import the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rational part and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the concupiscible and irascible Exod. 12.7 Rom. 3. v. 25 26. and the Lord passing over For God set forth this Lamb a propitiation through faith in his blood for a declaration of his righteousness for the passing over the sinnes formerly committed by the forbearance of God for a declaration of his righteousness at this time that he may be just and making him just who is out of the faith of Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. Which divine ceremony requires also a duty at our hands but with a difference For the same rite was diversly performed 1. By those who came newly out of Egypt and 2. By those who were come into the holy Land Exod. 12.52 1. By those who were now going out of Egypt the Feast of unleavened bread was kept which figured sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5.7 8. and was required out of the Passeover Purge out of you the old leaven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed or slain for us Therefore let us keep the Feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice or naughtiness and wickedness but with the unleavened breads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sincerity and truth This sincerity and truth was required in those who were coming out of Egypt and is of those who are coming forth of the straits of sin the spiritual Egypt Mich. 7.19 And the good Lord pardons every one who with sincerity prepareth his heart and endeavoureth without hypocrisie to purge out the old leaven of sin as in the case of those who were in the same state 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. Howbeit this sincerity of endeavour is not all the whole duty which is required of those who keep the feast of unleavened bread much less is it the perfection of the Christians duty as our Translators usually render what is in the holy Text perfection or perfect by sincerity and sincere and upright as Psalm 18.23 or else mislead the credulous Reader by putting one or other in the margent as Gen. 17.1 and often elsewhere The feast of unleavened bread was alwayes adjoyn'd unto the Passeover And the sincerity and truth alwayes answereth unto the Lamb slain even in the childehood and while Israel is a childe and the Lord loves him and calls his fon out of Egypt Hos 11.1 Israel is even then sincere in love unto God and his neighbour Ephes 4.15 and that love is without hypocrisie But Israel though he must ever be sincere yet not alwayes a childe but must grow up unto him in all things who is the Head even Christ Ephes 4.14 15. This is that which the Apostle prayes for in behalf of the Philippians Phil. 1. v. 9. That their love might abound yet more and more in acknowledgement and in all sense that they might approve or try things that are excellent or which differ and so might have the true Discrimen honestorum turpium the discerning between things honest and dishonest and have their senses exercised for the discerning of good and evil Hebr. 5.14 Hebr. 5. v. 14. that they might
so much the more it may love him For God in himself is an infinite good without any defect and the soul was made according to his image and for this end to know and love him and till it so do it rambles and wanders about the creatures and is never satisfied Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum donec pervenerit ad te Lord thou hast made us for thy self And our heart is unquiet until it come unto Thee 1. All that Commandement to love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul and all our minde is a most excellent Commandement This appears from a double Emphasis upon it in the text if thou shalt keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even all that Commandement And therefore whereas the Jews had four Sections of the Law in more religious observation 1. Exod. 13.3 touching their coming forth of the land of Egypt 2. Verse 11. 16. concerning the destruction of the first-born 3. Deut. 6.4 9. touching the property and service of God 4. Deut. 11.13 concerning the former and the later rain That which the first recited of all these four parts of the Law was this Commandement touching the love of the Lord our God This they first recited every morning and every evening and thence it is most worthy of our morning and evening meditation And therefore the Apostle having treated of spiritual gifts 1 Cor. 12.1 30. Be zealous of the best gifts saith he yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shew you a way secundùm excellentiam 1 Cor. 12. v. 31. a way according to excellency a most excellent way But what that is Stephen Langton who divided the holy Scripture into Chapters rendred obscure by dividing the Apostles testimony of that exultent way from that excellent way it self in the following Chapt. This is that which holy David intended Psal 119. v. 96. Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection thine exceeding broad Commiandement The Text is corrupted by the Translation There is no But no diversity at all but the later part explains the former This is the end of the Commandement The end or perfection of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 This is that perfect bond Col. 3. 2. The Lord so speaks to all Israel as to one man If thou keep all this Commandement to do it to love the Lord thy God the Lord requires obedience unto this Commandement of all and of every man 3. To keep all this one Commandement is virtually and radically to keep all the Commandements So much the Lord implyes in the body of the Decalogue Exod. 20.6 they that love me and keep my Commandements Yea S. John tels us that this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements 1 John 5.3 4. Note hence the integrity of Gods will and Commandement requiring a like intire obedience of us But whereas Bonus actus ex integra causa malus ex quolibet defectu every good act requires integrity of causes and circumstances all good but an act is rendred evil by any one defect of these hence it is that man having lost his integrity and fallen into manifold sins and strayings from his God there was a necessity of a manifold Law to follow the man and search him out in his manifold aberrations and wandrings According to which we may understand the Prophet Hos 8.12 I have written to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 8. v. 12. which our Translators turn the great things Arias Montanus Praecipua the chief things Pagnin Honorabilia the honourable things which may as well be rendred the multitude of my Law Whence we may justly reprove a wicked generation of men who being exhorted to keep the Commandement to this end to do it they limit the will of the Holy One of Israel And whereas the Lord commands us to keep all that Commandement to love him with all our heart minde soul and strength they love him with their minde only They flatter themselves into a false conceit that they are in S. Pauls condition where he saith I my self with my minde serve the Law of God but with my flesh the Law of Sin Yea whether with their minde they serve the Law of God as S. Paul did it may be very much doubted For the Apostle saith of himself or of one in that state The good that I will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do not but the evil which I will not that I do And I finde therefore a law that evil lies neer me being willing to do good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diverse other places in that Rom. 7. The words ye perceive are turnd as if the Apostle spake here of a velleity or half-will the good that I would the evil that I would not There 's no such matter the Apostle speaks of a compleat and full will and that which hath no hindrance from it self the good that I will the evil which I will not This man he has a will compleat and ready to do what good he wills and to depart from the evil which he wills not Yea I delight saith he in the Law of God according to the inward man and whereas he hath such a good will to the good and so delights in it and so hates the evil to do that evil its captivity its misery its death it s a body of death unto him And therefore he complaines Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And he hath answer according to the antient reading of S. Ambrose Origen S. Hierom S. Augustin and others and the present Vulg. Latin Gratia Dei per Dominum Iesum Christum the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And by that grace he is made free from the Law of sin and death by the Law of the spirit of life Is it thus with this perverse and sinful generation who pretend a minde and good will to serve the Law of God Does not their life declare them Does not their practice plainly speak what their minde and will is Does not the shew of their countenance testifie against them or rather as it is in the Hebrew does not the acknowledgement of their faces answer against them Do they not declare their sin like Sodom they hide it not Wo unto their soul for they have requited evil unto themselves Be we exhorted O Israel to keep and do all this Commandement to love the Lord our God with all our heart soul minde and strength Let us not hearken to that objection of unbelieving and lazy men which hath more of will then reason in it that this Commandement is impossible This opinion hath gotten ground in the mindes of men partly from the authority of one of the Antients partly from an inbred lightlesness in the most of us of whom it may be truly said that Quae nolumus
complaint of a sinner took his groundless authority as I have shewen elsewhere Obs 2. Take notice hence that there are diverse degrees of righteousness proportionable to the different dispensations of the Father Son and Spirit There is a righteousness which we may call initial or that whereunto the new converts are turned Dan. 12.3 John the Baptist came in this way of righteousness Matth. 21.32 He that feareth God and worketh this righteousness is accepted of God Acts 10.35 Thus Cornelius was a righteous man Acts 10.22 2. There is a justice or righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 3. There is a fulfilling of all righteousness when that which is perfect cometh according to 1 Cor. 13.10 Obs 3. Hence then observe how causelesly and without any ground the pious endeavours of good men are damped and blunted by misunderstanding this and such like places of Scripture as this is which speak not of righteous men at large as if there were none upon the earth that so do good that they do no evil For that 's not true because the Scripture witnesses that some there are who do no iniquity Psal 119.1 2 3. Blessed are the undefiled Psal 119. v. 1 2 3. or rather the perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They also who do no iniquity they walk in his wayes and 106.3 Blessed are they that keep judgement and do righteousness at all times Such an one was Abraham Gen. 26.25 Isaac and Jacob. Such was Josiah 2 Kings 23. Zachariah and Elizabeth Luke 1. For if such there were not were there no such righteous men upon earth these and such like speeches were gratis dicta spoken in vain And such blessedness were affirmed in vain because none there are who are capable of it Howbeit this is not to be understood De toto vitae curriculo of the whole course of life for so there is not a man but he hath sinned Christ alone excepted Rom. 3. all have sinned 1 John 1. ult the last by which he explains ver 8. But this is to be taken of the spiritual old age wherein the Saints are flourishing and bring forth fruit shew that the Lord is righteous Psal 92.14 15. For Abraham not conscious of sin humbles himself from consideration of his earthly mold saith Chrysostom in Gen. 18. Obs 4. Hence then we may understand the facility proneness and easiness of our nature to commit sin since even a just man under the fear of God may possibly sometime turn out of the path of Gods Commandements and fall short of his glory Obs 5. Hence we learn a broad difference between a just man who through weakness and ignorance may sin and such wicked men who do Wichen turn away voluntarily from the holy Commandements and wilfully commit sin These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers of iniquity who are not known or acknowledged of God The other who fall through ignorance and weakness and repent of it obtain mercy and the strong and spiritual have a command to restore such as these are Gal. 6.1 Obs 6. Hence we have a ground and object of clemency and mercy towards the greatest part of men who commonly proceed no further in the way of righteousness then the first dispensation of it under the fear of God or at the furthest to a weak faith in Christ and that mistaken And therefore we ought upon this consideration to be prone and ready to pardon and forgive injuries To be easily reconciled unto our enimies It 's the very argument upon which we beg remission of our sinns And upon which termes the Lord forgives us our trespasses Alas Humanum est errare labi decipi A good man through weaknes and ignorance may sin and may offend God and man And let us take heed least we who conceive our selves more wise more able and under an higher dispensation least we also sin Gal. 6.1 Considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Observe a difference between a just man in the first age and a just man in the second and much more a just man in the third who is a perfect man For in the second the young man is strong and overcomes the evill one And how much more doth he in the third 1 Joh. 2. 1. This justly reproves those who because the Scripture here saith that a just man under the lowest dispensation possibly may sin therefore they will sin and say they must sin Beloved all those words which signify sinning import such actions as a man would not willingly do as errare labi decipi peccare to erre to slip to fall to miss the mark c. 2. Those who with great rigor and severity in correcting the errors and faults of men rip up all their sin to the life and aggrevate all to the utmost especially if he be not one of our opinion and not Orthodox as we think our selves to be In such a case men are apt to thunder out an Anathemata denounce hell and damnation against such But if he be of our side O how indulgent we are how patient towards him then ala's we have all our failings If a Land fowl as a Hen fall into the water O how long shall it be before it is dry But if a Water fowl as a Goose fall into the water she does but shake her tail and she is presently dry again And such difference we commonly put between the fals of others and those of our own party If he differ from us in judgement that 's crime enough to aggravate his least fault But if he be one of our Geese all our Geese are Swans then we can easily impute righteousness enough to him to save him though he be Profundatus in peccato drown'd in destruction and perdition 3. This justly reproves the censoriousness of men against the yong Saints They are wont to rayl at them in time of their ignorance and weakness and set brands of infamy upon them but can excuse their own gross and habitual crimes Dat veniam corvis vexat censura Columbus Jam quoque Censorem vexat censura Catonem The Crowes are pardon'd and the Doves are blam'd And now the Censor Cato's censured But alas what is this to me that there are many degrees of Just men many dispensations of justice or righteousness I finde the Text my measure that I can do no good but I must sin Let not thy heart be troubled saith the Lord Jesus John 14.1 There is a degree of faith which may consist with doubting such was that of Peter Matth. 14.30 The boysterous wind endanger us that we well nigh sink by despair But thou believest in God the Father believe also in Christ the Son Faith in God without faith in Christ cannot hinder the soul from sinking into despair Therefore Jesus Christ is called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 And therefore till Christ comes the children are all their life time subject to bondage and fear Hebr. 2.15 Till that faith comes we are under a
our last Translation we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a knowne note of diversity rendred and as known a Conjunction copulative and these two render different kinds of Axioms as all Logicians yea all who have common reason may understand The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit lusts against the flesh that 's a copulate The flesh lusts against the Spirit but the Spirit lusts against the flesh that 's a discret Axiom 2. But there 's a far greater difference between cannot as they render the words and may not as they ought to be turned Ye cannot denies power and strength ye may not leaves a possibility of doing what they would For the Spirit so and for this end lusteth against the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye may not do the things that ye would according to the lusting of the flesh And thus the Greek words ought to be rendred and generally are so rendred by Pagnin Castellio Vulg. Lat. Vatablus Beza High and Low Duth French Italian and Spanish Translations yea and by an antient English Manuscript whereas all our printed English Translations turn it cannot If any man think this a small difference let him suspend his judgement till I speak of it in its due place The Apostle ver 16. propounds a Precept In the Text we have 1. The difficulty of that precept the flesh lusteth 2. The possibility notwithstanding that difficulty Ye may Wherein we have these Axioms 1. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit 2. The Spirit lusteth against the flesh 3. Tt is true that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit but the Spirit lusteth against the flesh 4. The flesh and the Spirit are contrary one to the other This is to be put in a Parenthesis 5. The Spirit lusteth against the flesh that we may not do the things of the flesh which we would do 1. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Herein we must enquire 1. What is meant by the flesh and 2. The lusts of the flesh and 3. What is meant by the Spirit I will not trouble you with the manifold meaning of this word flesh Only by the flesh we are here to understand the old corrupt Adam so what Rom. 6.6 our Apostle calls crucifying the old man that in the same Apostles phrase Gal. 5.24 is called crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts 2. And what is lust and what is it to lust Concupiscence or lust is the desire of sensitive delight vain foolish and immoderate desires of the superiour appetite the will as ambitious desires of honours curiosity desire of knowledge falsely so called so flesh is understood Col. 2.18.23 and elsewhere The word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a power which comes upon the minde whereby the soul is carryed out to what is desired The lusting of the flesh therefore is not only that of the lower appetite which we call the concupiscible but that also of the irascible is here to be understood as appears by comparing v. 15. If ye bite and devour one another c. Yea the immoderate lusts of the superiour appetite are here also to be understood Hence it is that Sects and Heresies are reckoned by the Apostle Gal. 5.20 amongst the works of the flesh Hence also it is that we read of carnal wisdom wisdom of the flesh The lusting of the flesh against the Spirit what is it but desiring what is contrary to the desires and lustings of the Spirit The flesh desires things fleshly which are contrary to the desires of the Spirit which are of things spiritual and heavenly As by the flesh the old Adam is to be understood so by the Spirit and its lusts the lusts and wils of the new Adam the heavenly man are here meant The reason of this is from the mistake and seducing of the fansie For the fansie being part of the first Adam flesh and blood and informed with a living soul and being sensual earthly and carnal Rom. 8. and knowing no better thing then earthly objects things neer of kin unto it and delightful unto sense it easily draws the coucupiscence unto them which howsoever according to original rectitude it propends to good and that Bâ—num bonestum the honest good and is subject to the rational appetite and so to right reason as the Philosopehr teacheth and right reason to the Law of God yet having declined from that first integrity unto the sensible present and delightful good which most-what is disjoyn'd from the true and honest good becomes more and more prone to evil and drawes to it the rational appetite the will yea the reason it self the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rudder of the soul as he that 's sinking will lay hold though on his best friends and draw them into the same pit of destruction And so the fleshly minde resists and reasons against the Spirit as Ahitophel fallen off to Absalom they both rebel against their Lord David Obs 1. Here is an evident argument and proof of mans fall Here is opposition made against the Spirit of God Surely Gods work was perfect and all that he made was very good Gen. 1. And therefore that excellent work man cannot be said to come thus imperfect out of Gods hand No he was made upright but he had a fall as ye read 2 Sam. 4.4 that Mephibosheth fell out of his Nurses armes and be came lame poor man of both his feet What is the Nurse but providence which supported the man and bare him in hir armes of mercy and judgment comands and prohebitions Gen. 2. But out of her armes the man fell and is lame on both his feet his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his concupiscible and irascible affections which are the feet which carry the soul whithersoever it goes So that to the fallen man belongs shame and confusion of face that is word for word Mephibosheth Yea even the Philosopher himself could take notice of this from the irregular motions in man that man was become otherwise then formerly he had been Obs 2. Hence it appeares that even in those who have the Spirit of God in some measure there are motions contrary to the Spirit I say in some measure Wisdom 7.27 Thus the Galathians had received the Spirit Gal. 3.2 Proportionably to their age which was the childhood Gal. 4.19 In whom yet the flesh lusted against the Spirit And the Corinthians had received the Spirit by which they were sanctified 1 Cor. 1.2 Yet was their age and growth no more then that of the childhood they were babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 And these are said to be carnall and to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the first Adam or the old man ver 3. Obs 3 The lusts of the flesh are first and they first appeare in the man Primum animale dein spirituale First that which is animalish then that which is spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 4 Observe the reason of that impetuousnes