of God the great name Tetragrammaton Jehova whereby they understand a great prerogative of Shem and his Sonns the Jsraelites and Jewes that the proper name of God should be known onely unto them But alas what benefit is it unto them or us to know God when we worship him not as God What profit is it for them or us to boast of God that we know his will when yet we do it not Yea what a shame and disorder is it to know so much and do so little Pudet haec opprobria nobis dici potuisse non potuisse refelli Yea what a terror it is And how ought it to trouble us since he that knowes his Masters will and does it not shall be beaten with many stripes Obs 5. To have an inheritance in the earth or a portion of the earth for an inheritance is a blessing of God Math. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth 1. Chron. 4.10 Jabez said O that thou wouldst bless me indeed and enlarge my coast Obs 6. God is the author of this blessing It is God that inlargeth Japhet And it is the God of Jsrael that Jabez prayed unto to inlarge his coast 1. Chron. 4.10 He gives inheritances in the land of Canaan Yea among those who are strangers and enemies unto his people Deut. 2.5.9.19 Obs 7. The Lord sets bounds unto inheritances in the earth Act. 17.26 He gives a smaller portion to some a greater to others as here he inlargeth Japhat Mysticè As I shewed what Mysteryes the heathen hid under Shem and Canaan so let us inquire what Mysteries they understood in the name of Japhet That portion which Noah allotted unto his son Japhet was the sea and the Islands and Peninsula's in the sea c. Gen. 10.5 wherefore by Japhet they understood Neptune whom they made God of the sea Neptuno maritima omnia cum insulis obvenerunt saith Lactantius Japhet hath his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to inlarge as Noah implies in his blessing and Neptune is from the same root passive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is inlarged As in Greek they call Neptune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to extend and inlarge from the large and wide sea Job 11.9 Psal 104.25 given him to his portion whence the Egyptians saith Plutarch in his Isis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now because he lived holily in the world the same befell him from the world that befell his father and Brother Shem and all that lived Godlily in the world Therefore they used his name in contempt when they spake of doting old men calling them Japhets as our English Old Crone in the same sense is an imitation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Saturne by whom they understood Noah as I shewed before Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Japhetus is by way of derision an old doting Fool. Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoph Nubibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to answer your father saucily nor to upbraid him with his old age by calling him Japhet Hence we may learn not to be too hasty in crediting evil reports of men who are long since past or to esteem the the worse because they have gotten an ill name in the evil world Does not our Saviour imply that the best of men should be so used Matth. 5.10 11. Yea do we not finde that many who professe religion defame slander reproach and speak evill of things that they know not and of men much better then themselves only because they are not on their side Seth and Shem though in great honour among good men Eccl. 49.16 were traduced of old by name by the wicked world as I shewed out of Plutarch and Japhet fared no better as I have now shown So they dealt with Christ and his Apostles The Serpent in all ages hath persecuted the womn a especially in these latter times and cast out of his mouth water as a flood c. Revel 12.15 that is reproaches slanders and defamations Behold that great and precious promise made here to Japhet and the sons of Japhet and renewed under manifold several names and expressions Peace Esay 32. Rest Psal 95. Refreshing Acts 3. A wealthy place Psal 66.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin Refrigerium Surely they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is respiratio and the Chaldee turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a breathing a Spirit even the Spirit of God it self which is the Spirit of promise the great and pretious promise of God made unto all the sons of Japhet So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn to refresh whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit it signifies to enlarge as in the text 1 Sam. 16.23 Dilatabatar Saul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye inlarged or inlarge your love Matth. 11.28 I will give you rest Arab. I will inlarge you As by Shem the Jewes Church is understood so by Japhet is commonly understood the Gentiles So Gen. 10.5 And as there is an inlarging as also contracting according to extension natural and outward so like wise is there an inlarging according to intension spiritual and inward And that either that which God gives and leads into or that which the evil Spirit and our own evil heart is misled into 1. That which God gives c. That we may understand this aright we must know that as bodies are said sometimes to be in strait and narrow places sometimes to be in a more large room so likewise by metaphor the souls and spirits of men are sometimes in anguish and straits sometimes in latitude freedom and inlargement Psal 4. And as cold contracts and makes condensation and thickens bodies and contracts them into a narrow space and heat resolves them and sets them in a large room Even so there are certain streightning affections and passions and compositions of them as self-self-love fear grief sadness envie suspition these contract and straighten the heart And there are affections which widen and inlarge it as the love of God and our neighbour mercy hope joy cheerfulnesse delight these enlarge the heart Accordingly in Scripture we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposed one to other that is straits and inlargement So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.11 12 13. This largness is of the understanding will and affections which how so ever they differ much one from the other yet are they all signified by the heart As when God is said to have given to Solomon largness of heart 1. King 4.29 Also the largness of will and affection Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide Os cordis ad desiderandum petendum vtilia implebo illud the mouth of thy heart thy will and affections Saith Ludolphus Why is God said to inlarge the heart of Japhet and the sonns of Japhet Because he alone knowes
neither go nor stand Yet this is one great infirmity and weakness of many who believe themselves Saints and grown men in Christianity This justly reproves those who when they have passed over Arnon think that they are come to their rest to the end of their journey not considering that there are diverse stages in our journey toward the heavenly Canaan Wherefore let us proceed Behold I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon and his land The words contain the Lords free donation of Sihon and his land into the power of Israel The gift is either personal or real 1. Personal and so we have the name of the person Sihon illustrated by his nation an Amorite his royal authority King and his royal City Heshbon 2. The real gift is his land Of these the Lord gives Israel a demonstration Behold or see I have given into thy hand Sihon c. In which words these Axioms are contained 1. Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon had his land 2. God gave into the hand of Israel Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon and his land 3. The Lord saith Behold I have given in thy hand Sihon the Amorite King c. 1. Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon had his land The land of Sihon is that which is otherwise called the land of Gilead as appears Numb 32. v. 29. compar'd with v. 33. Howbeit this land of Gilead was now called the land of the Amorites for Sihon King of the Amorites had fought against the former King of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand even unto Arnon Numb 21.26 And this was Sihons land What was his City His City was called Heshbon that was the royal City of Sihon King of the Amorites Numb 21.25 Deut. 1.4 Whence observe that 1. Sihon the Amorite a wicked man had his land the Lord calls it his So the Edomites the Moabites and the Ammonites all sinful nations yet had their Cities and Territories by the best right Jure divino by divine right as appears by Deut. 2.5.9.19 Whence it is evident That Dominum rerum temporalium non fundatur in gratia The dominion of temporal things is not founded in grace As for the mystical meaning of these words Sihon has his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of the same signification and extent with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to sweep away dust durt or filth also to destroy extirpate and root up So that Sihon is a Sweeper a Destroyer one who extirpates and roots up These are no meet qualifications for a King yet this Sihon is said to be King of Heshbon That 's Sihons royal City and what is Heshbou What else but the thought and imagination So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies So that Sihon the Amorite is that talking bitter froward rebellious domineering spirit in men which sweeps away destroyes extirpates and roots out all good cogitations and thoughts out of us and implants all evil thoughts in their room And in these evil thoughts Sihon dwels Ill â se jactat in aula Sihon keeps his Court in Heshbon among the thoughts That we may the better understand what Sihons royal City and Court is we must know what Heshbon the thought and thoughts are They are certain inward acts of the reasonable soul which may be considered either abstractly in themselves as they are without commerce or influence upon the affections receive no taint from them and so they may be said to be indifferent Such are they which befal men waking like Dreams These although we cannot call them evil because they receive no corruption from the evil will and affections yet without doubt they are great impediments and rubs in our spiritual journey and hinder our proficiency and growth in grace yea and too evident a signe they are of an empty heart that is not filled with the love of God For if the heart be filled with these intus existens prohibet extraneum they keep off God from his Sanctuary Eezch 8.6 The thoughts may be considered concretely as they excite and stir up affections 1. Either to good as concerning our God and the eternal state of our souls and so consequently the thoughts are good as where the Psalmist saith I said or thought I will look to my wayes Psal 39.1 Or 2. As they move us to evil in which regard they may be called evil thoughts Ezech. 38.10 So that the good or evil thoughts receive their tincture and name from their objects whereabout they are conversant and busied But because as Scire malum non est malum to know evil is not evil so Scire bonum non est bonum to know what is good is not that good we know we must understand that thoughts are either speculative or practical 1. The speculative thoughts busied about evil it is not necessary that the thoughts themselves should be evil For God himself is said to know the vain and sinful thoughts of men Psal 94.11 when yet his thoughts are no more infected by the evil then the Sun is by shining on a Dunghil And thus some excellent men have known evil and how to act it yet have not done it as it s said of Titus the Emperour that he knew how to counterfeit the hands of all the great men of Rome but he never did it unto any mans hurt How much more is this true of our Lord and his Apostles who in their reproofs and dehortations are necessarily supposed to have known the evils which they reproved and from which they deborted yet were they not so much as in a thought guilty of them or corrupted by them Howbeit in men under an inferior dispensation even speculative thoughts of evil Job 31. v. 1. may administer oecasion of evil So Job reasons I have stricken a covenant with mine eyes and why should I think upon a Maid As for the practical thoughts about evil which proceed to delight and consent in the evil there is no doubt but they are evil And in these Sihon having rooted out the old inhabitants out of the heart the good thoughts proceeding from God Psal 139.17 2 Cor. 3.5 he brings in a Colonie of his evil thoughts and these are his royal City his Mansion house where he resides and dwels Hence we may observe that if Sihon be King of Heshbon if the destructive and extirpating spirit bear rule in our thoughts the man is no doubt fallen from his God For since the heart is fons omninum actionum ad extra since all actions proceed from the heart and most mens thoughts and actions are most unlike unto God unto whose image the man was made it cannot be but the heart the Fountain of our thoughts and actions hath been corrupted Neque enim oculos ad concupiscentias sumpsimus neque linguam ad maleloquium neither received we our eyes for concupiscence nor our tongue for evil speaking nor our ears to hear evil words nor our
considered who confine the eternal Deity of the Son of God unto his temporal dispensation and manifestation in the flesh Surely they would judge otherwise if they remembred that the Father hath never been without his Son the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word which hath spoken all things from the Father and the infinite works which he hath wrought whereof S. John speaks John 21.25 2. These same words shall be in thine heart or rather upon thine heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Arias Montanus Munster and the Spanish Translation Martin Luther and two Low Duch Translations express this phrase by Nemen ter herten which Coverdale turns take them to heart The words may be considered as a precept and so Piscator explains In corde erunt by Sunto in corde let them be in your heart and Castellio turns them imperatively In corde habetote have ye them in your heart And they have good reason so to render them from the parallel place Deut. 11.18 Deut. 11. v. 18. Ye shall put or put ye these my words upon your heart and upon your soul Howbeit because these same words are so beneficial unto us nor can we our selves of our selves put them upon our own hearts and because the Lord hath said I will put my Law or Lawes in their inward parts or minde and I will write it or them upon their hearts Jer. 31.33 Hebr. 8.10 I doubt not to call these same words a promise also They are a precept which puts us upon our utmost endeavour to be obedient and to use all meanes for the effecting of it And they are a promise importing thus much that when we have done our utmost endeavour we we have done all we have done and God himself also does what he does out of grace when he puts these same words in or upon our hearts So that the parts of that distinction that Ronum is either officii or praemii good is is either of duty or of reward may coincidere meet in one and the same sentence as here they do We have a phrase among us that such or such a thing is upon our spirits when we say so our meaning is that we have actual and present thoughts of it And so these same words are to be understood here to be upon our hearts and upon our Spirits when we actually think of them have them present in our mindes wills and affections and are in a readiness to do them It we inquire into the reason why these same words must be in or upon our hearts we shall finde them exceedingly necessary and behoofull for us For indeed through our fall we have a dark heart and blinde eyes Yee were darkness Ephes 5. and he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth Joh. 12.35 And therefore there is great need of the pure and holy commandement of the Lord which is a Lamp and the law a light Prov. 6.23 Which is inlightning the eyes Psal 19.8 2. And whereas the heart and soule has gon a stray and lost it self the law of the Lord is perfect converting or restoring the soul 3. And whereas the heart is defiled and who can say for he is a very rare man who can say my heart is clean these same words bring with them the fear of God Exod. 20.20 Which is clean Psal 19. and cleanseth the heart Ephes 5.26 and perfects the holyness and purity of it 2 Cor. 7.1 4. And whereas there is a kinde of Acidia as it 's called in the School a deadness and laziness in regard of our cold affections unto any spiritual good these same words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fiery words such as come out of the fire tryed and proved Deut. 4.33 And therefore they are called a fiery law Deut. 33.2 Even the law of the spirit which is as fire Rom. 8.2 These same fiery words enflame the heart and make it zealous and ready to every good work 5. And least the heart should be transported with an heady zeal without a guide which is a kind of wild fire or Ignis fatuus these same words regulate our zeal Gal. 4.18 They stere the course of our whole life and therefore they are said to be our life Prov. 3.22 6. And as the naturall heart is seated as a King in the midst of the body So these same words sit in the heart and rule it with divine wisdom and make it a wise and understanding heart These same words satisfy the soul which is commonly taken for the desire And because the affections are seated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the irrational part of the soul these same words quiet the tumultuous perturbations and passions of the heart So that when the affections begin to mutany the love and peace of God empires all differences according to Col. 3.15 But touching these same words in or upon the heart I spake somewhat on Deut. 4.9 Come we now to the transmitting of these same words unto posterity And that 's the third divine sentence 3. These same words which I am commanding thee this day shall be in or upon thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children I turn them rather thou shalt whet them upon thy sons For why should we loose so elegant a metaphore chosen by the spirit of God For although to whet be diligently to teach as the phrase is explained Deut. 11.19 yet is it not the native signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here is used which R. Solomon interprets by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sharpen or whet And so Luther and Piscator and one low Dutch translation Tremellius also turns it acutè ingeres thou shalt sharply put into and one of our old English Munster recensebis Pagnin turns the word repetes so the Spanish and the French thou shalt recite them Castellio inculcatote and the Tigurin Bible hath the same word Two things are to be inquired into 1. what these children are which indeed are to be turned sons 2. What it is to whet 1. By sons whether natural or spiritual we are to understand such as are to be begotten unto God by the immortal seed of the word such are disciples Thus R. Solomon interprets them the sons of the Prophets And so John Baptist had his sons thus Simon is called the son of Jonah Josh 1.42 Jonah is the Syriack contraction of Johanna as may appear from hence that whereas our Lord had called Peter Simon son of Jonah he calls him thrice without contraction Simon son of John so St. Hierom Joh. 21.15 16 17. Simon fili Johannis And accordingly Nonnus in his paraphrase hath those words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simon thou son of John father divine The ministers of God are fathers unto those whom they beget unto God and Christ thus St. Paul calls the Corinthians his sons 1 Cor. 4.14 as my beloved sons I warn you For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ yet ye have not many
7.14 Mat. 6.10 Wherefore be couragious O ye faithfull Israelites who march against your spiritual enemies ye have the promise of the Lord of hosts that ye shall eat up all the peoples which the Lord your God is giving to you Hearken not to the faint-hearted and unbelieving Spies who say that the people are greater and taller then ye are and that ye are as Grashoppers or rather as Locusts Num. 13. v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your own eyes and in the peoples eyes Numb 13.33 Let them not discourage or rather melt your heart Why should that significant metaphore be obscured and lost by mis-translation whereof the Spirit of God makes use as taken either from Ice resolved into water Josh 7.5 or from Wax melted Psal 22.15 Unbelief and fear soften and melt the heart which is strengthened by belief and courage Gen. 45.26 Psal 27.13 14. Believe the faithful and valiant Spies and witnesses of God Jehoshua the Lord the Saviour and Caleb the hearty and couragious man according to the heart of God these will assure us that we are well able to overcome and eat up the peoples For so they say Numb 14.9 Fear not ye the people of the land for they are bread for us If we be thus strong in the Lord the Lord will strengthen us Psal 31.24 and the Lord Jesus will take away the sin John 1.29 and the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the pretiousness of Lambs they shall consume into smoke Psalm 37.20 For so the Altar of Christs patience consumes and eats up the Sacrifices Therefore the Altar is called Ariel that is the Lion of God Ezech. 43.16 which devours the flesh of sin which is laid upon it And thus the spiritual enemies of the Lord and his people are consumed by the fire and spirit of love burning on the Altar the patience of Jesus Christ So the Prophet prayes Consume in wrath consume and let them not be He prayes against the sinnes not the persons of his enemies for ver 11. he had prayed slay them not He prayes that the Lord would consume the iniquity that it might not be For should he pray here against the sinners that they should not be how could he pray for them in the words next following Let them know that the Lord ruleth in Jacob and to the ends of the earth And to shew that what he had said is worth our consideration he adds Selah Which imports the suppressing of our earthly thoughts and raising up our heavenly meditations like that Psal 9.16 Higgaion or medidation Selah Even so O Lord impower us by thy mortifying spirit Rom. 8.13 which may kill eat up and consume all the wicked populacy all the seven nations the deadly sins which will otherwise eat up and consume us And quicken us unto the life of thee our God through the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Gods request unto his People SER. XV. OR Gods Petition of Right SERMON XV. Deuteronomie 10. ver 12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul to keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good SOme of these words are otherwise to be rendred as I shall shew in the particular handling of them Meantime we may know that they contain a summary comprehension These words are a summary comprehension of the peopses duty to their God inferred from the consideration of his goodness in renewing the Law continuance of the Priesthood and adding thereto the Levites Whence the words before us are deduced as a conclusion The 1. And is here collective as gathering all the promises together conclusive and illative as inferring from those promises Israels obedience and very emphatical as often elsewhere If for our better understanding of these words we take in the two following verses which depend upon the two former we shall finde that this Paragraph hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Request or Desire 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Rendring of a reason for that Desire and Request In the former which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Request and Desire is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing desired and requested and the end why it is requested and desired 1. The thing desired and requested is either the peoples holy affections or the sutable effects issuing from them Their holy affections are either the holy fear of the Lord whose effect is walking in all his wayes Or the holy and intire love of God whose effect is serving him with all the heart and with all the soul The common effect of both these holy affections is keeping Gods Commandements and Statutes 2. The End aimed at in all this is either Cujus as they call it for which the request is made that is for good or Cui for whose sake and for whose benefit this duty unto God is requested for thee 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reason of this Request and Desire is either negative implicitly set down not that the Lord needs thee O Israel or any thing of thine For behold the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens are the Lords thy Gods the earth also with all that therein is 2. Positive and express the affection of God toward the holy Fathers only the Lord did cleave unto thy Fathers to love them Deut. 10. v. 16. out of which he chose their children above all other people Which was the special grace of Christ toward his Church Ephes 1.3 4 5. Ye perceive by this Analyse that the Text is Oratio argumentosa a speech full of Arguments and may afford manifold Axioms of greatest regard But I have elsewhere spoken to diverse of them The divine Axiomes contained in these words are either 1. Gods Requests unto his people or 2. Gods Requesting these of them or his servant Moses Requiring of them or the ends why the Lord requests and Moses requires these of Israel Gods Requests are that 1. Israel fear the Lord their God 2. That Israel walk in all his wayes 3. That Israel love him 4. That Israel serve the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul 5. That Israel keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes 6. The Lord requires all these of Israel 7. Moses requstes or commands all these this day 8. The Lord requests nothing more nor does Moses require any thing more of Israel but these 9. For what end doth the Lord request or Moses require these of thee O Israel but for good and to thee O Israel I intend not to treat of all these having spoken to many of them upon their Texts of Scripture Wherefore I shall waive the Press handling of what I have formerly
v. 15. O how contrary to this is the love of our God! when his love has touched our heart with his finger that is with his spirit when he drawes us with the cords of his love when he manifests himself unto us The more near we draw unto him by so much our love more and more increaseth toward him and in his presence is the fulness of joy and at his right hand pleasures for ever more Psalm 16.11 This Commandement is said to be the first by our Saviour Mat. 22. and that both in regard of the Lawgiver and in respect of man to whom the Law is given 1. In regard of the Lawgiver he is the first and chief good Since therefore love is naturally carried unto goodness and first in order of dignity unto the first and chief good there is good reason why we should first love him and consequently that this should be the first Commandement Yea first it is in order of intention or the end which the Lawgiver aims at and that 's love 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is love For howsoever the knowledge of God must precede in order of time because Ignoti nulla cupido there is no desire of that which is unknown no nor love nor hope nor fear nor joy no affection at all toward that whereof there is first no knowledge nor can we love desire hope in or fear God unless first we know him yet this is to be understood in order of time As for the order of intention which God aimes at he would not that the man should rest in a contemplative knowledge of himself but that he should be affected according to his knowledge which must cease but love must remain 1 Cor. 13. Charitas intrat ubi scientia foris stat Charity enters when Knowledge stands without doores Yea although fear go before love Primus in orbe deos fecit timor and that it is Prima mensura divinitatis the first measure of the Deity yet this is to be understood in regard of the man 's fallen estate For fear of punishment had never been unless first sin had entred into the World as appears Gen. 3. Yea and initial fear makes way for love as a serviceable means for that end which being obtained and perfected as being principally intended fear is cast out as being used only as a means to obtain the end with which it cannot consist as Physick having brought us to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or good habitude of body is it self purged out and the Needle is cut off when it hath drawn in the threed and united the cloath And therefore the Wiseman saith that fear is the beginning of love Ecclus 25.12 2. In regard of man to whom this Law is given this Commandement is first and that in respect 1. Of mans obligation to act and 2. In respect of his principle of action 1. Gods work of creation and preservation whereby he prevents the man layes the first obligation and tye upon the man to love and to be thankful unto his God which truth the Gentiles held in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 21. 2. In regard of the principle of action in the man For howsoever there be diverse principles whence the observation of the Commandements is said to proceed as Fear Faith Hope yet none of them either severally or joyntly brings forth that obedience to the Commandements which God requires but love For howsoever faith be the fundamental saving principle yet that works not but by love Gal. 5.6 Which principle we finde in the promulgation of the Law Exod. 20.5 6. And the same method our Lord observes in the Gospel John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandements He saith not if ye fear believe or trust in me The Apostle gives the reason of it 1 Tim. 1.5 the end of the Commandement is charity Now if charity be the end that is the perfection of the Commandement then is it the first and chief principle out of which obedience to the Commandements must proceed Sapiens incipit à fine a wise man begins from the end Yea till the man keep the Commandements out of this principle he cannot be said to keep the covenant of his God nor God to keep covenant with the man But when the man loves his God and out of that love obeyes his God then the Lord keeps covenant with him So Dan. 9.4 O Lord the great and dreadful God keeping the Covenant and mercy towards them that love him and keep his Commandement c. As this is the first Commandement so it is also called by our Lord the great Commandement And whereas a thing is said to be great Quantitate molis or quantitate virtutis in regard of bulk or power and vertue this later way this Commandement is said to be great or the greatest according to S. Hierom by reason of the vertue power and efficacy of it and that both in respect of the subject and of the duty it self 1. In regard of the subject whoever thus loves God with all his heart his heart and minde must be enabled thereunto by the Spirit of God 1 Tim. 1.5 It is the first fruit and strength of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 And the Lord so circumciseth his heart that he may so love him with all his heart and with all thy soul and keep the Commandements and live Deut. 30.6 Zach. 11.19 20. Rom. 6.11 13. 2. The duty it self is most required and best accepted by our God For as love is in nature the first of all the affections which like the great wheel of the Clock turns about all the rest For so we desire rejoyce in fear hope for grieve for c. some thing which we love such is the divine love to all other graces The Spirit of God in this great wheel actuates and moves all the other graces Yea and this divine love swallowes up all other inferiour affections all other love concupiscence and desire As the Serpent of Moses devoured all the Serpents of the Egyptian Magicians For he who loves God with all his heart and keeps all this Commandement he can love nothing repugnant unto God nothing but in order unto God he loves himself only in order unto God and for God He loves his neighbour out of his love of God even as he loves himself that is in order unto God So he loves his neighbour that he is of one heart and one soul with his neighbour Acts 4.32 So that his love of his neighbour and of himself are no way contrary to the intire love of God Yea howsoever many other duties are enjoyned us beside this Commandement yet this of all the rest is the greatest and most excellent 1 Cor. 12. ult and that for two reasons 1. It s most durable and outlasts all the rest and therefore it s preferred before Prophesie Tongues Knowledge yea before Faith and Hope it self 1 Cor. 13. ult 2. The love of God is the Seisin and the common
reason which had enslaved him from the bondage of his own false and erroneous principles whereon his heart was bound The bondage of his own lusts whereunto he was a servant Iohn 8.32 33 34 35 36. The bondage of sin and the law of sin which had enthralled him And being set free from all this bondage the true free-dom is the addicting ones whole self Rom. 6.7.18 and 8.2 understanding reason will affections actions life unto God and his righteousness This freedom is wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ his word and Spirit and Truth So that True freedom is a power to will and do what is good without any hindrance without any resistance in him who wills or does it And thus God is most free 2 Iohn 3.9 and 5.18 Thus he is free who is fully born of God Nor can he sin because he is born of God Thus Laban had no power or Just freedom to hurt Jacob if he had hurt him it had been from a false freedom from licence not from true libertie The Magistrate hath no power to hurt an innocent man if he hurt him it is not according to his office nor according to the rule of true freedom given him of God and Christ 2 Cor. 13.8.10 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Pauls power was to edification and not to destruction This is a free-dom according to which the most free-men are servants Acts 13.36 and 10.36 as David And Jesus Christ who is Lord of all and so most free He took upon him the form of a servant Yea this is a free-dom according to which the meanest servant may yet be free 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So S. Chrysost For a man may be a servant yet not servile he may be a free man yet a servant Joseph was a servant yet not yielding to his own lusts or his Ladies he was a free-man His Mistris a free-woman yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a servant of servants a slave to her own servant because a vassal to hir own lusts For the will of the fallen man being more prone to evill than good is much better and more free unto good being under the command and direction of another especially if it be justa servitus a just or moderate servitude than if it were wholly left unto it self In which case that of Job is true Job 11.12 Man is born like a wild asses colt Art thou called a servant care not for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. Lat. Sed etsi but although thou mayest be made free 1 Cor. 7.21 22 use it that is thy just service rather and the reason proves it in the following words For he that is called c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nestor it is better to obey These are the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Freemen the Princes the Noblemen the Gentlemen A man may according to this freedom be a good servant to an evill Master Obadiah was over Ahabs house 1. King 18.3 Joseph the servant of Potiphar Jacob to Labam Naaman now a Proselyte yet servant unto the King of Syria Daniel and the other Captives to Nabucadnezzar Nehemiah to Artaxerxes Saints in Cesars houshold Phil. 4.22 Ephes 6.5.6.7 3. Doubt If Canaan in person were not the servant of Shem then must he be in his posterity But where shall we find that Canaans posterity or the Canaanites were servants unto Shem or the Shemites Surely we read of Canaans posteritie how ingenious in all or most Liberal Arts some of them were in the time of peace and how securely they lived how powerfull and terrible to their enimies some of them were in their warrs which seems not to agree with the Condition of servants How securely they lived in peace and how ingenious they were in most Liberal and Mechanicall Arts 't is evident in that Arithmetick with Astronomie came from the Zidonians who were from Zidon Canaans first born unto the Grecians But their cheif excellency was in regard of Mechanick Arts mixture of purple is ascribed to the Tyrians Making of Glasse and weaving of Silk to the Zidonianes They were excellent Carpenters 1. King 5.6 Therefore Homer calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ever witty invention in Garments or Vessells and what ever it was wont to be attributed unto the industry of the Zidonians By those Arts they grew extream Rich and secure Judg. 18.7 The Hittites were formidable and terrible in their wars as appears 2. Kings 7.6 The Jebusites were not inferior unto the Hittites who kept Jerusalem and Mount Zion maugre all the power of Jsrael till Davids time And when he went to beseige them in contempt of him they set no other guard to keep the gates then the Blind and the Lame 2 Sam. 5.8 The Amorites are reported to be as tall as Cedars and as strong as Oaks their Land a Land of Gyants Deut. 2.20 Zamzmmim the bedsted of Og one of them is described Deut. 3.11 much might be said of the other sonns of Canaan All which seems not to suit with servitude unto which Ham and Canaan were accursed by Noah For answer here unto I have shewen how according to the history the curse of Noah laid hold on Ham and the Egyptians As for the Canaanites 't is true they were very ingenious and witty in finding out of Trades and herein more industrious then either Shem or Japhet But this hindred not but that they might yet well be of a base and servile disposition as Cain and his posterity before the flood were exceeding cunning and were the first inventors of founding metalls and working in Iron making of tents building Cities inventing instruments of Musick All which although they be necessary for mans life and though they may be and doubtless are well used by the seed of Sheth and Enoch and Noah and Shem Yet the holy Ghost shewing that the seed of Cain before the flood were inventors of these things as also the seed of Canaan after the flood it 's an evident argument that these things were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the main business wherein the Cainites and the Canaanites imployed themselves While mean time Sheth Enoch Noah Shem and their seed busied themselves in Divine matters In a word the Cainites and Canaanites busied themselves wholly about things belonging onely unto this life The Shethites and Shemites were and are taken up wholly or principally with matters of the life to come Let us now reflect upon our selves if our whole mind thoughts and desires be taken up about the things of this life earthly things c. What are we better then they we are even as they were Cainites and Canaanites For according to a mans thoughts will affections and actions he is to be esteemed Yea and according to them his reward shall be Matth. 22.5.6 not onely they who reproached and slew the servants sent to invite them are held unworthy to tast of the Marriage
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ the power of God who inwardly inableth me saith S. Paul How is this possible To God only all things are possible yet the Scripture also saith to him that believes all things are possible Why because this belief in the truth and might of God Rom. 4.17 Gal. 3.1 6. Ephes 1.18 19. Rom. 8.10 11 makes men like unto God himself whom they believe even God who quickneth the dead Christ the son is dead in thee crucified in thee God quickens the dead And by this living faith there is a power in believers to raise up the dead in them Obs 2. Here is faith rightly placed on the due reall and proper object divine truth testified by God and Christ himself when the heart gives assent and credit unto the testimony of God that is the first and essentiall truth and which cannot lie Tit. 1.2 Iohn 3.33 then the soul closes with that and seales to it He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true This is the reason why that frequent preface to the prophesies Thus faith the Lord c. ought to be of more credit with us then all the demonstrations in the world Here is saith rightly placed upon the due personall obiect the power and might of God for the effecting of what he promises Iob 30.27 2 Kings 4.16 It 's true there may be pangs and throwes by reason of diffidence and distrust from consideration of our own impotency and weakness O my Lord do not lie unto thy servant saith the Shunamite unto Elisha when he had assured her Thou thy self shall imbrace a son Is there any thing too hard for the Lord 'T is true Idoll Gods Imaginations bring forth nothing but imaginations Esay 66 9. but V. Lat. Numquid ego qui alios parere facio ipse non pariam dicit Dominus shall not I who cause others to bring forth shall not I myself bring forth saith the Lord. Whosoever receives the seed of the word in an honest and good heart Matth. 12.50 shall certainly becom the mother of Christ Obs 3. See then Abrams faith and the faith of Abrams Sons and Daughters is no bare no naked faith but adorned with submission with humility with love with obedience Abrams daughters are clothed with good workes 1 Tim. 2.10 It is no dead faith it hath a form a soul a spirit a life And what are these but good workes Iam. 2.17.20.26 if the Apostle reason right he saith not that good workes are the fruits of faith as commonly they are called For so the tree may live and bear no fruit as in winter but the Apostle seemes to comprehend obedience and good workes in the very nature and essence of faith what else meaneth he when he compares faith without workes to the body without the soul and Abrams faith was made perfect by workes Verse 22.26 and as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also It 's evident therefore that the Apostle understood good workes to be the form soul spirit and life of faith And hence it is that an other Apostle having given a description of faith for examples of it he propounds only those faithfull men who were holy good just Godly and obedient men in their generations For other faith is altogether unprofitable to the chief end salvation What doth it profit if a man say he hath faith Hebr. 11. and have not works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Potest fides illa can that faith save him So Beza turns that place well Obs 4. Hence we see who are the true believers who but they who walk in the steps of Abrams faith they who imitate and follow Abrams faith Rom. 4.12 which is in this place expressed Abram believed that God would give him an holy seed that is Christ as S. Paul explaines it This is or ought to be the belief of every one of us of every true and genuine son and daughter of Abram Gal. 3.16 That the Lord will give us the seed even the son that the Lord will raise up Jesus from the dead in us That this is or ought to be the belief of every son and daughter of Abram appeares from the Apostles reasoning upon the words of my Text where having said that it was not written for his that is Rom. 4.18.23 24. for Abrams sake alone c. but for us if we believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who raised up Jesus the Lord◠the word is in the Aorist indefinite as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made and yet makes the purging of our sins so he raised up and yet raiseth up the Lord Jesus Hebr. 1.3 And the Lord offereth faith unto all having raised up or rasing Christ from the dead So he hath raised or doth raise up his son from the dead For our better understanding of this ye may be pleased to compare the example of believing Abram the father of the faithfull Acts 17.31 1 Thess 1.10 with any one of us who are his children and believers Rom. 4.18 Abram firmly believed which firm belief of Abrams is handled by the object or Subject the promise of God Abrams is handled by the object or Subject Gods ability to perform it Abrams is handled by the object or the diversity 1. The promise of God according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be 2. The ability of God what he had promised he was able to perform The diversity 1. With reference to a contrary object himself and his own body which was dead and the deadness of Sarahs womb neither of which he considered 2. With reference to the act of belief not weake but strong not weake in regard of his own body and the deadness of Sarahs womb which he considered not but strong in regard of God The like we may consider in a believer a son of Abram he believes in Gods promise which is the eternall life 1 Iohn 2.25 and 5.11 and this life is in his son 1. John 5.11 This is that life of God from which we are alienated and estranged Ephes 4.18 Rom. 5.8 Gal. 3.1 Tit. 1.2 This life of God hath been crucified and slain dead and buried in us while we were sinners which God that cannot lie hath promised Whosoever believe and hope in God for this life they consider not themselves so impotent and weak that they are not able to think one good thought of themselves and though their heart faint and fail them as is said of Jacob yet God is the strengh of their heart Gen. 45.26 Psal 73.26 Ephes 1.18 19. Mark 9.23 Psal 110.3 They believe in the mighty power of God whereby he raised up Christ from the dead This is the reason that to him that believes all things are possible This is the day of Gods power that
good works Ephes 2.10 and to do works of righteousnesse is the end for which man was created we must know therefore that the Apostle disputes with the Pharisees against works wrought by their own power Col. 2.12 Gen. 26.5 not against such as proceed from faith in the operative power of God by which Abraham obtained a glorious testimony of his obedience 2. It seems that God when he imputes faith for righteousness justifies the ungodly Exod. 23.7 Prov. 17.15 and 24.24 Esay 5.23 But can this truly be said of the most just God that he justifies the ungodly doth he not say expresly I will not justifie the wicked nay doth he not ahhor this in us How then can God be said here to justifie the ungodly I have heretofore shewen that God then justifies the ungodly when he takes away his ungodlinesse from him It is not therefore to be understood in sensu composito as if then when God had justified the ungodly he yet continued ungodly but in sensu diviso God justifies the ungodly by taking away his ungodlinesse from him And thus Abram being yet an Idolater as Philo Judaeus and divers of our own gather out of Jos 24.2 he believed in God who justified Abram and took away his idolatry and all his sins from him and made him of an Idolater a worshipper of the true God of an ungodly man a godly man so God justifies the ungodly And thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 14.2 Luke 11.4 Mat. 26.28 Acts 13.38 Mat. 8.17 turn'd forgiveness of sins signifies not only a remission and pardon of sin but also a taking away of sin Thus the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world Thus in the third doubt God imputes righteousnesse without works to him whose unrighteousnesses are forgiven removed and taken away and whose sins are covered and buried by their contrary righteousnesse Besides though the Scripture were here to be so understood as they â—lledge it yet I answer secondly that that testimony out of Psalm 32. is not fully taken but as it is very usuall in humane authors as well as in the Scripture it self where somewhat is left to be supplyed The following words are and in whose spirit there is no guiâ—e So that well may the Lord pronounce him just when he has made him just For what is that in whose spirit there is no guile but according to what the Psalmist speakes vers 11. The last words in the Psam rejoyce in the Lord ye righteouss and shout for joy all ye upright in heart Obs 1. Take notice of Gods exceeding great bounty and munificence He reckons that as if it were merit and desert which is no more then meer duty and due service When Abram believed God in his promise and set to his seal c. John 3.35 Abram did no more then what was his duty to do herein Yea which in all reason he ought to do For what is more credible or so credible and worthy to be believed as the Primum verum that which in nature is first true Yea Abram did no more then what we afford to men in their measure when we believe their words and promises Yet the Lord not only took this faith in good worth at Abrams hand but rewarded it with the performance of what was promised a son yea he also gave him a spiritual seed of righteousness whereby he was the friend and favorite of God Jam. 2.23 Obs 2. What we have in the Text He that is God counted unto him for righteousness that in the Ch. Paraphrast the LXX S. Paul Rom. 4.3 Gal. 3.6 S. Jam. 2.23 is rendred passively it was imputed unto him for righteousness Whence we may infer that what God accounts for righteousness it is so accounted Obs 3. Abram no doubt was a righteous man before as may appear by his whole story wherefore when God is said to have counted this faith to Abram for righteousness Revel 22.11 what can we understand hereby but that since righteous Abram was righteous still God added this eminent act of faith unto Abrams account of righteousness according to the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reproof The unjustifiable and unwarrantable justifications 2. especiall 1. by workes 2. by fansy 1. By works whether of the ceremoniall law Gal. 4.10.11 or of the morall law without faith the Scripture every where excludes them both Specially Rom. 4. where the Apostle proves that Abrams justification sprang not from his own workes but from Gods grace Reprof Second Those who justifie themselves by fancy who imagine that because they believe that Christ hath done and suffered all things for mans salvation and theirs in speciall this faith shall be imputed unto them for righteousness though they yet live not by faith yea though they live in open and notorious sinns But perhaps the Lord accounts those sinnes dead and reputes those dead workes only as infirmities and weaknesses of the Saints Very likely As if sin were then mortified and dead when it is only thought to be so As if to be baptized into Christs death were only to have our sins called by new names as weaknesses infirmities and frailties which were deadly sins before we imagined them to be dead By this meanes we shall have wicked mens cousenage murder drunkenness and adultery and the Saints cousenage their murder their drunkenness their adultery the very same sinnes only fansied otherwise new Christ'ned and called by other nam 's as serving-men are said to be drunk and their masters sick when the disease is one and the same And many like prodigious unheard of distinctions of sins Thus because Christ was sober therefore the believing drunkard shall be counted sober by Christs sobriety And because Christ was chast patient loving c. Therefore the believing letcher wrathful envious person shall be counted chast patient loving Why because Christs chastity patience and love is imputed to him O' beloved Let not us be deceived for God is not God cannot be deceived He alwayes accounts sin sin He never accounts a covetous man liberall nor a drunkard sober nor a letcher chast nor an angry man patient He judgeth righteous judgment shall I count them pure with the wicked balances and with the bag of deceitfull weights Saith the Lord Mich. 6.11 No This is the time foretold by the Prophet Esay 32.8 when the vile person shall be no more called liberall nor the churl bountifull but the liberall person deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall be stand He that doth righteousness is righteous even as God is righteous Saith S. John 1 Joh. 3.7 O beloved there is no marvell that the hand of God is stretched out still since in this day of his judgement there is no true faith to be found little other righteousness no better justification then this Cons Great consolation unto believers the sons and daughters of Abram The Lord counts their belief
hidden and invisible Church as those names signifie Obs 2. What is principally to be partaken of in Christ his Head his ruling part we are to receive him as our Prince our Ruler and Governour This is that which is aimed at first in these words Many can be content to partake of him as a Prophet as a Priest as a Sacrifice but few as an Head few as a Prince Head and Governour As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2.6 Obs 3. What part of the word is principally intended by the Head what else but the ruling part the Head-sum of the Law and Faith even love out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Reproof 1. Those who aim at a Church like the Cyclops a Common-wealth without an Head without order of the members superiour and inferiour Reproof 2. Who reject Christ and will none of him as their Head We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19.14 2. His Legs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have their name in the Hebrew from bowing or being bowed They have analogie and proportion to the arms and legs of a man which are the instruments of motions and actions And therefore commonly by the feet and legs we mystically understand the passions and affections which move and carry out the soul and the whole man and put him upon actions which are signified by the hands and arms The eating therefore of the legs of the Paschal Lamb is having communion with Christ in motions and actions to walk as he walked 1 John 2.6 So S. Paul walked and he tels the Corinthians of his wayes that were in Christ 1 Cor. 4.17 Communion in power and strength signified by the Arm which is Christ Esay 40.10 and 53.1 By the Feet of the Lamb we may understand the lesse Commandements as by the Head the greater Hos 8.12 These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie the great things of the Law in regard of the lesse Matth. 23.23 For the Commandements of God are not all of one cise Whence it follows That Obs 1. There are degrees of the word and Commandements of God some greater some lesse 2. Both greater and less must be kept Head and feet of the Lamb must be eaten Axiom 3. His appurtenance The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his inwards The word properly signifies all the intrails more specially the Heart And by the Heart the will love and mercy is to be understood The eating then of the inwards of the Pascal Lamb is the partaking of the will of Christ that it may be our meat to do his will John 4.34 S. Paul had Christs love and mercy in him I long after you saith he in the bowels of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.8 Obs 1. All the Commandements prohibitions promises and threatnings are to be received fed upon by faith and inwardly digested into life Observe all things whatsoever I command you Matth. 28.20 Believe all things which the Prophets have written Luke 24.25 To receive the most intimate requiring of the Law inwardly and to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with the spirit of our minde Obs 2. The participation of Christ is not outward onely but also inward His words are spirit and life John 6.63 His law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. His whole worship is spiritual John 4.23 24. Hitherto we have considered these members a part Come we now to the handling of them joyntly And here let us inquire Why must these three be eaten The whole Lamb must be eaten And why is there more special mention made of these three parts 1. They are the three parts which specially suffered in the true Pascal Lamb. His Head crowned with Thorns His Hands and Feet pierced with Nails and his Side with a Spear 2. We have been wounded in all these in our Head our intellectuals in our inwards our morals in our actions and affections From the sole of the foot even to the head Esay 1.6 3. We have wounded him in all these we have crowned his head with our thorny cares In his hand is the hiding of his power Hab. 3.4 But what are these wounds in thy hands These with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zach. 13.6 even in those who enfeeble Christs power under pretence of infirmity and weakness of the Saints Obs 1. All our motions and actions which are signified by the outward members these are directed by the Head by the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 All our inward willing and nilling all our love hope desire fear joy grief all the actions proceeding from these these are guided by the minde and understanding by the Head Christ And therefore the words in the text if truly translated are very observable Ye shall eat the head with the legs and the purtenance thereof The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head above the legs and above the purtenance thereof The head must rule the legs and feet all the motions and actions The head must be above the inwards it must guide the passions and motions and affections of the heart Though these parts be specially enjoyned the whole Lamb must be eaten Obs 2. The holy Spirit of God implies and requires our whole conformity to Jesus Christ under the names 1. of eating and drinking unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you John 6.53 His flesh is his Word the Word made flesh John 1.14 His Spirit is drink He hath made us to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence is our spiritual life Christ our life Col. 3.4 To me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 2. The Spirit requires our conformity unto him in clothing put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Yea we must be armed with him what the Apostle calls the armour of light Rom. 13.12 13 14. he explains and calls the Lord Jesus Christ Reproof 1. Who will eat the Head who will be contemplative Christians but not the legs and feet they are not practical not affectionate Such an one was Judas he knew Christ and preached him but his bowels gushed out he had no mercy Reproof 2. Those who are practical and perform some outward work materially good without the inwards As the Pharisees would perform some outward duties without the inward and spiritual commandment Our Lord saith Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Nor is that Authors tenent other then Pharisaical who writing a work of Wisdom adviseth men to supply the necessities of the poor and miserable but not to be moved or troubled at their miseries His reason Because saith he it damps a noble spirit I know not wherein he placeth the nobility of spirit unless with Aristotle he account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
pride and haughtiness of mind a noble spirit He considered not that a Christian spirit is a merciful spirit For surely our sympathy and commiseration is the best part of our alms which is a contract of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy S. John will determine this controversie Whoso hath this worlds good saith he and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up he saith not his purse but his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 John 3.17 Reproof 3. Who eat the inwards not Christs but their own as the envious man does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he eats his own heart Reproof 4. Who eat not the Head partake not of the Lambs dominion but will make Rezin their King their own wilfulness Esay 7. and set up over them Tabeel a god such as seems good to themselves as the Chal. Par. turns Tabeel I beseech ye take it not amiss that I set before ye the fragments that were left the last night It is the judgement of one of the most pious and learned Fathers that by the fragments that were taken up Matth. 14.20 are to be understood the more abstruse and difficult parts of the word which the people left And so the Apostle distinguishes between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.1 2. I fed you with milk and not with meat for ye were not able to bear it Hitherto we have had the Bill of fare the parts of the Pascal Lamb principally to be eaten Come we now to the manner of eating the Pascal Lamb. And first negatively and that 's two wayes 1. Not raw 2. Not sodden at all in water First We must not eat it raw The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn raw of doubtful signification in the Hebrew which descends from the Arabic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with changing of a letter usually changeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crudum cruentum quod sanguine coctum Scal. It 's meant not simply raw but half roasted a fault I fear too often committed that as the Cooks buy their meat raised or blown up an old sin of the Butchers which Aristotle mentions in his Elenchs so the Cooks half roast their meat that it may seem fair to the eye and be sold off the dearer Rat. Why not raw or half roasted The Law forbids eating with the blood and gives reason because in the blood of the beast is the life of the beast Now if we enquire into a further reason of that Law The Lord thereby would prevent cruelty lest eating with the blood might incline men to love blood and so shed blood Nero and Domitian two of the worst Emperours of Rome loved hunting and shedding the blood of beasts and afterwards were most cruel in shedding the bloud of men Obs 1. Mysticè Not raw The Lord would not that wee should have communion with the life of the beast neither in the concupiscible as lasciviousness and luxury nor in the irascible as savageness and fierceness Eccles 11.10 Obs 2. The Lord would not that we should feed upon his Word in the crudity of the letter As in these and such examples Except a man hate his father and mother c. sell all thou hast and give to the poor c. These and the like Scriptures must be understood cum grano salis according to the intention of the Spirit of God not literally not rawly For if we hate father or mother how can we honour them Doubt But why does Moses forbid eating with the blood when Christ the true Moses and the true Pascal Lamb gives us his blood to drink Answer The Israelites in Moses dayes were not come to the renewing of the life but they were daily admonished and exhorted to amend their life howbeit herein they were very slow yea murmured and hardened their hearts against Moses And therefore they were not suffered to eat the blood For in the blood is the life Deut. 12.23 Unto which life they could not come by reason of their unbelief and disobedience Hebr. 3.19 and 4.11 But the Disciples of Christ who had now passed from the flesh into the Spirit and were come from the death into the life Christ gave to these his flesh to cat and his blood to drink even for a renewing of the life 3. Not sodden at all in water Seething and boyling as also stewing requires water or other liquor wherein to stew boyl and seeth meat and make it fit for eating by working out the scum and drawing out the crudities Mysticè Sursum corda I come not to teach the Artists their own art What then is meant by water wherein the Lamb must not be sodden By water mystically is understood doctrine Ephes 5.26 Doctrine in Scripture is humane or divine Humane doctrine as mens traditions are here forbidden their fear of me is taught by the precepts of men Of this water the Prophet complains thy wine is mixt with water the spiritual doctrine of divine consolation is blended with mans doctrine mans invention for that water which is divine doctrine is elsewhere commended 2. The Lord requires the simplicity in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 and godly sincerity in all our services And therefore 1 Cor. 5.8 as here he forbids the water of humane doctrine so elsewhere the leaven of hypocrisie in eating the spiritual Passover Esay 29.13 1.22 But why must not the Lamb be sodden in the water of humane doctrine or mans doctrine 1. In regard of the water it self 2. In respect of the seething or boyling meat in that water 1. The water it self is from beneath the water below the heavens whereas the divine water is water above the heavens Now because its water from beneath its feculent and sapit contiguam glebam it relishes of the earth whence it comes and that is from the earthly mans wisdom and invention James 3.15 Of this our Lord speaks Ye are from beneath I am from above John 8.23 2. In regard of the seething or boyling and the effect of it the humane doctrine and wisdom cannot reach unto the sublime nature of the divine wisdom and Word The Naturallists say and experience proves it Aqua tantum ascendit quantum descendit Water can ascend no higher then the Fountain from whence it comes That which is of the flesh is flesh that which is of the earthly spirit is earth John 3.6.31 Since therefore the Pascal Lamb is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong meat the weak water of mans doctrine cannot prepare it maturate it or fit it for the nourishment of our souls The water of mans doctrine cannot prepare the spiritual Pascal Lamb. The truth of this appears in the business we have in hand the mystery of the Lords Supper For the learned men of three divided Churches have been long time seething and boyling and parboyling this mystery and all to little
of God and how the after-gods may be said to be upon Gods face the text will be clear to all who are spiritually minded And what is the face of God but his Christ Exod. 33.14 15. Moses desires to see Gods face that I may see or know thee as a man is known by his face And the Lord said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My face shall go before thee which the Chald. Par. turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Shekinah the in-dwelling Deity which is the Christ of God shall go before thee Thus what we have Mal. 3.1 before me is before thy face Matth. 11.10 And what do all the after-gods but cover and obscure the face of God even his Christ in us What other was Ashtoreth 1 Kings 11.5 Is not that Goddess of the Zidonians worshipped as much at this day as ever What is Ashtereth but wealth and riches And what else is Chemosh the abomination of Moab viz. the god of junketing after suppers of old what is he but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surfetting and drunkenness Rom. 13.13 of later times worshipped day and night Ye read of Tammuz that is Adonis for which the women wept Ezech. 8.14 which is no other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure and voluptuousness The many Baalim which the Church confesses Esay 26.13 what are they but the Lording and ruling lusts which have had dominion over us What is the inward Antichrist that after-god but the contrary unction which teacheth lies and opposeth the true Anointing the Christ of God which leadeth into all truth John 16.13 So that the Lord complains that these false gods and such as these have made a separation between us and our God and our iniquities have hidden his face from us Esay 59.2 And well may he complain when he is pressed under them as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheavs Amos 2.13 When he is troden under foot Hebr. 10.29 Let us now look into our selves impartially who ever we are whether none of these after-gods be in us whether they be not upon the Lords face and hide it from us yea or no. Surely that what ever it is whereon the heart is fastened and whereunto it cleaves without the Lord and his righteousness that is an after-god because the Lord alone is to be loved with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our minde Luke 10.27 It is much to be feared that some of these after-gods interpose between us and the only true God who is the first and the last since many there have been who have set up their Idols in their hearts and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face yet have presented themselves before the face of God Ezech. 14.1.2 and the like we read Hos 7.1 2. If therefore any of these after-gods be found in us that good God who is the first and the last he hath prescribed us a method what in this case we ought to do and hath promised what he will do for us 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people upon whom my Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil wayes then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land Then will the Lord utterly abolish all the after-gods and consume Antichrist with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy him with the brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2.8 Then shall we behold his face in righteousness we shall be satisfied in the awaking of his image Psal 17.15 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain Exod. 20. Ver. 7. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain The Name of the Lord is generally understood to be either God himself as Deut. 28.58 This glorious and fearful Name The Lord thy God Or what other appellation the Lord hath given to himself in Scripture Exod. 33.19 and 34.5 6 7. Psal 9.10 What here is rendred Thou shalt not take the Name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be better turn'd Thou shalt not bear the Name of the Lord thy God in vain For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though a very large word yet generally signifies either to lift up somewhat as a Banner Esay 5.26 So to take Gods Name as here Deut. 5.11 having taken up to bear or carry so to bear the Name of God and Christ Thus the Lord saith of Paul he is a chosen vessel to bear my Name Acts 9.15 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorificate portate Deum in corpore vestro in spiritu vestro so the Vulg. Lat. Glorifie and bear God in your body and in your Spirit and so we shall bear the image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15.49 Thus Arias Montanus renders the words before us Non feres Nomen Domini c. Thou shalt not bear the Name of the Lord c. This bearing of Gods Name must not be in vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly conceived to be the naming of God whether in swearing or otherwise without necessity without due reverence without just cause lightly slightly vainly So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which S. Cyprian renders in vanum vainly and Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rashly All which is true but far from the full meaning of these words For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is his Name and his Name is himself as hath been shewen And to bear that Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only vainly and rashly but also falsly lyingly and contrarily to the truth For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred in vain by our Translators in the third Commandement is turned by them false in the ninth Chmmandement which Exod. 20.16 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false or lying Exod. 20.7 Deut. 5.20 So that what is commonly understood by taking Gods Name in vain a light rash and unadvised kinde of swearing it is much more and the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render in vain is to be inlarged to falshood and lying and so to perjury false swearing and forswearing Yea the Greek Interpreters very often render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false and lying Ezech. 12.24 a vain vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lying vision and the like Chap. 13.6 7 8 9. Hos 12.9 and often elsewhere Yea where the Lord forbids the bearing of his Name falsly we are to understand all false pretences and shews of goodness piety God and godliness all false feined and counterfeit holiness which especially in these dregs of time have been practised according to that damnable art of Seeming to be prohibited in the third Commandement And this the Sanction and establishment of this law proves evidently by the following just and proper penalty For what is further added that the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
alleage the character of Priestood which they say is indelible if they be persons unduly qualified all is to no more effect then putting a Seal to a Blank Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis whatsoever is received is received according to the mode or qualification of the person receiving And of like rate and value are all acts performed by such a Priest whether binding or loosing remitting or retaining sins absolving or excommunicating What they alleage touching divine mission let us enquire what that is out of the Original Grant Mat. 28.18 19. Jesus came and spake to them saying All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. Consider to whom he spake ver 16. The eleven Disciples that is Apostles That they were Disciples imports denial of themselves and taking up the Cross of Christ and following him This qualification is common to all Disciples as such Luke 9.23 24. and 14.25 26 27. but a more eminent endowment was necessary for the eleven Apostles And therefore S. John relates our Lords acts after his resurrection more particularly Whos 's soever sins ye remit saith he they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained which words are commonly cited alone as many other Scriptures are whereas their energy and force is in the precedent or consequent words as here ver 21. He ordains them Ambassadors of peace he saith unto them Peace be unto you As my Father hath sent me so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive the holy Ghost Then followes immediately Whose sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sins ye retain they are retained And therefore S. Ambrose on Psal 37. who saith Sacerdotibus solum jus est ligandi solvendi it is the Priests right to binde and loose the same Father also saith Sacerdotis officium est munus Spiritûs Sancti the office of the Priest is the gift of the holy Ghost And that not transient but permanent Dominum possideant ab eo possideantur Let them possess the Lord and be possessed by him saith S. Hierom ad Nepot How great an height of glory are the Disciples advanced unto who have the principality of the highest judicatory Vt vice Dei peccata retineant relaxent that instead of God they can retain and remit sins saith S. Gregory Homil. 26. Such Priests as these may effectually absolve and remit sins Such Priests as these may separate the sons of Israel from their uncleanness possessing him and possessed by him who cleanseth us from all our unrighteousness 1 John 1.9 And this neerly concerns us O ye Sons of Israel lest we die in our sins and uncleanness when we defile Gods Tabernacle which is among us Where is that the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in medio vestri in the midst of you The true Israel of God because such is and must be pure God is good to Israel who are they Even to such as are of a clean heart Psal 73.1 And because the most pure and holy God hath his Tabernacle and Temple in the midst of them There he promiseth to set it if we walk in his Statutes and keep his Commandements and do them Levit. 26.3.11.12.13 If we purifie our selves as he is pure 1 John 3.3 with this proviso let them make me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sanctuary an holy place and I will dwell in the midst of them Exod. 25.8 O how holy how pure must that holy place be wherein the most holy God will dwell He cannot be toucht or approached unto by any unlike himself That Sanctuary that Temple that Tabernacle is thine heart O Israel For know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you He that defiles Gods Temple him will God defile or leave in his pollution 1 Cor. 3.16.17 and 6.19 and the like 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Having these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. and 7.1 Aaron shall cast lots upon the two Goats the lot for the Lord Levit. 16. Ver. 8. and the lot for the Scape-Goat What is here turn'd a Scape-Goat is retain'd in the margent without translation Azazel and that upon good advice For this book of Leviticus as indeed the whole Pentateuch is Arcanum volumen a very mysterious book and that the rather in those parts of it which as it were datâ operâ the Spirit of God seems to conceal and therefore such as require our diligence humility and docibleness to search them out Which if they should not be inquired into why were they written It is good to keep close the secret of a King but it is honourable to reveal the works of God saith the Angel Tob. 12.7 Yea it s royal saith the wise King Prov. 25.2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honour of Kings to search out a matter Especially since we are in the last part of time when there is nothing covered but shall be revealed nor hidden that shall not be made known Matth. 10.26 saith the Angel of the Covenant the wisdom and King of Saints The great business of this Chapter is the anniversary expiation of sins held forth unto us in outward and figurative expressions which must have their truth if ever savingly accomplished and fulfilled in us In that part of it before us there are many conjectures concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azazel Some render it as ours do as the Vulg. Latin Caper emissarius a Goat sent out which word Emissarius answers not to that Latin word properly used but is made to signifie what the LXX have here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent away Others understand the word to be compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Goat and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of a place or specially of a Mountain which Vatablus placeth neer Mount Sinai I rather believe that the place is in Eutopia or rather Cacotopia or indeed rather then both in Atopia For I have sought this Mountain Azel high and low in Ptolomy Stephan Adrichomius and others and hear no news of it and therefore I must return a Non est inventus there is no such Mountain Others think it to be the name of the Devil and that in regard of his strength So especially one of the Jews Doctors who hath divers followers herein
Ministry as are blinde or lame or crook-backt or have some other visible biemish for that reason a most unreasonable one even because their children are so deformed For why they either think them fit for no other imployment meantime they remember not that curse Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver who hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Or else they look at the Ministry only as a livelyhood like a Corrodie of so much a year to maintain an Abby-Lubber with what he may eat In the interim they consider not that they expose their children to a curse like that on Eli's house who shall say suppose to the Patron Put me I pray thee into one of the Priests offices that I may eat a piece of bread 1 Sam. 2.36 Doubtless such considerations as these are base and sordid and unworthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and evidently prove that such Parents have a poor opinion of Christs Ministers yea very low thoughts if any of the most high God who from the consideration of Gods eminency and Majesty ought to offer unto Him the very best they have It is the Lords own reasoning in the fore-named place Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver who hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen I deny not but it may please the only wise God to set-off his illustaious and glorious truth with a black Foile as Jewels and Pretious stones are best set in a dark ground And truly the good news of a voice and power from Heaven routing our spiritual enemies though worthy a Quire of Angels Luke 2.13 14. yet it s welcome although they who brought it were scabby and nasty Lepers 2 Kings 7.6 11. Accordingly Moses Gods Ambassadour unto Pharaoh was a man slow of speech and of a slow tongue Exod. 4.10 So of S. Paul who was an Ambassadour for Christ his enemies said that his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.10 And his friends say of him that he was a short man and somewhat crooked Niceph. lib. 2.37 According to what Chrysostome calls him a man three cubits high And experience hath proved in these last dayes that the dumb Asse with mans voice hath forbidden the madness of the Prophets 2 Pet. 2.16 Yea God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. However all this be true yet neither all this nor any testimony else in Scripture nor any sound reason out of Scripture can warrant that selfish and ungodly designe of Parents though frequently practised in this and our Neighbour-Nations to set apart for the Ministry their impotent crook-backt or otherwise deformed children even because they are such These men no doubt seek their own things not the things of Jesus Christ Phil. 2.21 How much more pious and honest is their purpose and endeavour who intend the very best and principal of their children unto that holy Function For although Forma virûm neglecta feature of body in it self be neglected as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this business not considerable yet may a comely body be a more serviceable instrument and vehicle of towardly noble and vertuous dispositions according to that of the Poet Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtâ—s Vertue is more acceptable when it proceeds out of a graceful man-case Nor can I but approve of that part of a certain local stature of a Colledge which speaks thus Nec caecus nec claudus though the words following be invidious nec Gallus nec Wallus Neither let the Blinde nor the Lame be admitted into this Society But the inward deformities no doubt were here intended and principally prohibited by Moses as hindring the sons of Aaron from executing the Priests office And there are like spiritual blemishes which by like reason disable men from officiating in the Evangelical Priesthood For neither must the Gospel-Priest be blinde And he is spiritually blinde saith S. Gregory who knowes not the light of heavenly contemplation who being inveloped in the darknesse of this present life by not loving the life to come he sees it not according to 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. S. Peter better He who lacks these things saith he which are faith vertue knowledge temperance patience godliness brotherly kindness and charity he who lacketh these things is blinde 2 Pet. 1.5 9. Their office requires of them that they should open mens eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 That they cause all men to see the mysteries of God And how can he so do if he himself be blinde How ill put together are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blinde guides Matth. 23.24 as our Lord calls the Scribes and Pharisees But it s more unreasonable that they be lame guides also And who is lame Who else but he who though he see the way of life yet through infirmity and instability of his affections walks not in it unto such saith the Lord how weak is thine heart Ezech. 16.30 How absurd a thing therefore is it for Gods Priests to be lame who are by profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as must be guides and leaders unto others in the way of life Acts 8.31 Now if they themselves halt in that way how can they say as S. Paul that excellent way-guide to his Philippians Be ye followers together of me and mark them who walk so as ye have us for an example Phil. 3.17 Goodly guides I wiss who like the Statue of Mercury point Travellers to the way while they themselves stand still as the Prophet saith of Idols they have feet and walk not and of the same Noses they have and smell not Psal 115.6 7. By the Nose S. Gregory understands Discretion Prudence and Sagacity according to the known use of Nasutus and homo acutae naris Prudence is as laudable a vertue of the soul as the Nose is comely for the body But I shewed before by sufficient authority that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 note defect and excess in the parts of the body which imply that the Priest must have a perfect body and by analogy according to Philo that he have a perfect soul Because Perfectum est cui nihil deest aut superest that is perfect to which nothing is wanting nothing is superfluous And what is the breaking of the foot but the revolt of the heart and affections broken off from the wayes of God whereof the
people is their obedience Which is the drift of our Lords expostulation with them Esay 1.5 Why will ye be stricken any more It s possible that the Lord may inflict punishments often and often upon his people as here seven-fold more then formerly yet may his people not be obedient Yea t is possible that the rebellious heart of man may vie and contest with Gods judgements and be so much the more provoked to disobedience Exul ad octavam Marius bibit fruitur diis Iratis He pleased himself in Gods anger But the Scripture will give us the like example of Ahaz In the time of his distresse he did trespass yet more against the Lord. Then it seâ—s a brand of infamy upon him This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 Hitherto we have heard the negative or privative disobedience not harkening unto God Come we now to the positive and that 's the Lords third Supposition 3. The Lord supposeth that his people may walk contrary unto him These words may be considered two wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the opinion and judgement of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the truth of God Being considered according to the opinion and judgement of men the people of God may be understood to walk opposite unto God two wayes Disparatè Contrariè 1. Disparatè in disparate affection as when that one way of Gods Commandements is opposed by the many erroneous and by-wayes of men as one straight line is opposite unto manifold crooked lines one vertue unto divers vices The Pharisees opposed the Sadduces and the Sadduces the Pharisees but they were both against Christ But the opposition runs more strongly when all the disparate disaffections are drained and brought altogether into one chanel when Vnum uni opponitur when one is opposed to one as God and Satan Christ and Antichrist God and disobedient man Si mecum ambulaveritis in occursu if ye walk with me è regione as encountring with me c. So Arias Montanus Both these are good senses but however our Translators have thus rendred the words this seems not to be the genuine meaning of them 2. Let us inquire into these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their true sense and meaning and herein 1. What is meant by walking 2. What by walking with God 3. What is it to walk with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here turn'd contrary to me The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence our English word to walk in Scripture is almost wholly metaphorical and the same which the Latins understand by versari conversari and the like importing what we understand by life and conversation What our Translators turn here if ye walk contrary to me is neither so nor so For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie contrary nor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto me but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes contingency chance or casualty and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with me as in the margent at all adventures with me Accordingly our Translators elsewhere render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jacobs sons tell their father all that befel unto them Gen. 42.29 Uncleanness that chanceth him by night Deut. 23.10 There shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing 1 Sam. 28.10 Mordecai told him all that had hapned unto him Esther 4.7 Haman told every thing that had befallen him Esther 6.13 The like we have Ruth 2.3 Eccles 2.15 In these places named and all others where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used it 's rendred according to this sense and by the same or the like words That we may understand this the better we must know that in humane affaires a thing is said to come to pass casually or by chance when it happens otherwise then we counselled would intended or purposed and beside or contrary to our hope and expectation Now whereas the will of the Lord is that we walk with him in his way that is as ver 3. that we walk in his statutes keep his Commandements and do them and that with our whole heart and will and so to please God as the Apostle turns the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 11.5 6. On the contrary when a man does what is commanded as it were beside his purpose and intention it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by chance As when the heart of a man is fully set in him to do evil if yet he have occasion offered without his intention or seeking to do good do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were nolens volens by the bye and beside his intention what he does may be said to be done by chance So that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double-minded man unstable in all his ways James 1.8 he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is mutable and changeable adhering and siding now with one party now with another Thus the man walks with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by chance Or else as the learned Jewes explain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 via fortuita by chance or the way of fortune or chance And so the sense will be if ye so walk with me that what befals you from me ye ascribe to Fortune or Chance I shall speak something to both senses As to the former If ye walk by chance with me c. There is an harmony of other translations with this The French Bible hath the Text answerable to our margent If ye walk with me at all adventure And the Spanish translation If ye walk with me by chance So Diodati also in the margent and Tremellius If ye walk with me temerè he explains his meaning by sine discrimine without difference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utut accidat however it happens Secuti studia vestra non voluntatem meam following your own desires not my will To the same purpose Piscator in his Latin Scholia As for our Translation it seems not to make handsome English If ye walk contrary with me Yea it implies somewhat like a contradiction to be contrary yet with me They were advised of this and therefore they forced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies with me contrary to the proper meaning of it and turn it to me Howbeit they have not erred alone but herein have followed the tract of all our English Translations which sound to the same sense as also that of Luthâ—r and all the Low Dutch Now if we shall enquire we shall finde that there is great reason why the Lord may suppose this possibility that we may walk at all adventures with him We are his workmanship created unto good works that we should walk in them Ephes 2.10 And for this end he made us according to his own image in wisdom in righteousness and holiness of truth and hath given us his Spirit as a light to be president over our souls Job 29.3 as a Candle upon our heads to guide us in the way of his Commandements Yet
in the heat and fury of chance Do ye not remember our late extraordinary droughts And when the Lord gave rain did he not withal send destructive hail thunders and lightnings I shall remember you only of that memorable one July 20. 1656. when the rain hail thunder and lightning laid all the corn and fruit-trees waste five miles broad and between fifteen and sixteen miles in length about the City of Norwich I received this relation from good men of credit and sufferers in that calamity but the thing is sufficiently known So the Lord walked with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even in the heat wrath and fury of chance This story I the rather mention because I have observed it to be the guise of men in this City like that of the Athenians Acts 17.21 to spend their time in hearing or telling some new thing and that commonly they entertain relations of this nature under the notion of novelties and think no more of them And therefore God by this and like judgements awakens us and reproves our casual and accidental walking with him that we should turn unto him lay his judgement to heart learn righteousness and with full purpose of heart walk with him But the Stoicks of our time are not hereby justified who will have all things come to pass by an immutable and fatal necessity as if the series and order of causes and effects were so knit together as links in a chain by an unavoidable destiny so that howsoever Gods people walk or have walked with him they nor could nor can walk otherwise then they have done or do No nor can God himself having bound up himself by his own decrees walk otherwise with his people then he hath done or doth walk Surely these men consider not that the most high God who made man a noble and free creature with power to act or suspend his act to do this or that or their contraries he himself reserved to himself the same liberty or greater then what he gave to the counterpane of himself And since all things between God and man are transacted by way of covenant the terms and conditions of it alwayes suppose free agents entring into covenant and therefore a possibility of keeping or breaking covenant and consequently respective rewards and penalties annexed thereunto Otherwise man should be unjustly punished for that which could not be avoided or unduly rewarded for what could not be done otherwise Yea there should be as no merit so no demerit no demerit no sin no righteousness Yea all perswasions and disswasions all counsels exhortations dehortations all promises and threatnings reproofs admonitions all commands all prohibitions in a word all acts of God upon mans will which indeed upon the matter should be no will all Lawes of God and men should be altogether null and to no purpose or which amounts to little more a meer juggle a meer pageantry of seeming actions done onely above-board when indeed there should be no such thing But alas my heart condemns me that I have not walked so evenly so intirely with my God I have had many a good will and purpose to walk with my God and somewhat or other intervenes diverts me and turns me from my purpose Yet fear not the Lord with whom thou walkest looks at thy heart and good will and how thou art affected toward walking with him I the Lord search the heart and try the reins to give to every man according to his wayes according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 17.10 If we have forgotten the Name of our God or stretched out our hands unto a strange god shall not God search it out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart Psal 44.20 21. He looks upon the hands thorow the heart And therefore what we have in the Text if ye will not hearken unto me but walk at all adventures with me speaking of the event the same ver 21. ye may read spoken of the heart and affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye will not hearken unto me if ye have a lust heart and will not to hearken unto me The Lord looks thorow our heart and will at our feet and walking O but if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and he knowes all things 1 John 3.20 Thus the poor soul dejects it self and pleads against it self without just cause Let not thy heart condemn thee 1 John 3. Ver. 18 19 20. God is greater then thy heart and he knowes all things Alas saith the poor soul that 's my condemnation that God is greater then my heart and knowes all things It is a true saying Qui respicit ad pauca de facile pronunciat he who looks at few things soon delivers his opinion But he who will give a right sentence of Gods truth he must look about him at antecedents and consequents and pray to the Lord to give him his Spirit to lead him into all truth This place of Scripture is not well translated Let us take the whole Paragraph before us and consider of it 1 John 3.18 19 20. My little children let us not love in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth And hereby namely by our loving in deed and in truth hereby do we know that we are of the truth and shall assure or perswade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our hearts before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for but that if our heart condemn us or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although as Matth. 26.35 John 8.14 and elsewhere although our heart condemn us for any former failing that God is greater then our heart greater in wisdom grace mercy and goodness and knowes all things he knowes our heart and the present frame and disposition of our heart in the deed and truth of love So that many a poor soul dejects and casts down it self upon a meer mistake of this place of Scripture mis-translated which being truly rendred and understood makes for the great consolation of it But I have not walked with my God in the way of his Commandements Surely the Lord hath forsaken me His Prophet tells me The Lord is with you while you are with him if ye forsake him he will forsake you And this is my condition Be not discouraged poor soul The Prophets words are The Lord is with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your being with him if therefore thou do what is pleasing in his sight and what he hath shewen thee 2 Chro. 15. Ver. 2. is good if thou do justly and love mercy and humble thy self to walk with thy God thou art with him and in thy being with him he is with thee Continue thou in so doing and in the good will so to do But alas I endeavour so to do but I often stumble in the way That makes thee more diligent and more wary afterward He who stumbles commonly takes a larger stride Be careful and remember that thou walkest in the midst of snares
actions from within whether they be words or deeds Thus the true knowledge and wisdom which is the ground of revelation is affective and experimental and effective Whence it is that knowledge and wisdom and their contraries are ascribed unto the heart the seat of the affections The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and men are said to be wise hearted or contrarily to have their foolish heart darkned and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh According to this notion of knowledge the Lord speaks to Jehoiakim did not the father do judgement and justice and judge the cause of the poor and needy and then it was well with him And was not this to know me saith the Lord Jer. 22.15 16. Such is not the knowledge and revelation of flesh and blood it s not affective not experimental they have no part of what they know but as Cooks they dress meat for others palates or as Leaden Pipes they convey and derive the water of life thorow them to others but drink not of it So Poasts and Curriers carry mysteries of State but are not privy to them and as the Kohathites bare the secret holy things yet saw them not Hence it is that though the Scribes were the most learned of the Jews yet when they rejected and disobeyed the word of the Lord and would not be taught to the kingdom of God the Pen of the Scribes was vain and there was no wisdom in them saith the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 8.9 Yea though what they said was true yet as they said it it was not true For though they say the Lord liveth they swear falsly saith the same Prophet Jer. 5.1 2. And therefore our Saviour silenced the Devil when he revealed him And the reason is He that names the Lord Jesus Christ must depart from iniquity For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but from the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 Thus did S. John That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life That which we have seen and beard declare we unto you Since therefore what speculative knowledge of divine mysteries wicked men have doth not make them good since their sight and discovery of them extendeth not unto the true end nor proceeds from the true beginning they may be truly said to know and not to know to see and not to see to hear and not to hear which in Gods true estimate is not at all to hear see or know them The Kohathites bare those holy things which they must neither touch nor see Is not this the condition of many at this day who as S. Paul saith desire to be teachers of the Law and understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 Nay do not many teach the Gospel and preach Christ born crucified dead buried risen ascending into heaven c. yet understand no more then the bare letter of all these articles of faith what understand they more of Christ then the dull Kobathites did of the holy things which they carried yet neither toucht nor saw them For what else is the letter covering the spirit to these then the many coverings of the holy things to the Kohathites They have no spiritual no tactual no experimental knowledge of the things they speak of The spiritual the tactual the experimental knowledge is that whereof S. John speaks of himself and his fellow Apostles they had heard and seen and handled of the word of life 1 John 1.1 How shall we come to see and know the boliness and holy things of our God Surely this comes not to pass by any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any sagacity or curious inquisition of our own We cannot know the holiness and holy things unless the holy one himself teach them and reveal them to us And this he will do in his due time if we do not hoodwink our selves with the black vailes on our mindes and hearts For since there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor hid that shall not be made known surely it is not the will of God that his holiness of holinesses should alwayes be concealed nor from all men since the Priests saw them And so shall we if we be Priests unto our God if we sore not up too high if we intrude not hastily into the things that we have not seen if we exercise not our selves in things that are too high for us if we behave our selves and quiet our souls as children weaned from their mothers womb Psal 131.1 2. If we climb not up into Gods house some other way but can be very well content to enter in by the door and sit down in the lowest room For every Teacher of Mysteries how much more the great Mystagogus the great dispenser of his secrets he requires belief and humility in all those whom he teacheth Oportet discentem credere the Disciple must believe and humble himself to be taught For so all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all who have been taught of God have abased themselves and humbled themselves before him Esay 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. This humiliation made way for his purging and illumination which follow in that Chapter Thus Daniel was prepared for his Vision Dan. 10.2 In those dayes I ate no pleasant bread c. And Saul must be first cast down and humbled and then directed to Ananias that is as Johannes the grace of God and then immediately taught of God For with the lowly there is wisdom Prov. 11.2 Psal 119. ver 141. And therefore what we read Psal 119.141 I am small and despicable yet do I not forget thy lawes yet is a most absurd and destructive supplement The words sound thus I being little and despised have not forgotten thy precepts Littleness and despicableness are no repugnancy to the learning of Gods lawes That note of diversity without doubt were far better left out and if any supplement be needful the words make a good sense without any a rational and illative were more fitly put in the room of it I am small and of no reputation therefore do I not forget thy precepts So our Lord saith to his Father Matth. 11.25 Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes humble ones and little ones Such as these God the Father teacheth The Prophet Esay 30.20 speaks thus to the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy Teachers shall not be far from thee but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers The word is in the form plural but rendred most what in the singular noting the Unity in Trinity But that it is to be understood of God the great Teacher the next words prove Thine ears shall hear a word behinde thee c. So God the Father speaks to his Disciples Esay 8.16
for our admonition that we might the better be confirmed and assured that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true Paschal Lamb 1 Cor. 5.7 the true daily sacrifice that Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world John 1. For as among the many lawes touching the Paschal Lamb this was one which was observed in the accomplishment of it in the Lord Jesus Christ John 19.26 A bone of him shall not be broken and therefore they brake not his legs as they did theirs who were crucified with him So like charge is given in the Scripture before us concerning the time when Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us which is observed very punctually by the Evangelist S. Mark Chap. 15.25 It was the third hour when they crucified him the usual hour of the Morning Sacrifice although that time might be allowed to other Sacrifices which by no means might precede this the Morning Sacrifice was sometime offered more early The same Evangelist saith that at the ninth hour or three a clock after noon the time of the Evening Sacrifice unless it did somewhat anticipate for the reason above named at that same ninth hour Jesus cryed with a lowd voice and gave up the ghost Mark 15.34.37 All which although it be very well worth our observation and may be a good subject for our meditations to busie themselves about especially the Passion week now instant yet I believe there is somewhat of neerer concernment unto us which may hence be taken notice of without which all our meditations about Christ crucified without us so many hundred years ago will very little avail us toward our salvation Surely as we are with the Lord the Sun of Righteousness so is he with us as I have lately shewen If therefore we decline from our obedience become Apostates unto the light and turn from the Lord and follow the Prince of darkness and will do his lusts these are two spiritual evenings between which the Paskal Lamb is slain Which are the very same with that of the School that sin consists either in aversione à Deo or conversione ad creaturam in turning away from God or turning to the creature The same two evils which the Prophet saith the people had committed They have forsaken the Fountain of living waters and digged to themselves Cisterns or pits broken pits or Cisterns which will hold no water Jer 2.13 According to this distinction we may reconcile the Wiseman and the Apostle who indeed differ not but only seemingly We read Ecclus 10.12 that the beginning of pride is when one departeth from God and his heart is turned away from his Maker For pride is the beginning of sin c. that is Quoad aversionem à Deo so far forth as a man through pride which is an high opinion of a mans own excellency turns away from God But the Apostle speaking of the other term 1 Tim. 6.10 Covetousness saith he 1 Tim. 6. v. 10. is the root of all evil For so I would rather turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covetousness or concupiscence then strictly according to the etymon the love of money or rather silver as the Syriac renders it For so it is not adequately true that the love of silver is the root of all evil which may be said as well of gold or any other creature And therefore the Vulg. Lat. renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cupiditas covetousness or concupiscence Between these two spiritual evenings the turning from God who is our life Deut. 30. and the turning to the creature the man dies from his spiritual life For the declining or turning away of the simple shall slay them Prov. 1. v. 32. and the prosperity or rather the ease or rest in sin of fools shall destroy them Prov. 1.32 where whether it be the Translators or the Printers fault I know hot but the marginal reading or ease of the simple is misplaced being directed to the former member of the sentence unto which it belongs not not to the latter unto which word ease may belong as answering to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they turn prosperity but the word simple may there be well left out For though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former part of the sentence signifie simple ones such as are easily perswaded to folly yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the later part signifies not such simple men but arrant fooles as being joyn'd with the brutish person and opposed to the wise Psal 49.10 troublesome turbulent fools whence the Star or rather Constellation called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath its name or they from it which raiseth great storms and tempests especially in the straights of Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject to it saith Benjamin in his Journal the wicked fool is as the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and durt Esay 57.20 Now as the sinful man dies from the divine life between these two spiritual evenings so doth the Lamb of God the Paschal Lamb also die from the sinful man between the same two evenings For while we are yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 as being wounded not only for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquites as our Translators turn those words Esay 53. v. 5. Esay 53.5 but as they ought to be rendred He was wounded of our transgressions and was bruised of our iniquities the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sound of our transgressions and of our iniquities And so Arias Montanus turnes them A prevaricationibus and Ab iniquitatibus nostris And Tremellius Dolore afficitur à defectionibus nostris atteritur ab iniquitatibus nostris he is grieved of our failings he is bruised of our iniquities Which Verbs he puts in the Present tense implying that as in the Prophets time so long before Christs temporall dispensation and manifestation in the flesh so in our times also so long after the dayes of his flesh and his temporal dispensation our sins wound and bruise the Christ of God as he complains I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me Ezech. 6.9 and the like is affirmed Hebr. 6.6 and 10.29 The Apostle gives us serious advise touching these Evenings Ephes 4.26 Be angry and sin not let not the Sun set upon your touchiness fretfulness or peevishness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sol ne occidat super iracundia vestra let not the Sun go down upon your trefeness or testiness there 's one evening neither give place to the Devil there 's the other evening of dismal darkness O that such a time were come which is promised unto the people of God! Esay 60. v. 19 20. Esay 16.19 20. that the Lord were unto us for an everlasting light and our God for our glory that the Sun might no more go down c. Soles occidere redire possunt The Sun of Righteousness may set by death and rise again And certainly
Tigurin Bible Prohibitionem meam my prohibition or forbidding Coverdale that ye may know what it is when I withdraw my hand Two other Translations ye shall know my displeasure A fourth ye shall feel my vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing to the purpose The Hebrew word here used signifies neither vengeance nor provocation nor prohibition nor withdrawing the hand nor displeasure How be it I finde no Translation so far from the truth as our last and that of Diodati But if the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies none of these what does it signifie The word signifies a Breach So Tremellius ye shall know Abruptionem meam my breach So Piscator turns it and explaines the phrase ye shall know how great evill it is when a man breaks himself off from me Or thus That ye may know how great evil it is when I break my self off from any one But the former exposition is the more genuine For this people had broken themselves off from their God and shaken off the yoke of obedience Neque Deus quemquam deserit nisi qui prius Deum deseruerit God forsakes none but such as forsake him first The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a breach must suppose something to be broken a breach must be of somewhat The Lord calls it his breach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my breach It must therefore be of something in God whether counsel or purpose and will And these and like words may be understood as well passively as actively The Pharisees and Lawyers frustrated the counsel of God against themselves Luke 7.30 And I am broken by their whorish heart which hath departed from me saith the Lord Ezech. 6.9 God breaks not his covenant and promise with his people but his people break their promise and covenant with their God It s naturally known that when covenants and bargains are made between men he who fails the stipulation and performance of his promise is said to break his promise and covenant not he with whom the other deals falsely and deceitfully For when one of the parties confederate hath broken his bond and covenant the other is left free Thus the Lord layes the blame of covenant-breaking upon his people Deut. 31.16 17. Josh 7.11 Judges 2.20 1 Kings 19.10 and elsewhere very often The Lord assures his people of his keeping covenant with them Deut. 7.9 He is called the faithful God that keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandements to a thousand generations Psal 105.8 and 106.45 and 111.5 Dan. 9.4 Nor ever doth he break his promise or covenant unless his people first break with him In which sense we understand Zach. 11.10 and other like Scriptures Whence it will follow 1. That which is said to be broken off from somewhat it hath been whole and one with that from which it is broken off And therefore since the Lord speaks here of his breach of his people from him surely his people had been one with him How else can they be said to forsake him depart from him c. Deut. 5.9 Ezech. 6.9 It is a truth in Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omne continuum est unum what ever is continued is one And such the Lord made the man of one minde one will one heart with himself 1 Cor. 6.17 He who is joyn'd unto the Lord is one spirit the Syriac interpreter adds with him 2. There is no doubt a Breach made between God and man 3. God here and elsewhere complaines of this Breach 4. Since the Lord complaines of his Breach doubtles he cannot be the cause of it 5. The apostate evill unbelieving heart of man turning from God makes this Breach 6. Gods counsells being conditional may by our default become frustrate 1 Sam. 2.30 I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever But now the Lord saith be it farre from me For them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed According to this condition Paul and Barnabas speak to the contradicting and blaspheming Jewes It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it or rather thrust it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from you and judge your selves not worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of eternal life lo we turn to the Gentiles Acts 17. v. 46. Thus the Gadarens rejected Christ Luk. 8.37 1. Hence it appeares that they are much out who conceive that God makes no other then absolute decrees 2. Who believe such absolute decrees as are no where extant in the word of God 3. How justly does this reprove I fear the most of us of our fickleness and inconstancy how yelding how easy how pliable are we to any the least temptation to break off union with our God How does our vain fear melt our hearts How does our hope of some seeming good carry our souls away from the chief good How does worldly sorrow break our hearts off from our God How does any outward pleasing and delightfull object take us and win us according to that of the Poet Hinc metuunt cupiuntque dolent gaudentque Hence men fear desire grieve and rejoyce These are the four Cardinal affections by which the chariot of our souls is moved and removed from our God So fearfull and cowardly was this people Dut. 1. v. 28. The false spies had discouraged their heart or rather melted their heart For so what is solid and strong by faith vertue or prowess and courage is weakned dissolved and melted by fear fainting and unbelief Gen. 45.26 For fear is the betraying of those succours which reason offereth Wisd 17.12 Hushai makes good this metaphor of the holy spirit here used 2 Sam. 1.7 10. He who is valiant whose heart is as the heart of a Lyon shall melt So fearfull and cowardly are all they who have an evill heart of unbelief in departing from the living God They believe not but betray those succours which the great God the Lord of Hosts offereth them Where of he complaines how long will it be yer they believe for all the signes that I have shewed among them Num. 14.11 They fear their many transgressions their strong and mighty sins Amos 5.12 that they can never be over-come Is there any thing too hard for God That 's the question Not whether the enemy be too strong for thee And therefore the Lord there expostulates How long will this people provoke me Num. 14. v. 11. And how long will it be yer they believe me for all the signes that I have shewed the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I have wrought or done among them yea which I have done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in interiore ejus in the midst of them in their heart As they confess Esay 26.12 O Lord Thou hast wrought all our works in us And therefore so much more exprobable
Lord will not permit Israel to meddle with Edom the earthly man so far us to hurt him Deut. 2.4 5. For no man hath hated his own flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it even as also the Lord the Church Ephes 5.29 Yet Edom fears that Israel will hurt him as the Lord foretold Deut. 2.4 And therefore Edom saith Thou shalt not pass thorow me or into me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 20.18 The earthly man fears to be restrained of his liberty by the word of God Hereof Israel secures the earthly man v. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantum non verbum only the word shall not be that is I will not trouble thee with the word And hard expression you l say but it s as hard what the Translators give if read without their supplements But fear is suspicious And therefore Edom will not trust Israel but comes forth to meet Israel with much people the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in populo gravi in or with an an heavie people Edom the earthly man is an heavie burden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to be born Such are the ceremonies proper to the earthly man Matth. 23.4 Whereof S. Peter saith it is a yoke that neither their fathers nor they were able to bear He speaks of Circumcision Acts 15.10 For they who are circumcised are debtors to do the whole law Gal. 〈◊〉 But droop not despair not O Israel but proceed in thy journey toward the heavenly Canaan the true Jehoshua the true Jesus who is thy Leader he invites thee Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest all ye who are weary of the burden of the earthly man Edom and much more weary of the burden of sinful earthly man when Esau dwels in Seir that is the Devil Gen. 36.8 for so the Devils are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Levit. 17.7 Come unto me faith Jesus and I will refresh you taking off your burden by mortifying and killing the man of sin and correcting and chastising the earthly man and raising up the heavenly man in you who after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth Mat. 11. v. 29 30. Take my yoke even the cross and patience upon you and learn of me that I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls For my yoke the cross and patience is sweet or good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Vulg. Lat. jugum meum suave and so the Syriac and my burden the burden of my law and doctrine is light unto those who by the Spirit of life are freed from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Thus having born the image of the earthy we shall bear also the image of the heavenly Would God that were come to pass unto every one of our souls The people spake against God Numb 21. ver 5.6 and against Moses c. Our soul say they loatheth this light bread And the Lord sent fiery Serpents among the people It is the common fault of young travailers toward the holy land that when out of obedience to the voice of God they have left the flesh-pots of Egypt the delights and pleasures of sin they presently look for some refreshing some joy some consolation when contrary to their hopes they come into a desolate and disconsolate howling wilderness a for lorn estate which they complain of Numb 20.5 and call it an evil place The words are emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 20. v. 5. there 's an emphasis upon every word this this evil this place this very evil place And yet if all were quiet and they had no further trouble this estate were the more tolerable But now they meete with strong opposition from Arad the Canaanite 1. who makes war upon them who lead a way some of them captives Such is Arad the wild Ass the untamed and wild nature yet unsubdued in us which inclines or declines and bends us unto the earth and earthly things that 's the true Canaanite these figured out the motions of sin working in our members and warring against the law of our mind and bringing us into Captivitie to the law of sin Rom. 7.23 And who is there of us who has not had his time have not some of us yet our time of wildness and untamedness when we are ingaged in the like journey towards the holy Land For Ishmael the wild Ass among men Gen. 16. or the wilde Ass-man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is born before Isaac yea and he who is born after the flesh will persecute him who is born after the spirit and so it is now saith the Apostle Gal. 4.29 And there is no helpe for this untill Ishmael the wild Ass be cast out of dores ver 30. Arad also signifies a Dragon even that red Dragon called the Devill and Satan who like Arad here takes men captive at his 〈◊〉 ◠Tim. 2.26 And who is there among us who may not complain that more or lesse he hath been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possessed in a sort and obedient unto him who worketh in the sons of disobedience Ephes 2.2 Who is there of us but is or hath been like that Demoniac who had his dwelling in the Toombs Mar. 5.2.3.4 who hath not sometime lived in dead workes What is now to be done for the taming of this wild Ass but to bring him unto Jesus Matth. 21.2 What is to be done for the freeing our selves from the captivity of Arad but to binde our selves with vowes and promises unto our God that if he will give Arad or whatever force of Arad holds us captive into our hands we will Anathematize and render it accursed which is the proper meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 21. v. 2 3. which Ours turn more generally to destroy When Israel hath atchived this noble exployt Edom the earthly man which must not be destroyed Deut. 2.5 may yet yea must be circumvented the earthly man of flesh and blood must be limited and the Israel of God must set bounds of moderation about him Num. 21.4 This is a long work and hard to be done Numb 21. v. 4. and therefore it s said that the soul of the people was much discouraged word for word The soule of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was shortned or straitned And why should so choyse a motaphore be waived and cast into the margent and a worse put in the Text the Transsators themselves turn the same word so Mich. 2.7 Is the spirit of the Lord straitened Besides there is good reason from the contrary passions of the soul whereof some contract and shorten it as fear and grief and the compounds of them whence Anxietas and Angustia and the like names of straitned and shortned affections Others dilate and enlarge the soule as love and joy whence Latitia joy saith Aquinas is quasi latitia largness And the Apostle
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
therefore Moses having exhorted Israel to keep himself adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and keep thy soul diligently The first precept is only keep thy self let it be thine only care And when he thought that was not enough he added and keep thy soul diligently The like addition we have Zeph. 2.1 Scrutamini vos ipsos search your selves an act of great diligence Zeph. 2. v. 1. yet the Prophet presently adds scrutamini and search But a man cannot take heed or observe himself as he ought unless he first know himself and therefore that precept which was famous among the wise Heathen Know thy self was said to come down from heaven That we may the better understand this we must be very careful to make a Spagyric separation and exactly sever that which is truly the mans self from what is untruly so called For although a man hath in him much of the brute nature while he lives according to sense and though every man hath in him some degree of reason though most-what corrupt and defective while he lives according to what is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural animalish or souly man yet neither of these are truly and properly thy self Thou camest forth from thy God thou art his off-spring Acts 17.29 and thou mayest truly and properly be said to be thy self when thine heart and thy soul is defecated and purged from the defilement of the earthly man and livest according to the words which thine eyes have seen which are the precepts of the heavenly man And this is thy genuine self And therefore Solomon after long inquisition and search after wisdom in the conclusion of his Ecclesiastes Chap. 12.13 Eccles 12. v. 13. Fear God saith he and keep his Commandements the words which thine eyes have seen for this is All man The reason why Israel must onely keep himself his heart his soul diligently may appear from consideration 1. Of the thing to be kept 2. The words to be kept in it 3. The manner measure and degree of keeping them 1. The thing to be kept is thy self thy heart thy soul Of thy self O man thou art weak and the heart and soul which is either thy self or the principal part of thy self its weak and tender and wants keeping And therfore when the Wiseman gives the same precept Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly to keep what is yong tender weak and in danger to be destroyed Whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has the name which signifies a tender shoot or weak plant in danger to be troden down by the beasts and therefore it s fenc'd about and kept Such and so chary ought to be the keeping of the heart Yea nature it self in the natural heart directs with what care we ought to keep the rational and moral heart It hath about it for a covering a strong skin which they call capsula cordis and about that to fence it a strong wall of ribs and that which we call the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or brest How much more ought the rational and moral heart the minde will and affections to be kept with all yea above all keeping Nam pretium pars haec corpore majus habet This then the body hath a greater price Thou thy heart thy soul is in danger to be lost and that many wayes especially two 1. It s in danger to lose it self by turning away from the Lord Deut. 29.11 running forth to outward things and so corrupting it self 2. It s in danger to be lost by others yet not without the mans own betraying of his own heart As Dalilah stole away Samsons heart But his heart had first run out and followed his eyes Judges 14.2 and then she got his heart 16.16 and betrayed him to his enemies 2. If the Casket be so pretious how much more pretious and excellent is the Jewel in it It is no less no other then the Lord himself Hos 4.10 They have left off to keep the Lord that is to observe and wait on him as his Priests and Levites were wont to do Numb 1.53 and 3.36 and to retain him in their acknowledgement Rom. 1. v. 28. Rom. 1.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. There is reason also why the heart should be thus kept from consideration of the manner measure and degree of keeping it Which in reason must arise with the excellency of the thing to be kept and what is kept in it as also from the tenderness of it and danger to be corrupted and lost All which considerations inforce upon us an exact keeping yea such a keeping as is above all other keepings as the marginal reading hath it Prov. 4.23 Yea adde to these the Wisemans reason on that place Out of the heart are the issues of life whether we speak of the natural heart and the issues of it or of the moral heart and the issues of it both are true For the natural heart is the cause of the natural life Primum vivens and ultimum moriens first living last dead And if we speak of the true life it is Christ which is our life Col. 3.4 who dwels in our hearts by faith with whom when he appears we shall appear in glory Whereof S. John speaks now are we the sons of God but it appears not what we shall be 1 John 3.1 meantime with the heart man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10.10 And the righteous man lives by his faith Hebr. 10.38 And by faith his heart is purified Acts 15.9 And the pure in heart see God Matth. 5.8 And this is the eternal life to know thee the only God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ John 17.3 So that whether we understand Christ our life or our faith or righteousness by faith and life by faith and purifying the heart by faith or seeing and knowing God and Christ by faith all these refer unto the heart and so out of it are the issues of life Whence it appears that the keeping of the heart is a business of the greatest moment in the world and therefore in all reason it requires a keeping above all keeping Whence we may take notice that 1. The precept is not Take heed or look well to what is thine or to those things or persons that are about thee no nor is it look to thy body nor for what is needful for thy body nor for what may be an ornament unto thy body The precept is directed to thee to thy heart to thy soul to thine immortal soul which is none of all those things but above them all and the taking heed to this the keeping of this must be above all the keeping of them all 2. Hence it appears that Moses supposed in Israel a power to take heed to himself and to keep his heart and his soul diligently For surely Moses would not have given such a serious admonition from the Lord nor would the
wise Salomon directed by the onely wise God have injoynd the same in vain that every one should keep himself his heart his soul diligently If no man had power so to do At least they were confident that the Sons of wisdom the Israel of God Believeres in Christ such as we all profess our selves to be that such as they have power over their own soules hearts and spirits to keep them Because they have in them the power of God which is Christ himself to keep them 1 Cor. 1.24 3. A man cannot be too strict too carefull too diligent in the keeping of his own heart He must keep it with all keeping yea above all keeping So that what care and regard men have to their houses their fields their treasures the safety of their wives their children their friends their servants Such care such vigilancy yea greater care greater regard ought to be had of the heart If these must be garded the heart must be re-garded the gards must be doubled in defence of the heart If we set on locks for the preservation of our treasure we must set on locks double locks and barres for the preservation and keeping of our heart 4. If this care this watchfullnes be required of every one in regard of himself Hebr. 13. v. 17. how great must their care their observation be who watch for others souls Hebr. 13.17 Obey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that lead you and submit your selves for they watch for your soul c. How much greater must their care be who have charge of all 2 Cor. 11.28 the care of all the Churches Such was S. Pauls charge But the keeping of others and Watching over them is not the ministers duty onely but even every mans in regard of every man according to his power And therefore the wiseman Ecclus 17.14 He that is the Lord said unto them Beware of all unrighteousnes that 's a command to look to our selves and to keepe our owne hearts and he gave every man commandement concerning his neighbour that 's the care for others And that men are grown careless and regardless of others it proceeds from that Cainish nature which men have gotten by long walking in the way of Cain It was his speech Gen. 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper 1. This justly reproves the gross mistake if we may so call it of this precept Moses saith only take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently And how many of the Apostate Israelites take heed to their brutish those carnal selves and keep their body diligently take care of their flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. v. 14. Rom. 13.14 pamper their bodies feed them riotously and gluttonously clothe them gorgeously They who wear soft raiment are in Kings houses saith our Lord Matth. 11.8 Should some one of our Saviours genuine Disciples behold our Congregations he would think we were all Courtiers 2. Others when they are counselled by Moses to take heed to themselves and keep their souls diligently let them alone to provide for their natural their animalish selves and they keep their souls diligently Their money is their souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gold is the blood and soul of these men Meantime that divine self that off-spring of God its troden under the feet of the beastly the brutish self the sensual self The immortal soul born out of God and created to bear the image of the heavenly it s wholly neglected miserable poor and naked This this is the wisdom of the carnal man to take great heed unto the flesh which is corruptible and must shortly perish to provide with greatest care for the body which is no better then a man-case feed it clothe it deck it wash it trim it rub it paint it powder it spot it c. In cute curanda plus aequo operati Too busie men and women are in caring for their skin As for the immortal soul bought with an inestimable price which should feed on faith Psal 34. v. 3. Psal 34.3 and be gloriously clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ and his Spirit made to be the dwelling of the Deity it s so little cared for so slighted and disregarded as if indeed it were not at all Minima maximi maxima minimi aestimantur least things are most regarded the greatest least O thou degenerate unworthy brutish man Consider once what thou art and know thy self Call thy self seriously to an account whence thou art and of how noble a stock who was thy maker and for what end he made thee and how unlike thou art unto thy God to whose image thou wert made and how unlike thy self when thou camest out of Gods hands Humble thy self and sit in the dust whereinto that flesh thou tamperest is ere long to be resolved Put off thine ornaments that the Lord may know what to do to thee Exod. 33.5 Clothe thy proud flesh with beasts skins as our God clothed sinful Adam to teach him thereby mortification of his sin Gen. 3.21 Be exhorted O Israel to take heed to thy self to keep thy heart to keep thy soul diligently Care O care for thy soul as a thing of greatest price as that whose worth cannot be countervailed by all the creatures as being better worth then all the world For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world Mark 8. v. 36 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lose or be punished with the loss of his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Mark 8.36 37. Consider how easily the heart walks after the eyes Job 31.7 How slippery our standing is how dangerous our fall that being fallen we can never rise by our selves that sin which defiles the soul may be engendred by an evil word yea by a vain thought Jer. 4.14 Jer. 4. v. 14. O Jerusalem cleanse thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved How long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wilt thou cause thy vain thoughts to lodge in the midst of thee That consent unto the temptation compleats and perfects the sin That sin being perfected brings forth death O what great need therefore is there that we take heed to our selves and that we keep our souls diligently that we keep our hearts above all keeping The meanes to keep thy self thine heart thy soul O Israel is not here prescribed by Moses The most effectual meanes was reserved for him whom the Lord would raise up who should be like unto Moses For surely the Lord such is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his moderation and equity would not injoyn such an hard duty as this is to be done but he would also shew the most effectual meanes and way how it should be done Wherefore the Lord Jesus whose main end of comming into the world was to save mens soules he prescribes two powerfull expedients and meanes to be used by his disciples for the effecting of it Luke 9.23 1. Self-denyall and 2.
Taking up the Cross 1. Self-denyall stands as a Porter to keep the dore of the heart And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we turn to keep signifies all the Porters duty in three acts Observare Cohibere prohibere 1. To observe who comes in and who goes out For so every one ought to take heed what thoughts enter into his heart and what desires run out 2. To keep the heart at home that it go not after the eyes Num. 15.39 3. To award and keep off temptations Job 31.1 2. The Cross and patience of Jesus Christ is as a strong dore with locks and barrs to withstand and bear off all forcible entry And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Prison-house Gen. 40.3 According to our Lords precept Luke 21. v. 19. Luke 21.19 In or by your patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possess ye or gain ye the possession of your souls Such diligent heed must be taken for the avoiding of great evills that otherwise will follow That 's the third divine Axiom 3. Israel ought to take heed to himself and keep his soul diligently lest he forget the words which his eyes have seen and lest they depart from his heart This point adds to the former the consideration of the ends why Israel ought to take heed to himself and keep his soul and these ends are powerful reasons of this important duty from the great and imminent danger which will ensue upon the neglect of it Wherein we have 1. The caution or warning only take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently 2. The peril and danger that otherwise will follow lest thou forget the words which thine eyes have seen and this danger brings in another lest these words depart from thine heart Herein we must enquire what forgetfulness is which because its a privation and privatives are best known by their positives we must first learn what memory is and what it is to remember which according to Plato Speusippus and others of that School is Cogitationes conservare to keep our thoughts And they say that the better memory is Dispositio animae inhaerentem veritatem custodiens a disposition and frame of the soul keeping truth inherent in it But these descriptions seem too strait for the nature of memory Others therefore ascribe two offices unto it others three 1. To lay up in memory 2. To retain 3. To recall to minde The two former may be reduced to one 1. As to keep and retain the thoughts 2. To recal them when they are lost or in danger of losing when we have use of them Thus Jacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laid up and kept in his memory the dreams of his son Joseph Gen. 37.11 So did Mary keep in her heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the words which were spoken of Christ by the Shepherds Luke 2.19 Luke 2. v. 19.51 And again v. 51. His Mother kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words Our Translators turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former place things in the later more advisedly sayings And as to remember is to commit and retain our thoughts in memory so likewise it signifies to recal them as Luke 22.61 Peter remembred the words of the Lord Luke 24.6 7 8. To forget therefore is to lose our thoughts and let them slip out of our custody and keeping So the Apostle understood forgetfulness Hebr. 2.1 If we inquire into the reason of this warning it proceeds from the great love of God toward his Israel 1. He knowes the excellency of the words and things committed to our trust and the custody of our memories even the holy and blessed Trinity and the work of our creation Eccles 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy Creators the Law of God the Father Malac. 4.4 The Redemption by Jesus figured by bringing Israel out of Egypt Deut. 16.3 Jude v. 5. Vulg. Lat. Sins committed against so great grace Deut. 9.7 Ceasing from our sins figured by the Sabbath Exod. 20.8 and many the like which is not a bare memory but such as puts us upon sutable duty Verba sensuum innuunt affectum effectum words of sense inward and outward import affection and effect answerable thereunto as Deut. 8.18 19 20. Psalm 22.27 and many the like 2. These are too sublime and of too high a nature for the foolish heart of man left to it self to contain Prov. 24.7 And there is in us by corrupt nature a stupidity and dulness in regard of spiritual things Hebr. 5.11 And Satan with his evil spirits interpreted by our Saviour the fowls of the air is watchful to catch the Word of God out of the heart when it is sowen Matth. 13.19 He is ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drink and swallow up the precious liquor of the spiritual doctrine if we let it slip and it run out of our vessels 1 Pet. 5. v. 8. Hebr. 2.1 1 Pet. 5.8 3. The memory it self is frail and weak as a vessel that has got a fall that 's crackt and riven So saith the Wiseman that the inward parts of a Fool are like a broken vessel he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth Ecclus 21.14 4. The memory is too often full of somewhat else and so intùs existens prohibet extraneum a vessel full of one liquor will not hold another Non datur penetratio dimensionum two bodies cannot be in one place nor two contrary spirits in one soul The Fool full of his own knowledge cannot receive divine understanding Proverbs 30.22 Great need therefore there was that the Lord should warn us of this danger 1. Whence we may observe the Lord hath given us the tutelage and gardianship of our selves our souls our hearts and what is that but our memories whereby we retain holy thoughts and the divine words which our eyes have seen Plato tells us that Mnemosyne is the Mother of the Muses The meaning is that the memory brings forth and nourisheth all the good thoughts It is the true inward Eve the Mother of all the Living ones which brings forth unto us spiritual Children According to which whosoever doth the will of God he is the Mother of Christ Matth. 12.50 For all the senses outward and inward were made for the life especially the two disciplinary senses Seeing and Hearing The Lord hath given them both for this end And therefore the eye is a seeing eye when a man sees the divine Words and discerns aright what the will of the Lord is and the ear is an hearing ear when he obeyes the commands of God And therefore the wiseman tells us that the hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them Prov. 20.12 Whence our Lord he that hath an ear to hear saith he let him hear Matth. 13.9 Rev. 13.9 Thus the retentive memory and the heedfull thoughts are given unto man as his meet help before him Ephes 1.4 Thus the woman was created for the
man 1 Cor. 11.9 to bring him forth living children and to keep the house of his heart Thus the thoughts are brought under the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 and they are serviceable unto God and Christ who is our life and heed and keep his words the words of life This is the wife of which Solomon speaks and thus the Wise man gives excellent counsel Eccles 9.9 See or injoy life with the wife which thou hast oved all the dayes of the life of thy vanity which he hath given thee under the Sun all the dayes of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life and in thy labour which thou takest under the Sun And an excellent portion it is in this vain life that with our wife our memory and thoughts we may see and enjoy the divine life and the words of life and keep the words of life in our heart and in our soul all the dayes of our vain life For unless thus or in like manner the advice of Solomon be understood a sensual Epicurean might make notable use of it to confirm himself in his voluptuousness 2. There is danger imminent danger lest our memory pregnant with good thoughts miscarry through forgetfulness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 least happly or unhapply rather or lest at any time In this expression some evill instrument is imported as doubted or feared and so Danger is defined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the neerness of evill 3. Note hence the goodness of our God who warnes us of the danger So often we finde the Lord warning us to take heed lest the evill surprize us Gen. 3.3 Touch it not lest ye die Fly to to the Mountaines lest yee be consumed in the iniquity of the City Gen. 19.15 Num. 18.32 Pollute not your selves lest yee die Circumcise your selves unto the Lord lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evill of your doings Jer. 4.4 4. If thou takest not heed to thy self and keep not thy soul diligently thou wilt forget the words which thine eyes have seen The remembring of Gods words requires an exact a diligent an onely taking heed to thy self an onely keeping of thy soul otherwise thou wilt forget them 1. This is a just reproof of all those who heed not the words which their eyes have seen but carelesly forget them and let them slip 2. Yea though they have many monuments and memorials of Gods favour which might put them in mind of him and his will and his words Yea the whole world of the creatures might mind them of their Creators yet how many are there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even Atheists and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 3. Nay through the depraved nature of man it comes to pass that what in all justice and reason should remember us of our God even that occasions men to forget him and his words The Lord supposed this possible Deut. 8.9 14. 32.15 and the prophets feared it Prov. 30.9 4. But most reproveable are they who oppose and maligne the remembrance and remembrancers of God his will his wayes and his words unto them Against such our Lord denounces an heavie judgment Matth. 23.34.35 I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them ye shall kill c. From the bloud of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah whom ye slew between the Porch and the Altar all shall come upon this generation It seemes an harsh sentence For the Lord saith I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation but here the Lord revenges the bloud of righteous men to the Thirtieth and Fortieth generation for so many yea more generations passed from the bloud of Abel to the Scribes and Pharisees whom the Lord threatens here So dangerous it is to persecute righteous men especially the Lords Prophets Scribes and Witnesses Ambassadors Agents and Remembrancers 'T is a serious dinuntiation Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harm Psal 104. He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2. And do we think it belongs no neerer unto us Would God it did not But I appeal to any soul who hath taken notice of its own actions and the workings of God upon it how many godly motions how many pious inspirations how many breathings towards this God hast thou received from his spirit yet hast thou killed and crucified them put them off with worldly mirth And so hast thou killed Abel in the field Abel is a mourning according to Philo and a breathing towards God c. He was slain in the field that is the world saith our Saviour Matth. 13. even the field of the earthly and worldly heart wherein the world is set Eccles 3.11 How often hast thou been moved by the feare of thy God to depart from all sin and all iniquitie How often hast thou been put in mind by thy God yea how many pious purposes and intentions hast thou had to mortifie them and to consume them upon the Altar of Christs patience Yet instead of killing thy sinns thou hast killed those holy and godly admonitions and counsells of the spirit and what is this but to kill Zachariah that is the memorie of the Lord or the admonition of the Lord and that between the Porch of the Temple that 's the fear of the Lord and the Altar that 's the patience of Jesus Christ and so deprive our selves of the birth of Iohn the true grace of the Lord. But malum accidit malo as links of a Chain one drawes on the other The peril here whereof thou art warned O Israel is concatenatum malum the evil of forgetfulness drawes in another evil the departure of these words from the heart And that is the second danger lest they depart from thine heart These words some understand to be no other then a second expression of the same danger lest thou forget the words which thine eyes have seen lest they depart from thine heart Others rather understand by the heart here the affective part of the soul whereby it becomes retentive of the words which our eyes have seen and in love cleaving unto them But we must remember that the memory retains God himself and his Christ and holy Spirit and the words of life the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the living Oracles of God And therefore when these are neglected slighted and forgotten by us they depart from us in fury and indignation When his words and commands are neglected and contemned the Lord himself is neglected and contemned Wherefore be thou instructed O Jerusalem it is the the Lords exhortation to his Church Jer. 6.8 Jer. 6. v. 8. lest my soul depart thee Most unwilling the Lord is to depart from the soul Our soul is as it were a part of his and we are as it were
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
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
scourge as he dealt in Mount Perazim Esay 28. We have our Baal Berith Judges 9.4 the god of the Covenant making indeed a god of some part of it and neglecting that principal part of it That God should be one and his Name one Zach. 14. We have our Belial that is disobedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Absque jugo without yoke and though the Apostle tells us there is no agreement between Christ and Belial yet we are resolved to make them agree 2 Cor. 6.15 We worship Chemosh the god of the Moabites and serve him together with the true and only God Chemosh is Quasi palpans Flattery which is judged to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.13 which the Scholiast on Aristophanes tells us was a Tavern-deity and wont to be worshipped with drinking after Supper Night-meetings I may call them the Clubbing when men supple one another with Wine flatter one another into good bargains This is a compendious way of worshipping Mammon Ashteroth Bacchus and Chemosh all at once We worship Dagon the god of Gluttony and fulness of bread and abundance of idleness the Philistines god Potu cadentes tipling till they reel as S. Hierom interprets the Philistins For Bacchus and Ceres will be worshipped together Whose god is their belly Phil. 3. we will have the Ark of the only God and Dagon stand together We worship Mauzzim which we render the god of the Forces Dan. 11.38 And least any order of men should be exempt from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we worship Mercury and have gotten many Mercuries gods of words 1 Cor. 2.4 We have Nebo when the Prophets set themselves up for gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Poet calls it I say nothing to those ugly deities Baal-Phegor Beelzebul Priapus which yet are worshipped among us These are not conjectures and allusions but reality and truth For do we think our God is more offended with the title of those false gods or the worship of them in spirit and truth with the names or the things themselves He himself suffers the names of these and many more false gods in holy Scripture but he abhors abominates the service of them the having of those other gods We have them for our gods and Corrivals with the only true God and yet think our selves guiltless because we abhor the names only While we fall short of the end of our creation the glory of God it is by reason of some false god or other whom we have in our heart so much the Apostle implyes Rom. 3.23 All have sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come short or after the glory of God So that there is beside that gross outward idolatry one more subtil spiritual and inward Such are those Idols or Images imagined and conceived in opinion such as the Leaders and Image-makers of every several Sect have graven set up and chosen to hold and propound to their followers to be worshipped There are many of this kinde They have found out many inventions Eccles 7. ult For whereas the outward idolatry seemed to be too gross and palpable to deceive the world any longer Satan obtruded upon men an inward kinde of idolatry more subtil and refined For after the Synagoga magna had quite discountenanced outward Idols calling Baal Bosheth Bethel Bethaven Beelzebub Beelzebul c. Instead of these the Elders of the Jews chose other Images Mark 7.1 7. And such as these are many Idols of later time which men of several opinions imagine and engrave and set up above all the rest to be adored As among the Philosophers Aliquid magni est in unaquaque Secta saith Mirandula some great thing there is in every Sect so among Christians to single out some tenent or other and cry up that and if that can but be in credit it matters not what becomes of all the rest And so zealous men are for the worship every man of his own Idol that every one drawes another to the worship of it and if that cannot be obtained then the bond of charity must be broken Yea if such Idol-makers get power into their hands they force others to the worship of their Idols even with fear of death like Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3.6 Whoso falls not down and worships shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace Of this the Prophet Esay 66.5 Your brethren that hate you that cast you out for my names sake say Let the Lord be glorified and think in so doing they do God good service Ier. 50.7 We offend not because they have sinned against the Lord. Our Lord forewarns his Disciples of this and many of them have experienced the truth of it John 16.2 The time cometh that whosoever killeth you he shall think that he offereth a gift unto God The Syriac Interpreter hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divine service But proceed we to the following Axiom 5. It is possible that Gods people may be so driven away that they may worship and serve other gods The truth of this appears in the words before us as also Deut. 4.19 lest thou lift up thine eyes to the heavens and when thou seest the Sun and the Moon and the Stars the whole host of the heavens Deut. 4. v. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou be driven so our Translators turn the word there to worship them and serve them c. The reason why t is possible that the people of God may be driven to worship and serve other gods may appear from the danger of the other gods To have them endangers the worship of them So the Lord having prohibited other gods Exod. 20.3 and making Idols adds thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them Ducit enim affectu quodam infirmo rapit infirma corda mortalium formae similitudo c. For the likeness of form wins upon the affections and takes the weak hearts of men 2. Beside there is a proneness by corrupt nature to Idolatry and Superstition as appears by the frequent prohibitions of it and by that care and providence of God towards man in that he hath revealed no bodily image of himself Deut. 4. But how can it be true that the people of God should be driven away from him and so worship other gods 1. God will not 2. The Devil cannot 1. God will not It suits neither with his Wisdom nor with his Justice that he should drive men to that from which by so many Motives and Arguments in his Word he withdrawes them 2. The Devil cannot drive a believer to worship other gods but on the contrary a believer may resist and drive away the Devil Resist the Devil and he will fly from you Whence then is it that the people of God are driven to worship and serve other gods Whence but from the drift and impetuousness of their own
Lord complains Ezech. 6.9 I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me And we say the like of the hands Manus sunt opera saith S. Hierome and therefore the breaking of the hand is the cessation and leaving off from doing good as many at this day do out of fear lest they should merit by well-doing They have left off to be wise and to do good Psal 36.3 Nor must the Priests be crook-backt pressed down with the weight of worldly cares Curvae in terras animae coelestium inanes Crooked souls weighed down to the earth void of heavenly things Gods Priest ought to lay aside every weight that presseth down and the sin that so easily befets him and run with patience to the race that is set before him Hebr. 12.1 2. And how can he run with such an heavy load upon his soul Nor ought the Priest to be a Dwarff to stint his spirituall growth and be of stature like a childe of a span long Lam. 2.20 Whereas we are all called to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes 4.13 But what is the blemish in the eye Surely the word Blemish is too large and general whereby to express 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confusion or suffusion as when the white of the eye or a white spot albugo hath mingled it self with the black of the eye This spiritually comes to passe when that wisdom and holiness wherewith we see God Hebr. 13. when that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pupilla oculi that image of the man is obscured who came for judgement into this world that they who see not might see and they who see might be made blinde Bartimaeus therefore or according to Hierom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Syriac is filius caecus or caeci a blinde son or the son of the blinde he acknowledgeth his blindness and prayes the Son of David that he may receive his sight He does so and follows Jesus in the way Mark 10.46.52 And so shall every one who is spiritually blinde and acknowledgeth it and prayes to the Lord to open his eyes that he sleep not in death Psal 13.3 And so he must follow Jesus in the way as Bartimaeus did But some love darkness more then light John 3.19 And therefore our Lord though he saw him blinde yet inquires whether he had a will to see For some are blind think they see desire no other sight Thus when the man prides himself in the opinion of his own spiritual sight his wisdom and righteousness he is indeed spiritually blinde though he knowes it not and therefore desires no better sight What Say the Pharisees are we blinde also What they who know the whole word of God so exactly that they can tell how often every letter in it is used throughout the whole Old Testament What are they blinde who are the Masters of Israel John 3. Nay come we down to our own times for there are Scribes and Pharisees among us and they learned ones also men extream well seen in Tongues and Arts History of the Church Councils Fathers Schoolmen And others there are who neglect all these and adhere to the letter only of the Scripture And what are all these blinde also It is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the black of the eye wherewith we see And Gods great benefit and wonderful work it is in Nature as well as in grace that he makes the sight and light to shine out of the blackness and darkness Now if the film grow over this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this hidden new man of the pure heart 1 Pet. 3.4 whereby we see God Matth. 5.8 If pride of knowledge if an high minde if ambition if covetousness which is Aviditas that which hinders the sight if unholiness if hatred and malice cover this sight in a word if they have not put off the old man and learned Christ Ephes 4.20 be they otherwise as learned as they may they are certainly blinde they know not God nor the things of God For that darkness hath blinded their eyes 1 John 2.11 This blemish is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rendred Albugo it hath the name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confound because the albugo the white spot or the white of the eye is confounded and mixt with the black And according to the black the man sees and discerns somewhat of the divine light which light is ecclipsed by the interposition and mixture of the white even the opinion of his own wisdom and holiness which seems fair and beautiful unto him and herein he prides himself Hence proceeds the confusion in the mans darkned heart and out of the abundance of it his mouth speaks Hence we learn what is the true Babel according to what we read Gen. 11.9 It was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confounded the lip tongue or speech of the whole Earth And the speech of the whole earth is confounded by mixture of various judgements Every divided party hath its several tenents and they are to them the Right judgement the Orthodox faith And every other divided party is to this corrupt hetrodox erroneous and heretical And what may be said of any one may be said of every one In these several partial and divided judgements every Sect with greatest industry and zeal endeavours to build up it self and unite themselves in some confession of faith or other which is their City they build Gen. 11.4 and with as great emulation and animosity it opposeth all others under the name of the world And what one party judgeth of another the same another party also judgeth of it So that although every party monopolize and appropriate the Church unto it self yet by their mutual and interchangeable judgements one of other they are all of the world In this confusion every divided judgement plies and courts the Civil Magistrate and mainly endeavours to get him on their side to make him if possibly their Executioner And this is their Tower Gen. 11.4 whereby they would suppress and oppress and bring under all who are of another minde and will not build with them Meantime mark wherein this great difference consists Not who should be the most obedient unto God the most holy sober temperate just patient c. Tush these are poor things men think whereabout they should contend the Heathen Philosophers could talk of these The Lacedemonians enured their children to an emulation touching matters of this kinde when their Fathers would ask them who of all the City had the reputation of the most sober man who was said to be the wisest who the most just most valiant c. Alas what are these to a form of godliness which consists in some certain ceremonies either invented by every divided party or corruptly gathered out of the word of God and this they fence with a several and divided discipline unto which every party
useth the same metaphores O ye Corinthians Our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged yet are not straitned in us but ye are straitned in your own bowells Now for a recompence be ye also enlarged The Apostles heart was enlarged and not straitned toward his Corinthians they had much room in it Their heart was straitned towards him they had no place for him in it A metaphore so illustrious and significat should not have been omitted or changed by our Translators Out of this Anxiety this shortness and straitness of soul the people spake against God and against Moses wherefore have ye brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness For there is no bread neither is there any water And our soul loatheth this light bread In which words we eave those two parts and Axioms 1. The peoples slight opinion of Manna The call it light Bread 2. Their disaffection or ill affection toward it answerable to their slight opinion of it Their soul abhorred or loathed that light Bread 1. The people call Manna light bread wherein we must inquire 1. What 's meant by Bread in this place 2. What we are to understand by light as light bread 1. The word here turnd Bread is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies all kinde of food as I have often shewen Here is understood by it Manna and so the Chald. Paraphrast turns it here Manna according to the Israelites question Exod 16.15 and so as the LXX also turn it there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is it They called it Manna for they knew not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it was 2. Others otherwise they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the gift of God which he promised to give us 3. Or it is the Portion So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also signifies Or 4. and lastly it is a meat prepared for us And that also is the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a prepared meat as needs not our dressing I cannot except against any of these meanings But I shall for memory sake reduce them all to a question what is it to which the answer is A gift of God a portion of meat prepared This Manna this gift of God this portion of prepared meat the people had a slight opinion of whence they call it with an Emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this light Bread And so divers of our old English Translators turn that word as also the Spanish Italian and French Bibles Howbeit this last having Bread so light in the Text hath yet another and better signification in the margent Bread of so little esteem For although Light may signifie the same with what is of little esteem yet being applied to Bread it rather heightens the estimation of it then any way depretiats or under values it as Cajetan well obeserves which is the peoples main drift here And therefore Vatablus and the Tigurin Bible as also Munster and Castellio have expressed it by Vilis base or of no worth Tremellius by Vilissimus most base and worthless So Piscator turns it Nothing worth Luther and the Low Dutch turn it vain or empty And what was this Manna spiritually whereof this people had so vile and base an opinion Wisd 16. v. 21. what else but Christ himself The Wise man calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance of God for what our Translators turn sustenance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisd 16.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thy substance he speaks of Manna declared thy sweetness unto thy children And whereas we read Exod. 16.16 this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 16. v. 16. this is the word namely the essential word For that word speaks of himself John 6.30 when the Jews had said our Fathers did eat Manna in the wilderness as it is written He gave them bread from heaven to eat Our Lord tells them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you that true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is coming down out of heaven John 6. v. 33.48 49 50 51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is giving life to the world And ver 48. I am that bread of life Your fathers did eat Manna in the wilderness and are dead This is that bread that is coming down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and nor die I am that bread that living bread that is coming down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever So it pleased the divine wisdom to use imperfect and incompleat acts descending and giving thereby to imply a continual showring down of the heavenly Manna according to the appetite and desire of those who gather it Crater superior perpetìm se deplet in cratorem inferiorem This is that which the Apostle cals the spiritual meat If Bread if living Bread if the Bread of God and that coming down from heaven and giving life to the world could this Bread seem vile and contemptible Ignoti null a cupido This Bread was hidden and not well known It was hid 1. In the outward Word 2. In the Sacraments 3. In men who receive both For the Manna was given with the dew falling with it So the preaching of the Word is compared to the falling of the dew Deut. 32.2 With which preaching of the Word Christ is given unto us Rom. 1.16 The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation And 10.8 The Word the essential Word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that Word of faith which we preach And ver 14. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Gal. 3.2 This only would I know of you Received you the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith Thus the Manna was hidden in the dew and so called hidden Manna Revel 3.17 and the inward Word the spiritual meat was hidden in the outward Word 2. This Manna is hidden also in the Sacraments and therefore they are called Signes and Seales Signes and therefore there must be somewhat signified by them Seals and therefore something also must be sealed by them 3. This Manna is hidden also in us 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except ye be castawayes But that which most of all bid the Word it self and the Sacraments and sacramental signes and seals from this people yea and themselves from the true knowledge of themselves was their own sin and disobedience According to which Daniel confesses Dan. 9.13 that they had not turned from their iniquities that they might understand the truth The same reason the Wiseman gives of the ignorance
that your generations may know that I made the sons of Israel to dwell in Booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt I am the Lord your God ver 42 43. That the people might remember and consider their slavery in Egypt and their deliverance out of it Their penury and poverty in the Wilderness when they were houseless and harborless and their plenty and abundance in the land of Canaan when they dwelt in houses that they had not built And therefore the Law was commanded to be read every seventh year at that feast Deut. 31.10 that they might hear and learn and fear the Lord their God the author of all this good unto them and observe to do all the words of his Law And for that end after the ordaining of that Feast Levit. 23.43 is added I am the Lord your God Hence it is that the LXX render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some have conceived to be so turned because that Song was so called which the old Greek Stage-players sung at the end of their Comedies when they went off the Stage as Suidas and Pollux and others affirm Accordingly some conceive that the Greek Interpreters alluded to this custom of the Stage-players because when they ended the Feast of Tabernacles they returned to their houses with great joy But truly I am not easily perswaded that the Greek Interpreters would so much honour the Comedians and their profane Stage-customes as to transfer them unto the holy Scripture There is no doubt but the LXX gave this name to the Feast according to the divine institution of it as hath been shewen in memory of Israels coming forth of Egypt And for the same reason they gave the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exodus unto the second book of Moses wherein that great work of God is recorded and rendred the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a memorial of the peoples going out of Egypt Levit 23.16 Numb 29.35 Deut. 16.8 2 Chron. 7.9 Nehem. 8.18 as well knowing the will of the Lord that his people should remember the day when they came forth out of the land of Egypt all the dayes of their life Deut. 16.3 Hence we learn one main end of humane society the celebrating of solemn Assemblies for the worship and service of God in the great Congregation Such are all the solemn Feasts in Scripture As also for the management of civil affairs in order to a peaceable life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.2 That which the Psalmist expresseth in like words Psal 110.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the comlinesses of holiness Psal 100. v. 3. 1 Tim. 2. v. 2. which our Translators express in all godliness and honesty Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turnd by honesty a word in our language of very large signification might more properly be rendred by comely gravity The Wiseman Prov. 8.6 brings in Wisdom saying I will speak of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excellent things the LXX turn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grave things that is as the Philosopher explaines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a decent deportment becoming all ranks and orders of men So that those Conventions of the people were either Ecclesiastical or civil And both had their times of restraint and their times of dimission For whereas all things in the Church ought to be done in decency and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to order 1 Cor. 14.40 1 Cor. 14. v. 40. We read that our Lord the Head of his Church is desired by the Disciples to let the multitude depart Mat. 14.15 as afterward he doth v. 22 23. and 15.29 And we read this practised by the Town Clerk or rather Sacred Scribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Dr. Hammond well proves that he dismissed the Assembly Acts 19.35 Acts 19. v. 35. And this dismission proves a restraint in all lawful Assemblies Such were those of the Christians in the Apostles times Hebr. 10.25 James 2.2 and afterwards So Ignatius to Polycarpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the Assemblies be more frequent In which dismission was practised and therefore a restraint supposed In the Greek Church after the Sermon the Deacon said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dismission to the people that is the people may depart And the like custom was in the Latin Church Hence is that known form of speech used by the Deacon after the Sermon to the Catechumeni those who were not yet initiated or entred into the divine mysteries but were yet in their rudiments to them it was said Ite missa est The Congregation is dismissed ye may go home These antient and now antiquated customes of the Church easily discover unto us what Dissolutae scopae what loose and confused companies our Church-congregations most-what are as being neither duely gathered and assembled together nor detained by any gentle and moderate restraint upon them nor decently dismissed All which might well become the people of the God of order and the comely body of Christ the head But at this day most men account it a great part of their Christian liberty to be disorderly and to do what they list So that our Church-Assemblies are like people some going others coming from the Market or like Bees alwayes some going in others out of the Hive But if we begin to speak of these disorders we shall never come to an end Come we rather to the spiritual meaning of these words For alas what honour is it unto God or what benefit is it unto the people that so many bodies of men are gathered together in one place or that they are retained and restrained there The Church of God is a communion of souls and spirits And this communion of souls and spirits must be with the God and Father of spirits who made us out souls Otherwise Nihil boni est in unitate nisi unitas sit in bono There is no good in unity unless unity be in goodness We must know therefore that there is a twofold Restraint 1. From sin and iniquity 2. A restraint unto God and his divine nature 1. The restraint from sin and iniquity is the restraint of the seventh day Deut. 16.8 Six dayes thou shalt eat unleavened bread and the seventh day shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a solemn Assembly or rather a restraint The feast of the Passover requires a purging out the leaven of malice and wickedness a keeping our selves from our own iniquity This must be done with unleavened bread even with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Ye perceive sincerity accompanies the first and lowest duty even the first passage out of Egypt So far are they out who call perfection which is the highest duty by the name of sincerity which is or accompanies the lowest and meanest 2. There is also a restraint a recollecting and calling home all our wandring thoughts our loose affections our unadvised words our rash actions a bringing them to due examinations a judgeing and
condemning what is blameworthy of them a sifting and winnowing our hearts as the Prophet exhorts Zephaniah 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inquirite in vos ipsos scrutamini let every one of you search Inter scruta among the trash and trumpery of his sinful conversation Under thy pride thine envie thy wrath thy covetousness thy gluttony thy drunkenness thy lasciviousness lies the chast sober temperate bountiful patient meek loving humble Christ of God troden under foot in the street He it is who is made flesh and desires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take up his Tent to keep his Feast of Tabernacles with us John 1. v. 14. John 1.14 Canst thou darest thou own believe on hope in love cleave unto such a Christ canst thou honour him joyn thy self unto him Unto him is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our restraint our retention unto him we are to be adjoyned and to become of one spirit with him Unto him we are to be conformed in his humiliation and abasement that we may be made like unto him in his glory and exaltation The reason of this collection and retention of the Church of God in union may be referred to the Author of it whose wisdom and goodness as it appears in the history so much more in the mystery of it The story minded Israel according to the flesh of their bodily thraldom in and deliverance out of Egypt their great poverty and want of all things and their plenty and abundance The Mystery imports the precious redemption of their souls out of their spiritual slavery under the spiritual Pharaoh How miserable poor and naked they were but now abounded with all spiritual riches houses full of all good things that is the holy Spirit of God Matth. 7.11 with Luke 11.13 For by this eighth day was signified the holy Spirit of God Our Lord himself declares thus much John 7. Where ver 2. ye read that it was the feast of Tabernacles When our Lord went up to Jerusalem ver 10. On the last day the great day of that Feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the Spirit which the believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on him John 7. v. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should afterward receive John 7.37 38 39. In order to the receiving of this Spirit the Lord Jesus commands their restraint in expectation of it Luke 24.49 Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City Jerusalem Judg. 6. v. 34. till ye be indued or clothed with power from on high For so we read Judges 6.34 that the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon The word they render tarry is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit ye which notes that quiet posture of their minde Anima quiet a anima prudens wherein they were to receive the Spirit of God And accordingly we finde them in such a posture and disposition of minde Acts 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2. v. 1.3 They were all unanimous at or in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it sat upon every one of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost S. John puts both together the Spirit and the day of the Spirit I was or I was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Arias Montanus or I became in the Spirit in the Lords day where he explaines one by the other by apposition for so we understand that Lords day which is so often mentioned in the Prophets and called the day of the Lord. In that day he was wherein there was no night nor need of a Candle neither light of the Sun Rev. 22. v. 5. for the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall enlighten them Revel 22.5 Hence we perceive good reason why the Lord laid a restraint upon them to tarry at Jerusalem It was the day of the Spirit the eighth day there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a restraint Hence we learn that as in the letter and outwardly so inwardly and in the Spirit there is a difference of dayes It is the Wisemans question Why doth a day excel a day and all the light of the day of the year is of the Sun So the words are read in the Greek Ecclus 33.7 He answers his question Ecclus 33. v. 7. 13 By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished and he altered seasons and feasts Some of them he hath made high dayes and some of them he hath made high and sanctified and some of them he hath put for the number of dayes And the Wiseman shews there is like reason for the difference among men All men saith he are from the ground and Adam was created from the earth In multitude of knowledge the Lord hath divided them and made their wayes diverse some of them he hath blessed and exalted and some of them he hath sanctified and set them near himself But some of them hath he cursed and brought low and turnd them out of their standings As the Potters clay is in his hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all his wayes are which words are left out in our Translation according to his pleasure so man is in the hand of him who made him to render unto them according to his judgement Let them take notice of this who confound all differences of dayes and differences of men how point blank they oppose the express testimony of the Wiseman here I know there is a time when some strong men may esteem every day alike Rom. 14.5 But I am well assured that many of those who plead for a parity of dayes and persons are not yet grown up to that spiritual age But let them take notice that there is no time in all the Scripture set wherein it s said that all persons shall be equal Which is the main thing they contend for upon no ground Yea that which they suppose their principal ground is a main argument against their parity Mat. 23. v. 8.10 Our Lord saith to his Disciples Matth. 23. Be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master the Christ and all ye are brethren And ver 10. Be not ye called Masters for one is your Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Christ But the greater or greatest of you shall be your Minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Its evident from the context that our Lord endeavours to render his Disciples like unto himself As therefore he did not exercise Mastership over his Disciples as the Jews Rabbins did over the people so neither would he that his Disciples should one over another because they were brethren which brotherhood yet inferred not a parity among them no more then our being the brethren of Christ Hebr. 2.11 renders us equal to him who is the first-born of many brethren Rom. 8.29 But