Basil thinks otherwise and that till sin came in the rose was without prickles It s likely there were such shrubs at first created non ut laederent hominem non pecâ—antem sed peccaturum saith Pareus Now since the Fall all creatures are armed against man as that sword which Hector gave Ajax which so long as he used against men his enemies served for help and defence But after he began to abuse it to the hurt of hurtless beaâ—â—s it turned into his own bowels yielding fruit after his kind So that men doe not gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Luk. 6.44 Jam. 3.12 Can a fig-tree saith St. James bear olive-berries or a vine figs that were monstrous And should not every man in like manner bear his own fruit proper to his kinde to his calling doe his own work weed his own garden Psal 101.2 walk within his own house with a perfect heart till God come unto him Come he will and look for fruit in its season When he comes he will turn up our leaves and look that like the tree of life Rev. 22.21 we bear fruit every moneth or that we be like the lemmon-tree which ever and anon sendeth forth new lemmons assoon as the former are fallen down with ripeness Or the Egyptian fig-tree Vnde pomum decirpscris alterum sine mora protuberat Sol. in Polyhist cap. 45. Plin. lib. 10. which saith Solinus beareth fruit seven times in a year pull off a fig and another breaks forth in the place shortly after Now if we be found like the barren fig-tree Luk. 13. that had leaves onlâ— or the Cypress-tree which is said to be fair and tall but altogether fruitless Or the Cypar it-tree of which Pliny affirmeth that it is natu morosa fructu supervacanea baccis parva foliis amara odore violenta ac ne umbrâ quidem gratiosa what can we expect but that he should set down his basket and taking up his axe hew us down as fewel for the fire of hell In Hispania nihil Igâ—avum â—ihil sterile Solin Spain is sayd to have nothing barren in it or not some way useful and why should Christs orchard the Church John 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he pares and prunes our leaves and luxuriancies Yea cuts and slashes where need requires and all that we may bear more fruit Sincerity alone will not comfort a man unless it grow up to fruitfulness which springing from the exercise of grace Isa 38.3 2 Pet. 1.3 hath a sweet reflection on the soul as in sick Hezekiah and sweetly seals up our calling to glory and vertue as the budding of Aarons rod did his calling to the prâ—esthood whereupon One well observeth that not only all the plants of Gods setting but the very boughs cut off from the body of them will flourish Quest Here some demand were the trees so created at first that if sin had never entered they had ever flourished laden with fruit Answer is made by a worthy Divine Answ Brightm on Rev. that the allusion Rev. 22.2 seems to intimate some such matter And perhaps Christ would else never have cursed the fruitless fig-tree sith the time of figs was not yet come Mark 11.13 Verse 14.15 Let there be light The Sun Moon and Stars are as it were certain vessels whereinto the Lord did gather the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. Ministravit Psa 19.5 which before was scattered in the Heavens The Sun that prince of planets but servant to the Saints of the most High as his name imports cometh out of his chamber as a bride-groom and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race This he doth with such a wonderful swiftness as exceedeth the Eagles flight more then it goeth beyond the slow motion of a snail and with such incomparable sweetness Eccles 11.7 that Eudoxus the Philosopher professed Plutarch that he would be willing to be burnt up by the Sun presently Herodot Chrysost Hom. 8 ad pop Antioch so he might be admitted to come so neer it as to learn the nature of it Aeternùm atri et tetri sunto habentor qui non tam cute quà m corde Aethiopici Solem quò magis luceat eò magis execrentur Chrysostome cannot but wonder that whereas all fire tends upwards the Sun should shoot down his rayes to the earth and send his light abroad all beneath him This is the Lords own work and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes Deut. 4.19 It illuminates and beautifies all the orbes and heavenly bodies about it yea it strikes through the firmament in the transparent parts and seeks to bestow its beauty and brightness even beyond the Heavens Bolt walk with God It illightens even the Opposite part of Heaven gliding by the sides of the earth with all those glorious stars we see shining in the night Yea it insinuates into every chink and cranny of the earth and concurres to the makeing of those precious metals which lye in her bowels besides those precious fruits brought forth by the Sun and the precious things thrust forth by the Moon Deut. 33.14 For as the Sun by warmth so the Moon by moisture maketh the earth fruitful whence also she hath her name in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jareach from refreshing the earth with her cool influences She is here called a light and a great light therefore She hath some light of her own as the stars also have besides what she borroweth of the Sun though not strong enough to rule the night without light from the Sun Galileus used perspectives to descry mountaines in the Moone and some will needs place hell in the hollow of it It is easie to discerne that her body is not all alike lightsome some parts being thicker and some thinner then others and that the light of the Sun falling on her is not alike diffused through her It is sufficient that the Church looketh forth at first as the morning or day-dawning she shall be faire as the Moon at least in regard of sanctification and for justification cleare as the Sun Cant. 6.10 and therefore to the devill and his angels terrible as an Army with banners Clouded she may be or eclipsed but not utterly darkned or denyed of light Astronomers tell us that she hath at all times as much light as in the full but often-times a great part of the bright side is turned to heaven and a lesser part to the earth God seems therefore to have set it lowest in the heavens and nearest the earth D. Hackwels Apolog. Preface that it might daily put us in minde of the constancy of the one and inconstancy of the other her selfe in some sort partaking of both though in a different manner of the one in her substance of the other in her visage Verse 16.17 He made also the stars To be receptacles of that first light whence
grievous misery Hos 7.16 Vers 19. Why saidst thou she is my sister He might have answered because I was afraid His fear it was that put him upon this exploit So it did David when he changed his behaviour and Peter when he denied his Master c. Men should rather dye then lye Firmus Episc Togastensis Nec prodam nec mentiar said that good Bishop in St. Augustine And that was a brave woman in St. Hierome that being on the rack resolved and answered the tormentour Non ideo negare volo ne peream sed ideo mentiri nolo ne peccem The Chamaeleon saith Pliny is the most fearfull of all creatures and doth therefore turn into all colours to save it self So will timorous persons See Zeph. 3.13 Let us fortifie our hearts against this cowardly passion Vers 20. And Pharaoh commanded Thus God comes as it were out of an Engine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and helps his people at a pinch Abraham had brought himself into the briars and could finde no way out Many a heavy heart he had no doubt for his dear wife who suffered by his default and she again for him God upon their repentance provides graciously for them both She is kept undefiled he greatly enriched for her sake and now they are both secured and dismissed with the Kings safe conduct Oh who would not serve such a God as turns our errours and evill counsells to our great good as the Athenians dreamt their goddesse Minerva did for them CHAP. XIII Vers 1. And Abram went up out of Egypt THere must be likewise daily ascensions in our hearts out of the Egypt of this world to the heavenly Canaan where Christ our altar is The Church is compared to pillars of smoke ascending Cant. 3.6 Black she is as smoke in regard of infirmities yet hath a principle to carry her upwards Who is this that ascends out of this Egypt below with pillars of smoke elationibus fumi that is with her affections thoughts desires upward heavenward Our Edward the first had a mighty desire to go to the holy land Act. Mon. and because he was hindred he gave his son a charge upon his death-bed to carry his heart thither and prepared 32000. pound to that purpose The children of faithfull Abram though their bodies be on earth yet they take much pains and are at great charge to get up their hearts to heaven Matth. 14.28 Cant 7 4. Hence they are called Eagles for their high-soaring and are said to have noses like the tower of Lebanon for their singular sagacity in resenting and smelling after Christ the true all quickning carcasse Vers 2. And Abraham was very rich All rich men therefore are not rejected of God though it be hard for such to hit on heaven Poor Lazarus â—lyes in the bosome of rich Abraham there Riches neither further nor hinder in themselves but as they are used As a cypher by it self is nothing but a figure being set before it it encreaseth the summe Wealth if well used is an ornament an incouragement to duty and an instrument of much good All the danger lyes in loving these things Have them we may and use them too as a traveller doth his staffe to help him the sooner to his journeys end but when we passe away our hearts to them they become a mischief and as the word here rendred rich signifies in the originall a burden Let not therefore the bramble be King let not earthly things bear rule over thy affections fire will rise out of them that will consume thy Cedars Judg 9.15 emasculate all the powers of thy soul as they did Solomons whose wealth did him more hurt then his wisdome good How many have we now adayes that when poor could pray read c who grown rich resemble the Moon which grown full gets furthest oft from the Sun never suffers eclipse but then and that by earths interposition Socrates divitiâ—s comparabat tunicis talaribus Quis generum meum ad gladium alligavit Cic. Dio in Augusto Herodot Let rich men therefore take heed how they handle their thorns let them gird up the loyns of their mindes lest their long garments hinder them in the way to heaven Let them see to it that they be not tyed to their abundance as little Lentulus was said to have been to his long sword that they be not held prisoners in those golden fetters as the Kings of Armenia was by Anthony and so sent by him for a present to Cleopatra lest at length they send their Mammon of unrighteousness as Craesus did his fetters for a present to the Devill who had deluded him with false hopes of victory Vers 3. And he went on his journeys Many a weary step and rested not till he came to his old altar at Bethel Lo here a patern of great piety and singular zeal in Father Abram Egypt with all her plenty and pleasure had not stoln away his heart so as not to hold his own in the promised Land Neither had he so laden himself with thick clay but that he went from strength to strength as those good souls did Psal 84.7 he took long strides perexit per profectiones suas as it is here He went journey after journey till he appeared before God at his altar there to sanctifie that good he had got in Egypt and to give God thanks for it yea to consecrate all to him the bestower of it Oh let us shew our selves children of Abraham indeed by walking in these steps of our father Abraham Rom. 4.12 Otherwise our outward profession and priviledges will profit us no more then it did Dives in hell Luk. 16. that he could call Abraham Father Vers 4. Vnto the place of the altar c. There he had found God to his comfort and there he looks now to finde him so again It will be some help to us for the strengthning of our faith in prayer to holâ— our selves to the same place to have a set Orâ—â—ory Vers 5. And Lot also which went with Abram So he lost not all by leaving friends and means to go with Abram They that fide with the Saints shall thrive with the Saints God had promised to bless Abram and he did it for it is the blessing of God that maketh rich God had promised again to bless them that blessed Abram or wished well to him and did him any favour or furtherance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pecudes posteà synecdochicoÌ„s opes significant Let Lot speak now whether this were not made good to him in those flocks and herds of his that is in all kinde of riches and tents that is servants dwelling in tents Jer. 49.29 1 Chron. 4.41 Vers 6. And the land was not able to bear them This was sowre sawce to their sweet meat lest they should surfet of their abundance All earthly comfortâ— are dissweetned with crosses and there are pins in all the worlds
and a goodly creature Sweet saith Solomon Eccles 11.7 Comfortable saith David Psal 97.11 Which when one made question of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Beatumâ—ssâ— hominem Deo fruentem sicut oculus luce August de Civitat Dei l. 8. 2 Cor. 6.14 1 Thes 5. â— 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.13 Lactant. That 's a blinde mans question said the Philosopher What is it then to enjoy him that is Light Essential The Platonists who were blinde in divinis and could not see far off yet they could say that he was a blessed man who enjoyed God as the eye doth enjoy the light And God divided the light c. Let not us confound them and so alter Gods order by doing deeds of darkness in a day of Grace in a Land of Light What make Owls at Athens or such spots among Saints as count it pleasure to riot in the day time It was a shame that it should be said There was never less wisdom in Greece then in the time of the seven wisemen of Greece It was a worse shame that it should be said to the Corinthians That some of them had not the knowledg of God 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 5.1 2 Cor. 6. and that such Fornication was found among them as was not heard of among the Heathen For what fellowship hath light with darkness Surely none Our morning shadows fall as far as they can toward the West Evening toward the East Plutarch Noon day toward the North c. Alexander having a souldier of his name that was a coward he bade him either leave off the name of Alexander or be a souldier Verse 5. And God called the light Day c. He taught men to call them so Day from the noise and hurry Night from the yelling of wild beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darknesse he created not but onely by accident and yet not that without some notable use Much lesse that darknesse of affliction which he is said to create Esa 45.7 Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darknesse yea light by darknesse Psal 112.4 as to Paul whose bodily blindnesse opened the eyes of his minde Opera Dei sunt in mediis coâ—trariis saith Luther Gods workes are effected usually by contraries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naziâ—nz Laerâ—ius And the evening and the morning c. Thales one of the seven Sages had learned this truth by going to Schoole in Egypt For being asked whether was first the Day or the Night he answered that the Night was sooner by one Day As who should say afore God had created the light it must needs be confessed that out of him there was nothing but darknesse Evening seperates by darknesse morning by light so the one dis-joynes day from night the other night from day Onely this first evening seperated not because light was then uncreated Yet was it of God appointed even then to stand betwixt light and darknesse In the first Evening was Heaven and Earth created and in the first Morning the light 2 Cor. 11.25 both which make the civill day called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Apostle And this which doubtlesse is the naturall order of reckoning the day Pliâ— lib. 2. c. 7 from evening to evening was in use among the Athenians and is to this day retained by the Jewes Italians Bohemians Si esians and other Nations Our life likewise is such a day and begins with the darke evening of misery here but death is to Saints the day-breake of eternall brightnesse Morning lasteth but till morning Nay Psal 30.5 not so long for Behold at even-tide trouble and before the morning he is not Esay 17.14 It is but a moment yea a very little moment and the indignation will pertransire be overpast saith the Prophet Esa 16.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 6.10.37 so little a while as you can scarce imagine saith the Apostle If it seem otherwise to any of us consider 1 That we have some lucida intervalla some respites interspiriates breathing whiles And it is a mercy that the man is not alwayes sweating out a poor living Gen. 3. Rom. 6.23 the woman ever in pangs of child-birth c. 2 That this is nothing to eternity of extreamity which is the just hire of the least sin 3 That much good accrues unto us hereby Heb. 12.10 Yea this light affliction which is but for a moment 2 Cor. 4.17 worketh out unto us that far most excellent and eternall weight of glory Oh pray pray that the eyes of our understanding being enlightned by that Spirit of wisdome and râ—vellation we may know what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints c. Eph. 1.17 18. Verse 6. Let there be a firmament Yet not so firme but it shall be dissolved 2 Pet. 3.11 That it is not presently so that those windowes of heaven are not opened as once in the deluge having no better a bar then the liquid ayre and we suddenly buried in one universall grave of waters see a miracle of Gods mercy and thanke him for this powerfull word of his Let there be a firmament Bartholinus tells us that in the yeare of Christ 1551. a very great multitude of men and cattell were drowned by a terrible tempest the clouds suddenly dissolving and the waters pouring downe againe Barthol lib. 2 de meteoris with such a strange stupendious violence that the massie walls of many Cities divers Vineyards and faire houses were utterly destroyed and ruined Clouds those bottles of raine are vessells as thin as the liquor which is contained in them D. H. Conteâ—p There they hang and move though weighty with their burdens How they are upheld saith a Reverend Divine and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder Job 26.8 They water our lands as we doe our gardens and are therefore called our heavens Deut. 33.28 Verse 7. Waters which were above the firmament That is the clouds and watery meteors above the lower region of the ayre where Gods pavillion round about him is darke waters Psal 18.11 Jer. 10.13 and thicke clouds of the skies These he weighes by measure not a drop falls in vaine or in a wrong place Job 28.15 And this is the first heaven As the second is the starry skie which is firme and fast as a molten looking-glasse Job 37.18 To this heaven some that have calculated curiously have found it 500 yeares journey Others say that if a stone should fall from from the eight sphere and should passe every houre an hundreth miles Burton of Melancholly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Câ—lo texâ— 99. Deut. 10.14 Luke 22.42 Luke 16.22 Job 14.2 Heb. 12.22 Heb. 11.14 it would be 65 yeares or more before it would come to ground Beyond this second heaven Aristotle acknowledgeth none other Beyond the moveable heavens saith he there is neither body nor time nor place nor Vacuum But
their corrupt doings Ezek. 20.43 44 and 36.31 32. Vers 8. The Lord was angry God is said to be angry when he doth as an angry man useth to do viz. 1. Chide 2. Smite revenge being the next effect of anger Vers 9. When I was gone up into the Mount Sins are much aggravated by the circumstances and every sin should swell as a toad in our eyes we should bring them out as they took the vessels of the Temple Ezra 8.34 by number and by weight See Lev. 16.21 all their transgressions in all their sins Vers 10. See the Note on Exod. 31.18 Vers 12. Arise From off thy knees the petitioners posture Saint Iames they say had knees as hard as cammels knees with continuall kneeling Euseb Hieron Act. Mon. fol. 1579. and Hilarion was found dead in his Oratory with knees bent eyes and hands lift up Father Latimer during his imprisonment was so constant and instant in prayer that oft-times he was not able to arise without help Vers 14. Let me alone See the Note on Exod. 32.10 Vers 15. So I returned Yet not till he had first prayed and prevailed Exod. 32.1 14. Vers 16. Ye had turned aside quickly Levitate prorsus desultoria Apostates have religionem ephemeram being constant in nothing but in their inconstancy Vers 17. And cast them See the Note on Exod. 32.19 Vers 19. For I was afraid Moses was more troubled for the people then the people were for themselves so was Dauiel for Nebuchadnezzar Chap. 4.19 and Nahum for the Caldeans Chap. 3.16 Vers 22. And at Taberah Catalogues should be kept of our sins and oft perused yea though they be pardoned that we may renew our repentance and keep our souls humble supple and soluble Vers 24. You have been rebellious Here he repeats the former charge vers 7. which now he had sufficiently proved against them We must object no more against any man then we are able to make good If Erasmus had lived to these dayes Erasmus epist ad Bilibâ—ld very shame would have cram'd those words of his down his throat Vbicunqu eregnat Lutherus ibi literarum est interitus duo tantum quaerunt censum vxorem Wheresoever Luthers doctrine takes place learning is little set by all the care is for a wife and for wealth Os durum Vers 25. Thus I fell down The three former verses come in by a parenthesis Here he returns again to the history of his interceding for them the second time Vers 26. I prayed And he had a hard tug of it but prayer is the best lever at a dead lift CHAP. X. Vers 1. LIke unto the first Which Moses had broken to shew how we in our nature had broken the law and could not be saved by the keeping of it This Christ our true Moses repaires again writing the law not in tables of stone but in the heart of unbelievers and enabling them in some good measure to keep it Iob. 1.17 walking as Luther phraseth it in the heaven of the promise but in the earth of the law that in respect of believing this of obeying Vers 2. Which thou breakest See the Note on Exod. 34.1 Vers 3. And I made an Ark In its use far beyond that Persian casket imbroydered with gold and pearle which Alexander reserved for Homers Iâ—â—ads Vers 4. Out of the midst of the fire The law was given in fire it is a law of fire Deut. 33.2 given by God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and hath a tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27 and shall plead with transgressours in flames of fire Isai 66.15 16. the triall of our works shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3 13. Let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear It is the Apostles use Heb. 12.28 Vers 5. And put the tables in the Ark Which was thenceforth called the Ark of the Testimony Vers 6. And the children of Israel Here are some seeming contradictions betwixt this place and that Num. 33.31 32. But though they seem to be as the accusers of Christ never a one speaking like the other yet if we well observe the text and consult with interpreters we shall finde them like Nathan and Bathsheba both speaking the same things Vers 7. A land of rivers of water A rare thing in a dry desart Lysimachus sold his crown for a less matter Vers 8. At that time viz. Whiles they were yet at mount Sinai for the two former verses are inserted by a parenthesis The Lord seperated the tribe of Levi This setting up of the Ministery amongst them is reckoned as a sign of Gods singular love to them And so it is to us no doubt albeit a late pamphleter makes that sacred and tremend function of the Ministery The Compas Samaritan to be as meer an imposture as very a mystery of iniquity as arrant a juggle as the papacy it self Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan To stand before the Lord As also the Angels do Luk. 1.19 Vers 12. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee Beneficium postulat officium Mercy calls for duty But to fear the Lord This is the totum hominis Eccles 12.13 the bonum hominis Mic. 6.8 the unum necessarium Luk. 10.42 the primum quarendum Mat. 6.33 Vers 14. Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens Not the ayre and sky only the visible heaven but the third heaven whereof no naturall knowledg can be had nor any help by humane arts Geometry Opticks c. For it is neither aspectable nor moveable The earth also So that there was no necessity of pitching upon thee for his peculiar fith he had choyce enough before him Vers 15. To love them Because he loved them as Chap. 7.7 8. See the Note there Vers 16. Circumcise therefore Deus jubendo juvat Set about this work in Gods strength and pray that the heaven may answer the earth Hos 2.21 For it is a work that must be done without hands Col. 2.11 Beg of God to thrust his holy hand into our bosome Aug. in Exod. quaest 55. and to pull off that filthy foreskin urge him with his promise Deut. 30.6 doubt not of his power lex jubet gratia juvat c. Vers 17. Is God of Gods And will be served like himself Vers 19. Love ye therefore the stranger And so shew your selves the friends of God Cicero For idem velle idem nolle ea demum vera amicitia est Friends are like-minded Vers 21. He is thy praise Thy praised one Psal 18.3 or thy praise-worthy one He is also thy chief glory and praise amongst all nations who shall admire thy happiness in such a God! CHAP. XI Vers 1. THerefore thou shalt love the Lord Cos amoris amor Ama amorem illius saith Bernard Not to love them that so loved us is to be worse then a Publicane more hard-hearted then a Jew Matth. 5.46 That the three children burnt not in
Lords portion Dear to God though despised of the world They are the Lords inheritance Isai 19.25 peculiar ones Exod. 19.5 the people of his purchase that comprehended all his gettings 1 Pet. 2.9 his glory Isai 46.13 his ornament Ezek. 7.20 his throne Ier. 4.21 his diadem Isai 62.3 heires of the kingdome saith Saint Iames heads destinated to the diadem Jam. 2.5 saith Tertullian Vers 10. And in the waste howling wilderness A figure of the cryes of a thirsty and troubled conscience and of infernall horrours See Ezek 16.4 c. He instructed him Both by his word and works both of mercy and justice for Gods rods also are vocall Mic. 6.9 his house of correction is his school of instruction He kept him as the apple of his eye The tenderest peece of the tenderest part The chrystall humour as the Philosophers call it Heb. Ishon of Ish as Pupilla of Pupa because therein appeares the likeness of a little man Or because a man is to be prized above all other creatures so God esteemeth his people above all the world Vers 11. As an eagle stirreth up her nest So doth God stirr up his people by his word of promise Fluttereth over them By the motions of his Spirit as Gen. 1.2 Spreadeth abroad her wings Hovereth and covereth them with his protection Mat. 23.37 Taketh them With much tenderness but nothing comparable to that of God Beareth them on her wings Aquilae pullos suos in alis portant alites reliqui inter pedes saith Munster here out of Rabbi Solomon See the Note on Exod. 19.4 Vers 12. And there was no strange god with him Why then should any share with him in his service Be the gods of the heathen good-fellows saith One the true God will endure no corrival Vers 13. To suck honey out of the rock Water as sweet as honey in that necessity So doth every worthy Receiver by faith at the Sacrament Whereas who so comes thereunto without faith is like a man saith Mr. Tindal that thinks to quench his thirst by sucking the Ale-powl Vers 14. With the fat of kidneys of wheat With the very Best of the Best figuring heavenly dainties that full feast Isai 25. Judaea for its admirable fertilty is called Sumen totius orbis how basely soever Strabo speaks of it as of a dry barren Country wherein he shews less ingenuity then railing Rabshakeh did Vers 15. But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked Jeshurun hâ—â— est Integellus saith One as Shimshon or Sampson Solilus a little Sun but a type of the Sun of righteousness that hath health in his wings that is in his beams Israel should have been Jeshurun that is Righteous or upright before the Lord Israelites indeed but were nothing less If ever they had been better in the time of their espousals when they went after God in the Wilderness in a land that was not sowen Jer. 2.2 yet now that they were full fed they kicked as young mulets when they have sucked matrem calcibus petunt kick the dammes dugs Fulnesse breeds forgetfulness and the best are but too prone to surfet of the things of this life which by our corruption oft-times prove a snare to our souls I will lay a stumbling block Ezek. 3.20 Vatablus his note there is Faciam ut omnia habeant prospera calamitatibus us eum a peccato non revocabo I will prosper him in all things and not by affliction restrain him from sin The most poisonous flics are bred in the sweetest fruit trees how apt are the holiest to be proud and secure even as worms and waspes eat the sweetest apples and fruits Salvian lib. 1. ad Eccles Catholic In Benedict 4. Repugnante contra temet ipsam tua foelicitate saith Salvian to the Church in his time thy prosperity is thy bane And cum ipsis opibus lascivâ—re coepit Ecclesia saith Platina The Church began to be rich and wanton at once Religio peperit divitias silia devoravit matrem Religion brought forth riches and the daughter soon devoured the mother saith Augustiâ—e The much wool on the sheeps back is oft-times his ruine he is caught in the thorns and famished The fatter the ox the sooner to the slaughter When the Protestants of France began to grow wanton of their prosperity and to affect a vain frothy way of preaching then came the cruel massacre upon them The good Lord keep this Church of England from the like mischief much threatned by the Malignant party who even wish with big-swoln Balaam I would there were a sword in mine hand for now would I kill thee Num. 22.29 A sword they have lately gotten again into their hand in Wales but with evil success Blessed be the Lord our strength which teacheth our hands to war and our fingers to fight Psal 144.1 Surely he that in so ill a cause killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Rev. 13.10 Those sworn swordmen of Satan shall fall by the sword they shall be a portion for foxes Psal 63.10 They shall be so no doubt if we hinder not our own happiness by an unworthy kicking against the tenderest bowels of Gods Fatherly compassions ever earning toward us Should we with the fed hawk forget our master Or being full with Gods benefits like the full-Moon then get furthest off from the Sun and by an interposition of earthly desires become dark The cords of love are called the cords of a man Hos 11.4 To sin against mercy is to sin against humanity it is bestial nay it is worse To render good for evil is Divine to render good for good is humane to render evil for evil is bruitish but to render evil for good is devillish as a Reverend man hath well observed Then he forsook God Here Moses weary of speaking any longer to a gain-saying and disobedient people turneth his speech to the heaven and earth whom he had called in to bear witness vers 1. So when a certain people of Italy had commanded the Romane Embassadour ad quercum dicâ—râ— se interim alia acturos to deliver his Ambassage to the great oak for they had somewhat else to do Liv. then to give him audience he at swered Et haec sacrata quercus audiat foedus esse a vobâ— violatum I will indeed direct my speech to the Oke and tell it in your hearing that you have basely broken covenant and shall dearly answer it Vers 16. They provoked him to jealousie See the Note on Chap. 31.29 Vers 17. They sacrificed unto Devils See the Note on Levit 17.7 To new gods that came newly up Such as are all Popish He-Saints and She-Saints concerning whom Bellarmine himself cannâ—t but yeeld that Bell. de cultu sanct cap. 9. Cumscriberentur Scripturae nondum coeperat usus vovendi Sanctis There was no vowing or bowing either to Saints departed when the Scriptures were written And a loaf of the like leaven are those New-lights and all subtleties whereby our Sectaries
we have a more sure word of prophesie Gods blessed booke assures us of a third heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 called elsewhere the heaven of heavens the Paradise of God the bosome of Abraham the Fathers house the City of the living God the Country of his pilgrims A body it is for bodies are in it but a subtile fine spirituall body next in purity to the substance of Angels and mens soules It is also say some solid as stone but cleare as chrystall Rev. 21.11 Job 37.18 A true firmament indeed not penetrable by any no not by Angells Yates his Modell spirits and bodies of just men made perfect but by a miracle God making way by his power where there is no naturall passage It opens to the very Angels Job 1.51 Gen. 28.12 who yet are able to penetrate all under it The other two heavens are to be passed through by the grossest bodies Verse 8. And the evening c. Here 's no mention of Gods approbation of this second dayes worke Not for that hell was then ceated or the reprobate Angels then ejected as the Jewes give in the reason of it but because this dayes worke was left unperfected till the next to the which therefore the blessing was reserved and is then redoubled God delights to doe his workes not all at once but by degrees that we may take time to contemplate them peece-meal and see him in every of them as in an opticke glasse Consider the lillies of the field saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 6.18 Prov. 6.6 Goe to the Pismire thou sluggard saith Solomon Luther wisht Pontanus the Chancellour of Saxony to contemplate the Starchamber of Heaven that stupendious arch-worke born up by no props or pillars Proponit contemplandam pulcherrimam coeli concamerationem Nullis pilis columnis impositam c. Scultet Annal. 276. and yet not falling on our heads the thicke clouds also hanging often over us with great weight and yet vanishing againe when they have saluted us but with their threatning lookes And cannot God as easily uphold his sinking Saints and blow over any storme that hangs over their heads An Artificer takes it ill if when he hath finished some curious piece of work and sets it forth to be seen as Apelles was wont to do men slight it and take no notice of his handy-work And is there not a woe to such stupid persons as regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands A sino quispiam narrabat fabulam Esay 5.12 at ille movebat aures is a proverb among the Greeks Christ was by at the Creation and rejoyced Prov. 8.30 Angels also were by at the doing of a great deale and were rapt with admiration Job 38.4 5 6. Shall they shout for joy and we be silent Oh how should we vex at the vile dulnesse of our hearts are no more affected with these indelible ravishments Verse 9 10. Let the waters under the heaven be gathered c. The water they say is ten times greater then the earth as is the ayre ten times greater then the water and the fire then the ayre Sure it it is that the proper place of the water is to be above the earth Psal 104.6 Saylers tell us that as they draw nigh to shore when they enter into the haven they run as it were downe-hill The waters stood above the mountains till at Gods rebuke here they fled and hasted away at the voyce of his thunder Psal 104.6 7. to the place which he had founded for them This drew from Aristotle Lib. de mirabil in one place a testimony of Gods providence which elsewhere he denyes And David in that Psal 104. which one calleth his Physicks tells us that till this word of command Let the waters c. God had covered the earth with the deepe as with a garment For as the garment in the proper use of it is above the body so is the sea above the land And such a garment saith the divine Cosmographer would it have been to the earth but for Gods providence toward us as the shirt made for the murthâ—ring of Agamemnon Psal 104.6 9. where he had no issue out But thou hast set a bound saith the Psalmist that they may not passe over that they turn not againe to cover the earth God hath set the solid earth upon and above the liquid waters for our conveniâ—nâ—y so that men are said to goe downe not up to the sea in ships Psal 107.23 See his mercy herein as in a mirrour and believe that God whose work it is still to appoint us the bounds of our habitations will not faile to provide us an hospitium Act. 17.26 a place to reside in when cast out of all as he did David Psal 27.10 and Davids parents 1 Sam 22.4 and the Apostles 2 Cor 6.10 and the English exiles in Queen Maries dayes Sculâ—et Aâ—â—al and before them Luther who being asked where he thought to be safe answered Sub Coelo and yet before him those persecuted Waldenses Rev. 12.15 after whom the Romish Dragon cast out so much water as a flood but the earth swallowed it and God so provided that they could travell from Cullen in Germany to Millain in Italy Cade of the Church p. 180. and every night lodge with hosts of their own profession The waters of affliction are often gathered together against the godly but by Gods gracious appointment ever under the heaven where our conversation is Tareus in loc Philip. 3.20 though our commoration be a while upon earth and unto one place as the Text here hath it The dry-land will appeare and we shall come safe to shore be sure of it Esay 26.4 The Rock of eternity whereupon we are set is above all billows washt we may be as Paul was in the shipwrack drowned we cannot be 1 Pet. 1.5 because in the same bottome with Christ and kept by the power of God through faith to salvation Verse 11.12 Psal 104. Let the earth bring forth c. Grasse for the cattle and herb for the use of man and both these before either man or or beast were created He made meat before mouthes He fills for us two bottles of milke before we come into the world Herbes and other creatures we have still ad esum ad usum Our land flowes not with milke onely for necessity but with hone too for delight Nature amidst all is content with a little Grace with lesse Sing we merrily with him Hoc mihi pro certo Georg. Fabricius Chemnicensis quod vitam qui dedit idem Et velit possit suppeditare cibum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 12. and the earth brought forth c. St. Austine thinks that thorns and thistles brambles and briars were before the Fall Aug de Gen. 〈…〉 cap. â— 8 though not in that abundance that now
written most wickedly and basely against marriage Three things we have here out of Moses to say for it against whatsoever opposite viz. Gods 1. Dixit 2. Duxit 3. Benedixit Gen. 1.28 God the Father ordained it God the Son honoured it with his first miracle God the Holy Ghost did the like by overshadowing the betrothed Virgin Papists and others that disgrace it appear herein more like Devils then Divines if S. Paul may be judge 1 Tim. 4.2 or Ignatius who saith Habet inbabitatorem Draconem Apostaâ—aâ— Ignat. Epist ad Philad If any call marriage a defilement he hath the Devil dwelling in him and speaking by him Verse 23. This is now bone of my bone c. This sentence saith Tertullian and after him Beda is the first Prophesie that was ever uttered in the world And it is uttered in a way of admiration which they that are taken with do commonly use a concise kinde of speech especially if overjoyed as Adam here was upon the first sight of the woman whom he no sooner saw but knew and thereupon cryed out as wondring at Gods goodness to himself This now is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Luther the night before he dyed was reasonably well and sate with his friends at table The matter of their discourse was whether they should know one another in heaven or no Luther held it affirmatively and this was one reason he gave Melch. Adam Adam as soon as he saw Eve knew what she was not by discourse but by divine revelation so shall we in the life to come All the Saints shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob having communion with them not only as godly men but as Abraham Isaac Jacob. And if with them why not with others S. Chrysostome saith we shal point them out and say Lo yonder is Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 's Paul there are the Prophets Apostles c. She shall be called Woman Or Manness of Man as Ishah of Ish He gave her her name from his own by taking away one numerall letter that stands for ten and adding another that stands for five to note her infirmity and duty of submitting to her husband whose very naming of her notes her subjection Vers 24. Therefore shall a man leave c. Whether these are the words of God Adam or Moses it is uncertain and not much material The husband is bound more to love his wife then his parents in regard of domestical communion Paraus ad locum adhâ—â—sion and cohabitation not in regard of honor obedience and recompence And they two shall be one flesh Two in one flesh not three or four as the Patriarks of old through ignorance or inobservance of that plain prohibition Levit. 18.18 It is possible they might mistake the word sister for one so by blood which was spoken of a sister by nation as those clauses to vex her and during her life do evince Vers 25. They were both naked and not ashamed Neither needed they Sin and shame as Papists say hops and heresie came in together Cloaths are the ensignes of our sin and covers of our shame To be proud of them is as great folly as for a begar to be proud of his rags or a thief of his halter As the prisoner looking on his irons thinketh on his theft so we looking on our garments should think on our sins CHAP. III. Verse 1. Now the Serpent was more subtil c. ANd so a more fit instrument of that old Serpent the Devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodotion Cui Paulus â— Cor. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oppoâ—it quam mundus vocat Sillmess sheepishness Revel 12.9 Authoramentuâ— majoris infidelitatis Terâ—ul Isai 55.3 Plin. l. 8. c. 25. that deceiveth all the world Good natural parts abused prove rather as press-money to impiety as he phraseth it and their wisdom Culpae suasoria as Ambrose speaketh Wit unsanctified is a fit tool for the devil to work withal Neither is there a likelier Anvil in all the shop of Hell whereon to forge mischief then one that is learned and leud ingeniosê nequam Wittily wicked And he said That is the Devil in the Serpent as the Angel in Balaams Ass Satan istius primae fabulae Poetafuit serpens histrio By the ear he brought death into the world And God to cross him brings life in by the same door For it is Hear and your souls shall live The Dragon bites the Elephants ear and thence sucks his blood Because he knows that to be the onely place which he cannot reach with his trunk to defend So here that great red Dragon delt with miserable mankinde setting first upon the woman as the weaker vessel where the hedg is lowest there the beast leaps over and so climbing by Adams rib to his heart as by a ladder as I said before out of Saint Gregory Yea hath God said In the Chaldee Is it true that God hath said Vide simile Ruth 2.21 in Hebraeo 1 Sam. 14.30 A concise expression implying That this was not the first of their discourse Something had been said before It is not safe parling with the Devil Satan etsi semel videatur verax millies est mendax semper fallax Halter him up therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and stop his mouth soon as our Saviour did Or do as the French say in their Proverb When the Spaniard comes to parley of peace then double bolt the door The Hollanders are said to make no conditions with the Spaniard but such as are made at Sea and sealed with great Ordnance Spec. bel sacr Greenbam c. He shoots with Satan in his own bowe that thinks by parling with him to put him off Hath God said Ye shall not eat Here he began his assault upon our first-parents here upon Christ Matth. 4.3 with 3.17 and here he doth still upon us Endeavoring to elevate the truth and certainty of Gods Word and to weaken our Faith in his precepts promises and menaces And here if he take us out of our trenches if he can but wring this sword of the Spirit out of our hands he may do what he will with us Get but the Heretickes said that subtil Sophiâ—ter out of the paper-walls of the Scriptures Bristow his Motives into the open field of Fathers and Councils and ye shall soon do well enough with them Vers 3. Neither shall ye touch it This is of the womans own addition and of a good intention doubtlesse For afterwards when she had drunk in more of the Serpents deadly poyson Hausis virus peritura periturâ—s paritura Bern. from gazing upon the fruit she fell to gaping after it from touching to tasting He that would not feed on sins meat must beware of the broth keep thee far from an evill matter saith Moses Exod. 23.7 A good man dare not come near the train though he be far off the
a childe of wrath and saved by grace onely though just and perfect in his generation The Mercy-seat was no larger then the Arke to shew that the grace of God extends no further then the Covenant As all out of the Arke were drowned so all out of the Covenant are damned Vers 9. Justitia Impuâ—aâ—a Impertita Noah was a just man By a two-fold justice 1. Imputed 2. Imparted By the former he was justified by the latter sanctified and note that he found grace in Gods eyes before he was either of these for Grace is the foundation of all our felicity and comprehends all blessings as Mannah is said to have done all good tastes Ecclesiasticus Perfect in his generation At best in those worst times which is a singular commendation and perfect that is upright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.18 ayming at perfection willing in all things to please God and yet not more desiring to be perfect then hating to seem onely to be so Or Noah was perfect compared to that sinfull generation which yet gloried in the title of the sons of God and children of the Church But was not Judas called Friend and Dives Son Matth. 26. Luk. 16. Hath not many a Ship been known by the name of Safeguard and Good-speed which yet hath dashed upon the rocks or miscarried by Pirates Externall priviledges profit not where the heart is not upright but increase wrath It was an aggravation to Solomons sin That God had appeared unto him twice and that he had been timely forewarned by his mother to beware of wine and women 1. King 11.9 Prov. 31.3.4 Prov. 31. both which he was afterwards neverthelesse most inordinately addicted to Eccles 2. Vers 11. The earth also was corrupt before God Or rotten putrid and stanke againe Sin is an offence to all Gods senses yea to his very soul as he complaines Esa 1.1 to 16. Oh that it were so to ours then would we not hide it under our tongues as a childe doth sugar and harbour it in our hearts yea let it eat of our meat and drink of our cup and lye in our bosomes as the poor mans lamb did in Nathans parable Lust was but a stranger to David 2 Sam. 11.3 as the Prophet there intimates vers 4. At other times and when himself I hate vain thoughts saith he Psal 119 113. yea every false way 104. as the vomit of a dog as the devils excrements as the putrifaction of a dead soul dead in trespasses dead and rotten as here stinking worse before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 11. then Lazarus did or could doe after he had lain four dayes in the grave Vers 12. All flesh had corrupted his way Generall defection precedes generall destruction as here all sorts and sexes were fallen from God All kinde of sins were common amongst them In the family promiscuous lusts unlawfull marriages c. In the State tyranny violence injustice In the Church contempt of Gods word abuse of his patience to presumption of his bounty to security in sin For they eat they dranke they married they planted they builded c. And all this they did constantly and pleasantly passing from eating to drinking from drinking to marrying for Venus in vinis and gluttony is the Gallery that wantonnesse walks through from marrying to planting for the use of posterity as St. Luke â—weetly sets forth by an elegant Asyndâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Luke 17.27 All this they did and God was silent therefore their hearts grew fat as brawn and they knew nothing saith our Saviour nor would know till the very day that the flood came Into such a dead lethargy were they cast by their sins which were therefore grown ripe and ready for the sickle Vers 13. The end of all flesh is come before me I will surely Certissimè citissimeque and swiftly destroy them A like threatning there is used Ezek 7.2 3 6. against Israel when once their sins were full ripe and hang'd but for mowing as we say The end is come is come is come and so some ten or twelve times is come is come q. d. destruction is at next doore by and Noah must know it too Not by his skill in Astrologie as Berosus belyes him but by divine praemonition Gen. 18.17 Psal 25.14 Amos 3.7 For shall I hide from Noah from Abraham that thing which I doe No surely they shall know all they shall be both of Gods Come and Coâ—â—â—ell For the secrâ—â— of the Lord is with them that feare him And the Lord will doe nothing of this nature but he will first reveal it unto his servants the Prophets And even to this day the more faithfull and familiar we are with God so much the sooner and better do we foresee his judgements and can foreshew them to others as those that are well acquainted with men know by their looks and gestures that which strangers understand not but by their actions As finer tumpers are more sensible of the changes of weather c. I will destroy them I will corrupt them so the Hebrew hath it I will punish them in kinde pay them in their own coyn corrupt them from the earth as they have corrupted themselves in the earth which also now is burdened with them and cryes to me for a vomit to spue them out Vers 14. Make thee an Ark Or chest or coffin And indeed by the description here set down the Arke in shape was like to a coffin for a mans body six times so long as it was broad and ten times so long as it was high And so fit to figure out saith an Interpreter Christs death and buriall Mr. Ainsworth and ours with him by mortification of the old man as the Apostle applies this type to baptisme 1 Pet. 3.20 21. whereby we are become dead and buried with Christ Rom. 6.3 4 6. Vers 16. A window shalt thou make The Arke had little outward light so the Church till she become triumphant There could not but be much stench among all those creatures though shut up in severall rooms Heb. 5. ult so here there is much annoyance to those that have their senses exercised to discern good and evill Compare the estate of Prince Charles in his Queen-mothers womb with his condition at full age in all the glory of his fathers Court there is a broad difference And it may fitly resemble saith One the difference of our present and future estate while the Church doth here travell of us we are pent up in darke cloysters and annoyed with much stench of sinne Baines Lett. both in our selves and others but when we come to heaven we shall see and enjoy the light of life our feet shall be as hindes feet upon the everlasting mountaines Vers 17. And behold I even I Verba stomachantis confirmantis veritatem comminationis suae Abused mercy turnes into fury Mimus
meerly for a name Pharos a watch-tower in Egypt being one of the seven was built by Ptolomie Philadelph all of white marble the chief Architect was Sostratus of Gnidos who engraved on the work this inscription Sostratus of Gnidos son of Dexiphanes to the Gods protectours for the safeguard of Saylors Heyliâ—s Geog. 750. This Inscription he covered with plaister and thereon engraved the name and title of the King the founder that that soon wasted and washed away his own that was written in marble might be eternized to posterity This Tower saith Wickam is a known story B. God wines Catalogue And Phidias the famous carver so cunningly enchased his own countenance into Minerva's sheild at Athens That it could not be defaced but the sheild it self must be disfigured Heyl. Geog. pag. 140. The Hague in Holland hath two thousand housholds in it The inhabitants will not wall it as desiring to have it counted rather the principle Village of Europe then a lesser City And Sextus Marius being once offended with his Neighbor invited him to be his guest for two days together The first of those two days he pulled down his Neighbors Farm-house the next he set it up again far bigger Dio in Tiberio and better then before And all this for a name that his Neighbors might see and say What good or hurt he could do them at his pleasure Vers 5. And the Lord came down Non motu locali sed actu judiciali To see the City c. that so his sentence grounded not upon hear-say or uncertain information might be above all cavillation or exception A fair president for Judges Caiaphas first sentenced our Saviour and then asked the Assessors what they thought of it The chief captain first commanded Paul to be scourged and then examined Acts 22. This was proposterous God though he knew all before yet is said to come down to see Let his actions be our instructions No man must be rashly pronounced a Leper And the Judges must make diligent inquisition Deut. 19.18 as flints they must carry fire but not easily express it Potiphar was too hasty with Joseph and David with Mephibosheth Aeneas Sylvius tells us of some places Aene. Sylvius Europ cap. 20. where theeves taken but upon suspition are presently trussed up and three days after they sit in judgment upon the party executed If they finde him guilty they let him hang till he fall As if not they take down the body and bury it honorably at the publike charge This is not God-like nor a point of wisdom for Nervus est sapientiae non temerè credere Which the children of men builded Nimrod chiefly with his fellow Chamites But that some of Shems and Japhâ—ts posterity had a hand in it is more then probable by their common punishment the confusion of tongues Heber and his had nothing to do with them and therefore retained the Hebrew tongue called thenceforth the Jews Language Isai 36.11 Until they were carried captive to Babylon where grew a mixture amongst them of Hebrew and Chaldee Whence came up the Syriâ—â—k tongue common in our Saviours time as appears by many Syriack words in the Gospels Vers 6. Behold the people is one c. This benefit they abused to their pride and ambition which they should have used to the help of humane society and common intercourse They built and God bare with them for a time that he might make fools of them in the end And this he doth daily Vers 7. Go to let us go down Go to say they Go to saith he Let us build to Heaven say they Let us go down and see it saith he Let us make us a name say they Let us confound their Language that they may not so much as know their own names saith he Lest we be scattered say they Let us scatter them abroad the world saith he Thus God words it with them and confutes their folly from point to point Thus he sets himself in battle-ray against the proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 4.7 as Saint James hath it and overthrows them in plain field He delt more severely with David for numbring the people then for the matter of Vriah He turned Nebuchadnezzar a grazing among beasts for pruning and priding himself upon this Babel Is not this great Babel that I have built Why no Nimrod built it and Ninus and Semiramis Nebuchadnezzar onely beautified it or at utmost inlarged it But pride detracts from God and man and is therefore justly hated and scorned of both And there confound their Language When men began once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were compelled by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bring me quoth one a trowel quickly quick One brings him up a hammer hew this brick Another bids Dubartas and then they cleave a tree Make fast this rope and then they let it flee One calls for plank another morter lacks They bring the first a stone the last an ax Neither is there any better understanding and agreement among the Babel-builders at this day Babylon enim altera nempe propinquior atque recentior adhuc stat citò itidem casura si essetis viri said Petrarch long since witness their many sects and deadly dissensions among themselves De rem utriusque fort dial 118. of which read the Peace of Rome Rhemes against Rome and divers other English Treatises to the same purpose Bellarmine teacheth That the bread in the Sacrament is not turned into Christs body productivè but adductivè And this saith he Cade of the Church 247. is the opinion of the Church of Rome This Suarez denyes and saith It is not the Churches opinion Thus these great master-builders are confounded in their Language and understand not their own Mother The greatest Clarks amongst them cannot yet determine how the Saints know our hearts and prayers Whether by hearing or seeing or presence every where or by Gods relating or revealing mens prayers and needs unto them Mâ—â—tons Appeal lib. 2. cap. 12. sect 5. All which ways some of them hold as possible or probable and others deny and confute them as untrue Vers 8. So the Lord scattered them abroad Which was the evil they â—eared and by this enterprize sought to prevent But there is neither counsel power nor policy against the Lord. The fear of the wiâ—ked shall come upon him Prov. 10.24 As it befel those wretched Jews Iohn 11.48 The Romans shall come c. and come they did accordingly Pilate for fear of losing his Office delivered up Christ and was by Caius kickt off the bench Vers 9. The Lord did there confound the Language A sore cross and hinderance of interchange of commodities between Nation and Nation This great labor also hath God laid hereby upon the sons of men that a great part of our best time is spent about the shell in learning of Language before we can come at the kernel of true wisdom
Scripture-wisdom especially Our Saviours Epitaph written in Hebrew Greek and Latine as it sets forth Christ unto us to be First The most holy for the Hebrew tongue is called the holy Tongue Secondly Lashon haccadosh The most wise for in Greek is all humane wisdom written Thirdly The most powerful for the Latines were Lords of the earth and propagated their tongue amongst all Nations So it signifies that God would have the dignity and study of these three tongues to be retained and maintained in the Churches of Christ to the worlds end Hebricians saith Reuchlin drink of the Fountains Hebraei bibunt fontes Graeci rivos Latini paludes Reuchl Joh. Manâ—â—i loc com p. 130. Grecians of the Rivers Latinists of the standing pools onely There were that mocked at the multitude of tongues Acts 2.13 And the Monks were mad almost at such Camilli literarii as chased out barbarism and brought in the learned Languages But let us acknowledg it a singular gift of God as for the gathering of the Church at first Acts 2. Ephes 4.13 So still for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come unto a perfect man to speak the Language of Canaan in the Kingdom of Heaven And from thence did the Lord scatter them The Hebrew Doctors say R. Menahem in Gen. 11. That at this dispersion there were seventy Nations with seventy sundry Languages Epiphanius saith That their one Language was divided into seventy two for so many men were then present and each man had his several dialect and went his several way with it Cleopatra is famous in history for her skill in tongues She could give a ready answer to Ambassadors that came whether they were Ethiopians Hebrews Arabians Syrians Medes or Parthians Yea she could tune and turn her tongue as an instrument of many strings saith Plutarch to what language soever she pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. This mindes me of those cloven tongues and of that utterance the Spirit gave them Acts 2. Parthians Medes Elamites strangers of Rome Jews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians heard the Apostles speak in their own tongue the wonderful works of God to the singular advantage of the Church that was then out of all Nations to be collected and that by a like means as these Rebels were scattered Vers 11. And Sheâ— lived after he begat c. He saw ten generations and lived till Isaac was fifty yeer old who might well be his Pupil which if Shem were Melchisedech is so much the more likely Heber also lived till Abraham was dead a singular blessing to them both This comfort the Patriarks had of their tiresome and tedious pilgrimage that as Shem saw Lamech so Lâ—mech saw Adam and Isaac saw Shem. Now ipse aspectus viri boni delectat saith Seneca How much more when they that fear the Lord speak often one to another Mal. 3.16 for mutual edification and encouragement This the mad world calls faction and caprichiousness Tert. Apel. advers geutes cap. 39. 〈◊〉 520. But what saith Tertullian to it Cùm boni cum probi coeunt cum pii cum casti congregantur non est factio dicenda sed curia Et è contrario illis nomen factionis accommodandum est qui in odium bonorum proborum conspirant Vers 28. And Haran died before his father Torah The Hebrews say he died a Martyr being burnt with fire by his Countrymen the Chaldees because he would not worship the Fire which they had made their god Martyrdom came early into the world as we know in Abel who as he was the first that died so he died for Religion Now if this be true of Haran as the Jew Doctors will have it then he had for ought we know the maidenhead as a certain Martyr phrased it of that kinde of Martyrdom The first that were burnt for Religion since the Reformation are said to be Henry and John two Augustine Monksat Brussels Anno 1523. under James Hogostratus the Domician Inquisitor The executioner being demanded whether they recanted in the flames he denyed there was any such thing But said That when the fire was put to them they continued singing the Creed and Tâ— Deum Erasm lib. 24. Eâ—ist 4. till the flame took away their voyce All this Erasmus testifieth though he were no Lutheran and thereupon maketh this good but wary note Damnari dissecari suspendi exuri decollari piis cum impiis sunt communia daâ—â—ere dissecare in cruoem agere exurere decollare bonis judiâ—ibus cum piratis ac tyrannis communia sunt Varia sunt hominum judicia ille faelix qui judice Deo absolvitur Our Protomartyr in Queen Maries days was Reverend Master Rogers he gave the first adventure upon the fire His wife and children being eleven in number ten able to go and one sucking at her brest Act. Mâ—n fol. 1356. met him by the way as he went toward Smithfield This sorrowful sight of his own flesh and blood could nothing move him but that he constantly held out to the death and so received a crown of life Neither hath God left himself without witness among the very Heathens For in the City of Lima in Mexico not two moneths before our coming thither saith Captain Drake twelve persons were condemned by the Spaniards there The world encompassed by S. Fr. Drake p. 59. for profession of the Gospel Of which six were bound to one stake and burnt the rest remained yet in prison to drink of the same cup within a few days Vers 30. But Sarai was barren Till she had prayed for a childe thirty yeers and then she had him with abundance of joy At first she beleeved not the promise but laughed at the unlikelyhood and was checkt for it But when she had better bethought her self Through faith she received strength to conceive seed because she judged him faithful who had promised Heb. 11.11 She was when past age delivered of a childe who was not more the childe of her flesh then of her Faith Whether she were that Iscah spoken of in the verse next aforegoing the Doctors are divided Some say Ea quae clavum administration is tenes that Iscah in Chaldee signifieth the same that Saâ—ai in Hebrew Others more probably make Sarai another woman and the daughter not of Haran but of Terah How else could Abram say of her That she was the daughter of his father 〈◊〉 not of his mother Gen. 20.12 Vers 31. And Terah took c. Being admonished of the Divine Oraclâ— Actâ— 7 12â—â— by his son Abraham he rebuked him not neither charged him upon his blessing to abide in his native Countrey as many a father would have done for what was he wiser and better then his forefathers but abandoned his idols and went as far as his old legs couâ—â— carry him toward the Countrey that God should shew them Heb. 11. For as yet they went forth not knowing
gesture Dan. 12.7 Rev. 10.5.6 Neither doth he this rashly but for very good reason First that by this oath as by a buckler he might fence himself against all covetous desires of the spoyle Secondly to shew that he did seriously remit of that which was his right and went not to war for wages Thirdly hereby to profess his faith and Religion in opposition to their superstitious vanities c The possessour of heaven and earth The true and rightfull proprietary whose tenants at pleasure we all are Philo. as Philo from this text well observeth And here take notice how Melchisedek and Abraham concut in the very termes of professing their faith The most high God possessour of heaven and earth Whereunto Abram addes Jehovah by which name Melchisedek happily knew not God as yet like as Apollos was ignorant of many needfull truths till better instructed by Aquila and Priscilla Act. 18.26 Vers 23. That I will not take from a threed Melchisedek from God had made Abram heir of all things for saith he I am the Priest of the most High God possessour of heaven and earth who hath sent me with this bread and wine as by turfe and twig as by an earnest and a little for the whole to give thee possession of both Now therefore when the King of Sodome presently after offers him the goods he had taken Abraham would none he was grown too great to accept of such an offer God was his exceeding great reward Chap. 15.1 Aquila non captat muscas Lest thou shouldst say I have made Abram rich Occasion must not be given to any to speak the least evill of us lest Christ be dishonoured For every Christian quartereth arms with Christ And if Abram do any thing unbeseeming himself Abrahams God shall be blasphemed at Sodome Vers 24. Let them take their portion In things indifferent we may abridge our selves we may not prescribe to others as if they must needs be just of our make My brethren be not many masters Jam. 3.1 as Magistri nostri parisienses See 1 Cor. 9.14 15. CHAP. XXV Vers 1. Fear not Abram EIther as Daniel feared upon sight of a like vision Dan. 10.7 8. Or as Jacob feared after the sack of Shechem lest he should be set upon by those whom he had lately discomfited Or fear not lest thou shalt dye childless which seemeth to be that that chiefly affrighted and afflicted him at this time The heart is not in case to receive promises till freed of false fears These are quelled and killed by faith onely I am thy shield From the envy of thy neighbours and enmity of others whom thou hast lately vanquished yea I will deliver thee from all danger as I have done from this See a like promise to all beleevers Psal 115.9 10 11. The shield is betwixt the body and the thrust so is God betwixt his and harm He beareth them as on Eagles wings The Eagle fleeth with her young on her back Deut. 32.11 Aquilae pullos suos in aliâ— portant alites reliquiâ—â—ter pedes Munster in Scho. ex Rab. Salom. there 's no shooting them but through her body no more can any devoratory evill as Tertullians phrase is befall the Saints but through God And thy exceeding great reward So that thou shalt lose nothing by refusing the King of Sodoms offer God is a liberall pay-master and his retributions are more then bountifull A hundred fold here and heaven hereafter Not onely Caleb shall have Hebron for his valour but Nebuchadnezzar shall have Egypt as his pay for his pains at Tyre Never ask with Peter What shall we have you shall have whatever heart can wish or need require The world gives hard wages but Gods reward is exceeding great He will also recompence our losses for his sake as the King of Poland did his noble servant Zelilaus having lost his hand in his wars Cromerus he sent him a golden hand for it So Caius gave Agrippa that had been imprisoned for his sake a chain of gold as heavy as his chain of iron had been Vers 2. Lord God what wilt thou give me c. Dominator Johovah Adonai cum Camets sonat Dominator A stately stile We must magnifie God when we have got him into our hearts and inlarge his room there when we conceive of him as much as may be Do our utmost and then say Claudicat ingenium Lucrâ—t delirat linguaque mensque Seeing I goe childless He had no great joy of his former victory or the present promise because childless His mouth was so out of taste with the sense of this want that he could relish no comfort This was his fault and is often ours Like children if we have not that peece we would have we grow sullen and will have none Had not God been to Abraham instead of ten children Is he not All in All to his And the steward of my house Filius discursitationis vel derelictionis domus mâ—ae He that now runs about my business and to whom I am likely to leave all A faithfull steward he was and fearing God Prov. 22.29 Gen. 24.2 3. c. and therefore might look not to live long in a low place This Eliezer of Damascus Or Eliazar as Exod. 6.25 Whence Lazarus said in the parable to be in Abrahams bosome Luke 16.23 as dear to him and set next him in heaven Vers 3. And Abram said Behold to me c. He harps again upon the same string when we fall upon crosses we adde we multiply we rise in our discourse we are eloquent above measure and beyond truth sometimes But how comes Abram to speak thus to God once and again In former visions God onely spake here Abram answers It appears he grew in an holy familiarity with the divine Majesty and an humble boldness as Cajetan here observeth Vers 4. And behold the word of the Lord c. Abrams Behold of griefe is answered with Gods Behold of grace The Greek rendreth it And straightway God was straight at hand to help Abrams infirmity and to raise up his faith that began to flag and hang the wing as the best faith will if long put to 't Adeò nihil est in nobis magni quod non queat minui Vers 5. And he brought him forth abroad Abram having prayed a good part of the day within Joh. 16.24 1 Thes 5.16 17 is now drawn forth at night to receive the promise Pray that ye may joy saith Christ And if ye will rejoyce evermore Pray continually saith the Apostle If thou be able to number them Then maist thou number thy posterity and they their priviledges It is God onely that counteth the stars and calleth them all by names Psal 147.4 No man can number them Jer. 33.22 And yet Aratus and Eudoxus vainly vaunted saith St. Augustin that they had cast up the stars Aug de Civ Det. l. 16. and could call them all by their names Vers 6. And he
sent home so they would faint by the way What was it that he took not knowledg of I know thy works and thy labor in doing them Revel 2.2 That he will command his children c. A good houshâ—â—der whatsoever he gets abroad he brings home to his family Prov. 10.21 as Bees bring all their hony to the hive The lips of the righteous feed many those under his own roof especially Welfare Popery for that Old folks will tell us that when in those days they had holy bread given them at Church they would bear a part thereof to those that did abide at home The way to get more it to communicate that we have according to that Hâ—benri dabitur No man hath received ought from God for private use Neither is any one born for himself much less new-born He that kid his talent was soon shred of it Vers 20. Because their sin is very grieâ—oâ—â— Or very heavy such as the very ground groans under The Aâ—â—le-trâ—e of the â—arth is ready to break under it Sin is a burden to God Aâ—â—â— 12. It was so to Christ he fell to the ground when he was in his agony It was so to the Angels who sunk into Idâ—ll under in It was so to Kore and his company the earth could not bear them It was so to the Sodomites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 1.23 they were so clogged with this excrement of naughtiness as Saint James calleth it that God came from Heaven to give their land a vomit Vers 21. I will go down now and see c. The Sodomites sined as freely and securely as if God knew nothing Now therefore he is come to know that is to give them to know that he knew all as well as if he had been in their bosoms Vers 22. Abraham stood yet before the Lord And without such to stand and pray the world could not stand they bear up the pillars of it Oh the price with God and profit to men of praying persons God will yield something to such when most of all enraged Matth 24.20 or resolved Lot was saved for Abrahams sake when all the rest perished Vers 23. And Abraham drew neer A priviledg proper to â—uch as have a true heart full assurance of Faith and a good conscience Heb. 10.22 The hypocrite shall not come before him Job 13.16 He must stand without as a vagrant at the gate that knows not whether the master is providing for him an alms or a cudgel But the upright comes into the â—arlor yea dwells in Gods presence Psal 140.13 In the light of his countenance Wilt thou also destroy the righteous Single suites speed not we must back them with sound Arguments and Reason the case with God concerning his judgments Jere. 12.1 Vers 24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous Charity presumes the best hopes the best The Disciples could not imagine that Judas was so very a Traytor each one suspects himself sooner then him And when our Saviour said What thou doest do quickly they thought he had meant of making provision or giving something to the poor Vers 25. Shall not the Judg c. He fills his mouth with Arguments Let us also This will encrease Faith and Fervency Vers 26. If I finde fifty righteous The Saints are the Salt of the earth that keep the rest from rotting and putrefying Vers 27. Which 〈◊〉 but dust and ashes Gâ—aphar veephar 〈◊〉 cinis None so humble as they that have nearest communion with God The Angels that stand before him cover theâ—◠〈◊〉 with two wings as with a double scarie Isaiah Chapâ—â—â— 6. verse 2. Vers 29. Alsted And he spake unto him yet again Cùm in colloquium descendimus cum Deo replicemus licet duplicemus triplicemus quadruplicemus The bolder we make the better welcome Vers 30. I will not do it c. If God so yielded to Abraham interceding for wicked Sodom will he not hear us for his laboring Church Joaâ— never pleased David better then when he sued to him for Absolâ—m What shall we think of God in like case How angry is he with those that help forward the anger Zach. 1.15 How ready to answer those that speak to him for his Church with good words and comfortable words Zach. 1.13 Yea should there be no praying Christians amongst us as there are many thousands yet there is hope if any of another Kingdom make intercession for us as Abraham here did for Sodom to the which he was a stranger Vers 32. Peradventure ten shall be found there Lo all that slavery and misery they had sustained hath not yet made ten good men in those five bad Cities Till God strike the stroke and work upon the heart afflictions Gods hammers do but beat upon cold Iron The wicked are no whit better by them but much the worse as water becomes more cold after a heat and naughty boyes more stubborn and stupid after a whipping Vers 33. And the Lord went his way Abraham hucked with the Lord so long till he had brought him down from fifty to ten And mark that he left begging are God left bating Let us finde praying hearts and he will finde a pittying heart CHAP. XIX Verse 1. Lot sate in the gate NOt as a Judg as the Hebrews will have it nor as a Merchant much less as a Noveller but as a good housholder looking for his herds and as a good house-keeper looking for guests Vers 2. Nay but we will abide in the street They would have done so Luke 24. but for Lots importunity So our Saviour would have gone further but that the two Disciples constrained him to stay This was no simulation or if so yet it was onely exploratory without deceit or hypocrisie And if Solomon sinned not in making beleeve he would do that which was unlawful to be done 1 King 3.24 It can be no sin to do the like in things indifferent Vers 4. Both old and young Nulla aetas erat culpae immunis ideò nec exitii Ambros Sin spreds as leaven and is as catching as the plague like the Jerusalem Artichoke plant it where you will it over runs the ground and chokes the heart Vers 5. That we may know them O faces hatcht with impudency They shroud not their sin in a mantle of secrecy but hang out these sowre Grapes to the Sun to ripen Vers 6. Lot went out So he exposed himself to save his strangers hoping to save them from that abominable violence The right of strangers is so holy that there was scarce ever any nation so barbarous that would violate the same When Steven Gardiner had in his power the Renowned Clark Peter Martyr then teaching at Oxford he would not keep him to punish him but when he should go his way as it is reported gave him wherewith to bear his charges But these Sodomites had not so much humanity left in them They had put off the man and were become dogs and worse
which he became his own deaths-man Appian scoffed at Circumcision Josephâ—â— and had an Ulcer at the same time and in the same place Surely God is the avenger of all such he calls it blasphemy in the second Table and shews his wrath from Heaven against it as that which proceeds from the very superfluity of malice as here in Ismael and tends to murther The Hebrew word here used signifies that he not onely mocked Isaac but also made others to mock him Vers 10. Cast out this bond-woman Who had been likely either an Author or Abbettor of her sons sin in ambitiously seeking the inheritance Out they must therefore together as all Hypocrites one day must be cast out of Gods Kingdom Heaven is an undefiled inheritance no dirty dog ever trampled on that Golden pavement There is no passing è coeno in coelum Heaven would be no Heaven to the unregenerate Beetles love dunghils better then oyntments and Swine love mud better then a garden Paris ut vivat Horat epist 2. regnetque beatus Cogi posse negat Vers 11. And the thing was very grievous c. See there 's grief sometimes betwixt the best couples as abovesaid Chap. 16.5 But why was it so grievous to cast out Ismael when in the next Chapter it seems no such grief to him to slay Isaac Surely for that here he hears onely his wives voyce there he well understood it to be the will of God Baldassar in epist ad Oecolamp Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemâ—â— illi sexcenta si nobis essent colla said that Reverend Dutchman When Abraham came to know is was Gods will as well as Sarahs he soon yielded Vers 12. In all that Sarah hath said unto thee c. The wife then is to be harkned to when she speaks reason Sampsons mother had more faith then her husband And Priscilla is sometimes set before Aquila Pauls hearers at Philippi were onely women at first Acts 16.13 And Saint Peter tells Christian wives that they may win their husbands to Christ 1 Pet. 3.1 by their chaste conversation coupled with fear The Scripture is said to say what Sarah here saith Gal. 4.30 Vers 13. Because he is thy seed So bountiful a master is God so liberal a Lord that he blesseth his servants in their seed too We count it a great favor if an earthly lord give an old servant a countrey cottage with some small annuity for life but Gods love extends beyond life as Davids love to Jonathan preserves Mephibâ—sheth from the Gallows yea promoteth him to a princely allowance Act Mâ—â— â—ol 1481. and respect at court Your children shall finde and feel it double and treble said that Martyr whatsoever you do or suffer for the Lords sake V. 14. And Abraham rose up early He was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but set upon the execution of Gods will with expedition Voluntas Dei necessitas rei A godly man sayes Amen to Gods Amen go it never so much against the hair with him He puts his Fiat his Placet to Gods and saith as Acts 21.14 The will of the Lord be done which was Vox verè Christianorum as One saith Vers 15. And the water was spent in the bottle All creature-comforts will fade and fail us as the brook Cherith dryed up whiles the Prophet was drinking of it as those pools about Jerusalem that might be dryed up with the tramplings of horse and horsemen 2 King 19.24 But they that drink of Christs water shall never thirst For it shall be in them as the widows oyl or Aarons oyntment a well springing up to eternal life Joh. 4.14 She cast the childe c. Whom till then she had led in her hand faint and ready to dye for thirst who erst lived at the full in his fathers house but could not be contented God loves to let us see the worth of his favors by the want of them Carendo pâ—tiùs quà m fruendâ— To chasten mens insolency with indigency as he did the prodigal in the Gospel Vers 16. Let me not see the death of the childe This Babington saith an Interpreter was but poor love Give me a friend that will not leave in the instant of death Gen. 46.4 She lift up her voyce and wept As Hinds by calving so we by weeping cast out our sorrows Job 39.3 Expletur lathrymis egeriturque dolor Vers 17. And God heard the voyce of the lad Weeping hath a voyce Psal 6.8 And as Musick upon the Waters sounds farther and more harmoniously then upon the Land so Prayers joyn'd with Tears These if they proceed from Faith are showres quenching the devils cannon-shot a second Baptism of the soul wherein it is rinsed anew nay perfectly cured As the tears of Vines cure the Leprosie as the lame were healed in the troubled waters Whether Hagars and Ismaels tears were for sin Lachrymas angustiae exprimit crux Lachrymas poenitentiae peccatum or for the present pressure onely I have not to say But God is so pitiful that he hears and helps our affliction as he had done Hagars once afore Gen. 16.11 And as our Saviour raised the young man of Nains though none sought to him meerly because he was the onely son of his mother a widow the stay of her life and staff of her old age See a sweet place 2 King 14.26 27. Vers 18. For I will make him a great nation A Nation by himself as he had promised to Abraham This had not come to pass had not she missed of her way to Egypt and wandred in this wilderness God by his providence ordereth our disorders to his own glory Gregor Divinum consilium dum devitatur impletur Humana sapienâ—ia dum reluctatur comprehenditur Vers 19. God opened her eyes c. The well was there before but she saw it not till her eye were opened So till God irradiate both the Organ and the Object we neither see nor suck those brests of consolation Isai 66.11 We turn the back and not the palm of the hand to the staffe of the promises Vers 20 And God was with the lad c. The fountain of Hagar saith a Divine lying between Bared and Kadesh-barnea was afterward called the well of the living God and seemeth myâ—â—ically to represent Baptism the laver of regeneration For the Church like Hagar with her son Ismael travelling through the wilderness of this world is pressed with a multitude of sins and miseries c. Wherefore they joyning together in Prayer crave to be refreshed with the water of life For Hagar signifieth a Pilgrim Itinerar script fol. 95. Ishmael a man whom the Lord heareth who travelling together with her Mother the Church in this World fighteth against the enemies thereof and shooteth the Arrows of Faith against all infernal and cruel beasts and lusts Thus he Vers 21. And his mother took him a wife Adeò est juris non gentium sed
strain vade tibi Get thee gone Gen. 12.1 Gen. 22.2 Here God led Abraham into temptation but delivered him from evill Have you not been tempted saith a Holy man in this or that kinde It is because God in mercy would not lead you into temptation Baines Letters Yea this is in some sort more to be acknowledged then victory when you are tempted For not to be tempted is more immediately from God and less in mans power then to prevail against temptation Sith nothing doth overcome us against our will but without our will God doth lead us into triall for he knoweth we would taste little of these if we might be our own carvers Vers 3. And Abraham rose up early c. To shew his prompt and present obedience He neither consulted with his wife nor with his own reason Exod. 4. She might have haply hung upon him and hindered him as Zipporah did Moses to the hazarding of his life He captivates all the powers of the soul to his Creator goes after him without sciscitation and so shews himself to be renewed in the spirit of his minde that is in his naturall reason for that like an old Beldam is the mother and nurse of all our distempers and outstrayes Cassianus tells us of a young man that had given himself up to a Christian life And his parents Cassianus misliking that way wrote letters to disswade him from it which when he knew he would not once open them but threw them in the fire Let us do so by the suggestions of flesh and blood and the counsell of carnall friends or we shall never rest and feast in Abrahams bosome I know not by what reason said Borthwick the Scotch Martyr they so called them my friends Act Mon. fol. 1157. which so greatly laboured to convert me as they called it neither will I more esteem them then the Madianites which in time past called the children of Israel to do sacrifice to their Idols Vers 4. Then on the third day A great while for him to be plodding ere he came to the place But we must conceive that his brains were better busied then many of ours would have been therewhile We must not weigh the cross for then it will prove heavy we must not chew the pill but swallow it whole else it will prove bitter We must not plod too much but ply the Throne of Grace for a good use and a good issue of all our trialls and tribulations Vers 5. Abide you here with the Asse This the Hebrews use for a proverb against such as are dull and uncapable Zophar saith That man is born as a wild-asses-colt As an Asses foal for rudeness and a wild-asses for unruliness Job 11.11 It imports that he is untamed and untractable till a new heart be put into him Agur had not the understanding of a man till he spake to Ithiel and Vcall for it Prov. 30.1 2. He wants the totum hominis that doth not fear God and keep his Commandements Eccles 12.13 Tu Asinus unum estote Alex. Cook his Abatement of Popish brags Epist will not do it which was the counsell given to a young Novice entring a Monastery And come again to you Nesciens formam rei futurae prophetavit sciens de eventu prophetavit quod ignoravit saith Amb. Vers 6. And laid it upon Isaac his son Who was herein a lively type of Christ bearing the cross whereon he was offered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch speaking of the Roman fashion of crucifying malefactors And surely it was by a wonderfull providence of God that the Jews brought our Saviour to Pilate to be put to death sith they hated nothing more then to confirm or countenance the Roman tyranny among them by any means Hence Gamaliel gave counsell to dismiss the Apostles Act. 5.38 And hence the chiefe Priests and Rulers took it so exceeding haynously that Paul was taken out of their hands by the chiefe Captain Act. 23. But God had a hand in it that this and other types and Scriptures might be fulfilled that foretold the very manner of his death on a tree Let the Jews stumble now at the cross and fall backward Let the Gentiles jear us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borreo dicere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In vita peregr Omnis homâ— aut est cum Christo regnaturus aut cum Diabolo cruciandus Aug. Justin l. 18. as Luciâ—n doth for that we deny the multitude of their gods and yet believe in a crucified God Let us desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified and if ever we desire to be Kings in heaven and every man must be aut Caesar aut nullus a King or a caytiffe Let us seek by the eye of faith to see the Sun of righteousness in the West as Stratoes servant taught him Let us look upon Christ hanging on the cross dying on that Altar and we shall live for ever Vers 7. Where is the Lamb for a burnt offering Isaac was not to be told now what belonged to a sacrifice He had been long since taught by his father what was to be done in the service of God When I was young my father taught me saith Solomon Prov. 4.4 so did his mother also Primas in Philip Greg. Moral l. 27. c. 14. Prov. 31. in her Lemuels lesson Plantas tenellas frequentius adaquare proderit saith Primasius Vers 8. God will provide himself a Lamb A pious and precious Proverb much to be mused on and made use of Qui finxit alas papilioni is curabit omma when we are in an exigent and see not whither to turn us Then say Deus viderit God will with the temptation also give an issue 1 Cor. 10.13 Necesse est adesse divinum ubi humanum cessat auxilium saith Philo. Sciat etiam Celsitudo vestra saith Luther in a letter to the Prince Elector of Saxony Sâ—uâ—tet Ann. I would your Highness should well know that businesses are far otherwise carried and concluded in heaven then at the Diet at Norinberg c. And to Phillip Melancthon he writes thus Si nos ruemus ruet Christus unà ille regnator mundi esto ruat c. Sed scribo haec frustrà quia tu Scuâ—tet Annal secundùm philosophiam vestram has res ratione regere hoc est ut ait ille cum ratione insanire pergis occidis teipsum nec vides prorsus extra manum tuam consilium positam esse causam etiam extra curam tuam velle agi Vers 9. And they came to the place Mount Moriah where the Temple was afterwards built This was a little from Salem 2 Chron. 3.1 as Mount Calvary also was a little from Jerusalem And bound Isaac his son Who strugled not neither resisted though able for his age being twenty five year old as Josephus makes him others thirty three to have overmastered his old father He was
binding of a bush or briar And to this both David seems to allude Psal 94.19 and the son of David in that famous Lammah Sabachtani of his Bastards Serm. on Gen. 22.1 Mark 15.24 And Abraham went and took the Ram c. How likely is it saith One that we will offer to God Isaac our joy which will not sacrifice the Ram that is mortifie our sinfull lusts and the desires of our flesh God tempteth us now saith Mr. Philpot Martyr as he did our Father Abraham commanding him to slay his son Isaac which by interpretation signifieth mirth and joy who by his obedience preserved Isaac unto life and offered a Ram in his stead Semblably we are to sacrifice to God our Isaac that is our joy and consolation which if we be ready to do our joy shall not perish but live and be increased although our Ram be sacrificed that is the pride and concupiscence of our flesh intangled through sin with the cares of this stinging world for the preservation and perfect augmentation of our mirth and joy Act. Mon. 1667. sealed up for us in Christ Thus he And as God provided another sacrifice saith a Third for Abraham that so he might save his Son which was a Ram tyed and intangled in thornes Itinerar Scripturae fol. 99. so God provided a sacrifice for the salvation of the world Christ that immaculate Lamb whose head being crowned with thorns and hanging on the Cross by his death opened unto us the door of life and made us capable of eternall happiness It is probable saith Bucholcerus that Abraham when he slew and sacrificed the Ram looked up to heaven with new eyes full of divine light and that being filled with the Spirit of God and carried beyond himself he thought of more things he felt more he seemed to see and hear more then was possible to be uttered Ipse Deus quodammodo expositurus declaraturus Abrahae actionis praesentis augustam significationem Bucholc in Chronâ— p. 187. manu eum ducturus ad introspicienda hujus sacrificii sui adyta promissionem de Christo repetit jurejurando confirmat Vers 14. In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen God will be found of his in fit time and place To him belong the issues of death Psal 68.20 None can take us out of his hands He knows how to deliver his and when as Peter spake feelingly 2 Pet. 2.9 with Act. 12.11 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh To perpetuate the memory of Gods mercy not of his own obedience which yet was notable and not to be matched again If we honour God we shall have honour that 's a bargain of Gods own making 1 Sam. 2.31 Vers 16. By my self have I sworn God swears for the further confirmation of our faith For here he swore not more for Abrahams sake then ours as the Apostle shews Heb. 6.13 14 17 18. As when he spake with Jacob at Penuel there he spake with us Hos 12.4 and what he said to Joshua he said to all I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 And hast not with-held thy son thine onely son And yet what was this to that sic without a sicut that hyperbole that excess of love in God that moved him to send his Son to dye for our sins He loved Christ far better then Abraham could love Isaac and yet he gave him up freely which Abraham would never have done without a command and to dye as a malefactor and by the hands of barbarous and bloody enemies whereas Isaac was to dye as a holy sacrifice and by the hand of a tender father How much more cause have we to say Now I know the Lord loves me Psal 119.106 and to swear as David did to keep his righteous judgements Vers 18. Because thou hast obeyed This because is not so much causall as rationall Significat non causam meritoriam sed subalternam sine qua non Vers 19. Went together to Beersheba The Hebrews conceive because here 's no mention of Isaac's return that he was sent by his father to Shem or that he remained for certain years in Mount Moriah But this is uncertain Vers 20. It was told Abraham Good news out of a far Countrey God usually chears up his children after sharpest trialls brings them as once from Mâ—rah to Elim c. Vers 23. And Bethuel begat Rebeccah Rebeccah is born Sarah dyes Thus one generation passeth and another commeth Our children are the Danes that drive us out of the Countrey CHAP. XXIII Vers 1. And Sarah was an hundred c. IT is observed by Divines that God thought not fit to tell us of the length of the life of any woman in Scriptâ—â—e but Sarah to humble that sex that because they were first in bringing in death deserved not to have the continuance of their lives recorded by Gods Pen. Vers 2. And Sarah died The Jews would perswade us that the Devill represented to her the offering of Isaac whereat she took a conceit and dyed This is but a meer conceit of theirs for Abraham then dwelt at Bâ—orshebâ— now at Hebron And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah So she was the first that we read of mourned for at death and it is mentioned as an honour to her Solons Mors mâ—a ne careaâ— luchrymis is to be preferred before Hin◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justa defunctorum Testamentum Augusti praeleg it tanto simulato gemitu uâ— non medò â—â—x sed spiritâ— deficere◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio Eumse lâ—gere simulabanâ— quem necâ—veraâ—t Dio in Claud. Gen. 37.35 Jer. 31.15 Ennius his Nemo me decoret lachrymis It is one of the dues of the dead to be lamented at their funeralls and the want of it is threatned as a curse in many Scriptures It is a practise warranted by the best in all ages and mourn we may in death of friends so we mourn 1. In truth and not fainedly 2. In measure and not as men without hope For the first how grossely did Tiberius dissemble at the death of Augustus and at the funerall of Drusus Whereupon Tacitus makes this note Vana irrisâ— vero honesto fidem adimunt So when Julius Caesar wept over Pompey's head presented to him in Egypt they that saw it laughed in their sleeves and held them no better then Crocodiles tears So the mourning that Nero and his mother made over the Emperor Claudius whose death they had conspired and effected was deep dissimulation This is no less hatefull then to mourn heartily but yet immoderately is unlawfull Here Jacob forgat himself when so overgrown with grief for his Joseph and Rachel for the rest of their children that they would not be comforted So David for his Absolom Alexander the Great for his friend Hephestiâ—n when he not onely clipped his horse and mules hair Plutar. in vita â—â—lop but plucked down also
the Artificer cannot so well shew his workmanship â—ee Mr. Valent Fast Serm. And though the power of God will shew it self wheresoever he intends to make a vessel of Mercy yet it is with more ado and will cost a man the more sorrow and him that hath the working of it the more pains Vers 15. Before he had done speaking So quick is God many times in the answer of prayers Isai 65.24 Dan. 9.23 The Angel had even tired himself with flight to tell Daniel that his prayers were heard David did but say I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and before he could do it God forgave the iniquity of his sin Psal 32.5 Rebeccah came out She took her name saith One as it may seem Itineraâ— Script pag. 97. from the expectation of eternal life For Rebecca denoteth a woman which expecteth a free delivery from all calamity and an inheritance of eternal life Therefore she is a notable type of the Church which is the Spouse of Christ shadowed in Isaac Vers 16. And the damosel was very fair 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aelian var. hist. l. 12. c. 1. Fair and wise as it was said of Aspasia Milesia Here beauty was not ill bestowed as a Gold-Ring in a Swines Snout but as the History reports of the Lady Jane Gray adorned with all variety of moral Vertues as a clear Skie with Stars Life of Edw. 6. p. 176. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bucholcer as a princely Diadem with Jewels Beauty is of it self very attractive as the Poet hath it For which cause Heraclonas the young Emperor of Constantinople being sent into banishment together with Martina his mother had his nose cut off lest his beauty should move the people to pity And Angli tanquà m Angeli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod ab 〈◊〉 veâ—cratio Sic â—aâ—â—us quasi 〈◊〉 ornatus said Gregory the Great of the English boyes presented to him How much more when accompanyed and accomplished with Chastity as in this Damosel A Virgin neither had any man known her This latter clause is added because many pass for Virgins that are not so if that of the Poet be true especially Quae quia non licuit non facit illa facit and that of the Orator 〈◊〉 in declanâ—t Incesta est sine stupro quae stuprum eupit The Romans cashiered a Vestal Virgin for uttering this Verse Foelices nuptae moriar nisi nubere dulce est The Strumpet when she eats ftoln bread hath such dexterity in wiping her lips that not the least crum shall be seem to her shame So that Solomon shews it to be as hard to finde it out Prov. 30.18 19 20. As the way of an Eagle in the ayr the way of a Serpent upon a Rock the way of a Ship in the Sea and the way of a man with a maid that is a close and chaste Virgin Muffet in locum one that should be haste at least as being kept close from the access of strangers Filled her pitcher and came up Here was no tarrying gazing gosâ—ipping Not slothful in business Rom. 12.11 She had not been delicately or wantonly bred but inured to hard labor Thucyd. lib. 2. and she followed it close Thucydides scribit Lacedaemoniis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 20. And ran again to the Well In the City of Haran at this day saith One there is to be seen a Well of very clear water where Rebecca gave drink to Eleazer and his Camels there likewise Rachel Labans daughter first spake to Jacob c. It is called by the Townsmen Abrahams Well This water hath a very pleasant taste Itinerar Script p. 83. and is a notable type of holy Baptism For as the Patriarchs took their Wives by this Well so Christ receiveth his Spouse the Church by that Sacrament which is Beersheba the Well of an Oath where we pass into the Covenant and are betrothed unto Christ in faithfulness Hos 2.20 the Thistle to the Cedar 2 King 19.4 Vers 22. The man took a golden Ear-ring Abiliment or Jewel Vt imponeret naso ejus saith Junius to hang upon her nose or forehead as vers 47. Each Countrey hath their fashions and garnishes In very many places of America they have their lower lips bored through as likewise the upper parts of their ears and something put into them Archb. Abbots Geog. 278. Which as it seems to themselves to be a point of beauty so it makes them appear to others to be wondrous ugly Vers 25. She said moreover unto him c. It is well observed by an Interpreter Aiâ—sworth that in the Narration of this story which yet seemeth to be of light and trivial matters the Spirit of God is very exact and large whereas other things wherein great Mysteries are infolded as the History of Melchisedech c. are set down in few words That men might consider Gods Wisdom and Providence in things of least esteem amongst men I adde that all may see what delight he takes in the meanest actions and speeches of his dearest children when the great acts and exploits of Nimrod Ninus and other Grandees of the world are not once mentioned but lye shrouded in the sheet of oblivion or shame Vers 26. And the man bowed down his head See how he rellisheth of his masters house and sheweth a gracious heart ready to offer up a sacrifice of praise whereever God shall please to set it up an Altar The same word in Greek signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Thanks to shew that as any man hath more grace he is more grateful to God and man It is observable also that our Saviour sets these two together the unthankful and the evil Luke 6.35 He is kinde to the unthankful and the evil Vers 30. These make earth their throne Heaven their footstool August When he saw the ear-ring and bracelâ—ts These were the bones that Laban looked after these drew the churl forth and made him so courteous Worldlings in serving God serve themselves of God they follow him for loaves more then for love Vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum Hypocrites would use Christ as a bridg to get to Heaven by which if they could compass let Christ fink or swim for them they would not much care Their love is meretricious their obedience mercenary they work onely for wages Fac me pontificem ero Christianus Ezra 2.62 said one Pammachius a Heathen to the Pope Those degenerate Priests would fain have had Priâ—sts places when something was to be got but might not Vers 33. I will not eat till I have told mine errand He preferred his work before his food So did our Saviour at the Well of Samaria John 4. And another time when he thought to have slaked his hunger at the barren fig-tree and found nothing but leaves he went on to Jerusalem and forgetting his hunger as
he lighted upon a certain place Little thinking to have found heaven there Let this comfort travellers and friends that part with them Jacob never lay better Malâ— cubans suaviter dormâ—â— sâ—licitèr somâ—â—â—t then when he lay without doors nor yet slept sweeter then when he laid his head upon a stone He was a rich mans son and yet inured to take hard on Vers 12. Behold a ladder Scala est piorum in hoc mundo peregrinatio saith Pareus after Iunius But besides this interpretation our Saviour offereth us another Ioh 1.51 applying it to himself the true ladder of life per quem solùm in coelum ascendere possimus He that will go up any other way must as the Emperour once said erect a ladder and go up alone He touched heaven in respect of his Deity earth in respect of his humanity and joyned earth to heaven by reconciling Man to God Gregory speaks elegantly of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he joyned heaven and earth together as with a bridge being the onely true Pontifex or bridge-maker Heaven is now open and obvious to them that acknowledge him their sole Mediator and lay hold by the hand of faith on his merits as the rounds of this heavenly ladder These onely ascend that is their consciences are drawn out of the depths of despair and put into heaven as it were by pardon and peace with God rest sweetly in his bosom calling him Abba Father and have the holy angels ascending to report their necessities and descending as messengers of mercies We must also ascend saith S. Bernard by those two feet as it were Meditation and Prayer yea there must be continual ascensions in our hearts as that Martyr said M. Philpot. And as Iacob saw the Angels ascending and descending and none standing still so must we be active and abundant in Gods work as knowing that our labour is not in vain in the Lord Bern. and that non proficere est deficere not to go forward is to go backward Vers 13. I am the Lord God of Abraham c. What an honour is this to Abraham that God was not ashamed to be called His and his sons God! Eusebâ—â—s the Historian was called Eusebius Pamphili for the love that was betwixt him and the Martyr Pamphilus as S. Hierome testifieth Friend to Sir Philip Sidney is ingraven upon a Noble-mans Tomb in this Kingdom The old Lord Brook as one of his Titles Behold the goodness of God stooping so lowe as to stile himself The God of Abraham and Abraham again The friend of God Vers 14 15. And thy seed shall be as the dust Against his fourfold cross here 's a fourfold comfort as Pererius well observeth a plaister as broad as the sore and soveraign for it Against the loss of his friends I will be with thee 2. of his country I will give thee this lond 3. against his poverty Thou shalt spread abroad to the east west c. 4. his solâ—tariness and aloneness Angels shall attend thee and Thy seed shall be as the dust Num. 23.10 c. And who can count the dust of Iacob saith Balaam that Spelman of the devil as One calls him Whereunto we may adde that which surpasseth and comprehendeth all the rest In thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed Now whatsoever God spake here with Iacob he spake with us as well as with him saith Hosea Chap. 12.4 Vers 16. And I knew it not Viz. that God is graciously present in one place as well as in another Our ignorance and unbelief is freely to be confessed and acknowledged Thus David Psal 73.22 Agur Prov. 30.2 Pray for me In his Letter to Ridley Act. Mon. 1565. Seâ—m in 3 Sund. in Advent saith Father Latimer to his friend pray for me I say for I am sometimes so fearful that I would creep into a mouse-hole And in a certain Sermon I my self saith he have used in mine earnest matters to say Yea by S. Mary which indeed is naught Vers 17. How dreadful is this place The place of Gods publike Worship is a place of Angels and Archangels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom it is the Kingdom of God it is very heaven What wonder then though Iacob be afraid albeit he saw nothing but visions of love and mercy Psal 5.7 In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple saith David The very Turk when he comes into his Temple lays by all his State and hath none to attend him all the while Omninò oportet nos orationis tempore curiam intrare coelestem saith S. Bernard in qua Rex regum stellato sedet solio Bern. de divers 25. c. Quanta ergo cum reverentia quanto timore quantâ illuc humilitate accedere debet e palude suâ procedens repens vilis ranuncula Our addresses must be made unto God with the greatest reverence that is possible Vers 18. And set it up for a pillar The better to perpetuate the memory of that mercy he had there received and that it might be a witness against him if hereafter he failed of fulfilling his vow It is not amiss in making holy vows to take some friend to witness that in case we be not careful so to fulfil them may minde us and admonish us of our duty in that behalf Iacob that was here so free when the matter was fresh to promise God a Chappel at Bethel was afterwards backward enough and stood in need that God should pull him by the ear once and again with a Go up to Bethel and punish him for his delays in the rape of his daughter cruelty of his sons c. Gen. 35. Vers 20. And Iacob vowed a vow The first holy votary that ever we read of whence Iacob also is called The father of vows which out of this Text may be thus described A Vow is nothing else but a religious promise made to God in prayer and grounded upon the promise of God whereby we tie our selves by way of thankfulness to do something that is lawful and within our power with condition of obtaining some further favour at the hands of God Thus Iacob vows to God onely he is the sole object of Fear therefore also of Vows See them set together Psal 76.11 Next he prays when he vows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vow and a prayer are of neer and necessary affinity See Psal 61.6 Iudg 11.30 31. That was a blasphemous vow of Pope Iulius that said Act. Mon. he would have his will al despito di Dio. And not unlike of Solyman the Great Turk in a Speech to his Souldiers So help me great Mahomet Turk hist I vow in despite of Christ and Iohn in short time to set up mine Ensignes with the Moon in the middle of the Market-place in Rhodes Iacob as he vowed onely by the Fear of his father Isaac so he presented
all these things why and how he came so poorly to him when as Abrahams servant coming upon a like errand came far better attended and appointed which was the thing that Laban likely looked after when he ran out to meet Jacob. Vers 14. Surely thou art my bone c. Good words cost nothing and the veriest carls are commonly freer of them then of real courtesies Pertinax the Emperour was sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd blandus esset magis quà m benignus But that of Nero was abominable who the very day before he killed his mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio in Ner. most lovingly embraced her kissed her eyes and hands and accompanying her when she departed used these sweet words All happiness attend you my good mother for in you I live and by you I raign As a potsheard covered with silver-dross so are burning lips and a wicked heart Prov. 26.23 Vers 15. Shouldst thou therefore serve me He pretends loveand equity to his covetous aims and reaches Candid he would needs seem according to his name and considerate Laban est candidus But as Blackmoors have their teeth onely white so is Labans kindness from the teeth outward He was as a whited wall or painted sepulchre or an Egyptian temple fair and specious without but within some cat rat or calf there idolized and adored Hypocrites whatever they pretend have a hawks eye to praise or profit they must be gainers by their piety or humanity which must be another Dianae to bring gain to the crafts-master The Eagle when she soareth highest hath an eye ever to the prey Vers 17. Leah was tender-eyed Purblinde or squint as One interprets it Turk hist fol. 483. Now a froward look and squint eyes saith the Historian are the certain notes of a nature to be suspected The Jerusalemy Targum tells us that her eyes were tender with weeping and praying Mary Magdalene is famous for her tears and Christ was never so neer her as when she could not see him for weeping Heidfeld After which she spent as some report thirty yeers in Gallia Narbonensi in weeping for her sins But Rachel was beautiful c. Plate calls beauty the principality of nature Aristorle a greater commendation then all Epistles See the Notes on Chap. 24 16. Vers 18. I will serve thee seven yeers He had nothing to endow her with he would therefore earn her with his hard labour which as it shews Labans churlishness to suffer it and his baseness to make a prize and a prey of his two daughters so it sets forth Jacob's meekness poverty patience and hard condition here mentioned many yeers after by the Prophet Hosea Chap. 12.12 He was a man of many sorrows and from him therefore the Church hath her denomination neither were the faithful ever since called Abrahamites but Israelites Vers 19. It is better that I give her to thee Indeed he sold her to him for seven yeers service This was Laban or Nabal chuse you which Their names were not more like then their conditions Labans daughters and Nabals wife were also alike handled by their unkinde parents He hath sold us said they and hath also quite devoured our money Gen. 31.15 And He hath married me might Abigail have said to the money and not to the man and though he named me his joy yet he hath caused me much sorrow How many a childe is so cast away by the covetous parents It was better with Labans two daughters but no thanks to their father Nox longa quibus mentitur amica diesque longa videtur opu◠debentibus piger annu◠pupillis Vers 20. And they seemed unto him but a few days And yet lovers hours are full of eternity But love facilitated the service and made the time seem short Should any thing seem hard or heavie to us so we may have heaven at length The affliction is but light and momentany the glory massie and for all eternity Hold out Faith and Patience Love is a passion and seen most in suffering much water cannot quench it Nay like fire Cant. 8.7 it devours all delays and difficulties spending and exhaling it self as it were in continual wishes to be at home to be with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.23 which is far far the better Oh let the eternal weight of the Crown weigh down with us the light and momentany weight of the Cross Vers 21. Give me my wife for my days c. Jacob had served out his time and now demands his due David also is said to have served the will of God for his own age and John Baptist Acts 13.35 to have fulfilled his course in the same Chapter Vers 25. Moses also was faithful in all Gods house as a servant Yet these could not call for heaven as their wages because they were as the best are at their best but unprofitable servants and did not in any measure Luke 17.10 what their duty was to do We have not a bit of bread of our own earning and are therefore taught to pray Give us this day our daily bread we get our living by begging Our best plea is Domine non sum dignus nihilominùs tamen sum indigens Lord I am not worthy but I am needy as Pomeran said Then will God of his free grace supply all our necessities and afterwards receive us to glory He will bring us into the Bride-chamber of heaven and there will he give us his loves He will let out himself into us to our infinite delight Of all natural delights that of Marriage is the most because there is the greatest communication of one creature to another and according to the degrees of communication are the degrees of delight Think the same in the mystical Marriage Vers 22. And made a feast Never more seasonable surely then at the recovery of the lost rib The Wedding-day is called The day of the rejoycing of a mans heart Cant. 3.11 Our Saviour graced such a feast with his presence and first miracle Ho supplied them with wine to glad their hearts not with a little for healths sake onely but with a great quantity for sober delight and honest affluence It is noted as an absurd thing in Samson's wife that she wept all the days of the feast A feast then there was at Samson's wedding and of seven days continuance Judg. 14.10 11 And so there was at Jacob's as may be gathered out of vers 27. Fulfil her week saith Laban to wit of banquet or Bride-ale as we call it Onely that of Chrysostom comes here in fitly De nuptiis Jacobi legimus de choreis tripudiis non legimus Of Jacobs Wedding-feast we read but of dancing and dalliance of tracing and tripping on the toe we read not In maxima libertate minima licentia saith Salvian Merry we may be at such a time but in the Lord Deut. 12.7 eat and drink we may but
advancement Vers 11. And the mother with the children It seems to be a metaphor taken from birds when fowlers take away the young and the dams together which God forbad Deut. 22.6 See the like also of the ewe and the lamb not to be slain in one day Lev. 22.28 But Homo homini Iupus nay daemon The Indians would say that it had been better for them that their country had been given to the devils of hell then to the Spaniards such hath been their cruelty towards those poor creatures and that if Spaniards went to heaven they would never come there Three poor women were burnt at the Isle of Garnesey for Religion Act. Mon. fol. 1392. together with the infant-childe falling out of the mothers womb and cruelly cast back into the flames Another sweet childe of eight or nine yeers old coming to Bonners house to see if he might speak with his father a prisoner in the Lollards Tower was Ibid. 1864. for some bold answer that he gave the Bishops Chaplain so cruelly whipt that he died within four days after At Merindol in France besides other execrable outrages and butcheries there done by Minerius one of the Popes Captains the paps of many women were cut off which gave suck to their children Ibid. 868. which looking for suck at their mothers brests being dead before died also for hunger Was not this to kill the mother with the children And was not that a barbarous act of Pope Honorius the third in the yeer of grace 1224 to cause four hundred Scots to be hanged up and their children gelt and all for the death of Adam Bishop of Cathnes who was burnt in his own kitchin by his own Citizens Jacob. Rev. de vitis Pontif. pag. 163. for that he had excommunicated some of them for non-payment of Tythes Vers 12. And thou saidst I will surely do thee good So Jacob interprets that promise I will be with thee which indeed hath in it whatsoever heart can wish or need require This promise was so sweet to the Patriarch that he repeats and ruminates it rolling it Psal 62.11 as sugar in his mouth land hiding it under his tongue God spake it once he heard it twice as David in another case He sucks and is satisfied with these brests of consolation he presseth and oppresseth them such a metaphor there is in that text Isai 66.11 as a rich man doth the poor man till he hath gotten out of him all that he hath A flye can make little of a flower but a bee will not off till he hath the sweet thyme out of it The promises are precious spices which being beaten to the smell by the preaching of the Word yeeld an heavenly and supernatural scent in the souls of Gods people Oh it is a sweet time with them when Christ brings them into his banqueting house of the holy Scriptures and there stays them with flagons of divine consolations and bolsters them up with apples of heavenly doctrines These when by the Spirit they are applied to the love-sick soul then is Christs left hand under their head and his right hand which teacheth him terrible things Psal 45.5 doth embrace them All in Christ is for their support and succour his love also is displayed over them as a banner And this doth so fully satisfie their souls and transport them with joy that now they are content to wait Gods leasure for deliverance and would not have their Beloved wakened until he please See all this Cant. 2.4 5 6 7. Vers 13. And took of that which came to his hand c. Or that was in his power Such as he had he sent Silver and gold he had none cattel he had and of these he made no spare for he knew that A gift such a rich gift especially maketh room for a man and bringeth him before great ones Prov. 18.16 And here Jacob for our instruction takes a right course observes a right method Reusner which is to pray and use means to use means and pray Ora labora was the Emperours Symbol and Admotâ manu invocanda est Minerva the Heathens proverb Why criest thou unto me Exod. 14.15 saith God to Moses speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward There was a fault Moses craved help but was not forward in the course whereby to make way for Gods help Josh 7.10 11. So Get thee up saith God to praying Joshun wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath finned and thou must go search c. So he that would have knowledge must not onely beg for it but dig for it saith Solomon out of his own experience Prov. 2.3 4 5. Vers 14. Two hundred she-goats c. A very great present for a private person to send Five hundred and fifty beasts of sundry sorts for store He spares for no cost that he may buy his peace and enjoy his birth-right Heaven he knew whereof Canaan was a type and pledge would pay for all Get but a Patriarchs eye to see heaven afar off and we shall be soon ready to buy it at any rate The pearl of price cannot be a dear bargain though we part with all to purchase it Moses was fourty yeers old and therefore no babie when he preferred the reproach of Christ Heb. 11.24 the worst thing about him before the treasures of Egypt Egypt was a country rich fruitful and learned 2 Chron. 9. Thence Solomon had his chief horses thence the harlot had her fine linens Prov. 7.16 Moses might in likelihood have been king of Egypt yea and of Ethiopia too as some think but he had a better prize in his hand and therefore slights all the worlds flitting and flattering felicities When Basil was tempted with money and preferment he answered Pecuniam da quae permaneat ac continuò duret gloriam quae semper floreat This the world cannot do nay it cannot keep off diseases death c. Non domus fundus c. When Miachael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople Nunquid calamitates morbos aut mortem depellere possent Pachymer hist lib. 5. sent to Nugas the Scythian Prince for a present certain royal robes and rich ornaments he set light by them asking Whether they could drive away calamities sickness death No no this nothing can do but the favour of God and interest in Christ Wherefore should I die being so rich was the foolish question of that rich and wretched Cardinal Henry Beauford Bishop of Winchester Act. Mon. fol. 925. and Chancellour of England in the raign of Henry the sixth Fie quoth he will not death be hired will money do nothing No Prov. 10.2 saith Solomon Treasures of wickedness profit nothing but righteousness delivereth from death Many are loath to die because they have treasures in the world as those ten men had in the field Jer. 41.8 The Irish ask What such men mean to die But
such men must die nor can their riches reprieve them Oh happie is he that with Jacob lays hold on the heavenly inheritance though with the loss of earthly possessions that cares not to part with his cattel so he may have his Crown with his swine so he may have his Saviour This is the wise merchant this is the true trades-man that traffiques for heaven looking upon the world as a great dung-hill with Paul Phil. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogs dung Vers 16. Every drove by themselves That Esau having occasion of viewing the present questioning the servants and hearing Jacob's submission might be somewhat mollified and his anger abated Be wise as serpents Vt fragilis glacies occidit ira morâ Vers 18. They be thy servant Jacobs A soft answer turneth away wrath Frangitur ira gravis quand◠est responsio suavis Prov. 15.1 but grievous words stir up anger And it is easier to stir strife then stint it Still rain softens the hard earth and though nothing be more violent then the windes Iidem tamen imbribus sopiuntur saith Pliny Lenis alit flammas grandior aura necat How daintily did Gedeon disarm the angry Ephraimites Judg. 8. 1 2 3. by a milde answer It is a present sent c. For a gift in secret pacifieth anger Prov. 21.14 This proverb in an abbreviature Godw. Heb. Antiq. ex Buxtorf after their manner the Jews wrote upon their Alms-box And behold also he is behinde us He sends not onely but comes after us himself to salute thee and offer his service unto thee Thus by all means he seeks to asswage the wrath of that rough man Vers 21. And himself lodged that night But lay upon thorns and had little rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The master is the greatest servant in the house and hath most business Jo. Manlii loc com This verse did so please Luther that he translated it in certain Dutch rhymes Vers 24. And Jacob was left alone Purposely for secret prayer so the Church gets her into the clefts of the rocks Cant. 2.14 Isaac into the fields Daniel to the rivers side Christ into the mount Peter up to the leads or house top that they might pour out their prayers and solace themselves with God in secret This an hypocrite may seem to do either of custom or vain-glory as the Pharisee went up to the Temple to pray solitarily as well as the Publican the Temple being then in regard of Ceremonial holiness the place as well of private as publike prayer But will the hypocrite delight in God Job 27.10 will he pray always There wrestled a man with him In a proper combat by might and slight to the raising of dust and causing of sweat as the word importeth This strife was not onely corporal but spiritual as well by the force of his faith Hos 12.4 Luke 22.44 Rom. 15.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as strength of body He prevailed saith the Prophet by prayers and tears Our Saviour also pray'd himself into an agony and we are bidden to strive in prayer even to an agony Nehemiah prayed himself pale Nehem. 2 6. Dan. 8.27 1 Sam. 1. 1 Kings 18.42 Daniel prayed himself sick Hannah prayed striving with such an unusual motion of her lips that old Eli looking upon her thought her drunk Elijah puts his head betwixt his legs as straining every string of his heart in prayer He prayed and prayed saith S. James and by his prayer James 5 17. he had what he would of God Whereupon also he infers as a Consectary that the effectual prayer of a righteous man James 5.16 avails much if it be fervent or working 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be such as sets all the faculties awork and all the graces a work then it speeds Every sound is not Musick so neither is every uttering petitions to God a prayer It is not the labour of the lips but the travel of the heart Common beggery is the easiest and poorest trade but this beggery as it is the richest so the hardest A man can with more ease hear two hours together then pray half an hour Jude v. 20. if he pray in the holy Ghost as Saint Jude hath it He must strive with his own indevotion with Satans temptations with the worlds distraction he must wrestle with God and wring the blessing out of his hands as the woman of Canaan did Isai 64.7 2 Kings 4.30 Cant. 3.4 he must stir up himself to take hold of God as the Shunamite did of Elisha as the Church did of her Spouse and not let him go till he bless us This is to wrestle this is to threaten heaven as Gorgonia did thus to be modestly impudent and invincible as her brother speaks of her in beseeching God to besiege him and get the better of him as Jacob whose wrestling was by weeping and his prevailing by praying Vers 25. And when he saw that he prevailed not He that is the Angel Christ that redeemed Jacob from all evil Gen. 48.16 and here held him up with the one hand as he strove against him with the other and yeelded himself overcome by the Patriarch's prayers and tears Deus ipse qui nullis contrase viribus superari potest precibus vincitur saith Hierome He touched the hollow of his thigh That if he would needs have the blessing he might have somewhat with it that might keep him humble Victoria non fit fine vulnere luxat nobis semur immittit stimulum carni c. not ascribing the victory to his own strength Pride is a weed that will grow out of any ground like Missleto that will grow upon any tree but for most part from the best Like air in all bodies it will have a being in every soul and creeps into every action either in the beginning proceeding or conclusion Now therefore it is Gods care to cure his people of this dangerous disease as he did Jacob here and afterwards Paul who if he had not been buffeted had been exalted 2 Cor. 1◠and carried higher in conceit then ever he was in his ecstasie Vers 26. Let me go c Pugna suum finem cùm rogat bostis habet Jacob though lamed and hard laid at will not let Christ go without a blessing To teach us as our Saviour did by the parable of the importunate widow Luke 18.1 to persevere in prayer and to devour all discouragements Jcob holds with his hands when his joynts were out of joynt The woman of Canaan will not be put off either with silence or sad answers The importunate widow teacheth us to press God so far till we put him to the blush yea leave a blot in his face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 18.5 as the word there used signifies unless we be masters of our requests Latimer so plied the throne of grace with his Once again Act. Mon. once again restore
his Care not for your lumber and trumpery suffer with joy the loss of your goods Come come away in your affections I have far better things for you above the good of all the land of the living is yours c. And should we not cheerfully follow the Divine call Many play loth to depart because they have treasure in the world as those ten men had in the field Ier. 41.8 But all that this world affords is but trashto the truly religious Alexander hearing of the riches of the Indies divided his Kingdom of Macedony among his Captains and Souldiers And being asked what he had left for himself he answered Hope And should not the hope of heaven make us slight all earthly vanities Spes in terrenis incerti nomen boni spes in divinis nomen est certissimi Heb. 11.1 Vers 21. And gave them provision for the way So doth God give all his meat that the world knows not of joy that the natural heart never tasted of the white Stone the hidden Manna the continual feast the foretaste of eternal life to hold up their hearts till they come home to heaven On the cates of a good conscience he goes on feeding as Sampson did on his honey-comb till he came to his parents as Josephs brethren here did on their venison till they came to their father Jacob. Vers 22. But to Benjamin 1 Tim. 4.10 he gave c. Gods gives his best blessings to his Benjamins He is the Saviour of all men but specially of them that believe The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down These are common favours but behold a better thing The Lord loveth the righteous Psal 146.8 This is more then all the rest Outward things God gives to the wicked also but as Ioseph put his cup into their sack to pick a quarrell with them or at best as he gave them here change of raiment to shew his general love to them but three hundred silverlings and five suites none but a Benjamin shall have the honour and favour of Artabazus in Xenophon complained when Cyrus had given him a cup of gold and Chrysantas a kiss in token of his speciall respect and love saying that the cup that he gave him was not so good gold as the kiss that he gave Chrysantas When David said to Ziba All is thine that pertained to Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 16.4 Ziba answereth I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight As who should say I had rather have the Kings favour then the lands Valdè protestatus sum said Luther me nolle sic ab eo satiari He would not be put off with lands and large offers And Moses would not hear of an Angel to go along with them He would have God himself or none Psal 134.3 The blessings that come out of Sion are choyce peculiar even above any that come out of heaven and earth Vers 24. Fall not out by the way Such a charge layeth Christ upon all his to love one another and to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Si collidimur frangimur If we clash we are broken according to the old fable of the two earthen-pots swimming in the Sea The daughter of dissention is dissolution said Nazianzen And every subdivision in point of Religion is a strong weapon in the hand of the contrary party Hist of Coun. of Trent fol. 49. as he upon the Councel of Trent wisely observed Castor pollux if they appear not together it presageth a storm Vers 26. Joseph is yet alive This was the joyfullest news that ever Iacob heard and the sincerest pleasure that ever he had which therefore God reserves for his age How did his good heart after he had recollected himself dance Levaltoes in his bosome to hear of Iosephs honour but especially of his life what shall ours do when we see Christ in his Kingdom Jacobs heart fainted for he believed them not They had told him a tale before and he that once hath crackt his credit is hardly after believed Besides he thought the news was too good to be true Tarda solet magnis rebus inesse sides The joy of heaven is so great that we must enter into it it cannot enter into us Enter into thy Masters joy Vers 27. When he saw he waggons Such assurance have deeds above words Segnius irritant animos demissae per aures Quam quae sunt oculis commissa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nos non eloquimur magna sed vivimus said those Primitive Christians And no Christian is an ill-lived man unless he be a pretender only to that religion saith Athenagoras in his Apology for them For as one said of Davids words in the 119. Psalm that they are verba vivenda non legenda so is Religion to be credited by the power and practice of it Christians should lead convincing lives and by their piety and patience muzzle the malevolent thrattle envy it self I have read of a woman Mr. Ward 's Serm. The happ of Paradise who living in professed doubt of the God-head after better illumination and repentance did often protest that the vitious life of a knowing man in that town did conjure up those damnable doubts in her soul The difference betwixt Divinity and other sciences is that it is not enough to know but you must do it as lessons of Musick must be practised and a copy not read onely but acted The spirit of Jacob their father revived How will our spirits exalt and triumph when we shall hear the last trump see the mestengers and wagons sent for us consider the crowns scepters Kingdoms glories beauties Angelical entertainments beatifical visions sweetest varieties felicities eternities that we are now to be possessed of Surely as Aeneas and his company when they came within view of Italy after long tossing in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas joyfully cryed out Italiam Virg. Italiam primus conclamat Achates Italiam socii laeto clamore salutant And as when Godfrey of Bulloine and his company went to Jerusalem as soon as they saw the high turrets they gave a mighty shout that the earth rang so when we shall see the battlements of the new Jerusalem what acclamations will it ring of c Vers 28. It is enough Ioseph is yet aliâ—e lâ—cob rejoyceth more for his life then his honour Why is living man sorrowfull Lam. 3.39 yet he is alive that 's a mercy amidst all his miseries before I dye This he speaks after the manner of old men whose song is ' My breath is corrupt my dayes extinct the graves are ready for me Job 17.1 CHAP. XLVI Vers 1. And came to Beershebâ— A Place 1. Consecrated to Gods worship 2. Where he and his fathers had met God and received many mercies 3. That lay in his way from Hebron to Egypt But say it had been out of his way yet it had been
do Pharaoh good Ver. 20. Hee that feared the Lord As few will do till they feel his hand Bradford But they that tremble not in hearing shal bee crush't to pieces in feeling said that Martyr Ver. 21. And hee that regardeth not This was doubtless the greater number Qualis Rex talis grex This was a just presage and desert of ruin not to bee warned Ver. 22. Stretch forth thy hand i. e. Thy rod in thine hand ver 23. Ver. 23. And the fire ran along upon the ground such hail-stones and coals of fire wee also read of Psal 18.13 14 15. Isa 30.30 31. and in the Roman historie when Marcus Antonius the Philosopher fought with the Quades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the praiers of the thundering legion as they were afterwards called of the Christians rain was obtained to the refreshing of the Roman armie ingens grando compluraque fulminâ— in hostes ceciderunt Itaque Dio in vita M. Ant. Phil. licebat videre in eodem loco aquam ignemque simul de coelo cadere atque obcam causam Romanos valere ac bibere Quados exuri penitùs interire i. e. A huge hail and manie light-bolts fell upon the enemie Fire and water fell at once from heaven the Romans drank of the water and were relieved the Quades were burn't by the fire and perished Ver. 25. And break everie tree of the field Here was strages clades horrenda yet Pharaoh's heart is not broken Aug. but remain's obdurate Perdidistis fructum afflictionis was an heavie charge Ducklings stoop and dive at anie little stone thrown by a man at them yet shrink not at the heavens great thunder Ver. 26. Onely in the land of Goshen See the note on chap. 8. ver 23. Dio reports further of the fire forementioned ver 23. That that fire from heaven either fell not at all upon the Romans or if it did it was presently quenched neither did the waters help the Quades Dio ubi suprà but inflamed them as if it had been oil so that they called for water to cool them when the rain fell upon them and wounded their own bodies to quench the fire with their blood Ver. 27. The Lord is righteous See the note on chap. 5. ver 2. Ver. 28. I will let you go But though hee spake thus fair Prov. 26.25 believ him not for there are seven abominations in his heart No sooner was Pharaoh off the rack but hee bite's in his confession and retract's his promise Ver. 29. I will spread abroad mine hands viz In praier holding up and out the palmes of the hanâ— as those do that exspect to receiv an almes in a having manner So did Solomon 2 Chron. 6.13 See Psalm 143.6 Ezr. 9.9 That the earth is the Lords See the note on ver 14. Ver. 30. That yee will not yet fear Howbâ—it I will praie for you and you shall feel the fruit of it Thus God is good to the just and unjust Matt. 5. Ver. 34. But sinned yet more As iron is verie soft and malleable while in the fire but soon after return's to its former hardness So here CHAP. X. Ver. 1. For I have hardened his Heart AS hee that bring 's in a light blinde's an Owl or as hee that powr's on water kindle's the Lime whereupon it is powred so the Lord by publishing his commands and by doing his miracles hardened the heart of Pharaoh who for his wilful rebellion was justly forsaken of God and delivered up to his own heart which is somwhat wors them to bee delivered up to the divel Ver. 2. And that thou maiest tell The memorie of God's magnalia great works must bee transmitted to posteritie Vt nati natorum qui nascentur ab illis that after-Ages may hear and fear this great God See 1 Sam. 4. ver 8. Ver. 3. How long wilt thou refuse God think 's long of the time that men misspend and waste in wicked courses Jer. 4.14 and 13.27 It is a savorie saying of Bernard Totum vitae meae tempus perdidi quia perditè vixi the time of my loosness I have utterly lost Ver. 4. Els if thou refuse Men should look up with David and see the punishing Angel over their heads with a drawn sword and submit As if not Balaam's Aâ—s shal condemn them for their desperate Lewdness for hee fell down before the Angel Si quâ—ties peccent homiues c. I will bring the locusts God hath treasuries of plagues for the obstinate neither câ—n hee bee as the Poet feared of his Jupiter possibly exhausted Ver. 5. And they shall cover For they go forth by heaps Pro. 30.27 and huge multiudes Jud 6.5 And shall eat everie tree See Joel 1.7 Plin. lib. 11. cap. 29. Ver. 6. And hee turned himself No man may turn himself to go out of the great Turk's presence Turk Hist but must go backward till hee bee out of the room Dissention talling out between Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex about a fit man for Government of Ireland hee uncivilly turned his back as it were in contempt with a scornful look Camden's Elis fol. 494. Shee waxing impatient gave him a cuff on the ear bidding him com again when shee sent for him c. But Moses may not bee imagined to have so turned himself Ver. 7. And Pharaob's servants said unto him They were convinced and mollified though hee was not Whom Hee will God hardeneth Rom 9.18 How long shall this man bee a snare unto us Hee was not the snare but their own sin Pre. 29.6 Howbeit hee must bear the blame As if som sond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the caus of their war oras if som ignorant peasant when hee see 's his fowls bathing in his Pond should crie out of them as the causses of foul weather Ver. 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought c. Somthing the tyrant would seem to yield to his Counsellors and not to deal by them as the Persian Monarchs who were wont to advise with their Peers but if anie of them delivered that which was contrarie to the King's minde flagris caedebantur Keckerman they were whipped which is a punishment also usually inflicted at this daie by the great Turk even upon the greatest Bassa's of the Court Tuâ—k Hist upon the least displeasure Ver. 9. For wee must hold a Feast See the Note on Exodus 5. ver 1. Ver. 10. Let the Lord bee so with you In cursing them hee unwittingly blessed them Exod. 12.30 31. and 13.21 22. See Psal 109.28 Cursing men are Cursed men But God's people fare the better for beeing cursed Let them curs but do thou bless is not more a Praier then a Prophecie Ver. 12. Even all that the hail hath left How easily can God straiten yea starv us all if hee but send forth his forraging Armies Joel 1.6 Ver. 13. An East-winde The proper and
inheritance provided and purchased by thee for thy first-born Israël Ver. 18. The Lord shall reign Gaudeo quòd Christus Dominus est alioqui totus desperâssem write's Miconius to Calvin upon the view of the Churches enemies The Lord Christ reigneth Or els I had been out of all hope of better Ver. 19. For the hors of Pharaob A good soul is altogether unsatisfiable in sanctifying God's name and setting forth his goodness Should I do nothing els all the daies of my life said that Martyr yea as long as the daies of heaven shall last Act. Mon. but kneel on my knees and repete David's Psalms yet should I fall infinitely short of what I ow to God Ver. 20. And Miriam Souls have no sexes And if souls follow the temperament of their bodies as Philosophie saith they do womens bodies consist of rater roomes of a more exact composition then mens do Ver. 21. Sing yee to the Lord This seem's to have been the burden of the song as Psal 136.1 Ver. 22. And found no water Thirst and bitterness was their first handsel in their voiage Ver. 23. They could not drink Water they now had but what the better God can give us blessings but with such a tang that wee shall have no great joie of them Ver. 24. Seneca Murmured against Moses Hee must bear the blame of all Publick persons are sure to have an ill life of it Qui vitaverit culpam non effugit infamiam Ver. 25. Shewed him a tree A type of Christs sweet cross and easie yoke that sweetneth and facilitateth all our light afflictions Ver. 26. And said if thou c. This God premiseth as a preface to the law to bee shortly after given in Sinai I am the Lord that healeth thee Both on the inside by forgiving all thine iniquities and on the outside by healing all thy diseases Psal 103. I am Jehovah the Physician And omnipotenti medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus Isidor To an Almightie Physician no diseas is uncurable Ver. 27. And they came to Elim The Heathens slandered the Jews Corn. Tacit. Annal. l. 12. that they found these fountains by the means of certain asses that guided them Whence they are called Asinarij by Molon and Appion of Alexandria who affirmed that for this caus the Jews worshipped the golden head of an ass c. CHAP. XVI Ver. 1. Vnto the wilderness of Sin SO called becaus it bordered upon the citie of Sin whereof see Ezek. 30.15.16 With Ezek. 20.35 36. Or of the manie brambles that grew therein Ver. 2. And the whole Congregation The most part of the people Diaconos paucitas honorabiles fecit saith Hierom sic veros Israëlitas Ver. 3. To kill this whole Assemblie Thus discontent will saie anie thing neither careth it how true the charge bee but how stinging and stabbing Ver. 4. I will rain bread from heaven Not hell from heaven as once hee did upon Sodom If thine enemie hunger feed him as God here doth Ver. 5. On the sixth daie they shall prepare The Jews preparation to the Sabboth began at three a clock in the afternoon Buxtorf Synagog The best and wealthiest of them even those that had manie servants did with their own hands further the preparation So that somtimes the masters themselvs would chop hearbs sweep the hous cleav wood kindle the fire c. Ver. 6. That the Lord And not wee without his autoritie so that in murmuring against us yee have set your mouthes against heaven Caveant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grudg not behold the Judg standeth before the doore Ver. 7. Jam 5.9 Yee shall see the glorie of the Lord Shining in that wonderful work of his the bread from heaven Confer Num. â—4 21 Iâ—b 11.40 Ver. 8. In the evening flesh to eat c Never was Prince so served in his greatest pomp as these rebellious Israëlites How good shall wee finde him then to those that pleat him Ver. 9. For hee hath heard your murmurings Now then what will you do sith God riseth up And sith hee viâ—â—teth what will yee answer Iâ—b 31.14 Ver. 10. Toward the wilderness Where the cloud was in the forefront of their armies Ver. 11. And the Lord spake i. e. Hee â—ad before spoken Ver. 12. And in the morning They have their flesh at Even and bread in thâ— morning God will bee waited on and give the consummation of his blessings at his leisure The cloud emptie's not it self at a suddain burst but dissolve's upon the earth drop after drop Ver. 13. The dew laie round i. e. The Manna that came down in the dew as Christ the bread of life doth in the Ministerie of the word See Deut. 32.2 Ver. 14. The dew that laie And covered the Manna whence that promiâ—e of hidden Manna Revel 2.17 Ver. 15. Lib 26. cap. 14. It is Manna i. e. What shall I call Herba Anonymus non inveniendoâ—nomen invenit saith Plinie so Manna Others interpret Manna a portion an admirable gift or meat prepared Ver. 16. Everie man according to his eating Thus they were inured in diem vivere as Quintilian saith the birds do to de pend upon God for their daily bread Ver. 17. Som more som less ecundùm proportionem arithmeticam sed non secundum proportionem ceomeâ—â—icam as a man had more or less mouthes in his familie to â—eed Ver. 18. Hee that gathered much See the Note on 2 Cor. 8.15 Ver. 19. Let no man leav of it c. It was to bee gathered in the morning and not kept till the morrow I made baste and delaied not saith David Psal 119 60. Ver. 20. Left of it untill c. Eitâ—er through distruâ— or curiositie Vers 21. It melted Or putrefied faded disolved Som Papists derive their Mass from this root and well it may bee nam per eam omnis pietas liquefacta est dissoluta saith Rivet for it is the utter bane of all good as beeing a mass or heap of abhominations Vers 22. And told Moses As fearing that the people had not don so well as indeed they did or as desirous of further direction Vers 23. Laie up for you c. This is no plea for the Popish keeping of their breaden God in a pyx for here was a command so to do lest the Sabbath should bee profaned but for the other there is none Vers 24. Till the morning The Sabbath-morning wherein it putrified not but continued sound and savorie by the special hand of God that they might keep the Sabbath as it appear's here they did before the Law given at Sinai Papists press the sanctification of the Sabbath as a meer humane institution in religious worship Our Anti-sabbatarian Prelates took this text for an Anticipation onely and made little account of the fourth commandment which Spalato had taught them was don awaie c. Ver. 25. Eat that to daie So shall those that labor in the Lord rest and feast in
heaven Thus the Rabbines moralize it Ver. 27. And it came to pass See the Note on ver 20. Som unrulie beasts masterless monsters will bee breaking over the hedg but the Law will hamper them Ver. 28. How long refuse yee The rulers are shent for the peoples unruliness To keep my commandments For in breaking that one of the Sabbath they had broken all the whole Law is but one copulative See Jam. 2.10 Ver. 29. Hath given you the Sabbath And a great gift it was Nehe. 9.14 Were it not for the weekly sabbath wee should all run wilde Abide yee everie man in his place Sabbath coming from Shabath to ceas or rest hath som affinitie with Jashabh to sit still and with Shabath to worship and give prais to shew that this rest must be sanctified for els it is but Asinorum sabbatum as One saith the Sabbath of the Ox and Ass for these also must rest Ver. 30. So the people rested According to their custom though probably intermitted for a season in Egypt dureing their hard servitude D. prideaux Sed rationem reddat qui potest saith a learned Doctor quare ante legem promulgatam in die septimo cessavit Manna nisi quia ad exemplum Domini ab ipsius mundi primordio invaluisset sabbati observatio This ceasing of Manna on the seventh day shew's that the Sabbath was kept from the begining Ver. 31. And the taste of it It had not all manner of good tastes according to everie man's appetite as Wisd 16.20 21. It is said but as Num. 11.8 Els why should the people lust and murmur as there they did ver 4 5. Ver. 32. Fill an omer Monuments and memorials of God's great mercies are to bee set up lest as it fare's with children Eaten bread bee soon forgotten Strabo Geog. Ver. 33. Take a pot A golden pot Heb. 9.4 Strabo writeth that the Metapontini after a plentiful harvest which had much enriched them dedicated to Apollo at Delphos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an harvest of gold Ver. 34. To bee kept For the use of succeeding ages in the most holie places so Christ glorified in his humanitie abide's for ever Heb 7. Ver. 35. Vntill they came So till wee com to heaven shall wee have need of Ordinances Ver. 36. Of an Ephah Or of a bushel a plentiful allowance see the Note on Ioh. 2.7 CHAP. XVII Ver. 1. After their journies i. e. AFter they had firs t been at Dophcah and at Alush Num. 33.12 13 14. There was no water Bread they had from heaven but wanted water Our condition here is a condition of singular indigencie wee are ever wanting somwhat or other Ver. 2. The people did chide with Moses As they did before for bread And as thirst is the more eager appetite so they are more eager and earnest for water then they were for bread Wherefore do yee tempt the Lord viz Whether hee bee amongst you and bee able by miracle to reliev you Ver. 3. Murmured against Moses Magistrates have manie times a wearie life with the mutinous multitude Seneca observeth of Egypt it proved true of this people newly com out of Egypt that it was loquax ingeniosa in contumeliam proefectorum provincia in qua qui vitaverit culpam non effugit infamiam That it was 〈◊〉 province apt to prate against their Governors and to cast a slur upon them though never so well deserving Ver. 4. Readie to stone mee Well might hee ask with our Saviour For which of my good works do yee stone mee John 10.32 But the bellie hath no cars Ver. 5. Take with thee of the Elders As witnesses of this great work of God which the people for their unbelief might not behold God put 's up their rebellion and sat isâ—â—e's their thirst but yet intimates his just displeasure by denying them this privilege of seeing the rock smitten Ver. 6. Vpon the rock If God had not stood upon the rock in vain had Moses struck it Means must bee used but God onely depended upon for success It is hee alone that set's the rock abroach Thou shalt smite the rock Here in a type of Christ stricken smitten of God and afflicted Isa 53.4 1 Cor. 10.4 And there shall com water out of it Not sire that had not been so miraculous but water This cleaving the hard rock Psalm 78.15 This turning of the slint into a fountain Psalm 114.8 was a work of Omnipotencie and is therefore much celebrated Deut. 8.15 Psalm 105.41 Nehem. 9 15. Dioscorides tell 's us of the stone Galactites quèd suceum emittat lacieum that it yield's a kinde of moisture like milk which if it bee true is verie strange That the peoâ—le may dâ—ink And so bee cooled and comforted in their weariness and wandrings Ho everie one that thirsteth c. Isa 55.1 Ver. 7. Is the Lord amongst us As if that could not bee and they athirst But hee is most present when hee afflict's Hee know's our souls in adversitie Ver. 8. Then came Amalek Not having the fear of God before his eles Deut. 25.18 but carried on by the antient enmitie for Amalek was Esau's grandchilde Ver. 9. I will stand on the top Where the people might see him with that Ensign in his hand and bee incouraged Xerxes used to pitch his tent on high and stand looking on his armie when in fight for their incouragement Ver. 10. Aaron and Hur This Hur saith Josephus was husband to Miriäm and Moses his Deputie Exod. 24.14 Went up to the top of a hill To praie together Psalm 76.2.3 In the Congregation where the Saints are praying there the arrow shield and spear are broken 2 Sam. 18.3 From thence shalt thou help us said the people to David that is thy praiers shall prevail with God for our assistance Non tam praeliando quà m precando The King of Sweden assoon as hee set foot in Germanie fell down to praier and hee proved verie victorious Ver. 11. When Moses held up his hands The push of Moses's praiers did more then the pikes of all Israël besides Moses orat vincit Bucholcer Chronol cessat vincitur saith one Great is the power of praiers Henricus Anceps the Emperor of Germanie slew and put to flight a huge armie of the Hungarians his souldiers all crying out with a loud voice Idem ibid. Kyrie eleison Kyrie eleison i e. Lord have mercie upon us Lord have mercie upon us This was don before the citie of Mersburg Ver. 12. But Moses's hands were heavie It is a prais proper to God that his hand is stretched out still As for men even the best though the spirit in them bee willing yet the flesh is weak and will not suffer anie long intention And Aaron and Hur staid up his hands Neither did they onely rais up their hands but their mindes with his There are that here observ that upon the fourtieth daie after their coming out of Egypt
Moses Aaron and Hur went up into the Mount where Moses's hands are thus supported while Amalek is discomfited and that Moses the Prophet Hur the Prince and Aaron the Priest all put together were a type of Christ who on the fourtieth daie after his Resurrection asscended into the Mount of Heaven where as our Prophet Priest and Prince hee hold's up the hands of his Intercession for his Church Militant whiles shee fight 's with spiritual Amalek Sin Satan Antichrist World Flesh c. Ver. 13. And Joshua discomfited How should hee do otherwise when hee fought with such weapons Praiers are the bombardae instrumenta bellica Christianorum saith Luther The great guns and warlike weapons of the Saints The Romans in a great distress were driven to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods and overcame The Parliament souldiers at Edg-hill-battle falling on with courage and crying out Now for the fruit of praier Now for the fruit of praier prevailed mightily slaying near ten to one c. Ver. 14. In a book Or in the book that thou art now in writing viz. the Pentateuch the most antient book that is extant I will utterly put out c. The portion of wicked men is to bee forgotten in the citie where they had so don Eccles 8.10 their memorie die's with them or if it bee preserved it stink's in keeping and remain's as a curs and perpetual disgrace Ver. 15. And Moses built an Altar As a lasting monument of God's great Mercie in that first victorie The Romans had a custom that the Conqueror in his triumphant chariot rode to the Capitol and offered a white ox to Jupiter Liv lib 6. Decad 3. Ver. 16. Becaus the Lord c. Heb. The hand upon the throne of the Lord. God's hand is laid upon his own throne as swearing to root out Amalek Or Amalek's hand is lifted up against God's throne that is the Church called God's throne of glorie Jer. 4.21 and crown of glorie Isa 62.3 therefore hee will have perpetual war with him Tua caussa erit mea caussa said the Emperor Charls the Fifth to Julius Pflugius who beeing his Agent had received wrong by the Duke of Saxonie so saith God to all that belong to him CHAP. XVIII Ver. 1. Heard of all ANd thereby was converted saie the Rabbins beeing the first Proselyte to the Jewish Church that wee read of in in Scripture Ver. 2. After hee had sent her back Becaus shee was troublesom with her peevishness and a hinderance to the good work in hand Chap. 4.25 26. Sylla felix fuisset ni uxorem duxisset Adrianus ni imperitâsset Moses both Ver. 3. In a strange land See the Note on Chap. 2.22 Ver. 4. Eliezer Or Lazarus Wee should write God's mercies upon the names of our children or som other waies perpetuate the memorie of them Ver. 5. At the Mount of God Horeb whither they were removed from Rephidim though the remove bee not mentioned Ver. 6. And hee said That is sent him word so God's messages to us are to bee received as his own immediate words Hee that heareth you heareth mee Ver. 7. And did obeisance Sr. Thomas More Lord Chancellor would in Westminster-hall beg his Father's blessing on his knees Ver. 8. All that the Lord bath don It is not enough to relate God's mercies to us in the lump and by whole sale but wee must instance the particulars both to God and men That had com upon them Heb. Had found them yet not without a providence Job 5.6 God cut 's us out our several conditions it is his hand that finde's us when wee suffer ought Ver. 9. And Jethro rejoiced So must all Sion's sons Isa 66.10 Ver. 10. And Jethro said c. Cheerfulness make's thankfulness Luke 1.46 Jam. 5.13 Ver. 11. Now I know See the Note on Ver. 1. So the people knew that Jehovah was God 1 King 18.37 See 2 Cro. 33.13 Hee was above them God sit's in the heavens Psal 2.4 where hee see 's that their daie is coming Psal 37.16 and mean while scorneth these scorners Prov. 3. Fright's them as hee did those Syrians 2 King 7.6 Over-aw's them as hee did Laban Divert's them as hee did Saul Senacherib c. or otherwise defeat's them as hee did Benhadad disclosing their counsels blasting their designs c. Ver. 12. Before God i.e. as in his presence with reverence and godlie fear To feed without fear is a foul fault Jude 12. See my Common-place of Abstinence Ver. 13. And the people stood by Moses Beeing haply as the French are said to bee verie litigious and thereunto abuting Moses's lenitie whereas had they been soundly whipped as among Mahumetans they are that go to law for light â—â—attâ—rs there would have been but few and short suits amongst them Sure it is that if men's hearts were not bigger then their suits there would not bee half so manie Ver. 14. What is this thing A man by good counsel may becom an Angel nay a God to another Alexander beeing requested by som Embassadors to shew them his treasures shewed them his faithful Counsellors Ver. 15. To enquire of God For a divine sentence is in the mouth of the Judg therefore also the place of Judicature is called the holie place Eccles 8.10 Let those that go to law inquire of God and rest in his will Ver. 16. When they have a matter In our ordinarie suits there is for the most part more malice then matter The late Judg Dier if there came anie such trilling controversies to bee tried before him would usually saie That either the parties are wilful or their neighbors without charitie becaus their suits were not quietly compromised Ver. 17. Is not good Wee commonly saie Hee that receiv's a curtesie sell's his libertie But so did not Jethro Ver. 18. Thou wilt surely wear away Heb. Fading thou wilt fade as a leaf that wanteth moisture Melanchthon was wont to saie that none labored so hard as Travelling women Magistrates and Ministers Politici Ecclesiastici labores maximi sunt saith Luther Atterunt enim corpus tanquam ex imis medullis exhauriunt succum Ver. 19. I will give thee counsel A Midianite counsel's Moses God hereby teacheth him humilitie Ver. 21. Out of all the people Magistrates must bee drained from the dregs sifted from the bran of the ordinarie sort of people Able men Able and active strong and stout-hearted wealthie also and well underlaied See Jethro's Justice of Peace in a Sermon by Mr. Sam. Ward Ver. 22. So shall it bee easier c. How thankless is their labor that do wilfully over-spend themselvs in their ordinarie vocations Ver. 23. To their place To the promised land Or to their own homes well apaid and with good content Ver. 24. So Moses hearkned Of a meek man it is said that a childe shall lead him Isa 11.6 how much more so grave a counsellor as Jethro Dio. in Augusto Augustus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was
the Covenant the Seals Ministers c. But alas are not these blessings amongst us as the Ark was amongst the Philistims rather as prisoners then as privileges rather in testimonium ruinam quà m in salutem Rather for our ruine then reformation Ver. 28. Fortie daies and fortie nights Moses Elias and Christ those three great Fathers met glorious in Mount Tahor Abstinence merit 's not but prepare's the best for good duties Hee wrote That is Weems Exer. God wrote as som will have it Ver. 29. The skin of his face shone God hereby assuring the people that hee had inwardly inlightned him for their better instruction Ver. 30. And they were afraid This was another manner of Brightness and Majestie then that which sate in the eies of Augustus and of Tamerlan whose eies so shone as that a man could hardly endure to behold them without closing of his own and manie in talking with them and often beholding of them became dumb which caussed them oft-times with a comlie modestie to abstein from looking too earnestly upon such as spake unto them Turk histâ— fol. 236. or discoursed with them Ver. 33. Hee put a veil on his face And had more glorie by his veil then by his face How far are those spirits from this Christian modestie which care onely to bee seen and wish onely to dazle others eies with admiration not caring for unknown riches This veil signified the Laws obscuritie and our infidelitie Ver. 34. But when Moses went in Hypocrites on the contrarie shew their best to men their worst to God God see 's both their veil and their face and I know not whether hee hate's more their veil of dissimulation or face of wickedness CHAP. XXXV Ver. 1. And said unto them These c. HEE often go's over the same things as the knife doth the whetstone Good things must bee repeted sicut in acuendo 'T is Moses his own metaphor Deut. 6.7 Ver. Six daies shall work bee don This dutie is so oft inculcated to shew the necessitie excellencie difficultie of well doing it Ver. Yee shall kindle no fire sc For the furtherance of the work of the Tabernacle or at least that is not of absolute necessitie It might also signifie that in the kingdom of heaven wee shall bee set free from all the fire and scorching heat of affliction Ver. 22. And brought bracelets Glad they had anie thing of price to dedicate to God and to seal up their thankfulness for this re-admittance into his love and favor See the Note on Matth. 9.10 Nazianzen put this price upon his Athenian learning wherein hee was verie famous that hee had somthing of value to part with for Christ Ver. 32. And to devise curious works This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts Lib. 23. who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isa 28.29 Plinie make's mention of som famous Painters whose rare pieces were Oppidorum opibus venditae Sold for so manie Towns-wealth A certain artificer set a watch-clock upon a ring that Charls the Fifth wore upon his finger Sphinx philos pag. 90. King Ferdinand sent to Solyman the Turk for a present a wonderful globe of silver of most rare and curious device daily expressing the hourly passing of the Time the motions of the Planets Turk Hist fol. 713. the change and full of the Moon lively exepressing the wonderful conversions of the Celestial frame To which I may well add that admirable invention of Printing a special blessing of God to mankinde CHAP. XXXVI XXXVII c. Ver. 2. And Moses called Bezaleel GOd qualified them Mâ—ses called them Ministers also must have an outward calling too See Acts 13.1 2 3. Heb. 5.4 and bee sent ere they preach Rom. 10.15 And whereas 1 Cor. 14.31 It is said Yee may all prophecie the meaning is All yee that are Prophets may But are all Prophets 1 Cor. 12.29 Ver. 7. And too much Thus in outward ordinances of service and for the making of a worldlie sanctuarie Heb. 9.1 they could do and over-do So John 6.28 They said unto him What shall wee do that wee may work the works of God Men would fain have heaven as a purchase I would swim through a sea of brimstone said one that I might com to heaven at last But what said our Saviour to those questionists John 6 This is the work of God that yee believ on him whom hee hath sent And what said Luther Walk in the Heaven of the Promiss but in the Earth of the Law that in respect of Believing this of Working Manie poor souls can think of nothing but working themselvs to life Do wee must all righteousness but rest in none but Christ's Ver. 8. And everie wise-hearted man Let no man look upon this and the following Chapter as an idle repetition nor saie as one said once Did wee not know that all Scripture was divinely inspired wee should bee readie to saâ—e Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus But know that here is see forth a Table Index or Inventorie of what Moses and the workmen did in obedience to God's command for everie particular about the Sanctuarie This Inventorie was taken by Ithamar at the commandement of Moses Et sic in archivum Ecclesiae relatum and so laid up in the charter-hous of the Church for the use of posteritie See the Notes on Exod. 26. and consider that saying of an antient Prosper Epist ad Augustin Necessarium utile est etiam quae scripta sunt scribere nè leve existimetur quod non frequenter arguitur CHAP. XL. Ver. 36. The Children of Israël went THe Jews conceiv that this Cloud that led Israël through the wilderness levelled mountains raised vallies and laid all aflat that it burnt up bushes and smoothed rocks and made all plain c. See Luke 3.5 Isa 4.5 A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION UPON THE Third BOOK of Moses called LEVITICVS CHAP. I. Vers 1 And the Lord called A Continuation of the former Historie from the rearing of the Tabernacle to the numbering of the people beeing the historie of one moneth onely Ver. 2. Bring an offering Whereby they were led to Christ as the Apostle sheweth in that excellent Epistle to the Hebrews which is a just Commentarie upon this Book Ver 3. Burnt sacrifice A whole-burnt-offâ—ring Heb 10.6 purporting whole Chriâ—â— uffering for us Isa 53 12 and our sacrificing our whole selvs to him â—s a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 Ver. 4. And hee shall put his hand As acknowledging his own guilt and transferring the same upon Christ resting upon him with full assurance of faith handfasting us unto him Ver. 5. And bee shall kill the bullock The Priest shall kill it for it was death for anie man to offer his own sacrifice so it is still for anie to com to God otherwise then in and by Christ Ver. 6. And hee shall flaie the burnt-offering To shew the grievousness of our Saviour's sufferings the
had the right of redemption Ruth 2.20 and 3.9 11 13. Ver. 34. May not bee sold This Law lasted but during the paedagogie for Joses a Levite sold his land and brought the monie and laid it at the Apostle's feet Act. 4.36 37. Ver. 35. That hee may live with thee i. e. Live in good fashion for a necessitous life is a lifeless life Thus shall yee saie to him that liveth 1 Sam. 25.6 So Joh. 4.50 thy daughter liveth Ver. 36. Take thou no usurie God dispenseth with no usurie but condemn's both Neshec the biting and Tarbith the toothless In Rome at this daie all usurers are excommunicated monethly The Jews indeed are permitted to strain up their usurie to eighteen in the hundred upon the Christian for among themselvs they no where use it which causseth manie of the unconscionable Christians to use these Jews under hand in improving their unlawfull rents to the utmost proportion Ver. 43. Rule over him with rigor As the Aegyptians did over the Israëlites Exod. 1.13 Thy servant is made of the same earth with thee and hath right to the same heaven with thee See Gal. 3.28 The servant paid the half shekel as well as the master Stand not therefore on terms of inequalitie but know that your selvs also have a master in heaven Do therefore to them that which is right and equal Col. 4. CHAP. XXVI Ver. 1. Yee shall make you no idols SEE the Notes on Exod. 20.4 5. God knew the people's proneness to idolatrie Ver. 2. Yee shall keep See the Note on Chap. 19.30 Ver. 4. Rain in due season The best Almanack wee should relie upon for seasonable weather is our obedience to God love to our neighbour care of our selvs Ver. 5. Dwell in your land safely Confidently fiducially as boldly relying upon God's protection Ver. 6. Neither shall the sword To devour and desolate it to eat flesh and drink blood without measure or satietie A fire it is that feed's upon the people Isa 9.19 a hungrie Wolf that snatcheth on both hands Ver. 20. Ver. 7. And yee shall chase your enemies If forreiners invade you you shall bee able to quel and quiet them quickly Ver. 8. And five of you God strengthen's or weaken's the arm of either partie 2 Chron. 7.6 Ezek. 30.24 strike's a Panick terror oft as into those Aramites that heard an hurrie-nois in the aër made by the Angels likely and fled Ver. 9. And establish my Covenant with you This is more then all the rest So Gen. 17.30 21. I have blessed Ismaël twelv princes shall hee leget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Ver. 11. I will set my tabernacle The Philosopher could comfort himself that though hee had little els to trust to yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are the gods with me meaning his houshold-gods And hee in Plutarch said of the Scythians That though they had no musick nor vines amongst them yet they had gods Aug. How much more may the Saints glorie in God's presence Habent omnia qui habent habentem omnia Ver. 12. And I will walk See the Note on 2 Cor. 6.16 Ver. 13. Which brought you forth This they often hear of not by waie of exprobration Jam. 1.5 but to incite them to thankful obedience Deut. 8 11. Josh 24. Servati sumus ut serviamus Ver. 14. But if yee will not hearken Here wee may observ twice so manie threatnings as promisses which serv's to set forth the baseness of our natures that will do more for fear then love Ver. 16. I will even appoint Put them in commission send them with such autoritie as shall bee irresistible Terror Sennert de febrib l. 4. c. 15. Coepit Anno 1486. Life of K. Ed. 6. by Sir John Heyw. consumption and the burning ague i. e. terrible sicknesses of all sorts such as was the sweating sickness called Sudor Anglicus quia Anglis perpetuum malum It reigned here som fortie years together and slew so manie that strangers wondered how this Island could bee so populous to bear and burie such incredible multitudes No stranger in England was touched with this diseas and yet the English were chased therewith not onely in England but in other countries abroad which made them like tyrants both feared and avoided wherever they came Ver. 17. They that hate you A heavie curs to anie people to have mischievous malitious Princes set over them odious to God malignant to the people Cic. 3. Tusc quae Ver. 18. Seven times more God will have the better of us and good reason for is it fit that hee should cast down the bucklers first Illud quidem sic habeto said the Orator nisi sanatus animus sit quod sine Philosophia fieri non potest finem miseriarum nullum fore Bee sure of this if thy minde mend not there will bee no end of thy miserie Ver. 19. Your heaven as iron Hard hearts make hard times En quia jam nobis sint ferrea pectora reddit Coelum etiam nobis durius aere Deus Et quia jam nummos gignant pro foenore nnmmi Antè serax tellus desinit esse ferax Ver. 20. Bill Anthol lâ—b 2. Your land shall not yield See this fulfilled Jer. 14.1 2 c. and Joel 1.12 Jer. 8 13. And yet their countrie was called Sumen totius orbis Cornelius Tacitus yield's it to bee a fruitfull countrie So did Rabshakeh long before 2 King 18.32 Ver. 21. Contrarie unto mee Or Carelesly before mee as our ungirt Christians Profligate Professors do Seven times more plagues God cannot bee exhausted neither need wee fear as hee did of his Jupiter Si quoties peccent homines sua fulmina mittat Jupiter exiguo tempore inermis erit Ver. 22. I will also send wilde beasts As hee did Num. 21.6 2 King 17.25 2 King 2.24 See Isa 13.21 Jer. 5.6 Ver. 23. Yee will not bee reformed Or Chastised God will master us but the wicked refuse to receiv corrections like naughtie boies they prove more stubborn or more stupid they stout it out and will not stoop When God's hand is lifted up they will not see bu they shall see and bee ashamed c. Isa 26.11 Ver. 24. Then wil. I walk contrarie God will bee as froward as they for the hearts of them Ps 18.20 Hee will wrie with them neither may they look to get anie thing of him by wriggling and wrestling Ver. 25. I will bring a sword God make's peace and create's evil i. e. war called evil per Antonomasiam Whencesoever the sword com's it is bathed in heaven Isa 34.5 The quarrel of my Covenant For breach whereof Jerusalem is long since laid waste those seven golden Candlesticks are broken in pieces Bohemia lie's still a bleeding which was the seat of the first open and autorizâ—d Reformation And what may wee think will becom of us all who like men have transgressed the Covenant Hos 6.7 or as Junius read's it not
To do the work The work of the Ministery is not an idle mans occupation but a labouring even to lassitude compared therefore to harvest-work and to that of cleaving wood digging in mine-pits rowing with oares c. All the comfort is that God that helped the Levites to bear the Arke of the Covenant 1 Chron 15.26 will not be wanting to his weak but willing servants that labour in the word and doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 Vers 5. And when the Camp setteth forward Which was not till the cloud was taken up from off the Tabernacle by the Lord. Num. 10.11 12 who went before them Semper memento illud Pythagoricum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let God lead us and we cannot miscarry Boetius Vers 8. And cover the same It is well observed that only the Ark representing Christ and the Table with shew-bread representing the Church had three coverings all the other holy things had but two for a covert from storm and from rain Thus Esay 4.5 6. upon all the glory shall be a defence Vers 13. The ashes from the Altaâ— The fire from Heaven was also carefully kept alive Lev. 6.12 though nothing be here said of it Vers 15. Lest they dye As Vzzah did 1 Chron. 13.10 The burden of the sons of Kohath Who as they had the honos so the onus See vers 1. Fructus honos oneris fructus honoris onus Vers 16. And to the office of Eleazâ—r Called therefore Prince of the Princes of the Levites Num. 3.32 Vers 18. Cut ye not off i.e. Cause them not by your default to be cut off Heed must be taken that we neither give offence carelesly nor take offence causelesly Vers 20. But they shall not go in to see The men of ' Bethshemâ—sh paid for their peeping 1 Sam. 6.9 Search not into Gods secrets hìc oportet non rimari Dent. 29.29 Remember that saying of Xenocrates the Philosopher Nihil interesse pedesue quisquam Plutarch de curiosit an oculos in aliena domo ponat It is as great unmannerliness to pry into another mans house as to press into it Vers 30. From thirty yeares The Greek hath it from 25 yeares for then they began to be learners and probationers and at 30 they set upon the service See Num. 8.24 In their old age they had leave to retire Vers 32. By name ye shall reckon That all might be ready and forth comming when the Sanctuary was set up again Christ knoweth and calleth all his by name Joh. 10.3 not the meanest of them is missing Ioh. 17.12 Vers 44. Trhee thousand and two hundred By this diversity of number among the Levites families God sheweth his wisedome saith an Interpreter in fitting men for the work whereunto he hath appointed them whether it requireth multitude or gifts For to one is given by the Spirit the Word of wisdome to another the word of knowledg by the same Spirit c. dividing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.8 12. It is reported that in Luthers house was found written Res et verba Philippus res sine verbis Lutherus verba sine re Erasmus Melancthon hath both matter and words Luther hath matter but wants words Erasmus hath words but wants matter Every one hath his own share all are not alike gifted Vers 48. Eight thousand c. What a poor few were these to the other tribes Gods portion is ever the least CHAP. V. Vers 2. PVt out of the Camp To shew that sin unrepented of throws us out of the communion of Faith and Saints shuts us out of the congregation of God in earth and heaven No fellowship place or reward with them See Rev. 21.27 with the note there Vers 3. Without the Camp shall ye put them Evill doers are to be suspended excommunicated 1 Cor. 5.13 which text sheweth plainly the truth of this ceremony Vers 6. Any sin that men do commit For what man is he that liveth and sinneth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am a man a sinner saith Peter Luk. 5.8 not more a man then a sinner Our lives are fuller of sin then the firmament of stars or the furnace of sparks we can as little cease to sin as the hart to pant pulse to beate c. The devill when he speaks lies speaks of his own Ioh. 8.44 so when we do evill we work of our own we walk as men 1 Cor. 3.3 Sins are here called humane fins as the Greek hath it Vers 7. Then they shall confess their sin So they were bound to do all their sins Prov. 28.13 Job 33.27 28. Confessio peccati est medicina peccati saith Nazanzen A sin acknowledged is halfeamended _____ And he shall recompence his trespass Restitution must be made of goods unjustly detained or else you shall cough in hell said Mr. Latimer Our King Henry the seventh in his last will and testament after the disposition of his soul and body Speeds hist sol 995. he Devised and willed restitution should be made of all such moneys as had unjustly been levyed by his officers So did Selymus the great Turk give order at his death Turk hist 767. for the restoring and recompencing of the great treasure he had taken from the Persian merchants Vers 8. Vnto the Lord even to the Priest The Priest is the Lords receiver So Heb. 7.6 7 8 9. Tithes are due to the Ministers of Christ that lives because due to him Sacâ—rdos est vicaâ—â—us et quasi haeres Dâ—â— and they are in his stead 2 Cor. 5.20 Vers 9. And every offering So liberally doth the Lord provide for his Priests See the Note on Levit. 27.30 And is not the right of lively-hood as equall and due to the Ministers of the Gospell whose Ministery is far more glorious 2 Cor. 3.8 9. even greater then that of Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.11 Vers 12. If a mans wife goe aside Adalterum vel ad alterius torum vnde dicitur adulterium If as a wanton she want one when she hath her own But what wittals are the Lituanians who give way to their wives to have their stallions if Maginus belye them not and call such connubii adjutores prizing them far above all their acquaintances Vers 13. And it be hid from the eyes As Prov. 30.20 Such a privy whore was Livia the wife of Augustus Caesar who though otherwise very observant of her husband yet lived in adultery with Eudemus her Physitian qui specie artis frequens secretis saith Tacitus who under a shew of curing her Pliny corrupted her So do the Iesuites many dames at this day being as one saith of them Connâ—bisanctifugae clammeretricitegae The Friers are said to send men whose wives are barren in pilgrimage to Saint Ioyce the patroness of fruitfulness and meane while to lye with their wives Vers 14. And the spirit of jealousy come upon him In the bathes at upper Baden in Helvetia cernunt viri vxores tractari cernunt
resting this made them murmure Chap. 11.1 non quia dura sed quia molles patimur Sen. Went before them And as the Iewes conceive for the facilitating of their march the cloud levelled mountains raised vallies and laid all of a flat that is burnt up bushes smoothed rocks and made all plain c. Vers 35. Rise up Lord Commanders must pray as well as lead on their forces as did Charles the great and that late brave King of Sweden more addict to prayer then to fight CHAP. XI Vers 1. ANd when the people complained Or were as it were complainers they did inwardly and secretly repine and mutter at their three dayes march without intermission like those horses that disgest their choller by biting the bridle Consumed them that were in the uttermost parts There it seems the sin began amongst those that were faint and weary with travell as Deut. 25.18 Vers 2. And the people cryed to Moses That Lord Chancellour of Heaven as one calleth him that could rule with God and over-rule Of Moses it might be said as once of Luther Iste vir potuit apud deum quod voluit he might have whatsoever he would of God Vers 3. The name of the place Taberah So to perpetuate the memory of the peoples sin and Gods judgment Alterius perditio tua sit cautio Vers 4. And the mixâ— multitude See the Note on Exod. 12.38 Observe the danger of ill company Fish retains their sweetness in the salt sea The river d ee in Merioneth-shire running through Pimble-meere remaines entire and mingles not her streames with the waters of the lake The rivers of Peru after they have run some miles into the sea retain their sweetness as writers report But to converse with the ungodly and not to learn their manners is marvellous rare and difficult A man may pass through Ethiopia unchanged but he cannot dwell there and not be discoloured Vers 5. We remember the fish They forgat their servitude Discontent is ever harping upon wants and enjoyes nothing no more then Haman did his honour or Alâ—ab his kingdome when he longed for a sallet out of Naboths garden Vers 6. There is nothing at all besides The wheat of heaven was held a light meat because lightly come by Citò parta vilescunt How are many queasie stomacks even nauseated with the bread of life it makes not to their dainty palates 3 plain preaching is dis-rellished Vers 7. And the Manna See the Note on Exod. 16.14 31. There was therefore no such cause they should so loath it Was as Coriander seed Small but full of sweetness and nourishment Deut. 34.7 This might be some cause of Moses his undecayedness As the colour of Bdellium A kinde of transparent and precious gumme Vers 8. And the people went about Or went to and fro as men ought still to encrease knowledg Dan. 12.4 labouring for the meat that endureth to eternall life Joh. 6.27 God might have saved them this labour by rayning Manna into their mouthes but he would not for the tryall of their diligence and that they might not think that worth nothing that cost them nothing And ground it in mills So was Jesus Christ ground and pounded with passion baked and dryed up in the oven of his fathers displeasure before he became fit food and a Saviour to his Church As the taste of fresh oyle Or wafers baked with honey Exod. 16.31 The sweet promises of grace are sweeter then honey Psal 19.10 No fresh and sweet oyle can so cherish the face as they do the heart of a believer Vers 9. And when the dew fell As Manna fell in the dew so doth the Spirit descend in and by the word preached Gal. 3.2 In the night Figuring that hidden Manna laid up and prepared for the Saints Revel 2.17 Vers 10. Weep throughout their families Generally and openly they mutinied and murmured though so lately they had smarted at Taberah And this they did not once or twise but ten times over whereby it appeares that God chose this unthankfull people not for their merits sedex mera et mira misericordia he chose them for his love and loved them for his choyse Vers 11. Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant Antoninus the Emperour said often Imperium Oceanum esse malorum that to be a governour of others is to be plunged into an Ocean of miseries Pope Adrian caused to be engraven upon his own tomb Foelix si non imperitasset Melancthon said the three sorest labours of all were Docentis imperantis parturientis the labours of Ministers Magistrates and of travelling women Vers 12. As a nursing father beareth c. Lovingly mildly gently A Magistrate should carry himself as a Pater patriae Cambdens Elisab Queen Elizabeth would many times say That she could believe nothing of her people that parents would not believe of their children Vers 13. Whence should I have flesh Lust is unsatisfiable to go about it is to go about an endless piece of work it is to cast oyl into the fire to quench it Vers 14. It is too heavy for me Crowns have their cares seats are uneasie many a cumber attends honour Beatus ille qui procul negotiis Horat. Vers 15. And if thou deal thus with me Here the word Thou spoken to God is of the feminine gender At for Atta ex magna perturbatione saith a Rabbine Moses was so exceedingly moved with anger and grief these passions did so overcarry him that he could not complere vocem utter his whole speech as he that groaneth or gapeth in the beginning of his sentence cannot make up his breath to speak what he intended Vers 16. Gather unto me seventy men Here say some began the Sanhedrim that is the great Counsel of the Jews consisting of seventy Seniours and one President It continued till the time of Herod the Great who took it away and changed the form of it Vers 17. And I will take of the spirit i. e. I will bestow the same Spirit upon them as upon thee and this shall be nothing at all to thy loss or disadvantage Habet Hispania montem ex sale magnum de quo quantum demas tantum accrescit shall bear the burden of the people Who are in nothing more a burden then in this that with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucyd. Praesens imperium semper grave they are ever grumbling at the present government though never so gentle Alleva jugum Ease the yoke that thy father put upon us 1 King 12.4 said they to Rehoboam forgetting the golden age they had lived in under his father Solomon Vers 18. Sanctifie your selves Ironicè dictum or sanctifie that is prepare your selves for the day of slaughter as Jer. 12.3 For you have wept in the ears Tears of what sort soever have a voyce in them Psal 39.12 as blood hath Gen. 4. For it was well with us in Egypt Such is the murmuring of those malecontents that
And this is that great offence Psal 19.11 The same reproacheth the Lord As if he wanted either wisdome to observe or power to punish such as take themselves to be out of the reach of his rod See Ezek. 20.27 Vers 31. That gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day This he did with an high hand as vers 30 in contempt of God and his Law Mr. Abbots his sermons The baser sort of people in Swethland do alwaies break the sabbath saying that 't is only for gentlemen to keep that day How much better that poor Indian in new-England who comming by and seeing one of the English profaning of the Lords day by felling of a tree said unto him New-Engl first-fruites pag. 4. do you not know that this is the Lords day Much machet man i.e. Very wicked man what break you Gods day The best and wealthieft of the Iewes to prevent servile work on the Sabbath day with their own hands chop the hearbs sweep the house Buxtorf Synagog cleave wood kindle fire c. on the day before Vers 38. That they may make them fringes See the Note on Mat. 23.5 Aribband of blue This sky-colourd ribband band taught them that though their commoration was on earth their conversation should be in Heaven Philip. 3.20 CHAP. XVI Vers 1. THe son of Izhar And so couzen german to Moses and Aaron for Izhar was brother to Amram their father Exod. 6.18 Sons of Reuben Who being next neighbours to Korah in the Camp were the sooner corrupted by him Vvaque corrupta livorem ducit ab â—â—a Juven Vers 2. Princes of the Assembly A very dangerous conspiracy For as in a beast the body followes the head so in that bellua multorum capitum the multitude Great men are the looking-glasses of the Country according to which most men dress themselves their sins do as seldom go unattended as their persons Height of place ever adds two wings to sin Example and Scandal whereby it soares higher and flyes much further Vers 3. Against Moses and against Aaron They were against both Magistracy and Ministery as our late Levellers and would have brought in Anarchy that every man might offer his own sacrificâ—â— and do that which is good in his own eyes Regnum Cyclopicum Vers 4. He fell upon his face As a suppliant to them not to proceed in their rebellion or rather to God not to proceed against them for their sin Vers 5. And he spake unto Korah By the instinct of the Spirit who had given into his heart a present answer to his prayer and furnished him with this answer Vers 7. Ye take too much upon you He retorts that upon them that they had falsly charged upon him and Aaâ—on So doth Elias upon Ahab 1 King 18.17.18 So do we worthily upon Popery the charge of novelty When a Papist tauntingly demanded of a Protestant Where was your Religion before Luther he was answered In the Bible where yours never was Vers 8. ye sons of Levi He took these to task apart as hoping haply to withdraw them from their purpose and to hide pride from them Job 33.17 but they proved uncounsellable incorrigible Vers 9. Seemeth it but a small thing Whiles these ambitious Levites would be looking up to the Priests Moses sends down their eyes to the people The way not to repine at those above us is to look at those below us Vers 10. And seek ye the Priesthood also Ambition is restless and unsatisfiable for like the Crocodile it grows as long as it lives Vers 11. And what is Aaron q. d. Is it not God whom ye wound through Aaron's sides Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. Vers 12. We will not come up Sturdy rebels ripe for destruction See Prov. 29.1 with the Note there One perhaps had knockt off and is therefore no more mentioned Satius est recurrere quam male currere as that Emperour said Better stop or step back then run on to utter ruine Vers 13. That floweth with milk and honey So they falsly and maliciously speak of the land of Egypt in derision of the land of Canaan whereunto that praise properly belonged Those that were born in hell know no other heaven Altogether a Prince over us So their quarrel was against Moses his principality though they pretended the Priesthood only at first If the Ministery once be taken away let the Magistâ—ate see to himself hee 's next Vers 14. We will not come up Sc. to the place of judgment so they add rebellion to sin and justifie their treasonful practices as did Ravilliac Faux Saunders others Vers 15. And Moses was very wroth Or very sore grieved He might have said as One once did Felix essem si non imperitassem Happy had I been if I had never been in place of authority Egypt is said by Seneca to have been loquax ingeniosa in contumeliam praefectorum provincia in qua qui vitaverit culpam non effugit infamiam a Province apt to find fault with and to speak hardly of their Rulers though never so innocent These rebels had haply learned those Egyptian manners by living so long amongst them I have not taken one asse from them Moses was not of them that follow the administration of justice as a trade only with an unquenchable and unconscionable desire of gain This is but robbery with authority and justifies the common resemblance of the Courts of justice to the Bush whereto while the sheep flyes for defence in weather he is sure to lose part of his fleece Vers 16. Thy company Or thy congregation thy faction or Church-Malignant as Psal 26.5 Act. 19.32 40. Vers 17. And take every man his censer Which they had ready provided when first they combined to thrust themselves into the Priests office Vers 18. And stood in the door Such an impudency had sin oaded in their faces that they stood stouting it out before the Lord and made open profession of their wickedness there was no need to dig to find it out Jer. 2.34 for they set it as it were upon the cliff of the rock Ezek. 24.7 Vers 19. All the Congregation Not his own company onely for the whole multitude was too ready to favour his attempt as he perswaded them God also would his design being to introduce an equal popularity an ochlocratie that Rule of rascality as One calleth it Vers 21. Separate your selves Good men are taken away from the evill to come When God pulls away the pillars what will become of the building Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodome but Sodome was taken out of the world Vers 22. The God of the Spirits The Former and Father of Spirits Zech. 12.1 Heb. 12.9 that giveth to all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life and breath Act. 17.25 in whose hand is the soul of all living and the spirit of all flesh Job 12.10 Vers 24. Get you up from about Save your selves from this untoward generation Act. 2.40 force
clean heart Without the Camp notes that the Gentiles were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel c. These ashes kept for the Congregation shew the fulness of Christs merits for all his people when he saith it is to make a water of separation it notes that our sins separate betwixt us and our God But now in Christ Jesus we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by his blood Ephes 2.13 Vers 10. Shall wash his clothes To note that even the nearer a Christian comes to the merits of Christ the more he is affected with the sense of his own uncleanness yea he retains it till Bven that is till death Vers 11. He that toucheth To teach them to observe Gods cuâ—se in death and to avoid the society of sinful men Vers 17. And running water Signifying the ashes of Christs merit and the water of his Spirit See 1 Cor. 6.11 Ioh. 7.38 39. Vers 18. Shall take hyssop No benefit by Christ without mortification of sin CHAP. XX. Vers 1. I In the first moneth To wit of their fortieth year after they came out of Egypt For from this Chapter to the end of Deuteronomy are described the passages of the last year only of their journeying in the wilderness little being regarded of the thirty eight years since the Spies report And Miriam dyed there A good woman and of great use to the people in their travells Mic. 6.4 But once she raised a great storme against her brothers wife Chap. 12.1 about precedency probably as did likewise in this kingdome Anne Stanhop Dutchesse of Sommerset against Katherine Parre Life of Edw. 6. pag. 81. Camb. Elis fol. 356. Queen Dowager wife to her husbands brother the Lord Admirall in the dayes of King Edward the sixth This Anne dyed Anno Dom. 1587 being 99 yeares of age Miriam could be no less likely then 130 taking her to be the same that was set to watch what would become of Moses when he was laid out in an Ark of bulrushes Exod. 2.4 Ver 3. And the people chod Wanting both water and patience they broke the peace with their Superiours See the Note on Chap. 15. vers 15. Vers 4. And why have ye brought up See how this new generation doth patrissare this is but the old coccysmus of those ancient Malecontents Exod. 17.2 So much the worse in these because they made no better use of Gods dealing with their fathers Dan. 5.22 Vers 5. Neither is there any water to drink Thirst a most eager appetite eneagreth their affections and makes them thus hot with Moses Vers 8. Take the rod God puts up their rebellion and satisfies their thirst by a miracle Speak unto the rock He is not bidden now to smite it as once Exod. 17.6 which because he did unbidden God was deeply displeased as some are of opinion Vers 9. And Moses took the rod The same rod that once smote the river to destroy the Egyptians The same word is a savour of life to believers 2 Cor. 2.16 and of death to unbelievers Vers 10. Hear now ye rebels They could hardly hear for the belly hath no eares and their tongues scarce knew to utter any language but that of Sampson Give me water or I dye Jud. 15.18 But why did Mosos speak to them when he should have spoken to the rock only vers 8. This was ill but worse to speak so unadvisedly He struck at the rock and as ready almost to split against it he makes two arguments against it 1. Hear now ye rebels q.d. Will the Lord ever give water to such rebels 2. Shall we give you water out of the rock will that ever be done To fetch fire out of a flinty rock is far more likely but to distill water out of it how can that be done Loe Moses is staggered Bucolc and now at a stand Adeâ— nihil est in nobis magnum quod non queat minui the strongest faith much assailed may flag and hang the wing The best carry their treasure but in earthen vessels which dashing against the rock of unbeliefe miseras rimas ducunt c. leake pittifully Vers 11. He smote the rock twice In a great heate and pang of passion Horat. qui non moderabitur irae Infectum velit esse dolor quod suaserit et mens Sometimes both grace and wit are asleep in the holiest and wariest breasts The best may be mis-carried by their passions to their cost And the water came out abundantly This cleaving of the hard rock was a work of Omnipotency Psal 78.15 The works of God are Luther in contrariis mediis This rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 fitly compared to a rock 1. For despicable appearance Isai 53.2 3. 2. Next for exaltation and advancement 3. For firmness and stability Mat. 16.18 4. For scandall and offence to the wicked Rouâ— 9.32 5. For weight and danger Mat. 21.44 And their beasts also The wicked in like sort comming to the Lords Supper do receive there panem Domini not panem Dominum Vers 12. Because ye believed me not Ye could not conceive and were not very willing that I should shew such favour to so undeserving a people so measuring my thoughts by your thoughts and my wayes by your wayes Isai 55.8 casting me into a dishonourable mould as it were and this publikely before all the people Therefore ye shall not bring So God was unto them a God that forgiveth and taketh vengeance of their practices as the Psalmist saith Psal 99.8 Repentance may come too late in regard of temporall chastisement as here it did Deut. 3.24 25. Vers 13. And he was sanctified in them By overcomming their evill with good striking the rock for them when he might justly have stricken them with utter destruction Mans badness interrupteth not the course of Gods goodness his unbelief maketh not the faith of God without effect Rom. 3.3 Vers 14. Thus saith thy brother A brother is born for adversity Prov. 17.17 and good blood will not bely it self But a brother offended is harder to be wonne then a strong city and their contentions are like the barrs of a castle Prov. 18.19 Vers 16. Sent an Angell This was Christ or as some would have it Moses like as Phineas is thought to be that Angell at Bochim â—udg 2.1 Vers 17. We will not pass So should a Christian bespeak the world Let us pass through thy country we will neither touch nor tast of thy cates but go by the Kings high-way that good old way that God hath scored out unto us untill we arrive at the key of Canaan at the Kingdome of Heaven Vers 18. Thou shalt not pass As fearing what so great an army once got in might do they are not usually so easily removed It was therefore great injustice in Pope Iulius to excommunicate and depose John King of Navarre as an heretike and publike enemy to the See Apostolike because being himself a Peere of the Realm of France and having
a great part of his patrimony in that country he would not suffer the Spaniard the Popes Champion to leade an army through his country Guicciard lib. 2. against the French his Leige-Lord and deliver to him three of the strongest castles he had in his kingdome CHAP. XXI Vers 1. ANd took some of them prisoners 〈◊〉 sore affliction worse then any of those outward crosses that Iob suffered whose captivity therefore as that which comprehended all the rest God is said to have turned Chap. 42.10 Barbarossa the Turkish Generall returned from Tunes Turk hist fol. 750. towards Constantinople with such a multitude of poor Christian captives shut up so close under hatches among the excrements of nature that all the way as he went almost every hour some of them were cast dead over-board The late Duke D'Alva Grimst hist of Netherl Governour of Flanders roasted some of his prisoners to death starved others and that even after quarter saying though he promised to give them their lives he did not promise to finde them meat In our late troubles it was a like difficult thing to finde among our enemies a wicked man in their prisons or a godly man out of them where some were little better used then those that are taken by the American Canibals and are eaten up alive and by degrees to the unutterable aggravation of their horrour and torment Vers 2. And Israel vowed a vow This is the way to prevail with God as Iacob found it Gen. 28.36 Who is therefore called the father of vowes Concerning vowes See the Note on that text Gen. 28.20 Vers 3. Delivered up the Canaanites This King Arab heartened with his former success might as Guicciardine saith of Charles the eight of France Guicciard in his expedition against Naples come into the field like thunder and lightning but go out like a snuffe more then a man at first less then a woman at last Vers 4. Discouraged because of the way So are many in their voyage towards Heaven which is an afflicted way Mat. 7.14 strawed with crosses Act. 14.22 Indeed if men could go to heaven in a fether-bed or pass è coeno in coelum à deliciis ad delicias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed on manchet tread on roses fly to heaven with pleasant wings none should be so forward as they But to goe through fire and through water Psal 66.12 to run with pâ—tience the race that is set before them Heb. 12.1 and through many tribulations to enter into Heaven this they like not Theotimus in Ambrose would rather lose his sight then his sin Vale lumen amicum said he when forbidden wine as naught for his eyes Beetles love dunghills better then oyntments and swine love mud better then a garden so do swinish Epicures prefer earth to heaven c. Vers 5. This light bread See the Note on Chap. 11.6 Vers 6. Fiery Serpents Heb. Seraphin from their burning heat whereby these ingratefull Israelites that causelesly cryed out of thirst had somewhat given them to cry for Their tongues so full of deadly poison and set on fire from hell are now parched and scorched with venemous heate and torments the likest hell of any other These serpents are here called Seraphims that old serpent the divell can transforme himself into an Angell of light Vers 7. Pray unto the Lord Prayer is the best lever at a dead lift Vers 8. Make thee a fiery serpent i.e. The similitude of such a one an unlikely meanes to effect such a cure Yea some write that it is deadly for those that are stung with a serpent to look upon brass Certain it is that this cure was not wrought by any thing in the nature of the brazen serpent but by the institution and ordination of God to be also a type of Christ a noble and notable figure of Christ lifted up on the cross Ioh. 3.16 or rather in his ordinances Gal. 3.1 They that looked upon their sores and not upon the sign dyed for it As those that looked on the sign though but with one eye though but with a squint eye or but with halfe an eye they were healed presently So they that fix their eyes upon their sins only and not upon their Saviour despaire and dye but those that look to Christ being faithfull in weakness though weak in faith are sure to be saved It is but look up and live Only look up as they did that were wounded weepingly wishly pittifully cravingly See and sigh look upon him whom you have pierced let your sins be as so many Hazaels to you and your hearts as so many Hadadrimmons Zech. 12.10 11. Vers 14. In the book of the warrs of the Lord This book here cited by Moses is now either lost or at least latent It was not any part of the Canon for God hath provided that not one hair of that sacred head is diminished but as the Chronicles of England or some famous Poem Vers 16 And I will give them water Now that they murmured not they might have any thing Psal 34.10 Onely we must be content to wait Gods time Is it fit to send for the Prince by a post or to want that particular mercy if God see it meet being content that God be glorified though we be not gratified Surely if God saw us thus studying his share more then our own we might have what we would and God even think himself beholding to us as one phraseth it Vers 17. Then Israel sang this song A sign of that Christian joy Isai 12.3 4. Vers 18. The Prince digged the well Called there-hence Beer-elim Plin. i.e. the Well of the mighty ones Isai 15.8 Nunquam vilior erat annona Romae quam cum terram colerent iidem qui remp regerent quasi ganderet terra laureato vomere scilicet et aratore triumphali With their staves Those Ensignes of their honour they made to be instruments of the common good See the Epist dedicat set before my Notes upon Iohn Vers 22. Let me pass See the Note on Chap. 20.17 Vers 23. And Sihon would not He durst not trust them Deut. 2.30 Men muse as they use God had also hardened his heart that he might come forth to fetch his own destruction Iudgment need not go to find wicked men out they run to meet their bane Vers 27. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs Or by-words by way of derision as Deut. 28.17 Habac. 2.6 ballad-makers Poetasters that penned popular songs such as this was Vers 30. We have shot at them Great swelling words of vanity uttered by the conquering Amorites How much better our Henry the fift who after his victory at Agincourt gave straight order Dan. hist pag. 101. that no ballad or song should be made or sung more then of thanksgiving to God for his happy victory and that nothing that might tend to ostentation or boasting of the valiant or cowardly act of any should be set
dye in Spain because there the Catholike religion as they call it is so sincerely professed And a heathen being asked whether he would rather be Socrates a painfull Philosopher or Croesus a wealthy king answered that for this life he would be Croesus but for the life to come Socrates Thus all men wish well to Heavens happiness but bad men finde no more comfort of it then a man doth of the Sun when it shines not in his own Horizon Balaam might here be compared to a stranger that travelling a far country seeth the state and magnificence of the court and is admitted into the presence-chamber which greatly doth affect him though himself have no part or interest in the King See the Note on Chap. 24.5 Vers 11. What hast thou done unto me Hereby it appeares that Balac in serving of God by building Altars and offering sacrifices did but serve himself upon God as Ephraim bore fruit to himself Hos 10.1 and did ye fast to me even to me Zech. 7.5 Vers 12. Must I not take heed to speak See how these hypocrites mock one with another Potest Augur Augurem videre Cic. de Divinat lib. 2. non ridere said Cato V. 13. From Whence thou maist see them And over-look them as they say witches do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nescio quis teneros c. In Hebrew the same word signifies both an eye and a fountain to shew that from the eye as a fountain flows both both sin and misery Vers 16. Put a Word See the Note on vers 5. Vers 18. Rise up Balac The greatest potentate must reverently attend to the word of God Ehud though a fat unweldy man stood up to hear a message from God Iud. 3.20 Euseb Act. and Mon. So did Constantine the great and our Edward the sixth hear sermons standing and usually uncovered Vers 19. That he should repent When at any time God is said to repent it is Mutatio rei non dei effectus non affectus facti non consilii it is not a change of his will but of his work Vers 20. Behold I have c. A bad man may bless by command from God and he say Amen to it The precious stone Lyncurie may issue out of the body of the Lynx an unclean and spotted beast Vers 21. He hath not beheld iniquity Of this place of Scripture we may say as we did of another This verse had been easie had not Commentatours made it so knotty The sence I like best is that at this time when Balac hired Balaam there was no peecatum flagrans no foul sin of that people flaming in the eyes of God or stinking in his nostrils and therefore there could be no inchantment against them vers 23. Whence that devillish counsell of his to Balak to set fair women a fore them to entice them to adultery and Idolatry and so to put them under Gods displeasure But what strange inferences are those from this text that God sees no sin in his elect that the very being of their sins is abolished out of his sight that God is never displeased with his people though they fall into adultery or the like sin no not with a fatherly displeasure c. CHAP. XXIIII Vers 1. HE went not as at other times As being resolved to curse howsoever and without Gods leave yea al despito di Dio as that mouth of blasphemy Pope Juliâ—s the third Act. Mon. fol. 1417. once said in another case to take his own course whatever came of it He set his face As fully bent to doe it and nothing should hinder him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So our Saviour Christ stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem Luk. 9.51 He steeled his forehead against all oppositions Vers 2. And the spirit of God came upon him A common spirit Mat. 7. a spirit of Prophecy have not we Prophesied in thy name said those cast-awayes In impiis quandoque sunt dona Dei sine Deo Psal 68.18 God gives gifts to men yea to the rebellious for the use of his Church A blind man may beare a torch in his hand whereby others may receive benefit though himself receive none so here Vers 3. VVhose eyes are open And therefore can speak it of a certainty for what is more sure then sight q.d. Israel shall be blessed and I will stand to it He is blessed yea and he shall be blessed Gen. 28.33 Vers 4. Falling into a trance As was usuall with the Prophets Gen. 15. Dan. 8.17 c. 2 Pet. 1.21 See the Note there they were carried out of and beyond themselves And still Amor Dei est ecstaticus neque juris Se sinit esse sui Vers 5. How goodly are thy tents It fareth with an hypocrite as with a surveyor of lands that taketh an exact compass of other mens grounds of which he shall never enjoy a foot See Chap. 23.10 Vers 6. As the trees of lign-aloes An odoriferous sweet-smelling tree growing in Arabia which is said to be a country so sweet that swine cannot live in it Vers 7. His seed shall be in many waters He shall sow in locis irriguis as men are bid to cast their bread their almes upon the Waters upon the poor as upon a well-watered soyl Eccles 11.1 such as is the land of Egypt watered by 〈◊〉 which makes the ground so fruitful that they do but throw in the seed and have four rich harvests in less the◠〈…〉 Bâ—unt's voyage into Leâ—â—â—t saith One that had been there He shall 〈…〉 King of the Amalekites who was then 〈…〉 of those parts and did haply think as 〈…〉 that proud Prince of Tyre Ezek. 28. or as the great 〈◊〉 of â—â—taia of whom it is reported that every day after health 〈◊〉 he causeth the trumpets to be sounded by that sign giving leave to other Princes of the earth to go to dinner Vers 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt This he tells Balac in answer to that complaint of his Chap. 22.5 Behold there is a people come out of Egypt q.d. Come they 〈…〉 but not of themselves but by God who said Out of 〈◊〉 have I called my son Vers 9. He lay down as a Lion See the Note on Gen. 49.9 And cursed is he Here the sorcerer pronounceth a curse upon himself for he desired to curse Israel and therefore in Gods account he did it Qui quia non licuit non facit ille facit Ovid. Vers 10. And he smote his hands together So doth God at the covetous person such as Balaam was Ezek. 22.13 Behold I have smitten my hands at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made c. Vers 13. I cannot go beyond Here was coloured covetousnesse or a cloke of covetousness 1 Thess 2.5 See the Note there God lets out the tedder to wicked men for a time and then calls them back with shame enough to their task lets
the Lady Jane Gray whose excellent beauty adorn'd with all variety of vertues as a clear sky with stars as a Princely Diadem with jewels gave her the stile of Eruditionis pietatis modestiae delicium and Queen Elizabeth in whom besides her sex there was nothing woman-like or weak as if what Philosophy saith the souls of those noble creatures had followed the temperament of their bodies which consist of a frame of rarer rooms of a more exact composition then mans doth and if place be any priviledg we find theirs built in Paradise when mans was made out of it Besides in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female but all are one souls having no sexes and whosoever are Christs are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3.28 29. Vers 11. A statute of judgment A standing law a standard for all cases of like kinde in that policy at least for we cannot consent to Carolostadius who contended in foro jus ex Mose dicendum esse that all other national and municipal laws were to be abolished and that all courts were now to pass sentence according to Moses's laws Hic non intellexit vim naturam Christianae libertatis This man knew not the extent of Christian liberty saith Melancthon Vers 12. See the land It was somewhat to see but oh how fain would he have entred the Land and could not we shall have in heaven not only vision but fruition we have it already in Capite-tenure in Christ our head and husband who will not be long without us it being part of his heaven that we shall be where he is Ioh. 17.24 and enjoy God which is heaven it self whence in Scripture God is called Heaven I have sinned against heaven Malim praesente Deo esse in inferno quam abseute Deo in Coelo Luth. in Gen. 30. And I had rather be in Hell and have God present then in Heaven and God absent saith Luther Vers 13. Gathered to thy people To that great Panegyris the general Assembly and Church of the first-born in heaven Heb. 12.23 to that glorious Amphitheatre where the Saints shall see and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as Chrysostome hath it Look yonder is Peter and that is Paul c. we shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob have communion with them not only as godly men but as Abraham Isaac and Jacob Vers 14. For ye rebelled Sin may rebel in the Saints but not raign neither is it they that rebel but sin that dwelleth in them dwelleth but not domineereth Vers 16. The God of the spirits of all flesh Thou Lord that knowest the hearts of all men Act. 1.24 See the Note there Artificers know well the nature and properties of their own work Deus intimior nobis intimo nostro CHAP. XXVIII Vers 2. MY offering He is owner of all and of his own we give him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said that great Emperour And my bread Called their bread for their souls that is the bread for their natural sustenance common bread when not rightly offered So Ier. 7.21 God in scorn calls their sacrifice flesh ordinary flesh such as is sold in the shambles So at the Lords Supper impenitent communicants receive no more then the bare elements panem Domini Aug. but not panem Dominum In their due season Which for 38. years they had intermitted Get a settlement or Sabbath of spirit or else God shall be but ill if at all served Vers 3. This is the offering See the Note on Exod. 29.38 39. Vers 9. And on the Sabbath day Every day should be a Sabbath to the Saints in regard of ceasing to do evil learning to do well but on the seventh-day-Sabbath our devotion should be doubled ' Debet totus dies festivus a Christiano expendi in operibus sanctis said Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln In decalog praecep 30. long since The whole Sabbath should be spent in Gods service Psal 92. titled a Psalm for the Sabbath mentions morning and evening performances vers 2. Variety of duties may very well take up the whole day with delight Besides God gives us fix whole dayes Now to sell by one measure and buy by another is the way to a curse Vers 11. And in the beginning of your moneths Thus they had their daily weekly monethly yearly addresses unto God that they might ever be in communion with him and conformity unto him by this continual intercourse On the new-Moons they rested Amos 8.5 feasted 1 Sam. 20.5 heard the Word c. 2 King 4.29 Vers 17 18 19 c. See the Notes on Exod. 12.18 and on Levit. 23.7 c. CHAP. XXIX Vers 1. ANd in the seventh moneth This Sabbath-moneth as it were had as many feasts in it as were celebrated in all the year besides So that as the Sabbath is the Queen of dayes so was this of moneths It is a day of blowing See the Note on Levit. 23.24 Vers 7. And ye shall have See Levit. 16.19 with the Notes Vers 12. And on the fifteenth See Levit. 23.34 35 c. with the Notes There the feasts were prescribed and here the sacrifices belonging to them are described Vers 17. And on the second day ye shall offer twelve c. In every of these seven-dayes-sacrifices one bullock is abated Hereby the Holy Ghost might teach them their duty to grow in grace and increase in sanctification that their sins decreasing the number of their sacrifices whereby atonement was made for their sins should also decrease daily Or it might signifie a diminishing and wearing away of the legal offerings c. as One well observeth Hac caeremoniâ significabat Deus gratiam suam de die in diem crescere it a nempe ut minuatur vetus homo novus augeatur c. saith Alsted till the very ruines of Satans castles be as most of our old Castles are almost brought to ruine Vers 18. After the manner That is in manner and form aforesaid The Manner is that that makes or marrs the action as a good suite may be marred in the making so a good duty there may be malum opus in bona materia Jehu's zeal was rewarded as an act of justice quoad substantiam operis and punished as an act of policy quoad modum agendi for the perverse end Yea David for failing in a ceremony only though with an honest heart suffered a breach instead of a blessing 1 Chron. 15.17 Idolaters also went on in their own manner Amos 8.14 as their idol-Priests prescribed The manner of Beersheba liveth that is the form of rites of the worshipping in Beersheba as the Chaldee paraphraseth CHAP. XXX Vers 1. ANd Moses spake unto the heads Because they were in place of judicature and had power either to bind◠men to their vowes or set them at liberty Vers 2. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord God is the proper object of a vow Psal 76.11 Papists vow
the Lord See the Note on vers 8. Vers 22. We will send men before us Thus empty man will be wiser then God Iob 11.12 though Man be born like a wild asse-colt It was unbelief that prompted them to this practice for they could not enter because of unbelief Carnall policy serves the worldling as the Ostrich wings to make him outrun others upon earth but helps him never a whit towards Heaven Vers 23. Pleased we well Seeing you were set upon it and it would be no better Vers 25. And brought us word again Ioshua and Caleb did for the rest are not here reckoned of God counts of men by the goodness that is in them Vers 27. Because the Lord hated us A gross mistake Why should it then so greatly grieve us that our good intentions are so much misconstrued That is here complain'd of as an argument of Gods hatred that he intended for an instance of his love Deut. 4.37 7.8 In quo dilexistinos Mal. 1.2 wherein hast thou loved us said those Male-contents in Malachy that cast the helve after the hatchet as the proverb is and like children because they might not have what they would grew sullen and would have nothing Vers 31. As a man doth bear his son Charily and tenderly as his own bowels not hating them as they desperately belyed the Lord vers 27. For if a man finde his enemy will he let him go well away 1 Sam. 24.19 Will he accommodate him as God did these murmurers Never was any Prince served in such state as they were Vers 32. Ye did not believe Sic surdo plerunque fabulam there was none within to make answer Who hath believed our report c We cannot get men to credit us Vers 37. The Lord was angry with me The Saints afflictions proceed oft from love displeased from love offended Fury is not in God Isai 27. Vers 41. We have sinned we will go up Temporaries are set upon sin in the very confession therof Unless to the confession of sin we add confusion of sin we do nothing Prov. 28.13 Yet honour me before the people said Saul Give me a bribe said trembling Felix CHAP. II. Vers 1. THen we turned viz. When we had bought our wit and had paid for our learning by our late discomfiture Vers 3. Turn you North-ward Thus God word was their directour unto all places and in all actions In which respect these historics of holy Scripture excell all humane histories in the world as is well observed That which they tell us of their Dea vibilia guiding passengers c. is a meer fiction Vers 4. Which dwell in Seir To distinguish them from the Amalekites Esaus seed too but devoted to destruction And they shall be afraid of you Though worse afraid then hurt Hic rogo non furor est ne moriare mori We read of some Iewes that at the sack of Ierusalem killed themselves lest they should be taken by the enemy Vers 5. Because I have given mount Seir Thus the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance Deut. 32.8 And a man must needs have some right to his inheritance to his portion Psal 17.14 What Ananias had Act. 5. was his own whilest he had it as Peter tells him yet Satan had filled his heart It is therefore a rigour to say the wicked are usurpers of what they have and shall be called to account for it When the King gives a traitour his life he gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life That Duke D' Alva is worthily taxed for a tyrant that starved his prisoners even after quarter saying though he promised to give them their lives he did not promise to finde them meat Grimston hist of Netherlands Wicked men have both a civile title to that they have and a title before God who will call them to account indeed at last day not for possessing what they had but for abusing that possession Vers 6. Buy meat of them for money Money answereth all things saith Solomon Eccles 10.19 Money is the monarch of the world saith another and heares most mastery But that covetous Chaliph of Babylon taken by Haalon brother to Mango the great Cham of Tartary Turk hist fol. 113. and commanded to eat his fill of that great wealth that he had heaped up together found ere he dyed that one mouthfull of meat was more worth then a whole housefull of money Vers 7. For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee viz. With money to fetch thee in other commodities It is the blessing of God when all 's done that maketh rich without this men do but labour in the fire labour all night and take nothing trouble themselves to no purpose all their endeavours are but Arena sine calce sand without lime they will not hold together but like untempered morter fall asunder there being a curse upon unlawfull practices though men be never so industrious as you may see in Iehoâ—achiâ— Ier. 22. Vers 9. Because I have given Ar The royall city set upon an hill Num. 21.15 28. God as liberall Lord gives not some small cottage or annuity for life to his elder servants great men use to do but bountifully provides for them and theirs to many generations Who would not serve thee then O King of nations Vers 10. Many and tall are the Anakims And if God cast out those Emims or terrible-ones before the Moabites will he not much more cast out these Anakims before the Israelites Nihil unquam ei negasse credendum est Hieronym quem ad vituli hortatur esum Vers 12. As Israel did unto the land This and some other parcels scattered here and there seem to have been added to Moses his words whether by Ioshua or Ezra or some other Prophet it much matters not after the conquest of the land of Canaan Vers 19. Because I have given it See the Note on vers 5. Vers 20. Zamzummims 1. Big and boisterous bearing down all before them presumptuous wicked ones they were and yet they called themselves Rephaims that is Phisitians or preservers such indeed rulers ought to be Isai 3.7 The Greeks therefore call a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 medela Cornel. a Lapid in Isai 3.7 because he is to be ligator vulnerum chirurgus Reip. medicus the common-wealths Surgeon and Physitian But such were not these Zamzummims more then in name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As he said of his bow thy name is life but thy use is present death Vers 23. And the Avims which dwelt in Hazeroth These are ancient things as it is said in another case 1 Chron. 4.22 such as whereof there is no record but this extant in the world Well might that Egyptian Priest say to Solon that wise man of Greece You Greeks are very babyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diod. Sic. neither is there an ancient writer amongst you Vers 26. With words
suo palpet quisque sibi Satan est saith a Father _____ which the Lord thy God hath divided And shall we fight against God as Jehn did against Jehoram with his own servants nay with those things which he hath given us for common servants to us all Vers 20. But the Lord Deliverance commands obedience Servati sumus ut serviamus Vers 21. And sware that I should not So that you have a priviledg above me only beware how you provoke him as I did thorow unbelief Vers 22. But I must dye This was a sore affliction to this good man and is therefore so often mentioned Plut. Cato Major also dyed three years before the destruction of Carthage which he had so vehemently urged and would so gladly have out-lived Vers 24. For the Lord thy God And should therefore be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving Heb. 12.28 29. Vers 25. And shalt have remained long So that thou thinkest there is no removing thee thou art so rooted and rivetted Nicephorus Phocas having built a mighty wall heard from heaven Though thou build as high as heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin is within all will be lost Vers 28. And there ye shall serve gods As ye have made a match with mischief so ye shall have enough of it Ephraim is joyned to Idols c. See Act. 7.42 Vers 29. But if from thence Sweet and soure make the best sauce Promises and menaces mixt soonest operate upon the heart The Sun of righteousness loves not to set in a cloud nor the God of consolation to leave his children comfortlesse Vers 30. Even in the latter dayes This is by some understood of the Messias his dayes which are the latter times of the world as Hos 3.5 1 Cor. 10.11 and they believe that here is pointed at the great and last conversion of the Jews Vers 32. For ask now of the dayes Historiae sunt fidae monitrices great good use is to be made of history this holy history especially whereof every word is pure pretious and profitable Vers 37. Therefore he chose He chose for his love and then loved for his choyce After Gods example deligas quem diligas Vers 39. Empedocles That the Lord he is God in heaven A Philosopher could say that God is a Circle whose Center is every where whose circumference is no where ubi est Deus quid dixi miser sed ubi non est Where is God or rather where is not God He is higher then heaven lower then hell broader then the sea longer then the earth Nusquam est ubique est quia nec abest ulli Bernard nec ullo capitur loco He is no where and yet every where far from no place and yet no contained in any place Vers 40. That thou mayst prolong thy dayes Hence some Lutherans have gathered that God hath not determined the set period of mans dayes Heming alii but that it is in mens power to lengthen or shorten them But this is against Job 7.1 14.14 Eccles 2.3 Isa 38.5 15. Stat sua cuique dies Our haires are numbred much more our dayes Vers 42. That the slayer See the Note on Numb 35.9 10 c. Vers 44. And this is the law That is this that followeth in the next chapter whereunto these verses serve for a preface CHAP. V. Vers 1. ANd keep and do them The difference between Divinity and other Sciences is that it is not enough to learn but we must keep and do it as lessons of Musick must be practised and a copy not read only but acted Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour untill the evening Psal 104.23 He must arise from the bed of sin and go forth out of himself as out of his house to his work and to his labour working out his salvation with fear and trembling until the evening till the Sun of his life be set Vers 2. God made a Covenant with us We also have the Covenant the seals Ministers c. But alass are not these blessings amongst us as the Ark was among the Philistims rather as prisoners then as priviledges rather in testimonium ruinam quà m salutem Vers 3. With our fathers i. e. With our fathers only Or if it be understood of all the foregoing Patriarches then it is to be expounded by Gal. 3.17 Vers 4. Face to face i. e. Openly and immediately by himself and not by a messenger or mediatour Prosper's conceit was that the Israelites were called Judaei because they received jus Dei Vers 5. I stood between the Lord Sc. after the decalogue delivered by God himself out of the fire For of that he might say as once Joseph did to his brethren Behold your eyes see that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you Gen. 45.12 And as Paul did to Philemon vers 19. I Paul c. so I the Lord have written it with mine hand I will require it Vers 6. I am the Lord c. See the Notes on Exod. 20. It is well observed by a Reverend Writer Mr. Ley his Pattern of Piety that the two tables of the Law are in their object answerable to the two natures of Christ For God is the object of the one man of the other And as they meet together in the person of Christ so must they be united in the affections of a Christian Vers 12. Keep the Sabbath-day In this repetition of the law some things are transposed and some words changed Happly to confute that superstitious opinion of the Iewes who were ready to dreame of miraculous mysteries in every letter Vers 15. And remember that thou It being a figure of our redemption by Christ and so a fit subject for Sabbath-meditations Vers 18. Neither shalt thou commit Or And thou shalt not commit c. and so in the following laws to teach us that the law is but one copulative as the Schooles speak Lex tota est un◠copulatioa For the sanction indeed it is disjunctive but for the injunction it is copulative The sanction is either do this or dye but the injunction is not either do this or that but do this and that too See Mat. 23.2.3 Ezek. 18.10 11 13. Iam. 2.10 Do every thing as well as any thing to leave one sin and not another is with Benhadad to recover of one disease and to dye of another Vers 22. These words the Lord spake If humane laws are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the invention of the gods as Demosthenes calls them how much rather this perfect law of God that needs no alteration or addition Vers 23. Even all the heads of your tribes These are called all Israel vers 1. as being their representatives Vers 25. Why should we dye But why should they fear to dye sith they had seen that day that God doth talk with man and he liveth It is answered that they looked upon their present
in upon the land Vers 19. Put it in their mouths That out of their own mouthes I may judg them things made up in meeter are better remembred Before the knowledg of letters and writing among the ancients it was a custome to sing their laws lest they might forget them used in the days of Aristotle by the Agathyrsi a people neer to the Scythians Vers 21. For I know their imagination As a man that knows what rootes he hath in his garden thought here be not a flower appeares yet he can say when the spring comes this and this will come up because he knows the garden and knows what roots are there So the Lord knows our thoughts afarr off because he knows the principles that are within and knows what they will do when occasion serves he is privy to that root that beareth gall and wormwood Chap. 29.18 Vers 26. In the side of the Ark That it might be heard and regarded as the very law of God though penned by Moses And indeed the Iewes at this day shew exceeding great respect to the law No man may touch it but with the right hand and without a kiss of reverence Schicard nor carry it behinde him but lay it next to his heart in his travell If it but fall to the ground they institute a fast for it Weemse c. The very Turks have so high an esteem of Moses that if they finde any peece of his writings be it but a torn paper lying on the ground Pareus prol in Genes they presently take it up and kiss it That it may be there for a witness Hence haply the Ark was called the Ark of the testimony the law might be called the doomes day book such a book there is in our common-law so called saith Mathew Paris because it spares no man Vers 29. To provoke him to anger Which is the greatest folly that can be for are we stronger then he can we imagine to make our party good with him Surely as Vlysses his companions told him when he would needs provoke Polydamus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 May not we much more say so to them that will needs provoke the Lord It is good for men to meddle with their matches and not contend with him that is mightier then they CHAP. XXXII V. 1. GIve eare O ye heavens q. d. Such is this peoples stupidity and obstinacy that I may as soon gain audience of these inanimate creatures as of them See Isai 1.2 Iosh 24.27 Ier. 22.29 We may cry till we are hoarse speake till we spit forth our lungs and to no more purpose then Bede did when he preached to an heape of stones Holy Melanchthon being himself newly converted thought it impossible for his hearers to withstand the evidence of the Gospell But after he had been a Preacher a while 't is said he complained that old Adam was too hard for young Melanchthon Vers 2. My doctrine Heb. My taking or winning doctrine according to that Prov◠1.30 He that winneth Heb. taketh souls as fowlers do birds is wise Shall drop as the rain Drop not dash and as the rain not as the storme or as the spout as they call it at sea Evangelizatum non maledictum missus es said Oecolampadius to Facellus an excellent but an over earnest Preacher And such a one say some was Mr. Perkins in his younger time able almost to make his hearers hearts fall down and their haires to stand upright The word Damne he would pronounce with such an emphasis as left a dolefull Eccho in his auditours eares a good while after True it is that Preachers should take the same liberty to cry down sins that men take to commit them Peccata tantâ severitate arguebat saith one of Chrysostom acsi ipse etiam per injuriam laesus esset But yet moderation must be used and instruction drop-meale distilled that it may soak and sink and so soften the heart that all grace may abound c. Such sweet drops were Mr. Bradford Mr. Dod. Dr. Sibbes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 3. Ascribe ye greatness i.e. Tremble at his word and take it to heart See 1 Thess 2.13 Vers 4. He is the Rock A firme and everlasting refuge a rock of Ages Isai 26.4 One age passeth away and another and a third c. but the rock remaines The name of the Lord is a strong tower Prov. 18.10 munition of rocks Isai 33.16 Rocks so deep no pioner can undermine them so thick no Cannon can pierce them so high no ladder can scale them Vers 5. Their spot is not the spot Saints also have their spots but not ingraven not Leopards spots that are not in the skin only but the flesh and bones in the sinewes and the most inner parts and so cannot be cured by any art or washed away with any water It is of incogitancy that the Saints fall put them in minde and they mend all It is of passion and passions last not long They are preoccupated taken at unawares c. Gal. 6.1 They have ever God for their chief end and will not forgoe him upon any termes Only they erre in the way as thinking they may fulfill such a lust and keep God too but there is no way of wickedness found in them Though shaken yet they are rooted as trees and though they wag up and down yet they remove not as a ship at anchour Sin stings the wicked as the fiery serpents did the Israelites the sins of the saints are but like the viper on Pauls hand that hurt him not Sin makes wicked men the object of God hatred the Saints of his pity as we hate poison in a toade but we pity it in a man in the one it is their nature in the other their disease Vers 6. Do ye thus requite the Lord Good turns aggravate unkindnesses and our guilt is increased by our obligations Solomons idolatry was far worse then that of his wives he had been better bred and God had appeared to him twice It is the ingratitude that makes the godly mans sin so hainous which otherwise would be far less then other mens sith his temptations are stronger and his resistance greater Hebricians observe that in Halaihovah there is in the text one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greater then ordinary to shew that the wonder was the greater that they should so evill requite such a Lord. Father Redeemer Maker and Governour by being so corrupt perverse crooked foolish and unwise five opposed to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being used for the number of five Vers 8. He set the bounds of the people Of the seventy nations reckoned Gen. 10. and the seventy souls of Israel Gen. 46.27 Deut. 10.22 The Iewes have a saying that those seventy souls were as much as all the seventy nations of the world as being the Lords portion for whom he espyed out the land of Canaan which is the glory of all lands Ezek. 20.6 Vers 9. For the
underneath are the everlasting armes A Saint cannot fall so far as to fall beneath the supporting armes of God Cant. 2.6 his hand is reserved for a dead lift Vers 28. Israel then shall dwell c. See the Note on Num. 23.9 The fountain of Jacob Or as some read it The eye of Jacob. The same word signifies both an eye and a fountain He that with Mary Magdalen can make his eye a fountain to wash Christs feet in shall be sure to have that fountain of Christs blood opened to wash his soul in Zech. 13.1 Vers 29. Happy art thou O Israel Or Oh the happinesses of thee O Israel the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heaped up happiness Who is like unto thee The Saints are the worlds Paragons yea such as the world is not worthy of Heb. 11. that is saith Chrysostome Take all the men of the world they are not worth one of the people of God though never so mean in regard of outwards Shall be found liers Shall feign to be friends for fear and shall yeeld a forced obedience See Psal 18.45 CHAP. XXXIV Vers 1. ANd Moses went up With as good a will to die as ever he did to dine for it was but as that Martyr said winking a little he was in heaven immediately Vers 2. Vnto the utmost sea The Mediterranean Vers 3. The City of palm-trees So called even by Heathen-Authours also Vers 4. I have caused thee to see it By an extraordinary power for in an ordinary way Moses could never have taken so large a prospect at once Faith puts a mans head into heaven and gives him a view of far better things neither vision only but fruition also which Moses had not Vers 5. So Moses the servant of the Lord dyed It was no more betwixt God and Moses but Go up and dye he changed indeed his place but not his company death was to him but the day-break of eternal brightnesse Vers 6. And he â—uried him Either the Lord or Michael Jude 9. There lyes the body of Moses as in a chamber of rest or bed of down Isa 57.2 His very duâ— being precious for Christ is not perfect without it Ephes 1 2â— But no man knoweth of his sepulchre Though the Devil made much adoe about it Iude. 9. as desirous thereby to set up himself in the hearts of the living Vers 7. Nor his natural force abated Hierome reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gena maxilla Nor his teeth loosed And the use of Manna might be some reason it being an exquisitely pure kind of food of an aereal and not very corruptible substance Vers 8. And the children of Israel wept And were ready to wish likely as the Romanes did of Augustus that either he had never been born or never dyed Vers 9. And Ioshua the son of Nun Sic uno avulso non deficit alter Aureus The Duke of Florence gave for his Ensign Pintus in Dan. 4. a great Tree with many spreading boughes one of them being cut off with this above-said Poesie As one is broke off another riseth up in the room Vers 10. And there arose not This testimony and indeed this whole Chapter is thought to have been added by Joshua or Eleazar being Divinely inspired for the compleating of the history famous throughout the world approved and expounded by all the holy Prophets and Apostles who out of this fountain or rather Occan of Divinity as Theodoret calleth Moses Theodoretus Mosem appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have watered their several gardens yea in pressing moral duties what do they else but explain the Pentetench What do they but unfold and draw out that Arras which was folded together before Soli Deo Gloria FINIS
wer 't nothing less Than Son of Trappe whose pregnant Head So often hath us Treasured With gallant Births in which we see Whatsoever can be said of thee â—o now sweet Babe and certifiâ— Thy Sire his Readers Thoughts are high Of his enlightened Pentateuch And that they cannot chuse but look That Joshua Moses should succeed And then the rest for Light all need And Moses only Earnest is One draught from whence their Thirst doth rise 〈◊〉 Which will not quenched be untill Each Sacred Penman tastes his Quill Tell him his Readers do believe While time shall be his Sons will live They only pray his Sons may grow In Number and in Greatness too For this defect is in them All Being so Fine they are too Small Idem A COMMENTARY or EXPOSITION UPON GENESIS WHEREIN The TEXT is explained some Controversies are discussed divers common places are handled and many remarkable Matters hinted that had by former INTERPRETERS been pretermitted CHAP. I. Verse 1. In the beginning A Beginning there was then Ar. Physic l 8. Vide Sharpei symphon p. 11. Plin. lib. 1. c. 1. Veritatem qua rit Philosophia invenit Theolâ—gia c. Jo. Picus Mirand D. Prid. e. Cathedra Whatever Aristotle fancied of the Worlds eternity So true is that of a learned Italian Philosophy seeks after Truth Divinity onely findes it Religion improves it But the Philosopher would be yet better satisfied He had read say some this first of Genesis and was heard to say thereupon â—regè dieiâ— domine Moses sed quomodo probas Well said Sir Moses how prove you what you have so said An Ancient answereth Credo non pro bo Augustin Piscatoribus credimus non Dialecticis Amb. Multò melius credendo intelliguntur quà m inâ—elligâ—ndo creduntur fidei Christianae myâ—â—â—ria Rupert Abbas Tuâ—rieâ—sis Theologia non est argumentativa Alsted Aristotelis ocâ—â—a seu Theologia sophistica est â—mnium quae literis unquam mandatae sum maximè â—lulta maximeque imâ—ia Ramus in Theolog. Job 35.10 Psal 1.9.1 Eccles 12.1 Moses was read every Sabbath Acts 15.21 with a Lecture cut of the Prophets Acts 13.15 Psal 53.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Pâ—â—mandro Nâ—m bâ—â— propria est Hâ—brai verbi significatio Jun. Irrideâ— Galenus Mosen eò quod dicat Deum ex nulla praexistente materia â—ondidisse mundum Buchol 1 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beleeve it I need not prove it Another We believe the holy Penmen before Heathen wisemen A third The mysteries of Christian Religion are better understood by believing then believed by understanding But best of all the Apostle Through Faâ—â—◠〈◊〉 understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Heb. 11.3 Divinity doth not use to prove her principles whereof this is one No not Aristotles own Divinity his Metaphysicks I mean wherein he requires to be believed upon his bare words Albeit if Ramus may be judg those fourteen Books of his are the most idle and impious piece of Sophistry that ever was set forth by any man Thus Professing themselves to be wise they became fools Rom. 1.22 Behold they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them Jerem. 8.9 God created Heb. Dii creavit The Mystery of the blessed Trinity called by Elihu Eloah Gnoscai God my Makers and by David The Makers of Israel And remember thy Creators saith Solomon To the same sense sweetly sounds the Haphtara or portion of Scripture which is read by the Jews together with this of Moses viz. Isai 42.5 And that of the Psalmist By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath or Spirit of his mouth That is God the Father by the Son through the Holy Ghost created all This Trismegist an ancient Egyptian for he flourished before Pharaoh acknowledged and thence had his name The Hebrews also of old were no strangers to this Mystery though their posterity understood it not R. Solomon Jarchi writing on that Cant. 1.11 We will make c. Interprets it I and my Judgment-hall Now a Judgment-hall in Israel consisted of three at least which in their close manner of speech they applyed to God who is Three in one and One in three Created Made all things of nothing in a most marvellous and magnificent manner as the word signifieth This Plato doubts of Aristotle denies Galen derides as a thing impossible because with Nicodemus he cannot conceive how these things can be The natural man the meer animal whose Reason is not elevated by Religion perceiveth not these things of the Spirit of God They are foolishness unto him The Cock on the dunghil meddles not with these matters Well might Saint Paul tell the men of Athens and yet Athens was the Greece of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athenaeus Acts 17.23 24. Somniaverat Deum non cognoverat Instit l. 5. c. 14. and had in it the most Mercurial wits in the world That God that made all things of nothing was to them the unknown God And Lactantius fitly sayth of Plato who yet merited the stile of Divine amongst them that he dreamt of God rather then had any true knowledg of him He no where called God the Creator but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Workman as one that had made the World of a praeexistent Matter coeternal to himself There were four Errors saith a late learned man about the Creation Some affirmed Zanch. that the world was eternal some that it had a material begining and was made of something some held two beginners of things That one beginner made things incorruptible and another made things corruptible Lastly Some said God made the superior creatures himself and the inferior by Angels This very first verse of the Bible confutes all four In the beginning shews the world not to be eternal Created notes that it was made of nothing The heaven and the earth shews That God was the onely beginner of all creatures God created all This excludes the Angels In the government of the World we grant they have a great stroke Ezek. 1.5 6 c. Dan. 10. 11. Not so in the making of the World wherein God was alone and by himself Isai 44.24 And lest any should imagine otherwise the creation of Angels is not so much as mentioned by Moses unless it be tacitely intimated in these words The heaven and the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot de Mundo c. 2. Matth. 24.36 Gal. 1.8 Yates his Model of Divinity The world and all things that are therein Acts 17.24 Things visible and invisible Colos 1.16 Whether they be thrones or dominions c. called elsewhere Angels of heaven because probably created with and in the highest Heaven as Christs soul was created with and in his body in the Virgins womb the self-same moment The highest
Heaven and the Angels were of necessity say some to be created the first instant that they might have their perfection of matter and form together otherwise they should be corruptible For whatsoever is of a praeexistent matter is resolvable and subject to corruption But that which is immediately of nothing is perfectly composed hath no other change but by the same hand to return to nothing again But if this were the Heaven Quest what was the Earth here mentioned Not that we now tread upon for that was not made till the third day But the Matter of all Answ that was afterwards to be created being all things in power nothing in act Vers 2. And the earth was without form and voyd That is as yet it had neither essential nor accidental perfection The Lord afterward did form it into Light the Firmament the Water and the Earth So beginning above and building downwards in the new Creature he doth otherwise and in three days laying the parts of the World and in other three days adorning them The Rabbins tell us Alsted Lexic Theol. p. 111. that Tohu and Bohu do properly import Materia prima and privatio and others of Tohu derive Chaos whence the ancient Latines called the World Chohus and borrowed their word Inchoâ— c. And darkness was upon the face of the deep That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of Hell as Origen expounds it but of the deep waters see the like Luke 8.31 Which as a garment covered the earth and stood above the mountains Psal 104.6 This darkness God created not for it was but the want of Light And to say That God dwelt in darkness till he had created Light was a devilish sarcasm of the Manichees as if God were not Light it self and the Father of lights 1 John 1.5 James 1. Or as if God had not ever been a Heaven to himself Ere ever he had formed the earth and the heavens Psal 92.2 What he did or how he imployed himself before the Creation is a Sea over which no ship hath sailed a Mine into which no spade hath delved an Abyss into which no bucket hath dived D. Preston of Gods Attributes p. 34. Our sight is too tender to behold this Sun A thousand yeers saith a great Divine are to God but as one day c. And who knoweth what the Lord hath done Indeed he made but one World to our knowledg but who knoweth what he did before and what he will do after Thus he As for Saint Augustine Prasul ad haec Lybicus Sabin Poâ—â— fabricabat Tartara dixit His quos scrutari â—â—lia mente juvat Excellently another Cuff his Differ of Ages p. 22. who wanted no wit As in the eliament of fire saith he there is a faculty of heating and inlightning whence proceedeth heat and light unto the external neer bodies And besides this faculty there is also in it a natural power to go upward which when it cometh into act is received into no other subject but the fire it self So that if fire could by abstractive imagination be conceived of as wanting those two transient operations yet could we not justly say it had no action forasmuch as it might move upward which is an immanent and inward action So and much more so though we grant that there was no external work of the Godhead until the making of the World yet can there be no necessary illation of idleness Seeing it might have as indeed it had actions immanent included in the circle of the Trinity This is an answer to such as ask what God did before he made the World Plotin Eunâ—â—d 3. lib. 2. c. 2. God saith Plotinus the Platonist not working at all but resting in himself doth and performeth very great things And the Spirit of God moved c. Or hovered over and hatched out the creature Ferebatur super aquas non pervagatione sed potestate non per spatium locorum ut Sol super terram sed per potentiam sublimitatis suae Eucberius Psal 145 9. as the Hen doth her chickens or as the Eagle fluttereth over her young to provoke them to flight Deut. 32.11 Or as by a like operation this same holy Spirit formed the childe Jesus in the Virgins womb in that wonderful over shadowing Luke 1.35 The Chaldee here hath it The Spirit breathed and David saith the same Psal 33.6 He became to that rude dead mass a quickning comforting Spirit He kept it together which else would have shattered And so he doth still or else all would soon fall asunder Heb. 1.3 Psal 104.29 were not his conserving Mercy still over or upon all his Works Verse 3. And God said Let there c. He commanded the light to shine out of darkness He spake the word and it was done 2 Cor. 4.6 Psal 33.9 148.5 Creation is no motion but a simple and bare emanation which is when without any repugnancy of the Patient or labor of the Agent the work or effect Dei Dicere eft Efficere doth voluntarily and freely arise from the action of the working cause as the shadow from the body So Gods irresistible power made this admirable Work of the world by his bare word as the shadow and obscure representation of his unsearchable wisdom and omnipotency And there was light This first light was not the Angels as Augustine would have it nor the Element of fire as Damascen nor the Sun which was not yet created nor a lightsome cloud or any such thing but the first day which God could make without means as Galvin well observeth This light was the first ornament of the visible World and so is still of the hidden man of the heart the new Creature Acts 26.18 The first thing in Saint Pauls commission there was to open mens eyes to turn them from darkness to light c. To dart such a saving light into the soul as might illighten both Organ and Object In which great work also Christs words are operative together with his commands in the mouths of his Ministers Know the Lord understand O ye bruitish among the people c. There goes forth a Power to heal as it did Luke 5 1â— Or as when he bade Lazarus ariâ—e he made him to arise So here the Word and the Spirit go together and then what wonder that the spirit of darkness falls from the heaven of mens hearts Ephes 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 2 9. as lightning Luke 10.18 So as that they that eâ—st were darkness are now light in the Lord and do preach forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Verse 4. And God saw the light that it was good Praeviderat autèm â—â—sberellus so one rendereth it he saw this long before but he would have us to see it he commends the goodness of this work of his to us Good it is surely