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
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
repentance Whether God created these skins anew or took them off the backs of sheep and goats killed for sacrifice to mind man of his mortality and mortification it much matters not Our first parents who even after the fall were the goodliest creatures that ever lived went no better cloathed no more did those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11.37 And surely The dogs that kept Vulcanâ— temple would tear those that came in tattered cloâ—thes Hospinian howsoever our condition and calling afford us better array and the vulgar like a Bohemian cur fawn upon every good suit purpuram magis quam Deum colunt yet we must take heed that pride creep not into our cloaths those ensignes of our sin and shame sith our fineness is our filthiness our neatness our nastiness It is a sure sign of a base minde though in high place to think he can make himself great with any thing that is lesse then himself and win more credit by his garments then his graces St. Peter teacheth women who many of them are too much addicted to over much fineness to garnish themselves not with gay cloathes but with a meek and quiet spirit as Sarah did and not as those mincing dames 1 Vestium curiositas deformitatis mentium morum indicium est Bernard Pet. 3.3 4. whose pride the Prophet inveighs against as punctually as if he had viewed the Ladies wardrobes in Jerusalem Esa 3. Rich apparell are but fine covers of the foulest shame The worst is Natures garment the best but follies garnish How blessed a Nation were we if every silken suit did cover a sanctified soul or if we would look upon out cloathes as our first parents did as love-tokens from God Nam cum charissinia semper Munera sunt Author quae pretiosa facit How could they but see it to be a singular favour that God with own hands should cloath them though he had cast them out of Paradise for their nurture a visible Sacrament of his invisible love and grace concerning their soules in covering their sins and so interresting them into true blessedness Psal 32 1 2. Verse 22. The man is bâ—come as one of us A holy irrisionof mans vain affectation of the Deity Quod Deus loquitur cum risu tu lâ—gas cum fleâ—u Aug. de Gen. ad â—â—eram 1.11 c. 3â— Howbeit St. Aug. is of opinion that God speaks thus not by way of insulting over Adam but deterring others from such proud attempts Discite justitiam moniti c. And take also of the tree of life And so think to elude the sentence of death pronounced upon him by God which yet he could not have done had he eaten up tree and all He should but have added to his sin and judgement by abuse of this Sacrament which would have sealed up life unto him had he held his integrity Multi etiam hodie propter arborem scientiae amittunt arborem vitae Aug. In terris manducant quod apudinferos digerunt Verse 23. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth He gently dismissed him as the word signifies placed him over against Paradise in the sight thereof as Stella observeth out of the Septuagint that Stella in Luc. 7 by often beholding the sorrow of his sin might be increased Iisdem quibuâ— videmus â—culis flemus Lam. 3. 2 Cor. 2.7.11 that his eye might affect his heart Yet lest he should be swallowed up of over much sorrow and so Satan get an advantage of him for God is not ignorant of his devices Christ the promised seed was by his voluntary banishment to bring back all beleevers to their heavenly home to bear them by his Angels into Abrahams bosome and to give them to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 Our whole life here is nothing else but a banishment That we like it no worse is because we never knew better They that were born in hell saith the Proverb think there 's no other heaven The poor posterity of a banished Prince take their mean condition well-aworth Moses counts Egypt where yet he was but a sojourner his home and in reference to it calls his son born in Midian Gershom that is a stranger there Oh how should we breath after our heavenly home Aâ—â— Paradisi Gesner groaning within our selves like those birds of Paradise Naturalists speak of stretching forth the neck as the Apostles word importeth waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. Rom. 8.23 glorifying God mean-while with our spirits and bodies devouring all difficulties donec à spe ad speciem transeamus till Christ who is gone to prepare a place for us returne and say This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Verse 24. So he drove out the man The Hebrews say God led Adam gently by the hand till he came to the porch of Paradise and then thrust him out violently who hungback and plaid loth to depart That he went out unwillingly as I wonder not so that he should strive with God about his going out I believe not This garden planted meerly for his pleasure and all the benefits created for his use and service in six dayes he lost in six houres say some in nine say others the same day he was made say All almost What cause then have all his sinfull posterity to distrust themselves And how little cause had that blasphemous Pope to set his mouth against heaven Juâ—ius 3. when being in a great rage at his Steward for a cold Peacock not brought to table according to his appointment and desired by one of his Cardinals not to be so much moved at a matter of so small moment he answered If God were so angry for an apple that he cast our first parents out of Paradise for the same why may not I being his Vicar be angry then for a Peacock sith it is a greater matter then an apple Act. Mon. fol. 1417. Is not this that mouth of the Beast that speaketh great things and blasphemies Rev. 13.5 CHAP. IV. Verse 1. I have gotten a man from the Lord OR that famous Man the Lord as if she had brought forth the Man Christ Jesus These were verba spei non rei for Cain was of that wicked one the Devill 1 Joh. 3.12 as all reprobates are 1 Joh. 3.10 Cain the Authour of the City of the World saith Augustine is born first and called Cain that is a possession because he buildeth a City is given to the cares and pomp of the world and persecutes his brother that was chosen out of the world But Abel the Authour of the City of God Aug. de civit Dâ—i l. 15. c. 1. is born second called Vanity because he saw the worlds vanity and is therefore driven out of the world by an untimely death so early came martyrdome into the world the
was of God Chap. 31.10 It was also a plain bargain between them and Laban was handled in his kinde Besides the means Jacob used was not fraudulent but natural not depending on mans skill but Gods blessing and all to recover out of the wretches hands that which was but due to him for his hard service and for his wives dowry Vers 34. Behold I would it might be He was glad to have him on the hip for a bad bargain but is fairly deceived himself God will see to his servants that they shall not lose all though the world think it neither sin nor pity to defraud them of their due Vers 36. And he set three days journey Hoping so to disappoint Jacob of having any thing and to make his own party good with him For naturally the cattel would bring forth others like themselves and so Jacobs part should be little enough Sed hic fallitur sordidus impostor saith Pareus Laban was utterly out in his count and cross'd in his designe Vers 38. And he set the rods which he had pilled This was done partly by the force of the phantasie which is much affected with objects of the sight or some other cogitation in the time of conception partly and chiefly by the blessing of God For he that shall now try the same conclusion shall finde himself frustrated Vers 43. And the man increased exceedingly So shall all those do if it be for their eternal good that depend upon God for success and blessing upon their hard and honest labours As for others that will needs care and carve for themselves being troubled about many things but neglecting that One thing necessary the Lord either gives the souls of such over to fuster shipwrack or else strips them of all their lading and tacklings breaking their estates all to pieces and making them glad to go to heaven upon a broken plank CHAP. XXXI Vers 1. And he heard the Words of Labans sons THese were chips of the old block as they say as like the father as if spit out of his mouth Avarice made them think as Sejaâ—us did Tacitus Quicquid non acquiritur damnum all lost that fell beside their own lips As a ship may be over-laden with gold and silver even unto sinking and yet have compass and sides enough to hold ten times more so covetous men though they have enough to sink them yet have they never enough to satisfie them Hath he gotten all this glory That is all this wealth which easily gets glory and goes therefore joyned with it Prov. 3.16 8.18 This regina pecunia doth all Eccles 10.19 and hath all here belowe saith Solomon Money beareth the mastery and is the Monarch of this world None so admired or so soon admitted as he that is well moneyed The Chaldee word for money 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prepare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. in Emyl Manl. loc.com P. 441. signifies to do some great work It was commonly said in Greece that not Philip but his money took their Cities And a certain Grecian coming to Rome where the honour of a Lord was offered unto him answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alliâ— had a Cardinals that there bestowed upon him by the Pope but because his hat had so thin lining he wanted wealth I mean to support his state he was commonly called The starveling Cardinal and no body cared for him Vers 2. And Jacob behelà the countenance of Laban He said little for shame but thought the more and could not so conceal his discontent but that it appeared in his lowring looks That which he had parted with in his riches was as it were raked out of his belly Job 20.11 he had as lief have parted with his very heart-blood And this was plain to Jacob by his countenance which had been friendly smoothe and smiling but now was cloudy sad spiteful The young men were hot and could not hold or hide what was in their heart but blurted it out and spake their mindes freely This old fox held his tongue but could not keep his countenance En quà m difficile est animum non prodere vultu Vers 3. Return to the land of thy fathers Labans frowns were a grief to Jacob the Lord calls upon him therefore to look homeward Let the worlds affronts and the change of mens countenances drive us to him who changeth not and minde us of heaven where is a perpetual serenity and sweetness Vers 4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel c. He consults with his wives so should we in matters of weight of remove especially They are our companions the wives of our covenant Mal. 2.14 not our vassals or foot-stools and must therefore be both of our court and counsel Vers 5. I see your fathers countenance c. Merces mundi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pindar Orat. pro Planc This is the worlds wages All Jacob's good service is now forgotten Do an unthankful person nineteen kindnesses unless you adde the twentieth all 's lost Perraro grati homines reperiuntur saith Cicero Nemo benesicium in Calendarium scribit saith Seneca And the Poet Ausonius not unfitly Sunt homines humeris quos siquis gest at ad urbem Ausoniam domiti quae caput orbis erat Nec tamen ad portam placide deponat eosdem Gratia praeteriti nulla laboris erit Vers 6. With all my power I have served The word translated power signifieth that natural moisture of the body that maketh it lively and lusty vigorous and valorous to do service So it is used Gen. 49.3 Psal 22.15 Now if Jacob served Laban with all his might should not we the Lord a far better Master Baruch repaired earnestly Nebem 3.20 Caleb fulfilled after God Num. 14.24 Nehemiah traded every talent with which divine providence had trusted him He worketh warreth watcheth 2 Sam. 6.14 commandeth encourageth threatneth punisheth c. David danced with all his might and did all the wills of God to his dying day painfully serving out his time to the last Happie is he that can say in a spiritual sense as it was said of Moses that after long profession of Religion he remits not of his zeal his sight is not waxed dim nor his natural heat or force abated that he is not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Vers 7. Changed my wages ten times And ever for the worse The matter mended with poor Jacob as sowre ale doth in summer Laban the churl the richer he grew by him the harder he was to him like children with mouthes full and hands full who will yet rather spoil all then part with any It is the love not the lack of money that makes men churls Vers 9. Thus God hath taken away c. He is the true Proprietary and gives and takes away these outward things at pleasure Psal 75.6 as Hannah â—â—th
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
〈◊〉 a ciphering up of their names acts and accidents that we might know first who were Christs Progenitors secondly by whom the Church was continued thirdly how long the old World lasted viz. one thousand six hundred fifty and six yeers Whence some have grounded a conjecture that the yeer of Christ one thousand six hundred fifty and six will bring forth some strange alteration in the world Alsted Chron. p. 494. Others think the world will be then at an end and they ground upon this Chronâ—gramme MVnDI Conf Lagrat Io. In the likeness of God made he him This is much inculcated that it may be much observed and we much humbled that have parted with so fair a patrimony striving as much as may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 to recover it in Christ who being the express Image of his Fathers Person is both apt and able to renew that lost Image of God in us by his Merit and Spirit by his Value and Vertue Vers 2. Blunts Voyage p. 122. Male and female created he them The Jews at this day have base conceits of women as that they have not so divine a soul as men that they are of a lower creation made onely for the propagation and pleasure of man c. And therefore they suffer them not to enter the Synagogue but appoint them a gallery without Matth 22. Thus they err not knowing the Scriptures See the Notes on Chap. 2. v. 22. Vers 3. Adam lived one hundred and thirty yeers and begat This was a great tryal to his faith to wait so long for a better issue when the Cainites spred amain erected cities and perhaps meditated Monarchies After his own image Corruptus corruptum For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Job 14.4 John 3. saith Job That which is of the flesh is flesh saith our Saviour and we can say no better of it This is hard to perswade men to for each one is apt to think his own peny good silver And a dead woman will have four to carry her forth as the Proverb hath it The Pharisee bad enough though he be yet is very brag of his good estate to God-ward And Novatus cryes out Non habeo Domine quod mihi ignoscas How much better Saint Augustine Ego admisi Domine unde tu damnare potes me sed non amisisti unde tuâ—salvâ—re potes me One hath destroyed me but of thee is my help my safety here and salvation hereafter Lord I am Hell but thou art Heaven as that Martyr once said c. B. Hooper Psal 42. One depth calleth upon another the depth of my misery the depth of thy mercy Heaven denyes me earth grones under me Hell gapes for me Help Lord or thy servant perisheth Psal 51 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and purge me from my sin whether that imputed to me inherent in me or issuing from me V. 4. He begat sons and daughters Philo and Epiphanius give him twelve sons Beda thirty sons and as many daughters Vers 5. Nine hundred and thirty yeers Till the fifty sixt yeer of the Patriark Lamech In all which time he doubtless instructed his good nephews in all those great things which himself had learned from Gods mouth and proved in his own experience what that good and holy and acceptable Will of God was Moreover out of his mouth as out of a Fountain Rom. 12. â— flowed whatsoever profitable Doctrine Discipline Skill and Wisdom is in the world And he dyed This is not in vain so often iterated in this Chapter for there is in us by nature a secret conceit of immortality and we can hardly be beaten out of it That all must dye every man will yield but that he may live yet a day longer at least there is none but hopeth We can see death in other mens brows but not in our own bosomes It must make forcible entry and break in violently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 24.51 2 Cor. â— 4 God must cut men in twain and tear their souls from their bodies ere they will yield to die The best are too backward and would not be unclothed but clothed upon if they might have their will Moses himself prayes Psal 9â— 12 Lord teach us so to number our days that we may apply or as the Hebrew hath it that we may cause our hearts to come to wisdom Cause them to come whâ—ther they will or no for naturally they hang off and would not come to any such bargain How needful is it therefore to be told us that Adam died that Seth Enos and Câ—inan died c. That this may be as a hand-writing on the Wall to tell us That we must also dye and come to judgment Vers 9. Enos begat Cainan Enosh that is Sorry man begat Cainan i. e. A man of sorrows Thus the Fathers though long-lived were not unmindful of their mortality and misery Vers 20. Nine hundred sixty and two yeers Rabbi Levi citante Genebrardo Genebr Chron. long aevitatem patriarcharum opus providentiae non naturae appellat Their children also that they waited so long for were not more the issue of their bodies then of their faith Vers 23. All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five yeers So many yeers onely lived Henoch as there be days in the yeer But what he wanted in the shortning of his time was made up in his son Methuselah the longest liver Besides that God took him to a better place transplanted him as it were out of the Kitchin-garden into his heavenly Paradise Cant 6.2 To gather Lillies i. e. To transplant his people into Heaven which was not more to his own benefit then to the comfort of the other Patriarks that survived him against the fear of death and the crosses of life Sith in Henoch what discouragement soever they had in Abels death they had an ocular demonstration that there is a reward for the righteous and that it is not altogether in vain to walk with God Vers 24. And Enoch walked with God And so condemned the World First Heb. 11. by his life secondly at his death By his life in that he kept a constant counter-motion to the corrupt courses of the times not onely not swimming down the stream with the wicked but denouncing Gods severe judgment against them even to the extream curse of Anathema Maranatha Jude 14. as Saint Jude tells us Secondly By his death he condemned them In that so strange a Testimony of Gods grace and glory in his wonderful translation did not affect and move them to amend their evil manners The Heathens had heard somewhat afar off concerning this Candidate of Immortality Alsted Chron. p. 85. as the Ancients call him and thence grounded their Apotheôses Eupolemon saith That their Atlas was Henoch as their Janus was Nâ—ah Gentes sunt Antâ—â—brislus â—um suis asseclis Paâ—aeus Jac. Revâ—i
hist Pontif. Rom. p 309. And how fitly are the Papists called Heathens by Saint John Revel 11.2 Sith besides their Atlas of Rome on whose shoulders the whole Church that new heaven must rest there was at Ruremund in Gilderland a play acted by the Jesuites Anno 1622 under the title of the Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius Vers 27. And all the days of Methuselah He lived longest of any yet wanted thirty one yeers of a thousand Nemo patriarcharum mille annos complevit quâ—a numerus iste typum babeat perfectionis â—ic nulla perfectio pietatis Occolampad Oecolampadius thinks there was a mystery in this that they all dyed short of a thousand which is a type of perfection To teach us saith he that live we never so long here and grow we never so fast in Grace we cannot possibly be perfect till we get to Heaven Henoch lived long in a little time and foreseeing the flood named his son Methuselah that is to say He dyeth and the dart or flood cometh And so it fell out for no sooner was his head laid but in came the flood Isai 57.1 The righteous are taken away from the evil to come And their death is a sad presage of an imminent calamity Hippo could not be taken whiles Augustine lived nor Heidelberg while Paraeus Semen sanctum statumen terrae Isai 6.13 Junius The holy Seed upholdeth the State Tertul. Absque stationibus non staret mundus The innocent shall deliver the Iland and it is delivered by the pureness of thy hands alone Job 22.30 When one sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9.18 Paulin. Nolan in vita Ambros De Fabio Cunctatore Silius Ambrose is said to have been the Walls of Italy Stilico the Earl said That his death did threaten destruction to that Countrey Hic patria est murique urbis stant pectore in uno Vers 29. This same shall comfort us Herein a figure of Christ And Peter Martyr thinks that Lamech was in hope that this son of his would have been the Christ A pardonable error proceeding from an earnest desire of seeing his day whom their souls loved and longed for Saluting the promise afar off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. Heb. 11. and waiting for the consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 Vers 32. And Nâ—ah begat Sem Ham and Japheth Twenty yeers he had heard from God That the world should be destroyed before he had any childe Revel 14. Here was the Faith and patience of this Saint At length he hath Japheth first though Shem be first named because he was in dignity preferred before his brother to be grandfather to the Messiah Now any relation to Christ ennobleth either place or person If it were an honor to Mark to have been Barnabas his sisters son what is it then to be allyed to the son of God Mic. 5.2 Matth. 2.6 Bethlehem where he was born though it were least saith Micah yet it was not the least saith Matthew among all the cities of Judah because out of it should come Christ the Governor CHAP. VI. Verse 1. When men began to multiply NOt good men onely but bad men too who therefore took them more wives then one that they might multiply amain A numerous off-spring is no sure signe of Gods special favor It is well observed That when God promised children as a blessing he said Psal 118.3 Psal 104.15 Judg. 9.13 The wife should be as the vine and the children as olive plants Two of the best fruits the one for chearing the heart the other for clearing the face the one for sweetness the other for fatness Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of such as are as the arrows of a strong man Whence it follows That they must have more in them thâ—n nature for arrows are not arrows by growth but by art So they must be such children the knottiness of whose nature is refined and reformed and made smooth by Grace This workmanship of God in the hearts and lives of children is like the graving of a Kings Pallace or the pollished corners of the temple Psal 144.12 This preserves Jacob from confusion and his face from waxing pale This makes religious parents to sanctifie Gods name even to sanctifie the holy One and with singular encouragement from the God of Israel Isai 29.22 23. It never goes well with the Church but when the Son marries the Mother Isai 62.5 Vers 2. That the sons of God saw the daughters Sons of God such as had called themselves by his name Chap. 4.26 his peculiar professant people called Sons of Jehovah Deut. 14.1 yea his first-born and so higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Dan. 7.17 18. Hence Dan. 7. after mention made of the four Monarchies a greater then them all succeedeth and that is the Kingdom of the Saints of the most high Saints at large he meaneth all that have made a covenant with him by sacrifice Psal 50.5 Now we read of sacrificing Sodomites Isai 1 10. sinners in Sion Isai 33.14 profligate professors Matth. 7.23 That though called Israel yet are to God as Ethiopians Amos 9.7 Such were these Sons of God Saw the daughters of men that they were fair Beauty is a dangerous bait and lust is sharp-sighted It is not safe gazing on a fair woman How many have died of the wound in the eye No one means hath so enriched hell as beautiful faces Take heed our eyes be not windows of wickedness and loop-holes of lust Make a covenant with them as Joh Job 31.1 Pray against the abuse of them with David Psal 119.37 and curb them from forbidden objects as Nazianzen who had learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to nurture his eyes as himself tells us See the Note on Chap. 3.6 They took them wives Of their own heads without Gods license or parents consent as Esau did And of all which they chose that is That they liked and loved Thus Amor sormae rationis est oblivio insaniae proximus turbat cousilia altos gencrosos spiritus frangit Jerom. Eccles 11. as some marry by their ears upon meer hear-say others by their fingers ends for money so these gallants married by their eyes they were led by the lust of their hearts and sight of their eyes as Solomons yonker not considering that favor is deceitful beauty vanity c. And that many a woman is like Helen without but Hecuba within or an Earthen potsherd covered with silver-dross Prov. 26.23 Vers 3. My spirit shall not alway strive That is I 'll consult no longer but resolve to ruine them as some gloss it Or I 'll pull the sword out of the sheath the soul out of the body as others gather out of the Hebrew word here used Sunt qui deductum volunt à Nadan Vagina But they do best in my minde that sense it thus My Spirit whâ—reby I hitherto went and Preached by Noe and other
stood leaning upon a desk while he slept eating little and speaking not much When he was asked how he did he would answer That he was chastised justly by God in whose hand it was what should at length become of him here But of his eternal salvation by the merits of Christ alone he nothing doubted being chastised of the Lord that he might not be condemned with the world The prints of his feet are to be seen in the pavement where he stood to this day saith the Historian After seven yeers suffering he departed in the true Faith of Christ with good hopes of a better estate in Heaven September the eleventh Anno 1552. A servant of servants shall he be to his brethren In which title the Pope of Rome not without the providence of God will needs be his successor A servant of Gods servants he will by all means be called And yet he stamps upon his coyn That Nation and Countrey that will not serve thee shall be rooted out What pride equal to the Popes making Kings kiss his Pantofles upon which he hath Christs Cross shining with Pearls and precious stones Vt plenis faucibus crucem Christi derideat Sands his Relation of West relig sect 12. What humility greater then his shriving himself daily to an ordinary Priest One while he will be filled Servus servorum Dei another while Dominus regnorum mundi which is one of the Devils titles yea Dominus Deus noster Papa Johan 23. iâ— Extravag taking upon him a power to excommunicate the very Angels also yea lifting up himself above Christ who is called Pontifex Magnus Hebrews 4.14 but the Pope calls himself Pontifex maximus Gregory the Great was the first that stiled himself A servant of servants in opposition forsooth to that proud Prelate of Constantinople who affected to be called Vniversal Bishop But after the death of Mauricius Phâ—cae adularâ— suppariseri c. Ut suam poâ—â—statem per favorem parricidae extenderet Revii hist pontif p. 45. when Phocas the Traytor came to be Emperor this Gregory clawed him shamefully and all to attain that dignity and dominion that he so much condemned in another The Pope of Constantinople could not bear a superior nor the Pope of Rome an equal The one sought to subdue to himself the East the other East and West too and thence grew all the heat betwixt them See the like ambition under the colour of zeal for their Religion in Selymus the Turk and Hismael the Persian Turk histor foliâ— 515. Vers 26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. Shem seems to have been the chief actor and perswader of that reverent behavior and therefore as he is first named Vers 23. before his elder brother Japhet so here he hath the first and chief blessing It is good to be first in a good matter yea prompt and present to every good work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.1 as Paul hath it And Canaan shall be hâ—s servant This curse was not fulfilled of many hundred yeers after till the sins of the Amorites were grown full and then it was accomplished Gods forbearance is no acquittance He can also turn a curse into a blessing as he did this to Araunah the Jebusite 2 Sam. 5.7 of the worst and most stubborn of the Canaanites For they held the Tower of Jebus from the posterity of Sem after all the rest had yielded Yet he became a godly Proselyte and gave as a King his free-hold to King David to build an Altar on 2 Sam. 24.18 And this deed of his was long after remembred Zach. 9.7 The like may be said of the Gibeonites who are called Nethinims in Ezra and Nehemiah They were made servants to the Shemites drawers of water to the Temple as a kinde of punishment God made this Cross a Mercy Their employment so near the house of God gave them fit occasion to be partakers of the things of God And the Lord we see did wonderfully honor them the nearer they were to the Church the nearer to God It is good getting into his house though to be but a door-keeper with David or a tankard-bearer with these Gibeonites Stand but in Gods way as he passeth and thou shalt be preferred Vers 27. God perswade Japhet Formone else can do it Men may speak perswasively but to perswade is proper to God alone He speaks to the heart Hos 2.14 we to the ear onely He perswadeth and allureth not onely by a moral perswasion but by an irresistible inward drawing Acts 11.17 In the Hebrew there is a sweet Agnomination q. d. God shall perswade the perswasible He shall draw them to faith and obedience Monendo potiùs quà m minando docondo quà m ducendo saith Saint Austin by informing not inforcing He brings in his Elect by a merciful violence He sent forth at first not swordmen but fisher-men and prevailed by them in those places Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loâ—a Christo tamen subditâ— Tertul. where the Romans could never come with all their forces Elisha could do more with a kiss then his man could do with a staff in raising the dead childe Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.2 And then follows Draw me we will run after thee And he shall dwell in the tents of Sem. The Churches abode here is but in tents She hath no continuing City on earth Heb. 13.14 1 Tim. 3.16 but seeks one to come This whether prophecy or prayer was fulfilled when God manifested in the flesh was preached unto the Gentiles and beleeved on in the world some thousands of yeers after The Gentiles were converted by vertue of this prayer as Paul was by Saint Stevens and as we enjoy the Gospel by Latimers yet once more and the prayers of other Martyrs Vers 28 29. And Noah lived after the flood c. This man if ever any that was born of a woman had a long life Job 14.1 and full of misery He saw the tenth generation after him before his death But oh how oft was he occasioned to get under the Juniper-tree with Elias and desire to dye Before the flood what a deal of wickedness and disorder beheld he in family Church and Common-wealth and all this punished by the deluge to his unspeakable heart-break Soon after he was mockt by his own son and despised by almost all the rest of his posterity whose unheard-of hardiness in building the Tower of Babel he was nolens volens forced to see and suffer and then shortly after the confusion of tongues as their just punishment What should I speak of their so many and so great cruelties insolencies tyrannical usurpations effusions of innocent blood wars stirs strifes superstitions and abominable idolatries under Nimrod Jupiter Belus Semiramis Vix mihi persuadeo virum ex homiâ—e miseriorem natum fuâ—sse quam Noah Funccii Chron. fol. 17. Zoroaster the Magick-Master and other Emims and Zamzummims of the Earth Of
to express the terror of the day vainly say That the Angels in Heaven amazed with that hideous noyse for that time forgot the heavenly Hymnes wherewith they always glorifie God In conclusion Lazarus was slain and Amurath had the victory but a very bloody one and such as he had no great joy of For he lost abundance of his Turks as did likewise Adrian the Emperor of his Romans when he fought against the Jews and had the better but with such a loss of his own men that when he wrote of his victory to the Senate Dio in Adriano he forbore to use that common exordium that the Emperors in like ease were wont to use Si vos liberique vestri valeatis bene est Ego quidem exercitus valemus There was no such thing beleeve it nor but seldom is there But as the Dragon sucks out the blood of the Elephant Plin. and the waight of the falling Elephant oppresseth the Dragon and both usually perish together so doth it many times fall out with those that undertake war These four Kings beat the five but ere they gat home became a prey to Abraham and his confederates The Low-Countrey-men are said to grow rich Heyl. Geog. pag. 253. whereas all other Nations grow poor with war But they may thank a good Queen under â—od Queen Elisabeth I mean who first undertook their protection against the Spaniard Anâ—o 1585. Camdens Elisab For the which act of hers all Princes admired her fortitude and the King of Sweden said That she had now taken the Diadem from her head and set it upon the doubtful chance of War Dulia sanè est Martis alea neâ— rarò utrique parti noxia saith Bucholcerus And I cannot but as the case stands with us Bucholc Chroâ— p. 583. especially at this present by reason of these unnatural uncivil Wars stirred up amongst us go on and give my vote with him Ideo pons aureus ut vulgato proverbio dicitur hosti fugienti extruendus est magno precio precibus patientia ac prudentia alma pax redimenda ne infoelicitatis portas pacis tempore clausas Dulce bellum inexpertis infaustum bellum aperiat War is sweet they say to them that never made tryal of it But I cannot sufficiently wonder at Pyrrhus King of Epirus Nulli ma orem ex imperio quà m Pyrrho ex bello voluptatem fuisse Tit. 1.12 of whom Justin witnesseth That he took as much pleasure in War as others do in Supream Government He might have learned better of his own Prophets so Saint Paul calleth their Poets Homer the Prince of them ever brings in Mars as most hated of Jupiter above any other god as born for a common mischeif and being right of his mother Juno's disposition which was fierce vast contumacious and malignant We that are Christians as we cannot but with the Prophet Isaiah count and call War a singular evil So we must acknowledg with him Mâ—lum per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut bâ—llum quia minimâ— bâ—llâ—m per autiphrasin that it is an evil of Gods own creating Isaiah Chap. 45. vers 7. I make peacâ— and create evil that is War I is emphatical and exclusive as who should say I and I alone Whence-soever the Sword comes it is bathed in Heaven Isaiah Chapter 34. verse 5. God is pleased for this to stile himself A man of war Exodus 15.3 The Chaldee expresseth it thus The Lord and Victor of wars Gen. 17.1 Eundem victâ—rem vastatorem esse oportet Genesis 17.1 God elsewhere calleth himself El Shaddai Aben-Ezra interpreteth Shaddai a Conqueror And indeed the Hebrew word Shadad signifieth to dissipate and destroy both which he must needs do that becomes a Conqueror Gods seems to glory much in his workings about warlike affairs Hence Psalm 24.8 Who is the King of glory Psal 24.8 The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle He is in Scripture said to send the Sword Ezekiel 14.17 To muster the men Isaiah 13.4 To order the Ammunition Jeremiah 50.25 To bring up both van and rear Isaiah 52.12 To give wisdom valor and victory Psalm 144.1 Ezekiel 30.24 Ecclesiastes 9.11 The whole battle is his 1 Samuel 17.47 And he oft thereby revengeth the quarrel of his Covenant Levit. 26. So he hath done already upon the Jews and Germans so he is now doing alass upon Ireland and England And here I cannot but insert that which I finde observed by a prime Preacher of our Kingdom The late battle at Edge-hill was fought in a place called The Vale of the Red Horse as if God had said I have now sent you the Red Horse to avenge the quarrel of the White Revel 6.2 4. The blood spilt at Edge-hill the same day of the moneth in which the Rebellion brake out in Ireland the yeer before October 23. Yea and upon the self-same day if our Intelligence be true in which that bloody battle was fought neer Leipsick in Germany This Conjuncture is a sad Presage That England is to drink deep in Germany's and Irelands Cup. Father if it be thy will let this Cup pass from us A Cup of trembling it is surely to my self among many others such as maketh my Pen almost to fall out of my fingers whiles I write these things and affecteth me no otherwise when I consider of the many fearful convulsions of our Kingdom tending doubtless to a deadly consumption then the siege of Rome did Saint Jerome For hearing that that City was besieged Hieron Conn in Ezekiel Prâ—oem at such time as he was writing a Commentary upon Ezekiel and that many of his godly acquaintance there were slain he was so astonished at the news That for many nights and days he could think of nothing When I think of what should move the Lord to make this breach upon us and notwithstanding that he hath been so earnestly besought yet for all this his anger is not turned away Haec sâ—riâ—si cordâ—citâ—s do oâ—s August 21. 1643. but his hand is stretched out still that of Cajetan comes before me who then Commenting upon Matthew when the French Souldiers having broken into Rome offered all maner of abuse and violence to the Clergy inserts this passage into his Nâ—â—â—s on Matth. 5.13 Te are the salt of the earth as my former Author alleadgeth and rendereth him We the Prelates of Rome Mr. Arrowsmith ubâ— suprà â—p do now finde the truth of this by woful experience being become a scorn and a prey not to Infidels but Christians by the most righteous judgment of God because we who by our places should have been the Salt of the Earth had lost our savor and were good for little else but looking after the rites and revenues of the Church Evanuimuâ— aâ— ad nibilum utiles nisi ad externâ—â— caeremonias externaque bona c. Heyl. Geog. Hence it is that together with
of the worlds cut throat kindnesses consort not with Sodomites lest ye partake of their plagues Hamath lyes nigh to Damascus in place and fares the worse for its neighborhood Zach. 9.2 Lot loseth his goods and liberty 2 Chro. 18.31 19.2 Jehosaphat had well-nigh lost his life for loving those that hated God Vers 13. And there came one that had escaped A Sodomite likely but a servant to Gods good providence 2 Pet. 2.9 Eph. 4. Psal 126 4. for Lots rescue The Lord knoweth how to deliver his c. He that led captivity captive can turn our captivity as the streams in the South Vers 14. He armed his trained servants Or catechised such as he had painfully principled both in Religion and Military Discipline tractable and trusty ready prest for any such purpose It is recorded to the commendation of Queen Elisabeth that she provided for war even when she had most perfect peace with all men Camdens Elis fol. 164. Darts foreseen are dintless Vers 15. Smote them and pursued them Abram came upon them as they were secure sleepy and drunken as Josephus writeth So did David upon the Amalekites 1 Sam. 30.16 and Ahab the Syrians 1 King 20.16 The division of his company and taking benefit of the night wacheth the use of godly policies and stratagems Vers 16. And he brought back all the goods The five Kings were deprived of the whole victory because they spared not a man whom they should have spared One act of injustice oft loseth much that was justly gotten Beware saith a Reverend Writer hereupon of swallowing ill gotten wealth Mr. Whatelyes Archetypes it hath a poysonfull operation and like some evill simple in the stomack will bring up the good food together with the evill humours And also brought again his brother Lot Many a crooked nature would have thought of the old jar and let Lot taste of the fruits of his departure In a friends distress let former faults be forgotten and all possible helps afforded And the women also and the people The hope of this might haply move that officious messenger to address himself to the old Hebrew vers 13. little set by till now that they were in distress Generall Vere told the King of Denmarke Spec bellisacri 253. that Kings cared not for souldiers no more did the King of Sodome for Abraham and his Reformadoâ—s untill such time as the Crowns hang on the one side of their heads Vers 18. Melchizedek King of Salem Who this Melchisedek was is much controverted Some would have him to be the holy Ghost Others the Lord Christ in the habit of a King and Priest The Jerusalem Targum saith Hu Shem Rabba This was Shem the Great and of the same opinion are not a few of the Hebrew Doctours and others But what should Shem do in Canaan which Country fell not to him but to his brother Ham To this they answer That by the instinct of the Holy Ghost he left his own posterity now fallen away for most part to Idolatry and came to the land of Canaan a type of Heaven and the place from whence peace and salvation should be preached to all people If this were so it might very well be that Amraphel who was of Shems lineage Dr. Prideaux Lâ—â—t de Melchis p 95. and his fellow-souldiers moved with reverence of this their great Grand-father Shem might forbear to molest him at Salem or invade his territories when they wasted and smote all the neighbour-nations But then on the other side if Melchisedek were Shem why doth not Moses calf him so but change his name 2. Why did not Abram dwelling so near visit him all this while that was so near allyed to him and so highly respected by him as it was meet 3. Why did Melchisedek the Grand-father take tithes of his Nephew to whom he should rather have given gifts and legacies 2 Cor. 12.14 Most likely Melchisedek was a Canaanite of the Canaanites yet a most righteous King and Priest of the most High God and so a pledge and first-fruits of the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge and obedience of Jesus Christ of whom he was a lively type Heb. 7.2 Brought forth brend and wine This he did as a King as a Priest he blessed Abraham which latter therefore the Apostle pitcheth upon Heb. 7.1 as being to treat of Christs Priesthood The Papists think to finde footing here for their unbloody sacrifice in the Masse Melchisedee say they as a Priest offered bread and wine to God for he was a Priest of the living God So they render it Tert. de Praescrip advers haeret or rather wrest this text to make it speak what it never meant Caedem Scriptuarum faciunt ad materiam suam they murther the Scriptures to serve their own purposes saith Tertullian Where can they shew us in all the Book of God that the Hebrew word Hotsi here used signifieth to offer But any thing serves turn that hath but a shew of what they alleadge it for A Sorbonist finding it written at the end of St. Pauls Epistles Missa est Bee-hive of Rom. Church chap. 3. fol. 93. Nelancthon orat de encom eloquentiae Pref. to his book of the Sacraments c. brag'd he had found the Masse in his Bible So another reading Joh. 1.41 Invenimus Messiam made the same conclusion A third no whit wiser then the two former speaking of these words I now write upon Rex Salem panem vinum protulit fell into a large discourse of the nature of Salt Agreable whereunto Dr. Poynes writes that it was foretold in the Old Testament that the Protestants were a Malignant Church alleadging 2 Chron. 24.19 Mitâ—â—batque prophetas ut râ—vâ—rterentur ad Dominum quos â—rotestantes illi audire nolebant Vers 19. And he blessed him Lo here an instance of the communion of Saints Melchisedek doth all good offices to Abraham a beleever though a stranger not of curtesie onely and humanity but of charity and piety Vers 20. And he gave him tithe of all Not of the Sodomites goods which he restored wholly ver 23. but of the other lawfull spoyle he had taken from the foure conquered Kings in testimony of his thankfulness to God the giver of all victory Vers 21. And the King of Sodome said He that a few dayes since faced the heavens and cared not for foure Kings can now become suppliant to a forlorn forreigner Affliction will tame and take down the proudest spirits they buckle in adversity that bore their heads on high in prosperity In their moneth you may finde these wild-asses Give me the persons Abram did so Jer. 2.24 and yet they were no whit amended by their late captivity or former servitude from both which now they are freed by Abraham but still held captive by the Devill who owes them yet a further spite as we shall see Chapt. 19. Vers 22. I have lifted up my hand A swearing
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
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
And because it is said that so many souls came out of Iacobs body Augustine moves the question here whether souls also are not begotten as well as bodies Annon igitur animae propageâ—tur extraduce Argumenta post tridâ—um demum solve Melancthon Chemnitius And when the learned Father demurred and would not presently determine the point a rash young man one Vincentius Victor as Chemnitius relates it boldly censured the Fathers unresolvedness and vaunted that he would undertake to prove by demonstration that souls are created de novo by God For which peremptory rashness the Father returned the young men a sober reprehension But souls are doubtless here put for persons which the Latines call Capita Vers 27. Threescore and ten Saint Steven reckons 75. Act. 7.14 And so the Greek translateth here which Steven seemeth to follow as doth likewise Saint Luke for Cainâ—n Chap 3. 36. That translation being then received and they not willing to alter it The Iewes say that these seventy souls were as much as all the seventy nations of the world And Moses tells them that whereas their fathers went down into Egypt with seventy souls now Iehovah had made them as the stars of Heaven for multitude Deut. 10.22 Vers 28. And he sent Iudah before him A good man guides his affaires with discretion Psal 112.5 Colos 2.5 doth all things decently and in order It was great joy to the Apostle to behold the Colossians order c. Vers 29. Presented himself unto him Joseph a Prince was no whit ashamed of the poor old shepherd his father afore so many his compeeres and other Courtiers that accompanied him and abhominated such kinde of persons Colonell Edmonds is much commended for his ingenuous reply to a countryman of his newly come to him into the low-countries out of Scotland This fellow desiring entertainment of him told him My Lord his father and such Knights and Gentlemen his cousins and kinsmen Peacham's compleat Gentlem. pag. 5. were in good health Quoth Colonell Edmonds gentlemen to his friends by believe not one word he sayes my father is but a poor baker whom this knave would make a Lord to curry favour with me and make you believe I am a great man born See the notes on Chap. 32. Vers 10. And he fell on his neck and wept c. For exceeding joy what then shall be the meeting of Saints in Heaven Christ shall say come ye blessed of my father As if he should say where have ye been all this while my dear brethren It was a part of his joy when he was on earth that we should be where he is to behold his glory Ioh. 17.24 And this he now prayes not but Father I will that they be with me â—ugieâ—dum ad â—lâ—â—issrmam pâ—triam ibi pater ibi omnia Aug. de civit Dci l. 9. c. 16. as that which he had merited for them And now what joy there will be to see them and suaviate them for whose sake he shed his most pretious blood through which they may safely saile into the bosome of the Father Surely if Plotinus the Philosopher could say let us make haste to our heavenly country there 's our Father there are all our friends how much more triumphantly may Christians say so If Cicero could say O praeclarum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium caetumque pro ficiscar ad Catonem meum c. Cic. de sen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.23 O praeclarum diem cum ad illum animorum concilium coetumque proficiscar c. O what a brave day will that be when I shall go to that councell and company of happy souls to my Cato and other Romane worthies dead before me How much more may Christians exult to think of that glorious night-less day as Nazianzen cals it when they shall be admitted into the congregation house of the first born as the Apostle calls Heaven and joyfully welcommed by Abraham David Paul c. Who shall be no less glad of their then of their own happiness Who can conceive the comfort of Jacob and Joseph Or of those two cousins Mary and Elizabeth at their first meeting But for the joyes of Heaven it is as impossible to comprehend them as to compass Heaven it self with a span or contain the ocean in a nut-shell They are such saith Augustine ut quic quid homo dixerit quasi gutta de mari quasi scincilla de foco Aug. de triplâ—ci habitu c. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 1.44 If the presence of Christ though but in the womb made Iohn to spring and dance a galliard as the word imports what shall it do when we come to Heaven Sermo non valet exprimere experimento opus est saith Chrysostom It 's fitter to be believed then possible to be discoursed saith Prosper Nec Christus nec coelum patitur hyperbolen saith another The Apostle after he had spoken of Glorification breaks forth by way of admiration into these words what shall we say to these things Rom. 8.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4. these word-less words as he elsewhere phraseth it and ever uttereth himself in a transcendent expression as 2 Cor. 4.17 Where he calleth it a weight of glory such as if the body were not by the power of God upheld it were not able to bear Iacob could hardly hear the news of Ioseph and live but when once he saw him Now let me dye saith he c. Vers 30. Now let me dye What would this good old man have said had he sâ—en Christ in the flesh Optavit se videre potuisse Romam in flore Paulum in ore Christum in corpore Luk. 2.29 30. which was one of Augustines three with â—s how merrily would he have sung out his soul as Simem did who had long looked for the consolation of Israel and having now laid in his heart what he lapt in his armes cryes Nunc dimittas domine I fear no sin I dread no death as one englisheth it I have lived enough I have my life I have long'd enough I have my love I have seen enough I have my light I have served enough I have my Saint I have sorrow'd enough I have my joy Sweet babe let this song serve for a lullaby to thee and a funerall for me O sleep in my armes and let me sleep in thy peace Because thou art yet alive If this were so great a matter to Iacob what should it be to us that Christ was dead and is alive yea that he ever lives Act. 7.56 to make request for us and that he stands at the right hand of his father when any Steven of his is stoned as ready prest to interpose betwixt them and any hurt that may thereby come unto them If Seneca could say to his Polybius Fas tibi non est salvo Caesare de fortuna tua queri how much less cause have we to complain so
tot priorum hominum donariis intervertendis Sculter Annal. pag. 332. saith the Annalist and came all to fearful ends Two of them fell out and challenging the field One killed the other and was hang'd for it A third drowned himself in a Well The fourth from great riches fell to extreme beggery and was hunger-starved The last one Doctor Alan being Archbishop of Dublin was there cruelly murthered by his enemies Now if Divine Justice so severely and exemplarily pursued and punished these that converted those abused goods of the Church to better uses without question though they looked not at that but at the satisfying of their own greedy lusts What will be the end of such Sacrilegious persons as enrich themselves with that which should be their Ministers maintenance Sacrum sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritque Ex duod tab Neand. Chron. parricida esto said the Romane law It is not only sacriledg but parricide to rob the Church Vers 25. Let us find grace That is do us the favour to intercede for us to Pharaoh that we may be his perpetual farmers and hold of him It seems that Pharaoh was no proper name but common to the Kings of Egypt as Caesar to the Emperours of Rome a title of honour as His Majesty amongst us Otherwise these poor people had been over-bold with his name Vers 27. Grew and multiplyed exceedingly Here that promise Chap. 46.3 began to be accomplished God dyes not in any mans debt Vers 28. Iacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years So long he had nourished Ioseph and so long Ioseph nourished him paying his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the utmost penny These were the sweetest dayes that ever Iacob saw God reserved his best to the last Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for be his beginning and his middle never so troublesome the end of that man is peace Psal 37.47 A Goshen he shall have either here or in heaven Vers 29. Bury me not I pray thee in Egypt This he requested partly to testifie his faith concerning the promised land heaven and the resurrection partly to confirm his family in the same faith and that they might not be glewed to the pleasures of Egypt but wait for their return to Canaan And partly also to declare his love to his ancestours together with the felicity he took in the communion of Saints Vers 30. Bury me in their burying-place That he might keep possession at least by his dead body of the promised land There they would be buried not pompously but reverently that they might rise again with Christ Some of the Fathers think that these Patriarches were those that rose corporally with him Matth. 27.57 Vers 31. And Israel bowed himself In way of thankfulness to God framing himself to the lowliest gesture he was able rearing himself up upon his pillow leaning also upon his third leg his staffe Heb. 11.21 In effoeta senecta fides non effoeta CHAP. XLVIII Vers 1. Behold thy father is sick ANd yet 't was Iacob have I loved So Behold he whom thou lovest is sick Joh. 11.3 Si amatur quomodò infirmatur saith a Father Very well may we say The best before they come to the very gates of death pass oft thorough a very strait long heavy lane of sickness and this in mercy that they may learn more of God and depart with more ease out of the world Such as must have a member cut off willingly yeeld to have it bound though it be painful because when it is mortified and deaded with strait binding they shall the better endure the cutting of it off So here when the body is weakned and wasted with much sickness that it cannot so bustle we dye more easily Happy is he saith a Reverend Writer that after due preparation D. Hall Contemp is passed thorow the gates of death ere he be aware happy is he that by the holy use of long sickness is taught to see the gates of death afar off and addresseth for a resolute passage The one dyes like Henoch and Eliah the other like Iacob and Elisha both blessedly Vers 2. And Israel strengthened himself Ipse aspectus viri boni delectat saith Seneca sure it is that the sight of a dear friend reviveth the sick One man for comfort and counsel may be an Angel to another nay as God himself Such was Nathan to David B. Ridley to King Edward the sixth and that poor Priest to Edward the third who when all the Kings friends and favourites forsook him in his last agony leaving his chamber quite empty called upon him to remember his Saviour Dan. hist of Engl. 255. and to ask mercy for his sins This none before him would do every one putting him still in hope of life though they knew death was upon him But now stirred up by the voyce of this Priest he shew'd all signs of contrition and at his last breath expresses the name of Jesu Vers 3. God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz The truly thankful keep calenders and catalogues of Gods gracious dealings with them and delight to their last to recount and reckon them up not in the lump only and by whole-sale as it were but by particular enumeration upon every good occasion setting them forth one by one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here and Ciphering them up as Davids word is Psal 9.1 we should be like civet-boxes which still retain the scent when the civit is taken out of them See Psal 145 1 2. Exod. 18.8 Vers 5. As Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine God hath in like part 2 Cor. 6.18 adopted us for his dear children saying I will be a father unto them and they shall be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord Almighty This S. Iohn calls a royalty or prerogative Joh. 1.12 such as he elsewhere stands amazed at 1 Ioh. 3.1 And well he may for all Gods children are first-born and so higher then all the Kings of the Earth Psal 89.27 They in the fulnesse of their sufficiency are in straits Job 20.22 Whereas the Saints in the fulness of their straits are in an All-sufficiency Vers 6. After the name of their brethren That is of Ephraim and Manasseh as if they were not their brethren but their sons Thus Iacob transfers the birth-right from Reuben to Ioseph 1 Chro. 5.1 2. Vers 7. And I buried her there He could not carry her to the cave of Machpelah and he would not bury her at Bethlehem among Infidels This he tells Ioseph to teach him and the rest not to set up their rest any where but in the land of Canaan Vers 8. Who are these Here Jacob seeing Ioseph's two sons and now first understanding who they were breaks off his speech to Ioseph till the two last verses of the chapter and falls a blessing his sons Titus 3.1 teaching us to be ready to every good word and work laying hold of every hint
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
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
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
Justnian Cedrenus when he had offered up in the Temple of Sophia at Constantinople a communion-table that had in it saith the Authour all the riches of land and sea Vers 8. And four wagons and eight oxen Double the number of what the Gersonites had because their carriage was heavier God proportions the burden to the back none of his shall be oppressed though pressed out of measure above strength 2 Cor. 1.8 as Ioseph was whom the archers hated and shot at But his how abode in strength and the armes of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob ever reserved for a dead lift Gen. 49.23 24. Mat. 8.17 See the note there Vers 9. Bear upon their shoulders Therefore when David carted the Ark. as the Philistims had done before God was angry and made a breach upon Vzza because they sough him not in due order 1 Cor. 15.13 Vers 11. For the dedicating of the Altar No warrant at all for Popish dedications of Altars Churches religious houses built for superstitious uses as appears in stories Act. Mon. as pro remissione redemptione peccatorum pro remedio et liberatione animae pro amore caelestis patriae pro salute regnorum in honorem gloriosae virginis c. Vers 12. For the tribe of Judah Vt ubique superemineat praerogativa Christi a juda oriundi Vers 17. And for peace-offerings Sacrifices of all sorts they brought whereby having made their peace they kept a feast with joy before the Lord for his mercy to them through the merits of his son Vers 18. On the second day Their offerings are severally and largely described to shew how highly accepted in Heaven Vers 19. And when Moses was gone in c. Scipio Africanus was wont before day to go into the Capitoll in cellam jovis and there to stay a great while quasi consultans de Rep. cùm Jove as if he had advised with his god about the publike businesses Gell. lib. 7. c. 1. CHAP. VIII Vers 3. HE lighted the lamps This Candlestick on the South-side of the Tabernable over against the Table figured the Law of God shining in his Church Prov. 6.23 2 Pet. 1.19 and the lighting of one lamp from another shewed the opening of one text by another The Rabbines have a saying Nulla est objectio in lege quae non habet solutionem in latere i. e. there is not any doubt in the law but may be resolved in the context Vers 4. Beaten work To shew that Ministers must beat their brains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beat out the sense of the Scriptures as the fowl beats the shell to get out the fish with great vehemency Vers 7. sprinkle water of purifying c. This taught that none were meet for the holy Ministery but by the free favour of Christ and by the sanctification of his Spirit 2 Cor. 2.16 Gal. 1.15 Ministers are fullones animarum their office is to whiten others themselves therefore should be as those Nazarites Lam. 4. whither then snow Shave all their flesh As the Lepers did Levites are by nature no better then Lepers Ministers men subject to like passions as others and liable to more temptations Vers 9. The whole assembly By their Representatives the Elders or the first-born figuring the Church of Christ those first-born which are written in heaven Heb. 12.23 Vers 10. shall put their lands Imposition of hands is an ancient rite at the Ordination of Ministers Vers 11. And Aaron shall offer the Levites Heb wave the Levites with might figure ministers miseryes and afflictions by Satans sifting them Jer. 15.10 and wicked mens turmoyling them as Jeremy that man of contentions Vers 12. The one for a sin-offering The sin-offering for actual sin the burnt-offering for Original Vers 19. As a gift to Aaron Clarissima semper Munera sunt Eph. 4.11 Author quae pretiosa facit Ministers also are given as an honourary to the Church Vers 24. From twenty five years See the Note on Chap. 4.30 CHAP. IX Vers 2. KEep the Passeover This Passeover for they kept no more but this till they came into the land of Canaan Josh 5.10 with Exod 12.25 because of their often and uncertain removes The feast of Tabernacles likewise was for many ages omitted or at least not in due manner observed as by dwelling in boothes reading the book of the law c. Neh. 8.16 17 18. which a man would wonder at but Vexatio dat intellectum those Jews were newly returned from captivity Vers 3. According to all the rites It was a true saying of Socrates in Xenophon Deum eo cultus genere coli velle quem ipse instituerit that God must be worshipped in his own way only Whereunto agreeth that of Cicero Deum non superstitione coli velle sed pietate Vers 5. And they kept the Passeover See the Notes on Exod. 12. Vers 6. They could not keep the Passeover Because they were to be unclean seven dayes Numb 19.11 Demosth Now among the very Heathen the Sacrificers were to purifie themselves some dayes before they had their coena pura the night before c. and having expiated the company they cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is here to which they made reply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atistoph Many and good are here Vers 7. And those men said unto him Moses they knew was a meet man to resolve this Case of Conscience He was a Messenger an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Job 33.23 a Merchant to sell oyl and balm from Gilead to cure consciences Matth. 25.9 Others may write Cases that is covers of conscience but resolve none Conscience is a Diamond and will be wrought on by nothing but dust of diamond such as contrition hath ground it to Vers 8. Stand still and I will hear Moses was but the eccho of Gods voyce John Baptist the voyce of one crying in the Wildernesse St. Paul received of the Lord what he delivered to the Church 1 Cor. 11.23 and took care that the faith of his heaters might not be in the wisdome of man but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Unwarranted doctrines come not cum gratia privilegio Vers 10. Or be in a journey afar off This rendred a man unfit to partake because either his head would be so taken up about his business then or his mind so set upon home that he would have little leisure or liberty to prepare for the Passeover Vers 11. With unleavened bread Teaching them to purge out the old leven that fusty swelling sowring spreading corruption of nature and practice And bitter herbs Directing them to true humiliation and bitterness for sin without which there can be no sweetness in the blood of Christ Vers 12. They shall leave none The Lord in his infinite wisdome would hereby prevent all occasions of idolatry which is easily admitted in the reservations
the furnace Dan. 3.25 was a miracle so it is that men so favoured love not God Vers 2. And which have not seen Segniùs irritant animos demissa per aures Horat. Quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus He speaks unto them as to eye-witnesses and those that have such evidence and self-experience are usually more affected then those that have things by hear-say only Mine eye affects my heart Lam 3.51 Vers 4. Hath destroyed them unto this day i. e. Hath so destroyed and dismaid them that to this day we hear no more of them As the Romanes so quailed and quelled King Aitalus that he made a law that none of his successours should make war with that State for ever Vers 5. And what he did unto you A Diary should be diligently kept of what God does for us Psal 102.18 for the help of our slippery memories and the firing up of our dull hearts to a contention in godliness Vers 9. And that ye may prolong See the Note on Chap. 4.40 Vers 10. And wateredst it with thy foot Fetching and carrying water called therefore the water of their feet as our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because maintained with the labour of our hands Vers 11. And drinketh water of the rain of heaven God crowning the year with his goodness and his pathes dropping fatness Psal â—5 10 11 12. In the Hebrew it is thy chariot-wheel-tracks for the clouds are Gods chariots Psal 104.3 in which water is bound Job 26.8 How they are upheld and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder The Egyptians used in a prophane mockery to tell other nations that if God should forget to rain they might chance to starve for it they thought the rain was of God but not their river Nilus See Ezek. 29.3 9. Isai 19.5 6. Vers 12. Which the Lord thy God careth for Deus sic curat universa quasi singula sic singula quasi sola Aug. From the beginning of the year How easie were it for God to starve us all by denying us a harvest or two Vers 13. And it shall come to passe This passage of Scripture following the Jews read daily in their families as Maimonides reporteth Vers 14. That I will give you the rain Rain God gives to all by a providence Act. 14.17 Job 38.26 but to his Israel by vertue of a promise whereby the might live not as by bread only but as by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God Vers 16. That your heart be not deceived Having first deceived it self for the heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17.9 c. and may say to many as the heart of Apollonius the Tyrant seemed to say to him who dreamed one night that he was fleaed by the Scythians and boyled in a Caldron and that his heart spake to him out of the kettle and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. It is I that have drawn thee to all this Those in hell cry so Vers 17. And he shut up the heaven The keys of heaven of the heart of the womb and of the grave God keeps and carries under his own girdle as we may say Vers 18. In your heart Yea upon your heart Esay 47.7 57.11 so as they may sink thereinto Luk. 9.44 as the best balm cast into water sinks to the bottom Vers 19. Teach them your children See the Note on Chap. 6.7 Vers 21. As the dayes of heaven i. e. As long as the world standeth Hence haply we may conceive hope of the repentance of the Jews and their re-establishment in this promised land Vers 26. A blessing and a curse With the way to either that if ye miscarry ye may have none to blame but your selves For oft it falls out that whereas the foolishness of man perverteth his way his heart fretteth against the Lord Prov. 19.3 Vers 29. Put the blessing upon Mount Gerizim That is pronounce it there See Josh 8.33 Hence the Samaritans built their Temple on this mount as a blessed place and there worshiped they knew not what Joh. 4.20 22. calling themselves Those that belong to the blessed Mount CHAP. XII Vers 1. THese are the Statutes Here Moses begins to comment upon the second Commandement of the law See the Note on Chap. 6.1 Vers 2. Ye shall vtterly destroy This clause of this law is judiciall peculiar onely to the Jewes saith a grave Interpreter as being cheifly intended to prevent their worshipping God in any other place then that one that he had appointed to which we in the dayes of the Gospell are not tied See Vers 5 6. It was a temporary Ordinance saith another and a part of Moses politie now abrogate Vers 3 And you shall hew downe As was here done notably in King Edward the sixths dayes notwithstanding the withstandings of the rude rabble Life of Edw. 6. by Sir Joh. Heyw. which more regarded commotioners then Commissioners and were more guided by rage then by right c. So that as one Master Body a Commissioner was pulling down images in Cornwall he was suddenly stabbed into the body by a Priest with a knife Vers 4. Ye shall not do so As wicked Ahaz did 2 Chron. 27.24 by the advice and help of Vriah that turn-coat 2 King 16. who had once passed for a faithful witness Isai 7.2 but afterwards proved a factour for the Devil Vers 5. And thither shalt thou come In token of an holy communion with God Vers 6 Heave-offerings of your hand For none might appear empty-handed before the Lord. Vers 7. And there ye shall eat before the Lord Loe this ye shall have of Gods hand as a recompence of all your charge and pains ye shall feast before him with joy This made those good souls go bodily on from strength to strength though they took many a weary step yet their comfort was that they should every one of them in Zion appear before the Lord Psal 84.7 This was the sweet-meats of that feast other dainty dishes there might be but this was the banquet Vers 9. For ye are not as yet come to the rest No more are any of us indeed till we come to that rest which remaineth for the people of God Heb. 4.3 8 9 10. The Ark was transportative till setled in Solomons temple so till we come to heaven are we in continual unrest Vers 10. So that ye dwell in safety Having peace both external and internl of country and of conscience Regionis Religionis Vers 12. And ye shall rejoyce No one duty is more pressed in both the Testaments then this of rejoycing in the Lord alwaies but specially in his immediate services And the contrary is complained of Mal. 2.13 and sorely threatned Deut. 28.47 Vers 14. But in the place This taught them unity and uniformity in divine worship as also that there was but one only way to obtain pardon of their sin
good Eccles 9.18 Vers 23. And beareth not any grasse As they say no ground doth where the great Turk hath once set his foot such waste he makes and such desolation he leaves behinde him Like the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrah See the Notes on Gen. 19.24 25. _____ Admah and Zeboim Which two Cities bordering on Sodome and Gomorrah were the worse and fared the worse for their neighbourhood as Hamath did for Damascus Zech. 9.2 God overthrew them and repented not Ier. 20.16 Vers 26. And whom he had not given unto them Or who had not given to them any portion For Can the vanities of the Gentiles give rain or can the heavens give showers Jer. 14.22 As Saul said 1 Sam. 22.7 Can the son of Jesse give you vineyards and olive-yards c so may God say to Apostates Can the world do for you as I can Vers 28. And cast them into another land Cast them with a violence with a vengeance in the Hebrew the word cast hath an extraordinary great letter sling them out 1 Sam. 25.29 as out of a sling Vers 29. The secret things belong This is one of those sixteen places which in the Hebrew are marked with a special note of regard Eorum quaescire nec datur nec fas est docta est ignorantia scientiae appetentia insaniae species saith Calvin out of Austine CHAP. XXX Vers 1. THe blessing and the curse When thou hast made trial of both and hast bought thy wit as feeling by woful experience what an evil and a bitter thing sin iâ— and how easily thou mightest have redeemed thine own sorrowes by better obedience Vers 2. And shalt return to the Lord By sin we run away from God by repentance we return to him Vers 3. That then the Lord thy God Conversie Judaeorum magnisicè hic promittitur saith One Here 's a stately promise of the conversion of the Jews concerning which see the Notes on Rom. 11.25 c. Vers 4. If any of thine be driven The Jews have been for this 1600 years and upward a disjected and despised people hated and cast out by a common consent of all nations for their unexpiable guilt in murthering the Messiah which they now begin to be somewhat sensible of and will be so more and more See the Note on Chap. 28.28 Vers 6. And the Lord thy God See Chap. 10.16 Vers 7. Will put all these curses upon thine enemies God will recompence tribulation to them that have troubled you 2 Thess 1.6 he will spoyl the spoylers Esay 33.1 deliver the just out of trouble and the wicked shall come in his stead Prov. 11.8 Isa 65.13 14. It seemeth to the Churches enemies an incredible paradox and a news by far more admirable then acceptable that there should be such a transmutation of conditions on both sides to contraries but so it will be as sure as the coat is on their backs or the heart in their bodies See Lam. 4.21 Vers 9. And in the fruit of thy land for good God will provide that thou shalt not be the worse for thine outward abundance that fulness shall not breed forgetfulness It is as hard to bear prosperity as to drink much wine and not be giddy or as to drink strong waters and not weaken the brain thereby The parable of the Sun and Wind is well known Some of those in Queen Maries dayes who kept their garments close about them wore them afterwards more loosely when they came to prosperity and preferment It is a marvellous great mercy to have outward comforts and contentments for good Bonus Deus Constantinum Magnum tantis terrenis implevit muneribus De civ dei lib. 5. cap. 25. quanta optare nullus auderet saith Augustine God of his goodness heaped all good things upon Constantine Vers 11. For this commandement This word of faith Rom. 10.8 that teacheth the righteousness of faith vers 6. and speaketh on this wise the doctrine of salvation by faith that works by love this is cleerly enough revealed in both testaments so that none can reasonably plead ignorance and think to be excused by it Vers 12. Who shall go up for us to heaven And yet to know heavenly things is to ascend into heaven Prov. 30.4 Vers 13. Neither is it beyond the sea Beyong the sea it was to us till blessed Luthers books were brought hither together with Tindals translation and other good mens writings Some Papists jeare us and say that Turkies hops and heresy came into this kingdom in one bottom Howbeit long before this the Lady Anne wife to King Richard the second siller to Wenceslaus King of Bohemia by living here was made acquainted with the Gospell whence also many Bohemians comming hither convey'd Wickliffes books into Bohemia whereby a good foundation was laid for the ensuing reformation Anno 1417 by the help of another good Queen there called Sophia The writings also of Iohn Husse brought thence wrought much good in this kingdome a hundred years before Luthers time Vers 19. Therefore chuse life Which yet man of himself can as little do as a dead carcase can fly aloft It was therefore an unsound and unsavory speech of him that said quod vivamus dei munus est quod benè vivamus nostrum That we live it is of God but that we live well it is of our selves See the contrary Isai 26.12 Hos 14.8 Ioh. 15.5 CHAP. XXXI Vers 2. I am an hundred and twenty c. And so might well bespeak them as Augustus once did his army and pacified them thereby when they were in a mutiny Sueton. Audite senem juvenes quem jâ—venem senes and erunt Vers 6. He will not fail thee Five times in holy Scriptures is this precious promise repeated and Heb. 13.5 made common to all believers with a very deep asseveration Vers 9. Vnto the Priests Gods library-keepers his depositaries _____ Vnto all the elders of Israel As to the Keepers of both Tables Vers 11. Thou shalt read this law Which was nevertheless read in their synagogues every Sabbath-day Act. 15. And by this reading at the feast of Tabernacles every seventh year the originall copy written by Moses Mr. Burton against Couzens they might perceive that those copyes that they had amongst them were right and authentick It was ill ordered in our english bibles of the new translation that between the Printers haste and Correctours over-sight such foul escapes have been lately committed as Iudas printed for Iesus in the great Bible Lightf Miscel The Turkish Alcoran is written and to be read in Arabick under pain of death not to mistake a letter which is as easily done in this tongue as in any Vers 17. And many evils and troubles As it befell Sampson and Saul when God was gone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all miseries came trooping and treading one in the heeles of another So Ezek. 9.10 11. God makes many removes and as he goes out some judgment comes
6.4 Austins wish was that Christ when he came might find him aut precantem aut praedicantem praying or preaching Benè orasse est benè studuisse saith Luther Vers 11. And of them that hate him Ministers shall be sure of many enemies They hate him that reproveth in the gate Veritas odium parit praedicare nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem mundi said Luther to preach is to get the worlds ill-will Ye are the light saith our Saviour which is offensive to sore eyes ye are the salt of the earth which is bitter to wounds and causeth pain to exulcerate parts Vers 12. The beloved of the Lord The Lords corculum deliciae darling as their father Benjamin was old Iacobs Gen. 42.4 And he shall dwell between his shoulders These shoulders are those two holy hills Moriah and Zion whereon the Temple was built four hundred and forty yeares after this prophecy Vers 13. And of Ioseph See the Note on Gen. 49.2 Vers 14. And for the precious fruits So Saint Iames calleth them the precious fruits of the earth Iames 5.7 Diogenes justly taxed the folly of his countrymen quòd res pretiosas minimo emerent venderent que vilissimas lurimo because they bought pretious things as corn very cheape but sold the basest things as pictures statues c. extream dear fifty pounds or more a peece though the life of man had no need of a statue but could not subsist without corn May not we more justly tax men for undervaluing the bread of life and spending money for that which is not bread Isai 55.2 Vers 15. And for the chiefe things Metalls and Minerals usually dig'd out of mountains which are here called ancient and lasting because they have been from the beginning and were not first cast up as some have held by Noahs flood Psal 90.2 Vers 16. And for the good will of him c. See the Note on Exod. 3.2 The burning bush the persecuted Church was not consumed because the good-will of God whereof David speaks Psal 106.4 was in the bush So it is still with his in the fiery triall in any affliction Isai 43.1 That was separated from his brethren To be a choise and chief man amongst them De doct Christ l. 4. c. 6. Nobilis fuit inter fratres saith Augustine vel in malis quae pendit vel in bonis quae rependit Vers 17. Advers Tryph. Tertul. advers Judaeos cap. 10. Ambrose de benedict Pat. His hornes are like the hornes of Vnicorns Iustin Martyr and some other of the Ancients have strangely racked and wrested this text to wring out of it the sign of the cross resembled and represented by the horns of an Vnicorn At nihil hic de Christo nihil de cruce He shall push the people together As Generall Joshua of this tribe did notably so that Phaenicians ran away into a far country and renowned his valour by a monument set up in Africk Howbeit gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis quam potestatis as Tertullian saith of Augustus he is more famous for his piety then for his prowesse V. 18. In thy going out To trade and traffique by sea Gen. 49 13. Peterent coelum navibus Belgae si navibus peti posset saith one The low-country men are said to grow rich by warr 't is sure they do by trade at sea And Issachar in thy tents i.e. In thy quiet life Virgil. and country imployments O fortunatos nimium c. Regum aequabat opes animis seraque reversus Nacte domum dapibus mcrsas onerabat inemptis saith the Poet of a well contented country-man Vers 19. They shall call the people to the mount i.e. To Gods house scituate on mount Zion Though they be Littorales men dwelling by the sea-shore which are noted to be duri horridi immanes omnium denique pessimi the worst kind of people and though they dwell further from the Temple yet are they not farthest from God but ready with their sacrifice of righteousness as those that have sucked of the abundance of the sea and of treasures hid in the sand which though of it self it yield no crop yet brings in great revenues by reason of sea-trading Vers 20. He dwelleth as a Lyon That should make his partie good with the enemy upon whom he bordereth and by whom he is often invaded See Gen. 49.19 Iudg. 11. 1 Chron. 12.8 Vers 21. In à portion of the law-givers That portion that Moses the Law-giver assigned him on the other side Iordan Num. 32.33 He executed the justice of the Lord viz. Upon the Canaanites which is so noble an act that even the good Angels refuse not to be executioners of Gods judgments upon obstinate Malefactours Vers 22. He shall leap from Bashan i.e. He shall suddenly set upon his enemies as Achitophel counselled Absolom 2 Sam. 17.1 2. and this is called good counsell vers 14. and as Caesar served Pompey Caesar in omnia praeceps nil actum credens Lucan dum quid superesset agendum Fertur atrox Vers 23. Satisfied with favour and full c. Fulness of blessing is then only a mercy when the soul of a man is satisfied with favour when from a full table and a cup running over a man can comfortably infer with David Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwel in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23.6 One may have outward things by Gods providence and not out of his favour Esau had the like blessing as Iacob but not with a God give thee the dew of heaven as he Gen. 27.28 Or God may give temporals to wicked men to furnish their inditement out of them as Ioseph put his cup into their sack to pick a quarrell with them and to lay theft to them Vers 24. Let Ashur be blessed with children Let his wife be as the vine and his children as olive-plants Psal 128.3 two of the best fruits the one for chearing the heart the other for clearing the face Psal 104.15 the one for sweetness the other for fatness Judg. 9.13 Let him dip his foot in oyle Like that of Iob Chap. 29.6 Confer Gen. 49.20 See the Note Vers 25. Thy shooes Thou shalt have store of mines And as thy dayes shall thy strength be i. e. Thou shalt as Eliphaz speaketh Iob 5.26 Come 〈◊〉 lusty old age to the grave This the Greesk call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Hebrews made a feast when they were past sixty if any whit healthy Vers 26. Who rideth upon the heaven Having the celestial creatures for his Cavalry and the terrestrial for his Infantry how then can his want help Vers 27. The Eternal God Heb. The God of Antiquity that Ancient of dayes that Rock of ages who is before all things and by whom all things consist Col. 1.17 who is the first and the last and besides whom there is no God Esay 44.6 And
they are called Stars of light Psal 148.3 and to worke upon inferiour bodies which they doe by their motion light and influence efficiendo imbres ventos grandines procellas sudum c. by causing foule or faire weather as God appoints it Stars are the store-houses of Gods good treasure which he openeth to our profit Deut. 38.12 By their influence they make a scatter of riches upon the earth which good men gather and muck-wormes scramble for Every star is like a purse of gold out of which God throwes downe riches and plentiounesse into the earth The heavens also are garnished by them Job 26.13 they are as it were the spangled curtaine of the Bride-groomes chamber the glorious and glittering rough-cast of his heavenly palace the utmost court of it at least from the which they twinckle to us and teach us to remember our and their Creator who in them makes himselfe visible nay palpable Psal 19 1. Habaâ— 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17.27 his wisdome power justice and goodnesse are lined out unto us in the browes of the firmament the countenance whereof we are bound to marke and to discerne the face of the heavens which therefore are somewhere compared to a scroll that is written The heavens those Catholicke Preachers declare the glory of God c. Their line saith David their voice saith Paul citing the same text is gone out throughout all the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.16 they are reall postills of his Divinity These nay far meaner creatures teach us as Balaams Asse did that mad Prophet to this Schoole are we now put backe as idle truants to their ABC Onely let us not as children looke most on the babies on the backside of our bookes gaze not as they doe on the guilded leaves and covers never looking to our lessons but as travellers in a forreigne Country observe and make use of every thing not content with the naturall use of the creature as bruite beasts but marke how every creature reads us a Divinity Lecture from the highest Angell to the lowest worme Verse 21. And God created great Whales In creating whereof Plin. l. 9. c. 3. Ad quas nautae appellentes non nunquam magnum incurrunt discrimen Heid Plin. 32. c. 1. Cur piscos vocat reptile Repere communiter dicuntur omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel quae habent pedes brevieres ut nâ—ures c. creavit Deus vastitatus stupores For as Pliny writeth of them when they swim and shew themselves above water annare insulas putes they seem to be so many Islands and have been so esteemed by sea-faring men to their great danger and disadvantage Into the Rivers of Arabia saith Pliny there have come Whales 600 foot long and 360 foot broad This is that Leviathan that playes in the sea besides other creeping or mooving things innumerble Psal 104.25 This one word of Gods mouth Fiat hath made such infinite numbers of fishes that their names may fill a Dictionary Philosophers tell us that whatsoever creature is upon the earth there is the like thereof in the sea yea many that are no where else to be found but with this difference that those things that on the earth are hurtfull the like thereunto in the waters are hurtlesse as Eeles those water-snakes are without poyson c. yea they are wholesome and delicious food Pisâ—is comes of Pasco And in Hebrew the same word signifieth a pond or fish-pool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and blessing Many Islands are maintained and people fed by fish besides the wealth of the Sea The ill-favoured Oyster hath sometimes a bright pearle in it In allusion whereunto we have our treasure that pearle of price the Gospell saith S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.7 in Oyster-shells And albeit now every creature of God is good 1 Tim. 4.3 and to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe yet under the Law those fish onely were reputed cleane Lev. 11.9 Deut. 14.9 Bern. Serm. 1. in die Sancti Andrâ—ae that had fins and scales So saith St. Bernard are those onely cleane in the sight of God qui squammas loricam habent patientiae pinnulas hilaritatis that have the scales of patience and sins of cheerfulnesse And every winged foule Birds were made of all foure clements yet have more of the earth Gen. 2.19 And therefore that they are so light and doe so delight in the ayre it is so much the more marvellous They sing not at all till they have taken up a stand to their minde nor shall we praise God till content with our estate They use not to sing when they are on the ground but when got into the ayre or on the tops of trees Nor can we praise God aright unlesse weanedly affected to the world It was a good speech of Heathen Epictetus Si luscinia essem facerem quod luscinia Cum autem Epist Enchirid. homo rationalis sim quid faciam Laudabo Deum nec cessabo unquam vos vero ut idem faciatis hortor But concerning the creation of birds Macrob. l. 7 c. 16 there is in Macrobius a large dispute and disquisition whether were first the egge or the bird And here Reason cannot resolve it sith neither can the egge be produced without the bird nor yet the bird without the egge But now both Scripture and Nature determine it that all things were at first produced in their essentiall perfection Verse 22. Be fruitfull and multiply By bidding them do so he made them do so for his words are operative Trismegist saith the selfe same things in effect that Moses here doth God saith he Morneuâ— de verit relig cap. 9. cryeth out to his works by his holy word saying Bring yee forth fruit grow and increase c. Note the harmony here and in twenty more passages between Mercury and Moses God hath not left his truth without witness from the mouthes of heathen writers We may profitably read them but not for ostentation That were to make a calfe of the treasure gotten out of Egypt Verse 24.25 Let the earth c. Loe here the earth Act. 16.8 in it selfe a dead element brings forth at Gods command living creatures tame wild and creeping Why then should it be thought a thing incredible that the same earth at Gods command should bring forth againe our dead bodies restored to life at the last day Surely if that speech of Christ Joh. 11.43 Lazarus come forth had been directed to all the dead they had all presently risen If he speake to the rocks they rent if to the mountaines they melt if to the earth it opens if to the sea it yeelds up her dead if to the whole host of heaven they tremble and stand amazed waiting his pleasure And shall he not prevaile by his mighty power the same that he put forth in the
raising of his Son Christ Eph. 1.19 to raise us from the death of sin and of carnall Esa 51.16 to make us a people created againe Psal 102.18 Doth he not plant the heavens and lay the foundation of the earth that he may say to Zion thou art my people Empty man would be wise saith Zophar Job 11.12 though man be born like a wild asse colt Mans heart is a meer emptiness a very Tohu vabohu as void of matter to maâ—e him a new creature of as the hollow of a tree is of heart of oake God therefore creates in his people cleane hearts Psal 50.10 and as in the first creation so in the new creature the first day as it were God works light of knowledge the second day the firmament of faith the third day seas and trees that is repentant tears and worthy fruits the fourth day Lightf Miscel the Sun joyning light and heat together heat of zeale with light of knowledge the fifth day fishes to play and foules to flye so to live and rejoyce in a sea of troubles and flye heaven-ward by prayer and contemplation The sixt day God makes beasts and man yea of a wild asse-colt a man in Christ with whom old things are past all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 4. And to whom besides that they are all taught of God the very beasts Esa 1.2 and birds Jer. 8.7 doe read a Divinity Lecture Aske now the beasts and they shall teach thee and the foules of the ayre they shall tell thee Anton. Eremita ap Aug. lib. 1. de doctr Christ Niceph. l. 8. c. 40 Clem. Alex. Job 12.8 The whole world is nothing else saith One but God expressed so that we cannot plead ignorance for all are or may be book learned in the creature This is the Shepherds Callender the Plowmans Alphabet we may run and read in this great book which hath three leaves Heaven Earth Sea A bruitish man knows not neither doth a foole understand this Psal 9 29. They stand gazing and gaping on the outside of things onely but asknot Who is their Father their Creator Like little children which when they finde a Picture in their booke they gaze and make sport with it but never consider it Either their mindes are like a clocke that is over wound above the ordinary pitch and so stands still their thoughts are amazed for a time they are like a blocke thinking nothing at all Esa 40.28 or else they think Atheistically that all comes by nature but hast thou not known saith the Prophet hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator c. or at best as the common passenger looks onely at the hand of the Diall to see what of the clock it is but takes no notice of the clock-work within the wheels and poises and various turnings and windings in the work so it is here with the man that is no more then a meer naturall 1 Cor. 2.15 But he that is spirituall discerneth all things he entreth into the clock-house as it were and views every motion beginning at the great wheel and ending in the least and last that is moved He studies the glory of God revealed in this great book of Nature and prayseth his power wisdome goodness c. And for that in these things He cannot order his speech because of darkness Job 37.38 39. he begs of God a larger heart and better language and cryes out continually with David Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for ever and eâ—er and let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen Plal. 72.18 19. Verse 26. And God said Let us make man Man is the master-peece of Gods handy-work Sun Moon and Stars are but the workâ— of his fingers Psal 8.3 but man the work of his hands Psal 1â— 9.14 He is cura divini ingenii made by counsell at first Let us make c. and his body which is but the souls sheath Dan. 7.15 Animae vagina is still curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth that is in the womb Psal 139.15 with Eph. 4.9 as curious workmen when they have some choice peece in hand they perfect it in private and then bring it forth to light for men to gaze at Thine bands have mude me or took speciall pains about me and fashioned me saith Job Thou hast formed me by the book saith David Psal 139.16 Job 10.8 yea emâ—roidered me with nerves veyns and variety of limbs miracles enough saith One betwixt head and foot to fill a Volume Man saith a Heathen is the bold attempt of daring nature the faire workmanship of a wise Artificer saith another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismegist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xâ—noph Miraculorum omnium maximum Stoici Gal. lib. 3. de usu partium Lib. 11. 1â— The greatest of all miracles saith a third And surely should a man be born into the world but once in a hundred years all the world would run to see the wonder Sed miracula assiduitate vilescunt Galen that prophane man was forced upon the description of man and the parts of his body only to sing a hymn to the Creator whom yet he knew not I make here saith he a true hymn in the honour of our Maker whose service I beleeve verily consisteth not in the sacrificing of Hecatombs or in burning great heaps of Frankinsence before him but in acknowledging the greatness of his wisdome power and goodness and in making the same known to others c. And in another place Now is he saith Gallen which looking but only upon the skin of a thing wondreth not of the cunning at the Creator Yet notwithstanding he dissembleth not that he had tryed by all means to find some reason of the composing of living creatures and that he would rather have fathered the doing thereof upon Nature then upon the very Authour of Nature Lib. 15. And in the end concludeth thus I confesse that I know not what the soule is though I have sought very narrowly for it Favorinus the Philosopher Nibil in terra magnum prater bominâ—m nibil in homine praeter mentem Fav ap Gel. was wont to say The greatest thing in this world is Man and the greatest thing in man is his soule It is an abridgement of the invisible world as the Body is of the visible Hence man is called by the Hebrewes Gnolam haktaton and by the Greeks Microcosmus A little world And it was a witty essay of him who stiled woman the second Edition of the Epitome of the whole world The soule is set in the body of them both as a little god in this little world as Jehovah is a great God in the great world Whence Proclus the Philosopher could say that the
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