of salvation Psal. 18. 1. 2 Sam. 22. 3. Vers. 70. Which have been since the world began Adams calling his wives name Eve or life in apprehension of the promise of the seed of the woman that should breake the head of the Serpent Eves calling her Sonnes name Cain a purchase because shee had obtained a man even the Lord or the Lord to become a man and her naming her other Sonne Sheth or setled c. these were Prophecies that spake of Christ from the beginning of the world Vers. 71. That wee should bee saved from our enemies This hath sweet reference to the promise given at the beginning of the World from which time he had traced Prophecies in the verse preceding I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed Hee shall breake thine head Gen. 3. 15. Where in the former words of the verse I will set enmity c. there is an expression who are our enemies namely the Serpent and his seed and in the latter hee shall breake thine head there is an intimation how wee shall be saved namely by Christs breaking the head and power of Satan So that the former verse and this being laid together they arise unto this sense that all the Prophets from Adam and upward had their eye upon the promise in that garden and spake of salvation and delivery by Christ by his breaking the head and destroying the kingdome of the devil Vers. 76. The Prophet of the Highest As Aaron to Moses Exod. 7. 1. Prophecy had been now very long decayed and but little therof had been under the second Temple it is now reviving in an extraordinary manner and this child is to be the first of this race of Prophets that is in rising and to be the Harbinger of Christ himself Vers. 77. To give knowledge of salvation by remission c. The knowledge of salvation that the Law held forth at the first view was by legall righteousnesse and absolute performance of what was commanded but John who was to begin the Gospel brought in another Doctrine and gave the people knowledge of salvation by another way namely by the remission of sinnes as Rom. 4. 6 7. And this is the tenour of the Gospel Vers. 78. The day-spring from an high Greek A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Lxx to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The branch Esa. 4. 2. Jer. 23. 5. Zech. 3. 9. 6. 12. the name of Christ and so it may bee understood of Christs personall comming and appearance amongst men as God is said to have visited Sarah Gen. 21. 1. that is not onely in mercifull dealing with her as to give her a child but also in personally comming unto her in visible appearance as Chapter 18. 14. At the time appointed I will returne c. Or it may be taken in connexion to the sense of the Verses preceding That after the defect of Prophecy the dawning of that gift and after the darknesse of the doctrine of salvation as it was in the law the day-spring of it from an high came now to visit us in the brightnes of the Gospel Vers. 80. And was in the deserts Of Ziph and Maon 1 Sam. 23. 14. 25. which were places not farre from Hebron where John was borne Josh. 15. 54 55. His education was not in the Schooles at Jerusalem but in these plaine Countrey Townes and Villages in the Wildernesse Till the day of his shewing unto Israel That is when at thirty yeeres of age he was to be brought to the Sanctuary service Num. 4. 3. to which he did not apply himself as the custome was but betook himself to another course SECT VI. S. LUKE CHAP. II. CHRIST borne published to the Shepheards rejoyced in by Angels circumcised presented in the Temple confessed by Simeon and Anna. AND it camâ— to passe in those dayes that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should bee taxed 2 And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria 3 And all went to be taxed every one into his owne City 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the City of Nazareth into Judea unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem because hee was of the flock and linage of David 5 To bee taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with Child 6 And so it was that while they were there the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered 7 And she brought forth her first-borne Sonne and wrapped him in swadling cloaths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inne 8 And there were in the same Countrey Shepheards abiding in the field keeping watch over their flocke by night 9 And â—o the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid 10 And the Angel said Feare not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people 11 For unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a signe unto you yee shall find the babe wrapped in swadling cloaths lying in a manger 13 And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying 14 Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men 15 And it came to passe as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the Shepheards said one to another Let us now goe even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to passe which the Lord hath made knowne unto us 16 And they came with hast and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger 17 And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child 18 And all they that heard it wondred at those things which were told them by the Shepheards 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondred them in her heart 20 And the Shepheards returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seene as it was told unto them 21 And when eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcising of the child his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the wombe 22 And when the dayes of her purification according to the Law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 As it is written in the Law of the Lord every male that openetâ— the wombe shall bee called holy to the Lord. 24 And to offer a Sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord a paire of Turtle Doves and two young Pigeons 25 And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and the same
the doore or entry of the Church but it ingageth them to repentance for the time to come or when they being now entred into the Church shall come to the use of reason and knowledge of the ingagement And so was it with the children that were circumcised for they when they underwent that Sacrament undertooke obedience to the whole Law and yet they knew not what either obedience or the Law meant But that undertaking was what they were to doe when they came to the yeeres of knowledge and apprehension Matth. 3. Verse 2. And saying Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand The phrase the kingdome of heaven which is so frequently and commonly used in the Gospel is taken from Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. And it meaneth the spirituall kingdome of Christ in and under the Gospel as it is published and preached unto all Nations For though the phrase be generally and truely understood to meane the preaching of the Gospel yet doth it most properly and naturally signifie the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles or among all Nations as might bee shewed by the signification of the word Heaven by the manner of speech here used that it is at hand and so againe Mat. 4. 17. when the Gospel was now Preached already by the Text of Daniel from whence the phrase is taken and by diverse places in the Gospel where it is used but the full clearing of this I have chosen to referre to that difficult place which will call for it to bee cleared when the Lord shall bring us thither Matth. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven where I conceive Christ to have foretold to Peter that hee should bee the first that should Preach the Gospel and open the doore of Faith unto the Gentiles as Act. 15. 7. and 10. Now The Kingdome of heaven signifying thus not barely and simply the Preaching of the Gospel but the preaching of it to the Gentiles and their conversion it sheweth how proper and pregnant an argument this was to inforce the doctrine and practice of Repentance upon the Jews because the calling of the Gentiles was neere at hand which would prove their rejection and casting off if they did not repent as Deut. 32. 21. Before the comming of Christ those foure earthly kingdomes that are mentioned by Daniel in the Chapters cited bare all the sway and domineered over all the world with cruelty and tyranny but when they were destroyed at his comming hee set up a Kingdome of his own and swayed the Scepter of Righteousnesse over all Nations and ruled them with his word and Spirit And whereas before his comming also the Church consisted but of one Nation and Kingdome and was couched upon a small parcell of earth the Land of Canaan and had earthly promises and earthly rites when hee came and published the Gospel hee gathered a Church of all Kingdomes and Nations and Languages under Heaven and built it up with heavenly and spirituall promises and instructions and thus The Kingdome of heaven may fitly bee understood in opposition to these two earthly ones Luk. 3. ver 5. Every valley shall bee filled c. These borrowed phrases intend the removing of obstacles and stumbling blocks out of the way and plaining and cleering the way for men to come to Christ and to the obedience of the Gospel The Jewes conceive that the cloud of glory that led the people of Israel in the wildernesse did really and according to the letter doe what is here spoken of for facilitating of their march and journey as that it levelled Mountaines raised vallies and laid all of a flat that it burnt up bushes and smoothed rocks and made all plaine that they might travaile without trouble or offence And some of them also say that when Jeroboam set up his golden calves and Idolatry in Bethel and Dan that hee and his wicked agents laid ambushments and scouts in the waies to Jerusalem to catch up every one that should go thither to worship and to this purpose they apply that saying of the Prophet Hos. 5. 1. O yee Priests and O yee house of the King ye have been a snare on Mizpah and a net upon Tabor And the revolters are profound to make slaughter c. If either of these things were undoubtedly so as they suppose how properly might this passage of the Prophet Esay and of the Evangelist from him bee thought to referre thereunto but since they bee but surmisals it is safest to take the words for a borrowed speech to expresse what was said before the removing of obstacles in the way to Christ. Mat. 3. ver 6. Confessing their sins Not to John but to God For neither was it possible for John to heare their confessions nor was it necessary Not possible because of the vast multitudes that came to bee baptized nor necessary for to tell him they had committed such and such sinnes what conduced it either to their baptisme or forgivenesse Nor was this their confession of their sinnes before their being baptized but after For first if wee should strictly take the Grammaticall construction of the word that importeth their confessing it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would have denoted that they had confessed before they were baptized but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both the Evangelists that speak of that matter Secondly It was farre more agreeable to the end and doctrine of Baptisme that their confession of sinne should bee after their baptizing then before in that they were baptized to repentance ver 11. and not e contra the Sacrament was more intentionally to enter them into repentance then repentance to enter them into the Sacrament For as was said before it obliged them more properly to repentance after the receiving of it then before Thirdly the gesture of our Saviour after his Baptisme seemeth to have been according to the common custome and gesture of the people and as hee comming out of the water fell to prayer so they when they came out used to doe to make their penitent confession to the Lord. Mat. 3. ver 7. When he saw many of the pharisees and Sadduces comming to his baptisme The Pharisees Sadduces and Esseans the three Sects of the Jews Josep Antiq. lib. 13. c. 9. are those three shepherds spoken of Zech. 11. 8. whom our Saviour at his comming was to cut off The two former whom wee have now in hand are very frequent in mention in the Gospel men of enmity one against another yet both joynt enemies to Christ and to his Apostles The originall of the Pharisees is not so easie to goe back unto as that of the Sadduces nor is the significancy of their name so readily determined and fixed upon as the other The Sadduces it is well known were so called from Sadoc the first Author of their Sect and hee the Scholar of Antigonus Rabbi Nathan in his Aboth Perek 5. hath thus
two great squadrons consisting either of them of so very many thousands marched in an extraordinary breadth because they were to passe over in a reasonable time it will follow hereupon even past all denyall that this their passage took up all the length of Jordan that it had in Judea or very neere it so that the place wee seek for is within this compasse and by this wee may observe the substance sweetly answering to the figure and way made through the waters of Jordan to the heavenly Canaan by baptisme in the very same place where there was to the earthly by its drying up Thirdly The manner of his baptizing differed not from the common manner that John used with others save in one particular For hee went into the water had water sprinkled on him and prayed as well as they but whether John used the same forme of words in baptizing of him that hee did to the other or some other or none at all is some question and scruple The least is of the first for it may bee readily resolved that hee baptized not him in the same words that hee did the others because hee then should have baptized him in his owne name which who can imagine and into him or in his name which was to come which had been to have pointed out another Christ. Betwixt the two latter the scales are ballancing and they weigh so even that it is not much materiall which way your allowance doth turn them for the Quere it selfe is of farre more curiosity then necessity For why might not John baptize him in varyed words As I baptize thee with water to the Preaching of the Gospel or why might hee not baptize him without any words at all since hee received baptisme not so much for a Sacrament as for satisfaction of the typicall Law Let the Readers judgement weigh down the scale Mat. 3. Ver. 16. Hee went up straight out of the water The invention of Auricular confession hath invented a strange Exposition of this clause For the rest of the people say some standing in the waters I know not how deepe after they were baptized confessed their sinnes unto John before they came out being detained there by him untill they had so done but Christ because hee had no sinne needed no such confession and therefore hee came suddenly out of the water after hee was baptized A glosse that includeth impossibilities For neither was it possible that so great multitudes should bee baptized in so short a time if every one made a singular confession of their sinnes to John nor was it possible that John should indure so long in the water as this worke would require and never come out for if they stood up to the neck in the river I cannot think but that hee also stood some deepnesse in the water But this speedy comming of our Saviour out of the water after hee was baptized is expressed by the Evangelist only to shew how neere and close the opening of the heavens was to his baptizing namely that it was almost in the very same instant as Marke explaineth it And straightway comming up out of the water hee saw the heavens opened c. Luk. 3. Ver. 21. And praying This it seemeth was the manner of those that were baptized as soon as they were baptized to come up out of the water and pray and this explaineth that before about confessing their sinnes that it was not to John but to God as soon as they came out of the water Now since Christ had no sinnes to confesse of his owne the tenour of his prayer tended to another purpose If wee think it was for the glory of God for the conversion of many by his Ministery which hee was now beginning for the preservation of the Elect and the sanctifying of the Church and the like wee thinke not much amisse since wee finde his prayers in other places to bee made and tendered to the same effect But it seemeth rather that his prayer at this time was for what followed upon his prayer the sending down of the holy Ghost and the glorifying of him by a testimony from Heaven For first the Text hath laid his prayer and the opening of the Heavens so closely and so consonantly withall together Jesus praying the Heavens were opened as that it seemeth to point out what was the tenour of his prayer by the consequâ—nt upon it Secondly In another place there is the like returne upon the like prayer Joh. 12. 28. Father glorifie thy name there came therefore a voice from heaven c. Thirdly it being considered that our Saviour was to enter now upon the great worke of Redemption and the preaching of the Gospell it will bee the lesse strange to conceive that hee prayed for the visible sealing of him to that work and office by the Holy Ghost and for a testimony of him that hee was the Messias Mat. 3. Ver. 16. Loe the heavens were opened There is no materiall difference in the thing though Luke hath put the Heaven in the singular number and Matthew the Heavens in the plurall for one followeth the Idiome of the Hebrews and the other of the Greekes For the Hebrews cannot call the Heaven by its proper name but in the plurall or duall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heavens but the Greekes can in the singular And so little doth the Syriack make of this difference of number in the two Evangelists that hee translateth it just crosse Matthews plurall in the singular and Lukes singular in the plurall About the opening of the Heavens or the manner of the same as it is of farre more consequence to inquire so is it of difficulty to resolve because of diversity of opinions and probabilities severall wayes First Some deny the opening of the heavens at all but understand that Christ saw them opened and the Holy Ghost descending intellectually onely or by spirituall vision as Ezekiel saw the Heavens opened Ezek. 1. 2. But this exposition is very improper for John saw the same also and the descending of the Holy Ghost was in a bodily shape and not imaginary and the voyce was articulate and Audible and not visionary Secondly Others deny also the opening of the Heavens but with another manner of evasion and exposition For there was say they no scissure or parting of the Heavens asunder because they are incorruptible but a great glorious and miraculous light shone round about Christ as if the very highest heaven had been open and the light thereof imparted cleerely to the earth But this opinion also is confuted by the word that Marke useth differing from the other two For though the phrase The Heavens were opened would admit of such a Metaphoricall or comparative exposition yet when Marke saith expressely that the heavens were cloven or parted asunder for so is his word in the Originall the Syriack expresseth it by the very same word that the Chaldee Paraphrast useth in Lev. 11. for parting of the
house it inforceth us to look for a literal interpretation in it and not a tropicall Thirdly Aquinas evadeth the reall opening of them with this glosse stranger then both the other and by another intellectuall vision then that that was spoken of before For it may also bee understood saith hee of an intellectuall vision namely that Christ baptisme being â—ow sanctifyed saw heaven open unto men But this exposition the word of Saint Marke newly mentioned confuteth much more then it did the other Fourthly Marke therefore tying us to a literall sense and to understand a reall and proper cleaving of the Heavens indeed the doubt now onely resteth what heaven it was whether the Aâ—reall or Aethereall for so are the heavens properly distinguished according to the significancy of the Hebrew word Shamaiim which importeth a duality or a thing doubled Answer It was onely the Aereall for that is called Heaven and the Firmament Gen. 1. 8. 20. as may bee confirmed by these reasons First Because there needed no further scissure in the Heavens then the renting of the clouds in the middle Region either for the descending of the Holy Ghost or of the voyce or for the satisfying of the eyes and eares of the spectators and hearers that they came from Heaven Secondly Because the Scripture in other places speaking of things which came but out of the clouds yet useth the very same terme to expresse the clouds by that is used here namely Heaven As The Lord that gave the Law out of a cloud Exod. 19. 16. is said to have spoken from Heaven Exod. 20. 22. So the like voyce to this here that came out of a cloud Luk. 9. 35. yet is said to come from heaven 2 Pet. 1. 18. And Elias that by his prayer shut up the clouds that there was no rain is said to have shut up heaven Luk. 4. 25. The opening of the Heavens then was the renting of the clouds as wee see them rent when the lightning comes forth and out of that rent came the Holy Ghost in visible shape and the heavenly voyce And thus did the Gospell or Preaching of Christ begin with the opening of the Heavens which the Law had shut and thus were the heavens shaken when the desire of all Nations came first to bee revealed openly as Hag. 2. 6 7. The very same difference of expression that is betwixt Saint Marke and the other Evangelists is betwixt the Hebrew and the Lxx. in Isa. 64. 1. for the Originall readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou wouldest or hast rent but the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou open the Heavens c. Mat. 3. Ver. 16. The Heavens were opened to him To him to whom to Christ or to John Why to the eyes and beholding of them both for in that John saith hee saw the Holy Ghost comming from or out of Heaven like a dove Joh. 1. 32. hee maketh it past deniall that hee saw the opening of the heavens but the word to him in this place must bee reserved and referred in a singular peculiarity to Christ and the opening of the Heavens to him importeth a more emphaticall propriety then their opening to his sight For the Syntax and Grammaticall construction that Marke useth maketh it impossible to fix the words to him any other wayes then upon Christ And straightway saith hee comming up out of the water hee saw the Heavens rent or cloven c. This then being the propriety of the words that the heaven was opened to our Saviour and yet since it was also opened to the sight of John it doth necessarily inforce uâ— to understand it otherwise then onely to his view or beholding namely to his prayer as the phrase is used by him himselfe Knocke and it shall bee opened unto you For had the Evangelist intended onely to shew how hee saw this apertion in the Heaven hee might have joyned John with him in the same sight but hee would give us to understand by the phrase that hee hath used singularly of Christ alone that the heavens were not onely opened to his sight but for his sake And from hence may bee confirmed what was spoken before concerning his prayer namely that it aimed at such a thing as Elias prayed and the heaven was opened and fire came down upon his Sacrifice Thus heaven that was shut to the first Adam because of his sin is opened to the second because of his righteousnesse and to all that by faith are partakers of it Mark 1. Ver. 10. Hee saw the heavens cloven This is to bee understood as that before of Christ onely and after the same sense or to the same purport But since it is certaine that John saw this as well as hee as is also observed before and yet none of the three Evangelists that record the Story have given any undoubted or plaine evidence of any such a thing it may likewise be questioned whether the rest of the people which were there present did see this sight as well as Christ and John Theophylact is peremptory in the affirmative For all of them saith hee saw the Spirit comming upon Jesus lest they should thinke that the voice This is my beloved Sonne had been spoken concerning John but upon the sight of the holy Ghost they might beleeve that that voice was concerning Christ. And of this opinion are very many others with him and no marveile for who could conceive any other thing And yet upon the weighing of these Reasons following wee may very well bee perswaded to beleeve the contrary or that this Heavenly spectacle and divine voice was conspicuous and audible to none but onely to Christ and John First because John after this doth himselfe tell those that were present at this time that there had stood one among them but they knew him not that that was hee that was to come after him For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1. 26. must of necessity bee rendred in its preterperfect signification for John spake not those words till after Christ was baptized and gone for hee was at that time in his temptation in the wildernesse Secondly because Christ himselfe also telleth the Jewes that they had never heard his Fathers voice Joh. 5. 37. and among those to whom he speaketh were divers that had imbraced the doctrine and baptisme of John Ver. 35. and it may very well bee supposed some that were present at his baptisme at this very time The maintainers of the contrary Opinion have spied this scruple and difficulty arising upon that Text and have gone about to salve it but with a very improper and dangerous plaister holding that though they heard this voice yet they heard not the voice of the Father but of an Angell which spake in his name which shall bee examined by and by Thirdly it is improbable that when Christ had such another testimony from Heaven at his transfiguration that he should conceale it from nine of his Disciples and charge
the three silence that heard it and saw what was done Matth. 17. 9. and yet should let this voice and vision from Heaven bee so publike as to bee heard and seen of all the people Fourthly John himselfe telleth that this Revelation was given chiefly if not onely for his sake Joh. 1. 33. Fifthly the preaching of the Baptist was the meanes that God had ordained to bring the people to the knowledge of Christ John 1. 7. 31. and this Revelation to bring the Baptist to it Sixthly had all the people been partakers of this sight and voice John had needed no more to have pointed Christ out but the people would have knowne him as well as hee nor could the opinion have ever prevailed as it did that valued John above him Sixthly when John shewed him forth with the singer with Behold the Lambe of God presently Disciples followeed him which they would have done much more had they thus seene and heard him pointed out from heaven but it is plaine they did not the one and thereupon it may be boldly concluded that they did not the other Eighthly to which may be added that God ordained preaching partly of John partly of Christ himselfe and partly of his Disciples the way to bring the world acquainted that hee was Messias And these divine revelations were for the instruction and confirmation of them his preachers who were chosen witnesses for such a purpose that they thereupon might the more confidently confirm the people And hereupon it is observable that while the Baptist was at liberty our Saviour contented himselfe with his testimony and preaching but wheâ— he was shut up then instantly chose he others Now if any doubt of the possibility of this and question how could John see and heare these things and the other company that was present not doe so as well as hee The answer may bee readily given by example of Elishaes servant 2 King 6. 17. and the two men that went to Emmauâ— Luke 24. For the mountaine was full of Horses and Chariots of fire and Elisha perceived them but his servant did not till his eyes were opened in a more speciall manner And Christ it is like was in the same shape and appearance upon the way when they knew him not that he was in the house when they did but til then their eyes were holden Yet if any one will suppose that the people saw the flashing of the opened Heaven and heard the noice of the voice that came from thence and tooke the one for lightening and the other for thunder as Joh. 12. 29. we will not oppose it for now was the season of the yeere fit for lightning and thunder but that either they saw the holy Ghost or distinguished the words of the voice any more then Pauls companions did Acts 9. 7. compared with Act. 22. 9. the reasons alledged doe inforce to deny till better information Mat. 3. vers 16. And hee saw the Spirit of God The syntax and construction of Marke doth tye and six these words Hee saw onely to our Saviour as it did those before and both for the reason mentioned namely to shew the return and answer of his prayer But these words of Matthew are not so strict but that they may equally bee applied unto John For first there may be observed a distinction in the verse and a kind of difference of speech betwixt what goeth before about the opening of the heavens and this fight of the holy Ghost For of that hee speaketh thus And Jesus being baptized went straightway out of the water and lâ—e the Heavens were opened unto him And then commeth hee on with a distinct clause concerning the other And be saw the Spirit of God descending leaving it at the least in an indifferency whether to apply it to Christ or John But secondly it seemeth rather to bee understood of John because hee saith himselfe that this descending of the holy Ghost was given to him for a signe and that he saw it and if it bee not to bee so taken herâ— none of the three Evangelists have mentioned it in the story at all And thirdly the rather may it bee taken of Johns seeing it because he saith He saw him descending and comming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon on him Had it been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon himselfe it must needs have been understood of Christ upon whom the Spirit came that hee saw the Spirit comming upon himselfe but since it is 〈◊〉 him without any reciprocation it may be the better applyed to John that hee saw it It is true indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifieth reciprocally himselfe as our Lexicons doe give examples and as it is of force to be taken in Saint Marke in this place like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes doth not signifie reciprocally as in the Lxx in Judg. 7. 24. But why should wee take the word out of its commonest and properest sense unlesse there were necessity to doe it which in Matthew there is not though in Marke there bee Fourthly and lastly these words hee saw being understood of John it maketh that the three Evangelists being laid together the relation ariseth out of them the more full and the story more plain For Luke telling that the Heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended Marke addeth that Jesus saw this and Matthew that John Mat. 3. Ver. 16. The Spirit of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in the beginning of the old world and so doth it here of the new It is needlesse to instance how oft in Scripture the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of God as Gen. 41. 38. Exod. 31. 3. Numb 24. 2. and very many other places but it is most necessary to observe that wheresoever hee is so called it is in the Hebrew the Spirit of Elohim in the plurall number and sheweth his proceeding from more persons then one Contrary to the opinion of the Greek Church that holdeth that the holy Ghost proceedeth not from the Father and the Sonne but from the Father onely Luk. 3. Ver. 22. The Holy Ghost As hee is called the Spirit not so much in regard of his owne nature as in regard of his manner of proceeding so also is hee called Holy not so much in respect of his person for the Father and Sonne are Spirits and are holy as well as hee but in regard of his worke and Office which is to sanctifie the Church of God And in this respect hee is called by the Hebrews not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Spirit onely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruahâ— bakkâ—desh the Spirit of Holinesse for this phrase the Holy Ghost is taken from the common speech of the Jews And so is hee called by Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 4. and so doth the Syrian call him Ruhâ—a dekudsha in this place SS The Holy Ghost descended This