of the Resurrection or as Grotius with most of the Pontificians because he was the first that rose to Immortal Life and Glory or as others because he was the First that rose from the Dead as 't is said Acts 26. 23. viz. by his own Power but because he was the Chiefest of all those that rose from the Dead because he was the Head of them all as it follows that in all things he might have the Preeminence that it might appear that he was Lord of all This is to be the First-born of the Dead or of the Number of the Dead for so it should be rendred the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying here so much A third Text might be alledged viz. Rom. 8. 29. that he might be the First-born among many Brethren i. e. that he might be the Chief the Supream of all the Children of God for he was Predestinated as well as they he was set a-part as the First-born among Men who were the Choicest of all were who were more immediately destined and devoted to the Service of God Exâ—d 1â— 2. And lastly I will mention Rev. 1. 5. where Christ is call'd the First-begotten of the Dead which hath the same import with those words in the Epistle to the Calossians before alledg'd for it is explain'd to us by what follows in the next Clause and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth to let us see that the word First-born or First-begotten hath the Signification which I have offer'd it being the use of the Hebrews to apply it to those Things or Persons that are the Chiefest and most Excellent In which sense likewise First-fruits are taken in Iam. 1. 18. where the Saints are call'd the First-fruits of the Creatures of God i. e. they are the Chief of the Creation they are the Flower of Mankind they are more signally and eminently design'd to set forth the Glory of God in the World So Christ is the First-fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15. 20. he is the Principal of all those that rose from the Dead This way of Speaking is taken from the Jewish notion of First-fruits which were the Choicest of all their Fruits and Incomes and from the Hebrew manner of expressing themselves that is calling those things which are Chief and most Eligible First-fruits Amos 6. 1. Mic. 7. 1. Moreover I take that Expression which our Saviour so often useth concerning himself viz. his stiling himself the Son of Man to be a way of Speech proper to the Hebrews and therefore is to be explain'd by what we meet with in the Old Testament A Person well skill'd in Hebrew Criticism tells us that Ezekiel is very often about a hundred times call'd Son of Man because of the extraordinary Visions and Revelations which he had wherewith he was highly honour'd above others So that Son of Man is the same with an Excellent or Digniâ—â—ed Man And that this is the frequent Language of the Psalmist hath been very lately observ'd and amply proved by our Incomparable Paraphrast on this Sacred Book Besides several other Excellent Discoveries made by him in that Choice Work which will gain him an Immortal Honour among the Pious and Wise he hath particularly set us into a right apprehension of This Expression so often used by the Holy Pen-man From several places in this Book as also from others which he produceth out of the Sacred Writings he evidenceth that Son of Man is the same with an Eminent Person and he is the first Writer I have met with that hath establish'd and fully clear'd this Notion From this Discerning Author we may observe that in Psal. 49. 2. there is a difference made between bene adam and bene ish the former signifying there Mean Inferiour Persons but the latter Men of Considerable Rank and Quality wherefore our Translators give us the sense very fully in rendring it low and high Or perhaps adam in this place is the same with adamah Earth and so the Sons of Man are opposed to the Sons of the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Seventy render it terrigenae according to the Vulgar Latin In Psal. 4. 2. beneâ—ish the Sons of Man is applied to Princes and Rulers for of such that place speaks And I translate it the Sons of Man not of Men as 't is in our English Bibles for so the Original hath it and we ought to take notice of it for there is a vast difference between the one and the other Sons of Men in Scripture are all that are of the Race of Adam but Son or Sons of Man are Persons of some Dignity and Rule in the World But sometimes indeed bene adam is the same with bene ish and then they are opposed to enosh or ben enosh as in Psal. 8. 4. What is Man and the Son of Man i. e. as I conceive what is the Lower and the Higher Rank of Men that Thou visitest them that Thou shewest thy self so Bountiful to them So Sons of Man Psal. 58. 1. is meant of Iudges and Great Men as is evident from the former words of that Verse And in Psal. 80. 17. Son of Man is the same with the Man of the right Hand and the Man that is made Strong Again in Psal. 146. 3. Princes and the Sons of Man are synonimous for in Princes in the Son of Man are by way of Apposition in the Hebrew to acquaint us that they are identified And further it is to be observed that this Title of the Son of Man is particularly and by way of Eminency affix'd to the Messias as in that foremention'd place Psal. 8. 4. for we shall find that in Heb. 2. 6. it is referr'd to him by the Apostle in the Secondary and Mystical sense but more signally and directly in Dan. 7. 13. Behold one like the Son of Man On which words Rabbi Saadiah is very peremptory and saith This is the Messias our Righteousness And Solomon Iarchi and other great Rabbies declare that by the Son of Man is meant the Messias There is reason therefore to assert that when Christ so frequently gives himself this Title he takes it from the Old Testament where it signifies a Man of Eminency and Rule and more especially from Daniel who by this Epithet expresses the Messias the Prince the Lord of Heaven and Earth And to any considerate Man it is evident that our Saviour particularly referr'd to that place in Daniel Behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven when he pronounced those words Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Mat. 26. 64. Neither would the High Priest have thought that our Saviour spoke Blasphemy and thereupon rent his Clothes if he had not apprehended that he referr'd to those words of Daniel and consequently owned himself to be the Messias who hath the Title of the Son of Man given him because of his
barbarously and maliciously took away his Life because he was a faithful and righteous Person Thus I interpret the Words because I discern that the Apostle alludes to Gen. 4. 10. The Voice of thy Brother's Blood crieth unto me from the Ground Wherefore when he saith Abel yet speaketh it is as much as if he had said his Blood speaketh or crieth It spake long ago and it yet speaks like the Souls under the Altar Rev. 6. 10. How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judg and avenge our Blood Now by this Text I expound that other in Heb. 12. 24. The Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than Abel for so it is in the Greek The Apostle having said before Abel yet speaks i. e. the Voice of his Blood speaketh or crieth to Heaven for Vengeance he here with particular reference to that Passage assures us that Christ's Blood speaks better things than Abel or than the Blood of Abel which was shed by his Brother for whereas that spoke and cried for Punishment this pleads for Mercy and Pardon Christ's Oblation of himself on the Cross by the Effusion of his Blood speaks better things doth more atone and appease the Wrath of God than the Blood of Abel who was spitefully murder'd did incense and provoke it Thus this is a good way of interpreting Scripture sometimes by comparing one Text with another and observing their mutual Relation Many obscure and less intelligible Passages are clear'd by this Means I will content my self with mentioning one Place more viz. Mat. 24. 34. This Generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled Which remarkable Words of our Saviour may seem to have been mistaken by those Interpreters that I have met with and merely because they have not minded the Reference of the Words Some have taken this Generation for the Generation then in being in our Saviour's time and so they apprehend him to speak of something that was soon after to be accomplish'd not unlike some of St. Iohn's Visions which were to come to pass in a short time and consequently that those Signs of his Coming which he had foretold in that Chapter were to be every Day expected and if they were meant of his General and Final Coming then that the Overthrow of Ierusalem and of the World should be about the same time And that some of the Signs mentioned by Christ are to be understood properly and peculiarly of the Iewish Nation soems to be clear from that one Passage in ver 20. Pray that your Flight be not on the Sabbath-day which intimates that the Iewish People were particularly concern'd who solemnly observed that Day By this Generation then they understand the present Generation of the Jews which was at that time and to confirm this they observe that this Generation is applied by Christ to the Jews of that Age Mark 8. 12. The Meaning then of this Generation shall not pass c. according to this Acception of the Word is this that whilst the Jews then living were upon the Earth those things which our Saviour had foretold in that Chapter yea all those things should be fulfill'd This were a very good Interpretation of the Words if the thing it self could be proved that is that within so short a time all those Predictions of Christ were accomplish'd But the contrary is very evident for the Chapter speaks of the Day of Judgment as well as of the Devastation of Ierusalem wherefore all the things that our Lord spoke of were not fulfill'd within the Compass of that Generation and consequently that Period of Time could not be meant when it is said This Generation shall c. Secondly therefore others who are sensible of the Invalidity of this Interpretation understand this Generation in a wider and larger Sense and think that by it is meant the Evangelical Dispensation the whole Series of Time from our Saviour's Days to the End of the World the final Upshot of all things And this is a good Exposition of the Text and salves the Sense very well only there is no Proof that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the last Age of the World This Period of Time is call'd by St. Iohn the last time by St. Peter the End of all things and by St. Paul the Ends of the World but I do not find that it is any where stiled this Generation therefore I do not see any good Ground to apply it here in that manner as some Expositors have done Wherefore I will offer another Interpretation which I hope will not be unacceptable to the Learned though I confess I do not expect it should be presently received because it is wholly new and unheard of But let Impartial Minds judg of it who will not suffer the mere Novelty of an Exposition to hinder their imbracing of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Generation of the Heaven and Earth the Whole Creation of the World this vast Mundane Fabrick So St. Iames uses the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ch 3. 6. making it the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Rom. 8. 19 22. And even among Profane Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath sometimes the like Acception and is rendred Seculum the World This shall not pass i. e. be destroyed till all these things be fulfilled as if our Saviour had said The World shall continue as it hath hitherto done till all these things which I have foretold but especially these concerning my Last Coming be accomplished but immediately after the fulfilling of them this Generation of the Heavens and Earth this Frame of the World shall be set on Fire shall be consumed And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath this Signification here i. e. that it imports this System of Heaven and Earth I gather from the Reference of this Verse to the immediately ensuing one Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Words shall not pass away where you see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is explained by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Generation of Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Words my Predictions concerning future things which you have just now heard from my Mouth shall not pass away Which is as much as if he had said This great Structure of the World shall perish at last Heaven and Earth shall be destroyed by a general Conflagration but new Heavens and a new Earth shall arise in their room which shall be a Building not made with Hands not of perishing Materials but such as shall last eternally And of this Nature is my Word and Promise such are all my Predictions and particularly this of the Signs of my Coming it shall never be null'd and abolish'd The applying of the words shall pass to the Heavens and Earth immediately after shews that Christ means by this Generation the whole World expressed by Heaven and Earth You see then how sitly 't is said here
the Seas were made by depressing some Parts of the Earth for the Waters to run in the Channels also of the Rivers were fix'd and the Currents of Water let into them For if as some imagine Rivers were made afterwards by Men the Banks of them or one Side of them at least would be higher than the rest of the Ground by reason of the Earth dug out and cast up 3. A Drying of the Land which was a necessary Consequence of that collecting the Waters into certain Cavities and Channels in the Earth for they being drain'd and sunk down into these the Land became dry and had the Denomination of Earth properly so call'd given to it Virgil expresses it thus for he as well as other Poets as I have shew'd in another Place borrowed several things from the Sacred Records Et durare solum discludere Nerea Ponto Coepit And this was not only in order to render it a sutable Habitation for Men and Beasts afterwards but to sit it immediately for Plants and Herbs for Trees and Fruits and more especially for the Plantation of Paradise which were the fourth and last Production of this Day The next Day was employ'd in creating of an Etherial Heaven or Firmament and furnishing it with Glorious Lights As the former Firmament or Expanse was the Space between the Earth and Aether so this is that vast Extension which comprehends the Aether and all the Luminaries placed in it and whatever is above it even the Place of the Blessed call'd the Heaven of Heavens The Generality of Expositors I grant make the other Firmament and this the same and think that the Firmament here spoken of is not mention'd as the Product of this Day 's Creation but that here is only a new mentioning of the preceding one But this Mistake hath run them into great Absurdities and hath made them unable to give any tolerable Account of the Waters under the Firmament and those above it But if you quit the usual Road of Interpreters and take the Firmament in the 14th Verse to be different from that in ver 6 7. you solve all Difficulties whatsoever and the Texts are clear and evident Wherefore I distinguish between the Firmament of Air and that of Aether i. e. that wherein the Clouds and Meteors are and the other which contains the Luminaries of Heaven And you may observe that this in contradistinction to the former is signally stiled thrice the Firmament of Heaven ver 14 15 17. This Celestial Expansion being fix'd the next Work was to garnish and adorn it To which purpose the Light made the first Day is now abundantly and almost infinitely augmented and refined and disposed of into certain particular Orbs or Spheres or Vortices which are form'd in this upper Part of the World As all the formerly dispersed Light which was scatter'd over the whole Face of the Earth and Deep was as we expresly read ver 4. divided from the Darkness whereby one half of the Globe was enlightned and the other was in the dark it was Day with one Hemisphere whilest it was Night with the other so now on the third Day this Wandring Light is gather'd into the Bodies of the Sun and Stars This is the Mosaick Philosophy concerning the Earth and Heavens and if it were my Business here I could shew that upon true Principles of Reason it is more consistent than any Philosophical Hypotheses of another Strain and especially more congruous to the Laws of Motion and the Operations of Nature than that of Monsieur Des Cartes who tells us that there were nothing but Suns and Stars at first there were no Earths nor Planets but in process of Time some of these Suns were overspread with Spots and Scum and became opake and being suck'd in by their Neighbour-Vortices turn'd into Planets or Earth But truly to give this worthy Person his due he propounded this only as a Handsome Hypothesis a neat Philosophick Fiction which he thought might serve as a good Expedient to solve some Celestial Phaenomena But he intended not that any Man should look upon it as a Reality and thereby exclude the Mosaick Doctrine For his own Words are these It is not to be doubted that the World was at the very first created with all its Perfection so that there were then existent the Sun Earth and Moon This the Christian Faith teacheth us and even natural Reason perswades us to think so for when we attend to the Immense Power of God we can't imagine that he ever made a thing which was not every ways entire and perfect Thus he establisheth the Mosaick System according to which the Earth was before not after the Heavens yea as gross as it was it was the First-born of the Creation and consequently the Hypothesis about its being made by Absorption is a Fiction So according to Moses the Earth was the Basis and Foundation of the World and the Sun and other Luminaries were placed in the Firmament which is said to be above the Earth wherefore the System that makes the Earth the Center and not the Sun is founded on this Before I dismiss this Head I might take notice how mightily concern'd the Arcâ—aeologist is about the Inequality of the Days Works and especially that of this Fourth Day which he tells us exceeds all the other five and therefore he cannot give Credit to Moâ—es's Hexaëmeron This is the wild Reasoning of this Philosophick Adventurer Indeed both here and in other Places where he descants on the Mosaick History he uses a most extravagant and to speak plainly a most irreligious Liberty confronting the Text with an unsufferable Boldness and playing upon it with a most unbecoming Raillery Is he to set the Almighty Creator his Tasks and proportion them as he think fit Must every Day 's Work be equal or else must it not be believed Yea is he able to tell what is equal or unequal with the Omnipotent Deity and most Wise Architect of the World Surely this is not the Language of a Christian Man Yea which perhaps will affect him more 't is as sure that he dotâ— not talk like a Philosopâ—er for it is certain and all Intelligent Men will acknowledg it that Dull Gross heavy Matter aboâ—t which the foregoing Days Works were conversant is not if we speak of the Nature of the thing so soon moved shaped and order'd as that which is Tenuious Fluid subtile and active The Make of the Heavens and all the spatious Bodies of the Stars was quickly dispatch'd because the Matter of them was Ethereal light tractable and by reason of their â—iry and agile Nature they presently ran into that Shape which they now appear in This should have been consider'd by this Cavilling Gentleman and he ought to have made a Distinction between what in it self is Dull and what is Active i. e. the Tâ—o Different Principles of the Creation which I have before asserted If he had done so he would
Books with us We need not stay to attend here to what a late Learned Writer before named hath with much Confidence but slender Reason suggested viz. that the Bible of the Old Testament is an Abbreviated Collection from Antient Records which were much more large He confesseth that the Canon of Scripture is taken out of Authentick Registeries but the Authors who collected it added and diminished as they pleased especially he asserts this concerning the Historical Books that they are Abridgments of larger Records and Summaries of other larger Acts kept in the Jewish Archives and these publick Scribes who writ them out took the liberty to alter Words as they saw occasion So that in short according to this Critick here are only some broken Pieces and Scraps taken out of the first Authentick Writings A bold and daring Assertion and founded on no other Bottom than F. Simon 's Brain Who would expect this from one that is a Man of great Sense and Reason one that is a great Master of Critical Learning and hath presented the World with very choice Remarks on the History of the Bible for truly I am not of his Opinion who saith he sees not any thing in this Author's Writings buâ— what is common It is to be lamented that a Person otherwise so Judicious and Observing hath given himself up here to his own Fancy and Conceit He invents a new Office of publick Registers that were Divinely inspired he makes Notaries and Prophets the same He gives no Proof and Demonstration of that Adding and Diminishing which the Scribes he talks of made he hatâ— not one tolerable Argument to evince any of thâ— Books of Scripture to be Fragments of greater ones Indeed I should mightily have wondred that so Ingenious so Sagacious so Learned a Man haâ— broach'd such groundless Notions if I did noâ— consider that this subtile Romanist designs hereâ—â— as most of that Church generally do to depreciaâ—â—â— the Bible and to represent it as a Book of Fragments and Shreds that so when our Esteem 〈◊〉 the Authority of Scripture is weakned yea taken away we may wholly rest upon Tradition anâ— found our Religion as well as the Scriptures 〈◊〉 that alone This is that which he drives at in 〈◊〉 Critical History both of the Old and New Testamenâ— But all sober and considerate Persons will bewarâ— of him when they discover this Design Theâ— will easily see through his plausible Stories foâ—â— Surmises bold Conjectures and seeming Argâ—mentations and they will have the greater Reverence for the Bible because he and others havâ— attacked it with so much Contempt and Rudenesâ— and purposely bring its Authority into question that they may set up something else above 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding then the Cavils and Objection of designing Men we have reason to believe anâ— avouch the Authority of the Old Testament and to be thorowly perswaded that the Books are entirely transmitted to us without any Corruption and are the same that ever they were without and Diminution or Addition We have them as they were written by the first Authors we have them entire and perfect and not as some fondly suggest contracted abbreviated curtail'd Unto the Iews the antient People of God were committed his Oracles as the Apostle speaks and they shewed themselves conscientious and diligent Conservators of them The Jewish Nation saith St. Augustin have been as 't were the Chest-keepers for the Christians they have faithfully preserv'd that Sacred Depositum for them they have safely kept that Ark wherein the Law and the Prophets were Lock'd up God would have the Jews to be Librarii Christianorum saith Drusius Keepers of those Sacred Volumes for us Christians and it is certain they kept them with great Care the like whereof is not to be found to have been taken in preserving any other sort of Writings under Heaven And seeing they have so carefully handed the Old Testament down to us we are concern'd to receive it with a proportionable Thankfulness and to reckon this their Delivering of those Writings down to us as no mean Argument of their Truth and Certainty Secondly The Authority of the New Testament is confirmed by External Testimony or Tradition no less than that of the Old Testament We have the Authentick Suffrage of the Primitive Church the Unanimous Consent of the Christians of the first Ages that this Book is of Divine Inspiration and that it is Pure and Uncorrupted Some of the Fathers and first Writers give us a Catalogue of the Books of the New Testament and they are the very same with those which we have at this day Athanasius particularly enumerating those Books sets down all those which we now embrace as Canonical and no others And many of the Fathers of the first Ages after Christ as Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Tertullian c. quote the Places in the New Testament as they are now If it be objected that in the Fathers sometimes the Text of Scripture is not exactly what we find it and read it at this day This must be remembred that they sometimes quoted the Meaning not the very Words At other times their Memories fail'd them as to the Words and thence they chang'd them into others and instead of those in the Text used some that were like them So when they were in haste and not at leisure to consult the Text they made use of such Words and Expressions as they thought came nearest to it Heinsius shews this in a vast many places Sometimes they contract the Word of the Text and give only the brief Sense of it at other times they enlarge it and present us with a Comment upon it yea sometimes as they see occasion and as their Matter leads them to it they invert the Words and misplace the Parts of the Text. But no Man ought hence to infer that the Scriptures of the New Testament then and now are not the same And as for the Number of the Sacred Writers and their Books it hatâ— been always the same i. e. the same Catalogue and Canon have been generally acknowledged and received by the Christian Church It is true some Particular Books have been questioned but by a few only and for a time but the Church was at last fully satisfied about them the Generality oâ— Christians agreed to own all those Books which are now owned by us All the Eastern Churches held the Epistle to the Hebrews to be Canonical though the Latins it is granted were not so unanimous This Epistle and that of St. Iames the second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of St. Iohn and the Epistle of St. Iude and the Apocalypse were questioned in the first Century saith Eusebius but he acquaints us withal that they were afterwards by general Consent received into the Canon of Holy Scripture for the Doubts were resolved upon mature Deliberation So that the questioning of those Books is now a Conâ—â—rmation of the Truth and Authority of
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. Water was held to 〈◊〉 the first Element and from that the other three sprang Which Opinion is taken from the Scripture account of the first Principles of the World viz. from Moses's making the dark Deep or Water to be the Production of the first Day and consequently to be the Source of all things that were framed afterwards Hence it was that some of the Stoicks held the Chaos to be no other than Water as Philo informs us They think saith he that Water and the Chaos being the same this latter hath its Denomination from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signisres flowing â— pouring out Hence Seneâ—a declares it to be 〈◊〉 Opinion of this Sect of Philosophers that 〈◊〉 is the first Principle of all things The choliast upon Pindar thinks that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludes to this antient Opinion but I can't â—y any thing in defence of that We are certain â—at the former Quotations are very plain and to â—he purpose and now I will bring another as conderable as any viz. of Thales the Founder of â—he Ionick Philosophy and one of the first that â—ade Disquisitions on Nature he expresly mainâ—ain'd that all things were produc'd of Water as Diogenes Laertius Tully and others relate of â—im Especially the Words of this latter conerning him are remarkable Thales assirm'd saith he that Water was the beginning of Things â—nd that God was that Mind which made all things of Water Which seems more particularly and sigâ—ally to refer to what Moses saith speaking of the â—rst Original of the Universe that the Spirit of God â—oved on the Face of the Waters Gen. 1. 2. giving â—s to understand that Water and Slime were the Material Cause and First Principle of all things â—nd that God was that Spirit or Mind who made â—he World out of those first Waters And the Barbarick as well as Greek Philosophers held this â—itness the Brachmans among the Indians as Straâ— â— quoted by Philo saith And the Egyptians â—hought so too and therefore worshipp'd this Eâ—ment as that Learned Jew observeth Helmont as well as Thales and other Philosophets of â— patronizes this Opinion maintaining that all â— dies are from one Element they are materiâ— simple Water disguised into various Forms by 〈◊〉 Plastick Virtue of their Seeds And an Hoâ— rable Person of late hath amas'd several things â— gether for the maintaining this Hypothesis and let the World see what may be said for it thoâ— he is not peremptory himself This without doâ— the Antients borrowed from the Mosaical Hisâ— of the World which acquaints us that at the 〈◊〉 Creation all things were contain'd in Water and lay brooding there two days together â— accordingly it makes Water to be the primitiâ— Matter or Vehicle of the Universe To the Chaos and Water the Antients added anâ— ther concurrent Principle namely Night Thâ— the World had its Beginning from Night and â— os was an universal Tradition of the Pagans no only Poets as Orpheus Linus Hesiod Homer 〈◊〉 others who frequently talk of Chaos and Nigâ— or Erebus and tell us that all things were begottâ— by them but Philosophers also if we must distiâ— guish between these and the Poets who were Philosophers too as Epicharmus Thales Plato and â— the Greek Theologizers who speak of those Tâ— as the Original of all things in the World Aâ— stotle relates that the Persons skill'd in antieâ— Theology believed all things were made of Nigâ— Which questionless is of Mosaick Extraction and sprang first from those words in Gen. 1. 2. Darkness was on the Face of the Deep The Deep is their Chaos and the Darkness is their Night or Erebus for the â—nown and usual Signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Caligo Darkness Or perhaps this may be borrowed from Ereb Vespera the Evening mentioned in Gen. 1. â— as the first Beginning of Time from the Creation whence the old Notion of Aether and Day being begot by the Night And hence the Pagans who had seen something of these Writings came to have this Sentiment that Night and Darkness were the first Principles of the World This is the same with what Moses here delivers only 't is express'd in different Terms And so as to what is said in the Mosaick History concerning God's orderly dividing separating and digesting of this confused Chaos and dark Mass the Old Philosophers have agreed to this likewise Anaxagoras is reckon'd commonly in the number of the antient Atheists but he little deserved that Name for as Plutarch saith of him he was the first that denied Fortune or Fate to be the Cause or Principle of the fair Order and Harmony of the Universe and first set up a Pure and Immixt Spirit or Mind who separated the homogeneous Parts from the whole Mass and confused Mixture of things And Diogenes Laertius gives these as his very Words All things were in a heap and jumble at first afterwards came the Eternal Mind and disposed and ordered them in an excellent Manner This Aristotle meant when he said that in infinite Matter a Mind or Intelligence produced Motion and separated the Parts which Mind is called by Simplicius on the Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 Mind which made the World So Tully 〈◊〉 that those Particles of infinite Matter 〈◊〉 were alike in themselves and were very small â— subtile and at first very confused were a 〈◊〉 wards brought into Order by the Divine 〈◊〉 This was the Work of God in the Creation 〈◊〉 I ask whence had they this Notion concerâ—â—â—â— the Origine of the World It is not a Principâ—â— in Philosophy therefore they had it somewhâ—â— else which is the thing I am proving 〈◊〉 Speculations and Theories concerning the Rise 〈◊〉 the World were not their own but were Traâ—â—â—tional Principles i. e. they received them 〈◊〉 the Antients and these had them conveyed 〈◊〉 them from the Bible Theiâ— Philosophizing 〈◊〉 this Matter was from that Divine Penman Mosâ—â— the Sum of which was this that God first of 〈◊〉 produced a Chaos i. e. the rude Beginnings 〈◊〉 Earth swallowed up and even overwhelmed wiâ—â— the Watry Abyss out of which dark confused anâ— indigested Materials he made all things both 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth as out of the first Matter whicâ— by a Divine Skill and Power he separated and divided till it arose to this excellent and compleâ—â— Frame wherein it appears at this day Thus the antient Philosophy of the Gentiles was borrowed from Moses's Description of the Creation thus the Writings of the first Heathen Philosophers bear witness to the first and antientest Penmen of the Old Testament And if you ask how the Pagans came by this Information from the Holy Writings be pleased to stay but till we come towards the Close of this Discourse and then I hope 〈◊〉 shall give you a good and satisfactory Account
by Coelicolae for there they are said to be an unheardâ—of Name and a new Crime whereas they had that Name in Augustus's time according to Strabo There have been different Opinions concerning the rise of this Pagan Contumely viz. that the Iews adored the Heavens and the Clouds Some think it commenced from the superstitious and idolatrous Practice of that People in worshipping the Host of Heaven as we read they did But I cannot assent to this because 't is unreasonable to imagine that the Pagans would jeer the Jews for that â—hich they visibly practised themselves Others â—ay this arose from the Devotion of the Jews who â—sed to look up towards Heaven when they made their Prayers to God But this was in common to them with the Pagan Worshippers who naturally had this Posture of Devotion and cast up their Eyes and spread out their Hands towards Heaven therefore this could not be the occasion of this Imputation But there is another Opinion which I find most applauded and it is this that this Obloquy of the Heathens proceeded from their mistaking the use of the word Shamajim Heavens among the Hebrews and even in the Scripture it self where sometimes it signifies God â—imself This is the Conjecture of the Learned Mr. Selden hence saith he the Gentiles inferr'd that the Jews made Heaven a Deity But I apprehend this Inference could not be made by them because Shamajim is used in this sense but in one place in the Old Testament viz. in Dan. 4. 26. the Heavens do rule where the Heavens import God himself But I can't believe that the Pagans thought the Jews were Worshippers of the Heavens because in this one single place and no where else God is call'd Heaven And though I grant the Jewish Rabbies used the word Shamajim thus making God and the Heavens Synonymous in some places of their Writings yet they do it no where so as there might be occasion for this Mistake Having thus told you what I conceive did not give rise to this Pagan Accusation I will acquaint you what I take to be the true and only occasion of it Here then you must observe that that which is the chief thing in the Jeer is that the Clouds were worshipp'd Nil praeter Nubes c. 〈◊〉 adoring of these the Railery arises and the 〈◊〉 are but mention'd by the by as being 〈◊〉 Place where these Clouds are This being prâ—â—sed I offer it as a probable Assertion that 〈◊〉 Piece of Pagan Railery was borrow'd from 〈◊〉 we often read in Moses's History that God led 〈◊〉 Israelites in their Journey from Egypt and throâ— the Wilderness by a Cloud that went beâ— them To this they often look'd up the Câ—â—duct of this they daily attended to with grâ— Reverence the Report of which occasion'd tâ— Charge of the Pagans against the Jews that theâ— were Cloud-Worshippers This is undeniable 〈◊〉 that miraculous Leading of that People by a 〈◊〉 could not but be very famous among the Neigâ—bouring Gentiles who soon communicated 〈◊〉 news of it to others that were about them and 〈◊〉 this Report came to be frequent in the Mouths 〈◊〉 most Pagans And truly when they related thâ— the Cloud was adored by the Jews they were 〈◊〉 mistaken for it was no other than the Symbol 〈◊〉 God's Presence it was a secondary and remoâ— Object of their Reverence and Devotion as the Ark and more especially the Mercy-Seat was Only here they shew'd their gross Ignorance in concluding that if the Jews worshipp'd one Cloud they might as well pay the same Respect to another yea to all whence we are told by the Poet that they worshipp'd nothing else but Clouds Though truly I am willing to take this Author iâ— another Sense and I will go yet further and offer this to be consider'd viz. whether the wonderful Fire as well as the Cloud which went before the Israelites in their Travels be not here mention'd by this Poet seeing Farnaby in his Notes and others before him acquaint us that this Verse in some Copies is read thus Nil praeter Nubes Coeli lumen adorant Where by Nubes we understand as I have said before the Pillar of the Cloud which was the Israelites Guide in the Day-time and by Coeli lumen the Pillar of Fire or Light which conducted them in the Night It is very likely that this latter reading of the Verse is the truest and accordingly you have a plain and obvious Account of what we undertook to enquire into viz. the Cloud which the Jews were said to worship and of something more namely the Light of Heaven which this Writer saith they shew'd the same regard to which is no other I conceive than that Fiery Pillar which continually appear'd to the Israelites in the Night and directed them in their way and 't is most appositely here call'd Coeli lumen the Light of Heaven according to the very stile of the Old Testament where 't is stiled a Light of Fire Psal. 7â— 14. and where we are informed it was set up in the Heavens on purpose by God to give them Light Exod. 13. 21. This I say is the plain Account of this Poetick Passage and I do not see any Objection that lies against it Wherefore I take it to be as notable a Testimony as any we have â—rom the Pagan Writers of the Truth of the Mosaick History and other Records of the Old Testament CHAP. V. From the Writings and Practices of Strangers it is â—â—vident that there were such Jewish Usages and Câ—â—remonies as these viz. The Observation of 〈◊〉 Seventh Day Washings and Purifications Paâ—ing of First-fruits and Tithes Abstaining from certain kinds of Food Peculiar Garments for thâ— Priests Bearing the Tabernacle and Ark Tâ— High-Priest's going once a Year into the Holy of Hâ—lies Sacrifices with several things that belong'd to them The Mercy-Seat and Oracle The Urim aâ—â— Thummin the Scape-Goat the Water of Iealoâ—sy the Feast of Tabernacles Nazaritism Vnleâ—vened Bread Circumcision the Law of Cherem Lots Cities of Refuge New-Moons Iubilee Mysteries and Types Ample Testimonies out of Profane Authors are added concerning Moses VI. THe Mosaick Ceremonies and the prevailing of them as very antient are vouched by the very Practice of the Pagan World To instance in some for it would be too tedious to mention all and first in the dividing of Time into Weeks or Seven Days and the observing a Seventh Day as sacred thus Hesiod called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seventh Holy Day because among the Gentiles this was a Day of Solemn Worship set apart for Religious Offices It is observ'd by Lampridiâ— of Severus the Emperor that he used to go to the â—pitol and frequent the Temples on this Day Yea the very word Sabbath was used by some of them thus Suetonius saith Diogenes the Gramâ—arian used to hold Disputations at Rhodes on the Sabbaths And from Lucian we learn that the Seventh Day was a Festival
Though this might put them upon offering part of their Increase to those from whom they thought they received the whole yet this particular Quota is no Dictate of Nature They were not bid by the Law of exact Reason to consecrate the Tithe of all to the Gods It is as reasonable and accountable to give a ninth or eleventh Part to them as the Tenth Therefore this must proceed from some positive Law and particular Institution And hence I gather that the Pagans received this Rite and Custom from the Iews who were under a Law of Tithes by the special Command of God as the Scripture informs us And though a late Author of great Learning reckons Tithes to have had their Rise from the Pagan World yet he cannot but be sensible that the contrary is universally imbraced by the Learned Selden particularly proves that the Phoenicians and Egyptians and others who were near Neighbours to the Jews received that Custom from the Jewish Nation and that afterwards it was transmitted from those neighbouring Heathens to others farther off as the Greeks Romans c. Or if it could be found that some Heathens before the Jewish Dispensation offered Tithes we might reasonably assert that some of the Patriarchs before the Law gave occasion to the Heathens to do so But this can no where be found but on the contrary the antientest Instance of giving Tithes is that of Abraham we read that after a great Victory he devoted the Tithes of all the Spoils to the Priest of the most High God From this and the like Practice the offering of Tithes among the Heathens took its beginning Fourthly Abstaining from certain kinds of Foâ— among the Jews caused it is probable the samâ— Custom among other Nations The Distinction 〈◊〉 Clean and Vnclean Meats was derived from the Jews to the Egyptians thus Herodotus and Plutarch report that these eat no Swines Flesh yea if they do but touch it they wash themselves Sâ— it is related concerning the Phoenicians Cretianâ— and Syrians that they abstain'd from this sort 〈◊〉 Flesh. These last also eat neither Fish nor Pigeons Some of the Greek Philosophers observ'd this Difference of Meats very strictly as Diogenes Pythagoras Apollonius Tyanaeus as Laertius Plutarch and Philostratus assure us The Old Pythagoreans abstain'd from several kinds of Food especially they refrain'd from eating of Fish What God tacitly forbad in Sacrifices as the Brain and the Heart for neither of these are commanded to be sacrificed unto God those Philosophers openly forbad at their Tables And they derived from the Hebrews their not eating things that died of themselves or that had Blood in them In many other Usages it might be shewed that the Pythagorean Way was an Imitation of Judaism Fifthly The Heathen Priests Garments were in imitation of those which the Jewish Priests wore The Pagan Pontiffs wore a Mitre on their Heads as Philostratus testifies and a White Vest or Linen Ephod was the usual Apparel of their Priests in their Holy Service as Valerius Maximus and others inform us A worthy Writer before mentioned asserts that the Priests Vestments of Linen were a Ceremony taken from the Egyptians and quotes Authors to prove that the Egyptian Priests used such a sort of Vesture But it is more probable that the Egyptians and other Nations had it from the Jews I am not singular in this it was the Sense of the Antients as Photius intimates that the Worshippers of Idols in imitation of God's Priests clothed theirs with a peculiar sort of Garments which were after the fashion of the Ephod With which agrees the Learned Bochart The Egyptians saith he being in many things followers of the Jews permitted their Priests to wear no other Vestments but Linen ones And again in the same Place he saith Plutarch doth greatly philosophize concerning the Linen Garments which the Egyptians wore but more subtilely thâ—n solidly he being ignorant that many Rites and Usages of this nature were derived from the Jews to the Egyptians And Huetius is poâ—itive in this Notion saying The Priests of Isâ— i. e. the Egyptian Priests wore Linen and therein imitated the Linen Garments of the Hebrew Priests Sixthly The carrying of the Heathen Gods in little Tabernacles Tents or portable Temples as you read of the Tabernacle of Moloch Amos 5. 25. and Acts 7. 43. was taken from the Jews carrying the Ark which was the Symbol of God's Presence So Gaspar Sanctius The Tabernacle saith he of Moloch was a certain Bier on which Moloch was carried about in solemn Pomp whom the Jews after the fashion of the Gentiles carried with them whithersoever they went in a Religious Manner and for Protection-sake making him the Companion and Guide of their Travels even as the Jews of old observe that carried the Ark and in it the Divine Oracle through the Wilderness Thus Dr. Godwin The bearing or taking up of this Tabernacle â—ay seem to have its Original among the Heathens from an unwarrantable Imitation of Moses's Tabernacle which was nothing else but a portable Temple to be carried from place to place as need required For as he goes on it cannot be denied that many Superstitions were derived unto the Heathen from the true Worship of God which he himself had prescribed unto his People But the worthy Author afore-cited is of another Opinion telling us That the Tabernacle of Moloch was the first Original of tho Tabernacle of God God saw that the Pagans took up on their Shoulders the Tabernacle of Moloch and thereupon made a Tabernacle for himself and an Ark to be born upon Shoulders Thus he And if you would see the Parallel between Moloch's Tabernacles and God's Tabernacle take it from that Learned Pen thus Moloch's Tabernacle was portable therefore God's was so Moloch's Tabernacle contained in it his Image so the Tabernacle of Testimony had in it the Ark and a pair of Images viz. the Cherubims In Moloch's Idolatrous Temple Moloch shewed himself present by his Image and by giving Answers thence Accordingly in the Jewish Tabernacle the True God inhabited and exhibited frequently a sensible Testimony of his Presence The Idolatrous Tabernacle was called the Tabernacle of Moloch i. e. the King Semblably the Mosaick Tabernacle was accounted and held to be the Palace and Mansion of the Highest King i. e. God The Tabernacle dedicated to Moloch represented the Sun placed in its Celestial Tabernacle In imitation of this Moses's Tabernacle was a Representation of the Heavens and the Stars and the whole World Seeing the Learned Author was pleased to publish this Parallel to the World I hope it is no Offence to repeat it here and with submission to so accomplish'd a Person to deliver my Thoughts freely of it He will not permit it to be said that the Devil apes the Almighty this he discards and brands as a Vulgar Error But I crave leave to ask this Question Is not this more
Tongue which expresly mention the great Friendship of those two Kings and the latter's sending Materials and Workmen for the Temple He quotes Dius who wrote of the Phaenician Affairs and attests the same thing of Solomon and Hiram He tells us that Menander speaks of the great Famine and want of Rain in Elias's time and that he speaks of Salmanesser King of Asâ—yria and that Herodotus mentions Senacherib King of 〈◊〉 same Country and his being discomfited Tâ— same Author takes notice that Nebuchadnezzar spâ—â—ken of in Daniel is mention'd in Berosus in 〈◊〉 gasthenes who writ of the Indian Affairs in Dâ—ocles who treats of the Persian and in Philostrâ—â—tus's History of the Phaenicians and Indians To proceed it is Recorded that the Sun 〈◊〉 back in King Hezekiah's days by the special Command of God who as you read in 2 Kingâ— 20. 11. brought the shadow ten Degrees backward by which it had gone down on the Dial of Abâ—â— The Degrees in this Dial are to be understood â— those in the Heavens say some Others think the Degrees were Lines Engraved on the Dial. So many Hours or so many Half-Hours or so many Quarters are thought by others to be meant The Miracle was here saith a Learned Man that the shadow on the Dial went back not that the Sun it self did so But this is a great mistaking of the Miracle for it is expresly said Isai. 38. 8. The Sun returned ten degrees by which degrees it was gone down The Sun it self as well as the shadow moved backwards Again 't is undeniable that this Glorious Luminary of Heaven really went back and consequently that a very considerable duration of time it may be ten hours were added to the ordinary day for the King of Baâ—ylon sent an Embassadour on purpose to Ierusalem to enquire about this Prodigy and to know what caused so long a Day and such a Change of the Course of Nature 2 Kings 20. 12. This argues that those at Babylon saw this unusual Motion of the Sun for as to the going back of the Shadow on that Dial they could not see it This shews it was a real thing and consequently Miraculous and Portentous and that it was not the shadow only on the Dial that went backward so many Lines or Stroaks without the Sun 's going back in the Heavens as some have fancied The Chaldean Astronomers could not but hear of as well as see this Prodigious sight for it was as sensible to them as to the King of Babylon but out of ill will and malice they labour'd to suppress this Retrograde motion of the Sun whence it is as Mr. Broughton hath observ'd that though they reckon up several Eclipses which happen'd about this time yet they say nothing of this Miraculous going back of the Sun Yet as a knowing Person hath observ'd there is a Mystical Remembrance of the Shadow on Ahaz's Dial and the length of that Day among the Persian Priests in their Religious Rites perform'd to Mithra But what those other Pagans would conceal their very Poets have deliver'd down to us in a Fable telling us that the Sun being angry at Hercules's Birth made the Night unusually long For if the Sun make an extraordinary Day in one part of the World it follows that there must be a Night of an extraordinary length in another part of it We find also that the foresaid Persians in memory as it were of the Sun 's prodigious going back in King Hezekiah's time Celebrate a Tripple Sun viz. Going forward returning back and again going forward as Tirinus observes out of Dion Some have thought that the Pythagorean Metempsychosis had its Original from Nebucâ—adnezzâ—â—â— Transformation into a Beast which the Book of Daniel speaks of That he was really turn'd into a Beast as to shape it is not improbable for we read of People among the Scythians call'd Neuri that were constantly every year for some days together turn'd into Wolves and then return'd to their former state again Herodotus who relates this saith it was conâ—idently reported by the Scythians The same happens every year to some People in Livonia the Posterity of those Neuri saith a Credible Author who made it his business to inquire narrowly into this matter and he adds the like Examples in some other Countries Wherefore it cannot be utterly dis-believ'd that Nebuchadnezzar was thus Bestialized and remain'd seven years so as the Sacred History informs us Or if by reason only of Melancholly he thought himself a Beast as Physicians have reported that some have imagined themselves to be Wolves others to be Dogs others Cocks and have really believ'd they Worried Bark'd and Crow'd which are the Actions proper to those species of Animals this was foundation sufficient for the amazed Pagans to proceed upon and to make some fanciful matter out of it Hence therefore some of the Heathen Metamorphoses which the Poets are frequently talking of were coined and hence as I have said the Pythagorean Transmigration i. e. the passing of the Souls of Men into Brutes had its birth Which is the more credible from this consideration that this Wonderful Transformation of that Great Monarch happen'd at or about the same time that Pythagoras was at Babylon whiâ—her â—e Travell'd on purpose to gain the Eastern Learning Hence he brought the Report fresh with him and being of a fanciful Genius thought the best way to solve that strange occurrence was to assert the Metempsychosis for the Corporal Transformation he thought argued also the Change of Souls Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Dan. 2. of an Image with a Golden Head Breast and Arms of Silver Brazen Belly and Legs of Iron which represented the four Monarchies of the World was the foundation of the Poetical Division of Time into four Ages which they distinguish according to those four Metals first the Golden-Age which began with the beginning of the World and lasted to Saturn's being turn'd out of his Kingdom This signisies the happy State of our Fore-Fathers in Paradise for Saturn is Adam as you shall hear afterwards Secondly there is the Silver-Age which lasted from Saturn's Exile and being deposed 'till Nimrod or Iupiter Belus who is the same In this Age all Arts were found out they say and this truly in part is testified by Scripture Thirdly they tell us of the Brazen-Age which began under Nimrod or Iupiter Belus and lasted to the first year of the return of the Heraclidae In this Age Tyranny grew up and Wars began and Slaughter was rife as the Poets relate and not untruly for we find the same in Sacred History The fourth Age is of Iron it began from the return of the Heraclidae into Peloponesus and lasts to these very times and so 〈◊〉 Heâ—iod Virgil Ovid and other Greeâ— and Latin Poets speak of these Four Ages compâ—ring them to those Four Metals which without dispute was from Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and Daniel's famed Interpretation of it
wrote â—ssuring us that it was seen not only by himself but by Apollophanes who was at the same time with him at Heliopolis in Egypt They were both greatly astonished concluding some strange thing was happening to the World but Dâ—onysius said to have cried out in such Language as this Either the God of Nature suffers or the Frame of the World is like to be dissolved This is that Dionysius who is call'd the Arâ—opagite Acts 17. 34. For returning home after his Travels he was chosen into the Senate of Areopagus and thence hath that Name and was converted to the Christian Faith by St. Paul Origen dealing with Celsus the Philosopher proves this Eclipse at Christ's Passion out of Phlegon Trallianus one of Trajans freed Men who it seems was a great Chronologer and Eusebius mentions the same Author and quotes his words which are these In the Fourth Year of the 202 Olympiad there happened a great Defection of the Sun such as was never known before The Day at the Sixth Hour was so turned into dark Night that the Stars appeared in the Heavens And he adds There was an Earthquake at the same time in Bithynia which over-turned several Houses in the City of Nice Thus that Writer What could be more Accurate seeing Christ's Passion was in the last Year of the 202 Olympiad which was the 18th year of Tiberius's Reign Or if according to Scaliger this be not very punctual for the Eclipse at our Saviour's Death he saith was in the beginning of the 203 d. Olympiad yet it is granted that a Years difference here is of no great moment especially when the time is so circumstantiated and fixed by what follows for the Hour of the Day assign'd by Phlegon plainly shews that he relates the same thing which St. Mark doth who expresly affirms the Eclipse to have happened at the Sixth Hour Mark 15. 32. Besides the Earthquake the Companion of the Eclipse is said by this Phlegon to have been at the same time which agrees with St. Matthew c. 27. v. 51. all which proves that this Pagan Writer refers to the very same Eclipse mention'd by the Evangelists Eusebius â—citeth the same Testimony and also adds the like suffrage of an other Gentile Writer who though not named by him is Thallus as Grotius proves from Iulius Africanus who citeth this Author for this very purpose and sets down his words and the same Testimony you will find mentioned by Origen Moreover Tertullian appeals to the Roman Archives about this portentous Eclipse and tells the Pagans that they had this recorded in those Authentick Tables yea that at the very moment when it happened it was inserted into those publick Records Lucian the Martyr appeal'd to the same publick Acts of the Romans as Eusebius repors he bids them consult their own Annals and lets them know that those would certifie them of the Truth of that Eclipse Shall I add to all these what Adrianus Gressonius in his History of China saith that those People have registred it in their Annals that at that very time about the Month of April an extraordinary and irregular Eclipse of the Sun happened at which strange and unusual thing Quam-vutius the Emperor of China was exceedingly troubled Thus this Prodigy which was taken notice of at Christ's Suffering on the Cross is attested by Pagans which is some accession to this Truth related by the Evangelists And it is the more considerable because we are certain that That Eclipse was not natural being in the Opposition of the Moon i. e. when the Moon was Full for it was the day before the Passover which fell on the Fourteenth Day of the first Month call'd Nisan which answers to our March when the Moon was Full and opposite to the Sun Now it is known to be against the Rules of Astrology that the Sun should be eclipsed when the Moon is at the Full whence we must conclude this Eclipse to have been Miraculous and altogether against the course of Nature and that it could be the Hand of God only to testifie Christ's Divinity Lastly We cannot but think that this wonderful Eclipse was seen and observed by the Enemies of Christianity and acknowledg'd by them to be a real Prodigy when we consider that the Evangelists expose this Relation to those professed Enemies of the Christian Religion who if such a thing had not happened could have presently confuted the Reporters of it Can it enter into our Thoughts that these Writers were so foolish as to imagine they could impose upon the Faith of Men in such a matter as this which was publickly to be seen and which every one might take notice of This is an unreasonable and groundless Surmise In the next place the Earthquake at Christ's Passion which as you have heard was attested by Phlegon is now more distinctly to be considered That Author indeed saith that it was in Bithynia but it might be in other Countries likewise He did not intend to relate how far it reach'd but what he knew and in what place it was most observ'd he sets down And this being join'd with the Relation of the Eclipse is an Argument as hath been hinted before that it refers to the Earthquake at Christ's Passion which not only shook the Land of Iudea but other remote Countries as the Lesser Asia wherein this Bithynia was For as the Eclipse was Universal so was the Earthquake it is probable and the whole Earth felt the shock of it though to some Places only it proved destructive as to this in Asia particularly With which concurs that of Pliny who tells us of an extraordinary Earthquake in Tiberius's Reign which over-turn'd Twelve Cities in Asia to help and relieve which the Emperor remitted their Tribute say Suetonius and Dion Concerning that Earthquake at our Saviour's Passion Eusebius quotes the Testimony of Thallus mention'd before and the same is alledged as an Authentick Witness by Tertullian and Origen Some Learned Men are pleased to relate here as appertaining to Christ's Passion the Story they meet with in Plutarch and quoted out of him by Eusebius of the Death of Great Pan lamented by the Daemons This falling out in the Reign of Tiberius and about the time as some conceive when our Saviour Suffer'd is applied by them to Him and his Death and they think it is to be reckoned among the Pagan Testimonies But I am not so well satisfied as to that but rather think it may more pertinently be made use of to shew how our Saviour dispossessed the Devils and silenc'd the Pagan Oracles which were given by them Accordingly we find that Plutarch from whom we have this Story brings it in upon occasion of the Oracles ceasing and he gives this as an Instance of it The Daemons saith he that assisted at those Oracles are departed a Proof whereof we have in this Pan. Lastly Of the rending the Veil of the Temple
by Emblems and Allâ—gories And Esop the famous moral Fabâ—list is the antientest Book in Prose that we have extant Hâ—raclitus gain'd the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becauâ—e of the Obscurity of his Writings by reason of his dark and enigmatical Representations of things Only Epicurus took the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Motto and pretended to great Plainness and Perspicâ—ity But generally all the antientest Greek Sages were wont to â—et off their Opinions with a Mixture of Fable or Allegory This Symbolick Way of Learning was in use among the Gymnosophists and Druids as Laertius witnesses Phornutus faith the same of all the Antients Both Greeks and Barbarians used it saith Clemens of Alexandria This was partly the Fashion of the old Egyptians they used to wrap up the Mysteries of their Religion and of their Civil Affairs likewise in Hieroglyphick Figures as God who sees and sustains all things was represented by an Eye and a Staff the Periodical Revolution of the Year by a Serpent with his Tail in his Mouth a King by a Bee which is noted for its Honey and its Sting to tell us that Reward and Punishment are both necessary in Civil Government When they would represent Erudition or Learning they pictured the Heavens pouring down Dew which perhaps was borrowed from Moses Deut. 32. 2. My Doctrine shall drop as the Rain my Speech shall distil as the Dew For 't is not improbable that the Egyptians had many of their mystical Symbols and Expressions from the Jews as I have shew'd in another Place The Parabolical Way is not unlike to this it conveying the Notions of things to us by fit Representations by apt Symbols And our Saviour thought good to comport with this manner of Speech which he knew had been in use with the greatest Masters of Learning and he vouchsafed to imitate them because he could so innocently do it because as you shall hear by and by this was a very convenient and profitable way of imparting Truth to them 2. This Instructing by Parables and Allegories was used not only by the antient Philosophers and Sages among the Gentiles but as a learned Father hath amply shew'd by the holy Prophets and Men of God and other eminent Persons among the Jews of old There are interspersed in the Writings of the Old Testament several Parables and Speeches which are of a Parabolical Nature as Iotham's Parable of the Trees that went forth on a time to anoixt a King over them Judg. 9. 8. This indeed is properly an Apologue which in strictness of Speaking differs from a Parable in this that the Similitude is taken from a thing that is not only false but impossible for such is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this speaking of Trees which is here represented And such is that other Apologue viz. of the Thistle's sending to the Cedar 2 Chron. 25. 18. and an Overture of a Marriage between them which is mere Fiction and a bold attributing of humane Action to irrational and sensless things There is not a third in all the Bible of this sort But among the Parables used of old by God's People we may reckon that Aenigme or Parabolical Riddle of Sampson which he put forth at his Marriage-Feast Out of the Eater came forth Meat and out of the Strong came forth Sweetness Judg. 14. 14. Nathan's Parable of the Ewe-Lamb 2 Sam. 12. is a very notable one and is famous for the admirable Effect it had In Isaiah's Prophecy we read the Parable of a Vineyard ch 5. 1 c. and several Visions and Types in a Parabolical Manner In Ieremiah we have a great many Typical Representations and Parables as of the Linen Girdle and of the Bottles filled with Wine ch 13. of abstaining from Marriage ch 16. of a Potter ch 18. of a Potter's Vessel ch 19. of good and bad Figs ch 24. of a Cup of Wine ch 25. of Bonds and Yokes ch 27. In Ezekiel there is the like way of expressing great and important Truths viz. in a Symbolical way There you have the Types or Parables of a Siege ch 4. of a Barber's Razor ch 5. of a Chain ch 7. of Ezekiel's removing and of the Vine-tree ch 15. of two Eagles and a Vine ch 17. of Lions Whelps taken in a Pit ch 19. of a boiling Pot ch 24. Thus you see it was the antient Custom of the Prophets and holy Men to deliver their Instructions in way of Parables Yea this was the Guise and Genius of the Country the Eastern People used to wrap up their Observations on Nature and the Manners of Men in this mystical way Our Saviour vouchsafed to comply with the Practice of his Countrymen but especially he thought fit to conform himself to the manner of Speech and Delivery which the Prophets used and with which the Jews were acquainted Accordingly he delivered himself very often in a figurative and mystical Stile and uttered many excellent divine Truths in the dark way of Parables 3. He did this sometimes to hide his heavenly Matter from undeserving Persons that Pearls might not be cast before Swine nor Evangelical Truths be exposed to the wilful Despisers of the Gospel This Account our Saviour himself gives in Matth. 13. 10. When the Disciptes had said unto him Why speakesâ— thou unto them i. e. to the Multitude in Parables He answered and said Because it is given to you to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but unto them it is not given And v. 13. Therefore speak I to them in Parables because they seeing see not and bearing they hear not neither do they understand Some Parables which our Saviour propounded were so dark and obscure that none but the refined Minds of his Disciples could comprehend them Others who had wilfully blinded their Understandings were not able to see into the inward meaning of them Yea our blessed Lord designed to hide his Mysteries from those profane Persons and therefore disguised them in these dark Shadows 4. This artificial and allegorical Representation of things was to stir up our Diligence and to make the Truths when found out more acceptable If all Divine Veritles were propounded in an easy manner so that upon the first Proposal they were obvious to us this would nourish our Sloth and Idleness but when we see that our Blessed Instructor delivers some things which can't be understood without Difficulty and Pains this may invite us to be diligent in searching into the Mind of God and to use all our Indeavours to attain to a Knowledg of it 5. This may be assigned as another Reason why Christ was pleased to Discourse in Parables viz. that what he said might be the better fixed on their Memories for so it is that what comes in the way of Story or Narrative doth dwell longer with Men than another sort of Discourse As they listen to it with greater Attention â—o generally it makes a greater Impression upon them and consequently
in them to all their Posterity Those Places Psal. 22. 16. They pierced my Hands and my Feet And ver 18. They part my Garments among them and cast Lots upon my Vesture Calvin is enclined to interpret simply and not concerning Christ he would have them to be only metaphorical Expressions of David's Calamities and Sufferings notwithstanding it is expresly said by the Evangelist St. Matthew that those things were done to Christ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Matth. 27. 35. And by the Evangelist St. Iohn This was done that the Scripture should be fulfilled ch 19. 36 37. And so as to that Text Ier. 31. 22. The Lord hath created a new thing in the Earth a Woman shall compass a Man The same Author will not have this Prophecy for such it is though it seems to speak of a thing past it being the Custom of prophetick Writers to signify the future Time by the past as you shall hear afterwards he will not I say have this Prediction refer in the least to Christ and the Virgin Mary It is ridiculous he saith to understand it so And some other Prophecies which are meant of Christ he understands otherwise confining himself to the bare Letter of the Words Thus this excellent Person out of an Affectation of Novelty perverts those Scriptures which the antient Fathers quoted as spoken of Christ and he plainly tells us that the Fathers abused those Places But which is far worse he refuseth to expound some of those Texts of the Old Testament concerning Christ notwithstanding the Evangelical Writers in the New Testament alledg them as punctually fulfilled in him and in what he suffered For this Reason that renowned Man may be thought to incline to Iudaism or Arianism as much as Erasmus is thought by some for you shall find the one as well as the other interpreting Places of Scripture which speak of Christ quite to another Sense One of the Worthies of our Church excuseth the former of these Persons after this manner and why may not the same Excuse serve for the latter It was saith he rather fear lest he should give Offence unto the Jews than any Desire or Inclination to comply with them which makes him sometimes give the same Interpretations of Scriptures which they do without Search after farther Mysteries than the Letter it self doth administer It was the Candour of this excellent Divine to apologize thus for that great Man and the same Apology may serve for the other yet certainly we ought to supply the Defect of their Expositions on those Places by adding the secondary and mystical Sense to them else we leave those Texts maimed and imperfect yea we rob them of that which is most considerable and precious in them that which is the Dabar Gadol as the Jewish Masters call the mystical Sense this being great in comparison of the literal one which is call'd by them Dabar Katon little and inconsiderable viz. in respect of the other This was the Fault of another great Man great in Name as well as Worth Herein he disdains not to tread in the Steps of Mr. Calvin though in many other things he is very averse to his Expositions We shall find that when he treats of the Texts in the Old Testament which speak concerning Christ he generally interprets them in the first and literal Sense contrary to the Practice of all Apostolical and Antient Expositors who constantly search into the mystical Sense of Scripture as the choicest Treasure that is to be found in it Gold and Diamonds and the richest Gems lie hid in the Bowels of the Earth The richest and most precious Truths of Heaven are treasured up in the Entrails of this Holy Book they are hid in the most inward Recesses of it Demoâ—ritus could say Truth lies hid in a deep Pit This is most certain of Divine Truth contained in the Holy Scripture besides what we meet with in the Letter and Surface of it there is yet a more choice Discovery to be made by searching into the Depths of it and by Discerning the spiritual Meaning those deep things of God which lie covered under the Letter and History It is a Rule that holds good concerning the Divine as well as Humane Laws He that conâ—ines himself to the Letter sticks in the mere Bark and Outside and can go no further he reacheth not to the inward Sense Pith and Mind of those Laws We must needs fall short of the Truth of Scripture that sacred Law given us by God unless we indeavour to acquaint our selves with both these not only the historical but the more sublime and mystical Sense of it Both these jointly make up Divine Truth Therefore that is a good Rule in interpreting Scripture which was practised by Athanasius We saith he do not take away the Literal Sense to bring in the Spiritual one but we maintain the more powerful Meaning of the Spirit by keeping up the literal Sense These two must go together If we lay aside the former the Scripture is no longer Scripture i. e. a written Law made up of Letters and if we lay aside the latter we do Despite to the Spirit of Grace who hath lodged a farther Meaning in the Holy Scriptures which were inspired by him than that which is contained in the Letter Wherefore to understand the Scriptures as we should do we must be careful to find out the secondary or mystical Interpretation of the Words as well as the primary or literal And that we may know when the Sense is of the former and not of the latter sort it will be needful to observe these following Rules The first is given us by R. Ben-Ezra thus If any Precept in Scripture be not consonant to Reason it must not be taken in the simple or literal Sense as that Place Circumcise the Foreskin of your Hearts Deut. 10. 16. We cannot suppose this to be understood literally because saith he it is so unreasonable and absurd a thing yea indeed it is utterly impossible for there is no such thing as the Praeputium of the Heart In these and the like Places a spiritual Sense must be searched for otherwise we must assert that the Scripture enjoins us the doing of those things which cannot be done Besides if we understand it literally i. e. of the circumcising or paring off any Part of the Heart this is an inhumane and bloody thing to do this is to be cruel to our selves yea 't is Self-murder Therefore according to a second Rule which I am to propound this cannot be the Sense of the Place and consequently the literal Meaning is not intended here The Rule is this That all Precepts or Prohibitions which as to their Sound are wholly repugnant to the Moral Law and the express Command of God there contain in them some mystical or spiritual Sense By this you may judg of the Meaning of those Places of Scripture Prov. 23. 2. Put a
the Bible and they have many more which very much resemble them He shews the like Correspondence between the Scriptures and those Laâ—in Writers who are the best Masters of that Language and in several Instances demonstrates that the Sacred Writers speak as the best Authors in that Tongue do All this he hath most learnedly performed and upon this account alone if there were no other he is worth the perusal of all Ingenious Men especially those who are more devoted to Polite and Critical Learning This very same Task is excellently performed by a Learned Foreign Critick who hath abundantly made it good in his Commentaries on the Psalms and most of the New Testament that the Stile of Scripture is conformable to that of the best Writers whether Jews or Heathens whether Philosophers Poets or Historians He hath elaborately shew'd that an innumerable company of Greek and Latin Authors the most Elegant and Refined of both have express'd themselves as the Holy Writers do In a word that Athens and Rome spoke as they do If he had carried this on and accomplish'd the like on the other parts of the Bible it would have been an Unvaluable Work and even beyond what the Belgick Annotator hath done Something of this Nature is performed by other Learned Men of our own who insisting upon some Particular Authors among the Pagans indeavour to evince that the Scriptures are in great measure agreeable to the Stile and Phrase of those Writers And the same might be undertaken as to other Heathen Writers with regard both to the Old and New Testament Nothing is more evident than this that their Modes of Speech are the same and that they agree in their Stile and consequently that the Stile of Scripture is vouched by the best Classick Authors and as a Consequent of that that he who carps at the Phrase and Dialect of the Scripture and finds fault with the Stile of the Bible shews that he hath not conversed with the best Human Authors But to prosecute and illustrate this Theme yet further I will be more particular I will shew first that there are in the Bible the same moral Notions and expressed in the very same Stile that there are in Pagan Writers Secondly I will shew that there are the same Grammatical and Rhetorical Figures in the Holy Book that we meet with frequently in those Authors First I will observe to you that the Phrases and Terms whereby some of the choicest Notions in Ethicks are set forth to us are alike in Divine and Humane Authors As to begin with that common Expression to wit of calling our Course or State or manner of Life in this World a Way The Hebrew Word Derek Via Semita in almost innumerable Places in the Old Testament signifies our manner of Life and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Testament which answers to it is commonly used in the same Sense In this latter Part of the Bible the Life of Man is particularly expressed and represented as a double Way for our Saviour hath told us that there is a Narrow and a Broad Way This is even the manner of speaking among the best Moralists they not only call the Life Actions and Conversation of Men a Way which is usual in all Languages but they designedly compare them to a Way to a Path and to walking in it As in Walking saith Epictetus you take heed that you strike not your Foot against a Stone or a Nail and wrench your Foot so in leading your Life you are careful that you hurt not your selves or do any thing that may offend and be prejudicial to your selves or others And other Masters of Ethicks are wont to pursue this Comparison Yea moreover they make use of the same manner of Speech which our Saviour doth that is they divide this Way into a Narrow and a Broad one Thus in Cebes's Table the Way to true Learning which is the same with Vertue and Goodness and the Moralist means no other thing by it is represented by him to be narrow and unfrequented He calls it a little Gate and he describes the Passage before it as very uncommon he tells us that very few go into it and that it appears to be a difficult rough and craggy Path. This is also well decipher'd by Maximus Tyrius Imagine saith he this Life to be a Way a Way full of Passengers some of which are running some are thrusting one another on some labour others rest some lie down others turn out of the way and wander for there are many By-ways and false Paths these are all but different Paths of the same Broad Way But there is one Narrow Way steep and rugged and trod by very few and this leads directly to the very End of the Journey and this Journey some diligent and laborious Souls are endeavouring to perform with much Work and Difficulty with great Pains and Sweat Thus that Admirable Platonist And I could shew you how other Philosophers are delighted with this way of Expression and Similitude used by our Lord but I will alledg no others at present It is enough to have shew'd that the Stile of the Gentile Philosophers is not unlike that of our Blessed Jesus our Infallible Teacher and Prophet who thought it a fit way of setting forth the two kinds of Life which Men lead and the different Places and Ends they tend to by naming one of them the wide and broad Way and the other the narrow and streight one And if the Life of Man be a Way then he is a Traveller which invites me to speak of another Moral Notion viz. that we are all Travellers and Pilgrims in this World we are upon our Iourney and must behave our selves as those that are so Epictetus and Arrianus use this Metaphor and apply it handsomly to the Life of Man especially to the Life of a Good Man which is a Journey from Earth to Heaven We are told that Anaxagoras pointed with his Finger to Heaven and cried out That is my Country And Socrates professed himself to be a Citizen of the City above and every Man is to reckon himself to be such he said Tully's Words are most admirable I go out of this World as out of an Inn not a Mansion-house for Nature hath not given us here a Place of long Continuance but of a short Diversion and transitory Entertainment And he had arrived to this Notion and expressed it most bravely when he said Let us lift up our Eyes to Heaven as to our Country to which we must think of returning some time or other And such kind of Language you meet with in Antoninus and other select Moralists I will conclude with the Words of Seneca Our Life is a Pilgrimage saith he when we have travell'd and walk'd about a considerable time we must return home This is the very Language and Notion of the Sacred Writers and of the Holy Men
Hunter before the Lord where saith One the Name of the Lord is added to heighten the sense as is frequent in the Hebrew Stile But two things I here urge to enervate this Interpretation First It is not the bare Name of God or Lord that is here added as in other Texts The exact rendring of Lipni Iehovah which are the words here is ad facies ad conspectum Domini and is well translated before the Lord which signifies the bold and impudent Usurpation and Tyranny of this first Monarch This hardned Oppressor had no regard either to God or Man yea he committed his Violences and Ravages in defiance of the Great Lord and Soveraign of the World this is to be a Hunter a Persecutor a Tyrant before the Lord and so you see it is not that Hebraism we are now to treat of Secondly There was no need of that way of Speech here for the Greatning and Heightning of the sense were before express'd by the term Gibbor mighty wherefore there was no occasion to add the Name of God as a mark of Intension If you observe the Instances which I shall afterward produce you will find that God's Name is used when there was no word to express Greatness or Eminency in the preceding words For these Reasons I expunge this first Text out of the Number of the Instances which ought to be mention'd here And after the same rate I must deal with that other Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord where the last word is asserted by a late Learned Critick to be added in which he follows Drusius in his Hebrew Proverbs as an Auxesis that is only to augment the sense and therefore he saith the Candle of the Lord is no more than a most Excellent Candle or Light But if we consider the words aright we shall not find such an Hebraism in them The Text is easie and plain without any thing of this Nature for the Wise Man here acquaints us that the Spirit of Man his Nobler and Divine part the Intellect especially that Bright and Glorious Faculty was given to him by God on purpose to be a Light and Guide to him to make him capable of enquiring into and attaining a knowledge of the Profoundest Truths the most remote and recondite Mysteries either in Nature or Religion that is meant here by searching all the inward Parts of the Belly Thus the Sagacious Mind of Man is the Candle or Lamp of the Lord the word Lord here signifying to us the Author and Giver of this Noble Faculty And therefore I something wonder at what this Learned Writer adds in the same place viz. That our English Translation the Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord is an odd Expression and somewhat difficult surely to make a good sense of whereas the same Expression is used in the Scripture in other places and bears a very good sense as you have heard Some have thought that Musical Instruments of God 1 Chron. 16. 42. and Instruments of Musick of the Lord 2 Chron. 7. 6. denote the Loudness or Excellency of the Temple-Musick but this Fancy arose from their not attending to the true Reason which is given in the latter of these places where after Instruments of Musick of the Lord is immediately added which David the King had made to Praise the Lord therefore they were so call'd Nor can I be perswaded that a Man of God which we often read of imports only an Excellent Man as some have suggested but it speaks his more particular and peculiar Relation to God as a Prophet I come now to offer some Examples where the Hebrew way of Speaking by mentioning God to signify the Greatness or Excellency of a thing is very apparent and unquestionable as Gen. 30. 8. Wrestlings of God according to the Hebrew i. e. great strong and vehement Wrestlings 1 Sam. 14. 15. a Trembling of God which we rightly translate a very great Trembling 1 Sam. 10. 5. the Hill of God Psal. 36. 6. the Mountains of God i. e. the great Hills and Mountains Cedars of God Psal. 80. 10. rendred goodly the Trees of the Lord Psal. 104. 16. i. e. exceeding great or high Trees To which Texts that are generally acknowledg'd to bear this sense I will presume to add another viz. Psal. 65. 9. the River of God i. e. a Vast Great River And what is that The Clouds or Rain which are poured down upon the Earth in great abundance For if you read that part of the Psalm you 'll see it speaks of the great Blessing of Rain Thou visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God c. to the end of the Psalm This Vast Mass of Waters is according to the Hebrews stiled a River of God it is as 't were a Great Excellent River flowing down from Heaven Though I do not exclude the other sense contain'd in it that 't is from God and that 't is a singular Argument and Token of God's Care and Providence Cant. 8. 6. is a place little taken notice of the Flame of the Lord i. e. as we truly translate it a most Vehement Flame So the Voice of God Ezek. 1. 24. 10. 5. that is a very loud and terrible Voice The Breath of God Job 37. 10. i. e. a Vehement sharp Wind. And it is not unlikely that Isa. 59. 19. is to be understood thus Ruach Iehovah not as we translate it the Spirit of the Lord but the Wind of the Lord i. e. a great tempestuous Wind. I gather this to be the meaning from what went before when the Enemy shall come in like a Floud then saith the Prophet the Almighty Power of God like some Great and Vehement Wind shall drive it back shall put it to flight as we see great Waters and Floods are oftentimes beat back as well as violently thrust forward by mighty Winds Another place which hath not been observed is Iob 15. 11. Are the Consolations of God small with thee which are Eliphaz's words wherewith he reproves Iob for undervaluing the Consolatory Arguments which had been offer'd to him by himself and his other Friends and these Topicks of Comfort were not mean and ordinary but of a very peculiar Nature Iob's Fault is aggravated from this that he despised and slighted so Great Comforts when they were tender'd to him and Great they were as you read in the 9th and 10th Verses because they were offer'd by Persons of great Vnderstanding Age and Experience And the Antithesis which is here doth shew this to be the sense of the place Are these Great Consolations saith he Small with thee Dost thou look for Greater and Stronger Arguments to support and cheer thee than these are I am of opinion therefore that Tanchumoth El the Consolations of God are the same with Great Consolations Jon. 3. 3. is a known Text where it is said Nineâ—eh was an Exceeding great City Hebr.
Heaven and Earth shall pass away it referring to this Generation's passing away viz. at the End of the World the final Close of all things when there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth as St. Peter informs us Our Saviour here signifies the Time when the things he spoke of last ver 24 25. shall be accomplished When this Generation this present Creation of things shall be dissolved then and not before all these things shall be fulfilled Then shall be verified all those things which were said concerning the Dissolution of the World yea all the things mentioned in this Chapter For we must know that even the Predictions concerning the Destruction of Ierusalem shall be most signally fulfilled in the final Dissolution of Heaven and Earth because that was designed to be a Type and Representation of this And as for the word this which is join'd with Generation if any cavil at it I can prove out of abundance of Texts that it is sometimes of the same Import with the and so you might read it the Generation viz. of the Heavens and Earth But here as I conceive it is an Emphatical Word and refers to the things spoken of before viz. the Sun Moon Stars Earth and Sea ver 29. of this Chapter and Luke 21. 26. which further confirms the Acception of this Word which I propound viz. that it is meant of the Works of the Creation Or perhaps our Saviour did cast his Eyes about and intentively beheld the Heavens and the Earth and then pronounced these Words This Generation this Fabrick of the World which I now behold and all the Works in it shall not be dissolv'd till that very time when these my Predictions shall be verified The fulfilling of my Words and the Period of all things shall happen at the same time And lastly I will not conceal my Conjecture that these Words of Christ refer to what he had said in his Excellent Sermon on the Mount and if so then this Interpretation which I have offered will be thereby exceedingly confirmed His Words there are these Verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one Iot or one Tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Mat. 5. 18. And his Words here run thus Verily I say unto you this Generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Words shall not pass away By comparing which Texts it plainly appears that there is the same Air and Aspect in them the same Stile and Mode of Expression are used so that we are hereby invited to expound one by the other First they begin with the same solemn Preface Verily I say unto you Secondly the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in both Places in the very same Signification for as Grotius observes on Mat. 5. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as interire perire and so it is here it signifies to be destroyed to perish to be anulâ—d Thirdly that considerable Passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till all be fulfilled is in both Places and refers to the very â—ame things viz. the Law or Words or Predictions of our Saviour what he had said or what had been said of him And Fourthly the Works of the Creation the Fabrick and System of the World are spoken of in both Places though under different Expressions for in the former they are stiled Heaven and Earth in the latter the Generation But that they are of the same Import and express to us the same thing is clear from this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is exactly applied to both for though we make some little Difference in our English Translation rendring the Greek Word by passing in one Verse and passing away in the other yet the Verb it self is the same in the Original and accordingly should if we would be accurate be rendred alike in both Verses Whence it appears that the Generations passing and the Heavens and Earth passing are Synonymous which is the thing I aim'd at and which puts a Key into our Hand to open these Words viz. that this Generation in ver 34. is the same with Heaven and Earth in ver 35. and that their passing is the very same If it be said that this Generation in some other Place is applied to that present Age and People of the Jews and therefore it must be so understood here the Consequence must be denied and that with very good Reason for besides what hath been said already in several Places we find that the same Words and Expressions are not used and applied after the same manner and to the same purpose He is a Stranger to the Bible and particularly the New Testament who knows not this And therefore from the Identity of Words we cannot necessarily infer that the same thing is intended But we are to examine the Ambiguity of Expressions and to apply them as we see occasion This we must do here and if we have Respect to the Context as we ought to have we shall apply this Generation after the aforesaid manner And indeed the Connection of these two Verses was that which led me first to this Interpretation for the mention of Heaven and Earth passing in this latter Verse suggested to my Thoughts that it had some Cognation with the like Expressions in the foregoing Verse which upon farther Examination I found to be so indeed Christ proceeds in ver 35. to speak of Heaven and Earth passing because he had in ver 34. been speaking of the same thing which gives us Assurance of what I propounded that this Generation's passing and Heaven and Earth's passing are exegetical of each other This is the Exposition which I give of this Place and I submit it to the Censure of the Considerate and Judicious This I only say that as 't is a fair Construction and contains nothing inconsistent in it so I deem it to be the best Solution whereby we can cleverly avoid the Quarrels of Expositors about the Words especially about the Meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as several other Places of Scripture is misunderstood because the due Reference of the Words is not attended to CHAP. XIII Chronological Difficulties fully reconciled as Gen. 15. 13. Thy Seed shall be a Stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred Years Nay thirty Years are added to this reckoning in Exod. 12. 40. whereas 't is confess'd by all that the Israelites Bondage in Egypt did not last above two hundred and fifteen Years It is said Acts 13. 20. After that he gave them Judges about the Space of four hundred and fifty Years until Samuel the Prophet Yet according to the usual Computation there were but three hundred and thirty nine Years from the first Iudg till Samuel God gave unto them Saul by the Space of forty Years Acts 13. 21. yet no Man thinks that he
mention'd in the Books of the Kings Chronicles Ieremiah Ezekiel Daniel and lastly Belshazzar Dan. 5. 22. in whom this Monarchy had its Period And so these Sacred Writings acquaint us not only with the Rise but the Progress Duration and End of this Empire hence we learn that it lasted from Nimrod to the close of Belshazzar's Reign i. e. from the year of the World 1717. to the Year 3419. which is in all 1702 Years a much longer time than any of the other Monarchies endured Again in these Writings is recorded the Original of the Next viz. the Persian usually known by the Name of the Second Monarchy Here we read that Belshazzar the last Chaldean Monarch he that impiously carouzed in the Holy Vessels belonging to the Temple was slain by Darius the Mcde Dan. 5. 30 31. who joined with Cyrus the Persian in the Expedition against Belshazzar and they both had Right to the Babylonian Monarchy on that Account and accordingly jointly ruled so it was a Medo-Persian Monarchy Darius is spoken of in the 6th and 9th Chapters of Daniel but being aged before he came to the Throne he lived but about two Years after whereupon Cyrus reigned alone and is generally reputed the First Founder of the Persian Monarchy This famous Cyrus sirnamed the Great was prophesied of long before he appeared in the World Isa. 44. 28. 45. 1. This is he that was the Happy Restorer of the Jews to their own Country and was a great Favourer of the Pious of that Nation Ezr. 1. And in the following Chapters and in the Book of Nehemiah is infallibly related what Persian Kings hindred the Building of the Temple and who they were that promoted it Besides the Book of Esther and a great part of Daniel are a Narrative of what was done under the Kings of Persia. Next it might be added that Alexander the Great the First Founder of the Grecian Monarchy is spoken of in these Sacred Writings as in Dan. 2. 32 39. 7. 6. 8. 5 6 7 8. 10. 20. 11. 3 4. whence Iaddus the High Priest shewed the Prophecy of Daniel to that Great Monarch and particularly turned to that Place where his Conquering of the Persians and the Translation of the Empire to him are foretold Here also the Division of the Empire among his Captains is predicted Dan. 2. 33. 7. 7 19. 8. 22. 11. 5 6 c. Lastly the History of the New Testament mentions the Author and Erecter of the Roman which generally passes for the Fourth Monarchy and some of his Actions and Decrees This was Augustus for if we speak properly this Empire began not â— Iulius Câ—sar but in him when he vanquished â— Anthony and Cleopatra in the Battel of Actium anâ— all Egypt became a Roman Province Thus Niâ— rod Cyrus Alexander Augustus the Founder â— those four renowned Monarchies and many of thâ— most eminent and remarkable Passages in some of them are recorded in the Sacred Scriptures whereby the Truth of those things is confirmed and some obscure Places in Pagan Writers are enlightned and some Mistakes may be corrected Indeed it is impossible to understand the Gentile History aright in sundry Matters relating to the First Kingdoms and Governments unless we are acquainted with the Bible CHAP. III In these Sacred Writings we have the first and earliest Account of all useful Employments and Callings viz. Gardening Husbandry feeding of sheep preparing of Food The antient manner of Threshing Grinding of Corn and making Bread is enquired into What was the Primitive Drink The Posture which they used at eating and drinking Sitting preceded Discubation The particular manner of placing themselves on their Beds Eating in common not always used Discalceation and Washing the Feet were the Attâ—ndanâ—s of Eating and Feasting So was Anointing They had a Master or Governour of their Feasts Who were the first Inventers of Mechanick Arts. The first Examples of Architecture Houses were built flat at top and why In the fifth Place here and only here is to be learned the Original of all Employments Callings Oecupations Professions Mysteries Trades and of all Arts and Inventions whatsoever First here is the earliest Mention of Gardening Husbandry Plougbing keeping of Sheep which are of ordinary Use and for the necessary Support of Man's Life God placing Adam in Paradise a Garden of Delight instructed him how to dress and keep it Gen. 2. 15. to work and belabour the Ground for so it is according to the LXX to dig and delve with great Care and Art to open the Earth to let in the Influences of Heaven to prune the Trees and cherish the Plants to preserve the Fruits from the Beasts and Fowls which had Admittance into that Place as we read in Gen. 2. 19 20. and to keep all things in good order as a skilful Gardiner and Husbandman for both these made up the First Employment and Trade in the World And when Man was ejected out of Paradise he was still set about the same Work Gen. 3. 23. for the Hebrew Word that is used here is the same with that in ver 15. and is translated there to dress but it is certain that gnamad which is the Verb in both Places is of a large Import and signifies all Husbandly managing and improving of Ground And truly there was more need of exercising that Art now than before the Earth being not a little endamaged by the Curse which God denounced against it and executed upon it which was one Reason why Adam brought up his Son Cain to Husbandry and Tilling the Ground Gen. 4. 2. for now it wanted Manuring and Cultivating And as this his eldest Son was brought up to take care of the Fruits of the Earth so his next was bred up to feeding of Sheep which is the Second Employment or Calling that we read of in the World Afterwards Iabal advanced higher and became the First Grasier for so I understand those Words Gen. 4. 20. He was the Father of such as have Cattel i. e. that have other Cattel besides Sheep for these and the keeping or feeding of them had been mention'd before He lived upon Pasturage and for that purpose was the Father of such as dwell in Tents as it is said in the same Place The Meaning of which is that whereas others generally lived in one fix'd Place and Habitation he and others of his Calling went from one place to another feeding They travell'd as their Cattel did and for this Reason it was requisite to have Tents Accordingly that they might look after their Flocks and Herds the better he invented these that they might lie out in the Fields all Night under this Shelter Thus you see what was the Primitive State of things Adain and his first-born Son were Husbandmen and his second Son a Shepherd and others of his Race were busied in feeding of Cattel Such was the Employment of those that were the First Heirs of the World And so for
the Red Sea which is known by the Name of Erythraeum is denominated from him were the first that invented Shipping And I appeal to any judicious Man whether this might not give occasion to that confused Passage in Pliny viz. that the antient Shipping was first brought out of Egypt and that formerly slight Ships or Boats were made use of which were invented in the Red Sea among the Isles by King Erythras It is plain that Egypt and the Red Sea and Erythras have relation here to the Infallible Records which tell us that the Place of the first setting forth of any Considerable Ships was on the Coast of Egypt in the Red Sea or Arabian Gulf and in that Part of it that belong'd to Edom or Erythras Lastly I offer it to be examin'd whether the Report among the Heathens that the first Ship that ever was went to a Country in the Euxine Sea to fetch thence the Golden Fleece be not grounded on this part of the Sacred History viz. that the first Shipping of any Note was this of Solomon which went through the Mediterranean of which the Euxine Sea is a Part of Arm and might be mistaken for the whole to bring Gold from Ophir And the Ship might justly be call'd Argos because it sail'd so slowly This is not unlikely if we remember how the Poets are wont to corrupt and mangle True History and to affix New Names to Persons and Things Besides there is no very great Difference as to the Chronology of both these Expeditions It is probable that Astronomy also was the Invention of those first Ages and was useful in both those which I last mention'd Physick and Navigation the Patriarchs and other worthy Enquirers of whom the Scriptures speak living in those Eastern Countries where the Sky was Serene and where upon high Mountains they had a peculiar Advantage of acquainting themselves with the Stars and studying their Motions Aspects and Influences Accordingly Iosephus relates that Seth an Antediluvian Patriarch was skill'd in this Celestial Art and that his Pillars râ—corded the Doctrine of the Stars and Rules of Astronomy And Abraham was well skill'd in this Science saith that same Writer and was Publick Professor of it The Kings of the East and West came to learn this Art of him saith Raâ—â—i Solomon And the Talmudists quoted by Buxtoâ—f would perswade us that he had extraordinary Sill in the Stars Which is intimated perhaps in what God said to Abraham Gen. 15. 5. Look now towards Heaven and tell the Stars c. and in what he assured him of in other Places viz. that he would multiply his Seed as the Stars of Heaven Gen. 22. 17. 26. 4. Which manner of Speech and Repeating it were it may be occasion'd by this Holy Man's frequent Contemplating those Heavenly Bodies and enquiring into their Nature and Operations But because there is no clear ground for this I dismiss it Only this may be said that Astronomy like the Sun the chief Subject of it had its Rise in the East all Authors agree that it was first known and practis'd in Chaldea whence a Chaldéan and an Astrologer were Terms convertible and it is certain that the Patriarch Abraham was of that Country and was eminently stiled by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and was known and distinguish'd by that Name But that Iob a famous Arabian and who lived as 't is thought by some not long after Abraham's time was Astronomically disposed is very clear from his universal Skill inall Points of Natural Philosophy which his Book is full of and particularly from his mentioning of Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the Chambers of the South Chap. 9. v. 9. and from other Passages in 26 and 28 Chapters relating to the Sun and Stars to the Heavens and their wonderful Operations and Influences Judiciary Astrology i. e. foretelling Futurities by insight into the Heavenly Bodies was pretended to of old as appears from the frequent Caveats against it Deut. 18. 10 11. Ier. 10. 2. 27. 9. Mich. 5. 12. The Chaldean Professors of this Art are particularly mention'd in Isa. 47. 13. where they are stiled Choberim Hashamajim Viewers of the Heavens Chozim Bachocabim Star-gazers To this belong the Teraphim Gen. 31. 19. and in other Places i. e. Images and Consignations made according to the certain Position of such and such Constellations whereby they divined concerning future Events Thus we see the beginning of False and Counterfeit Arts as well as True Ones may be learnt from this Holy Book I will not enlarge here upon Picture or Pourtraicture strictly so called i. e. the representing and drawing of things with Exactness and Life in diverse Colours of which there are notable Instances in Ier. 22. 14. Ezek. 8. 10. 23. 14. nor will I speak of Embroidery Exod. 26. 1. 28. 4. Ezek. 16. 10. 27. 7. nor of all manner of Cunning Work so often mention'd in Exodus for which Aholiab and Bezaleel were so famous and on which several Critical Remarks might be made But I will proceed to some other things Among the First Arts and Inventions we may reckon Skill in Arms and Warlike Feats the first Instances whereof are registred in sacred Story Iosephus thinks that Tubal who was an Instructer of every Artificer in Brass and Iron was the first Inventer of Arms and Military Weapons they being made of those Metals A late Writer was forgetful of this when he said There were not of old any Instruments that belonged to War And how could there be indeed when he asserts that there were no Metals in the Earth before the Flood Which is precariously said and hath no Foundation at all to support it yea it is quite contrary to the express Testimony of Scripture which assures us that there were Brass and Iron in those Days It is not then wholly improbable that Weapons of Waâ— were framed of these and that the People of those times went forth to Battel though in the whole History from Adam to Noah there is no mention of their Wars Neither is there of some other things which yet we cannot but suppose to have been notwithstanding Moses is silent concerning them If we consider what are the great Incentives to War viz. Lust and Passion we have no reason to disbelieve that there were Wars from the beginning tho they are not mention'd It is likely they were but rare then partly because they had not found out such expedite ways of managing their Feuds as have been since and partly because the Numbers of Men were not so great as afterwards the Earth could better hold them at that time than now and consequently they had not occasion to quarrel about their Territories and to strive how they should enlarge their Dominions However Hatred Malice and desire of Revenge might push them on to fall out one with another and to proceed to Acts of Hostility and to bring Forces on either side into the
Watry Speculums Lastly to put a Period to this Head of my Discourse I will take notice of the rending of the Garments so often spoken of in the Divine Writings This they did either when some great Calamity befel them or when some Enormous Fact was committed or when some Impious and Blasphemous Words were uttered and briefly it was a Sign of extraordinary Grief Perturbation of Mind Anger great Displeasure Detestation Frequent Examples we have of it among the Hebrews Gen. 37. 29. 44. 23. Numb 14. 6. Iosh. 7. 6. Iudg. 11. 35. 2 Sam. 1. 2. Mat. 26. 65. Acts 14. 14. And the Arabians express'd their doleful Resentments by this Ceremony Iob 1. 20. 2. 12. And so did the Persians as may be rationally supposed from Mordecai's running in this mournâ—ul Posture through the Streets where he would have been thought to be mad if that People had not used the same way of testifying their Mourning Esth. 4. 1. And indeed we are assured from Herodotus Xenophon and Q. Curtius that the Persians were wont to rend their Clothes when they had any doleful Tidings brought them In imitation of them the Greeks did so but very sparingly And several Historians ascertain us that the Romans used this Custom when they would shew their excessive Sorrow and Trouble of Mind especially at the Death and Funerals of their Friends Which reminds me of the last Part of my Task viz. to speak of the Scripture-Antiquities which relate to Burial and Funerals CHAP. VI. Here we are informed concerning the Primitive Institution of Burying Graves and Sepulchres were generally in the Fields and without the Walls of Cities They usually embalmed the dead Bodies Why they sometimes burnt them Burning also signifies Embalming There was a Difference between the Funeral Burning of the Jews and of the Heathens The Manner and Time of Mourning for the Dead Both Vocal and Instrumental Musick used at Funerals The Antiquity of Funeral Monuments The old way of erecting great Heaps of Stones over the dead Stone-heng is a Sepulchral Monument and in imitation of it Anah's Invention of Mules Writers borrow from one another The Bible only is the Book that is beholden to no other Here is the Antientest Learning in the World and that of all Kinds 'T is common with Authors to contradict themselves and one another they are uncertain lubricous and fabulous But the Divine Writers alone are certain and infallible How strange and improbable soever some of the Contents of this Holy Book may seem to be they justly command our firm Assent to them HERE and only here we â—ind the first Institution of Burying or Inhumation the Antiquity of which is greater than is commonly thought Man's Original and Interment are both joined together Gen. 3. 19. for he is told by God himself that he must return unto the Ground because out of it he was taken and that he may be assured of it it is repeated in the same Place Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt return Man acts in a Circle he goes back to his first Principle to the same Point again the Earth of which he was compounded Here is the Primitive Law of Burial i. e. of committing the Body to the Earth which is properly Interring this was instituted by God and this is the most proper way of disposing of the dead Body Of this the Pious Sufferer speaks saying Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb and naked shall I return thither Job 1. 21. Having in the former Clause mention'd his Mother's Womb and the Earth being as it were his Mother he saith he shall return thither as if he had mention'd the Earth Therefore according to Chrysostom and some other Expositors his Mother's Womb is interpreted the Earth But there is something more than this which hath not been taken notice of by Interpreters therefore the better to shew the Tenour of the Words I desire it may be observed that it is in the immediately foregoing Verse said Job fell down upon the Ground grovell'd upon the barâ— Earth and then he took occasion to utter these Words Naked came I c. As if he had said I am here laid low upon the Ground which reminds me of my original Extraction out of this I and all Mankind were first taken as we were since out of our Mothers Wombs and to the Ground we must return again which is the Mother of all This as I conceive is the true Meaning of the Words which could not have been discover'd without attending to the foregoing Verse to which these have a plain Reference This Notion hath been entertained by Pagan Writers when the Earth is called by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but none of them mention because they were ingnorant of that first and original Order of Burial Vnto Dust thou shalt return on which this is founded Man by these Words is appointed to be laid in the Ground to be buried in the Earth In pursuance of which Order Men have been naturally enclined to take care of decent Burial and to bestow the Bodies of the Dead in the Earth Therefore the burying with the Burial of an Ass which is properly no burying at all is abhorr'd by Mankind and is threatned as a Judgment from Heaven Ier. 22. 19. for I suppose few will attend to what Iosephus saith that Nebuchadnezzar took Iehoiakim who is the Person to whom this is threatned and kill'd him and ripping up an Asses Belly buried him in it which this Writer saith is the fulfilling of the Prophecy It is rather to be understood of his being not buried at all but expos'd to the Air and Putrefaction above ground as Beasts are he being cast forth beyond the Gates of Ierusalem as it follows in the next Clause and more expresly in Ier. 36. 30. his dead Body was cast out in the Day to the Heat and in the Night to the Frost Though Burial was used from the beginning yet the first Instance we meet of it is that in Gen. 23. 19. viz. of Abraham's burying Sarah to which purpose he bought a Field with a Cave in it wherein he lodg'd his beloved Wife Gen. 23. 17 18 19. and there afterwards he was buried himself Gen. 25. 8. and in the same Sepulchre were deposited the Corps of Isaac and Rebekah Iacob and Leah Gen. 49. 31. This then we are certain of that Fields were the first Places of Burial I mean the first that we read of and Caves the first particular Repositories of the Dead And thus generally it was afterwards so far as we have any Discoveries from these Holy Records The Burying-Places were in the Fields and not within Cities and wall'd Towns Only here I must premise that there were some few Exceptions as that in 1 Sam. 25. 1. they buried Samuel in his House at Ramah There were at that time some Persons interr'd privately and then their Corps were not carried abroad This was
monte quiescunt Such a Monstrous Pile I take Stone-heng on Salisbury Plains to be which without doubt is a very Antient Piece I look upon it as a Sepulchral Monument of the primitive Order and Fashion such as those I have been speaking of viz. an Indigested Artless Formless Tomb. This Apprehension I prefer before any of the others which Writers have publish'd concerning this Antique Structure Some think they give a true Account of it when they tell us that it was made of Heaps of Sand and some Unctuous Matter that lay in that Part of the Plains and by means of these two incorporating together this Pile of Stones was made Mr. Cambden mentions this and seems partly to approve of it but the Examples which he produces to confirm it are not of the like Nature but far different And truly though we should suppose some such unwonted though natural Coagmentation of Sand and Gravel yet what sober Man can imagine such High Heaps or Mountains of them in that Spot of Ground and no where else This therefore looks a little too Romantick Others would perswade us that it is a Sea-Concretion and to this Purpose they suppose that these Plains were once part of the Sea but this is as Chimerical a Notion as the other because of the great distance of this Place from the Sea and because the shape of these Stones seems not to be natural but factitious Others think it was no Work of Nature but of Art these affirm it to be a Temple either 1. of the Tuscan Order as One not unskill'd in Architecture suggests and dedicated to Coelus and therefore is without a Roof He thinks it was built by the Romans when they were Masters of this Countrey But supposing this was a Roman Temple without a Roof yet who can believe that it was without Walls and Foundation But such we must fancy this to be for neither of these can be found here wherefore there is no reason to believe that it was a Building of that kind Or 2. it was as others think a Temple of Herthus or Hertha a God or Goddess of the Old Germans and consequently of the Saxons our Ancestors here in Britain who call'd this Deity Earth the same with Vesta and Terra among the Romans But what I said before will serve to confute this groundless Conjecture Only here observe how far distant the Opinions of Writers are about it some will have it to be a Place dedicated to Heaven and others to the Earth Or 3. as another surmises this Structure was in imitation of those Temples of old among the Pagans which were wont to be built of unpolish'd Stone and without Art because these were thought to be most acceptable to the Gods Of which he saith there were many Instances but produceth none for instead of Temples he mentions Altars and Statues made after this Fashion as those sacred to Diana and the Sun spoken of by Herodian and the Statue of Mars in Arnobius But 't is enough here to recur to my former Answer which 't is impossible to evade viz. that here are no Marks or Footsteps of such a Building as a Temple Or if you should say that there were of old but are now missing it is spoken without Proof and therefore we need not attend to it and besides you must tell us why all is not missing as well as some These are the Absurdities wherewith those Authors are press'd who hold Stone-heng to have been a Temple But those in my Judgment are in the right and are clogg'd with no such Inconveniences who hold this Great Amassment of Stones to be a Funeral Monument in remembrance of some eminent Persons laid there The particular Occasion is not well known though the Common Opinion is that this Pile was erected in Memory of the British Lords perfidiously murder'd by the Saxons here upon an Interview in King Vortimer's Reign for they tell us that Aurelius Ambrosius a Roman by Birth but a great Lover of the Britains came over soon after this inhumane Slaughter to rescue them from the Insolency of the Saxons and then he erected this Monument in the Place where those treacherous Villains slew the British Nobility and interr'd them Others say it was erected in Memory of Ambrosius himself who expired in this Plain where he so valiantly fought against the tyrannizing Saxons But neither of these Opinions have any sure Fonndation The latter is rendred very improbable by the Reasons which Iones hath offer'd Nor is the former which prevails most attested by Authors of very good Credit unless we reckon Geoffery Monmouth and Polydore Virgil the chiefest Writers that speak of this Structure to be such Whereupon our Judicious Antiquary deplores this Unhappiness that the Founders and Authors of this Wonderful Structure are utterly forgotten Perhaps it was set up in Honour of Boadicia a famous British Queen who was kill'd with fourscore thousand in a Batttel against the Romans and Britains Romaniz'd in Nero's Reign This is the Conjecture of the Author of the History call'd New Caesar. But neither is this founded on any sure Basis though 't is true he quotes Dio and Xiphilin who say she was burâ—ed very Magnificently by the Britains Dr. Charlton who hath writ against Iones saith this Fabrick was erected in the Reign of King Alfred by the Danes who at that time domineer'd in the West of England But I do not find that this Learned Man offers any convincing Proof of this I rather think that this Ragged Pile was of much antienter Date and that is the Reason why we have no certain notice of the particular Occasion of it But notwithstanding this Obscurity we have good reason to assert that it is an Old Funeral Monument made after the first and antient Fashion i. e. Rude Unpolish'd Artles Nay indeed it seems to be a Triple Monument for it is composed of three divisions of Stones at some distance from one another and the Ditch or Pit in which they are situated is the particular Place where the dead Bodies for whose Sake this Memorial was erected were laid Not but that in other adjacent Places there were other Bodies deposited and hence it is that Mens Bones have been dug up here as Mr. Cambden informs us which is a farther Proof that this part of the Plains was a Place of Burial and that this Great Stone-Pile hath relation to that i. e. that it is a Sepulcher and not a Temple Nay I could add that it is probable a great part of this spacious Plain was on occasion of some famous Slaughter turn'd into a Burying-Place and not only Tombs of Stone were set up for the most Eminent Persons that lost their Lives but others of Clods were raised for those of an inferiour Degree for there are many of these Turf-Monuments on Salisbury-Plain which the neighbouring Inhabitants call Berries Barrows or Burrows whence perhaps the Towns fenced heretofore with Walls of Turf or
of the Pentateuch that Excellent Philosopher Law-giver Historian that Captain that Prince that Prophet that Man of God who was the Inspired Writer of the five first Books of the Bible The first of which as I said before is Genesis which begins with the History of the Creation And I call it a History in opposition to the fond Conceit of those Men who read the Beginning of this Book with Cabalistick Spectacles only and think there are nothing but Allegories and Mysteries in the whole Text. But the contrary is very evident to unprejudiced Minds and to such as are not so I have propounded Arguments in another Place viz. when I treated of the Literal and Mystical Sense of Scripture to take off their Prejudces and Mistakes This I did because it is necessary to be firmly perswaded of the Truth and Certainty of what we meet with here in our Entrance into the Bible It is indispensably requisite that we believe Moses to have delivered these things as an Historian and that he speaks real Matter of Fact when he gives us a Narrative of the Beginning of all things and particularly of the Original of Man his Innocency and Happiness and after that his Fall which was the Source of all Sin of the Devil's Tyranny of Death of Hell and of all Evils whatsoever The Knowledg and Belief of This are the Basis of all Religion and that perhaps was the Meaning of Luther's Saying that the First Chapter of Genesis comprehends the whole scripture Wherefore this is with great Wisdom premised in the Entrance of this Sacred Volume To which afterwards are adjoined the Propagation of Mankind the Rise of Religion and of the Church of God the Invention of Arts the General Defection and Corruption of the World the Universal Delâ—ge which drown'd all Mankind but Noah and his Family the Restoration of the World the Certain Distinction of Times before the Flood and partly after it the Confusion of Toâ—gues and thereupon the Division of the Earth among the Sons of Men the Plantation of Families the Original of Nations and Kingdoms as the Assyrian Monâ—â—chy begun in Nimrod or Belus and the Egyptian Dynasty the History of the first Patriarchs not only before but after the General Deluge as of Noab the Preacher of Righteousness of Abraham the Father of the Faithful of Isaac the Seed in which all Nations were to be blessed of Iacob the Father of the twelve Tribes of Ioseph whose Memorable Actions are here fully recorded and with which this First Book of Moses â—nds unless the Book of Genesis may be said to reach as far as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of that Promise contain'd in it concerning the Seed of the Woman that was to break the Serpent's Head Viz. Christ the Redeemer made of a Woman and sent to subdue the Devil and to destroy Sin and Death But because this First Book begins with the Creation of the World and is therefore by the Rabbins call'd the Book of the Creation I will here annex a brief View of the several Distinct Steps of this Great Work as they are represented to us by this Inspired Writer and Divine Philosopher who acquaints us that there were six Days spent in erecting this glorious Fabrick of the World And this will be a farther Proof of what I said before viz. that in Scripture is the Truest Philosophy When Moses saith In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth Ver. 1. he doth in these Words give us a summary Account of all that he intended to say afterwards in this Chapter for Heaven and Earth comprehend the Whole Creation This first Verse then is to be look'd upon as a General Draught of the Production of all things and the Particulars of it follow in the next Verses where the several Days Works are distinctly set down The Product of the first Day was two-fold viz. the Terraqueous Mass call'd here the Earth and Light There was first of all created a Rude Confused Heap by Profane Writers call'd the Chaos an Indigested Mass of Earth and Water mix'd together out of which God afterwards made all Corporeal things which belong to this lower World For we must not as some imagine that the Celestial Bodies were composed out of the Earthly Chaos that all the Vast Spaces of the Heavenly Mansions owe their Rise to this Mass below and that the very Stars were the Offspring of the Earth No Moses gives us to understand that this Confused Lump was the Original only of the Lower World for the Earth in this first Verse is mention'd as one Part of the new-created World as distinct from Light the other Part of the Creation As Light then of which I shall speak next was the Primordial Matter of the Ethereal Celestial and Shining Bodies so this Gross and Lumpish Heap was that of which all Dark and Heavy Bodies were compounded This Unshapen Mass without Form and void is here by a general Name call'd the Earth though it was not in a strict sense such for the Earth as a distinct Body from all others was the Work of the third Day In this Place therefore by Earth is meant Earth and Water blended together which made one Great Bog or Universal Quagmire This is the plainest and truest Conception we can have of the Primitive State of the World And hence without doubt was derived the Opinion of Thales and some other Antient Philosophers that Water or Slime or Mud for they express it variously was the Source of all Beings whatsoever And certain it is that this Terraqueous Matter was the first Origine of all those material Beings before-mention'd Accordingly Sir W. Raleigh in the Beginning of his History of the World determines that the Substance of the Waters as mix'd in the Body of the Earth is by Moses understood in the word Earth Hitherto according to the Mosaick History Nature is in her Night-clothes the World is overspread with Darkness which is especially said to be on the face of the Deep by which is meant either the whole Disorder'd Mass which was an Abyss or else as is most probable the Watry Part of it for though this and the Earthy Parts were mix'd together yet these latter being lightest were generally uppermost and floted above all and appear'd on the Surface of the Earth Therefore that Learned Knight before mention'd observes that the Earth was not only mix'd but cover'd with the Waters But the Spirit of God as Moses proceeds to tell us maved or hover'd over this Dark Abyss this Mix'd Chaos especially the Waters as 't is particularly said because these were uppermost and hereby the Rude Matter was prepared to receive its several Forms and then the World began to throw off its Dark and Sable Mantle and to appear in a Bright Dress For the other Product of this first Day and which indeed made it Day was Light i. e. some Lucid Body or Bodies which yet cast but a Glimmering Splendor a
true and proper import of it I cannot find the certain meaning of it saith Avâ—narius though I have consulted all the Comments of the Rabbies The Chaldee Paraphrast renders it perpetuò semper and so several Rabbins expound it but can assign no sufficient reason for it Some take it for a Musical Note of no signiâ—icancy in it self but a meer made Word to direct the Masters of Musick in singing or playing But then there is some difference among those of this Opinion For some of the Hebrew Writers think it denotes the Elevation of the Voice and that where-ever this Word is in the Psalms the Choristers were put in mind to lift up their Voices Others of them believe it is a Note to signify a Pause a Resting or Breathing for a time And accordingly some of the Jewish Doctors say that they were admonish'd by this Word to begin another Sentence or Period But another Classis of Interpreters look upon this Word not as a Note of Musick but of Observation or Remark and are perswaded that it is affix'd to some Sentences that are very Notable and more especially worthy of our consideration In my mind R. Kimâ—hi is in the right who joins this and the former Expositions of the Word togethere telling us that Selah is both a Musical Note and a Note of Emphasis in the Sense whereby we are bid to observe something more than usually remarkable It is derived from sal or salal exaltavit and denotes the elevating of the Voice in singing and at the same time the lifting up of the Heart the serious considering and meditating upon the thing that is spoken It is an Argument to me that this was of use in Musick and Singing because it is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Greek Interpreters and which is more considerable because we meet with it in the Psalms only and in Haâ—akkuk chap. 3. v. 3 9 13. which Chapter is a kind of Psalm or Canticle as you 'l see in the Title of it And that it is also a Mark of Observation and Meditation may be gather'd from its being join'd in Psal. 9. 16. with Higgaion which signifies Meditation for the Word is from Hagah meditatus fuit And though in some Places Selah seems to be used where there is â—o Emphatick Word or Sense yet we ought to consider that this must be referr'd and applied not only to the immediately preceding Word or Verse but to the whole Set of Verses or Periods about which it is placed If we thus apply it we shall see that it is used to good purpose viz. to point out to us something very Observable and Notable It calls upon us to revolve in our Minds with great Seriousness the Matter that is before us and to give Glory to God and to this purpose it may be observ'd that Selah in Psal. 46. 11. is rendred by the Seventy Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is the Excellent and Noble Matter which most of all commends these Divine Poems Some of them are Historical giving an Account of God's wonderful Dispensations in the foregoing Ages of the World especially towards the Iewish People in their first Election out of the rest of the World their Condition in Egypt in the Wilderness in Câ—naan with a Rehearsal of the particular Mercies and Judgments shew'd towards them Other Psalms are Didactick fraught with most wholesom and useful Doctrine with most solid and necessary Instruction What is there saith Basil the Great that we are not taught here Are we not instructed here concerning all Moral Vertues the Magnificence of Fortitude the Exactness of Justice the Gravity of Temperance the Perfection of Prudence Are we not iâ—form'd hence concerning the manner of Repentance the measure of Patience and whatever other good and vertuous things we can name Here is the Treasure of compleat Theology here is the common Store-house of all good Documents Other Psalms are Prophetical foreshewing the great and astonishing things which have happen'd since in the World as the Coming of the Messias in the Flesh his Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension and most of the considerable Circumstances appertaining to these the Rejection of the Jewish Nation the Conversion of the Gentiles the Wonderful Propagation of the Gospel and the Success of Christ's Kingdom upon Earth Again some of these Psalms are Petitory begging with the highest Zeal and Devotion those things which are the proper Object of our Prayers and thereby teaching us what we ought to implore of Heaven and in what manner we should put up our Addresses Others are Eucharistical wherein the Psalmist discovers the Grateful Resentments of his Mind by an open Recognition of the Divine Bounty to him and by sending up continual Praises unto the Author of all those Favours and Blessings daily heaped upon him at the same time teaching us to pay the like Tribute of Devotion to the same Bountiful Hand and to take all Occasions as he doth of testifying our Thankful Sense of the Divine Goodness Of this sort more especially is the 113th Psalm with the five following ones which are call'd by the Jews the Great Hallelujah or rather as Buxtorf saith the Great Hymn which they used at their three Chief Feasts especially at the Passover This it is probable is meant by the Hymn Mat. 26. 30. which Christ with his Apoâ—tles sung after their eating of the Paschal Lamb. Some are Hortatory with singular Earnestness inviting the World to acknowledg and obey the Lord of Heaven and Earth pathetically calling upon wicked Men to abandon their sinful Ways and to repent and turn unto God with a more special Love and Tenderness beseeching the Servants of the most High to fear and reverence his Name to trust at all times in him and to be obedient unto his holy Laws and Statutes Others are Consolatory administring Peace and Joy to all that are upright in Heart and Life breathing nothing but Heavenly Solace and Satisfaction to distressed Minds such as never came from any Mouth but what was Inspired Some of them are Penitential besides those Seven which are usually stiled so wherein the Holy Man with infinite Sorrow and Remorse of Soul declares his Abhorrence of his former Sins and his firm Resolves and Purposes of relinquishing them for the future Lastly some of the Psalms are of a Mixt Nature comprehending several of the foremention'd Heads in them so that there is no Book of Devotion extant in the World that is made up of such Variety of Matter as this is and therefore is not only the more delightful and entertaining but is also the more useful and advantageous the more sutable to the various Conditions and Occasions of Mankind the more fitted for the several Purposes of the Devout the more serviceable to all the great Ends of Religion and Godliness For this and many other Reasons I may conclude that there is not such another Excellent Collection of Devotions under Heaven
his Commission boldly laid open to the Inhabitants their manifold Sins and Miscarriages and proclaim'd their sudden Overthrow if they repented not Upon which the whole City by Prayer and Fasting and Humbling themselves and by Turning from the Evil of their Ways most happily averted the Divine Vengeance and prevented their Ruine A most Admirable Instance of the Divine Mercy A Rare Example of Universal Repentance and that even in a Pagan Country Happy had the Ninevites been if they had not relapsed afterwards Nor is Ionab's unseasonable Repining at this Dispensation of Heaven omitted here by him or by whoever it was that wrote this Remarkable History wherein we see the Integrity of the Inspired Writers which is such that they are not backward to communicate to the World their own greatest Failings or those which the best Men are incident to Ionah prophesied at the same time with the foregoing Prophets as Ierom concludes and he is back'd by other Fathers as Clemens of Alexandria Eusâ—bius Augustine Theophylact. Micah prophesied in the Kingdom of Iudah before the Captivity of Babylon in the same Kings Reigns that the preceding Prophets did as appears from the first Verse He impartially reprehends the Great and Rampant Vices both of Ierusalem and Samaria and is terrible in his Denuntiations of Iudgments against both Kingdoms but more particularly he foretels the approaching Destruction of Ierusalem Yet he leaves not the Church without Comfort for he expresly foretels the Confusion of her Enemies the Messias's blessed Arrival and with him the Peace and Prosperity the Increase and Advancement the Glory and Triumphs of the Church So that Micah seems to be Isaiah epitomized giving us that in brief which the other more largely and amply insisted on And it may be observ'd that these two Prophets are alike in their Stile and manner of Speaking which is very sublime and towering Nahum prophesied after the carrying captive of the Ten Tribes a little before the Captivity of the Kingdom of Iudah His Prophecy is rightly call'd a Burden that Word both in the Greater and Lesser Prophets importing the denouncing of some Grievous and Heavy Iudgment and such is this which he here threatens to Ninevâ—h For it seems this People returned to their former evil Ways after Ionah's Preaching and for this Reason another Prophet is sent to foresignify their Overthrow by the Chaldeans upon this their Relapse into their former Sins He useth no kind Invitations to Repentance as the former Messenger did but he absolutely and peremptorily proclaims their Ruine and with a most passionate and melting Eloquence such as is not to be parallell'd in the most Celebrated Masters of Oratory deciphers the horrid Nature of it Habakkuk prophesied in King Ahaz and Hezekiah's Reigns as Theodoret Epiphanius and others of the Antients probably determine and not after the Captivity of the Two Tribes as Ierom thinks for this was not past when this Prophet writ as is evident from chap. 1. v. 6. Lo I raise up the Chaldeans who shall march through the Breadth of the Land c. He complains of the Corrupt State of the Iews in those times predicting the Invasion of the Chaldeans as the just Recompence of their Misdoings This is remarkable in this Prophecy which we find not in any of the rest that it is composed in way of a Dialogue First the Prophet speaks chap. 1. v. 1 to the 4th then God answereth v. 5 to the 11th The Prophet replies v. 12 to the 17th God's Answer is in chap. 2 to the End Then follows the Prophet's Prayer The Providence of God in suffering the Best Men to be miserably treated and that by the Worst and Vilest is here vindicated and the Certainty of a Happy Revolution is assured The Prophet also by propounding the Example of his own Singular Faith and Patience in the greatest Difficulties and Extremities encourageth the Pious to wait on God to rejoice in him and to expect Deliverance from their Calamities and Revenge on their Enemies in due time The whole was designed to be a Support and Solace to the Faithful in the time of their Captivity Zephaniah who was employed in the Prophetick Office in King Iosâ—as's time as we read v. 1. a little after the Captivity of the Ten Tribes and before that of Iudah so that he was Contemporary with Ieremiah freely and plainly tells the Jews what it was that incensed God's Wrath against them viz. their Contempt of his Service their Apostacy their Treachery their Idolatry their Violence and Rapine and other egregious Enormities which were observable in them and their Princes Such high Provocations as these rendred their Destruction terrible universal unavoidable And then as most of the Prophets are wont he mingles Exhortations to Repentance as the only Proper Concern in these Circumstances He adds very severe Comminations against their Enemies and presageth their Downfal He likewise comforts the Godly with Promises of the certain Restoration of the Church of a Release from all their former Pressures and Grievances of a Cessation from all their Fears of the Continuance of the Divine Presence and Blessing So that this short Prophecy contains in it all the Others and may justly be said to be an Abridgment of them Haggai prophesied after the Return from the Captivity in Babylon in the second Year of Darius King of Persia sharply reproving the Jews for their neglecting the Rebuilding the Temple and vigorously exciting them to that Work both by Threatnings and Promises but chiefly by the latter assuring them of the Divine Blessing and Assistance in so religious and worthy an Enterprize and foretelling them of the Messias's Coming and of the Glory of this Second Temple which should far exceed that of the first even in this respect that the Messias himself should honour this Temple with his Presence Zechariah enter'd on the Prophetick Office at the same time with Haggai some time after the Release from the Captivity and he was sent to the Jews on the same Message i. e. to check them for their Backwardness in erecting the Temple and restoring the Divine Worship but especially for the Disorder of their Lives and Manners which could not but derive a Curse upon them Therefore he exhorts them to seek the Lord and to turn from their evil Ways and thereby to conciliate and obtain the Favour of God By several Notable Visions and Types he endeavours to confirm their Faith and establish their Assurance concerning God's Presence with them and Care of them yea and of his Whole Church to the World's End and as a Proof and Demonstration of this he intersperseth the most comfortable Promises of the Coming the Kingdom the Temple the Priesthood the Victory the Glory of Christ the Branch Nor doth he forget to assure them of the Ruine of Babylon which had been their implacable Enemy And here likewise is foretold the Great Number of Converts to the Christian Faith the successful Spreading and Propagating of the Gospel the
wonderful Efficacy of the Holy Spirit in those Days the Rejection of the Unbelieving Jews the utter Destruction of their City Temple and whole Nation by the Romans for their rejecting and crucifying the Messias and other particular things belonging to the times of the Gospel which none of the Lesser Prophets speak of but this Malachi is the last of these Prophets yea of all the Prophets of that Dispensation After him ceased Vision and Prophecy in Israel until Christ's appearing when Zachary Simeon Mary Elizabeth Anna were illuminated with the Prophetick Spirit He prophesied about 300 Years before our Saviour's time reproving the Jews for their Ungrateful and Wicked Living after their Return from Babylon particularly he chargeth them with Rebellion Sacrilege Adultery Profaneness Infidelity but especially he reprehends the Priests for being Careless and Scandalous in their Ministry which one thing was sufficient to give Authority to others to be Vicious At the same time he forgets not to take notice of and incourage the Pious Remnâ—nt in that corrupted Age who feared the Lord and thought upon his Name whose Godly Converse and Associating with one another in that debauched time he assures them were registred in a Book of Remembrance by God himself This Prophet who had pointed before at the Messias to be exhibited for he expresly â—aith He shall suddenly come to his Temple now shuts up his Prophecy and indeed all the Prophecies of the Old Testament with an Exhortation to remember the Law i. e. to live according to its holy Rules and Injunctions and with a Promise of the Coming of the Lord who was to be usher'd in by Elijah the Prophet i. e. by Iohn the Baptist who came in the Spirit and Power of Elias Luke 1. 17. And so this Close of the Old Testament refers to the New to which I now hasten CHAP. X. An Account of the Writings of the Four Evangelists the peculiar Time Order Stile Design of their Gospels The Act of the Apostles shew'd to be an Incomparable History of the Primitive Church The Epistles of St. Paul particularly delineated He is proved to be the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews An Enquiry into the Nature of this Apostle's Stile and manner of Writing The excellent Matter and Design of the Epistles of St. James St. Peter St. John St. Jude An Historical Series or Order is not observ'd in the Book of the Revelation NEXT follow the Sacred Books of the New Testament the Evangelical Novels the New Laws of Christianity the True Authenticks which present us with the actual Discoveries of the Glorious Light of the Gospel and of the Blessed Author of it These were writ in Greek for the same Reason that Ioseph the Jew chose to write his Books not in his own Language but in this because as he saith himself in his Preface to the Iewish War he would have them read and understood by Greeks and Romans and all Persons So Aelian was a Roman yet writ his Books of Animals and Various History c. in Greek because this was the Universal Language at that time These Writings of the New Testament are either Histories or Epistles The Histories are the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles As for the former the Writings of the Four Evangelists there were none of them extant whilest Christ was on Earth for till his being taken up to Heaven which was the Consummation of all he had before done and suffer'd they could not make the Evangelical History perfect But afterwards some of the Apostles and Disciples resolving according to their Master's Order to go and preach in foreign Regions and to disperse the Christian Religion over all the World put forth the History of the Gospel in Writing before they went about this great Work St. Matthew was the first Inspired Person that committed the Evangelical Transactions to Writing which he did about eight Years after Christ's Passion A. D. 42. He alone of all the Evangelists say St. Ierom Eusebius St. Augustine Chrysostom and most of the Antient Writers of the Church wrote his Gospel first in Hebrew which partly appears from this that some of the Hebrew Words are explained by the Person who translated it into Greek who it is probable was St. Matthew himself as the Antients generally agree and so the Hebrew and Greek Copies are both of them the Originals Then St. Mark and St. Luke writ their Gospels the one about ten tho others say twenty the other about twenty some say thirty Years after our Saviour's Death and there are some that invert the Order and give the Priority to St. Luke But all agree that St. Iohn was the last of the Evangelists and wrote towards the latter end of the first Century But as for the Punctual Time when the Evangelists put forth the Gospels it is doubtful and I do not find any certain ground whereoâ— we may â—ix a satisfactory resolution of the Doubtâ—punc This may be observ'd that St. Matthew and St. Iohn were Eye-witnesses of what they wrote 〈◊〉 St. Mark and St. Luke had what they wrote from the relation of others Particularly St. Mark who was St. Peter's Companion composed his Gospel by his Order and Direction and with his especial Approbation saith Eusebius Again it is to be observ'd that tho every Evangelist relates nothing but the Truth yet no one of them relates the Whole Truth concerning Christ's Life and Actions Tho the Substance of the Gospel be contain'd in every one of these Writers yet some Particulars are found in one that do not occur in another which makes it necessary to consult them all and to compare them together As for St. Matthew and St. Mark we may take notice that they do not always observe the Order of Time and the true Sâ—ries of the Matter especially the former of these is not curious in this particular But as for thâ— other two Evangelists they are very punctual and inviolably observe the Order of things as they happen'd excepting only that Parenthesis for such it is in Luke 3. 19 20. concerning Herod Of all the Evangelists St. Luke is the fullest and gives the compleatest mosâ— circumstantial and orderly Relation of things which he himself takes notice of in his Preface to his Gospel in those Words to Theophilus It seâ—med good to me having had perfect Vnderstanding of all things from the very first to write unto thee in order And yet though his Gospel be ample and more methodical in the Narrative or History than the rest yet he is but brief in relating things that our Saviour did till the last Year of his Preaching St. Matthew having been full in them and in some other things he hath need of a supply from the rest of the Evangelists and more especially from St. Iohn whose Gospel from the Beginning of the 14th Chapter to the End of the 17th contains those Excellent Discourses of our Saviour before his Passion which were wholly