before had no actuall existence unto him who was the sonne of God from eternity Now not he that gives but hee that takes the spouse given in marriage is the true husband And the spouse so taken from her espousall becomes the daughter not of him that gives her in marriage but of the Father of her husband with whom shee is now made one flesh Thus God the Father by this espousall thus wrought by the holy Ghost becomes the Father of the humane nature of Iesus which was now united unto his sonne after another manner then before hee had beene of any man and after another manner then the holy Ghost was or is the Father of the man Christ Iesus Christ then as God and man is the only sonne of God the Father The same Iesus only as man is the sonne of David 3. That the promised Messias was according to the Prophecies to be the sonne of David is evident but by what line all descent hee was to be the sonne of David or by what legall right the Kingdome of David was derived unto him is not without question amongst Christians David we know by Gods free donation was King of Iudah and Israel and Solomon by legall right did succeed him in his Kingdome And Solomons heires or Successours by bodily descent had as firme a title to the Kingdome of David as any other Kings or Monarchs have to the Crownes and dignities of their Ancestors But whether Solomons line by bodily descent were utterly extinguished before the conception or birth of our Saviour is a point neither much debated nor agreed upon by Divines If it were extinguished before that time yet Davids line did not determine with Solomons And for this reason haply our Saviour is instyled by the holy Ghost the sonne of David not so of Solomon albeit Solomon was as true a shadow of him as King as David had beene And Solomons Kingdome and raigne a fairer map of his Kingdome then Davids was And though our Saviours intermediate Ancestors according to the flesh from David downward were many as S. Luke and more then S. Matthew relates Yet he did immediatly succeede David in the Kingdom For so by the law of most Countries in case the elder brethrens sonnes or issues faile the third or fourth brother succeeds as lawfull heire not unto his elder brothers or their children but to their Grandfather or first donor Many may be immediate heires unto thē to whō they are no immediate Successours in lineall descent That Solomon and his line had no such perpetuity bestowed upon them by vertue of Gods Covenant with David as that it might not determine before the promised seed of David was exhibited the tenour of that Covenant as it is exemplified by the Author of the 89. Psalme puts out of question I have found David my servant with my holy oyle have I annointed him ver 20. He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my salvation Also I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth my mercy will I keepe for him evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the dayes of Heaven ver 26 27 28 29. This last he speakes of Davids seede as of one not of his seedes as of many For so it followes ver 30. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgements if they breake my statutes and keepe not my Commandements then will I visite their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes This visitation with rods and stripes imports more then fatherly chastisements true and reall punishments Yea heavie judgements upon Davids other children according to their deserts None are utterly exempted from Gods heavie displeasure besides the promised seede or Davids sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose prerogative is in the next words reserved by oath Never the losse my loving kindnesse will I not take from David nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips ver 33. This is in effect as if he had said however Davids other sonnes provoke me I will not repent of that loving kindnesse which I promised to him it shall be accomplished in Davids seede for in respect of things alterable or reversible whether promised for the good of men or threatned for their woe God is usually said to repent but to whatsoever hee sweares of that he never repents Every event ratified by oath is either unalterable or irreversible The Lord hath sworne saith David Psal 110. and will not repent that is he will not change or alter that which hee hath promised To alter that which was only promised but without oath is in the phrase of the holy Ghost as we usually render the originall to faile or breake Covenant that is in more proper language to reverse a blessing promised Hence it is added in the next verse of the 89. Psalme Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not lye unto David that is I will not make void my covenant His seeds shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sunne before mee It shall be established for ever as the Moone and as a faithfull witnesse in Heaven This is that throne and that Kingdome which the Angel Luke 1. 32 33. foretold should be given unto the seed or fruit of the Virgins womb As for Davids other children or for Solomons race their title to the temporary Crowne of David was at the first but conditional or rather mutable for every conditionall estate presupposeth a state in being but a state mutable or reversible Such was the state of Solomon or the heires of his bodie aswell unto the kingdome of Judah as of Israel The Kingdome of Israel they utterly lost in the second descent The next Quaere is whether this their estate unto Judah or Israel which was by originall tenour reversible were de facto utterly reversed and the Covenant as it concerned them finally cancelled 4 And of this Quaere the branches are two first whether Salomons line were utterly extinguished before the returne of Iudah from the Babylonish Captivitie or in any age before the son of God and the promised seed of David was manifested in the flesh The second whether in case the utter extinguishment of Salomons line be a point doubtfull or by any authentick Author or record indeterminable This line were not in the same desperate case for recovering the Kingdom that Elies race was for regaining the Priesthood from which it was by solemne oath deposed That Solomons line was utterly excluded from inheriting the Kingdome of Iudah and Iacob the Jews and Christians for the most part agree And the tenour of that terrible sentence against Ieconiah according to the principles acknowledged by both will inferre no lesse As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the sonne of
upon them the waters of the rivers strong and many even the King of Assyria and all his glory and he shall come up over all his channels and goe over all his banks Againe that the name Emmanuel did literally import Gods peculiar presence at that time with his people not only to deliver them from Rezin and Pekah but from the potencie of the Assyrian in future times is evidently included in the 9 and 10 verses Associate your selves O yee people and yee shall be broken in pieces and give eare all yee of farre Countries gird your selves and yee shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and yee shall be broken in pieces Take counsell together and it shall be brought to naught speake the word and it shall stand for God is with us The strange defeat of the confederacie here foretold was not to be expected in the dayes of Ahaz in whose times the Assyrian did attempt no great matters against them but in the dayes of Hezekiah Thus much the Prophets words in the verses following import ver 16. 17. Binde up the testimony seale my law among my Disciples And I will waite upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him This binding up of the Testimony and sealing of this Law doth argue both the Law and testimony to have beene of speciall moment yet not to be put in execution or fully accomplished for the present Of the accomplishment of both whether wholly or in part the Prophets sonnes in the interim were signes and pledges as is imported ver 18. Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given mee are for signes and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hoasts which dwelleth in Mount Sion This last passage is alledged by the Apostle amongst others to prove that the Lord of Hoasts himselfe who in the 14. verse of the 8. of Isaiah had promised to be a Sanctuary to his people was to participate with them of flesh and bloud Hee that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one For which cause hee is not ashamed to call them brethren saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee And againe I will put my trust in him And againe Behold I and the Children which God hath given me Yet that the 18. verse of Isaiah the 8 to which our Apostle in this place referres us was literally meant of the Prophet and his Children is too apparent to be denied nor will it be safe to stand upon termes of contradiction thus farre with the moderne Jew One of the Prophets sonnes was called Shear-iashub which by interpretation is The remnâ—nt shall returne and of this returne or restauration hee was the signe or pledge The other was called Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us a name portending or foretokening Gods speciall presence with his people at more times than one The imposition of both names and their importance were literally fulfilled in the age immediatly following but mistically fulfilled only in Christ whose comming to visit his people was prefigured by both of them The full importance or abode of the name Emmanuel was fulfilled in our Saviours conception and birth the true importance of Shear-iashub shall be mystically fulfilled when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come or when the Jew shall be called to be againe the seede of Abraham according to promise 9. Two points only remaine The first how the prophecie concerning Emmanuel was fulfilled according to the literall sense in the Prophets time and our resolution in this point wee must take from the sacred records of this theame in the old Testament The second how this prophecie was fulfilled according to the mysticall sense and this wee must learne from the Evangelists which alledge the fulfilling of it and other unpartiall Writers which relate either circumstances or signes of those times in which they wrote Out of these two points the parallel betweene the Prophet and Evangelists will of its owne accord without any anxious inquirie or further discussion result 10 The Histories of the old Testament by which Isaiahs literall meaning may be best interpreted are in the 2 of Kings 17 18. 2 Chron. 28. 16 17 c. We have a constat from the prophet Isaiah himselfe Chap. 7. 1 2. That this prophecy concerning Emmanuel was uttered by him in the dayes of Ahaz King of Judah and of Pekah the sonne of Remaliah but in what certaine yeare of either of these two Kings raignes this revelation was made to Isaiah and the matter of it instantly imparted unto King Ahaz is not so certaine Most certaine it is that Isaiah delivered this message from the Lord to Ahaz before the twelfth yeare of his raigne for in that yeare Hoshea the sonne of Elah begun to raigne in Samaria over Israel 2 Kings 17. 1. and this was after Pekah the sonne of Remaliah was dead And though it be not so certaine yet most probable it is that the former prophecy was uttered about the 8 or 9 yeare of Ahaz or about 3 yeares or somewhat more before Pekah the sonne of Remaliah was slaine One yeare or somewhat under we must allow for the conception and birth of the Emmanuel or Maher-Shalal-hash-baz and some two yeares after untill he were upon the point or period of time wherein ordinary Children in those dayes were enabled to know how to refuse the evill and choose the good that is to distinguish between other meats besides milke butter and honey and betweene his parents and other persons Before this Emmanuel or Maher-Shalal-hash-baz were thus enabled to distinguish betweene meate and meat or his parents and other persons but how long before this time it is uncertaine both Pekah sonne of Remaliah and Rezin King of Syria according to the tenour of Isaiahs prophecy and the astipulation made by him upon the signe profered to Ahaz were to be deprived of their Kingdomes or rather their Land and Kingdomes to be quitted of them Isaiah 7. 16. Chap. 8. ver 4. But before their ruine and before this revelation concerning their ruine was made unto the Prophet Isaiah they had brought Judah and the house of David exceeding low 2 Chron. 28. 5 6 7 8. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the King of Syria and they smote him carryed away a great multitude of them Captives and brought them to Damascus And hee was also delivered into the hand of the King of Israel who smote him with a great slaughter For Pekah the sonne of Remaliah slue in Iudah an hundred and twentie thousand in one day which were all valiant men because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers And Zichri a mightie man of Ephraim slue Maaserah the Kings sonne and Azrikam the governour of the house and Elkanah that was next to the King And the Children of Israel caryed away captive
manifestation of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 19. That of the Psalmist Psal 97. 1. fals under the same line of observation The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles rejoyce This literally implies that the earth whether generally taken or restrained to the Land of Jewry should have better cause to rejoyce and the multitude of the Iles new occasions of greater gladnesse then in former times they had knowne When then was this new matter of joy and gladnesse there promised to all the earth and her inhabitants to begin to beare date or bee in esse From that point of time wherein the Lord began to raigne after another manner then before he had done The raigne of the Lord over all the earth and over all the Ilands of the earth if wee consider him only as God was from the beginning of the world and so shall continue without change or alteration World without end The raigne of the Lord then in this place foretold must be the raigne of God incarnate or of Gods being made King And those holy men of God which thus speake did by the spirit of prophecie foresee those dayes which Abraham saw and rejoyced to see Now the beginning of these joyfull dayes was from the time wherein the Lord did loose the Prisoners did deale his bread unto the hungry did open the eyes of the blinde and raysed them that were bowed downe with his owne hands or with his owne voice For so the Author of the 146. Psalme a little before paraphrased doth conclude that admirable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or triumphant song of the God of Israel The Lord shall raigne for ever even thy God O Sion unto all generations All the former workes of mercy and piety towards miserable men were but praeludia or portending documents of his future raigne or oecumenicall Kingdome shortly after to be established CHAP. 25. That the former Testimonies do concludently inferre a pluralitie of persons in the unitie of the Godhead and that God in the person of the sonne was to be incarnate and to be made Lord and King BUt if the Lord God of Israel were to serve under the sins of this people or to bee made a servant for their sinnes if he were to be annointed King not over them only but over all the earth besides it will bee demanded unto whom he was to be a servant and who after this his service was to make or Crowne him King Surely being God he was not to be a servant unto man or Angell if he that was God must be a servant he must be a servant to him who is and truly was God If he that was truly God were to be annointed King and to be enthronized hee must be annointed by him alone who was as truly God These considerations enforce us and when God shall give them hearts to take these and the like into serious consideration will perswade the Jews that however the God of Israel be one yet in this unity of the Godhead or divine Majestie they and wee must acknowledge more then an unity or identity of persons What it is to be a person and what manner of distinction is betweene the persons in the blessed Trinity are points which I never had minde to dispute More Scholarum since I first knew the Schooles or bent my studies to know Christ but was alwayes ready to admire what I knew not to expresse Nor could I ever well understand the language of such as thought themselves able to instampe these high mysteries with Scholastick formes of words but have taken more delight and comfort for these thirtie yeares and more in rehearsing daily as I am bound by oath evening and morning the Collect appointed by our Church for Trinity sunday with the Hymne annexed unto it in the ancient liturgies then in all the varietie whether of Schoolemen or of such polite writers as seeke to adorne and beautifie their ruder expressions of this great mystery And I have ingaged my selfe not to meddle with this point untill by Gods assistance I have finished the rest of these Comments and then by way of meditation or devotions only Thus much notwithstanding the former considerations and the very fundamental grounds of true Christianity inforce us to grant that in the divine nature though most indivisibly one there is an eminent ideall paterne of such a distinction as we call betweene party and party a capacity to give a capacity to receive a capacity to demand and a capacity to satisfie Capacities sufficiently different for the exercise of justice and love not ad extra only but within the divine nature it selfe If there were but one party or person in the divine nature the remission of mens sinnes without satisfaction had beene more proper and pertinent then remitting of them upon satisfaction For one and the selfe same party to demand satisfaction of himselfe and to make it to himselfe especially by way of punishment or disgracefull affliction is so unconceivable to reason it selfe that it is altogether uncapable of admiration to reason sanctified or enlightned by grace 2. But this is that which some moderne heretiques labour to prove to wit That God did not exact satisfaction for our sinnes of our Saviour Christ Iesus that it had beene exact cruelty in God to have laid the burthen of all our sinnes upon him who knew no sinne But how then is Christ said to have taken away our sinnes God say these man did freely remit them without satisfaction and Christ did take them away by setting us a paterne of holinesse and of patience in affliction That is in such sort as a Physitian might be said to have taken away an epidemicall disease by prescribing a recipe which every one after might make for himselfe and be his owne Apothecary Briefly they thinke that God cannot be excused from cruelty but by denying all true and proper satisfaction made to him by Christ But it is an oversight usually incident to men enclouded in grosser errours to object that unto their Adversaries as an inconvenience or absurd consequence which is such only according to the objecters owne tenets but most true and consonant to their principles whom they oppugne if these might be taken into due consideration Thus some greate Clearks in the Romish Church but none of their wisest men object against us that we make God a Tyâ—anâ— by teaching that he hath given us a Law which is impossible for us to fulfill The objection is unanswerable according to their principles who teach that a man cannot be justified or absolved from the sentence of death denounced by the Law without perfect inherent righteousnesse or fulfilling of the Law But the same objection no way toucheth us who teach that albeit we must still be doing that which is good yet after we have done all we can suppose much better then either they or we doe we must still deny our selves and renounce not the works
Jehoiakim King of Iudah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence And I will give thee into the hand of them that seeke thy life and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and into the hand of the Caldeans And I will cast thee out and thy mother that bare thee into another Country where yee were not borne and there shall ye dye But to the Land whereunto they desire to returne thither shall they not returne Is this man Coniah a despised broken Idoll Is hee a vessell wherein is no pleasure Wherefore are they cast out hee and his seed and are cast into a Land which they know not O earth earth heare the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord Write ye this man childless a man that shall not prosper in his dayes for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Iudah Ierem. 22. 24 25 26 c. This last clause is to mee a concludent proofe that the man Christ Jesus was not of Ieconiahs seed because he was to sit upon the throne of David and to prosper yea to be the fountaine of all prosperitie to Prince and people And hee that will avouch our Lord and Saviour to have been of the seed of Ieconiah will hardly be able to fend off that coÌ„tradiction which his assertion directly includes not onely to the Angels promise Luk. 1. 33. but unto the Prophet Ieremiah cap. 23. ver 5 6. Behold the day is come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely c. The man Christ Jesus is in this place and elsewhere instyled the branch of David or a stem of the roote of Iesse but no where a branch of Solomon or of his feed which is most probable did determine in Ieconiah whom his Uncle Zedekiah did succeed for a while in the kingdome of Judah but with worse successe For Ezekiels denouncement against him and the Crowne of Solomon was no lesse terrible then this of Ieremiah against Coniah And thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquitie shall have an end Thus saith the Lord God Remove the Diadem and take off the Crown this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturne overturne overturne it and it shall be no more untill he come whose right it is and I will give it him Ezech. 21. 25 26 27. The contents of this denunciation as I take it are these especially Both the Crowne and the Mitre the ensignes of the royall and sacerdotall dignitie were so to be crushed that neither should remaine the same they were The Mitre was to be cast a new but in a farre lesse mould the Crowne to be broken and the reliques of it to be united to the Mitre both put together to remaine but as models of that dignitie which before they generally had untill the royall and princely dignity were united in him that had full right to both that is in the promised seede or Sonne of David The readings upon the 27 verse are various The vulgar Latine following the Septuagint thus iniquitatem ponam eam The Zuricke or Tigurine thus curvam curvam ponam eam And if this reading be just and straight it may serve as a character of that â—â—â—ked descent and tortuous revolution of the civill and Ecclesiasticke power from one Family unto another not settling in any one line untill the coming of the sonne of David unto whom both by right did belong Yet some authoritie in all this Tumble did still remaine in the Tribe of Iudah though not in the race of Solomon or of David untill Shiloh came And I know not whether that cited passage of Ezekiel ver 27. It shal be no more to wit the same that it was untill he come whose right it is have not speciall reference to that Prophecy of Iacob Gen. 49. 10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah untill Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people be The Septuagint seeme to interpret the name Shiloh according to the same importance that the originall as our English hath it Ezek. 21. 27. whose right it is as if Shiloh had been as much as Asherle cui repositum est But whether according to the ordinary rules of Grammar Shilo may stand for as much as Shello or whether the mysterie conteined in this prophecy might require or dispense with some irregularitie in the grammaticall forme of speech I leave it to accurate Criticks or sacred Philologers and so I do another question which is emergent as well out of the forecited words of Iacob as of Ezekiell whether both prophecies were to be understood of Christs first comming to judge Jerusalem unto which later the words of Ezekiel seeme most to incline for so the originall untill he come to whom judgement belongeth I rest contented with this part of the prophet Ezekiels undoubted meaning that neither the civil nor the Ecclesiastick dignitie of Judah were to be the same they were until the comming of the expected Messiah and yet some reliques of both do remaine untill his comming 5 Some of the Priestly line after this peoples returne from Babylon did take upon them to exercise princely authority as the Maccabees but with more honour for a while then with good successe for posterity Others afterwards did attempt the like but were put by it yet permitted or authorized by the Romanes to exercise the Priestly function some of them executed for their mutinous aspiring to the Crowne Lastly when they became Competitors for the royall dignity it was collated upon Antipater and from him derived or suffered by Augustus to descend on Herod the great in whose daies the promised seede of David the true heire unto the Crowne of Judah was borne But though Herod did exercise royall jurisdiction over Judea aswel as over other neighbouring provinces yet was hee not created King over Judea this was no part of his royall Title bestowed upon him by Antonius The first solemne authorized Title of King of Judah from the captivitie of King Ieconiah and Zedekiah was that inscription written upon our Saviours Crosse written by Pilates command so peremptorily that the Jews could not get a change or reversion of it in any of the three languages wherein it was written Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum Pilate I take it did not in this inscription intend the scoffe or scorn of our Saviour or of the Jewish Nation but only the style or Title of the crime for which our Saviour was endited Hee neither affirmed nor denyed him to be the King of the Jews but that which the world might conceive was written in jest or in
or finisher that they could have desired This saith he was even then acknowledged not to fall out by meer chance or without some further portending meaning or signification The exceptions taken against this tradition avouched by this Author Petrus Comestor are to men acquainted with the manner of sacred expressions of things to come so weake that they adde strength unto it But whatsoever the historicall event were at which these words in the literall sense immediately point wee Christians know that in the Symbolicall or spirituall sense they referre to Christ His exaltation unto Majestie and glory after the chiefe Rulers of the Temple had cast him aside and rejected him as not fit to be entertained amongst Gods people was mystically foreshadowed by that matter of fact or historicall event whereof the Psalmist speakes whatsoever that were yet not expresly foretold according to the direct literall sense of his words but onely signified according to the Symbolicall importance After the same manner the forecited words of the Prophet Isa 22. 23. The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and hee shall shut and none shall open doe in their literall and native sense immediately point at Eliakim of whose office in the house of David a materiall and visible key was the ensigne or pledge as the like is of some great offices in moderne Princes Courts But according to the emblematicall or symbolicall importance both key and office both inscription and matter of fact referre unto the spirituall invisible power of the sonne of David Who hath the keyes of Hell and of death Rev. 1. The keyes likewise of the Kingdome of Heaven and where he openeth no power in heaven or earth can shut nor open where he is pleased to shut That which some call the morall sense of scriptures is alwayes reducible to this generall branch last mentioned to wit to the emblematicall or symbolicall importance of the words expressed as they concurre with matter of fact or reall representation Only there may be a morall sense where there is no prophecy no representation truly mysticall As when it is written Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corne this law was to be observed according to the plaine literall sense And yet both the law it selfe and its observance from the first date of the letter had that morall which the Apostle makes That such as serve at the Altar should live by the Altar 5. To this branch likewise belong all the significations of legall ceremonies which doe not immediately point at Christ in whom they were exactly fulfilled but at morall duties to bee performed as well by us Christians as by the ancient Jews Christ our Passeover saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 7 8. it sacrificed for us Therefore let us keepe the feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth This was the true morall of that legall observance of the feast of unleavened bread which was to be kept according to the strict letter of the law whilest the law of ceremonies was in force Concerning this symbolicall or morall sense especially when it is not propheticall Maldonats advise is very good He that will search after such senses must hold close to the letter Propiùs mihi Rupertus videtur in quaerendo morali sensu ad literalem accessisse quod semper faciendum esse ei qui ridiculus esse nolit saepe monumus And of allegoricall mysticall or symbolicall senses which are propheticall or prefigurative none are current or concludent but such as hold exact proportion with the sense historicall 6. Some good Divines there be which would have an anagogicall sense distinct from all these mentioned The Allegoricall Spirituall or Mysticall sense is by them limited to matters already accomplished in the Gospell whereas the Anagogicall reacheth to matters of the world to come But this difference in the subject or time unto which whether words or matters sacred referre makes no formall difference in the sense or manner of the prediction or prefiguration Whatsoever is in Scripture foresignified or intimated concerning the state and condition of the life to come is either literally foretold by expresse words or mystically foreshadowed by matter of fact or notified by some concurrence of prediction and representation and so may be reduced to one or other of the senses mentioned either to the meere literall or to the meerely mysticall or to the literally or symbolically mysticall or spirituall sense CHAP. 13. Of the literall sense of Scripture not assertive but meerely charactericall BUt divine mysteries as was intimated before are sometimes neither notified by expresse prediction or words assertive nor by matter of fact historicall event or type nor by the persons actions or offices of men but represented onely by words or names by notes or letters or other secret characters of speech Now this manner of representing mysteries divine produceth a sense of Scripture distinct from all the former which can hardly be comprehended under one certaine denomination unlesse it be under this negative the literall sense not assertive Or if the Reader desire a positive expression of it he may terme it the charactericall sense To beginne with the first words of Scripture In the beginning saith Moses Bara Elohim The Lord created c. Although these words be assertive yet the mystery of the Trinity is not avouched in Logicall assertion or proposition but only represented or insinuated in the peculiar forme or character of the grammaticall construction if happily it be here either represented or intimated at all For some both judicious Divines and great Hebricians there be as well in the Romish as in the reformed Churches who will acknowledge no intimation of any mystery in this conjunction of a noune plurall with a verbe singular but tell us this forme of speech is usuall in the Hebrew dialect as the like is in some cases in the Greeke For the Graecians as every grammar Scholar knowes joyne nounes of the neuter gender plurall with verbes of the singular number as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These mens authority would sway much with me if I did not finde it counterpoised by observation of Wolphgangus Capito an exquisite Hebrician and discreet searcher of the mysticall sense of Scriptures Now if his observation doe not faile him the construction of verbes singular with nounes plurall is never used amongst Hebrew writers unlesse the noune doe want the singular number In this case alone they doe not extend the signification of the verb into such plurality as is in the noune Contrary to the use of the Latines who to make the adjective and substantive agree in number stretch Vnum one or unity it selfe into a plurall forme as unae literae una maenia which would be a harsh kind of speech in our English or other modern tongues But
themselves acknowledge to be a note of some mystery as one of them being converted to Christianity observes against his brethren which love darknesse more then light The mystery notified in this particular as this Author tells us is by their owne rules in cases wherein they are no parties ingaged the same with that which is immediately after expressed in words assertive and plaine That of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeale of the Lord of hoasts will performe this I referre the observation of the like charactericall representations unto the diligent Readers of the old Testament in the original tongue or of ancient Hebrew Commentators whose testimonies in many cases where they are no parties are no way to bee contemned And amongst other branches of that rule for interpreting Scriptures which was constantly received amongst the ancient Jewes as Peter Martyr and Bucer with others somewhere observe this representation of divine mysteries by letters or characters unusuall might for ought I know be one 7. As for the representation of like mysteries by proper names of men especially who by their place or office were types or forerūners of Christ that I presume no sober Christian will except against or call in question And this representaon or prenotification of future mysteries was exhibited either in the first imposition of names or in the change of names or in the severall use of divers names when the same party retained more names than one There was scarce a sonne of Iacob whose name did not imply a kinde of prophecy Rachell did truly prophecy of the state and condition of the Benjamites when she called the Father of that Tribe at his birth Benoni the sonne of her sorrow And Iacob did as truly prophecy when he changed his name into Benjamin the sonne of his right hand Nun the Ephramite did call his sonne Hoseah by divine instinct or direction And Moses did truly prophecie when he changed his name into Iehoshua With what intention Isaac or Rebecca did call their younger sonne Iacob I know not or whether they had any other motive knowne to themselves to give him this name besides that which the manner of his birth did minister for he caught hold of his brothers heele in the birth But this name Iadgnakab hand in heele made afterwards by close composition as it seemes Iagnakab did as the attempt signified by it in the birth portend that he should supplant his elder brother and get the birthright from him 8. After this name given him by his Parents he was in his full age named Israel by God Himselfe by way of addition only without any change or determination of his former name or the Omen of it But it is not without observation why he is sometimes called Iacob sometimes Israel in the same continued historicall Narration the name Iacob characterizing his present infirmity the name Israel notifying his recovering or gathering of strength But one of the most admirable prerepresentations literall not assertive of mysteries plainely afterward avouched and fulfilled which I have either observed or found observed by others is in the Benedictus Luke 1. 68 c. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his servant David c. To performe the mercy promised to our forefathers and to remember his holy Covenant the oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life The summe of that which God had spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets which had beene since the world began was now reavouched by Zacharias being filled with the holy Ghost in a literall assertive sense plaine and easie even to the capacity of the naturall man And yet the summe of all which Zacharias by the Spirit of Prophecie did now utter was clearely represented to men of spirituall understanding in the Scriptures or experienced in their spirituall sense in the very names of Iohn Baptist and of his Parents For Zacharias the Baptists Father is by interpretation the remembrance of God Elizabeth his mother as much as the oath of God And the name Iohn imports the free grace of God And all these put together sound as much as that God did now remember his people with that grace which he had sworne to bestow upon them in his Covenant with Abraham that is with grace of deliverance from their enemies their owne sinnes were their greatest enemies with grace enabling them to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their life Of more particulars in this kinde as they shall fall within the compasse of Prophecies or prefigurations concerning Christ hereafter CHAP. 14. That the Scripture is said to be fulfilled according to all the former senses that one and the same Scripture may be oftner than once fulfilled according to each severall sense THe fulfilling of any thing written supposeth a foretelling or presignification of the same And because matters related by the Evangelists and other sacred writers of the new Testament were of course and of purpose either foretold or prefigured in the old testament hence it is that this phrase of fulfilling that which was written is in a manner peculiar to these sacred writers not in use amongst secular historians Yet the phrase is not therefore barbarous because not used by politer writers in the same subject that is in historicall narrations For it is used by Tully and other most elegant writers in the same sense which sacred writers use it As because every man as was intimated before may foretell those things which were by himselfe projected or promised they are likewise said implere promissa to fulfill their owne promises or to fulfill the Omen or signification of their owne names so an elegant Poet saith Maxime qui tanti mensuram nominis imples Now seing this phrase This was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled is so frequent in the new Testament Maldonat did very well and like himselfe in unfolding the severall wayes as he conceived them according to which the Scripture is said to be fulfilled almost in the very beginning of his learned Commentaries upon the foure Evangelists Yet some question there may be whether he did all this which was so well and wisely attempted by him so well and so judiciously as might in reason have beene expected from him 2. The Scripture saith he so farre as I could hitherto observe is said to be fulfilled foure manner of wayes First when that very thing is done or comes to passe which was meant by the Prophet or other sacred
our Saviour before his resurrection Surely he hath borne our griefes and caryed our sorrowes c. This was most exactly fulfilled in his sufferings whatsoever these were upon the Crosse unto which S. Peter referres it 1 Pet. 2. 24. He his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we being dead to sinne should live to righteousnesse by whose stripes you were healed Yet was the same testimony truly fulfilled before as S. Matthew more fully instructs us cap. 8. ver 16 17. When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with Devills and he cast out the spirits with his word and healed all that were sick That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet saying Himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses The testimonie alleaged by these two Apostles unto severall purposes is one and the same and yet concludent of what they both purposed or intended Nor is it necessary to search out two severall senses of one and the same testimony alleaged and twice fulfilled For of one and the same literall sense or signification there may bee two objects or more The literall sense of the words as forecited by S. Peter hath for its object our Saviours sufferings or his bearing our infirmities and the diseases of our soules upon the Crosse The object whereto S. Matthew referres was the infirmites or sicknesses of mens bodies for these he bare though not as we say in kinde yet by exact sympathy or fellowfeeling before he bare our spirituall infirmities upon the Crosse and whether hee bare these after such an exact sympathy as he did the bodily infirmities of those whom he cured may be discussed in the Article of his passion 8. But as for testimonies either typicall propheticall or prophetically typicall besides that they may be oftner fulfilled then once according to the same sense in generall as either according to the literall or mysticall sense or both they admit in greater variety of particular senses no way opposite unto the generall but subordinate and coordinate one to another Sometimes the same words fit the type in such a proportion as the names of shires or Provinces doe those parts of the Maps wherein they are represented but fit the Antitype in such a measure as the same name in the Mappe doth the province which it represents sometimes in one and the same Prophecy or continued historicall narration one clause or passage doth fit the type only another the antitype only according to the proper literall sense and some others so fit both As in Psalme 72. 1. Give the King thy Iudgements O God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings sonne by the King it is evident David meant himselfe and by the Kings sonne both Salomon and him of whom Salomon was the shadow or type the one according to the literall sense only the other both according to literall and mysticall These words againe in the 2. verse He shall judge the people with righteousnesse and the poore with equity referre both to Salomon and to Christ to the one as to the modell to the other as to the edifice So doth that other passage ver 8. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River unto the ends of the earth This prophecy was fulfilled or exactly verified according to the letter in Salomon For hee did command from the Phaenician sea unto the sea of Edom and from the river Euphrates unto the lands end according to that ancient terrar which the Lord himselfe had given of Iudahs dominion Yet this dominion whilest it was most entirely possest by Salomon was but a Map of Christs Kingdome he was to rule from Sea to Sea over all the Seas in the world and from river to river from every point of sea and land unto the same point againe For all was to be given him as well in earth as in heaven Salomons earthly Kingdom doth fit Christs Kingdome here on earth as a Mappe of paper doth a Countrey or Province and Christs Kingdome here on earth is but the scale of his Kingdome and dominion in heaven 9. Sometimes the same passage of Scripture may according to the intent and meaning of the holy Spirit be fulfilled or verified of the type or pledge in an ordinary literall or proverbiall sense which is somewhat more then the ordinary literall and yet be fulfilled of Christ in the most exactly punctuall literall sense that can be imagined They that dwell in the wildernesse saith David Psal 72. 9. shall how before him and his enemies shall lick the dust This was truly meant and verified of Salomon in the literall and proverbiall sense but most exactly fulfilled in Christ unto whom all knees shall how of things in heaven of things in earth and of things under the earth and all his enemies death it selfe and him that had the power of death shall inherite the Serpents first curse that is to be fed with dust Gen. 3. 14. No doubt but Salomon and his share in that prediction v. 12. He shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poore also and him that hath no helper Him that is not able to cry or speake for himselfe But Salomon could never give sight unto the blinde or limbes unto the Lame or speech or hearing to such as were borne deafe or dumbe These were prerogatives peculiar unto that sonne of David whom Salomon did foreshadow But even the deafe and dumbe had some friends to solicite Christs aide for them the lame the blinde and the sick could cry themselves unto him or make signes of their desire of his helpe yet others he helped which did not either by themselves or by their friends desire his helpe as that impotent man which had layd so long at the poole of Bethesda Salomon might deliver the poore from civill oppression or bodily violence and might raise them in their temporall fortunes but it was the promised sonne of David alone that could deliver them from the oppressions of the Devill or from the imprisonment of their owne bodily senses Thus he delivered Lazarus from the very bonds of death and from the prison of the grave when hee himselfe could not and his sisters would not or did not cry unto him for this deliverance but rather disswaded him from attempting it Now the very name Lazarus is by interpretation as much as David in that verse expresseth Him that hath no helper According to this difference or allowance most passages in that 72 Psalme besides the 5 ver the conclusion from the 17 are literally meant both of Salomon and of Christ But these prayers of David were propheticall both in respect of the type and the antitype so are not many other like passages in the Psalmes which containe patheticall expressions of the parties desires griefes or sorows which did pen them and yet are no lesse exquisitely fulfilled in Christ than the former which were literally meant both of
kept secret from the foundation of the world Matt. 13. 35. This was the mysticall sense of the Psalmists words and according to S. Matthewes literall expression of them they necessarily import the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven and so all the parables which our Saviour used in that Chapter as he there useth many respect the Kingdome of Heaven and were hard and darke to such as were not of Christs disciples or such as the Psalmist there describes A stubborne and faithlesse generation It is true therefore which Maldonat in his second animadversion saith that the cause why our Saviour spake to his common Auditors in parables was because they were unworthy of cleerer revelatioÌ„s uncapable for the time of greater talents having used their former ordinary talents so ill Thus our Saviour resolves his Disciples ver 11 12. Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven but to them it is not given For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that hee hath And to the same effect the Psalmist had prophecied or forewarned this generation even all generations following It was then an allegation unconcludent and impertinent and no way beseeming Maldonat to say our Saviour did not speake in parables to the end that Davids sayings might be fulfilled but because this present generation did deserve no other language For these two are no way opposite but subordinate And if it be ill for men to separate those things which God hath conjoyned it is much worse to set things at oddes or in opposition which the Spirit of God hath made coordinate or set in concord Now both these assertions as well that which Maldonat refuses as that which he approves have a divine truth in them First it is most true that our Saviour did speake unto the multitude and to the Pharisees on whom they relyed in parables because they were for the time unworthy of such declarations as he made to his disciples for the increase of their talent which they had used not so much amisse as the others had done And no lesse true it is that the Psalmist did foreprophecy that the posterity of Israel from his owne time untill the comming of the Messias should be more unworthy hearers of divine mysteries then their forefathers had beene unlesse they seriously repented both their owne sinnes and the sinnes of their forefathers So that our Saviour did speakâ—â—nto them in parables for these two reasons First because they were unworthy hearers Secondly to the end his disciples might know and beleeve that this manner of speaking was foreprophecied by the Author of the 78. Psalme 4. Maldonats first animadversion was that this Latine particle ut or the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie the cause of what is said or spoken but sometimes the event only How true soever this be it no way prejudiceth the truth now delivered by us For it will not follow that this particle ut either in this place of S. Matthew or in any other place where it imports the fulfilling of Scriptures doth not signifie the cause because it sometimes or oftentimes signifieth the event only But seeing the right use of this particle or the knowledge of its severall references is much conducent to the just valuation of many testimonies which have beene and must be hereafter alleaged out of Scriptures it will be very usefull in this place to unfold its severall significations or importances once for all Sometimes this particle as well in the Greek as in the Latine and in our English is transitive only and imports neither any true cause nor the event as in that of our Saviour Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternall that they may know thee the only true God The resolution of which words without any wrong either to their full importance in logicall construction or to their grammaticall elegancy is but this Cognoscere te esse verum Deum est vita aeterna To know thee to be the onely true God is eternall life From this use or importance of this particle ut that other which Maldonat makes is not different or no otherwayes different then the end of a transition or passage is from the passage or transition it selfe as when our Saviour saith Mat. 23. 34. I send unto you Prophets and wisemen c that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel c. God forbid any good Christian should referre this particle That unto the first words Behold I send unto you Prophets c and by this meanes conceive the end and cause why God did send wisemen and Prophets unto them should be this that all the righteous blood shed by their Fathers should be required of this generation it refers only to those words Some of them shall yee kill and crucifie c. The true importance is as if he had said yee shall or you will goe on in your Fathers sinnes so farre and so long untill at length the blood of all the righteous whom your Fathers have slaine shall come upon you Or as S. Luke hath it shall be required of you So that the importance of this particle ut in this place denotes the event of their practises or resolutions not the finall cause of the Prophets comming unto them And it is the same with that which S. Paul expresses in the infinitive moode Rom. 1. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end why God did manifest himselfe unto men in the booke of his Creatures was that they might know him to be God and glorifie him as God And it was the ample measure of manifestations made to this end which left even the Heathens themselves without Apologie or just excuse and according to this importance of the particle ut as it noteth onely the event or some transition to the event many good writers would value that of S. Iohn chap. 12. 37 38. Though he had done so many miracles before them yet they beleeved not on him That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might bee fulfilled which he spake ut impleretur ille sermo Lord who hath beleeved our report and to whom hath the arme of the Lord beene revealed And I could wish that Maldonats animadversions upon the forecited 35. verse of Mathew the 13. had beene as Orthodoxall or discreet as they are upon this place of Iohn For of such Commentators as I have read none speakes more pertinently or more discreetly to the difficultie wherewith that place is charged unlesse it be his brother Tolet who hammers out Athanasius his exposition as learnedly and more fully as Maldonat doth upon the expositions of other Greeke
upon you may come all the righteous blood or as S. Luke hath the same prediction more emphatically Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this generation both these and the like were conformable to that generall rule delivered by Ieremie Chap. 18. ver 7 8. At what instant I shall speake concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull downe and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them And our Saviours prediction Luke 11. 31. though the words may seeme most peremptory did implicitely conteine or admit the same condition which he in another prediction of his to the same effect doth expresse Luke 13. 3. I tell you nay but except you repent yee shall all likewise perish that is perish after the same disastrous manner that the Galileans there mentioned or the inhabitants of Jerusalem had perished Now however the prediction of Isaiah or Zacharias his imprecation when he dyed were no true causes of this peoples infidelity or destruction yet in as much as what they threatned though with this condition and Proviso Vnlesse they doe repent did so exactly come to passe the event is of most concludent proofe to us that they spake by the Spirit of God a true cause of our knowledge that they were Prophets indeed and that these events were not causuall in respect of their predictions though in themselves contingent or holding the true meane betweene necessity of being and necessity of not being 10. But the best way to convince them of errour who teach that prophecies are sometimes said to be fulfilled only by allusion will be to declare the particular manner how these places at which they stumble most doe conclude what the Evangelists rather intimate then fully expresse For so it was the will of God that even the Evangelists themselves should oft times only give us hints for searching out those demonstrations of the spirit which they perfectly knew but would not set downe at large lest this should occasion sloathfull negligence in succeeding ages or prevent our admiration at the exact consonancy betweene Propheticall predictions and evangelicall narrations To conclude this present treatise it is alwayes more safe for the most learned expositor of Scriptures to say I doe not conceive how this or that allegation doth conclude or how this or that prophecy was exactly fulfilled then peremptorily to avouch of any particular alleaged by the Evangelist that it was no concludent proofe but allusive only because he or such as he hath read cannot conceive how it is fulfilled It is hard for any one man to see or heare all that hath beene said or written by others upon any parts of Scripture but it may be easie for others that come after to say somewhat in arguments of this nature which no one before had said or observed yea somewhat more then the Prophet himselfe did distinctly foresee when he spake or wrote these very words which the Evangelists say were fulfilled CHAP. 16. Whether the Prophets did alwayes foresee or explicitely beleeve whatsoever they did foretell or fore-signifie concerning Christ SOme have resolved upon the affirmative part of this probleme not only as true in it selfe but as one speciall ground of difference betweene the Prophets of the Lord and the Heathen Soothsayers or Diviners which sometimes foretold that which afterwards proved true but without any apprehension of the truth of it That Heathen Diviners did sometimes rave or speake they knew not what in their divinations I will not deny that they did alwayes thus is more then I can affirme However betweene raving predictions and a distinct apprehension or foresight of matters foretold there is a greater difference then between staring and being stark mad That the Prophets of the Lord did never rave in their predictions that they had alwayes a true apprehension of the truth delivered by them and a foresight of the events future which they foretold I rest assured But that this foresight should extend to all the branches of truth which are said to come to passe that their sayings might be fulfilled I see no convincent argument to perswade me The contradictory to his assertion if any be pleased to undertake it we thus inferre The Evangelists and Apostles or others enabled to preach the Gospell with power from above men visibly annointed with the holy Ghost to this function were bound to teach no other things than what had beene foretold by Moses and the Prophets And yet the Evangelists both knew and taught others to beleeve many things which the Prophets even the Kingly Prophets much desired but could not be admitted to see or heare And this is a concludent proofe that the Prophets did not alwayes distinctly foresee or apprehend all things which were foretold by thē not those events which the Spirit of God saith came to passe that their sayings might be fulfilled Otherwise they must have seene all that the Evangelists saw have knowne all the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven which the Apostles after our Saviours resurrection knew or taught but this is directly contradictory to our Saviours assertion and whatsoever is contradictory to truth it selfe must of necessity be untrue Wherein then did the Prophets of the Lord differ from heathen Soothsayers or raving Diviners 2. He that can make a good construction of what he speakes or writes cannot be said to rave albeit he know not the issue or full importance of things uttered by him Caiaphas did not rave when he said it was expedient that one man should die for the people rather then all should perish Yet was he no Prophet although as S. Iohn tells us he did in this speech prophecy For hee did not intend or take upon him to foretell any unusuall matter or divine mystery but only give his politicall advise or placet concerning the businesse then in hand Any worldly wiseman might have spoken as wisely as he did That his speeches then did prove so happily ominous as they did this was meerely from the extraordinary disposition of divine providence He neither spake as heathen Diviners did when they raved nor as the Prophets of the Lord used to speake whensoever they foretold things to come in the name of the Lord. For they alwayes had a true intention to foretell such things and to give assurance unto the people that whatsoever they foretold in the name of the Lord should come to passe whether their predictions were for forme expresly disjunctive or whether they were absolute and peremptory that is not charged with conditions exceptions or Provisoes either implicite or explicite Somewhat then they alwayes expressely foresaw as often as they tooke upon them to foretell or foreshew things to come but seldome did they know all which came to passe that their saying might be fulfilled 3. The Probleme proposed cannot be distinctly resolved without
to bee followed in practise then the other although there be no absolute resolution whether is speculatively more true As suppose it to be equally probable on both sides whether tithes be due Iure divino or no yet it would be the safer way for every man to pay his tithes as duly as if hee were fully resolved that they were due by Gods peremptory Law For so long as any doubt remaines whether they be due by Gods Law or no the detaining of them cannot by any humane law be made ex fide it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whatsoever is so is in our Apostles sense a most grievous sin But to proceed in our assertion 4. Two grave and learned writers in their times and their times were ancient in respect of ours have observed an Amphibologie in the directions which Samuel gave to Saul from Gods owne mouth questionlesse 1 Sam. 10. 8. Thou shalt goe downe before me to Gilgal and behold I will come downe unto thee to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings seaven dayes shalt thou tarry till I come to thee and shew thee what I will doe It was Sauls misfortune shall I say or misdemeanour to make choise of the worse part of that double construction which these words may admit for this Amphibologie was not in scripto but in words uttered though afterwards committed to writing Reason might have taught Saul that if the warre were undertaken it was to be administred likewise by the counsell of the Lord and therefore he did foolishly in adventuring to offer sacrifice or doe any other solemne act before the Prophet who was the Lords Embassadour in this businesse came unto him Although it be said Chap. 13. ver 8. That he tarryed seaven dayes according to the time set by Samuel yet in this doing surely he did not as Samuel appointed him to doe otherwise Samuel had done more foolishly of the two He stayed then the just measure of that time which Samuel had appointed but he did not observe the season the end or purpose which Samuel had appointed The seaven dayes were appointed him to offer solemne sacrifice and if he had not digressed from Samuels direction herein the seaven dayes of sacrifice had beene his solemne inauguration to the Kingdome as may with probability be gathered from the 13. verse of the 13. Chapter Samuel said to Saul thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the Commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee for now would the Lord have established thy Kingdome upon Israel for ever 5. To admit either an Amphibologie in sentences by mutuall transposition of words or clauses or ambiguous signification of words by changing of points can be no greater disparagement to the sacred authority of the originall Text then the equivocall or ambiguous signification of the same word without any alteration of points or letter would occasion if either sort of ambiguities did justly minister any such occasion at all Now that the selfesame word or words may in one and the same sentence admit ambiguous and much different significations no man that reades the Scriptures with as much diligence or observance as reverence can make question There is no difference at all betwixt Christians and Jewes much lesse amongst the Christians themselves about letters or poynts in the 8. Psalme in that verse especially Thou hast made him little lower then the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour This word little admits two senses grammatically much different and yet must respectively bee interpreted according to the full purport of both This Psalme by the title and inscription is a Psalme of David and beares the character of Davids pen The subject or matter of it is thanksgiving to God for his extraordinary favour unto man above all other visible creatures That which raysed his thoughts to such an high pitch and his expressions of them in such a loftie Propheticall straine as he here useth was his serious contemplation of the beauty of these Heavenly bodies the Sunne Moone and Starres c all which he knew to be the workes of Gods owne hand and yet he saw them nothing so much regarded by him as man even the meanest of men Enosh or Ben Adam The heavens indeed were farre above men in situation or place but man was further above them in dignity than he was below the Angels or Coelestiall Creatures Elohim Now if we respect onely the plaine literall sense of the Psalmists speech or consider it as it reflects onely upon the history of the first creation the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an adverbe of quantity and is rightly rendred by the Latine paulò or aliquantulum as it is most true that man by the gift of creation was little lower than the Angels being true Lord and King of this inferiour world But most Psalmists David especially whilest they contemplate the sacred Histories of times past not as Polititians doe histories soecular but as vates praeteritorum as men rapt with Gods goodnesse towards their Forefathers become withall vates futurorum true Prophets of better things to come In this admiration of mans first estate which was now lost David had a view or glimpse of his restauration to it or a better Whatsoever his thoughts or apprehensions for the present were his expressions by disposition of divine providence reached the manner of mans restitution to it as they doe the first estate it selfe from which we fell And in respect of this mysticall sense the same Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any alteration at all is an adverbe of time and is most divinely rendred by our Apostle Heb. 2. 5 6. c. Vnto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speake but one in a certaine place testified saying What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower for a little while than the Angels thou crownedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the workes of thy hands Thou hast put all things under his feete c. His inference is admirable For albeit the former words thou hast made him but a little lower than the Angels were literally true of the first man Adam yet were they not verified in any sonne of Adam Nor were the words following thou hast given him dominion over the workes of thy hands c ever fulfilled either in the first man or in any other creature nor can they in their exquisite sense be applied to any beside the second Adam or sonne of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is now Lord of all all things are subject to him even as he is the sonne of man And that he might be thus crowned with glory and honour and bring his brethren miserable men and the sonnes of miserable men unto glory he was for a while to bee made lower than the Angels through
be awaked was to returne to his throne on high Arise O Lord saith he ver 6. in thine anger lift up thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgement that thou hast commaunded so shall the Congregation of the people compasse thee about for their sakes therefore returne thou on high The Lord shall judge the people Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me He that is to arise was certainely layd downe and he that is to awake was for the time asleep and he that was to returne on high was questionlesse descended from the highnesse of his throne Nor are these speeches to be considered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then that judgement of the people which he implores of God I dare not affirme that the 47. Psalme was penned or conceived by David himselfe yet authenticke and Canonicall among the Iewes Now the whole current of that Psalme containes a generall acclamation or gratulatory hymne of God the Lord who was to be made King O clap your hands all yee people shout unto God with the voice of triumph For the Lord most high is terrible he is a great King over all the earth He shall subdue the people under us and the Nations under our feet He shall chuse 〈◊〉 inheritance for us the excellency of Iacob whom he loued Some passages in this Psalme had their literall verification in the practise of this people at such solemne feasts as this Psalme was appointed to be sung For they did then exhibit such joyfull acclamations as are here charactered and exalt the name of the Lord by hymnes of praise and thanksgiving But both songs and ditties the gestures of both Priests and people which sung them did foresignifie matter of more universall triumphant joy to be communicated to all Nations when God should become such a gratious King over them as he had beene over the seed of Abraham ver 7 and 8. For God is the King of all the earth sing yee praises with understanding God raigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse Was it the chiefe matter of this publique joy that God should subdue the Nations under the feete of Iacobs posteritie This had been rather cause of sorrow to the heathen Nations then any just cause of cōfort to the Iew if these words according to the literall did import a temporall or civill subjection of the Nations by conquest of sword Nor doth the originall word import any such thing but a voluntary subjection or submission wrought by faire and gentle perswasion And by the unquestionable meaning of the very letter the Nations were to rejoyce in that they were to be thus subdued not to the whole Nation of the Iews but to the inheritance which God had chosen for them or to the excellency of Iacob whom he loved And these as Theodores rightly observes were the Apostles and Disciples whom God had chosen out of the Iewish Nation These indeed have brought not our bodies but our soules and consciences under subjection to the yoake of Christ who was the God whom the Psalmist therefore prophecied should be very highly exalted not by ascending of the Ark into Mount Sion nor by propagation of his Kingdome or gayning a greater multitude of subjects here on earth then he had whilst the Jews only were his chosen people but by erecting a new throne and Kingdome in the highest Heavens where now he dwelleth and executeth the royall judicature which he before did in the Tabernacle or in the Temple there he had a visible throne and a visible mercy seate but there his presence was not alwaies visible nor visible at any time but in type or figure And if wee may beleeve the later Iewish Doctors when they speake unwittingly for us against themselves that solemne festivall wherein this triumphant song was publiquely sung was first instituted and afterwards continued as an anniversary memoriall of the dedication of the Temple or for bringing the Ark into it and that was as much as the inthronization of the God of Israel as peculiar King and Lord of Sion But they themselves do grant that this very Psalme was not only a triumphall memoriall of what was past but withall propheticall and to bee fulfilled in the dayes of their expected Messias And so we Christians see it now exactly fulfilled according both to the mysticall and to the punctuall literall sense in Christ Iesus their Messias though they acknowledge him not now sitting at the right hand of God and designed to be the supreme Iudge not of the Iews only but of all the world of quick and dead 3 That the God of Israel was to become King of all the world to be crowned with Majestie and glory was to judge the world after another manner then from the beginning of it or at that time when these late cited hymnes were consecrated to his praise had been experienced many other Psalmes do so punctually import that without this supposition or this interpretation of them they can have neither any true literall meaning nor conteyne any remarkable truth worthy the note of Selah which is often inserted in Psalmes of this kind The Lord saith the Author of the 93. Psalme reigneth he is cloathed with maiesty The Lord is cloathed with strength wherewith he hath girded himselfe He was to be thus cloathed thus girded with strength not as God but as King The world also is stablished that it cannot be moved Thy throne is established 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old â tunc from then that is from the time wherein he was thus to raigne and thus to be cloathed with Majesty And by this establishing of his throne the world was to be established after another manner then it had beene He himselfe indeed as it followeth in the same verse was from eternitie So was not the throne or Kingdome which the Psalmist there doth not only describe but prophecy of his throne is an everlasting throne yet everlasting as we say à parte pòst from the time it was established not from eternitie and so is the kingdome here meant And Psalme 96. 10. c. Say among the Heathen that the Lord raigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roare and the fulnesse thereof Let the Feilds be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord for he commeth for he commeth to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with his truth All these are characters of times future and that joyfulnesse of the fields and all that is in them c. which the Prophet mentions is I take it no other then the fulfilling or satisfying of the earnest expectation of the Creature wayting for the
prophet Isaiah makes betweene the mortalitie and frailety of flesh and the immortality or everlasting duration of the word of God the Psalmist makes betweene his owne misery and fading estate and the everlasting happinesse of his Lord God And from the contemplation of this opposition takes the same comfort to himselfe which the Prophet Isaiah was commanded to minister unto Gods people and unto Ierusalem My dayes saith he Psal 102. 11 are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grasse but thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations And againe Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth and the Heavens are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed thou art the same and thy yeares shall have no end That this passage of the Psalmist is literally meant of the eternall God the Iews themselves cannot deny And that it is meant of God incarnate of the sonne of God manifested in the flesh S. Paul in the first Chapter to the Hebrews doth assure us Christians For he alleageth this very place ver 10. to prove that Christ God and man was farre above all Angells and principalities and that after his enthronization as King he was to change this world which was made by him The very literall meaning of the Psalmist will enforce thus much that this place was to be meant of God not simply or absolutely but of God incarnate For the eternall duration of the Godhead is not measurable by dayes or yeares but the incarnation of the sonne of God or his duration in the flesh may be accounted by number of yeares for the time past yet are his yeares as man to continue without end without any decay or diminution of that nature which he assumed The Psalmist foresaw his owne interest in the numberlesse yeares of his Lord whose happinesse and immortality was the only comfort of his miserable mortalitie The same comfort the Author of the 103. Psalme whether he were the same with the Author of the 102. Psalme or some other takes to himselfe from the like contemplation of his owne misery and of the happinesse of God incarnate Like as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust As for man his dayes are as grasse as a flowre of the field so he flourisheth For the winde passeth over it and it is gone and the place therof shall know it no more But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him and his righteousnesse unto childrens children To such as keepe his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandemēts to do them Psal 103. 13 14 15 16 17 18. For the true interpretatiō or application of this passage unto this present purpose it is in the first place remarkable that where in the 13. verse wee read Iehovah or the Lord the Chaldee renders it The word of the Lord hath pity on them that feare him In the second that the mercy of the Lord or of the word of God verse 17 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a word or terme whose full importance cannot bee had from any ordinary Lexicon unlesse it be such as is proper unto Divinitie For it cannot be understood of that mercy or loving kindnesse of God which was ordinarily manifested either towards mankinde in generall or towards the people of Israel in particular Every Novice in the Schoole of the Prophets did know that this mercy of the Lord was perpetuall But what could it availe the Author of this Psalme to consider that this mercy of God had beene manifested to his forefathers before his time and should bee to posteritie in their severall generations after him what comfort could it afford unto the childrens children of such as feared him that this mercy of God should be reserved for them only after the same manner or measure which their forefathers had tasted or had experience of it and yet complaine of their miserable and wretched estate for the present and comfort themselves only in the expectation of that abundant mercy which they hoped afterwards should be revealed The best exposition upon this place of the Psalmist or what is in speciall meant by the mercy of the Lord or of the word of God is given by S. Paul Titus the 3. 3 4 5 6 7. For wee our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which wee have done but according to this mercy he saved i◠by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his grace wee should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Of this mercy and loving kindnesse the Patriarchs and Prophets as wee said before had the promise but without all hope of enjoying the thing promised for the present It was not then the mercy of God or Iehovah considered in the Godhead only but the mercy of God to be incarnate to be made King and Judge of the earth which did so comfort these and other Psalmists in their greatest distresses and perplexities in al which they had just occasion to say as S. Paul afterwards did If in this life only or in the loving kindnesse of God as it hath been experienced in our dayes we had hope we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. 4 That this place though literally meant of God alone was yet to be punctually fulfilled in God incarnate or in the Word made flesh besides this exposition of S. Paul the very letter and circumstance of the text doth perswade us For the expected comfort wherupon this Psalmist pitcheth is this The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdome ruleth over all And here againe whereas we read the Lord the Chaldee reades the Word of the Lord hath prepared his throne And in that it was prepared it was not from eternitie though after it were prepared to continue from everlasting to everlasting that is as we say world without end And this is that throne and that Kingdome which Daniel foretold that God long after his time would erect Daniel 2. 44. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome which shall never be destroyed and that Kingdome shall not be left to other people but it shall breake in pieces and consume all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever And of this throne you have a most exquisite description by S. Iohn Revel 4. 1 2. After this I looked and
behold a doore was opened in Heaven and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said Come up hit her and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter And immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven and one sate on the throne And round about the throne were foure and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw foure and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white rayment And they had on their heads Crownes of gold c. The foure and twenty Elders fell downe before him that sate on the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and cast their Crownes before him saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created This praising of him that sate upon the throne was that wherunto the Author of the 103. Psalme did solemnly invite the heavenly powers long before S. Iohn had this vision For after he had said the Lord had prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdome ruleth over all it followes immediately Blesse the Lord yee his Angels that excell in strength that do his Commandements hearkning unto the voice of his word Blesse yee the Lord all yee his hosts yee Ministers of his that do his pleasure Blesse the Lord all his workes in all places of his Dominion Blesse the Lord O my soule That which our Saviour saith of Abraham was in its measure true of this Psalmist he also saw the day of Christ the day of his glorious resurrection that day wherof it is said thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and did rejoyce in soule to see it and his owne interest in it an assured hope of his inheritance in the heavenly Kingdome 5. But the vision of David to this purpose in that Psalme which amongst some few others beares the inscription of Michtam Davids Ieweler golden song as some would have it is most punctually cleare Keep me O God for in thee do I put my trust that is as the Chaldee explaines it In thy word have I put my trust or hope for salvation Psal 16. 1. and ver 2. I have said unto the Lord Adonai And againe ver 8. c. I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope But here the Eunuches question unto Philip will interpose it selfe Of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other I can no way brooke their opinion who thinke the Psalmist speakes all this in the person of Christ as his figure but rather in this as in many other Psalmes and in the two last forecited especially some passages there be which cannot be literally applyed but to the Psalmist himselfe others which cannot be applyed to any one but Christ that is to God or the word incarnate and the 9. verse My heart is glad c. containes a feeling expression of that joy or exultation of spirit which did possesse all the faculties both of Davids body and soule But what was the object of this his exultatiō or the ground of his joy He expresseth it ver 10. Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption But the same question here interposeth againe Doth he speak all this of himselfe or of some other Whatsoever may bee thought of the former clause of that verse thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell which as some think might be meant both of Christ and David though in a different measure most certaine it is that the later clause Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption was not literally meant of David much lesse fulfilled in him but literally meant of him alone and literally fulfilled in him alone whom David in spirit called Lord though he then foresaw he should truly be his sonne This undoubted truth we learne from S. Peter Acts 2. 29. Men and brethren let me freely speake unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his sepulcher is with us unto this day Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loines according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soule was not left in Hell neither his flesh did see corruption And S. Paul Acts 13. 36 37. more fully and more punctually to our animadversions upon this later clause expounds it thus David after he had served his owne generation by the will of God fell on sleepe and was laid unto his Fathers and saw corruption But he whom God raised againe saw no corruption In this as in many other Psalmes the comfort which did arise from the sweet contemplations was Davids owne or the Psalmists who foresaw that great mystery whereof we now treat that the fountaine of their comfort was Christ or God incarnate who was to be raised from the dead David in this Psalme did rejoyce in heart that albeit he knew his nature to be like the grasse that withereth albeit he knew his soule should be divorced from his body yet this divorce he knew by faith should not be perpetuall that albeit he could not but expect his body his flesh and bones should rott in his sepulcher as the body and flesh of his forefathers to whom he was to be gathered had done yet he foresaw in spirit that even his body should at length be redeemed from corruption by the resurrection of that holy One whose body though separated for a time from his immortall soule was not to see or feele any corruption Finally though David and other Psalmists forecited if others they were did perfectly and explicitly foreknow that they were to die yet had they as true implicit beleife of that which our Apostle explicitly delivers Golos 3. 3 4. That their life was hid with Christ in God that when Christ who was their life should appeare they should also appeare with him in glory 6. To the former generall Quaere in what sense we are said by S. Iohn to be borne of God we answer that to be borne of God is all one with that of S. Peter to be borne of immortall seed but what is that immortall seed whereof S. Peter saith we are borne againe That in one word is the flesh and blood of the sonne of man who is also the sonne of God So hee himselfe instructs us Iohn 6. 53 54 55. Verily verily I say unto you except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee have no life in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day For
The birth of Iesus Christ saith S. Mathew chap. 1. ver 18. c. was on this wise When as his mother Mary was espoused to Ioseph before they came together shee was found with child of the holy Ghost Then Ioseph her husband being a just man and not willing to make her a publique example was minded to put her away privily But while he thought on these things behold the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dreame saying Ioseph thou sonne of David feare not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost And shee shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes In this narration some speciall passages are expressely the same with the former related out of S. Luke as that our Saviour was conceived by the holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary or in the Virgin Mary So S. Matthew to denote that the blessed Virgin was no agent in this conception saith that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost Chap. 1. ver 20. This I take it is of the same character with that message of the Angel unto the blessed virgin her selfe in S. Luke 1. chap. ver 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt be with child and bring forth a sonne as the Angel said unto the wife of Manoah Iudges 13. 3. and to others which beyond expectation or course of nature did conceive and bring forth sonnes of promise Both Evangelists againe expressely tell us that the virgin Mary was espoused to Ioseph the sonne of David before the Angel Gabriel did bring this message unto her hereby giving us to understand that the works which the Divell had wrought in our nature should in this particular as in many others be undone by God after the same way and method that they were done by this his enemie The first woman we know did conceive sinne whilest shee was a virgin at least before shee knew her husband Adam who was the onely man then on Earth for she was a virgin espoused from her first Creation This first woman conceived death by beleeving the Serpent and practising according to his Counsaile before shee had consulted her husband The blessed virgin did conceive the Lord of life by beleeving the Angel Gabriels message without consent or advise of her betroathed Husband who at the first suspected her loyaltie but afterwards admonished by the holy Ghost did admit of her as his lawfull consort did permit her to enjoy all the priviledges of a wife and her sonne the priviledges of his only sonne and heire without any further knowledge of her as his wife 3 S. Luke gives us the Chronologie of our Saviours birth more distinctly then S. Mathew doth It came to passe saith he in those daies that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed or booked Chap. 2. ver 1. The exact year frō the giving of the law or from the return of Judah from Captivitie neither of the Evangelists do meddle with in the story of our Saviours birth and for this reason I omit them The other circumstances concerning the time wherein according to the Romane account hee was borne with the place were more usefull for us because these were or might have beene knowne to all other Nations not to the Jews only out of the Roman Annals It is agreed by all that Jesus was borne in the time of Augustus and in the dayes of Herod the King If any be desirous to know the exact yeare wherein he was borne the best rule for his direction in this search must be to find out the time of that taxe or inrolement mentioned by S. Luke Chap. 2. ver 1 2 c. Now this taxing or inrolling was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria and that as all agree was either in the beginning of the 42 or in the latter end of the 41 of Augustus Yet whether this taxing or inrollement of every person capable of such inrollement were not decreed or intended before by Augustus though first put in execution whilest Cyrenius was Governour of Syria may admit some doubt or question however wee are to calculate the time of our Saviours birth from the time in which this decree was put in execution throughout Judea not from the time of the first designe or intention of Augustus to have such a taxe or inrolement of all that were Subjects to the Romane Empire 4 The Spanish Nation as well for their civil as Ecclesiastick Acts did for a long time after they became Christians use a Computation of yeares different from all other Christian States or Kingdomes For all besides them as farre as I have observed begin their Computation from our Lords incarnation or birth which was at the same time that this decree of Augustus was put in execution through Judea The Spaniards begun their Aera so they call their computation somes 27 yeares more or lesse before this time and as sundry of their ancient writers think from that time wherein Augustus did first resolve upon this taxing and inrolling of all the families under his jurisdiction and that as they alleage was first thought on and ingrossed at Tarracone in Spaine after he had fully subdued the Cantabrians and others which had revolted from him in Spaine 5 But this most probable opinion of many ancient writers as others of like nature usually do suffers some praejudice by impertinent and disprovable allegations sought out for the confirmation of it First the writers take it as granted that the decree set forth by Augustus in Spaine was for raising a generall taxe or tribute throughout all his Dominions that this tribute was to be paid in brasse a currant coine amongst the Romanes aswell for the payment of Soldiers as for the discharge of civil contracts or mulcts wherein they were condemned And from this supposition which will not be granted them these writers conjecture that the word Aera tooke its originall Hence they call this decree of Augustus aerea constitutio as if the word Aera which in their language is the computation of times or yeares were the plurall though not warrantable by Priscian of the Latine Aes afterwards by common use made a noune singular But this supposition it selfe that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof S. Luke speakes should import as much as a generall taxe or tribute is confuted by Sepulveda a professed Spanish Antiquarie and Chronicler unto Charles the fift And if his observations faile not the Romanes did not receive their Tribute or Taxes either in brasse or gold but in silver only And because the imposition of Tribute or Taxe is alwayes ungratefull to conquered Provinces or people it is an opinion in Sepulveda his judgement voyd of probability that the Spaniards should begin their computation of time
of it the hopes of Rezin and Pekah for the extirpation of it were so advanced that they confidently resolved upon the particular man whom they meant to make King of Iudah that was the sonne of Tabeol Isaiah 7. 6. In the height of this their confidence and the perplexitie of Judah and the House of David the Lord sends his Prophet Isaiah to give them assurance of their Delivery by an extraordinary signe In the dayes of Ioseph and Mary his espoused wife the House of David whereof they both were branches was brought much lower then in the dayes of Ahaz it had beene And however no mischief were intended against them in particular as being obscure and private persons neither in possession nor competitors for the Kingdome yet for breaking off the succession of David or preventing any of his line to be Lord of Judah the plot was laid with more cunning then it had been by Rezin and Pekah Three of those ancient Fochoods which had sought to wreak themselves against Judah in the dayes of Ahaz were now revived and united in one man in Herod the great and the Fochood by this union became both greater and stronger He was by birth a Philistine and by royall title bestowed upon him by the Romanes King of Idumaea and Samaria unto which he sought to annex Judea as his inheritance And although the particulars be not mentioned in the new Testament yet is it indefinitely evident out of S. Matthew that Herod had his confederates against the house of David and which assoone as they knew of his birth did seeke the life of the sonne of David When Herod was dead behold an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dreame to Ioseph in Aegypt saying Arise and take the yong Child and his mother and goe into the Land of Israel for they are dead which sought the yong Childs life Math. 2. 19. 20. This argues there were some other that dyed about the same time with Herod which with him had sought the life of Jesus In this low estate whereunto the house of David was brought before the death of Herod and his confederates the Lord did send not a Prophet but an Angel to assure not the continuance only of Davids succession but the restauration enlargement and everlasting establishment of his Kingdome unto Mary the daughter of David and her husband by a greater signe than Isaiah had proffered unto Ahaz The Angel delivers his embassage mostwhat in the same words that Isaiah did to Ahaz Behold saith the Prophet Isaiah 7. 14. this virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne and she shall call his name Emmanuel Unto the blessed virgin then present saith the Angel Luke 1. 30 31. Feare not Mary for thou hast found favour with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus The imposition of this name Jesus is committed to the care of the virgin so was the name of Emmanuel to the virgin to whom the Prophet Isay directs his speech when he delivered his message unto Ahaz For in the originall the word which S. Matthew renders impersonally or in the third person plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to the Hebrew Dialect Hee shall be called is the second person singular and the foeminine tu vocabis thou Virgin shalt call him Emmanuel This variation of the Evangelist from the Prophets precise word is such as breedes no vitiation at all in the reall sense but such as reason it selfe and rules of Grammar require in like cases The Virgin being as wee suppose present when the Prophet exhibited the signe unto Ahaz hee was to speake unto her in the second person But the Evangelist relating the fulfilling of this prophecie not in the literall sense onely but in the mysticall was to change the person or to relate it in the third person plurall which is indeed an impersonall according to the Hebrew Dialect Behold a virgin shall bring forth a sonne and they shall call his name that is he shall be called Emmanuel which is by interpretation God with us 12 But here the Jew demands first how the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is alwayes emphaticall should denote the blessed Virgin and should be transferred from one virgin to another Secondly why the name given our Saviour at his circumcision was not Emmanuel according to the Prophets speech but Jesus To the first demand wee answer that the originall letter is alwayes emphaticall sometimes a note of demonstration or particularity and according to this importance it referres unto the Virgin then present as if the Prophet had said Ecce virgo haec Behold this virgin shall conceive c. Sometime it is a note of Eminencie and according to this importance it referres unto the Virgin of Virgins the blessed Mother of our Lord of whom it is meant not only in the mysticall but in the most exquisite literall sense To the second we say the imposition of the name Emmanuel had beene requisite at our Saviours circumcision if this prophecie had bin meant of Him only in the literall sense But in as much as it was to be fulfilled in Him according to the most exquisite both literall and mysticall sense it was requisite there should be an improvement as well in the significancie of the name as in the thing signified by it Now the name Iesus imports a great deale more than the name Emmanuel as will appeare in the explication of it The importance of the name Emmanuel as it referres unto the Childe instantly promised by Isaiah is applied unto the blessed Virgin by the Angel in his preface to the Annuntiation Luk. 1. 28. Haile thou that art in high favour the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst women The Lord was with her in a more peculiar manner whilest the Angell thus spoke unto her then he had beene with Gideon to whom the like salutation was tendred by an Angel Iudg. 6. 12. Or with Iudah in the dayes of Isaiah or Hezekiah But after the Lord was conceived by her he was both with her and with us after a more admirable manner than at any time he had beene before with Gods dearest Saints This manner of his being with us could not be fully expressed by any other name then the name Iesus 13 Ahaz his distrust unto Gods promise being set aside or rather if wee use it as a foyle to set forth the blessed Virgins facile assent and fidelity unto the Revelation made unto her by the Angell the propheticall and Evangelicall story hold better correspondencie both for substance and circumstance thâ—â— is betweene the Model and the Edifice The Emmanuel promised by Isaiah was an assured pledge that Pekah King of Samaria and Rezin King of Syria should die or be deposed before this Childe could distinguish betweene meates or cry My Father my Mother The accomplishment of this signe or of the promise confirmed by it is registred in
the sacred story For Pekah was slaine by Hoshea the sonne of Elah within two or three yeares after the signe was given and so was Rezin by Tiglath Pileser at Damascus Within the like compasse of yeares after the Evangelicall promise was made to the blessed Virgin that her sonne Iesus should sit upon her Father Davids throne Herod the great who had usurped it did die a miserable death so did his confederates against the house of Iudah as wee gather from Matthew 2. 20. Arise saith the Angel to Ioseph in a dreame and take the young Childe and his Mother and go into the land of Israel for they are dead which sought the young Childes life Now Ioseph returned from Egypt two yeares after our Saviour was borne Whom the Evangelist meanes beside Herod when hee saith they were dead which sought the Childes life is no where in sacred story expressed nor is it to mee certaine whether Syria at that time had a King of their own but it is probable they had seeing in S. Pauls time Aretas was King of Damascus 2. Cor. 11. 32. Some there be which mention the death of one Obedas whom they make King of Syria who died about the same time with Herod but from what authority they expresse not The Evangelist might meane the Roman Governour of Syria by whose favour and potencie Herod was emboldned to tyrannize over the Jews Nation and to worke his projects against the house of David Some have accused Quintilius Varus of this great sinne unto whom and to the Legions under his Governement the right hand of the Lord of Hoasts had reached a more terrible blow than Iudah had received from him or Herod within some few yeares after the butcherie of the Infants 14. The second blessing whereof the Emmanuel was a pledge whose conception had beene foretold by Isaiah was not exhibited till many yeares after and it was this that Judah and the house of David should be more admirably delivered from the Assyrian when he should besiege Ierusalem more fiercely then Rezin or Pekah had done And this was in the dayes of Hezekiah for so the Prophet assures the people that the rod of Ashur should be broken as in the day of Midian Isaiah 9. 4. Which is in effect as if he had said The Lord will be with us after as wonderfull a manner as he was with Gideon when Israel was oppressed by the Midianites And so it fell out in the dayes of Hezekiah that Senacheribs mighty Army was destroyed by a more fearefull destruction then the Midianites had beene by Gideon And unto this strange defeat of the Assyrian the Prophets words Isaiah 9. 4 5. do referre Thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen and the staffe of his shoulders the rod of his Oppressour as in the day of Midian For every battell of the Warrier is with confused noyse and garments rolled in bloud but this shall be with burning and fewell of fire Now of this disaster which befell Assyria and the strange deliverance of Iudah and the house of David by it the Emmanuel there promised by Isaiah was the pledge or assurance as the Prophet in the next word intimates For unto us a Childe is borne and unto us a little one is given c. Isaiah 9. 6. That by this Childe the Prophet meant the Emmanuel mentioned Chapter 7. is acknowledged by all even by such as admit of no more Emmanuels then one to wit our Saviour Christ But seeing the Emmanuel there literally meant was given as a pledge or comfort unto Iudah in this particular distresse certainely hee was borne before him though not borne only as a pledge of this deliverance but of a farre greater Deliverer or Saviour to come for whose sake alone this deliverance and all other of his people from their enemies both bodily and ghostly were sent from God And best Interpreters take those words of Isaiah 2. Kings 9. 34. I will defend this Citie to save it for mine owne sake and for my servant Davids sake to be literally meant not of David but of Davids sonne the true Emmanuel But to returne to the 9. of Isaiah upon that vision of that great overthrow of Senacheribs Armie the Prophet takes his rise to view a greater victory a more potent Enemie in the same place where Senacheribs Armie was overthrowne and that was not neere Ierusalem but in the borders of Zebulun and Napthali neere to Libanus in that Country whose Inhabitants Senacheribs predecessour Tiglath-Pileser had first captivated and in the same place our Saviour gave his Apostles power over Satan and his Angels who had his people in greater subjection then the Assyrians had them in the time of Isaiah For hee had possessed many of their bodies after another manner then any earthly Tyrant could have them in possession Now when the Prophet foretels as well the victory of the Angell of the Lord over the Assyrian as the victory of Christs Apostles over Satan he gives this one signe of both For unto us a Childe is borne and unto us a little one is given c. These words may referre both to the type and to the antitype in the literall sense but immediatly after the light of that great mysterie which all this while had beene under the cloude of the literall sense breakes forth in its proper native lustre For the words following can be meant of none but Christ And his name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the encrease of his governement and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the Zeale of the Lord of Hoasts will performe this As for the former passages concerning the Emmanuel and Mahar-shalal-hash-baz they are literally meant of Isaiah his sonne and yet are withall proofes no lesse concludent against the Jew no lesse pregnant testimonies of our beliefe concerning the miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour Christ than the testimonies last cited out of Isaiah 9. 6 7. or of his Godhead or everlasting Kingdome For however such immediate visions or unvailed revelations of Christ as Isaiah in these two verses and in the 53 Chapter or elsewhere addes were the most sublime kinde of prophecies such as few other Prophets besides David could ever attaine unto these having the like priviledges amongst the Prophets that Peter Iames and Iohn had amongst the fellow Apostles permitted to ascend the Mount with Christ and see the transfiguration or glory of his Kingdom Yet for our instruction predictions of Christ typically propheticall or prophetically typicall are most admirably concludent as was premised before especially when the same words according to the literall sense fit both the pledge and the mysterie pledged or the Evangelicall mysterie according to the improvement in a more exquisite sense then they did the type or
then actually made Christ and Lord. Unto these two offices of everlasting Priest and everlasting King hee was not actually anointed or fully consecrated untill his resurrection from the dead Was not then the Sonne of God Lord before his resurrection Yes being God from eternitie hee was also Lord from eternity So we are taught by Athanasius The Father is Lord the Sonne is Lord and the H. Ghost is Lord. Whosoever is truely God is also truely Lord. And in this acception of Lord as there be not three Gods but one God so there be not three Lords but one Lord in the blessed Trinitie The Father is the onely God the onely Lord the Sonne is the only God the onely Lord the holy Ghost is the onely God the onely Lord. But whether this title of Lord as it is here inserted in this article of the Creed import no more then that the Sonne of God is the true and onely Lord with the Father and the holy Ghost or whether it were not before his birth in some sort peculiar to the Sonne is a point neither cleare in it selfe nor easie to be cleared because the ancient Translators especially the Greeke and Latine render the three originall words Elohim Iehâ—vah or the name of foure letters however it be pronounced and Adonai promiscuously by Lord. And yet these three words in the originall have their severall significations or importances To omit the word Elohim About the name of foure letters there is much contention how it should be pronounced yet all agree that it 〈…〉 and essence of God is his most proper name and admits no plurall The proper signification of the name Adonai is as much as Dominus or Lord. 4 The reason as I take it why the Greekes and Latines have usually but one expression of both names is because the ancient Hebrews did not pronounce the name of foure letters unlesse it were in the Sanctuary or in solemne benedictions Nor did they write it so as it might be pronounced that is with any proper vowels but either with the vowells of Adonai or of Elohim Not the Greekes and Latines onely but the Chaldee paraphrase sometimes reads Adonai where wee read Iehovah or the name of foure letters And thus it doth not from mistake of the Hebrew vowells which in the time of Onkelus the later of the two Chaldee paraphrases were not exprest And God said to Moses I appeared to Abraham unto Isaac and Iacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne to them Exod. 6. 3. Or as the Caldee by the name Adonai c. Wherfore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burthens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage c. Some good writers in the interpretation of this place observe that albeit Abraham Isaac and Iacob were in high favour with God yet they wrought no miracles as Moses the first among the sonnes of men did And hence they infer that Moses did worke all his miracles in the power and vertue of this name whether Iehovah or Adonai which was first manifested unto to him 〈…〉 many interpretations of this place Fagrus best approves this Although God were knowne to Abraham as Omnipotent and All sufficient to performe whatsoever he hath promised yet was he not knowne unto Abraham or other of the Patriarks by that name or title which did import the instant performance of what he had promised unto Abraham This was immediately imported in the name of foure letters or in those descriptions which God there gave to Moses of his nature and essence or of his present purpose towards Israel in the 3 of Exod. ver 14. I am 〈◊〉 I am c. 5 And the 〈◊〉 paraphrase it is probable did use the name Adonai in stead of the name of foure letters as most pertinent and most significant to this purpose For it properly pertaines to him who is not onely in himselfe Almightie or All sufficient but Lord of all to dispose of Kingdomes and inheritances to depose greatest Lords and advance meanest servants If the name of foure Letters were to the ancient Hebrews as Drusius with some others will have it ineffable this was a true character of his incomprehensible nature which they properly signifie Nor doth the usuall substitution of Adonai for the want of foure letters want matter of more than grammaticall observation This practise was a literall Embleme or Character of that which our Evangelist hath exprest in words assertive Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him In this declaration or exposition of God whose incomprehensible nature was charactred by his ineffable name made by the Sonne of God incarnate there was a greater improvement of mans knowledge of God in respect of that knowledge which Moses and the Prophets had than there was in Moses his knowledge of God in respect of Abrahams Isaacs or Iacobs Moses and his Successors did see the performance of that which the name of Iehovah or Adonai first revealed to Moses did import to wit deliverance from their bodily Enemies and in that deliverance they had a pledge of far greater blessings promised which yet they did not receive For as our Apostle testifies Heb. 11. 39. Though Moses amongst others through faith obtained a good report yet hee did not receive the promise that is the blessing promised nor was the nature of man capable of this blessing promised untill that God who was first revealed unto Moses under the name of Iehovah was made Lord and Christ 6. It had beene a question more worthy of Drusius his paines then all the questions which he makes concerning the name of foure letters whether the name Adonai were not in some sort peculiar to the Sonne of God or to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was to be made flesh That this name Adonai is so peculiar to the Sonne of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is I dare not affirme For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth no where to my remembrance denote any other person in the blessed Trinity besides the Sonne Whereas the name Adonai is an expression which many times referres unto the Trinity or Divine nature And in this extent it must be taken when it is substituted for the ineffable name of God unlesse some speciall circumstances restraine it to the Sonne But in many passages of the old Testament both names are exprest according to their proper consonants And in all these places the name Adonai referres only to the Sonne as the name of foure letters denotes the Father As in that 110 Psalm where we read The Lord said unto my Lord it is in the originall Iehovah said unto my Lord Adoni or Adonai And in this place the name of foure letters referres onely to God the Father But so doth not the name Adoni