That all hinderances that stand against this Kingdom may be removed as sin c. Rom. 6.15 sin shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.12 5 That those things going before the glorious Kingdome of Christ may be fulfilled as the fall of Antichrist the conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the fulness of the Gentiles 6 That Christ would gather preserve and increase his Church and rule therein Psal 2.6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 2 There is a Kingdome of glory we desire this may come This is 1 Temporary 2 Eternal 1 Temporary on earth 1 By hastening and longing for his final appearance 2 Tim. 4.8 that he may reign and all his Saints with him Zach. 14.5 The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee Concerning which King dome observe 1 The beginning of it which will begin at Christ his second appearance to judge the world 2 Tim. 4.1 He shall the quick and the dead at his appearance and his Kingdome 2 For the end of this Kingdome it shall be after the sum of a thousand years Revel 20.4 5. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 and it shall not be after the second resurrection for it is bounded with two resurrections the first resurrection being the beginning thereof and the second the conclusion thereof Revel 20.5 for then it shall be delivered up 1 Cor. 15.24 3 The gloriousness of this Kingdome set down 1 By similitudes of glistering stones Saphires and Carbuncles Esai 54.11 streets of pure gold Revel 21.18 of a Bride trimmed for her husband Rev. 21.8 for that is meant of a Kings oâ—â—e on earth because this descends out of heaven This Bride shall have her wedding garments on Rev. 19.8 all that are called to this mariage are blessed Revel 19.9 Rev. 21 5 6. 2 By clear Scriptures peruse Esai 11. Esai 30.26 Esai 54.11 to the end Esai 60. throughout Zach. cap. 13 14. Rev. 20. also cap. 21. 3 The excellent things therein as 1 The restitution of all things in order as at the beginning before the fall Acts 3.21 Whom the heavens must contain till the time of the restitution of all things Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. Wait for manifestation in heaven glory is hid from creatures but the creatures shall be restored from vanity brought on them by mans corruption to serve man in perfection the creature and Saints are distinguished v. 22 23. 2 The subjects of this Kingdome shall all be holy not onely professionally but really Esai 35.8.60.21 Zach. 14.20 21. Rev. 21.27 Dan. 7.27 The Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high 3 The exaltation of these subjects thrones shall be placed Dan. 7.9 10. and the Saints shall sit on them compared with Rev. 20.4 Matth. 19.28 They that have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit upon his throne they also shall sit upon thrones 2 Judgement shall be given to them Dan. 7.22 compared with Rev. 20.4 1 Cor. 6.2 3 The Saints possessed the Kingdome Dan. 7.22 or as in the Revelations cap. 20.4 the Saints reigned with Christ a thousand years 4 The place of this Kingdome It is this world that now is formerly divided into many Kingdomes shall upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 and this is just when the time of the dead is come that they should be judged v. 18. he speaks not they shall be Christs in respect of his Diety for so they were always his but in respect of his manhood also Rev. 5.10 5 From the length It shall continue a thousand years They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Rev. 20.4 the life of regeneration cannot here be meant for here 1 They all begin to reign at once not so in regeneration 2 The reign of regenerate persons in heaven is for Eternity this is onely for a thousand years and that upon earth 6 From the quietness and peace that shall be in this Kingdome as 1 Satan bound up Rev. 20.1 2 3. for the space of this thousand years 2 A general peace over the world that they shall beat their swords into Plow-shares and spears into pruning hooks Esai 2.3 Mic. 4.2 3 Antipathies taken away the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid Esai 11.6 none of these ever was fulfilled 4 Antichrist thrown down and destroyed 2 Thes 2.8 5 Universal peace Ps 72.3 7. Esai 65.25 7 A putting down of all rule authority and power in the Empires and Governments of the world 1 Cor. 15.24 subjecting all enemies v. 25. see Dan. 7.14 8 From the victories that Christ shall have in this Kingdome 1 At the battle of Armagedon Rev. 16.16 when the Kings of the earth are gathering together from all parts and were conjoyned therein before they could make their general randezvouse Christ makes his appearance and slayes many of them Esa 66.16 Joel 3.14 Rev. 19.21 In this battel are not onely the remainders of the Papacy but even Turks and Idolaters 2 At the end of the thousand years Satan being let loose to deceive the nations gathers Gog and Magog an innumerable company to battel whose designe will be to compass the camp of the Saints about and the beloved city and fire comes down from Heaven and devours them Rev. 20.7 8 9. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into Hell ver 10. upon which follows the judgment of small and great see ver 12.13 14. 2 There 's an eternal Kingdome of glory 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. When after the Saints reign and expiration of these thousand years and after the delivery of this Kingdome into the Fathers hands by Christ as Mediatour 1 Cor. 15.24 God shall be all in all ver 28. Christ as Mediatour administers this Kingdome Now as Viceroyes or deputy Princes give up their power to Emperors or Kings that send them so at the end of the thousand years shall Christ give up this Kingdom to the Father that is essentially considered and then 1 The Son himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him 1 Cor. 15.28 That is the humane nature of Christ shall be a glorious creature in the beholding whereof part of our glory will consist 2 Then God will be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 All things shall be full of God the Saints shall be as it were united unto God as the beams of the sun to the body of the sun in the glorious aspect of him God will be all in all by being instead of all things to the Saints as life glory honour peace plenty yea the very wish or rather satiety and satisfaction of all our desires Now God is not all in all but part in every one for example
God 2 Cor. 7.9 3 Reformation Jon. 3.10 No man begins a new life that repents not of his old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post sactum sapere opponitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Doctrine was preached by Christ Matth. 4.17 by Paul he testified Repentance towards God from whom we have gone astray and faith towards Jesus Christ as the way of our return unto him Acts 20.21 In Repentance there is a Transformation or turning from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God that they might obtain Forgiveness Acts 26.18 Sometimes Repentance is divided into 1 Mortification or dying to sin Heb. 6.1 1 In the reign so the Apostle How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom 6.1 2. 2 In the Reliques this is gradual step after step 2 Cor. 4 16. As the outward man is perishing the inward man is renewing penitent Souls are purg'd to bring forth more grace and less sin John 15.2 2 Vivification or living to God of this see Rom. 6.11 13. 2 Cor. 5.13 The Fruits of this Repentance are besides those mentioned 2 Cor. 7.11 as care of pleasing God in all things and fear of offending him in any thing Gen. 39.9 Indignation against all sin especially our own Isai 30.22 Hosea 14.3 8. Zeal of God's glory rejoycing to see his Name glorified and mourning to see it dishonoured What are all the Palaces of the World to a contrite heart yea Heaven and Earth seeing it is the Seat of Divine Majesty Luth. Tom. 3.457 Psalm 119 139. and others mentioned there there are also 1 A shunning occasions of Evils Gen. 39.10 2 An hatred of all sin as being contrary to that Life we live Psalm 97.10 3 A sadness and grief of heart for sinning against such a Father Psalm 51.3 Luke 15.17 18. The Soul wishes O that it were to do again I would never have done it neither is this onely in the first Repentance when we first turn to God but in the repeated acts thereof after any slip or backsliding 4 Heart-bleeding Confessions that the Soul doth not onely historically but meltingly declare his sins to the Lord Psalm 38.17 5 A forsaking of all sin Isai 55.7 8. Mead in loc Diatr par quar Prov. 28.13 To have sinned condemns not but not to repent this condemns For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand That is the Kingdom of the God of Heaven so interpreted Dan. 6.24 The Heavens do rule that is the God of Heaven rules Luke 15.18 I have sinned against Heaven that is the God of Heaven The Baptism of John was it from Heaven or of Men That is from God or men Matth. 21.15 This Kingdom is not outward like the Kingdoms of the World having power over the Body nor of this World for then would his Servants fight to defend it John 18.36 Not stablished by Armies Swords and Garisons but a spiritual Kingdom within us Luke 17.21 Sutable to those spiritual invisible Enemies we war against who now and then employ wicked men in their Service who are but the Horses in the Devils Battels the Devils and the Angels being the Riders This Kingdom is partly militant fighting against Devil World Flesh partly triumphant 1 Cor. 15.24 Christ then ruling till he have put down all power This is called the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Because the King thereof hath his Throne in Heaven 2 Because the beginning thereof is from Heaven not from Earth 3 Because it 's governed by the power of Heaven not by earthly Magistrates Is at hand This Kingdom is said to be at hand as a Woman with childe when her tenth Moneth is come may truly say her Travel is at hand so might the Baptist say when the last Weeks of Messiah's Weeks was begun the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand To understand which consider Dan. 9.14 Seventy Weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy holy City to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the Vision and to anoint the most holy The meaning is the Jews counted their years by sevens every seventh year being a year of rest for the Land and so called a Sabbatical year according to which Account the Angel tells Daniel that seventy of those Weeks of years were allotted for the standing of their Temple and Common wealth when both should be restored again after the Captivity which make in all four hundred and ninety years Now these four hundred and ninety years being expired as appeared by the coming of the Messiah and Jerusalem being destroyed within forty years after John might very well say the time was at hand V. 3. For this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voyce of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his Paths straight The Baptist gives a Reason why he preaches Repentance and that in the Wilderness because he is that voice of one crying in the Wilderness prophesied of by Esaias cap. 40. and commanding that a way should be prepared for the Messias now come in the flesh by repentance This is the same with John 1.23 I am the voice of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the ways of the Lord The literal sense was that the Jews in captivity in Babylon would prepare themselves to return into Judea though the Countrey of Judea were waste and the Journey long because all Impediments were to be removed by the bounty and kindness of King Cyrus whom God stirred up to shew mercy to the Jews but mystically he sets forth the Deliverance of Gods People from sin and death by Christ The way of the Lord That is 1 Do not cause any block by absenting from the present proffers of grace 2 Believe and hope and receive this Son of God who is now offered to you and the tenders of grace that your wills may not be contrary when he calls Matth. 23.37 John 5.40 Apoc. 3.20 Make his Paths straight That is by walking in an universal obedience both by doing and suffering that we may not turn out of the way of duty because of dangers and hazards Prov. 4 25. Let thine eys look right on and let thine ey-lids look straight before thee as a man that winks with one eye taking level at a Mark that seems not so much to see with his eys as with his ey-lids Heb. 12.13 Make straight paths unto your feet avoiding all crooked walkings because of the cross lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Whiles a poor Soul goes out in crooked paths it is with him as with a Traveller who going out of his way arrives not without some difficulty at his Journeys end V. 4. And the same John had his Raiment of Camels hair and a leathern Girdle about his Loins and his Meat was Locusts and wilde Honey Here John is set forth from his Apparel and Feeding The Law of the Nazarites was to consecrate themselves to God
his disciples to go to the Samaritans and yet he himself would go to them and convert them Joh. 4.40 Answ It might be because they were in the same condition with the rest of the heathen and so the Gospel was not to be given to them at first 2 Or else because Christ himself intended to go thither therefore there was no need for his Disciples to go thither 3 Christ did not wholly forbid his Disciples to go to the Gentiles but onely that the first fruits of their ministry should be given to the Jews Act. 13.46 These Samaritans were neither Jews nor Gentiles but a mixture of Jewish and Gentile Religion together 1 King 17.24.33 V. 6. But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel To the lost sheep of the house of Israel Christ was sent Matth. 15.24 By these lost sheep Christ means the Tribes of Juda Benjamin and Levi who came back out of Captivity to whom sundry of the other Tribes joyned themselves or at least the godly among them he calls them lost sheep because they wanted good pastors and teachers after his resurrection he tells his Disciples that they should be his witnesses in all Judaea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth Act. 1.8 Mean time they as all other preachers ought to do must contain themselves in the bounds of their lawful calling 1 Pet. 5.2 Feed the flock of God which is among you Feed the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers Act. 20.28 These Israelites were called sheep Psal 74.1.79.13.80.1 They were called lost because every man by nature is in a lost condition Psal 14.3 4. Matth. 18.10 Sundry of these were reprobates yet called by the name of sheep because they were adopted unto God for a people and were a national Church V. 7. And as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of heaven is at hand Here was the summe of the preaching Christ enjoyned these twelve to wit whereas the Jews expected a carnal and temporal kingdom wherein by the driving out the Romans and all their other enemies the Messias would place them Christ therefore bids his Disciples tell them that though there were a glorious Kingdom promised to the Jews upon earth yet that kingdom being far off there was another kingdom near at hand wherein the Lord Jesus should throw down Satans kingdom and set up his own translating his people thereinto Col. 1.13 and therefore that with a willing mind they should receive this king not onely by his power and providence ruling in the world but also ruling in their hearts every purpose by true and unfained repentance being brought under his government which other tearms express thus Luk. 24.47 That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem Neither did the twelve onely repeat these words but under them is expressed the benefits by Christ the manner of receiving and applying Christ and his benefits the resurrection last judgement heaven hell the burning of the world the denial of our selves both in lusts and enjoyments the future punishment that would betide those who refused the present grace offered But because faith and repentance was the preparation to this kingdom doubtless they insisted hereupon especially Great is the benefit of faithfull preaching which makes the kingdom of God which was far from us to be nigh unto us By this preaching it is that lost sheep are brought home into Christs fold V. 8. Heal the sick cleanse the Lepers raise the dead cast out Devils freely ye have received freely give Christ shows that his disciples should use the power of doing miracles together with their preaching with all freeness and readiness that they should not spare their miracles when there was any need thereof when they were desired thereto or their doctrine stood need of confirmation for hereby they should not onely get authority to their doctrine but good will to their persons and these miracles should supply their want of learning and language There are many whom other adjurers and inchanters and your witches could not cure very many of our men I say Christians have healed and do heal adjuring them by the name of Jesus Christ Crucified under Pontius Pilate disarming and casting out devils from men that have possessed them Just Mart. Apol. 1. p. 35. The power of his name Devils fear and tremble who being adjured by the name of Christ Crucified under Pontius Pilate obey us Just cont Triph p. 191. see the same p. 235. also p. 243. and Justin adds if you adjure devils by the name of your kings prophets or righteous men they will not be cast out Now as when God sent Moses to Israel to bring them out of Egypt he enabled him to do sundry miracles to gain belief to his words and that the people might know he was sent of God so doth Christ give his Disciples the like power for the same end Onely whereas some of Moses miracles were for terror the miracles of the Disciples were profitable and beneficial to those who partook of them Freely ye have received freely give As if he should say The scholers of Physicians get the skill of healing diseases with a great expence of time and study and not without great charge of money but you have received this power in a moment without any cost or labour therefore having received freely give freely You must not make sale of miracles to covetousness or vain glory for he well knew how the heart of some of them to wit Judas hung after money and the seeds of covetousness as well as other sins were in the hearts of the rest So Elisha would take nothing of Naaman for healing his Leprosie 2 King 5.16 and Gehezi taking money herein was smit with the same Leprosie When Magus would have bought this power Peter said Thy money perish with thee Act. 8.20 Reasons why they might take nothing for doing miracles 1 The selling of them perverts the end wherefore they were given which was not to satisfie any mans covetous lust but to confirm the Gospel 2 It s absurd for an Embassadour to make sale of the Princes favour which he is commanded in the Princes name to bestow upon his subjects 3 That whiles such Miracles were done freely the name of God might be more glorified and the Doctrine which they confirmed accepted for men do less esteem those benefits which themselves in some sort can recompense Quest Whether doth this precept Freely you have received freely give belong to one or both these precepts or to the latter onely Heal the sick cleanse the Lepers Answ Some of the learned think it belongs onely to the latter Howbeit to covenant for a Reward for such an act which is directly appointed to the glory of God is say some doubtless contrary to the glory of God hence it had been unlawfull directly or indirectly to compact with any man for any Miracle done for
of his humane Nature for his divine Nature is unspeakable Isai 53.8 3. For as much as Generation is taken for Life Gen. 6.9 Noah was perfect in his Generation that is in all parts of his Life hence Matthew intends to set down the Life of Christ Of Jesus Christ that is here is the Generation not of a common man or an ordinary Noble-man but of Jesus Christ Jesus signifies a Saviour Christ signifies Anointed for he was anointed King Priest and Prophet of his Church Heb. 1.9 The Son of David the son of Abraham the Evangelist names two of the most excellent Progenitours of Christ because the Promises of the Messiah were especially made to these for the Jews knew that the Messias they were to believe on was to descend from the Linage of Abraham and David David is set before Abraham not because he was before him in Faith but in kingly Dignity and though the Jews were counted the children of Abraham yet the Messias was called the Son of David Matth. 15.22 V. 2. Abraham begat Isaak and Isaak begat Jacob and Jacob begat Judas and his Brethren Here is a Description of Christ's Genealogy from Abraham to Christ in a direct Line Abraham begat Isaak Isaak begat Jacob Jacob begat Judas and his Brethren that is Jacob begat not onely Judah but the other eleven Patriarchs who were in a collateral Line the Evangelist goes no higher than Abraham to derive Christ's Pedigree because he counted it sufficient to shew that Christ according to the flesh was the Son of Abraham and David to whole Families the Promise of the Messias was bound Gen. 22.18 In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed 2 Sam. 7.12 13. When thou shall sleep with thy Fathers I will set up thy Seed after thee and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever V. 3. And Judas begat Pharez and Zara of Thamar and Pharez begat Ezrom and Ezrom begat Aram. The Evangelist goes on in the Line of Christ shewing Judah begat Pharez and Zara of Thamar he names four Women that were great Sinners as Thamar Bathsheba and Rahab and Ruth that was a Moabitess or Gentile because these Women were not joyned to their Husbands in an ordinary manner but an extraordinary Thamar deceitfully prostituted her self to Judah Gen. 38.10 to v. 27. Bathshâ—ba was first joyned to David by Adultery and then by Wedlock Salmon maried Rahab because she received the Spies Ruth maried Boas who had been a stranger in the Land of Moab and came back poor into Judea Christ that came to put away sin was born of Sinners to teach us what a vanity there is in Pedegrees in any Pedegree should we look some Generations past there are some wicked and scandalous Judah begat Pharez and Zara Gen. 38.28 29 30. Pharez begat Ezrom called also Hezron Ruth 4.18 1 Chron. 2 5. Ezrom begat Aram called Ram Ruth 4.18 V. 4. And Aram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Naasson and Naasson begat Salmon and Salmon begat Boas of Rachab and Boas begat Obed of Ruth and Obed begat Jesse These Generations are fetcht out of Ruth 4.18 Qu. How could Salmon mary Rahab being a Harlot and a Stranger seeing it 's said Deut. 7.3 Thou shalt make no Mariages with them Also Deut. 23.17 There shall be no Whore of the Daughters of Israel Answ She had been a Harlot but now was not Secondly it was not unlawfull to mary Strangers because they were Strangers but because they were Idolaters which she now was not Josh 2.11 Exod. 34.16 Take not of their Daughters to thy Sons lest they make thy Sons go a whoring after their Gods The same we may say of Ruth though a Moabitess Thy People shall be my People and thy God my God Ruth 1.16 Obed begat Jesse Maldonate moves another Question Quest How it could be that betwixt Salmon and David there could come betwixt them onely three men 1 Kings 6.1 when 366. years came betwixt for the Temple began to be built in the 480 year after the People came out of Egypt and the fourth year of Solomon's Reign so that take out the four years of Solomon's Reign and the seventy years of David's Life and the forty years the People were in the Wilderness before they past over Jordan to take Jericho the remainder will be 366. years Answ It 's not incredible that four men of that time wherein man's life was so extended by nature and temperance should live 366. years for Salmon marying young with Rahab they might all live under an hundred years and at the same time Moses though much spent in labour lived 120. years Deut. 34.7 V. 6. And Jesse begat David the King and David the King begat Solomon of her that had been the Wife of Urias Jesse was of low condition 1 Sam. 20.27 Saul called David the Son of Jesse by contempt yet was he the Root from which Christ sprang Isai 11.1 Begat David the King this word added for honour sake of her that was the Wife of Uriah to signifie that God did not repent of his Promise made to David because of his Adultery with Bathsheba V. 7 8. And Solomon begat Roboam and Roboam begat Abia and Abia begat Asa and Asa begat Jehosaphat and Jehosaphat begat Joram and Joram begat Ozias Joram begat Ozias three Generations coming betwixt 1 Chron 3.11 which were Ahaziah Joas and Amaziah who begat Ozias called also Uzziah 2 Chron. 26. and Azariah If you ask why these three were omitted It may be answered because Jehoram joyned himself to the house of Ahab and Jezabel taking Ahab's Daughter to Wife 2 Chron. 21.6 Now God had threatened to make Ahab's posterity like Jeroboam's 1 Kings 21.22 that is utterly to extinguish them Now a wicked man's Posterity is reckoned to the third or fourth Generation Exod. 20.5 If these three had been reckoned there had been seventeen Generations they are excluded because born of the seed of Ahab V. 9 10. And Ozias begat Joatham and Joatham begat Achas and Achas begat Ezekias and Ezekias begat Manasses and Manasses begat Amon and Amon begat Josias Ozias begat Joatham he is said to become mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God 2 Chron. 27.6 Jotham begat Achas he was an horrible Idolater 2 Chron. 28.2 3. He made molten Images for Baalim and burnt his Children in the Fire and sacrificed under every green Tree Achas begat Hezekias he was a Prince of strong confidence in God none of the Kings of Judah equalled him in this grace 2 Kings 18.5 6. and of much sincerity and brokenness of heart Isai 38.3 5. Ezekias begat Manasses who did after the abomination of the Heathen 2 Kings 21.2 build the high places which Hezekiah destroyed and worshipped all the Host of Heaven v. 3. and made his Sons pass through the fire and dealt with Familiar Spirits v. 6. but he humbled himself greatly for these and other evils 2 Chron. 33.12 13.
they came to Jerusalem Some think 12 or 13 days after they saw the star at first hence the Feast of Epiphany or Manifestation but it 's like the next day after they saw his star they came forward though it 's probable that it was near upon a year before Herod put the infants of Bethlem to death that while being spent in acquainting Caesar with the designe and in the plotting and projecting of the business V. 2. Saying Where is he that is born King of the Jews for we have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him Here is the question the Wise men propound 1 See the greatness of their faith they ask not whether he be but where he is presupposing he was born They acknowledge his natures his manhood in that he was born his Godhead in that they call the star his he the owner of it they also acknowledge his Kingly office so freely that it came to Herods ear they were neither afraid of Herod nor ashamed of Christ a politick bosome faith becomes not them that enquire after Christ The question was full of danger and amazement as casting down Herod from his throne and to set up a new King which was no less then capital 2 The ground of their faith For faith must have both a ground and an evidence Heb. 11.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which differences a believer and a credulous person who believs every thing Prov. 14.15 The ground of it was for we have seen his star in the East For this star it was not an ordinary star for it moved as they went and shone on the day time placed lower then the fixed stars perhaps like a blazing star Chrysostom thinks it was some invisible power or Angel figured in the shape of a star And the Lord cals them by a star rather then by an Angel as condescending to their weakness because they were much imployd about the stars Now if you ask how they came to know what this star did portend Though some think they living in the East might know it from Balaam's prophesie Numb 24.17 I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh there shall come a star out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab yet I suppose they came to know this star by Divine revelation onely but whether soever they came to know it But whereas some from hence would conclude the lawfulness of Judicial Astrology it 's groundless onely this I must confess 1 That the stars have an influence here below Judges 5.20 The stars in their paths or courses fought against Sisera But I say it 's groundless 1 Because Astrologers proceed by way of observation as in such a year and such a concourse of Planets wars and rebellions to have been therefore this year the same will happen in the like concourse but here no experience or observation went before for never had a Virgin brought forth before Some have thought stars to be the causes of things But Christ was not therefore born because the star appeared but therefore the star appeared because Christ was born Others in this Age are apt to think them signes of our actions as if heaven were the book wherein God writes all future actions and events the stars are for signes oft-times as dayes and years but it seems to me in no wise signes of those things which depend upon the will of man the future motions whereof are onely known to God That Astrologers alledge experience it nothing moves me for all the predictions of Astrology are mere particulars but although they had any certainty yet it were better to be always in the fear of God then to be tormented with fear of events Luth. in Gen. cap. 1. We are not to heed Astrologers Jer. 10.2 Be not dismayed at the signes of heaven for the Heathen are dismayed at them If they fore-tell us prosperous things and they lye we shall be wretched by hoping in vain if they fore-tell to us adversity and lye they make us miserable by fearing in vain if they fore-tell unhappy things to us and speak truth to what purpose is it to fore-know those things we cannot prevent and if they should truly fore-tell prosperity expectation would weary us out Lapide in Jer. 10. King Muleasses fore-told in the year 1544 that he should lose his kingdome and his life be in danger to shun it he went out of Africa and in his departure brought upon his own neck that which he would have shunn'd To conclude these Astrologers and Star-gazers and Monthly Prognosticators cannot save us from the things that shall come upon us no more then they could Babylon Jer. 47.13 They enrich your ears with words that they may enrich their own purses with money In the East By this is meant not so properly the region of heaven as the land from whence they came q.d. we living in the East saw there a star shining in the East which accompanied us these Wise men as the pillar of fire and cloud did Israel This star or such an one like it was seen in the West towards the end of Augustus reign and Pliny saith it was held to be a happy star but the Western men for want of light did misapply it And are come to worship him Here was the end of their coming viz. to worship him yet do they not finde him in a worshipful case but in a stable in a manger yet by faith they over-look all this and worship him worship is a great matter in that heaven and earth stars and prophets lead us to it for this end the Eunuch came out of Aethiopia and the Wise men from the East The world was made for this end that he that created it might be worshipped the Scripture was made for this end that he that inspired it might be worshipped The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the gesture of the body lying down to give honour Zanch. in 4. Praecept of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Dog to fall down as dogs do at their masters feet The Wise men being perswaded that a Kingdome was appointed for this childe after the manner of the Eastern nations who are generally known to have worshipped their Kings they fall down to worship yet did they not onely apprehend him to be a King and so worshipped him with a civil worship but also they apprehended him to be the King of heaven and so worshipped him with a Religious worship V. 3 When Herod the King had heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him We have here the effects of the inquiry of the Wise men which is 1 Herod was troubled Fearing as if this King would drive him out of his Kingdome and because he was a tyrant and distrusted the faithfulness of his subjects Besides Herod living long among them knew their
the good enjoyed A man doth not so rejoyce at the yeaning of a Lamb as when his Wife brings forth a Son There could be no greater joy than to hear and know the Messias of the World to be born We should rejoyce exceedingly in Christ and in the means that lead to him they did not so much rejoyce in seeing the Star which they had often seen before but that they had found Christ whom they sought As it was to them so should it be exceeding joy to us to finde Christ Song 1.4.3.4 Zacheus received Christ joyfully Luke 19.6 V. 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Childe with Mary his Mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their Treasures they presented unto him Gifts Gold Frankincense and Myrrh Here is their second testimony of Thankfulness in that they worship him And when they were come into the house Some have thought that the Tax which Augustus imposed was now ended and that Bethlem being now empty of Strangers Joseph had taken some Citizen's house to sojourn in but being the Tax continued a long time by reason of the accession of new Strangers therefore we may suppose the house to be no other than the Stable whereinto necessity had enforced Joseph by reason of the multitude of Strangers in the Inn Luke 2.7 She brought forth her first-born Son and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. All this was to teach us humility the Lord of glory laid in a Manger in stead of a Palace a Stable in stead of a Cradle of State a Beasts Cratch no Pillow it 's like but a Lock of Hay no Hangings but Dust and Copwebs he was in so low a condition 1. That all persons may have access to him Shepherds as well as others 2. To shew himself to be the Messias and Saviour of poor as well as rich 3. Because it was suitable to the rest of his Life which was spent in a great humility Men are apt to look for a Messias in State in a Crimson Mantle in a Cradle of Ivory and to have found him in the best house in Bethlem in the best Chamber there but we shall not finde him in any such place but in a Stable Learn we hereby to be lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 And fell down and worshipped him No doubt by divine instinct they knew the Divinity of Christ hence they worshipt him not onely with civil worship as one born King of the Jews but with divine worship which was it's like the outward gesture of reverence and kneeling and falling down for so the Greek words signifie They presented unto him Gifts Gold Frankincense and Myrrh It was usual for the Persians and for the whole Eastern People to go to their Kings with Gifts Gen 42.11 1 Kings 10.2 They brought the best things their Countrey afforded Myrrh grows in Arabia Frankincense among the Sabeans a part of Arabia Arabia Faelix brings Gold therefore the Kings of Arabia brought Gold to Solomon The Lord hereby would provide for Joseph and Mary and the Childe being speedily to go into banishment For the mystical sense it 's thought they offered to him Frankincense as God acknowledging his divine Nature Myrrh as man acknowledging his humane Nature that which they believe in their hearts they protest by their Gifts and that he should dy for the Salvation of Man for Myrrh was bestowed upon him at his Burial John 19.39 They offer to him Gold as acknowledging him their King and the King of all the earth Bernard acknowledges no Mystery herein but thinks they offered Gold to minister to his want Myrrh to strengthen the Members of the Infant Frankincense to take away the stink of the place But one end may be for the fulfilling the Prophesie Psalm 72.10 The Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring Gifts Also v. 15. He shall live and to him shall be given of the Gold of Sheba Let us bring to this our King also three Gifts Gold that is Faith or a Heart by Faith purified for Frankincense devout and fervent Prayers that may come up like Incense for Myrrh let us bring Tears Mortification and Brokenness of Heart In that they bring not onely Gold to minister to Joseph and Maries wants but Myrrh and Frankincense it argues there is a Mystery lies hid herein V. 12. And being warned of God in a Dream that they should not return to Herod they departed to their own Countrey another way That neither the Wise-men nor the Childe Jesus should become a Prey to Herod's cruelty they are warned of God to go home another way There 's a secret Providence watches over not onely the Head but the Members Psalm 91.1 10. The Lord also hereby shewed what manner of a Kingdom this King should have he should have a Crown but it should be of Thorns a Kingdom but full of crosses exposed to the snares and persecutions of the mighty men of the World but also comforts them that he the Lord was able to disappoint the most artificial Projects of the most cunning Tyrants V. 13. And when they were departed behold the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young childe to destroy him The 2d part of the Chapter in which are these things 1 The command the Angel gives to Joseph which was to take the young childe and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word 2 The reasons of the command for Herod will seek the young childe not to worship him as he pretended to the Wise men but to destroy him if he tarry any longer in Bethlem All the commands of God are for the good of his people and are founded upon reason 2 A second reason to fulfil the prophesie I have called my Son out of Egypt v. 15. 3 Josephs obedience in both the branches of the command 1 In taking the childe and his mother and flying into Egypt 2 In his tarriance there he abode there till the death of Herod when word came to him for his return And when they were departed We see the changeableness of earthly comforts as it were yesterday the Wise men came but now they are departed See we Gods goodness when one comfort is taken away another comes The Angel appears when the Wise men were gone Flee into Egypt When we look on our afflictions remember Christ was afflicted from the cradle Obs It 's the duties of Masters of Families to take care of their relations 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Obs It 's a sufficient ground to flye when we know persons lye in wait for our lives but with this disposition that if taken rather we resolve in Gods strength to lose our lives then to deny the truth Flee into
because no man could certainly shew him who or where that Childe was unless that he was of the House and Linage of David and born in the City of Bethlem hence he came to this bloudy Result that if he were in Bethlem or in any of the Coasts thereof Herod's Executioners should kill all the Infants therein and so him among the rest And lest there might be any errour in the Children he computed the time from the Appearance of the Wise-men and lest the Computation should not fully answer Herod adds something both above and below the Compute Two years old and under From two years old and under How Herod could gather all the Infants together is no difficulty seeing no doubt he had the like pretence that he had to the Wise-men some one or other specious pretence Macrobius writing the Jeasts of Augustus Saturnal lib. â— cap. 4. saith that when Augustus heard that by the Command of Herod the Children in Syria under two years old were slain and that in the company his own Son was slain said I had rather be Herod's Hog than his Son Joseph mentions also Lib. 17. Cap. 3. that the Pharisees foretold that it was decreed of God that the Kingdom should be taken from Herod and all his Offspring and past over to a new King for which cause he slew many of the Pharisees he slew also as Philo mentions the Sanhedrim or 72 Judges who were of the Family of David about the same time It 's thought he slew these Judges as a Preparative to his wickedness of Infant-killing that he might not give account thereof in judgment Now Herod deferr'd the killing of the Infants so long 1 That he might inform himself of the Rise Person Parents and Place of Christ 2 That he might obtain leave of Augustus to do it 3 That he might get a Catalogue of all the Infants names which was easie to get among the Jews that had Books of their Genealogies and perfect Registers in order to the Birth of the Messias Now perhaps this slaying their Infants might be some Judgment upon them for their not receiving the Son of God but causing him to lodg in a Stable Nor did Herod act all this wickedness without punishment for a little after he was taken with an insatiable Appetite of taking Nourishment sharp Ulcers of his Bowels also with a Rottenness in his secret parts which brought forth Worms a difficulty of Breathing and a drawing together of his Sinews which brought him into intolerable pain of which in a short time he died and a little before his death he secured sundry principal Jews and calling his Sister Salome and her Husband Alexander said I know these Jews will triumph at my death but if you will execute my Commands I will make them to bewail me those men that I have in custody as soon as I shall dy without delay kill ye that all Judea and every particular house even against their wills may bewail my death Euseb lib. 1. cap. 8. ex Joseph lib. 17. cap. 8. also lib. 1. cap. 21. The Coasts thereof or Territories A Territory is all those Fields which ly within the ends of every City so Grotius out of Pomponius the Lawyer I suppose he means the Liberties of every City we reade Matth. 15.39 of the Coasts of Magdala V. 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying V. 18. In Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her Children and would not be comforted because they are not Fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy Cap. 31.15 There the Prophet because the living Jews of Judah and Benjamin were not moved with their going into Captivity by a kinde of Prosopopeia he brings in dead Rachel bewailing their misery now because something like it fell out it may be said analogically to be fulfilled 2 Rachel was buried near that place where the Infants were slain Gen. 35.26 28 29. That therefore the Prophet might shew the tragicalness of that dolefull sight he brings in Rachel weeping as if the Misery both of the Captivity and of the killing the Infants were so great that the living could not sufficiently bewail it It 's usual in Tragedies to call up the spirits of dead persons In Rama Rama was a City in the Tribe of Benjamin Josh 18.25 Bethlem in part of the Tribe of Judah near to the Coasts of Benjamin Gen. 35.16 19 20. neither was Rama far from Bethlem Judges 19.13 compared with v. 18. The Prophet shews the mourning was so great that it should be heard unto the Tribe of Benjamin Rachel weeping for her Children By Rachel may be understood the Mothers of the Infants who by weeping and crying out did in vain endeavour to resist the Executioners whom Herod sent And would not be comforted It 's credible the Executioners in the Kings name excused the slaughter of the Infants and comforted the weeping Mothers that the King would recompense their loss with other benefits but they would not be comforted because they saw they were deprived of their most dear Infants Because they are not In vivis they are not alive To be is the same with to live Psalm 39.14 Before I go hence and be no more that is live no more Psalm 37.36 It 's said of a wicked man He passed away and lo he was not that is he was not alive Gen. 5.24 Enoch was not that is lived not among the sons of men here for God took him up to Heaven Quest But seeing the Son of Man came not to destroy but to save why would he suffer so many Infants so near allied to him in Bloud and Affinity to be slain for him Answ In the thirtieth Chapter of Jeremy the Prophet speaks comfort of restoring Israel by Christ so here Christ shews the way to his Kingdom was by a bloudy slaughter either actually or habitually It 's like these Infants were all saved because though their wills did not consent yet as soon as they came to knowledg in a glorified estate they did actually consent to have not onely done that but much more for Christ In the Gospel-times Salvation is by Destruction Life by Death Matth. 10.39 He that loseth his Life for me shall finde it eternally Now when these Infants could have no will to undergo their sufferings by reason of their not understanding the very suffering it self was a material Martyrdom for Christ the formality whereof was made up in the free grace of God Besides whereas Rachel Jer. 31.15 weeps for her Children and would not be comforted because they were not that is she feared the Promises of the Messias profited them nothing seeing they were so cut off from the Land of the Living the Lord answers her v. 16. Refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eys from tears for thy works shall be rewarded that is the work of the patience of the Mothers who willingly part with them for
Christ and the work of the sufferings of the Infants and therefore the Text says not There is a Reward to the Will but to the Work Of this sort are all such Infants which have been murdered for Christ and out of hatred to Christian Religion These Lambs were to be sacrificed because the Lamb of the World was to be crucified as Augustine saith Serm. 1. de Innocent In that then Christ suffered the Tyrant Herod to rage against these Infants it was not out of any careless respect unto them but in reference to their Crown and to let us see the watchfull providence of God how it 's able to dispoint the Projects of the greatest Tyrants and to let us see the frame of the hearts of tyrannous Princes that will do any mischief to get or keep a Kingdom The fourth part of the Chapter V. 19. But when Herod was dead behold an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a Dream to Joseph in Egypt In the remaining part of the Chapter we have three things 1 The Angels appearance to Joseph in Egypt v. 19. set down from the circumstance of time viz. when Herod was dead 2 The Angels Message to Joseph which was to take the young Childe and his Mother and to go into the Land of Israel amplified from the Reason For they are dead which sought the young Childe's life v. 20. 3 Joseph's obedience v. 21. He took the young Childe and his Mother and came into the Land of Israel v. 21. His faith is amplified 1 From some weakness that accompanied it v. 22. When he heard that Archelaus Herod's son did reign he was afraid 2 From the Victory over that Weakness and Fear being warned of God the second time in a Dream he came into Galilee and dwelt in Nazareth But when Herod was dead This Tyrant reigned seven and thirty years Joseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. Now he is dead but Christ lives Christ was now about four years old he went the year before Herod's death and tarried two years there in Egypt The Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a Dream God forsakes not his People in any place no not in Egypt No place so mean that Angels disdain to go into for the good of Saints Heb. 1.14 Here 's the perseverance of Joseph's faith he stirs not a foot till he was called back by the command of God V. 20. Saying Arise 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 Here is the Angels command to Joseph backt with a Reason They are dead c. These words agree with that Exod. 4.19 Go return into Egypt for all the men are dead which sought thy life to shew some proportion betwixt the bringing of Israel out of Egypt by Moses and betwixt the Redemption of Mankinde from Sin and Death by Christ Fears are apt to startle us in our obedience hence the Angel removes the Danger that Joseph may not fear Go into the Land of Israel That the Childe might be brought up there lest he should seem to be an Egyptian and that Joseph might together with the Virgin enjoy the benefit of Ordinances whereof they had been long deprived and that their expence might be lessened which doubtless was not little being in a strange Land V. 21. And he arose and took the young Childe and his Mother and came into the Land of Israel Here 's Joseph's obedience Our obedience ought to be chearfull Psalm 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments Also present Psalm 119.60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 3 Universal as Joseph's was to go into Egypt to stay there to come out 4 Conscientious done out of a Command of God for God's Commands ty the Conscience such was Joseph's obedience here he moved from the Command the Angel gave him from God V. 22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding being warned of God in a Dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee But when he heard that Archelaus did reign Joseph hoped that now Judea would be brought into a Province of the Roman Emperour of whom he would have been less afraid than of petty Kings that are fearfull upon every suspition and therefore cruel and besides Archelaus was more cruel than the rest of his Brethren Herod had nine Wives by two of them he had no Issue by the other seven he had nine Sons and three Daughters Alexander Aristobulus and Antipater which three he put to death in his life-time Joseph Antiq. cap. 17. and lib. 1. de Bello Jud. cap. 17. Also he had Herod Archelaus Antipas Philip c. Now Herod made two Wills in the former he made Antipas the Heir of the Kingdom in the later he made Archelaus King of Judea and Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee and Philip Tetrarch of Trachonitis therefore Joseph thought either that no King would succeed Herod and indeed Archelaus was King onely by courtesie not by Caesar's appointment or if any King should succeed it should be Antipas according to Herod's first Testament but it proved otherwise hence Joseph was afraid and so much the more as Chemnicus observes because Archelaus was a bloudy man who commanding in his Horse among a Multitude of People slew and wounded three thousand persons against whom the Jews rebelled and Caesar nine or ten years after banisht him for his cruelty To free Joseph from this fear the Angel commands him to turn aside into Galilee and to dwell in Nazareth The causes why Joseph was afraid of Archelaus was lest as his Father so he should seek the Life of the Childe Christ being thus placed in Nazareth came not into Judea till he was about twelve years old because now Archelaus was banished and in Archelaus the Offspring of Herod ceased to reign in Judea and the Roman Governours ruled in his stead who probably had not so much as heard of Christ It will not be amiss to understand this History from the Egg as Cor. Lapide cites it out of Josephus Eusebius and Zonaras Herod being dead in the 37 year of his Reign his two Sons that remained Archelaus and Herod Antipas contended about the Succession of the Kingdom Augu-Caesar committed this Controversie to Caius Caesar his Nephew to be decided his Award was to judg the Kingdom to neither of them but dividing it into four Tetrarchies appointed it to be governed by four Tetrarchs he gave to Archelaus Judea to Antipas Galilee to Philip the third Brother Trachonitis and to Lysanias he gave Abilene as appears Luke 3.1 When therefore Matthew says Archelaus reigned it was not as King but onely as Tetrarch or Governour of a fourth part of the Nation after nine years of his Tetrarchy Archelaus was banished seven years before Augustus's death Archelaus being banisht Augustus placed three Presidents over Judea Coponius
words in what thing every Kingdom excelled Others think the Devil flew with Christ through all the Kingdoms of the World and in a little time shewed them to him But the Text saith The Devil took him into an high Mountain and shewed them to him Some think the Devil by an imaginary Vision presented all the Kingdoms of the World But this Tentation was outward not inward Therefore I lean to the first that the Devil from that high Mountain shewed Christ onely the coast and situation of all the quarters and Kingdoms of the World saying this is Europe this is Africk this Asia this England this France Spain c. And because he shewed him the glory of them it 's like the Devil like a Painter represented unto Christ all the glorious things that were in every Kingdom by thickening of the air wherein the Devil made certain Images of things which were no less apparent to Christ than Colours in the Rain-bowe to us for neither were the eys nor imagination of Christ deluded 3 Satan shewed the Kingoms of the World by way of proportion shewing the wealth pomp and glory of some one Kingdom that was nigh that high Mountain For the Kingdoms of the World have onely a greater quantity of that which may be seen in one Kingdom We may by the way observe the order of the Tentations The first Tentation was of Distrust from which Satan being driven away by the Promise the Devil sets upon Christ by a second which was If thou ascribe so much to the Promise then cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge over thee His third Tentation was taken out of Psalm 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession which though it were the speech of the Father to Christ yet so much Satan gathered that all the Nations of the World belonged to Christ The Devil therefore shews them to him as if he should say to Christ That way thou goest in humbling thy self thou shalt never subject the Kingdoms of the World to thy self for thou seest they are possest of them that are my Servants therefore if thou wilt worship me thou mayst become Lord and Heir of all these Kingdoms more easily speedily and surely than if thou trustest to that voice that sounded unto thee from Heaven V. 9. And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Here is the Devils proffer to Christ All these things will I give thee The condition If thou wilt fall down worship me All these things will I give thee In this Proffer see the Devils Lyes 1 He challenges that to be his which belongs to Christ for he is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 All power is given unto him in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28.19 2 That he had power to give the Kingdoms of the World to whom he will as Luke sets it down Whereas this onely is Gods property Dan. 4.25 for though Satan be called the Prince of the World John 12.31.14.30 and the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 yet this is meant onely of the World of the Wicked in whom he reigns Ephes 2.2 Not that he is Proprietary of any Kingdom of the World Quest But how durst Satan to have the impudence to speak thus to Christ Answ Because he had seen Christ again and again to forbear to do any Miracle though sollicited thereto therefore Satan began more certainly to think he was not the Son of God 2 Because he feigned himself to be the Son of God and to be God in that he says The Kingdoms of the World were delivered to him and that he gives them to whomsoever he will Luke 4.6 3 He was blinded with the ambition of God-head even from the first and therefore he desires so to be worshipped 4 He hereby thought to try whether Christ were the Son of God for it 's like he reasoned thus If this Christ be the Son of God he will be angry at me for taking his Dignity from him and counterfeiting my self to be Gods Son wherefore being angry he will reply whence is this arrogance of thine how dares thou thus blasphemously speak thou proud and lying spirit I am the Son of God thou art Satan it 's thy duty to worship me how dares thou then require me to worship thee If thou wilt fall down and worship me Here is the condition None get any thing of the Devil at a cheap rate For falling down in worship it was the manner of the Eastern People not onely to their Kings but to their God yea it was the manner of the Jews so to worship God Psalm 95.6 Dan. 3.7 Ezra 9.5 Nathan speaking to David about Adonisah's reigning he fell on his face to the ground 1 Kings 1.23 That outward sign of Reverence was not proper to divine worship when it was used out of divine worship We may know when it is done â—ightly or otherwise by the meaning of him that gives it and of him that requires it therefore Grotius out of Sozomen praises a certain Christian who having worshipped the King of Persia in a civil way being after sollicited to fall off from Christ in the same manner to worship the King again he refused Now there being no manner of Worship neither civil nor divine due to Satan Christ abhorred so much as to give him civil Worship Now for the Tentations wherein he tempted Christ they were 1 To Covetousness for the Devil knows how unsatiable the heart of man is after earthly things and to many the Devil need not proffer so largely neither a house-full of Gold as Balaam nor all the Kingdoms of the World for a handfull of Gold nay a far less matter will serve the turn Also the Devil tempts Christ to a false faith thâ—â—â—e may believe him to be the Son of God also to Idolatry that he might worship him as God also to Pride If thou wilt worship me I le make thee the greatest King in the World Now whereas most men among us would spit in their faces that should say they worship the Devil know that when thou art overcome of Covetousness and Pride in the reign thereof thou worships the Devil and on this condition Satan helps many men to glory and riches From Christ his Repulse of Satan learn we to drive him back drive back his Temptations of Unbelief by faith in God and in his providence his Temptation to Presumption by keeping our selves in the fear of God and the duties of our callings his Temptations of Covetousness and Ambition by a weaned affection to the world Not to love the World or the things thereof 1 Joh. 2.16 His Temptation to Idolatry by giving God both inward and outward worship V. 10 Then Jesus said unto him Get thee behinde me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt
Luke sets down all the Apostles were called together cap. 6.13 Mar. 3.19 John sets down c. 1.40 41. first Andrew was called then Peter therefore we must remember the fore-mentioned distinction of Discipleship and Apostleship Casting their nets into the sea for they were fishers The calls of Christ usually meet persons when they are employed in their lawful callings V. 19. And he saith unto them Follow me and I will make you fishers of men Christ doth not call the learned men of the world the eloquent Orator the subtile Logician for to make his own power more manifest whiles he had such weak and simple instruments 1 Cor. 1.23 Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Follow me Leave not onely your lusts but your ordinary imployments that you may be instructed in the way that leads to life And I will make you fishers of men It 's a metaphor the sea is the world the fishes men the net the Gospel Math. 13.47 the fishers are the preachers Preachers are compared to fishers 1 For their painfulness fishermen must rise at all hours and undergo many hard storms so must preachers 2 For their watchfulness they must rise at all hours so preachers 3 For diligence Fishers must let down their net at all hours whether they take something or nothing so must preachers Men are like unto Fishes 1 As fish stands need of salt to keep it from putrifaction so do men stand need to be seasoned with the Gospel and with gracious discourse Col. 4.6 2 As fishes are begotten of water and live in it Rondel l. de pise c. 13. and are nourished by it and die without it so if you be taken by the Gospel You must be born of water and the spirit Joh. 3.5 of the bloud of Christ compared to water Ezek. 36.25 Rev. 7.14 and of the spirit of Christ without which you can neither live nor be nourished 3 As the greater fishes devour the less and the great Whale devours all so the great men of the world devour the smaller and the devil devours all unless rescued by Christ 4 Fishes as soon as they perceive the net swim away from it so natural men put away the Gospel from them Job 21.14 Acts 13.46 5 As fishes are not taken unless they take the bait so are not souls unless they receive the glorious things of the Gospel Rom. 1.16 6 As fishes wander in the sea confusedly until they be taken and put into fish-ponds so do natural men in the sea of this world till they be converted and brought into the Church V. 20. And they straightway left their nets and followed him The powerful work of Christ upon their hearts was so great that they leave their ship and nets to follow Christ yea every enjoyment they had as servants kindred calling There should nothing be too much for us to leave when Christ calls for it Luk. 14.33 we cannot else be Christs Disciples yea our very lives are to be left for Christ Matth. 10.39 God forbid we should rejoyce in any thing save Christ Gal. 6.14 Moreover what obedience they performed to Christ was speedy and present When God calls we must give present obedience so Abraham in sacrificing Isaac Exo. 22.29 Psal 119.60 we must not consider the issues and events of things when we have a clear command of God before us V. 21. And going from thence he saw other two brethren James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in a ship with Zebedee their father mending their nets and he called them We have here two called more from their Fisher-craft to be Christs Disciples whom he retains a good while with him about the doctrine of the Gospel For though men of mean parts and callings may teach yet not before they have learned themselves In that he calls poor Fisher-men we may admire the free grace of God and the greatness of his power who by such weak means could overcome the world 2 Cor. 4.7 The treasure of the Gospel was in such earthen Vessels That the excellency of the power might be of God 1 Cor. 1.26 27. V. 22. And they straightway left the ship and their father and followed him We may see 1 Their dependance upon the providence of Christ for they did not reason how shall we do to live if we leave our callings 2 All worldly things must be held with a disposition to part with them when Christ calls for them they presently left their nets This besides the command of God and example of Saints should move us that what we part with for Christs sake We shall have an hundred fold in this present world and life everlasting hereafter Matth. 19 27. 3 From their not going till they had 〈…〉 we should learn when we attempt any thing hazarâ—ious 〈◊〉 to see our call Heb. 11.8 Abraham being called 〈…〉 went not knowing whither he went The children of Fâ—â—â—â—aim going against their enemies without a call turned their backs in the day of battel Ps 79.9 compared with 1 Chron. 7.21 22. So Israel going up against the Canaanites when God forbad them by Moses to go were smitten by them Numb 14.41 42 43 44 45. 4 In that they leave ship and father learn that matters of affection as well as matters of profit must give way to Christ Gen. 12.1 2. V. 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the People We have in this last part to the end of the Chapter two things 1 The diligence of Christ in preaching and working Miracles v. 23. 2 The effect hereof viz. Multitudes followed him bringing their sick unto him He went about all Galilee Persons that are not fixt to the oversight of one Church but have a Call to go into the World must not content themselves to tarry in any one place Christ went about all Galilee preaching in their Synagogues Where the seed is cast among much ground it 's probable some of it will take root and bring forth fruit And preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom That is the glad Message of the Kingdom of Heaven and the way to attain it If any man ask how Christ could be permitted to preach in the Synagogues it was partly because grave and godly and knowing men either known so to be or commanded by others were so permitted to speak so the chief Ruler of the Synagogue permitted Paul to speak unto the People Acts 13.15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation to the People say on Besides Christ confirmed his Doctrine with Miracles and so all men whom malice blinded not might see that he was a Teacher come from God and therefore might easily have access into the Synagogue Now a Synagogue is the same
That is from the Countreys placed beyond Jordan in respect of Calilee as Gilead Trachonitis Abilene and all that Countrey that fomerly belonged to Sihon and Og and the Countreys of Arabia which were the happy Arabia abounding with Spices and the rocky Arabia and the desert Arabia which was a Wilderness And from many other remote countreys so that a while after Christ his death Justin Martyr said There is no one kinde of Mortals whether Barbarians or Greeks or by what other names they be called either of the Hamazobians or Nomades that want a house and live in tents among whom by the Name of Jesus Christ crucified prayers and thanksgivings are not made to the Father and Creator of all things Justin cont Tryph. CHAP. V. WE have in this Sermon 1 The Preface v. 1. 2 The Sermon in the rest of the Chapter V. 1. In the preface observe 1 The Author of the Sermon viz. He that is Jesus 2 The place where it was in the Mount 3 The occasion seeing multitudes follow him 4 The persons he taught his Disciples 5 The gesture he used he sate 1 The Author of the Sermon viz. Jesus Christ wherein he propoundeth a new Law far more perfect then the law of Moses wherein there are divers things added for to this Thou shalt not commit adultery is added He that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart instead of Thou shalt not kill He that shall say to his brother Racha shall be guilty of hell fire Is not the law of committing of Adultery safe to which the law of not lusting is added Tert. de pudicitiâ All conclude that Christs intent is to clear the true meaning of Moses and the Prophets which was corrupted by the false gloss of the Jewish teachers but it seems to me that Christ added some things not onely by way of explication but by way of rule and this he did as the Prophet of his Church whom we are to hear in all things Acts 3.22 2 The place where it was in the Mount Thither he went to spend the night in prayer in order to the calling of his twelve Disciples for this Sermon and that Luk. 6. was one and the same as appears by their matter and subject This Mount is supposed by Chorographers to be 〈…〉 saida and here Christ called his Disciples unto him and chose out of them Twelve whom he called Apostles and sent them forth to preach In the top of this Mountain Christ chose his twelve Apostles in the descent of the Mountain he preached this Sermon Both Matthew and Luke gather the chief points of Christian doctrine into one place 3 The occasion which was not onely Disciples but multitudes were there present Teachers should observe opportunities when to preach We may desire to preach among multitudes not for vain-glory sake but because where there are many its like some or more will be wrought upon 4 The gesture He sate Luke 4.16 He stood up and read his Text and then sate down and preached He sate among the Doctors hearing and asking them questions Luk. 2.46 being apprehended he told the multitude I sate daily with you in the Temple teaching Matth. 26.55 Christ taught sitting because it was the manner and custome of the Teachers of that Church so to do Matth. 23.2 The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chair Luk. 5.3 He sate down and taught the people out of the ship Christ sate down either because he was weary in going up the Mount or because of the length of his Sermon which if delivered with amplifications would have wearied him standing and to shew that Preachers are not confined to one kinde of gesture but as Christ sometimes preached sitting sometimes standing so may they 5 Whom Christ taught viz. his Disciples who to prevent the multitudes that would have prest him stood near him Yet did he not onely teach them but also taught the multitude V. 2 3. And he opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God He opened his mouth That is Christ that had formerly opened the mouths of the Prophets now opens his own mouth Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto the Fathers hath in these last times spoken unto us by his Son Blessed are the poor in spirit In these words two things are considerable 1 The happy and blessed condition of them that are poor in spirit 2. The reason of it For theirs is the Kingdome of heaven For the former Obs Poverty of spirit is a blessed frame of spirit But before I come to open this point let me lay down some cautions as 1 That Christ shews not by what means we may come to blessedness but onely the qualifications of them that do attain it as in Ps 15. in the whole Psalm much less doth Christ set down by what merits we obtain blessedness He shews what manner of persons he will have them to be who expect blessedness viz. poor in spirit mourners meek mercifull hungring after righteousness these are rather notes of blessed men than procuring causes of blessedness Such we are to put difference betwixt Scriptures that speak of the causes of blessedness such as these John 3.16 6.54 8.24 Psalm 32.1 and those that speak of the properties of blessedness such as Psalm 1.1 112.1 James 2.1 So that we see the meaning why Christ saith not Blessed are they that are redeemed with Bloud or blessed are they which believe in me because he would teach not wherefore we are blessed but who they are that are blessed Four things to be discust 1 What it is 2 Grounds of it 3 Trials 4 Means to it 1 What spiritual poverty is It 's whereby a poor soul having some grace sees a want of further grace and so goes for supply out of himself to find it in Christ There are two degrees of it 1 When we are convinced of our miserable estate by nature so that the soul desires to be otherwise then it is Joh. 16.10 2 After we are in Christ whence follows 1 Sight of emptiness in all things save Christ Phil. 3.8 compared with Christ the soul counts them dung 2 Self abasement Luke 18.13 the Publican cries God be merciful to me a sinner Phil. 3.8 Paul calls himself less then the least of all Saints 3 Earnest desire after the favour of God Esa 41.17 18. When the poor and needy seek water I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys Take we notice of our poverty by nature we are not able to pay our debts and apt to be cast in prison for them Grounds of spiritual poverty 1 Else we will not come to Christ the prodigal came not to his father till he saw himself poor 2 This is the end of Gods permitting us to fall God left Hezekiah to try him that he might know all that was in
the spirit of truth that in all his decrees and determinations he cannot erre on the other side the French cry him out of his infallible chair and conclude him subject to errour and deposable by a general counsel yet in this brawling there 's no universal breaking of communion why then should not private communion be granted among those that fear God 7 The multiplicity of relations that tyes Christians to peace worship of the same God profession of the same faith expectation of the same hope suffering for the same cause begotten by the same word children of the same father have the same comfort of love the same fellowship of the Spirit Phil. 2.1 8 The benefits that come by it 1 The kingdome of God consists in it Rom. 14.17 Some Christians thought that others could not come to heaven if they did not eat such meats as they but Paul tells them The kingdome of God consists not in meat and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy of the holy Ghost 2 It 's the way to a long and an happy life 1 Pet. 3.11 3 The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace Jam. 3.21 q. d the crop of grace and glory is not reap'd of proud and contentious persons of such as make rents in Churches and would be many masters of which he speaks v. 1. nor of those who boasting of themselves and their opinions would alone seem to be wise but it will be reap'd of peaceable Christians who being of a peaceable spirit themselves endeavour to make peace among others and sow the seed of peaceable discourses in order thereto 4 By peace we resemble God for when in God there are three subsistences yet there is one will one love and one consent whereas in contention weresemble the Babel builders 5. Peace is the way to have the presence of God with us 2 Cor. 13.11 Live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you Some creatures are by artificial means invited as Pigeons by looking glasses and Larkes by the resemblance of the Sun in a looking glass by peace the God of peace is invited who unites those one to another that are united to him John 17.21 I le conclude with Bernards Distich Nullum turbavi discordes pacificavi Laesus sustinui nec mihi complacui 6 The peaceable carriage of you to others will cause others to carry peaceably to you Judg. 8.3 Gideon peaceably answering the men of Ephraim who did unjustly in proud wrath chide him their spirits abated towards him For they shall be called the children of God that is they who evidence their Christianity out of conscience of the command by stablishing peace among them with whom they live are and ought to be acknowledged among men as regenerate and thereupon called Gods children 1 They are his children in likeness as God sent his Son into the world to make peace 2 Cor. 5.19 so do they 2 They are like Christ who being God and man made peace with the blood of his cross Eph. 2.14 Col. 1.20 and took away all enmity betwixt God and us 3 They shall be called the children of God in heaven though sometimes in this world they are not seen nor acknowledged 1 John 3.1 4 They shall be so called because having first made peace with God they feeling the sweetness of it make peace with men Ob. But how can such as make peace with men be called Gods children seeing we find many carnal men good arbitrators and make-peaces among neighbours Ans 1 Such persons do it not out of conscience of the command but either out of vain glory or to keep themselves imployed in business and so to keep off their consciences or at most out of a principle of good neighbourhood whereas Gods children do it from the command 2 They make peace not out of the sence of inward peace they have with God but out of the beneficial concernment of neighbourly peace 3 Carnal men making peace it 's usual in matters of claim betwixt man in meum and tuum but peace-makers to whom the promise belongs make peace where there are heart boylings and sinister conceptions and heart grudges betwixt man and man 4 Carnal peace makers are stir'd up to do what they do upon sollicitations and intreaties but those to whom the promise is made are stirred up to their duty by the belief of the promise and it is done many times in secret where no man knows what they aime at but themselves know that they aime at a right understanding betwixt neighbour and neighbour Christian and Christian in order to peace Use Exhort to peace-making that this promise may belong to you as God is called the God of peace Rom. 16.20 1 Cor. 14 33.2 Cor. 13.11 Phil. 4.9 1 Thess 5.23 2 Thess 3.16 Heb. 13.20 So by endeavouring after peace you shall be like unto him V. 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven In this verse 3 things 1 The suffering its persecution 2 The cause not for wickedness but for righteousness sake 3 The crown theirs is the kingdom of heaven Quest What is meant by righteousness Answ Neither universal or paticular morral righteousness for many of the heathens suffered for honest interests and for righteous causes but spiritual righteousness is here meant as for the profession of their faith for conscience towards God 1 Pet. 2.19 This is thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God suffer wrongfully and endure grief So that righteousness signifies obedience to all the commands of God Here is inrightment to blessedness when we will rather suffer then transgress the commandment of God Observ They that are persecuted for Christ and his cause and commandements are blessed persons Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown For Application 1 Be exhorted to suffer persecution 1 For Christ's sake 1 Hereby thou wilt prove thy soundness of heart Dan 3.17 18 Shadrach Meshech and Abednego and Daniel cap. 6 shewed their sincerity herein unsound men will not suffer Persecution Gal 6.12 The denying of Circumcision was the Object of Persecution hence the false Teachers would have the Galatians circumcised lest they should suffer Persecution Matth 13.21 See it in the Stony Ground 2 This is the principal difficulty in Christianity to witness truth before Kings Psalm 119.46 and Councils Matth 10.17 To resist to Bloud Heb 12.4 and not to love our Lives so much as our Duty to God Luke 14.26 27 Rev 12.11 17 3 In all Persecutions for Christ thou shalt have wisdom to answer the Persecutour Luke 21.15 I le give you a Mouth and a Tongue that your Adversaries shall not be able to gainsay Acts 6.10 They that reasoned against Stephen were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit in Stephen 4 Thou shalt have strength to overcome the Persecutours 1 John 4.4 Greater is he that is in you
wealth or poor or as some empty of brain or wit 2 It signifies spittle or spit upon to signifie they esteemed one another no better then the spittle they spat out of their mouths 3 It signifies contemned vile despised abject and in this signification Michael Maronita in his proeme of the Syriack Grammer thinks it to be taken the Ethiopian expounds Racha thus he that shall say to his brother he poor by contempt and of torn garments shall be guilty of the counsel Shall be in danger of the counsel This consisted of 72 in this causes of high concernment were handled as Heresie False prophecy Idolatry Apostacy This Counsel sat at Hierusalem and it s supposed these seventy were set over them in remembrance of the 70 souls Jacob brought into Egypt these ruled over them sometimes and some think Pharaoh made them their taskmasters these went part of the way into the mount with Moses Exod. 24.9 After when they seemed a little to be laid aside by Jethroes counsel the Lord sets them up again Numb 11.16 Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be elders of the people and officers over them and bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee and I will put it upon them If there were any thing more dark or more intricate that fell out among the Judges of cities they were to have recourse to this counsell whereof the high priest was one and I take it mostly the president therein all both inferiour Judges and private persons were commanded to obey their answer on pain of death against them that should oppose Of this there is mention made Deut. 17.16 17 18 19 20. Also Jehoshaphat confirmed them see 2 Chron. 19 8 9 10 11. In this Senate both matters of God and matters of the King and kingdome were handled and that they might be incouraged herein Jehoshaphat tells them they had Amariah a man well skilled in judgements and Sâ—badâ—ah a man well skilled in civill affairs and divers of the Levites excelling in other learning So great was their authority that of some causes the king himself did not judge Jer. 38.5 Zedekiah saith the King can do nothing against you The Hebrews note that the king came not into the Sanhedrim least his opinion should take liberty of judging from others who thought diversly from him For this see Jer. 26.16 17 18. Ezekiel mentions these 70 old men Ezek. 8.11 12. and Jazaniah was chief the Hebrews say these seventy retained their authority in Babylon and Artaxerxes established this power when they came out of the captivity Ezra 7.25 26. after when they took up armes against Antiochus the government of things was in this Senate in which Court the kingly Scepter was kept This order continued till Herod the great who slew them all as a just judgement because these Senators had neglected to bridle his boldness and power except one Sameas whom they had oft contemned admonishing such things in the room of whom Herod appointed others of his own faction After in Augustus his time the power of this Senate came to be strainted the power of life and death being taken from them and divers other counsels set up in several cities about civil affairs Yet it is mentioned in the new Testament Joh. 7.50 of these Nicodemus was one and Joseph another Acts 4.6 7. also Acts 5.21 This counsel is distinguished from the Senate or city Magistracy of Jerusalem so also Luke 22.66 Hierusalem being destroyed by Titus this Senate came to an end So that the meaning of what is spoken is there is such proportion betwixt wrath and a reproachful word and betwixt the punishment of both as there is betwixt the judgement of the three and twenty or the Synedrion or chief Council as this exceeds that so the punishment of a reproachfull word exceeds the punishment of anger But whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be guilty of hell fire Some give this interpretation you Hebrews bring persons for anger and reviling to the Council alluding to their manner of proceeding but I for the same sin threaten a greater punishment unto them even hell fire But the more common interpretation is whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be guilty of hell fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word translated hell properly signifies the fire of Gehenna Without the City of Jerusalem there was a place called Gehenna or the Valley of the son of Hinnom wherein was a place called Tophet Jer. 7.31 32. where the Jews after the example of the Phoenicians burnt their children to Moloch timbrels and pipes making a noise lest the cry of the burnt childe should be heard Josiah polluted this place by bringing dead carkasses into it 2 Kings 23.10 compared with Jer. 7.32 It was also called Tophet which as Lapide saith signifies a Timbrel from the playing upon timbrels there It was called Ghehinnom of Ghe i.e. A Valley and Hinnom the name of a Jew It was a pleasant Valley near Jerusalem but because of this horrible burning of their children the Jews hereby signified the torment of the damned Esai 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it As the miserable infants shut up in a brazen Idol fire being put under were broyl'd and burnt with an unspeakable torment so the wicked in the prison of hell shall be tormented with unquenchable fire Now the cause for which among others is for passionate railing and calling fool that is a wicked man who in Scripture is so called not a natural fool or under-witted but a wicked man a contemner of God Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God then which there is hardlier a more grievous railing especially when it is done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without cause Yet this doth not hinder but that those who have a duty of chastising others may be sharply reproved that they may be rowsed out of their sleepiness as Christ cals his Disciples Luke 24.25 O fools and slow of heart and to the Pharisees Matth 23.17 19. Paul calls foolish Galatians Gal. 3.1 and Christ calls the Pharisees Generations of vipers Matth. 23.33 resembles them to graves and whited sepulchres v. 27. To conclude this verse for the prevention of our hearts to break out into anger and so to railing I le lay down some considerations about anger as 1 What it is A. It 's an affection whereby the bloud about the heart being heated by the apprehension of some injury offered to a mans self or friend and that in truth or in opinion the appetite is stir'd up to take revenge It s two-fold 1 Just and this is two-fold 1 created so anger was in Adam to rise up against all that should tempt him to sin knowing that in the day he
condemn all forms seeing we read of sundry in Scripture as Psal 102. v. 1 c. Esai 63.15 to the end of cap. 64. ult Numb 6.24 Yet to use a form doth argue thou art a very babe who go by a form because they cannot go alone and to use a form when thou art able to powr out thine own heart more and better then any form can teach thee is to to offer to the Lord a corrupt thing when thou hast a male in thy flock Thou art a very babe till thou art able to express thy wants in conceived prayer what man is there that is sensible of his wants that cannot declare them to man and canst thou not declare them to God Christ hath given us this breviary of prayer as a looking-glass to see our wants Himself never used it nor could he in truth say Forgive us our trespasses seeing himself had none We never read the Apostles used this prayer but onely framed their petitions according to it Acts 1.24 Matth. 26.39 We ought then to look upon this as a pattern without which we might have wandred in our requests often asking things hurtful for us we ought then hence to draw the matter of our prayers This form or patern is usually divided into three pâ—rts 1 A Preface Our Father which art in Heaven 2 Petitions which are six or according to some of the Ancients seven 3 The Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom c. 1 The Preface Our Father which art in Heaven We call him Father 1 To shew that we are not to look upon him as a Tyrant or a Stranger that knows us not or as an hard Master but as a Father 2 To embolden us to come unto him 3 To shew his readiness to do you good Luke 11.13 If evil fathers will do good to their children will not our Father do good to his children 4 To shew that we believe our Election and Adoption 5 Assurance of his readiness and willingness to help us whereas formerly we durst not lift up our eys to Heaven Luke 15.18 Our 1 This word Our teacheth that however we believe for our selves yet Charity teacheth us to pray for others 2 To denote unto us a Communion of Saints how that they are so joyned together as if the want of one were the want of all 1 Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all the members suffer with it 3 That we may not disdain the meanest Christian from being our Brother in Christ if God have adopted him for his Ephes 4.5 yet may a Christian in private say My Father Matth 26.39.27.46 4 To keep us from arrogating to our selves above others remembring we are of the company of sons On earth some Saints have more noble fathers than others but to the Father in Heaven all Believers are alike related 5 To encourage the weak that they may believe that God is no less their Father than the Father of Peter Paul c. 6 That we should not onely pray for our own necessities but also for the necessities of others James 5.16 applying in private Prayer that common Fatherhood to our selves And this Father we call upon we may look upon some times personally Ephes 3.14 1 Cor. 8.6 sometimes essentially for Father Son and Spirit so Christ is called the everlasting Father Isai 9.6 7 To teach us mutual sympathy 1 Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all the members suffer with it Heb. 13.3 8 To teach us unity and agreement with our Brethren as members of the same body hence before we bring our gift we are to agree with our Brother Matth. 5.24 Which art in Heaven 1 To shew that how ever earthly parents have a good will to help their children yet want power yet our Father being in Heaven and being the God of all might hath power to do for us above all that we can ask or think Ephes 3.20 Psalm 115.3 2 To take away erroneous conceptions of God wherein carnal men are ready to think of him like earthly parents 3 To denote unto us his special presence he hath in Heaven there his power wisdom goodness do most shine forth and from thence are manifested to us Psalm 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God 4 That when we come before him we should come with reverence and lifting up of heart Lam. 3.41 Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens where God is not circumscriptively as the body of man bounded by such a place nor definitively as the Angels but repletively filling all place for the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain him 1 Kings 8.27 5 To shew to us that though God be every where Psalm 139.7 8 9. Whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there if in the uttermost parts of the Sea thou art there Amos 9.1 2 3. yet he is said to dwell in the Heavens Psalm 2.4 Hear from Heaven thy dwelling place 1 Kings 8.30 there his majesty and glory most shines forth Psalm 112.5.123.1 yet doth he dwell in humble and holy hearts Isai 57.15 1 Cor. 3.16 As the soul of man which is wholly in the whole and in every part yet is said to be in the head or heart more than elsewhere because there more than elsewhere it exerciseth his power and effects so though God be essentially every where and in all places wholly yet he works not grace and gifts equally in all parts but he works in Heaven more than in Earth in the godly more than the wicked and in one of his children more than in another in the Saints in Heaven 〈◊〉 than in the Saints on Earth and in the humane nature of Christ more than in any creature Hallowed be thy Name This is the first Petition and Christ his meaning is 1 That Gods glory be every where magnified it 's put in the first place because Gods glory must be preferred before all things Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself Thus must every one do that calls God Father So that if our credit or profit come in competition therewith we are willing to renounce not onely them but every thing else for the Lord. 2 That the Name of God which is God himself be magnified The Name of God is not so many Letters but God himself Holy and reverend is his Name Psalm 111.9 It was the speech of the men of Bethshemesh Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 God is glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 The Trinity is said to be holy Isai 6.3 Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts The Father is holy John 17.11 The Son holy Luke 1.35 Acts 4.27 The Spirit is holy Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God God is not onely holy but holiness in the very abstract Amos 4.2 The Lord hath sworn by his holiness that is by himself Saints are holy
our brother be a condition of our forgiveness with God then the merits of Christ are not the alone condition upon which forgiveness depends Answ There is a two-fold condition 1 Antecedent which goes before justification Christs merits are this condition 2 Consequent which followes after justification Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Or 2 there 's a two-fold condition 1 For which we are forgiven this onely is Christs righteousness and thus we say neither repentance restitution forgiveness of men nor universal obedience are conditions that for these we do obtain pardon 2 There is a condition without which so Christ saith not you shall live for your repentance but Unless you repent you shall dye Luk. 13.5 If a King offer to thee both a poor man and his enemy both his grace and Kingdome for a gift requiring some things of thee viz. that thou wilt be sorry for the wrongs which thou hast done to him and that thou wouldest forgive others which have offended thee and if thou hast offended any one that thou ask them forgiveness will you say that this King hath forgiven you your offences and given you this Kingdome for your deserts or of his meer grace surely of grace So is it in this case To conclude we must consider forgiveness two ways 1 As it was a secret agreement betwixt the Trinity that Christ his atonement should be for the sins of such and such persons this is before our forgiveness 2 There is the forgiveness in our conscience before this our forgiveness may go But I rather incline to the first that pardon of sin is held to us upon condition of repentance now that person that hath an absolute purpose of revenge against his neighbour doth not repent because he goes on in a purpose of sin and so no pardon can belong to him neither is there any true faith in any such soul where there is a purpose of sin V. 16. Moreover when ye fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast Here Christ reforms a third corruption of the Pharisees wherein 1 A reprehension of their fasting 2 A direction to a right fasting Christ here treats not of publick fasts but of private Grotius observes that some of the Pharisees fasted two days in a week some four dayes and did not eat any thing till the setting of the Sun and then they onely fed upon hearbs or eggs they lay hard in their beds Now forasmuch as they aim'd at the glory and praise of men herein Christ doth not disallow their fasting but onely the vain-glory therein sought for That is not fasting when a person out of poverty suffers hunger or by reason of sickness cannot eat nor to refrain from flesh is fasting But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fasting is derived of the privative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to eat so that to fast is not to take meat or to refrain from meat that we may serve God in spiritual services Without which holy end or the like as the weakning of the flesh c. it comes under the kinde of bodily services which profit not 1 Tim. 4.7 8. So that Christ condemns not fasting as a Levitical cereremony being several times practised in the New Testament Matth. 17.21 Acts 14.23 1 Cor. 7.5 2 Cor. 11.26 but onely taxes the superstition and hypocrisie of the Pharisees who did not refer fasting to its right end but either rested in it as counting godliness to consist in pinching and pining the body and referring it to their ambitious ends to gain an opinion of holiness and not to stir up fervency in prayer or to chasten the flesh When ye fast Christ establishes fasting Christians that prayer may be more fervent may and ought to use fasting Be ye not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sad and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in countenance Fasting dryes up the body and makes men melancholick but eating makes men sweet and pleasant therefore they that would perswade hard things to others do not go to them fasting but after dinner because then they are pleasant and merry now these hypocritical Pharisees would put on a sad countenance that they might seemto have fasted but Christ warnes them to lay aside all such disfiguring whether by bending their brows hanging down their eyes or blacking their faces and that they would show pleasant countenances which was a token of mirth The word used for disfigure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English they darken by affecting severity paleness and grief in their countenances Carnal men wil give much bodily service to God yet wil they not part with their sins so they may but retain their sins they will do any thing So that Christ his meaning is not that on a fasting day we should carry our selves as on a feasting day Esa 22.12 13. Neither means he that in private fasts we should carry the matter so closely that none of the family should know it for that can hardly be but Christ means that when God calls to fasting we should be far from seeking praise of men herein as if we were not at all about such a business V. 17. But thou when thou fastest anoint thy head and wash thy face that thou appear not unto men to fast but unto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly But thou when thou fastest anoint thy head and wash thy face Against the Pharisees boasting of their fasting Christ shows that our gestures in a private fast are so to be composed that men may not mark us to fast he names these gestures of anointing the head from the manner of that country Ruth 3 3. Ruth anointed her self when she went to Boaz Psal 23.5 Thou anointest my head with Oyl Luk. 7.46 My head with Oyl didst thou not anoint Much less must we think as if fasting under the New Testament consisted in pleasures and delights or as if pride could not lye hid under mean apparrel Not as if indeed we should anoint our head but that we should avoid all boasting in fasting and that we should do as they who anoint their head who rather hold forth mirth and gladness then grief and sadness The scope of Christ herein is to teach us to conceal our private fasts from men and to approve our hearts to God in our fasting and as all other exercises of devotion betwixt God and us ought to be kept private so ought this Thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly These words are a reason of the performance of the duty i. e. thy Father sees in secret and will one day acknowledge thy sincerity Esa 38.3 5. He saw Ezekiahs tears and Cornelius his prayers Act. 10.4 2 As he sees thy
doubtfulness of the success notwithstanding we use lawfull endeavours the Promise is In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy steps Prov. 3.6 2 When earthly cares shall crowd in in holy duties Luke 8.14 The cares of the World choak the Word or cause us to neglect holy duties as in Martha Luke 10.40 3 When we shall be immoderately thoughfull for livelihood for us and ours so that our hearts become troubled with fear of want Use 1 Humiliation to Saints who have so many distracting cares upon them Would we compare our few cares for Heaven and our many cares for a livelihood how should we be cloathed with shame These seize on us in the morning and go to bed with us at night God takes care of thee who made thee who cared for thee before thou wast We care for our selves as if he that made us presently went away leaving us in our own hands Aug. 1 These dividing cares of thine arise from remainders of unbelief in thee for men of eminent faith have been little troubled therewith Dan. 3.17 We are not carefull to answer thee O King in this matter if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us said the Three Children 2 Whatever burden thou hast thou art commanded to cast it upon God Psalm 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass Thou art not to take Gods work from him thy work is dependance Gods work is provision Psalm 55.18 Cast thy burden on the Lord he shall sustain thee 3 The care and provision God makes for all creatures Psalm 104.10 to v. 31. he sends Springs into Valleys causes Grass to grow for Cattel makes Trees for Birds to nest in the Rocks and Hills a Refuge for Goats and Conies Lions seek their Meat from God v. 27 28. These wait all upon thee that thou mayest give them their Meat in due season that thou givest them they gather Psalm 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his Food and to the young Ravens which cry Matth. 10.29 30. 4 It 's Gods good pleasure to give you the Kingdom of Heaven much more will he give you things of this life Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock it 's your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 5 The vanity and mischief of distracting cares the vanity of them is seen because all our carking will not better our condition Do what thou canst thou shalt not be rich whom God will have to be poor Luth. Tom. 3.266 And their mischief is seen in that they surcharge the heart as Meat and Drink immoderately taken do the stomach Luke 21.34 2 Exhortation To endeavour the riddance of these sinfull cares Means 1 Commit all your endeavours to God in Prayer to be prospered and succeeded by him Phil. 4.6 In nothing be carefull but in every thing let your request be made known to him When you have commended the matter to God in Prayer then let the peace of God keep your hearts v. 7. Prov. 16.3 Commit thy work unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established 2 Exercise faith in the promises Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 1 Tim. 4.8 3 Covet not multitudes of business for much business creates many cares and so much the more when thy charge is but little 4 Consider though God taketh care for all creatures Psalm 104.27 145.15 147.8 9. He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry yet his care for them not comparable to the care he hath for his children 1 Cor. 9.9 Doth God take care of Oxen Yes he doth but not comparatively See Deut. 11.12 5 The vanity and unprofitableness of all our carking cares which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature Matth. 6.17 Psal 127.2 It 's in vain to rise early and go to bed late Except the Lord build the house and except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain 6 Consider the uncessancy of Gods care for us The Land whither ye go to possess is a Land of Hills and Valleyes and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven A Land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwayes upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end of the year Deut. 11.11 12. Psal 40.5 Thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting not onely some but all your care upon him why He careth for you V. 26. Behold the fowls of the ayr for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barnes yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they Here 's a second Argument to disswade from carking care from the less to the greater your Father nourishes the fowls much more will he nourish you Behold the fowls of the Ayre He makes a distinction betwixt poultry and house fowls which are cared for by men and fowls of the Ayr which are not cared for by men Psal 147.9 Job 39.3 Luke instanceth in the Ravens which men are so far from caring for that they hate them Luk. 12.24 Christ compares men not to Oxen but to Birds that he may teach us as birds to fly from earth to heaven They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barnes They neither sowing nor reaping are directed by the providence of God where there is food and they thrive more then those which are nourished by the care of man Yet is this no ground to patronize idleness that because the fowls neither plow nor sow therefore we must not for the proportion is not in this that they labour not but in this if God take care for more base creatures much more for those which are more excellent In all likelihood the fowls making no provision in summer should starve in winter yet experience teaches that they are fatter in winter then in summer Obs It s our duty now and then to look upon the creatures 2 It s no disparagement to the providence of God to have a care of the fowls of Heaven Matth. 10.29 30. 3 As the care of God reaches to the fowls of heaven so much more to his children for he that is their Creator is thy Father V. 27. Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature Here is a third reason against carking care taken from the vanity of all such carking we by all our caring cannot adde any thing to the stature of our body no more can we adde any thing to the measure of our estates which providence hath appointed us to come to Besides men through their pride are ready to ascribe all their gettings to their care and diligence hence Christ shows that all our care without Gods blessing is as vain as if a dwarf should think to
are these The first Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother James the son of Zebedee and John his brother Names of the twelve Apostles They were twelve that as the twelve Patriarchs were the fathers of the Jews so these were the fathers of all Christians Hence when Judas was dead Matthias was chosen in his place and Christ being about to build his spiritual Kingdome sets forth the Image of the Jewish Commonwealth to denote that the promises of the everlasting Kingdome are fulfilled in him It was also needfull for us to know their names from whose agreeing testimony the Truth was to be received many pretending an Apostleship which proved to be false 2 Cor. 11.13 Rev. 2.2 The first Simon who is called Peter Not in respect of dignity but order for among the Preachers of the Gospel there must be a priority of order though no supremacy of Jurisdiction for Peter disclaims it 1 Pet. 5.4 Not as being Lords over Gods heritage Yet what is this to the primacy of the Roman Bishop for how doth it follow that Peter had a primacy of age and eloquence and therefore had a primacy of authority and how doth it follow more to the Bishop of Rome then to the Bishop of Antioch and Constantinople Peter might be called first because first called to the Office though Andrew was called before him to Disciple-ship his primacy might be also in respect of faith and confession not in respect of honour and degree Also Gal. 2.9 James is set before Peter and at the Council Acts 15. they agreed to James his sentence And Andrew Philip and Nathaniel did acknowledge Christ before Peter John 1.41 45 49. did acknowledge him And though Peter made that confession that Christ was the son of the living God Mat. 16.16 yet did he speak in behalf of all the Apostles See Joh. 6 69 70. We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Simon called Peter To distinguish him from Simon the Canaanite Andrew So called from his virility and nobleness in his preaching and suffering for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies manliness or virility James the son of Zebedee Put to death by Herod Acts 12.2 called the son of Zebedee to distinguish him from James the younger son of Alpheus Matth. 10.3 He was elder brother to John hence set before him though John for his grace was most dear to Christ And John his brother James and John called sons of thunder some render the word to signifie gracious and mercifull V. 3. Philip and Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew the Publican James the son of Alpheus and Lebbeus whose sirname was Thaddeus Philip A Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of horses Bartholomew q.d. The son of Tholmai or Tholomeus So we read of Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus Barjona the son of Jona Thomas Sirnamed Didymus John 20.27 Matthew the Publican So called not because at present he was a Publican but because he had been one The other Evangelists conceal this but he out of humility acknowledges it James the son of Alpheus Called James the less or little so called Mark 15.40 called so in respect of age or stature called the Lords brother Gal. 1.19 because born of Mary the sister of the Virgin Mary as Jerom which was called Mary Cleophas Joh. 19.25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his Mother and his Mothers sister Mary the wife of Cleophas for it 's thought Alphaeus and Cleophas were all one This James penned the Epistle And Lebbeus whose sirname was Thaddeus Some we read of had two names as John whose sirname was Mark Acts 12.12 25. so this man had three names one of them was Judas for some relate that what name had the four letters of the name of God in their name the Hebrews were wont to change that name And so we may reconcile Luke who calls him Jude and Mark that calls him Thaddaeus This Judas was the brother of James Acts 1.13 V. 4. Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot which also betrayed him Simon the Canaanite Not as if he were a Canaanite for all the Apostles were Jews but because he was of Cana in Galilee For his zeal called Simon the Zelot Luke 6.15 Acts 1.13 And Judas Iscariot who also betrayed him So called quasi Isch Kerioth a man of Carioth of the Tribe of Juda Jos 15.25 Christ chose Judas though he knew he would betray him that he might bring about mans redemption and to comfort us if we should be betrayed of our near friends Concerning these Apostles note 1 They are the foundations of the heavenly Jerusalem Rev. 21.19 compared to twelve several precious stones 2 Christ joyns them together in pairs as Peter and Andrew James and John c. that every one of them might not onely have help from his companion but witness from him and to commend brotherly love as among all Christians in general so among Preachers in special 3 These Apostles were sundry of them Christs kinsmen as James and John and James the son of Alpheus whom he chose not to enrich with temporal things but spiritual blessings and to suffer much hardships in the witness of his name to show that as we should endeavour to gain others to the faith so in particular our kindred and alliance 4 In that Christ calls them by two and two see the benefit of society Eccl. 4.9 10 11. Moses and Aaron conducted the people out of Egypt Joshua and Zerubbabel out of Babylon and the Disciples by two and two are sent to bring persons from darkness to life V. 5. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not These twelve Jesus sent forth That is these men of mean quality Fishermen to confound the wise Go not into the way of the Gentiles The scope of their office was to stir up the Jews to the hope of their salvation now at hand by Christ and to make them attentive to hear him therefore Christ limits them to Judaea because Christ was sent from the Father as the minister of circumcision to fulfill the promises made unto the Jewish Fathers Rom. 15.8 Therefore Christ at first would have the doctrine of grace preached onely to this people but after his resurrection when the vail was taken away he would have it preached to all nations Matth. 28.19 Act. 1.8 Besides had Christ sent his Disciples to preach to others as well as to them they would have excepted against Christ from being the Messias because the Messias was onely promised unto the Jews and not unto the Gentiles Quest But was it not unjust to deny means of salvation to the Gentiles Answ No for God hath power to do with his own what he pleaseth 2 God is not bound to give means save where he pleaseth gifts are dispensed according to the will of the giver Quest Why did Christ forbid
come to an end How many hardships do we suffer in hope of ease We suffer an hard Apprentiship in hope of freedome we suffer a bitter potion in hope of health let us endure the cross in hope of the crown Soldiers endure much hardships in hope of victory Revel 3.5 Here are two graces commended to us 1 Patience in tribulations 2 Perseverance unto the end The same shall be saved Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crown of life Jam 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown Having the Goal in our eye we should put forth all our strength to run For the joy set before him Christ endured the cross Heb. 12.2 he bids us do so likewise V. 23. But when they persecute youâ— in this City flee ye into another for verily I say unto you ye shall not have gone over the Cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come Christ sets down a fourth danger to wit persecution Three things 1 The danger persecution 2 The remedy herein viz. flight 3 The promise of supportance Ye shall not have gone over the Cities of Israel till the Son of Man come But when they persecute you in this City flee ye to another Some have pretended the unlawfulness of flight when being tied by the lines of their temporal lots they would comply to common corruptions rather then leave them like some Lawyers who pretend to have a great zeal of justice when it 's onely to advance their own practice and to gain credit in pleading as P. Martyr in his book of flight to the brethren of Luca. Flight is not onely lawfull but a command these rules observed 1 That a man flye with a disposition and purpose of heart rather to die a thousand deaths then deny the truth in case he should be taken by the adversary 2 That we flye with an intent to propagate and spread the truth of God in the compass of our callings whither we go the soldier that flies may fight again 3 When we see snares are laid for us to take away our lives So Joseph fled into Egypt to save the life of Christ being an infant Matth. 2.14 so David oft fled from Saul 1 Sam. 19.11 12. Eliah from the sword of Jezebel 1 Kin. 19.3 Christ fled from the men of Nazareth when they would have cast him down from the brow of the hill Luk. 4.30 so Paul fled by night out of Damascus when the Governour endeavoured to apprehend him Act. 9 25. so when the Grecians went about to slay him he went to Cesarea and Tarsus to escape them v. 29 30. 4 That our flight be without scandal and therefore without 1 cowardliness 2 Tim. 4.16 2 Without rashness 3 Without treachery as hirelings do who when they should give their life for the sheep leave them to the wolf Joh. 10.12 13. 4 Without offence to the weak Rom. 15.1 5 That we flye with a minde neither wishing death nor for the sake of Christ fearing it Hence Eliah his passion was condemned 1 Kings 19.4 when Jezebel persecuted him he cries Now Lord take away my life If Christ may have more glory by our living then by our dying we must not refuse to live Though death was more acceptable to Paul and to be with Christ 2 Cor. 5.2 3. compared with Phil. 1.23 yet for the brethrens sake he desired to live 6 Consider whether God may be more glorified and the Church more edified by thy staying or by thy going 1 Cor. 10.31 7 When all means of flight are cut off then are we called to suffer as in the example of Shadrach Meshech and Abednego who had they had means of escape it 's very likely they would have taken them Yet in these cases 1 When the cause of God hath no witness besides himself in a place a man must be very wary in flying lest his heart be troubled herein and Gods hand meet him See a most eminent example Jer. 26.20 21 22 23 24. It was Uriah who thus flying was brought back and kill'd 2 When God puts a spirit of valour into the soul When a man is resolved to stand against all the fury of enemies he is not to be condemned Paul knew that bonds and afflictions did abide him in every City yet he counted not his life dear unto him so he might finish his course with joy Acts 20.24.21.13 Such was that example of one William Gardiner Some examples are Heroical some Moral an English Merchant in Portugal who in or about the year 1652. when an high Mass was at the mariage of the King of Portugals son to the King of Spains daughter while the Mass was solemnizing he in the presence of the King and his Nobles with one hand took the Host out of the Priests hand who consecrated it and trod it under his feet and with the other hand overthrew the Chalice for the which he was by grace enabled notwithstanding he knew that many grievous tortures must needs abide such a witness which with unspeakable cruelty were executed upon him See his tortures Acts and Mon. vol. 2. p. 746. For verily I say unto you ye shall not have gone over the Cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come Some think that by this coming is meant not the personal presence of Christ but the pouring out of the Spirit on believers mentioned Acts 2.1 which was a certain sign that Christ came as a King with fulness of power from his Father and that his Kingdom so long expected was come the sending of which Spirit was to be a comfort to them against all dangers John 14.18 I will not leave you fatherless I will come to you Now the coming of Christ here meant was onely the sending of the Spirit Acts 2.33 Being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of thee Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this thing which ye now see and hear So that the sense is I have told you what evils hang over you yet do I warn you to stand to the testimony you have given and not to be discouraged My coming unto you by the pouring out of my Spirit is at hand yea before you shall make an end of teaching the Jews within the bounds of Palestina Others carry it to the sending of Ministry to the end of the World For my self I rather carry it to the consolation of all persecuted Saints to the end of the world whereas the Disciples might be ready to think if we shall be under so great hatred and persecution none will receive us to this Christ answers There will be Cities of Israel that is Inhabitants in Cities by a Metonymie of the subject and a Synecdoche of Gentiles to be converted who will receive you untill the second coming of Christ in judgment of which coming mention is made Matth. 24.30 Luke 21.27 for Gentile
prophesies that a King was promised to the Jews He had no cause indeed to fear because Christ came to give a heavenly Kingdome to believers not to take away any earthly Kingdome from any earthly Prince And all Jerusalem with him The causes of their fear were because they feared new broyls would be in the Commonwealth and because there were many that were of Herods party and interest that stood and fell with him Herod himself having slain many persons for to get the Kingdome as Hyrcanus and Aristobulus and divers others mentioned by Josephus Divers of his creatures as well as himself were troubled as looking to fall if their master fell Also they were troubled being given up to pleasure and ease and not once thinking of the coming of the Messiah these and such causes troubled them All Jerusalem he means the greatest part and those who bore the sway in the nation Obs Men of bad consciences are mightily troubled where there is any apprehension of danger Esa 7.2 V. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief Priests and Scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born Here is a second effect of the Wise-mens Inquiry which is that Herod calls a Council to inquire where Christ should be born All the chief Priests Herod after the manner of the Kings of Judah called a Council of the chief Priests who were disposed in their several courses being four and twenty in number who were Governours of the Sanctuary and of the House of God 1 Chron. 24.4 5. These are called the chief of the Priests 2 Chron. 36.14 and the Ancients or Elders of the Priests Jer. 19.1 over all these there was one chief Priest And Scribes The Scribes were they that wrote out and read and expounded the Scriptures such was Ezra 7.9 10. See Nehem. 8.8 9. Every Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of God brings forth new and old Matth. 13.52 Before the Captivity the Priests were wont to teach Ezek. 44.23 Mal. 2.7 But after the Captivity they were taken up in Government and did not their duty in teaching He demanded of them where Christ should be born That is according to the Scriptures where the place should be to which they answer out of Gods Word V. 5. And they said unto him In Bethlem of Judea for thus it is written by the Prophet Here is the Answer of the Priests and Scribes to Herod's Question where they point out the place they tell him out of the Prophet Micah that Christ was to be born not in Bethlem which was in the Tribe of Zabulon Josh 19. but in Bethlem in the Tribe of Judah V. 6. And thou Bethlem in the Land of Judah art not the least among the Princes of Judah for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my People Israel Art not the least Because so great a Governour was born in thee though thou art but small in respect of thy Buildings Micah reades it Thou art little or least Matthew reades not little or least which seems contrary Resp Chemnicius carries it as if they were not the words of the Scribes but of the Evangelist who by the change of the Affirmative into a Negative would celebrate the grace of God to that poor Town q. d. the Prophet saith Thou art least but indeed thou art not least 2. It might be said to be least in respect of other greater Cities and may be said not the least because the Governour came out of it and not onely Christ but David who was a Type of Christ Some reade it in Micah interrogatively which hath the force of Matthew's Negative Among the Princes of Judah Micah hath among the thousands of Judah for the People were divided into thousands Exod. 18.21 for they were Dukes or Princes that had the Governments over thousands in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For out of thee shall come a Governour that shall feed my People Israel As a Shepherd feeds his Flock as the Evangel st spoke of his Priestly Office that he should save his People from their sins so he speaks of his Government having respect to his Kingly Office V. 7. Then Herod when he had privily called the Wise-men inquired of them diligently what time the Star appeared Herod made this Inquiry privily 1 to still the Tumults and Reports of the People who expected their Messiah 2. That he might know all the Circumstances of the Star as how long it had appeared of what form what greatness whether uncessantly 3. That when they came from Bethlem they might not blab the matter abroad among the Multitude but tell him of it as the Magistrate who was bound especially to worship him What time the Star appeared That so he might appoint the killing of the Infants which now he had projected according to that time that so he might secure the Kingdom to himself Tyrants use to secure their Kingdoms though by the death of many innocent persons The word for inquired is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an exact kinde of Search such as is made in the Examinations of guilty persons V. 8. Then he sent them to Bethlem and said Go and search diligently for the young Childe and when ye have found him bring me word that I may come and worship him also Herod sends the Wise-men upon this Message that this new born King being taken he might spare the rest of the Infants of Bethlem He pretends to worship him but intends to worry him q. d. Ye Wise-men do well to seek this King for no doubt this is he that is prophesied of and the time and place well suits to the Prophesie he is that great Prince prophesied of and therefore bring me word where he is that I may worship him Obs Wickedness is never so abominable as when it is covered over with pretended holiness 1 Kings 21.9 10. 2 Sam. 15 8 9. V. 9. When they had heard the King they departed and lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young Childe was Here is the satisfaction the Wise-men had to their Question the Star which a while ceased to appear now appears again and goes before them till it makes a stand that is it ceased to go any further and it 's likely in a short time vanished after the Wise-men came to the place where the Infant Jesus was There was no doubt a great stumbling block to the Wise-men that not a man of Jerusalem to whom the Messias was promised would so much as stir out of doors to accompany the Wise-men to inquire after this King but the knowledg of the Prophesie of the place where Christ was to be born and the appearance of the Star heals this offence V. 10. And when they had seen the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Here is the first Branch of their Thankfulness they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Joy should be proportionable to