his paths streight NOW in the fifteenth yeere of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate bein Governour of Judea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the Region of Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abylene IN those dayes came John the Baptist preaching in the wildernesse of Judea 2 And saying Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand 3. For this is hee that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wildernes Prepare ye the way of the Lord make bis paths streight 4 And the same John had his rayment of Camels haire and a leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was Locusts and wild honey 4 John did baptize in the Wildernesse and preach the Baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins 5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan confessing their sins 6 And John was clothed with Camels haire and with a girdle of skin about his loins he did eat locusts wild honey 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the High Priests the word of God came unto John the Sonne of Zacharias in the wildernesse 3 And hee came into all the Countrey about Jordan preaching the Baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins 4 As it is written in the Booke of the words of Esaias the Prophet saying The voice of one crying in the wildernes Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Region round about Jordan 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins 5 Every valley shall bee filled and every mountaine and hill shall bee brought low and the crooked shall bee made streight aud the rough wayes shall bee made smooth 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God 7 But when hee saw many of the Pharisees and Saddneâ—s come to his baptisme hee said unto them O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come 7 Then said hee to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance 9 And thinke not to say within your selves Wee have Abraham to our Father For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up Children to Abraham 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance And begin not to say within your selves We have Abraham to our Father For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham 10 And now also is the Axe laid unto the root of the trees Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire 9 And now also the Axe is laid unto the root of the trees Every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire 10 And the people asked him saying What shall wee doe then 11 He answereth and saith unto them He that hath two coates lâ—t him impart to him that harb none and hee that hath meat let him doe likewise 12 Then came also Publicans to be baptized and said unto him Master what shall we doe 13 And hee said unto them Exact no more then that which is appointed you 14 And the Souldiers likewise demanded of him saying And what shall wee doe And hee said unto them Doe violence to no man neither accuse any falsely and be content with your wages   15 And as the people were in expectation and all men mused in their hearts of John whether hee were the Christ or not 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but hee that commeth after me is mightier then I whose Shooes I am not worthy to beare hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire 7 And preached saying There commeth one mightier then I after mee the latchet of whose shooes I am not worthy to stoope downe and unloose 8 I indeed have baptized you with water but hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost 16 John answered saying unto them all I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier then I commeth the latchet of whose shooes I am not worthy to unloose hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire 12 Whose fanne is in his hand and hee wil throughly purge his floore aud gather his wheat into the garner but will burne up the chaffe with unquenchable fire  17 Whose fanne is in his hand and he wil thoroughly purge his floor and will gather the wheat into his garner but the chaffe hee will burn with fire unquenchable 18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people Reason of the Order ALthough there be a very large space of time betwixt the Section last preceding and the beginning of this yet because the Reader in his Bible can see nothing mentioned in any of the foure that may come between hee will easily satisfie himselfe without any further discourse that the order is necessary and the connexion undeniable But it may bee hee may wonder why the Evangelists have passed so much time in silence without any mention at all of our Saviour Christ or of any thing done or spoken by him But when hee shall observe in the very first words of this Section that the Preaching of John and his baptisme was the beginning of the Gospel then will hee see that they hasten to that and forward as to the main aime and chiefe intention of their writing but that the conception and birth of Christ and his forerunner were necessarily to be related before In these collaterall columnes of the Text and forward where we shall have occasion to use them so the Readers eye must sometimes help to lay them together where the pen could not without changing and transposing the naturall method of the Text as in this Section now in hand it had been both as easie for me to have written the third verse of Marke after the fourth and fifth as before them and more agreeing to the columnes on either side it but that I would not be so bold as to change verses without any reason which Mark not without good reason did dispose as they lie And this caâ—telousnesse have I observed all along as I goe where occasion is offered presuming rather to trouble the Reader to ranke them with his eye then to teare the text in the whole cloth and then few it together at other edges It will sometimes be inevitable but that we must invert and alter the order of one Evangelist or other from what hee had laid it but wheresoever that shall bee so there shall be such a reason given for it
the doore or entry of the Church but it ingageth them to repentance for the time to come or when they being now entred into the Church shall come to the use of reason and knowledge of the ingagement And so was it with the children that were circumcised for they when they underwent that Sacrament undertooke obedience to the whole Law and yet they knew not what either obedience or the Law meant But that undertaking was what they were to doe when they came to the yeeres of knowledge and apprehension Matth. 3. Verse 2. And saying Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand The phrase the kingdome of heaven which is so frequently and commonly used in the Gospel is taken from Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. And it meaneth the spirituall kingdome of Christ in and under the Gospel as it is published and preached unto all Nations For though the phrase be generally and truely understood to meane the preaching of the Gospel yet doth it most properly and naturally signifie the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles or among all Nations as might bee shewed by the signification of the word Heaven by the manner of speech here used that it is at hand and so againe Mat. 4. 17. when the Gospel was now Preached already by the Text of Daniel from whence the phrase is taken and by diverse places in the Gospel where it is used but the full clearing of this I have chosen to referre to that difficult place which will call for it to bee cleared when the Lord shall bring us thither Matth. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven where I conceive Christ to have foretold to Peter that hee should bee the first that should Preach the Gospel and open the doore of Faith unto the Gentiles as Act. 15. 7. and 10. Now The Kingdome of heaven signifying thus not barely and simply the Preaching of the Gospel but the preaching of it to the Gentiles and their conversion it sheweth how proper and pregnant an argument this was to inforce the doctrine and practice of Repentance upon the Jews because the calling of the Gentiles was neere at hand which would prove their rejection and casting off if they did not repent as Deut. 32. 21. Before the comming of Christ those foure earthly kingdomes that are mentioned by Daniel in the Chapters cited bare all the sway and domineered over all the world with cruelty and tyranny but when they were destroyed at his comming hee set up a Kingdome of his own and swayed the Scepter of Righteousnesse over all Nations and ruled them with his word and Spirit And whereas before his comming also the Church consisted but of one Nation and Kingdome and was couched upon a small parcell of earth the Land of Canaan and had earthly promises and earthly rites when hee came and published the Gospel hee gathered a Church of all Kingdomes and Nations and Languages under Heaven and built it up with heavenly and spirituall promises and instructions and thus The Kingdome of heaven may fitly bee understood in opposition to these two earthly ones Luk. 3. ver 5. Every valley shall bee filled c. These borrowed phrases intend the removing of obstacles and stumbling blocks out of the way and plaining and cleering the way for men to come to Christ and to the obedience of the Gospel The Jewes conceive that the cloud of glory that led the people of Israel in the wildernesse did really and according to the letter doe what is here spoken of for facilitating of their march and journey as that it levelled Mountaines raised vallies and laid all of a flat that it burnt up bushes and smoothed rocks and made all plaine that they might travaile without trouble or offence And some of them also say that when Jeroboam set up his golden calves and Idolatry in Bethel and Dan that hee and his wicked agents laid ambushments and scouts in the waies to Jerusalem to catch up every one that should go thither to worship and to this purpose they apply that saying of the Prophet Hos. 5. 1. O yee Priests and O yee house of the King ye have been a snare on Mizpah and a net upon Tabor And the revolters are profound to make slaughter c. If either of these things were undoubtedly so as they suppose how properly might this passage of the Prophet Esay and of the Evangelist from him bee thought to referre thereunto but since they bee but surmisals it is safest to take the words for a borrowed speech to expresse what was said before the removing of obstacles in the way to Christ. Mat. 3. ver 6. Confessing their sins Not to John but to God For neither was it possible for John to heare their confessions nor was it necessary Not possible because of the vast multitudes that came to bee baptized nor necessary for to tell him they had committed such and such sinnes what conduced it either to their baptisme or forgivenesse Nor was this their confession of their sinnes before their being baptized but after For first if wee should strictly take the Grammaticall construction of the word that importeth their confessing it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would have denoted that they had confessed before they were baptized but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both the Evangelists that speak of that matter Secondly It was farre more agreeable to the end and doctrine of Baptisme that their confession of sinne should bee after their baptizing then before in that they were baptized to repentance ver 11. and not e contra the Sacrament was more intentionally to enter them into repentance then repentance to enter them into the Sacrament For as was said before it obliged them more properly to repentance after the receiving of it then before Thirdly the gesture of our Saviour after his Baptisme seemeth to have been according to the common custome and gesture of the people and as hee comming out of the water fell to prayer so they when they came out used to doe to make their penitent confession to the Lord. Mat. 3. ver 7. When he saw many of the pharisees and Sadduces comming to his baptisme The Pharisees Sadduces and Esseans the three Sects of the Jews Josep Antiq. lib. 13. c. 9. are those three shepherds spoken of Zech. 11. 8. whom our Saviour at his comming was to cut off The two former whom wee have now in hand are very frequent in mention in the Gospel men of enmity one against another yet both joynt enemies to Christ and to his Apostles The originall of the Pharisees is not so easie to goe back unto as that of the Sadduces nor is the significancy of their name so readily determined and fixed upon as the other The Sadduces it is well known were so called from Sadoc the first Author of their Sect and hee the Scholar of Antigonus Rabbi Nathan in his Aboth Perek 5. hath thus
very well bee beleeved that hee would bloodily stirre against this new King of the Jewes that the wisemen spake of for feare of interception of the Crown as wel as his Father Hee dyed but five daies before his fathers death as it was touched before out of Josephus and thus God brought this bloodinesse of the Father and the Son and the rest of their cruelties to an end and upon their own heads at once and in a manner together and thus may the words of the Angel bee very fairely understood Take the childe and return to the Land of Israel for Herod and Antipater are dead that sought his life Ver. 22. Archelaus did reigne in Iâ—dea in the roome of his Father Herod Herod had first named Antipater for his Successor in the Throne of Judea but upon detection of his conspiracy against him hee altered his minde and his will and nominated Antipas and changing his minde yet againe hee named Archelaus and hee succeeded him a man not likely to prosper in a Throne that was so bebloodyed His conclusion was that in the tenth yeere of his reigne hee was accused by the Nobles of Judea and Samaria to Augustus banished to Vienna and his estate confiscate Jos. Ant. lib 17. cap. 15. Ver. 23. Hee shall bee called a Nazarene From Isai. 11. 1. where the Messias is called by the title Nezer which indifferently signifieth A branch and the City Nazaret one and the same word denoting Christ and the place where hee should bee borne SECT VIII S. LUKE CHAP. II. Christ sheweth his wisedome at twelve yeeres old Ver. 40. ANd the Childe grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdome and the grace of God was upon him 41 Now his Parents went to Jerusalem every yeer at the Feast of the Passeover 42 And when hee was twelve yeers old they went up to Jerusalem after the custome of the Feast 43 And when they had fulfilled the daies as they returned the Childe Jesus tarryed behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it 44 But they supposing him to have been in the company went a daies journey and they sought him among their kinsfolkes and acquaintance 45 And when they found him not they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him 46 And it came to passe that after three daies they found him in the Temple sitting in the middest of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 48 And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing 49 And hee said unto them How is it that yee sought mee wist yee not that I must bee about my Fathers businesse 50 And they understood not the saying which hee spake unto them 51 And hee went down with them and came to Narareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart 52 And Jesus increased in wisedome and stature and in favour with God and men Reason of the Order THe Order of this Section dependeth so clearely upon the proper Order of that preceding that that being made good to lie where it doth as in the proper place the subsequence of this to it can nothing at all bee doubted of For whereas all the Evangelists have unanimously passed over in silence all those yeeres of Christs minority which intervened or passed between his return out of Egypt and this passage of his at twelve yeeres old there is nothing possible to bee found in the Gospels that can come between to interpose this order and connexion The carriage and demeanour of our Saviour in the time between is onely briefely comprised in the first verse of this portion And the childe grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisedome and the grace of God was upon him Harmony and Explanation Ver. 40. And the childe grew c. TWo yeeres Old hee was when hee went into Egypt and there hee abode in his Exile a very small time it may bee some two or three moneths about such a space as Moses had been hid in Egypt in his Fathers house from the fury of Pharaoh When hee returned to Narazeth his Mothers City being now about two yeers and a quarter old hee was not weaned if in this hee followed the use and custome of the Jewish children as it is like hee did but still sucked his Mothers breasts As hee grew in body hee grew much more in minde for so the phrase Hee waxed strong in Spirit seemeth to bee understood by the Evangelist taking Spirit not so much for the Holy Ghost though it is past question hee was filled with that as for his Soule or spirituall part of his humane nature And so hee describeth his growth in both parts in the two expressions The childe grew in body and waxed strong in intellect and soule filled with wisedome in an extraordinary manner above other children and a graciousnesse appeared in him both in person and actions Vers. 41. Now his Parents went to Jerusalem c. Joseph is called the Parent of Christ as Paul calleth preaching foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1. 21 23. because hee was so commonly reputed by men And as for Womens going up to this Festivall whereas the Law required onely the Males appearance before the Lord three times in the yeere wee shall have occasion to speake of it hereafter Ver. 42. And when hee was twelve yeeres old c. At what age our Saviour sheweth his admirable wisdome in the Temple among the Doctors in this Story at the same age had Solomon shewed his in the matter of the two Hostesses about the dead and living child 1 King 3. 25. â—8 For that hee was twelve yeers old at that time may be conceived upon these collections First Absolom began to rebell in the thirty seventh yeere of Davids Reigne or three yeeres before his death or thereabout This is to bee picked out of that datelesse reckoning of yeeres 2 Sam. 15. 7. And after forty yeeres Absalom said let mee goe pay my vow c. These forty yeeres are counted from the time that Israel asked a King three of Sauls Reigne 1 Sam. 13. 1. and seven and thirty of Davids and then began Absalom to challenge the Kingdome and the reckoning from that date giveth this hint and intimation that as their asking a King then did sore displease the Lord so now are they punished in the proper kind for it when they have so many Kings that they know not well which to follow and many of them perish in following the usurper Secondly before his open rebellion Absalom had been two yeeres in Jerusalem and not seen the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 28. Thirdly before that time he had been three yeeres in deserved exile in Geshur 2 Sam. 13. 38. Fourthly and two yeeres had passed betwixt the rape of Tamar and
vengeance to come upon the impenitent and unfruitfull as wrath to come vers 7. and casting into fire and fire unquenchable ver 10. 12. and therefore it is most proper to expound the Axe as an instrument destroying for judgement or destruction Secondly this place seemeth plainly to have reference to Esai 10. 33 34. Behold the Lord the Lord of hosts shall lop the bough with terror and the high ones of stature shall bee hewen downe and the bâ—ughty shall bee humbled And bee shall cut downe the thickets of the Forests with iron and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one which how the more ancient Jews understood of the destruction of their State and Kingdome and that neere upon the comming of Christ a testimony of their owne in their Talmud in the treatise Beraâ—hoth may sufficiently evidence There was a certaine Jew say they was plowing and one of his Oxen lowed The Oxe lowing told of the comming of the Lord A certaine Arabian passing by heard the lowing of the Oxe and said unto the Jew O Jew unyoke thine Oxen and care not for thine implements for your Sanctuary is destroyed And the Oxe lowed againe and the Arabian saith O Jew yoke thine Oxen and make sit thine implements for your Messias is borne c. Rabbi Abuni said And what need you to learne this of an Arabian The text is plaine in Esay which saith Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one and it followeth And there shall come forth a rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his root SS To the root of the treeâ— First by the root of the trees might bee understood the root of Jesse of which mention was made before from Esay 11. 1. For in all the crosses and calamities Warres overthrowes and captivities that had befallen the Nation of the Jewes the stocke of Jesse or line of David could never bee rooted out or extinguished because the promise that Christ should come of it did preserve and keepe it alive in despight of all opposition till hee that was promised did come indeed But now seeing that hee was come and that that line had no more the shelter and preservative of the promise it also must come to ruine and rooting out as well as others Secondly the Axe is now laid to the very root of your confidence aud boasting For whereas yee say within your selves and stand upon it that ye have Abraham to your Father the time is now come that that distinction betwixt who is and who is not of the Seed of Abraham shall be no more regarded nor looked after but every one of what Nation soever that feareth God shall bee accepted of him and the seed of Abraham for not fearing him shall bee rejected and that priviledge not respected at all Thirdly Jerusalem was as the root of the whole Nation from which they derived the sap of religion and policy but now the axe of destruction is laid even to that Fourthly this phrase may be understood as comparing the ruine of the Jewes here threatned with those desolations they had feâ—t before For then as at the captivitie of Babylon for example they were not utterly cut off from their Land for ever but had a promise of returning and returned and were planted there againe but now the vengeance threatned must strike at the very root and quite destroy them from being a Nation for ever and from all hope of returning to their Country any more By the Axe being now laid to the root of the trees may fitly bee understood 1. The certainty of their desolation And 2 the neernes in that the instrument of their destruction was already prepared and brought close to them the Romanes that should ruine their City and Nation being already Masters and Rulers over them Luke 3. vers 10. And the people asked him c. Or the multitude as verse 7. which verse compared with this sheweth that the question what shall wee doe then proceeded from those to whom the Baptist addressed his last speech O ye generation of Vipers c. which were Pharisees and Sadduces as appeareth by Matthew and other multitude mixed among as by Luke Now whether this their question proceeded from the apprehension of the danger threatned or application of the exhortation urged whether they desired to learne how to avoid the evill of the wrath to come or to doe the good workes of repentance when they ask what shall wee doe is neither so materiall to search nor easie to find as it is fit to observe how powerfully the doctrine of the Baptist hath wrought with them when it hath thus brought them to looke off the goodnesse of Abraham in which they trusted and to think after goodnesse of their owne Vers. 11. Hee that hath two coates let him impart to him that hath none c. It appeareth by the Baptists answer that their question demanded what were those good fruits that hee called upon them to bring forth vers 8 9. and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here may seeme to have respect to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in those verses His answer is an exhortation to almesdeeds or giving to the needy rather then any other lesson not that thereby they might thinke to satisfie for their sinnes or merit for themselves but for divers other important and considerable ends For 1. he seteth them this as an easie lesson for yet they were but very children in the Evangelicall schoole To have put them at their first entry into this schoole to the hard lecture of self-deniall mortification patience and joy in persecution and other such things as these had been too strong meat for such babes too difficult a taske for such infants to take out and therefore hee setteth them this easie Copy and layeth no greater an imposition upon them then what even the weakest of them might follow and undergoe to impart of their abundance to the poore 2. The tenour of the Gospel is mercy and not sacrifice Hosea 6. 7. Mat. 12. 7. and therefore he putteth not upon them the cost of oblations and offerings which were required by the Law nor the fasting and pining of the body as did many of his owne Disciples but the lovely workes of charitie and mercy the first and most visible of which is reliefe of the needy 3. By this he putteth them to tryall how they forsake the world by parting with their worldly goods how they live by faith in not fearing poverty though they give of their wealth away how they love their neighbour as themselves in making him partner of what they have and how their eyes are fixed on things to come by giving away here and looking for reward thereof in heaven And 4. it may bee very well supposed that among the multitude that stood before him the Baptist saw some rich and some poore some in good cloathing and some in meane and that the present object
SECT X. Christ installed into his Ministery by baptisme and by the unction of the Holy Ghost his Pedegree by his Mother Mary St. Matthew Chap. III. St. Marke Chap. I. St. Luke Chap. III. Ver. 13. THen 〈◊〉 Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to bee baptized of him ver 9. AND it came to passe in those dais that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee  14 But John forbad him saying I have â—â—ed to bee baptized of thee and commest thou to me 15 And Jesus answering said unto him Suffer it to be so now for this it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Then hee suffered him   16 And Jesus when hee was baptized went up straightway out of the water and loe the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him 17 And lâ—e a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am wel pleased and was baptized of John in Jordan 10 And straightway comming up out of the water he saw the Heavens opened and the spirit like a Dove descending upon him 11 And there came a voice from heaven saying Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased ver 21. NOw when all the people were baptized And it came to passe that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was opened 22. And the holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said Thou art my beloved Son in thee I am well pleased 23 And Jesus himselfe began to bee about thirty yeeres of age being as was supposed the Sonne of Joseph which was the sonne of Heli 24 Which was the sonne of Mattâ—at which was the sonne of Levi which was the sonne of Melchi which was the sonne of Janna which was the sonne of Joseph 25 Which was the sonne of Matthias which was the sonne of Amos which was the sonne of Naum which was the sonne of Esli which was the sonne of Nagge 26 Which was the sonne of Maath which was the sonne of Matthias which was the sonne of Semei which was the sonne of Joseph which was the sonne of Juda 27 Which was the sonne of Joannâ— which was the sonne of â—hâ—sa which was the sonne of Zorobabel which was the sonne of Salâ—thiel which was the sonne of Neri 28 Which was the sonne of Melchi which was the sonne of Adâ—i which was the sonne of Cosam which was the sonne of Elmodam which was the sonne of Er 29 Which was the sonne of â—â—se which was the sonne of Eliezâ—â— which was the sonne of Joram which was the sonne of Matthat which was the sonne of Levi 30 Which was the sonne of Simeon which was the sonne of Judah which was the sonne of Joseph which was the sonue of Jonan which was the sonne of Eliakim 31 Which was the sonne of Melea which was the sonne of Menan which was the sonne of Mattatha which was the sonne of Nathan which was the sonne of David 32 Which was the sonne of Jesse which was the sonne of Obed which was the sonne of Booz which was the sonne of Salmon which was the sonne of Naasson 33 Which was the sonne of Aminadab which was the sonne of Aram which was the sonne of Esrom which was the sonne of Phares which was the sonne of Juda 34 Which was the sonne of Jacob which was the sonne of Isaac which was the sonne of Abraham which was the sonne of Thara which was the sonne of Nachor 35 Which was the sonne of Saruch which was the sonne of Ragan which was the sonne of Phaleg which was the sonne of Heber which was the sonne of Sala 36 Which was the sonne of Cainan which was the sonne of Arphaxad which was the sonne of Sâ—m which was the sonne of Noah which was the sonne of Lamech 37 Which was the sonne of Methusala which was the sonne of Enoch which was the sonne of Jared which was the sonne of Maleleeâ— which was the sonne of Cainan 38 Which was the sonne of Enos which was the sonne of Seth which was the sonne of Adam which was the Sonne of God Reason of the Order THere can be no doubt or scruple about the subsequency of the beginning of this Section to that that was next before for the three Evangelists have so unanimously ranked them together that the order needeth no more confirmation But about this latter part or the genealogy of Christ there is something more difficulty For some Harmonists have brought this line of Luke and that of Matthew together some bringing Matthews hither with Lukes to Christs baptisme and others this of Luke to the time of Matthews to Christs birth But as the Evangelists have laid them asunder so are they to be kept asunder and to be disposed in the harmony according as they lie for pregnant reasons may be given why the two have laid them at times so far distant Why Matthew at our Saviours birth the reasons were given there in their proper place and why Luke at his baptism may bee the better seen by looking on the promise Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Matthew wrote his Gospel chiefly for the Jewes and therefore it was necessary for him to shew and approve Jesus for the Messias by his Pedegree which was the mainest and the chiefest thing that that Nation looked after for the judging of the true Christ this he doth therefore at the Story of his birth and beginneth it from Abraham who was the ultima Analysis or the furthest that they cared to looke after as concerning his descent But Luke a companion of the Doctor of the Gentiles in all his travailes writeth his Gospel for the Gentiles as well as for the Jewes and therefore hee sheweth Christs descent at the Story of that time at which hee was first borne toward the Gentiles that is at his revelation at his baptisme from whence hee first began to preach the Gospel The first words of the promise the seed of the woman the Evangelist sweetly expoundeth in this genealogie shewing through seventy five descents that he was the seed of the woman promised to Adam in the garden and therefore hee draweth his line from Adam in whose loines the Gentiles were for whom he writeth as well as the Jewes when the promise was made The latter words Shall breake the head of the Serpent begin to take place from the baptisme of Christ and forward and first in his victory against Satans temptations which is the very next story that the Evangelist handleth and then in his preaching of the Gospel the power of which must destroy the kingdome of Satan from that time forward Harmony and Explanation Mat. 3. ver 13. Then Jesus commeth c. THe Tabernacle in the wildernesse was six moneths current in working and preparing for before it was finished and set up For on the tenth day of the moneth Tisri
descending of the Holy Ghost was first partly for the sake of John for this token had been given him when hee first began to preach and baptize whereby to know Christ when hee should come Joh. 1. 33. Secondly partly for Christ that hee might thus receive his consecration and institution for the Office that hee was now to enter upon the preaching of the Gospell This was as his anointing to install him into his function as Aaron and his Sonnes were with materiall oyle to enter them into theirs as Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee therefore hath hee anointed mee hee hath sent mee to Preach the Gospel And Thirdly partly for the businesse and matter that was now to goe in hand namely Christ beginning to preach accordingly For First the Gospel is the Spirituall Kingdom and Scepter of Christ in and by which hee was to rule all Nations for ever and therefore it was agreeable that the Spiritualnesse of that should bee sealed and confirmed by the holy Spirits shewing himselfe even in the beginning of it The carnall rites of Moses were now to vanish and his corporall and ceremoniall observances to bee changed into a spirituall worship and neither at Jerusalem nor at mount Gerizim nor elsewhere must there bee any more adoration with fleshly and earthly Ceremoniousnesse but hee that will worship God must worship him in spirit as Joh. 4. 21. Therefore it is no wonder if the Holy Ghost do now reveale himselfe now when his sway of spirituality and dominion by sanctification is to begin Secondly The Holy Ghost was departed from Israel after the death of the last Prophets as was observed before and now hee is to bee restored againe therefore himselfe commeth visibly and apparently at this his restoring and lighteth upon him to whom it belonged to give and distribute the gifts of the Spirit to whom hee pleased For as John had told that Christ should baptize with the Holy Ghost so is that power and priviledge now sealed unto him in the sight of John when the Holy Ghost commeth down upon him and there abideth SS Descended in a bodily shape God is said to descend not that hee moveth from place to place or commeth where hee was not before for hee is incircumscriptible and every where and filleth all places but in that hee sheweth this his presence upon earth in such or such a place by some externall sign and visible apparence And so hee is said to come downe to see whether the wickednesse of Sodome were according to the cry that was come up unto him because hee revealed himselfe to Abraham Lot and the Sodomites in the visible and conspicuous representation of men So is hee said to have come down upon Mount Sinai because of the outward revealing and expression of his presence there And so the Chaldee Paraphrast understandeth the Trinities descending Gen. 11. 5. for a conspicuous appearance of it for hee translateth The Lord revealed himself to take vengeance c. And so is the Holy Ghost said to descend in this story and in that in Act. 2. not but that hee was present in the same places before by his power and Godhead but that hee revealed and expressed his presence by so sensible an evidence and by and in so revealed a worke SS In a bodily shape First It was convenient that the Holy Ghost should reveale himselfe at this time First for the sake of John who was to have a sensible signe whereby to informe him which was the Messias as Joh. 1. Secondly In regard of the Holy Ghost himselfe whose worke in the Church was now in a more speciall and frequent manner to bee shewed under the Gospel namely that hee might bee expressed and revealed to bee a personall substance and not an operation of the Godhead onely or qualitative vertue For qualities operations and acts cannot assume bodily shapes nor ought but what is in it selfe substantiall Thirdly That a full and cleere yea even a sensible demonstration of the Trinity might bee made at this beginning of the Gospel For it may bee observed in Scripture that the Holy Ghost hath a speciall regard to expresse this mystery upon singular occasions that we might learne to acknowledge the three Persons in one Godhead as hee also doth the two natures of Christ that wee might acknowledge them in one person So the very first thing that is taught in all the Bible is this very mystery For when Moses beginneth the story of the creation hee beginneth also to teach that the three Persons in the Trinity were co-workers in it God Created there is the Father God said there is the Word or the Sonne And the Spirit of God moved there is the Holy Ghost And the very same mystery is intimated by the Prophet treating upon the very same Subject Isa. 42. 5. Thus saith God the Lord hee that created the Heavens and they that stretched them out That wee might learne that Of him through him and to him the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are all things Rom. 11. 36. So Moses also when hee is to teach concerning the creation of man hee first teacheth that it was the Trinity that created him Gen. 1. 26. And God said Let us make man after our Image Hee saith Let us to shew the Trinity of Persons and hee saith In our Image not in our Images to shew the unity of essence That every man even from the reading of the story of his Creation might learn to remember his Creators in the dayes of his youth as Solomon with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boraiecha answereth the same mystery Eccles. 12. 1. So likewise at the confusion of tongues the Trinity is expressed Gen. 11. 7. Let us goe down and confound their language as it is also at the gift of tongues I will send the Comforter from the Father Joh. 15. 26. Act. 1. 4. Such a one also was the blessing pronounced by the Priest upon the people when hee dismissed them from the daily service of the Temple in the name of the Trinity Num. 6. 24 25 26. the name Jehovah or the Lord three times repeated for denotation of the three Persons as Paul explaineth it 2 Cor. 13. 13. When Moses also beginneth to rehearse the Law to Israel and to explaine it the first thing hee teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Deut. 6. 4. Heare O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one Three words answering the three Persons and the middle word our God deciphering fitly the second who assumed our nature as is well observed by Galatinus To these may bee added the entrance of Moses his revelation with the name of the Lord three times rehearsed Exod. 34. 6. The Vision of Esay with three Holies Isa. 6. 3. The beginning of Psal. 50. and of Psal. 136. and many again of the like nature which the heedfull reader will observe himself How fitting then was it that at the beginning of