Christ 5ly By it the Soul is preserv'd in danger 1 Pet. 1.5 it 's the Soul's Shield of Defence and Sword of Defiance 6ly By this we have Access to God and approach the Throne of Grace with Boldness 7ly By this we are patient in Tribulation we can suffer Reproaches while we trust in the Living God and have hop'd-for things realiz'd and presented to the Soul 8ly It 's a Rarity and yet a very seasonable Grace Egypt was a Type of Popery and the Wilderness a Type of the Brinks of the Church's Deliverance Faith was then rare but 2 of 700000 entred Canaan for want of it Heb. 4. So Christ says When he comes scarce shall Faith be found upon the Earth Would we know the Reason of our turning thus into the Wilderness again when we thought we were on Mount Pisga we want Faith It 's the very time for the Faith and Patience of the Saints and they want it like the foolish Virgins some want Oil all are asleep when the Bridegroom calls 9ly As it 's rare it 's difficult it 's as easy for God to produce it in the youngest Infant as in the oldest Man it 's a Fruit of the Spirit of God not of our Spirits all things in Man are against it nothing for it the stronger his carnal Reasonings grow the more difficult is the Work of Faith The Philosophers were the Gospel's greatest Enemies To suppose it in Adam before the Fall had been to suppose what was repugnant to and would have overthrown his State Fallen Man needs the Spirit to convince him that he is in Unbelief needs Christ being given for him needs a being given and drawn to Christ by the Powerful Arm of the Lord. Let not us be among the common sort of Israelites that despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word Psal 106.24 who could not enter in because of Unbelief Heb. 3. last Zachariah who walk'd in all the Ordinances blameless was struck dumb 9 Months for an Act of Unbelief Luk. 1.20 Christ upbraids his Disciples for defect in another Act Mark 16.14 We have great and precious Promises of a better Canaan a more glorious Theocracy let us strive to enter by Faith The Emperor's Victory over the Turks his planting his Ephodical Tent between the Seas in the glorious Land would open a Pisga Sight of it to us Dan. 11.45 Shall not we believe God's Word or can we deny his giving of it His Word his Promise his Covenant his Oath we have his Seal we have the Experience of our Fathers we have Was not God always faithful Obj. But we cannot believe of our selves Answ 1st We can forbear many things which may hinder the Exercise of it as a Woman may prevent Miscarriage 2ly We can be humbled for gross Sins and let Convictions take place 3ly We can use Means and be diligent in the practice of all Ordinances 4ly We can be watchful in the use of them waiting with Fear and Trembling if the Angel will move in these Waters 5ly We can try it endeavour go about it seek out the Promises meditate on them propose them 6ly We can do this in subordination to God waiting if he will bless the Loaves in the eating 7ly Exercise Acts of Self-renouncing in the Performances Gal. 2.16 even the very Act it self That we might be justified not by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ 3. A great Esteem of Divine Blessings and Favours They despis'd the pleasant Land Psal 106.24 Deut. 8.7 Hos 2.8 This Caleb did not he greatly esteem'd the Land there is yet a better Country and City Heb. 11. in our Promises My Parallel was a great Admirer of this New Jerusalem and no unthankful Undervaluer of our Day of small things she was not of his Temper who preferr'd a part of Paris to a Portion in Paradise All come short of this Pattern who love Egypt If any Man love the World the Love of God is not in him 2. If any are lazy and strive not to enter by the strait Gate into this Rest 3. When Heaven is not counted worthy the Dangers and Difficulties we incur by the way when the Anakims conquer our Faith Let us think on singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb of the 5th Kingdom in Succession 4. A Publick Spirit Her Pains were not so much for building her own Family as the Church of God a great and pious Zeal of this kind was like the Sacred Fire on the Altar that never went out I may say she went about continually doing good to the Rich minding them of their Duty with that Prudence that I never heard her complain'd of as a busy Body or the like to the Poor relieving them the Decay of this is of a mighty threatning Aspect Many counted Patriots of their Countrey have discovered Self too much a powerful End and Principle and the Effect of it is among the Body of the People they think there is no such thing as Tribuni Plebis If any Man seem to shew a Zeal for his Countrey the Vulgar Verdict is Does he want a Place never was a Nation less liable to idolize the Princes of their Tribes yet no doubt there are Calebs among them without some remarkable Revolution none or one is like to be our Lot The Heat of Contention between Non and Con never did appear more abated this Government seems like the Tree that sweetned the Waters of Mara yet where is the Man of so publick a Spirit as to reform the Abuses both Sides complain of One is that the Curses of the Law should stand in place of the Discipline of the Gospel publick Prayers are constantly according to form said in Lent for mending this hence is a publick Acknowledgment that the Church wants the primitive Discipline 2ly That there should be no Partition between the World and Church of Christ no Door of Entrance into the sacred Society of Saints this has made the Church the World the vilest and most abominable of Men like the Abomination that maketh desolate sitting where they ought not profaning the Lord's Table confirming their own Damnation it were a Season to perpetuate the Honour of some Publick Spirit but most mind their own things few Christ's 5. Of a Peaceable Spirit Caleb was none of the seditious Rebels that were for casting off Moses and making another Captain under whom they might return to Egypt My Parallel imitating our unerring Pattern has often rebuk'd such hasty Disciples that were immediately for bringing Fire from Heaven on Samaria she was no Despiser of Authority though a Longer for that fifth kind of Government that all the Kings of the World shall never prevent happy they who kiss the Son and put their Trust in him It is nigh and necessary Let us follow Caleb's Example not a Corah's or an Absalom's filling our own Place doing our own Business and with Faith Prayer and Patience wait for Christ's second Coming 6. A Spirit of
Caleb's Spirit Parallel'd IN A SERMON Preach'd at the FUNERAL Of the Late Mrs. CONSTANCY WARD Of East-Smithfield London At the Meeting-house in Devonshire Square April 7. 1697. By Walter Cross M.A. Vitam aeternam non possidebunt qui resurrectionem a morte Legem a Coelo negant Vitam Deo non degunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by J. D. for Andrew Bell at the Cross-keys and Bible in Cornhil near Stocks-market 1697. Numb XIV 24. But my Servant Caleb because he had another Spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land whereinto he went and his Seed shall possess it IN Ver. 21. the Subject of this Chap. is propos'd viz. the 10th Provocation or Temptation of God one was for doubling their Tasks in Egypt a 2d for the Danger at Pi-habiroth Exod. 14. the door of Liberty the 3d which some count pregnant of 3 was about the Manna a 4th for Water and a 5th for Flesh a 6th for the Idolatrous Calf Apis a 7th for the Labour of their Journey an 8th for Miriam and Aaron's murmuring at Kibroth hatavae the Graves of the Lusters and the 9th their Violation of the Sabbath This 10th is a Twin-temptation too they will not go up when God commands to go in and possess the Land and they will go when he forbids and all these in one Year and four Months ver 33. with chap. 1.1 This 10th Rebellion is eloquently described Psal 106.21 They forgat God their Saviour who had done great things in Egypt wonderful things in the Land of Ham terrible things by the Red Sea they despis'd the pleasant Land they believ'd not his Word c. This Sedition is the most directly opposite of any to God's Design as well as Command Let us return to Egypt 2ly The most provoking and aggravated after so many Miracles so many Provocations and so many Pardon 's Surely it 's a false Notion in Divinity that a Believer never backslides twice in the same Sin it is too narrow Charity to send all to Hell that fell in the Wilderness 3ly The most universal Apostacy 4 only excepted Moses Aaron Caleb and Joshua 4ly The most furious and yet most deliberative Head and Heart are as much united in every Man as they were to one another they reason'd the Case and heard the Arguments of the Spies on both Sides they weep from a Perswasion there was most Truth on the Ten 's side they consult to choose a Captain they speak of stoning the few Dissenters Ver. 24. Yet Caleb is here excepted But why alone why not Moses or rather Joshua or both I answer 1st Caleb's Zeal appears most in opposing the Rebels 2ly His Courage appears most in forwardness as a Spy especially Josh 14. in viewing the Anakims Country he there Joshua being Judg assumes the Work wholly to himself 3ly He was then Representative to the chief Tribe Juda the first in Honour the most numerous in Multitude 186400 Ephraim about 40000 and Manasseh about 30000. 4ly Each of them have their Rewards apart Moses was chief Ruler Joshua was his Successor and was made a Knight or a Baron on this very Envoy by Moses of Hosea ch 13. made Joshua as Abraham of Abram But Caleb continues a private Person in a plebeian Condition all his Days tho he died the oldest and ablest Man the most numerous honourable and richest Family of all Israel was his at last This Difficulty about the Text being removed the next thing in order is to divide or rather to observe its Parts as divided already by the same Authority that indited it * There is as much and more that being granted to be said for the Syntactical Use of the Points than for their Antiquity the Use is great for they leave not one Verse in all the Old Testament doubtful in Construction or arbitrary in Division So the Use of the 34 Accents is next to that of the Letters and Vowels ex gr Gen. 10.21 The Brother of Japhet the Elder Ö¥ joins Japhet and Elder so older than Shem viz. 2 Years for Noah begot one of them at 500 but Shem at 502 Gen. 11.10 Judg. 1.13 the Son of Kenaz Brother of Caleb the Younger Caleb and Younger stand just as Japhet and Elder but there is Ö– dividing them so Kenaz is younger Observe further that Kenaz and Caleb are join'd else Othâ—â—â—l marries his Brother's Daughter 1st It is divided from the Context foregoing and following by way of Parenthesis for they cohere ver 23 and 25. thus None of the Rebels shall see it My Presence shall not protect nor conduct them as before Now since the Amalekites and a Colony of the Canaanites dwell in the Valley just by you to morrow be gone for they will fall upon you and destroy you †The Hebrew has no Marks for a Parenthesis that fills up a whole Verse neither in Sense is there need of it but for 4 or 5 words it has tho observ'd in no Grammar I know 2ly The greatest division of the Contents within this Parenthesis is between the Work and Reward the Duty performed and Blessing promised 3ly The Subdivision is thus the first Member has three Parts the Person Caleb his Spirit Singular his Practice Full the 2d Member has two Parts the Blessing promised the individual Land he couragiously spied out whose Inhabitants so cow'd the Spirits of the rest and 2ly the Entail of that Blessing to his Seed So these with the Particles of Connection afford 6 several Subjects of Discourse which I shall explain and apply as briefly as possible The first occurring Part is the Person But as to my Servant Caleb he is proposed and by a Ö— distinguish'd from the following Words as one who abstractly from what follows deserves Consideration and thorough pausing on it by Direction I find this visible Observation That it is not Publickness of Persons by Office their Honourableness by many and great Titles their Riches or the Greatness of their Actions tho good too that monopolizes the Honour of standing lasting Monuments of Praise or the Precedency of being singl'd out for Patterns of a Life acceptable to God Naasson to whom Caleb was grand Uncle 1 Chron. 2.10 Mat. 1.4 was the Duke of Judah Numb 1.7 and Reason good for though Caleb was the older Man yet of the younger Family being 3d Son of Hezron 1 Chron. 2.9 Joshua's Name is changed though it signified honourably before to wit Salvation but Caleb signifieth a Dog or one led in a String from Cabal yet must have no better all his Days and the Epithet added my Servant except what is hid in the Relation my is of no better note a Slave one bought with Money whose Life is in his Master's Power one liable to beating or Ignominy pone Crueem servo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Slave and a Minister On
603550 Persons and all the Spies selected for Wisdom and Discretion but afterwards he and his most illustriously shine as the grand Patriots of Learning in the World Sancontathon the Phenician about the Time of Judg Gideon is reckon'd the most antient of Human Writers Philo Byblius who liv'd in Adrian's Time about the time of concluding the New-Testament-Canon turn'd it into Greek this Man liv'd 5 or 6 Generations after Caleb Berosus is another fam'd Author for Antiquity in the Chaldean Story yet liv'd not before Ptolomy Philadelphus in the time of the Grecian Monarchy At the same time Manetho an Egyptian flourish'd who is epitomiz'd by Africanus that liv'd about 200 Years after Christ We have nothing but Fragments of the former in Josephus and Eusebius Annius Viterbiensis about the time of the Reformation wrote 27 Books of Antiquity and pretends but without Credit to give Compendiums of these Authors But Caleb is more antient than they or Thales the Philosopher or Homer the Poet in the time of King Jotham The Pillars of Seth from whence it 's said these Men deriv'd their greatest Antiquities stood within this Man's Mannors Debir was the City of Pagan Learning the most antient Treasure of their Hieroglyphicks and the Mysteries of their Religion were treasur'd up there Caleb gave Ptolomy who got the Old Testament to be first turn'd into Greek and sanctified his great Library with that Oracle a Pattern for he turned Kirjath Sepher the City of the Book into Debir the Sacred Word or Oracle from a Copy of the Law he kept there as may appear from the Scribes of Jabez a very near Branch of Caleb and the first we find of that Office 1 Chron. 2.55 4.10 he was the Inventer of it and on that Account more honourable than his Brethren and left us a Form of Prayer a Monument of his Devotion O that thou wouldst bless me indeed that thou wouldst keep me from Evil that it may not grieve me at once a Pattern of Piety and Propagater of Writing next to Moses who received the Art with the Law from God The Work of a Scribe was to copy out holy Scripture from the Originals tho since printing a Bible is an easy Purchase yet 400 Years after Christ a Bible was a Gift not unworthy of an Emperor and 100 Years before Christ Ptolomy of Egypt was the only King had one in his Power And yet above 1000 Years before that Caleb has got one in his City and has there set up a School of Scribes for propagating Copies of it through the Land of Israel * 2 Chron. 2.55 The Scribes of Jabez are by some counted Levites and by others Kenit Proselites but against the Letter of the Text which says they were Sons of Salma the Son of Caleb junior Grandchild to Caleb the Great From which I observe first that tho their Critical Office began with Ezra yet as Transcribers and Copiers they began with Moses and Caleb 2ly According to Saili in the Art not only Egypt as F. Simon says but Babylon Esth 3. and every other State had them yet none like Israel who receiv'd the Art in a more excellent manner with the Law Euseb Nierem 3ly That against F. Simon and others subtily enervating the Prophetical Authority of the Scriptures Scribe and Prophet are not to be confounded there is no Man a Prophet but by Accommodation as Ambr. or Hilar. An. 380. in Eph. 4.11 Interpretes nunc Prophetae dicuntur Tertul. Thesaurus sacer Corban eleemosynae sacrificium mensa altare pastor Sacerdos vet Archisynagogus diaconus Levita except Persons inspired of God Deut. 18.22 1 Sam. 3.20 vide Dr. Pocock de porta Mosis 4ly The Notion of secondary Prophets viz. Interpreters by acquired Skill is of small Probability and of most dangerous Consequence Act. 2.27 13.1 15.32 19.6 21.9 1 Cor. 12. 14. Just Mart. Ap. 2dâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Lib. 3. cap. 11. in the Epist to the Corinth Paul speaks of Prophetick Gifts for he knew they had that Gift Chrysost in 1 Cor. 12.28 he that prophesies speaks all from the Spirit c. the Subjection of the Spirits to the Prophets was to try if of God or not if a real Inspiration or false Pretence Vide Anton. Van Dale If we admit of Prophets by Pains and ordinary Gifts we indanger that infallible Foundation of Prophets Eph. 2.20 on which we are built and which is more sure than any Human Testimony Joh. 5.36 39. 2 Pet. 1.19 and together with it in Hebron a more antient City than the most antient Zoan or Tanais in Egypt whither the Old Philosophers travelled to gather the Traditions and Dictates of the Antients Heaps of the greatest Antiquities in the World were to be found in Hebron so that in this he seems preferable to Moses who was instructed in all the Learning of Egypt for he was instructed in all the Learning of Hebron or Kirjath-arba where the Pillars of Seth stood on which the History of Affairs before the Flood were wrote Adam and Eve Abraham and Sarab buried from thence called Kirjath-arba or the City of the 4 famous Persons Altho there is as much Disparity between the Lines of my proposed Parallels as between the Years of Life in that Age and this yet if we throw in the Advantage of Gospel-Light there was not a Scribe at Jabez that knew more or as much as She tho Joseph was called a Zophna Paaneah an Inspecter into the hid things of God and Daniel a Belteshazzar one who had the Treasures of Bell reveal'd to him for we with open Face behold as in a Glass greater things than they What Daniel obtain'd by Prayer and Supplication with Fasting Sackcloth and Ashes as one greatly beloved to wit a crucified Christ an everlasting Righteousness brought in by him Dan. 9. and what Discovery he obtain'd of the Churches Vicissitudes and the World's Revolutions until the standing up of Michael the Prince we have all in clear History excepting 2 Turns that begin almost to look upon us thro' the Dispensations of Providence and in both of these I may safely affirm that she had Knowledg beyond the common Attainments of her Sex and I have often thought it was through the defect of her Library that her Judgment and Sagacity did not render her very conspicuous in the World This Knowledg is so necessary a Step to all Goodness that it 's both Sin and Shame a present Loss and Danger of eternal not to imitate or endeavour to outrun her in it for a Man may have a kind of Knowledg without being good or gracious but without Knowledg the Scripture asserts the Heart is not Good A blind Eye is as good as an ignorant Spirit it is this kind of Darkness makes up a spiritual Hell The Lord says his People were destroyed for lack of Knowledg and as a Soul cannot be good so neither can it do good we cannot worship God the Athenian
Sutableness to the Work and Actions to which they were promised there was an Identity and Sameness in it Into the Land whereinto he went As to the first the South of Judah was a rich Inheritance Judah and Benjamin possessed the Royalties and Dominions of fifteen Kings there were but 31 Royolets of all his Share was largest and as Sandys says in his Travels the most fruitful still of all Canaan if not of all the World are the Valleys and Banks of Bezor Now when God has made a fruitful Land barren for the Wickedness of them that dwell therein Caleb's Countrey remains the Monument of what it was before the Curse It is said Num. 13.23 That it was a Land that eateth up its Inhabitants but so fertil it was they could not eat it up the Goodness of the Land engaged them to fight for it The Desarts of Judea were like English Parks and the Hills like big Bellies pregnant with Minerals Salt-peter Brass Iron c. and the Surface covered with the streight Cedars strong Oaks shady Palms and sweet Firs or more fruitful Trees and their Valleys enriched with all things useful The greatest Question is about Water since the Jews Wells were in the Tops of their Houses on which account some deny it possible to have dipped the Eunuch between Jerusalem and Gaza * Acts 8.36 26. As they went on their way viz. in the Road between Jerusalem and Gaza they came unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquid Aquae some Water The Journey was 24 Miles The Question is whether there was in that Road sufficient Water for the Purpose They confirm the Objection with this that Mat. 3. John Baptist who needed much Water to the legal way went to Jordan to baptize when he preached in this Countrey I answer 1st That the Land Deut. 8.7 was a Land of Brooks and Fountains and though no Land is more narrowly searched into by Chorographers than it yet there might be a Place in 24 Miles fit for the Purpose that is neither in our Maps nor Histories 2ly They do mention many not far out of his Road it is true Isaac's Wells were further South beyond Gaza and some Miles out of the Road and the Well of Siriah fatal to brave Abner was too much westward nor had they been proper as far West were the Brook of Jeruel and the Fish-Pools of Hebron But the Eunuch kept the streight Road he drove not out of the Way 3ly I will then find you three Brooks in this little Journey first the River of the Philistins that rose about 2 or 3 Miles from Jerusalem about the Rock Bethzur or Valley of Rephaim where the Angel was heard on the Top of the Mulberry Trees this River was so big that it made a considerable Stop between the Armies of the Pagans and Israelites in the time of the Maccabees Now though his Road was by the Head of it yet there were many Pools in that Place from thence called Baca Psal 84.6 mentioned in no History who passing through the Valley of Baca c. But it may be thought here was too little Space from Jerusalem for a Chariot and Six to preach a Sermon in and 2ly may be Bezor was too far off being the River that Gaza stood on We will then fix on Sorek or Esheol that came into it or some Spring about the Head of it which was in Caleb's Territories too which would render it both possible and probable But the Matter of Fact is struck down by two Witnesses holy good honest Men who lived next to that Age of any Testimony we have who could not be imposed on as to the Circumstances of the Water the one living at Bethlehem the other at Caesarea both on the Confines of the Place The Persons are Eusebius and Jerome their Testimony is this their Design is the Chorography of the Land their Words in effect agree and are thus in English Bethsoron is a Village as we go from Aelia i. e. Jerusalem to Hebron in the 20th Stone i. e. two Miles from Hebron just by which there is a Spring at the Roots of the Mountain that is sipped up by the same Ground out of which it bubbles or boils forth here was the Eunuch the great Minister of State to Queen Candace baptized by Philip. She was blind of an Eye it were well for some they were blind of both to have such Spectacles She was another Elizabeth for Love to and from her Subjects and Esteem from others even a Tiberius The best Conjecture I can make is that it was Enhakkore Judg. 15.19 where Sampson was refresh'd with Water Circumstances agree for they were very nigh if not the same 2ly Philip was carried to Ashdod down the River as Sampson came up from it to that Place But if it had been 10 times better nay all Canaan his it had not contained Fulness enough to make up Caleb's Inheritance the Typicalness of the Land the Temper of his Mind the Fulness of his following God bespeaks God to be his God and Heaven to be his home all Canaan all Adam's Paradise just by on Jordan or Euphrates was but a Picture a Map of this nay all the World and all the World in its Spring split new drawn by infinite Art is but a Shadow of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Saints in Love Saints in Rest How else could Abraham and his Seed by Faith be Heirs of the World Rom. 4.13 The Promise that he should be Heir of the World was to him and his Seed through the Righteousness of Faith I. R. thus The World was Adam's and his Seed but was forefaulted by Rebellion this Forfeiture is taken off through Faith in Christ which Redemption cost him so dear that it 's called a new Purchase Eph. 1.14 World then must either be taken for all the Earth as a Type of Heaven or rather comprehending all its several Globes our Bodies after glorified may as easily pass from one Globe to another as now from one House to another to make a Visit Caleb had Right to Abraham's Promise that is the World he was a Son of Abraham and my Parallel a Daughter of Abraham For Application I shall only set Caleb's best Privileges in this Life and yours together not only his Land but Israelitish State to whom belonged the Oracles the Ordinances the Promises and Covenant or Church-Privileges all which highly advance the Price of Caleb's Portion as to the other Life it is one to Believers in both Old and New-Testament-State except the Progress they have made by being in Heaven so long before us sets them in a higher Form they looked for another City than Jerusalem one that had better Foundations tho all true living Rock Heb. 13.14 and another Countrey than Canaan they were Pilgrims even in Canaan they desired a better Country that is an Heavenly Heb. 11.16 To press to Caleb's Spirit and Practice from this is so big I cannot speak what becomes it Faith