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
of salvation Psal. 18. 1. 2 Sam. 22. 3. Vers. 70. Which have been since the world began Adams calling his wives name Eve or life in apprehension of the promise of the seed of the woman that should breake the head of the Serpent Eves calling her Sonnes name Cain a purchase because shee had obtained a man even the Lord or the Lord to become a man and her naming her other Sonne Sheth or setled c. these were Prophecies that spake of Christ from the beginning of the world Vers. 71. That wee should bee saved from our enemies This hath sweet reference to the promise given at the beginning of the World from which time he had traced Prophecies in the verse preceding I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed Hee shall breake thine head Gen. 3. 15. Where in the former words of the verse I will set enmity c. there is an expression who are our enemies namely the Serpent and his seed and in the latter hee shall breake thine head there is an intimation how wee shall be saved namely by Christs breaking the head and power of Satan So that the former verse and this being laid together they arise unto this sense that all the Prophets from Adam and upward had their eye upon the promise in that garden and spake of salvation and delivery by Christ by his breaking the head and destroying the kingdome of the devil Vers. 76. The Prophet of the Highest As Aaron to Moses Exod. 7. 1. Prophecy had been now very long decayed and but little therof had been under the second Temple it is now reviving in an extraordinary manner and this child is to be the first of this race of Prophets that is in rising and to be the Harbinger of Christ himself Vers. 77. To give knowledge of salvation by remission c. The knowledge of salvation that the Law held forth at the first view was by legall righteousnesse and absolute performance of what was commanded but John who was to begin the Gospel brought in another Doctrine and gave the people knowledge of salvation by another way namely by the remission of sinnes as Rom. 4. 6 7. And this is the tenour of the Gospel Vers. 78. The day-spring from an high Greek A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Lxx to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The branch Esa. 4. 2. Jer. 23. 5. Zech. 3. 9. 6. 12. the name of Christ and so it may bee understood of Christs personall comming and appearance amongst men as God is said to have visited Sarah Gen. 21. 1. that is not onely in mercifull dealing with her as to give her a child but also in personally comming unto her in visible appearance as Chapter 18. 14. At the time appointed I will returne c. Or it may be taken in connexion to the sense of the Verses preceding That after the defect of Prophecy the dawning of that gift and after the darknesse of the doctrine of salvation as it was in the law the day-spring of it from an high came now to visit us in the brightnes of the Gospel Vers. 80. And was in the deserts Of Ziph and Maon 1 Sam. 23. 14. 25. which were places not farre from Hebron where John was borne Josh. 15. 54 55. His education was not in the Schooles at Jerusalem but in these plaine Countrey Townes and Villages in the Wildernesse Till the day of his shewing unto Israel That is when at thirty yeeres of age he was to be brought to the Sanctuary service Num. 4. 3. to which he did not apply himself as the custome was but betook himself to another course SECT VI. S. LUKE CHAP. II. CHRIST borne published to the Shepheards rejoyced in by Angels circumcised presented in the Temple confessed by Simeon and Anna. AND it camâ— to passe in those dayes that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should bee taxed 2 And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria 3 And all went to be taxed every one into his owne City 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the City of Nazareth into Judea unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem because hee was of the flock and linage of David 5 To bee taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with Child 6 And so it was that while they were there the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered 7 And she brought forth her first-borne Sonne and wrapped him in swadling cloaths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inne 8 And there were in the same Countrey Shepheards abiding in the field keeping watch over their flocke by night 9 And â—o the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid 10 And the Angel said Feare not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people 11 For unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a signe unto you yee shall find the babe wrapped in swadling cloaths lying in a manger 13 And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying 14 Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men 15 And it came to passe as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the Shepheards said one to another Let us now goe even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to passe which the Lord hath made knowne unto us 16 And they came with hast and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger 17 And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child 18 And all they that heard it wondred at those things which were told them by the Shepheards 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondred them in her heart 20 And the Shepheards returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seene as it was told unto them 21 And when eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcising of the child his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the wombe 22 And when the dayes of her purification according to the Law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 As it is written in the Law of the Lord every male that openetâ— the wombe shall bee called holy to the Lord. 24 And to offer a Sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord a paire of Turtle Doves and two young Pigeons 25 And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and the same
Man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghost was upon him 26 And it was revealed to him by the holy Ghost that hee should not see death before hee had seen the Lord Christ. 27 And hee came by the Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Childe Jesus to doe for him after the custome of the Law 28 Then took hee him up in his armes and blessed God and said 29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30 For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel 33 And Joseph and his Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him 34 And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his Mother Behold this childe is set for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel and for a signe which shall bee spoken against 35 Yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soule also that the thoughts of many hearts may bee revealed 36 And there was one Anna a Prophetesse the daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser shee was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven yeares from her Virginity 37 And shee was a Widow of about fourescore and foure yeeres which departed not from the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day 38 And shee comming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem 39 And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their owne City Nazareth Reason of the Order THe dependence of the beginning of this Section upon the end of that that went before doth even prove and confirme it selfe For after the story of the birth of Christs forerunner and the relation of what happened and befell at that time what could bee expected to come next in order but the birth of Christ himselfe Especially since none of the Evangelists mention any thing that came between Harmony and Explanation Ships shall come from the coasts of Chittim and shall afflict Ashur and shall afflict Heber Num. 24. 24. THat by Chittim is meant Italy or the Romanes it is not onely the generall opinion of the Jewes as may bee seene in their Targums and in other writers but of the most Christians also yea of the Romanists themselves whom the latter part of the verse doth so neerely pinch As see their vulgar Latine and Lyranus upon the place This Prophecy was fulfilled when the power of Rome first set her foote upon the necke of the Hebrews by the conquest of Pompey but especially when shee tyrannized over Christ the chiefe childe of Eber even before and at his birth as in this story but chiefely in condemning him to death as in the story of his passion As Jacob had before told that the Jewes at Messias his comming should bee under the Subjection of a Foraine Nation so doth Balaam in this Prophecy shew who that Nation should bee And this the more ancient and more honest Jewes tooke notice of and resolved that Christ should come in the time of the Roman Empire and neere to the destruction of the Temple by it So in the Talmud they question What is the name of Messias Some answer Hhevara Leprous and hee sitteth among the poore in the gates of Rome carrying their sicknesses Sanhedrin The Chaldee Paraphrast likewise on Esa. 11. 4. readeth thus With the speech of his lips shall Messias slay Romylus the wicked one or the wicked Roman shewing at once his opinion of Christs comming in the time of the Romans and also of the Romans being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one after a singular manner Augustus was the second Emperour of the Romans or rather the first that was intire Monarch for Julius Caesar his Uncle and Predecessor had hardly injoyed any Monarchicall government at all nor did Augustus of many yeeres neither till hee had outed Lepidus and overcome Anthony which were copartners with him in the dominion His name Augustus was given to him for his worthy administration of the Common-wealth For before-time he was called Câ—pias and Thurinus and Octavianus and had like to have been named Romulus as a second founder of the City but by the advice of Munacius Planous hee was named Augustus which importeth Sacrednesse and reverence SS That all the world should bee taxed To soâ—vast an extent was the Roman Empire now growne from Parthia to England and they two also included that it was a world rather then one dominion And so did their own Authours boast it in those times as Caesar Regit omnia terris Divisum imperium cum Jove Totum circumspicit orbem Terrarum orbis imperium and such like speeches usuall among them both in Poesy and Prose This huge and unweldy body of so large and spacious a dominion Augustus had now reduced to the healthfull temper of peace and quietnesse which is the more remarkable by how much the more warres had been more frequent and more bloody but a little before For never had that Empire felt so great distemper within it selfe as it had done of latter times in the civill warres betwixt Sylla and Marius betwixt Julius and Pompey betwixt Augustus and Antony not to mention the continuall warres that it had abroad It had not been very long before this time that the Evangelist speaketh of when both Rome it selfe and the rest of the world was at that pitifull plight that Polybius speaketh of That the Romans were forced to send to Prolomy King of Egypt for a supply of corne because there was a great scarcity and dearth among them For in Italy all their corne was destrayed even to the gates of Rome by the Souldiers and abroad there was no helpe nor supply to bee had there being warres in all parts of the world But now is there an universall Peace not onely in the Romane Empire so that the Temple of Janus was shut up which it never used to bee when any warres at all were stirring but if wee will beleeve Crantzius even in those parts and Countries where the Romane power had not yet set her foote as Denmark Norway and those Northerne Climates there was so great a peace that in some places there Money and Jewels were hung up by the high way and there was neither Theefe nor Enemy to take them away Such times became the comming of Shilob the Peaceable one Isa. 6. 9. And such a beginning was befitting the Gospel of Peace Augustus having brought the Empire under this quiet obedience like a politicke Prince will have it all taxed and brought into the Subsidie Book that hee might know the extent of his command of his strength and of his revenues And
thus wee see and may observe Rome come to its intire and absolute Monarchy but at this time and the state and power that should persecute Christ in his Members to the end of the world beginning and borne as it were at the very same time when Christ himselfe Augustus as Tacitus recordeth of him did cause an account to be taken of all the Empire and himself had a Book Record of it written out with his own hand Opes publieae continebantur quantum civium sociorumque in armis quot classes regna Provinciae tributa aut vectigalia necessitates ac largitiones quae cuncta suae manu perscripserat Augustus which contained the publick revenue the number of Citizens or confederates in the Armies what Shipping Kingdoms Provinces Tributes or Subsidies and reliefe money and beneficences Dion also in the life of Augustus and much also about this time mentioneth a taxe laid by him upon those that dwelt in Italy whose estates were not lesse then five thousand Sesterces and poorer then these hee taxed not Ver. 2. This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria The Taxe is dated by the time of Cyrenius his Governing of Syria First because Judea was annexed to Syria as a member of it and in naming the one the other is included Secondly hereby the losse and want of the Scepter and Law-giver in the Tribe of Judah is the better seen for the subjection of the Jewes by this is shewed to bee in the third degree They subject to Herod Herod to Cyrenius and Cyrenius to Augustus Thirdly from Syria had Israel had their greatest afflictions that ever they had in their own Land as by Gog and Magog Ezek. 38. or the house of the North Dan. 11. And Luke deriving the taxing of the Jewes from Syria calleth those things to mind and sayeth as it were the last verse of Dan. 11. and the first of Dan. 12. together The taxing is said first to bee made in his time As first denying that ever there was such an universall taxation in the Empire before for the Empire was never in that case of universall quietnesse to bee taxed before And secondly importing the taxes of that Country that followed after Augustus at this very time laying the platform subjection and submission of the Empire for succeeding posterities And here let it bee said againe in exact propriety beginneth the Romane Monarchy and is farre from being any of the foure Mentioned Dan. 2. or 7. Josephus mentioneth Cyrenius his comming into Syria after Archelaus his death To doe justice and to assesse and taxe every mans goods and hee came into Judea which was now annexed to Syria and did so there Now Archelaus reigned after Herod Mat. 2. and reigned till Christ was about ten yeers old forten yeers hee reigned as saith the same Josephus and therefore either Cyrenius came twice into Syria to lay taxations as Funccius concludeth or else Josephus fayleth here as hee doth not seldome elsewhere in Chronology Ver. 3. And all went to bee taxed This taxing was first by Kingdomes and Countries then by Cities and Townes and then by poll First Kingdomes and Provinces were divided one from another Secondly Cities and Townes in every Kingdome and Province were also particularized and notice given that every one should repaire to the place to which by stock and descent they did belong Thirdly the people being thus convened in their severall Cities their names were taken and inrolled and so the Greek word here used doth signifie in the neerest propriety Then did they make profession of Subjection to the Romane Empire either by some set forme of words or at least by payment of some certaine summe of money which was laid upon every poll And now first are the Jews entring under the yoke of that subjection which they never cast off again but it pressed them into a finall desolation even to this day Secondly They had voluntarily brought this misery upon themselves in calling in the Romans in their civill warres Thirdly No sparke of their former freedome and authority is left among them for their King and Law-giver is cleane gone Fourthly they are now to bee inrolled and registred for vassals to all succeeding generations Fifthly they must now leave their own occasions and many of them their owne houses to attend their owne bondage and misery And thus It is in the words of our Rabbins if thou see a generation that hath many afflictions then looke for the Redeemer from Isa. 59. 17 18. Jer. 30. 6 7. c. D. Kimch in Isa. 59. Ver. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee c. Whether it were for the feare of Herod that had a murderous spite at the stock of David or for the more commodiousnesse for his trade or for whatsoever else it was that Josoph a Bethlehemite became a resident in Galilee surely it was the wondrous disposall of the Lord that a decree from Rome should bring him now from Galilee to Bethlehem that the Prophecy of Christs being borne in that place might take effect Ver. 7. Shee brought forth her first-borne This is to bee understood according to the propriety and Phrase of the Law agreeable to which it speaketh Now the Law speaking of the first-borne regardeth not whether any were borne after or no but onely that none was borne before As Hur is called the first-born of Ephrâ—â—â— 1 Chron. 2. 5. and yet no mention of any childe that shee had after So Christ is here called the first-borne not as though shee had any children besides but to shew that in him was fulfilled what was typifyed by the first-borne under the Law who was as King Priest and Prophet in the Family and holy to the Lord. And so likewise in that spâ—â—ch of Matthew chap. 1. 25. Hee knew her not till shee had brought fâ—rth her first-borne It implyeth not that 〈◊〉 knew her after for the word till inforceth no such thing as see the Geneva notes upon the place but the Evangelists intention is to cleere the birth and generation of Christ from any carnall mixture of Joseph and Mary before hee was borne And here it is not unseasonable to looke a little narrowly into the time of our Saviours birth namely the time of the yeere â—â— which hee was borne as wee have done into the yeere it self or the time of the world heretofore The yeere of the world as wee observed then was 3928. The yeere of Augustus is neither so necessary to seek nor so ease to find partly because there is some difference among Historians about the number of the yeeres of his Reigne and partly because there may bee some about the yeere of Tiberius in which Christ was Baptized from which wee should count backward For though it bee said that John came Baptizing in his fifteenth yeere Luk. 31. yet may it bee questionable whether hee Baptized Christ in that yeere or no But not to swarve from the most common
hee speaketh of the words co-working with the Father in the workes of the Creation and accordingly explaineth himselfe after also By him were all things made Ver. 3. By him were all things made Not as an instrumentall cause onely as the Arians pleaded but as the efficient For so the word By often importeth 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes. 5. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Prov. 8. 15 16. Ephes. 1 1. Col. 1. 1. And so may i◠bee understood Col. 1. 16. And without him was nothing made that was made In this place there hath been great difference of readings as was observed before as see Chrys. in loc Vulg. lat Alcum. in loc c. but Ignatius Martyr Epist. ad Antioch Tatianus in Harmon Chrysostome in loc and other of the ancients and the Arbick Syriack Italian Spanish French Dutch and all Latin◠translations that are not wedded to the vulgar read as wee doe and so the very sense of the place requireth to read And so some of the Romanists themselves read forsaking their own vulgar as the Rhemists in margin Maldon it c. For how crabbed harsh and strained a sense the best is that can bee made of their reading see in Alcuin in loc Victorin adversus Arium lib. 3. Aquin. par 1. quaest 18. art 4. Concerning the repetition of this it being the same in effect with that before All things were made by him observe that first it is to heighten the expression or to inforce the sense for so the Hebrewes usually doe by an affirmative and negative in the same sentence as 2 King 20. 15. Jer. 38. 25. Lam. 3. 2. Secondly that the two distinct clauses may seem to distinguish of the Creatures and in the affirmative to understand the visible Creatures which Moses had taught evidently were made by the Word and in the negative the invisible of which there might bee the more doubt whether they were made by him or no because Moses hath made no such plain expression Or thirdly that the affirmative may meane the Words creating of all things and the negative his disposall and ordering of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without him was nothing that hath been either created or disposed as Joh. 5. 17. Ver. 4. In him was life This hath allusion to Adams naming his wife Eve or life upon the apprehension of the promise given him after his fall Gen. 3. 15. And the Evangelist having considered the Word in the former verse as the Authour of Nature hee commeth now to treat of him as the Authour of Grace there as the Creator here as the Redeemer For having related there that by him all things were made and amongst all things man received his naturall life and being hee goeth on now to shew that by the same Word also man when hee was falne and perished and had incurred the penalty of dying the death hee re-obtained a new and a better life namely by faith and laying hold upon him in the promise as Heb. 2. 4. And the life was the light of men The life of the promise was the light that shone in the world and to which all the Patriarchs and Prophets and all the holy Men of God that lived before the fulfilling of it had an eye and respect as to a light shining in a darke place and whereby they guided all their devotione and whereto they aimed all their actions And this light then shone and yet shineth in all the types shadowes figures and predictions of the Law and of the Prophets as wee daily read them and that darknesse and mysticall cloudinesse which lay over them did not comprehend it but that it gave some shine in that obscurenesse And yet did they not reach to that brightnesse of revealing of Christ but that it was necessary that the Gospell should bee Preached the beginning of which is mentioned in the very next verse namely the Preaching of John Ver. 6. There was a man sent c. Here may the Reader looke backe and see the method and intention of the Evangelist and the reason why hee calleth him by this name the Word rather then any other For first hee was the Word by whom all things and among them man were created Secondly The Word by which man being falne was recovered and obtained life Thirdly The Word of light direction and consolation to the holy Patriarchs Fourthly The Word of promise in the darknesse of the Law and Prophets And hee is now come to bee the Word incarnate and the publisher of the Gospel which began from John Mark 1. 1. And thus hath the Evangelist made the whole Old Testament no other then availed Gospel speaking of Christ though somewhat obscurely from the beginning to the end As in the Creation ver 3. In the promise ver 4. In the expectation of the Fathers ibid. Fifthly In the darknesse of the Law and Prophets ver 5. And sixthly in the necessity of a clearer revelation of him by his owne comming ibid Ver. 7. To beare witnesse of the light c. The light in this verse and those that follow is taken personally for Christ himselfe whereas in ver 4 5. it was taken vertually onely there for the light that flowed from Christ and therefore it is said that light was in him here for Christ the light it selfe for so is hee called ver 9. See Isai. 10. 17. and 42. 6. 49. 6. Mic. 7. 6. Num. 24. 17. Psal. 84. 1. Mal. 4. 2. c. For first Christ revealeth the Father and his will Joh. 1. 18. 16. 25. and whatsoever maketh manifest is light Ephes. 5. 13. Secondly Hee is the brightnesse of the glory and expresse image of the Father Heb. 1. 3. who is a light without any darknesse at all 1 Joh. 1. 5. Thirdly Hee inlightneth the hearts of his by Faith Ephes. 5. 14. Fourthly Christ held out in the Gospel filled the world full of the light of knowledge in comparison of what it was under the Law Isai. 11. 9. Psal. 19. 3. That all might beleeve The word All joyneth the Gentiles with the Jewes which hitherto had been secluded And in the same sense is Christs Lightning of every one that commeth into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 9. to bee understood for his generall and universall inlightning of the world with the shining of the Gospel For there is a comparison made here by the Evangelist betwixt the light of the promise under the Law and the light of the Gospel and Christ in it Ver 10. Hee was in the world Not vertually and invisibly onely in his power and providence but even visibly sensibly and apparently in audible voyce and conspicuous shape before hee came in humane nature as Gen. 15. and 18. and 32. Exod. 3. Josh. 6. yea even to the sight and hearing of wicked and heathen men 〈◊〉 4. and 20. and 21. and 31. Dan. 3. 24 25. Exod. 14. Ver. 11. Hee came among his 〈◊〉 This speaketh
Pentecost week but all served indifferently 3 C Joshua chap. 2. all the Chapter 4 B  4 D  5 C Lessons 5 E  6 D Lev it chap. 26. 3. to the end of the book Jerem. 16. 19. to ver 15. of chap. 17. 6 F  7 E  7 G  8 F  8 A Eliashiâ— The eleventh course Lessons 9 G  9 B Numb chap. 16. 1. to chap. 19. 1. 10 A Hakkoz The seventh course Lessons 10 C 1 Sam. chap. 11. 14. to chap. 12. ver 23. 11 B Numb chap. 1. 1. to chap. 4. v. 21. 11 D  12 C Hosea chap. 1. from ver 10. to v. 21. of chap. 2. 12 E  13 D  13 F  14 F  14 G  15 F  15 A Jakim The twelfth course Lessons 16 G  16 B Numb chap. 19. 1. to chap. â—2 2. 17 A Abijah or Abia the eighth course Now it was that Zacharias had the tidings of the birth of John the Baptist. 17 C Judg. chap. 11. 1. to ver 34. 18 B  18 D  19 C Lessons 19 E  20 D Num chap. 4. v. 21. to chap. 8. 1. 20 F  21 E Judg chap. 13. 2. to the end of the Chapter 21 G  22 F  22 A Huppah The thirteenth course Lessons 23 G  23 B Numb chap. 22. 2. to chap. 25. 10 24 A Jeshuah The ninth course Lessons 24 C Micah chap. 5. from ver 7. to the 9. verse of chap. 6. 25 B Numb chap. 8. 1. to chap 13. 1. 25 D  26 C 〈◊〉 chap. 2. 10. to to chap. 4. 8. 26 E  27 D  27 F  28 E  28 G  29 F  29 A Jesheheâ—â— The fourteenth course Lessons 30 G  Numb chap. 25. 10. to chap. 30. 2 1 King chap. 18. from ver 46. to A B. ELUL. 1 B  1 D  2 C  2 E  3 D  3 F  4 E  4 G  5 F  5 A Pethahiah The nineteenth course Lessons  6 G  6 B Deut. chap 7 ver 12 to chap. 11. ver 26. Isa. chap. 49. from ver 14 to chap. 51. ver 4.  7 A Bilgah The fifteenth course Lessons 7 C  8 B Num. chap 30. 2. to chap. 33 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—ast of the fift moneth 〈◊〉 7. 5. Jerem. chap. 1. from the beginning to chap. 2 ver 4. 8 D  9 C  9 E  10 D  10 F  11 E  11 E  12 F  12 A Jehezekel The twentieth course Lessons  13 G  13 B Deut. chpa 11. 26 to chap. 16. 18 14 A Immer The sixteenth course Lessons 14 C Isa. chap. â—4 from ver 11. to chap 55. ver 4. 15 B  15 D  16 C Num. chap. 33. 1. to the end of the book Jer. chap. 2. from ver 4. to ver 29. 16 E  17 D  17 F  18 E  18 G  19 F  19 A Jachin The one and twentieth course Lessons 20 G  20 B  21 A Hezir The seventeenth course Lessons 21 C Deut. chap. 16. 18. to cha 21. 10. 22 B Deut. chap. 1. 1. to chap. 3. ver 23  22 D Isa. Chap. 51. 12. to chap. 52. 13. 23 C Isa. chap. l. 1. to ver 28. 23 E  24 D  24 F  25 E  25 G  26 F  26 A Gamul The two and twentieth course  27 G  27 B Lessons  28 A Aphses The eighteenth course Lessons 28 C Deut. chap. 21. 10. to chap. â—6 1.  29 B Deut. chap. 3. from v. 23. to chap. 7. ver 12. Isa. chap. 40. from ver 1. to ver 27. 29 D Isa. chap. 54. from the beginning to ver 11. 30 C     Thus or not farre from this forme went the Jewish yeere and the courses of the Priests in it And thus the Lections of the Law and Prophets along with both and hence may be collected in some reasonable measure the time of the yeer when John Baptist was born which hath been so long not a little mistaken Vers. 6. Walking in all the commandements and ordinances In all the commandements of the morall Law and ordinances of the Ceremonial and the word blamelesse expresseth their behaviour in the Judiciall And thus the Text sheweth us a man as accomplished for the righteousnesse according to the Law as a man could bee and yet that wee might see that a man is not justified by that but by Faith the same man is presently after checked and struck dumbe because he did not beleeve SS Ordinances Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Romanists translate Justifications and of the word would make no small advantage Whereas first the Lxx most commonly translate the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by it as above twenty times in Psal. 119. and this Hebrew word wee know signifieth no such thing as Justifications Rab. Solomon on Numb 19. giveth a notation of it unto another sense Because saith hee Satan and the people of the World would be questioning with Israel what is this or that Commandement and what reason is there in it Why it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a statute or an ordinance decreed by God and it is not for thee to question it See also Rab. Menahem on the same place And to what sense the Chaldee renders it in Psal. 119. and elsewhere Secondly the common Greeke useth it most commonly in the sense of our Translation as might bee shewed out of Aristotle Ethic. 5. Dion Cassius Rom. Hist. lib. 58. and 61 and other Authors Thirdly as the Lxx render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this Greeke word so the Arabick doth this Greek word by that againe making them to sound to one and the same sense and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth Ordinances none can deny Fourthly it will be very hard to produce any Heathen Author or any place in all the Lxx that use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Justification In Deut. 24. 13. a place as likely to have found it in as any if they would have taken it in that sense they have so farre refused it that they use a word no kin at all unto it Vers. 9. According to the Custome This may be taken two wayes either for the custome of burning Incense or for that that these courses used in choosing out of their company to burne it which was by lot And this latter is more proper for it needeth not to tell that it was the custome of the Priests to burne Incense for this was known well enough from the Law to bee an essentiall part of their function but the text would tell us how Zachary came to doe this piece of service namely by the customary lot So that by the custome of the Priesthood is
in her Cosin Elisabeth Thirdly confirming her from the power of God to which nothing is impossible Now whereas this unrestrained power of God was the onely cause of such examples as the childing of Elisabeth and other barren women in this birth of the Virgin something more and of more extraordinarinesse is to bee looked after In it therefore two actions are expressed to concurre First The Holy Ghost his comming upon the Virgin Secondly The power of the most High overshadowing her and two fruits or consequents of these two actions answerable to them First The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee therefore that that is borne of thee shall bee holy Secondly The power of the most High shall overshadow thee therefore that that is borne of thee shall bee called the Son of God The comming of the Holy Ghost upon her was First In the gift of Prophecy whereby shee was both informed of the very instant when the conception was wrought and also more fully of the mystery of the Incarnation then before Secondly Hee did prepare and sanctifie so much of her flesh and blood or seed as to constituâ—â— the body of our Saviour The worke was the worke of the whole Trinity but ascribed more singularly to the Holy Ghost first because of the sanctifying of that seed and cleering it of originall taint for sanctification is the worke of the Holy Ghost Secondly for the avoiding of that dangerous consequence which might have followed among men of corrupt minds who might have opinionated if the conception of the Messâ—as in the wombe had been ascribed to the Father that the Sonne had had no other manner of generation of him The power of the most High His operating power supplying the want of the vigour and imbraces of the masculine Parent For to that the word overshadow seemeth to have aliusion being a modest phrase whereby the Hebrews expressed the imbraces of the man in the act of generation as Ruth 3. 9. Spread the skirt of thy garment over thine handmaid Therefore that holy thing This title and Epithet first not onely sheweth the purity and immaculatenesse of the humane nature of Christ but also secondly it being applyed to the preceding part by way of consequence as was touched before it sheweth that none ever was borne thus immaculate but Christ alone because none had ever such a way meanes of conception but onely hee Ver. 36. Thy Cosin Elisabeth hath conceived a Son As hee had informed the Virgin of the birth of the Mâ—ssiâ—â— of her selfe so doth he also of the birth of his fore-runner of her Cousin Elisabeth For that hee intended not barely to informe her onely that her Cousin had conceived a Childe but that hee heightens her thoughts to think of him as Christs fore-runner may bee supposed upon these observations First that hee saith A Son and not a Childe Second that such strangely borne Sonnes were ever of some remarkable and renowned eminency Thirdly that if hee had purposed onely to shew her the possibility of her conceiving by the example of the power of God in other women hee might have mentioned Sarah Hannah and others of those ancient ones and it had been enough Ver. 39. And Mary arose c. And went with haste into the hill Country into a City of Juda. This City was Hebron For unto the sons of Aaron Joshua gave the City of Aâ—ba which is Hebron in the hill countrey of Judah Josh. 21. 11. And Zacharias being a sonne of Aaron and dwelling in the hill Countrey of Judâ—â—â— it were senselesse to seek for his house in any other place then Hebron This place had been excellently renowned in ancient time Here was the promise given of Isaac here was the institution of Circumcision here Abraham had his first land and David his first Crowne and here lay interred the three couples Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebecca Jacob and Leah and as antiquity hath held Adam and Eve Now there are many reasons given by Expositors of Maries hasting hither after the Message of the Angel As either to know the truth of what was told her about Elisabeth or to congratulate and rejoyce with her or to minister to her in her great bellyednesse or that the Baptist in Elisabeths wombe might bee sanctified by the presence of Christ in hers c. But I cannot but conceive this to bee the very reason indeed That shee might there conceive the Messias where so many types figures and things relating to him had gâ—â—e before namely in Hebron For First this suited singularly with the Harmony and Consent which God useth in his workes that the promise should begin to take place by the conception of Messias even among those Patriarchs to whom the promise was first given Secondly A kind of necessity seemeth to lie upon it that this Shiloh of the Tribe of Juda and the seed of David should bee conceived in a City of Juda and of David as hee was to bee borne in another City that belonged to them both Thirdly the Evangelists so punctually describing this City seemeth rather to referre to Christ then John who being of the Priests might indifferently have been born in any of the Tribes whatsoever Only the Holy Ghost giveth us to observe this which may not bee passed That John that should bring in Baptisme in stead of Circumcision was borne in that very place where Circumcision was first ordained in the City Hebron It is generally held indeed that the Virgin conceived in Nazaret and in the very instant of the Angels talking with her but whether there bee not as much probability for this opinion as for that I referre to the equall and judicious Reader Ver. 40. And saluted Elisabeth This seemeth to have beene at some distance and a wall or floore between as consider seriously on ver 42. 44. Ver. 41. The babe leaped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used by the Lxx. for Jacobs and Esaus stirring in the wombe Gen. 25. 22. And the leaping of the mountains at the giving of the Law Elisabeth in ver 44. addeth The babe leaped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not that hee knew what hee did when hee leaped any more then they but that either this was the first time or this time was extraordinary The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth outward gesticulation or exultation as well as inward joy yea though there bee no inward joy at all as Psal. 65. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little hils shall bee girded with exultation And so is it to bee understood here The babe in my wombe leaped with extraordinary gesticulation or exâ—ltation and 〈◊〉 to signifie the manner of the thing done and not the cause of the doing Ver. 45. And blessed is shee that beleeved Elisabeth in this clause seemeth to have an eye to her owne husbands unbeleefe and the punishment that befell him for the same Hee a Man a Priest aged learned eminent and the message to him of more appearing
this with the Visions of Jacob and Moses with their flocks Gen. 31. 10. Exod. 3. 3. and of Sampsons mother in the field SS Keeping watch over the flocke by night Greek Keeping the watches of the night For the night was divided by the Jewes into foure watches of three houres a piece The first or beginning of watches is mentioned 〈◊〉 8 19. The second and third Luke 12. 38. The fourth Mat. 14. 25. this was called also the morning watch Exod. 14. 24. Howbeit the Talâ—â—ud from Judg. 7. 19. divideth it only into three Be it the one or the other these Shepheards it seemeth observed such an order as that they watched by course while others slept or not to take it so very strictly they lay now in the fields and watched their flocks all night which had been in a manner impossible to have done in the deepe of winter at which time our Kalendar hath placed Christs Nativity Vers. 9. The glory of the Lord 〈◊〉 c. That is an exceeding great glory for so doe the Hebrewes heighten their expressions as Cedars of the Lord that is goodly Cadars Such an exceeding great glory shone about Paul Act. 26. 13. That at noone day this in the dead of the night Vers. 13. A multitude of the Heavenly best c. It might not unproperly be rendred The multitude as importing that all the Quire of Angels or the whole multitude of that â—â—lestiall Militia was now knit together in a consort for the praises and acknowledgment of Christ according to that of the Apostle Heb. 1. 6. When hee bringeth in the first-begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him And thus as all the Angels sang at the beginning of the old world of at the Creation Job 38. 7. So doe they at the beginning of the new and of the redemption Angels are called the Heavenly host 1 King 22. 19. Job 25. 3. And in this sense Rab. Menahem understandeth Gen. 2. 1. Thus were the Heavens and the Earth finished and all their Host that is faith hee the Angels whose Creation Moses nameth not elsewhere Vers. 14. Glory to God in the Highest c. The last words of this verse the Vulgar Latine readeth to men of good will contrary to the Syrian Arabicke and to the ancient Greek Copies as appeareth by Greg. Naziâ—nzen Orat. 42. Andreas Jerusolomitanus in Orat. de Salutatione Angeli c. The whole Verse is but one Proposition or Axiome in which the last clause of all is the subject and the two former are predicated of it And it lieth in this sense The good will of God to men shewed in the Incarnation of our Saviour when God himselfe disdained not to take the nature of man is glory to him in the highest and is peace upon the earth And that this is the genuine and proper meaning and posture of the words may be observed First by the conjunction 〈◊〉 And put betweene Glory to God and peace on earth and none between them and good will And secondly the very sense and matter it self inforceth this construction For first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beareth the same sense here that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth Mat. 3. 17. and 17. 5. of Gods good-will or will-pleasednesse with men Now secondly this well-pleased nesse of his with men was expressed and evidenced at this time in the birth of our Saviour in that God had assumed the nature of men and it had never been so cleered and demonstrated before So that thirdly the birth of Christ being the occasion of the Angels singing this song the good will of God towards men revealed in this his birth must needs bee the subject of their Song And then fourthly the other two things expressed in the two other clauses glory on High and peace on Earth must needs be understood as Predicates seeing that being laid to this expression of God of his good will towards men they are but as fruits and consequences of it And this reading and construction how facil and plaine is it in comparison of these intricacies and obscurities that those readings bring with them that either breake the verse into three distinct axiomes or into two or that read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Genitive case or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Dative as may bee seene in Expositors Now how the good-will and well-pleasednesse of God towards men exhibited and shewed in the incarnation and birth of our Saviour did glorifie God in the highest in all his attributes of wisedome truth justice power mercy c. And how it wrought peace on earth betwixt man and himselfe and man and Angels and man and man and man and his owne coâ—â—cience might bee shewed at large if wee were common placing in stead of commenting Ver. 21. And when eight daies were accomplished for the circumcising c. It was necessary that Christ should bee circumcised that hee might both beare the badge of a childe of Abraham and have upon him an obligation to the keeping of the Law For hee that was circumcised was a debter to the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. Ver. 22. And when the dayes of her purification c. At forty daies old Levit. 12. 1 2 3 4. the Lord commeth to his owne Temple and by an old man and an old woman is proclaimed both to young and old that expected redemption Herod had heard no tidings of him as yet by the Wisemen for otherwise this had beene an opportunity for him to have put in practice his bloody and malicious intent Mary is purified according to the custome of the Law although shee had contracted no pollution by her childing and bringing forth partly that Christ in nothing might bee wanting to the Law and partly that this might bee an occasion for the first publicke declaration of him by Simeon and Anna. Ver. 25. A man whose name was Simeon This Simeon seemeth to bee hee whom the Jewish Authours name for the son of Hillel and who was the first that bare the title of Rabban the highest title that was given to their Doctors and which was given but to seven of them Hillel was the famous head or principall of that Schoole that is so renowned in the Jewish Authours by the name of Beth Hillel Out of which as they relate there came thousands of Schollers but fourescore especially of most renowne Hillel the old they are the words of the Talmud had fourescore Schollers Thirty of them were fit on whom the divine Majesty should rest as it did on Moses Thirty of them were worthy for whom the Sun should stand still as it did for Joshua and twenty were of a middle râ—â—â—e between The greatest of them all was Jonathan ben Uzziel that Paraphrased the Prophets in the Chaldee tongue and the lowest of them was Johanan the son of Zaccai Such a Father had this our Simeon and so renowned but himselfe infinitely were renowned in the thing that is now in
the Rabbines of Tikkun Sopherim The correction or direction of the Scribes or their peculiar and speciall disposing of the text which the Massoreth at the beginning of the booke of Numbers observeth to have been in eighteen places which are reckoned there These Scribes may be conceived to have been either Priests or Levites or both the men of that Tribe being the chiefest Students in the Scriptures and being bound by their calling to bee able to instruct the people in the same Deut. 33. 10. Mal. 2. 7. They had eight and forty Universities as it were belonging to that tribe for the education of the Clergy in the knowledge of the Law the Prophets Josh. 21. and from among the learned of those Students were some set apart for this Office which required profound Learning and skill namely to be the Copiers of the Bible when any copy was to be taken or at least to take care that all copies that should bee transcribed should be pure and without corruption Secondly these also were the publick common preachers of the people being more constant Pulpit men then any other of the Clergy taking on them not onely to bee the preservers and providers for the purity of the Text but also the most constant and common explainers and expounders of it in Sermons Therefore it is said of our Saviour that he taught as one that had authority and not as the Scribes Mat. 7. 29. where the Scribes are rather mentioned then any other order because they were the greatest and most ordinary Preachers And our Saviour himselfe in Marke 12. 25. How say the Scribes that Christ is the Sonne of David instancing in the Scribes onely whereas the Pharisees Sadduces and even all the Nation of the Jewes held the same opinion because the Scribes were the men that were oftest in the Pulpit and preached more then any other and so this Doctrine was heard more from them then others And thus was Ezra a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses Ezr. 7. 6. both for the copying and preserving pure the Text of the Scripture and also for the expounding of it by his Sermons And such a one is the Scribe that our Saviour speaketh of that is instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven that bringeth out of his treasure instructions out of the New Testament and Old Mat. 13. 52. The Chaldee Paraphrast on Jer. 6. 13. 8. 10. and in other-places in stead of The Prophet readeth the Scribe taking as it seemeth the Prophet in the same sense that Paul doth Prophecying 1 Thess. 5. 20. 1 Cor. 14. 5. c. for the Preacher and making the text speake in the same tenor that it doth here the Priests and the Scribes In the Story of our Saviours arraignment and elswhere in the New Testament there is mention of the chiefe Priests and Scribes and Elders Mat. 26. 3. Marke 15. 1. importing that the Great Councell consisted of these three sorts of men The chiefe Priests of the seed of Aaron the Scribes of the Tribe of Levi and the Elders of the people meer lay men These were all deeply and extraordinarily versed and learned in the Law but the practise of this their learning had some difference as the civill common and canon 1. The Elders judged the people and matters of debate and controversie but instructed not the people by way of preaching or ministery The chiefe Priests judged and instructed but it was more by resolving questions and doubts that were proposed to them as our Saviour asked them questions Luke 2. 46. Hag. 2. 11. Mal. 2. 7. then by common preaching Homilies or Sermons The Scribes were they that were the preachers or lecturers and taught the people from the pulpit as well as determined upon doubts and debates And to this triple division of the great and Seraphicall Doctors of the Jewes St. Paul seemeth to allude in 1 Cor. 1. 20. Where is the wise Where is the Scribe where is the questionist or disputer of this world By the first meaning the Elders of the people and by the last the chiefe Priests SS Hee demanded of them where Christ should bee borne The High Priests were rightly consulted say the Rhemists in question of their Law and Religion for whom should Herod aske but those that were most likely to give him an answer But the latter end of their note carryeth a snare with it to intrap the simple And 〈◊〉 they never so ill say they they are often forced to say the truth by priviledge of their function They think they have an undeniable ground work for this their Doctrine from the prophecying of Caiaphas Job 11. 51. as their notes plead there ascribing that his prophecying to his Priesthood and order whereas the Text ascribeth it to the yeere and season This hee spake not of himselfe but being high Priest that yeer hee prophecied where the emphasis lyeth not in the words being High Priest but in the words that yeer which was the yeer of sending down of the gifts of the Spirit in a measure and manner never known before or after Ver. 6. And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda c. There is no small difference in this quotation of the Scribes or of the Evangelist or indeed of both from the letter of the Text of the Prophet from whom they cite it nor doth this difference rise by the Evangelists following the translation of the Lxx aâ— oft there doth for it differeth much from the letter of the lxx also but it is upon some speciall reason Which disagreement that wee may reconcile and the reason of which that wee may see the better wee will take up the verse verbatim and the differences as they come to hand one by one First then whereas Saint Matthew readeth Thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda the Hebrew hath it onely Thou 〈…〉 without any mention of the land of Juda at all and so the Chaldee and so the Lxx but only with the addition of one word Thou Bethlehem the house of Ephrata art the least c. Answ. First There are that give this generall answer to all the differences in this quotation that the Scribes and the Evangelist tye not themselves to the very words of the Prophet but only think it enough to render his sense And this answer might bee very well entertained and give good satisfaction especially siâ—â—e that in allegations from the Old Testament it is usuall with the New so to do but that the difference between the Text and the quotation is so great that it is not only diverse but even contrary Some therefore Secondly conceive that the Scribes could alledge the Text no better without the book and that the Evangelist hath set it downe in their owne words for the just shame of those great Doctors that were no better versed in the Scripture then to alledge a place in words so very farre different from the Text. But hee that hath been any whit versed in the writings
as I hope shall bee to the Readers satisfaction and mine owne excuse Harmony and Explanation MARKE 1. Vers. 1. The beginning of the Gospel THe beginning of that age of the world which the Prophets so unanimously pointed out for the time of good things to come and which they expressed sometimes by the terme of The last dayes Esa. 2. 2. Mich. 4. 1. Joel 2. 28. Sometimes of the acceptable yeere of the Lord Esa. 61. 1. Sometimes of the kingdom of God Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. and somtimes of a New heaven and a New earth Esa. 65. 17. And which the Gospel it selfe doth begin from the beginning of the Ministery and Preaching of John the Baptist as in this verse and Matth. 11. 13. Act. 1. 22. 10. 37. So that though in our Chronicle account and computation wee begin to reckon from the birth of our Saviour the second Adam as the age of the world before was reckoned from the Creation of the first yet in strict and exact computing the new world as one may call it or the age of the Gospel began not before the setting forth of John to preach and baptize and this his Ministery is most fitly called the beginning of the Gospel both in regard of his preaching and of his baptizing For first the Doctrine and preaching of John was of a differing straine and diverse tenour from the literall Doctrine of the Law For that called all for workes and for exact performance Doe this and live and He that doth not all the words of this Law is cursed But John called for repentance and for renewing of the mind and for beleefe in him that was comming after disclaiming all righteousnesse by the workes and performance of the Law but proclaiming repentance for non-performance and righteousnesse onely to be had by Christ. So that here were new Heavens and a new Earth begun to bee created a new Commandement given a new Church founded justification by the workes of the Law cryed downe and the glorious Doctrine of repentance and faith set up Secondly whereas Baptisme was used before among the Jewes onely for admission of Proselyteâ— or Heathens to their Church and Religion as vid. Aben Ezra Gen. 35. Rombani in Asure Biah per. 13. now it is published and proposed to the Jewes themselves to bee received and undergone shewing unto them 1. That they were now to be entred and transplanted into a new profession And 2. That the Gentiles and they were now to bee knit into one Church and Body The Ministery of John being of so high concernment as being thus the beginning of the Gospel and of a new World it is no wonder that St. Luke doth so exactly point out the yeare by the Reigne of the Emperor the rule of Pilate Herod Philip and Lysanias the High Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas that so remarkable a yeere might be fixed and knowne to all the World and that the condition and the state of the times might bee observed when the Gospel began And here it might have been proper to have begun the second part of this our taske and not to have driven over this Period of time and to stop halfe a yeere after it at the baptisme of our Saviour but since his preaching appearing to the World is the great and maine thing that the Evangelists looke after and since the preaching of the Baptist was but a Preface and forerunner unto that of his it is not unproper may be very excusable to make that our entrance to another part and take this with us in our motion to our lodging and resting there SS Of Jesus Christ the Son of God This title of The Sonne of God is proclaimed of Christ from Heaven at his baptisme when he is to begin to preach the Gospel as it is said here to bee the Gospel of the Sonne of God And it was necessary that so much should bee intimated and learned concerning him as the author of the Gospel Because 1. The Gospel was the full revealing and opening of the will of the Father 2. The overthrow and ruine of the Rites and Ceremonies of Moses 3. The admission of heathen and strangers to bee the Church and people of the Lord whereas Israel had been his peculiar before 4. It was a Doctrine of trusting in another and not ones selfe for salvation and now was fit for doing the three former or for being the object of the latter but Jesus Christ the Sonne of God who came from the bosome of the Father was the substance and body of those shadows and Ceremonies might raze that partition wall which in the giving of the Law himself had reared and did not onely preach the doctrine of the Gospel but also fully perform the Law Vers. 2. As it is written in the Prophets It seemeth by the Syrian Arabicke Vulgar Latine Victor Antiochenus Origen cited by him and others that some Copies read As it is written in Esaias the Prophet and so Jansenius thinketh it was so written by Marke himselfe but purposely changed by the Doctors of the Church as we read it now to avoid the difficulty which the other reading carryed with it But first it were a very strange and impious though an easie way of resolving doubts to adde to or diminish from the Text at pleasure as the Text shall seeme easie or difficult This is not to expound the Bible but to make a new one or a Text of ones owne head Secondly in ancienter times then any of theirs that are produced which read In Esaias the Prophet it was read as wee doe In the Prophets as Jansâ—nius himselfe sheweth out of Irenaeus lib. 3. chap. 11. Thirdly the one halfe of the words alledged in the Text are not in Esay at all but in Malachi and the first halfe also for that is considerable For though sometime the New Testament in Allegations from the Old doe closely couch two severall places together under one quotation as if they were but one yet maketh it sure that the first alwayes is that very place which it takes on it to cite though the second bee another as Acts 7. 7. Sâ—â—ven alledgeth a speech of God as if uttered to Abraham alone whereas it is two severall quotations and two severall speeches tyed up in one the one spoken to Abraham indeed but the other to Moses almost foure hundred yeers after and that to Abraham is set the first for he is the subject whereupon the allegation is produced Fourthly it is a manner of speech not used in the New Testament to say it is written or it is said in such or such a Prophet but by him Wee find indeed It is written in the Law Luke 10. 26. And It is written in the booke of Psalmes Acts 1. 20. Yea It is written in the Prophets Joh. 6. 45. but no where that it is writen in a single Prophet Fifthly To read as wee do As it is writen in the Prophets agreeth with the ordinary
cleerly given us their originall Antigonus of Socoh saith hee received his learning from Simeon the just This was his saying Bee not as servants that serve their Master because of receiving a reward but bee as servants that serve their Master not for the receiving of a reward but let the feare of God bee upon you This Antigonus had two Scholars which changed his words they changed them to their Scholars and their Scholars to theirs They stood up and taught after them aâ—d said what saw our Fathers to say thus is it possible that a work-man may doe his worke all the day and not receiveâ— his wages at even But if our Fathers had known that their is a world to come and that there shall be a resurrection of the dead they would never have said thus They stood up and separated from the Law and from them broke out the two Sects the Sadduces and Baithusaeans the Sadduces after the name of Sadoc and the Baithusaeans after the name of Baithus So hee Now this Antigonus whose good doctrine had this bad construction was Scholar to Simeon the just whom wee shall have occasion to looke after by and by But the time and occasion of the rising of the Pharisees is of more obscurity and the reason of their name admitteth of more conjectures As whether they were so called from Perush which importeth Exposition for that they tooke upon them to bee the great Expositers of the Law by their Traditions or from Parush which betokeneth separation for that they accounted and pretended themselves more holy then others of the people and so became Separatists from them as despising them Luke 18. 9. Either of which Etymologies carry with them a faire and plausible probability of their notation but the last most agreeable to what both the Scripture and other writings have said of them in regard of their singularity and as wee shall have further occasion to descry when wee come to meet with them in their Doctrines Practises or Opinions And the time of their first starting up is yet obscurer But to speake mine owne thoughts I cannot but conceive them to have been somewhat more ancient then the Sadduces though but a little And that that passage of the Prophet Malachi when hee and the Spirit of Prophecy with him was to leave this world Remember the Law of Moses Mal. 4. 4. gave occasion to the rising of the Pharisees and to the confirming of the Sadduces in their opinion when they had taken it up For whereas the Spirit of Prophecy and revelation was now to depart from Israel God having revealed as much of himselfe and of his will to them as hee thought fit and necessary Hee sendeth backe the people in this defect of prophetick guidance and direction to the Law of Moses to bee their study and their rule of faith and of obedience Hence did a certaine generation among them take occasion and opportunity to vent and broach traditions and glosses upon the Law pretending them to have descended from Moses himselfe and to have been handed over to them from hand to hand and as the Prophets while their race continued expounded Moses and instructed the people in the knowledge of the Law by the Spirit of God so these men now the Prophets were gone took on them to explaine Moses and the Law also and by a way which they pretended to bee of equall authority with the words of the Prophets For that say they is Gods own glosse upon his own Law and this hee taught Moses while hee was with him in the Mount And this Moses taught Joshua and Joshua the Elders and Eli received it from the Elders and from Phinehas and Samuel from Eli and David from Samuel and Ahijah the Shilonite from David and Elias from Ahijah and Elisha from Elias and Jehojada the Priest from Elisha and Zacharias from Jehojada and Hosea from Zacharias and Amos from Hosea and Esay from Amos and Micah from Esay and Joel from Micah and Nahum from Joel and Habakkuk from Nahum and Zephany from Habakkuk and Jeremie from Zephany and Baruch from Jeremie and Ezra and his Schoole from Baruch The Schoole of Ezra was called the men of the great Synagogue and they were Haggai Zechary Malachi Daniel Hananiah Mishael Azariah Nehemiah Mordecai Bilshan Zerubbabel and many wise men with them to an hundred and twenty The last of them was Simeon the just and hee was in the number of the hundred and twenty and hee was High Priest after Ezra Vid. Rambam iu Mishu. Tom. 1. statim sub initio This namelesse number that were between the time of Zerubbabel Nebemiah Mordecai and those holy men that wee finde mentioned in Scripture and between the times of Simeon the just I suspect to bee the Generation that afforded the rise and originall of Pharisaisme and Traditions For there was a good large space of time and distance between Ezra and Simeon the just as might bee cleared by severall particulars if that were needfull And a preparative if not a ground-worke to Pharisaisme and traditions seemeth to bee that famous speech of the great Synagogue mentioned in Pirk. Aboth Per. 1. The men of the great Synagogue said three things Bee deliberate in judgement and raise up Scholars in abundance and make a bedge to the Law Now the Lesson of making a hedge to the Law by a fixed and determinate exposition was to bring on and into credit those glosses and traditions which they would produce and bring upon it For that the Law should lie to the Commons without any sence about it to keepe men off from breaking in upon it by their owne interpretations and expositions of it they could soon perswade the People was a thing not to bee tolerated or indured and when they had wrought this lesson home upon their hearts then had they glosses ready of their own invention to put upon it as to hedge or fence in from private interpretations These glosses or expositions they had a twofold trick to bring into request First To pretend strongly that they had descended traditionally from Moses and from God himselfe as the pretended pedegree of them is shewed before And secondly to use a strict and severe precisenesse in their own conversation and to pretend and shew a holinesse above other men and to withdraw from them as too profane for their society that this might bring their persons into admiration and their traditions into repute And thus they came by their name of Separatists and thus they laid the foundation for traditions And as the Pharisees took this opportunity and occasion from those words of the Prophet Remember the Law of Moses to vent their foolish and wicked Expositions upon Moses as seeming thereby to doe the people a singular benefit and to make as singular a fence to Moses himselfe So likewise did the Sadduces make use of the same occasion to confirme themselves in the error they had taken up and to assert
and equally strained is the Exposition of Augustine that John knew indeed that hee was the Christ and that it was hee that should baptize with the holy Ghost but till hee saw the descending of the holy Ghost hee knew not that it was onely bee that should baptize with the holy Ghost or that hee reserved the propriety of the power of baptizing to himselfe alone and did not communicate it to his Ministers And this propriety the Schooles make to consist in these foure particulars 1. That hee reserved to himselfe the power of instituting baptisme though hee communicated the power of baptizing to others 2. That hee can conferre the grace or effect of Baptisme without the administration of the Sacrament which the Ministers cannot 3. That hee giveth efficacy to baptisme by his death 4. That baptisme is administred and given in his name Which glosse as the Father strained out of the Text to retort upon the Donatists that maintained that this Sacrament administred by a wicked minister availed nothing so is it but strained and that strangely too for how can it possibly bee collected that John should collect any such thing from the descending of the holy Ghost Fifthly More plausible is their resolution that hold that John knew Christ indeed in some measure before his baptisme but not so fully as after when the holy Ghost descended But Sixthly a plenary and sufficient satisfaction to the question may bee had by these three observations First That John though hee knew the mystery of the incarnation of the Messias and his excellent and divine graces and that hee was neere at hand yet had hee never seen his face till now nor knew hee him by sight till hee came to bee baptized Secondly That then hee knew him by a present revelation as Samuel knew Saul 1 Sam. 9. 15. 17. For if in his Mothers womb hee leaped at the approach of Christ in the womb◠of his Mother much more may it bee conceived that by the revelation of the Spirit hee knew him and acknowledged him now Thirdly That the signe which was given him when hee beganne to baptize On whomsoever thou shalt see the holy Ghost descend c. was not given him for his first knowledge of Christ but for the confirmation of that knowledge that hee had of him before and for his assurance and confidence to point him out unto the people And such a one was the signe given to Moses Exod. 3. 12. not for his first instruction that hee was sent by God but for his confirmation in that wherein hee was before instructed nor that neither so much for himselfe as for the people SS I have need to bee baptized of thee Hee meaneth not with the baptisme of water which hee himselfe administred to others but with the baptisme of the holy Ghost For first Christ himselfe baptized none with water at all Joh. 4. 2. but referred the administration of this Sacrament to others Secondly the Baptisme wherewith hee baptized was of the holy Ghost ver 11. and it cannot bee doubted that when John speaketh of beeing baptized by Christ hee meaneth the proper baptisme wherewith Christ baptized Thirdly it is not consonant to reason that John should complaine of the want of that which hee so plentifully afforded unto others but though hee himselfe were not baptized in water yet his speciall deputation from God to bee the first and chiefe batized made that hee needed it not Fourthly bee it granted that John speaketh of baptizing with water as some Commentators would have it yet are not his words to bee understood simply of any absolute necessity that hee had of baptisme but comparatively betwixt him and Christ that it was fitter that hee should bee baptized by Christ then Christ by him For so the phrase I have need is used not alwayes to import necessity but sometimes conveniency And so doth the Rabbin word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifferently signifie and diverse words that signifie necessity in other tongues Ver. 15. Suffer it to bee so now The Emphasis of this clause is held to bee in the word now As shewing that howsoever Christ was the Sonne of God and should in time reveale himselfe mightily so to bee as Rom. 1. 4. yet now the time required that that his glory should bee veiled under his humiliation and his divinity concealed till its proper season to bee revealed This exposition is as currant as any among Expositors how substantiall let the Reader judge For First the baptizing of Christ by John was not so great a meanes to veile his Divinity as it was to reveale it for then hee had the testimony from Heaven that hee was the Sonne of God Secondly there needeth no other reason to bee looked after why Christ saith suffer it to bee so now then what hee himselfe giveth in the very next words following For thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse The word now as it lyeth in the English might bee taken for the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so ordinary in the Hebrew words of intreating or perswasion and might very well also suite with that sense here if the Lxx translated them but by the Greek word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they doe not therfore may wee the more justly suppose the word to bee emphaticall in some respect and the respect seemeth to bee this Whereas John had told the people before of Christs baptizing with the holy Ghost and had told Christ in the verse preceding that hee had need of that baptisme to that it is that our Saviour giveth this answer Suffer it to bee so now as meaning thus That it was true indeed that hee was hee that should come after him and hee that should baptize with the holy Ghost of which baptisme John had more need from him then hee of Johns yet the time of that his baptizing was not yet come for first must hee fulfill all the righteousnesse required of himselfe before hee was to powre out or bestow that baptisme of the Spirit upon others And therefore must John suffer him to bee baptized now with the baptisme of water for that baptisme of his with the Spirit was not yet to bee exhibited SS For thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse The greatest doubt and difficulty in this clause is what our Saviour meaneth here by righteousnesse which being resolved upon the other smaller words and lesse scrupulous in it will offer themselves the more readily to bee understood First Hilary though somewhat obscurely seemeth to construe it of the righteousnesse of the Law for by him saith hee all righteousnesse was to bee fulfilled by whom alone the Law could bee fulfilled Secondly but Hierome speakes it out more plainly and fully and understandeth it of all righteousnesse of the Law and of nature either of which indeed were not a◠unproper glosse to bee applyed unto Christ alone but since the word us joyneth the Baptist
also in the same fulfilling with him it is not safe to understand it of all the righteousnesse of the Law because it is not pious to hold John the accomplisher of it as well as hee Thirdly Theophylact and some others with him goe the same way with these Fathers named but they goe somewhat further for they adde that Christ had fulfilled all the Law already but onely in this one particular of being baptized and when hee had performed that hee had compleated all righteousnesse But the word us spoyleth this exposition as well as it did that before and it will bee some worke to prove that baptisme taken in its proper sense or as John administred it was any part of the Law that Christ was to fulfill Fourthly others descant upon the words literally and take righteousnesse for justice distributive and baptisme for a speciall part or act of it For hee that is baptized saith Ludolphus pleaseth God pittieth his own soule and edifieth his neighbour by his example and so fulfilleth all justice in that hee doth to God himselfe and his neighbour what hee ought An Encomion of baptisme and a new invention of fulfilling the Law which I suppose was never dreamed of before Fifthly to omit other expositions much like this which some have given not neere to the text nor truth Jansenius and some with him but not so largely as hee doe paraphrase it thus According as I by an humble submission desire to bee baptized by thee so it becommeth us because wee are sent of God the Father to call men away from all unrighteousnesse and to teach the people to fulfill and performe in worke whatsoever is right omitting nothing bee it never so little which wee know to bee agreeable to the will of God Therefore hee importeth not that by the receiving of baptisme all righteousnesse is fulfilled but that by them that are Masters and Teachers of all righteousnesse nothing is to bee passed over which is right although they bee not bound thereto by necessity and though the thing it selfe seeme never so small Which exposition though it bee good and sound in regard of the truth contained in it yet seemeth it not to be punctuall and seasonable for this place For whereas the very marrow and pith of it lyeth in this that Christ and John being teachers of the people must practice themselves what they teach others to practice and therefore must Christ bee baptized for example to others let the Reader judge whether the inference bee good by this that John himselfe was never baptized and consequently whether the application of such a sense to these words bee fitting and agreeable Sixthly Chemnitius yet goeth neerer the text and the marke and bringeth the word Righteousnesse to reflect upon men explaining it thus that since Christ came to conferre and apply righteousnesse to men and accordingly to sanctifie every thing and meanes that might conduce to convey the same unto them therefore would hee thus consecrate baptism by his own being baptized give vigor to it to be a seale and strengthener of righteousnesse and grace begun and in this sense he saith that it becommeth him to fulfill all righteousnesse or every thing whereby the righteousnesse of man may be forwarded and promoted and because John was the Minister of Baptism therefore in the word us he joyneth him also in the fulfilling with him To this purpose hee and farre more largely comming as close to the marke as any we meet with and yet if I judge aright not so close as to hit it in these two respects First in that hee seemeth to hold and so also doe many others with him that Christs performance of the severall parts of righteousnesse personally in himselfe was requisite to the sanctifying of such things to others whereas his very institution of any such a thing giveth validity sufficient to it without his owne actuall example As in this very thing in hand concerning baptisme if Christ instituted that in the hand of John for a Sacrament to continue in his Church for ever I cannot see what vertue vigor or efficacy his being baptized by John added to it more then his institution of it before had done save onely for the more sensible reverence of it in the eyes of the people Secondly and chiefly because it is harsh and bold to conceive that Christ in the performance of any thing that might tend to mans justification should take a man to bee a sharer and co-worker in such equality as the words thus and us do make the Baptist. By righteousnesse therefore in this place may rather be understood the equity and justice of the Law and Christs fulfilling of the same Not the morall for that opinion we refused before but the other parts of it which were either Propheticall or figurative and typicall Not denying his fulfilling the morall Law neither for that he performed to a tittle being without the least taint of finne either in thought word or deed but rather illustrating and setting forth his performance of that the more in that hee was also so punctuall to fulfill the other parts of the Law which were lesse materiall And to this exposition of righteousnesse namely for the equity of the Ceremoniall or typicall Law not onely the matter or thing in hand it selfe but even every word also that is in this clause doe give their consent and confirmation For first if we looke upon the Ceremoniall law it selfe and the reason why it was given we shall find that it was neither so exact and exquisite in regard of it's injunctions nor so strict or necessary to bee performed in it selfe according to the Letter as it was in regard of its significancy of good things to come the force and vertue of it consisting not so much in its very verball precepts and corporall observances as in its representative and typicall predictions and fore-shewing of some better things to come thereafter And howsoever those Rites and Ceremonies had their obedience in the practices of the Jewes yet their equity and very intent indeed they had not but in the fulfilling of Christ. Secondly if wee looke also upon baptisme which was the matter now in agitation and the baptisme of Christ also how they were both fully and plainely prefigured under legall Rites and Ceremonious observances was shewed before Thirdly it was requisite that Christ should fulfill the Ceremoniall Law as well as the morall in some kind of necessity though not as much for the one as for the other For as the Morall was a law of faith so also was the Ceremoniall a Law of hope as the judiciall was also of charity In the morall law it was shewed to man what he was to doe but withall he saw by the same Law his owne disability and impossibility of performing what was to bee done The sight of this driveth man to lay hold of Christ that performed that Law for him and thus the law though it be according to
the letter a message of death yet in the spirit is it a doctrine of faith unto life The Jew being thus entred by the morall law into the schoole of faith then came in the Ceremoniall and was as an usher of hope for by those rites and legall observations the memory of Christs comming was continually kept fresh and in the eye and expectation and the fruit and application of his performance of the morall law for the good of men daily read in those typicall and shadowed lectures As therefore it was absolutely necessary that Christ should fulfill the morall law in regard of all men so was it respectively necessary that he should answer and accomplish the Ceremoniall in regard of the Jew For if the outward observance thereof were for nothing so much as to lead his eye and expectation to Christ and the very life and equity thereof were included in him how necessary was it that for the sake of that people and for confirmation both to them and all others that he was Christ that was to come that he should fulfill thâ—t part of the Law as well as the other At the least how fitting And so hee saith in the place in hand Thus it becommeth us to fulfill all the equity of the Ceremoniall law Now the Ceremony to which our Saviour looketh in these words was the washing of the Priests in water when they entred into their function Exod. 29. 4. Lev. 8. 6. the equity of which appeared in him when hâ—e was baptized at his entrance into his Ministery And this indeed was the mainest and properest end and reason of Christ being baptized namely that by baptisme he might bee installed into his Ministeriall office Luke 3. ver 21. Now when all the people were baptized c. Not all that were to be baptized by John for the contrary is evident Joh. 3. 23. where John is baptizing a twelve moneth after this but all those that were reckoned by the Evangelist before from Jerusalem and Judea of Pharisees Sadduces Publicanes and Souldiers which he now reckoneth up in this summa totalis of All the people to shew what multitudes were baptized into Christ before Christ came to bee revealed But it may be questioned among all this number whether there were any women baptized by John or no. And the doubt may seem to be equally ballanced for as the silence of the Text doth seeme to deny it so reason on the other side doth strongly affirme it For first the baptism of John was such a thing as women might 〈◊〉 as well as men in regard of possibility which they could not possibly doe by Circumcision Secondly it was such a thing as they might receive as well as men in regard of capability for women were as ready to repent as they But thirdly that which putteth it out of all doubt that women were baptized by him is the testimony of our Saviour Mat. 21. 32. John came unto you in the way of righteousnesse and yee beleeved him not but Publicanes and the Harlots beleeved him SS Jesus also being baptized About the time place and manner of our Saviours baptisme the Evangelists have been so silent in this place that what is to bee resolved upon them is to bee fetched from and by comparison of other texts and collection from other places whcih about the first will give very full satisfaction about the second indifferent and about the last little or none at all The time then of his being baptized that is the time of the yeere is onely or at least chiefly to be found by computing the time or length of his preaching and thereby considering the time or season of his death Now the length of his preaching or from his baptisme to his death was justly and exactly three yeeres and an halfe as was touched before And from that very thing or in relation to it that number is so very renowned in Scripture being sometimes expressed in the plaine termes of three yeeres and six moneths Luke 4. 25. sometimes by halfe a weeke Dan. 9. 27. sometimes by a time times and halfe a time Dan. 12. 7. Rev. 12. 14. and sometimes by a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rev. 11. 3. 12. 6. and sometimes by forty and two moneths Rev. 11. 2. To evidence which account of his Ministery first may bee produced the Text of Daniel alledged instantly before chap. 9. 27. where it is said that Messias should confirme the Covenant for many for one week or in that one week rather namely which hee reckoneth the last of the seventy for first hee nameth seven weeks by themselves and then sixty two by themselves ver 25. which every one knoweth make sixty nine and then comming to speak of the last week which was to make up the seventy hee saith that in that one weeke Christ shall confirme the Covenant for many and then describing and decâ—â—â—ing the exact time of that his worke hee saith And in halfe that week shall bee cause sacrifice and oblation to cease Now that by these weeks are meant weeks of yeeres or as many yeeres as a week hath dayes hardly any man ever denyed or suâ—â—â—cted the contrary and that then by halfe a week is meant halfe seven yeeres or three yeeres and an halfe there can bee as little doubt or scruple This then the Angell Gabriel telleth was the exact time in which the Messias did confirme the Covenant and was bringing to an end Sacrificing and other Ceremonies or the time of his Preaching the Gospell which was from his Baptisme to his death Secondly if not for proofe yet for better illustration of the same may bee produced that place of the Gospell alledged so lately also before namely Luk. 4. 25. where Elias is a glorious type and resemblance of Christ in a sweet and harmonious discord and difference For as hee shut up heaven by his prayer and there was no raine for three yeeres and six moneths so Christ opened heaven at his baptisme as it is said in the verse in hand and continued to distill the divine dew and raine of his heavenly doctrine as Deut. 32. 2. for the same space of time And thirdly as there is such evidence for the time averred from a Prophecy and such illustration from a type so is there a full confirmation of it in the Evangelicall story For John hath plainly parcelled out the three yeeres by foure Passeovers as the first chap. 2. 13. the second chap. 5. 1. the third chap. 6. 4. and the fourth chap. 13. 1. c. and the odde halfe yeere which since hee dyed at the last Passeover must bee laid before the first was taken up in these particulars of his journey into the wildernesse and forty dayes fast Matth. 4. 1. his return to Jordan and abode thereabout Joh. 1. 29. 35. 44. his voyage into Galilee and miracle at Cana Joh. 2. 1. his removall after some space to Capernaum and some abode in it chap. 2. 12.
Mother or in Capernaum the Town of his supposed Father and so his birth in Bethlehem is utterly grown out of the thoughts and observation of the people Fourthly That hee hath now three yeeres and a halfe to labour in the Gospell from his Baptisme to his crucifying Rabbi Janna said Three yeeres and a halfe the glory of God stood upon Mount Olivet and preached saying Seek the Lord while hee may bee found call upon him while hee is neere Midr. Tillin Fifthly That hee lived but two and thirty yeeres and an halfe and that his thirtyeth yeere was the first yeere of his preaching and not the last yeere of his private life Compare the date of Davids Reign in Hierusalem 1 Chro. 29. 27. The time that David Reigned over Israel was forty yeeres Seven yeeres reigned hee in Hebron and thirty three yeeres reigned hee in Hierusalem Exactly Seven yeeres and six moneths reigned hâ—e in Hebron 2 Sam. 5. 5. and then thirty and two yeeres and six moneths reigned hee in Hierusalem Sixthly That if Hierusalem were destroyed exactly forty yeeres after our Saviours death as it is apparent it was both in Christian and Heathen Stories then that destruction of it befell just in the foure thousandth yeer of the world and so as the Temple of Solomon had been finished Anno mundi exactly 3000 so in Anno mundi exactly 4000. both the City and the Temple that then was was destroyed never to bee repaired or rebuilt againe And from that time most properly began the Kingdome of Heaven and the new Hierusalem when that earthly Kingdome and that old City were utterly ruined SS Being as was supposed the sonne of Joseph which was the sonne of Heli. At every descent in this Genealogy the word Jesus is to bee understood otherwise the first and last descents are improper and different in stile from all the rest For Joseph was not the Sonne of Heli but onely his Sonne in Law and Adam was no more the Son of God then any of the other holy men that were named before The supply therefore is thus to bee made to make all proper Jesus being as was supposed the Sonne of Joseph Jesus the Sonne of Heli Jesus the Son of Matthat c. Jesus the Sonne of Seth Jesus the Sonne of Adam Jesus the Sonne of God And the like stile of Genealogy Moses useth Gen. 36. 2. Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon where Anah is not called the daughter of Zibeon for hee was a man and not a woman nâ— more was Joseph the Sonne of Heli for hee was onely his sonne in Law but the word Aholibamah is to â—ee supplyed thus Aholibamah the daughter of Anah Aholibamah the daughter of Zibeon Heli or Eli for the name seemeth to bee the same with his in 1 Sam. 1. 3. c. was not the naturall Father of Joseph for Matthew told us plainely before that it was Jacob that begot Joseph but Heli was the Father of Mary and Father-in-law of Joseph onely Now because it is not used in Scripture to mention any women in a pedegree or to run the line from the Mother but from the Father to the Son therefore Mary is not here named at all but intimated or included when the line begins from her Father and calleth her husband his sonne which hee was onely because of her So that Luke intending to shew Christ the seed of the woman must of necessity reckon by Mary the daughter of Heli as Matthew intending to shew him the heire of the Crown of David doth reckon by Joseph the heire male apparent In comparing and laying together these men that Matthew and Luke have named in the ancestry of Joseph and Mary betwixt the returning out of the captivity and the times of our Saviour wee finde that every one man in the â—â—ock of Joseph did almost outlive two of those in the line of Mary the one line affording twenty descents betwixt those two periods and the other but one above halfe so many which easily and readily conâ—â—teth that opinion that some have strangely held that the persons iâ— the two Genealogies have been the same men onely under different names and it helpeth somewhat to settle the times between those two periods against the different miscountings of severall men some stretching them longer then the eleven persons named in Matthew could stretch to live and some cutting them shorter then the twenty named in Luke could bee comprehended in Ver. 27. Which was the Son of Salathiel which was the Son of Neri Neri was the naturall father of Salathiel hee seemeth to have been so named from the candle which the Lord reserved for David and his house 2 Chron. 21. 7. Ver. 31. Which was the Sonne of Nathan 2 Sam. 5. 14. 1 Chron. 3. 5. It is like that hee was named after Nathan the Prophet who brought David word of the promise 2 Sam. 7. and of the continuance of his house which failed in the race of Solomon but continued in the race of this Nathan till the King came that was to sit on Davids Thron for ever Here again the number of persons in the Genealogy of Mary betwixt David and the captivity exceed the number in the Genealogy of Joseph in Mat. 1. Ver. 36. Which was the Sonne of Caiâ—an which was the Sonne of Arphaxad In Moses it is said Arphaxad begat Shelah and Shelah begate Eber Gen. 10. 24. and 11. 12. And so is it briefly reckoned 1 Chron. 1. 24. Shem Arphaxad Shelah without any mention of Cainan at all nor is there any memoriall of such a sonne of Arphaxad throughout all the old Testament nor indeed was there ever any such a man in the world at all Here therefore is an extraordinary scruple and a question of no small difficulty meeteth us where Luke found the name of this man which is not to bee found else-where in all the Bible and whether it bee not an error in the Text and were not a miscarriage in the Evangelist to reckon a man for an ancestor of Christ that the world never saw or that never was upon the earth Answer It is 〈◊〉 indeed to resolve where Luke found this name of Cainan and from whence hee took it namely from the Greek Bible or the Septuagint which hath inserted it in those places of Moses that are alledged but when this is resolved the greater scruple is yet behind of his warrantablenesse so to doe and of the purity of the Text where it is so done The Seventy translatours indeed read Gen. 10. 24. thus Arphaxad begat Cainan and Cainan begat Sala and Sala begat Eber. And in Chap. 11. they say Arphaxad lived 135 yeeres and begat Cainan And Cainan lived 130 yeeres and begat Sala and Cainan lived after hee begat Sala 330 yeeres And from hence hath Saint Luke without controversie taken in Cainan into this Genealogy a man that never was in the world but the warrantablenesse of this insertion will require divers considerations
the promise given to Adam for all Nations were then equally in his loynes for this the holy line runnes down to him Secondly That therefore all Nations have equall interest in the Messias and that in the preaching of the Gospell which Christ beganne from his Baptisme there should bee no difference of people made as there was before This being the intent of the Pedegrees placing here as the very placing of it doth inevitably evince it is not onely warrantable but also admirably divine that Luke taketh in Cainan from the Seventy For first writing for Heathens hee must follow the heathens Bible in his quotations Secondly In Genealogies hee was to bee a Coppier not a Corrector Thirdly and chiefely In following this insertion of the Lxx. hee imbraceth not their error but divinely draweth us to looke at their intent When Jude mentioneth Michaels striving with Satan about the body of Moses hee approveth not the story as true which hee knew to bee but a Talmudick Parable but from the Jews own Authors hee useth this as an argument against them and for their instruction So though Luke from the Lxx the Bible of the Heathen have alledged Cainan the sonne of Arphaxad hee alledgeth it not as the truth more then the Hebrew but from the Septuagints owne authority or from the matter which they inserted in distaste of the calling of the Heathen hee maketh comfortable use and instruction to the Heathen concerning their calling First they put in two men Gen. 10. that they might dissemble their arrogating of singularity above all Nations and to make Ptolomy beleeve that there was no such distinction of people held by them but they thought otherwise Luke reserves the one of these in his pedegree for the other could not come in it to teach the Gentiles really what they did in dissimulation that there was no such distinction of Nations in the sight of God even the Lxx. themselves being witnesses Secondly They used a mournfull name for the men whom they inserted in detestation of the comming in of the Gentiles Luke reserves this also for the comfort of the Gentiles which were now to bee called in To teach them from the Jewes own confession that the divulging of the Gospell in vulgar languages should bring Japhet into the tents of Sem which thing was now ready to beginne when Christ at his baptisme is annointed to preach the Gospell and to send it abroad to bee preached both to Jew and Gentile And what the Lxx. in their Cainan sorrowed to see afarre off Luke in his Cainan calls to behold now with comfort neere at hand Thus are the Censers of Korah and his company though ordained for an evill end by them yet reserved in the Sanctuary for a good by the command of God Ver. 38. Which was the Sonne of Adam which was the Sonne of God Thus hath the Evangelist shewed Christ to bee the seed of the woman promised to Adam and descended from him And that hee that was proclaimed the seed of the Woman to Adam in the garden was now pointed out and proclaimed the Sonne of God from heaven to John at Jordan And thus doth the Evangelist conclude this Genealogy with a cleere expression of Christs two natures his humanity for hee was the sonne of Adam his divinity for hee was the Sonne of God And this lesser of these two natures being knit and united in the person of our Saviour the Evangelists all of them teach very frequently as they goe along as a thing of chiefe and choyce observation which wee shall take up and observe as wee proceed The End of the first Part. ERRATA PAg. 1 line 19. for forme read fouâ—â—e p 3. in marg l 8. r. â— 21 21. ibid. l 10. for Col. 1. Gal. p. 4. l. 14. for shined r. 〈◊〉 p. 6 l. 8. for 2 Sam. 7. 2. r. 2 Sam 7. 21. and so in the marg and in mar l. 9. soâ—â—1 1. in l. 37. of the pag. after the word Piman 〈◊〉 adde if that Booke be his p 8. l. 37. for Alcum â— Aleuâ— p 10. l 24 25. dele Fifthly Sixthly l. 30. point at the word onely and read thus Therefor the light c. l. 33 r. Mic. 7. 8. Psal. 84. 11. p. 11. l. 33 r. Psal. 75. l. 37. r. Exod. 6 l. â—8 instead of Not of God r. Not of blood p. 12. in marg l. 18 r. Luke 2. 52. p. 13. l. 27. omit i.e. l 36 for consumed â— assumed p. 16 l. 11. r. And he shall go before him l. 35 r Dan. 8. 16 in mar l. 6 7. r. 1 Chron 3. 15. ibid l. 1◠◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17. l. 38. r. Joh. 6. 52. 3. 4 p. 18. l. 26. r. Gen. 18. 14. l 28. r. Num. 13. 29. l. 29. r. of the dead Sea p. 19. l. 32. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3. 19. l 33. r. Isa. 41. 1. l 34. Psal 83. 8. p. 21. l 2â— SS here and elsewhere should be Sect. In the Calendar in the moneth Tamnuâ— at the last line read thus 1 King chap 18. from verse 46 to the end of the 20 Chapter In the moneth Ab against the 9 day read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 25. l. 22. r Misopogone l 33. therein to be omitted p 42. l 11. 1 Esth 1. 16. 17. p 44. l 33. for verse 4. r 34 p. 51. r SECT IIII l 22. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 52. l. 39. for be r. by the feare p. 53. l 8. r. and they shall call p 59. l 33. r use her unkindly p 60 l 13 r hee violateth the Law p 61. l 7. omit the word First p 62. l. 26. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 63. l 3â— r. French Spanish p 67. l. 3. r upon that promise in the Garden p. 68 l. 19. for him r them ibid in marg l â—1 r Psal 34. p 69 in marg l. ult r Levit. 12. p. 72 l. 35. r Isa 9. 6. p. 74. l 5. r. the platform of subjection and submission to the Empire p. 81. r. those intricacies p 89. l 9. after before his presentation in the Temple r. may be refuted p 90. l 13. r. and not to the words from two yeeres old p 99. l 2. r Psal 72. p 101. l 24. for Jerusalem r Bethlehem p 10â— l. 9. for delivered r. deliverer p. 104. l. 3. for instancing r instanceth ibid. l 27. for and matters r. in matters of debate p. 109. l. 3. for perfect r. prefect p. 114. is figured 110. in l. 4 5. r. machination p. 121. l. 13. for and wisemen r and the wisemen p. 122. Column 2 at verse 1. read The voice of one crying Columne 3. ver 1. r. Pilate being p. 123. at ver 12. for hath r. hath p. 127. l. 2. for Rambani r. Rambam l. 34 for now r. now was fit p. 132. l. 25. for A Tretarchy r. A Tetrarâ—h l. 24 r. Mishneh l 34 r.
before or after indifferently as Jeho-achaz 2 Chron. 21. 17. is Ahaz-jahu 2 Chron. 22. 1. So Jehojachin 2 King 24. 8. is Jechoâ—-jahu â— Chron. 3. 16. l The Captivity of the Jewes into Babel was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a â—â—ining of their Families As Aristeas saith of Prel Lagus his captiving them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they returned ere long to their owne home again But the ten Tribes captivated by Shalmanezer are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lxx 2 King 18. 11. in a perpetuall departure from their owne houses And they and all the rest of the Nation are at this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a dispersion without any home of their owne at all Joh. 7. 35. Jam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 1. m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath been thought saith Gellius that there ought to bee three causes in punishing of offences The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is used for castigation or amendment of him that haâ—h offended The second called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is used that the dignity and honour of him that hath beene wronged may bee maintained The third which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when punishment is inflicted for examples sake that others bee the feare of the knowne punishment may be deterred from the like offences Noct. Att. lib. 6. cap. 14. * The seed of the wicked shall bee cut off Psal. 37. 28. See the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the last letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked cut out of that Acrosticall alphabeticall Psalme at that very place * A' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to divorce her as Mat. 5. 31. 19. 7. Mark 10. 4. Luk. 16. 18. Erasm. Voluit clâ—â—culum ab ea diver tere And so Brucioli La vâ—lse occultamente lasciare making Joseph a patient in the divorce rather then an agent or rather divorcing himselfe then her a Though the conceived her child above the course of nature yet his time in the wombe was according to it b Hebron was inhabited by Aaronites but the fields and villages about with children of Juda Josh. 21. 11. These two are Elisabeths neighbours and cousins c Greek Had magnified mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Psal. 18. 50. the Hebr. and Lxx and Psal. 1â—6 2. d Vulg. Pugillarem of which see Plin. lib. 13. cap. 11. E ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Batrachom e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifieth both to â—pâ—n and to unloose and so the loosing of his tongue which is not expreâ—sed in the Greek toidem verbis is implied in the word A' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an Hebraisme f See Gen. 37. 11. Prov. 2. 1. 3. 1. 7. 1. g Vulg For the hand of the Lord was with him contrary to the orig Arab. and Syr. h By the mâ—uth that is by the mâ—â—â—s one number for another as tree for trees Gen. 3. 1. frog for frogs Exod 9. 2. c. yet is the observation of Albertus magnus ingenuous and true All thâ— Prophets spake of Christ unâ— ore things so â—â—greeable as if they had all spâ—â—ken with one mouth i In the Orig it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salvation or deliverance and so in the Arab. and Vulg Lat. now it may be read either in apposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vers 69. He hath raised up an hâ—rne of Salvation namely salvation from cur enemies or in subsequence to the verbe he spake vers 70. He spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets of Salvation and this is the more genuine and proper Bezâ— k Two phrases used to heighten the sense 2 Sam. 2â— 18. 41. Psal 44. 10. 68. 1. 19. 23. 106. 16. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Josh. 2. 12. 2 Sam 9. 1. c. The Syr. reads conjunctively And hee hath shewed mercy and so doth the Arab. the other clause And hee hath remembred m â—pâ—or In the accusative case either in apposition to Corâ—u Saâ—â—is vers 69. as Tollet or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood as Calvinâ— or following the verbe To performe in vers 72. As the Syr. and an old English or that the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 governeth two cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This clause standeth in the Orig. and in all translations in the end of the vers preceding See Syr. Arab. Vulg. France Spaine Dutch Dâ—â—date Vâ—â—ab Erasin Beza c. †Greek The Bowels of mercy a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek in Dan. 6. 8. 12. b Caesar the common name of the Roman Emperours as Abimelech of the Philistims Kings Ols. 34. in tit and Pharaoh of the Egyptians from Julius the first Emperor who was of this name but the name Caesar was long before him see Plin. lib. 7. cap. 9. c As Ezr 12. d In the Roman Historians he is called Quirinus e Taking a journey in Scripture bee it whither soever it will is called indifferently a going up or going downe as Numb 16. 12. 14. Jer. 21. 2. Judg. 16. 18. Gen. 42. 3. Judg. 15. 8. 1 Sam. 2. 10. f This word here and in vers 1. 3. hath various translations That they might bee inrolled Syr. Arab. Rhem. That they might professe Vulg. Erasm. That they might bee taxed Erasm. againe and our English All these laid together make up a compleat description of the manner of their taxing First they were taken notice of who were in every Towne and City and were inrolled upon their inrolling they professed subjection to the Romane State and upon this profession they payed some money at which they were assessed g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Gr. in Job 38. 6. Ezek. 1. 4. some deriving the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rend conceive that is meant that his swaddles were poore and ragged and that this is expressed as a particular of his abasement h Christ borne by night for if hee were borne by day why should the revealing of it be forborne till night a This message of the Angel as it was full of comfort so also was it of plainenesse according to the condition of the men to whom he spake b Or the multiâ—ude c Or the good will of God towards men is glory to God in the Highest and peace on the earth d It hath bin held that these Shepheards were about the Tower of Edâ—r Gen. 35. 21. and that this was about a mile from Bethlehem e Levit. 12. f Exod. 13. 1. g Maries poverty in that her hand could not reach to a lambe which was the proper offering that the Law required Levit. * The spirit of Prophecy It had bin long a stranger among the nation even ever since the death of Zachary Malachi but is
now begun to bee restored to speak of the great Prophet neere at hand g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used againe in this sense Mat. 2. 12 22. Act. 10 22. Heb. 11. 7. by the Lxx 1 Kin. 18. 27. and in another sense Act 11. 26. h Compare 1 Sam. 1 2. i In Hebrew it would bee written Penuel as Gen. 32. a Dion b Sueton. Virgil Ovid Florus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 2. c Annal. 〈◊〉 1. c Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 1. d Anttq. lib. 17. cap. 15. * As Psal. 89. 48. to see corruption Psal. 16. 10. a Vulg. of Juda and this is conceived by Jerome to bee the better reading because it is so written ver 6. But in this verse the Evangelist telleth it was in Bethlehem of Judea to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Galilee Josh. 19. 15. and in ver 6. he saith it was in the land of Judah to distinguish it from the lot of Benjamin b Wise men Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is reserved by the Syr. Arab. Ital. and generally by all Latines the Fr. readeth it Sages in the sense of our English c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lxx Exod. 5. 6. Josh. 1. 10. 2 Sam. 8. 17 Jer. 36. 10. Ezr. 4. 8. and 7. 12. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 1. 15. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Joh. 1. 4. the Preposition is understood e the Lxx in Mic. 5. use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smalnesse of number but Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of smallnesse of bulke or dignity f Bethlehem distant from Jerusalem 35 furlongs Just. Mart. Apol. 2. Foure miles and almost an halfe g As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 61. 10. h Gold and Frankincense they shall bring in Merchandise and also for a present to the King Messias and for the â—â—use of the Lord D. Kimc on Esa. 60. 6. i Rama was the birth place of Samuel 1 Sam. 1. 19. c. k Compare Exo. 4. 19. * Jer. 39. 3. a Compare Exod 2. 10. 1 Sam 2 26. Jud 10. 24 b Exod. 23. 15. 17. * Or In my Fathers house The Ministery of John the Baptist the beginning of the Gospel Multitudes baptized a Called Claudius Tiberius Nero and for his vitiousnesse and intemperance Caldius Biberius Mero Suet. in Ti. c. 42. b Pontius was a common praenomeâ— among the Romanes as Pontius Nigriuâ—s Dion lib. 58. Pontius Fregel-lanus Tac. an l 6 Pontiâ— Id. ib. lib. 13. derived belike a ponte c A Pilo a Roman weapon or pila a pillar f A rough garment the garbe of a Prophet Zech. 13. 4 g See Elias so arrayed 2 King 1. 8. h A cleane meat Lev. 11. 22. i Honey abroad in the fields as Deut. 32. 13. Judg. 14. 8. â— Sam. 14. 26. d In Josephus called Anaâ—us e Not Christ the crier John his voice as some would understand it but John the â—ryer and his voice his preaching l The same word is used by the Lxx. Psal. 74. 6. Judg 9. 48. 1 Sam. 13. 20 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Syrian hath is used by the Chaldee Par. Job 14. 20. or in our English 29 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Jonice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It properly signifieth the upper garment as in the Lxx Gen. 37. 3. Mat. 3. 40. Athen. deâ—pnos lib. 1. Tellias gave to five hundred horsemen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A coate and a suite * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ister in Atâ—â—eis saâ—h â—t is not lawfull to carry Figs out of Attica which grew there because the Inhabitants may enjoy them themselves And whereas many were found out that stole them forth of the Countrey those that deâ—ected any such to the Magistrates were at first called Sycophants Athen deipn. lib. 3. At the first the honestest and best men of repute wee appointed to bee Overseers in this matter about Transporâ—ation but in time the Office being abused the name came into utter disgrace Idâ—n ibid. and so a Sycophant was no better then a common Barretor This is the custome of Sycophants that they themselves will begin to speak evill of a man and to utter something against him as in secret that another hearing so much may also bee induced to speake the like and so become liable to bee accused For this they doe without danger because they do it upon a Plot c. Dion Cass. lib. 58. * The Greek here useth a Latine word Opsonium as being spoken to the Romane Souldiers and a word with which they were best acquainâ—ed Caius panaria cum opsonio 〈◊〉 dedit Sucâ—on in Caio cap. 18. Vsedâ—againe Rom. 6. 2. a Stra. lib. 16 b Plin. lib. 5. cap. 23. Strab. ubi supra Plin. lib 5. c. 18. Vid. Suid. in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a portion Vid Talm Bab. Basileae tom 6. in fine Epist. lib. 13. Annal. lib. 13.