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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	aaron_n	death_n	open_a	31	3	10.5481	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67153	A practical commentary or exposition upon the Pentateuch viz. These five books of Moses Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Wherein the text of every chapter is practically expounded, according to the doctrine of the Catholick Church, in a way not usually trod by commentators; and wholly applyed to the life and salvation of Christians. By Ab. Wright; sometime fellow of St. John's Colledge in Oxford.	Wright, Abraham, 1611-1690.	1662 (1662)	Wing W3688; ESTC R221054	292,675	224

now their hearts would have misgiven But loe these bold Traytors stand impudently staring in the door of their Tents as if they would out-face the revenge of God as if Moses had never wrought miracle before them as if no Israelite had ever bled for rebelling those that should perish are blinded Pride and Infidelity obdures the heart and makes even Cowards fearless Verse 31. In Dathan and Abirams case God may seem to proceed apace towards Execution but yet it had all these pauses in arrest of Judgement and these reprieves before Execution First When Moses had information of their factious proceedings he falls upon his face before God and laments and deprecates in their behalf verse 4. he calls them to a fair Tryal and Examination the next day verse 5. and they say We will not come verse 12. and again which implies that Moses cited them again we will not come verse 14. and Moses went up to them again and the Elders of Israel followed and all prevailed not and then Moses comes to pronounce Judgement verse 29. and after and yet not presently after the Judgement Execution followed verse 31. thus still God goes his own way to speak before he strikes to lighten before he thunders to warn before he wounds Verse 41. Here instead of Praying these Israelites murmur instead of praying to God murmur against Moses What have the righteous done It is the hard condition of Authority that when the multitude fare well they applaud themselves when ill they repine against their Governors Who can hope to be free if Moses and Aaron escape not Never any Prince so merited a people he thrust himself upon the Pikes of Pharaoh's tyranny he brought them from a bondage worse than death his Rod divided the Sea and shared life to them death to their pursuers Who would not have thought these men so obliged to Moses that no death could have opened their mouths or rais'd their hands against him yet now when their fellows are justly punish'd of God they murmur against Moses No marvel if we deal so with men when God receives this measure from us One year of Famine one Summer of Pestilence makes us over-look all the blessings of God and more to mutiny at the sence of our evil than to praise him for our varieties of good O God I have made an ill use of thy mercies if I have not learnt to be content with thy Corrections CHAP. XVII Verse 1. HOw desirous was God to give satisfaction even to the obstinate there is nothing more material than that men should be assured their spiritual guides have their commission and Calling from God the want whereof is a prejudice to our success It should not be so but the corruption of Men will not receive good but from due Messengers Verse 2. Before Gods calling all men are alike every Name is alike written in their rod there is no difference in the letters in the wood neither the characters are fairer nor the staff more precious it is the choice of God that makes the distinction so is it in our callings of Christianity all are equally devoid of possibility of Grace all equally liveless by Nature we are all Sons of wrath If we be now better than others who separated us we are all Crab-stocks in this Orchard of God he may graft what Fruit he pleases upon us only the Grace and effectual Calling of God makes the difference Verse 5. Before God wrought miracles in the Rod of Moses now in the Rod of Aaron As Pharaoh might see himself in Moses his Rod who of a Rod of Defence and protection was turn'd into a venemous Serpent so Israel might see themselves in the Rod of Aaron Every Tribe and every Israelite was of himself as a sear-stick without life without sap and if any one of them had power to live and flourish he must acknowledg it from the immediate power and gift of God Verse 6. These 12 Heads of Israel would never have writ their Names in their Rods but in hope they might be chosen to this dignity What an honour was this Priesthood whereof all the Princes of Israel are ambitious If they had not thought it an high preferment they had not so much envied the Office of Aaron What shall we think of this change Is the Evangelical administration of less worth than the Levitical while the Testament is better is the service worse how is it that the Great think themselves too great for this imployment how is it that under the Gospel men are disparaged with that which honoured them under the Law that their ambition and scorn meet in one subject Verse 7. These 12 Rods are not laid up in several Cabinets of their owners but are brought forth and laid before the Lord. It is fit God should make choice of his own attendants Even we Men hold it injurious to have servants obtruded upon us by others Never shall that Man have comfort in his Ministry whom God hath not chosen The great Commander of the World hath set every Man in his station to one he hath said Stand thou in this Tower and watch to another Make thou good these Trenches to a third Digg thou in this Mine He that gives and knows our abilities can best set us on work Verse 8. This Rod was the Pastoral staff of Aaron the great Shepheard of Israel God rectifies his approbation of his charge by the Fruit. That a Rod cut off from the Tree should blossom it was strange but that in one Night it should bear buds blossom and Fruit and that both ripe and hard it was highly miraculous The same power that revives the dead Plants in Winter in the Spring doth it here without Earth without Time without Sun that Israel might see and grant it was no reason his choice should be limited whose power is unlimited Verse 10. The same God which by many transient demonstrations had approved the calling of Aaron to Israel will now have a permanent memorial of their conjunction that whensoever they should see this relick they might be ashamed of their presumption and infidelity The Name of Aaron was not more plainly writ in that Rod than the sin of Israel was in the Fruit of it and how much more Israel finds Rebellion beaten with this Rod appears in the following Complaint Behold we are dead we perish God knows how to extort glory to his own Name from the most obstinate gainsayers CHAP. XVIII Verse 20. IF the Lord himself be Aarons portion and his Inheritance why should not Aaron content himself though he have no other Inheritance among the People And if the Lord be the portion of Gods Children who are his Royal Priesthood why should not they rest well contented although they want an inheritance inthe things of this World and why may not every Child of God as well as the Sons of Levi say God himself is my portion and God all-sufficient in himself is all-sufficient unto me

Let there be no prophane person among us as was Esau saith the Apostle Heb. 12. And that there may not let not men take pleasure in pleasure spend too much time in it It was not simply a sin in Esau to go a hunting but yet the more he used the more prophane he grew by it and came at length to contemne his birthright God allows men to stoop to lawful delights and recreations for their bodies sake as the Eagle to the prey or as Gideons Souldiers to soop their handful not swill their belly full An honest heart is where his calling is such a one when he is elsewhere is like a fish in the air whereunto if it leap for Recreation or Necessity yet it soon returns to his own Element Verse 34. Esau may be as great a glutton in his Pottage as those greedy Dogs Isa. 56. 12. Thus the Poor may sin as much in their throat as the Rich for men have talem dentem qualem mentem such an appetite as they have affection there is Epicurisme in course fare as well as dainties An Esau's luxury is in his mind more than his taste CHAP. XXVI Verse 1. IF the Canaanites had amended by the former Famine this latter had been prevented For God takes no delight in the misery and affliction of his Creatures He first tries gentle means and if those will do no good rigid and severe courses must be used first he chastiseth us with Rods and then with Scorpions if a single Famine will not humble us that Famine shall be doubled till we are brought low and continued upon us so long as we continue in our sins So that if we be destroyed our destruction is from our selves and if God doth multiply his Judgements upon us it is because that we do multiply our sins if man be not weary of sinning what reason is there that God should be weary of punishing Verse 7. So long as we carry flesh and blood about us we shall be subject to such passions as arise from that flesh and blood Moses had his anger Abraham and Isaac their fear But now these passions must be kept within their bounds or else they run out into sin As here Isaac's fear was too predominant it made him as it had done his Father Abraham call his Wife his Sister and in that to lie which sin was greater in him than in his Father because he was not warn'd by his Fathers example Now the child of God should rather die than lie Nec prodam nec mentiar said that good Bishop in St. Augustine and that was a brave Woman in St. Ierome that being on the Rack resolved and answered the tormentor I had rather tell the truth and perish than lie and live The Chamelion is the most fearful of all Creatures and doth therefore change into all colours to save it self so will timerous persons Let us therefore fortifie our hearts against this passion that we may not fall into the sins of the passion Verse 13. Isaac waxed rich because the Lord blessed him verse 12. it is Gods blessing that maketh rich Godliness hath the promises of both lives now the Promises are the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3. 9. who is the heir of all and hath godly men his co-heirs entailing upon them riches and honour life and length of daies the blessings of both hands and if at any time God doth deny gain to godliness it is that it may be admired for itsself as having a self-sufficiency and a hid treasure of its own Agrain of Grace is worth all the gold of Ophir and a remnant of Faith of more value than the richest Ward-Robes Thus a Righteous man is the richest man in the World true piety hath true plenty and whereas the Wicked in the fulness of their sufficiency are in straits the Godly in the fulness of their straits are in all sufficiency Verse 18. Origen extends this power far though not very confidently perchance saith he in every one of our souls there is this well of the Water of Life and this power to have power to open it whether our souls be intended by Origen of us as we are men or of us as we are Christians I pronounce not but divide it in all us as we are natural men there is this Well of Water of Life Abraham digg'd it at first the Father of the Faithful our Heavenly Abraham infused it unto us at first in Adam of whom as we have the image of God though defaced so we have this Well of Water though stopt up but then the Philistins having stopt this Well Satan by sin having barr'd it up the power of opening it again is not in the natural man but Isaac diggs it again Isaac who is Filius laetitiae the Son of joy our Isaac our Jesus he opens this Well of Life again to all that receive him according to his Ordinance in his Church he hath given this power of keeping open in themselves this Well of Life these means of Salvation Verse 22. When Isaac's servants had digged a first and a second Well the Heardsmen of Gerar contended about it saying the Water is ours then his Servants digg'd a third Well and for that they strove not therefore he call'd the name of it Rehoboth i. e. room for now saith he the Lord hath made room for us Thus we may say of all our comforts and mercies Rehoboth that is room but of all our afflictions that they are straits Verse 30. In a Feast there are two things extraordinary provision and extraordinary company both are lawful God hath given us the Creature not only for necessity but for delight and it is a clear argument that such use of the Creatures in feasting is lawful because God hath made more Creatures serving for the delight of man than he hath made for the necessity of man If God had meant that men should do nothing but maintain their lives and serve their own necessity so as they might go on in their places and callings one half of the Creatures might have been spared but God made nothing in vain therefore he is willing we should use the creatures for moderate delight Thus Abraham made a great Feast at the weaning of Isaac and Isaac here makes a Feast for Abimelech and Phicol the chief Captain of his Army and the like examples we have in divers other places And our Saviour Christ himself was at a Feast in Cana of Galilee where when Wine fail'd he supplied it by miracles Verse 31. Men may do much and go far in the love of Gods people and yet not love them as they ought to be loved they may hold an outward correspondency with them in outward peace and neighbourhood they may live quietly by them and with them be free from quarrels suits contentions vexations and oppositions against them and in these respects may keep fair quarter with them and yet for all this not love them as Gods people are to

of the Ministery that it should not be defrauded of the least thing allotted to it And therefore harden not your heart against God against Law against Right and Truth accustome not your hearts to cover your Neighbours due your hands to purloin it by fraud or take it by strength it is theft spiritual theft sacriledge your house receiveth stoln Goods and the Wrath of God may happily shake the foundation of it for such a sin and you in yours or you and yours be punished Verse 13. Here Leaven is admitted of which before was forbid Leaven therefore is taken in a good sense as well as in an ill Thus the Apostles are resembled to a little Leaven that leaveneth the whole lump they being sent out of God into the unleavened World by preaching to leaven it clean through And there is a Leaven of the new Nature accepted as there is a Leaven of the old Nature rejected For look how the Leaven maketh the Bread savory and strong and wholsome look also how it makes it rise and heave up which otherwise would be sad and heavy So doth Gods regenerate Spirit change us make us savory and all our Duties pleasing to God and we rise up our Hearts and Souls are heaved up in all love in thankfulness to him that in Mercy hath so look'd upon us Verse 15. A Ceremony us'd to signifie that publick Feasts should not be superfluously continued and kept long under the colour of Religion For God loveth not idle banquetting and prodigal spending although he allow graciously what is fit for the occasion Secondly this was done in wisdome by God least if the flesh should have smelt by longer keeping Religion might so have been vile in the eyes of fickle persons Verse 18. We may learn by this that the taking hold of Christ is not to be deferr'd and put off but speedily and quickly to be done whilst time serves and opportunity is offer'd For behold sayes Christ to day and to morrow I cast out Devils and the third day Luke 13. that is a short time I have yet to go on with my Ministery and then I shall be slain More particularly every Man and Woman may be said to have three dayes The first of Youth till Age come the second of Age till Death come and in these two dayes there is Mercy offered but the third day is after Death and then there is no help as here on the third day no Offering was accepted but the sin remained unpardoned and not forgiven Verse 30. The bringing of the Sacrifice with his own hands and not sending it by others taught Humility and Duty to God taught that every one must live by his own Faith and not by anothers Verse 34. The shaking of it to and fro four wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting up of Christ that is of Christs Death and Passion throughou● all the World by the preaching of the Gospel CHAP. VIII Verse 2. THe Lord precisely appointed Priests and would not leave it to every man to perform this Office to signifie that not any man butthe-man Christ Jesus could appease Gods Wrath satisfie his Justice and take away the sins of the World This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the Host of Israel from this Office and chusing but Aaron and his Sons as Types of Christ that so by such an Ordinance the Majesty Authority and Property of Christs Office might be resembled and shadowed Verse 5. Nothing but Gods Commandement doth Moses offer unto them For he well knew Gods Will only in his own House must be the Rule Our own heads were never the best heads to follow and for God he knoweth our mould too well to give that swinge unto us Verse 13. Aarons Sons were a figure of the Church which by Faith eateth also of the Sacrifice of Christ being made partakers of his Merits as well as the Priests Their Garments figured out the Graces and Gifts wherewith the Believers in Christ are adorned and beautified casting away the Works of Darkness and putting on daily more and more the Deeds of Light Rom. 13. 12. Verse 30. Upon Aarons Sons Moses did but sprinkle the annointing Oil which was said to be poured upon Aaron verse 12. So plainly shewing that in Christ the Spirit should be without measure and upon his Servants in measure we all receiving of his fulness according to his good Pleasure some more some lesse Verse 35. By this is signified that watch which all our life time is noted by the seven dayes we keep in avoiding sin and working righteousness as the Lord shall enable which indeed may be call'd the watch of the Lord being a holy Christian and happy watch The seventh day we shall be free fully sanctified and delivered from this vail of misery to keep an eternal Sabbath in Heaven to our endless comfort CHAP. IX Verse 7. IN that Aaron was here commanded to offer as well for himself as the People he was herein a figure of Christ not that Christ had any sins of his own but that ours were so laid upon him and he so made satisfaction to God for them as they had been his own Surely sayes the Prophet Isai. 53. 4. he hath born our infirmities c. that is we judg'd him evil as though he were punish'd for his own sins and not for ours Verse 22. Thus doth God blesse us in Christ in whom all the Nations of the World are blessed First with the Blessing of Reconciliation to himself reputing us now just for his Son Christ. Secondly with the Blessing of his Spirit whereby we walk in his Calling being guided thereby in the same Thirdly with the Blessing of Acceptance of all our Works though full of imperfection and weakness And last of all with this great Blessing that all adversity becometh a help to us to draw us to Heaven and Eternal Rest. Verse 24. That God which shew'd himself to Men in fire when he delivered his Law would have men present their Sacrifices to him in fire and this fire he would have his own that there might be a just circulation in this Creature as the Water sends up those vapours which it receives down again in Rain Hereupon it was that fire came down from God to the Altar that as the charge of the Sacrifice was delivered in fire so God might signifie the acceptation of it in the like fashion wherein it was commanded The Baalites might lay ready their Bullock upon the Wood but they might sooner fetch the blood out of their Bodies and destroy themselves than one flash out of Heaven to consume the Sacrifice CHAP. X. Verse 2. NAdab and Abibu were two of Aarons Eldest Sons which after their Father should have succeeded him in his place yet there is no Mercy with God to stay his Judgement when they will not be Ruled by his Word No Prerogative therefore shall save any Man from Wrath if he offend but

withdraw his hand no fight no trust CHAP. XII Verse 1. VVHat is this I see is not this Aaron that was Brother in Nature and by Office joynt Commissioner with Moses and is not this Miriam the Elder Sister to Moses which laid her Brother in the Reeds and fetch'd his Mother to be his Nurse both Prophets of God both the Flesh and Blood of Moses And doth Aaron repine at the honour of him who gave himself that honour and saved his life when he had sinn'd so grosly in making the Calf Doth this Miriam repine at the prosperity of him whose life she saved But now Envy had so blinded their Eyes that they could neither see this priviledge of Nature nor yet the honour of Gods choice Miriam and Aaron are in mutiny against Moses Who so holy as sins not What sin though never so unnatural that even the very best can avoid without God Again who can look for love and prosperity at once when holy and meek Moses finds enmity in his own flesh and blood rather than we shall want a mans Enemies shall be those of his own house Authority cannot fail of opposition if it be never so mildly sway'd that common make-bate the Devil will rather raise it out of our own bosom To do well and hear ill is Princely Verse 2. Seditions do not ever look the same way they move Wise men can easily distinguish betwixt the visor of actions and the face The Wife of Moses is mentioned his superiority is shot at Pride is likely the ground of all sedition Which of their Faces shined like Moses which of them received the Law twice in two several Tables from Gods own hand and yet they dare say Hath God spoken only by Moses they do not deny Moses his Honour but they challenge a part with him And yet how unfit they were one a Woman whom her Sex debarr'd from Rule the other a Priest whom his Office sequestred from Earthly Government Self-love makes men unreasonable and teaches them to turn the glass to see themselves greater others lesser than they are It is an hard thing for a man willingly and gladly to see his equals lifted over his head in worth and opinion Nothing will more try a mans grace then questions of Emulation That man hath true light which can be content to be a Candle before the Sun of others Verse 3. Carry a meek spirit along with you in all your actions When Christ rode as King to Ierusalem he rode meek meek those that would accompany Christ to his Kingdom must be of the same spirit their King is of Moses never fail'd but once and it was then when he lost this meek spirit Numb 20. 10. Expounded Psal. 106. 32. They angered him at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes for what reason see verse 23. Because they provoked his Spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips God is oft-times in the small and still voice when neither in the whirl-wind nor the Earth-quake nor the fire 1 King 19. 11 12. Verse 4. God might have spoken so loud that Heaven and Earth should have heard it so as they should not have needed to come forth for audience but now he calls them out to the Bar that they may be seen to hear It did not content him to chide them within doors the shame of their fault had been lesse in a private rebuke but the scandal of their repining was publick Where the sin is not afraid of the light God loves not the reproof should be smoothered Verse 10. It was time to look for a Judgement when God departed so soon as he is gone from the Eyes of Miriam the Leprosie appears in her face her foul Tongue is punish'd with a foul Face Since she would acknowledg no difference betwixt her self and her Brother Moses every Israelite now sees his face glorious hers leaprous Deformity is a fit cure of pride Because the venome of her Tongue would have eaten into the Reputation of her Brother therefore a poisonous Infection eats into her flesh Now hath Moses and Miriam need to wear a vail the one to hide his glory the other her deformity Verse 15. The Israelites are stayed seven dayes for the punishment of Miriam the sins of the Governors are a just stop to the people all of them smart in one all of them must stay the leisure of Miriams recovery Whosoever seeks the Land of Promise shall find many lets Amalek Og and the King of Canaan met with Israel these resisted but hindred not their passages their sins only stay them from removing Afflictions are not crosses to us in the way to Heaven in comparison of our sins CHAP. XIII Verse 2. THe basest sort of men are commonly held fit enough for Intelligencers but Moses by the Commandement of the Lord chooseth forth the best of Israel such as were like to be most judicious in their enquiry and most credible in their Report Those that rul'd Israel at home could best descry for them abroad what should direct the body but the Head Men can judg but by appearance It is for him only that sees the event ere he appoint the means not to be deceived It had been better for Israel to have sent the Offal of the multitude By how much less the credit of their persons is by so much lesse is the danger of seducement The error of the mighty is arm'd with Authority and in a sort commands assent whether in good or Evil Greatness hath ever a train to follow it at the heels Verse 6. Amongst those twelve Messengers which our second Moses sent thorow the Land of Promise there was but one Iudas but amongst those twelve which the former Moses addressed thorough the same Land there is but one Caleb and yet those were chosen out of the meanest these out of the Heads of Israel As there is no society free from some corruption so it is hard if in a community of men there be not some faithfulness Verse 27. Forty dayes they spent in this search and this cowardly belief in the search shall cost them forty years delay of the fruition who can abide to see the Rulers of Israel so basely timerous They commend the Land the Fruit commends its self and yet they plead difficulty their shoulders are laden with the Grapes and yet their hearts are overlaid with unbelief It is an unworthy thing to plead hardness of atchieving where the benefit will more than requite the indeavour Our Land of Promise is above we know the Fruit thereof is sweet and glorious the passage difficult The giantly Sons of Anak the powers of Darkness stand in our way If we sit down and complain we shall once know that without shall be the fearful Rev. 21. 8. Verse 30. Ioshua was silent and wisely spared his Tongue for a further advantage only Caleb spake I do not hear him say who am I to strive with the multitude