1.16 Psal 92.14 Isa 25.6 c. as Rebekah signifies or Rebecchan Hebr. denotes Deliverance from Death and Inheritance of Life expected and from this Blessed Expectation some say she had her Name and so was a notable Type of the Church 3. As Rebekah was wooed by Abraham's Servants Gen. 24.35 c. shewing how the Lord had blest his Master greatly c. So Ministers Christs Paranymphs do wooe the Souls of People to be Espoused to Christ shevving forth his unsearchable Riches Eph. 3.8 and fulness of Treasures Col. 1.18 19. and 2.3 We may not make any cold Suite for Christ but alvvays be warm in that Work to make Souls sick of Love after him Cant. 2.5 telling them he is Lord of all Acts 10.36 and Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 3. and vvho vvould not be Married to so Rich and so great an Heir 4. As Rebekah forsaketh her Friends and her All for Isaac and said I will go with this man from you all to him Gen. 24 58. vvhen it vvas enquired at her mouth about it ver 57. Thus also the Church Christs Hephzibah Isa 62.4 is no less vvilling to forsake all her carnal Friendâ— Psal 45.10 and to be brought unto Christ by the Ministers of Christ ver 14. vvhen the Finger of God toucheth the Heart Isa 56.6 and maketh willing hearted Psal 110.3 he commandeth his loving kindness Psal 42.8 saying Go out my mercy and seize upon such a Soul Go out my loving kindness take hold of such an Heart and draw them from sin to God this is that makes right Voluntiers indeed for all good 2 Cor. 8.3 5. As Rebekah deck'd her self with the Jewels that Isaac sent her when she was brought forward toward him yet cover'd them all with a Veil so the Church is adorned with all the choicest Ornaments that her Blessed Isaac sends to her while she is Handed towards him by his Ministers Ezek. 16.10 to 14. Uxor fulget radiis mariti the VVife doth shine with the Beams of her Husband so doth the Church with all the Excellent Gifts and Graces of Christ John 1.14 16. Eph. 1.23 yet doth she cover all with the Veil of Humility wherewith she is clothed 1 Pet. 5.12 as Moses cover'd his Glory with a Vail and knew not that his Face shined Exod. 34.29 33.35 and those Blessed Ones of the Father say When saw we thee naked and clothed thee c. Mat. 25.37 they will not know it unto Pride c. The sixth Parallel is As Isaac met Rebekah when she came to him took her to Wife Enjoy'd her with great Joy and Rejoic'd with her all their days Gen. 24.63 to 67. So Christ meeteth his Church Isa 64.5 Amos 4.12 and she becomes his Callah from the perfection of her Beauty and Bravery Jer. 2.32 and his Hephzibah from his delight in her Isa 62.4 He then rejoiceth over her as a Bridegroom doth over his Bride ver 5. when he hath purified her as Esther chap. 2. ver 9.15 and sanctified her as Eph. 5.26 yea beautified her with an inward as well as outward Glory Psal 45.8 13. then he so rejoiceth in her as to rest in his love Zeph. 3.17 He will seek no farther as fully satisfied in his choice And seeing all this is so How should every good Soul say as Rebekah said Hinder me not to go meet my Isaac Gen. 24.56 So should we say to Satan solliciting us to stay a while in our old Courses and Companies and though we Ride upon a Trotting Camel a tiresom and tedious Journey as Rebekah did Gen. 24.61 yet was it for a good Husband So we must be content to suffer with and for Christ that we may be glorified together when the Marriage shall be Consummated for now is only the time of our Contract Heaven will make amends for all He that Rides though upon a Trotting Beast and in a Rainy day cannot think ill of either when it is to receive a Crown and Kingdom Then the Church shall light off her Trotting Beast being at the end of her Journey as Rebekah did ver 65. and Ministers shall give an account of their Stewardship as Eleazar did ver 66. 2 Cor. 11.2 and Isa 8.18 and John 17.4 then is she brought into a Mansion-house of Glory there to be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 The good Lord make his Church here Love-worthy as Rebekah was ver 67. Fair Courteous and Vertuous a Mate most meet for Christ in all the World Thus much of the first particular the Offering Come we secondly to the Author that there should be such an Offering as a Father to Offer up his Son his only Son this God himself is said expresly to Authorize Gen. 22.1 in his Tempting of Abraham hereunto not for perdition as Satan Tempteth but for probation only see before at large the difference 'twixt Gods and Satans Tempting in the first Division upon the Agent or Tryer. Enquiries here are to be Answered 1. About the Legality or Lawfulness of the Act. 2. The Difficulty 3. The Excellency of it 1. It s Legality Would God command to Kill who saith Thou shalt not Kill Answer 1. The Supream Law-giver who made that Law can out of his uncontroulable Soveraignty dispense with his own Law as that of Thou shalt not Steal God notwithstanding that did Authorize the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians of their Jewels Exod. 12.35 36. This was done by a special Dispensation which none could grant but the Law-Maker this was done by an extraordinary Command and may not be made a President but in the same case and upon the same Warrant for ordinarily it is the wicked that borroweth and payeth not again Psal 37.21 but here the Case and VVarrant were both extraordinary and therefore not to be an ordinary Pattern for after-times 'T is just with God to spoil those that spoil his people Ezek. 39.10 and 't is just with Men too when they have as here an Express Command Answer 2. God did not command Abraham to do this as it was an Act of Rebellion against his own Moral Law which was not now promulgated as after by Moses nor against the Law of Nature which is writ in every Mans Heart and so in Abraham's Rom. 2. 14 15. but as it was an Act of Obedience to the great Law-giver and therefore it was necessary that Abraham should well know it was God and not the Devil who tempted him to this Act which in it self seemed so unnatural for a Father to kill his own Son and wherein God seemed so contrary to himself and to his own positive Precepts and Promises this Abraham knew well 1. From Special Illumination 2. From Familiar Experience of Gods speaking to him vvhose Voice he knevv as vvell as the Voice of his Wife Sarah's 3. This Voice came not to him in a Dream vvhich vvould have been more uncertain and less distinguishable from the Devils Deceit but vvhile Abraham vvas awake for 't is not said that he stayed
or fewer of them in Scripture-Record who minded any thing of Christs coming he came to his own and his own received him not John 1.11 But after this Oh how did this Barren Church sing c. when three Thousand of them were brought forth at one Sermon Acts 2.37 39 41. 2. The Gentile Church was for a long time as a lone Woman or Widow as it were altogether Barren and without Hope of Issue while the Gentiles were without Christ without Hope and without God in the World c. Eph. 2.1 2 12. yet afterwards in the New Testament Times the Gentile Church which before had brought forth only here and there a Proselyte or two as Jethro c. had a more Numerous and Glorious Off-spring than ever the Jewish Synagogue had Thus Sarah though at first Barren had a far greater Issue than Hagar yea and Hannah than Peninnah notwithstanding both were reproached for their former Barrenness Gen. 16.4 and 1 Sam. 1.6 The second Branch of this second Resemblance is The unwarrantable way Sarah took to supply the want of her own Fruitfulness in giving Hagar to her Husband That she might obtain Children by her Bond-woman Gen. 16.1 2. Gal. 4.22 God had promised a Seed to Abraham but not expresly as yet whether by Sarai or no hereupon Sarai propounded her Handmaid as a Secondary Wife or Bed-fellow to her Husband because the Children of bond-Bond-servants belong'd to their Masters and Mistresses by the Law Exod. 21.4 Thus Rachel reckoned the Issue of her Handmaid Billah must be Hers Gen. 30.3 6 and 8. and thus Sarah sought a Seed to Abraham according to Gods promise though she were not the Mother thereof that so the Blessing God had annexed to his Promise might be obtained The Hebrews most improbably say this Hagar was the Daughter of Pharaoh to put the more Honour upon Abraham in this Act and to equal him with Solomon who Married the Daughter of another Pharaoh but Kings Daughters are most unfit to be Handmaids who are brought up Mistresses of the Highest Rank and had Paul been of that Mind he had never stiled her a Bond-woman Gal. 4.22 'T is more probable she was one of those Maids of Pharaoh's House which were given to Sarai Gen 12.16 Whatever she was and whatever good aim Sarai might haven in giving her to Abraham yet the means were naught this expedient for having Seel was not according to God because it violated the Law of the first Instituted Wedlock Gen. 2.14 but it was after the Flesh Gal. 4.23 Sarai was over-hasly and Abraham was over-facile they were both blame-worthy for want of Faith in Gods Promise as if his power could not have performed it beyond the common course of Nature in their old Age and for Violation of Wedlock contrary to its first Institution Mal. 2.15 and Gen. 2.24 This Act might be their Sin of Ignorance and of Infirmity as was also their and the other Patriarchs Polygamy practised in that time and their slipping out of Gods way brought much evil upon them Sarai is whip'd with her own Rod Hefiod saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evil counsel proves always worst to the Counsellors Hagar now pregnant with Child despiseth Sarah her Barren Mistress as Prov. 30.21 her Sin was writ upon her Punishment Gen. 16.4 5. she was despised as one rejected concerning Gods Promise and Abraham was disturbed with those Domestick dissentions 'twixt the Mistress and her Hand-maid Hereby is also figured the difference betwixt the two Mothers the Bond-Woman and the Free the Law and the Gospel and thus likewise the Soul of Man and the Church of God taketh some wrong ways for accomplishing Divine Promises following and finding out false rest fetching peace from the works of the Law rather than from the Faith of the Gospel this is to establish Hagar the Bond-Woman in the place of Sarah the Free out of whom sprang the Messiah that Blessed Prince of all true Peace and such mistaken methods to peace always end in sad disturbance as this in the History did Besides there is this other Mystery that such as put confidence in the works of the Law as the proud Pharisee did Luk. 18.10 11. will despise the Grace of the New-Covenant as Hagar did Sarah Rom. 10.3 will not submit to the Righteousness of God by Christ The third Mystery of Sarah's person in the History of her Life is in her Beauty she had a fair and Beautiful countenance a most lovely look and comely complexion Gen. 12.11 which Plato calls the principality of Nature Outward Beauty is very attractive which yet Sarai kept although she was now about or above sixty years old being not impaired by breeding or bearing of Children or it was preserved by God for the serving of his providence which followed thereupon and here we see how Beauty may be a double snare both to them that have it and to them that love it yet Sarah had a better even an Inward Beauty her chief Beauty was that of the Hidden Man of the Heart 1 Pet. 3.4 6. Gratior est pulchro Veniens in Corpore Virtus That Vertue hath a better Grace Which shineth from a comely Face Where these two meet they have a most happy conjunction and draw all Hearts to them as Esther obtained Favour of all that look'd upon her Esth 2.15 otherwise where beauty is without Grace and Vertue 't is like a Jewel in a Swines Snout Prov. 11.22 It wants that which should Consecrate and Sanctifie it as in Aurelia Orestilla cujus praeter formam nihil unquam bonus laudavit having nothing commendable to good men save only deceitful Favour and vain Beauty Prov. 31.30 'T was not thus but better with Sarah here who is therefore made a Figure of Jerusalem the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 and of the New-Testament Church v. 24. which is the Spouse of Christ that is all fair Cant. 1.15 and 4.1 c. well looking and well liking to bring forth Fruit in old Age Psal 92.14 and thus as with the Church of God so it ought to be with the Soul of Man which should pray as Psal 90.17 Oh let the Beauty of the Lord be upon me The fourth Mystery of Sarah's Person in the History of her Life is in her Sufferings the chiefest whereof were that She twice did fall into the Hands of two Kings Pharaoh Gen. 12. and Abimelech Gen. 20. both which might have Ravish'd her and made her Disloyal to her Husband yet God mofs Graciously prevented it in both places by Plaguing the former and Diseasing the latter out of both these two Kings Courts God brought her off with Innocency Honour and Advantage Oh how many Snares of Tentation God carries his Church and our Souls thorough oft we are in the Bryars As Sarah was 1. In Egypt when God famish'd Abraham out of Canaan the Glory of all Lands Ezek. 20.6 thither which was the Granary of the World The Hebrews make this a fault in Abraham for
Earth even out of the Prophet's House saith Peter Martyr for he might have taken Earth out of any part of Israel had he asked the King's leave or at least the Owners None but Elisha's Earth will serve him to build an Altar for Sacrifice in Syria both as a Symbol of Elisha's Jehovah and of Elisha's Miracle upon him which was the only Cure of Leprosie done until the greatest of Prophets Christ himself came into the World N.B. Here was a Zeal saith Piscator but not according to Knowledge which is ordinary in new Converts for God's Law required to Sacrifice only in the Temple unless it be said that was a Law to the Jews and not to Gentiles Remark the Sixth Naaman craves pardon for his former Idolatry ver 18. Dr. Lightfoot reads it The Lord pardon me that I have gone into the House of Rimmon He begs not leave to be Idolatrous for time to come but take it for the future he held it a Sin and desired a Dispensation This he did as a Novice saith Peter Martyr Appearance of Evil ought to be abstain'd from 1 Thess 5.22 God never necessitates any Soul to Sin he should rather have resign'd his high Office than thus halt between God and Rimmon Elisha bids him Go in Peace ver 19. that is thou art yet but a Babe in Religion not capable of Reproof saith Peter Martyr smoaking Flax may not be quench'd Mat. 12.20 see thou keep tight to thy Promise of owning no God but the true God who is to be worshipp'd every where in Syria as well as in Israel let the Syrian Court see thou worships Israel's God upon Israel's Earth and I will Pray that the Lord may preserve thee from offending him in any such way c. The Second Consequent concerns Gehazi's Avarice The Remarks are First The Best of Masters may have had Servants Christ had his Traiterous Judas as Elisha had his Covetous Gehazi who coveted after Naaman's Treasures which his Master had contemned and like a fool talks to himself yea swears himself as if he had been a Magistrate to himself that he would not be such a fool as his Master was to leave him so ver 20. speaking scornfully of the New Convert saith P. Martyr as well as of his own Master and when Naaman was gone but a little way he hastens after him the Devil helping the Agility of his heels Naaman spyed him Running lighted down reverencing the Master in the Servant and cryed Is all well ver 21. Remark the Second This Breathless Runner raps out a false and a forged Lye ver 22. altogether improbable saith P. Martyr that either the Prophet should change his mind so soon or that he would ask such a summ of Silver and such precious Apparel for the poor Sons of the Prophets that fed upon Pottage chap. 4.38 but wise Naaman was not willing to question it being glad of the opportunity to gratifie the Prophet notwithstanding his first refusal so Noble Naaman doubles his desire ver 23. as if it had been below him to bestow but one Talent which amounted to 750 l. Sterling and tho' Gehazi made at first a modest Refusal of Two Talents pretending he was bound up to his Master's prescriptions yet proved it no flat Denial the covetous Servant was sooner prevail'd with than his generous Master ver 16. Naaman names two Talents that the two pretended Prophets might have each of them one as well as two Garments N. B. Thus God presses Gifts on us Joh. 16.24 where Christ saith Hitherto ye have asked me nothing that is nothing in comparison of that much which I have upon my heart to bestow upon you even more than ye can either ask or think Eph. 3.20 and Isa 65.24 Remark the Third So noble is Naaman to the Prophet's Servant that lest he should be over-loaded with this Luggage his own Men must be Gehazi's Porters Yet this crafty Thief permits them not to carry this Lumber within fight of his Master but takes it from them and lays it up in some hidden Hole for his own use ver 24. When he had made all sure he wipes his mouth appears before his Master who asked him whence he came he answered he went no whither out of the house ver 28. He began his Lye to Naaman and ends it to Elisha N. B. Little do Lyars know when once they teach their Tongues to Lye Jer. 9.3 where they will stop Remark the Fourth Elisha discovers the deceit ver 26. saying Hast thou been so long with me and hast not learnt that I have Divine Kisions whereby I saw all the Circumstances of thy Heinous Sin yea and the very thoughts of thy heart designing to desert my Service by purchasing an Estate with these two Talents which I had refused to confirm the new Convert in the Faith of the God of Israel and now hast thou made me an Impostor to him and all our Religion as a meer Imposture doing all in thy Master's name to his worst dishonour Remark the Last He denounces his Doom ver 27. as thou hast his Money so take his Leprosie let this white Coat last thee longer than thy two Raiments got by a Lye even all thy Life and the Lives of thy Posterity How much better saith Dr. Hall had been a light Purse and a mean Coat with a sound Body and a clean Soul Caussinus says the same Sanctius saith Elisha informed Naaman with expedition of all this lest he should stumble at the True God and his Prophet so that it nothing blemished the Repute of Elisha blazed over all Syria c. 2 Kings CHAP. VI. THIS Chapter together with the 7th and 8th do entirely describe sundry Miracles and Oracles of the Prophet Elisha save only the latter end of the last of them which gives a description of Joram King of Judah and of Ahaziah his Son by Athaliah Ahab's Daughter or Sister as some say First Of Elisha's Miracles described in this Chapter and they are three The first is His making Iron to swim from ver 1 to v. 7. The second is His Discovery of the Syrians Ambushments from ver 8 to v. 12. The third is His striking the Syrian Army that was sent to catch him with Blindness and his bringing them into the midst of Samaria and there feasting them from ver 13 to ver 23. N. B. As Elisha's inflicting upon Gehazi such a miraculous Leprosie made his eleventh Miracle so the first of these here is his twelfth Remarks upon it are First The Leper Gehazi is gone from his Master but many more Disciples came in his stead yea they multiplied so that their Meeting-place wherein their Master Elisha instructed them became too little to contain them ver 1. Vatablus and P. Martyr with the Rabbins say this marvelous Increase of the Number of Disciples was not only from the fame of Elisha's Miracles but also from the Removal of Gehazi who had defrauded them of their Dues grudging that any Grist should
of Zedekiah and so it continued under the Chaldeans and now under the Persians Remark the Third Relating likewise to the Quantity their number is summ'd up together ver 64. to be in the whole forty two thousand three hundred and sixty whereas the Summs recited in all the foregoing Verses amount only to twenty nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen to whom are added in this total Summ twelve thousand five hundred and forty two which either were of the other ten Tribes beside Benjamin and Judah or were such as supposed themselves Israelites but could not prove their Pedigree by their Genealogies though these be not reckon'd here by their Names say Lavater and Junius yet are they added here to make up the total summ which as Wolphius well observes makes it manifest from comparing the number of the Captives carried away in the Books of Kings Chronicles and Jeremy with this number of them that returned they were by God's Blessing upon them multiplied to more than a double number even in the Time of their Captivity thus had it been with Israel in Egypt the more they were molested the more they multiplied Exod. 1.12 and thus it was with them in Babylon also N.B. 'T is the Motto of the Palm-tree Depressa Resurgo the more weights to pull me down the higher Launches I make upward The Church is God's Camomile the more it is troden the better it grows Sanctius observes the same Solution for the like Catalogue in Neh. 7.66 his foregoing account falling short also of his total Summ. Secondly Their Quality is rank'd into Princes and People Remark the First The Guides and Governours are named First As Men of Renown of which eleven are numbred here ver 2. The first of this number of the Men of Name and Note saith Vatablus is Zerubbabel which signifies a Stranger at Babel or a Disperser of Confusion some say he was born in Babylon however this was a Babylonish Name given him as to Daniel and his three Companions Dan. 1.7 but his proper Name was Sheshbazzar Joy in Tribulation as before Ezra 1.8 that famous Prince of Judah and the Governour thereof Hag. 1.1 his Hands laid the Foundation of the Second Temple Ezra 3.8 c. and his Hands also finish'd it Zech. 4.6 7 8 9. with the Assistance of his famous Second namely Jehoshuah the High-Priest Ezra 5.1 2. Hag. 1.14 These two were those faithful Witnesses of God in their Generation as before them had been Moses and Aaron N.B. The Work of God goeth best endways when the Word goes along with the Sword when Magistracy and Ministry do concurr c. Remark the Second Among the other nine Nehemiah and Mordecai are named whom some Learned Men say were not that Nehemiah that hath an History in a Book of him after this nor that Mordecai who was so famous in the Book of Esther but others of the same Name Reasons see in Mr. Pemble's Period of the Persian Monarchy page 30 31. but I find Sanctius Dr. Lightfoot c. Judge them the same Persons saying 't was the same Nehemiah who wrote the Book of that Name and who first came with Zerubbabel and then returned to Babylon upon the Obstruction of the Temple's Building but after some Years he returns to Jerusalem again as will be shewn in its Place and then repaired the City c. as to Mordecai Tirinus and Mariana say with Dr. Lightfoot that he was Esther's Vncle and the overthrower of Haman who saith D' Dieu when he saw the Building of the Temple and City did not succeed according to his desire went back to Shushan c. until a better Day dawned Remark the Third The other seven were Men famous in their Generation though little or nothing be Recorded of them beside their Names upon Scripture-Record only Seraiah call'd Azarâ—ah Neh. 7.7 is supposed to be Ezra call'd Seraiah after the Name of his Father Ezra 7.1 and who is supposed to be the same with Malachy the last of the Old Testament Prophets as some say for the Word Malachy may be taken Appellatively signifying my Messenger so that Prophet was God's Messenger in Ezra's Time as the Matter contained in that Prophecy plainly demonstrates but more of that afterwards unto those eleven Men of Fame Nehemiah adds a Twelfth by Name Nachamani Neh. 7.7 for he came not up now but before Nehemiah took that Catalogue who likely like that Young Man in the Gospel at first said I will not but after repented and went Matth. 21.29 30. Thus far of the Princes of whom Zerubbabel was Chief now of the People Remark the First The People that returned are computed to be forty two thousand three hundred and sixty described by their Families saith Vatablus from ver 2 to ver 21. then by their Cities to ver 35. then by their Dignity either Sacerdotal or Levitical to ver 40. then by their Employs as Singers ver 41 65. Porters of the Temple ver 42. and Nethinims the Sons of the Gibeonites who were Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water ver 45 to 55. and the Sons of Solomon's Servants ver 55 to 58. as the Nethinims Hebr. were Deodati given to God or God-sakes devoted to his Service in his House ministring to the Levites as the Levites ministred to the Priests N.B. Whereby their Misery in Bondage and Burdens imposed on them as a Punishment for their beguiling Israel Josh 9.4 5 c. became their Mercy for the nearer they were to the Church the nearer they came to God and this gave them occasion to partake of the things of God and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psalm 17.15 N.B. So those Servants of Solomon were such Strangers of Canaan that submitted to Solomon saith Piscator and served him in Building the Temple 1 Kings 9.20 21. and becoming Proselytes were incorporated into the Common-wealth of Israel and whose Posterity say Lyra Erpennius and Osiander Solomon devoted to a perpetual Preservation and Reparation of the Temple in after Ages Or those Proselytes might give their Family this Name accounting it a great Honour to be Servants to so great a King N.B. How much more may we Glory in being Servants to so great a God Psalm 34.2 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. Psalm 18. Title and who is so gracious as takes where he likes without respect of Persons Acts 10.33 and admits Strangers us Gentiles when the Children of the Kingdom the Jews are cast out Matth. 8.11 12. Remark the Second The Men-Servants and Maid-Servants are cast up here likewise to be seven thousand three hundred and thirty seven ver 67. where Sanctius-makes a wonder that above forty thousand Masters should have so few Servants at their return to this I add whereas we read how one Abraham the great Father of all those Jews had no fewer than three hundred and eighteen men-Men-Servants in his single Family Gen. 14 14. yet this vast Multitude of Masters had no more Servants though there be added to
Divine Manifestations thus Gods people are call'd on to come out of Egypt and Babylon Mystical and there he will give them his loves Cant. 7.12 and there will he speak comfortably to them even to their Hearts Hos 2.14 Israel never wanted the Urim and Thummim for their Direction and Counsel but in the Babylonish Captivity and though these were not recover'd after their Return thence yet had they their Bath-kol the Daughter of a voice Mat. 3.17 and John 12.28 30. and the Angel's moving the Pool of Bethesdah John 5.2 4. as standing Tokens of his presence with them and of Divine Dealings or Negotiations betwixt them In a word Noah was a perfect Man so call'd because he had 1. A Saving Knowledge of God 2. Continual Counsel from God And 3. Constant Communion with God This must we press too Though it be clear in Scripture that God warned Noah and whereof also to wit of the Worlds Destruction by a Floud and of his Salvation by an Ark yet is it not so clear whereby he was warned It may be said 1. Negatively God did not warn him by a Prophet for we read not of any Prophet in those evil days 2. Yet Positively God warn'd him either by the Ministry of some Angel or by immediate Revelation from himself Now instead of the extraordinary Revelations of Old Testament-Times we have perfect Scripture which they wanted able to make wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 whereas their Revelations were oft personal and private and not tending directly to Salvation but rather relating to private Persons to particular Families or to publick Kingdoms whereas now our Salvation by Christ is more revealed in the Scriptures than private or particular matters we to us therein 'T is true the Arcana Imperii and the Arcana Ecclesiae the grand Concerns of the World and of the Church in the VVorld are contained in Sacred Writ yet the main Scope thereof is to Teach Salvation by a Saviour ☞ NB. Whatever Revelation may now be pretended concerning this or that Nation concerning future Times following Days or the Full and Final Consummation of the World not drawn out of the Sheath or Quiver of the Holy Scriptures are but the wild Fancies and uncertain Conjectures of Men while the Vail is untaken off while the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit doth darken Truth and while we know but in part and see through a Glass darkly So that to give guesses on such Subjects and not from Scripture is to exercise our selves in matters too high for us Psal 131.1 and to Usurp the use of Gods Key which hangs only at Gods Girdle Acts 1.7 Hence many Conjectures become contrary and contradictory one to another because they are not Discoveries drawn out of the Light and Sunshine of the Infallible Spirit Paul saith I speak by permission not by command in some cases 1 Cor. 7.6 c. After Noah had prepared the Ark according to Gods warning and his own fear of Faith three circumstances are to be well considered 1. Ingress 2. Progress 3. Egress 1. His Ingress or entrance into it 2. His Progress or safe entertainment in it 3. His Egress or joyful departure out of it First of the first of these viz. 1. Noahs Ingress or Entrance the day of the Deluge's coming is come all the Guests invited to this Sanctuary or Ark of safety approach and enter three enquiries arise here The 1. Is When The 2. Who And 3. What. 1. When was this done Ans 1. Negatively Not as the Jewish Doctors say when forced by the Floud This is a slandring both the Holy person Noah and the Holy Text too Which saith otherwise Therefore 2. Positively It was when God commanded him Gen. 7.1 Not when the floud forced him he went into the Ark at Gods Command Gen. 7.1.7 And he went out of the Ark at Gods Command also Gen. 8.15 16 17.18 'T is therefore apparent that the Rabbins revile this good old Preacher in saying of him he came not into the Ark out of any good will but when compell'd thereunto by the Flouds coming NB. 'T is the bad portion of good Preachers to be reviled 'T is probable God commanded Noah to enter the Ark a little after Methuselahs Death he dieth as the name signifies and the dart cometh Then was the floud sent for the righteous must be taken away before the evil come Isa 57.1 Lot must be handed out of Sodom into Zoar before Hell be rain'd out of Heaven upon those wicked Cities Gen. 19.6.22 Jeroboams best Son must die before the Downfal of his Fathers Family 1 Kin. 14.12 13. And Josiah must be removed before the Captivity came and the first destruction of Jerusalem 2 Kin. 22.23 As the Apostle James was before its second destruction Acts 12.2 Many more such instances may be given This holy Patriarch Methuselah had been hitherto a Bulwark and Rampart against the Flood for the World Thus it is with all Gods eminent Servants they stand in the Gap and Stop the Breach to prevent an Inundation Oh then how mad is the World to be so mad against their best benefactors as before The 2. Enquiry is Who entred Ans 1. Noah and his houshold eight persons 1 Pet. 3.20 The great God took his Fann into his hand Mat. 3.12 And Fanned or Winnowed eight Grains of Corn from a whole Barn-floor of Chaff yet one of these eight proved but a slain Wheat-grain C ham became an Hypocrite yet was he saved for Noahs sake but never any righteous destroyed for the wickeds sake Many more hands were employed upon the Ark than the hands of Noah and his Sons yet none were saved in the Ark save those four and their four Wives All the other Carpenters that had wrought and it may be very hard upon the Ark for saving those eight Souls perished in the waters This sheweth 1. that works without Faith cannot save 2. Some may be instrumental for the saving of others yet perish themselves Noahs houshold was a compound of four families They four and their four Wives might make four distinct families yet no Servants are mentioned to enter the Ark with any one of them to be saved with them No men-servants belonging to any of these four Masters no Maid-Servants attending any of these four Mistresses as Psal 123.2 Either we must say 1. That the simplicity of that age was such as required no great attendance but Masters and Mistresses were Servants to themselves and did their own drudgery which is not so probable inasmuch as we find Abraham and Lot had abundance of Servants after the Floud Gen. 13.7 8. And Abraham distinct had three hundred and eighteen Servants Gen. 14.14 And Sarah was Mistress to a maid-Maid-Servant Hagar Gen. 16.3 How many more she might have we know not Or 2. Shall we say though many Servants of both Sexes might belong to those sour families yet this debauched and corrupt age had debauched and corrupted all the Servants so that there was not
one found righteous and religious to enter the Ark and to be saved with the family Would to God Masters and Mistresses of families had not so much cause to complain now that Servants of all sorts and Sexes arc almost universally corrupted and become uncomfortable to them in their Services otherwise what meaneth the bleating of the Sheep and the Lowing of the Oxen as Samuel said that I hear in so many families all over this great City which generally complain of this grievance as if it were a kind of over-spreading Plague upon many Housholds Assuredly this that no Servant was good enough to be saved in Noah's Ark must sound a loud Alarm in the Ears of Servants now and sink down into their Hearts to make them look about them lest they in this Debauching Age have no Interest in Christ the true Ark when either some particular or that general Judgment Day come upon us See more of this in my Christian Walk page 234 235. Thus Cham which signifies Hot because he dwelt in the Hot Countries entred to save the Serpents Seed which must be in the World the cursed Canaanites who descended from Cham Gen. 9.18 25. were Scourges to Israel yet afterwards were cut off c. Shem which signifies a Name entred to he the Father of the famous Jews and Japhet which signifies perswaded entred to be the Father of the numerous Gentiles God hath perswaded Japhet the unbelieving Gentiles to dwell in the Tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 The good Lord at last perswade Shew the unbelieving Jews to pass over into the Tents of Japhet or believing Gentiles 't is Gods work alone to bring them to the Faith Christs Name is a strong Tower or Ark God must perswade bath Shem and Japhet Jews and Gentiles to run into it and be safe Prov. 18.10 All these four Persons went into the Ark by pairs at the Destruction of the World by Water but it shall be otherwise when the World comes to be destroy'd by Fire then our Lord telleth us Two shall be in one Bed to wit the Man and the Wife as some do sense it the one shall be taken and the other left Luke 17.34 and Mat. 24.40 God will then separate his Saints with a most marvellous reparation to be admired of all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 And whereas the Floud in a manner swept all but eight Souls away yet at Christs coming a considerable Company shall be of such as are saved The 3. Enquiry VVhat Animals entred Answer All kind of Creatures enter Male and Female by pairs for propagation as the eight Persons did both VVild and Tame Beasts and Birds Clean and Unclean This was a Mighty Work of Almighty God The VVild Creatures Noah did not Hunt for then as Hunters do now or drive them into the Ark by force but they were all brought to hand by an over-ruling Divine Instinct as we see a common Natural Instinct will cause an Herd of Swine fore-seeing a Storm to run home for shelter The Great Creator gave out his word of command to all these Creatures and they could not but obey it leaving their Desart places they come to God and to his Servant Noah as they had all given Obeisance to their Lord Adam before to receive their several Names according to their several Natures Gen. 2.19 As to him who was the first Storer of the VVorld so how they come to their Lord Noah who was to be the Restorer and Repairer of the VVorld that with him for that end they might find safety according to 1 Sam. 22.23 Abide with me fear not for with me ye shall have safeguard Hereupon Savage Beasts came Tamely to Noah and enter obediently into the Ark. The same Hand of Almighty Power shut up their Mouths from violent Actings which shut them up after with Noah in the Ark for their safety It may easily be imagined that Tubal-Cain Jubal and those wicked Men then alive must needs be astonished when they saw the Lion the Leopard the Tyger c with all their Females running voluntarily and innocently to the Ark Yea and Jabal the Herdsman Gen. 4.20 22. could not but wonder to see seven of his best Rams and best Ewes c. run out of his Flocks and Herds into the Ark as desirous to change their bad Master into a better Jabal's Oxe and Ass knew their right Owner when he himself did not and their best Masters Crib as Isa 1.3 to wit the Ark of Noah which their bad Master knew not Hence these Corollaries may be deduced ☞ 1. That Reason Debauched in Man is worse than the very Brutishness of Beasts yea Rebels against God fall below the Stirrup of Sense as well as Reason therefore God frequently puts Man to the School of Beasts c. to learn some good Lessons from them Go to the Ant thou sluggard Prov. 6.6 to the Stork Turtle and Swallow and to the Crane Jerem. 8.7 Those with the Oxe and the Ass Isa 1.3 All despicable Creatures God placeth in the Chair as it were to read Divinity-Lectures or Divine Lessons to Rebellious Man whose Disobedience and Foolishness is against the very Principles of Nature Man was once the Captain of Gods School but he turned Truant and for his Truantly Tricks is turned down into the Lowest Form as it were to Learn his A B C again and that from the meanest of Animals they must Teach Man to use Sedulity and to take Seasons to understand when the Summer of Grace is offered and when the VVinter of VVrath is threatned NB. 2. When a Beam of Divine Power falls upon wild wolfish wicked Men it tames them and makes them come to Gods Hand and to the Hand of his Preachers of Righteousness as the wild VVolves c. came to Noah's Hand Our Maker can mollifie the very Adamant-Hearts of the maddest Men they must then leave the Tombs the Mountains and the Desert places and come to sit down at Jesus's Feet Mark 5.3 5 18. by vertue of a New Law written in their Hearts Ezek. 11.16 19. and 36.9 26 27 31. Learn from hence also NB. 3. That all Creatures groan under the Bondage of Sin and have an earnest expectation of changing their bad Masters which make them groan into better that will be more merciful to them Row 8.19 20 21 22. Prov. 12.10 Thus the Cattel by a strange Providence run over from Churlish Laban to Godly Jacob Gen. 30.37 38 42 43. and 31.8 9. 'T was God the True Proprietary who made the change dealing kindly with Jacob as a Son while Laban did unkindly to him as a Servant Eleazar was kind to Dumb Creatures Gen. 24.32 while Balaam spurr'd his Ass till she spake Numb 22.27 Thus so many Creatures both Clean and Unclean run here from their Wicked Masters unto Godly Noah but two of the latter for preserving their Kind yet seven of the former the most useful the most respectful The two Unclean must but live the six Clean
his Servants were gone abroad to Solemnize some Festival day as Josephus affirmeth his Wife feigning her self sick staid at Home to have the fairer opportunity for her private Attempt upon Joseph 5. Consider also the Importunity that this Temptation was not offer'd once only but often yea Jom Jom Hebr. Day by Day His Mistriss gives not over upon the first Repulse having not only her Eyes full of Adultery 2 Per. 2.14 but also her heart hot as an Oven Hos 7.7 and belching out flames as if it had been Mount Aetna did daily invite him sollicit him provoke him and laid in Ambush to entrap him insomuch that Joseph's Heart must seem harder than the hardest Rock to the Eyes of carnal Reason If it could not be pierced by this Arrow of carnal Concupiscence shot out of the Devil's Bow by this his Arch-Archer at Joseph's Heart and so oft inforced and inculcated upon him 'T is a wonder that Joseph did not at length fall under the force of this Temptation being so incessantly assaulted with it Seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gutta cavat Lapidem non vi sed saepè cadendo Drops make Impression not by force of one But by their frequent falling on a Stone Notwithstanding All this Joseph's Bow abode in Strength c. for his Continency conquer'd the Temptation by two means 1. By a peremptory rejecting upon solid Reasons that heinous offer 't is said v. 8. but he refused and so would but sew of his years have done Oh how many wanton and wicked young Men about his Age of 27 years would with both hands have embraced this offfer'd Opportunity with less Importunity and would have committed as they wickedly call it this sweet Sin with so much Secrecy and Security c. As the Youngster in Terence foolishly saith Shall I let slip such a desirable and so unexpected an opportunity Then should I indeed be a Fool in grain c. yet chast Joseph abhors the offer renouncing it not by one word only saying No I will not do it but he further asserteth I may not I dare not I cannot do it rendring cogent Reasons and pregnant Arguments for his refusal v. 9. As 1. That his own Relative State required him to refuse if shewing how his Condition of being a Servant commanded him to abhor all Ingratitude and Treachery My Master saith he hath been signally good to me and hath conferr'd a mighty Trust upon me even of his whole and of his All I have sworn to him the Oath of Fidelity therefore should I be an ungrateful Wretch and a Treacherous Villain if I forgetting both my Duty to him and his Mercy to me should be so sinfully evil to him as filthily to Violate his Honourable Marriage-Bed His Second Argument whereby he repells the Temptation is drawn from his Mistriss's Relative State As I am Potiphar's Servant so thou art his Wife joyned to him in that Holy Band of Wedlock 't is neither in thy power nor in mine to break that sacred Band Though my Master hath committed all his Family to my power yet hath he given me no power over thee for power over the Wife is seated only in the Husband 1 Cor. 7.4 Therefore if thou would'st Bed with a Man then go Bed with thy Husband His Third Argument is from the heinous Nature of the Act of Adultery calling it a great wickedness as indeed it is in divers respects 1. As it breaks God's Seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit Adultery And 2. The Eighth too Thou shalt not Steal 't is the worst sort of Theft as it is a stealth of the best of the first real Blessing bestowed on Man as soon as he was Created Adultery is a Theft therefore of that which is most precious a Wife and should be most peculiar to the owner as Joseph intimates to his Mistriss here 3. 'T is double Injustice not only as it steals a Spurious Heir into a Man's Estate or at least thrusts Bastard-Brats in for a Portion among legitimate Children but also as it wrongs the Husband notoriously of his Property Therefore Jealousie of Injury herein doth raise the rage of a man to such an height that it cannot be allayed without Revenge Prov. 6.34 35. Hereupon Joseph argues thus against his Tempting Mistriss with an Argument of Justice My Master hath committed all his Goods but thee to me and therefore for me to meddle with thee would be transcendent and notorious Injustice 4. 'T is Sacriledge especially in sanctified ones called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.3 for the Bodies of such are Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 and to turn the Temple of God into the Devil's Brothel-house by carnal Copulation adulterously is no better than Prophane and Abominable Sacriledge 5. 'T is the basest Treachery for Marriage is not made without the Solemn Bond of Mutual Loyalty end Fidelity therefore for a Wife to turn aside to strange Flesh is doomed Petty-Treason against her Lord Head and Husband and to break that Bond of Wedlock is the vilest Treachery 6. But above All Joseph's main pin upon which all his other Arguments did hang was his Fear of God his Fourth Argument as He saith to his Brethren who had been barbarous to him Do this for I fear God Gen. 42.18 So he saith here to his Mistriss in the sense of his words I cannot do this for I fear God I fear to be a Sinner against my own Soul Num. 16.38 and I fear to be a Sinner against my Good God who Whoremongers and Adulterers will assuredly Judge Hebr. 13.4 't was Conscience toward God that made him say How can I sin against God who makes the Marriage-Covenant and keepeth the Bonds Prov. 2.17 As I may not be so ungrateful to my kind Master so I dare not be so ungracious to my gracious God as my Trespass would be wicked against Potiphar so my Transgression would be worse wicked against the Lord as David confess'd Psal 51.4 I have Trespassed against Uriah but I have transgressed against God and God only Thus Joseph's Bow abode in strength in giving a repulse to this Temptation by branding it for a great wickedness as a Trespass against Man and to make it more Black he Brands it likewise for a grievous Sin as a Transgression against God The whole of his words are an Elegant and Angelical Apophthegm or a most Golden Sentence wherewith this chast Youth withstands a most brazen Encounter which though it be pure and clean in it self yet doth it cast Dirt and Dung at the foul face of this filthy Sin of Adultery as honest People do cast all manner of stinking stuff at those Whores which are Carted through open Streets or Market-places for committing this Sin This was Joseph's first means His second Means was as he had hitherto fought against this Temptation by Dint of Argument so hereafter he was forced to fly from it by force and flight he repulses Sin by strength of Arms when strength
and Intention being resolved before hand to have Christ's Life yet will they proceed against him in a Judicial manner and in a Form of Justice under colour of Law pretending to Act. Impartially in this Process though intending nothing less for under this plausible pretence they Condemn the Innocent proceeding upon these three points 1. They Examine Christ 2. They produce Witnesses against him 3. They Adjure him to tell them who he was Of these in order 1. Whereas some Plaintiff should have stood up as the Accuser or Solicitor for Justice but none appearing the Judges themselves began to examine him of his Disciples and Doctrine thinking thereby that seeing they had no Just Crime to six upon him before they had apprehended him they might now pick out some seeming matter out of his Answer to their Interrogatories At the least to have proved him a False Prophet for contradicting Moses and the Prophets with his New Doctrine But he who was the Wisdom of God answers so Wisely as quite cut off all occasion of Advantage from his words for as to his Disciples he discovereth them not though he might have said one of them through your Means hath betraid me and fled but because he could say no more good of them he chuses rather to say nothing at all N. B. Note well would to God we could learn from him to deal thus with our Followers c. But as to his Doctrine he defends it by Appealing to his Common Auditors who heard him Preach publickly in the Temple and Synagogues John 18.19 20 21. N. B. Note well Thus Truth is bold and barefaced He mattered not if they asked his Adversaries while Heresie whereof they sought to accuse him hides it self and loaths the Light and hereby he kept the Bandogs off at staves end N. B. Note well This may teach us that though we should be ready to give an account of the hope that is in us 1 Pet. 3.15 Yet when called to it before catching and cavilling Adversaries we need say nothing of our Doctrine in particular but answer in general Terms as our Lord did here and as Paul did notably after Acts 23.6 Least we intangle our selves thereby and give any advantage to the Adversary for new Accusations out of our Answers c. 2. They Suborned false Witnesses against Christ Matth. 26.59 60 c. When he was thus Convented and Indited in this Spiritual Court with all Injustice Imaginable yet so shameful in it self is an unjust Process that these Monsters of Malice must pretend a Form of Justice and produce their Witnesses c. and though they were notoriously guilty of Injustice yet did they shun the seeming guilt thereof by Rejecting their Witnesses when they heard them disagree in their false Testimonies and like the Babel-Builders whose Language God confounded those must be laid aside and others are sought that were better Instructed Those Remarks arise here 1. They sought those Witnesses not as if these Judges of the Court had leisure to rise from off the Bench at that time to seek them but the Priests had so prepared their matters that something might be picked up out of the Mouth of their Witnesses which might do the Job for Condemning Jesus These mercenary Men would Swear what their Masters would impose upon them being meerly moved by the Favour and Authority of their Imposers 2. 'T is not mentioned in Scripture what those Knights of the Post Swore against this Innocent Lamb probably it was that he destroyed the Law had prophaned the Sabbath pardoned Sin forbid Fasting was an Enemy to the Tradition of the Elders c. 3. This corrupt Court Suborned their Witnesses as was done by them afterwards against the Protomartyr Stephen Acts 6.11 Not only hireing them to Swear but also putting words into their Mouths as well as Money into their pockets what they should say in their swearing work they taught their Tongues to speak lyes Jerem. 9.5 This they had learned from the old Manslayer the first Lyar and the Father of Lyes John 8.44 Though the Devil did but Equivocate to our first Parents yet is he called a downright Lyar there and no better than a Cozener 2 Cor. 11.3 4. Those Ecclesiasticks did lavish Gold out of their Baggs in hireing not one Witness only but many some at one time and some at another that by the Multitude of such kind of Cattel they might seem under a fairer gloss to find out the Truth with much pains and care of Inquiry 5. Yet whatever all those Suborn'd Wretches did Witness against Christ out of his Oracles and Miracles is called a false Testimony though they seemed to seek and say the Truth Their Tongues were so divided by the over-ruling Hand of God that one Swore black another white their Testimonies did trip up the Heels one of another Mar. 14.56 And they confuted themselves with their own Contradictions seeing that which is false may contradict that which is false on the other hand as well as that which is true However they none of them Swore home to the Point in the Judgment of the Court to make Christ guilty of any capital Crime insomuch that the Suborners were ashamed of their own Suborned Creatures and Christs Innocency appeared as bright as a Sum beam 6. When the Adversaries best projects do fail as they oft have done heretofore and will do so for the future they are forced to shift their Sails and take new Measures N. B. Note well Queen Elizabeth wrote in a Window at Woodstock while a Prisoner there much alledged against me nothing proved can be Had this been a Court of Justice indeed they would have punished those False Witnesses according to the Law of Moses Deut. 19.16 19 c. 7. When all their many false Witnesses were foundred and confounded with their own Mutual Contradictions so that the Sanhedrim could find no fault still to fix upon Innocent Jesus out of any of their false Testimonies at the last the Devil did help them at this dead lift they found out by their Divelish Agents two Witnesses that must drive the Nail to the Head by a specious Calumniating of Christ about destroying and repairing the Temple which they knew the People so much Adored as none were allowed to speak against it and for this supposed Crime Stephen was stoned afterward Acts 6.13 14. and 7.58 59. These two Witnesses the other many disagreeing Witnesses being all Rejected they hoped would better hang their matters together agreeing in one story and thereby seem to have some more Evidence of Truth Hereupon when the worst of Christs Adversaries could find no other fault in him then were they forced to make that a fault which indeed was none to wit His foretelling of his own death and Resurrection which in Truth was the Evidence of his Deity and the ground of our Comfort These two as well as all the other foregoing are all equally styled by the Spirit of God to be false