World begâ—n 71 That we should be delivered from our enemies and from the hands of them that hate us 72 To performe the mercy promised to our fore-fathers and to remember his holy Covenant 73 The oath which he sware to our Father Abraham 74 That he would grant unto 〈◊〉 that wee being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare 75 In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life 76 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the â—most Highest for thou shalt goâ— before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins 78 Through the tender â—mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from an high hath visited as 79 To give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace 80 And the child grew and waved strong in Spirit and was in the desert till the day of his shewing unto Israel Reason of the Order THe order of this Section may bee briefly contrived and illustrated thus Elisabeth when Mary commeth to her waâ— about sermoneths gone with child Luke 1. 26. 36. and about nine moneths when shee departed from her vers 56. Shee comming to her owne house is suspected by Joseph to have played the harlot and is in danger of a secret divorce while these things are thus passing betwixt them two at Nazaret the time of Elisabeths delivery is fully come Harmony and Explanation Verse 59. They came to circumcise the Child IN Hebron and about the time of Easter was Circumcision first ordained Gen. 17. And in the same place and at the same time of the yeere was John Baptist borne and cicumcised who was to bring in Baptisme in stead of Circumcision as may bee apparent by observing the time of the Angel Gabriels appearing and message to his father Zacharias in the preceding Kalendar and it shall bee to the full explained and proved hereafter when we come to treat of the time of our Saviours birth § And they called his name Zacharias A thing hardly to be parallel'd againe in all the Scripture that a child should be named by the name of his father an extraordinary action in an extraordinary case Because Abraham and Sarah had their new names given them at the giving of circumcision therefore did after-times reserve this custome to name their children at their circumcising The name was sometime given to the child by the mother but that was ever at the birth and it was upon some weighty and speciall reason as Gen. 29. 32 33 34 35. and 30. 6 7. c. 1 Sam. 4. 21. 1 Chron. 4. 29. and sometimes by the standers by at the birth as Gen. 38. 29. and 25. 25. Ruth 4. 18. but the father at the Circumcision had still the casting voice whether the name should bee so or no as appeareth by Jacobs changing Ben-oni into Benjamin Now Zacharie being dumbe and the mother having given it no name at the birth the persons present undertake to call it by the name of the Father And now is hee in circumcising that is the man appointed to bee the first overthrow of Circumcision by bringing in Baptisme instead of it R. Solomon from the Talmud in Sanbedrin expoundeth Jerem. 25. 10. I will take from them the sound of the milstones and the light of the candle to this sense The sound of the milstones signifieth the Feast at a Circumcision because they ground or bruised Spices for the healing of the sore and the light of the Candle signifieth the Feast it selfe Thus doe they confesse a decay of Circumcision to be foretold by the Prophet and yet they sticke not to deny most stiffely that Circumcision must ever decay Vers. 63. Hee wrote saying That is expressing or To this purpose as Exod. 18. 6. And Jethro said to Moses I Jethro come to thee That is he signified so much by Letter as the serious viewing of the story will necessarily evince And so 2 King 5. 6. And bee brought the Letter to the King of Israel saying not that Naaman that brought the Letter spake the words that follow but the Letter it selfe spake them John The Lord hath been gracious A name most fit for him that was to bee the first Preacher of the Kingdome of grace and to point out him that was grace it selfe Rabbi Jochanan said what is the name of the Messias Some said Haninah Grace as it is said I will not give you Haninah that is the Messias who shall bee called gracious Jer. 16. 13. Talmud bab in Pesach cap. 4. Vers. 64. And his mouth was opened Infidelity had closed his mouth and now faith or beleeving doth open it againe And herein may this case of Zachary be fitly compared with the like of Moses Exod. 4. For he for distrust is in danger of his life as Zachary for the same fault is strucke dumbe but upon the circumcising of his child and recovery of his faith the danger is removed as Zacharies dumbnesse is at such a time aâ—d occasion as Psal. 116. 10. He beleeveth and therefore doth he speak And the tongue of the dumb doth sing Esay 35. 6. And his tongue Out English hath added loosed for illustration as also hath the French and some say it is found in some Copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But first no such word is expressed either in the Syrian Arabick Vulgar Latine Italian Erasmus or other Translators Nor secondly needeth there any such word to make a perfect sense but it may well help the simple and vulgar capacity what our English hath added Vers. 66. Laid them up in their hearts It could not but affect all that heard of this strange birth of the Baptist with wonder and amazement and singular observation both in regard that so many and great miracles were wrought in this time when miracles were so much abated and decayed as also in consideration that there was never birth before that had so many concomitants of wonder and miraculousnesse as the birth of this child Not of Isaac the glorious Patriarch not of Moses the great Prophet nor of any other whatsoever that had beene in former times And the hand of the Lord was with him Either the speciall favour and assistance of the Lord as Ezra 7. 6. and 8. 22 c. or the gift of Prophecy at capable yeers as 1 Sam. 3. 19. for so the hand of the Lord doth signifie Ezek. 1. 3. 37. 1. 40. 1. Psal. 80. 17. 1 Chron. 28. 19. Vers. 68. Redeemed Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee hath made or wrought redemption In the very phrase implying a price paid for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth It is used againe Chapt. 2. 38. and by the Lxx Psal. 111. 9. and 130. 7. and by Theodotion for satisfaction Prov. 6. 35. Vers. 69. An horne
that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe leaped in her wombe and Elisabeth was filled with the holy Ghost 42 And shee spake out with a loud voice and said Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe 43 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me 44 For lo so soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares the Babe leaped in my wombe for joy 45 And blessed is shee that beleeved for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46 And Mary said My soule doth magnifie the Lord 47 And my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maiden for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name 50 And his mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation 51 Hee hath shewed strength with his arme hee hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich hee hath sent empty away 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy 55 As he spake to our fathers to Abraham and to his seed for ever 56 And Mary abode with her about three moneths and returned to her owne house Reason of the Order THe Order of this Section requireth not much confirmation for it will plead for it selfe After the Divine Nature of Christ is handled as in the Section preceding his humane is to bee considered next and so is it here And first the manner of his conception but the conception of his forerunner John the Baptist orderly described and declared before Harmony and Explanation Ver. 5. In the daies of Herod THe Scepter shall not depart from Judah or the Lawgiver from between his sect untill Shiloh come Gen. 49. 10. The words are to bee read discretively Or rather then And shewing that when the Scepter ceased the Law-giver succeded and when both were gone then Messias should appeare The Scepter continued in the hand of Judah till the captivity into Babylon and then it departed and being once fallen it was never recovered till hee came to whom it belonged This Jeremy told expressely even at the very time when it was in failing Jer. 22. 30. Write Coniah childlesse for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the Throne of David and ruling any more in Judah And so did Ezekiel even just then when Nebuchadnezzar was setting himselfe to fetch it away Ezek. 22. 21. c. Remove the Diadem and take off the Crown c. I will overturne overturne overturne it and it shall bee no more untill hee come whose right it is and I will give it him After their returne out of that captivity the Law-giver or the high Court of the Seventy Elders sate at the Helme and ruled the State till the usurpation of the Asmenean or Maccabean family distempered all Their Ambition brought in a Crowne and that civill warres and those the Romans who subdued the nation and set Herod King over them Hee was the Sonne of Antipater of the race of Edom or of the seed of Esau a generation that had been an enemy to the Jewes continually but never ruled over them till now so that now were fulfilled the words of Isaac to his Sonne Esau. Thou shalt serve thy brother Jacob but it shall come to passe when thou shalt have the dominion thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck Gen. 27. 40. Herod was bloody like the root of which hee came which persecuted his Brother even in the wombe and among other his cruelties which were very horrible and very many hee slew the Sanhedrin or the bench of the Lxx Judges And then was the Law-giver departed from between Judahs feet as the Scepter was out of his hand long before And then might the Jewes cry out as it is recorded they did though upon another occasion Woe unto us for the Scepter is departed from Judah and the Law-giver from between his feet and yet is not the Sonne of David come § There was a certaine Priest named Zacharias Of this name there had been a famous Priest and a famous Prophet in old time before Zacharias the Sonne of Jehojada before the captivity 2 Chron. 24. And Zacharias the Sonne of Barachias after Zac. 1. 1. And consonant it was that hee in whom Priesthood and Prophecy should bee strucke dumb and even have their period because the great Priest and Prophet was so neere at hand should beare the same name with them in whom Priesthood and Prophecy had in some manner ceased before SS Of the course of Abia. The Priests were divided by David into foure and twenty courses 1 Chron. 24. Not but that there had beene courses before of them but because there had not been so many For reason it selfe will tell us that since they were all bound to the service of the Sanctuary and withall were so very many in number they could not serve there mixedly and confusedly but must need have some distinction and order some of the Jews say they were divided into eight courses by Moses foure of Eleazar and foure of Ithamar But for this they have no ground to shew at all Others that they were divided into sixteen by him namely eight and eight of either family And of the division it selfe there seemeth to bee some probability in the Text but not of the divider For speaking of Davids distinguishing them because they were growne more numerous it saith 1 Chro. 24. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth thus much that there was one principall houshold added to every course of Eleazar more than was before and so they became sixteene but of Ithamar were onely taken those which were used before which were onely eight and thus did they rise to 24. See R. Solomon Dav. Kimehi in loc These courses thus newly increased by David for number and thus newly ranked by lot for order and both for the service of the Temple when it should bee built it is but little to bee doubted but that they began their round when the service of the Temple did first begin which round began on the Sabbath next after the Feast of Tabernacles about the two and twentieth day of the moneth Tisri 2 Chron. 7. For on the 23 day Solomon dismissed all the people to their owne houses ver 10. after hee had kept the Feast of Tabernacles seven dayes before according to the Law beginning on the fifteenth day of the moneth and concluding on the one and twentieth day Lev. 23. and the next day after or the two and twentieth day was a solemne
hath revealed my secrets to the 〈◊〉 of men And when he went about to explaine the 〈◊〉 or the bookeâ— of Holy Writ there came a Bath Kol or a divine voyce againe 〈◊〉 said It is enough What is the reason Because in them it revealed the end of the Messias In Megillah Now here it may bee doubly questioned First why they called it Bath Kol The Daughter of a voyce and not a voyce it selfe And secondly whether this voyce that wee have in hand were such a voyce as that or no To the first if the strictnesse of the Hebrew word Bath bee to bee stood upon which it alwayes is not it may bee answered that it is called the Daughter of a voyce in relation to the Oracle of Vrim and Thummim for whereas that was a voyce given from off the Mercy Seate within the vaile and this upon the decay of that Oracle came as it were in its place it might not unfitly nor unproperly bee called a Daughter or successor of that voyce But to the second and which is more materiall and pertinent to the subject in hand it may bee answered that this voyce was not of the nature of their Bath Kol upon these two reasons First because this voyce came descendingly from heaven but their Bath Kol cannot bee proved to have descended or at least to have constantly come from heaven For the 〈◊〉 hinc which gave warning of the destruction of the City came not from above but from the Temple as Isa. 66. 6. And this can hardly bee denyed to have been one of their Bath Kol voyces And if wee will beleeve the Jewish Authours in every place where they give examples of this their Bath Kol it will appeare rather to bee such a voyce as came to Samuel which was so farre from a perpendicular descending that hee could not distinguish whether it were the call of â—li Secondly because whereas the Jewes repute their Bath Kol both the last and the lowest kind of divine revelation among them this kinde of a voyce from heaven was both ancient as Gen. 21. 17. and 22. 11. and also most honourable Exod. 20. 22. Deut. 4. 33. 36 SS From Heaven The opinion that these words were spoken by an Angell deputed by God for that purpose which some do hold is not onely improper but also dangerous improper because it crosseth a plain and facile Text and dangerous because it bringeth a created Angell into a kind of equality and compartnership with the sacred Trinity For First Why should there bee any surmise of such an Angell uttering these words unlesse it might bee thought that God could not utter them himselfe Secondly as Paul saith To which of the Angels said God at any time Thou art my Sonne so may it bee said much more which of the Angels ever durst or might call Christ his Sonne Thirdly Peter speaking of the Parallel or like voyce to this which was uttered at our Saviours transfiguration hee saith it came from the excellent glory which doubtlesse sheweth more then from an Angell 2 Pet. 1. 17. Mat. 3. Ver. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased In Marke and Luke it is Thou art my beloved Son c. whereas Matthew expresseth it This is which though it shew some difference yet is it not materiall nor doth the difference breed so much difficulty as it doth satisfaction to the Reader and fulnesse to the story For the two Evangelists first named relate it as spoken to Christ for the sealing of his person and in answer to his prayer but the other expresseth it onely as spoken of Christ and not to him but pointing him out to the notice of John Now this whole speech is taken from 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psal. 89. 26 27. and Isa. 42. 1. and when it is uttered again from heaven at our Saviours transfiguration this addition Heare him is put to it Mat. 17. 5. Luk. 9. 35. sealing him then for the great Prophet of his Church whom all must heare Deut. 18. 15. as it sealeth him now for the high Priest of his Church being now to enter into his Ministery Luk. 3. Ver. 23. And Jesus himselfe beganne to bee about thirty yeeres of age Agreeable to this age of Christ when hee beganne his Ministery was the age of the Priests when they entred their Office Numb 4. 3. the age of Joseph when hee came to promotion Gen. 41. 46. and the age of David when hee began to Reigne 2 Sam. 5. 4. Now how this is to bee understood is some controversie Some there are that take it thus that Jesus was now fully and perfectly thirty Others thus that hee now beganne or drew on to bee full thirty and so preaching three yeeres and six moneth that hee dyed at thirty three yeeres old and an halfe But this interpretation the phrase used by the Evangelist and the common and ordinary manner of the Scriptures reckoning of the ages of men and of other things doth sufficiently contradict For First in that Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was baptized beginning to bee as it were thirty the word beginning to bee denyeth his being thirty compleat and the word as it were denyeth his drawing upon thirty compleate likewise For if hee were full thirty then hee beganne not to bee so and if hee were drawing on to full thirty then was hee not drawing to as it were thirty but to thirty indeed By the phrase therefore is to bee understood that hee was now nine and twenty yeeres of age compleat and just now entring upon his thirtieth and this the Evangelist hinteth so clearely that it needeth not much confirmation For that hee was in his thirty current and not compleated is plaine by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were thirty that is thirty yeeres old after a certain reckoning and that hee was but now entring upon this his thirty current is as plain by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee began but to bee so To which also secondly may bee added the common and current use of Scripture in reckoning of ages either of men or beasts to account the yeere which they are now passing for a yeere of their age bee it never so newly or lately begun Examples of this it is needlesse to give the thing is so usuall and obvious to every eye So that now to take up the times of the world and of our Saviour according to this computation they result to this First That since hee was borne in the yeere of the world 3928. stilo veteri but newly begunne hee was baptized in the yeere of the world 3957. but newly begunne by the same stile likewise Secondly That since hee was borne in Tisri hee was also baptized in Tisri Thirdly That since his last residence in Bethlehem to his first appearing publickly in the worke of the Gospell were full seven and twenty yeeres all which time hee had lived either in Nazareth the Town of his