Samuel could not Thunder and Lighten loud enough in his Elegant Oration to Israel to make them both Hear and See yet sure I am the God of Samuel did it effectually 'T is said All the People saw the Thundrings and the Lightnings and were affrighted at such a dreadful Promulgation of the Law Exod. 20 18. As Moses had God to Second him there so Samuel had the same good Second here to convince them of their Sin in asking a King and casting off God who had such a power as to slay them with Thunderbolts for their Sin The Third Remark is the effect of all Namely Israel's Repentance v. 18 19. This was a powerful Conviction to them upon many Accounts as 1. That such a Prodigious Storm should arise in their Wheat Harvest when the parching Heat of the Sun doth Naturally dry up all Vapours and Exhalations 2. That it should be a very Fair Day when Samuel foretold this and no appearance of any Black Cloud Arising Psal 147.8 3 That the Storm should fall so suddenly as did that upon Sodom The Sun shone upon Lot when God Rained the Fire of Hell from Heaven upon that Wicked City Gen. 19.23 24. 4. That it fell with such Violence far beyond ordinary Storms as they feared to be knock'd down Dead by it 5. That such dreadful Flashes of Fire should bolt forth out of the midst of a Vast Confluence of Water and that with such confounding Cracks 6 That this whole Prodigy should be procured by the Prayer of Samuel only All these things made them fear both the Lord and Samuel The Lord because he most frightfully Thundred and Samuel because he had not only Prayed but also had Prevailed for those frightful Thundrings Now was the time of Reflecting severely upon their mad folly saying what Fools are we to Cast off from us 1. The Government of such a God at whose command are all things both in Heaven and Earth and hath such terrible Tempests at his Beck Call and Command And 2. The Government of such a Judge as is so prevailent with this great God and can open and shut Heaven by his Prayers We have declared his Innocency v 4. We have heard his Wisdom in this excellent Oration We have seen his Patience all the time of his Judgship and now we cannot but admire his Power with God yet could we not rest satisfied with such a Governour tho' they said not thus they might well think thus yet this they said upon Record Pray for thy Servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not c. Ver. 19. Where Note 1. So conscious were their Thunder-struck Consciences of their own guilt that they had no confidence of praying for themselves but begs Samuel to save them from Death 2. They call themselves Samuel's Servants when they had deserted his service and betaken themselves to a New and another Master to wit Saul Mendoza therefore lookt upon it like the common Court-Complement of our Day Your Servant Sir when indeed Men are too saucy to be so to whom they say so 3. They call the Lord Samuel's God they are both afraid and ashamed to call him their God because they had so highly offended him and knew God would not hear sinners Joh. 9.31 And 4. They feared that this terrible Tempest would destroy both their Persons and their Harvest 5. By the occasion of this later Sin they came to a sight and sense of all their other former Sins 6. And when Samuel saw them truly humbled he prayed down the Storm as he had prayed it up c. The 4th Remark is The Epilogue of Samuel's Oration after all ver 20. to 25. wherein he gives them Caution Counsel and Comfort 1. A word of Caution Beware of Vain Idols turn not aside to them as ye oft have done heretofore if ye do at your peril they will not only prove unprofitable but most pernicious both you and your King shall perish thereby ver 20 21 25. 2. A word of Counsel Cleave close to God and he will cleave as close to you Deus non deserit nisi deserentem Austin His own Honour is engaged ver 22. and he abhors to forfeit it forsaking none but such as first for sake him 2 Chron. 15.2 3. A word of Comfort bidding them first not to despair fear not with a Desponding fear v. 20. Secondly God hath made you his own peculiar People Exod. 19.5 not from your Merit but from his free Mercy Deut. 7.7 and 9.5 He hath chosen you for his Love and will still love you for his Choice and Rest in his Love Zeph 3.17 And here ver 23. Thirdly He promiseth them his Prayers ver 23. tho' they had disobliged him and made him now pray against them in procuring this Tempest which tho' it might hinder their Harvest and did fill their hearts with fears yet did it help to heal their Souls and give them a sight of their sins saying Nay I will not only now pray for you but I will also preach to you as your Prophet tho' not your Judge but do you serve God both without dissimulation and without diminution of God's due otherwise neither my praying for you nor preaching to you can at all profit you Be ye Dutiful to God and God will be Merciful to you c. 1 Sam. CHAP. XIII CHapter the 13th is a Narrative of Saul's distrust and timorous Temper in taking up Arms against the â—hilistines Remarks upon it are i. The Time when this was done ver 1. namely when he had Reigned one year from his first Election at Mizpeh in which time the Stories in chap. 11 and 12. did fall out So long he Ruled righteously peaceably and orderly and he Reigned two years more after this wherein he Conquered the Philistines Syrians Mâ—abiâ—es and Ammonites that Invaded the Land and in that Time also he Invaded Amalek but because he spared Agag c. the Lord cast him off and Anointed David N. B. He Ruled well till he was Rejected of God and was bereaved of God's Spirit and then he turned Tyrant holding the Kingdom by Violence the time he Ruled after his Rejection was not properly a Rule but rather a Tyranny and a Persecution therefore 't is said He took the Kingdom chap. 14.47 that is reassumed the Administration of it which he had in a manner lost partly by Samuel's Sentence chap. 13.14 and partly by the Philistines who had almost thrust him out of it He took it in opposition to God who had said by his Servant Samuel that he should lose it so he Ruled with Rigour ever after and therefore is he said to Rule so few years N. B. And thus in God's account a Man is said to live no longer in the World than while he liveth well Whereunto Seneca's Notion doth correspond diu fuit non diu vixit A bad Man may be long in the World but he lives very little for he is Dead while he lives like Paul's Widow
passeth through them Isa 27.4 and which seemingly might Promise Fruit but were really dry to shew that there is no hope of Relief by any legal Performances N.B. The Apostle calls the Law given upon Mount Sinai a Covenant of Works Gal. 4.24 which was a fiery Law Deut. 33.2 and hath still something of the Fire in it but no Relief or Comfort as the Tenure of it is do and live so 't is full of Terrour and Malediction to those that continue not in all things Gal. 3 10. It made not only the People but even Moses himself their Mediator Tremble Heb. 12.21 But we have a better Mediator in the Gospel-state not God coming down in a thick Cloud as here but God manifested in the Flesh c. 1 Tim. 3.16 'T is the Gospel-state that 1. Gives us Relief from the Curse of the Law 2. Procures Acceptance both of our Persons and of our Actions of Obedience And 3. Obtains Pledges of Divine Favour both for here and hereafter The Voice of Words was the Decalogue or Moral Law which was first writ in the Heart but now by the overspreading Corruption of all Flesh was much worn out Therefore God gives it here such a glorious Renovation and not only Audibly spake those Ten Words in the Audience of all this prodigious Auditory but also wrote them with his own Finger in Tables of Stone to shew both the Law 's Duration and our Obduration The Seventh Remark is the Perturbation of the People at this horrible Promulgation and Delivery of the Decalogue Wherein the Objects the Effects and the Remedy of their Horrour and Trembling are expresly observable in this Place First The Object Exod. 20.18 They saw the Thunders c. which strictly taken are rather heard than seen but seeing is largely taken for perceiving by any Sense or by the Understanding Thus Jacob saw there was Corn in Egypt Gen. 42.1 is explained by the Holy Ghost by Jacob heard Act. 7.12 Seeing is the surest Sense for believing one Eye-witness is of more Credit than many Ear-witnesses therefore 't is oft used for Knowledge that comes by Hearing or by the other Senses as Exod. 5.21 Yea by the Light of Reason or by the Evidence of Faith whereby many Truths are apprehended so assuredly as if they were seen with our Bodily Eyes Omnes Sensus conjuncti sunt in communi sensu all the five outward Senses are conjoined in the inward common Sense Nor doth Moses relate all the People saw for there was Fire mixed with Smoak and Darkness c. which burned up to the midst of Heaven This was the Object that affrighted them Secondly The Effects were twofold First Their Supplication that God would no more speak by himself but by Moses to them Exod. 20. ver 19. 'T was here Man 's own choice and we should therefore look on it as a great Mercy that God's Mind is made known to us by the Ministry of Men like to our selves as Elihu said to Job Behold I am according to thy wish cut out of the Clay My Terrour shall not make thee afraid Job 33.6 7. N.B. God speaking â—he Law was so terrible to the People that they had need of a Mediator wherein Moses â—ypified Christ Gal. 3.19 1 Tim. 2.3 to mediate betwixt God and Israel Secondly Their Tergiversation or flight from the Mountain as frighted ones retreating to their Tents ver 21. For which doing God commiserating their Infirmities gave them his Commission Deut. 5.30 As he had before given them his Commendation in requesting a Mediator Deut. 5.28 29. The People being terrified seek for a Mediator ver 27. which was the end of the Law as a Schoolmaster to drive us unto Christ Cal. 3.24 This humble motion pleased God and for the present he gave them Moses to mediate for them but farther promiseth them a Prophet like to Moses who was Christ our Blessed Mediator Deut. 18.15 18. Act. 3.22 26. Whose Office is to go near unto God and declare his Mind to us which was fulfill'd in Christ Joh. 1.18 and 3.13 and 8.28 c. The Law was given in this terrible Manner for many Reasons 1. To shew forth the dreadful Majesty of God 2. To awaken the Consciences of Sinners 3. To declare the controversie betwixt an Holy God and sinful Men without Christ by whom Grace cometh and the Gospel of Grace invites those whom the Law excludes 4. The Law given out of the Cloud intimated it's obscurity without the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.13 c. God is not clearly seen in the Law for God is Love 1 Joh. 4.8 5. All this Dread and Terrour was to shew the Nature of the Law how it is a killing Letter like Draco's Law written not in black but in Blood holding forth Justice only and not Mercy manifesting God's Will and Mens Sins and to warn them of the Wrath deserved summoning them to appear before the Judge And 6. To assure that as the Law was given at first with all this Horrour and affrightment so with much more unspeakable Consternation of all Flesh God will require it at the Day of Judgment when all the World that have been are or shall be must appear before the Judge The Third Branch is the Remedy of the Peoples Perplexity Moses saith to them Fear not there 's a Prohibition Yet fear that 's a Precept Exod. 20.20 Servile or Slavish fear which startleth and stareth perplexed ones at the Approach and Apprehension of Danger he forbids here yet promotes he a filial and awful fear which is compounded of Reverence and Love this must be a Bridle from Sin and a Spur to Holiness as well as Beneficence is a Bait to Obedience Isa 1.19 20. Or the sense of the Words runs thus Fear not this glorious Appearance so much as to cry out Let not God talk with us lest we Dye ver 19. for they now had heard God yet they did not then die and this they acknowledge Deut. 5.24 but such was the guilt of their Sin that they feared should God continue to speak to them any more they could not escape death Moses wisheth them here to raise up their Meditations from this terrour in giving the Law to that future fearful appearance of the Law-giver at the last day when he cometh to take vengeance upon all breakers of this Law not only Jews but all Genâ—iles c. For which day we must much more sanctifie our selves to day and to morrow as they did for receiving the Law when God comes to require it our Sanctification is not perfected in one day nor may we only promise obedience as they did but be as ready to perform it They promised universal obedience without any limitation Exod. 19.8 yet soon forgot their promise when they made a Golden-Calf c. Our Lord tells us in the parable The Son that said to his Father he would not go to work in his Vineyard yet after repented is commended before him who said I go Sir
with bare words so neither should we put off others in necessity bare words will not discharge Duty good words are good in themselves and many go not so far but they are not good enough alone without Deeds Words are but a cold kind of pity Jam. 2.14 15 16. Complements cost nothing and God should not be served with that which costs nothing 2 Sam. 24.24 David would Honour God with his Substance as Prov. 3.9 and be at cost for him as she was with her Spikenard of great price John 12.3 Such as give the Poor good words do acknowledge Charity is a Duty but if they proceed not from Words to Deeds that do cost something it argues they have not Hearts to the Duty so acknowledged to say Be ye warmed But with what With a fire of words And be ye filled But with what With a Mess of Words Such Airy Complements and Courtesies are but a mocking of the Poor Venter non habet Aures the Belly neither hears those empty Complements nor can be filled with airy words Nay 't is a sort of mocking God as well as Men but God will not be mocked Gal. 6.7 to wit by those that withhold from poor Ministers nor from poor Men God will not be Robbed but they shall hear from him who saith Ye are cursed with a Curse Mal. 3.8 9. They are not Chameleon-like to live with Ephraim upon Wind Hos 12.1 to be fed with empty words Go not to Glean in another Field Hence Observ 3. God's Gleaners should have their proper and peculiar Gospel Fields to Glean in They should not go to glean in the Fields of Strangers a Stranger Christ's Sheep will not hear for they know not the Voice of Strangers John 10.5 8. They have their Senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5.14 the Wheat from the Chaff Jer. 23.28 Christ's Sheep are rational Sheep and their service is rational service Rom. 12.1 yea they have a Spirit of discerning 1 Cor. 12.10 whereby they do discern the Mind of Christ from the Matters of Antichrist 1 Cor. 2.16 this makes them hate every false way Psal 119.104 So that 't is impossible they should be fully and finally deceived Matth. 24.24 As they should not be found gleaning in the Field of another that is Heterodox so nor constantly or commonly in the Field of another that is Orthodox with neglect of gleaning in their proper Field Duties are Reciprocal where a Pastor is obliged to Preach to a People there that People are obliged to hear ordinarily and usually where Circumstances of time and place impartially considered disoblige not there may they expect the gleanings of best Blessings even in their Sion Psal 128.5 and 134.3 As the Lord hath said That such Prophets as be Stranger shall not profit his People Jer. 23.22 to 32. So there be proper and peculiar pastures for God's People to be found in where God delights most to Communicate himself to them Thither will I come saith the Lord and there will I Bless you Exod. 20.24 And the Lord Blessed Jacob there Gen. 32.29 at Peniel v. 30. There be some Pastures for God's People which they should most especially both enquire after and attend upon Cant. 1.7 There commands he the Blessing Psal 133.3 which undoubtedly Wanderers that are fixed to no place or People do want The Bird that wanders from her Nest saith Solomon Prov. 27.8 may meet with a Snare instead of Food 'T is good to wait upon God in those places where God's Providence hath placed you I know in many cases God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice Old Age Weakness distance of Habitation admits of a Dispensation yet 't is a great truth Members of Churches ought mostly to meet with their own Churches For First Christ is the God of Order not of Confusion 1 Cor. 14.33 Disorder is from the Devil and not from God who is neither the Author nor the Fautor of Confusion Secondly The Church is a Body Politick and as it is unpracticable in the Natural Body to have one Member of it in one place and another in another place a Hand in London and a Foot in Westminster no more is it practicable in this Political Body the Church Thirdly This is solemnly promised at our Admission to give up our selves to such a Church Fourthly 'T was the practice of the Primitive Christians they all were with one accord in one place Act. 2.1.46 and they went to their own that is to their own Company Acts 4.24 and 5.12 Fifthly How can Pastors have a care of such Members as wander they know not whither unto whose Watching over them they should submit 1 Thess 5.12 Hebr. 13.17 Sixthly Where Christ hath Blessed a Man's Ministry to a Member's Soul whereby that Member hath been brought into the Church such sin away a further Blessing by neglecting that Ministry Seventhly This forsaking to Assemble our selves c. Hebr. 10.25 is the forerunner of wilful sinning v. 26. Eighthly If one Member may wander then another may and another also so none are fixed then the Pastor may wander too so farewel all Fellowship of Churches The very next words further confirms this great Truth But abide fast by my Maidens Both for thy Society and for thy Safety She must keep to her Company whether Reapers or Rakers or Binders or Gleaners God will certainly be kind to those that keep fast to their own Company he will scatter some handfulls for such Gleaners and forget some good Sheaf or other for them Deut. 24.19 20. V. 9. Go thou after them Mercy is not Miserly and Charity is no Churle as before at large Observ 2. from v. 8. Have not I charged the Young Men not to touch thee To wit with either a wanton or a wronging touch Thus the Lord charges an evil World not to wrong his Church for he is Lord of both Psal 105.15 Act. 10.36 Hence also learn this Observ 1. That Masters of Families should so charge and govern their Families that no wicked thing should dwell with them Thus Job 11.14 and 22.23 Thus David Psal 101.2 c. Every Master of a Family should make Nebuchadnezzar's Law That nothing be said or done by those under their Charge against the God of Heaven Dan. 3.29 Drink of that which the Young Men have drawn To wit not without hard Labour in those hot Countries and therefore the Courtesie and Kindness of Boaz to Ruth was the greater herein yet nothing to the Kindness of God who gives the Water of Life to Thirsty Souls John 4.10 Hence Observ 2. God's Kindness is greater to us than that of Boaz to Ruth For First He gives Waters of Life that Revives a Swooning Soul Secondly He gives it freely to every one that is a thirst without Money or without Price Isa 55.1 and Revel 22.17 not only to a Ruth but to all Comers yea to the Unworthy Ezek. 16.6 8. Thirdly Such Living Waters God gives to us as makes us never to thirst again
discover his Bed-chamber-secrets and could not discern also this private present Plot to apprehend him and that he who could save his King Joram from danger once and again could not save himself N. B. Now come we to Elisha's miraculous deluding and captivating the Syrian Army that Benhadad sent to catch him wherein are four Miracles more wrought by him which are all expressed particularly under that general head of Deluding and Captivating c. described in its Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents First The Antecedents Remarks are First The Syrian Army is sent to besiege Dothan a small Village Gen. 37.13 17. near to Sechem and not far from Samaria say Junius and Piscator on ver 13. Remark the Second A great Host comes by night to take Elisha napping in his Bed ver 14. and when they had compassed Dothan they pleased themselves with their confidence that the poor Prophet was now caught in a Cage and now they could carry him away fetter'd to their King who would give them a thousand Thanks yea and rich Rewards for this piece of eminent Service But all this while they reckon without their Host and are vainly fighting against God c. Acts 5.39 Remark the Third The Prophet's Servant is affrighted at this ver 15. crying out Alas my Master how shall we do as ver 5. Salmeron saith this Servant was Gehazi but Sanctius saith better that Gehazi was gone from his Master for his Leprosie and this was anâ—ther Servant who had been but a little time after Gehazi's Dismission with Elisha so had not yet seen any Experiments of the Spirit and Power of his Master He going early forth upon some occasion and seeing Chariots and Horses round about ran back in a dismal fright to his Master and made this hideous Out-cry Remark the Fourth Elisha comforts his despairing Servant ver 16. saying Fear not when he had only so much Life left in him by his fright as to lament his Case to the Partner of his Calamity now Elisha had discover'd to him by a Divine Spirit this Syrian Design against him as before that against Joram he had pray'd to the Lord for a Guard of Angels and God had sent him a Remedy suitable to the Malady Horses and Chariots from Heaven to defend him against those earthly Chariots and Horses which Benhadad had sent to offend him N. B. This was Elisha's Fourteenth Miracle Remark the Fifth Elisha had told his Servant There be more with us than with our Enemies but this cannot comfort him so long as he could see the Malady but yet could not see the Remedy therefore Elisha prayed Lord open his eyes that he may see ver 17. He had bodily Eyes before to behold bodily Objects to affright him but he wanted spiritual Illumination to behold this spiritual Host which no sooner was granted him but he saw in a Vision his Master on the Mountain encompassed with a guard of Angels so that none of the Enemy could come at him to harm him saith Peter Martyr N. B. This makes the Fifteenth Miracle of Elisha wrought likewise by his Prayer The Second Part of this miraculous Delusion c. is the Concomitants Remark the First Some suppose the same Chariots that had been sent to translate Elijah were now sent to defend Elisha because both are called Fiery Chariots however this was that Protection of Angels which God promiseth to his Servants Psal 34.7 and 68.17 and 91.11 and see Matth. 26.53 The sight of this Privilege did so confirm Elisha's Faith that he could now say with David I will not be afraid of ten thousand men that set themselves against me round about Psal 3.6 yea so confident was the Prophet that he goes out to meet them Remark the Second The Prophet prays Lord smite them with Blindness ver 18. and the Lord smote them with such a Scotoma a dizziness and dazling of their Senses as the Sodomites had been smitten with Gen. 19.11 He smote them not with bodily Blindness for then they could not have followed Elisha thence to Samaria afterwards But it was a Vitiousness upon their visive Spirits saith P. Martyr that seeing they might see yet not perceive what they saw the Maker of their Senses can easily either detain or delude these Senses They saw Elisha but knew him not N. B. This was the Prophet's Sixteenth Miracle Remark the Third The Syrians meeting Elisha going out of Dothan toward Samaria ask himself Which was the Way to the City where they might find Elisha ver 19. N. B. As the Eyes of Elisha's Servant were so shut that though he could see the Syrians but could not see the Angels so the Syrians Eyes were so shut that though they could see the Man yet they could not see who the Man was therefore they mistook both the Person and the Place The Prophet answers them not with an Equivocation much less with an officious Lye as Tostatus testifieth but useth a meer Ambiguity of Speech as P. Martyr makes it manifest for he saith This is not the City wherein Elisha whom ye seek is for he is gone out of it nor is this the was to find him follow me and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek and so he did as he said for in Samaria they saw he was the Man whom they sought Nor was Elisha under any Obligation to betray himself into the hands of his Enemies saith Lavater but this Ambiguous Answer must be esteemed as lawful as the use of Strategems in War with an intention to trapan an Adversary and in such a sence did John deny himself to be Elias John 1.21 as the Jews understood c. expecting an Elias again by a transanimation Remark the Fourth No sooner hath Elisha led them like a Pack of Tame Fools into the Streets of Samaria but he prays again Lord open the Eyes of these Men ver 20. and immediately their Eyes were opened with License to discern both the Place and the Person even the Prophet that had led them blindfold into a Trap good enough for an incorrigible and blood-thirsty Enemy Then they saw how they were irresistibly decoy'd into the midst of the chief City of the Kingdom where the King kept his Court and a settled Militia able to over-power this Army of the Syrians They now saw themselves as silly Fishes taken in an evil Net and as Birds caught in the Snare These Sons of Men are snared in an evil time falling suddenly on them Eccles. 9.12 Oh what an Horror and Consternation must now unavoidably come upon them when every Citizen was ready to execute them had the Prophet their Guide thither but given a Commission to fall on The wicked are snared in their own works Psal 9.16 This is Elisha's Seventeenth Miracle N. B. How Elisha did and undid as his Predecessor Elijah had done before him who first shut up the Heavens from giving Rain and then opened them to give Rain James 5.17 18. So Elisha here first shuts
Rom. 1.19 20. Reason indeed may see God per Modum causalitatis Negationis Eminentiae so the glory of the God-head is beyond Sense yet Faith here is beyond Reason which is only the Blear-Eyed Leah but Faith is the beautiful and bright-sighted Rachel and can see him that is Invisible Heb. 11.27 Though it be but through a Glass darkly on Earth yet as Face to Face in Heaven 1 Cor. 13.12 The glory of Heaven can never be clouded as the greatest Glory displayed on Earth may therefore ought we to expect overshadowings of all that Glory we behold in this Life such as came here upon the Disciples just while Peter was talking of Tabernacling continually in it as we in late years have vainly done c. The 6th Remark is The Disciples feared when they entred the Cloud Luke 9 34. which teacheth us how fearful a thing it is to enter into a dark and cloudy Dispensation for 1. The Darkness which it brings with it is naturally an Object of fear 2. We know not what Storms may fall upon us out of that Cloud Nor 3. How long that Cloud may continue before the Hail-stones have done falling and the Sun wade out and appear again with its Light and Comfort Thus their overshadowing caus'd their fear The 7th Remark is Yet Cloudy Dispensations want not some considerations to comfort against fear as here in this case of the Disciples For 1. It was but Cloud and that is no Permanent but only a Transient thing alway Riding Post upon the Wings of the Wind. This consideration did comfort Nazianzen and Basil against Julian's Persecution Ista Nebecula citò transib this small black Cloud shall soon blow over And 2. This is call'd expresly a Bright Cloud Mat. 17.5 to distinguish the Gospel from the Law which was given in a Thick and a Dark Cloud Exod. 19.9 20.21 non in Nube sed-in Nimbo the Law was not deliver'd in a Cloud only but in a Storm of Thunder and Lightning Fire and Smoak Exod. 19.16 18. The Gospel is indeed a Cloud but 't is a Bright one as this was to shew that Christ came to give Light to the dark Shadows of the Old Law by the brightness of his New Gospel Mount Ebal was all Fear but Mount Gerizzim was all Love c. Mount Sinai Trembled and Quarked greatly Exod. 19.18 but Mount Sion Leaps and Dances for Joy Psal 68.6 15 16 25. Heb. 12.18 21. This may serve to comfort us now no Gospel-cloud wants some clearness there is a bright side as well as a black for us to Eye As 't is not all day so 't is not all night with us Zech. 14.7 In the midst of Wrath God remembers Mercy Hab. 3.2 and gives some Revivings in it privately 3. It was a Comfort-speaking Cloud they shall not die in the Cloud but hear their Sweet Saviour and see him again to their Satisfaction and Salvation c. The 8th Remark is God calls off the Disciples by this Cloud from Seeing to Hearing those are two Senses that are capable of Discipline They had been seeing the Glory of Christ now must they hear God's Voice out of the Cloud that hid the Glory from their Eyes The Psalmist saith As we have heard so have we seen Psal 48.8 but here they first see and then hear John who was one of those Seers and Hearers here saith What we have heard and seen 1 John 1.2 3. Faith comes not now ordinarily by Visions but by Hearing Rom. 10.17 yet seeing is helpful to it for the Visible word is the Sacrament wherein Christ is Crucified to our Eyes Gal. 3.1 The 9th Remark is Now came in the third Coelestial Witness of Christ's Glory together with Moses and Elias to wit the Father himself who spake out of the Cloud as he used to do to the Patriarchs that it might be the better believed to be the Voice of God and not of Moses or Elias who now were gone Yea some of the Antients comparing this Voice from Heaven at his Transfiguration with that of his Baptism and first Inauguration Matth. 3.16 17. say that as the Dove then so this bright Cloud now was the Holy Spirit which Peter one of the Spectators calls the most Excellent Glory 2 Pet. 1.17 and calls this Voice a Voice from Heaven ver 18. though it came out of this Cloud So that here also as well as there were a most Majestick Meeting of all the Three persons in the Trinity about the Work of Mans Redemption as on the beginning at Mans Creation Gen. 1.26 where the same words were reinforced here shewing two great points 1. What must be Believed 2. and who must be Obayed c. as above The 10th Remark is To know Christ the Churches Prophet is of Supernatural Revelation Therefore is this Voice said to come from Heaven it must needs be some great Truth the Father himself speaks concerning his Son and 't is spoken to some few only all have not this Spiritual Understanding Col. 1.9 and 't is a Truth of Supream Authority Numa only pretended he had his Laws from the Goddess Aegeria but Christ the True 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 19.35 the very Image of his Father Heb. 1.3 which fell down not from Jove but from Jehovah He must be heard in all cases for his word is sufficient otherwise the Son Messiah had not been so faithful as the Servant Moses in the House of God Hebr. 3.2 3 5 6. N. B. Note well Then should we not hear the false Prophet who deceiveth the Nations Revel 13.14 who is more for pleasing the Eye with Images Crucifixes Altars c. than for profiting the Ear which Solomon bids us bow to Instruction Prov 5.1 22.17 c. Since Vision ceased the Ear is the inlet to saving Wisdom Christ had yet a 〈◊〉 Testimony from Heaven to wit at the conclusion of his Redemption work Joh. 12.27 28. to teach us our 3. steps to Glory 1. When Baptized with the Spirit 2. In our growth in Grace and 3. At our Death c. The last Circumstances are the Consequents following the Transfiguration and they are three also as 1. Christs Comforting the Affrighted Disciples 2. His charge that they should not declare his Glory to any till after his Resurrection and 3. The Discourse or Conference about Elias's coming as they came down from the Mount Thus all the whole Relation runs altogether upon Three holding forth the Mystery of the Trinity in all its Circumstances both before in and after it The first is the Disciples were sore afraid Matth. 17 6. and Mar. 9.6 This Voice was carryed by the Cloud as by a Charet into their Ears with great Sound and Solemnity some say with a Thundring Noise like that Terrible Voice which Moses admired they should hear out of the fire yet live Deut. 5.26 Therefore no wonder if they fell down upon their faces Matth. 17.6 but suppose it a small still Voice like that wherein
that part of the Mass which came next to the former in purity and subtilty was made the Air or next Element call'd the Firmament and Heaven that is the whole Region of the Air even all that is to be seen above the Earth and under the Moon so 't is said the Clouds of Heaven Psal 147.8 Matth. 24.30 or the Fowls of Heaven Gen. 1.30 Psal 79.2 Gen. 1.6.7 8. On the Third day the more gross parts of that Mass were so distributed to their distinct and proper places that the waters being gathered into their Channels and Receptacles made the Ocean or Sea and then the dry land appear'd and was adorned with Herbs and Trees Those were the two other Elements Gen. 1.9 10 11 12 13. On the Fourth day were made those Lights of Heaven into which as into certain Vessels God as it were gathered the light which before was dispersed in the upper Horizon and did incorporate it in those Superiour Bodies to give Light to the Inferiour World v. 14 15 16 to 19. On the Fifth day were made the Fowls and Fishes those Inhabitants of the Air and Water together with the Amphibia as Crocodiles Sea-horses c. and the first blessing of Generation was pronounced upon them v. 20 21 22 23. On the Sixth day God Created the Beasts and all Creeping things of the clean sort of Beasts there were Seven Created of every kind three couple for Breed and the odd one for Adams Sacrifice upon his Fall which God foresaw and then he made Man after the Beasts c. Thus the Heavens and the Earth and all the Host of them were perfected Gen. 2.1 And on the Seventh day God rests from his Creating Work Job 5.17 ordaining that day as a standing Memorial of his Mercy God in the Creation observ'd this excellent Order in simple Bodies as to the Universe he proceeded from the imperfect to the perfect as the Elements of a simple nature were first Created and then the things made of those Elements the things without life before things with life and of things with life he made those of a Vegetative life as Plants and those of a Sensitive life as Beasts and afterwards Man with a Rational life as most perfect of them all but in particular Compound Bodies he proceeded from the more perfect to the more imperfect as he first made the Trees and then the Seed first the Man and then the Woman both more imperfect As Man was the last so he was the best of the Creation hence Man was made after another manner than all other Creatures for they were all made by the single word of God but when Man comes to be made God calls a Councel saying Let us make Man Gen. 1.26 not as in the other Let there be Light and let there be a firmament c. but here God the Father as it were consults with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit concerning the making of Man as a work of great weight and a matter of great moment his very body which was but the Sheath or Case of the Soul was curiously framed of Elementary Matter wherein there are so many Miracles from head to foot as would fill a whole Volume Galen an Heathen could not read Anatomy-Lectures upon the parts of Man's Body especially the fashion of the Hand framed in all its parts for handling work but he acknowledg'd Digitus Dei the singer of God and sang an Hymn to the Creator As Man was the last of all so he was the Epitome of all partaking of all the whole Creation in respect of his Soul and Body The Soul is an Abridgment of the Invisible World and the Body of the Visible Hence Man is call'd by the Hebrews Gnolam Hakaton and by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which do signifie the little World The Soul is set and seated in the Body as a little God in this little world as Jehovah is a great God in the great world for God made Man in his own likeness as like him as might be and to come as near him in resemblance as was possible The Idaea or Exemplar of the great world which was in God from all Eternity was as it were briefly and summarily expressed and compriz'd by God in Man as he was the little World The very Heathen Philosophers had some Notions of this as 1. Favorinus who said the greatest thing in the world is Man and the greatest thing in Man is the Soul And 2 Proclus could say The Mind that is in Man is the Image of the first Mind to wit the Image of God As God is a Spirit Job 4.24 in the Glorious Trinity so the Soul is a Spirit Indivisible Immaterial Immortal distinguish'd into three powers or faculties Vnderstanding Will and Memory which all make up one Spirit or Soul which is a resemblance of the Holy Trinity The Body which is the sheath and shell of the Soul is not onely a composition of all the Four Elements Fire Air Water and Earth but also the Compendium of all Created things as partaking of a Being with Stones of Life with Plants of Sense with Beasts and of Vnderstanding with Angels when the Soul is united to it See more of this in my Christian Walk pag. 2 3. Though the Body of man in respect of the Soul be but as a Clay-wall that encompasseth a Treasure a wooden Box that containeth a Jewel and a coarse Canvas-case that covereth a most curious Instrument yet in it selt it is Opus Phrygionicum a Phrygian or Arras-work 't is a piece of curious Tapestry Embroidered with Nerves Veins Arteries and variety of Limbs sustained with Bones and cover'd over with Flesh and Skin Psal 139.15 16. 'T was a wonderful work as may be easily demonstrated 1rst A Temple is the best of Buildings and the Body of Man is call'd the Temple of God 1 Cor. 6.19 Oh what a glorious and goodly structure was that Temple of stone which Solomon built not for Man but for God 1 Chron. 29.1 't was one of the great wonders of the World So God made the Body of Man a Temple of Flesh for himself to dwell in the Spirit or Soul of man dwells in the Body as in its House or Temple Dan 7.15 Hebr. Ruchi bego Nidneb My Spirit in the midst of my Body Nadan Translated there the body signifies a sheath and so the same word is used 1 Chron. 21.27 Put up thy Sword into its sheath intimating that the Soul is in the midst of the Body as the Sword is in the midst of the sheath now the more excellent that the Sword is the richer sheath it requires the Soul is a Sword of excellent Metal and Temper so requires an excellent Scabbard Oh then what an excellent House must that needs be which is inhabited by such an excellent Tenant as an Immortal Soul or Spirit of Man Neither is this all but also the Spirit of God dwells in it Hence 't is
Aquinas that all the Veins Nerves Humors and Bowels shall be discerned through the Body as wine is through a glass the Soul shall shine through the Body as the Candle through the Lantern and it shall then be so full of agility and nimbleness far beyond that of Asahel 2 Sam. 2.17 that Luther saith the Body shall move up and down like a thought and Austin saith The Body shall then move to any place it will and as soon as it will And Zanchy gives this Illustrating Example As an Egg before it be hatch'd is an heavy body and full of slimy Matter that sinketh downward but when it becometh a Bird and filled with life and spirits then it flyeth nimbly into the Firmament So the Body being dull and heavy now yet when hatch'd by the Resurrection â—nd filled by the Spirit of God it shall then be agile and nimble and thereupon the Apostle saith We shall be taken up to meet Christ in the air 1 Thes 4.17 the Body shall be so pure and Spiritual as to be able to mount up into the Heavens And as the Body shall then be a Transparent Coelestial Glorious and Spiritual so it shall be an Incorruptible Immortal Body 1 Cor. 15.53 54. It shall then be free both from all Actual and Potential Corruption 1. From Actual there shall then be neither defect nor deformity no want of Meat or Drink which are of a Corruptible Nature or of any other thing 2. From Potential Corruption for then the body shall be Impassible and can suffer nothing that can be hurtful to it no hurtful passions that may harm the body can then be yet there will be the comfortable passions such as Seeing and Hearing their most comforting Objects Those two Senses though others do not shall remain in the life to come as being more excellent Senses and receiving their Objects more immaterially are more Spiritual and shall be gratify'd with fulness of joy such ravishing and refreshing Spectacles and Musick as are both unexpressible and unconceivable such a joy so great as cannot enter into us but Christ saith we must enter into it Matth. 25.21 All the Bodies of the Saints shall then shine as the brightness of the firmament Dan. 12.3 and as the Stars of Heaven Matth. 13.43 yea as the Sun in his strength Judg. 5.31 Oh what a lovely sight will it be to see them together with God Christ and Angels and how transporting to hear Saints and Angels singing Anthems in their Hallelujahs to the Lord what manner of persons should we then be 2 Pet. 3.11 Now to make some Improvement of those Premisses take these Inferences following as 1rst Having viewed the Excellency of the body in the state of Innocency let us now consider it under the faln estate and 1. view it in the whole 2. in its parts 1. in the whole Oh who can contemplate this Burnt Temple but Mourn over it as they did Ezr. 3.12 Oh quantunt haec Niobe what Lamentations ought justly to be taken upon this account seeing this perfect glorious and Immortal Body is now by the fall become a vile Body yea vileness it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body of vileness in the very Abstract Phil. 3.21 Now the body is Tohu Vabohu full of deformity and emptiness like that Chaos out of which all things were Created Gen. 1.2 as if the fall had reduced that Excellent Fabrick the Body to its first Chaos again Now the Body is truly called the spoil of Time this curious silver-piece that shone so splendidly when it first came out of Gods Mint hath lost its lustre its sound its weight its Divine Image and superscription and is become a poor thin overworn groat lost in the dust or dirt of the great house of this lower world Luk. 15.8 Now Satan hath set his own limbs instead of Gods Image upon it 't is now so disguised with sin that God may well say Depart from me I know thee not for my own Creature Matth. 7.23 thou hast so marr'd thy self since I did make thee God made it a Palace a most stately structure if viewed from the highest Garret to the lowest Cellar that is from the Crown of the head to the soles of the feet consisting of many specious as well as spacious Chambers and none useless yea the Body of the Woman consists of rarer Rooms more curious capacious and roomy for Conceiving and Containing her Babe which dwelleth in her Womb as in its house and hath as it were all its Houshold-stuff about it till time at its Birth bring it forth to the light of life than the Body of Man Hence 't is said in the Hebrew Tongue that Adams Body was formed â—â—t Eves Body was builded to wit with a special skill in a fitter proportion and a more exact Composition than Mans for the end aforesaid Adams Body was made out of Paradice but Eves in it The Bodies of them both were pompous Pallaces yea magnificent Temples fit Habitations for their Divine Souls to dwell in and fit Instruments to act by but now this body is become a prison a shackle a Sepulchre to the Soul it sometimes becomes so unuseful to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepulchrum The Body is as the Grave wherein the Soul seems to be buryed and wherewith as with many weights it is really shackled Hebr. 12.1 Hence 't is one desire of the Soul to be dissolved Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be released out of prison to be set at liberty from its fetters and to return unto its proper home 2 Cor. 5.6 8.9 2 Tim. 4.6 Even to God from whence it came Eccles 12.7 And this strait betwixt two and groaning in the flesh doth not arise from the Natural Original Constitution but from sinful Corruption by the fall The Body of Man is now not only called a vile Body as above Phil. 3.21 as it is become a Compound of vileness and a lump of misery but also in the whole 't is call'd 1. a body of Sin Rom. 6.6 as it is both conceived and born in sin yea and oft both lives and dyes in sin Psal 51.5 Num. 27.3 Joh. 9.34 8.21 24. Sin is incorporated into all the parts of it as will appear after 't is call'd also 2. a body of death Rom. 7.24 which lives in Diseases and dies in dishonour 1 Cor. 15.43 a body that is dying so soon as it begins to live having the principles of Mortality in it as sin so death hath a real subsistency in the body the sense whereof made the great Apostle cry out Oh wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death from this Carcase of sin to which I am tyed 't was as noisome altogether to his Soul as a stinking Corpse to his smell yea and as burdensome to it as the stone that was tyed to the foot of Anselms Bird which when she would have flown up towards Heaven did pluck her
11.20 so it may be said of the lust of the Eyes that it is the chief of the Devils Engines an Heathen could say that a world of wickedness windeth it self into the heart by the window of the Eye There is an Apologue a most significant Fable of a Contention that arose betwixt the Eye and the Heart which of the two was the greater cause of sin a Reference was made by them both to Reason which decided the Controversie thus Cordi causam imputans occasionem Oculo Reason determined that the Heart was the cause of sin but the Eye was the occasion of it oh how oft doth the Devil make the Eye to be as a Burning-glass to set the Heart on fire as he did Davids 2 Sam. 11.2 from the roof he saw a woman and from this roof did Davids downfal begin for there the old Serpent easily winded himself into his Heart by the loop-holes of his Eyes and made himself master of the whole man from looking he went on to lusting and the venome thereof did so infect his Vitals that upon the Ladder of Hell he got a most foul yet not a final fall though it would have been no less had not the hand of Heaven been underneath him to help him up again Psal 37.24 No wonder then if David did so heartily cry Lord turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity Psal 119.37 lest looking should cause liking and liking lusting again and Job steppeth one degree further to wit from a Prayer to a Vow Job 31.1 yea from a Vow and Covenant to a solemn Imprecation v. 7. he knew the danger of irregular glancing and of inordinate gazing these two do often metamorphize a Man into a Beast and make him a prey to his own bruitish Affections Thus we see that the Eye is now become an Evil Eye so called frequently in Scripture Deut. 15.9 Prov. 23.6 28.22 Matth. 6.23 20.15 Mark 7.22 Luke 11.34 1. Hence the Word flatly forbids us to walk after the sight of our Eyes and the lust of our Hearts Numb 15.39 Eccles 11.9 for those two are seldom sundred 2 Job set a guard and laid Gods Charge upon his Eyes lest they should prove a Broaker of sin to him as that Hang-by Hiram the Adullamite did to Judah Gen. 38.20 4. Hence God hath placed Tears in this sinful and in no other Member which are tokens of Repentance that as it were they might wash it from its sinfulness therefore the Hebrew word Gnaijn well signifies a Fountain as well as an Eye for from it as from a Fountain doth Iniquity flow and surely as the Eye is a Fountain of sin it should be a Fountain of sorrow also Therefore the Prophet wish'd that his Eyes might be a Fountain of Tears Jerem. 9.1 that he might with the waters of godly sorrow wash away the filth both of his own and of other mens sins the waters that flow from a bleeding Vine are said to cure the Leprosie sure I am those Gospel-tears which flow from a Godly Heart are very Instrumental in curing the fretting Leprosie of sin and therefore God hath made the Eye of a watry Constitution that it may be frequently trickling down Tears for that washing work such waters will be turned into wine at the Marriage of the Lamb for which purpose they are preserved in Gods Bottle Psal 56.8 Oh blest is that Soul which is plentifully bathed in the warm bath of their own penitent tears and in the Kings Bath of the Blood of the Lamb of God for without blood there is no remission Hebr. 9.2 'T is not our Tears alone but 't is Christs Blood that doth expiate sin Zeeh. 13.1 The Fountain opened in the sides of our Saviour Job 19.34 who came by water to sanctifie and by blood to justifie penitent sinners 1 Joh. 5.6 Finally seeing the sight by the fall is become a deceitful and a sinful sense our Saviour giveth safe and saving Counsel Matth. 5.29 not only to bind it to its good behaviour call it from its outstrays and lay Gods charge upon it as well as thine own check but also to pluck it out of the old Adam and place it in the new lest it prove a window of wickedness and become a worse disease than any of those two hundred diseases which Physicians reckon up do belong to the Eye and lest Death enter in at that window according to Jer. 9.21 as the Antient Fathers apply that Text cautioning us to shut our Casements lest sin ascend into the Soul thereby and Death by sin so this light of the body bring the Soul to utter darkness Secondly The Ear is a noble Organ and an honourable Member of the Body as well as the Eye in many respects 1. The Ear is as Aristotle calls it one of the two Learned Senses it is an Instrument of Instruction it lets in all Discipline to the Soul All Learning is let into the Mind either by Ocular demonstration or by Auricular Admonition Job 33.16 36.10 15. As the Eye is the window so the Ear is the door for Discipline to enter 2. The Ear is that excellent Organ that lets in Life and Salvation At this door the Devil drew in death at first Gen. 3.1 c. as well as at the window v. 6. Satan in the Serpent said only to bely what God had said Eve listned and let in death God ordaineth as it were to cross and counter-work the Devil that as Death entred into the world through the Ear by our first Parents listening to that old Manslayer so Life should enter into the Soul by the same door the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God As the living Parents of Mankind Adam and Eve in their state of Innocency had listned with their Ears to the Devils proffers so their dead posterity which by their first Parents fall were become dead in sin by bearing Christs promise should live not only the life of grace on Earth but also the life of glory in Heaven Joh. 5.25 And the Prophet saith Hear and your Souls shall live Isa 55.3 therefore he calls on them there Hattu Oznekem to hear with all their might unto the Covenant of Grace and so to the Counsel of Christ Revel 3.18 which only hath power to quicken dead Souls the Covenant of works and the Counsel both of the Devil and of our own darkened understandings have a killing property 3. The Ear is that noble door by which Saving Faith is conveyed into the Soul Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 Faith is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and God giveth not that gift to all men 2 Thess 3.2 but only to his Elect therefore 't is call'd the Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1.1 yet God giveth not this gift immediately to Man but mediately by hearing the word As the Eye is called the Sense of Love so the Ear is call'd the Sense of Faith The saving knowledge of God is not conveyed into the Soul
a Window and Door 5. The Order of its Cabines 6. The Use of it for the Preservation and Sustentation of Man Beast and Fowl Gen. 6. from 14 to 22. 1. The Matter of it v. 14. is Gopher-wood by Gods Direction The Scripture mentions not this word or Wood in any other place which hath occasioned so many uncertain Conjectures among Authors both Antient and Modern about the Materials of the Ark some conceiving it to be the Pine others Firr others Cedar c. but the most probable is the Cypress 1. From the nearness of the Name for Gophar sounds the same with Cupar from whence comes Cuparissus or the Cypress making but a little change of Letters as oft happeneth 2. From the firmness of the Wood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia est expert putredinis it will not breed Worms because 't is bitter hence it is call'd an Everlasting Wood according to Martial Epig. 6.73 Perpetuâ nunquam moritura Cupresso 3. From the Testimony of Authors who generally agree that in those parts of the World which were first planted and on those Mountains of Ararat where the Ark rested there is no other Wood grows fit to Build Ships withal so much as the Cypress Hence that great Navy of Ships which Great Alexander Built at Babylon were all and only made up of Cypress Arrian in Alex. l. 7. p. 161. and Strabo l. 16 p. 741. Whatever the Wood was this is certain it was most durable especially if we can believe what Epiphanius reporteth Haer. l. 1. p. 23. that some part of this Ark was to be seen in his Day It was undoubtedly such Wood as they say will not Rot that it might be a fitter Type of Gods Church the Antitype which is made up of Incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 and of the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 The Ark was made ex lignis laevigatis so the Vulgar Latine reads for Gopher that is or sound plained Planks that would Seam Well together to keep out Water Thus the Materials of Gods Church are all smoothed having the knots of corrupt Nature taken off by the Spirit of Power and of a Sound Mind 2 Tim. 1.7 As 't is well said in one Sense that Living Stones and Green Timber are the most meet Materials for a Gospel-Church so 't is well said also that such plained Planks and beautiful Boards of Gopher or Cedar are fittest for Gods Ark or Tabernacle the Church in another Sense The Boards whereof must be joined close together without gaping to spring a Leak c. for Intorto Capite sequetur Corpus if the subtle Serpent can but see an hole to wrest in his Head he will easily screw in his whole Body This Ark was a Figure of Christs Church whereinto they that enter by Faith are saved from the Floud of Gods displeasure of which Grace Baptism the answerable Type is a Sign and Seal 1 Pet. 3.20 21. 2. The Form of it The Hebrew word Tebah signifies a Chest Coffer or Coffin all which are equally broad both above and below at top and bottom and though an Ark was the most Antient Name of Ships because of the Similitude unto this Ark of Noah all the old Ship Carpenters Built their Ships at the first learning that Form from Gods own Plat-form yet was not Noah's Ark then of the Form of our Ships now which are framed sharp before and below for the better Plowing of the Sea as the Poet expresseth it and for a ready cutting of the Waters Ships are all made in that Form which will make the quickest motion and most expeditious passage by Oars and Sails from one Port to another in the Art of Navigation whereas Noah's Ark was made only to Flote upon the Waters and not to pass from Port to Port therefore was it of a Square Cubicular Form plain below on each side and above also save only it had a small Ridge or Rising towards the top for the better shooting off the Rain-water not unlike the Cover of a Coffin which little Ridge was about the measure of a Cubit only Gen. 6.14 14 15 16. and this odd Cubit or measure from the Elbow to the long Fingers end containing six Hands breadths or a Foot and a half was supernumerary to the Thirty Cubits which was the Altitude or Height of the Ark we must suppose that single Cubit was over and above this round and large measure The Ark was neither gather'd in at the top till it came to a Cubic breadth there as Origen supposeth and after him Hugo and Caietan nor at the bottom was it gathered in so waxing wider and wider as our Ships are Built for then it had not been of that capacity to contain so vast a company of Creatures nor would it have held out in every part to be Three Hundred Cubits long Fifty broad and Thirty high according to the Divine Description v. 15. so that the Opinion of Augustine de Civit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 27. seems most Authentick that it was Built upright both in length and breadth flat-bottom'd to lye steady upon the Waters and level on each side without any gatherings in from the bottom to the top where the sloping Ridge to cast off Rain from resting there was fixed call'd the covering of the Ark a part whereof Noah removed to obtain some fresh Air and to take a prospect of the Earth Gen. 8.13 Of the same Form with this Ark was that Ark or Chest wherein the Child Moses was hid Exod. 2.3 for there the same Hebrew word only Jod added Tebah is used it being a flat-bottom'd Coffer that lay firm among the Flags yet floting upon the Waters This is the same with that both in Name and Form though differing in Matter for that was made of Gopher-wood but this of Bulrushes yet a sufficient Sanctuary in subserviency to Gods Providence being pitched within and without as Noah's Ark was Gen. 6.14 by Mans prudence for the saving of Moses as that was for the saving of Noah c. Likewise of the same Form was the Ark of the Tabernacle and Temple yet differing from both those two aforesaid Arks in two Respects 1. In Name which in Hebrew is call'd Aron but both the other Arks are called Tebah the Greek Tongue doth indeed use one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all these three Arks Heb. 11.7 and 9.4 Mat. 24.38 Luke 17.27 1 Pet. 3.20 Revel 11.19 2. In Use for this latter call'd Aron Exod. 25.10 was to keep dead lifeless things in it as the Tables of the Testimony c. Deut. 10.2 5. and Heb. 9.4 but both the former Arks call'd Tebah were to keep Persons and things alive in them as the Ark of Bulrushes kept the Child Moses alive and the Ark of Gopher kept Noah and many Creatures alive in them To Spiritualize the Form as before the Matter Herein also the Ark is a Type of the Church wherein likewise it holdeth a comely congruity As the Church is like
1.4 that Love Christ with a pure chast Virgin Love Hath Sin a Negative Voice to good and an Arbitrary Power for Evil to do what it will 't is not only thy King but thy Tyrant 1 Sam. 8.11 2.14 The Priests bare rule by their means Jer. 5.31 they came and took with their Flesh-Hooks what they would if Sin do so thou art its Slave if thou bow the Knee and Cry Abrech to any Lust as they did to Joseph Gen. 41.43 't is thy Lord thy Idol but if a new Kingdom be set up in thee that takes away the Commanding as well as Condemning Power of Sin and thou hate it quà peccatum as well as quà Morbum Warring against it as 't is Gods Enemy as well as thine never making it thy choice thy chase or thy Satisfaction thou art not a Servant to it nor sold under it Joh. 8.34 Rom. 7.14 but under Grace Rom. 6.14 The 3. Character Can you declare how your Tenure and Copy came to be changed Can you say in the Witnessings of the Holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 having Gods Spirit VVitnessing with your Spirit Rom. 8.16 that Ego non sum Ego I am now through Grace among the Circumcised Rom. 2.29 whereas before I was among the Uncircumcised Jer. 9.25 can you or any for you Act. 9.27 declare that you were a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 but I have obtained Mercy v. 16. and have seen the Lord Isa 6.5 What evidences have you of your change Can you tell the time when and the manner how 1 Pet. 1.11 Act. 9.27 the Heirs of the Promise flee to the City of Refuge as affrighted when the Wrath of the Avenger of Blood makes Inquisition for them and pursues with an Heart waxing hot after them Deut. 19.6 they flee to the hope set before them Heb. 6.18 crying with Paul oh that I may be found in him Phil. 3.9 having sense of Sin in his Heart and fear of VVrath at his heels can you say whereas before I was Blind now I see Joh. 9.25 I was poor now rich I was naked now clothed Rev. 3.17 I was defiled now washed 1 Cor. 6.10 11 compare time with time for finding an Heart-changing and a Life-changing work such as say with that Justiciary they have been right from their youth Mat. 19.20 a good belief and a good Heart and Affections from their Birth may be much in the dark and in doubt of this Translation out of the old Covenant into the new we say you know when Men have goods whereof they can give no account how they came by them their honesty is always suspected 't is so in the true Riches The 4. Character Look what is the present frame of your Heart is it Legal doing all Duties with a Legal Spirit or with an Evangelical not only convinced in our Minds but also in our Affections that we must not only do well but love to do so not formidine poenae but virtutis amore not seeking or setting up a righteousness of our own which is natural Popery as well as Judaism Rom. 10.3 not pleading our own works Isa 58.2 3. and Mat. 7.21 23. and Luke 18.11 12. The true Heirs of Grace 1 Pet. 3.7 dare not own their own Graces nor Duties Mat. 25.37 and Moses must not know that his own Face shone Exod. 34.39 whereas the Legalist not only lives in Duty but also of Duty not of Christ in Duty he doth Duty as a Task performing it perfunctorily without a Principle of Life goeth on indeed but 't is in a Round as the Horse in a Mill without any progress or growth yet never coming to the Journeys end See more in my Hearts Treachery In a word the 5. Character If translated you will look on it the best thing in the World to be Religious Psal 73.28 and 84.10 Job 23.12 c. And 6. You will behold all Mercy in the Covenant all forfeited till then and be snares Psal 69.22 and 106.15 all yours in Love NB. ☞ Then it follows that all ours must be Gods we must be altogether to him as he is All-sufficient to us this is our Reciprocation you shall be to me a people 1 Pet. 2.9 Psal 119.57 Deut. 32.9 Lam. 3.24 Exod. 19.5 Isa 19.25 Hos 1.9 and 3.3 1 Chron. 29.14 We must resign our All to him Exod. 3.5 Deut. 25.9 Ruth 4.7 8. 1. Our bona Animae all the faculties of our Souls 2. Our bona Corporis all the abilities of our Bodies 3. Our bona Fortunae or rather Providentiae all our VVealth Honour c. Reasons or Motives 1. All are from him so should be return'd to him All return to the Sea as to their Cistern Eccles 1.7 and Center from whence they came 2. All are bought by him 1 Cor. 6.20 Christ is our God or Redeemer 't is honest to give God his own and what he paid for 3. 'T is our Advantage and Salvation we would undo our selves not knowing how to dispose but as he directs we yield not to an Enemy for slavery but to a Friend for safety 4. There 's worth in Gods All none in ours which extends not to him Psal 16.3 Job 22.2 3. 5. A whole Christ was laid out on us he was totus in nostros expensus went about doing good The Conclusion of all from this Covenant is comfortable As 1. 'T is not made with us nor can it be broke by us 2. Gods glory in keeping this Covenant is more concern'd Eph. 1.6 than our good 3. Divine Love in it is to Persons in the Decree not to Propositions If believe in time c. 4. Though those in Covenant die Naturally yet not Legally for so Christ died for them 5. Saints Names be transcribed out of the Book of Election into the Lambs Book of Life 6. It properly curses none 't is not Physick frowardly refused but the Disease that kills so unbelief John 3.36 7. God loves his Elect while in the state of sin with the love of Benevolency though not then with a love of Complacency which appears not till called Tit. 3.4 8. Faith wraps the Soul in the Golden Fleece of the Lamb of God 9. Grace is sufficient we must not wrong it Limit it not where God has not limited it though sin be iterated 10. Answer Satan thou art Married to Christ so must not be for the Tempter or his Tentations cleave as a Girdle Jer. 13.11 11. Christ is our Advocate 1 John 2.1 and in his praying for us he gratifies only the Fathers Bowels as Joab did David's in intreating for Banish'd Absalom 2 Sam. 13. last and 14.1 12. The Grace of Union and the Grace of Unction both comes from this Covenant and Union is the ground of Communion 13. The Father draws into Christ and the Covenant John 6.44 Ezek. 20.37 He commands his Love to go out and take hold of such a Soul Psal 42.8 and keeps us in it also Jer. 31.33 39 40. 14. This Covenant is the staff both of
certain place where there are certain and not uncertain Riches and that is Heaven where we have a better and a more enduring Substance Hebr. 10.34 He will bring us to Bethel the House of God the Mansion-House of his own Majesty and Glory Though God sometimes subject his Servants to the Villanies of the vilest Men who use them more like Beasts than Men yet brings he them to a wealthy place after he hath carried them through Fire and Water two most merciless Enemies and such are base Persecutors Psal 66.12 Isa 43.2 This may serve to encourage 2. Literal and real Travellers such as Jacob was here though Travelling into places of Banishment no Traveller should be troubled in his Travels but when he comes at such places where God and his Soul cannot meet together where God can let down no Ladder from Heaven to him on Earth this may justly discourage but to a Godly Traveller Jehovah Shawmah that is the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 is writ every where 1 Tim. 2.8 The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the Earth 2 Chron. 16.9 God's Eye was here upon Jacob for good and he gave him a look of love from the top of the Ladder when he lay out of Doors not daring to lodge in Luz as Josephus saith lest any of those Cursed Canaanites then inhabiting that place should come upon him in his Lodging and kill him but the true Reason was he was benighted in his hard Travel and the Sun went down upon him before he could reach any convenient Lodging-place in a Town as the Scripture more Authentick than Josephus saith Gen. 28.11 Hereupon he lay down to rest himself in the Field taking the Ground for his Bed and making a Stone for his Pillow and there God gave him his loves Cant. 7.11 12. Jacob never lay softer nor slept sweeter than when the cold Ground was his Couch an hard Stone was his Bolster and Heaven it self was his Canopy over his Head God made up with Spirituals his loss of Temporals The less of Comforts he had from Man the more thereof he had from God The Portion of God's Children consists more in Soul-Comforts than in Sense Comforts Suppose Banishment which the Lawyers call a Cavil Death come upon them as upon Jacob here yet must they not be dis-spirited whitherto soever they are driven for they cannot be forced far from their Father's Ground seeing the whole Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Ps 24.1 There is nothing can befall them but what passeth under their Father's Eye and through their Father's Hand appointing Time Place Manner and Measure of Evil So that even Chance-medly with Man so is the Law-Term is no other in the Scripture but the Providence of God Exod. 21.13 It any be cut off out of the land of the living God who is the Lord of our lives and to whom we make frequent forfeitures thereof is said to deliver him into the hands of the Man-slayer both Man's goings Prov. 20.24 and Man's safety are of the Lord Prov. 21.30 31. Suppose they be slain this sends them the sooner home to their Father's House Jacob in all this was a Pattern of Patience to Pious Souls in suffering Times that they as he did may place their whole Confidence in God whose Providence and Protection is most apparent and perspicuous when all Humane Helps are with-held Jacob here had no guard but God only had Esau way-laid him in his going out as he did in his returning back with 400 Cut-throats Gen. 32.6 when Jacob was far better guarded though not strong enough to withstand such a force as came against him he might now have come to his bloody purpose and cut the Throat of his poor Brother when he found him lying fast asleep in the open Field but God's Eye was good to him while Esau's was Evil. God Restrains the rage of man that will not turn to the praise of God Ps 76.10 He holds in his Holy hand mostly for a Dead lift when his Servants are most forsaken and in a fatherless forlorn Estate when they are low enough and their Adversaries high enough then Cometh God with his Comforts Assuredly Jacob was now low enough when he lay all along upon the Ground not much unlike that of Joshuah reliev'd in this posture Jâ—sh 7.6 10. and then came God to comfort him in this Vision The Third Circumstance Remarkable is the manner How this Comfort was convey'd by God to Jacob. This is express'd to be in a Dream he Dreamed Dreams are of divers sorts both in Philosophy and in Divinity 1. In Philosophy Macrobius de Semnio Scipienis lib. 1. Reckons five Sorts First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Insemnium a Dream which comes to pass so often as carking Care doth oversâ—t the Soul câ—ncerning the Things of the Body the Mind or the Estate such an one having wearied himself waking with distracting Thoughts betakes to Sleep and the same Distrâ—ctions being Imprinted upon the Heart then make a fresh and furious Assault upon the Head therefore is it so named because this Sort of Dreams makes a new onset in Sleep The Second sort is call'd Phantasma a Phantasm which happens 'twixt sleeping and waking for when some Persons begin but to slumber they seem to see several shapes of things cither such as sad them or such as glad them as Feasting or finding some Silver c. all being but mere Phancies The Third sort is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Oracle whereby God signifies to Man what shall come to pass or what not what Man must do or what not Thus Noah was warned of God Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 11.7 which is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Res Negotium intimating that Noah was a Man who had Business with God and did negotiate with him very much busiâ—d to save the World The Fourth sort is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Vision in a Dream when one seeth that in the Night which in the same manner it appeared cometh to pass afterwards As Act. 23.11 the Lord stood by him in a Vision to comfort and encourage him about future Events The Fifth sort is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somnium a Dream properly so called which vaileth some Important Matters signified in the Sleep under some certain figures mostly that cannot without a right applied Interpretation be understood About this last and proper sort of Dreams to wave the Dreams and Dotages of Philosophy thereon among the Stoick Platonick and Pythagorean Philosophers Come we in the Second place to Divinity which is God's School and wherein the Truth as it is Jesus is made known to Man 1. In the general Solomon saith That Dreams for the most part do proceed from multitude of business that maketh Impression upon the Mind in the Day time Eccles 5.3 As multitude of business or works saith he produceth Dreams so multitude of words proclaimeth Folly The Wise Man coupling these two
to the Souls of men by venturing their weal or woe in the other World upon some false rests short of Christ all which are but rotten Ladders Christ is the only Bridge or Ladder that Joins Heaven and Earth together He is the only way Joh. 14.6 he that would go up any other way must as Constantine the great said to the great Arrian erect a Ladder thy self and go up alone by thy self none but Christ none but Christ can bring to Heaven his mediation makes God and Man meet together As all fulness is found and founded in him Col. 1.19 so all reconcilement must be received from him as well as procured by him The Third Remarkable Inference is 'T is of great importance not only that you have the Right Ladder but also that you be a right Climber upon the Right Ladder and for this mark these following Qualifications First You must have Hands to climb with they that want Hands will make but bad Climbers you must have the Hands of Faith wherewith to take fast hold of this Ladder in your Climbing work hard hand-hold doth well here lest the strong blasts of Satans Temptations should blow you from off the Ladder Secondly You must have Feet also such as want Feet make but sorry Climbers you must have the Feet of Obedience these are likewise of great use in Climbing this Ladder as the Hands pull up so the Feet do bear up the climbers body thus are we to improve Christs Merits and Mediation as the Climber doth the Rounds or Steps of a Ladder both with his Hands and Feet Thirdly You must have Elevated Affections laying no lower limits to your Climbing work than the very top of this Ladder never think it enough to climb a few Steps of the lower part of this Ladder or to the middle thereof no but you must up to the top of it where God himself stands not only Inviting and Incouraging you be of good Comfort and Courage the Master calleth you Mark 10.39 as to the Blind Man there and as to Jacob here but also Assisting and Inabling as Christ held out an helping hand to save sinking Peter Mat. 14.31 Therefore with David Psal 25.1 lift up your Hearts to God at the top of the Ladder and with Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 let your Hearts be lift up in the good ways of God you must give many an hearty lift to your heavy and lumpish Heart which naturally beareth down as the poize of a Clock and if this prove too hard a task for you as undoubtedly it will then pray for Divine Drawings Cant. 1.4 Joh. 6.44 12.32 wherewith you may be able to Ascend to him at the Top who will hand you thence into Mansions of Glory Oh that we may find and feel Christs forcible pulls his kind halings at our Hearts that thereby we be lifted up out of the horrible Pit Psal 40.2 out of the depths of despair and drawn up to himself as the Load stone doth Iron by a sight of the Pardon of Sin by a sense of the Pence of Conscience and by a rich understanding of the assurance of Gods Favour this would bring us to rest quietly contentedly and comfortably in our Fathers Bosom Fourthly That this may be effected you must ever be in motion never standing still the Angels seen upon this Ladder were all in motion either Ascending or Descending not one observ'd to stand still Saints are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Angels in activity Mat. 22.30 in continual Ascensions elationibus fumi like Pillars of Smoak towering upward Cant. 3.6 and though they have as those Angels their times and turns of Descensions downward into their own deep Hearts so called Psal 64.6 yet 't is in order always to prompt and promote their Ascensions upward of their Hearts and Affections which should always be mounting Heaven-ward Col. 3.1 2 3 4 5. non progredi est regredi not to go forward is to come backward like the Vessel which Roweth against Wind and Tide there is no standing still if the Oars be slackened never so little back she goes you must always be in a walking posture upon this Ladder as you have received Christ the Lord so walk you in him Col. 2.6 walking from step to step from strength to strength Psal 84.7 walk in him take not one step out of him 't is a dangerous and frightful thing to step one step besides the Ladder three Stories high c. Therefore Fifthly 'T is not enough that you be a walker in constant motion but you must be a circumspect walker Eph. 5.15 Walk circumspectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word there signifies both accurately exactly as by Line and by Rule and compleatly to perfection being Etymologiz'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going up to the very top which backsliders do not You must therefore tread gingerly upon this Ladder and take heed of missing one step He that thinks he stands upon this Ladder though it be but for taking a little breath had need to take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 The higher any man climbs hereon there is the more danger of falling Heaven is three Stories high at the least to wit the three Regions of the Air above the Earth which is the Ground floor We read of Stars falling from Heaven to the Earth Rev. 6.13 Thrown down by the terrible blasts of the Pope's thundring Excommunications that Tail of the Beast Revel 12.4 God knows how soon this whisking Tail of the Dragon monstrous for length and strength may cast down some Doctors of the Church from their high Exaltations in the Reformed to the Base Earth of the Romish Religion and so cause them to become Baal's Chemarims and Chimney-Chaplains Yea some Professors we have seen who have shone like Stars for a while in the Heaven of a gawdy and glittering profession yet having a worm of some unmodified Lust in the very heart of them they like untimely Figs or Fruit have drop'd down from the top into the very Puddle of Prophaneness This must needs be not only a very far but also a very foul Fall The King of Saints Revel 15.3 the Lord Jesus brought his Church and Children out of the lower Rooms of the World up into his Chambers and Galleries Cant. 1.4 and 7.5 both these words are of the Plural Number implying that Christ hath his Chambers and Galleries of several Stories some lower and some higher than others Oh happy is that Soul which is handed up so high as into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or large Upper Room and hath admission there to sit down with Christ to eat the Passeover Luk. 22.12 Yet know there may be a falling down from this Upper Room as did Judas that traiterous Jew 't was a great Fall that Eutychus got Act. 20.9 his Name signifies Well-Fortuned but in this he was most Unfortunate to fall so high as from the third Loft fast asleep and to be taken up for dead yet was
for me for he was never plung'd into any sore Maladies but God presently sent him most seasonable and suitable Remedies So that it was with him as with those that live under the Aequinoctial Line his Day was ever as long as his Night and sometimes longer as it is with those under the Tropick of Cancer in the Summer Season As his Afflictions abounded so his Consolations abounded also 2 Cor. 1.5 His Antidotes were answerable to his Adversities 'T was not only thus with Jacobs Person but with his Posterity also who sometimes were Sighing at the bitter Waters of Marah and sometimes Singing at Pharaoh's overthrow in the Red-Sea c. to teach both us and them that this life is like the Land of Canaan a Land of Hells and Valleys Deut. 11.11 of ups and down God tempers our afflictions with his Favours it shall not be all Night with us nor all Day the time when there shall be no Night is reserved for another World Rev. 22.5 with 21.25 the day of glorified Saints is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Nightless Day there is no fear of a sudden surprize by a subtle Enemy there in the night season Indeed this Patriarch Jacob had longer Nights than any of the other Patriarchs from hence the Church in Affliction is always called Jacob in Scripture but never is she call'd either Abraham or Isaac for he had his Seas of Sorrow to swim in where they did but barely wet their Feet Abraham sends his Servant with brave provisions to provide a Wise for his Son Isaac but when poor Jacob wants a Wise he must steal out secretly out of his Fathers house in stead of sending his Fathers Steward as before footing it five hundred Miles as the Scripture Itinerary tells us and most stupendous stories are recorded of him above all others in the sacred History of his Life which beginneth at his Birth Gen. 25.26 and endeth at his Death Gen. 50.1 So that the account Moses gives us of the condition of his Life containeth no less than twenty five Chapters of that his first book of the Pentateuch which is just half of the whole Book and which cannot be parallell'd by any of his Histories of the lives of the other Patriarchs some whereof he gives but a very brief touch and a short relation though he insist so long upon this Holy man who lived not near to some of their ages as he said to Pharaoh Few and Evil have the days of my Pilgrimage been c. Gen. 47.9 few in comparison of his forefathers who lived many years longer and evil in respect of the manifold crosses which some reckon to he above ten attending him This Jacob had the deepest Draught of the Cup of Affliction above all the other Patriarchs no sooner was one Evil over and gone but another comes upon him no sooner had he waded out of one Affliction but he was presently plung'd into another fluctus fluctum trudit one deep call'd upon another Psal 42.7 one trouble like Jobs Messengers treads upon the Heels of another to omit all other Instances no sooner had Laban left pursuing Jacob behind and well quit of that unkind Uncle but presently tidings come that his bloody minded Brother Esau was approaching to affault him before This brought him into the Bryers out of which he was newly escaped again thus God is pleased to exercise his Servants giving them interchangeable causes and occasions sometimes of fears and sometimes of comforts that their Hearts may be kept in an Holy frame and in an equal poize betwixt despairing in adversity and presuming in prosperity here Jacob was a Joyful man that Laban had left him not only in peace but also with a Kiss and with a Covenant too Gen. 31.44 55. Now he thinks himself safe and his thoughts of his safety were not only confirmed but also compleated by the Apparition of a double Host of Angels as the word Mahanaim signifies making a Lane for his safe progress guarding him on both hands the Hebrew is in the dual number Gen. 32.1 2. herein was Jacob's joy but presently a mar-mirth follows news is brought him v. 6. that his enraged Brother was upon his March with four hundred cut-throats at his heels v. 6. to Revenge himself upon him for a wrong of twenty years standing to wit the robbing him of the birth-right and of the Blessing by force of Arms Esau's approaching in an Hostile manner gave just ground for Jacob's fear that he came not as a Friend then he needed no such Train and he would if so have sent some kind message to his Brother but as an Enemy this brings Jacob into another sad consternation v. 7. ex caelo repentè quasi in infernum detruditur saith Pareus he is affrighted out of his former joy and much terrified with Esau's Hostile intentions expecting nothing but Blows and Blood from him v 8. He was greatly afraid which put him to this point of prudence so to Marshal his weak company as to save what he could when he could not expect to keep his All and that which damp'd this good man the more was the Angels that came to comfort him were gone away from him when his bloody Brother was marching towards him he could not but argue thus within himself How unseasonably had I the Army of Angels which appeared to me between my two dangers before of Laban and now of Esau but not in either of them Their Apparition to me was when I had no need of their protection Esau now comes but my Angels are gone when I most need them no doubt but this was Jacob's weakness thus to despond after so many Promises of Gods presence and after such an Apparition of Angels as his protectors which doubtless God sent to corroborate his Faith against his Fear who thereupon might argue though my Brother Esau come against me with 400 Armed Men yet God hath a stronger Amy of Angels in readiness for my relief though they now appear not because he would have me to live by Faith more than by Sense Those Ministring Spirits do Minister many a Blessing to Gods Servants tho' Invisibly and Insensibly they will not be seen of us to receive any Thanks much less Worship from us And herein the mighty power of God was the more glorified that made Esau who came out as an Enemy in the very way of his March to become Jacob's Friend nay as his good Angel yea to look upon his Brothers face as the face of God Gen. 33.4 10. I am not Ignorant how some Learned Men have more charitable thoughts for Esau saying that he came here as a Friend to congratulate Jacob's return not as an Enemy to be reveng'd upon him and they render this plausible Reason for this opinion to wit If Esau could restrain himself when he was in his freshest and hottest pangs of Passion from a filial reverence to his aged Father over-awing the execution of his revengeful resolves it is
and Fraud of Hell doing their utmost against the God of Heaven Yet the Wisdom of the New Serpent over-match'd the craftiness of the Old Serpent and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 over-mastered the Roaring Lion that Devouring Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 So that it must be granted That Combate betwixt Christ and the Devil is greater than this betwixt Jacob and Christ so much as the Discoveries of the New Testament exceed those of the Old and so much as the prowess of Satan against our Saviour surpasseth that of Jacob here or of any mere mortal Man And yet in some other Respect This hath an Accent and Excellence beyond That Insomuch as here the creature through Divine Condescension prevail'd against the Creator but there the Devil notwithstanding he was stronger than Jacob could not conquer Christ but went away vanquished Christ will not so submit to a wicked Spirit as he doth to a Godly man who concerning the work of his hands may command him Isa 45.11 Here is a Raree-Show indeed Go along with me I beseech you both to see and hear this great wonder in some sense the greatest wonder that ever was in the World that God himself as will appear after should come down from his Throne in Heaven to wrestle a Fall with a man a poor Worm Isa 41.14 Psal 22.6 upon his Footstool on Earth But more particularly in the Second place what kind of Combat this was whether Corporal only or Spiritual only or both together is our next Enquiry 1. There be some who say that it was only Spiritual by way of Vision so Hierom and Gloss Interlinearis or in way of a Dream imaginary only So Thomas Rupertus and Rabbi-Levi who thinketh that Jacob's Thigh might be hurt by some other means as by the weariness of his tedious Travel or by his catching cold while he lay that cold Night upon the cold Ground rather than by any real wrestling and he further addeth that Jacob dreamed of that same hurt upon his Hip How improbable this is may be easily urged Assuredly Jacob had little either list or leisure for Sleeping much less for Dreaming while he was so struck even with a pannick fear of his bloody Brother It was therefore 2. A Real and Corporal Combat not visional or imaginary which appears by many Reasons As First Because 't is said Jacob rose up that Night and sent his Family before him after both which he is describ'd to be immediately engaged even that same Night he rose up in to wrestling work Gen. 32.22.24 which must be when he was waking for 't is not likely he would lye down to Sleep under his sad Circumstances of Affrightment as before while his Family by his order were marching forward The Second Reason is Jacob's Valour and Victory are both highly applauded even by God himself whereas had both these been Imaginary only and transacted in a Dream such Fancies are but a Laughter to Men both to themselves who are the Dreamers thereof and to others also unto whom they are related The Third Reason is The Luxation of his Loin or Lameness of his Leg was undoubtedly Real and Corporal who will complain of an imaginary Hurt founded only in the Fancy not sensibly found in the Body as Jacob did of his It could not be sure a bare Fancy that was the only Cause of Jacob's Claudication 'T is certainly a literal Truth really to be understood where 't is said that as he passed over Penuel he halted upon his Thigh Gen. 32.31 The Fourth Reason is As there is a Reality in Jacob's Valour Victory and Lameness so there is no less in the Change of his Name from Jacob to Israel 't was not done in a Dream or Vision or in Imagination only Accordingly must his wrestling be not Visional but Corporal Yet there is a Third Sense which seems not improbable to wit that Jacob's wrestling was both Corporal and Spiritual for he did certainly contend with Christ by the force of his Faith as well as by the strength of hit Body The Prophet Hosea gives a plain Testimony that Jacob won the Blessing here by weeping as well as by wrestling He wept and made supplication with his Soul as well as wrestled with his Body Hos 12.3 4. As he used his Corporal Arms to wit his Right and Left tugging and toiling hard with both so likewise he improved his Spiritual Armour to wit his Prayers and his Tears Verbum preces Lachrymae Miserae Arma sunt Ecclesiae His wrestling was with Weeping and his prevailing was by Praying for the Blessing The second Part or Particular in this Famous History is The two Combatants Here the Enquiry is who are They Answer 'T is plain the one of them is Jacob but there is much Dispute and many Opinions who should be the other of them to discuss this a little The first Opinion is that of Josephus who saith it was only a spectrum or Phantasm that wrestled with Jacob Contrà Had this been so then Jacob's Valour could never have been capable of such high Divine Commendation nor his Victory so signal and singular to overcome a thing of nothing that suddenly appeareth and as suddenly disappeareth neither requireth Valour in the Act nor is Honour'd with Victory in the End The word Hebr. for wrestle is Abak which signifies to raise a Dust this would not be with a Phantasm or he lamed by it The second Opinion is that of the Hebrew Rabbies who say It was Esau's Angel whom they name Sammael who contended with Jacob for the Blessing and whom he by Divine assistance proving the stronger would not let go unless this Angel would confirm the Blessing of his Father Isaac and likewise make a Promise that he should not be harmed by him Contrà But this favours of Jewish Fables concerning Angels would Esau's Angel as being better natur'd than Esau himself part thus with Esau's Blessing without Esau's consent they should prove his credentials and his instructions as well as his sole-guardian-ship from Esau otherwise Jacob was impos'd upon as one too credulous with an insignificant Promise Thus dato uno absurdo mille sequuntur grant one absurdity and a thousand will follow The third Opinion is That mention'd by Procopius of some that say it was the Devil in Esau's likeness not much differing is that of Jerom who saith upon Eph. 6.12 it was a Cacodaemon an Evil Angel Contrà But Jerome adds another even a good Angel that took Jacob 〈◊〉 part against the evil one none ought to make two Angels where the Scripture mentions but one besides what Blessing could Jacob expect either from the Devil or from an evil Angel It was the same Angel who wrestled with Jacob that Blessed him also which the Devil or an evil Angel would not have done The fourth Opinion is that of Pererius and the Papists who all generally do affirm it was a good created Angel and particularly Jacob's Guardian Angel This they endeavour
to prove by the Prophet Hosea who calls him barely an Angel without any other Epithet added to him Hos 12.4 whereas when Christ is call'd an Angel some other word is adjoined as the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 c. Contrà But the prophet Hosea adds enough to him whom he calls the Angel without an Epithet to shew that he was more than a Created Angel for he saith in the same place that Jacob had power with God as well as with the Angel and that the same was that God who found him at Bethel so that the Angel with whom Jacob wrestled was the same who spake to him at Bethel and God Interprets this himself saying I am the God of Bethel Gen. 31.13 Besides 't is in the Power of God alone to give the Blessing to Jacob which he wrestled for and not in the hand of any Created Angel much less of Jacob's Guardian Angel save only Declaratively not Despotically which is no more than what the Commission of a Gospel Minister doth comprehend The fifth Opinion which is the last and best is that he with whom Jacob wrestled was the Increated Angel no other than the Son of God that is in the likeness of the same nature which he afterwards took upon him until the day dawned and would not let him go till he had blest him This plainly appeareth many ways As First He is call'd by the Name of God indeed he hath three names given him Ish Malach and Elohim First Ish or Man according to his outward appearance There wrestled a man with him Gen. 32.24 For this was one part or piece of Christs sport and play among the Sons of Men which Solomon speaks of Prov. 8.31 The Son of God long before his Incarnation appeared like the Son of Man sporting himself among the Sons of Men as he doth here in his wrestling a Fall with Jacob. Secondly He is call'd Malach or Angel according to his Office for he is Gods Messenger or grand Embassador sent out of the Court or Heaven to transact the great affair of Man's Redemption thus the Prophet calls him an Angel Hos 12.4 because of his Mediatory Office and Jacob calls him his Redeeming Angel the Angel that Redeemed me from all evil Gen. 48.16 Thirdly He is call'd Elohim which is the name of the great God and oft given to this combatant with Jacob. As 1. Thou as a Prince hast power with God Gen. 32.28 saith this Wrestler to Jacob 2. I have seen God Face to Face v. 30. saith Jacob when he call'd that place Peniel which signifies the Face of God 3. The Name Jacob chang'd into Israel implies this Wrestler was God for Israel signifies a Conqueror of God or a Prevailer with him 4. Hosea's Character is He had Princely Power over him whom he calleth Elohim Hos 12.3 and Jehovah v. 5. as well as Malach v. 4. he plaid the Prince with God fortiter fideliter se gessit he bore himself bravely he lays not down in a sullen damp and despondency but Wrestleth with excellent Wrestlings as the Prophet saith even with God himself 5. This Combatant with Jacob was above all Name and Notions therefore is he rebuk'd for asking after his Name because as the Greek addeth Gen. 32.29 it is wonderful as Judg. 13.17 18. This could not be any other than the Son of God whose name is Wonderful Isa 9.6 So then 6. It must be Christ no other Angel but the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Jacob's Redeeming Angel Gen. 48.16 our Blessed Redeemer call'd by the Septuagint Isa 9.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angel of the great Council whose name he would not reveal till afterward nearer his Incarnation so would not gratifie Jacob's curiosity in inquiring after it and who indeed surpasseth all Name therefore Plutarch saith that the Africans call Jove or Jehovah by Amon which signifies Heus tu quis es oh you who are you Thus they complemented their unknown God Act. 17.23 he is so incomprehensible by Names and Notions that mans best eloquence of him is an humble silence The Third part or particular of this Famous History is Jacob's Valour which is conspicuously demonstrable in several circumstances As 1. 'T is a clear discovery hereof if his Antagonist with whom he durst so daringly encounter be well considered that he was no less than the Omnipotent Jehovah Here was impar congressies Troilus cum Achille an unequal match a lump of Clay contending with th◠great Potter This was daringly done indeed Caligula did dare his Jove to a Duel but what was his Jupiter whom he challeng'd save only a Dunghil-Deity a meer Mock-Jove to the true Jehovah but this attempt of Jacob here in daring to enter the lists with God himself surmounts Infinitely not only that of the Heathen Caligula but also all the most eminent exploits of the most excellent Heroe's recorded either in Civil or Sacred History There are indeed some Scriptural saying which seem to make this undertaking of Jacob in this conflict rather a rash Fool-hardiness than any Genuine and Judicious Valour For 1. The Prophet saith Isa 45.9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsherd strive with the Potsherds of the Earth that is let Man meddle with his Match and not contend with one mightier than the mightiest Eccles 6.10 with one higher than the highest Eccles 5.8 for Man to strive with his Maker is no better than an Earthen vessel as all Mankind is 2. Cor. 4.7 dashing it self against the Rock even the Rock of Ages as God is call'd Isa 26.4 Jah Jehovah Tsur gnolamim a Rock of Eternity what can this be but impious morosity and intolerable petulancy And 2. The Apostle saith Dare you provoke the Lord to jealousie are ye stronger than he 1 Cor. 10.22 Man may in a way of Justice Cope with a Man like himself but let him take heed how he dares to enter the Lists with the Great God for he can neither oppose his Intentions nor controul his Dispensations and sundry other Scriptures to the same sense Yet seeing God became Man in Apparition here There wrestled a Man with Jacob c. Gen. 32.24 As it was lowly Condescention in God to appear here as a Man to render Jacob capable of conflicting with him so it was lofty Valour in Jacob and not Fool-hardiness to Encounter this Apparition though this Man was God as is above-said and though the true God was yet not by way of Circumscription in this seeming Man Had Jacob faln in this Encounter he had faln by Noble Hands in a Noble Exploit and by a right Noble Undertaking yea he would have better merited that Epitaph which was writ upon rash Phaeton's Tomb. Hit situs est Phaeton currus auriga paterni Quem si non tenuit magnis tamen excidit Ausis which Distich runs thus in our Mothers Tongue as adapted to our Father Jacob's case had he faln therein Jacob lyes here who with his God
were silent not endeavouring to qualify his Soul-afflicting Questions Oh what shall I do And whither shall I go yet when they inform'd him afterward how they had not slain him but sold him he was then satisfied and concurr'd with them to cheat Jacob with Joseph's Bloody Coat Gen. 37.31 32 33 for it seemeth they were all in the conspiracy Reuben with the rest to conceal their craft and cruelty in the Sale of their Brother They dip Joseph's parti colour'd Coat in the Blood of a Kid and send it to the good Old Man by the Hands of their Servants who were Innocent as well as Ignorant of the cruel crime and durst not carry it themselves to him lest their discomposed countenances should bewray and betray their own guilty Consciences Heu quà m difficile est crimen non prodere vultu Their plot and project succeeds as they had propos'd it The credulous Father believes their lye cryes Some evil Beast hath Devoured him which was a truth in this sense that those evil Beasts his bad Sons had made him away Jacob's credulity is apparent herein seeing he doth not more strictly examine both his Servants and his Sons about the time and the place when and where they found this Rent and Bloody Garment The place should have been viewed where Joseph was pretended to be worried for there some scraps of him might be seen undevoured seeing 't is not likely that any Beast could devour him all The Neighbouring Inhabitants might have been asked whether evil Beasts Haunted that place such as that courteous Passenger who set wandring Joseph into his right way Gen. 37.15 yea and the Blood upon the Coat might have been under a strict scrutiny whether it were Man's or Beasts Blood But alas the good old perplexed Patriarch was under such a perturbation of Mind and such a consternation of Spirit that he was not permitted to think of any such things he accuseth the Evil Beast that was Innocent and acquits his Beastly Sons whom he knew hated Joseph of all suspicion or Fratricide or Murder thus those Hypocrites cover one Sin with another and involve themselves into the guilt of many Sins while they go about to hide one To the palliation of one lye arc required ten Thus they deluded Jacob but the great Jehovah could not be deceived by them And so far as Reuben was a joint conspirator with the rest in so wickedly imposing upon a credulous Parent almost to the breaking of his Heart and that for so many years till God at last brought it to light he is justly to be blamed Though his fervency for delivering Joseph as above deserves to be commended yet his inconstancy in good must be condemned for Truth in the beginning Zeal all the way and Persverance to the end are the three Ingredients whereof a right good man is compounded and compleated Section the Third Having first viewed Joseph's Sellers in the second place his Buyers come to the next consideration Those Buyers of Joseph pass under a double name 1. They are call'd Ishmaelites Gen. 37.25 27 28. and Gen. 39.1 And 2. They are call'd Midianites Gen. 37.28 and 36. These two were a distinct People descended from a distinct Original yet both the Off-spring of Abraham the Ishmaelites sprang from Ishmael his Son by Hagar Gen. 16.15 and the Midianites from Midian Abraham's Son also by Keturah Gen. 25.2 yet are these two names promiscuously used and as it were confounded together here as they are also in Jud. 8.22 24 26. because the Midianites lived in the Country of the Ishmaelites and exercis'd the Trade of Merchants among them so that they became a mixed people for a great part of them in their Habitations hereupon the Chaldee calls them Arabians a third name to the two former of Gnarab which signifies to be mixed because they were a mixed people Those Ishmaelites and Midianites were so intermingled each with other both in their Habitation and in their Conversation as to mutual commerce intercourse of Trade that they are oft taken for one the same People as here Gen. 37. the two Names signifie the same persons comparing v. 28. with v. 36. and Gen. 39.1 where 't is said Joseph's Brethren sold him to the Ishmaelites and the Midianites sold him unto Potiphar and Potiphar bought him of the Ishmaelites However here is a sweet providence of God for good to Afflicted Joseph to be perspicuously seen in many circumstances as famous footsteps thereof The first famous Circumstance is No sooner had those conspirators cast Joseph into the Pit where they design'd to famish him till he died by Famine which in it self is a more cruel Death than if he had died by their Swords Lam. 4.6 9. praestat semel mori quà m semper moribundum esse 't is better to be suddenly dispatch'd and soon put out of their pain than to pine away by Inches Lev. 26.39 and to be Tormented a long time with fear and sense of dying by Famine a far worse Weapon than the Sword Thus they Lodg poor Joseph stript of his two Garments which were to keep him warm both his Long Coat that reach'd down to his Ankles call'd Tunica Talaris and his parti-coloured Coat call'd Polymita as Lyra and Menochius say so Joseph lay naked to be Starved in the Pit there to starve him with cold as well as with Hunger and when they had laid him there they leave him in this disconsolate condition then they sat down to Eat v. 24 25. wherein was a most Marvelous Providence this did not fall out by any cast of uncertain chance out of Fortunes Office but 't was ordered thus by the over-ruling hand of God as the casting of Joseph into the Pit by the prevailing influence of Reuben who was one of the Conspirators Company to save him from being immediately Murder'd was a Miracle of Mercy NB. Rather than that Gods Innocent Joseph's should not be Delivered God will when no other can be had raise up a Redeemer and a deliverer for them out of the very company of the Conspirators themselves as He hath lately done in this late Damnable Popish Plot drawing forth some of themselves to discover it so their sitting down to Eat was no less a Miracle of Mercy for had they presently gone away and not sat down Joseph had in all probability perish'd in the Pit and never have been sold into Egypt so Jacob and those very Conspirators must have died by Famine the Death they doom'd Joseph to had he not been there to relieve them Gen. 45.5 and 50.20 Act. 7.11 12 13. How may step aside a little and with Moses Exod. 3.3 stand to behold Gods work of Wonder 1. In Gods governing Reuben's the Elder Brothers advice so as to get Joseph cast into the Pit Whether it were his entire Love to his Brother or it was nothing but his own Self-love designing hereby to reconcile himself to his effended Father that moved him most to make this
Nilus which they Adored and for which end it is supposed Pharaoh was going down to pay his Homage to that Idol when God bade Moses go meet him in the morning Exod. 7.15 This is intimated in Ezek. 29.3 9. where they are twitted twice for Idolizing it but God made it loathsom to them Exod. 7.18 4. In their Fish which was their daily and delicate Diet Numb 11.5 for the Flesh of many Beasts they out of Superstition would not eat of as abominable Exod. 8.26 All the Fish died when their Water was turned into Blood Exod. 7.21 5. In their Bodies wherein they greatly prided themselves but the Boils God smote them with spoil'd all their Beauties in their well-built Bodies 6. In their Children when in every House there was a dead Corps and that not of a Slave or Servant but of their First-born All these were the Idols of Egypt Exod. 12.12 Zeph. 2.11 Thirdly and Lastly They were plagu'd in all their Senses As 1. In their Seeing for they lost all sight when the Plague of Darkness took away their Light for three days unless it were horrible sights mentioned in Apocrypha Wisdom 17.6 7. however their comfort of Seeing they lost 2. In their Hearing Oh what a Consternation Dread and Terror seiz'd upon them when God uttered his terrible voice in those frightful Thunders in the Plague of Hail when Fire ran along upon the ground yet did not melt the Hail-stones Exod. 9.23 this must be Supernatural and therefore the more dreadful which might make them think that God was come to Rain Hell-fire out of Heaven upon them as he had done before this upon wicked Sodom Gen. 19. How did this voice of the Lord break the Câ—dars c. Psal 29 5 6 c. yea every Tree of the Field Exod. 9.25 3. In their Smelling both by the stench of the Frogs Exod. 8.14 which might mind them of their Sin that made them stink before God and likewise by the stinking rotten matter that ran out of those Ulcers wherewith they were smitten Exod. 9.9 10 11. As they had oppressed Gods people with Furnace work in making Brick so the Ashes of that Furnace became burning Boils that brake forth into putrid running Sores c. 4. In their Tasting both by the Waters turned into Blood because in them they had shâ—d the Blood of the Male Hebrew Children these Bloody Men had Blood to drink for they were worthy Rev. 16.6 Their River Nilus they used to boast of to the Grecians saying in mockery to them If God should forget to Rain they might chance to perish for it the Rain they thought was of God but not their River Ezek. 29.3 9. therefore to confute them in their confidence as God threatens to dry it up Isa 19.5 6. so here to bereave them of all the comfortable use of it they now loathed to drink of it Exod. 7.18 19 20. God cursed their blessings Mal. 2.2 and also by their thirst thereby procured Drinking such Bloody Water did rather torture their Taste than please their Palate or quench their Thirst 5. In their Touching or Feeling by their dolorous shooting pangs in their Body when the sin of their Souls broke forth into Sores of their Bodies which pained them so that as they could not now sleep in a whole Skin as hitherto they had done so they gnawed their own Tongues for pain this was superadded to the bitings of Flies Wasps Flying Serpents c. whereby some might be stung to death Psal 78.45 and the Magicians themselves who had so insolently imitated Moses the Devil being God's Ape were branded with those Boils to detect their contumacy Besides also the Frogs ravening upon their Bodies so irresistibly c. must needs be very offâ—nsive to their Sense of Touching Lastly As if all this had been too little to fill up the measure of their Plagues and Punishments Pharaoh and all his Forces that hitherto had escaped were all drawn blindfold into the noose by fair way weather c. and then were drowned in the Red Sea Exod. 14.8 9 21 24 28. The seventh Remark in the General is The marvellous correspondency betwixt the Plagues upon the old Literal Egypt with its Pharaoh and the new Mystical Egypt with its false Prophet When the Lord comes to plague this new Egypt Rev. 11.8 He will deal with the Romish Pharaoh for persecuting his Gospel Churches as he dealt with the Egyptian Pharaoh for oppressing his Antient Israel therefore in the seven Vials Rev. 16. there is mention made of Boils Blood and Darkness Frogs c. which is a plain Allusion to the Plagues of Egypt only with this difference The Vision of the Vials begins first with the sixth Plague upon Egypt bringing a noisom Boil upon all the Worshippers of the Beast and the reason may be because that sixth Plague was upon Jannes and Jambres the Magicians that they could not stand before Moses Exod. 9.11 so this vexing Plague that is placed first shall fall upon the Ring-leaders of Mis-rule in the Antichristian Egypt and shall reach Home at the first blow when Reformation begins The second and third of the Vials refer both to that one of Blood in Egypt to shew how it shall exceed that wherein they had some relief by digging for Water Exod. 7.24 but this comes throughly Home without any relief and the Throne of the Beast shall be darkened by the fifth Vial as Pharaoh's Kingdom was by the ninth Plague And the Egyptian Plague of Frogs is translated in the Vials into a more dangerous tenour c. CHAP. XVII The History and Mystery of Israel's Deliverance from Egypt NOW come we to the Concomitants the second part of the Premises proposed of Israel's Deliverance and Departure as the word Exodus signifies out of Egyp They are three 1. The beginning of the year is Altered 2. The yearly Passcover is Appointed And 3. The First born of Israel are Sanctified to God Exod. Chap. 12. and 13. The first of these hath this Remark That Abib which signifies opening or part of our March and of our April being the time of Flowers opening must be the beginning of Months Exod. 12.2 at which time some say most probably the World was Created and Noah's Flood began these words therefore give not properly any new Institution as some say but rather a reviving of the old Custom of beginning the year from that time which use had been discontinued in Egypt for a long time by another use of that Countrey which began their year in Autumn At Spring all things begin to revive the Days lengthening and the Sun ascending and now the whole Creation seemed to rejoice at Israel's Release out of Egypt this was a Figure of the Churches Redemption by the Messias who by his Death in this Month John 18.28 c. gave a new life and reviving to the faln bewintered and withered World 1 Cor. 5.7 8. and 2 Cor. 5.17 Rev. 21.5 Thereby also is the Church
on the other Hand this Lamb must not be eaten Raw saith God here as foreseeing the Popish Doctrine of eating Christ's Flesh Raw in the Sacrament in a carnal sense that gross absurdity he here pre-condemneth as a contradiction of the Type to the Antitype and as contrary 1. To Religion in destroying the Nature of a Sacrament as that Doctrine confounds the sign with the thing signified 2. 'T is repugnant also to Reason requiring carnal Nourishment to a spiritual Substance the Soul to which the flesh profiteth nothing Joh. 6.63 Yea 3. 'T is against sense it self and so is plain Non-sense for the Romanists would make the Receivers believe that they eat the very Flesh and Blood of Christ when they see touch and taste nothing but a Wafer and all their senses tell them it is no more than Bread yet they most senselesly contradict them all Moreover This prohibitive Precept Eat not of it Raw may prefigure also that as we may not rudely conceive in our Minds concerning Christ in his two Natures and three Offices c. so we ought not rawly to receive him in the Lord's Supper without a due Preparation and Examination of our selves lest we come unworthily and eat Judgment to our selves 1 Cor. 11.26 28 29. Thus Christ will be Roast-meat to us which is much sweeter and wholesomer than is that Meat which is either raw or sodden c. Fifthly The next Rite of the Paschal Lamb was to eat it with unleavened Bread and sour Herbs First As that Bread was the soonest made such as Abraham Gen. 18.5 6. and Lot Gen. 19.3 hastily prepared to entertain the Angels for they were to eat it in haste Exod. 12.11 34. and Deut. 16.3 in which place Unleavened Bread is call'd the Bread of Affliction as Isa 30.20 because it was to mind them of their afflicted conition in Egypt from which they fled in such haste that they could not stay till their Bread was leavened Exod. 12.39 Thus the vulgar Saying is That Poor-folks Bread is ill-prepared ill-leavened therefore this Bread was call'd the Bread of Poverty So Lechem Gnoni may be read Poor People almost famished bake a bit of Dough hastily made up upon hot Embers not being able to tarry till the lump if they have it be leavened and long lingringly baked in the Oven But the Apostle Paul interprets it here to signifie Sincerity and Truth 1 Cor. 5.8 because leaven hath an operation of souring and swelling up the Dough therefore that is used usually to signifie Sin as before of Hypocrisie Malice c. Secondly The bitter Herbs signified that their bitter Affliction in Egypt must be kept in Remembrance and to mind them what an evil and bitter thing Sin is Jer. 2.19 the procuring cause of all that bitterness Exod. 1.14 from which God was now delivering them Deut. 16.3 to which the Church alludeth lamenting God had filled her to the full with bitter Herbs c. Lam. 3.15 teaching us how we may not expect such sweet meat as the Lamb of God is but we must have with it some sour sauce those Sufferings were bitter that Christ endured for us and we must fill up his Measure Col. 1.24 and be in bitterness Zech. 12.10 weeping bitterly Luk. 22.62 being in heaviness to mortifie Sin 1 Pet. 1.6 Gal. 5.24 c. The Sixth Rite was They must that Night eat up the whole Lamb and let nothing Remain till the Morning The First Type is their eating it by Candle-light in the Night season which signifies that our Natural light cannot teach us to feed aright upon our Gospel-Paschal-Lamb this must be done by a light super-natural Act. 26.18 this lively light of Faith in Christ justifies many Isa 53.11 Joh. 17.3 The Second Clause signifies our great need of a whole Christ He must not be divided into pieces and parcels 1 Cor. 1.13.30 Gal. 2.20 where Paul apprehends by Faith a whole Christ to himself as if Christ had died for him only as his Coat was seamless Joh. 19.23 so is himself and not to be rent in pieces as the Arrians do in denying his Deity The Manichees in impugning his Humanity and the Apollinarists in saying Christ had no Soul c. Christ ought to be apprehended by Faith in his whole Person Natures Offices without any Division The Third Clause signifies that there must be no dallying and delaying in our apprehending Christ by Faith for we know not what another Morning may bring forth every night we may sleep our last sleep which is an Image of Death Isa 17.14 and 2 Kin. 19.35 Beside They were to eat up all if they could what remain'd must be burnt and not kept till the Morning ver 10. which is a plain Reproof to the Popish Practice in superstitiously reserving their Consecrated Wafer c. for the Sacramental sign when out of its use for which God ordain'd it during the Religious Worship hath afterward no sacred Vertue or Property in it nor ought Men to pay any Veneration to it much loss such Divine Adoration as is practised in the Romish Church The Seventh Râ—e was their Threefold posture Loins girt Shoes on their feet and a Staff in their hands to which a Fourth is added as necessarily implied though not expressed to wit They ate the Passeover also in a standing posture as Philo affirmeth for it was improbable they should sit with Shoes on their feet and Staves in their hands c. 'T is most probable and generally received that they ate it standing which was a gesture of readiness for present passage because they ate it in haste Exod. 12.11 just ready for a matching and is the posture of waiting Servants and such they were while in Egypt's Slavery The Apostle seems to allude to this posture Eph. 6.11 13 14. beginning his Christian Armory with it Stand therefore c. and when ye have done all to stand then follows he with this that is expressed here having our Loins girt as the 1st of them for enabling us to stand our ground and to keep our station It was the Custom of those Oriental Countries to wear long loose Garments which when not trussed up made them very unfit for travelling 2 King 4.29 Jer. 1.17 This therefore Christ commandeth that we may be girt for our Journey to the Heavenly Canaan as they here for the Earthly Luk. 12.35 36. and his Apostle Peter bids us Gird up the Loins of our Minds 1 Pet. 1.13 because a loose discinct and diffluent Mind is unready unnimble unhandy and unhandsome for God's Service 't is like Thrashing in a Cloak according to the vulgar Saying Christ did not serve his Disciples so Luk. 17.8 nor should we serve Christ so To the same purpose saith Paul having your Loins girt about with that golden girdle of Truth Eph. 6.14 Nothing maketh a man more unsteady in his Profession than his want of Sincerity and a loose life and here if ever doth that Proverb Ungirt Unblest hold true we
the Egyptians c 1 Sam. 4.8 Pharaoh's preservation through God's Longanimity hitherto from all the ten foregoing Plagues was but his Reservation for a worse and a more signal destruction The second cause of this excaecation was their angry malicious vindictive spirit which transported them into an insatiable thirst to be revenged of the Israelites for all the damages done them upon their account c. Thirdly Their covetous and greedy desire to recover all their goods garments jewels c. though frankly and freely given them for redemption of their own lives Exod. 12.33 36. and to take the spoil of all Israel Fourthly Their vain presumption that seeing the fair way and weather which served for the safety of the Israelites passage they thought they might also serve them for the same purpose This also made them praecipitant c. Some indeed do say that Pharaoh call'd a Council of War who some time did debate upon the shore whether they should give up or carry on their pursuit The issue of this consult at last was as it falls out among those under Divine Infatuations quos Deus destruit prius dementat the worst councel had the best prevalency whereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They made a desperate venture Heb. 11.29 which was the highest instance of such a daring presumptuous attempt of unbelief in the Churche's Enemies of all others recorded in the Scripture of Truth The Egyptians here perfectly presumed that they might fare as well in the Sea as the Israelites did Fifthly Therefore we must acknowledge the greatest cause of all was that God had hardned their hearts as he said he would do Exod. 14.4 8 17. and gave them up to a reprobate sense seeing Pharaoh their Leader was raised up for this very purpose c. Exod. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 This judâ—ciary hardness for all their precedent sins made them both unmindful of all former Plagues upon them for their hatred and cruelty to God's People and unable to discern their approaching utter destruction tho' some secondary causes from their own Councils might in God's hand concur to animate them As First It being all dark about them they might not know where they went only feeling firm ground under them Secondly They might suppose it was only an extraordinary ebb of the Sea c. Thirdly Loth they were to lose their prey and prize being all along at Israel's heels 'till the Cloud parted them and began to disturb them yet all this was of the Lord. The Seventh Remark is The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations and to reserve the unjust for the Day of Judgment to be punished either in this World or in the other 2 Pet. 2.9 as here the Egyptians whom God permitted to pursue his Church even into the Sea He gave for a time both fair way and weather before them and lets them follow close at her heels blustring and breathing out threatnings as that Wolf wearied with worrying did Acts 9.1 against her saying I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the Spoil c. Exod. 15.9 till in a trice They sank as lead in the mighty waters v. 10. and were as still as a stone v. 16. There God brake the Heads of the Dragon Pharaoh that Leviathan or Sea-Monster Isa 27.1 Ezek. 29.3 and of all the Crocodiles his Captains and Sworn Sword-Men of Satan and gave them to be meat to the People inhabiting the Wilderness Psal 74.13 14. Israel taking the spoil of their dead Carcases cast upon the shore whereby they were furnished with many necessaries for their journey to Canaan the Lord knew how to secure those brain-sick and incorrigible Sinners to their destinated destruction as well as to deliver his People out of their bloody hands yea rather than they should want Deliverance God knows how to command it to be done thus David prays Thou and none but thou art my King as thou hast been of old O command Deliverance for Jacob Psal 44.4 5. send but a Mandamus from Heaven and that will do it see Lord to save thy Subjects and Servants as thou hast done of old Speak but the Word and it shall be done as at the Creation Yea rather than God's Church shall want peace he will create peace Isa 57.19 from things that are not he can produce it by his Omnipotency and work a Miracle to have it done as here for Jah Jehovah is the Old Rock the Rock of Ages c. Isa 26.3 4 c. If we lean upon this Rock alone Isa 50.10 and call upon him in time of trouble which never befalls us more than is right Job 34.23 nor ever by chance but by Providence as this did on Israel God purposing thereby to get himself honour upon Pharaoh and his host Exod. 14.4 c. Then will he deliver us and we shall glorifie him Psal 50.15 He knows how to deliver he hath delivered he doth deliver and we trust he will do so hereafter 2 Cor. 1.10 Now because this was a fatal issue of a long controversie betwixt Egypt literal and God's Israel which is a most manifest Type prefiguring the last end of the long contest betwixt Egypt mystical Rev. 11.8 or Antichrist and the true Church of Christ as its Antitype concluding without controversie as this did at the upshot of this conflict in the compleat Salvation of the latter and in the utter extirpation of the former As Israel's deliverance from Egypt was not perfected till they saw Pharaoh and his host all lay dead upon the Sea-shore Exod. 14.30 for which they sang the Triumphant Song of Moses Exod. 15. wherein a distinct Narrative of that glorious Victory is exactly Recorded shewing how Miriam and the Virgins sounded forth the high praises of God upon Timbrels v. 20. So all this was a certain pledge of a compleat Victory and Triumph of the true Church over all its Antichristian Adversaries and that those Virgins which are not defiled and follow the Lamb whither ever be goes Rev. 14.4 shall obtain Victory over the Spiritual Pharaoh the Beast or Antichrist and shall stand by the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire as the Hebrew Virgins stood by the Red-Sea having the Harps of God in their hands and shall sing both the Song of Moses the Servant of God for old Miracles of Mercy and likewise the Song of the Lamb our blessed Messiah the Son of God for new Revel 15.2 3 4 5 c. The Mystery of Iniquity is begun to be made manifest and more and more shall be if our sins hinder not Rev. 15.6 The Lord shad Reign Exod. 15.18 and in things wherein Adversaries deal proudly he will be above them Exod. 18.11 He sits in Heaven Psal 2.4 and sees their Day is coming Psal 37.16 as Pharaoh's Senacherib's Herod's c. blasting their designs Psal 106.12 saith they believed in his word and sang his praise could we do the former we should do the latter also The Eighth Remark is The
Israel with his multiplied Altars and Sacrifices shewing that though Man stand not to his Promises upon four Reasons 1. Because He oft fallaciously promiseth 2. And as oft repents of his Promise 3. Because something falls out at unawares which either disenables the Promiser to perform or the Person to whom the Promise is made doth disoblige his Friend and renders Himself incapable of the performance And 4. It may be the thing promised is beyond the abilities of the Promiser All which Cases and Causes can have no coincidency with the Lord. The Fifth Remark is the determined Benediction of God is no way reversible by Man this Balaam doth acknowledge ver 20. for the Gifts of God are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 The Strength of Israel will not lie He is not a Man that he should repent 1 Sam. 15.25 Though the Scripture sometime speaketh seemingly of God's Repenting as Gen. 6.6 Amos 7.3 6. Jer. 18.8 yet are these Expressions only according to our capacity as they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicta so they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intellecta spoken after the manner of Men but taken by our understandings as it beseemeth the Majesty and Honour of God When Repentance is attributed to God it noteth only the Alteration of his Actions but no alteration or change of his Purpose or Decree which is immutable 't is Mutatio Rei non Dei effectus non affectus facti non Consilii 'T is not a change of his Will but of his Work Repentance with Man is the changing of his Will but Repentance with God is only the willing of a change There is no shadow of any change in God Jam. 1.17 So that in those Words Hinneh Barék likachti c. ecce benediâ—ere accepi c. Balaam preacheth the unchangeableness of God's Love to his People and that neither Principalities nor Powers nor Magical Inchantments can separate them form God's Blessing in Christ Rom. 8.38 The Sixth Remark from ver 21. is Balaam in this second attempt cannot curse but blesseth Iâ—rael the second Time and that with the blessedness of Justification in the free and full Pardon of all their Sins Concurring here with David who pronounceth them blessed whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered c. Psal 32.1 2. as likewise with the Apostle Paul after David Rom. 4.7 Holding forth Believers Justification in the sight of God by the same Expressions of the Psalmist For not to behold or see Sin in sinful Men is according to Scripture-phrase God's hiding his Face from our Sine Psal 51.9 blotting out our Iniquities and remembring them no more Isa 43.25 and Heb. 8.12 and when God pardons his People then their Iniquities though sought for shall not be found Jer. 50.20 The contrary to this God is said to do unto Unbelievers Their Iniquities are remembred and not blotted out their Sins are before tho Face of the Lord continually Psal 109.14 15. so Psal 90.8 and therefore God is angry with them every day Psal 7.11 The Seventh Remark is the strange Inferences which the Antinomians draw from this Text ver 21. That God saw no kind of Sin in Jacob no manner of Transgression in Israel and from hence conclude that God feeth no Sin in his Elect no manner of Iniquity in his justified ones that the very being of their Sins is abolished out of sight that God is never displeased with his People no not when they fall into Adultery or the like heinous Sins and that though they fall thus foully yet God cannot be angry with them no not with a fatherly displeasure c. All which is most assuredly a wringing Blood and not Milk out of this sacred Scripture the tendency whereof must unavoidably corrupt sound Doctrine and deprave solid Piety in good manners of humane Conversation That this cannot be the genuine and proper sense of this Text may thus be made apparent First Out of this very History and the Truth of God's Word for how can it be safely said that God saw no manner of Sin in Israel when as He so oft complains of their Sins and both threaten'd and punish'd them for their Transgressions Exod. 32.9 Deut. 9.13 27 28. Psal 78.60 61. Secondly Balaam himself did not take his own Words in any such Sense for then it had been a vain Project of his Diabolical Counsel to set the fairest Faces of the Daughters of Midian c. before the Eyes of the Israelites whereby to entice them first to Adultery and then to Idolatry which had been ridiculous if Balaam had apprehended that God neither could nor would behold any Iniquity in Israel whereby to provoke him unto Anger Thirdly Nor need we be so solicitous about the sense of those Words which were uttered by Balaam who was a wicked Man and loved the wages of wickedness and thereupon endeavoured by his Enchantments to curse Israel whom the Lord had blessed save only that they are generally believed to be the Words not so much of Balaam upon which account they might be passed over in silence without scruple for it matters not what such a mad Man belcheth out as of the Holy Spirit who over-ruled the Tongue of this mad Prophet and made him speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery and which can never contradict it self in other places of divinely inspired Scriptures every where scattered to shew how the Sin of the Saints are of the blackest Hue and of greatest Provocation to God's pute Eyes as they are the Sins against the greatest Light and Love c. therefore this Text ought not to be turned as it is by Novelists to palliate the Mystery of Iniquity Fourthly Nor doth Balaam here speak of the better fort of Israel only who were justified by Faith and by their walking with God in an Holy Conversaion and therefore they might be reputed Righteous but he meaneth the whole Body of the People because they were now the Object both of Balaam's sight and of Balak's spight whom He desired to be cursed and with many of whom God was not well-pleased 1 Cor. 10.5 c. yea and who are frequently charged with many heinous Iniquities Act. 7.42 Psal 106.37 Exod. 32.32 and 33.3 c. All which Provocations God cannot in any sound sense be said not to see for it God should be Ignorant of any thing He could not be Omniscient as he is Heb. 4.13 Joh. 20.17 c. and so by consequence could not be God Fifthly There is indeed this Interpretation of the Words which hath a Truth in Thesi or in the thing it self namely that God looking upon his Elect through Christ seeth no more Sin in them than is inherent in their Saviour for they are made the Righteousness of God through Christ by Imputation as Christ was made unrighteous by Imputation of their Sins upon him 2 Cor. 5.21 yet this is impertinent to this Text which speaketh of the whole Body of Israel good and bad c. Sixthly But
because the Word Aven rendred Iniquity signifies also and Idol Isa 66.3 and Beth-Aven Hos 4.15 an House of Vanity or Idolatry and the other Word Gnamal rendred perverseness signifies Labour Toil or Drudgery such as is in Idolatrous Worship as the Worshippers of Baal wounded themselves c 1 King 18.28 Therefore the Sense that seemeth most approved of this Text is that God saw at this Time no peccatum flagrans no heinous Iniquity flaming in God's Eyes and stinking in his Nostrils such as Idolatry is for the Golden-Calf worship was immediately upon Moses's return from the Mount demolished nor yet Adultery to which Balaam afterwards brought Isarel by his Pestilent Counsel and so put them under God's great displeasure Numb 25. when he saw none of his Inchantments could take hold of this People at this Time without those Provocations The Eighth Remark is The blessed Estate of a People consists principally in the presence of God with that People herein chiefly lay Israel's blessednest which Balaam could not reverse with his cursing Inchantments for 't is said His God is with him ver 21 No Nation was like them in having God so nigh them Deut. 4.7 therefore when Israel's Idolatry had incens'd the Lord to say I will not go up in the midst of thee lest I consume thee in the way c. Exod. 33.3 then Moses pray'd Let the Lord go amongst us c. Exod. 34.9 So that this Phrase God is with them signifies Israel's State of Favour with God without which they could have no fellowship with him 1 Job 1.6 7. and while they were under God's banner of Love they were out of the Gun shot of Balak and no less than Cannon-proof against all the Curses of Balaam the same Sense hath Immanuel Deus nobiscum Christ with us 't is our great Privilege also to be a People nigh unto the Lord Psal 148.14 The Ninth Remark is The Presence of God gives not only Preservation to a People but also Privileges them with Joy and Triumph over all their Enemies Here Israel had likewise The shout of a conquering King among them ver 21. Hereupon Abijah disswaded the ten Tribes from warring against Judah c. saying Behold God is with us for a Captain General and his Priests with the Silver Trumpets Numb 10.9 sounding a Triumph c. 2 Chron. 13.12 As the sounding of these Silver Trumpets being of God's own appointment c. threw down the Walls of Jericho Josh 6.16 20. represented by Rams-horns with a shout c. and discomfited Midian Judg. 7.20 So the Joy of the Spirit of Christ the King of Saints Rev. 15.3 throws down the strong holds of Satan in us and causeth us to Triumph in Christ over all our Enemies 2 Cor. 2.14 Rom. 8.33 34 37. The Tenth Remark is Man's way is not directed by himself but his steps are ordered by the Lord Jer. 10.23 Psal 37.23 Balak telleth Balaam There is a People come out of Egypt Numb 22.5 As if they had come from thence of themselves and like a vast number of outragious Robbers they came to plunder other Nations and to possess themselves of their Lands where being Strangers they had no just right c. wherein God is not in all his Thoughts Psal 10.4 for in all this He concealeth how God had of old promised the Land of Canaan to Israel Gen. 15.18 and how the Canaanites Sins were grown now so great that their Land would spue them out Levit. 18.24 25. nor speaketh He one word of Israel's hard Bondage and injurious Oppressions in Egypt for which God pitied them and brought them thence by an high Hand and out of Egypt called his Son Exod. 4.22 23. Hos 11.1 c. Hereupon God makes Balaam's Mouth to answer Balak's complaint of Israel's Excursions out of Egypt and their Invasions of other Countreys saying God brought them out Numb 23.22 and again the same words Numb 24.8 to shew that Israel's motions were not of themselves but of the Lord. The Elventh Remark is God gives his Church and Children the strength of an Vnicorn ver 22. and Numb 24.8 in Balaam's third Blessing 't is confirmed again And ver 9. with ver 24. of Chap. 23. God gives them also the Courage of a Lion The Strength of an Vnicorn is great Job 39.11 therefore the prowess of a People is set forth by this similitude Deut. 33.17 this Beast is much commended in Scripture Psal 92.10 and 22.21 Job 39.9 c. So God giveth the Strength of an Vnicorn to his People Psal 68.36 by which they overcome the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and the Wicked one 1 Joh. 2.14 and Sin as well as Satan Rom. 6.14 He renews their strength so that they run and are not weary c Isa 40.31 and God gives them the courage of a Lion making them bold as Lions Prov. 28.1 and 30.30 this blessing of Judah Gen. 49 9. is applied to all Israel which are in Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 2 Sam. 22.38 as David did so the Church shall do Mic. 5.8 9. The Twelfth Remark upon Balaam's second Attempt is the Disappointment of it being over-power'd by a Divine Power and made as successess as was the first Balaam acknowledgeth ver 23 24. that his going to meet Inchantments these two times by-past to curse Israel was all in vain because the Lord wrought for Israel and would the next Year work more wonderfully for them in drying up Jordan and demolishing the Walls of Jericho and in conquering Canaan c. then did Israel after his long couching in the Den of Egypt and in the Wilderness rouze up like a couragious Lion and devoured his Prey This mad Prophet is made to Prophesy all these things and therein to ascribe the Honour of all the Valiant Acts of Israel unto the Lord of Hosts their noble exploits were not to be done by themselves but by God for them as in Psal 44.1 2 c. accordingly 't is said the Lord works all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 God worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.13 and as he begins a good work in us so he will perform it c. Phil. 1.6 Here begins Balaam's third Attempt wherein three Particulars are observable the 1. Is the Original 2. The Organs And 3. The Event 1. The Original or Impulsive cause of this third Attempt was Balak's Indignation to which is opposed Balaam's Apology in the Expostulation ver 25 26. 2. The Organs Instruments or Means for promoting it which were twofold 1. The Transmutation of place again ver 27 28. And 2. The Reiteration of Altars and Sacrifices ver 29 30. Then follows 3. And Lastly The Event thereof which is express'd at large in Chapter the twenty fourth The First Remark upon the first Particular namely the Original is Balak's breaking forth into a furious Phrensie and Rage both against Balaam and against God himself his Indignation now was so much incensed and
them from ver 16. to 26. utterly to renounce all Idols and Idolatry letting them to have no place in their hearts and affections but to cleave to the Lord as their Lives as Deut. 30.20 Secondly By Reading a Lecture out of the Law of Moses to them ver 25. repeating the Heads and Conditions of the Covenant out of Deutronomy which he had by him in the Ark laid up there for the Ruler's Direction Deut. 17 18. and 31.9.26 and Thirdly By Writing this Covenant and the Acts of of this present Parliament that this Solemn Action might be kept in perpetual remembrance litera Scripta manes and to lay the stronger obligation upon the People to keep true to their Covenant and likewise that this Writing might be a lasting Witness for God against them if after they Apostatized from their present Engagement ver 20. And a great Stone he also Erecteth there as another standing Witness for convincing their Consciences of any future perfidiousness to the Lord ver 27. Thus were there Witnesses upon Witnesses unto this solemn Renewing of the Covenant with God for First Joshua had told them ye are Witnesses against your selves ver 22. The Testimony of your own Consciences which will do their Office tho' you neglect yours will suffice to convince you but Secondly In case your Consciences be silent this Volume of the Written Covenant will speak as a Witness against you and Thirdly Eben Gedolah a very great Stone call'd a Pillar Judg. 9.6 is another Witness ver 27. where 't is said the Stone heard the whole Contract by an usual Prosâ—popia a Figurative Speech whereby sense is ascribed to senseless things as Deut. 32.1 Isa 1.2 Jer. 2.12 Ps 19.1 Luke 19.40 c. yea Fourthly The Oak stood by the Stone supposed to be the same Oak under which Jacob Buried the Mawmets found in his Family Gen. 35.4 that when ever they saw it by the Stone if their Consciences did not mind them of their Covenant they were more senseless than them both The Sixth Remark is Joshua's Death ver 28 29. the second part is the Concomitants thereof which are three as First The Assembly departed home into the Country and afterwards Joshua departed home to Heaven his Father's House They departed with great joy as 2 Chron. 15.15 but he with greater joy so great it could not enter into him but he must enter into it Math. 25.21.23 Secondly His Character The Servant of the Lord dyed this was the Crown of his Commendation David gloried more in being God's Servant than Israel's King Ps 18. Title of it if Monarch of the World had been the Inscription upon Joshua's Tomb as it was on that of Silly Sesostris King of Egypt in Sampson's time this Title far exceedeth it he had served a most Honourable Lord who had employ'd him in most honourable work and now call'd to pay him his most honourable wages Thirdly His Age an Hundred and Ten Years Old the Age of his Father Joseph Gen. 50.26 He dies after he had divided Jordan shouted down Jerieho's Walls stop'd the Sun Conquer'd Canaan set up the Tabernacle setled the People twice renewed the Covenant and acted Gloriously as Israel's General for seventeen years in the most of which praemises he is a clear Type of Christ The Seventh Remark is Upon the Consequents of his Death which is the Third Part in this Chapter namely 1. The Burial of him ver 30. in Timnath Serah or Here 's Judg. 2.9 which signifies the figure of the Sun a proper place for him who had stop'd the course of the Sun And the Burial of Joseph and the Patriarchs Bones at Shechem the head City of the Land v. 32. yet some suppose this must be done long before as soon as God gave Israel rest from War for no reason can be rendred why the burying of their Bones should be deferred to Joshua's Death The Reason why 't is related in this place and not before seems to be that it may have a coincidency with the commemoration of the Burial of such Famous Men as Joshua was and that of Eliazar also ver 33. who was buried near Shiloh having by special savour his Habitation adjacent for his better conveniency in attending the Ark there as the High-Priest of Israel The Second Consequent after this Three-fold Burial is the State of Israel as to Religion after Joshua's time this is express'd ver 31. they kept tight to God while he lived and those Holy Elders that out-lived him but no longer as the Book of Judges relateth which shews how great a loss is the loss of one great and good Man good Princes make good People contrà qualis Rex talis Grex Magnates Magnetes Lords are Loadstones to draw Losels either to good or evil Regis ad exemplum totus Componitur Orbis As in the Body Natural of Beasts the Body follows the Head so 't is in the Body Politick The Book of Judges which I come next to especially that of Kings do Illustrate this truth c. JUDGES CHAP. I. The History and Mystery of Israel under the Judges Government THE Book of Judges containeth the History of the State of Israel after the Death of Joshua unto the Death of Sampson whereon some General Remarks may be made before the Particulars The First General Remark is The Writer of this Book is uncertâ—in some suppose it to be Ezra but more probably it was Samuel who might Collect this History out of the publick Records kept in the Treasury from one Judges time to another But whether Samuel wrote it as the Rabbins affirm or some other Holy Prophet it is not material Regis Epistolis acceptis c. saith Gregory when a King sends his Letters Patents to his Subjects it matters not who was the King's Secretary and 't is ridiculous to enquire with what Peo it was written if once it be known that it is the King's Order or Royal Decree That God was the Author of this Book the account we have both in this second Chapter and in Psal 106.34 c. doth plainly evidence Nor did Christ or his Apostles blame the Jews to whom those Oracles of the Old Testament were committed as to God's Library Keepers Rom. 3.2 for falsifying their Trust in corrupting any part of the Canonical Scripture The Second General Remark is Those Judges which giveth the Title to this Book were not ordinary Magistrates but were Men endued with Heroick Minds extraordinarily raised up by God as occasion required in cases of extremity so they were indeed God's Deputy-Lieutenants for in all their times God was their King and kept the Jura Regalia or Royal Rights in his own hands unto whom they were to appeal in Cases of greatest difficulties until Samuel's time wherein they are said to reject God and his Government 1 Sam. 8.7 and 12.12 Then would they have a King of their own to Reign over them like other Nations 'Till then they could Triumph and say The Lord is our Judge
Conference with them the Searchers were sent to rob Micah's House of those Mawmets After this they entice away his Priest all this was grievously resented by Micah who pursues them but to no purpose being over powered he returns home Re Infectd from ver 11. to ver 27. Then follows the Accidents hereof The Danites subdues secure Laish Burns it Rebuilds it and sets up those stolen Idols and Idolatry which establish'd a Schism of a long continuance ver 28. to 31. The Remarks upon these Heads and first upon the Causes are First The Time when these things happened must be not long after the Death of Joshua though here Related after the Death of Samson which was about Two Hundred Years after they were come into Canaan it cannot be judged at all probable that such a potent Tribe as the Danites were could be to seek for an Inheritance as they did here ver 1. after so long a time Their Lot had falen to them before this time Josh 19.40 but not the actual possession of the whole thereof for the Amorites had straitned them ver 47. and Judg. 1.34 this causeth them now to undertake an Inlargement in order hereunto they send out Searchers before the Six Hundred Men of War ver 16. who in their way take up their Lodging in some Neighbouring place to Micah's House in Mount-Ephraim and so near to his Idol-Chappel that these Five Men could over-hear this Priest saying his Idolatrous Service they knew his Voice by the manner of his Pronunciation which was differing and distinguishable in several Tribes Judg. 12.6 Mark 14.70 or from former Acquaintance with this roving Leap-Land Levite They step to him after his Service and asked him what he did there so far from the Tabernacle where the Levite's Work properly lay the same Questions may be asked Non-Residents c. He Answers Micah hath made me his Priest and I officiate with an Ephod Images and Teraphim which last being made like unto a Man wherewith Michal cheated those that Saul sent to search for David putting it into the Bed in David's room to resemble him 1 Sam. 19.13 They used them as Oracles to Divine by them Ezek. 21.21 Hos 3.4 Hereupon those Searchers intreat him to Divine by this Teraphim about their Success ver 2 3 4 5. The Second Remark is This Priest's Answer to their Request of asking Counsel he saith to them Go in Peace before the Lord is your way c. ver 6. This Answer he either fictitiously hammered out of his own Brain the better to gratifie their itching Humour that they might satisfie him with a greater Reward or did indeed by inquiring of his Idol receive this Advice from the Devil who transforms himself into an Angel of Light and in God's Name gave them such Answers as sometimes were true and came to pass this is done by Divine Permission God suffering it both for the proof of his People and for the patefaction and pudefaction of Hypocrites Deut. 13.1 2.3 Thus Jannes and Jambres did turn Water into Blood at least seem'd to do so as well as Moses Exod. 7.22 c. Nor may this Mark be omitted namely the Ambiguity of this Priest's Answer as the Devil's Oracles usually were for those words Before the Lord is your way bear a doubtful sense and may be variously interpreted N. B. For Nochach Jehovah Derekekem may be rendered Obviat Jehovah viae vestrae the Word is doubtful and may be taken either in a good or in an evil sense God might as well obviate them and blast their Enterprize with his Curse as direct and promote it with his Blessing Thus Ambiguous saith Masius were all the Devils Oracles as that was unto Ahab The Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22.12 Yea but that Lying Spirit doth not tell into which Kings Hands whether the King of Israel or the King of Syria And Civil History aboundeth with such like Dubious Sentences from the Devil's Oracle at Delphos as Craesus Halyn penetrans Magnam disperdet opum vim May be meant either well or ill to Craesus that is he shall by Invading that Countrey destroy a vast Treasure but the Devil tells him not whether that shall be his own or his Enemies Treasure And. Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse This Ambiguous Oracle of Apollo to Pyrrhus did delude him for he took it in this sense That the King of the Epires might overcome the Romans and thereupon waged War against them but he found the contrary sense more true to wit That the Romans might overcome him as indeed they did and at last Slew him The like to these was Ibis Redibis nunquam per bella peribis Which by the misplacing of one Comma converts it into a quite contrary sence As thus Thou shalt go thou shalt Return never shalt thou Perish in Battle by removing the Comma before never only behind it and then the Sense is Thou shalt go thou shalt return never thou shalt Die in Battle Thus the wary Devil will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equivocating in his Oracles that however Matters prove well or ill he may still save his Credit And so he saith here God seeth what ye are going about which might be meant for evil as well as for good though those Danites met with good Success and not any evil Disappointment yet was this no sure Evidence that they had pleased God in consulting with the Devil for they being tainted with Idolatry had not retained the truth in the Love of it therefore God sent them those strong Delusions to believe a Lye c. 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And hereupon A Lapide saith Videntur non minûs leves fuisse quà m levita ille Those Danites were as Wise as this Wandring Levite who hearing of a Teraphim must needs have an Oracle and will believe it though it do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was said of the Oracle at Delphos that it declared only what favoured King Philip soothing them up in their way And though God permitted a Lying Devil to speak truth here in their successful Undertakings yet that old Character of him holds true Et si Satan semel videatùr verax millies est mendax semper fallax Although the Devil seem once to speak truth yet is he found a Lyar a thousand times for it and always he is fallacious The Third Remark is The Danites robbing Micah of his Mawmets and of his Priest also wherein he had so blessed himself in his blind Devotion Judg. 17.13 the prosperity he promised to himself there proved no better than an Unbearable Robbery to him here from ver 7. unto 26. a brief account whereof is this Those five Searchers being thus flush'd with this flattering Oracle trudge away to Laish call'd Leshhem Josh 19.47 where we have the same Story by way of Anticipation there they find a secure People having no Officer to head them and so far from the Zidonians that
declare his being a fairer mark for Ehud to hit and less able to resist the fatal blow This Message from Elohim proved Ehud's Ponyard it was not to be delivered by Word of Mouth but by an Act of the Hand He thrust his Dagger into Eglon 's Belly so stab'd him in the Guts which he had so Deliciously and Daintily for a long time pampered ver 21. for which Deed Ehud had undoubtedly an extraordinary Call from God ver 15. and so N. B. This Extraordinary Act of Ehud is not Recorded as an Example of ordinary Imitation 'T is not here propounded as a Pattern for common practice Therefore Ravilliac's killing King Henry the Fourth of France at the Jesuits Instigation and our own Burchet in Queen Elizabeth's Reign undertaking to stab a Nobleman whom he look'd upon as God's Enemy and such like Enthusiastick Attempts can have no just Vindication from the Example of Ehud who was extraordinarily raised up by the Lord to be Israel's Redeemer who in this Act was indeed a Type of Christ for as he alone slew Eglon so our Saviour alone destroyeth Satan He treads the Wine-press alone Isa 63.3 and beside him there is no Saviour Isa 43.11 and 45.5 and Christ is described to have a two edged Sword like this of Ehud's Revel 1.16 wherewith he will destroy that grand Eglon Antichrist c. Revel 19.15 Psal 149.6 The Fifth Remark is The Consequences of this King's Death which be Three First Ehud's Prudence in escaping his present peril He went through the Gallery or Guard-Chamber with such a composed Countenance and Carriage in his going out so that none of the Courtiers could harbour any suspicion of him ver 23. He lock'd the Door and probably took the Key along with him so great was his Courage from his good Conscience being fully assured that God who had given him this extraordinary Call to undertake this extraordinary Enterprize would by his Special Providence preserve him in it and protect him through it but behold in the next place how great a Truth that Adage proveth Quos Deus vult Destrui prius vult Decipi Dementari Whom God will have destroyed He will first have them deceived and notoriously Infatuated as were this King and all his Courtiers the Lord here helped Ehud so as that he out-witted them all Eglon himself falls by his own Sublime Infatuation in putting forth and packing out of his Parlour all his Yeomen of the Guard and all the Lords of his Council to be left alone and in his mistaking Transport at Ehud's Elohim c. as above and now all his Courtiers were likewise no less confounded N. B. The same God who had commanded Ehud to stab Eglon did likewise for the safety of his Servant in his Service Infatuate all his Courtiers filling their Minds with false Imaginations For First They had not the least Suspicion of Ehud's doing any evil Act when they saw him walk leisurely away with so serene and sedate an Aspect his Faith being above his Fear in that most eminent danger his Confidence in God that called him to this Execution of Justice carried him off in a constant Composure both of gesture and posture as if indeed unconcerned therefore Eglon's Attendants had no Jealousie concerning him for the Lord hid it from them Secondly Those Servants after Ehud had pass'd safely by them came to the Door of the Parlour and finding it fast locked they said Surely he covereth his Feet in his Summer Chamber ver 24. Here a Second Infatuation was upon them whether by covering his Feet they suppos'd he was only easing Nature may be much question'd though it be commonly so taken both here and in 1 Sam. 24.3 not only because a Summer-Room is properly design'd for a place of delight and not for any such offensive use but also because it was usual in those hot Countries to lay down in some cool place and take a Nap at Noon as both Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 4.5 and David did 2 Sam. 11.2 and when they did so in such cool places such as this Summer Parlour undoubtedly was they used to cover their Feet as Boaz is said to do Ruth 3.7 Hereupon I the rather judge that Eglon's Servants did suppose that their Lord was laid down to sleep partly because this sense best suiteth with Saul's case in the Cave 1 Sam. 24.3 for David might better cut off Saul's Lap when he was asleep than while he was only easing himself of his Excrements seeing Saul was insensible when David did it and partly because this was a more probable Reason of the Courtiers so long waiting at the Door which was their third Infatuation They must rather suppose that their Lord was laid down to sleep which would take up some considerable time than only that he was now emptying his pampered Panch which is a Work done in a little time so could not be any occasion of their waiting so long until they were ashamed ver 25. loath they were most probably to disturb him of his Repose as on the other hand they would not be found guilty of any unlawful Neglect towards their Liege Lord and King thus were they confounded among themselves none of them knew what to think or speak yet all this while God was at work in over-ruling their gross Mistake for while they were made to linger along time God convey'd his Servant Ehud safe home to Israel ver 26. The second Consequence of this Tyrant's Death was Israe's Deliverance from Moab's Tyranny the Circumstances whereof are here described ver 27 28 and 29. The First is Before those Courtiers could find another Key it being common in Princes Courts to have divers Keys for the same Door Politick as well as Pious Ehud made a safe Retreat 'T is a great Truth Piety without Policy is too simple to be safe and Policy without Piety is too subtle to be good Here was a blessed mixture of both in Ehud He escapes unto Seirath near to Mount-Ephraim and not far from Eglon's Summer-Parlour while his Servants loitered thus at the Door but at long last opened it and there found their Lord asleep indeed as they had expected but it proved his long sleep a sleep unto Death it was that he slept Psal 13.3 their Lord they saw was fallen down dead on the ground ver 25. No doubt but this frightful unexpected Spectacle did fright those Courtiers into a most dreadful Consternation Oh! In what confusion were they now plung'd into especially when they heard that Ehud was approaching to Assault them c. The Second Circumstance is No sooner was Ehud return'd safe to Seirath but he blew a Trumpet sounding an Alarm of War to those Warlike Men of Mount-Fphraim whom unquestionably he had prepared for a March by those Associates who bore the present to Eglon and whom he had sent back to make all ready himself having a particular Faith for success in his secret Service then comes Ehud Captain General marching in the
at Gilgal where Saul had now his Solemn Enthronization Intrat Rex exit Judex N. B. Saul comes in as a King and Samuel goes out as a Judge Samuel declares his own Abdication in a most excellent Oration Remarks upon it are First The Apologetical part of it He begins his ensuing Apology with Arguments to move their Attention that as He had hearkened unto them in confirming a King over them so now they ought to Hearken unto him in this his Farewell Sermon the Prologue whereof consists of three Arguments to make them attentive N. B. The first is drawn from his own Merits towards the Common-Wealth appealing to their own Consciences concerning his Integrity and the Justice of all his Administrations v. 1 2 3. to which the People gave an Ingenious and Publick Acquittance v. 4. N. B. The second Is drawn from the Imbecility of his Age v. 2. I am now unable to bear the burden of Government therefore have I freely resigned it up into Saul's Hands I now feel my self at much more ease when that burden which so much pinched my Shoulders is now removed to the Shoulders of Saul whom you so impetuously pressed upon me to make your King N. B. The third Argument is drawn from the Private Capacities of his Sons v. 2. intimating as he had made himself a private person by the resignation of his Power in so voluntary a manner and was not Deposed by the People for any Male-Administration So my Sons are much more now Private Persons and subject to the Lash of the Law wherein they have been wrongful to any Deal with them as they have deserved I will not intercede for them The Second Remark is The Reprehensory part of his Oration or Proposition telling them that notwithstanding their Peace-Offerings to God at the Inauguration of their King Chap. 11.15 Yet God was not at peace with them but had a just quarrel against them saith he for your violent voices in asking a King your sinning hath been greater than yet you are aware of and your sorrowing must be greater than yet ye have attained to There must be a better proportion betwixt these two Manasseh sinned greatly and he humbled greatly 2 Chron. 33.12 otherwise saith Samuel your sin will find you out if you do not find it out Numb 32.23 You shall pine away in your Iniquity Lev. 26.39 But if you Repent Your sin shall not be your ruine nor the ruine of your King Ezek. 18.30 This is the scope of v. 7. to v. 19. This in General only now more Particularly Samuel confirms his convincing them of the greatness of their Sin First By opposing their former Experience of Gods Government of them both under Moses and Aaron's Conduct v. 8. and under the Judges v. 9 10. Unto their present Ingratitude in asking a King when the former Being Alsufficient might have contented them v. 12. wherein Samuel argueth most accurately N. B. 1st By reminding them of the great things God had done for them when Jacob the Syrian ready to perish Deut. 26.5 came with a few into Egypt and being blest by God into a great Nation there he was then cruelly oppressed and then did the Lord raise up Moses to deliver them and as a Captain to conduct them through the Wilderness and seated some of them in those Conquered Lands beyond Jordan yea and substituted Joshua to seat all the other Tribes in Conquered Canaan on this side of Jordan c. Thus in few words he includes a long series of Gods Providence towards Israel after they became a Nation mentioning nothing of the Patriarchs before that came to pass And N. B. 2ly By reminding them of later Deliverances the Lord had wrought for them under all their Judges when they had revolted from God for which they had oft been sold into their Enemies hands and as oft upon their Repentance for their revolts were delivered And in the close of the Judges he nameth himself not out of any Vain Ostentation but for a just Vindication of himself and for a necessary Justification of his following Reproof of their gross Ingratitude towards himself as well as toward God by whom God had so lately delivered them out of the hands of the Philistines Chap. 7.10 11. All which might clearly them that it was not any necessary Want but meer Wantonness and Wilfulness which prompted them so to a desire of an alteration of Government and hereupon he lays a great stress upon their peremptory Word Nay v. 12. But we will have a King whatever it cost us as if God were grown Impotent and Unfaithful to them Secondly When Samuel had aggravated their present Ingratitude by opposing it to their former experience then like a Pious Prophet and a Prudent Preacher he dips his Divine Nail in Oyl that it might drive the Deeper in allaying the Tartness of his Reproof with the Sweetness of his Counsel and Comfort well knowing that Sowre and Sweet make the bes Sawce Therefore he then as it were corrects himself saying Although you have grievously sinned in asking a King through your incredulty and distrust in God who hitherto hath been your King and Saviour so faithfully preserving you in all former Ages that he never gave you any just cause to cast off his Government Yet seeing it is no wicked thing of it self and in its own Nature to Ask a King and seeing God hath now given you a King at your Asking If for the time to come ye will Walk before the Lord unto all pleasing and worthiness of his presence Col. 1.10 then the Lord will not forsake you but will vouchsafe both to direct and to protect both you and your King v. 13 14. But if ye will not fear the Lord but Rebel against him then will he pour forth his Plagues upon you as he did upon that Race of Rebels your Predecessors and upon your King whom you have chosen who shall not be able to secure you from Gods displeasure v. 15. Thirdly and Lastly Samuel drives his Nail of Reproof and Conviction to the very Head by a marvellous Thundring Lightning and Tempestuous Rain in the very throng of Wheat Harvest v. 16 17 18. 'T is certain that in Judea they had only the former and the latter Rains their Harvest seasons being more certain and the Weather more temperate than it commonly is found in our Northern-Islands Therefore such an unseasonable Storm to hinder Harvest which God had promised should not cease Gen. 8.21 and Rain rately obstructed it Prov. 26.1 Amos 4.7 this made it the more Amazing a Miracle Therefore as Samuel had bid them before Stand and Hear v. 7. so now he bids them Stand and See v. 16. that they might take in Instruction by those two Learned Senses as Aristotle calls them the Doors and Windows of the Soul that even the Deaf might Hear and the Blind might Behold Isa 42.18 lest God should Desert them and leave them desolate Jer. 6.8 N. B. Though Old
was at the first startl'd at his appearance as the Bethlemites had been at the coming of Samuel chap. 16.4 because David came so unlike himself more like a poor Vagrant Beggar than like a Son-in-Law to the King and his Captain General Hereupon Ahimeleck asks him Why art thou alone c Whereas David had some faithful Servants whom probably Jonathan had sent to guard him for his Companions as appeareth from v. 4 5. and from Matth. 12.3 4. Yet were they left at some other place at this time as David himself affirmeth v. 2. The Third Remark is The means whereby David obtained success in his double Errand which was by telling a loud Lye v. 2. extorted from him by the prevalency of his distrustful fear and the pressures of his present necessity which two cases do not a little extenuate David's sin for Hunger as we use to say will break through Stone-Walls and Necessity hath no Law yet ought not David to be excused for telling two Lies at one Breath v. 2. and addeth a third Lye to them v 8. and all deliberately as Jacob had done before him uttering three Lyes at once Gen. 27.19 20 both which are Examples of Humane Frailty in the best Believers teaching us N. B. Note well That the best of Men are but Men at the best and if left in the hands of their own Counsel Satan's Temptation and their own Corruption meeting together they will not stick at this blushful sin of Lying how unlike was David here to a Man after God's own Heart who is the God of truth in his telling so many Untruths tho' it was an Officious Lye to himself through Ahimelech's Credulity to David yet it proved a most pernicious Lye to the High-Priest and to eighty four more of the Priests of the Lord and to the whole City of Nob in the next Chapters whereof David's Lye was the occasion which he could not but suspect when he saw that dogged Sycophant Doeg there present Therefore David doth not excuse himself for this great sin but like a true Penitent lays load upon his own Conscience ch 22.22 and did greatly bewail this sin of Lying long after earnestly praying both for pardon of it and for power against it Psal 119.28 29. The Fourth Remark is David's asking and obtaining v. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Two things David asks here as recorded omitting his consulting with God's Oracle not mentioned here and he obtains them both through Ahimelech's Candour and Kindness to him The first was for Alimony for the present And the second was for Arms for the future The first was for his present Sustenance and the other for his future Safeguard The first is Alimony 'T is probable Jonathan had sent away David's Servants in such haste after him that they had no time to procure and bring along with them any necessary Provisions therefore David was constrain'd to beg his Bread at the hands of Abimelech N. B. Note well This helps us to a right sense of his own words I have been Young and now am Old yet never saw I the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging Bread Psal 37.25 which must not be taken in the strictest sense seeing himself was forced to beg his Bread at two several times once here and again of Churlish Nabal chap. 25.8 9. Yet he could plead with God saying I am thy Servant and the Son of thy Handmaid Psal 116.16 and again Psal 143.12 And as Nabal there gave him a flat denial so Ahimelech makes a double Objection here against granting his begging Request in proposing two Cases of Conscience that seem'd to tie his hands The first was he had no bread there though undoubtedly he had Bread enough at Home in Anathoth where he dwelt save only the Consecrated Shew-bread which was appropriated for the Priests Sustenance Exod. 25.30 and Levit. 24.5 to v. 10. N. B. Note well This Shew-Bread which was alway before the Lord from Sabbath to Sabbath was a Type of Christ that Bread of Life who alway appeareth at his Father's right hand to make Intercession for us Heb. 9.24 The second Doubt was Whether David and his Servants were ceremonially hallowed to eat of this Holy Bread in case he should be satisfied to give it to them As to both Objections David answers v. 5 6. The Bread is in a manner common as if he had said I am in such danger of this dogged Doeg that I dare not stay here so long until common Bread or other Provisions be sent for by thee to Anathoth and this Holy Bread hath accomplish'd the Law in standing six Days upon the Table hence some suppose that David came upon the Sabbath when fresh hot Bread was to be set in the Room of the old and cold Loaves that on that Day were to be removed and employed for the common use of the Priest and his Family now seeing it is a ruled case that in all matters of weighty importance Ceremonials ought to give place to Moral Duties when both cannot consist together and thus our Lord Interprets it in all the three Evangelists Matth. 12.3 4 7. Mark 2.23.26 and Luke 6.2 3 4. teaching that the Law of Necessity and Charity must have the precedency above Ceremonial Duties because God will have Mercy preferr'd before Sacrifice As to the second Objection David Answers That he and his Servants were clean according to that Law Exod. 19.15 for none of them had been with their Wives for three Days N. B. It seems from hence That though the distance from Gibeah to Nob was but about Twelve Miles as is aforesaid yet David had spent most of three Days in hiding himself from Saul after he and Jonathan parted and in hovering about to meet his Men whom Jonathan sent to attend him and now having satisfied the High-Priest in both his Doubts he obtains his Loaves v. 6. which he asked v. 3. and hugs them away saith Sanctius to his Hungry Men. But before he doth this he doth want a Weapon to defend both his Person and Provision Therefore doth he ask for a Spear or a Sword v. 8. N. B. It may well be wondered at that David could expect to find any Arms among those Godly Priests who were conversant with no Weapons save only with the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God yet so Providence ordered it that Goliah's Sword was then laid up in the Tabernacle for a Memorial of David's Victory and Ahimelech said There was none but that to which David Answered None like it v. 9. N. B. Note well Oh that we could say so of the Word of God Preached None so fit for David at this time as this Sword for he could carry it about him as a Sacrament to confirm his Confidence in God when meeting with the like difficulties and dangers Yet may it rationally be affirmed that no Sword was so unfit for David as this was because he was flying into the Countrey of the Philistines to hide himself
'T is said expresly that Solomon was Asleep and Dreamed ver 5. and awakenning after all he perceived it was a Dream ver 15. here Of which there be Three sorts First The Natural Dreams which be oft Vain Solomon himself saith in the multitude of Dreams there is much Vanity Eccless 5.7 Many Men are commonly deluded by these Dreams fancying to themselves such things as really are not Isa 29.8 The Second sort are Diabolical wherein the Devil as a Spirit works upon the fancy of his Vassals and imposeth false things upon his Diviners Zach. 10.2 Hence Nocturnal Pollutions c. This is more largely Treated upon in the First Volume on Jacob's Dream The Third sort are truly Divine Dreams which was one of God's methods to communicate his mind to his Prophets and People Numb 12.6 Hebr. 1.1 2. In this one of God's manifold manner of the manifestation of his will to Men sometimes Men saw Visions and Apparitions which God set before their Eyes as Gen 28.12 and sometimes Real Objects as Gen. 31.10 and sometimes Men heard God's Voice as Solomon did here asking him a Question and he understanding the sense of God's Voice returned his Answer ver 6 7 8 9. N. B. This admirable transaction betwixt God and Solomon in his Sleep sheweth us what an Almighty Teacher God is who can with astonishment instruct Men when they are least capable of instruction even then when all their senses are fast lock'd up from executing thier functions c. 'T is less matter how dull the Scholar is when God himself undertakes to be the instructer who can enlighten both Organ and Object c. The Fourth Remark is After God had bid Solomon ask saying the same in effect to us Matth. 7.7 Isa 45.11 and Jam. 1.5 He answers by asking expressed by many circumstances Causing the Lips of him that was Asleep to speak as he saith himself in his Song of Songs Cant. 7.9 when he had taken a due dose of that which went down sweetly at God's appearance to him We are expresly told Solomon said ver 6. either he dreamed what he said or he really said it for in this Divine Dream 't is but reasonable to allow something extraordinary and that which was regardable both to God and to Men and Solomon might be now in such an Extatical Rapture as the Apostle Paul was 2 Cor. 12.3 His Soul was for a season out of the Body N. B. Beside the Circumstances of Place Time and Occasion of Solomon's Answer to God's Voice the manner how he managed his Prayer is very Remarkable As First In its Prologue wherein he presseth for God's Audience and Acceptance by recognizing his marvellous mercies to his Father David c. ver 6. Secondly His Proposition to wit his Petition for personal Wisdom ver 9. to mannage so great a work that lay upon his hand Thirdly His Confirmation of it by an Argument a necessario from a double necessity both as to himself and as to his Subjects First As to himself he humbly acknowledges that he was but a little Child ver 7. though David before this had call'd him a wise Man Chap. 2.9 Whence some suppose him to be about Twenty Years Old at this Time yet calls he himself a Child as Ishmael is so called at Eighteen Years Old Gen. 21.14 15. and Rehoboam when Fourty Years Old 2 Chron 13.7 but principally because he was Raw and Vnexperienced as a Child in all State Affairs therefore begs a greater increase of Wisdom And that Secondly Upon the Account of his People who were a numberless Number Numb 23.10 God having performed his promise to Abraham Gen. 15.5 6 c. Now saith he I am not able to sway such a Massy Scepter nor Rule so great a People Lord qualifie me for so great a Government ver 8 9. The Fifth Remark is God's Commendation of and Condescension to Solomon's Petition ver 10.11 12 13 14. Wherein Mark First God was well pleased with his Dreaming-prayer because God had put it into Solomon's Heart to Pray this Prayer to him He could not have so done had not God given him to do it God loves and likes that which is his own and both accepts and rewards that which is his own actings in us Isa 26.12 Mark Secondly God taketh distinct notice what Men most desire in Prayer God was well pleased with Solomon that he asked not such Temporal things as the Men of the World are bewitched with Psal 4.6 7. and 34.12 c. He neither ask'd a long Life for himself nor a short Life for his Enemies but Spiritual Wisdom which included Holiness though Rupertus blame him for not asking it for this is to be wise unto Salvation Mark Thirdly God gave him what he asked ver 12. a wise and an understanding Heart even so enlarged as the Sand upon the Sea Shore chap. 4.29 He had a very Sea of knowledge within him and might better than Hierom be said to know all things knowable N. B So that he excelled and exceeded all that went before him even David Moses Abraham yea and Adam himself after his fall He was the Wisest meer Man take him for every thing that ever was either before or after him Insomuch as he had all manner of Knowledge both Natural Moral and Supernatural infused into him and so became a most notable Type of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 Mark Fourthly Yea so liberal was God to Solomon that he gave to him more Wisdom than he asked for he did not desire that God should make him the Wisest Man that ever was in the World but only a competency for himself in order to Salvation and for Governing his great people N. B. As God's granting him what he Desired had no more been granted him might well move Believers to Relye upon the Lord for obtaining what we Desire of him according to his Will 1 Joh. 5.14 When we bring before him Lawful Requests and Honest Hearts So how much more may this be a stronger Motive to praying work when we find the most bountiful God overdoing here even Solomon's Desires in the very Grace that he Desired Mark Fifthly God did not only give him more Degrees yea even the perfection of Wisdom than he asked but he likewise gave him many other great and good things which he asked not ver 13. that he should also be a None-such both for Wealth and Honour as well as Wisdom N. B. Oh who would not but be a Praying-soul to such a Prayer-hearing God who hath oft given us more than we have asked Eph. 3.20 and many times gives us what we asked not Isa 65.24 He hath promised to do so Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added Matth. 6.33 so far as God sees them good for us they shall be cast in to the bargain as Paper and Pack-threed is in a Grocer's Shop with a pound of Plumbs Piety assureth
recorded likewise Psal 18.11 12. 97.2 N. B. And Rab. Maimonides gives the Reason that God appears in a Cloud in a condescension to Man's meanness Mercabah Velo Harocheb Man cannot behold the Sun in Rota in the Circle Vehemens sensibile destruit sensum saith Zabarel Man may see the Chariot God rode in as Moses did Exod. 33.20 but not the Rider himself 't is too vehement an Object for Man to behold without destruction of his senses and of himself also So Solomon saith here to them Ye may see this created Image but ye cannot behold God in Shecinah in the splendour of his glory Remark the 2. Then by an holy Apostrophe Solomon having satisfied their trembling Spirits turns from them to praise God v. 13 14 15 16 to 21. for performing his promises to David Mark 1. Solomon now sate upon the Brazen Scaffold that was purposely built for him in this solemnity 2 Chron. 6.13 Mark 2. Solomon was in a Divine Rapture of holy joy for that glorious sight of God which he beheld from the Brazen Scaffold when he thus broke forth to speak first to God's Servants and then to God himself Mark 3. He blesseth God with all the Congregation as Junius reads it both for his precious Promise to David his Father and for his more precious performance of that Promise to himself his Son O happy Solomon in such a Father and no less happy David in such a Son Mark 4. This memorable mercy of Delivering Israel out of Egypt is oft mentioned in Scripture as here v. 16. as a rousing motive to real thankfulness N. B. O what cause have we to bless God for Christ who delivers us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 Hell is worse than Egypt and the Devil than Pharaoh Mark 5. Peter Martyr notes from v. 17.18 God sometimes approves such things which he will not have performed as David's readiness to build God a Temple was acceptable to God 2 Sam. 7.11 c. we are bid be ready to every good work Tit. 3.1 a ready heart makes the best riddance of Religious Duties this is God's revealed will that we should be ready and so God accepted of David's desire and intention N. B. Tho' God's secret will and decree was that David should not do it but reserved it for his Son Solomon thus Herod Pilate and Judas did according to the determined Decree of God Acts 4.27 28. yet are condemned for acting against God's revealed express command thou shalt not kill so David and all Believers are approved and commended of God not because they obey God's Decree but his Precept and Providence c. Mark 6. The performance of God's Promise ought evermore to be magnified with most inlargment of heart as Solomon doth here as one ravished therewith v. 19 20 21. God is much glorified in such acknowledgments Thou hast fulfilled with thy hand what thy mouth hath spoken and hast done as thou hast said 2 Sam. 7.25 1 Chron. 17.23 with v. 24. here and 2 Chron. 6.15 God never suffers his faithfulness to fail nor alters the promise that went out of his mouth Psal 89.33 witness the constant and continual experience and testimony of all Saints in all Ages and Generations not one instance extant to the contrary The Second Part of Solomon's Oration after the laudatory is the precatory his Prayer to God after his praise of God most lovely checker'd work Remark the First is the posture of Solomon in his praying work which is threefold here 1. His standing bolt upright with his face towards the most Holy place which was a sign of the erection of his Spirit and the stedfastness of his faith in God standing was his posture while he was praising God But 2. When that was done he kneeled down upon his knees 2 Chron 6.12 13. to make his following supplication this posture did signifie his lowly humiliation of Soul and an acknowledgment of the Lord's Soveraignty over him and over all the Mighty Monarchs of the World for by him all King's Reign Prov. 8.15 Rom. 13.1 4 c. His Third posture was the spreading forth of his hands towards Heaven v. 22. 2 Chron. 6.13 this was to signifie his expectation of God's blessing and his readiness to receive it with both hands and heart this is a posture the light of Nature hath taught the very Pagans when they pray saith Aristotle De Mundo Cap. 7. and Virgil makes it the gesture of a Praying Heathen Sustulit exutas vinclis ad sydera Palmas Aeneid lib. 2. This posture is oft mentioned in Scripture as Exod. 9.29 Psal 143.6 Isa 1.15 c. Remark the Second is the matter of his Prayer v. 23. and so on to 50. Mark 1. Solomon after his Preface v. 23. wherein he strengthens his Faith and stirs up his Devotion proposeth in Prayer first that God would establish the Kingdom in the Family of David according to his Divine promise v. 24 25 26. well knowing that such as would have Promises turn'd into Performances must first put them in suit and press God to do it Ezek. 36.37 Thus Jacob did Gen. 32.9 and David did Psal 119.49 and thus also Elijah 1 King 18.42 in that posture as he lay in his Mothers womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he Prayed a Prayer or Prayed earnestly Jam. 5.17 18. stretching and straining every string in his heart to express and increase his Devotion importing his own misery and imploring God's mercy N. B. Solomon pleadeth the performance of one promise at the time present that he might prevail with God for the performance of another for the future 't is an holy way of incroaching upon God from experience of former favours to advance in expectation of future mercies also God hath is a blessed medium of arguing that God will Psal 85 1â—2 3. there be five thou hasts ' and then comes in thou wilt v. 8.2 Cor. 1.10 Mark 2. Solomon corrects his petition for God's presence in the Temple even in an extasie of admiration v. 27 28 29. saying Such is thy immensity O God that the highest Heaven the most spacious place that ever was created cannot contain thy Infinite Essence within the compass of their circumference how much less this Temple of such narrow dimensions compared with Heaven it being but a small spot of Earth Oh astonishing condescension that thou wilt cause thy Name to dwell in this place Deut. 12.11 and tho' it cannot comprehend thee yet shew thy self graciously present here to grant my present Prayers and the future Prayers of thy People v. 30. Mark 3. The Particulars in Solomon's Prayer as First In case the guilty cannot be convinced by Witnesses and he plead Not guilty if he dare swear it at thy Altar which should awe him as the place of thy presence then Lord set a brand upon him as upon Cain and as Numb 5.16.21 for his perjury for a right Administration of Justice v. 31.32 Secondly In case Israel be defeated by their Enemies
the Reputation of a Prophet upon it ver 28. Remark the Third His cursed Carcass is carried in his all-bloody Chariot out of the Field to Samaria The Chariot was wash'd at the Pool there the Dogs came to claim their Due lapping up Blood and Water together as Vatablus saith after their nature and the Tongues of those Brutes verifie the Tongue of God's Prophet Remark the last is Micaiah and Elijah are justified Naboth is revenged Ahab is judged and his whole Council of false Prophets are all confounded which is a sufficient proof that Councils may err and now Zedekiah ware Horns thou art the next Sacrifice to expiate the Son Joram's Vengeance for leading his Father Ahab into Ruine The Lord is righteous in all his ways c. Psal 129.4 and 145.17 2 Kings CHAP. the first BEfore the History hereof some general Remarks must be made to make way for it The first is The last Chapter of the first of Kings gives a short account of Jehosaphat's Life and Death from ver 41 to ver 51. but speaks nothing of him in this second Book of Kings yet have we a large Relation of Jehosaphat's Reign in the second Book of the Chronicles Chapters 17 18 19 20. the summ of which is referred to this last Book of Kings Remark the Second in general is Ahaziah the Son of Ahab is briefly described 1 Kings 22.51 52 53. but more amply in this 2 Kings chap. 1. but not at all mentioned in the 2d of Chronicles because his Reign was short and enough had been recorded already of so bad a King Remark the Thâ—â—d in general is Ezra the Scribe as is generally affirmed was the holy Pen-man of these two Books of the Chronicles as appears by the two last verses of the last chapter of these two Books and the three first verses of the Book of Ezra which are almost the same word for word This is an evidence that they were written after the Captivity and therefore that Book of Chronicles to which the two Books of Kings do so frequently make a Reference cannot be those Sacred Chronicles which were written long after both the Books of Kings As the Hebrews do call these Holy Chronicles Debre-Haiamim the words or deeds of days because they contain an History from Adam to Ezra's Day So the Greeks call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Remainders or gatherings up implying that the Books of Chronicles have gathered up what the Books of Kings had left out and not recorded yet omit many passages that were before fully related as the foul fall of David and the fouler fall of Solomon c. we have not a word there of them The Fourth general Remark is The second Book of Chronicles is the same with those two Books of Kings save only that after the separation of the Ten Tribes which was the turning point and began the Declinings of Israel's Glory that holy Pen-man gives over his History of the Kings of Israel which is sufficiently supplied out of this second Book of Kings and insisteth only upon the History of the Kings of Judah until their Captivity in Babylon and where-ever He relateth the same History formerly Recorded he returns as one phraseth it with Vsury as is before noted N.B. Only sometimes some of the Affairs of the Kingdom of Israel wherein the two Kingdoms had to do one with another are intermingled The Fifth general Remark is The cogency of this consideration causeth it therefore to be unavoidably necessary that as it hitherto hath been done so the History both in this second of Kings and in that second of Chronicles must go hand in hand in conjunction so far as the coincidency of matter doth constrain Hereupon this History of the second of Kings must be supplied out of that in the second of Chronicles and so begin this Book with the History of Jehosaphat of whom we have heard a little out of the first of Kings and tho' he be not treated on in the second of Kings yet is he largely in the second of Chronicles therefore begin we with him omitting what is already said before we come to Ahaziah Remarks in particular first upon Jehosaphat are First He was the fourth King of Judah succeeding his Father Asa 1 Kings 15.24 2 Chron. 17.1 in whose History is first His care of Religion tho' he was contemporary with wicked Ahab and Reigning about eighteen years in Affinity with him yet was he both Religious in his own person walking in the first ways of David before his fall into foul infirmities ver 3. he was not corrupted with that contagious Air of his neighbouring Idolatrous Israel ver 4. but his heart was lifted up in the ways of God not with Pride but with Zeal ver 6. He also endeavoured to make his People Religious by sending Teaching Princes Priests and Levites among them to teach them the Law of God ver 7 8 9. and not Humane Traditions For this the Lord requited him with a rich Reward 1. When he had established a Preaching Ministry the fear of the Lord fell upon Kingdoms round about him ver 10. And 2. His growing greatness brought in great Tributes to him from the Philistines Arabians c. ver 11. And 3. God blessed him with a prodigious Army of eleven hundred and sixty thousand brave fighting Men ver 12 14 19. of this 2d of Chron. c. 17. so that 't is no wonder that Ahab molested him not but made a League with him Remark the Second After this Jehosaphat joyns with Ahab and marcheth with him to Ramoth Gilead as is before related in 1 Kings 22. and now here again repeated in 2 Chron. 18.1 to the last verse N.B. 'T is usual for this Author Ezra to give only an Abridgment of those Histories he found so fully Recorded before yet this History he repeats over again almost word for word which must needs most highly commend the Contents hereof as exceeding necessary useful and profitable seeing the Holy Spirit who was Ezra's Enditer can do nothing in vain But he adds 2 Chron. 19.1 as well as that precious passage The Lord helped him noted before Jehosaphat returned to his house in peace looking upon his Deliverance as no less than a Miracle saith Vatablus and reckoning himself as a brand pluck'd out of the fire Zech. 3.3 and having seen Ahab suffer shipwrack before his Eyes he resolves to take more care of his own tackling for time to come c. Remark the Third God sent a Reprover to him 2 Chron. 19.2 even Jehu the Son of Hanant the Seer who delivered his Message with better success to patient Jehosaphat than his Father had done to passionate Asa 2 Chron. 16.7 10 c. whose wrath with God's Prophet would have better become wicked Ahab than godly Asa but a true sense of God's goodness in good Jehosaphat when he saw his Soul had through Divine Help at his call escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler
its heighth He was victorious against the Ammonites God prosper'd him because he proved as good at last as at first His good ways blest his Wars with success and then he died The Third Part of 2 Kings Chapter the 15th gives an account of five Kings that Reigned over Israel from ver 8 to ver 31. Remark the First Zachariah the Son of Jeroboam the second succeeded ver 8 9 10 11 12. who Reigned but six Months so soon did God dispatch him out of the way and with him all Jehu's Generation because this fourth was as wicked as the first all of them being Worshippers of the golden Calves Long continuance in the same Sin of Father Grandfather great-Grandfather c. is a great Aggravation of this Man's Sin and did highly incense God's anger against him So now when God had made his Promise Chap. 10.30 good to Jehu he suffers Shallum some great Commander in the Army to conspire against him and to cut him off as the last of Jehu N.B. I find Lavater and many learned Men say that an inter-Reign cannot be denied in those Times of the Kings of Israel and Judah to make the Scripture-Computation currant See Dr. Lightfoot's Chronology Remark the Second Shallum of another Family cuts of Jehu's Family out of his ambitious Aspiring after the Crown of Israel ver 13 14 15. As this Zachary of Jehu's Race had soon fill'd up the Measure of his Iniquity Matth. 23.32 even in six Months Time So this Shallum of another Race fill'd up his Ephah Zech. 5.6 much sooner even in one Month's Time who as Cluverius well observeth lost his Kingdom the same way that he had got it and that before he was well warm in his Throne for Menahem another Captain of the Army Retaliates upon him in the same kind as he had done to Zacharias Blood for Blood writing his Sin upon his Punishment even in legible Letters writ not with Black but with Blood N.B. Josephus saith this Menahem was King Zacharias's General of the Army that besieged Tirzah who hearing there of Shallum's murdering his Lord and Master is said to go up from the Siege to Samaria where he likewise murder'd the Murderer c. Remark the Third Menahem began his Reign in Blood and carried it on in Blood ripping ope the Women with Child of Tipsah because their Men would not set ope their Gates to him as he passed along to Tirzah ver 16. Though this barbarous Cruelty was acted by him to terrifie his Opposers whom he doubtless feared because he came to the Crown by Treason Murther and Usurpation yet this Bloody Act did endanger him the more so that he was forced to call in a Foreign Force to confirm the Kingdom to himself ver 17 18 19 20. raising a vast summ out of his rich Subjects getting no less of Curses then of Coin he hires Pul the King of Assyria to be on his side whereby he Reigned ten Years and then dies Remark the Fourth His Son Pekahiah thus brought by his Father into an Alliance with and a Reliance on Assyria makes a shift to Reign two Years more ver 23 24 25 26. but Pekah one of his Captains slew him with the Assistance of Argob and Arieh c. his fellow Conspirators saith Vatablus though Josephus affirms they were on Pekah's side and were slain with him However the King is cut short by a Syllable as call'd Pekah only and no more Pekahiah Remark the Fifth Now is Pekah King instead of Pekahiah who Reigned twenty Years but his Reign was troublesome for the Assyrians now infested Israel as the Syrians had done before ver 27 28 29. and at last as he had slain his Soveraign so Hoshea one of his Subjects slew him ver 30. of whom more in Chap. 17. Mark 1. In one Year's time there were four Kings in Israel one after another and those dreadful Calamities foretold by the Prophet Amos Chap. 7.9 began to be fulfilled Mark 2. Ephraim is brought by Menahem to rest upon Assyria this they did to their utter undoing as the Prophet Hosea foretells them again and again Hos 5.13 and 7.11 and 8.9 and 9.3 and 11.5 Tiglathpileser Hebr. signifies a Remover of Captives as he was Chap. 17.6 unto Israel c. 2 Kings CHAP. XVI and 2 Chron. CHAP. XXVIII THE Holy Penmen of both those Books now return to the History of the Kings of Judah the Kingdom of Israel or Samaria coming now to and going upon its last Leg namely Hoshea mentioned barely before 2 Kings 15.30 but largely described in Chap. 17. where that Kingdom was extinguished and the ten Tribes were carried into a final Captivity These two Chapters 2 Kings 16. 2 Chron. 28. are a Narrative jointly of one of the most impious Kings that Judah had to wit an History of the Life of King Ahaz the eleventh from the Division Remark the First This Ahaz was a bad Son of a good Father Jotham N.B. And though Ahaz was a bad Father yet had he a good Son Hezekiah which shews that Grace is not entail'd The Wickedness of this King is described in General first Negatively He walked not in the ways of David and then Positively But in all that was not right which are described in Particular 2 Kings 16.1 2 3 4. and 2 Chron. 28 1 2 3 4. Mark 1. He was a worshipper of Baal accounting that Dumb and Deaf Idol at Elijah's Sacrifice 1 Kings 18.26 27 28 29. to be his Lord as Baal Hebr. signifies utterly rejecting a Prayer-hearing God Mark 2. He sacrificed his Sons to Moloch in Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom N.B. 'T was call'd Topheth from Toph Hebr. a Drum because the Pagans used to beat a Drum while they were sacrificing their Children that the cry of the burning Child might not be heard From this Valley Gehinnon saith Sir Walter Rawleigh comes the Word Gehenna for Hell Matth. 5.22 29. and Tophet also is used in the same Sense and Signification Isa 30.33 Mark 3. He sacrificed and burnt incense in High Places after the manner of the Heathen and expresly against the Command of God Thus did he evil with both Hands earnestly Mic. 7.3 as if afraid to be outdone by others taking long strides towards Hell Mark 4. This black branded Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 stands here in the History saith Learned Paraeus upon his Life like a filthy Thorn betwixt two fair Lillies or like a black besmeared Collier betwixt two neat and fine Fullers namely his godly Father Jotham and his godly Son Hezekiah himself being so much the worse and more wicked by how much better the Father and Son were and more vertuous and truly Godly Remark the Second God suffers not this none-such Sinner to pass unpunished 'T is said expresly Wherefore the Lord which would have been his God had he been docible did deliver him into the hand of the King of Syria and He smote him c. and carried away a great Multitude of Captives to Damascus
28.7 to be King in his stead but they could not accomplish their design saith Josephus because they could not Conquer Jerusalem though they came with such formidable Forces as wherewith to march through the whole Land of Judah to the very Walls of their chiefest City without the least Obstruction or Opposition The Reason of their Disappointment is Recorded by Isaiah the Prophet Isa 7.6 7. who assures Ahaz from the Lord that he should be delivered from those two firebrands which were but two Tails now become such and now ready to smoak out their Last The Prophet offers Ahaz a sign of his deliverance which Ahaz scornfully rejected Isa 7.11 12. but his Son Hezekiah was of a better Mind 2 Kings 20.8 he there despised not to try his Jehovah as his Father had done And because Ahaz did so the Lord voluntarily of himself gave this Sign that the Lord would not quite cast off the House of David Vntil a Virgin have born a son and that Son be God in our Nature Isa 7. ver 13 14 c. N.B. Both these are two great Wonders indeed importing hereby that though the present Conspiracy of the Confederate Kings against Ahaz should be confounded ver 7 8. of Isa 7. yet was it not for the sake of such a cursed King as Ahaz was but for the sake of God's Promise to David's House for continuing a Lamp to him still in Jerusalem 1 King 11.36 and 15.4 It was a wonderful Condescension in God to make so fair an offer to so foul a Sinner as to bid him ask a Sign either above or below but he most Refractorily Answers I will ask no askings let God keep his Signs to himself I know a Trick worth two of that I can otherwise relieve my self c. Remark the Sixth This brave Trick for his own Relief when he and his People were grievously affrighted with the two Confederate Kings coming to besiege him in Jerusalem was his sending to the King of Assyria for help 2 Kings 16.7.2 Chron. 28.16 where Tiglath-pileser is call'd Kings to express his great Grandeur esteeming his Princes to be so many Kings Isa 10.8 so he was a King of Kings and therefore to him did Ahaz send for help even then when Isaiah bade him trust only in God and offer'd him a most satisfying sign for confirming his Assurance of Deliverance c. Notwithstanding this faithless Ahaz scorning to crave any such courtesie from God's Divine Hand seeks for Humane Help from this Assyrian King to whom Ahaz sends a parcel of Compliments I am thy Servant therefore I put my self in subjection under thee and thy Son therefore as thou art my Master and Father let me have protection by thee Come and save me from these two Confederate Kings that are come to besiege me 2 Kings 16.7 and he sent a vast summ of Cash along with his Compliments as a Present also ver 8. which mostly gained the Assyrian King ver 8. who tho' he went not to Jerusalem as Ahaz desired yet set upon Damascus designedly to divert Rezin from his Siege in Judah as indeed it proved for Tiglath-pileser takes Damascus Rezin marches off from the Siege to defend his own Kingdom as Saul had the like Avocation 1 Sam. 23.28 Rezin hereby falls into the hands of the Assyrians who slew him so dearly did he pay for his conspiring with Pekah King of Israel against Judah nor did Pekah fare better for he was after this slain also by Hoshea 2 Kings 15.30 so Revenge is rendred for all his Cruelties to Judah N.B. How compleatly was Isaiah's Prophecy accomplished in the slaughter of those two Kings Rezin and Pekah whom the Prophet thought not worth naming tho' two great Potentates but calls them in contempt the two Tails of those smoaking fire-brands Isa 7 4 5. which is a most elegant Metaphor whereby he encourages Ahaz not to fear them for tho' they come with formidable Forces and with such fury and fierceness as if by Fire and Sword they resolved to destroy all before them without Resistance yet are they but smoaking not flaming or burning fire-brands fuming out their Phrenzy at their Noses and they are not two whole fire-brands but only two Tails or Ends that were now smoaking out their last and should shortly be quite extinguished Hence the Prophet bids him fret not faint not send not to the Assyrian assuring him they had more Pride than Power a meer flash but evaporating smoak which the higher it riseth the sooner it vanquisheth Tho' they would do mischief yet they could not do it because but smoaking and not burning and tho' they have indeed done much mischief to Judah severally heretofore and now think to do much more joyntly in this Confederacy yet the Counsel of Heaven hath otherwise ordered it which dashes in pieces all the contrary Counsels on Earth Prov. 21.30 Psal 2.4 N.B. 2. How transcendently gracious and ineffably merciful is the great and good God even to bad Men in giving an Elijah to Ahab and an Isaiah to Ahaz tho' both of them were notoriously wicked As Elijah had been a faithful Monitor unto faithless Ahab from the Lord as is to be seen in the foregoing History of that King and Prophet so was Isaiah no less but much more to Ahaz from the Lord likewise For Mark 1. By a wonderful Divine Condescension Ahaz is offered a satisfactory sign c. whereas our Lord would not gratifie the Incredulous Pharisees but calls them a Bastardly Brood for asking a sign from Heaven Matth. 12.38.39 N.B. But so lewd a Lozel was Ahaz that he rejected this motion of Mercy not out of Modesty as Ambrose mistaketh but rather out of Madness whereof all such are guilty saith good Oecolampadius who slight the Holy Sacraments those Signs and Seals of Righteousness by Faith So mad was Ahaz as to think God could not help him because he had suffered Pekah to slay 120000 of his Subjects 2 Chron. 28.6 Mark 2. Isaiah foretells Ahaz from the Lord that both those two Kings whom he so much feared should be cut off by a seasonable Vengeance soon after fulfilled 2 Kings 15.30 and 16.9 which was about a year after this Prophecy Isa 7.16 This Prophet was not sent with a promise of Deliverance for the sake of wicked Ahaz but because a Godly Party was still in Judah respected of God Mark 3. The Prophet likewise predicts to Ahaz that if he would not rely upon the Lord but hire help from the Assyrian God would shave him with his Hired Razor shaving Head and Hair that is high and low Prince and Peasant yea and Beard too that is the Priests as some sense it from Psal 133.2 See Isa 7.17 18 19 20. where God by his Prophet tells Ahaz his own that notwithstanding this present Deliverance he and all his shall perish by him whom he calls in for his help and in whom he trusted and not in God c. Remark the Seventh The Returns this wicked
below his Father saying My Father is greater than I. Joh. 14.28 tho' equal with him Phil. 2.6 but 2. below the Angels Jesus was made a little lower than Angels Heb. 2.9 And 3. below Men 't is said of him I am a Worm and no Man Psal 22.6 Yet lower 4. below Worms also for a live Worm as well as a live Dog is better than a dead Lion Eccles 9.4 Yet Christ step'd down into the state of Death and was buried and so was designed to be Meat for Worms had it been possible for that Holy one to see Corruption Psal 16.10 The Second Part of this History is the Account of Hezekiah's Sin after his Sickness and Recovery ver 12 13. Remark the First Is the Commission of his Sin wherein Mark 1. In what Matter he Sinned ver 12. namely in Entertaining the Embassadors of Babylon being taken and tickled with their Company and Courtship It seems this Baladan which signifies a Masterless Man or Lord was the first that raised up the Babylonian Monarchy upon the Ruin of the Assyrian who hitherto had been but a Vice-roy under it and knowing saith Lavater how Hezekiah was an highly-provok'd Adversary to the Assyrian Empire therefore sent he a Rich and Royal Present with Letters to Ingratiate himself and to oblige Hezekiah's Assistance in his present Project to wit of casting off the Assyrian Yoke which soon after this this Baladan did by Rebelling against Esar-Haddon now weakened by the late loss of so huge an Host and the said Fraction in the Royal Family in the Murder of Senacherib and the Banishment of the two Murdering Sons N. B. 'T was the Father's Blasphemy saith Grotius that quite blasted the Assyrian Monarchy Now did this Baladan bereave weak Esar-Haddon the Son both of his Kingdom and of his Life and Usurp'd the Throne in his stead Hence we read no more here of the King of Assyria but of Babylon only after this Mark 2. The Pretence was an Enquiry after this late Prodigy for the Babylonians worship the Sun for a God as well as the Persians and the Astrologers of Babylon above all other Nations must needs take notice of this miraculous Motion and hearing that the Sun their God had so highly honoured Hezekiah in taking so many Steps backward to become a Sign of his Recovery from Sickness therefore are those Embassadors sent to Honour him also with a Visit and a Present and to make more enquiry after this Wonder wrought in Heaven by the God of Israel 2 Chron. 32.31 and seeing it was done for Hezekiah's sake they thought him more than a Mortal Man Those Messengers saith Menochius were Men well skill'd in Coelestial Motions Mark 3. When God left Hezekiah to himself withdrawing the Assistance of his Holy Spirit from him and suffered Satan with his Temptations to draw forth this good King's Corruption he likewise had some over-weaning Reflections upon himself also thinking himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great one Act. 8.9 above the rate of an ordinary Mortal Man therefore 't is said He rendred not again his Returns were not answerable to his Receipts but his heart was lifted up to wit with Pride Self-conceit and Ostentation 2 Chron. 32.25 So that he Acted like some petty-God within himself gratifying those Embassadors in what they came about yea proudly and foolishly shewed them the House of his precious things for now Gold-thirsty Babylon knew where to fetch a fat and a fit Booty He being puff'd up with the Honour they did him In this manner he sinned c. Remark the Second In this Second Part is his Correction for his Sin Mark 1. No sooner had he shewed them all his Wealth got by the spoil of Senacherib's Camp and by the many Gifts from all Nations to him as to the World's Wonder for the Sun 's running backward for his sake but God most graciously sends his Prophet to prick this Bladder of Pride that now lay putrifying in Hezekiah's Heart and to Humble him ver 14. Mark 2. How prudently the Prophet proceeds with him by such Interrogatories not for Information of himself but for Conviction of the King who Answers him These Men came from Babylon which is said to be distant 680 Miles from Jerusalem N. B. Whereby we may understand how far the Jews were carried Captive out of their own Country But what have they seen ver 15. after whence came they and what said they The King Answers fairly to the Prophet without mincing the Matter but telling the whole Truth Mark 3. The Prophet replies in the Name of the Lord to make the King mind the Message more ver 16. telling him that he had 1. made a foul Forfeiture of all his fair Treasures by his Pride which God abhors and by his Ostentation in shewing them and by his Ingratitude taking that Honour to himself which he should have wholly given to God and by his Ambitious Abuse of God's Gifts having his Heart strangely lifted up with those Heavy Metals not as good Jehosaphat's was lifted up for God and Godliness in a zealous Reformation 2 Chron. 17.6 but 't is in a way of Self-Admiration for that not only Nations near to him had brought him Rich Presents 2 Chron. 32.23 but also that the King of Babylon so far Remote had now made a League with him whereby he thought his Mountain so strong he could not be moved as Psalm 30.6 Mark 4. Not doth Isaiah only denounce this sad-Judgment that his Palace shall be plundred of all those precious Treasures ver 17. but adds also 2. That his Children and Grand-Children should likewise be carried into Captivity ver 18. where their Bodies shall be subject to Slavery and their Souls to Idolatry in an Heathen Country which must needs be very grievous to so good a King especially for so seemingly a light offence N.B. But by this we learn what an High Provocation to God is our Privy-pride Creature-confidence c. Remark the Third Is his humble Submission to this severe Sentence ver 19. Mark 1. 'T is said Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the Pride of his Heart when left of God c. 2 Chron. 32.26 31. now God comes again and blesseth the Preaching of the Prophet so to him as to give him a sight and sense of his Sin Insomuch that as Vatablus saith God made him a gainer by his Sin for as his Pride had puff'd him up with his glorious Victory over Senacherib with his miraculous recovery from sickness and with his prodigious Wealth so now see how his Heart was humbled and became as lowly as it had been lofty Mark 2. True Humiliation is a blessed Means to prevent God's Indignation He kisseth the Rod saying Good is the Word of God 't is no more than Justice my Sins deserve no less I bless God that it is no worse for here is Mercy mixed with Justice that this Wrath shall not come in my Days 2 Chron. 32.26 but I shall have Peace
12. his Anger being added to his Wine saith Grotius by this publick Affront of his Wife knows no Bounds or Measure but makes him Foam and Froath at the Mouth as the Hebr. Word signifies like a Wild-Bore or a Raging Sea Because says Dr. Lightfoot while he had been shewing the Glory of his Vast Command over almost the whole World yet then he could not command his own Wife Vasthi c. this turn'd his Mirth into Madness So that Josephus saith he brake off the Feast in this Frantick Fit Plutarch saith the Persian Kings were Captivarum suarum Captivi Captives of their Captives as he after was to Esther Mark 2. Yet was the King not so Mad says Grotius but he consults with his Magicians a manner he had been so accustom'd with that even when Drunk he could not forget it or with his Mathematicians and Astronomers saith Masius ver 13. whose Authority was ever greatest among those Mighty Monarchs Dan. 2.2 and 4.7 and 5.7 c. Tho' this enraged King had now quite cast off his old Love to his Queen and breaths forth nothing else but Reparation of his own lost Honour and cannot rest without resolving Revenge upon his Peerless Parragon Venustous Vasthi Yet this is laudable in him that he neither sent for her forthwith by force nor himself ran in a Rage where she was to dispatch her with his own hands but on the contrary he tho' in his Cups doth calmly call for his Counsellors who had understanding in the Times as 1 Chron. 12.32 and skilful in State-Affairs to Consult with them saith Masius as unwilling to be Arbitrary c. 'T is not ordinary for Angry Men especially Kings to Consult saith Menochius Mark 3. Memuchan the Junior of the seven saith Bonartius Speaks first ver 14 15 16 17 18. and he speaks boldly to gratifie the King's Passions for his following Argument was weak saith Menochius this Mercenary Orator saw the King Angry and he sets him more agog and going and that the Queen was an Eye-sore now to the King so must be Removed Right or Wrong N. B. Indeed Wives ought not to Despise their Husbands but to Reverence them Eph. 5.33 and to Submit to them but only in the Lord Col. 3.18 for in case of Sin God must be obeyed and not Man Acts 4.19 in such a case Husbands must not be bitter against their Wives Col. 3.19 but here malicious Flattery makes Shadows Substances and Improbables Necessaries all the Ladies of the Land will likewise learn Disobedience from this Example and this will turn Conjugium into Conjurgium Wedlock into a Cock pit all the Country over c. Had the King and Queen been Friends again surely Memuchan had lost his Head for so bold a Speech c. Some suppose this Memuchan himself suffer'd much by his Imperious Wife so under shadow of Policy would Revenge his own wrongs upon her Mark 4. The King and Counsellors were all much taken and tickl'd with this Counsel of Memuchan more especially Ahasuerus himself so that it was soon consented to and Subscribed by them all ver 19 20 21 22. Thus fair Vasthi was but foully dealt with being both Accused and Condemned Unheard and Unconvicted which was against all Law both Divine and Humane Suppose she were an Insolent Woman and had sent a Sawcy Answer to the King as is supposed by some in her Disobedience both to her Husband as a Wife and to her King as a Subject Yet the King 's bare word was not a Law nor any Rule of Right moreover she should have had a fair Trial before God and the Country which ought to have been call'd and come in to give Evidence against her whom haply they never saw much less heard of her Offence Notwithstanding she is immediately Deposed Divorced from the Royal Bed and Banish'd out of the Kingdom saith Drusins yea presently put to Death say Jew-Doctors This could in no sense carry a candid Construction in a King to his so much formerly beloved Queen Tho' she might be Blame-worthy in not sending some plausible Excuse as it could not consist with her Modesty fear and conjugal Fidelity to expose her self in her charming Beauty and Royal Bravery among so many brave Men now intoxicated with Wine c. and she might have quietly waited for the King's Acceptance of such an Apology and not so Abruptly and Arrogantly send her Lord the King such a sudden Resolute flat Denial for her Absolute Answer Yet saith Grotius her Doom was a grievous Punishment for so frivolous an Offence if it were an Offence at all But Plutarch relateth how Austere and Severe the Persians are generally to their Wives c. N. B. 1. Junius and out of him Masius doth excellently observe That it is right with God to execute his own Decrees even by the wrongful Actions of Men 'T is not to be doubted but the Righteous Lord did meet with many other Sins in this Lofty Dame who had been without question a pattern of much Pride and Vanity more generally to other Women than she was probably to prove in this particular point so much blazon'd upon by this Court-Parasite Memuchan for so foul a Scandal and perilous an Example thus her Sin found her out Numb 32.23 N. B. 2. Behold here the Wisdom of the Great God whose hand was deeply concern'd in over-ruling all the Follies of both King and Queen c. to make way for Esther according to his own Decree and indeed in this Book it may be seen how the Lord by a concurrence of several subordinate Passages having no manner of Dependance or Coincidency among themselves hath wonderfully wrought the Deliverance of his Church that it might the more eminently appear to be the work of his own hand c. Esther CHAP. II. THIS Chapter relateth the Means and Manner how Esther came to be Advanced Queen in Vasthi's Room In which History are Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents First Remarks upon the Antecedents are 1. The Counsel given to the King for a new Conjugal Object and Embracement the cause of which Consultation was the King's Disquietness for what he had done in Vasthi's Divorce c. ver 1. After these things that is After the Wine was evaporated and his Anger by Sleep and Time asswaged he remembred Vasthi with some Remorse but without any true Repentance He recollectd what a Beautiful and Desireable Lady he had Rejected saith Bonartius and how much Delight and Complacency he had taken in her saith Menochius and that for so small a Provocation to which she might easily be led by the Modesty of her Sex and by the Laws and Customs of Persia so severely and unproportionably to Punish her saith Drusius yea and this done by an Vnrepealable Law This was both his Shame and his Grief Remark the Second The Seven Counsellors observing the King's Perplexity offer him a Charming Diversion ver 2. fearing lest he might fall as foul upon them for persuading
while their very weeping had the Voice of Praying which God heard Psalm 6.8 N.B. They knew no better weapons to make use of now but only Preces Lachrymas Prayers and Tears as was the Language of the Primitive Christians and our Lord tells us that Fasting and Prayer will cast forth the most morose and most Tenacious Devil Matth. 17.21 Mark 3. Many-day in Sackcloth and Ashes or Hebr. Sackcloth and Ashes were laid under many so many as were more deeply affected with their Sins and the sad Consequents thereof would decline their own soft Beds saith Vatablus laying all along upon Sackcloth and Ashes And thus they restrained themselves not only from Work Meat and Delights by Day but also from sleep by Night that they might Watch as well as Pray Mark 13.33 Matth. 26.41 Mark 4. This Fast was after commanded to be continued three Days ver 15 16 17. wherein they abstained though not à Toto from all necessary Food yet at least à Tanto and à Tali taking no more of Quantity than to keep alive and not any of a luscious and delightsome Quality as Dan. 10.2 3. N.B. Thus that like Phrase Acts 27.33 is to be taken and all this was done for furthering their Repentance a right Remedy for Reconcilement Remark the Second Concerns Mordecai's Mourning in Particular ver 1 2. Mark 1. So soon as Mordecai Jadan perceived either by the Relation of some Friend or by the Triumph of the Jews Enemies saith Junius or rather by Posting up the Proclamation in Shushan saith Masius then he Rent his Clohths to shew that his very Heart was Rent with Sorrow for Sion Joel 2.12 13. so solicitous was he for the Church's welfare as old Eli had been for the Ark 1 Sam. 4.13 Mark 2. He put on Sackcloth after the manner of Mourners not only among the Jews Gen. 37.29 34. 1 Kings 21.27 and 2 Kings 19.1 c. but also among the Gentiles 1 Kings 20.32 and Jon. 3. c. yea he put on a dusty Garment besprinkl'd with Ashes saith Drusius as holding the worst Cloaths too good for such a woful Caitiff c. Mark 3. He went into the midst of the City that is into the Market-Place saith A Lapide which usually is in the Heart of Cities And there cried out with a loud and bitter cry saith Josephus that an Innocent Nation was design'd to be destroyed he did this partly as a pattern to his Brethren partly to move the Persians to pity them that they might do what they could to prevent it and partly that it might by this means come to Esther's Ears who was yet ignorant of it as well as to express his deep Sense of Danger Mark 4. In this Mourning Posture Mordecai returns to the Place before the King's Gate but might not enter in to sit there as he had hitherto done least his Sackcloath being seen at Court it might have been an Eye-sore and caus'd sadness to the King and his Jolly Courtiers who never could endure to see a Night-Cap for marring their mad Merriments saith Tirinus that Gate which should always be open for poor Petitioners was now shut against such Mourners as Mordecai 'T is probable that Haman had likewise procured this Law that the King and his Courtiers must see no sad sights lest their Mirth should be marred and themselves surprised with Heaviness and Horrour and more especially lest any Mourner should make means to complain to the King of his Cruelty c. Remark the Third Concerns Esther's Mourning moved by Mordecai's Mark 1. Though the Queen was kept close according to the supercilious Custom of the Persian Court rarely suffering their Wives to be publickly seen abroad c. yet her Servants had more Liberty and observed Mordecai's Sackcloath and Sorrow they acquaint Esther herewith who was exceedingly grieved to hear it sends presently to change his Sackcloath into Sattin to make him capable of returning to his former Place if not of coming to her to acquaint her with the Cause of his uncustomary Carriage c. ver 4. but so great was his Grief as not to accept of the Queen's kindness thinking these mean Cloaths were good enough for him unless his Condition were more comfortable Mark 2. Holy Esther was not sullen towards Mordecai as vain Vasthi had been to the King without any such Affront as this of Mordecai's rejecting the Queen's Courtesie in offering a change of his course cloathing of a Mourner into the bravery of a Courtier but sends Hatach an honest Servant and perhaps a Jew at least a Jew inwardly to him to know what and why c. ver 5. N.B. Though Esther of a poor Captive Maid was now made an eminent Mistress over a hundred and twenty seven Provinces which is one of the four Burdens the Earth cannot bear Prov. 30.32 yet doth she not capriciously Tax her Uncle of any Incivility in Rejecting her kindness nor turns short upon him by bidding Hatach tell him He had tyed her Hands from offering any more of her Royal Favours but she candidly Construe's all believing he had greater Grounds of his Grief and of such loud Lamentations than she yet knew of Mark 3. Hatach readily runs with his Mistress's Message like a faithful Servant to Mordecai whom he sound in the Broad-street of the City as Rechob Hebr. signifies for no nearer the Court might a Mourner come ver 6. to him Mordecai relates the whole matter ver 7. and sends her a Copy of the Bloody Decree ver 8. that she might see it and be assured of it and now or never she must bestir her self and venture to go in to the King to intercede for God's poor perishing Church All this Mordecai pushes forward with utmost earnestness improving his antient Authority over her and pressing it upon her with most cogent Arguments N.B. All which are purposely Recorded here that all may learn to lay out themselves to the utmost for the Church's good Remark the Fourth Hatach returns with his strict Charge from Mordecai who had been her Foster-Father and still lays claim to an Interest in her and an Authority over her prudently presuming upon her well-known Ingenuity c. in persuading Esther to venture in to the King and to Request of him a Remedy against so fatal a Malady declaring to her from Mordecai's mouth the Reasons of that cruel Edict because he could not out of Conscience bow his Knee to Haman that cursed Amalekite and the dreadful Events that were like to follow thereupon ver 8 9. Thus Bonartius excellently explains them Remark the Fifth Queen Esther refuseth this Commanding Request of her Foster-Father Mordecai rendring a Reason for her Refusal ver 10 11. pleading Should she go uncalled she shall be put to death for breaking the Law that forbids it N. B. The Learned enquire When that wretched Law was made And 1. Lyra and Serrarius say it was procured by Haman lest any way of Access to the King should lay open
Light and Law of Nature one would think should have hastened both his hands and his feet to help his fellow Creature under such miserable circumstances or had he been in Christ's School he would have learned that lesson that shewing mercy to those in misery is a far more necessary and hasty work than any sacrifice he had to offer up Mat. 9.13 Man especially in misery stands in more need of mercy than God doth at any time of Sacrifice c. Remark 4th The Mystery that lyes vailed here under the History of this Priest when unvailed is the Insufficiency of Legal Righteousness for Man's Salvation There be some indeed that give this Mystical sense of the Priest here to be meant Angels who saw man fallen among Thieves and both strip'd and wounded by them under guilt of Death c. but these Angels passed by and could not cure or comfort him c. but the best Interpretation of this Priest is Moral Righteousness this carries a correspondency to the Sacrifices and Services of the Legal Priesthood which verily was disannulled because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof c. Heb. 7.18 19. Enquiry the First What is this Moral or as it may be call'd Natural Righteousness Answer 1st 'T is a Righteousness of Natures best Edition in the fallen estate there be degrees of Nature as well as of Grace some Natures are better than others even a Child is known by his Doings whether his Work be pure and whether it be Right Prov. 20.11 As a good Disposition in some is seen to Order and Refine depraved Nature especially if attended with a strict Education and Exemplary good Actions c. so the contrary to all these we see do strangely disorder and corrupt it There is a Refining of Nature by Moral Vertue where there is nothing found of Spiritual Grace We read of an House that was Swept of Moral Vices and Garnished with Moral Vertues yet is it still Empty of Christ whereupon the Unclean Spirit returns after seeming Dispossession and Repossesseth it again c. Math. 12.43 44 45. so may it be with a Moralized or a Civilized Heart the last state of such a Man may be made worse than his first Answer 2. This Moral Righteousness is a supposed compleat Conformity and satisfaction to the Law of Mosâ—s a Righteousness wholely within us and from our selves as that of the Scribes and Pharisees Math. 5.20 c. whereas the true Evangelical Righteousness is a Real Conformity to the New Covenant even that of Grace and not of Works this is both without us in the Grace of Justification and also within us in the grace of Sanctification for Moses and the Messias met together as very good Friends upon Mount Tabor Math. 17.3 and thus they both agree well enough in a truly gracious Heart The grand Evil and Folly is that Man seeks for a Righteousness altogether within and from himself which Paul durst not do as he had done in his Pharisaism but calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Scraps cast to Dogs All but Dross but Dung in comparison of Christs Righteousness Phil. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Enquiry the Second what is the Original of this Moral Righteousness Answer The Foundation from whence it flows is from the remaining Sheards of Gods Image in Man which is only defaced but is not quite destroyed by Adams Fall as the Tables of the Testimony which Moses held in his hand and which were the Work of God and the Writing was the Writing of God Exod. 32.15 16. yet Moses when he saw the Golden Calf his anger waxed hot and he threw the Tables out of his Hands and brake them beneath the Mount ver 19. Notwithstanding the broken pieces thereof still remained Even so it may be said yet in a quite differing Manner when Adam saw the forbidden Fruit pleasant to the Eyes and desirable to make him Wise Gen. 3.6 Then he did cast down as it may be said that Image of God stamped upon him at his Creation and broke it in pieces beneath the Mount of his primitive Innocency After which fall he begat a Son in his own Image and not in the Image of God Gen. 5.3 yet some Sheards of the first broken Image still remain in all his Off spring which is called Synteresis signifying a Remnant Reserved or a Natural Conscience call'd by the Apostle the Light and Law of Nature written in Mens Hearts which serves to leave them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse Rom. 1.20 and 2.14 15. and which is all one and the same with the Moral Law that was added because of Transgression Gal. 3.19 for by the light whereof the Sin of Murther was known to Cain Gen. 4. and hereby other sins as Adultery Gen. 20. Fornication Gen. 34. and 38. and Theft Gen. 44.8 were known to be Hainous sins long before the Law of God written in Tables of Stone were given by Moses unto Israel in the Wilderness So that this Law of Nature was light enough to inform Man what was Good and what was Evil and what Man had last by Adams Fall as the Prodigal when he came to himself Luke 15.17 became sensible how sadly he had lost that satisfying fulness he formerly enjoyed in his Fathers House There is indeed both a Theorick and a Practick Knowledge of God and good Manners This is the Dim Light wherewith the True Light doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the World John 1.9 yet is it too weak an Hedge to keep within compass Mans unruly Corruption of the fallen Nature therefore Man stands in need of a wall as well as of an Hedge Hos 2.6 to Restrain him from Evil nor indeed is Restraining grace sufficient which that pagan King Abimelech was blest with Gen. 20.6 but there must be Renewing Grace also Eph. 4.23 there must be according to the tenure of the New Covenant a Supernatural Work of Light Life and Love I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People saith the Lord Jer. 31.32 33. This plainly imports the Insufficiency of the unrenewed Estate wherein the best Bank that can be made against sin is so low and weak that it is easily overflowed or broken down by the strong Torrent of Corrupt Natural Affections As the Light of Nature which is called the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 burns but darkly and dimly in the fallen Estate so that it cannot Discover the guilt of Adams sin committed almost 6000. years agoe nor that Original Pollution descended upon all Mankind thereby nor can it discern that great Damning sin of unbelief John 3.18 36. which binds the guilt of all other sins upon a sinners Conscience c. so the Law of Nature is so weak and of such little force that it cannot carry the Soul up to the Spiritual part of any Holy grace or duty
ver 1 2 3 4 5. c. That was a prophane Feast and had its End even in great Discontent ver 12 c. But this is an Holy Feast having not only good Chear but also good Company and good Discourse yea and the King himself present at the Table Cant. 1.12 And this Feast doth last longer than that of an hundred and Eighty Days yea and ends with Joy and Comfort yea 't is a Feast without any End it lasts for ever to wit unto all Ages and Generations this Calf lasts long N. B. There be formal Provisions now indeed in some places among formal Professors and Worshippers of God in forms only that seems to be Food but are not really so they feed upon the Skin of this fatted Calf only But to all such as Worship God in Spirit and Truth John 4.23 24. The flesh of this fatted Calf is Meat indeed and his Blood is Drink indeed John 6.55 Those do dwell in Christ and Christ in them ver 56. Here is mutual Complacency on the one part Christ Rejoycing in the Habitable parts of his Earth Prov. 8.31 And Delighting in his People Isa 62. ver 4. And on the other part his People Delighting themselves in the Lord Ps 37.4 Zech. 9.9 as they are round about God Ps 76.11 And a People near to him Ps 148.14 Revel 4.4 and both Eat and Drink in his Presence Luke 14.15 Say with Peter 't is good being here for us Matth. 17.4 He spake nothing of Building a Tabernacle for himself as he did for his Master and for Moses and Elias no he could have been content to lie out of Doors so he might but partake of the grace and glory of Christ Oh then let us Account God lets down a whole sheetfull of Dainties to us in his Gospel Ordinances as he did for this same Peter Acts 10.13 That Sheet was taken up into Heaven again ver 16. But only that it might be let down again to us Daily Therefore the Father saith here Let us Eat and be Merry ver 23. Luke 15. Fourthly The Cooks for Dressing this Feast upon the fatted Calf are Gospel Preachers and Pastors Ministers are compared to most necessary Matters as to Bread Salt Light Water Physick c. As here in this Parable to Cooks 't is the Cursed Jews that were as Servants to the Secret Will of the Father in killing this fatted Calf so Godly Ministers are indeed Servants to the Revealed Will of him in Cooking and Dressing this fatted Calf that True Penitents may feed and feast upon him Ministers must not be as Cooks in this Sense as sometimes they Dress Meat for others and do not partake of any part of it themselves but they must Preach Jesus Christ Acts 5.42 and 17.3 From their own Experiences of that savour and sweetness they themselves have found in him saying What our Eyes have seen what our Ears have heard and what our Hands have handled do we declare unto you 1 John 1.2 3. Those are the Cooks that make the most Savoury Meat for the Souls of their Hearers saying to them as Jacob did Gen. 27.19 Arise and eat of my Venison that your Souls may bless me This is the way to raise up Seed to our Elder Brother the neglect whereof may cause God to spit in our Faces Deut. 25.9 Yet must we know there is Cura officii the Care of Duty and Cura Eventus the Care of Success Now the Office or Duty may be faithfully performed yet not prove successful as Isa 49 4. My Work is with God though I have laboured in vain c. Such Ministers as God makes Fathers of Spiritual Children cannot but be careful Cooks to nourish up with the best Food those they have begotten by the Gospel otherwise they would be worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 Yea Soul starvers and God will Require their Blood at careless Watchmens Hands Ezek. 3.18 19. As Laban made Jacob Answer for all lost Gen. 31.39 Fifthly The Guests invited to this Feast are such as this Son was who came to himself Luke 15.17 Who Repented of his sin and returned to his Father ver 18 19. whom his Father Kissed ver 20. and to whom his Father gave a Robe for his Back a Ring for his Hand and Shooes for his Feet we may not come to this Feast to Jesus with Old Shoes as the Gibeonites did to Joshua Jos 9.5 We cannot persevere and hold out to the end if our shoes be patched with our own Righteousness Christ is our All c. These Christ calls Friends c. Cant. 5.1 and John 15.14 15. Abraham is called three times the Friend of God 2 Chron. 20.7 Isa 41.8 and Jam. 2.23 So are the Sons and Daughters of Abraham and the Beloved Disciple John leaned upon his Lords Bosom at the Supper John 13.23 25. and 21 20. Oh! That we could do so at the Lords Supper where a Sancta crapula a free and full feeding and feasting upon the fatted Calf is Holily expected We should come to an Ordinance as Leviathan to Jordan Job 40.23 as if we could drink it all up Christ commands his Friends to fall on Lustily and his Beloved to Drink abundantly Cant. 5.1 Till they be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 Yea and Holily drunk with Loves John 2.10 Cant. 7.12 The Angel bad Elijah Eat two Meals together and feed heartily because his Journey was too great for him 1 Kin. 19.6 7. And he went in the Strength of that double Meal fourty Days ver 8. but our Journey is greater c. We must fetch hearty Draughts the Deeper the Sweeter and we must pray that our Spiritual Food may be turned in Succum Sanguinem into Juice and Blood that we may lift up our feet and go lustily as Jacob did after was refreshed with his Vision of the Ladder Gen. 28.12 29.1 Sixthly The Master of this Feast is the Father of the Family Thus God is the Father of the Families of Israel Jer. 31.1 9. and Mal. 2.10 In the Peace-offering under the Law all the Fat was the Lords as before the People must not in any wise eat it Levit. 3.16 17. So the lean part belongeth to them as before but Blessed be God that his Gospel hath amended the Peoples Commons in putting his fat part unto our lean part making us a Feast of fat things full of Marrow and a Feast of Wines on the Lees well Refined Isa 25.6 The Gospel lets down from Heaven a great Sheetfull of all manner of Dainties Flesh and Fowl Acts 10.11 12. This was done thrice to Peter and then the Vessel was received up again into Heaven ver 16. on purpose that it might be let down again where God hath any Hungry Children as Peter was ver 10. Met together to Worship him with their Spirits in the Gospel of his Son Rom. 1.9 God now in the Gospel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is said of Job who would not Eat his Morsell
the burning fire This Glutton had too dainty a Tongue which he had abused on Earth and now that very Member is Tortured in Hell He had been Drunk when living now is dry when Dead As Eyes Ears Hands c. be ascribed to God so here to Souls figuratively c. Remark the 5th Abraham calls this Damned Soul Son as he was a Jew or as he was but young but as this Title was no better than cold Comfort to him in flames no more will a bare profession without the power prove to many at last nor did his Wealth profit him any more than his profession of being a Member of Abrahams Church nor is he blamed for having good things for they are not Evilâ—r themselves but for his abusing them Abraham Lot Isâ—â—â— Jacob Jâ—â— David Joseph of Arimâ—thea c. were all Rich Men as well as he but they all had Wisdom or improve their Wealth c. poor Lazarus lay in rich Abrahams Bosom Remark the 6th This Damned Soul bids Lazarus to his loss in desiring that his Soul may leave Heaven and reassume his body on Earth and if he must not come to coll his Tongue in Hell yet that he may go warn his Brethren yet alive c. This he wished not out of any love to them for no such grace is found in Hell but from his fear least should they be Damned he would then be double Damned for leading them thither by his lewd Example c. Remark the 7th Dives saith Grotius desired not Lazarus's Spirit to walk but to rise from the Dead but 't is said of Man when he goes hence he shall be seen no more Job 7.8 Ps 39.13 One from the dead will not do to Convert for God hath not appointed it as a means hence this Mans Name-sake Lazarus John 11. was raised from the dead yet the Jews believed not no nor Christ himself after his Resurrection Moses indeed appeared to wait on the Messiah but not to Preach the Gospel c. Remark the 8th Take here a prospect of Hell as it is Represented to us in the Looking-Glass of the Sacred Scriptures wherein we have many sad Representations of it As 1. 'T is called Destruction Rom. 9.22 Phil. 3.19 1 Thess 5.3 2 Thess 1.9 2 Pet. 2.1 12. The Wicked are made to be destroyed for their Wickedness Prov. 16.4 2. 'T is called Death not in the natural Sense but as it is an Everlasting Separation from God the fountain of Life far worse than tearing Limb from Limb this is the Second Death Rev. 2.11 and 20.6 14. and 21.8 3. 'T is called Darkness not Corporal as that of Egypt Exod. 10.23 but Spiritual as a privation of all Light and Comfort Chains of Darkness 2 Pet. 2.4 The Damned are so in the midst of it ver 17. That there is no getting out 't is outer Darkness Matth. 8.12 and 22.13 and 25.30 One darkness beyond another and 't is for all found out of Christ who is light c. 4. 'T is called a day of Wrath Prov. 11.4 Job 21.30 Zeph. 1.15 To which all the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.3 are appointed 1 Thess 5.9 They Treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath Rom. 2.5 Their Work is bad but Wage is worse c. 5. 'T is called Shame and Contempt Dan. 12.2 When God sets their sins in Order before their Eyes Ps 50.21 And the greater sinners shall have the greater shame God Abhorrs them Ps 10.3 and Devils despise them Acts 19.15 16. Yea those Vessels of Dishonour Rom. 9.21 2 Tim. 2.20 do despise one another as Matth. 27.4 6. To all these many more Denominations might be added such as are Fear of Gods Displeasure if Cain feared so much on Earth assuredly much more is his fear in Hell Sorrow Weeping Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth Matth. 8.12 and 22.13 and 13.42 50. and 24.51 and 25 30 c. Oh! What horrible howlings are heard in Hell both upon the account of their pana Damni the pain of loss and of their paena Sensâ—s the pain of Sense where the Never-dying Worm Mar. 9.44 Doth make such surious Reflections upon their Consciences for what they have lost and for what they now feel and all with these two intolerable Aggravations both of Extremity and of Eternity of those Torments Remark the 9th We can scarce open a Window to give a little light into Lazarius's glorious Lodging that Happy State where into his Holy Life did lead him after he had born his Poverty with Patience c. of whom saith Grotius Dives now begged his pardon for his Churlishness to him when on Earth In a word Heaven and Happiness is compounded both of the freedom of all evil and of the Fruition of all good Eye hath not seen c. What God hath said up for those that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 As God lays out much on us in this life yet hath he laid up far better things for us in the life to come Ps 3â— 19 How great is that word So shall we ever be with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 and that also then shall we see him as he is 1 John 3.2 Oh Beatifical Vision what a Soul-satisfying sight will it be to behold God our Father and Christ our Elder Brother so near a Kin to us sitting at the Fathers Right Hand and so kind as to own us for his Brethren Hebr. 2.11 To behold all the Glorious Angels and all the glorified Saints Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs yea and our own Relations and Friends who dyed in the Lord c. There the Joy is too great to enter into us but we must enter into is Matth 25.21 23. This Joy of our Lord is unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 There our Wills will be fully gratified our Underderstandings know enough and all our Senses shall be satisfied with all suitable Objects yea and all those satisfying Joys shall be as fresh as new as sweet and Ravishing Millions of years after our Enjoyment of those Mansions as they were at the first Moment of our Entry As the light of the Sun is as delightfull now as it was at its first Creation almost 6000. years agoe N. B. Note well Vp Souls and view this good Land thy God will give it thee Gen. 13.17 If thy Soul be made like Christs Soul with grace then thy Body shall be made like his with glory Phil. 3.21 c. Then after more Divine Documents Luke 17.1 to 10. In ver 11. Christ is there going his last Journey to Jerusalem cleansing ten Depers in his way thither ver 12 13 14 c. of all which after Now Mathew and Mark come in again after a long Interval and concur in giving a joynt account of some Remarkable Transactions of Christs life after he passed over Jordan Matth. 19.1 to 13. and Mar. 10.1 to 13. also They relate 1. The story about Divorces the Old Cavillers do haunt him like evil Ghosts here also and would have catched and calumniated him by their
likewise a Fourth Sermon the last which Christ Preached the Night before he was Apprehended wholly Consolatory to his Disciples and concluded with a most Fervent Prayer all which is Recorded by the Evangelist John only chapters 14 15 16 17. Which four Chapters are followed with the History of Christs Passion chap. 18 19. of John There be some other Passages of Christs Life inter-laced among those four last Sermons to wit that which he spake in the Treasury being a part of the Temple 2 Kin. 12.9 and 2 Chron. 24.8 and Nehem. 10.37 and 13.5 A place where Christ sometimes Taught John 8.20 and mentioned Matth. 27.6 Here Christ was before he went out of the Temple when he Preached the first of these four Sermons 〈◊〉 serving what every one cast in by way of Alms or Offering before their Praye◠〈◊〉 Jews using to joyn Charity with Piety Mar. 12.41 to 45. and Luke 21 â—â— to 5. This our Lord did not upon the Account of our Curiosity sitting there as a Critical Spye and Observer but to take an Occasion of dropping that Divine Doctrine in the close thereof that the poor Widow was a Widow indeed resolving wholy to trust in God 1 Tim. 5.3 Jer. 49.11 in casting in her whole Livelihood as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for the Service of God and the Poor whereas Rich Men cast in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Brass only as if they thought 't was good enough son both God and his Poor Something Men will do but as little as they can Now when Christ had commended the Alms-giving of the poor Widow weighing it not by the worth of the gift but by the Will of the Giver and so he sits still to see the State Gift and Mind of every Alms giver and when he had also Lamented over the Destruction of Jerusalem for being a Nest of Venemous Serpents and Blood sucking Vipers Matth. 23.33 34 37 c. Then it is not said he only went out of the Temple for this he had done often before but now he departed from it Matth. 24.1 Never to return to it any more Therefore the following Sermon he Preached out of the Temple as he sat upon the Mount of Olives over against it Matth. 24.1 3 Mar. 13.1 and Luke 21.5 The occasion of this Sermon was Mark saith one of the Disciples which probably was Peter being more Inquisitive than all the Rest shewed him by pointing thereat both the Strength and the Beauty of the Building which therefore was reckoned the Wonder of the World Not only as pittâ—ing that it should be Destroyed but also as prejudging it to be an Impossibility from the firmness of the Fabrick Hereupon Christ tells them all that what he had said That their House should be lâ—ft Desolater Matth. 23.38 And that all its Magnificency could not secure it from being Demolished not one Stone shall be left upon another Matth. 24.4 Then the Curiosity of the Disciples make Enquiry 1. When that should be 2. What signs of his coming and 3. Of the end of the World for they thought the Temple would lâ—st so long as the World lasted In Answer hereunto Christ Preacheth this Sermon concerning Sundry sorts of Antecedent Signs some Ecclesiastical which were either â—ad 〈◊〉 the Seducing of Hereticks the Persecuting of Tyrants c. or good as the Success of the Gospel throughout the World c. and other Signs were Civil or Political is Wars Famine Pestilence Prodigies and a Notorious Corruption of Mens Manners c. In a word the Disciples first question Christ Answereth from ver 4. to 〈◊〉 Their Second from thence to ver 36. And their Third from thence to the end The First and the Third are Answered Promiscuously and so Dreadful was the Destruction of Jerusalem when it came that iâ— is Described in Paralled Phrases with the Destruction of the whole World All this was oâ—ite contrary to the Disciples Expectation Luke 24.21 and Acts. 1.6 Their expected Temporal Redemption must end in a most Direful Destruction therefore Christ shuts up that Matth. 24.42 to the end with exhorting them to Watchfulness set on by a Parable of a Servants waiting his Lords Return and in Matth. 25. He continueth his former Discourse of Watchfulness and sets it on by a second Parable to the same purpose The Parable of the Ten Virgins from ver 1. to 14. The Second is the Parable of the Ten Virgins take a Paraphrase upon the parts of it in many Remarks Remark the 1st A Profession of the Gospel is a Virginity in a Scripture Sense as compared with Prophaneness which is a Spiritual Wohredom in Vanity and Villâ—â—y Ps 45.14 Cant. 1.3 2. Cor. 11.2 3 c. See Ps 73.27 c. Remark the 2d Some professors of this Virginity are only called outwardly and they are foolish Virgins having only a Form but want the power of Godliness 2 Tâ—â—â— 3.5 But others are inwardly also called having the Faith of Gods Elect in their Hearts and sincere Sanctity in their Lives likewise Remark the 3d Though the Wise and the Foolish be distributed into equal numbers of five and five yet 't is not to Assert any Equality of Number as if the Godly who are but a little Flock Luke 12.32 But one of a Tribe and two of a Family Jer. 3.14 c. were equal in Number to the ungodly seeing the whole unregenerate World lieth in Wickedness 1 John 5.19 But it is to shew that among Professors themselves there be as many Foolish as Wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not foreseeing Danger Oculos Habentes in occipitio having their Eyes behind them and not before as Eccles 2.14 Many do confess they expect a Day of Judgment to come yet they live like Davids Fool Ps 14.1 As if they thought in their Hearts there were no God to Judge them and no Hell to punish them Remark the 4th Those Foolish Virgins are Hypocrites and Carnal Gospellers who 〈◊〉 Oyl indeed in their Lamps making a shew of Profession in their Lives as to External Exercises c. But they have no Oyl of Saving Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Vessels of their Hearts they are empty Casks Barren Figtrees pretenders only to Piety c. Remark the 5th The Wise Virgins do not as the other mere Nominals did they have Hearts purified by Faith Acts 15.9 A good Conscience Acts 23.1 and 14.16 come in their Simplicity and Godly Sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 Carrying Grace in their Hearts as well as Gracefulness in their Lives they had not the wally-colour of a Log-wood or block-wood blew but Christ had dyed them in Grain with True Grace and Holiliness Divine Oyl had soaked deep had suppled and softned the Stone in their Hearts and had spred it self to Sanctifie them throughout in Body Soul and Spirit 1 Thess 5.23 Remark the 6th The Bridegroom is our Lord who is not slack concerning his coming 2 Pet. 3.9 Yet is said to tarry here not in respect
Witnesses also N. B. Note well for so are all such as do not only feign against another something he never spake but also that wrest the words spoken to a differing or contrary Sense Psal 56.5 Thus those two are Detected likewise of a double falshood 1. They being examined probably apart according to the custom of Courts their Testimonies as related by the two Evangelists did notoriously disagree for in Matth. 26.61 The one saith this Fellow said I am able to destroy this Temple and to Build it in three days but the other in Mar. 14.58 saith We heard him say I will Destroy this Temple made with Hands and within three Days I will Build another made without Hands These two Testimonies did grosly differ each from other the one was a posse that he could or can do it the other a velle that he will or would do it The former relates to Christs power the latter to his Will or Act Whereas no Man is Judged guilty in any Court for having a power to do an Evil without some over Act in doing something tending towards it then 2. Both their Testimonies Deposed do most Sordidly deprave both the words and the sense of Christs saying For 1. Their Depositions ran thus I can or I will Destroy whereas Christ said neither of these words For he said ye Jews destroy c. John 2.19.21 So that they both basely belyed him who was Truth it self John 14.6 2. They Deposed that he spake this The Temple of God or this Temple made with Hands both which were false for he said Destroy this Temple pointing at not the Temple of Solomon Repaired by Herod but the Temple of his own Body wherein the Godhead dwelt bodily Col. 2.9 And whereof both the Tabernacle and Temple wherein God dwelt were but Types and Figures The third Lye in the words I will Build another made without Hands this Christ said not but I will Raise it up to wit from the Dead Thus ill minded Men do Mutando vel Mutilando by chopping or changing frequently deprave and wrest to a wrong meaning the most Innocent passages and practices of those that are good for though Christ spake some such words yet were they as we see of a quite differing Tenure and Meaning N. B. Note well such false Witnesses against Christ are the Romanists who Interpret his words This is my Body literally as if the Sacramental Bread became by their Consecrating or rather conjuring words the Real Body of Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary whereas our Lord meaneth it Spiritually as a sign of his Body c Thus also the Arrians are false witnesses against Christ in their wresting his words My Father is greater than I to a wrong sense of Inequality c. Whereas he spake there in Respect of his Humane Nature Alas there be many more false witnesses in the World that do Violence to the Law Zeph. 3.4 Straining Gods word to their own Sense and squeezing out blood and is not Milk c. who all dread not at all that Divine Threatning The false Witness shall not pass unpunished Prov. 19.9 And tho' those here carryed the matter most craftily yet Gods Spirit Saw their Subornations and set this black Brand upon them of being false witnesses like the other Yea they stand Stigmatized upon Record to their Everlasting shame for their want of Concord as well as Truth Mar. 14.57 59. besides how improbable it was that Christ speaking of his living and breathing Temple not of that made of Stone should say I will Destroy it as if it had been lawful for him to lay violent hands upon himself nor could his Speech of Raising up his own Body noteing his Resurrection be properly construed of Rearing or Building again the Temple of Stone But suppose this sense in his saying this could not amount to any Capital Crime worthy of Death but only a Vain Empty and harmless Ostentation at the worst for what harm had he done to their Temple had he pulled it down and built it up again far better than before in three days time c. Moreover what if Christ had said as and all that they say he did Could not he as easily have Reared the Temple as Raised the Dead Restored the Blind Lame Deaf and Dumb c. which their own Eyes had beheld him do only with his word how then could they Rationally accuse him of Lyes and Impossibilities seeing he might do this as well as the other by a Miracle this was a less work than his making the World John 1.3 Col. 1.10 Heb. 1.2 3. But the truth is he never said so his sense and saying to them was do your worst against me destroy my Body yet will I Raise it up the third Day which words those false witnessesmis-report and basely Represent as above c. The Third point of Christs Inditement in the Spiritual Court is their adjureing him to tell them who he was Hitherto the false witnesses now comes in Caiphas the Judge of the Court to play his part against Christ He seeing our Saviour silent at those rotten Reproaches upon him by the Suborn'd Witnesses all unworthy of any Answer this Inraged the High Priest and his Rage Rouzeth him up out of his Throne Transporteth him to put off the person of a Judge and standeth out as a new Accuser Now Demonstrating the Madness of his Mind because no fault could yet be found in or fixed on the Prisoner at the Bar by the Mad Motion of his Body He falls foul upon Christ for his silence as if it gave consent to all alledged against him as if the Allegations were unanswerable and that the Conscience of Christ the Accused was so convinced by the undeniable Testimonies of those Witnesses the Accusers that he had nothing to say for himself Matth. 26.62 Thus this Diabolical Hypocrite Insults over this Innocent Lamb of God not at all urging him to Answer for Asserting his Innocency but this he doth that Christ might be seen to betray his own Crime by his silence c. Notwithstanding all Cajaphas's Aggravations of Christ's Inditement and his Vehement urgency for an Answer still he held his peace ver 63. Both to the Witnesses false Testimony and to Caiphas's Furious Importunity As to the 1. Christ could have Answered this Speech was Metaphorical meaning not the Temple of Herod but of his own Body c. but Tenue Mendacium pellucet saith Seneca some lyes are so thin they may be seen through others are so gross they need no Refutation which is done by their bare Relation and to Palpable Slanders which plainly appears to have no consistency in themselves silence is the most effectual Confutation As to the 2. Christ is silent to Caiphas as well as to the Witnesses 1. Because he knew his Argument was not before a Just Judge but before an Implacable Hypocrite who had Suborned Witnesses against him and who would admit of not Apology or Answer from
the Belly of the Earth his Grave and with Jonah was cast upon dry ground Mat. 12.40 and Preached after c. These are the five figures or types of our Lord's Resurrection even in the Old Testament times long before his Incarnation This great truth of Christ's Resurrection is secondly confirmed as by those aforesaid Figures so by Testimonies of two sorts 1. The foregoing and 2. The following Testomines 1st The foregoing such as were long before Christ came into the World as well as the Figures afore-related and these were the Prophecies of our Lord's Resurrection such as 1. That of Moses Gen. 3.15 The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's Head to wit in conquering Sin Death Hell and the Devil which Christ could not have conquered unless he rose from the Dead 2. That of David Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Sheol or Grave nor suffer thine Holy one to see Corruption This David could not Prophecy concerning himself because as the Apostle strenuously argueth Acts 13.35 36 37. David saw Corruption but Christ the Son of David did not so and therefore it was an Error in those Good Women who would have embalmed his Body to preserve it from Corruption The like arguing is found in Acts 2.29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36. All grounded on this Prophecy of David 3. That of Isaiah Isa 53.12 He shall divide the spoil with the Strong which the Father promises to the Son as a reward of his Sufferings The Adjective Strong must be supplied with its Substantive thus strong Sin strong Death strong Grave and strong Devil He shall spoil all principalities and powers Col. 2.15 and take the spoil of all these as a Victorious Conquerour doth of his Conquered Enemies which he could not have done had he not risen again this was the promised Wages for his performed Work in the Great Service of the World's Redemption He shall spoil all those spoilers and take their Booties and Treasures from them Luke 11.21 22. yea and leave them empty of Prey 4. That of Hosea Oh Death I will be thy Plagues Oh Grave I will be thy Destruction c. Hos 13.14 which the Apostle Interprets that the Death of Christ was the Death of Death swallowing it up in Victory and giving the Conquest over both Death and the Grave unto us by his Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.54 56. Thus the Enigmatical Emblem of the Phenix in the Fable Dum parit perit Dum perit parit while she brings forth her Young she dies her self and when she dies her self she brings forth her Young Thus did our dear Redeemer by his own Death he brought Life to his Church and Children and by his own Burial he so swallowed up those two swallowers up of him Death and the Grave that neither of them should swallow us up forever because he is Risen When the Head riseth it raiseth up gradually all its Members There be more Prophecies in the other Prophets as Dan. 9.24 c. might be added here were it not too voluminous c. The Second sort of Testimonies were the following Signs as the above-mentioned were the fore-going Prophecies those signs following Christ's Resurrection were 1st The Earth quake whereby the Earth declared a stronger power had Conquered it and therefore she must yield and vomit up Christ's Body out of her Belly as being too hot a Mouthful and too heavy a Belly-full for her to hold any longer Acts 2.24 John 16.21 and Acts 26.23 The 2d Sign was The great Stone rolled away by the Hand of a Mighty Angel who when he had so done sat down upon it as a Conquerour in despite of all the Chief-Priests Guards who ran away as Cowards at his Appearance yet stood he as a Porter before the Door of Christ's Sepulchre to let in the Good Women whose coming he waited for while he sat upon the Stone Thus though our Lord's Death while he suffered the punishment due to us for our sins was in its own nature notoriously shameful yet his Resurrection for our Justification was wonderfully glorious being thus attended by this glorious Angel 3dly The empty Sepulchre Thus the Angel said to the Women He is not here he is Risen come see the place where he lay Mat. 28.6 c. Christ's Body after his Resurrection retained the natural properties of a Body to be circum-scribed in one place at one time the Scripture knoweth no Ubiquity of his Body as the Doctrine of Transubstantiation deviseth If his Body be Risen out of the Grave then 't is not here in the Grave saith the Angel if ye will not believe him nor me believe your own Eyes come see an empty Sepulchre 't is a sufficient Argument to prove that Christ's Body is not present in such or such a place when our senses do not perceive it to be present for thus the Angel argueth otherwise than the Romanists for their Real Presence proving that Christ was not in the Sepulchre because he was Risen out of it and they saw he was not there John believed Christ was not in the Tomb because he saw it empty John 20.8 4thly The Grave-cloaths were left behind and in order John 20.5 6 7. This the Evangelist mentions as a clear evidence of Christ's Resurrection and this alone beside other Arguments were enough to detect that Damnable lye which the Priests taught the Souldiers to tell Say ye his Disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept Mat. 28.13 14 15. how could a louder lye be well told even by the Father of Lies for these following reasons 1st If it were so the Governour might justly say you kept a good Watch the while you shall all be slain because you were all asleep 2dly If you all slept who told you his Disciples stole him away 3dly But suppose the whole Guard of Souldiers were all sleeping at once which is Improbable enough could they all be so fast asleep as none of them to be awaked either by the great Stones rolling away or at least by the horrible Earth-quake 4thly Was it probable that Christ's few and fearful Disciples should now become so fool-hardy as to undertake this exploit in despite of the Guard of so many stout Roman Souldiers but suppose all these Souldiers were fast asleep 5thly It must be concluded that as this was more than those timorous Disciples when they came out of their lurking Holes together could expect so they must make but little noise in accomplishing this great work that none of the Guard could hear their Actings to Accomplish the stealth But 6thly It had been more convenient for those Disciples to have taken away the Body as they found it wrapped up in the Grave-cloaths for they could not but be too fearful of the Souldiers though all asleep as to take up so much time in stripping off the Winding Sheet and untying the Napkin that was about his Head yea and in laying and leaving them all in good
thou hast not suffâ—â—d me to go on iâ— the broad way to Hâ—ll to perish in my Ignorance as I might have done but seâ—ing them hast gâ—â—nâ—â—d me 〈…〉 for my 〈◊〉 Faith in thy Promises and powebâ—â—â— all before theâ— in Newâ—â—â—â— of Life therefore shall thou be my Lord my God 〈…〉 1. Thus God suffereth some slips in his Saints as in Thomas here thaâ— in their Recovery themselves 〈…〉 might be more confirmed Thomas his doâ—bting more advanceth and advantaâ—eth our Faith than either Mary Magdaâ—â—â— or the other Disciplâ— sooner believing did for while Thomas handled the wounds of Christ's flash he healed the wounds of Unbelief in us for his doubting put this great Truth oâ—â— of doubt to us God would not permit evil to be unless he could extract good out of it Note 2. How soon â—an Christ change the most pertinacious Unbelief into the most precious and saving Faith as here Thomas only felt the Manhood yet believes the Godhead of Christ's now his Faith was the evidence of things not sean Heb. 11. â—â— Now his Faith exeâ—â—'d his Sense on which before he had so much depended Note 3. Christ owns his Sense for Faith verse â—0 his seeing for some say he durst not touch his Lord was his believing Now 't is enough for Faith to see Christ in the flesh by the Apostle's Eyes as Israel did Canâ—an by the Eyes of the Spiâ—â— verse 29 30 31 CHAP. XL. Of Christ's Seventh Appearance THE Seventh Appearance of Christ after his Resurrection was to the Seven Apostles when they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberius which John only relateth chap. 21. verse 1. per totum where the Lord did more fully and in a peculiar manner restore Peter from his Fall in his Threefold Denial by a Threefold Confession of him c. This Sea of Tiberius is call'd the Sea of Galian also John 6.1 because Galilee is the Province adjacent to that Sea which is six Miles broad and sixteen Miles long The Apostles were now drawn out of Jerusalem and were drawing into Galilee according to the command of Christ Matth. 26.32 and the Admoâ—â—â—ion of the Angel Matth. 28.7 The Remarks of this Seventh Appearance are accordingly concerning the Time Place Persons Occasion and Manner of Christ's Manifestation c. to evidence that he was Risen indeed 1st The Time when 't was after that Appearance to the Eleven Disciples whereby Thomas was convinced of that great Truth and confirmed in the Faith of the Messiah which John relates in chap. 20.26 to the end And after these things saith the same Evangelist John 21.1 Christ appears again and confirms Peter more fully in this as he had done Thomas in that foregoing Appearance upon what day of the week this Appearance was is not expresly mentioned as before but some suppose it was upon the third first day for these Reasons 1. John calls this the Third time chap. 21. verse 14. which Grotius refers to the number of days for Christ's first five Appearantes were on the the first first day the very day of his Resurrection five several times to several persons then his Second Appearance was on that day seven night the very next first day to the Eleven c. Now follows this Appearance as to the day which John calls the Third Time as it relateth to the third first day or the Now Christian Sabbath and thus John's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or again verse 1. is explained by his verse 14. as Marks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or last Mark 16. v. 14. is explained both before and after The 2d Reason is Christ did not now as he had done before his Death so frequently and familiarly converse with his Disciples for it was incongruous that a person now Immortal should be always conversant with Mortal Men but only by Intervals though often to â—â—â—â—tifie the Reality of his Resursurrection and the Interval was betwixt one first day and another upon which days only he manifested himself for the better founding of the new Gospel-Sabbath The 3d. Reason is Though this Immortal Body did in State abscond it self for forty days yet it is probable that he shewed himself every first day while he abode upon Earth Note If we grant this Appearance to be upon a week day then may it give incouragement to God's People in their upholding Holy Meeting occasionally upon weeks-days also seeing Christ may and undoubtedly doth manifest himself upon week days as well as upon Sabbath-day Meetings When and wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them Matth. 18.20 especially if they love him he will manifest himself to them John 14.21 But upon whatever day this manifestation was made 't is expresly mentioned that it was in the Morning of that day John 〈◊〉 'T is probable our Lord waited until those seven Disciples would leave work being wearied with their succesless toiling all the night and hopeless of speeding better upon the day when noise round about doth affright away the Fisher from the Net However they learnt this Lesson which David taught That mourning lasts but till morning Psal 30.5 For though they were sad enough at their lost labour all night the Lâ—â—d all the while looking on and letting them labour in vain yet they sped better next morning through their Lord's presence and blessing Flebile principium melior forâ—una sequetur A good ending may follow a bad beginning The 2d Remark is the Place where it was This is apparent to be in Galilee whither the Apostles were now resorting as before to enjoy more of their Master's Appearance For though they had been priviledged with his presence once and again in Jerusalem which the Evangelist relateth in John 20.19 26. they still long for more and can be content to travel from the City so far as Galilee for such a beatifical Vision and how they began to be blest therewith the same John gives an account in chap. at While some have not warily enough observed the difference betwixt those Signs Christ shewed in Jerusalem to confirm the Faith of his Disciples and those he after shewed them in Galilee they have been of this Opinion that John 21. was not writ by John but added by another as the last Chapter of Deuteronomy was to the five Books of Moses because John seems to conclude his History in the end of his 20th Chapter Note Enquiry But why now will Christ again appear to them in Galilee seeing he had appeared twice already to confirm them in Jerusalem Answ Reason the first Because he had promised to go before them into Galilee by the Angel's mouth Mark 16.7 which going was Secondly An act of local motion intimating that all natural motions of a Body Christ retained still and doth retain them even in Glory as sitting standing going c. The Angel said to Mary Magdalen Lo he is not here c. Mark 16.6 and verse 7. He goes before you into
Babble and Talk Idlely and Ignorantly But Peter stands up ver 14. who was now become Stoutest after his former stumbling and thereby gaining ground as stumblers usually do ran the faster And stands so strong as a Stone according to his Name Cephas He buckles close to these Cavillers and both mildly and solidly confutes their Calumny not suffering them to carry it away so with their Contumelious Cavilling ver 15 c. Peter's Sermon or Apologetical Oration is a clear Confutation of their cursed Cavil Though the time of the Vintage was not yet come it being so early in the Summer which made the slander more irrational yet takes he another method to convince them of their Folly 1. Arguing Negatively not from the time of the year but from the time of the day Saying it is now but nine a Clock before the Morning Sacrifice and Service before which ye all know none of us use either to eat or drink but do fit our selves for it by fasting till that be done we serve God first and then our selves c. Therefore we cannot be Inebriated as ye have slandered us This Argument was more than probable in those soberer times and very Cogent and Conclusive how little soever to our shame such an Argument would be of proof now when men's Brains are Crowing before day c. 2. He argues Positively That these Men it seems others spoke in all Languages as well as he are filled with the Spirit not with Wine urging this argument by Informing them both of the Divine promise in Joel's Prophecy wherein is related the Time the Manner and the Effects both proper to some and common to all Respecting both persons and Things c. And also of the Divine Performance now in these last days of the Messiah Exhibited the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New and God keeping his best till last which the Devil doth not but quite contrary Then he demonstrates that this powring forth of the Spirit which formerly had been given out by drops only here a little and there a little could come from no Fountain but from Christ naming him a Man c. That is from Adam but not by Adam then proving strenuously that all this which they wondred at c. was the glorious effects of Christ's Death Resurrection and Ascension This Nail he drives to the head by a large discourse from verse 22. to 36. Then follow the Fruits and wonderful Effects upon the hearts of the hearers of Peter's powerful Sermon from ver 37. to 47. The Effects are 1. Special And 2. General The 1. Special fruits concern either this new Churche's Friends or its Enemies The good Auditors that were convinced by Peter's Sermon are commended upon Record both for their Repentance ver 37.38 and for their Perseverance ver 42. Their Conviction having now nothing to say for themselves but the sense of their shameful sin stopped their Mouths proceeded to compunction they were pricked in the heart not only that nail which Peter that wise Master of the Assembly Eccles 12.11 drove to the head did punctually prick and pierce their hearts as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies but also they felt the very nails wherewith they had Crucified Christ now sticking fast in their own guilty Consciences as so manny sharp Daggers or stings of Scorpions The pain of the Mind and sufferings of the Soul are far more Acute and Dolorous than those of the Body Pro. 18.14 So great was the grief of these same convicted Persons that they were as deeply concerned as if they had been run thorow with a Sword which indeed the Sword of the Spirit the word of God had done to them Eph. 6.17 This was foretold to fall out now Zech. 12.10 Sight and Sense of sin must precede Sorrow for sin The Eye shall affect the Heart Note The Eye is the Instrument both of Sight and of Sorrow and what the Eye never sees the Heart never rues The Prodigal came to himself before he Repented of his sin and of the loosness of his life Luke 15.17 c. Men must bethink themselves or bring back to their minds 1 Kings 8.47 Ere they will say we have sinned and wrought wickedness Jer. 8.6 Psal 38.18 There must be Conviction upon the eye of our understandings before there can be Compunction in our Hearts and Consciences As Conviction is not Compunction but comes short of it so Compunction is not Conversion but comes short of it also For those Auditors ask what shall we do and the Apostle answers Repent Though they were pricked at the heart and let blood in the heart-vein to let out the life of their sin yet it seems they had not still Repented Nay Peter prescribes this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Repent ye to wit by a through-Conversion as the Remedy against their present malady of Compunction for Repentance includes Reformation and Amendment of life Matthew 3.7 and Luke 3.8 Note Therefore 't is no better than over-forward folly to Administer Comfort to those under conviction and compunction till they have sorrow'd after a godly sort and to a Transmentation as the word signifies amounting to an heart-changing and a life-changing work Judas himself had Contrition Confession and Restitution most men go not so far who yet profess large hopes of Heaven yet wanted he still the other three parts Transmentation Conversion and Obedience of Faith which should have compleated his Repentance unto Life but he died in the Birth Hosea 13.13 As the unwise Son Ephraim did there c. When those Auditors had through grace come up to a thorough change both of Minds and of Manners not only disliking their former deeds with prophane Esau and despairing Judas c. and God had given them Repentance unto life both a Repentance for sin and a Repentance from sin this is the Repentance never to be Repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 Then followed the Blessed Fruit of Perseverance expressed in verse 42. They continued in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship with all stedfastness c. Note Peter had powerfully pressed upon them to be praying Persons ver 21. telling them that if they call'd upon the Name of the Lord they should be saved which words import both that to be able to pray is better than to be able to prophecy for such may be unknown to Christ Matth. 7.22 and also that to pray in Faith is the best and most blessed means not only for escaping the just Judgments of God at the great and terrible day of Judgment but likewise to prepare a people for the Lord both in the Kingdom of Grace and of Glory Peter had likewise thundred out that Divine threatning that all Christ's Foes should be made his Footstool verse 35. aut paenitendum aut pereundum They must either repent or perish such as will not bend shall be made to break such as will not submit to his Golden Scepter shall surely be crushed to pieces by his Iron Mace Christ
among common Malefactors and though they were fetched out from Prison by an holy Angel yet were they after beaten by these wicked men v. 40. Note Oh the Tenderness of God to his tender Servants while these Apostles were but tender Striplings and not yet grown up to maturity God stays the Rough Wind in the day of the East-Wind and lets it out of his fist as Prov. 30.4 not whole bushels of Affliction at once but only by peck and by peck as the Hebrew word signifies Isa 27.8 as his people are made able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 They were but tender Plants at their being first filled with the Spirit Acts 2.4 so must not at the first be blown upon with the boisterous blasting and blustering Euroclydon Acts 27.14 or East-Wind of Persecution lest those Trees of Righteousness of God's planting and watering Isa 61.3 should be too much shaken or blowed down quite by the Roots But now after they were filled the second time with the Spirit Acts 4.31 and so better fitted for suffering work by the Spirit of Glory that rested on them 1 Pet. 4.14 they must now grapple with greater Sufferings at this time N.B. There is most comfortable Gospel in that Levitical Law What Vessel is not able to bear the purifying by Fire it shall suffice to rinse them by Water Numb 31.23 In God's great House there be various Vessels some of Wood as well as others of Gold c. 2 Tim. 2.20 21. The Psalmist speaks of both a passing through the Fire and also a passing through the Water Psal 66.10 12. So compassionate and tender-hearted is our heavenly Father toward us that rather than our spirit should fail in the day of our Affliction because our strength is small Prov. 24. v. 10. he will not over-afflict us with Fiery Trials it shall suffice to purifie us with brackish Waters c. He will suit the stroke to the strength he will proportion the burden to the back of the bearer Thus dealt God with David's Son gently chastizing him with the Rod of weak Men 2 Sam. 7.14 15. as tender Parents chasten their stubborn Children to break their stomachs but not their bones God will not scourge us with Scorpions nor crush us with the weight of his own mighty hand upon us The third Remark is that no Humane Misery can befal the Church and Children of God but there is a suitable Salvo of Divine Mercy They can meet with no kind of Malady upon Earth but what may have a more powerful and preponderating Remedy from Heaven Note God sometimes shifts hands and changes means and methods of his Church's Deliverance as here The first was by an Angel the second by Men he works both ways by Peter's Apology or by Gamaliel's Counsel he will be exalted in his own strength when not in the strength of the creature Psal 21.13 not by might but spirit Zech. 4.6 Here the foul Fiend of Hell the Devil by his Imps prevails so far as to cast the Apostles into Prison there he lodges and confines them But is the matter carried so No God sends an Angel who over-powers and out-pulls the Devil makes a forcible Entry with a Rescue and pulls the Prisoners out of Prison c. God could have delivered them by other means but he useth here the Ministry of Angels for the better confirmation of their new exercised Faith letting them see by experience that he had given his Angels charge over them Psal 91.11 And the same and no less is the priviledge of all that fear God The Angels incamp round about them Psal 34.7 They are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister to all Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 Suppose Satan as our Saviour saith Rev. 2.10 should cast some of us into Prison still God's hand is not shortned 't is God's Ordinance doubtless and the good we must now look for from Angels is as they are in the hands of a Mediator Gal. 3.19 They are all under Christ's Power Matth. 11.27 and 28.18 They ministred to him Matth. 4.11 and Rolled away the Stone from the mouth of his Sepulchre Mat. 28.2 They healed Bodies John 5.4 opened Prisons as here and Acts 12.7 N.B. And undoubtedly they do many signal and singular services for God's Servants still though their visible Apparitions be ceased yet their invisible Operations for Heirs of Salvation shall never cease Some have thought they have felft the touch of an Angel when they have been entring upon some evil Act and thereby have been reclaimed 'T was doubtless an Angel that spoke to Mr. Laremouth a Scotch Minister and Chaplain to the Lady Ann of Cleve and being praying in Prison in the Marian days saying once twice thrice Arise and go thy ways whereupon he arising from his knees and ending his prayer immediately a piece of the Prison-wall fell down whereby he not only was delivered from being crushed to pieces but also escaped beyond Sea c. N.B. God will now have us to live by Faith and not to walk by Sense and therefore we must not see those Ministring Angels yet ought we so to believe as to improve this Ordinance of God N. B. It may be God will make use of Angels to throw down Babylon with Violence and with a Vengeance Rev. 18.21 When Rome that Rueful Milstone which hath grounded to Powder so many Myriads of Saints shall be irreparably Ruined yea rather than the Everlasting Gospel should not be Preached perpetually but fail by the forced silence of holy Men's Ministry God may make an Angel Preach it c. Rev. 14.6 No doubt but Angels do now act for the Church and Children of God though invisibly their hands are under their wings Ezek. 1.8 They are not seen now because Christ governs his Church in a spiritual way yet have we communion with them by Christ though in an invisible manner Hec. 12.22 They are our Nurses to keep us in our way wherein while we abide they protect us c. This they do for us from our Birth to our Death and then as Nurses they carry home the Nurse-child to the Father's house at his command Luke 16.22 Holy Angels fight for us though the Devil and his Angels fight against us Rev. 12.7 This is comfort The 4th Remark is God works such convincing and such confounding Deliverances for his Church and Children that their Adversaries are non-plus'd and horribly perplexed thereby Thus was it with these Adversaries 't is said They doubted about these wonderful things that were done whereunto this Deliverance would grow Acts 5.24 The word translated They doubted is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be thrust into inextricable straits to be profoundly perplexed so 't is read of Herod Luke 9 7. They as he did stood here amuzed and amazed they as it were stuck fast in the Mud and could find no way out and knew not which way to turn themselves They were in such doubt and fear as put them to a loss what
heard they it so confusedly and only the Noise of that Voice that they thought it had been only the Noise or Voice of Thunder John 12.29 Thus the Thunders are said to utter their Voices Rev. 10.3 These men heard the Thunder as well as saw the Lightning and the Noise that the Voice made but not the Voice distinctly that came forth from the Thunder nor did they see any man not that God-man though in his glorified Bedy who spake to Saul notwithstanding they used their utmost endeavours as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie to behold this Speaker Thus God made a difference here as he had done Dan. 10.7 The Prophet only saw the Vision yet those with him were frighted with the glory of it So only Saul was converted here by hearing the Voice of Christ we read not any thing to the contrary but that all his Companions remained unconverted N.B. Thus hearers of the Word of Christ do hear it after a differing manner The Word Preached hath three degrees of operation upon the hearts of hearers 1. It falls upon Men's Ears as the sound of many Waters a confused sound which commonly bringeth neither Fear nor Joy but yet an admiration and acknowledgment of a strange affecting force and more than an Humane power Mark 1.22 29. Acts 13.41 2. It may operate as the Voice of Thunder which brings not only Wonder but Terrour These two may be in a Reprobate as in Felix Acts 24.25 and others But the 3d. Effect peculiar to the Elect is the sound of harping when the Word not only ravishes the heart with Admiration and strikes the Conscience with Terrour but also filleth the Soul with sweet Peace and Joy Such surely as are made Real Converts by the Word Preached and have true Faith wrought in them by hearing Rom. 10.17 do hear distinctly the Voice of Christ speaking to their hearts with a strong hand as he did to the Prophet Isa 8.11 They and they only hear it inwardly spiritually effectually Whereas others that sit under the Droppings of the Sanctuary and within the hearing of the Silver Trumpets of a Gospel-Ministry yet remain in their Unbelief and in an Unconverted estate do but hear some confused sound a naked Noise not the very Voice of Christ as these here And though these Associates of Saul heard no more than a Noise whereof they understood not the meaning yet were they in some respects the more undeniable Witnesses of a great part of this Miracle The fifth Circumstance is the Concomitants of compleating his Conversion or the next Adjuncts thereof As 1. His change of Posture He arose from the Earth verse 8. No doubt but the hand of Christ touched him as it had done Daniel Dan. 8.18 Yea three times Dan. 10.10 16 18. with an effectual touch which raised him though gradually from the ground and sure I am God had touched his heart with a better and a more saving touch than were the heart of his Name-sake Saul's Friends and Followers 1 Sam. 10.26 For this Saul rises up a Saint who when knock'd down was a Devil Here 's free Grace and Mercy that the Earth did not open her mouth when he lay all along upon her as a burden too heavy for her to bear and swallow him up alive as it did the Accomplices of Korah's Conspiracy and that he is got set upon his feet again as Ezek. 2.1 2. 2. His blindness of Eye-sight though he had not lost his Eyes but still had them to open yet as 't is expresly said when he rose up and opened his Eyes as at other times to look about him he could see nothing nor no Man The glorious Vision of a glorified Christ had so dazled him that he could see nothing Vehemens sensibile destruit sensum saith the Philosopher the transcendent excellency of that eminent Object had certainly confounded his natural faculty and sense of seeing yea and covered his visive spirits with crusty Scales in a miraculous manner which required as miraculous a Cure verse 17 18. N.B. As Saul was so all men are no better than Blind before they be Regenerate He had the shape of a Man yea of one learned in the Law yet is he blind and sees or knows nothing as he ought to know as this same Man himself saith 1 Cor. 8.2 But blessed be the Lord this bodily blindness was a blessed means to open the Eyes of his Mind as Gehazi's Leprosie of body cured his Soul Now this Saul had seen so much of Heaven he could see nothing no Man upon Earth or he now sees nothing that is done on Earth that he might the better attend to what was spoke to him from Heaven Or probably the Light was so much within him that all in comparison thereto was but dark without him The Sun of Righteousness did not only out-shine but also overshadowed the Firmament Sun 3. His Manuduction or leading by the hand to the City when he had lost the use of his own Eyes Christ had commanded him to Arise and go to Damascus c. but tho' he had Legs wherewith to raise up himself and to walk upon yet wanted he Light and Sight to walk with How can a blind Man find the right way to the City c He had now both Christ's Leave and Law for going thither upon a better Errand than he first intended but still he wanted Light therefore must have a Leader to perform both his Sufferance and his Obedience that Man is reputed no better than a Fool who knows not the way into the City Eccles 10.15 And such a blind Fool was this Saul now N.B. Would to God all Persecutors were so served and be smitten with blindness as the Sodomites were who therefore could not find Lot's door to persecute him Gen. 19.11 He that sends a Message by the hands of a Fool cuts off his feet and drinketh damage Prov. 26.6 Tho' Saul found his feet uncut off yet had he lost the blessing of Light and the benefit of his Eye-sight therefore though his Lord who sent him to the City could not drink any damage as being now above all detriment in his glorified State yet might Saul have done so for being blind he might have wandered in a wrong way or might have stumbled he not knowing upon what John 11.9 10. as well as whither he went John 12.35 and got a second fall to the former fatal one therefore must he have one to lead him as is usual for blind men to have but who must be his Leaders none but Dogs were nigh him now such as had not only barked at but would have also bitten the Lambs of Christ had not that great Lord now chain'd them up and restrain'd them as Psal 76.10 Rev. 20.21 N.B. He had now no hands nigh to lead him to Damasous but those very hands that should have help'd him to hale the Saints from thence to Jerusalem Here you might see what sometimes you have seen
to him by the Holy Ghost Acts 20.23 and by Men inspired with the Spirit Acts 21.4 and here again by the Prophet Agabus ver 10 and 11. who took Paul 's Girdle wherewith he bound him both hands and teet c. By which outward sign and symbol parallel to that of Jer. 27.2 and ordinary exemplifications of the prophets as Isa 20.2 Jer. 13.1 Ezek. 12.5 which custom the false Prophets also took up 1 Kings 22.11 and Jer. 28.10 11. he fore-shewed what should befal Paul as it were fulfilled verse 33. N.B. This Agabus did not so much for Paul's sake who knew it before but for others sake Accordingly it is foretold to us what we must expect in the way to Heaven which is not a Milky but a Bloody way Acts 14.22 and 2 Tim. 3.12 The seventh Remark is The constancy of holy sufferers in undergoing those Sufferings God calls them unto is a great confirmation to other believers N.B. Thus it was here when those believers at Cesarea heard what was foretold would befall Paul at Jerusalem they out of tender Compassion toward him and out a deep sense what a grievous loss it would be to lose so great a Light do importune him with tears to forbear his Journey to Jerusalem verse 12. tho' their tears did melt Paul into tears also insomuch that there began a strange strife as betwixt David and Jonathan 1 Sam. 20.40 c. whither should out weep each other he grieving to see them so grieved Yet holds he his right Roman yea true Christian Resolution of being obedient to the Conduct of the Holy Spirit tide good or tide Evil to him verse 13. 'T was a brave Speech of great Pompey necesse est ut eam nou ut Vivam 'T is necessary I should go not that I should live but Braver in this undaunted Champion who said Acts 20.24 He counted not his Life dear to him N.B. And here What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus verse 13. Thus he who seemed to be altogether insensible of his own griefs which waited for him every where as he knew and said Acts 20.23 was out of an Holy Sympathy exceedingly grieved at this grief of his Friends and thereby bore a double burden both his own and theirs that thus Recoiled upon him Thus as Christ's Love to him was stronger than Death Cant. 8.6 So aqué non aequaliter as well tho' not as much was his love strong to Christ back again and there ought to be the like Reciprocation of love in us to Christ also or it is not of the Same nature with his not begoten by it N B. When those Believers saw such a most Masculine disingaged and most couragious Zeal and resolvedness in him this confirmed their faith and they commit the event to God verse 14. Crying The will of the Lord be done according to the third Petition in the Lord's Prayer at Christ's command Mat. 6.10 and Luke 11.2 and according to Christ's own Example in his own case Matth. 26.42 and Luke 22.42 N.B. Here we ought in all our Perturbations of mind by crosses losses c. to Centre our souls when God's will is done our will must be done also We must say Amen to God's Amen and put our fiat and our places to God's we must have the same mind and Spirit that was in Christ Phil. 2.5 making our lives as so many Sermons upon the life of Christ in resigning our wills to God 1 Pet. 2.9 otherwise we are none of his Rom. 8.9 The eighth Remark is True faith is not daunted at the sight of the Cross but couragiously goeth forward and resolutely follows the call of God as here v. 15. N.B. Paul and his companions who had so passionately and so compassionately diswaded him from his designed Journey make up their packs put on bag and baggage trudge away with their truss'd up fardles as all ready prest and prepared to face any danger in Jerusalem unto which place they resolved to travel and cast themselves upon the Lord whom they knew was able to preserve them This did Paul tho' he was foretold of his sufferings and did certainly fore know even of such and so many-reckon'd up by himself 2 Cor. 11. N.B. As scarce ever were heaped upon any one man's back excepting Christ yet go he will and preach the Gospel he will even in Jerusalem it self amongst those murderers of Christ whom he loved much because Christ had forgiven him much Luke 7.47 and he thought that he could never do nor suffer enough for Christ who had done and suffered much more for him Who now called him hereunto N.B. With the like Spirit said Famous Luther I will surely go to the City Wormes seeing I am sent for thither by the Emperor tho' I knew there were so many Devils to resist me as there are Tiles to cover the Citizens houses c. This he said to Spalatinus who asked him if he would adventure Yea and those friends of Paul were so warmed with his lively coal that they give over to diswade him and resolve to take their own share with him in the danger The ninth Remark is When the Lord calleth any of his Servants to suffering-work he leaves them not altogether destitute even of some Creature-comforts in their way thither Thus was it here with Paul when posting in all hast to meet with his Cross N.B. there went with him certain of the Disciples of Cesarea besides his own other companions who brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus an old Disciple with whom we should Lodge ver 16. This Mnason our translation intimateth was in that company which Journyed with Paul now to Jerusalem but some rather suppose that those Disciples of Cesarea conducted Paul and his company to Mnason's house in Jerusalem for tho' he was of Cyprus and supposed to be converted when Paul and Barnabas were there Acts 13. verse 4. yet had he now an house in this great City who was willing to entertain Paul and to be as another Gaius the host of the Church Rom. 16.23 N.B. Take it in the former sense and it was no small incouragement to Paul to have his Host along with him in company from Cesarea to Jerusalem or in the latter sense for considering the vast confluence of Country-men coming up from all parts of the Country to this Annual Solemnity of Pentecost at Jerusalem it cannot be imagin'd but Lodgings in the City must needs be mighty Scarce and it was therefore no small kindness in Mnason to provide convenient Lodgings for Paul and his company N.B. So that in both senses Paul wanted not his due incouragment especially not to be turned out of Doors but to find Lodging with an old Disciple a Gray-headed experienced Christian a Father in Israel one beyond a babe or Child-hood yea beyond youth a Father 1 John 2.13 and such