ways of glorifying himself and is not tyed to this or that way by any necessity But the reason of the difference lyeth First In his own Will as the Apostle resolves it He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth But Secondly As in reference to the persons raised he raiseth what souls he raiseth by virtue of his Covenant of grace but he raiseth not all the bodies he raiseth by the same virtue It is said concerning Christ himself that God brought him from the dead by the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. XIII 20. So doth he by the blood and virtue of the same Covenant bring from the dead every soul that he brings from the dead but he doth not so every body that he brings from the dead Now the tenor of the Covenant is Hearken to my voice and live Es. LV. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live And to the very same tenor are those word of our Saviour mentioned before Joh. V. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear shall live What kind of language is this The Dead shall hear All the Dead shall hear and yet only they that hear shall live What needed more to have been said than that the Dead shall hear his voice and live But his meaning is all the dead Heathen shall have the Gospel and hear the word of it brought among them and they that hear it that is obey it and follow it shall live Let me repeat that which I alledged from Esay LV. 3. and add what follows there Hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Now that by sure mercies of David is meant the resurrection of Christ the Apostle teacheth us in Act. XIII 34. And as concerning that he raised him from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David The resurrection of Christ therefore are the sure mercies of Christ. For that by David is meant Christ it were easy to shew and it is so confessed by the Jews themselves in their expositions of that place It was the sure mercy that God gave to Christ himself of which he so rejoyceth Psal. XVI 9. My heart is glad my glory rejoyceth and my flesh also shall rest in hope Because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell c. And it is the sure mercy of Christ that God gave to the members of Christ that he raised him from the dead and imparts to them the benefit of his Resurrection And this is called there an Everlasting Covenant that he makes with them That as he gave Christ a resurrection so he will give them a resurrection The first and the latter rain the first and the latter resurrection First to raise their Souls by the virtue of his Covenant from the death of sin in his good time and to raise their bodies by virtue of the same Covenant at the last day Of which last our Saviour speaks three times over Joh. VI. ver 39. This is my Fathers will which hath sent me that of all that he hath given I should lose none but raise him up at the last day ver 40. And this is the Will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have eternal life and I will raise him up the last day And ver 44. None can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day Will Christ raise up all persons in the world at the last day upon these terms Ye see No but only those that comply with his Covenant to come to him see him believe in him His power and justice will raise all others the virtue of his Covenant will raise these Now I suppose you easily see how to distinguish twixt the Tenor of his Covenant and the Virtue of his Covenant The Tenor of his Covenant is Hear and obey my voice and live The Virtue of his Covenant is his unfailing truth power goodness that will give life to them that hear his voice and obey him Thus you see one reason of the difference why he raiseth but some souls here from the death of sin but will raise all bodies from the death of the grave Thirdly Another reason of difference may be given for that at the last day he will raise all the persons in the world from their graves that he may glorifie himself but he raiseth only some few from their sins that they may glorify him And there is a great deal of difference twixt Gods glorifying himself upon men as he did upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and bringing men heartily and laboriously to glorifie him and to live to his glory But Secondly a main difference in these two resurrections the soul from sin and the body from the grave is that the first resurrection is with the desire of him that is raised the latter will be in despite of thousands that will have no mind of it God will bring thee to jugement Eccles. XI 9. is a cutting saying but all the World shall never be able to take the edge of it off But let wicked men struggle and strive and tug never so hard against the resurrection God will bring them to it and no resisting But the first resurrection or the raising a soul from the death of sin how sweet how welcome how comfortable is it to every one to whom it comes Thy people will be willing in the day of thy power and help forward their own rising as much as they can and the Spirit and Bride say come and the soul and heart say Come Lord Jesus come quickly and let me see this resurrection And thus have we seen some circumstances in which the first and second resurrection differ and are at distance let us now consider wherein they agree and shake hands one with another Observe that the Scripture speaks in some places of the Resurrection as if it were to be no Resurrection but of just and holy ones only as you may take notice in 1 Cor. XV. and 1 Thes. IV. That there shall be a Resurrection of the unjust as well as of the just the Scripture assures us over and over again but it more especially calls that a Resurrection that is a Resurrection indeed and and not a raising to be cast down again Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more as the Apostle tells us Death hath no more dominion over him And the Scripture doth more especially call that a Resurrection that is written after his Copy for a man to rise from the dead to die no more That man is but little helped which we read of in the Prophet that in the way met a Lyon and flying
to the study of the Law The reason of the number of ten though lean and empty enough is given in the Talmud and it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f f f f f f Sanhedr cap. 4. hal 6. A Congregation consists of Ten which they prove hence because it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation c. Numb XIV 27. Take away Josua and Caleb and there remain only ten namely of the spies of the land II. Of these Ten Men 1. Three bare the Magistracy and were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bench of three Whose office it was to decide the differences arising between the members of the Synagogue and to take care about other matters of the Synagogue These judged concerning mony matters thefts losses restitutions of ravishing a Virgin of a man inticing a Virgin of the admission of Proselytes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laying on of hands and divers other things of which see the Tract g g g g g g Cap. 4. hal â— 2. Sanhedrin These were properly and with good reason called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers of the Synagogue because on them laid the chief care of things and the chief Power 2. Besides these there was the publick Minister of the Synagogue who prayed publickly and took care about the reading of the Law and sometimes preached if there were not some other to discharge this office This person was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Angel of the Church and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chazan or Bishop of the Congregation The Aruch gives the reason of the name The * * * * * * Chazan Chazan saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Angel of the Church or the publick Minister and the Targum renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that oversees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is incumbent on him to oversee how the Reader reads and whom he may call out to read in the Law The publick Minister of the Synagogue himself read not the Law publickly but every Sabbath he called out seven of the Synagogue on other days fewer whom he judged fit to read He stood by him that read with great care observing that he read nothing either falsely or improperly and calling him back and correcting him if he had failed in any thing And hence he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Overseer Certainly the signification of the word Bishop and Angel of the Church had been determined with less noyse if recourse had been made to the proper fountains and men had not vainly disputed about the signification of words taken I know not whence The service and worship of the Temple being abolished as being ceremonial God transplanted the worship and publick adoration of God used in the Synagogues which was moral into the Christian Church to wit the publick Ministry publick Prayers reading Gods Word and Preaching c. Hence the names of the Ministers of the Gospel were the very same The Angel of the Church and The Bishop which belonged to the Ministers in the Synagogues 3. There were also three Deacons or Almoners on whom was the care of the poor and these were called Parnasim or Pastors And these seven perhaps were reputed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seven good men of the City of whom there is frequent remembrance in the Talmudists Of these Parnasim we shall only produce these things There were two who demanded alms of the Towns men and they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h h h h h h Maimon in Sanhedr cap. 1. The two collectors of Alms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom was added a third to distribute it i i i i i i Hieros Peah fol. 21. 1. R. Chelbo in the name of R. Ba Bar Zabda saith They do not make fewer than three Parnasin For I see the judgments about many matters to be managed by three therefore much more these which concern life R. Josi in the name of R. Jochanan saith They do not make two brethren Parnasim R. Josi went to Chephar intending there to set Parnasim over them but they received him not He went away after he had said these words before them Ben Bebai was only set over the threeded linnen of the Lamps and yet he was reckoned worthy to be numbred with the eminent men of that age See Shekalim Chap. 5. Ye who are set over the lives of men how much more are ye so R. Chaggai when he appointed the Parnasin argued to them out of the Law all dominion that is given is given from the Law By me Kings reign R. Chaiia bar Ba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers over them that is he appointed Parnasin R. Lazar was a Parnas This perhaps holds out a light to those words of the Aposte 1 Tim. III. 13. They that have performed the office of a Deacon well have obtained to themselves a good degree that is being faithful in their care and provision for the poor as to their corporal life they may well be Probationers for the care of Souls For when those Parnasin as also all the Ten were learned and studious they might with good reason be preferred from the care of Bodies to that of Souls The Apostles Deacons are to be reckoned also of the same Learned and Studious rank And now let us turn our Eyes a little from the Synagogues to Christian Churches in the history of the New Testament When the Romans permitted the Jewish Synagogues to use their own laws and proper government why I pray should there not be the same toleration allowed to the Apostolical Churches The Roman censure had as yet made no difference between the Judaizing Synagogues of the Jews and the Christian Synagogues or Churches of Jews nor did it permit them to live afâ—er their own Laws and forbid these I am not therefore afâ—raid to assert that the Churches of that first age were wanting to themselves if they took not up the same liberty of government as the Romans allowed the Jewish Synagogues to use And I do not think that was said by the Apostle 1 Cor. VI. 2 3 c. without this foundation Therefore this power of their own government being allowed them if so be they were minded to enjoy what they might how easily may those words of the Apostle be understood which have so wracked Learned Men shall I say or which have been so wracked by them 1 Tim. V. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let the Elders that rule well c. 4. We may reckon the eighth man of these Ten to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Interpreter in the Synagogue who being skilled in the Tongues and standing by him that read in the Law rendred in the Mother Tongue verse by verse those things that were read
Targumized He calls to the Architect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying ramm him in under the foundation R. Jose saith they whelmed him under an heap of Clay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is there any Clay in the Mountain of the Temple Gloss. There was Mortar which they used in building It may be noted by the by that they were building in the Temple in the days of the first Gamaliel who sate President in the Sanhedrin about the latter days of our Saviour which confirms what I already have noted in Chap. II. 20. And further let us see how they might have stones in readiness for they were now building and they might have pieces of stones enough there CHAP. IX VERS II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who did sin this man or his Parents I. IT was a received Doctrine in the Jewish Schools that Children according to some wickedness of their Parents were born lame or crooked or maimed and defective in some of their parts c. by which they kept Parents in awe lest they should grow remiss and negligent in the performance of some rites which had respect to their being clean such as washings and purifyings c. we have given instances elsewhere II. But that the Infant should be born lame or blind or defective in any part for any sin or fault of his own seems a riddle indeed 1. Nor do they solve the matter who fly to that principle of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or transmigration of souls which would have the Jews tinctured with at least if we will admit Josephus as a just Interpreter and judge of that principle For thus he y y y y y y Lib. de Excid II. cap. 12. It is the opinion of the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the souls of all are immortal and do pass into another body that is those of the good only observe this but those of the wicked are punished with eternal torments So that unless you will say that the soul of some good man passing into the body of this man was the cause of his being born blind a supposition that every one would cry shame of you say nothing to the case in hand If the opinion of the transmigration of souls amongst the Jews prevailed only so far that they suppos'd the souls of good men only pass'd into other bodies the very subject of the present question is taken away and all suspicion of any punishment or defect happening to the infant upon the account of Transmigration wholly vanisheth unless you will say it could happen upon a good soul's passing out of the body of a good man 2. There is a solution attempted by some from the souls pre-existency which they would pretend the Jews had some smatch of from what they say about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those souls which are in Goph or Guph z z z z z z Avodah Zarah â—ol 5. 1. R. Jose saith the Son of David will not come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till the souls that are in Goph are consummated The same passage is recited also in Niddah a a a a a a Fol. 13. 2. and Jevamoth b b b b b b Fol. 62. 1. where it is ascrib'd to R. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asi. There is a repository saith R. Solomon the name of which is Goph and from the Creation all the souls that ever were to be born were form'd together and there plac'd But there 's another Rabbin brought in by another Commentator that supposeth a twofold Goph and that the souls of the Israelites and of the Gentiles are not in one and the same Goph Nay further he conceives that in the days of the Messiah there will be a third Goph and a new race of souls made R. Jose deduceth his opinion from Isaiah LVII 16. miserably wresting the words of the Prophet to this sense My will shall hinder for the souls which I have made For so Aruch and the Commentators explain his mind Grant now that what I have quoted might be sufficient confirmations that the Jews did entertain the opinion of the Souls pre-existence yet what concern the pre-existence of souls hath with this place I confess I have not so quick an apprehension as any way to imagine unless we will suppose a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too or that some souls come immediately from the hand of God stain'd and defiled III. I would therefore seek to untye this knot some other way 1. I would have that passage observ'd which we have in Vajicra rabb c c c c c c Fol. 184 3. And the days draw nigh in the which thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Eccl. XII 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those are the days of the Messiah wherein there shall be neither merit nor demerit That is if I mistake not wherein neither the good deserts of the Parents shall be imputed to the children for their advantage nor their deserts for their fault and punishment They are the words of R. Akibah in loc and they are his application of that passage in Eccles. and indeed his own invention but the opinion it self That there shall be neither merit nor demerit in the days of the Messiah is what is commonly receiv'd amongst the Jews If so then let me a little enlarge this question of our Saviours Disciples by way of Paraphrase to this purpose Master we know that thou art the Messiah and that these are the days of the Messiah we have also learnt from our Schools that there is no imputation of merit or demerit from the Parents in the days of the Messiah whence then is it that this man is born blind that in these days of the Messiah he should bring into the world with him some mark and imputation of fault or blame somewhere What was it his Parents fault This seems against the receiv'd opinion It seems therefore that he bears some tokens of his own fault is it so or no 2. It was a conceit amongst the Jews that the infant when form'd and quicken'd in the womb might behave it self irregularly and do something that might not be altogether without fault In the Treatise last mention'd a woman is brought in complaining in earnest of her child before the Judg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it kickt her unreasonably in the womb In Midr. Cohel and Midr. Ruth Cap. III. 13. there is a story told of Elisha ben Abujah who departed from the faith and became an horrible Apostate and amongst other reasons of his apostacy this is render'd for one There are which say that his Mother when she was big with child of him passing through a Temple of the Gentiles smelt something very strong they gave to her of what she smelt and she did eat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the child in the womb grew hot and swell'd into blisters as in the womb of a Serpent In which story his Apostacy is supposed
when the Judge cometh to plead their cause and behold the Judge standeth before the door If we should take the words in this sence and pointing at such a time and matter I suppose it might not be far from the Apostles meaning But do his words reach no further Are not these things written for our learning as well as for theirs to whom he wrote Is it not a truth spoken to us as well as it was spoken to them Behold the Judge standeth before the door Dispute it not but rather down on our knees and bless and magnifie the patience and goodness of this Judge for that he is standing at the door and hath not yet broke in upon us In handling of the words I suppose I need not to spend time in explaining the Phrases For none that hears of this Judge but he knows who is meant and none can but know what is meant by his standing at the door viz. as near at hand and ready to enter And if the Apostle speak here of the nearness of the destruction of Jerusalem our Saviours words of the very same subject may help to explain him Matth. XXIV 33. So likewise ye when ye see all these things know that it is near even at the doors So behold the Judge is near even at the door But the Judge of whom And at the door of whom These shall be the two things that my discourse shall enquire after The Jews in their Pandect mention several things of which they say they are two and yet are four and when they explain themselves they shew they speak very good sence I may speak much like of the Propositions that rise out of the words that they are two but indeed are four The two are these That there is a Judge or God is a Judge and That this Judge stands before the door But the very stile and expression doth double it That God is the Judge of all and That this Judge stands at the door of all Because there is no exception about whom he judgeth nor any exception at whose door he standeth I cannot say it is as essential to God to be a Judge as it is essential to him to be holy infinite eternal good c. because he had been there had these never been creature to judge as he was these from eternity before the creature was but since there is a creature to judge I may say it is as essential to God to be Judge of his creature as it is to be God For we may truly say if he were not Judge he were not God For what kind of God were that that had not to do about judging the creature I need not to produce places of Scripture to prove that that is before us for what more plain what more frequent than such testimonies That God is Judge himself Psal. L. 6. That he is the Judge of all the Earth Gen. XVIII 25. That he is the Lord the righteous Judge 2 Tim. IV. 8. That he sits upon the Throne judging right Psal. IX 5. That with righteousness he shall judge the world and the people with equity Psal. XCVIII ult But because the language of the Text is Behold the Judge let me speak as I may say unto your eyes according to the expression O generation see ye the word of the Lord Jer. II. 31. So let me lead your eyes to behold some specimens of this great Judges judging and some demonstrations and assurances that he hath given that he will so judge Eternal Judgment is one of the first principles of Christian Religion Heb. II. 6. viz. the judgment that doth determine of every mans state for eternity for of Gods temporal judgments we shall not speak here And that judgment is either particular passed upon every one at death or general which shall be at the last day Of either of these I shall take some prospect I. Concerning the particular Judgment When mans day is done the day of the Lord begins with him and when his work is done he is to receive his wages according as his work hath been good or evil Lazarus and the rich man no sooner dead but the one is in torment and the other in Abrahams bosom And how come they there Conceive you see their passage The souls of all good or bad as soon as ever departed out of the body are slipt into another world And what becomes of them there Do they dispose of themselves Do they go to Heaven or Hell by their own disposal There would never soul go to Hell if it were at those terms But the departed soul meets with its Judge as soon as ever it is departed and by him it is doomed and disposed to its eternal estate The Judge stands at the very door of that World of Spirits to dispose of all that come in there to their everlasting condition according as their works have been here good or evil So that those words of the Apostle as they speak the subsequence of judgment to death so they may very well speak this nearness It is appointed for all men once to die and then cometh the judgment Heb. IX ult Those words of our Saviour are very regardable Luk. XX. 30. He is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live unto him Though dead and gone to the World and to themselves yet to him they are not dead but alive and he deals with them as such as are alive And though he be not the God of all that so live yet he is the Judge of them all He calls himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob when they had been now dead and in the dust a long time for they lived though they were dead And so Cain and Cham and Pharaoh lived though they were dead that is were not utterly extinct and yet God was far from owning himself the God of Cain Cham and Pharaoh but he was their Judge And do but think how these men looked upon their Judge when they met him A carnal wretch that never thinks of God never dreams of judgment but is all for his pleasures and delights here when he dies and instantly meets his dreadful Judge to doom him Can any tongue express what a horrid surprizal that soul is taken at I cannot but take some scantling of conception of it from that passage Rev. I. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead The beloved Disciple to be thus terrified at the sight of his beloved Master He that used friendly to lean in his bosom now to fall at his feet for fear as dead And Christ not coming to him neither with any message of terror but in a friendly manner with instructions concerning things that were to come to pass thereafter And if so dreadful a consternation fell upon him upon meeting and seeing the glory of his dear what is the wretched souls case when it so unexpectedly meets with the dreadful terrors of its angry Judge
what to do with them stript of their ornaments so must the Soul be stript out of the Body loosed of all that that pinioned hampered or any ways strainted it And what think you of the Souls of Infants of Fools and Ideots then and there Can we think their Souls are Infants Fools and Ideots in the other world For Thirdly Though the Soul be of a vast capacity while in the body yet the acting of it even there is many and many a time hindred and curbed that it cannot reach to its acting in its full capacity which it could reach to even here if there were not some hindrance Take instead of more an instance or two of what may seem nearest to folly and ideotism and are not A man is drunk does his Soul then act according to the proper capacity that it were able to act in if he were sober There is a man learned and an hundred that have no learning at all Now the reason why those unlearned ones are not learned as well as he is not because their Souls were not of capacity to have received learning but because they had not the means of education in learning that he had So the acting of the Soul according to its capacity is often time hindred by the want of apt organs or instruments in the body Do you not see before your eyes by experience a man or woman moped their understanding clean spoyled by a sad stroke of the Palsy or Apoplexy that the person is not the same that he was before and yet his Soul is the very same but the right acting of it spoyled by the spoyling of the organs or instruments by which it should act The brain is so shattered by the stroke of a Convulsion that it cannot be so serviceable to the Soul as it hath been And so those Naturals and Ideots we are speaking of their Souls are like to other Souls spiritual substances as well as others immaterial and intellectual as well as others but there is some defect of the organ or instrument in the body something that the Intellect should use is failing or bruised Now not to wade farther into this question these two things are undeniable concerning all Souls in the world 1. That they are all of the workmanship of God and no Souls but come out of his hand Ezek. XVIII 4. Behold all Souls are mine XXXVIII Jer. 16. Zedekiah sware to Jeremiah As the Lord liveth who made us this Soul And he spake very true though Jeremiah was as good and he as bad yet God made both their Souls alike Jeremia's as well as Zedekiahs contra In that dispute about Praeexistence of Souls some hold Praeexistence and some not yet both hold that the Soul comes immediately from the hand of God And sure God sends no maimed Soul out of his hand 2. That all Souls have equally need of Gods support There is a double support of the Soul Either that God preserve and keep it in the body for the life of the body or preserve and keep it in grace for the good of the Soul This distinction the words of the Apostle mean 1 Tim. IV. 10. He is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe He preserves the lives of all that live but especially he preserves the Souls of those that believe in him So that if the Question be Doth God preserve all alike Doth his providence set it self to keep all alike If not why should all be bound by this tax in the Text to pay for their preservation alike The Answer is easy though it may seem strang when given He doth and he doth not But I may facilitate it by this distinction First He preserves all alike that is all that are preserved have their preservation alike from him and alike owe their preservation to him So that none is able to say I owe my preservation to God less than thou doest Thou art much beholden to him for the preservation of thy life but I am not so much Thou hast had more need of his preservation than I have had Secondly He preserves not all alike viz. in this sence That he takes care of the preservation of the Souls of some in another manner than he doth of others He preserves the persons even of ungodly men and keeps their Souls in them but he preserveth the Souls of the godly in well being as well as their bodies in life Hence those frequent expressions He keepeth the Souls of his Saints The Lord careth for my soul. Commit the keeping of your souls to him 1 Pet. IV. ult And that one instead of more Psal. CXXI 7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil yea he shall keep thy soul. He shall preserve thee from all evil to thy body but which is the preservation indeed he shall take care of the welfare of thy soul. I shall not need to insist to shew the great difference of these two kinds of preservation even all the wicked of the world are under the former Gods preservation of their lives but the children of God are under both the preservation of their bodies and souls also There is nothing that differenceth men in the sight of God but good or evil actions And the Judge of all the world that cannot but do right judgeth and rewardeth every one according to their works As the Apostle hints Rom II. 6 7 8. Who will render to all men according to their works and For there is no respect of porsons with God He respects not whether men be high or low rich or poor but deals with all according to their works Hence that in Eccles. IX beginning Outward accoutrements distinguish men in the world but not with God and poverty or riches high place or contempt are not signes of his favour or disfavour but he looks on men according to their doings Well by Gods thus equally valuing all we are taught that we should undervalue I none God hath set a stint that we should not be proud nor despise any For 1. What are we better then another Yes I have more estate than another I go braver such an one a poor pitiful fellow not to be compared with me I but he is Gods workmanship as well as thou Ye are twins so like that ye cannot be known assunder Yea God himself knows no difference betwixt you Hast thou an immortal soul so hath he Hath he a mortal body so hast thou Hast thou a soul that is made in the image of God so he Hath he a body that is but dust and ashes so hast thou What is added by the world as we say of wealth and honour and cloths are such things as will once be clean stript off and where is the difference then 2. And who hath made the difference as to their outward condition Answer the Apostles question What hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why boastest thou thy self as if thou hadst
they would argue from this reason God finished creating in Principio in the beginning therefore he creates not a Soul now I answer He finished creating genere specierum the kinds of all species but not Species generum the Species of all kinds When he brought Frogs and Lice on Egypt it was a creation of the things but the kind was created from the beginning The same must be said of Souls Let Christs Soul be the instance Was the Soul of the Messias created at the beginning If so what did it all the while till it was united to the Body Where was it What did it Was Christs Soul ever not acting for the good of his people As soon as ever it was put into the Body it began the work of Redemption viz. Christ there sanctifying our Nature by the Union of the humane nature to the Divine His Soul is now in Heaven in the work of mediation for his people It is hard to think that his Soul should be almost four thousand years in being and doing nothing for mens Salvation And we cannot call Christ Christ till he be compleated in our nature Soul and Body So that Christs Soul as ours was infused by immediate Creation in the Body which Body was prepared in the womb for the receiving of it So that though he was not like to us in regard of his begetting in the womb yet he was like in the Union of his Soul to his Body there For II. Christ had a Soul like ours in all things sin excepted It is a question Whether all Souls are equal There is some colour for it Psal. XXXIII 15. Hesashioneth their hearts alike And thence some argue the equality of Souls But I answer 1. That place may be taken thus That God alike is the Creator of all Souls rich and poor wise and foolish 2. It is undoubted all Souls are alike in regard of the ' Essentials of Souls they are all intellectual Spiritual immortal and in regard of their Essential faculties Whether they are alike as to the use and excellency of those faculties I shall not dispute Doubtless Christs Soul was the most excellent and yet like ours in all things that simply relate to the Essence of Souls or the humane nature I need not speak of the Essentials of a Soul he had the Infirmities of a humane Soul viz. those that in themselves are sinless I might so apply that Matth. VIII 17. Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses He was subject to grief in Soul Matth. XXVI 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Soul is exceeding sorrowful To fear Heb. V. 7. In that he feared Joh. XI 33. He groned in spirit and was troubled These are natural infirmities or affections to humane Souls Adam might have had these in innocency if occasion offered The Apostle makes comfortable use of this likeness of Christs Soul to ours Heb. IV. 15. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin And so may a Christian in sadness fear hunger persecution he may refuge to a High Priest that himself was sensible what these things were Non ignara mali c. Oh! what access hath God given to sinners Not only to one in their own nature but that partook of the very infirmities of nature Except sin Name but one that he had not A poor man dying assaulted with Satan fearing pains How comfortably may he refuge to Christ who by experience knew all these III. He was like other Souls in the manner of his departure out of the body and going to another World And this I shall speak to in three Particulars I. Although the reason of Christs death was different from the reason of the death of all other men yet the nature and definition of Christs death agrees withal Though the conception and birth of Christ was different from all others yet the nature of his death was not different the manner of dying indeed differed That in Heb. IX penult reacht Christ as well as others it was appointed for him to dye though upon a far different reason from what other men dye It is worth observing that Christs death was published and pronounced of before the death of Adam was denounced against him In Gen. III. 15. the death of Christ is mentioned in vers 19. the Death of Adam Which speaks that Christ died not of the Plague of mortality of which Adam and all his posterity dye but that his death was upon another kind of account Though Christ the second Adam was incomparably above the first in his innocence in regard of the Perfection of his nature and Person yet in regard of the certainty of Death as I may say he was beneath him For the excellency of his nature so far beyond him that whereas Adam was without sin Christ was without possibility of sinning But for certainty of dying so far otherwise that whereas Adam might not have dyed Christ could not but dye Socinians say Adam was created mortal because he was in a possibility to dye and because he died whereas indeed actually he was created immortal not as yet having any seeds or principles of mortality in his nature sin not being yet come there Christ was so much more without principles of mortality in him as that whereas Adam was sinless He could not sin and yet as I may say he had the principles of dying in him but not so much in his body as mind not in any failing of nature but in the holy bent of his own Will Death was not to him the wages of sin as it is to others nor to end sinning as it is to others but from clear contrary principles viz. Love to Man and Obedience to God The Death of Adam and of all other Men proceeded from disobedience the Death of Christ only from obedience The Death of Adam because he loved not himself nor his seed the death of Christ because he loved his people more than himself So that as to the reason of the death of Christ Jordan was driven back the stream ran a clean contrary way to the reason why other men dye and yet as to the nature and definition of his dying it agreed with the nature of the dying of other men For II. Define death What is it It is the separation of Soul from Body Mortal thou must once find this definition to be most true The Soul that that inliveneth the Body that gives it freshness of colour warmth life and motion when the Soul is departed all these are gone and the Body dead Here is the difference twixt death and a swoon or trance God shewed in Enoch and Elias what he would have done if man had continued innocent viz. Have translated Body and Soul to glory But when sin came in death came in and Soul and Body must be parted the Body to corruption the Soul into the World of
Souls to be disposed of according to its sinfulness or goodness But why should God thus dispose as to the taking men out of this World Why not the wicked Soul and Body to Hell and no more ado And why not the holy Soul and Body to Heaven I might say That Simeon and Levi that have been brethren in Evil might be scattered in Jacob that they conspire evil no more That Soul and Body that have been compartners in â—inning might be severed from conjoyning to sin any more But what need we say more than that God hath thus sentenced upon sin that the Body that was created immortal should dye and see corruption and that Soul and Body that were in the nearest conjunction in this World should be disunited and the bonds of life dissolved and Soul and Body parted into two several Regions Oh! how bitter is this parting how dreadful the very thought of it to most in the World Why Christ did as really undergo this separation in his death as any other whatsoever Observable is the expiring of Christ upon his cross both in regard of the thing it self and of the manner of it Comparing the Evangelists together we shall see it the better S. John seems to make It is finished his last words Joh. XIX 30. S. Luke Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luke XXIII 46. And add but the construction that the Centurion makes upon his crying out Mark XV. 39. Truly this was the Son of God They all say in our English He gave up the Ghost Which two of them viz. Mark and Luke express 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He breathed out his Spirit according as other dying persons do But Matthew and John have expressions very feeling Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He let go his Spirit or his Soul And John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He delivered it up Christ could not dye nay I may say he would not dye till all things were fulfilled that were written concerning his death Therefore when he had hung above three hours and knowing it was written They gave me Vinegar c. he said I thirst He tastes and finds it Vinegar and says It is finished now all is accomplished so he bows his Head and composeth himself to dye and cries Father into thy hands c. And having so said He let go his Soul and Delivered it up into the hands of God Remember that Joh. X. 17 18. and you see the sense of these expressions I lay down my life that I may take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again He had life in his own hand and the Jews could not take it from him but he let it go himself and delivered it up When the Centurion saw that he thus cried out and gave up the Ghost he said Surely this man was the Son of God Doubtless this man hath the Disposal of his own life So strong a cry is not the cry of one that is spent and dying through weakness and faintting but it argues life strong and vigorous to be still in him and therefore he dies not of weakness but gives up his life at his own pleasure Shall we pass this great passage of our Saviour without a meditation Mortal men and women if your Lives and Souls were so at your own disposal could you so readily so willingly part with them and give them up to God They are not and time is a coming when we must part with them whether we will or no. Our Saviour hath taught us what to do against they be called for to get them in readiness to be comfortably willing to part with them and give them up into his hands I remember that passage of a good man dying Egredere anima quid times c. Go Soul depart why art thou affraid Thou hast served a good Master be not affraid to go to him It will be a hard pull to have the Soul and Body parted We had need to be getting the Soul loosned that when God calls it may not be unwilling and hang on and stick and be loth to go It was a hard perplexity with him that cried out Animula vagula blandula c. Ah! poor Soul thou must go and whither art thou to go To leave all thy worldly pleasures and delights and must away thou knowest not whither The hard and dreary parting is when the Soul is chained to the World as well as to the Body when it sticks to these things as well as to the Body and must be torn from all these too He that is dead to the World how easie how comfortable is it for that man to dye When he dies he hath nothing else to do but to resign his Soul to him that gave it So that though the manner of Christs parting Soul and Body were extraordinary yet his Soul and Body were as really parted at his death as other mens are III. His Soul thus parted from his Body went to Hades into another World to the place whither holy Souls go after death which himself expresseth in those words to the good Thief To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise What does a Soul instantly after its departure Some say Walks the regions of Air and sees the secrets of nature there But Souls go not into another World to study but to receive rewards And I may say of any Soul departed as Christ of Peter Joh. XXI 18. When thou wast young thou girdest thy self and walkest whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not So when the Soul was in the Body it went whither it would moved the Body whither it thought good did what it pleased was at its own pleasure but now being departed another hath girded it and if it be an evil Soul he carries it whither it would not if even the best Soul he hath fixed it that it is not at its own liberty as it was before The other World is the fixing of Souls in their place and condition that they flit no more change no more that as the Soul then is not in a mutable condition as it is here so not in a self-moving condition as here Observe that Eccles. XII 7. Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it A good Soul returns to God and a bad Soul too returns to God that gave it both return to God How Now they come intirely into Gods hands to be disposed of according to what was done by them in the flesh and he instantly disposeth them into Heaven or Hell That is the very day of retribution See Luke XVI 22 23. And it came to pass that the Begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom The rich man also died and was
from this first mischief of faction and schisme 1. A member of the Church had married his fathers wife yea as it seemeth 2 Cor. 7. 12. his father yet living which crime by their own Law and Canons deserved death For he that went in to his fathers wife was doubly liable to be stoned both because she was his fathers wife and because she was another mans wife whether he lay with her in his fathers life time or after his death Talm. in Sanhed per. 7. Maym in Issure biah per. 1 2. And yet they in the height of the contestings they had among themselves did not only not take away such a wretch from among them nor mourn for the miscarriage but he had got a party that bolstered him up and abetted him and so while they should have mourned they were puffed up His own party in triumph that they could bear him out against the adverse and the other in rejoycing that in the contrary faction there was befallen such a scandal Or both as taking this Libertinism as a new liberty of the Gospel The Apostle adviseth his giving up to Satan by a power of miracles which was then in being So likewise did he give up Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. The derivation of this power we conceived at Act. 5. in the case of Ananias and Saphira to be from that passage of Christ to the Disciples John 20. 22. He breathed on them and said whose sins ye retain they are retained c. and so were the Apostles indued with a miraculous power of a contrary effect or operation They could heal diseases and bestow the Holy Ghost and they could inflict death or diseases and give up to Satan Now though it may be questioned whether any in the Church of Corinth had this power yet when Pauls spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ went along in the action as Chap. 5. 4. there can be no doubt of the effect 2. Their animosities were so great that they not only instigated them to common suits at Law but to suits before the tribunals of the Heathen which as it was contrary to the peace and honour of the doctrine of the Gospel so was it even contrary to their Judaick traditions which required their subjection and appeals only to men of their own blood or of their own Religion The Apostle to rectifie this misdemeanour first calls them to remember that the Saints should judge the world and this he mentioneth as a thing known to them Chap. 6. 2. and it was known to them from Dan. 7. 18 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High How miserably this is misconstrued by too many of a fifth Monarchy when Saints shall only Rule is to be read in too many miseries that have followed that opinion The Apostles meaning is no more but this Do you not know that there shall be a Christian Magistracy Or that Christians shall be Rulers and Judges in the world and therefore why should you be so fearful or careless to judge in your own matters Observe in what sense he had taken the word Saints in the former verse namely for Christians in the largest sense as set in opposition to the Heathen And he speaks in the tenour of Daniel from whence his words are taken that though the world and Church had been ruled and judged and domineered over by the four Monarchies which were Heathen yet under the Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel they should be ruled and judged by Christian Kings Magistrates and Rulers Secondly He minds them Know ye not that we shall judge Angels ver 3. Observe that he says not as before Know ye not that the Saints shall judge Angels But we By Angels it is uncontrovertedly granted that he meaneth evil Angels the Devils Now the Saints that is all Christians that professed the Gospel were not to judge Devils but we saith he that is the Apostles and Preachers of the Gospel who by the power of their Ministry ruined his Oracles Idols delusions and worship c. Therefore he argueth since there is to be a Gospel Magistracy to rule and judge the World and a Gospel Ministry that should judge and destroy the Devils they should not account themselves so utterly uncapable of judging in things of their civil converse as upon every controversie to go to the Bench of the Heathens to the great dishonour of the Gospel And withal adviseth them to set them to judge who were less esteemed in the Church ver 4. Not that he denieth subjection to the Heathen Magistrate which now was over them or incourageth them to the usurpation of his power but that he asserteth the profession of the Gospel capable of judging in such things and by improving of that capacity as far as fell within their line he would have them provide for their own peace and the Gospels credit We observed before that though the Jews were under the Roman power yet they permitted them to live in their own Religion and by their own Laws to maintain their Religion and it may not be impertinent to take up and inlarge that matter a little here As the Jews under the Roman subjection had their great Sanhedrin and their less of three and twenty Judges as appears both in Scripture and in their Records so were not these bare names or civil bodies without a soul but they were inlivened by their juridical executive power in which they were instated of old So that though they were at the disposal of the Roman Power and Religion and Laws and all went to wrack when the Emperour was offended at them as it was in the time of Culigula yet for the most part from the time of the Romans power first coming over them to the time of their own last Rebellion which was their ruine the authority of their Sanhedrins and Judicatories was preserved in a good measure intire and they had administration of justice of their own Magistracy as they injoyed their own Religion And this both within the Land and without yea even after Jerusalem was destroyed as we shall shew in its due place And as it was thus in the free actings of their Sanhedrins so also was it in the actings of their Synagogues both in matters of Religion and of civil interest For in every Synagogue as there were Rulers of the Synagogue in reference to matters of Religion and Divine worship so were there Rulers or Magistrates in reference to Civil affairs which judged in such matters Every Synagogue had Beth din shel sheloshah a Consistory or Judicatory or what you will call it of three Rulers or Magistrates to whom belonged to judge between party and party in matters of money stealth damage restitution penalties and divers other things which are mentioned and handled in both Talmuds in the Treatise Sanhedrin per. 1. Who had not power indeed of capital
a singular raging against the Gospel the devil bestirring himself in them now he knew their time was so short THE EPISTLE OF JUDE As the second Epistle of Peter and this of Jude are very near akin in style matter and subject so it is fairly conjecturable in them that they were not far removed in time speaking both of wicked ones and wickedness at the same height and ripeness They are one to another as the Prophesie of Obadiah and Jerem. 49. 14 c. speaking the same thing using the same manner of arguing and oftentimes almost the same words It may be Jude stands up in his brother James his charge among the Circumcision of Judea and directs his Epistle to all those that were sanctified and preserved in those Apostatizing times as his brother had done to all the twelve Tribes in general In citing the story of Michael the Archangel contending with the devil about the body of Moses ver 9. he doth but the same that Paul doth in naming Jannes and Jambres namely alledge a story which was current and owned among the Nation though there were no such thing in Scripture and so he argueth with them from their own Authors and concessions It is harsh to strain Zech. 3. 1 2. to speak such a story when neither the name Michael is mentioned nor any thing like the body of Moses or akin to it But among the Talmudicks there seems to be something like the relicks of such a matter viz. of Michael and the Angel of death disputing or discoursing about fetching away the soul of Moses His alledging the Prophesie of Enoch is an arguing of the very like nature as citing and referring to some known and common tradition that they had among them to this purpose The Book Sepher Jesher an Hebrew Writer speaketh of Enoch after such a tenour And in both these he useth their own testimonies against themselves as if he should thus have spoken at large These men speak evil of dignities whereas they have and own a story for current that even Michael the Archangel did not speak evil of the devil when he was striving with him about the body of Moses c. And whereas they shew and own a Prophesie of Enoch of God coming in Judgment c. why these are the very men to whom such a matter is to be applied c. It is no strange thing in the New Testament for Christ and the Apostles to deal and argue with the Jews upon their own concessions THE THREE EPISTLES OF JOHN Among all the Apostolick Epistles there is none about whose time of writing we are so far to seek as we are about these And it is neither satisfactory to remove their place nor is it satisfactory to take their time according to their place or to conceive them to be written after the Epistles of Peter because they are placed after them Any conjecture that is to be had of them may best be taken from the third Epistle Gaius to whom that Epistle is directed by that encomiastick character that John giveth of him seemeth to be Gaius the Corinthian the host of the whole Church Rom. 16. 23. for since he is commended for entertainment and charity both to the Church and strangers particularly to those who had preached among the Gentiles taking nothing of them we know not where to find any other Gaius to whom to affix this character but only this and we have no reason to look after any other And upon this probability we may observe these other I. That that third Epistle was written when those that preached to the Gentiles and took nothing of them were still abroad upon that imployment for he urgeth him to bring them forward on their journey ver 6. Now under that expression of taking nothing of the Gentiles we can understand none but Paul and Barnabas and those that were of their several companies for the Scripture hath named none other And if it refer to Paul and his company for we find not that Barnabas had any thing to do with Gaius then we must conclude that it was written a good while before this time that we are upon unless we will suppose Paul after his freedom from imprisonment at Rome was got travelling and preaching in those parts again But I should rather suppose that John sent this third Epistle to Gaius to Corinth by Timothy from Ephesus who was setting away thence for Rome upon Pauls sending for him to come to him thither 2 Tim. 4. 9 11 21. In which journey as we have shewed before he was to call at Corinth and to take Mark along with him who was there And of them may Johns advice to Gaius be well understood Whom if thou bring forward on their journey thou shalt do well For for his sake they went out taking nothing of the Gentiles Mark with Barnabas and Timothy with Paul II. Before John wrote this Epistle to Gaius he had written another Epistle to some Church it may be that of Corinth of which Gaius was I wrote saith he unto the Church but Diotrephes who loveth to have the preeminence receiveth us not This must needs be understood of The first Epistle of John unless we will conceive unwarrantably that I may say no worse that any of Johns writings are lost III. Upon and with the forementioned supposal that John sent his Epistle to Gaius by Timothy from Ephesus we cannot but also suppose that John spent some time in the Asian Churches to which afterward from Patmos he writes his Epistles And if any one be not satisfied with that interpretation that was given before about the Epistle from Laodicea Colos. 4. 16. let him rather understand it of The first Epistle of John as written by him from Laodicea then think it was an Epistle written by Paul from Laodicea and that that Epistle is lost In both his later Epistles he intimateth his hopes and purpose shortly to come to them from which we may construe that his intention was to travel from Asia the less where he now was and from whence he wrote all his three Epistles westward into Greece and in this journey you have him got into Patmos Rev. 1. from whence he writes back to Asia again In all his Epistles he exhorteth to love and constancy in the truth a lesson most needful in those divided and Apostatizing times He giveth notice of many Antichrists now abroad and these he sheweth to have been such as had once professed the truth but were apostatized from it They went out from us but they were not of us c. And this Apostacy he calleth The sin unto death To such he adviseth they should not so much as say God speed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their vulgar language Jerus Taamith fol. 64. col 2. The Rabbins saw a holy man of Caphar Immi and went to him and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God speed But he answered them nothing Id. in Sheviith fol. 35. 2.
Christ did with the Beast and those that carried his mark he fought against them always and when he saw his time destroyed them here the Holy Ghost tells us what he did with the Devil that set them on You heard of Christ fighting with the Dragon Chap. 12. and the Dragon foiled and cast out sets to prosecute the Womans seed but what course takes he for that He resigns his Throne and Power and Authority to the Beast Rome and it must do and it did his business for him Chap. 13. 3. and how throughly it did its masters work is shewed all along from that place forward But what becomes of the old Dragon the master of mischief He sits by as it were and looks on while his game is played and hisses on his Deputy Rome first Imperial then Papal They at the last receive their due wages for their work Imperial and Papal go to perdition But what must become of the Dragon that set them on It would be very improper to tell so largely of the fearful vengeance and destruction upon the agents and to say nothing of the principal and chief mover That therefore is done here and this Chapter takes at Chap. 13. 3. and tells you what became of the old Dragon after the resigning of his Throne to the Beast namely that he sate not at his own quiet as if Michael had nothing to do with him or let him alone having so much to do with his instruments but that he curbed and destroyed both principal and agent and cast them both together into the bottomless pit The Devil had two ways of undoing men the Church by persecution the world by delusion of Oracles Idolatry false Miracles and the like His managing of the former by his Deputies the former Chapters have related and how they sped in his service and this comes to tell how he speeds about the other The great Angel Michael the Lord Christ who hath the key of the bottomless pit in his hand as Chap. 1. 18. chains him by the power of the Gospel that he should no more deceive the Nations for a thousand years Weigh the phrase Not deceive the Nations it is not not persecute but not deceive nor is it the Church but the Nations His persecuting of the Church hath been storied before and here is told how he is curbed for deceiving the Nations and indeed when he deputed Rome and let that loose for the former he was chained up as for the later It is easily construed how Satan deceived the Nations by Idols which are called a lie Isa. 44. 20. Rom. 1. 25. by his Oracles in which was no light Isa. 8. 20. and by magical miracles which were meer delusion Hence the world for the time of Heathenism is said to be in his Kingdom of darkness Act. 26. 18. Colos. 1. 13 c. Now the spreading of the Gospel through the world ruined all these before it and dissolved those cursed spels and charms of delusion and did as it were chain up Satan that he could no more Deceive the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Heathen as he had done by these deceits so that the words speak the ending of Satans power in Heathenism and the bringing in of the Gentiles to the knowledge of the truth out of darkness and delusion The date of this his chaining up was a thousand years Now the Jews counted the days of the Messias a thousand years as we touched before The Babylon Talmud in Sanhedrin in the Chapter Helek doth shew their full opinion about the days of Messias and amongst other things they say thus as Aruch speaks their words in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a tradition of the house of Elijah that the righteous ones that the blessed God shall raise from the dead they shall no more return to their dust but those thousand years that the holy blessed God is to renew the world he will give them wings as Eagles and they shall flee upon the waters The place in the Talmud is in Sanhedrin fol. 92. where the Text indeed hath not the word thousand but the marginal gloss hath it and shews how to understand the thousand years And Aruch speaks it as a thing of undeniable knowledge and intertainment And so speaks R. Eliezer in Midras Tillin fol. 4. col 2. The days of the Messias are a thousand Years As John all along this Book doth intimate new stories by remembring old ones and useth not only the Old Testament phrase to express them by but much allusion to customs language and opinion of the Jews that he might speak as it were closer to them and nearer their apprehensions so doth he here and forward This later end of his Book remembers the later end of the Book of Ezekiel There is a resurrection Ezek. 37. Gog and Magog Ezek. 38. 39. and a new Jerusalem Ezek. 40. and forward So here a resurrection ver 5. Gog and Magog ver 8. and a new Jerusalem Chap. 21. 22. There a resurrection not of bodies out of the grave but of Israel out of a low captived condition in Babel There a Gog and Magog the Syrogrecian persecutors Antiochus and his house and then the description of the new Jerusalem which as to the place and situation was a promise of their restoring to their own Land and to have Jerusalem built again as it was indeed in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah but by the glory and largeness of it as it is described more in compass then all the Land of Canaan they were taught to look further namely at the heavenly or spiritual Jerusalem the Church through all the World Now the Jews according to their allegorical vein applied these things to the days of Christ thus that first there should be a resurrection caused by Messias of righteous ones then he to conquer Gog and Magog and then there must come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brave World to come that they dreamed of Besides what they speak to this tenour in the Talmudick Treatise last cited there is this passage in Jerus Megillah fol. 73. col 1. They are applying particular parts of the great Hallel to particular times what the great Hallel was we shewed a little before And that part say they I love the Lord because he hath heard me refers to the days of Messias that part Tye the sacrifice with cords to the day of Gog and Magog And that Thou art my God and I will praise thee refers to the world to come Our Divine Apocalyptick follows Ezekiel with an Allegory too and in some of his expressions alludes to some of theirs not as approving them but as speaking the plainer to them by them Here is a resurrection too but not of bodies neither for not a word of mention of them but of souls The souls of those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus lived and reigned ver 4. and yet this is called The first resurrection ver 5.
was not weaned if in this he followed the use and custom of the Jewish children as it is like he did but still sucked his Mothers breasts As he grew in body he grew much more in mind for so the phrase He waxed strong in Spirit seemeth to be understood by the Evangelist taking Spirit not so much for the Holy Ghost though it is past question he was filled with that as for his Soul or spiritual part of his humane nature And so he describeth his growth in both parts in the two expressions The child grew in body and waxed strong in intellect and soul filled with wisdom in an extraordinary manner above other children and a graciousness appeared in him both in person and actions Ver. 41. Now his Parents went to Jerusalem c. Joseph is called the Parent of Christ as Paul calleth preaching foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 21 23. because he was so commonly reputed by men And as for Womens going up to this Festival whereas the Law required only the Males appearance before the Lord three times in the year we shall have occasion to speak of it hereafter Ver. 42. And when he was twelve years old c. At what age our Saviour sheweth his admirable wisdom in the Temple among the Doctors in this Story at the same age had Solomon shewed his in the matter of the two Hostesses about the dead and living child 1 King 3. 25. 28. For that he was twelve years old at that time may be conceived upon these collections First Absalom began to rebel in the thirty seventh year of Davids Reign or three years before his death or thereabout This is to be picked out of that dateless reckoning of years 2 Sam. 15. 7. And after forty years Absalom said let me go pay my vow c. These forty years are counted from the time that Israel asked a King three of Sauls Reign 1 Sam. 13. 1. and seven and thirty of Davids and then began Absalom to challenge the Kingdom and the reckoning from that date giveth this hint and intimation that as their asking a King then did sore displease the Lord so now are they punished in the proper kind for it when they have so many Kings that they know not well which to follow and many of them perish in following the usurper Secondly Before his open rebellion Absalom had been two years in Jerusalem and not seen the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 28. Thirdly Before that time he had been three years in deserved exile in Geshur 2 Sam. 13. 38. Fourthly And two years had passed betwixt the rape of Tamar and slaughter of Amnon which occasioned him into that exile 2 Sam. 13. 23. So that counting all these years together they appear clearly to be ten at the least betwixt the rape of Tamar and Davids death and so are they so many of Solomons age at the same time Now that there was some good space that passed betwixt these sums of time mentioned as betwixt the birth of Solomon and the rape of Tamar betwixt Absaloms seeing of the Kings face and his breaking out after into that rebellion and other spaces it cannot be denied upon serious and considerate casting up of the Story But to find out the exact space and measure of time is hardly possible and so is it to determine the age of our Saviour at the time of his disputing with the Doctors For though the Evangelist say that he was twelve years old yet hath he left it doubtful whether current or compleat and that it was a whole half year under or over it cannot be denied seeing that he was born about September and this his disputing was at the Passover about March or April So when we say Solomon was twelve years old when he began to Reign and when he determined the controversie of the two Hostesses it is not necessary punctually to pick out and shew that space of time to all exactness it sufficeth to shew that the Text bringeth him near to that age under or over See Ignat. Martyr in Epist. ad Magnes Vers. 43. The child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his Mother knew not of it That morning that they were to depart to their own home it was the custom to go first to the Temple and to worship the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 19. Now the multitudes that went together at these times were exceeding great and many all the males of the Nation and very many of the females being constantly present at these occasions When therefore Joseph and Mary and the Galilean company that went along with them departed from the Temple to go their Journey it is likely that Christ stayed behind them in the Temple Court where also he haunted till they found him again Now he having been absent from them and in other companies sometimes before in the Festival week as it can hardly be doubted it is not to be wondred if they were not so punctually exact as to be sure to bring him with them in their sight out of the Temple and the City For they knew not nor could they conceive that he had any thing to do or how he could stay behind them when they were gone and therefore though they saw him not yet doubted they not but he was with some of his acquaintance or other in that vast and numerous multitude Yea so confident they were of this that when after a while they missed him yet did they not suspect his staying behind them in Jerusalem but went that days journey forward searching and inquiring for him among their kindred and acquaintance that went along with them for so are those words to be understood till they came to their lodging And by that time not having found him they resolve and accordingly do on the next morning return for Jerusalem It is conceived by some that the multitudes going to and from these festivals went the men by themselves and the women by themselves and the children indifferently with either parent as they thought good and so Mary supposed that Jesus was with Joseph and Joseph supposed that he was with Mary and by this mis-apprehension they went their first days journey till they met at their lodging before they mist him But if that were certain which is very doubtful that they thus travailed males and females apart yet it is clear by the Text that they jointly mist him in their first days journy and betimes in the journey long before they came to their Inn and yet would not return to seek him at Jerusalem where they could not so much as suspect that he would stay behind when he saw all the company setting homewards but they still go on their journey and inquire up and down in the company for him till their not meeting him at night resolves them that he was not in the company at all Vers. 46. After three days they found him in the Temple That is on the third day for one they spent in
coming nearest to creating and therefore when the power of miracles was first given the first that was wrought was transforming Exod. 4. 3. And such a one was the first that was wrought by our Saviour John 2. 9. The Devil therefore assaying Christ in a work of wonder tryeth him in one of this nature and when he cannot move him to shew his power upon another Creature in Changing the form of it in this temptation he seeketh in the next to move him to shew his power upon his own body in altering the quality of it and making it fly Now to enquire what sins they were that the Devil would have perswaded him to in this temptation in turning stones into bread whether to gluttony or distrust of providence or what else is not so material and pertinent as to consider why he tryed him first by such a manner of temptation And the satisfaction to this is facil and obvious namely 1. because he took advantage of his present hungring And 2. because he had sped so successfully to his own mind by a temptation about a matter of eating with the first Adam he practiseth that old manner of his trading with the second Ver. 4. It is written This is the first speech that proceeded from our Saviours mouth since his entrance into his Ministerial function that is upon record and though it be very short yet is it very material for observation of these things 1. That the first word spoken by Christ in his ministerial office is an assertion of the authority of Scripture 2. That he opposeth the word of God as the properest incounterer against the words of the Devil 3. That he alledgeth Scripture as a thing undeniable and uncontrolable by the Devil himself 4. That he maketh the Scripture his rule though he had the fulness of the Spirit above measure § Man shall not live by bread only but c. He doth most properly and divinely produce this place of Moses Deut. 8. 3. it being a Lesson which the Lord had read to Israel when they had fallen into and in a temptation not much unlike to this that Satan would have tript Christ in at this time Now the sense of the Text alledged is somewhat controverted some take it to mean that man hath not only a life of the body to look after which is sustained by bread but also and rather a life of the soul which is supported by the Word of God And some again by the Word of God understand the Word of Doctrine others the Word of Gods power providence and decree as meaning that mans life doth not depend upon bread only but that God can support and sustain it by other means as he shall see fit Any of which carry a most proper and a most considerable truth along with them But the most facil interpretation of these words and the most agreeable to the context in Moses with which they lye is by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God to understand Gods commandments by the observing of which a man shall live prosper and it shall go well with him for to this sense the first verse of that Chapter in Deuteronomy speaketh All the commandments that I command thee this day shall ye observe to do that ye may live c. Now our Saviour retorteth this in this sense against the Devils temptation that incited him to have turned stones into bread 1. To shew that it was his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work as John 4. 34. And 2. that obedience of Gods commandments is more propely the way to live than by the use of the Creature Matth. 4. ver 5. Then the Devil taketh him up Here it is controverted whether this were done really and truly or only in vision and apparition And there be that assert the latter conceiving that Christ was brought no otherwise to the pinnacle of the Temple or to the high mountain than Jeremy went to Euphrates to hide his girdle Jer. 13. or Ezekiel slept on his right and left side c. Ezek. 4. or other things of this nature mentioned in Scripture which it is past all denial were done only in vision vid. Jansen in loc But that these transportings of our Saviour from place to place were really and actually done even in the body and not in vision may be strongly confirmed by these considerations 1. Otherwise they had been no temptations which the Evangelists tell plainly that they were For what had it been for Christ to have seen a thousand of such things as these in a vision and to have nothing more to do with them but only see them what temptation could this be to him 2. The next place that we hear Christ was in after the temptations were finished was beyond Jordan as shall be shewed in the next Section now it will be hard to find how he was got instantly after his temptations to the other side Jordan if he were not carryed thither in the next temptation after this that is now in hand For in the temptation before this he is in the wilderness of Judea in this temptation he is at Jerusalem on the top of the Temple and in the next on the top of an high mountain and the next tydings of him after is that he is beyond Jordan Now this taking him up was bodily and locally and really the Devil catching him up into the air and carrying him in the air to the battlements of the Temple and from thence in the next temptation to the high mountain And here may the Reader fix his meditations upon four or five material things very pertinent and profitable to consider of upon this passage As 1. the horrid impudency of the Tempter that cannot but suppose him the Son of God and yet dare assail him as the basest of men 2. The wonderful humiliation of the Redeemer that was even now proclaimed the Son of God from heaven and now is hurryed by the Devil in the face of heaven 3. The power of evil Spirits over mens bodies if they be permitted and let loose to execise their power upon them 4. The constant and continued providence shewed in our preservation that we are not hurryed away bodily by Satan every moment who is thus busie here even with our Redeemer who was the Son of God 5. That in all the Scripture there is no mention of the like story that the Devil ever thus carryed any man in the air unless he had first bodily possessed him For having first done so it is said of the poor wretch among the Gaderens That he was driven of the Devil into the Wilderness And so we have observed elsewhere that it is probable that the Devil took Judas into the air and there strangled him and threw him down to the earth and burst out his bowels for the Devil was bodily in him before but for one not possessed to be so transported
3. 15. Vers. 21. Art thou Elias When he hath resolved them that he is not the Messias they presently question whether he be not Elias Messias his fore-runner for their expectation was of the fore-runners bodily coming as well as of Christs Their opinions concerning Elias his first coming and who he was then and of his latter coming and what they look for from him then it is not impertinent to take up a little in their words and Authors Some of our Rabbins of happy memory saith Levi Gershom have held that Elias was Phinehas and this they have held because they found some correspondency betwixt them And behold it is written in the Law that the blessed God gave him his covenant of peace And the Prophet saith My Covenant was with him of life and peace And by this it seemeth that God gave to Phinehas length of days to admiration And behold we find that he was Priest in the days of the Concubine at Gibeah and in the days of David we find it written And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them of old and the Lord was with him 1 Chron. 9. 20. And he was the Angel that appeared to Gedeon and to Jephthah and the Spirit of the Lord carried him like an Angel as we find also of Elias And for this it is said They shall seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Angel of the Lord and for this cause also he saith Before time and the Lord was with him And behold we find Elias himself saying unto the Lord Take now my life from me for I am no better than my fathers meaning that it was not for him to live always in this world but a certain space after the way of the earth for he was no better than his fathers We find also that he died not after he was taken away from the head of Elisha for there came afterward a writing of Elias to Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat as it is mentioned in the book of Chronicles Thus Ralbag on 1 King 17. And thus the Jews hold Phinehas and Elias to have been but one and the same man And what they held concerning Elias his singular eminency for Prophesie whilst he lived it appeareth by R. Samuel Lanjado in his Comment on 2 King 2. Elias saith he was so indued with Prophesie that many of the children of the Prophets prophesied by his means Our wise men of happy memory say Whilst Elias was not laid up the Holy Ghost was in Israel as it is said the children of the Prophets that were at Bethel said to Elisha To day God will take thy Master from thy head they went and stood afar off and they passed over Jordan It may be because they were but a few the sense telleth that there were fifty men of the sons of the Prophets It may be they were private men The text saith Thy Master It is not said our Master but thy Master shewing that they were wise men like Elias When Elias was taken up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 treasured up the Holy Ghost departed from them as it is said And they said Behold there is with thy servants fifty men men of strength let them go and seek thy Master c. And concerning the departure of Elias and his estate after the same Author giveth the opinion of his Nation a little after in these words I believe the words of our wise men of happy memory That Elias was taken away in a whirlewind in the Heaven that is in the air and the Spirit took him to the earthly paradise and there he abideth in body and soul therefore they say that Elias died not and they say moreover that he went not into the firmament And they say that some have seen him in the School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that he shall come before the great and terrible day of the Lord come Now his coming before the day of the Lord they hold to be twofold one invisible as that he cometh to the circumcision of every child and therefore they set him a chair and suppose he sitteth there though they see him not And the Angel of the Covenant which you desire behold he cometh Mal. 3. 1. The Lord shall come to his Temple this is the King Messias who also is the Angel of the Covenant or he saith The Angel of the Covenant in reference to Elias And so it is said That Elias was zealous for the Covenant of Circumcision which the Kingdom of Ephraim restrained from themselves as it is said I have been exceeding zealous for the Lord God of Israel for the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant He saith unto him Thou wast zealous in Shittim Phinehas in Numb 25. and art thou zealous here concerning Circumcision As thou livest Israel shall not do the Covenant of Circumcision till thou seest it with thine eyes From hence they have appointed to make an honorable Chair for Elias who is called the Angel of the Covenant Thus Kimch on Mal. 3. 1. Of this matter and of the Jews present expectation of Elias at every circumcision learned Buxtorfius giveth an ample relation in his Synagoga Judaica cap. 2. On the eighth day in the morning saith he those things that are requisite for the Circumcision are duly prepared And first of all two seats are set or one seat so made as that two may sit one by another in it covered with rich coverings or cushions according as every ones state will bear In the one of these seats when the child cometh to be circumcised sitteth the Sponsor or Godfather of the child and the other seat is set for Elias For they conceive that Elias cometh along with the Infant and sitteth down in that seat to observe whether the Circumcision be rightly administred and this they conceive from Mal. 3. 1. And the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye seek behold he cometh when they set that seat for Elias they are bound to say in express words This is the seat of the Prophet Elias That seat is left standing there three whole days together Rabbi Juda the holy once perceived that Elias came not to one Circumcision and the reason was because the child circumcised should once turn Christian and forsake his Judaism They use to lay the child upon Elias his cushion both before and after his Circumcision that Elias may touch him Thus he and more largely about their fancy of Elias his invisible coming upon that occasion And in the thirteenth Chapter of the same book he relateth how they expect him visibly at the other Sacrament even every Passover when among other rites and foolish customs they use over a cup of wine to curse all the people of the world that are not Jews as they are and that they do in this prayer Pour out thy wrath upon the Nations which have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name Pour thine anger upon them and let
12. that is who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch the knowledge of the Word from thence or the Doctrine of the Gospel the Word of Faith Rom. 10. 6 7 8. And so upon the observation of these three things thus laid down the connexion of this verse that we have in hand with the former and the sense of it in its self doth easily and evidently arise to this sense Ye believe not when I speak to you but the familiar and visible things of the Kingdom of Heaven and how then will you believe if I should speak of the highest and most heavenly mysteries of it And yet from me alone are those things to be learned and known for none can go up to Heaven to fetch the knowledge of them from thence but I came down from Heaven to reveal the will of God and to declare the Doctrine and Mysteries of Salvation and therefore if you believe not what I speak unto you you will never attain to the knowledge of the things of the Kingdom of Heaven And thus doth Christ tax Nicodemus and the Jews for a double unbelief 1. As in reference to him the Teacher whom they believed not though he alone was he who could and who was come to teach and reveal the great mysteries of the Gospel 2. As in reference to the things now taught which they believed not though they were the most visible and facil things of the Kingdom of Heaven And withal he holdeth out unto them a double instruction 1. That they should believe him about these heavenly things because he came down from Heaven And 2. That if they would not believe him in these things they must never expect to know them for none could go up to Heaven to fetch them thence The very same thing in sense with that in Chap. 1. 18. §. But he that came down from Heaven Here doth Christ speak one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of in the verse preceding a most heavenly point of the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven and that is about his own incarnation and he doth clearly shew the distinction of his two natures in one person his humane nature intimated in the title The Son of man the Divine Nature in that he saith he came down from Heaven and the union of these two when he saith that the Son of man is in Heaven Now Christ is said to come down from Heaven as Joh. 6. 51. first to intimate his Divine Nature and to shew that he was more than a meer man and so the Apostle interprets and applies the phrase 1 Cor. 15. 47. The first man is of the earth earthly The second man is the Lord from Heaven And so likewise when it is said of Christ that he was the Manna that came down from Heaven Joh. 6. 58. it sheweth and meaneth that he was a bread of a more high and eminent nature than the Manna that the Israelites eat in the wilderness and yet that was rained from Heaven too Neh. 9. 15. but Heaven here and in that place admitteth of a differing construction Secondly It is the usual speech of Scripture when it is relating the appearing of any of the persons in the Trinity in a visible evidence to say that God came down Exod. 3. 8. Exod. 19. 18. the Holy Ghost came down Luke 3. 22. c. And so may it be used of Christ in humane flesh when the Son of God appeared so visibly amongst men as that he conversed with them in their own nature it may very significantly be said of him that he came down from Heaven Not that the Godhead can change places which filleth all things nor that Christ brought his humane nature locally out of Heaven as hath been erred by some nor yet only because he was conceived by the Holy Ghost as it is construed by others but because he being the invisible God did appear visibly and in humane nature among the Sons of men §. The Son of man which is in Heaven Here is the truth and reality asserted both of his manhood and of his Godhead his manhood in that he is called The Son of man His Godhead in that he is said to be in Heaven And this doth not only confute those Heresies that have maintained that either Christ had not a real humane body or that he had not a real humane soul or that he consisted not of two distinct natures or that he was two distinct persons but this doth also set a plain and large difference detween the appearing of Angels in humane shapes and the appearing of Christ in humane flesh They were indeed in the shape of men but they were not the Sons of men but Christ was they when they were apparent upon earth in such shapes were not then in Heaven but he was Now how the Son of man may be said to be in Heaven whilest he was now speaking to Nicodemus on Earth may be resolved with a double answer 1. Because his conversation all the while he was upon the earth was intirely in Heaven For so is the conversation of the Saints of God on Earth said to be Phil. 3. 20. Et quanto magis Christi qui semper inspexerit Patris intima And how much more saith Grotius was the conversation of Christ there who always beheld the very bosom of the Father As Joh. 1. 18. And so doth Cajetan understand it that Christs humane soul did enjoy the beatifical vision of God continually and therefore he may well be said to be in Heaven even whilest he was on Earth But secondly this may properly be understood per communicationem idiomatum as Divines express it that is in such a sense as the Scripture intends when it applies the several properties of the two distinct natures in Christ indifferently to the whole person For the understanding of which and for the construing of this and divers other places of this nature these things may be taken into consideration 1. That as in the blessed Trinity there is distinction of persons but not distinction of natures so on the contrary in our blessed Saviour there is distinction of natures but not distinction of persons His Divine Nature one thing his Humane another but the person but one as in the constitution and being of our selves the soul is one thing and the body another and yet they constitute and make up but one man 2. That these two distinct natures in our Saviour had their distinct and several properties which were not communicable from the one to the other essentially as the manhood did not rise to infinity like the Godhead nor to those properties that are essential to infinity nor the Godhead descend to infirmity like the manhood nor to those properties that are essential to the infirmity of manhood 3. That though there were in Christ these really distinct natures and really distinct properties of these natures yet in regard of their union in his one person the Scripture doth not seldom
body and to cure the leprosie of the body and none did it none could do it till he came Elisha would not so much as touch Naaman in concurrency to this truth III. Those whom the Devil thus seized on bodily we may distinguish into two sorts or ranks 1. Those whom he possessed so as to wrack and torture them or to infect them with some disease as Mark 5. 5. Luke 9. 39. 13. 16. Mat. 12. 22. And 2. those whom he dwelt in bodily to make them by false miracles and predictions instruments of his seduction and delusion as Acts 16. 16. and as Sibylla Cumaea is described by the Poet Talia cui fanti non vultus non color unus Non comptae mansere comae sed pectus anhelum Et rabie fera corda tument majorque videri Nec mortale sonans afflata est numine quando Iam propriore Dei c. And a little after Bacchatur vates magnum si pectore possit Excussisse Deum tanto magis ille fatiga◠Os rabidum fera corda domans fingitque premendo Now to be bodily possessed by the Devil was the saddest earthly misery could befal a man and therefore giving up to Satan was the highest punishment could be inflicted 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20. For how doleful a thing must it needs be reputed 1. When that body which should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost should become the very local cage and bodily habitation of Satan 2. When the Members were acted and used by the Devil as if he had been the very soul that did animate the body 3. When mans greatest enemy should so apparently dwell within him and have such power over him And 4. When he either carried the Devil or the Devil him or indeed both whithersoever he went Yet were there degrees of this misery and the latter kind mentioned was the worse and the more grievous of the two though it seemed not always so in appearance for in the former possessedness it was possible that the Devil might not have seisure on the soul though he had of the body as Mark 9. 21. But in the latter he had possession of both IV. Of this latter sort was this man in the Text namely a man possessed with a Spirit of divination whom the Devil filled and acted under the notion of an Enthusiast or Prophet to decieve the People For 1. he is said by Mark to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In an unclean Spirit as the words do properly signifie whereas indeed the unclean spirit was in him intimating that he was in the acting or a Prophetick rapture of the Devil as true and holy Prophets indeed in the actings and raptures of the Ghost are to be in the Spirit Rev. 1. 10. 2. Luke hath expressed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he had the Spirit of the Devil namely in such a kind of sense as on the contrary part the Holy Prophets are said to have the Spirit of God Dan. 4. 5 6. c. 3. Both the Evanglists do style the Spirit wherewith he was possessed An unclean Spirit which as in general it stands in direct opposition to the term The Holy Spirit so is it most properly and singularly applyed to the Spirit of error and false teaching Zech. 13. 2. Rev. 16. 13 14. And 4. the words that the Devil uttered by the mouth of the possessed man tend directly and only to deceive and to withdraw from Christ as is apparent in their construction Vers. 24. Let us alone what have we to do with thee c. It is all one as to the sense of the words insuing be the first worn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken either for an Adverb of grief and wonder and a Greek expression of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or be it taken for a Verb as the Syrian Vulgar and our English take it when they render it Let alone The scope of the mans words in the whole verse may be taken up in these observations 1. That though indeed it were the Devil within the man that dictated the words to him yet was it the man that uttered them and the men of the Synagogue heard the man speaking The Greek Syntax in the Text of the Evangelists especially of St. Luke maketh it plain 2. When he useth the plural number We and Us What have we to do with thee art thou come to destroy us he speaketh of himself and the rest of the men of the Synagogue with him for that these words are not applicable to the Devils which was but one in the possessed needeth no more proof than what is in the verse it self where when the Devil or the man by instinct of the Devil speaketh of himself he useth the singular number I know thee 3. When he proclaimeth Christ the holy one of God as he is styled Psal. 16. 10. Dan. 9. 24. c. he neither doth it as a voluntary confession of him for that cannot be expected from the Devil nor as a strained or forced confession by the power of Christ for Christ commands his silence but it is such a confession and proclamation of Christ as whereby he might make the men of the Synagogue afraid of him and not daring to have to deal with him because of his dreadfulness So high and dreadful things are spoken concerning the coming of Christ in the Scripture as Mal. 3. 2. and so terrible apprehensions had the Jews concerning the fatal destruction of some men to be made when Messias came that the Devil by these taketh opportunity to affright the men of the Synagogue with the presence of Christ among them as if he were but come among them to destroy them And he would disswade them from the imbracing of Christ by the terrors of Christ. The Jews had such dreadful opinions as these about Christs coming In Sanhedr per. Helek fol. 97. In the Generation when the son of David cometh say they scholars of the wise shall be rare and as for the rest of the people their eyes shall fail for sorrow and grief and great afflictions and sore decrees shall be so renewed that before the first is ended the second shall come In the week of years Dan. 9. 24. when the son of David shall come The first year that shall be fufilled I rained upon one City and rained not upon another Amos 4. The second year the arrows of famine shall fly abroad The third year the famine shall be so great that men women and children yea good and godly men shall die and the Law shall be forgotten by its Disciples On the fourth year a kind of plenty yet not plenty indeed On the fifth year great plenty and they shall eat and drink and rejoyce and the Law shall be restored to its scholars On the sixth voices or thunders On the seventh war and in the end of the seventh the son of David cometh When the son of Dovid cometh the Assembling places shall become slews
doth hereby more clearly open that mystery of God in Christ than if he had spoken only of believing himself or only of believing the Father 2. There are some that conceive that he speaketh of believing him that sent him rather than of believing him himself that by this humble reference of all to God he might make his speech more accceptable to the hearers 3. Compare this passage with Exod. 20. 19. and Deut. 18. 16 17 18. His expression of passing from death to life seemeth to refer either to the doom upon Adams not hearkening to the voice of God thou shalt die the death or to the codition under which every man is left by the Law namely under a curse from which hearkning to the voice of the Gospel is deliverance Or it may be it is spoken in some parallel to the case of the man healed for he by hearkening to the Word of Christ received health of body so whosoever heareth his Word obtains life of the Soul And thus doth Christ still make good the word that he had spoken to the man for a dispensation with the Sabbath and argueth that he might do such a thing because he was to give the Law and Word of the New Testament as the Father had done of the Old and sheweth that though violation of the Sabbath deserved and had been punished with death yet obedience to his Word and Command was discharge and a passing from death to life Vers. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God c. 1. These words are most generally understood as aiming at those dead that Christ raised by his voyce or word to life again as saying to Jairus daughter Talitha Kumi to the widdows son of Naim Young man arise and to Lazarus Lazarus come forth And being taken in such a relation the connexion of them to the words going immediately before lyeth thus Christ had spoken there of his spiritual reviving whosoever should believe his Word and here he either produceth a proof and evidence of what he had there spoken or else alledgeth it as another wonder and virtue of his power that by his voyce he would raise those that were bodily deceased And he ascribeth this reviving to the hearing of his voyce partly because he had ascribed the spiritual reviving to the hearing of his Word and partly to distinguish his rasing of those dead from the raising of those that were revived under the Old Testament for they were not raised by a word but by other applications 1 King 17. 21. 2 King 4. 34. 13. 21. 2. It was the opinion of the Jews that there should be a resurrection in the days of Messias The Chaldee Paraphrast glosseth Hos. 6. 2. thus He will revive us in the days of consolation Luke 2. 25. which are to come in the day of the Resurrection of the dead And Hos. 14. 8. thus They shall be gathered out of their captivity they shall sit under the shadow of their Messias and the dead shall revive and good shall be multiplyed on the Earth And Esay 49. 9. I give thee for a Covenant to the people to raise the righteous that lye in the dust And Kimchi on Esay 26. 19. The Holy blessed God will raise the dead at the time of deliverance And in Jer. 23. 20. In that he saith Ye shall consider it and not They shall consider it it intimateth the Resurrection of the dead in the days of the Messias And on Ezek. 37. It may be God shewed Ezekiel the vision of the dead bones reviving to signifie to him that he would raise the dead of Israel at the time of deliverance that they also might see the deliverance Ab. Ezr. in Dan. 12. 2. The righteous that dyed in the captivity shall revive when the Redeemer cometh c. And this was so far the opinion of the Nation that they understood the term The World to come of the state of glory and yet of the days of Messias as shall be shewed when we meet with that phrase Now there was a Resurrection in the days of the Messias accordingly not only of those three that have been named but also of divers Saints whose graves were opened and bodies arose Mat. 27. 52. And if the words that we have in hand be applyed to the raising of dead in a bodily sense they may most properly be pointed to that Resurrection which was so parellel to the expectation of the Jews and Christ asscribing such a matter to himself doth prove himself to be the Messias even they and their own opinion being Judges 3. But the raising of the dead is taken in Scripture also in a borrowed sense namely for the reviving and quickning of those that were dead in trespasses and sins c. as Ephes. 2. 1. And that sense doth seem more agreeable to this place because our Saviour in the verse before doth apparently speak of such spiritual reviving The calling in of the Gentiles to the Gospel is called a Resurrection in divers places of the Scripture as Esa. 26. 19. Thy dead men shall live together with my Body they shall rise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the Earth shall cast out her dead What dead these are that were to rise with Christs body from the dead is not so much intimated in that passage of the Evangelist The bodies of divers Saints arose Matth. 27. 52. as in that saying of our Saviour There shall no sign be given them but the sign of Jonah the Prophet By which he doth not only signifie his own death and Resurrection but he doth also gall the Jews with an intimation of the calling of the Gentiles upon his Resurrection as the Ninivites were called upon Jonahs Resurrection out of the grave of the Whales belly And that dew of his that should inliven men as the dew doth herbs is the dew of the Doctrine of the Gospel as Deut. 32. 2. And so likewise Hos. 6. 2. speaketh to the very same tenor of Christs raising the dead in a spiritual sense upon his own Resurrection which was on the third day And so is the Resurrection in Ezek. 37. plainly expounded in that very chapter to be in a spiritual sense and so the Apostle construes it Rom. 11. 15. Amd the calling of the Gentiles is styled the first Resurrection Rev. 20. 5. c. That Christ meaneth the dead and the raising of the dead in this sense in this place might be argued upon these observations 1. Because throughout his speech hitherto and some steps further the scope of his discourse is namely to prove his all powerful rule and disposal of the affairs under the Gospel equal to what the Father had under the Law of which the calling of the Gentiles was one of the most eminent and remarkable 2. Because as was said before his very last words preceding were of passing
Cains and his desert of punishment proportionable for Cain had slain but one man and but the body but he by his evil example had killed old and young and their very souls and therefore he maketh his complaint to his two wives that had brought him to it CHAP. V. A Chronicle of 1556 years and all the years are reckoned compleat but only Noahs five hundreth year in vers 32. Vers. 3. Seth born in Original sin the Father of all men in the new world after the flood Numb 24. 17. Vers. 23. Enoch liveth as many years as be days in a year Those that lived nearer the flood lived the longer unmarried because they would not generate many children for the water Vers. 29. Noah a comforter because in him liberty should be given to the World to eat flesh CHAP. VI. In the general corruption of the World Noah the eighth person in descent from Enoch in whose time profaneness began as 2 Pet. 2. 5. Escapeth the abominations and desolation of the times CHAP. VII VIII IX The flood the Beasts in the Ark live without enmity which sheweth how the words Gen. 3. 15. about enmity with the Serpent are to be understood the Serpent and Noah are now friends each to other this is alluded to Esay 11. 6 7. Noah is in the Ark just a compleat and exact year of the Sun but reckon'd in the Text by the Lunary Months Universal darkness all the forty days rain The door of the Ark under water The Ark draweth water eleven cubits The waters when they came to abate while they lay above the Mountains fell but one Cubit in four days but far faster afterward After their coming out of the Ark for a whole half year together Noah and his family and all the Creatures live upon provision that was still in the Ark for they came out just upon the beginning of Winter when there was neither grass corn nor fruits till another spring The forbidding to eat flesh with the blood condemneth the Doctrine of Transubstantiation CHAP. X XI Seventy Nations dispersed from Babel but not seventy Languages the fifteen named in Act. 2. were enough to confound the work and they may very well be supposed to have been the whole number Sem as he standeth in the front of the Genealogy of the new world hath neither Father nor Mother named nor beginning of days nor end of life Nahors life is shortned for Idolatry CHAP. XII Abraham at 75 years old receiveth the promise and cometh into Canaan and just so many years did Sem live after Abrahams coming thither and so might well be Melchizedeck in Chap. 14. Vers. 6 7. Abraham buildeth an Altar near if not upon Mount Gerizim the hill of blessing and vers 8. Another Altar he buildeth near unto if not upon Mount Ebal the hill of cursing Deut. 27. And so taketh possession of the land by faith in the very same place where his sons the Israelites did take possession of it indeed Josh. 8. 12. c. 30. Vers. 11. When he is ready to enter into Egypt whither famine drave him as it did his posterity afterward he is afraid of his life in regard of Sarah who being a white woman would soon be taken notice of by the Egyptians who were Blackmoors This was one main inticement to Josephs Mistress to cast an eye of lustfulness upon him because he was a white Man and she a Moor. Of the same complexion was Pharaohs daughter whom Solomon took to wife of whom that in the first and literal acceptation is to be understood which spiritually is to be applied to the Church Cant. 1. 5 6. I am black but comly and I am black because the Sun hath looked on me and that Psal. 45. 13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within for she was a Blackmoor without Vers. 20. Pharaoh plagued for Sarah's and Abrahams sake who was an Hebrew Sheepherd giveth charge to the Egyptians making it as it were a law for time to come that they should not converse with Hebrews nor with forrain Sheepherds in any so near familiarity as to eat or drink with them which the Egyptians observed strictly ever after Gen. 42. 32. 46. 34. CHAP. XIII Abraham and Lot quarrel and part in the valley of Achor and this is at the very same time of the year that Israel came into the Land viz. in the first month of the year or Abib CHAP. XIV Noah in the blessing of his son Sem maketh him in a special manner Lord of the Land of Canaan Gen. 9. Hither therefore came Sem and built a City and called it after his own peaceable condition Salem here he reigned as a King but so quietly and retiredly as that he was a Priest also In this sequestration of the father from worldly cares and affairs Elam his eldest son and heir apparent though he were seated far distant in the East yet it concerneth him to have an eye to Canaan and how matters go there for the land by bequest of his grand-father Noah descended to him as by the Common Law This title bringeth Chedorlaomer an heir of Elam from Persia into Canaan when the five Cities of the plain rebel Into this war he taketh three partners younger brothers of the House of Sem Amraphel of Arphaxad King of Chaldea Arioch of Lâ—d King of Ellasar bordering upon Babylonia and Tidal of Assur King of Nations and late built Niniveh These four thus banded together and all children of Sem and all in claim of his land against the usurping Canaanites are resolved to march over and so they do all that Country both within Jordan and without Their first inrode is upon the Rephaims that lay most North and lay first in their way and so over run the Zuzims in Ammon Emims in Moab Horites or Hivites that were Troglodytes or dwelt in the rocky Caves of Mount Seir in Edom as Jer. 49. 10. Obad. ver 3. And all the Canaanites South-East and full South to Hazezon Tamar a point below the dead Sea There they turn in to the land of Canaan properly so called and as they had subdued all the Countries from North to South without Jordan so now they intend to do from South to North within And so they did but when they were come to Dan the North out-going of the land Abram overtaketh them and conquereth the conquerors and now he is doubly titled to the land namely by promise and by victory This Sem or Melchizedeck observeth upon his return with triumph and perceiveth that it was he and his posterity to whom the Lord had designed that Land in the prophetick spirit of Noah and had refused the heirs that were more apparent in Common Law and reason and therefore he bringeth forth bread and wine the best fruits of the land and tenders them as livery and sâ—isin of it to him whom he perceived that God had chosen and pointed out for the right heir CHAP. XV. All fear of claim
begin to fall about it for when there were additional sacrifices besides the dayly as the Passover or the like then it was necessary for them to begin to prepare the sacrifices from that time that it was lawful to begin about them which from that time of the day it was all the time from thence forward till night being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between the Evenings according to the letter of the Law Exod. 12. 6. Numb 28. 4. And to this sense speaketh the Text 1 King 18. 19. When noontide was passed and they had now prophecied till the offering of the Minchah not till the very time of the very firing of the sacrifice for that the verses following deny but to the time of the Minchah in that sense that we have in hand and to this purpose the difference of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 36. is very remarkable So that Peter in this practise of praying about the sixth hour intimated the custom of the Jews and though he had so long been a Convert to the Gospel yet doth he not forsake their manner of worship no more did the other Disciples as hath been shewed elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An extasie fell upon him and so Chap. 22. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in an extasie This was the highest and excellentest way of all other of revelations when a man was rapt even from himself into heaven for so Paul calls it 2 Cor. 12. 2. and was wholly in the spirit for so John calls it Rev 1. 10. being for the time as it were out of the body and in the very next degree to souls departed enjoying God Seven manner of extraordinary ways did God use to reveal himself and his will to his people in ancient times 1. By Dreams 2. By Apparitions when they were awake 3. By Visions when they were asleep 4. By Voyce from heaven 5. By Urim 6. By Inspiration or Revealing of the ear 7. By Rapture or Extasie and this last the excellentest as to him that did injoy it And of this should I understand that deep sleep that fell upon Adam Gen. 2. 21. Vers. 12. Fourfooted Beasts and wild Beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beasts tame and wild for so doth the Scripture most frequently distinguish them Vers. 15. That call not thou common Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not thou pollute that is do not thou call or account polluted Vers. 28. For so is the use of Scripture very frequently to speak as in an effective or active sense and to intend only a declarative as Gen. 41. 13. Me he restored to my office but him he hanged Ezek. 43. 3. When I came to destroy the City The Priest did make clean or make unclean the Leper Lev. 13. 6. 8. c. which was only pronouncing clean or unclean as our English hath well rendred it or teaching what was clean and what unclean as Chap. 14. 57. And in the very same sense is the binding and loosing to be understood Matth. 16. 19. and 18 18. for teaching what is bound and what loose what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews speak or what lawful what unlawful Vers. 28. Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Iew to keep company c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which words is not to be understood as if a Jew might have no dealing at all with a Gentile for they might walk and talk and traffick with them and it was within a little of impossible to do otherwise they living exceeding many of them in heathen Cities And Gentiles came continually in way of trade to Jerusalem Neh. 13. 16. But the unlawfulness of their conversing with the Gentiles was conversing in near and more close society as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and that especially in these two things not to eat with them and not to go into their houses And this is that for which they of the Circumcision excepted at Peter upon his return Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them Chap. 11. 3. § But God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean This vision that Peter had when this satisfaction was given him to learn to call nothing common was only of beasts and fowles and creeping things yet might he learn that the lesson was also to be understood of men because the distinction between men and men in regard of common and unclean was first made and most strictly made by the difference betwixt meats and meats For the very first distinguisher that ever began to inclose Israel for a peculiar from other people was the not eating of the sinew that shrank Gen. 32. Circumcision distinguished the seed of Abraham from other people but this began to distinguish Israel from the other seed of Abraham And it is observable that that ceremony or distinctive rite was first taken up when Jacob first received the name of Israel Now it is true indeed that their forbearing to eat the sinew that shrank was not as if they accounted it common or unclean but it was in regard of the honorable memorial â—â—at they read upon it yet was that ceremony the first and proper distinguisher of an Israelite from all other people under heaven some hundreds of years till more distinctive rites came in and more things were prohibited to be eaten for the surer distinction There was distinction of clean and unclean beasts before the flood as appeareth Gen. 7. 8. but this was in reference to sacrifice only and not in reference to diet at all for till the flood they ate nothing but the fruits of the ground till God gave Noah liberty to eat flesh and to eat any thing that was wholesome for diet And in this liberty did the world continue till the Law given at Sinai save only an Israelites not eating the sinew that shrank And this liberty some Jews themselves confess shall be in the days of Messias which now first taketh place at this vision of Peter and forward And here doth Peter begin to put in use and ure that power of binding and loosing which Christ had put into his hands when he put into his hands the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven And this very place doth so clearly expound and interpet that speech of our Saviour to him that it is a wonder that ever there should be such scruple and controversie about it For 1. Here beginneth the Kingdom of Heaven when the Gentiles are received to favour and to the Gospel who had been so long cast off and layn in ignorance and idolatry and when no difference is made betwixt them and the Jews any longer but of every nation they that fear God and work righteousness are accepted of him as well as Israel This is the very first beginning or dawning to the
under this sweet and lovely denomination given equally to them both The current of the story hitherto hath fairly and plainly led this occurrence to this year as the Reader himself will confess upon the trace of the History and he will be confirmed in it when he seeth the next year following to be the year of the famine which next followeth in relation in St. Luke to this that we have in hand Act. 11. 26 27 28. By what names the Professors of the Gospel were called before this time it is plain in Scripture Among themselves they were called b b b Act. 4. 15. Disciples c c c Cap. 5. 14. 6. 1. 9. 1. Believers d d d Act. 8. 1. The Church e e e Act. 8. 2. Devout men f f f Act. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 6. Brethren But among the unbelieving Jews by this sole common and scornful title of g g g Act. 24. 5. The sect of the Nazarites Epiphanius hath found out a strange name for them not to be found elsewhere nor to be warranted any where and that is the name of Jessaeans Before they were called Christians h h h Lib. 1. advers Nazaraeos pag. 120. saith he they were called Jessaei either from Jesse the father of David from whom the Virgin Mary and Christ by her descended or from Jesu the proper name of our Saviour Which thou shalt find in the books of Philo namely in that which he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which treating of their Policy Praises and monasteries which are about the Marish Marian commonly called Mareotis he speaketh of none others than of Christians Of the same opinion in regard of the men themselves are divers others both the Fathers and later writers though they differ in regard of the name No Romanist but he takes it for granted that Philo in that book that is meant by Epiphanius though he either title it not right or else couch two books under one title speaketh of Christian Monks and from thence who of them doth not plead the antiquity of a Monastick life so confidently that he shall be but laughed to scorn among them that shall deny it They build indeed upon the Ipse Dixit of some of the Fathers to the same purpose besides the likeness of those men in Philo to the Romish Monks that such a thing as this is not altogether to be passed over but something to be examined since it seemeth to carry in it self so great antiquity and weightiness Eusebius therefore in his i i i Lib. 2. c. 15 Ecclesiastical History delivereth such a matter as tradition They say saith he that Mark being first sent in Egypt preached the Gospel there which he also penned and first founded the Churches of Alexandria where so great a multitude of believing men and women grew up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a most Philosophical and strict course that Philo himself vouchsafed to write of their converse meetings feastings and all their demeanor And for this his writing of them He is reckoned by us saith k k k De Scriptorib Eccles. tom 1. pag. 102. Jerome amongst the Ecclesiastical writers because writing concerning the first Church of Mark the Evangelist he breaketh out into the praises of our men relating that they are not only there but also in many other Provinces and calling their dwellings Monasteries Of the same mind with these Fathers are Cedrenus l l l Lib. 2. cap. 16. 17. Nicephorus m m m Bibl. Sanct. l. in voce Philo. Sixtus Senensis n n n Lib. 2. c. 1. de Monach. Bellarmine o o o Apparat. Sacer. in voce Philo. Possevine and others which last cited Jesuite is not contented to be satisfied with this opinion himself but he revileth the Magdeburgenses and all others with them that are not of the same opinion with him For the examining of which before we do believe it we may part their position into these two quaeres First Whether Mark the Evangelist had founded the Church at Alexandria before Philo wrote that book And secondly whether those men about Alexandria reported of by Philo were Christians at all yea or no. First then look upon Philo and upon his age and you shall find that the last year when he was in Embassie at Rome he was ancient and older than any of the other Commissioners that were joyned with him for so he saith of himself Caesar speaking affably to them when they first came before him the standers by thought their matter would go well with them p p p In legat ad Caium But I saith he that seemed to outstrip the others in years and judgement c. and then from him look at the time when Mark is brought by the Ecclesiastical Historians first into Egypt and Alexandria q q q In Chronico Eusebius for we will content our selves with him only hath placed this at the third of Claudius in these words Marcus Evangelista interpres Petri Aegypto Alexandriae Christum annunciat And then is Philo four years older than before To both which add what time would be taken up after Marks preaching before his converts could be disposed into so setled a form of buildings constitutions and exercises and then let indifferency censure whether Philo that was so old so long before should write his two books of the Esseni and the Therapeutae after all this But because we will not build upon this alone let us for the resolution of our second Quaere character out these men that are so highly esteemed for the patterns of all Monasticks and that in Philo's own words and description PART III. The JEVVISH History §. 1. The Therapeutae THEY are called Therapeutae and Therapeutrides saith Philo either because they profess a Physick better than that professed in Cities for that healeth bodies only but this diseased souls Or because they have learned from nature and the holy Laws to serve him that is Those that betake themselves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this course do it not out of fashion or upon any ones exhortation but ravished with a heavenly love even as the Bacchantes and Corybantes have their raptures until they behold what they desire Then through the desire of an immortal and blessed life reputing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves to die to this mortal life they leave their estates to sons or daughters or to other kindred voluntarily making them their heirs and to their friends and familiars if they have no kindred When they are thus parted from their goods being taken now by no bait they flie irrevocably leaving Brethren Children Wives Parents numerous Kindreds Societies and Countries where they were born and bred they flit not into other Cities but they make their abode without the walls in gardens or solitary Villages affecting the wilderness not for any hatred of men but because of
being mixed with men of different conditions which thing they know is unprofitable and hurtful This kind of people are in many parts of the world but it abounds in Egypt through every one of those places that are called Nomi especially about Alexandria Now out of all places the chief or best of the Therapeutae are sent into a Colony as it were into their Country into a most convenient region besides the lake Maria upon a low gentle rising bank very fit both for safety and the wholesom air The houses of the company are very mean affording shelter in two most necessary respects against the heat of the Sun and the coldness of the air Nor are they near together like houses in a City for such vicinity is trouble and displeasing to such as love and affect solitude Nor yet far asunder because of that communion which they imbrace and that they may help one another if there be any incursion of thieves Every one of them hath a holy house which is called a * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chappel and Monastery in which they * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being solitary do perform the mysteries of a Religious life bringing in thither neither drink nor meat nor any other necessaries for the use of the body but the Law and the Oracles given by the Prophets and hymns and other things whereby knowledge and religion are increased and perfected Therefore they have God perpetually in their mind insomuch that in their dreams they see nothing but the beauty of the Divine powers and there some of them who by dreaming do vent excellent matters of Philosophy They use to pray twice every day morning and evening at Sun rising and Sun setting and all the time between they meditate and study the Scripture allegorizing them because they believe that mystical things are hid under the plain letter they have also many commentaries of their predecessors of this Sect to this purpose They also made Psalms and Hymns to the praise of God Thus spend they the six days of the week every one in his Cell not so much as looking out of it But on the seventh day they meet together and sit down according to their age demurely with their hands within their coats the right hand betwixt their breast and their skin and the left on their side Then steps forth one of the gravest and skilfullest in their profession and preacheth to them and the rest hearken with all silence only nodding their heads or moving their eyes their place of worship is parted into two rooms one for the men and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other for the women All the week long they never taste meat nor drink any day before Sun setting because they think the studdy of wisdom to be fit for the light and the taking ease of their bodies for the dark some hardly eat above once in three days some in six on the seventh day after they have taken care of the soul they refresh the body Their diet is only bread and salt and some add a little hyssop Their drink spring-water Their cloths mean and only fit to keep out heat and cold At the end of every seven weeks they feast together honouring much the number seven Old women are present at their feasts but they are such as are Virgins upon devotion When they first meet together they first stand and pray that the feast may be blessed to them then sit they down the men on one side and the women on the other some of their young Scholers wait on them their diet is but as at other times bread and salt for their meat hyssop for sauce and water for drink there is general silence all the meal save that one or other asketh or resolveth questions the rest holding their peace and they shew by their several gestures that they understand or approve or doubt Their interpretations of Scripture are all allegories when the president hath satisfied the things proposed they give a general applause and then he singeth a Psalm either of his own making or of some of the ancients And thus do the rest in their course when all have done the young men take away the table and then they rise and fall to a daunce the men apart and the women apart for a while but at last they joyn and dance all together and this is in representation of the dance upon the shore of the red Sea Thus spend they the night when Sun riseth they all turn their faces that way and pray for a happy day and for truth and understanding and so they depart every one to their Cells To this purpose doth Philo describe these Therapeutae of his times which howsoever they are taken for Christians by divers as was said before yet it is so plain by divers passages in Philo's Charactering of them that they were no Christians but Jewish sectaries that it is even needless to determinate it let the reader but consider that it is a Jew that commends their devotion that he himself imitates their manner of expounding the Scriptures by allegories that he saith they had many commentaries of their predecessors to that tenour that they were superstitious about the number seven as he himself is not a little and if there were no other arguments to prove that they were only a Sect of the Jews these were enow §. 2. The affairs of the Jews in Alexandria and Babylonia The death of Caius was an allay to the troubles of the Jews both in Judea and Alexandria and the proclamation of Claudius which we shall hear of the next year was their utter cessation for the present but so it was not in Babylonia The terror and trouble that had seized Judea about the statue of Caesar was removed and extinct with the removal and extinction of Caesar himself so were the pressures of them in Alexandria mitigated much from what they were before though their commotions and troubling continued still in an equal measure For whereas before the displeasure of the Emperor lay so heavy upon them that they neither could nor durst stand out in their own defence when that burden is now removed they gather heart and metal and now though the Greeks and they be continually at daggers drawn yet now it is upon equal terms and they dare strike as well as the other But in Babylonia and thereabout their miseries is but now a brewing and an equal strait is preparing for them as had been to either of the other though it began with some smiling of a seeming happiness and the sunshine of present prosperity The bloodhound of vengeance was to hunt this Nation and not to be taken off till it was destroyed and therefore when it giveth off the quest in one place it takes it in another and leaveth not their footing till it had left them no footing at all Those Jews whose Tragedy we have seen acted already found their own misery though
his seed to Molech or useth Sorcery or profaneth the Sabbath or eateth holy things in his uncleanness or that cometh into the Sanctuary he being unclean or that eateth fat or blood or what is left of the sacrifice or any sacrificed thing not offered in season or that killeth or offereth up a sacrifice out of the Court or that eateth leaven at the Passover or that eateth ought on the day of Expiation or doth any work on it or that makes oil or incense like the holy or that anoints with holy oil that delayeth the Passover or Circumcision for which there are affirmative precepts All these if done wilfully are liable to cutting off and if done ignorantly then to the fixed sin-offering and if it be unknown whether he did it or no then to a suspensive trespass-offering but only he that defiles the Sanctuary and its holy things for he is bound to an ascending or descending offering Now that we may the better understand what Death by the hand of Heaven and Cutting off mean we are first to take notice that neither of them was any penalty inflicted by the hand or sentence of man but both of them do import a liableness to the wrath and vengeance of the Lord in their several kinds And the Jews do ever account Cutting off to be the higher and more eminent degree of Divine vengeance As to spare more evidences of this which might be given copiously this passage of Maymonides is sufficient and it is remarkable when he saith f f f Maym. in Biath Mikdash per. 4. Is it possible for a Priest that serveth in his uncleanness to stay so little in the Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As that he should be guilty of death by the hand of Heaven only and not guilty of cutting off He had had those words but a little before which were cited even now An unclean person that serveth in the Sanctuary profaneth his Service and is guilty of death by the hand of Heaven although he stay not there and then he comes on and is it possible saith he that he should stay so little as to be guilty only of death by the hand of Heaven and not to be guilty of cutting off Apparently shewing that cutting off was the deeper degree and die of guilt and vengeance by the hand of God and Divine indignation By Death by the hand of Heaven in their sense therefore is to be apprehended some such a sodain avengeful stroke as the Lord shewed upon Nadab and Abihu or Ananias and Saphira to take them away And this may the better be collected by two passages usual in the Rabbins about this matter First In that they give up the offence of the Priests drinking wine before they went to serve which is held to have been the offence of Nadab and Abihu g g g â—â—â— per. 1. to death by the hand of Heaven which argues that they mean such a kind of stroke as they two had And secondly In that wheresoever the Law enjoyneth Aaron and his sons and the people about the affairs of the Sanctuary they shall or they shall not do thus or thus lest they die they interpret this of death by the hand of Heaven But what to understand by Cutting off is not so readily agreed among them h h h Kimchi in Esay â—8 Kimchi alledgeth it as the opinion of their Doctors That Dying before fifty years old is death by cutting off Compare Joh. 8. 57. i i i R. Sol. in Gâ—â— 17. Rabbi Solomon saith It is to die childless and to die before his time Baal Aruch giveth this distinction between Cutting off and Death by the hand of Heaven that k k k Arâ—â—h in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cutting off is of himself and of his children but Death by the hand of Heaven is of himself but not of his children But mean it which of these you will or all these together or which may have good probability to conceive a liableness to cutting off from the life of the world to come both this and Death by the Hand of Heaven were held by that Nation with whom the phrases were so much in use to mean not any censure or punishment inflicted by man but an impending vengeance of God and a continual danger and possibility when indignation should seize upon him that was faln under these gilts Anathema Maran Atha one under a curse whensoever the Lord shall come to inflict it as Joh. 3. 18 36. SECT III. Penalties inflicted upon unclean persons found in the Temple Whipping and the Rebels beating IT was not a small awe that this might work in the hearts of the people towards their restraining from going into the Sanctuary in their uncleanness to have this impressed and inculcated upon them as it was continually that such a venture did hazard them both body and soul and brought them ipso facto into Gods dreadful displeasure and into undoubted danger of accrewing judgment But did they let the offender thus alone that had offended as if he was fallen under the guilt of death by the Hand of Heaven or under the guilt of cutting off that they had no more to do with him but leave him to the justice of God and to judgment when it should fall upon him Many a wretch would make sleight of this matter and because sentence upon his evil work was not executed speedily his heart would be fully set in him to do so again as Eccles. 8. 11. Therefore they let not the Delinquent so escape but as he had fallen under the wrath of God so they also brought him under a penalty by the hand of man And this penalty was twofold either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whipping by the appointment of the Judges or mawling and beating by the people 1. There was the penalty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whipping or scourging upon the censure of the Judges according to the Law Deut. 25. 2. Where he was to receive forty stripes but their Tradition brought it to forty save one 2 Cor. 11. 24. And the reason of this was because they would make a hedge to the Law and whereas that commands that they should not give to a Delinquent that was whipt above forty stripes lest their brother should seem vile unto them they abated one of forty to make sure to keep within compass The measure and manner of their whipping is largely described in the Treatise Maccoth thus in their own words a a a Maccoth per. 3. How many stripes do they give him saith the Mishueh there Why forty lacking one As it is said by a certain number forty stripes that is a number near to forty Rabbi Judah saith he is beaten with full forty and where hath he the odd one above thirty nine Between his shoulders They allot him not stripes but so as they might be triplicated They allot him to receive forty he hath had some of them
6. and then their Tongue shall revive again as they surmise But the divine Apocaliptick writing after Jerusalem was ruined might teach them what the second Jerusalem must be not on Earth but from Heaven Apoc. 21. 2. But to return to their Tongue The Characters we now have the Hebrew Tongue in Scaliger thinks are but of a latter hatch and not the same that the Jews used from Moses till the destruction of the Temple For that they used the Phaenician or Cananaean Character which now is called the Samaritan How truly I refer to the Readers judgment The Character we now have is either a set or a running letter the first the Bible is ordinarily Printed in in the latter the most of the Rabbins The whole Tongue is contained in the Bible and no one book else in the World contains in it a whole Language And this shews that the Scripture speaks to all sorts of people since it speaks of all sorts of things This Language is as God said the Jews should be if they would keep his Law A lender to all and a borrower of none All Tongues are in debt to this and this to none The Eastern most especially must acknowledge this Some men in the East saith Origen reserve their old speech meaning by likelihood the Hebrew and have not altered it but have continued in the Eastern Tongue because they have continued in the Eastern Countries No Eastern Tongue that I have heard of is Hebrew now so that what to say to Origen I cannot tell unless he mean that those that have continued in the East have kept nearest this holy Tongue because nearest the holy Land this to be true is known to the meanest Learned In their speech it is apparent and by their writing confirmed All of them have learned from the Hebrew to write from the right hand to the left or as we usually call it in England to write and read backward The China and Japan writing excepted which is indeed from the right hand to the left but not with the lines crossing the leaf as other Tongues do but the lines down the leaf A strange way by it self Again most of the Eastern Tongues do use the Hebrew Character for quick writing or some other end The Chaldee letter is the very same The Syrian though it have two or three kinds of its own yet is content sometime to take upon it the Hebrew Character The Arabian doth the like especially the Jews in Turky use in hatred of Mahumetans to write down their matters of Religion in the Hebrew Character though in the Arabian Tongue So do the Christian Arabians for the same cause in their holy things use the Arabian Tongue but Syrian Letter And I take a place in Epiphanius to be meant to this purpose also about the Persian Tongue His words out of another are these The Persians besides their own Letters do also use the Letters of the Syrians as in our times many Nations use the Greek though almost every Nation hath a proper Character I refer to the Reader to judge whether he mean not that the Persians as other Countries about them did did use the Hebrew Character for their quick writing which is called Syrian by Theodoret. To speak of the grace and sweetness and fulness of the Hebrew Tongue is to no purpose to relate for even those that cannot read this Tongue have read thus much of it CHAP. XXXI Of Vowels EAstern Tongues especially the Hebrew and her three Dialects Chaldee Syrian and Arabian are written sometimes with vowels sometimes without with for certainty without for the speedier writing we have Hebrew Bibles of both kinds The Septuagint it seems translated by the unpricked Bible as St. Hierome in his Commentary upon the Prophets seemeth to import and as to any one that examineth it is easie to find Instead of all other places in Gen. 4. 7. it is apparent where the seventy Translators reserving the Letters have strangely altered the Vowels The Hebrew hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo imtetibh Seeth weim lo tetibh lappethahh hhatath robhets which is in English thus If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted And if thou do not well sin lieth at the door they Translate it as pointed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo im tetibh seeth weim lo tetibh lephatteahh hhatatha rebhats Which is If thou do well in offering and do not well in dividing thou hast sinned be quiet This follow with one consent the Greek and many of the Latine Fathers They could not thus translate because they knew not the Text or because they wanted pointed Bibles but on set purpose to hide Pearls from Swine as the best Learned think But that they did always miss on set purpose where they missed their many lapses seem to deny but sometime they mistook the unpricked Text and so misconstrued A vowelled Bible they might have had but would not Some there be that think the vowels of the Hebrew were not invented for many years after Christ. Which to mee seemeth to be all one as to deny sinews to a body or to keep an Infant unswadled and to suffer him to turn and bend any way till he grow out of fashion For mine own satisfaction I am fully resolved that the Letters and Vowels of the Hebrew were as the Soul and Body in a Child knit together at their conception and beginning and that they had both one Author 1. For first a Tongue cannot be learned without Vowels though at last skill and practise may make it to be read without Grammar and not Nature makes men to do this and this also helped out with the sence of the place we read 2. That Masorites should amend that which the Septuagint could not see and that they should read righter than the other who were of far greater Authority I cannot believe 3. Our Saviour in his words of one Jota and one small kerai not perishing from the Law seems to allude to the least of the Letters Jod and the least Vowel and Accent 4. Lastly It is above the skill of a meer man to point the Bible nay scarcely a verse as it is The Ten Commandments may puzzle all the World for that skill CHAP. XXXII Of the Language of two Testaments THE two Testaments are like the Apostles at Jerusalem when the confusion of Tongues at Babel was recompensed with multiplicity of Tongues at Sion speaking in different Languages but speaking both to one purpose They differ from each other only in Language and time but for matter the New is veiled in the Old and Old reveiled in the New Isaiah in his vision heard the Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to Isa. 6. 2. another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of tsebhaoth So the two Testaments like these two Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to another the Old cries to the New and the New ecchoes to the Old The Old cries Holy is the Lord that hath promised the
man and yet so good and so St. Gregory saith his Country is purposely named that the goodness of the man may be the more illustrated His times may be picked by the genealogy of himself and his friends that come to see him And God in the first and second Chapter saith that there was not a man on earth like him for goodness which is a sign that Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Joseph were not alive nor Moses but in the times 'twixt Joseph and Moses Israel corrupt themselves with Egyptian Idols and in Israel the likeliest place to find a good man in is not one to be found like Job Thus when Israel idolizes and the Church begins to fail in Jacob God hath one in Arabia that hath a little Church in his house It is not amiss for every one for his more watchfulness to mark that Satan knows Job as soon as ever God speaks of him When the Angels appear before God Satan the Devil is among them So When the Disciples are with Christ Judas a Devil is among them Pharoah in Egypt is afflicted by God His afflictions harden him against God Job in Arabia is afflicted by the Devil His afflictions harden him against the Devil Jobs Children feasting overwhelmed by an house The Philistins sporting overwhelmed by an house Judg. 16. Job is afflicted as the souldiers 2 King 1. by fire As the Ziklagites 1 Sam. 30. by Captivity As the Egyptians with loss of Children Exod. 12. And as the Egyptians with boils Exod. 9. And which was not his least cross like Adam with an ill counselling wife Job hath three with him when he is changed by affliction So Christ hath three with him when he is changed in transfiguration which three as they were by Christ when Moses and Elias Law and Prophesie told him in the mount of his departing which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Luke 9. 31. So these three were with him when he began to accomplish these things Matth. 26. 37. CHAP. LV. Egyptians Deities ex Athenae Deipn Lib. 7. ANaxandrides in his book of Cities turning his speech to the Egyptians saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus does one Heathen Idolater deride another because he worships as the other thinks the more ridiculous Deities The very Heathen could deride and scoff at their vain gods Dionysius was most notorious this way and knavish in this kind was the Painter who when he should have drawn the picture of such a goddess for a Grecian City to worship he drew the portraiture of his own sweet-heart and so made her to be adored And indeed what man could have held laughing to have seen as my Poet saith here an Egyptian on his maribones adoring a Dog or praying to an Ox or especially to see him mourning and howling over a sick Cat fearing lest his scratching God should die CHAP. LVI Of the Law broken by Adam THE Law was Adams lease when God made him tenent of Eden The conditions of which bond when he kept not he forfeited himself and all us God read a lecture of the Law to him before he fell to be * * * The Jews in their writings use this phrase frequently for the Law as in Pirke Ahhoth a hedge to him to keep him in Paradise but when Adam would not keep within compass this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate to keep him and his posterity out Adam heard as much in the garden as Israel did at Sinai but only in fewer words and without thunder The Law came more gently to him before his fall but after his fall comes the thunder with it Adam at one clap breaks both the Tables and all the Commandments 1. He chose him another god when he followed the Devil 2. He idolized and deified his own belly as the Apostles phrase is his belly he made his god 3. He took the name of God in vain when he believed him not 4. He kept not the rest and estate wherein God had set him 5. He dishonoured his Father which was in Heaven therefore his days were not long in that land which the Lord his god had given him 6. He massacred himself and all his posterity 7. From Eve he was Virgin but in eyes and mind he committed spiritual fornication 8. He stole that like Achan which God had set aside not to be medled with and this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel the whole world 9. He bare witness against God when he believed the witness of the Devil above him 10. He coveted an ill covetousness like Amnon which cost him his life and all his progeny What a nest of evils here were committed at one blow The pride of heart and desire of more knowledge like Hamans ambition overthrew us This sin was hatched in Heaven by the wicked Angels but thrown out with them and never will come in there again Hence is this sin so lofty because it affects its first nest It is not for nothing that Blessed are the poor in spirit are the first words in Christs Sermon Matth. 5. 3. but because the proud in spirit were the first sinners CHAP. LVII Of the Law given at Sinai WHEN Israel is got from the hard service of Egypt God binds them apprentise to a new Master himself Their Indentures he draws upon Mount Sinai a place where Moses before had kept a flock of sheep now he keeps a troop of men In the Delivery of the Law there if you will stand with Israel in your place you may consider many passages CHAP. LVIII Why the Law was published then and not before AT Sinai was delivered no new thing the Law in some kind was known before Sacrifice was used by Adam in the garden when the body of the beasts went for an offering for his soul and the skins for a covering for his body Cain and Abel learn this part of worship from their father The division of clean and unclean beasts is known to Noah when they come to him for their lives as they had done to Adam for their names Abraham when God made a * * * So says the Geneva Bible in marg but Rab. Solomon long before saith thus It is the custom of those that make covenants to divide beasts into two parts and pass between the parts as Jer. 24. 18. And God passes between these in this smoking furnace and fire brand for making covenants in like kinds Homer speaks near this covenant with him Genesis 15. Divides and divides not his beasts and fowls just as God commands Lev. 1. 6. 17. and so of the rest Fathers could teach their Children these things as they themselves had learned them of their Fathers But when men began to multiply and multitude to be more wicked than would they not be so easily bridled by a Law whose author they knew no more of but their Fathers And when men lived but a short time in comparison of the first men and so could not
Levit. II. were by no means to be eaten but Meats unclean in themselves were lawful indeed to be eaten but contracted some uncleanness elswhere it was lawful to eat them and it was not lawful or to speak as the thing indeed is they might eat them by the Law of God but by the Canons of Pharisaism they might not IV. The distinction also between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unclean and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profane or polluted is to be observed Rambam in his Preface to Toharoth declares it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Profane or polluted denotes this that it does not pollute another beside it self For every thing which uncleanness invades so that it becomes unclean but renders not another thing unclean is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profane And hence it is said of every one that eats unclean meats or drinks unclean drinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That his body is polluted but he pollutes not another Note that the body of the eater is polluted by unclean meats To which you may add that which follows in the same Maimonides in the place before alledged Separation from the common people c. conduces to the purity of the body from evil works the purity of the body conduceth to the sanctity of the soul from evil affections the sanctity of the soul conduces unto likeness to God as it is said And ye shall be sanctified and ye shall be holy because I the Lord that sanctifie you am holy Hence you may more clearly perceive the force of Christs confutation which we have ver 17 18 19 20. V. They thought that clean food was polluted by unclean hands and that the hands were polluted by unclean meats You would wonder at this Tradition g g g g g g Rambam in the place beâ—ore Unclean meats and unclean drinks do not defile a man if he touch them not but if he touch them with his hands then his hands become unclean if he handle them with both hands both hands are defiled if he touch them with one hand only one hand only is defiled VI. This care therefore laid upon the Pharisee Sect that meats should be set on free as much as might be from all uncleanness but especially since they could not always be secure of this that they might be secure that the meats were not rendred unclean by their hands Hence were the washings of them not only when they knew them to be unclean but also when they knew it not Rambam in the Preface to the Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hands hath these words If the hands are unclean by any uncleaness which renders them unclean or if it be hid from a man and he knows not that he is polluted yet he is bound to wash his hands in order to eating his common food c. VII To these most rigid Canons they added also Bugbears and Ghosts to assright them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h h h h h h Bab. Taanith fol. 20. 2. It was a business of Shibta Where the Gloss is Shibta was one of the Demoâ—s who hurt them that wash not their hands before meat The Aruch writes thus Shibta is an evil spirit which sits upon mens hands in the night and if any touch his food with unwashen hands that spirit sits upon that food and there is danger from it Let these things suffice as we pass along it would be infinite to pursue all that is said of this rite and superstition Of the quantity of water sufficient for this washing of the washing of the hands and of the plunging of them of the first and second water of the manner of washing of the time of the order when the number of those that sat down to meat exceeded five or did not exceed and other such like niceties read if you have leisure and if the toyl and nauseousness of it do not offend you the Talmudick Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hands Maimonides upon the Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavers and i i i i i i Fol. 45. 2 c. Bab. Beracoth and this Article indeed is inserted through the whole volume entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleanness Let this discourse be ended with this Canon k k k k k k Hieros Chalâ—ah fol. 58. 3. For a cake and for the washing of hands let a man walk as far as four miles VERS V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me c. I. BEside the Law alledged by Christ Honour thy father and thy mother c. they acknowledg this also for Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l l l l l l Tosaphta in Kiddushin cap. 1. A son is bound to provide his father meat and drink to cloth him to cover him to lead him in and out to wash his face hands and feet Yea that goes higher m m m m m m Hieros Kiddushin fol. 61. 2. 3. A son is bound to nourish his father yea to beg for him Therefore it is no wonder if these things which are spoken by our Saviour are not found verbatim in the Jewish Pandect for they are not so much alledged by him to shew that it was their direct design to banish away all reverence and love towards parents as to shew how wicked their Traditions were and into what ungodly consequences they oftentimes fell They denied not directly the nourishing of their parents nay they commanded it they exhorted to it but consequently by this Tradition they made all void They taught openly indeed that a father was to be made no account of in comparison of a Rabbin that taught them the Law n n n n n n Maimon iâ—â—â—z lah cap. 12. but they by no means openly asserted that parents were to be neglected yet openly enough they did by consequence drawn from this foolish and impious Tradition II. One might readily comment upon this clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a gift or as Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is Corbam by what soever thou mayst be profited by me if he have read the Talmudiâ— Tracts Nedarim and Nazir where the discourse is of Vows and Oaths and the phrase which is before us speaks a vow or a form of swearing 1. Vows were distinguished into two ranks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vows of consecration and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vows of obligation or of prohibition A vow of consecration was when any thing was devoted to holy uses namely to the use of the Altar or the Temple as when a man by a vow would dedicate this or that for sacrifice or to buy wood salt wine c. for the Altar or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the reparation of the Temple c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A vow of obligation or prohibition was when a man bound himself by a vow from this or that thing which was lawful in it self As that he
we do not say certainly in this also it gave place to no Country if either barrenness or fruitfulness served for the breeding them for Jericho and the adjacent parts was like a garden of pleasure in the midst of a Desert Certainly the place was very convenient for that great Work to be performed by the Baptist that is Baptizing in Jordan SECT VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Region round about Iordan Matth. III. 5. HERE that of Borchard is not unuseful b b b b b b Borch cap. 7. 26. Know that from the rise of Jordan under Libanus unto the Desert of Pharan almost an hundred miles Jordan it self on both shores hath spacious and pleasant fields which are compassed behind with very high mountains The truth of which if his Eyes had not experienced it he might have learned from Josephus who speaks thus c c c c c c Jos. de bell lib. 4. cap. 27. Over Jericho hangs a mountain stretched forth Northward even to the Country of Scythopolis and Southward to the Country of Sodome and the utmost borders of the Asphaltites It is craggy and not habitable by reason of barrenness Against it runs out a mountain near Jordan beginning at Julias and the North Country and stretched out Southward unto Gomorrha where it bounds the Rock of Arabia The Middle between these two Mountanous Regions is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great Plain extended from the Town Ginnabri unto the Asphaltites in length MCC furlongs in breadth CXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is cut in the middle by Jordan The Plain of Jordan before the overthrow of Sodome c. Gen. XIX is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Country about it in the LXX Those words teach what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Region about Jordan and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All added by the Evangelist may perswade us that the further side may also be taken in especially if it be considered how small a distance the River made The space was so little that as the Gemarists relate d d d d d d Hieros Bava Kama fol. 5. 3. a fire kindled on one side reached over to the other And they suppose water on this side might be spurted to the other in that Caution e e e e e e Ba◠Jevamoth fol. 116. 2. Let no man take the waters of purification and the ashes of purification and carry them beyond Jordan Nor let him stand on this side and spurt to the other However The River was not so broad but that two standing on each bank might look upon one another cast something over from the one side to the other yea and talk together And then think whether the Inhabitants of the further side resorted not to the Baptist being so near him and as it were within sight of him The Masters dispute whether Jordan be to be esteemed as the bounds of the Land of Israel or as the Land it self and the occasion of that dispute ariseth from another question namely this The flock of one man is separated and divided into two parts and those two parts feed in distant places it is asked Whether tithe is to be taken as of one flock or two Hence the discussion of the point glides to Jordan one part of the flock is on this side Jordan the other on the other If Jordan be to be esteemed for the bounds of the Land then one part is within the Land the other without But if it be to be reputed for the Land it self then the business is otherwise Among other things in this dispute f f f f f f Becoroth fol. 55. 1. Saith Rabbah Bar bar Channah R. Jochanan saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jordan is not but inwards from Jericho and beneath it You would think me more skilful than a Diver to fetch this secret from the bottom Jordan is not Jordan above Jericho is a paradox that vexes the Glossers themselves much more therefore may it me One understands the thing according to the bare letter for he that voweth saith he that he will not drink of Jordan may drink above Jericho Another understands it of Jericho as being a bounds yea as the bounds named below Jericho only Josh. XVIII 20. We make no tarrying upon the business But if Jordan had such a limitation that Jordan was not above Jericho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Region about Jordan is to be understood in the same limitation namely that it is only below Jericho See the LXX on Gen. XIII 10 12. The Masters sifting this business out of one scruple move another for they speak these words Jordan sloweth out of the Cave of Paneas goes along by the Sibbechean Sea by the Sea of Tiberias by the Sea of Sodome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And passeth on and glides into the great Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Jordan is not but inwards from Jericho and below it Let any shew me where Jordan flows out of the Sea of Sodome into the Mediterranean The River Shihor carrying blackness in its name may be taken for it if it be any other but neither does this appear concerning it While you see multitudes gathered together to John and gladly baptized in Jordan without fear without danger alas how much was Jordan changed from that Jordan in that story of Saligniac Jordan saith he g g g g g g Salign Tom. IX cap. 6. in which place Christ was baptized is famous for a ruinous building Here therefore all we Pilgrims went into the holy River and washed our Bodies and our Souls those from silth and these from sin a matter of very great joy and health had not an unhappy accident disturbed our joys For a certain Physician a French man of our company an honest man going something farther into the River was caught with a Crocodile whether one should call it a Dragon or a beast it is uncertain and swallowed him up not without the common grief of our brethren The Wilderness also where our Saviour underwent his forty days temptation was on the same bank of Jordan where the baptism of John was St. Luke witnessing it that Jesus being now baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 returned from Jordan namely from the same Tract whereby he came thither CHAP. III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Treasury Mark XII 41. I. Various Carbans II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corban chests III. The Corban 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamber IV. Where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Treasury was V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gad Iavan in the Temple VI. Ierusalem in Herodotus is Cadytis VII The streets of Ierusalem VIII The street leading from the Temple towards the Mount of Olivet THAT which the Talmudists say of some other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a a a a a a Shevuoth cap. 1. hal 1. that they were two which at last became four may have place as to the Corbans or
amongst them yet were they not exactly Eleven then for Thomas was absent Joh. XX. 24. 2. When the Eleven are mentioned we must not suppose it exactly meant of the number of Apostles then present but the present number of the Apostles VERS XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They supposed they had seen a Spirit WHereas the Jews distinguished between Angels and Spirits and Daemons Spirits are defined by R. Hoshaiah l l l l l l Beresh rabb◠fol. 34. 2. to be such to whom souls are created but they have not a body made for those souls But it is a question whether they included all spirits or souls under this notion when it is more than probable that apparitions of Ghosts or deceased persons who once had a body were reckoned by them under the same title Nor do I apprehend the Disciples had any other imagination at this time than that this was not Christ indeed in his own person as newly raised from the dead but a Spectrum only in his shape himself being still dead And when the Pharisees speak concerning Paul Acts XXIII 9. That if an Angel or a Spirit hath spoken to him I would easily believe they might mean it of the Apparition of some Prophet or some other departed just person than of any soul that had never yet any body created to it I the rather incline thus to think because it is so evident that it were needless to prove how deeply impressed that Nation was with an opinion of the Apparitions of departed Ghosts VERS XLIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms IT is a known division of the Old Testament into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law the Prophets and the Holy Writings by abbrevation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I. The Books of the Law and their order need not be insisted upon called commonly by us the Pentateuch but by some of the Rabbins the Heptateuch and by some Christians the Octateuch m m m m m m Schabb. fol. 116. 1. R. Samuel bar Nachman saith R. Jonathan saith Wisdom hath hewn out her seven Pillars Prov. IX 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the seven Books of the Law The Book of Numbers compleats the seven Books of the Law But are there not but five Books only Ben Kaphra saith the Book of Numbers is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three Books From the beginning of the Book to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it came to pass when the Ark set forward Chap. X. 35. is a Book by it self That verse and the following is a Book by it self And from thence to the end of the Book is a Book by it self The reason why they accounted this period Chap. X. 35. 36. to be one Book by it self was partly because it does not seem put there in its proper place partly because in the beginning of it it hath the letter Nun inverted thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so after the end of it in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in both places is set for a boundary and limit to distinguish that period from the rest of the Book Whatever therefore goes before from the beginning of the Book to that period is reckoned by them for one Book and whatever follows it for another Book and the period it self for a third Eulogius speaking concerning Dosthes or Dositheus a famous seducer of the Samaritans hath this passage n n n n n n Apud Phot. Cod. ccxxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He adulterated the Octateuch of Moses with spurious writings and all kind of corrupt falsifyings There is mention also of a Book with this title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o o o o o o Cod. xxxvi The Christians Book An Exposition upon the Octateuch Whether this was the Octateuch of Moses it is neither certain nor much worth our enquiry for Photius judgeth him a corrupt Author besides that it may be shewn by and by that there was a twofold Octateuch besides that of Moses Now if any man should ask how it come to pass that Eulogius and that probably from the common notion of the thing should divide the Books of Moses into an Octateuch I had rather any one else rather than my self should resolve him in it But if any consent that he owned the Heptateuch we have already mentioned we should be ready to reckon the last Chapter of Deuteronomy for the eighth part Aben Ezra will smile here who in that his obscure and disguised denial of the Books of the Pentateuch as if they were not writ by the pen of Moses he instances in that Chapter in the first place as far as I can guess as a testimony against it You have his words in his Commentary upon the Book of Deuteronomy a little from the beginning p p p p p p Cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if you understand the mystery of the twelve c. i. e. of the twelve Verses of the last Chapter of the Book for so his own Country-men expound him thou wilt know the truth i. e. that Moses did not write the whole Pentateuch an argument neither worth answering nor becoming so great a Philosopher For as it is a ridiculous thing to suppose that Chapter that treats of the death and burial of Moses should be written by himself so would it not be much less ridiculous to affix that Chapter to any other volume than the Pentateuch But these things are not the proper subject for our present handling II. There also was an Octatuech of the Prophets too q q q q q q Bava bathra fol. 14. 2. All the Books of the Prophets are eight Josuah Judges Samuel Kings Jeremy Ezekiel Isaiah and the twelve For the Historical Books also were read in their Synagogues under the notion of the Prophets as well as the Prophets themselves whose names are set down You will see the title prefixt to them in the Hebrew Bibles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former Prophets as well as to the others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter Prophets The Doctors give us the reason why they dispose the Prophets in that order that Jeremiah is named first Ezekiel next and Isaiah last which I have quoted in Notes upon Matth. XXVII 9. and let not the Reader think it irksome to repeat it here r r r r r r Bava bathra ubi supr Whereas the Book of Kings ends in destruction and the whole Book of Jeremy treats about destruction whereas Ezekiel begins with destruction and ends in consolation and whereas Isaiah is all in consolation they joyned destruction with destruction and consolation with consolation III. The third division of the Bible is intitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Writings And here also is found an Octateuch by some body as it seems though I know not where to
truth that death is the wages of sin yet is it not to be understood so much of those very pangs whereby the Soul and Body are disjoyned as the continuation of the divorce betwixt Soul and Body in the Grave VERS XXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell IT is well know what the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in Greek Authors viz. the state of the dead be they just or unjust And their Eternal state is distinguished not so much by the word it self as by the qualities of the persons All the just the Heroes the followers of Religion and Vertue according to those Authors are in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hades but it is in Elysium in joy and felicity All the evil the wicked the unjust they are in Hades too but then that is in Hell in torture and punishment So that the word Hades is not used in opposition to Heaven or the state of the blessed but to this world only or this present state of life which might be made out by numberless instances in those Authors The Soul of our Saviour therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descended into Hell i. e. he passed into the state of the dead viz. into that place in Hades where the Souls of good Men went But even there did not God suffer his Soul to abide separate from his body nor his body to putrifie in the Grave because it was impossible for Christ to be holden of those bands of death seeing his death was not some punishment of sin but the utmost pitch of obedience he himself being not only without sin but uncapable of committing any VERS XXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let me speak freely c. IT is doubted whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred I may or let me If that which R. Isaac saith obtained at that time viz. Those words my flesh shall rest in hope teach us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That neither worm nor Insect had any power over David u u u u u u Mâ—dr Till fol. 13. 4. then was it agreeable enough that St. Peter should by way of Preface crave the leave of his Auditory in speaking of David's being putrified in the Grace and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is well rendred let me But I may pleaseth me best and by this Paraphrase the words may be illustrated That this passage Thou shalt not leave my soul in Hell c. is not to be applied to David himself appears in that I may confidently averr concerning him that he was dead and buried and never rose again but his Soul was left 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the state of the dead and he saw corruption for his Sepulchre is with us unto this day under that very notion that it is the Sepulchre of David who dyed and was there buried nor is their one syllable any where mentioned of the Resurrection of his body or the return of his soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the state of the dead I cannot slip over that passage w w w w w w Hieros Chaâ—ig fol. 78. 1. R Jose ben R. ben saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 David dyed at Pentecost and all Israel bewailed him and offered their Sacrifices the day following VERS XXXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Lord said unto my Lord. c. SEEING St. Peter doth with so much assurance and without scruple apply these words to the Messiah it is some sign that that Comment wherewith the later Jews have gloz'd over this place was not thought of or invented at that time Glossing on the words thus The Lord said unto Abraham sit thou on my right hand x x x x x x Sanhedr fol. 108. 2. Sem the great said unto Eleazar when the Kings of the East and of the West came against you how did you do He said unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God took up Abraham and made him sit at his right hand He threw dust upon them and that dust was turned into Swords Stubble and that Stubble was turned into Darts so it is said in David's Psalm the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand Where the Gloss very cautiously notes that these words The Lord said unto my Lord are the words of Eleazar whose Lord of right Abraham might be called y y y y y y Nederim fol. 32. 2. R. Zechary in the name of R. Ismael saith God had a purpose to have drawn the Priesthood from Sem according as it is said he was the Priest of the Most high God But when he pronounced his blessing of Abraham before his blessing of God God derived the Priesthood from Abraham For it is said and he blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God possessor of Heaven and Earth and blessed be the Most High God Abraham saith unto him doth any one put the blessing of the Servant before the blessing of his Lord Immediately the Priesthood was given to Abraham As it is said The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand It is written afterward thou art a Priest for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the words of Melchizedek who had not placed his blessings in due order And forasmuch as it is written And he was a Priest of the Most High God it intimates to us that he was a Priest but his seed was not Can we think that this Gloss was framed at that time when St. Peter so confidently as though none would oppose him in it applied this passage to the Messiah which also our Saviour himself did before him to the great Doctors of that Nation and there was not one that opened his mouth against it Matth. XXII 44. VERS XXXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Baptised every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ. BEZA tells us That this doth not declare the Form of Baptism but the scope and end of it Yet this clause is wanting in the Syriack Interpreter Wherever he might have got a Copy wherein this was wanting yet is it not so in other Copies But to let that pass What he sayeth that this doth not declare the Form of Baptism is I fear a mistake for at that time they Baptised amongst the Jews in the name of Jesus although among the Gentiles they Baptised in the Name of the Father and the Son and holy Ghost that Jesus might be acknowledged for the Messiah by them that were Baptised than which nothing was more tenacionsly and obstinately denyed and contradicted by the Jews Let the Jew therefore in his Baptism own Jesus for the true Messiah and let the Gentile in his confess the true God three in one VERS XLI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were added about three thousand souls AND Chap. IV. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 About five thousand To which I would referr that passage in Psal. CX 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Text agrees with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He finisht his work on the sixth day c. You will say the Greek Version translated according to the Samaritan Text. I say the Samaritan Text was framed according to this Greek Version Who shall determine this matter between us That which goes current amongst the Jews makes for me viz. that this alteration was made by the Seventy two h h h h h h Megill fol. 9. 1. Massech Sopher cap. 1. But be it all one which followeth the other in this agreement we next produce in the same Chapter Gen. II. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord God had formed out of the ground The Greek words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord God formed as yet out of the ground The Samaritan Text agrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will not enquire here which follows which but we rather complain of the boldness of both the one to add the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as yet which seems to perswade us that God after he had created Adam and Eve did over and above create something anew which as yet to me is a thing unheard of and to whom is it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there is no resurrection In my notes upon Matth. III. 9. I take notice out of the Gloss upon Bab. Beracoth if he be of any credit that there were Hereticks even in the days of Ezra who said that there is no world but this which indeed falls in with Sadducism though the name of Sadducee was not known then nor a long time after But as to their Heresie when they first sprung up they seem principally and in the first place to have denyed the immortality of the Soul and so by consequence the resurrection of the body I know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Jewish Writers is taken infinite times for the Resurrection from the dead but it is very often taken also for the life of the dead So as the one denotes the resurrection of the body the other the immortality of the Soul In the beginning of the Talmudick Chapter Helec where there is a discourse on purpose concerning the life of the world to come they collect several arguments to prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life of the dead out of the Law for so let me render it here rather than the resurrection of the dead And the reason of it we may judge from that one agrument which they bring instead of many others viz. i i i i i i Sanhedr fol. 90. 2. Some do say that it is proved out of this Scripture He saith unto them But ye did cleave unto the Lord your God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are alive every one of you this day Deut. IV. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is plain that you are now alive when Moses speaks these things but he means this that in the day wherein all the world is dead ye shall live That is ye also though dead shall live which rather speaks out the immortality of the Soul after death than the resurrection of the body So our Saviours answer to the Sadducees Matth. XXII 31 32. from those words I am the God of Abraham c. is fitted directly to confute their opinion against the immortality of the Soul but it little either plainly or directly so proves the resurrection of the body but that the Sadducees might cavil at that way of proof And in that saying of the Sadducees themselves concerning the labourer working all the day and not receiving his wages at night there is a plain intimation that they especially considered of the state of the Soul after death and the non-resurrection of the body by consequence Let the words therefore be taken in this sense The Sadducees say Souls are not immortal and that there are neither Angels nor Spirits and then the twofold branch which our sacred Historian speaks of will the more clearly appear when he saith but the Pharisees confess both It is doubtful from the words of Josephus whether the Essenes acknowledge the resurrection of the body when in the mean time they did most heartily own the immortality of the Soul k k k k k k Iâ—s de excidâ— lib. 2. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This opinion prevails amongst them that the body indeed is corruptible and the matter of it doth not endure but Souls endure for ever immortal So that the question chiefly is concerned about the Souls Imortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither Angel nor Spirit They deny that the soul is immortal and they deny any spirits in the mean time perhaps not denying God to be a Spirit and that there is a Spirit of God mentioned Gen. I. 2. And it is a question whether they took not the occasion of their opinion from that deep silence they observe in Moses concerning the Creation of Angels or Spirits or from something else There is frequent mention in him of the apparitions of Angels and what can the Sadducee say to this Think you the Samaritans were Sadducees If so it is very observable that the Samaritan Interpreter doth once and again render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels So Gen. III. 5. Ye shall be as Elohim Samar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shall be as Angels Chap. V. 1. In the similitude of God Samar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the similitude of Angels So also Chap. IX 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the similitude of Angels And whereever there is mention of Angels in the Hebrew Text the Samaritan Text retains the word Angels too Did not the Sadducees believe there were Angels once but their very being was for ever vanisht that they vanisht with Moses and were no more Did they believe that the soul of Moses was mortal and perisht with his body and that the Angels died with him otherwise I know not by what art or wit they could evade what they meet with in the Books of Moses concerning Angels that especially in Gen. XXXII 1. You will say perhaps that by Angels might be meant good motions and affections of the mind The Pharisees themselves do sometimes call evil affections by the name of Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil affection is Satan But they do not call good affections Angels nor can ye your selves apply that passage so The Angels of God met him and he called the name of that place Mahanaim i. e. two Camps or two hosts One of those Camps consisted of the multitude of his own family and will you have the other to consist of good affections If the Sadducees should grant that Angels were ever created Moses not mentioning their Creation in his History I should think they acknowledged the being of Angels in the same sense that we do in the whole story of the Pentateuch but that they conceived that after the History of
cursed that Adam and all the Saints of God might not look for blessedness upon the Earth but in Christ nor for Christ nor his Kingdom upon this cursed Earth but in Heaven O Jew the Earth is cursed where canst thou find a place upon it for Messias blessed Kingdom All is but as Meshek and the Tents of Kedar to him he finds not a place here to lay his head I may say the title over Christs head was and is a stumbling block under the Jews feet where it was written Jesus of Nazareth and they looked for Messias of Bethlehem King of the Jews and they saw nothing in him but poverty and contempt In Joh. XVII 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am Where I am where is that Not here wherein is poverty contempt and dishonor as he experienced when he was here but to see my glory there where he is glorified Alas What treatment can he provide for them here Can he spread a table for their full satisfaction in this Wilderness where he found none for himself The dish he sets before them is In this world you shall have tribulation but be of good chear there is better chear provided for you in my Fathers house This is but a Wilderness you are passing through Canaan is the land provided for the flowing with milk and hony In my Fathers house there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many abiding places here you are flitting from place to place and no abiding but I have prepared a Rest for the people of God An unfit place here where there is nothing but changes and vicissitudes and where in a moment Amnons mirth and feasting may be turned into mourning and misery All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change cometh saith Job Why he met with changes enough but he means his great change when he should be changed no more than that that he looks for and trusts in An unfit place this when the house may be blown down whilst we are feasting in it as it happened to Jobs children This World then is no fit place for Christ to entertain his people in Secondly A believer in this World is not yet capable of the Entertainment that Christ has to give him therfore that is reserved for him in his Fathers house As Christ tells his Disciples I have many things to speak to you but you cannot bear them So I say in our present case Christ hath many excellent treatments to entertain them withal but here they are not fit for them while we are in this corruptible flesh we want the wedding garment Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God So corruptible bodies are not garments fit for these divine entertainments 1. The Soul in these bodies does not act to the utmost extent its nature is capable of It is like a bird that let out injoys a whole World of liberty but not before There is a kind of immensity in the Soul and this is one part of Gods image Any one Soul among us could hold as much wisdom goodness c. as God in its degree and capacity but it is straitned in these bodies that it cannot act to such an extensiveness As the River is straitned within its banks till it fall into the Ocean so the Soul here is straitned by ignorance infirmities pressures but at death it slips into the Ocean of Eternity where there is no more straitness 2. How impossible is it in these mortal bodies to see God as he is How hard through the fogs of flesh to see the things of God How impossible to behold God in his essence In the mount will the Lord be seen and not in the low vallies of mortality and corruption Oh! I cannot but with rapture consider of the strange and blessed change that blessed Souls find as soon as ever departed Here we are groping after him and much ado we have to discern a little of him here one cloud or other is interposing twixt our contemplation and that Sun But as soon as we are got out of the body we behold that incomprehensible light as he is Oh! what rapture of Soul will it be to see all clouds dispelled and to look with open full eye upon the Sun Oh! this is our God we have groped we have waited for him What the Apostle saith II Cor. III. ult But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory This is of transcendent comfort for believers it being their happiness here to behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord and to be changed into the same image What ravishment of Joy will it be to find it effected to the utmost in Eternity 3. How impossible is it to keep the heart fixed on God here While flesh hangs on it that will be making it to flag aside A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise April 6. 1666. I JOHN V. 16. There is a sin unto death I do not say that he should pray for it AND it is a deadly sin indeed that outvies and excludes the charity of this Apostle A man as his Writings evidence of him and as Ecclesiastical History testifies concerning him composed altogether of Charity His Epistles evidence to you how urgent he is for love one to another and Ecclesiastical History will tell you that his common salutation to all he met was Let us love one another But here he hath met with a wretch to whom he cannot find in his heart to say God speed A deadly sin and a deadly sinner to whom he cannot allow the Christian the Common the needful Charity of his own or other mens prayers O no It is a sin unto death The uttering of the first clause There is a sin unto death may not undeservedly nor impertinently move such another inquiry in the Congregation as the uttering of those words of our Saviour One of you shall betray me did move at his Table every one then to say Is it I and every one here to say is the sin mine As it was time for every one of Israel to look about him lest the thing should fall to his share when Joshua proclaimed among them There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel Josh VII 13. So when the Holy Ghost proclaimeth in the words of the Text There is a sin unto death is it not time is it not pertinent for every one that is within hearing to look about and take heed lest this dead Concubine do lie at the threshold of his door as she did in Gibeah Judg. XIX And what hath any notorious sinner to say for himself why the Law of the Text should not proceed against him and condemn his profaneness uncleanness wickedness unconscionableness under the name and title of a sin unto death seeing it seemeth a great deal more currant that
II. Concerning this great Judges judging all the World at the last day I shall but offer to you that Prospect Rev. XX. 12. I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the Earth and Heaven fled away and there was no place found for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and they were judged Heaven and Earth fled away before God but no fleeing for small and great but they must be judged Heaven and Earth that were in being are dissolved and gone but the dead small and great that were not in being are brought into being that they may be brought to judgment And so Chap. VI. 14. Heaven departs as a scroll that is rolled up together and every mountain and Island is removed out of his place But in the next verse there is a World of wretches that would fain be gon too but it will not be would fain be hid fince they cannot go but that will not be neither That say to the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand II. Now what assurances or earnests as I may call them hath God given of this that II. he will Judge all the World which is the second thing I mentioned I might mention divers The Apostle makes the destruction of the World by water and Sodome by fire to be such 2 Pet. II. 9. Another Apostle makes the raising him from the dead that is to be Judge to be such assurance Act. XVII 31. But I only name three more That he hath set up Judicatures in the World That he hath set up a Judicature in every mans soul. And that he hath given his Law and Word by which men must be judged I. Are not the Tribunals and Judicatures that he hath set up in the World evidence and assurance given that he will Judge the World Magistracy whose image and superscription doth it carry The great Caesars the great Magistrate of Heaven and Earth And if that deal in matters that concern the body may we not read in it that he that ordained it will dispose both of bodies and souls Take to thoughts that of the Apostle 1 Cor. VI. 2. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World i. e. That a Christian Magistracy shall judge among men And Know ye not that we shall judge Angels i. e. That a Christian Ministry shall judge against Devils Weigh the words seriously and I believe you will find them to rise to this sence And then know you not that the ultimate judging of Men and Devils must rest in him that instituted Magistracy and Ministry both I said you are Gods for in your function you carry his representation and character but I said he is much more God that ordained you Gods and he much more Magistrate and Judge that ordained you Magistrates and Judges In you Judgment is drawn in little in him it is in full proportion Filia exscripsit Patrem as he of old of a good daughter that she had copied out a good father Your function hath copied out Divine Authority but yours is but a Copy the original incomparably fairer II. Is not the Judicature that God hath set up in every mans soul an undoubted assurance of Gods judging of all When a very proper definition of Conscience is That it is Praejudicium judicii a foretaste a preface to the judgment to come doth it not give assurance of the judgment to come And that to every soul when there is a conscience in every soul. That as our Saviour when the Jews ask him what appearance was there of the Kingdom of Heaven gives them this answer The Kingdom of Heaven is with in you as some read it so if any one ask what proof and assurance is within you Ask Felix also Act. XXIV 25. As Paul reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled And how comes a Roman valour to be so shaken at the word of a poor Jew A great Judge trembling at the words of his prisoner He had that within him that gave testimony to every word that Paul spake that it was true A strange thing to him as well as a dreadful to hear of the Judgment to come in manner as the Divine Orator set it out But there was that within him that could not but assent to the truth of all he spake III. Gods very giving of his Law to the World is an assurance abundant that he will once judge the World Let me draw your thoughts to the foot of mount Sinai to stand with Israel there while the Law is giving Do you not see the dreadful terror in which it is given fire and smoke and earth-quake and sound of trumpet And do you think that the great Lawgiver that comes in such dread to give it will never come to demand an account of it how men have dealt with it Must those Words be scattered in the Air and God never take more care or account of them And let me lead your eyes to mount Calvary and there let them observe the great God sealing his Covenant and Gospel in the blood of his own Son See Christ bleeding there hands feet and heart bleeding out his last drop of blood to confirm and seal that Truth and Gospel that he had preached to the World And will God and Christ never take account how men use the Gospel that as I may say cost so dear engrossing This very thing is an undoubled assurance that God will Judge all the World because he cannot but call men to account how they have demeaned themselves to his Law and revealed will As sure as a Law and a Gospel have been given so sure a judgment to come to inquire what usage Law and Gospel have found among men and a reward accordingly The Jews in their writings do oft bring in the Law complaining to God of injuries done to her by such and such persons and begging that he would do her right Hath a despised Law a contemned Gospel a scorned Word of God no cry in the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth and hath the Lord no care to plead their cause Are they only to cry to men and if men abuse them have they no cry to God And hath the despised blood of Christ and trodden under foot no cry to God I cannot but remember the Talmudish story about Zacharies blood that was shed betwixt the Temple and the Altar that no rains no pains no water could wash it off the pavement of the Temple but still and still it was bubbling there and would never be quiet till execution of judgment quieted it the King of Babylon slaying near an hundred thousand persons in the same place The application is easie The judgment of wicked men lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not 2
creation totus Mundus Ethnicus the whole Heathen World groneth and travaileth in pain together until now For it might be shewed that at this time there were some extraordinary stirrings as the child in the womb among the Heathen towards this delivery vers 23. And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves grone within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body And so I am come to my Text. In it are three words especially observable towards opening the sense of it I. We. II. First fruits of the Spirit III. Our Body I will take them up inverso ordine the last first I. Body I cannot understand it of the body we carry about us For the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adoption of the Body or the Adoption of the Soul set alone is unusual in Scripture but Adoption is of the whole person But I take it for the mysticacl body of Christ of which the Gentiles were the far greater part And than this acceptation of the word nothing is more usual God had promised the Adoption of numberless sons from among the Gentiles and this was to make up the whole mystical body And this we grone for waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body This this same Apostle calls the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. IV. 13. He hath ordained in his Church divers orders of spiritual men some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists c. for the edifying the body of Christ for the bringing it to its full growth Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Christs mystical Body was growing up from time to time under the preaching and publishing of the Gospel by the Apostles Prophets Evangelists c. and was not yet arrived to a perfect man but when the Gentile World came in then it attained to its manhood to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. II. First fruits of the Spirit This refers to afterfruits not to grace or glory But the first fruits of the Spirit implies that the Spirit was first given to them and that it was afterwards to be given to others As the Priests had the first fruits and the afterfruits or the rest the people had So 1 Cor. XV. 23. Christ the first fruits and those that are Christs the afterfruits And this clears the meaning of the first word III. We. That is we Jews among whom God bestowed his Spirit I need not prove that God bestowed his Spirit first on the Jews The Prophets oft call the Jewish Nation Pools of Water for this and the Gentiles a dry Wilderness for want of this but foretel that the Wilderness should become Pools of water And this we grone for that is we Jews for them Gentiles that they might partake of this Spirit as well as we Or take it we Christians or Saints that have first received the Spirit we grone that God would make good the like upon the fulness of the Gentiles This Exposition I leave at your feet If it be not as agreeable to the Apostles discourse for he presently after begins with Election and Reprobation that may fall out to be thought of upon Gods calling of the Gentiles if not as agreeable to the whole tenor of Scripture if not as full of plainness and clearness if not as warrantable by the Language as any of the three I mentioned refuse it nay if it were not so I my self should never own it However I will not so confine you to my sense as to ground the foundation of my ensuing Discourse upon my interpretation but I take up one clause without consideration of the connexion and that whose construction is unquestionable viz. We that have the first fruits of the Spirit Not to insist upon the word first fruits I will leave it out and speak to this Question What it is to have the Spirit A question pertinent to be looked after both because of that in vers 9. where it is said That if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and because of the common delusion I have the Spirit I doubt not the Apostle speaks of the sanctifying Spirit and so I shall handle it I shall answer this Question in seven or eight Observations I. Observe Having of the Spirit is spoken of man only considered under his Fall I mean the Spirit of Grace and so the Apostle here I mean not in opposition to his recovery but to Innocency and Glory Adam in innocency had not the Spirit nor Saints in glory but man only in the middle condition True Adam was perfectly righteous intirely holy and absolutely able so to act but this was not founded in his having the Spirit but meerly in his nature He had the Image of God not the Spirit of God God having created him left him to himself did no more to him but as Creator His holiness was not founded in Sanctification but in Creation The Spirit created him but left him to himself and did no more to him And let me ask Could he have fallen if he had had the Spirit As the Spirit created him impeccaminosum without sin so if he had had the Spirit inhabiting and acting as in Saints it had made him impeccabilem without possibility of sinning The Spirit raiseth the fallen preserveth that good men fall not finally and yet they are sinful allow the same property of operation in Adam and could he have fallen Nay he had not so much as the Spirit of Prophesie Which is less than the Spirit of Sanctification For Balaam and Caiaphas had that His knowledge was great but it was not prophetick foreknowledge He could see future things as wrapt in causes but not things contingent Knowledge is part of Gods Image Col. III. 10. The new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him This Adam had when he knew God himself and the Creature as perfectly as possible flesh and blood could But to know things to come was not for created knowledge but the Creators And the Serpent tickles him not with the promise of knowing future things but of good and evil And our new Creation in knowledge Col. III. 10. is to know God not to know future events On the other hand Saints in glory have not the Spirit nostro sensu in the sense we are now speaking of for cui sini to what purpose They are beyond sanctification and now need it no more the Spirit hath done his work with them And as Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God so the Spirit his Sanctified ones Ecce ego filii quos dedisti Behold here I am and the sons which thou hast given me Grace is now
sin should never be changed the contents of the Flesh and the World should never have an end And how sadly and miserably do we feel the contrary to our eternal sorrow Oh! Satan thou hast deceived us and we have been deceived thou hast proved stronger than we and hast undone us For indeed Satans strength lies in his Cosenage cut but these locks of his like Sampsons and he is weak and can do little Satan with all his strength and power cannot force any man to sin and therefore his way is to cheat them to sin If Satan could force any soul to sin all souls must go to Hell and no flesh should be saved for he would spare none but since he cannot force and compel the Will he cheats and cosens the Understanding and so perswades the Will The subtil Serpent winds into the Will and Consent by deceiving the Fancy and Intellect as the Apostle speaks of sin Rom. VII 11. Sin deceived me and so slew me Satan deceives and so destroies How he does insinuate and inject his deceit and illusions upon the minds of men how he strikes fire that the tinder of the soul may take some kindling is not so easie for discovery as it is sad in experience It is a depth of Satan hard to be known as to his managing of it but too well known in the effect and operation I shall not therefore trouble you with any discourse upon that subject though something might be said about it both from Philosophy and Divinity II. It is a Masterpiece of his cheating to cheat men in matter of Religion To deceive the Nations with a false Religion instead of a true as he did the Heathen before he was bound and as he hath done the greatest part of the World with Popery and Mahumetism since he was let loose As it is the great work of Christ to propagate the truth and to promote the Gospel which is the great Truth of God and Mystery of Salvation so Satan makes it his business to sow tares among the wheat to corrupt the truth as much as possible and to muddy the wholsom waters of Religion of which the Sheep of Christ should drink as much as he can that no man may drink but durt and puddle As he himself abode not in the truth Joh. VIII so he cannot abide that men should abide in it if he can prevent it In 2 Cor. IV. 4. The God of this World blindeth mens minds that the brightness of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ should not shine to them The Devil plays not the small game of cheating men of their mony of their lands and worldly interests as men cheat one another but of their Religion of the soundness of truth of solid and wholesom principles Whence else such Idolatrous principles among the Heathen such damnable traditions among the Jews such cursed heresies among Christians The enemy hath done this who cannot abide the fair growing of the Wheat but if possible he will choke it with Tares Do you not hear of Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. IV. 1. and of damnable heresies 2 Pet. II. 1. T is the Devils damnable plot and design to destroy men by their very principles of Religion to poyson the fountains out of which they should drink wholsom water that they drink death and damnation where they should drink wholsom refreshing It is a cheat too sad when the Devil cosens men to the hurt of their souls by their chusing and using things for their bodies outward condition but it is a Mastery of his delusions when he cheats them in matters and principles of Religion which they chuse and use for their souls T is a great and a sad mastery of his when he brings men to sin out of the very principles of their Religion to establish mischief by a Law As the vilest Act that ever was committed in the World viz. the crucifying the Lord of life the Jews did it out of the very Principles of their traditional Religion which ingaged them not to endure such a Messias And the horrid fact that this day commemorates which even amazeth all stories and the like to which no Age or Nation can produce or parallel they did it out of the very principles of their Religion their Faith being Faction and their Religion Rebellion as our Churches have many a time heard that character of them It is not a trifling business for men to take up principles and practises in Religion out of fancy and humor and self conceit though that hath been very much in fashion in our days It is Satans masterpiece of Policy to make men forsake the Waters of Siloam that run softly and to dig themselves Cisterns that will hold no water and so to perish for thirst Is it not a desperate cheat of Satan that men should out of principles of Religion refuse the publick Ministry out of principles of Religion should rant and become Atheists out of principles of Religion should do as they were about to have done by us this day to destroy those that are not of the same principles and Religion A sad thing when that which should be a mans balm becomes poison and those things which should have been for his greatest good should turn to his greatest evil when his principles of Religion become his greatest ruine Surely a very powerful cheat of Satan is there when men chuse darkness to be their light poison their diet and doctrines of Devils to be their way of Salvation I shall only mind you of the Apostles counsel 1 Joh. IV. 1. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are come into the World And that of another Apostle Prove all things and hold that which is good And Be not led away with every Doctrine The present occasion calls upon us to remember what men seduced by Satan would have done to us and what the God of truth and mercy hath done for us and we cannot better do either than with reflection upon Religion The Text before us tells us that Satan deceives all he can and musters an Army of those that he hath deceived to fight against those that will not be deceived For ask that Army why do you fight against the Camp of the Saints and why do you besiege the beloved City And what answer in the World can they give but this Because they will not be deceived by Satan as we are And ask our Gunpowder Plotters Why do you go about to destroy King Parliament and Nation What quarrel have you against them that you would bring so horrid a ruin upon them What wrong have they done you that you will take so severe and cruel a revenge Why they will not be as we are blind as we are blind befooled and deceived as we are befooled and deceived A sad case that a Nation must be destroyed because it will not be cheated by Satan because it will not put
true when he said Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life What will any man take for his life to pass it away What jewels what rubies what riches will buy his life from him No he accounts it too precious to part with his life for mony or monies worth And this doth enhance the preciousness of life that it is not only so excellent a being in it self but without it all things are nothing to him that hath lost it Bring a dead man bags of gold and heaps of silver fill his coffin up with pearls and jewels strew his grave with diamonds and rubies there is no hearing no minding no affecting when his jewel that was more worth then all these his life is gone Now who is the Preserver of this dear jewel while we carry it about us Is it we our selves The Psalmist tells us that It is he that made us and not we our selves Psal. C. And reason may tell us that it is he that preserves us and not we our selves For can we any more preserve our lives of our selves than we can give life to our selves When a desperate danger is ready to swallow us up if God withdraw his preserving providence can man bring his life out of danger In Scripture Phrase for a man to put his life in his own hand Judg. XII 3. is to venture it to danger where there is no safety but in the hands of God it is secure while he will take charge of it Feeling is that passage of Daniel to Belshazzar Dan. V. 23. The God in whose hand is thy breath Canst thou take it into thine own hand and there hold it The Jews tell a story of the Angel of death sent to take away the soul of Moses but Moses withstood him and he could not do it but when God saw his time to take it no withstanding The Angel of death in their meaning is the Devil and the Apostle speaks to their opinion Heb. II. 14. That through death he might destroy him that â—ad the power of death that is the Devil Now wherein lies the reason why Satan takes not away our lives when he pleaseth Is it in our selves Would not he think you carry away all men bodily to his den if it were in his power And is it our power that doth restrain him Think of those poor possessed ones in the Gospel whom the Devil hurried so up and down at his pleasure Is it our own power that doth restrain him that he useth not us so When we read or hear such stories have we not cause if we had hearts to look up at a higher power than our own that we are not as they were in his power And was it his courtesie that he spared their lives when God had given him liberty to use their bodies as he did Or was it not that God restrained him you may guess it by Jobs case betwixt whose life and Satans malice against him God had put this bar Only take not away his life But when God himself comes by death resolvedly to take away any mans life whose power is it in to hinder When he is resolved to tear body and soul assunder who shall say what dost thou When he will preserve life no longer who can make it out and preserve it himself The Lord giveth life and the Lord taketh it away in his hand only is the disposal of our life and being Secondly God shews himselves tender of our lives doth not only preserve them but shews that he is tender of them and willing to preserve them God is the fountain of being and giver of life and it is agreeable to his nature to maintain the being of men and their lives but it is not so agreeable to him to destroy them it is said of him that he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lam. III. And he saith of himself that he hath no pleasure in the death of the sinner Ezek. XVIII And no wonder for it is somewhat besides his nature q. d. for it is his nature to give being and not to destroy it Now that God is tender of the lives of men and preservs them willingly and tenderly you have it evidenced in the mouth of three or four witnesses that the truth of it may be established 1. He is tender of the lives of very birds and beasts and therefore forbids all cruelty towards them Balaam for cruelty towards his poor Ass is reproved both by the Angel and the Ass her self And how does God forbid to kill a beast and her young on the same day to take a bird and her young at the same time but if he take the young to let the dam go forbids to seeth a kid in his dams milk and in a word it is a token the Holy Ghost gives of a good man that he is merciful to his very beast 2. Is it not an evidence that God is tender of mens lives when he hath made so severe a Law against murther or taking them away And what strange discoveries hath he made of murthers and murtherers that he that hath taken away a mans life may not go unpunished So tender is God of the life of man that as man hedgeth in a choice tree or plant that he is tender of so hath God mans life with such a siry law as well as he doth also with his providence 3. Doth not God tender the life of man when he would have all men to spin out their lives to life eternal and shewed them a way how to do it if they would but take his way God had rather thy life should reach Heaven and Eternity there than to drop into Hell in the end and be drowned in eternal death And this is one thing amongst others that doth highly enhance the preciousness of mans life that it may be translated to Eternity 4. And Lastly If you yet need any evidence and demonstration of Gods tenderness to mens lives and willingness to preserve them and unwillingness to destroy them look upon your selves as you are alive here this day And whence is it that you are so Can you give any other proper reason than this because God is tender of your lives and is not willing to destroy them Hath he not power enough to have cut them off and destroyed them long ago And have we not given him cause enough to have destroyed them over and over Whence is it then that we are all here this day God hath spared our lives preserved our lives tenderly preserved them or our souls had long ago dwelt in silence And are we not in debt to God for this care and tendering of us Is there nothing to be paid him not one half shekel for all our preservation Doth not all the reason in the world dictate that when we live by him we should live as he would have us that when he spares and preserves our lives we should lead and
some from thence would gather the praeexistence of souls some the equality of souls certainly this may be that God made no difference of his working when he made all Secondly As all the men of the world are of this parity and equality in regard of the Creators work that made them so also in regard of the matter or mettle of which they are made Did God chuse any finer clay for the making of one than for another Dust thou art was the character of the first Adam and does any of his posterity differ from that character Did God look out for finer clay to make a great rich man of than he did to make a poor Jer. XVIII 4. The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the Potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the Potter to make it The Potter hath a pot on the wheel and it hits not to the fashion he aimed at so that he workes it up to vessel of another fashion but the same clay still So however there may be some variety in the frame of the vessel made some diversity in the composure of men some fair some foul some black some white some a smooth Jacob some a rough Esau yet the clay that these diversified vessels are made of is but one and the same You remember that Esay XLV 9. Wo to him that striveth with his Maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth The meaning of the latter clause The potsheards of the earth is Men to strive with men is something like equal match and if they will needs strive let them strive one with another but Wo to him that striveth with his Maker You see the title given to all on earth they are but earthen potsheards but as bits of a broken pitcher While the pitcher was whole it was but an earthen pitcher while Adam was in innocency he was but a vessel of clay though a vessel of honour but his fall hath broke the pitcher all to pieces and all the men of the world are but as sheards of a broken picher It may be one piece of the potsheard may be bigger than the others are yet that is but a potsheard still and of the very same mettle with the other It may be one piece is finely painted and coloured which the other is not yet it is but a potsheard for all its painting and but of the very same clay with the other bits for all its bravery Thirdly And as all are of the same dust in their original and no difference so is there any difference in the dust to which they shall return Shall great and rich less turn to dust than mean and poor or shall they turn to nobler dust than the other Shall a more noble or gentile worm seise upon a great man in the grave than does upon a mean or a more gallant corruption devour the rich man than doth the poor There the Kings and Counsellors of the earth lie down together Job II. 14. And there the poor and rich have the same lodging and the Servant hath the same bed with his Master And do they not all go to the same the very same dust and doth not the same the very same corruption seize and consume them Psal. CIII 14. The Lord that made us knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust Dust in our beginning dust at our latter end and one and the same dust both in our beginning and end and no difference And therefore how can he in this regard but value all at one rate and when the poor and rich come to pay tribute for the preservation of this dust our bodies that all should contribute alike the rich no more and the poor no less But are all mens Souls alike too that God should rate them all alike too Take the word in the text in the proper sence you shall make an attonement for your Souls are all Souls looked upon by God alike too It was an old question in the Schools An animae sint aequales Whether all Souls are equal And our inquiry adds one question more Whether God weigh all Souls alike And the the question lies not so much in this Whether God prize not an holy Soul above a sinful as whether every Soul be of the same value as a Soul And the reason of the question is from the vast difference of the tempers of men in which the acting and nature of the Soul appears And it were wonder if some of the Jews did not cavil at this Law upon this very poynt They took upon them to be exceeding wise and abundance of them gave themselves that title and must they be valued with fools and Ideots I am not curious to discuss this question copiously It might be a very proper answer to this question such as is Joh. XXI 21. Where Peters inquisitivness receives an answer What is that to thee So when any are curious to know whether all Souls are alike whether an unlearned Soul is like a learned an Heathen like a Christian an Ideot like a solid man I may say What is that to thee search and try and examine and take care of thine own Soul Yet to speak something to this case First Distinguish between the Activity of the Soul and the Capacity of it what it does and what it is able to do It is a Maxim A posse ad esse non valet consequentia From what a man can do it will be but a weak consequence to conclude that therefore he will do it The Leper to our Saviour understood Logick better and concludes not that he would make him clean because he could do it but he begs that he would do it seing that he could Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean It is a good consequence to say a Man does thus therefore he can do it but a wild one to say therefore he can do no otherwise So as to the judging of the true quality of the Soul if you would take measure of a Soul aright you must not barely look at its present acting but at its capacity and what in its full largeness and latitude it is able to act not take measure of a reasonable Soul as it is in its childhood but when it is in its full growth and capacity Secondly Now the acting of a Soul in its full capacity cannot be while it is in the body It cannot see God face to face nor the Devil as he is a Spirit which it may do when out of the body It cannot converse with things in eternity which it cannot but do when out of the body either blessed or miserable It cannot here but be deceived many a time over there it cannot possibly be deceived and so I might speak in other particulars So that the proper judging of the nature of the Soul and its capacity is to take it as God did Israel at Sinai when he would know
blessed for ever So that the great Angel Christ at the giving of the Law was the speaker and all the created Angels his silent Attendants And this Observation might be useful in some points of Divinity that Christ gave the Law as well as he gave the Gospel But Thirdly The Prophets and Ministers in Scripture phrase are usually called Angels Do I need to give instance Eccles. V. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say before the Angel or Minister at the Temple that it is an error Mal. II. 7. The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger or Angel of the Lord of Hosts And Chap. III. 1. Behold I send my Angel i. e. my messenger before thy face And to spare more you remember that in Revel I. ult The seven stars are the Angels or Ministers of the seven Churches So that the words before us may be reduced to this sense Ye received the Law by the disposition preaching and explaining of the Prophets and Ministers and have not kept it And to this sense speaks that Heb. II. 2. For if the word spoken by Angels that is Gods messengers the Prophets were stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord. That is If the word in the mouth of the Prophets might not be transgressed but there was a just recompence of reward paid to the transgressor much more he must be paid that neglects the Salvation spoken by the Lord Christ. And to the like sense may that be taken in Gal. III. 19. The Law was added because of transgression being ordained disposed of preached by Angels i. e. Prophets and Ministers in the hand of a Mediator And this sense of Angels in the Text agrees very well with the words of Steven a little before Your Fathers persecuted and killed the Prophets the Lords Angels or Messengers and ye have received the Law by such Angels or Ministers but have not kept it For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Angel in the Greek Tongue signifies any messenger among men as frequently as it does the Angels in Heaven And so taking all these constructions together the words do fairly lead us to consider what cause or reason God hath given men to keep his Law and Commandments but men will not keep them Some have written large and excellent Discourses concerning the equity and reasonableness of Christian Religion And how large a discourse might be made upon this particular in our Religion How it is agreeable to all the reason in the World to obey and keep Gods Commandments which he hath given The Socinian requires a natural reason for what is supernatural or else he must not believe it Because it cannot be demonstrated in Logick Philosophy Mathematicks how three should be one and one should be three therefore we must not believe that there are three Persons in the Trinity and but one God But the wiser and more solid discourse would be rather to shew a reason why we are to believe such a thing than to seek a reason why or how such a thing is For there may be a plain reason to believe an article of Faith the reason of which thing reason cannot fathom So it may be but a sawcy wild inquiry what reason God had to give such and such particular commands But it may be a pious and humble inquiry to search what reason we have to keep his Commandments now he hath given them I. And the first reason we meet withal in all regular method and order is because he hath given them therefore we should keep them Ye received the Law by the disposition of Angels therefore ye should have kept it The Command in it self does not only challenge our obedience of it but the very giving of it does also challenge it There is a bond in the giving as well as a bond in the Command it self viz. a bond of love and mercy that would impart his Will and Commands David in Psal. CXLVII ult accounts it an incomparable mercy that Israel had above other Nations That God made his Law known to Jacob and his statutes to Israel And dealt not so with any Nation besides neither had they knowledge of his Law And God himself instituted the Feast of Pentecost at that just time of the year when the Law was given that they might celebrate the Memorial of that great mercy as he had instituted the Feast of the Passover at that just time of the year when they were delivered out of Egypt that they might commemorate the memory of that mercy He would have them to own the giving of the Law an equal mercy with their delivery out of bondage And what was the treasure of the Ark or the precious things that were laid up there The two Tables and Pot of Manna The Pot of Manna that minded them of the merciful and miraculous food wherewithal the Lord fed their bodies and the two Tables which minded them of the divine and heavenly food of their Souls that Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God That passage is worthy a great deal of meditation Luke XII 47 48. He that knew his Masters will and did it not shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew it not and committed things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with a few stripes Now whether do you think it better to know our Masters will or not to know it To have God to impart his Commands to us or not to impart them Herein it might seem better not to know his Commands because it we keep them not not knowing them there will follow the fewer stripes but the more if we know them and break them But this weighs the ballance down on the other side that it is impossible to avoid stripes if there be not the knowledge of Gods Commands it is possible to avoid them if there be knowledge More stripes indeed will be added if we keep them not but if we keep them no stripes at all If we should dispute this question whether God shewed more mercy in giving his Law and Commandments or in giving the Gospel and promises This might make some stand about the determination because though the promises are given of an infinite mercy yet there is no possibility of coming up to the attaining of the promises but in the way of the Commandments In the Promises God shews that he would do good to us and save us and in the Commandments he shews that he would have us to do good to our selves and save our selves Say not therefore that it was any severity in God to lay any such binding Commandments upon men acknowledge it mercy that he would make known his Will and Commandments to thee Wouldst thou
of these Commandments or to go beyond the Sea to learn the equity of these precepts Do we need to dig deep to find a reason why we should be bound to these things Do they not of themselves speak all equity and reason in the World And as it is Rom. XII that we should offer up our selves a holy living sacrifice to God is it not a most reasonable service that is required of us Upon what hath been spoken these two consequences must needs be concluded First That if there be so great reason to keep the Commandments of God how unreasonable a thing then is it not to keep them The Scripture speaketh not in vain when it calls wicked men Fools for they go against all reason and have even lost their reason unreasonable men as the Apostle calls them men that are without all reason Is there any pleading for Baal as Gideons Father spoke Is any reason to be pleaded for mens transgressing the Commands of God Produce your arguments bring forth your strong reasons to plead for your Idols and Idolatry saith God in derision to those that worshipped stocks and stones Produce your arguments bring forth your strong reasons why you should transgress any of the Commands of God And think you you can answer or satisfie God with all the arguments you can invent I must break such a Command or I shall lose my pleasure such a Command or I shall lose my profit such a Command or I am crost and shall lose my will Excellent reasons Wherewithal to out-argue the divine will of God and excellent pleadings To lay before God at the great day of judgment and very likely to come off fairly with A good man according to S. Peters counsel should be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in him Can a wicked man give any reason either of any hope in him or of the evil that proceedeth from him Sinning is a thing unreasonable and where there is so great reason for the keeping of Gods commands the breaking them must needs be against all reason And from this very thing if there were no other must the Conscience of ungodly men in Hell torture them for ever because reason is now awaked with them which they lulled a sleep in their lusts here and now they see how it was against all reason that they transgressed Gods commands Secondly If there be so great reason and equity to bind men to keep the Commandments of God certainly there is some reason and equity to bind them over to punishment if they keep them not Does God ever Command and never demand what becomes of his Commands Did he give them in such terror and will no terror follow the breach of them A SERMON Preached upon REVELAIONS XX. 5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished This is the first Resurrection WHAT is meant by the first Resurrection here is to be discerned by the verses preceding They tell you of Christ the Great Angel binding the Devil in a great chain and casting him into the bottomless pit a thousand years 1 2 3 verses and of thrones set and some sitting on them and judgment given to them and those that were martyred for the profession of Christ living and reigning with him a thousand years vers 4. But the rest of the dead lived not again c. The end for which Christ thus bound the Devil being considered will help to clear and unfold the whole matter and that you have vers 3. That he should deceive the Nations no more i. e. that he should not delude the Heathen or Gentiles as he had done From the casting off the Gentiles at Babel the Devil had kept all the world under a perpetual cheat to worship Idols to sacrifice to Devils to live and walk in all the ways of the Devil till Christ sent his Gospel among them to teach them better This then was the Chain whereby the Great Angel of the Covenant Christ tyed up the Devil that he should not cheat the world as he had before done viz. sending the Gospel among them by the preaching and power of which he restrained and quelled that power and deluding of the Devil The Heathen by the instruction of the Gospel come to know and worship and fear the true God to cast away their Idols to defy the Devil and his works and to laugh his Oracles and delusions to scorn Dagon is now fallen before the Ark of God and his head and hands broken off and now Dagon is left but a meer stump Jericho's walls are fallen flat with no other Engin but only the sound of Trumpets made of rams-horns the strong hold of Satan cast down with the only sound of the great trump of the Gospel and he himself tyed up that he shall no more cheat and cousin the world till a thousand years be expired and then he is loosed again and cousins the world by Popery now as he had done by Heathenism then The poor Heathen thus recovered out of the power of Satan by the coming in of the Gospel among them did creep out of their graves of Ignorance Idolatry and Sinfulnss in which they had layn stinking and rotting so many ages together had life put into them to live to God they are awaked out of their dust and long sleep to see and act and live as the children of God And this is that which is here called The first Resurrection And the very same title doth our Saviour give to the very same thing John V. 25. Verily verily I say unto you The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live That he speaks of the first resurrection and of the last at vers 28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation And do but consider how great and near a parallel there is twixt this first and that last resurrection That last shall raise men from the death of the body this raised the Heathen from the death of the Soul That shall be by the powerful sound of the Trump of God this was by the powerful sound of the Trumpet of the Gospel That will be acted by an infinite power raising men dead in the grave this was acted by an infinite power raising men dead in sins But the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished And did they live then The Millenary will tell you Yes For his conceit about these thousand years is this That at the begining of the thousand years those that suffered martyrdom for Christs sake shall be raised out of their graves and reign with Christ a thousand years and when the thousand years are
finished there shall be the general resurrection And accordingly they construe the words before us to this sence The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished And then lived An opinion as like the opinion of the Jews as one egg is like another They think Christ shall reign among them on earth a thousand years pompous reign So do these They think that at the beginning of his reign the holy Prophets and Patriarchs shall be raised from death and reign with him So these They think that at the end of his thousand years reign there shall be the general resurrection and world of Eternity so do these So that the Millenary doth Judaize and he knows it not he is fallen into the Jews opinion and is not aware of it This book of Revelations is exceeding full of expressions that allude to the Jewish customs and opinions I say again is exceeding full but it were ridiculous to think that such passages are to be construed in the same literal sense that the Jews took them in Only those common and well known things as being familiar to the Nation are used to signifie or illustrate some spiritual sence or matter Expressions are used in this place that are agreeable in sound to the opinion of the Jews but not agreeable in sence but signifying something else They conceit a personal pompous reign of Christ on earth a thousand years in all earthly state and gallantry These words speak of a reign of Christ a thousand years but they mean his reign and ruling by his Word and Spirit and of his subduing and bringing the Nations into subjection and obedience but by the Ministry of the Gospel They speak of those that had been martyred reigning with him but the meaning only is to intimate that the children of his kingdom must suffer persecution and that they shall lose nothing by their persecution but as the Apostle speaks If they suffer with him they shall also reign with him Let us read the verse before I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God And which had not worshiped the beast neither his image neither had received his his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished And did they live then That is not imaginable the time of reviving being then past and over For at the end of the thousand years Satan is let loose again brings in Popery and Mahumetism and the World grows as Heathenish as it had been before Satans binding and imprisoning So that they had lost the opportunity of reviving which was in the thousand years The word Until signifies doubly either concluding or else excluding you may see my meaning by these examples The Master in the Parable gives Talents to his servants and bids them Occupy till I come Here the word until concludes that he would come again This iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye Es. XXII 14. Here the word till excludes them from ever having their iniquity purged The word until in the text is of this latter construction and means that they let slip and embraced not the opportunity of reviving all the thousand years when was the time of reviving and so they lived not again at all And if we well observe the Histories both of the Heathen and of the Church we shall find that all along this time that the Gospel was dispersing through the World there were multitudes of Heathens that would not forsake their Heathenism and multitudes in the Church in a little time fell to superstition and worshiping of Images and so even turned to Heathenism also Therefore God suffers Satan to be let loose again to go about in the world again with his delusions he brings in Popery in the West and Mahumetism in the East and so the whole World is returned to blindness and darkness again because when the light shone they would none of the light They would not embrace the offer of reviving when the time and opportunity of reviving was therefore they lived not again till those thousand years were finished and then the time of living again was over So that in the words before us we observe three things I. That the raising of the Gentiles from the Death of Sin is called the first Resurrection II. That in that time of raising some lost the opportunity and would not be raised III. That they losing the opportunity of rising and living missed always of rising and living I. As to the first thing named That the raising of the Gentiles from the death of sin is called the first Resurrection It gives us occasion to consider how a mans getting out of the state of sin into the state of grace is a Resurrection or a rising from the dead And with all to compare this first and last resurrection together and to see what connexion there is between them I. To Sadduces and Atheists that deny the resurrection at the last day because they can see no reason for it I should propose this question Whether there hath not been a raising of dead souls from the death of sin Abraham once an Idolater was not his soul dead then Yet afterwards he was the great Father of the faithful Was there not then a Resurrection of that dead soul Manasseh the King an Idolater a Conjurer a Sacrificer of his Sons to Molech was not this man dead in trespasses and sins and yet this man afterwards was a Penitent a Convert a Promoter of piety and the true worship of God Was not here a Resurrection of a dead Soul Is God less able to raise a dead body out of the grave than to raise a dead soul out of its sins Nay is not this as great a work of God as that will be Christ that can make such vile souls that they may be like unto his most glorious soul cannot he make these vile bodies that may be like his most glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself II. But let us look upon this first resurrection a little and blessed and holy is he that hath part in it over such an one shall the second death have no power In some things it is not parallel or like to the second resurrection in more it is First The Second Resurrection shall be of all bodies this First is not of all souls And if we come to seek for the reason of the difference where shall we find it Cannot the same power that shall raise all bodies also raise all souls The reason of the difference lies not in the difference of that power Were it not as much for the glory of God to raise all souls as to raise all bodies The reason of the difference lyes not there neither For God chooseth freely the
and as thy soul is risen from the death of sin so mayest thou expect thy bodies rising from death in the grave The Jews speak of a little bone in some part of a mans body they call it Luz which they say will never be consumed in the grave but will be as it were a seed sown in the ground out of which will spring the Resurrection of the whole body I may say graciousness in the soul is rather the seed of the Resurrection of the body that will cause it to rise to life and happiness And thus much concerning the first Observation II. That in the time of the first Resurrection that is the raising the Gentiles from the Death of sin some lost the opportunity and would not be raised The rest of the dead lived not again because they were not raised by a first Resurrection when season and opportunity of living again was in date that is for the thousand years mentioned in the Text. Whether you take the thousand years for a certain determinate time of exactly so many years or that a certain number is used for an uncertain and this number the rather because it is used by the Jews whether the one or the other you are to begin to count from the time the Gospel was first sent among the Gentiles And count such a space of time forward and you will find in story that though the Gospel had gone through the world in that time and made the world Christian and vast numbers were converted to Christianity yet there was still a struggling to have kept the World Heathen and multitudes were unwilling to come off from their old Heathen and Idolatrous Religion For three hundred years the Emperors and all the Magistrates were enemies to the Gospel and if any of them did not persecute the Christians as but few but did yet they maintained their Heathen Religion might and main And the great wise men of the World as they were esteemed the Philosophes and learned ones were the greatest sticklers for the maintaining of the worshiping of their many false and idol Gods all along when the Emperours were become Christians Which may very well make us to remember the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. I. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise I cannot omit two remarkable passages The one of Julian the Emperor who was brought up a Christian but turned Heathen nay who as stories relate of him had been a Lecturer in a Christian congregation but became the bitter enemy to Christianity He when the Emperors had been Christian for two successions viz. Constantine and Constantius and the Christian Religion had flourished in their times well towards forty years and the Heathen Idolatrous Temples shut up and Christian Churches opened He opens the Heathen Temples shuts up the Christian promotes Idolatry again and the worship of the Heathen Gods and hath many Heathen Philosophers Jamblichus Maximus Ecebolus Libanius and I know not how many more to spur him on to it And the other passage I have is a clause in a letter of Adrian the Emperor to one of his Nobles in which he tells him I have been in Egypt and there I observed the Christians worshiping Christ and Idols yea the Christian Bishops worshiping Christ and Serapis Which Serapis was the great God and Idol of the Egyptians By all which we may see the truth of what is asserted in the Text That the rest of the dead lived not again but continued still in their dead condition of blindness and Heathenism And may also see the reason why they lived not again viz. because they would not but chose death before life to continue in their dead condition of being Heathens rather than to become Christians and live And from this we may see how just it was with God to let Popery and Mahumetism invade the world and to reduce it to its heathenish ignorance blindness and superstition again because it was so unwilling to part with its ignorance blindness and superstition Because they would not receive truth in the love of it as the Apostle sayes it was just with God to give them up to strong delusions to believe a ly And by that sad example we may observe how men lose and let slip the opportunities that God affords them for their own good and so losing them they lose themselves Jerusalem knows not the time of her Visitation and the things of her peace and so poor Jerusalem is lost and her opportunity gone for ever There is a critical time when there is a season opportune for the good of the Souls and the clock strikes Time is but foolish men too commonly take so little notice of it that the brazen head cryes Time is past and breaks to pieces If we should take up the Dispute whether God do not set his time and stint how long he will let men have opportunity of rising from the death of sin are there not many evidences for the affirmative that he doth He sets his stint and date how long he will afford a man the opportunity that his body may live and doth he not the like for the living of the Soul Doth not God shut the gates of mercy against sinful Souls even in this life and doth he not shut the gates of Repentance These in the Text that lived not again was not all possibility of living again taken again from them because they had let the time and opportunity of reviving let slip and go and neglected it Esau lost his opportunity and having lost that he found no place of recovery though he sought it with tears And Joh. XII 39 40. They could not believe because Esaias had said he hath blinded their eyes c. Why were Esaias words a charm to them that they could not believe No they could not believe because those words of Esaias were verified upon them And they had so long wilfully blinded their own eyes and hardned their hearts that God had put to his Seal and blinded and hardned them that they were now past all possibility of believing In that great dispute and iniquiry how God hardneth mens hearts of which there is so frequent mention and intimitation in Scripture the first crisis toward the determination of it is that God hath set such men a time how long they may be in a possibility of repenting and believing which when it is come and they are still impertinent and unbelieving and will not repent and believe he shuts the door against them that they shall not repent and believe Upon the consideration of all which we have advertisement what we have to do viz. to strive after this first Resurrection while the Lord affords time and opportunity and when God offers the advantage of our living again not to be enemies of our own reviving A SERMON Preached upon 2 SAMUEL XIX 29.
high when I say He suffered as much as God could put him to suffer and that I speak too low when I say short of his own wrath I dare not say He suffered the wrath of God as many do but the Prophets and Apostles teach me that he suffered the tryings of God And more he could not be put to suffer than what he did It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief Esa. LIII 10. And more could not be laid upon him than what was laid Have you seriously weighed the meaning of those words of our Saviour himself Luke XXII 53. This is your hour and power of darkness The plain English of it is This is your hour that God hath let you loose upon me to do with me what you will without restraint And so hath he let loose upon me the Kingdom of darkness in its utmost power at the full length of the chain to do against me the utmost it can do I was daily with you in the Temple and ye stretched out no hands against me For then Providence restrained them because the Hour was not yet come But this is your hour and now Hell and all its power and all its Agents are let loose against him and Providence does not check them with any restraint I might insist to shew you that whereas God from the day of Adams fall had pitched a combate and field to be fought twixt the Serpent and the seed of the Woman in which the Serpent should bruise his heel and he break the Serpents head the hour of that incounter being now come the Godhead of Christ suspends its acting the providence of God suspends its restraining and lets Satan loose to do the utmost of his power and malice and leaves Christ to stand upon the strength of his own unconquerable holiness The Providence of God hath the Devil in a chain yea as to wicked and ungodly men Else why are they not carried bodily to Hell by him Why are they not hurried to their own place by him body and soul together But here God let the chain quite loose Satan do thy worst against him use all thy power rage and malice but all would not do for God very well knew what a Champion he had brought into the field to incounter him And therefore I may very well say it again That God put him to suffer as much as he could put him to suffer on this side his own wrath and the Devil put him to suffer as much as he could do with all his rage and power But his sufferings were not all that gave his blood and death that virtue that most justly is ascribed to it of justifying and saving The torments that he suffered were not the Godfather that named his blood by that precious Name of justifying and saving but it was that infinite Obedience that he shewed in bowing so low as to undergo those sufferings And there especially does the Scripture lay and lodge the stress of it Rom. V. 19. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Phil. II. 8. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. Heb. V. 8. Though he were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Our Saviour in his sufferings and death for to that I will consine my discourse concerning his Obedience as the Text confines us to treat only of his blood and as the Scripture more peculiarly lodges his Obedience there For though he performed Obedience to God all his life yet the Obedience that he shewed to and in the shedding of his blood was the very apex and top-stone of his obedience And for this it is that I scruple to say that he suffered the wrath of God in his sufferings because it is hard to think that he lay under the depth of Gods displeasure when he was now in the highest pitch of obeying and pleasing God I say That Our Saviour in his sufferings and death had to deal with God and Satan upon different accounts with God to satisfie him with Satan to destroy him And with one and the same instrument as I may call it his Obedience he effected these contrary effects As the pillar of â—ire Exod. XIV was darknes to the Egyptians but light to Israel So his Obedience was destruction to the Devil and satisfaction to God I. Christ was to break the head of the Serpent as the Serpent had broke the head of Adam and all mankind He was to conquer the Devil who had conquered Man And what was that by which he conquered him By his divine power as he was God That had been no great Mastery for the great God by his omnipotent power to conquer a creature When he did but exert a little of his divine power at his apprehension he made Judas and all his band of Ruffians to go backward and fall to the ground Joh. XVIII 6. But he was to conquer Satan by righteousness holiness and obedience to God He had not needed to have been incarnate to conquer the Devil by his omnipotent divine power but he was to conquer him and he did conquer him by obedience and holiness Joh. XIV 30. The Prince of this World cometh saith he and hath nothing in me And he came with all his forces all his fury all his power and do all he could he could find nothing in him that could serve his turn All that he did or could do could not move him one hairs bredth from obeying God and persisting in his holiness The Apostle in the ninth of this Epistle vers 14. saith He offered himself without spot to God One spot had spoiled all the offering but the Devil could not fix one spot upon him though he flung against him all the sink of Hell but still he keeps to his obedience and holiness Vicisti Galilaee Julian a child of the Devil once said O Galilaean thou hast overcome me The Devil himself hath cause to say so now The Devil let loose upon him to do the utmost against him that he could without any restraint to bring him from his obeying of God and so to foil him and all will not do All the temptations and tricks and assaults that the anvil of Hell could forge and sharpen were bent and used against him and all return blunted and avail nothing All that Satan can do cannot bring from him one repining word for all his tortures not one desponding thought for all his pangs not one unbecoming passage for all his passion But still he will oby God come what will he will still retain his holiness and integrity let Devils and Men do what they will Satan art thou not conquered O Devil where is thy power now O Hell where is thy victory Thanks be given to God that hath given us such victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Satan thou hast not the first Adam now in handling who was foiled by one Devil and in one
to that especially and speak to the Comparison as occasion offers it self The Positive being this There is joy in Heaven for a sinner that repenteth Joy in Heaven when a sinner repenteth Or for a sinner that repenteth When we have wondred a while at the thing it self then we may ask Joy among whom And truly we have very just cause to wonder at the thing it self And it is as feeling a passage as likely we can meet with in all the Scripture Joy in Heaven upon a sinners repenting How then may you construe that expression Well done good and faithful servant enter into thy Masters joy Mutual joy thou rejoycing in thy Master and thy Master rejoycing in thee The good servant by his very repentance rejoycing his Lord as well as his salvation with his Lord rejoycing him I cannot but think of that passage concerning the Eunuch Act. VIII That when he was converted and baptized he went away rejoycing And there was rejoycing in Heaven for it by our Saviours relation here as well as there was with him on earth one deep calling upon another through the noise of the water-pipes And like two Lutes tuned in Union the very same string of joy sounding in Heaven that was struck here upon Earth Not much unlike the stile of that passage What ye bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven We read of some that upon reading or hearing some particular Texts of Scripture have been converted and become new men So was S. Austin by reading a verse or two in Rom. XIII Junius by reading three or four verses of Joh. I. And so others by others Now can you find a more winning melting piercing passage almost any where in all the Bible than this if we well consider of it There is joy in Heaven over a sinner that repenteth That for yours or mine or any of our repentances there should be joy in Heaven Alas if we were all in Hell what were Heaven the worse for it And yet that it should be joyful news to Heaven if we repent Do we not know how joyful news takes upon Earth And do we not wonder that our repentance should bring joyful news to Heaven We read how Jacob was ravished and revived when the joyful news came to him that his son Joseph was alive And are there those in Heaven would be so affected if we repent Yes the great King of Heaven tells us so That there is joy in Heaven c. How full are we if we have good news to tell till we tell it Ahimaaz and Cushi ran as if they ran for their lives who shall first bring the good news of Victory over Absalom And is it possible for any of us to bring good news to Heaven Yes the Text tells us we may For our repentance would set Heaven a rejoycing and be very gladsome tidings there And who is it that runs astrife that he may first bring such rejoycing news thither As the four Lepers said at the Camp of the Syrians We do not well that we tarry here for this is a day of good tidings and we are to blame if we go not and tell them Men and Brethren more joyful news cannot come to Heaven than of our repenting And are we not moved at the thoughts of it and do we not blame our selves for delaying to send such news thither Do we by muddling here for mony and pleasures and preferments and I know not what as those Lepers did in the Tents of the Syrians when our repenting and turning to God would set Heaven it self on rejoycing for us It is no wonder if a Soul rejoyce when it gets to Heaven but it may ravish us with wonder and amazement that Heaven should rejoyce for a mans making thither For what need hath Heaven of such poor wretched creatures as we are Who would not dwell upon such a subject as this But it must be rather in Meditation than Elocution For astonishment at the thing may swallow up words that we are not able to speak of it to speak it out Make out by your memory meditation and admiring what my Tongue wants in expressing and uttering Let such a ravishing truth as this That there is joy in Heaven c. never slip out of your memory Cherish the warm thoughts of it in your spreading meditation Meditate your selves into rapture at such comfortable tidings from Heaven that your repentance would be joyful tidings to Heaven that there would be joy in Heaven for your repenting But joy among whom there And let that be a second thing to meditate of and to warm II. our meditation The Text only tells of joy in Heaven and particularizes no more but the rest of the Chapter speaks out with whom The last Parable in the Chapter tells you there is joy with God the Father by that intimation How the Father rejoyced upon the return of his lost Prodigal son The first Parable in the Chapter tells you there is joy with Christ the great shepherd by that intimation How the man rejoyced upon the finding and bringing again his wandring and lost sheep And the application of the middle Parable speaks it out vers 10. That there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Joy with God the Father joy with Christ the Son joy with the holy Angels Do we need to enquire whether with the blessed Saints in Heaven We have more reason to stand admiring at this that is so plain before us than to intricate our selves with that that is more obscure God and Christ and the Angels know a mans repenting here which the glorified Saints in Heaven for ought we know know not And God and Christ and Angels can be helpful to a Soul in the ways of repentance here which the glorified Saints in Heaven cannot be I know who they be that will maintain that the Saints in glory know a mans repentance and can be helpful to him in the ways of repentance And that therefore they are to be prayed unto But we leave them to their proofs and practises we have no such Doctrine nor custom nor the Churches of Christ. We doubt not but First The Saints in glory desire the consummating of the mystical body of Christ in glory It is their desire here and it leaves them not there Rom. VIII 23. They grone here for the Adoption that is the Redemption of the Body And they carry the same affection of desire of it into Heaven Secondly We may very well conceive that the Saints in glory rejoyce as this his mystical Body comes on to be glorified when a Soul comes to Heaven But that they know what men do here below is neither proved nor is it material to be believed Therefore I shall not intangle my self in that question but leave it to them that do believe it to prove it when they are able That God and Christ and Angels rejoyce over a sinner that repenteth is that
been blessed and honoured withal clean departed and gone away And hence it was that the Samaritans durst compare with the Jews for the better Religion and mount Gerizim at Sechem compares with Jerusalem as the truer and purer place of worship For the honour and ornaments of Jerusalem were gone her Prophets and the Spirit of Prophesy It is observable what is said in the last clause of the Text The Pharisees confess both III. Why He had spoken of three things that the Sadducees denyed The Resurrection Angel Spirit And therefore it seems more proper to have said The Pharisees confess all when he speaks of three than to say they confess both when he speaks of three But he makes these two later but as one and so distinguishes the things into two parts the Resurrection was one thing the Sadducees denied and Angels and Spirits was another one thing And so by the addition of the word Spirit he intimates that the Sadducee denyed all Angelical and Spiritual Substance And so Expositors observe upon this That he thought that even God himself is not a Spiritual but a Corporeal or bodily substance That the Good or Evil Angels that are mentioned mean nothing but good and evil motions of mens minds And that the Soul of man is not a Spirit but a Crasis or mixture of some certain humors and temperaments And that by the Spirit of God is meant only his Mind and by the Spirit of man his breath Strange and mad Divinity and Philosophy And a strangeworld that this man conceives A world that hath neither Angel in it nor Devil and only a Corporeal God in it Souls that are bodily in the midst of the body and that must dye as well as the body when the body dies And a world that must comprehend all that ever must be And that there is to be no world to come nor any other world but this Men of gross and thick and muddy minds that either could not believe but what they saw or could not but believe that what they saw not was like to what they saw That could not believe that there were Angels or Spirits because they saw them not and could not but believe that God and Souls were like to bodily thing that they saw Their sad and fatal case and blindness may justly give us warning and advise what clear minds we ought to get to judge of divine things and rightly to apprehend of things that are above sense or seeing The greatest things of our concernment are out of sight viz. God our Souls Guilt Grace Hell Heaven and Eternity to omit to speak of Angels and Devils We are not to look to the things that are seen but to the things that are not seen as the Apostle gives us intimation 2 Cor. IV. ult and in divers other places Now what are we to do in this case Not believe them because we do not see them This is Thomas his faith or infidelity rather not to believe that Christ is risen unless we see in his hands the print of the nayls Or shall we cavil with God for that he hath not made these things visible and not laid them conspicuous to our eyes as he hath done bodily things God would be loved served feared Why doth he not shew himself visibly to us that we might see him and so love and serve and fear him He would have us to avoid sin and guilt if he had made these things visible as a dangerous pit or gulph or precipice is visible we should then avoyd them But now we must avoid a thing we see not We are bidden to resist the Devil Why we cannot see him and we would not see him And we are bidden to take care of our Souls They are things invisible and we cannot see what they are and how they are Yes God hath given us an eye to see those things an invisible eye to see things invisible So it is said of Moses that he saw him that was invisible For the discerning of any thing there are three things requisite an Eye to see and Light to see by and a just or competent distance that the thing to be seen be not too far for then it is not to be seen God hath provided for us all these things for our seeing and knowing the things which it concerns us to know though they be invisible if we be not wanting to our selves How much is comprehended in those words of God which he uses when he is about to create man Let us make man after our own image And God made man after his own image Now you must refer this Image or Similitude more especially to the Soul for the Body can little be said to be the Image of God who is not a Body But in how many things doth the Soul resemble him God is Invisible And so is the Soul God is Spirit And so is the Soul God is Immortal And so is the Soul But more especially doth the Soul resemble God in the faculty and constitution of the mind God being a pure Intellect or Mind and all-knowing and the mind of man representing him in its great capacity of knowledge and understanding That the Soul represents God in being Invisible Spiritual Immortal as He is we may call it a passive representation of God pictured upon the constitution of the Soul But the Souls representing God in knowing understanding discerning of things we may very properly call an active representation of him laying forth in action as he also acteth The Serpent in tempting Eve concludes that the proper and most compleat resemblance of God is in Knowledge Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And he guessed not amiss as relating to that representation of God that is in the Essence of the Soul For observe that of the Apostle Col. III. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him And the only specimen or evidence and declaration that Adam gave of the perfection of his nature while he stood in innocency was the demonstration of his wisdom or knowledge in that he could and did name all creatures according to their nature God brought all creatures to him to see what he would name them and he had the knowledge upon the very first sight of them to understand their nature and he named them according to their nature Knowledge and Understanding was natural and essential to Adam as he was a man a reasonable creature Therfore by his fall he did not lose that Faculty though he abated of the measure of it For it was essential to his Soul to be an understanding Soul and it could not be a Soul without it Let us compare the Angels that fell and Adam falling together They were both created holy and righteous alike For I make no question but Adam was created every whit as holy as those Angels were created And they were both created of great knowledge
many thousand souls above the saving of his own one soul and so much desire the glorifying of Christ and his Grace in the salvation of them Thus doth he love the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul when he prefers the glorifying of his Grace before his own benefit And thus he loves his neighbour as himself nay more than himself when he prefers the good of their souls before his own It had been much if he had been willing to be imprisoned to be scourged to be killed for their sakes but what love could be more than to be willing to be accursed of Christ for them Ah Paul if thou be accursed from Christ thou art undone for ever If thou be separated from Christ it had been better for thee thou hadst never been born However the love of Christ constrains me whose blood and grace I would have glorified in these mens salvation and the love of souls constrains me too for I would not if I might redeem them upon any terms have so many to perish For the viewing of the words and the whole matter before us let us leisurely and more particularly consider of these things following I. The Apostle knew that the far greatest part of the seed of Israel his Brethren and Kinsmen according to the flesh was to be cast off by God and accursed by Christ for their disobedience and unbelief And this he knew well enough from the Scriptures of the Old Testament whatsoever he knew besides by revelation First That so infinite a number of them should perish and so small be saved the Scripture is so abundant in shewing that it is needless to cite places that speak it The Apostle himself cites two in Chap. IX 27. That of Isaiah Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a remnant i. e. but a remnant should be saved And how little that remnant should be he cites another place of the same Prophet ver 29. Except the Lord had left us a very small remnant we had been made as Sodom and we had been like to Gomorrha Which you have Isa. I. 9. a small remnant like Lot and his family to escape the rest like Sodom and Gomorrha to be destroyed To the same tenor is that Isa. XVII 6. Gleaning grapes shall be left in it as the shaking of an olive-tree two or three berries in the top of the uttermost bough four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof But gleanings but two or three berries but four or five olives of the bearing of a whole tree And that Jer. III. 14. I will take you one of a City and two of a Tribe and will bring you to Zion One of a City is but a small number to a whole City two of a family or a Tribe but a pitiful quantity to a whole Tribe And yet only so small a remnant that must be brought to Sion How great then is the quantity of them that perish Nay if we should take that literally which you have Revel VII Twelve thousand sealed of every Tribe an hundred forty four thousand in all yet how small a number is this in comparison of the thousands of thousands of the seed of Israel that was scattered through the whole world As that account in the days of Elias of seven thousand that bowed not the knee to Baal was small to the many hundred thousands that were in all Israel So likewise saith our Apostle There is a remnant and but a remnant at this present Chap. XI 5. And if we compare how many thousands of Israel there were that never would receive the Gospel and how many thousands that having received it revolted from it we shall find an infinite number perishing in unbelief and apostacy in comparison of those that believed and were saved To omit how many millions of them have perished in unbelief and obduration and so have perished all along these sixteen hundred years This goes to the very soul of our holy Apostle to see so vast a destruction of his people and Nation Let us take some glimpse of his prospect from the story of a slaughter in the East-Indies a Tyrant caused all the Inhabitants of a great City and Country about it to the number of six hundred thousand to be fettered in chains and manacles and to be laid so bound in a great plain and thither he comes himself and at his command his Souldiers slay that vast number of people at one clap What a sight had been here for a tender heart Six hundred thousand throats of men women and children cut at one instant Our tender hearted Apostle is looking upon a prospect of slaughter incomparably beyond that for sadness though that were sad enough and enough again If you regard slaughter of bodies those of his Nation outvied the number of these that were slain Here were Six hundred thousand but at the taking of Jerusalem Eleven hundred thousand perished by sword pestilence and famine besides almost an hundred thousand taken captives But secondly It is not the perishing of bodies that he mourneth over but the perishing of souls A whole Nation scattered over the whole earth and so perishing by thousands of thousands soul and body to all eternity It grieves him to the soul to look upon such a numberless slaughter of souls perishing and going to eternal flames His whole Nation to become a Calvary a place of sculs of ruined souls perishing in blindness and unbelief According to that Isa. LXVI ult He goes forth in his meditation and looks upon the carkasses of those that had so rebelled against God and thinks of their worms never dying and their fires never quenched And the thoughts of this pierceth his soul through and through as with a sword that he thinks Jeremies wish too low and little for him Oh that my head were a fountain and my eyes cisterns but he takes a deeper sigh and a deeper wish I could wish to be accursed from Christ c. II. Is it only the vastness of the numbers that were to perish that he looks upon with so much regret and yearning of bowels That is not all but he cannot but observe also the sad manner of their perishing viz. under a peculiar quarrel of Christ against them and a special curse and vengeance upon them This very Apostle denounceth the doom and equity of it in that passage 1 Cor. XVI 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Or Accursed at the Lords coming Which direful thunderbolt that it is directly and more especially levelled and aimed at that Nation may be collected partly because he useth their own language to speak it in Maran Atha and chiefly because no people under Heaven did less love the Lord Jesus or so much hate him The word Anathema that he useth there he useth here there denouncing a curse upon that people and here wishing a curse upon himself
understanding immortal substance that is not extinguished by sin nor cannot be by any thing And so when God forbids Murther he doth it with this argument That he that kills a Man destroys one that carries the image of God And yet then the likeness of God in Man Holiness and Righteousness was utterly gone but the image of God in these essential constitutives in soul were still remaining in him Upon that saying of God Whoso sheddeth Mans blood by Man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he Man if any Man question Is this meant of every Man in the world Can any doubt it Unless the Murther of some Men were allowed though of others forbidden Upon the very same argument we may urge the love of every man to every man because in the Image of God he created him And if thou canst find any man without the Image of God in his Soul then hate him and spare not But then it will further be Objected Then by this Argument I should love the Devil for he was created in the Image of Cod that is He is a spiritual intellectual immortal substance as well as any mans Soul I Answer He is so indeed but these two things make now the vast difference First He is in a sinful estate utterly irrecoverable And so we cannot say of any soul in the world The Apostle saith of the Angels that fell That God cast them down into Hell upon their Fall 2 Pet. II. They are damned already irrecoverably but you cannot say of any soul in the World absolutely that it cannot be saved Whether all Souls in the World be salvabiles in a savable condition we shall not dispute nor whence their salvability comes if it be so But certainly you and I nor no Man in the world can say of any Man that he cannot be saved True we may truly and justly say that if he continue and dye in such and such sins and wicked courses he cannot be saved But of his soul considered in its bare essence we cannot say so Nay we must pray for his Salvation This then is that that beautifies a Soul and makes it lovely and upon which we are to love every Man because he hath a soul capable of enjoying God and Salvation Shall I hate any Mans soul It may be united to God Hate any Mans body It may be a Temple of the Holy Ghost any Mans Person He may be an Inheritor of Eternal Glory Scorn not poor Joseph for all his rags and imprisonment he may come to sit upon a Throne Despise not poor Lazarus for all his Sores and Tatters he may be carried by Angels into Abraham ' s bosom Secondly Christ dyed for Souls he dyed not for Devils And this is no small demonstration of the Excellency and preciousness of a Soul viz. That the Son of God himself would dye for it It is therefore the Apostles Argument once and again Offend not him for whom Christ dyed Destroy not him for whom Christ dyed Rom. XIV 1 Cor. VIII Darest thou hate him for whom Christ dyed Darest thou wrong him for whom the Son of God would shed his blood A SERMON PREACHED upon GENESIS III. 20. And Adam called his Wives name Eve because she was the Mother of all living ADAMS story is all wonder Dust so raised to become so brave a Creature that Bravery so soon lost so soon repaired and so hughly repaired to a better condition That he is sensible of in the Text therefore he calls his Wives name Eve because Mother to all living He had named her quoad sexum as to her sex Chap. II. 23. Now he gives her another name of distinction Then she was called Woman because she was taken out of Man Now Eve because all living were to come out of her Adam shewed Wisdom in naming the Beasts here he shews that and more viz. Faith and sense of his better Estate She was rather the Mother of Death having done that that brought death into the world but he sensible of a better life to come in by her calls her Eve Life as the word signifies Lay this to that in Joh. I. 4. In him was life speaking of Christ and the life was the light of men Eve was the Mother of all living viz. of Christ and all that live by him So that hence I make this Observation That Adam and Eve believed and obtained life For the proof of this let us view their story I. God saith I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel vers 15. Satan had accompanied with them till this Promise came He keeps to them to chear them he perswaded them to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord. But now she sets him at defyance She sees her error The Serpent saith she deceived me grows at enmity with him having now a surer comfort promised to rely upon II. God clothed them with skins vers 21. Which is an evidence that they sacrificed For they had no need of slaying Beasts for any other purpose Flesh they might not eat They were slain for sacrifice and their skins served for clothing Thus Body and Soul were provided for And in these Sacrifices they looked after Christ and saw him in figure The first death in the world was Christs dying in figure Noah knew clean and unclean Beasts and sacrificed This undoubtedly he had learned from the beginning III. Observe that Luk. I. 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Hinting that from the very beginning of the world there were Prophets of the Messias Thus Adam was a Prophet of Christ and prophesied of him in the name of Eve signifying life And Eve prophesied of him in the name of Cain Gen. IV. 1. She conceived and bare Cain and said I have gotten a man from the Lord Or I have begotten a man the Lord as the words may be rendred And in the name Seth Gen. IV. 25. She bare a Son and called his name Seth For God saith she hath appointed me another seed IV. The promise of the Messiah was not given to a Castaway It was given to Abraham and David and others that were righteous men V. Religion began to be planted by Adam Cain and Abel brought Sacrifice to God Which shews that Religion had been planted before VI. Christ prevailed against the Serpent from the beginning and had a seed The Church began with Adam Else what confusion would there have been in the world VII The Sabbath was given from the beginning and Adam kept it VIII All Gods dealings with him were to forward Faith in him Such were his Cursing the ground his expelling him out of Eden his enjoyning him Sacrifice and the Sabbath IX Adam is ranked with holy ones Gen. V. These things laid together may be sufficient to prove that Adam and Eve believed
ye are of the murtherer Secondly The first man dying was Christ in figure as the first death that of Sacrifice was Christ in figure also The Jews say that when Cain killed his Brother he made wounds in his hands and feet Thirdly That Cain who was first born into the world should so miscarry So the first estate of Man miscarried Eve hoped well of him when she named him Cain saying I have gotten a man from the Lord or a man the Lord. But the first born miscarried And so Esau the first born lost his birth-right But to return to our subject He slew his Brother We may cry Murther Murther with a witness If it had been a stranger that had been slain or an enemy or one that had been too many in the world but a Brother an only Brother the only man in the world this vastly aggravates the crime Fratricide is horrid this without parallel or possibility of parallel It is justly said that he was of that Wicked one Else this story would have choaked all belief How think you was Adam amazed when he heard it but when he resolved it thus he is of him that murthered mankind this ceased his wonder From hence I raise this Doctrine How much devilishness can the Devil infuse into Mans Nature This story is set first after the Fall to shew how much of Devil breathed in our Nature and how far it may be enhanced to devilishness Seth was begotten in the image of Adam Cain of the Devil See against how many Divine and Humane Laws and bonds he did this Act. 1. It was besides reason There was room enough in the world for both It was not with them as it was afterwards with Lot and Abraham Gen. XIII 6. The Land was not able to bear them that they might dwell together Nor as it was after that with Jacob and Esau Chap. XXXVI 7. Their riches were more than that they might dwell together and the Land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their Cattel 2. It was contrary to reason 1. In that they should have been mutually helpful And 2. Why should not Abel live as well as he 3. It was contrary to Nature He was his Brother-twin with him 4. Contrary to the tender dealing of God 5. Contrary to all reason and Religion He slew him because his works were righteous As Caligula slew a man because he was a proper man But Cain was not alone I might shew as much Devilishness appearing in others as in Pharaoh Ahab Nero c. Men in all things like the Devil and Cain And the reasons of this are I. Because the Soul of Man is capable of all evil to all extremity Not only that Gen. VI. 5. that the wickedness of Man was great and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually but he is capable of all manner and degrees of evil Not only that in Matth. XV. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts Murthers Adulteries Fornications Thefts false-witness Blasphemies but these to the utmost extremity That in Rom. VII 18. In me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing is short of the utmost extremity by far 1. The Soul is large enough to hold all evil Immensity is part of the Image of God in it desires it hath never satisfied covetuousness voluptuousness never satisfied it is a gulph that never says Enough 2. The spawn of Original Sin contains all sin in it As a spark is enough to consume all if fuelled As the Mud after the overflowing of Nilus produceth all Monsters And the Leprosie spreads all over if let alone Consider these three things of our Nature First It being contrary to God contains all evil as he all good It is a question in the Schools whether sin is contrary to Gods Nature or Will Our sinful nature is contrary to both To his Will 1 Thess. IV. 3. For this is the will of God even your sanctification To his Nature He light but we are darkness He holiness but we sin and impurity Other Creatures are not contrary to God but divers and different from him but sinful Creature is contrary Our nature as evil is contrary to the Divine Nature Our misery is not only in the loss of the Image of God but in the obtaining the contrary Image Secondly There is nothing in our nature to limit its breaking out to evil It is an untamed Heifer will bear no yoke It is like waters running downwards without bounds Nay there is that in us that breaks all bounds as the stirring of Conscience the Motions of the Spirit Education Laws all bounds but those of Grace Our principle is to please self to have our own Wills Now this consists of an hundred unsatiable gulphs to satisfie Pride Covetousness Envy Lust. Self Conjures up these Devils but there is nothing in us to conjure them down again The body breeds a disease but can master it but the Soul cannot because it is overcome with content in its disease Thirdly These distempers of our Nature are boundless in themselves No bottom no stop but Grace or Death II. Another reason how it comes to pass that there is so much Devilishness in some Mens nature is because the Devil is still urging and never saith Enough As we are ever stirring evil in our selves so he is hatching evil in us We read of some that were taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. II. 26. But I will not insist any longer on the proof Let us consider in the next place what sins are most devilish and how men come up to them James III. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish There are degrees of sin first earthly then sensual and lastly devilish The Devil himself is without an earthly mind and without sensuality He is not covetous he offers Christ all the Kingdoms of the world Matth. IV. Nor is he lascivious They misconstrue Gen. VI. 2. that thought from thence that the Angels lay with Women Nor is he luxurious No the Devil flies at higher game to defy God and damn souls All sin bears his stamp but some his picture As namely these that follow 1. Pride and to be puffed up against God and his charge and bounds which he hath set This is the Devils peculiar sin See 1 Tim. III. 6. Not a Novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil 2. Hatred and cruelty Satan is an Enemy a Murtherer Joh. VIII 44. a roaring Lion and devours them that serve him 3. Enmity against Righteousness and the ways of God See vers 10. of this Chapter His name is Satan that is an Enemy to what is good 4. Lying and falshood That appeared sufficiently in the story of the Fall And in Joh. VIII 44. He is a Lyar and the Father of it Now are not some as devilish as the Devil himself in these 1. In Pride Some will be
himself to be a jealous God visiting the sins of Idolaters II. A second passage is that about the battel at Gibeah Judg. XX. concerning which let us first take up the words of Deborah Chap. V. 8. For though the history of that war is set many Chapters after the story of Deborah yet was it a great while before her as might be shewed by many evidences if I would stand upon it They chose new gods saith she then was war in the gates Was there a sheild or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel No sooner Idolatry but vengeance no sooner new gods but war in the gates and war with a witness that destroyed forty thousand of Israel and above twenty thousand of Benjamin She speaks but of forty thousand that perished as if no sheild or spear had been among them all whereas in all there fell sixty five thousand But she hints the sad slaughter of Israel which was sent by God and encouraged by him to go against Benjamin and yet when they went to battel they fell forty thousand Strange to be sent by God and yet miscarry to be encouraged by God and yet fall Oh they had chosen new gods and thence this miscarriage The Tribe of Dan had set up Idolatry and all Israel quiet and stir not against it and so become partakers of it But when a Whore hath some unhansom and hard usage at Gibeah then all Israel is suddenly up in arms to revenge her quarrel Zeal for a Whore to revenge her quarrel against Gibeah but not zeal for the Lord to revenge his quarrel against Idolatry And therefore God takes the cause into his own hand and shews himself a jealous God against Idolatry and caused forty thousand to fall in battel though he had sent and encouraged them to it III. A third passage let be that which yet comes more near the Text nay seems not only to come up to it but to go beyond it and that is Exod. XXXII 34. where after the sin of the golden Calf and the Levites slaying three thousand men yet God still hath some anger in store for that sin and saith Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them When The Jews say That in every scourge and judgment that came upon them there was a remembrance and a lash for the golden Calf And S. Stephen speaks no less or more in Act. VII 41 42. They made a Calf in those days and offered sacrifice unto the Idol c. Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of Heaven c. This speaks God a jealous God against Idolatry and seems to speak that he visits the sins of the Fathers upon the children beyond the third and fourth generation succeeding To which thing we shall speak in course in handling of the words To which now we are come II. Then visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children c. All the question and scruple about the thing is Quo jure Where is Gods justice in this to visit the sins of him that sinned upon him that sinneth not sins of the fathers upon the children who probably were never witting or assenting to the Fathers sin It is Gods strict commandment to men Deut. XXIV 16. The fathers shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers but every man shall be put to death for his own sin And doth not he go contrary to that rule himself when he visits the sins of the fathers upon the children And it is his proclaiming again Ezek. XVIII 4. Behold all souls are mine as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth it shall dye And doth he not warp from that assertion when children are punished for the sins of their Fathers That God should impute the sin of Adam to all his posterity hath been cavilled at in antient times by some Hereticks and in these later some are not well satisfied about the matter and cannot or will not see how God is just in it Visiting sins unto the third and fourth generation sounds something harsh this far more visiting the sin of the first Father upon all generations Shall he condemn millions of millions for the fault they never committed charge upon them the crime they never consented to I shall not stay my discourse upon this The answer is ready in Adam was all mankind in his Covenant was enwrapped all humane nature and the violation of that Covenant was the sin and guilt of whole humane nature But we shall speak to other kind of examples that come nearer to the sense of the words before us And these are of two sorts viz. in reference to the body or outward condition or to the soul or inward First Was not that hard measure as you may think that when Corah Dathan and Abiram the Parents only had sinned that not only they should go down quick into the pit but their houses also and all that appertained to them Numb XVI 32. The like that when Achan only was in the transgression that his sons and daughters and his very cattel should be put to death as well as he Josh. VII 24. Secondly Seems it not hard measure that when that generation at the building of Babel had only sinned against God in that design for setting up Idolatry that not only they should be given up to Idolatry and blindness but the Heathen their posterity to scores of generations The like that when that generation only had sinned in murthering Christ not only they should bear the guilt of his blood but their posterity through so many ages For the unfolding of Gods dealings in these things particularly let me first move this general consideration What care Parents had need to take that they sin not so as to leave sin and guilt and a curse upon their children and posterity Among their cares to leave them well as the word in the world goes i. e. rich to be sure to take this care that while they leave them well they leave them not ill Sin not for thy childrens sake that they smart not for thy faults when thou art gone I mention two sins particularly that may draw misery and entail a curse upon the posterity cursing their children and unconscionably scraping a cursed estate together to leave to their children Now to assert the Justice of God in this case of visiting the iniquity of the fathers c. either for these sins or others whereas it seems a wrong to the children Consider these things I. It is most just with God to punish wicked men in their dearest delights that judgment may come home to them to the quick to take away the delight of their Eyes and Heart that punishment may make them smart in the tenderest part And when Parents are so fond of that part of themselves their children that they will venture soul and body
all to pieces and the noblest Creature to whom God put all other Creatures in subjection was himself become like the beasts that perish the beasts that were put in subjection to him and when Satan the enemy of God as well as man had thus broke all to pieces the chief work-manship of God here the world was mar'd as soon as made And as God in six days made Heaven and Earth and all things therein so before the sixth day went out Satan had mar'd and destroyed him for whom all these things were created God therefore coming in with the promise of Christ who should destroy Satan that had destroyed all and having now created a new world of grace and brought in a second Adam the root of all were to be saved and having restored Adam that not only from his lost condition but into a better condition than he was in before as having ingrafted him and all believers into Christ a surer foundation than natural perfection which he had by Creation but had now lost then he rested as having wrought a greater work than the Creation of nature But then you will say that the first Sabbath was of Evangelical institution not of moral that then the law for keeping of it was not written in Adams heart but was of Evangelical revelation I may answer truly that it was both For though Adam had not sinned yet must he have kept the Sabbath And to this purpose it is observable that the institution of the Sabbath is mentioned Gen. II. before the fall of Adam is mentioned Gen. III. partly because the Holy Ghost would mention all the seven days of the first week together and partly to intimate to us that even in innocency there must have been a Sabbath kept a Sabbath kept if Adam had continued in innocency and in that regard the Law of it to him was Moral and written in his heart as all the Laws of piety towards God were It is said Gen. II. 15. The Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it Now if Adam had continued in innocency do you think he must have been at work dressing and keeping the Garden on the Sabbath day as on the other six He had Gods own copy so laid before him of working six days and resting the seventh that he could not but see that it was laid before him for his Example But you will say All the Moral Law was written in Adams heart as soon as he was created now the Law to keep the Sabbath could not be because the Sabbath was not yet created nor come And by then the Sabbath came the Law in his heart was blurred by sin and his fall I answer The Law writ in Adams heart was not particularly every Command of the two Tables written as they were in two Tables line by line but this Law in general of piety and love toward God and of justice and love towards our neighbour And in these lay couched a Law to all particulars that concerned either to branch forth as occasion for the practice of them should arise As in our natural corruption brought in by sin there is couched every sin whatsoever too ready to bud forth when occasion is offered So in the Law in his heart of piety towards God was comprehended the practice of every thing that concerned love and piety towards God as occasion for the practice was offered Under this Law was couched a tie and Law to obey God in every thing he should command And so though the command Eat not of the forbidden fruit was a Positive and not a Moral Command yet was Adam bound to the obedience of it by virtue of the Moral Law written in his heart which tyed him to love God and to obey him in every thing he should command And so the Sabbath when it came although you look upon it as a positive command in its institution yet was it writ also in Adams heart to obey God in that Command especially when God had set him such a Copy by his own resting II. A second thing observable in that first Sabbath and which was transmitted to posterity as a Law to keep is that now it had several ends As in man there is something of the perfection of every Creature a Spirit as Angels Life as Beasts Growth as Trees a Body as Stones so the Sabbath hath something of the excellency and of the end of every Law that was or could be given There are four sorts of Laws which God hath given to men Moral Commentorative Evangelical and Typical Moral Laws are given in the Ten Commandments Commemorative Laws as the Law of the Passover to commemorate the delivery out of Egypt Pentecost to commemorate the giving of the Law Typical as Sacrifices Priesthood Purifications sprinkling of blood to signifie good things to come as the Apostle speaks and to have their accomplishing in Christ Evangelical such as repentance self-denial believing c. Now the Sabbath is partaker of all these Ends together and hath the several excellencies of all these ends included in its self And so had that first Sabbath appointed to Adam First The Moral end is to rest from labours So in this fourth Commandment six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work c. So Jer. XVII 21. Thus saith the Lord Take heed to your selves to bear no burthen on the Sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem Neither bring forth a burthen out of your houses neither do you any work but hallow the Sabbath day as I commanded your fathers Oh! then I celebrate the Sabbath saith the Sabbath-breaker for I do no work but play and recreate and drink and sit still and do no work at all Friend dost thou think God ever established idleness and folly by a Law That he hallowed the Sabbath day to be a playing fooling sporting day But Christian how readest thou as a Christian The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God not a Sabbath for thy lust and laziness And in it thou shalt do no manner of work of thine own but the work of the Lord thy God And the rest that he hath commanded is not for idleness but for piety towards God for which end he gave all the Laws of the first Table viz. to leave communion with the world and worldly things that day and to have it with God as in Esai LVIII 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy will on my holy days and call the Sabbath a delight As Moses to betake our selves to the mount of God and there to have communion with him To get into the Mount above the world and there to meet God and converse with him To be in the Spirit on the Lords day and not to recreate the Body but the Soul
he shewed what was meant by that Levit. XVIII 5. viz. That by keeping the Commandments not only life here but Eternal life hereafter is obtained And so it is further cleared by his words in Luk. X. 28. This do and thou shalt life So that this here was not barely a temporal promise but had wrapped up in it a further promise of Life Eternal And so had the other temporal promises that were given them And so some of the Jews interpret that Levit. XXVI 11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my Soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people not only of God being among his people here but of his being in the midst of them and they about him in Heaven And so you find the word Heaven in Scripture sometimes to signifie the Church here as well as it signifies the state and place of glory hereafter Now if you ask why God since he meant spiritual things and eternal under these temporal promises did not speak out but used such promises as might prove occasions of missing of those promises through misimprovement And so we find that this very thing proved the ruine of the Jewish Nation they being moved hereby to look at temporal things and to neglect eternal They looked and still look for a temporal Kingdom of Christ pompous and resplendent with worldly Iustre And this stands as it were a Wood or a Fog betwixt them and the discerning of his spiritual Kingdom that they cannot will not see it This makes them look for their Canaan again and to be planted and â—ettled there anew With which opinion too many Christians do concurr and look for some such glorious thing among the Jews even this year sixty six Why I say did not God speak out spiritual and eternal things but only obscurely hinted them in such temporal promises as these I Answer Because God would use the most feeling perswasions to them Men are not so sensible of things spiritual as they be of bodily have not the feeling of things that concern Life Eternal as they have of this Life To have said Honour thy Father and Mother that thou mayst inherit eternal life had been a fair argument but it is not so feeling to flesh and blood No Man but is very desirous of long life here and it is but one of a City and two of a Tribe that more desires Life Eternal The Gadarens are more sensible of their Swine than Christ and not one in many but a promise of earthly prosperity or bodily welfare comes nearer his heart than a promise of everlasting and heavenly glory health of body than of soul showers of rain than of grace bags of mony than all the treasures of Christ. Therefore God gave such promises as might be most feeling and perswasive those that were most like to take As the Apostle I being crafty caught you with guile as the Jews describe it As one that gives his Child Nuts and Plums to bring him on to learn so God gave to them those things that he was sure would most please them The Church of the Jews was a Child under age Gal. IV. 1 2 3. and God deals with them as with Children giving Ordinances and promises according to its childhood feeds them with milk and not with strong meat because they were not so able to bear it It is commonly said they were not able to bear spiritual dispensations in their abstract simplicity and therefore God gave them such carnal Ordinances according as they were able to bear them It is true they were carnal enough about the worship of God but was it not because they had such carnal Ordinances from the first The use of these made them dote on them Are there not thousands among Christians as carnal about Gods service as they That dote as much upon Ceremony and outward formality in Gods worship as ever they did And that because they have been brought up in such Ceremonious way or cannot come up to worship in spirit And might not the Jews have been as capable of the same spiritual manner of Religion as the Gentiles were if God had set it up among them when he first took them for the Church Wherein then did the Childhood of the Church consist First That it was yet but small of stature in comparison of that full body and growth the Church of God was to come to See that Eph. IV. 12 13. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. What is the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ It is the mystical body of Christ in its full proportion viz. Jew and Gentile joyned together How small a Babe was the Church of the Jews in comparison with what the Church was when the Gentiles of all Nations were become the Church Secondly That Church was a Child in knowledge in comparison of the Church under the Gospel Hence that promise Esai LXV 20. There shall be no more thence an Infant of days The Gospel should bring in such light and means of knowledge that none should be a Child or infant in knowledge if they had a mind to learn 'T is true they were so childish because God afforded no clearer means of knowledge And it is as true that in some sort it was needful the means of knowledge should be but as it was viz. that God by those means might make way to the knowledge and embracing of spiritual things under the Gospel when it came Consider their carnal ordinances and temporal promises God in the Gospel was to bring in a spiritual Worship and Religion A better way to make way for the embracing of that could not be used than by shewing before the unprofitableness the uneffectualness of their carnal worship This the Apostle speaks to at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. IX 9. That gifts and offerings could not make him that did the service perfect That sprinkling the blood of Goats and Bulls could not purge the Conscience The experience of this was the way to make men harken after the Sacrifice of Christ that would do the work that blood of Christ that could purge to the utmost And the like might be instanced in other parts of that carnal service So God gave them especially promises of temporal things that he might teach them that they should not be losers by his service Their service was chargeable in gifts and offerings and in going up to Jerusalem c. Therefore it was needful that God should ply them with promises of temporal good that they should lose nothing by his service if they were faithful to it Observe that Exod. XXXIV 23. Thrice in the
Balaam loved the wages the wages of unrighteousness yet he could wish to dye the death of the righteous Numb XXIII 10. Even Conscience beareth witness to this truth that dying in any sin is damnable But how is it possible but some sin will stick to the best of men I answer II. True that there is no man living without sin but we are to distinguish upon two things First Twixt sin and guilt If we consider presly it is not the sin that immediately damns but the guilt of the sin A thief hanged the sin of robbing is past and gone but the guilt of it brings him to the gallows so sin as to the act is over and gone but the guilt sticks Now there is some sin which binds not a man over to guilt to condemn him Psal. XXXII 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin There is sin but the guilt of it is not charged on men But what sin is that I might answer All sins already pardoned have they been never so great Rom. VIII 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth But we speak of sins that stick at the instant of death Therefore Secondly We distinguish upon the sticking of sin to the flesh and to the heart A Saint hath sin sticking to the flesh not to the heart Rom. VII ult With the mind I serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin As if we get the disease from the heart it is not so deadly so Saints having got sin from their hearts it is not damning to them They hate it but it cleaves to their flesh So that the guilt of such sins is pardoned all along because the Saint all along strives and prays against them It is not I but sin in me Not my heart or consent but sin in my flesh that will neither be got out nor quiet In a word a dying sin cannot kill a dying man Sin is mortified all along and if in death it stirs yet it is dying and hath not power to kill And this have I spoken to remove that error about this Article of the Creed that Christ descended to Hell to fetch Souls to Heaven that yet wanted something to bring them thither II. A second opinion and interpretation is that he descended locally to triumph over II. the Devils and the damned An Interpretation that seems to carry more sense and innocence and yet is far from the meaning of the Article To take it into examination First To consider something concerning Christs Soul when separate from his body I. It is undoubted that it went to Heaven assoon as departed and it is very unwarrantable to look for it in Hell unless we have good evidence of the Scripture at least of reason for it His words on the Cross to the good thief were To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke XXIII 43. and his last words to God were Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit vers 46. Now who can doubt but he was instantly in Heaven and his Soul with God And when and indeed why should it go to Hell Christ was dead but thirty six hours and his Soul to be on the Cross in Heaven and Hell in that time is a flitting up and down that unless the Spirit of Christ himself in Scripture tell us so how can we believe it That it flitted from the Cross to Heaven Scripture is plain but that it flitted from Heaven to Hell we are yet to seek Ye shall seek me and not find me Truly according to this opinion we know not where to seek him nor to find him in that time If you will take the propriety of his own words Luke XXIII 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And John XVII 11 13. I am no more in the World but these are in the World and I come to thee And now I come to thee you may certainly conclude that his Soul was with God while it was separate but that it was in Hell any moment of that time there is not one tittle of Scripture to give any evidence but Act. II. 27. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell and this Article of which we shall shew a far other sense II. Was it possible that Christs Soul should go from Heaven to Hell The Souls of the glorified Saints cannot and I question whether Christs could or not See Luke XVI 26. Between us and you there is a great gulph fixed so that they which would pass from us to you cannot Whence I observe two things 1. What is meant by a great Gulph an unsuperable unpassableness from one to another But especially 2. They that would pass from hence to you Are there any in Heaven that ever would go to Hell The Devils indeed chose it but I question whether they understood what Hell meant so well as they do now But never blessed Soul did nor could do it They are too much delighted with the happy enjoyment of God to make such a choise But Christ by that expression in the Parable does the more shew how it is impossible for a Soul once in Heaven to go thence to Hell that if it could be supposed they would do it it cannot be done And could Christs Soul do it any more Could Christs Soul have any delight to leave the joys of Heaven to go to Hell III. There is no reason no Scripture to tell us that Christs Soul had any thing to do as to the work of Redemption or Mediatorship when separate from the body What will you make of this Triumphing Was it any part of his Redeeming or Mediatorship If it were not what was it If it were why not acted per totum Christum by whole Christ Christ performed the whole Law as Totus Christus whole Christ viz. As to his humane nature in Soul and Body He was upon the Cross as Totus Christus Whole Christ he rose ascended sits in Heaven as Totus Christus Whole Christ Body and Soul And we are bound to believe in toto Christo In whole Christ as Redeemer and Mediator as God so perfectly Man of Body and Soul consisting And it were but an improper piece of Faith to believe so great a thing as his work in Hell is made to be to be done by a part of Christ for his Soul was but one part of him But Secondly Let us speak a little to this Triumphing I. The opinion is taken up I suppose in allusion to the custom of the Romans They conquered and then led their prisoners in Triumph the Conqueror in his triumphal Chariot the Captives in chains after it Cleopatra would kill her self rather than be thus led in triumph Now what was this but a pompous proud and vain shew And what will they make of this Triumph of Christ Nothing but a shew For what did he in this Triumph Who can imagine what but shew himself there Did he
conquer Hell then If he did what was it with What did his Soul there to conquer Hell How he conquered Hell and Death by dying and rising we can tell but how his Soul conquered with bare going thither who can tell you Or did he augment the torments of the Devils and damned That needed not nor indeed could it be done as I shall shew afterwards What then did Christs Soul there in its Triumph unless as He Veni vidi vici I came I saw I overcame it conquered Hell by looking into it Natura nihil facit frustra Nature does nothing in vain much less the God of nature And Christ in his life time never did spoke thought any thing in vain And it is unhansom to think that his Soul after death should go out of the bosom of his Father into Hell to do no body can imagine what For who can tell what it did in Triumphing there II. Was not Christ under his Humiliation till his Resurrection Was he not under it whilst he lay in the grave He himself accounts it so Psal. XVI 10. Thou wilt not suffer my Soul being in the state of separation my Body to see corruption to be trampled on by death to be triumphed over by Satan that yet had it there If you imagine his Soul triumphing or vapouring in Hell for I cannot imagine what it should do there unless to vapour how might Satan vapour again Thou Soul of Jesus dost thou come to triumph here Of what I pray thee Have I not cause to triumph over thee Have I not procured his death Banished thee out of his body and got it into the grave And dost thou come to triumph here Let us first see whether he can get out from among the dead before we talk of his triumph over him that had the power of death So that if we should yield to so needless a point as Christs going to triumph in Hell yet certainly it would be but very unseasonable to have gone thither when he had not yet conquered but his body was still under death and as yet under the conquest of Satan This had been to triumph before Victory as Benhadads vapour was to Ahab when he received that answer Let not him that girdeth on his sword boast himself as he that putteth it off The beginning of Christs Kingdom was his Resurrection for then had he conquered death and him that had the power of death the Devil And so the Scripture generally states it I need cite no proof but two of his own speeches Matth. XXVI 29. I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom that is after my Resurrection when I have conquered the Enemies of God and set up his Kingdom And Matth. XXVIII 18. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth And this was after his Resurrection But is it not improper to dream of a Triumph before a Conquest That Christ should Triumph as King before he had put on his Kingdom As Esth. V. 3. On the third day she put on the Kingdom For so it is in the Hebrew The days before she had been under fasting mourning humiliation and that was not a time of Royalty and Triumph So on the third day Christ rose and put on his Kingdom the days before he had been under death had abased himself a very unfit and unseasonable time for his Soul to go and triumph III. As concerning Christs triumphing over Devils His Victory over Satan was of another kind of nature than to go amongst them to shew terribly or speak terribly for what else can we imagine his Soul did in that Triumph in Hell It is said Heb. II. 14. That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil Destroy him How We may say of him as he of the Traitor Vivit etiam in Senatum venit He lives yea he comes into the Council-house So Is the Devil destroyed He is alive walketh rageth ruleth He walked about the Earth before Christs death Job I. So hath he done ever since 1 Pet. V. 8. Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour He was a murtherer from the beginning to Christs death Joh. VIII 44. So hath he been ever since he goes about seeking to devour and he doth devour He wrought in the children of disobedience before and he now worketh Eph. II. 2. And how hath Christ conquered destroyed him You must look for the Conquest and Triumph of Christ over him not so much in destroying his Person as destroying his Works 1 Joh. III. 8. For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil I might here speak of many things I shall only mention two or three particulars wherein the Victory of Christ over the Devil by his death doth consist 1. By his death he hath conquered the very clamors of Satan paying a ransom for all his people Rom. VIII 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Satan is ready to say I lay a charge and claim to them for they have been disobedient But Christ hath paid a satisfaction for all their disobedience Satan thou art cast in thy suit the debt is paid How is the Devil confounded at the loss of such a prize as he expected And how does the Death and Merits of Christ here Triumph Now Goliah David defies thee touch one in the Camp of Israel if you can or dare they are all redeemed and ransomed thou hast nothing to do with them And the ransomed of the Lord shall go to Sion with everlasting joy Rejoyce O Heathens for the false accuser is cast out Here is a glorious Triumph by the righteousness and holiness of Christ delivering all his people 2. By his death he brake the partition wall and brings in the Heathen Oh! how did Satan hold them in slavery Pharaoh let my people go No. I know not the Lord nor will I let them go But thou shalt be brought to it and by the death of a Paschal Lamb they shall go whether thou wilt or no. Two thousand years had they been in his slavery sure thought he this shall be for ever But by the death of poor despised Jesus at Jerusalem the prison doors are open and all these captives are gone free Rejoyce ye prisoners of hope as they are called Zech. IX 11 12. I cannot but think of the case of Paul and Silas Act. XVI in an inner prison their feet in the stocks the doors fast and a strong guard and there comes one shake and all fly open and all the prisoners are loosed Jaylor what sayest thou now Thou mayst even draw thy sword and end thy self all thy prisoners are gone 3. Nay yet further Jaylor thou must to prison thy self Ponder on those words Rev. XX. 1
2 3. The great Angel is Christ the old Serpent is the Devil there Christ binds and imprisoneth him and that with the great chain of the Gospel Observe the passage He shut him up in the bottomless pit What In Hell for ever That he should never go abroad again Yea you have him loose again vers 7. and he hath been always going about as in 1 Pet. V. but he tyes him up that he should not deceive the Nations vers 3. and when he is loosed again vers 8. it is his being loose to deceive the Nations Observe by the way the phrase He shuts him up that is restrains him from deceiving and seducing people It is Hell and Prison to the Devil not to be doing mischief So the Psalmist speaks of the wicked children of the Devil They sleep not rest not if they do not evil It is a torment to them if they may not be sinning Well how doth Christ bind Satan that he do not deceive By sending the Gospel to undeceive them So that this is the Victory of Christ against the Devil The very telling of his Death and Merits is that that overcomes the Devil the very Word of his Death and Resurrection is that that overthrows the Devil and his power So is 1 Cor. VI. 3. to be taken Know ye not that we shall judge Angels Now needed Christs soul to go to Hell to tell the Devil these tidings and to triumph there He felt the building of his Kingdom fall about his ears every moment He needed no such message to go and tell him he had conquered him This is the Triumph of Christ over the Devil by the virtue and power of his death and not by any Vocal or actual Declaration of it by his Soul now separate from his Body IV. As to Christs Soul triumphing over the damned needed there any such thing Or could his Soul do any such thing Think you Christs Soul doth or could rejoyce in the damnation of the damned There is joy in Heaven when a sinner is saved Is there joy too when he is damned That tender expression of God As I live I delight not in the death of a sinner doth it give us any room to think that he can rejovce in their damnation That tender Soul of Christ that but six or eight days before wept for the destruction of Jerusalem with O! that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Can we think that that Soul could go to Hell to triumph and insult over poor damned Souls He had cause to triumph and rejoyce over the conquered Devils but had he the like cause or heart to triumph over damned Souls What was the reason of his triumphing over the Devils Because he had subdued themselves only He mastered them while alive in casting them out and commanding them at his pleasure He cast them into Hell by his Divine Power as soon as they had sinned but his triumph over them by his Death and Resurrection was for his peoples sake We cannot say Christ hath any pleasure in the damnation of the very Devils but he had pleasure in the Conquest of Devils because he had delivered his people from them Ah! most Divine Soul of Christ so infinitely full of charity that gave it self a Sacrifice for sin that men might not be damned can that rejoyce and insult over poor Souls damnation Look but upon Christs tenderness and earnestness for Souls here that they come not to damnation and then guess how little delight he taketh in it when they are damned Let us apply these two passages to this Ezek. XVIII 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye And vers 31. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth In the Hebrew it is in the strictest propriety In the death of him that is dead I have not pleasure that he dye and no pleasure in his death when he is dead What is there more plain in Scripture and in all Gods actings than this That God would not have men damned if they would embrace Salvation What speak these expressions 1 Tim. II. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Pet. III. 9. Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Certainly whatsoever else this is plain enough that God had rather men should be saved than damned How is this written in Scripture as in letters of gold that he that runs may read it How was it written in letters of Christs own blood that was shed that men might not be damned but that whosoever believeth might have eternal life And how is this written in Gods patience beseechings in his affording means of Salvation I need not to instance in particulars Well men will not be saved but choose death before life Doth Christ delight rejoyce to damn them when they must come to it Think ye he pronounceth Go ye cursed with as much delight as Come ye blessed That he insults triumphs over poor damned wretches in their damnation Read his heart in such passages as these Gen. VI. 6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart What Because he had made them No but because he having made them must now destroy them Lam. III. 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men So he doth not damn willingly nor destroy the children of men And once for all Esa. XLII 14. I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self now will I cry like a travailing woman I will destroy and devour at once I will cry and destroy but it is grievous to God as pangs of a travailing woman Thus much as hath been spoken may shew how unlikely and indeed how unchristian a thing it is to conceive that Christs Soul went purposely into Hell to triumph and insult over the miserable and damned And so you see that this Article cannot mean his Souls descending into the place of torment to triumph over the Devils and damned so that we must yet look for another sense of it III. A third interpretation then is this That it means the Torments he suffered in Soul III. upon his Cross. Some word it That he suffered the extream wrath of God some the very torments of Hell some that he was for the time in the state of the damned I reluct to speak these things but this Gloss some make upon this Article and while they go about to magnifie the Love of Christ in suffering such things for men they so much abase and vilifie his Person in making it lyable to such a condition The sense of the Article we must refuse unless we should speak and think of Christ that which doth not befit him The dearly beloved of the Soul of God to lye under the heaviest wrath of God The Lord of Heaven and Earth to
seeing it is most holy and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the Congregation to make attonement for them before the Lord. Let me ask those that hold this Opinion two or three questions Was Christ so much as punished by God Much less then was he overwhelmed by the wrath of God damned by God Was a Lamb punished that was sacrificed He was afflicted but not punisht for punishment argues a crime or fault preceding Lam. III. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Were the sad sufferings of Christ laid on him as punishments Certainly not for his own sins no nor for ours neither He suffered for our sins bare our sins but his sufferings were not punishments for our sins For observe two things First Christ merited by suffering Is it good sense to say he merited by being punished Strange sense to say he merited Salvation for his by being punisht for their sins but most divine to say by suffering for the redeeming of them He suffered as a Sacrifice to attone not as a sinner to be punished Secondly Did Christ dye upon any debt to the Law Much less upon any debt that he owed to Gods wrath Did the Law lay any thing to Christs charge did the Law condemn him And then can we dream of the wrath of God charging him and damning him It is true that it is said Gal. III. 13. Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree But doth this mean accursed of God Was the good Thief accursed of God when he hung upon the cross The meaning is that he appeared so to the view of men So that as it is impossible that Christ should lye under the wrath of God for any fault of his own so it is not imaginable that he did for ours V. It is impossible that Christ should suffer the torments of Hell or be in the case of the damned A Priest could not fall under the Plague of Leprosie and yet is the high Priest under a damned condition Certainly if his Body could not see corruption his Soul could not feel damnation If his Body were not under that which the Bodies of the best Saints fall under certainly his Soul could not be under that which damned Souls fall under I might clear this by considering especially three things which are the chief torments of Hell 1. Separation from God without any glimpse of his favour 2. Horror and Hell in the Conscience because of guilt 3. Utter despair Now need I to shew that it was not possible that any of these should seize upon Christ And these things be spoken to shew first what is not the meaning of this Article Now to come to the sense of the Article And for a beginning I may say as Moses does Numb XI 29. Would all the Congregation were Prophets So would all the Congregation were Grecians for then this would be easie The Creed was written in Greek and in the interpretation of this Article we are not tyed to the strictness of the English word but we must fly for refuge to the sense of the Greek word And if any of the opinions mentioned before should urge It is Hell therefore must be so understood as he said once To the Law and to the Testimony so I would answer To the original Greek and to the propriety of the phrase there In Isa. XXIX 10. The Lord hath poured out upon you the Spirit of Slumber In the Greek and in Rom. XI 8. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compunction clean contrary to the Prophets meaning What shall we do here Not stick to the strict propriety of the Greek Translation but have refuge to the word in the original Hebrew and construe the Greek word by that So in our English Translation Hell seems to speak that that is neither warrantable by Scripture nor reason therefore we must not stick to the strict propriety of the word but to the Greek In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went down to Hades Which I shall explain to you by and by I. The Article refers to the passage of Christs Soul after his death I say of his Soul For what was done to his Body is specified in the Articles before Crucified dead and buried But what became of his Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He descended into Hell Now this Article is left out of divers Confessions of Faith in the Fathers and out of divers Creeds Vice plurium instead of more observe the Nicene Creed Was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried And the third day he rose again Which shews it was added occasionally and for some illustration Councils and Fathers commonly inserted some Articles into Confessions to face some Heresie then appearing And this Article was inserted to outface some error about Christs person The Heresies and mistakes about Christs person were numerous and among others this was one that he had not a real humane Body but Airy and again that though he had a real Body yet he had not a humane Soul but that the Divine Nature supplied the place of his Soul These Articles that concern his death outface both these He had a real Body for he was really Crucified dead and buried And a real Soul for when dead he went to Hades Or whether it had been enough to have said He died and was buried but of him such addition was not needless because of misconstruction II. The Heathens owned another World and the immortality of the Soul though they had no Bible to tell them it yet they believed that there was another World after this Socrates discoursed of this before his death which Cleombrotus reading cast himself from a Tower that he might become immortal A strange affectedness with this point and a strong perswasion It is a wonder the Sadducees that had the Scriptures should deny this and Christians that hear so much of it be affected so little Tully shews arguments whereby they gathered that men lived in another World one of which was from the apparitions of some dead men In which thing while the Devil went about to cosin them to think them dead men which indeed was his own appearing yet he cosined himself too while he taught them by it to believe a life after death How they came thorowly to be grounded in this point I shall not insist upon to examine but they did believe that there was another World after this when the dead lived again III. This place and state they called Hades that is a place obscure and invisible The Phrase is infinitely frequent Achilles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sent him before to Hades Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before the going to Hades Leonidas to his Souldiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To sup in Hades that is in another World Shall I give you
their character of Hades 1. They thought it was a place under the Earth And the reason is because they thought none went to Heaven but those that were to be gods all others went to Hades Hence Aeneas and Ulysses went down into the Earth to the World of Souls there to confer with some dead friends Hence the cheat of the Devil to bring Ghosts as ascending out of the Earth 1 Sam. XXVIII 13. 2. This place of Souls had two parts viz. Elysium and Tartarus and those parted with a deep gulph of a deadly River and that from one side they could see and talk to the other According to this common opinion Christ frames his Parable Luke XVI 23. He in Hades in the place of torment looks over the gulph and talks with Abraham So that both good and bad when dead went to Hades the good to the place of rest and delight the bad to the place of sorrow and pain So the Greek Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Both go to Hades c. Lazarus went to Hades and so did the rich man too but to contrary conditions IV. In this sense then is the Article to be taken as speaking according to the common notion That Christs Soul went to Hades to the other World to the place where good Souls went which Scripture hath taught us is Heaven The word Hell now is come to signifie only the place of torment but of old it signified larger as the word Hades does and by the Greek word and its signification we must construe it Let me give you a word parallel The word Knave is now taken only in a bad sense of old it signified a Servant So some old Translations express A Servant of the Lord by A Knave of the Lord. When we read that we do not construe it by the present sense of the word but by the old and by the original Hebrew So when in this Article we read the word Hell we must not construe it according to our present common acceptation but as of old it signified the place and state of all Souls departed And so in this Article there are these three Doctrines comprised I. That Christ had a true humane Soul like other men Like to us he had a Soul that was reasonable that inlivened the Body that was whole in it and not the Divinity that inlivened and actuated his Body II. That when Christ died there was a real separation of Soul and Body as it is with other men The Soul slept not with the Body but was separate from it Though it was to come into the Body again yet it forsook the Body and was separate III. As soon as it was departed it went into another World of Souls to a place where holy Souls go viz. to Heaven And there continued till it was to return to the Body It was in Paradise all the while the Body was in the grave Object Is this the meaning of Act. II. 27. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell or Hades If Hades mean Paradise why should Christ pray against being left in Hades My Flesh shall rest in hope that it shall not be left in Hades and hopes he not that his Soul shall not be left in Hades as he hopes his Body shall not see corruption Answer He doth not pray thus as if it were not well with his Soul in Hades as to what it enjoyed but that it was not well while separate from the Body for that it was while Christ was under death As if he should say Thou wilt not leave me under death my Soul in separation This would be the Triumph of the Devil Observe Christs Soul was in glory the while his Body was in the Grave and yet desires to return to the Body Why That he may finish the work of God by his Resurrection to conquer death As I said It is Hell to the Devil not to be doing evil so it is Heaven to Christ to do the Will of God He left the bosom of the Father to come into the World and when his Soul was in the bosom of his Father again in those joys that are not expressible yet it would rather do the work of God Ask a Soul there wouldest thou be on Earth again No. But wouldest thou be on Earth to do God service there Yes it is as Heaven to be doing any thing for God Ubi Imperator ibi Roma Where the Emperor is there is Rome so wheresoever a man can please God it is Heaven to him Here is the happiness of Saints in Heaven that their Will is wholly swallowed up in the Will of God It is a question where Lazarus his Soul was while he was four days dead Why undoubtedly no where but in Heaven But the reason of the objection is Because it was but a wrong or misery to his Soul to send it from Heaven again Blessed Soul dost thou think so No any thing to obey the Will of God So the Soul of Christ was in glory in the midst of unspeakable joys yet he would not have it continue there till the work of God was done Soul thou art well be content keep in Paradise still let the Body lye in the Grave it feels not hurt Ah! but all this while Satan Death is not conquered Gods cause is not pleaded and finished let that work first be done and then both to glory That that I speak to and that that the Article aims at is that Christ had a humane Soul like other men but that not sinful and that it departed as the Souls of other men Some on Gen. I. 26 27. And God said Let us make man in our image say God set Christ before him and made man after the image of Christ as though they would say God made the first Adam in the image of the second whereas we should say the contrary God made the second Adam in the image of the first So Phil. II. 7 8. He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man c. Not man at first created in the likeness of Christ but Christ was brought into the World in the likeness of man And how Christs Soul was like other mens I shall observe to you in three things I. In its infusion into the Body II. In its existence and acting in the Body III. In its going out of the Body Men saw his Body like other mens and in these his Soul shewed it self like other mens also I. By its infusion or induction into the Body But here you will say the Copy is darker than to know what to write after it It is controverted how Souls are put into the Body and there are two mistakes about it viz. Praeexistence and Generation which this may rectisie Some hold Praeexistence of Souls that they were created at the beginning of the World and put in at last into Bodies And
buried And in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in torment c. Both suddainly disposed of the one to Heaven the other to Hell So we may take example from the two Thieves on the Cross the good Thief went presently to Paradise and the bad to his place and both these to Hades the word in the Creed Christ commends his Soul into his Fathers hands and it went into the hands of God What to do For God to dispose of it And how think you God would dispose of the Soul of Christ The Schools question whether Christ merited Salvation pro se for himself because the reason of the question is whether he set himself to merit pro se Did he or did he not the Soul of Christ after so holy a life and death could not but go to Salvation For what had the Soul of Christ now to do more towards mans Salvation and what could be done more towards its own Now having done all this what had the Soul of Christ to do more but to go to its rest till it be put again into its Body for the raising of that As the Scripture tells us holy Souls go to rest till at the last day they must meet their Bodies and then both shall rest together This passage of our Saviours Soul to Heaven upon his death is called his going to Hades the World of Souls and the place of holy Souls a place invisible to mortal Eyes which though it seems harshly expressed He descended into Hell yet must be interpreted from the Greek expression in this sense And the Phrase in the Greek teacheth that the Soul sleepeth not with the Body stayeth not here on Earth where the Body doth but hath a life when the Body is dead and goeth into another World to have a living or dying life Christs Soul to be separate but thirty six hours and yet it doth not stay and sleep with the Body but takes wing and flies into another World The Sadducee that thought the Soul died with the Body little considered what the nature of the Soul was Christian dost thou consider it Dost thou know what it is No I cannot see it But I may say as it is Rom. I. 20. The invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made So the invisible things of the Soul i. e. its spiritualness and immortality may be seen by the things it acts Prov. XX. 27. The Spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord. It s the Lords candle like that in the Tabernacle that never went out but was drest Morning and Evening and kept burning continually It is the Lords candle Searching all the inward parts of the Belly that is able to acquaint man with himself with his conscience his thoughts affections A candle that searcheth the things of nature looketh into the things of God Compare this Spirit with the Spirit of a Beast a Swine an Ox the acting of the Soul of Man in Wisdom Learning Contrivance with the acting of a Brute and then guess what is the nature of the Soul And if it be so active in the Body when fettred in flesh what think you it will be when loosed out And that it will be one day and go into another World not to be at its own liberty there but it goes to God to dispose of it and so he doth to Heaven or Hell Go away then with this meditation in thy bosom and keep it there My Soul must certainly one day go into the hands of God to receive her due reward FINIS A Chorographical Table OF THE Several Places contained and described in the Two Volumes of Dr. LIGHTFOOTS Works By Iohn Williams THe Jewish Writers divide the World into the Land of Israel and without the Land Vol. II. Pag. 1. The Land of Israel first called the Land of the Hebrews then Canaan and Palestine c. may be considered as to its length and breadth v. II. p. 327. The length of it is said in Scripture to be from Dan to Beersheba and from the entring in of Hamath North to the Sea of the Plain or Dead Sea South v. I. p. 90. v. II. p. 44 The Jews do reckon it from the Mountains of Amana or the upper Tarnegola which is at the neck of Anti-Libanus to the River of Egypt v. II. p. 3 62 517 Others do measure it by the Coast and if Phaenicia be included then from Sidon to Rhinocorura or the River of Egypt is 232 miles according to Antoninus But if Phaenicia be excluded then from the South bounds of that to Rhinocorura are 189 miles according to Pliny v. II. p. 10 322 The breadth of the Land within Jordan is not always the same since the Seas bounding on all sides here the Mediterranean there those of Sodom Genesaret and Samochonitis with the River Jordan cannot but make the space very unequal by their various Windings But if we take the measure of it from the Bay of Gaza to the Shoar of the Dead Sea it is upward of 50 miles and if we extend it also beyond Jordan then from Gaza to Pâ—tra the Metropolis of Moab is 110 miles as may be computed from Ptolomy and Pliny v. II. p. 320 321 The Jews do say That the Land of Israel contained a Square of Four hundred Parsae a Parsa is four miles which make 1600 miles v. II. p. 318 And they have a Tradition and not amiss that the utmost Bounds of the Land of Israel including the Land beyond Jordan was within three days Journey of Jerusalem v. II. p. 319. Sometimes the Land of Israel is bounded with Euphrates East as indeed the Holy Scriptures do and contiguous with Mesopotamia the River only between v. II. p. 365 The several Divisions of the Land It was anciently divided according to the People and Nations that inhabited it viz. the Canaanites Perizzites c. Vol. II. p. 202 328 When first possess'd by the Children of Israel it was parted among the twelve Tribes and upon the Division of the ten Tribes they were known by the two Names of Judab and Israel But after their return from Babylon it was divided by the Jews into Judea Galilee and the Land beyond Jordan or Peraea excluding Samaria To which if we add Idumea then was Palestine divided into five Countries viz. Idumea Judea Samaria Galilee and the Country beyond Jordan Vol. I. Pag. 282 â—64 Vol. II. Pag. 4 61. There was also an Imperial Division of it viz. 1. Into Palestine more especially so called the Head of which was Caesarea 2. Palestine the second the Head of which was Jerusalem And 3. Palestine called Salutaris or the Healthful which its likely was the same with Idumea the less the Head of which may be supposed to be Gaza Asâ—alon or Elâ—utheropolis v. II. p. 293. A. ABel Abila are one and the same the Hebrew Abel being according to the Greek Termination Abila or Abella There were many places of that name Vol. II.
〈◊〉 Power very usually referred to Miracles not to Discipline Page 750 Ε. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes is rendred from the single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I. Page 568 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beat what 228 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one limited 1157 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 1144 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an untimely birth used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 789 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wilfully how to be interpreted Heb. 10. 26. 1096 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoned what 228 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the writings of the Apostles frequently denotes the Gentiles as well as the Greeks 558 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie that which is over and above or all that you have 432 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take away 752 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is too much transported 337 338 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I may or let me 646 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those without in Jewish speech signified the Gentiles 339 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 command answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 757 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the Country as well as the Desert 113 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is it or what is to be done it answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used a thousand times among the Jewish Writers 786 1155 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what in the Seventy 689 Η. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he loved him put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he persuaded him Page 596 Ι 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for Men of no degree or quality meer vulgar Persons p. 653. Private Persons Members of the Church distinguished from Ministers very usual among the Rabbins p. 786. Rendred unlearned 1 Cor. 14. 16. Page 1156 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jot and Tittle that they shall not perish in the Law 137 to 139 Κ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes remorse or compunction in the Seventy Page 711 712 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Antipatris 55 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Title the duration of the Tittles of the Hebrew Language Page 137 140 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Place 61 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communion among the Jews this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mixing the manner and sence of which is shewed out of the Jewish Writers 768 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a peculiar propriety in Sacred Writ which it hath not in prophane Authors imporâ—ing the Nations not Jewish p. 438. Thus the Jewish Schools also used it 534 535 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creature for the Gentile world 1147 1149 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimates a deep and profound reach answering the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prudent counsels 781 782 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cymbal what kind of Instrument 782 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinguished 333 334 Λ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayings how rendred by many Versions Page 359 Îœ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies bring them into learn to be Disciples Scholars Page 1124 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes inward vanity and emptiness of mind 708 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is drunk may bear a favourable interpretation 776 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does very well express the sence of true Repentance with respect to the Jews 114 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for henceforward or hereafter 692 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sabbath after or the week between the two Sabbaths 692 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or transmigration of Souls that is of holy Souls into other Bodies was the opinion of the Pharisees 569 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be distinguished from a smaller sort of Mills used by the Jews 213 Î. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawyer was a Doctor of Traditions Page 434 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Teacher of the Law was a more profound traditionary Doctor of the Law then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was c. 434 Ξ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—ts what and whence derived Page 345 Ο. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us what the meaning referring to the Jews to whom it was writ Page 1145 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those without in Jewish speech were the Gentiles 339 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of little faith what Page 162 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Coast what 311 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true holiness and the holiness of truth 1152 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the night 271 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for how used 415 Î . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Advocate Comforter the Jews expected their Messiah under this Title Page 600 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence derived it signifies equally Consolation and Exhortation 655 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Appartment into which the High Priest betook himself for some time before the day of Attonement 554 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture and the Jewish Writers is used for the Gentiles or the Heathen World 708 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what and whence derived 352 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17. 31. diversly construed 1101 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are distinguished 333 334 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wicked one why the Devil is so called 1306 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Appartment c. as under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which see but six words foregoing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehends singing of Psalms and Preaching as well as Revelation in order to Prophesie 785 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fift how understood 344 345 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tower of Strato what 54 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn a Jewish story upon it 758 Σ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Sabbath after the second or the second Sabbath after the first what Page 184 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scopo the Viewer what 41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise Man what 742 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be the Greek rendring of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much used among the Talmudists 164 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have dealings to borrow for use c. 539 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Disputer what 742 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Assembly 635 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 companying or mixing together put for a more intimate friendship or alliance Page 751 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fifty Copies of the Gospel what they were 1079 Τ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is it or what is to be done it answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used exceeding often in the Talmud and in Tanchum Page 786 1155 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exchangers what 248 Î¥. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adoption of the Body or the Adoption of the Soul what Page 1149 1150 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son put for Messias very frequently Page 351 〈◊〉
Yea he was under the obligation of the Ceremonial Law and that in three respects p. 1037. Christs lineage or discent was most of younger Brothers p. 1089 1090. Why Christ was Baptised p. 1125. Christ conformed to many things received and practised in the Jewish Church and civil converse in several instances p. 1137 1139. Christ sets himself against them that set themselves against Religion p. 1164. Christ sending his Gospel bound the Devil from his former abominable cheating p. 1171. He delivered the Law on Mount Sinai and is called the Angel by Stephen the Proto-Martyr upon that account this proves him to be God against the Arian and Socinian p. 1229. He was sanctified by his own blood p. 1254. Christs blood called the blood of the Covenant and why p. 1254. He suffered as much as God could put him to suffer short of his own wrath p. 1255. The wrath of God not inflicted upon Christ in his sufferings p. 1255. His victory over Sin and Satan in his sufferings was by his holiness not by his God-head p. 1255 1256. The obedience of Christ made his blood justifying and saving p. 1255. His obedience conquered Satan and satisfied God p. 1256. He died meerly out of obedience p. 1257. He was sanctified by his own blood to the Office of Mediator p. 1254 1257. Acceptance with God and coming to him is only through Christ. p. 1261 1262. Christs obedience does not dissolve the obedience of a Christian. p. 1263. What it is to be separate from Christ. p. 1297. The Church of the Jews was only a Child under age till Christ came p. 1334. His descent into Hell the improper meaning as to what the Church of Rome understands by it p. 1341 to 1347. Where was the Soul of Christ when separate from the body p. 1344. His victory and triumph over Devils what p. 1345 1346. His Kingdom began at his Resurrection p. 1345 1346. His descent into Hell is supposed by some to be the Torments he suffered on the Cross. p. 1347. He did not undergo the anger or wrath of God but the Justice of God in his sufferings p. 1348 1349 1350. It was impossible Christ should suffer the Torments of Hell or be in the case of the damned p. 1350. His expiring upon the Cross considered both in it self and in the manner of it Page 1354 Christian Churches were modelled by our Saviour very near the Platform of the Jewish Synagogue worship 1041 1139 Church of the Jews Christ had a peculiar care of the Jewish Church though but too much corrupted while it was to continue a Church and therefore sends the Leper to shew himself to the Priests p. 165 166. How it may be said to have been a National Church p. 1036. It was only a Child under age till Christ came p. 1334. Wherein its Childhood did consist 1334 Churches in Houses what 794 795 Churches Christian Churches under the Gospel were by Christ himself and his Apostles modelled very like to the Platform of the Synagogues and Synagogue worship under the Law proved in several instances p. 1041 1139. The several Ages and Conditions of God's Church from the beginning of the World p. 1088 Churches in the Apostles days had many Ministers belonging to each and the reason of this 1156 1157 Circumcision at it Children received their Names p. 387. Circumcision as given by Moses gives a right understanding of the Nature of the Sabbath p. 557. Peter was a Minister of the Circumcision among the Hebrews p. 741. An Israelite may be a true Israelite or a Priest a true Priest without Circumcision 760 761 Cities of Refuge their Number and Names p. 47 48. Cities of the Levites the Lands about them large called their Suburbs these Cities were Cities of Refuge and Universities p. 86. A great City was such an one as had a Synagogue in it p. 87. Not any thing troublesom or stinking were to be near a City p. 87. Cities Towns and Villages how distinguished p. 333. 334. What number of Officers in Cities and what their Places and Employments 638 Cleansing what the Leper was to do for his cleansing 165 Climax of the Tyrians what place 61 Cock-crowing at what time p. 262. Whether there were Cocks at Jerusalem being sorbid by their Canons p. 262 The Jewish Doctors distinguish Cock-crowing into first second and third 597 Collections were made by the Jews in forrain Nations for the poor Rabbins dwelling in Judea 792 Comforter was one of the Titles of the Messiah 600 Coming of Christ in the Clouds in his Glory and in his Kingdom are used for the Day of his Vengeance on the Jews 626 Coming to Christ and believing in him how distinguished 1261 1262 Commandments or Commands Commands of the second Table chiefly injoyned in the Gospel and why p. 1064 1114 1115. God will not have his Commands dallied and trifled withal p. 1227. Why we are to keep the Commands of God p. 1130. The Commandments of the Law were given for Gospel ends 1231 Communion of the Jews what and how made p. 768. Christ had Communion with the National Church of the Jews in the publick Exercise of their Religion proved by many instances 1036 1037 1039 1040 1041 Confession of sins at the execution and death of Mulefactors say the Jews did expiate for their sins 1275 Confusion of Languages was the casting off of the Gentiles and the confusion of Religion 644 Conjuring so skilful were the Jews in Conjuring Enchantments and Sorceries that they wrought great Signs and Wonders and many villanies thereby 244 Conscience how to clear the state and nature of it when it is doubting some heads for such an undertaking hinted p. 1054 The great power of conviction of Conscience p. 1082 1803 1804. Conscience is an assurance given by God of the last Judgment 1104 1119 Consistories that were of more note out of the Talmud 85 Consolation of Israel It was an usual Oath among the Jews Let me see the Consolation or Let me see the Consolation of Israel 393 Conviction of Conscience the great power of it p. 1082 1083 1084 Corban signifies a thing devoted and dedicated to sacred use p. 201. Corban was the Treasury there was a Corban of Vessels or Instruments and a Corban of Mony p. 299. The Corban Chests how these were imployed to buy the dayly Sacrifice and Offerings p. 300 301. The Corban Chamber p. 300 301. The Corban Chests and the Treasury were in the Court of the Women p. 301. Corban a Gift what 345 Corinth where seated 737 Covenant the blood of it put for the blood of Christ. 1254 Covenant of Grace Souls raised in the first and second Resurrection by the vertue of this but not alike p. 1235. The Tenor and vertue of this Covenant distinguished 1236 Covetousness called an evil Eye 162. What it caused Balaam to do what he got by it and how many Israelites were destroyed by it p. 1181. The sad fruits of Covetousness and Apostasle 1181 1182 Councellors Chamber
what 358 Council of the Jews of what Authority in the time of Christ of its place of residence and what sort and number of Men it was compounded of p. 248 to 251. The Council of the Jews transgressed many of their own Canons in Judging Jesus Christ. p. 263. Council used for Sanhedrin 355 Courses of the Priests in the second Temple did something differ from those in the first p. 377. Course of Abiah what p. 377. How many Courses were there and what were their turns in which they did Circulate p. 377 378 379 380. Stationary Men among the Courses what 378 Court of the Gentiles among the Jewish Writers is ordinarlly called the Mountain of the House those that were unclean might enter into this p. 28 29. The Gates of it 29 Court of the Women its dimensions situation Gates and parts 29 30 Court of the Temple its parts its length and breadth 32 33 Courts of Judicature there were three in the Temple 395 Coins some of the Jews Coins of the smaller value mentioned 142 Creation God created all things in six days and why not in a moment p. 1322. The World was created in September p. 1322 c. A new Creation or Redemption was performed on the day Adam was created p. 1315. Creation and Resurrection of Christ whether the greater work 1330 Creature all Creatures or every Creature a speech common among the Jews by which is understood all Men or all Nations but especially the Gentiles 359 360 1149 Criminals capital Criminals if Israelites were not Judged by the Sanhedrin with the Reasons why p. 611 to 614. The Sanhedrin gave to Jewish criminals a full hearing even after sentence if they themselves or any other had any thing to say for them p. 675. They were buried in differing places from other Men and had the Stone Wood Sword or Rope wherewith they were executed buried with them 676 Cruelty of the Jews great most barbarously destroying two hundred and twenty thousand Greeks and Romans at one time feeding on their flesh eating their bowels besmearing themselves with their blood and covering themselves with their skins c. p. 686 c. They also in Egypt and Cyprus destroyed two hundred and forty thousand Men in a most barbarous manner p. 686 687. Cruelty or slaughter prodigious in the East Indies 1295 Cup that Cup which Christ used was mixed with water 777 Cup in the Sacrament is not only the sign of the Blood of Christ and a Seal as a Sacrament but the very Sanction of the New Testament 778 Curses in the Old Testament the Jews applied to the Gentiles not to themselves 535 Cursing and Blessing how practised among the Jews 136 Custom of the Jews in praying what p. 1139. They said not Amen in the Temple but in Houses and in Synagogues p. 1139. What they said by way of response in the Temple 1139 Cutheans were Israelites and very exact in the Jewish worship c. 52 53 Cuthites and their Kingdom what p. 496. Cuthites for the Samaritans and whence p. 503. How far their Victuals were lawful to the Jews p. 538. What dealings the Jews might have or not have with them these Cuthites here spoken of were Samaritans 539 Cutting off in Scripture doth not intend Excommunication but the Divine Vengeance 142 Cymbal and tinkling Cymbal were two Balls of brass struck one against another 782 D. DAlmanutha what and whence the Name Page 307 309 310 Damascus spoke to as the scene of Paul's conversion 682 Damned it is impossible Christ should suffer the torments of Hell or be in the case of the damned p. 1350. The Damned not tormented under Ground 1342 Dan why not named among the sealed of the twelve Tribes Rev. 7. 1067 Dancing one way of expressing joy 196 Daniel how he came to scape when Nebucadnezzer's Image was set up as say the Jews 657 Daphne and Riblah the same Josephus mentions another Daphne 62 to 64 David put for the Messias 691 Day of the Lord Christ's coming in Glory and in the Clouds signifie only Christ's taking vengeance on the Jewish Nation p. 244 624. The Son cometh was exprest to be the same 245 Day of Judgment and Day of Vengeance put for Christ's coming with Vengeance to judge the Jewish Nation there are six differing ways of expressing it 346 Days of the week how reckoned by the Jews by the name of first and second c. of the Sabbath p. 274. The third Day much taken notice of by the Rabbins 481 Days of the Messias and the World to come sometimes distinguished sometimes confounded 743 Daemons Angels and Spirits distinguished among the Jews 483 Deacons there were three Deacons or Almoners in the Jews Synagogues 132 134 662 Dead what mourning was used for the Dead also what feasting and company p. 173. The Dead live in another World p. 230 231. The Jews had an opinion that the Dead did discourse one among another and also with those that were alive p. 457. Mourning for the Dead the way and method of it The Jews used to comfort the Mourners both in the way and at home p. 581 582. The washing used after touching a dead Body what p. 790. Praying for the dead founded by the Rhemists on that Text 1 John 5. 16. refuted 1094 Deaf and Dumb unfit to sacrifice c. 210 384 Death looks awakening and terrible upon the most Moral and Learned Men p. 16. Four kinds of Death were delivered into the Hands of the Sanhedrin p. 683. They are continued say the Jewish Writers by a Divine Hand now the Sanhedrin is ceased p. 705. Death what it is p. 1353. Why do Men dye i. e. why are they not removed Soul and Body into the other World without any more ado p. 1354. The difficulty of the Soul and Bodies parting at death 1354 Death of sin God stints the time of Mens rising from it which slipped is not to be retrieved 1238 1239 Decapolis the Region of it not well placed 314 Deciarii were one sort of Publicans 466 Dedication the Feast of it why called by the name of Lights 576 577. The Feast of Dedication is mentioned but once in all the Scripture and that only by bare naming of it in John 10. 22. p. 1033. The Original institution of this Feast of Dedication collected out of the Talmud Maimonides Josephus and the first Book of Maccabes p. 1035. It was kept on the twenty fifth day of the Month Cisâ—en or November p. 1035. Dedication the strange custom of lighting up of Candles therein used 1039 Defendant and Plaintif chose their Judges c. among the Jews 755 Degree and Pomp of the World countervail nothing with God 1210 1211 1212 Demoniacks why so many in Christs time more than at other times Page 175 Denarius and Luz were of the same value amongst the Rabbins 343 c. Dens and Caves vastly large and very numerous in the Land of Israel many of these were digged out of Mountains and Rocks by the
to have been among the Jews illustrated by examples p. 806 807. They translated the Old Testament so as to favour the Manners Traditions Ordinances and State of the Jewish Nation p. 806 807. It s not an accurate pure Version even the Jews being Judges p. 807 808. Objections answered p. 808 809. Whence not the Greek Version but the Hebrew Text was read in the Synagogues of the Helenists p. 808. By what Authors and Councils it might probably be that the Greek Version came forth which obtains under the Name of the Seventy performed with more craft than Conscience why therefore did the Apostles and Evangelists use it 809 to 811 Sheaf first Fruit Sheaf where and how reaped p. 38 52. When to be offered p. 184. The manner of reaping it 618 619 Sheep Gate or Probatica was not near the Temple contrary to the Jewish opinion 507 Shekel of what parts and value it was p. 343 1204. The reason of the Gift of half a Shekel as used in the Temple p. 1204 1205. Why the half Shekel was to be paid at the age of twenty years and not before 1206 Shepherd Christ a great Shepherd described 573 574 Shezor a Town in upper Galilee Page 77 Shibin not far from Zippor 76 Shoos and Sandals not the same against Beza and Erasmus 178 Shops or Tabernae where things were sold for the Temple where situate 512 Shosbenuth or Shosbenim what 527 Sichem why called Sycbar 506 Signs are for a fit generation p. 191. Meer Signs or Miracles were never wrought by our Saviour p. 1104 Signs of the Heaven and Air and of the coming of the Messiah what p. 203. Signs of Christs coming what from the Doctrine of the Jews 240 241 Siloam a sweet and large Fountain where situate and which way it empâ—led it self p. 25 26 508 509. Silâ—am taken for part of Jerusalem 441 Simon Magus who he gave out himself to be and what the Samaritans accounted him 676 677 Sin is not to be remitted after death p. 190. How a Man may know whether it be pardoned to him p. 1071 1072. Deadly Sin what it is p. 1093 1094 c. Sin is the more desperately deadly by how much it is the more desperately wilful p. 1098. Sin of the Devil what it was p. 1098. Sin against the Holy Ghost why more grievous than that against the Son p. 1130. Believers punished for Sin against the opinion of the Antinominians p. 1226. God stints the time of Mens rising from the Death of Sin which slipped is not to be retrieved p. 1238 1239. Sin unto death and Sin against the Holy Ghost how distinguished p. 1253. Sin of the Devils wretched being beyond pardon p. 1305. God's letting Men go on uninterrupted in their Sin is the greatest punishment they can have here p. 1310 1311. What to think of Saints dying with some Sin unrepented of 1343 1344 Sindon was a Cloak made with Linnin and hung with Fringes 354 355 Singing of Psalms was one part of Prophesie p. 785. See Psalms Singular and Disciple what They are Terms sometimes confounded and sometimes distinguished 433 Sinners there is nothing more desirable to God Christ and Angels than the repentance of a Sinner p. 1269. What it is that moves God Christ and Angels to desire this 1270 Sins of wicked Men are set down in Scripture that we may avoid them 1306 Sion was the upper City on the North part of Jerusalem p. 22 23 24. After the return from Babilon it was constantly called the upper Town 23 Sippor or Zippor a City encompassed with a Land flowing with Milk and Hony noted for warlike affairs an University many Synagogues and many famous Doctors 74 75 Sirbon a Lake like that of Sodon 9 Sitting after the days of Rabban Gamaliel was the posture of Learning 396 Sitting at Table what the manner among the Jews 595 596 Slaughter or Cruelty prodigious in the East Indies 1295 Sleep put for Death used hundreds of times among the Talmudists 174 Smelling judging by Smelling supposed by the Jews to be one qualification of the Messiah for want of which Ben-Cozibah was destroyed by the Jews 543 Socoh in Jos. 25. 35. what 51 Socinianism and Quakarism are great Heresies 1280 1281 Solomons Porch what and where 511 512 1034 Son what the Son is bound to do for the Father 200 Son of Abraham by Faith and Nature what 467 Son of David a common term in the New Testament and Talmudick Writings for the true Messias 96 97 Son of God the Messiah acknowledged to be the Son of God by the Jews though not by Nature but by Adoptlon p. 269 270. He is put for the Messias frequently p. 351. Son of God and Messiah or Christ are convertible terms against the Jews Page 385 548 549 Son the word Son is to be added to every Race in Christ's Genealogy 400 Son of Man why this term is attributed to Christ. p. 204. The Son coming in Glory and in the Clouds signifie only Christs taking vengeance on the Jewish Nation 265 Sons of the envious Woman what 52 Sonship or Adoption as referring to God how understood by the Jews 521 533 Sorceresses Women of Israel were generally Sorceresses 244 Sorrows of the Messiah what 351 Soul the Soul is imprisoned and restrained in its actings whilst it is in the Body p. 1092. How the Soul contemplates God p. 1116. Soul put for Life and Person p. 1204 1205. Soul of Man not the Body bears the Image and Resemblance of God and how p. 1284 1285. Whether the Souls of Men are alike p. 1285. The Soul of Lazarus was in Heaven those four days he was dead p. 1352. Where was the Soul of Christ when separate from the body p. 1344. His Soul was like the Souls of other Men in its infusion existence and acting in the Body 1352 Souls of the Jews disposed of by the Jewish Schools under a threefold phrase or state p. 455. The Transmigration or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also the Pre-existence of Souls what p. 569. How to judge of the true quality and worth of Souls p. 1212 1213. Spectra or Apparitions of the Souls of Men believed by the Jews p. 483 1283. Souls of other Men should be dear to us as well as our own p. 1297 1298 1299. Souls of Men in a better state than Devils and whether all Souls be in a savable condition p. 1302. The Pre-existence of Souls some hold it p. 1352. Whether all Souls are equal p. 1353. What doth a Soul instantly after it hath left the Body p. 1354. The Soul doth neither sleep nor dye when out of the Body p. 1355. Souls in the other World are fixed in their place and condition 1355 South Country used for Judea 13 Spain and France what places the Jews understood for them 368 Speaking among the Jews used to be with all possible shortness especially where the thing was plain p. 668. Speaking with Tongues what is meant by it 1157 Spectra or the Apparitions
Feast-days the Jews were not wont so much as to tast any thing of meat or drink nor indeed hardly of other days o o o o o o Maimo Sch ib. cap. 30. This was the custom of the Religions of old first to say over his morning prayers on the Sabbath-day with those additional ones in the Synagogue and then go home and take his second repast For he had taken his first repast on the evening before at the entrance of the Sabbath Nothing might be tasted before the prayers in the Synagogue were finisht which sometimes lasted even till noon-day for so the Gloss upon the place When they continue in the Synagogue beyond the sixth hour and an half which is the time of the great Minchah for on a Feast-day they delay'd their coming out of the Synagogue then let a man pray his prayer of the Minchah before he eat and so let him eat And in those days it was that that commonly obtain'd which Targ. in Coheleth noteth p p p p p p Cap. 10. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After they had offer'd the daily Sacrifice they eat bread in the time of the four hours i. e. in the fourth hour In Bava Meziah q q q q q q Fol. 83. 2. a certain officer of the Kings teacheth R. Eleazar the Son of R. Simeon how he should distinguish betwixt Thieves and honest men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go saith he into the Taberne on the fourth hour and if thou seest any person drinking Wine and nodding while he holds his Cup in his hand c. Where the Gloss hath it The fourth hour was the hour of eating when every one went into the Taberne and there eat So that these whom ye deride O ye false mockers are not drunk for it is but the third hour of the day that is it is not yet the time to eat and drink in VERS XVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the last days THE Prohet Joel hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After these things Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After these things Where Kimchi upon the place hath this note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it shall come to pass after these things is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall come to pass in the last days We have elsewhere observed that by the last days is to be understood the last days of Jerusalem and the Jewish Oeconomy viz. when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the Jewish world r r r r r r Vide Matth. XXIV 3. 1 Cor. X. 11. drew near And there would be the less doubt as to this matter if we would frame a right notion of that great and terrible day of the Lord that is The day of his vengeance upon that place and Nation Which terror the Jews according to their custom and fashion put far off from themselves and devolve it upon Gog and Magog who were to be cut off and destroyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh The Jews cautiously enough here though not so honestly apply this Prophesie and promise to Israel solely as having this for a Maxim amongst them That the Holy Ghost is never imparted to any Gentile Hence those of the Circumcision that believed were so astonished when they saw That on the Gentiles also was poured out the Gift of the Holy Ghost Chap. X. 45. But with the Jews good leave whether they will or no the Gentiles are beyond all question included within such like promises as these All flesh shall see the Salvation of God Isai. XL. 5. And All flesh come and worship before the Lord Isai. LXVI 23 c. VERS XIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And vapor of smoke THE Prophet hath it in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pillars of smoke St. Luke follows the Greek who as it should seem are not very solicitous about that nice distinction between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pillaring smoke or smoke ascending like a staff and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Smoke dispersing it self here and there A distinction we meet with in Joma s s s s s s Fol. 38. 1. where we have a ridiculous story concerning the curiosity of the Wisemen about the ascending up of the smoke of Incense As to these prodigies in blood fire and smoke I would understand it of the slaughter and conflagrations that should be committed in that Nation to a wonder by seditious and intestine broils there They were monsters rather than instances than which there could never have been a more prodigious presage of the ruine of that Nation than that they grew so cruel within themselves breathing nothing but mutual slaughters and desolations VERS XXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Him being delivered by the determinate Council and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken c. WE may best fetch the reason why St. Peter adds this clause from the conceptions of the Jews Can he be the Messiah think they that hath suffered such things What! The Messiah Crucified and slain Alas how different are these things from the character of the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t t t t t t Rambam in Artic. fid Iud. Sanhedr fol. 121. 1. To him belongs honour and glory and preeminence above all Kings that have ever been in the world according as all the Prophets from Moses our Master to whom be peace to Malachy to whom be peace have Prophesied concerning him Is he then the Messiah that was spit upon scouged thrust through with a Spear and Crucified Yes saith St. Peter these things he suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God And these things had been foretold concerning him from Moses to Malachy so that he was never the less their Messiah though he suffered these things nor did he indeed suffer these things by chance but by the determinate counsel of God What the learned have argued from this place concerning God's decrees I leave to the Schools VERS XXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having loosed the pains of death LET these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be either the pains of death or the hands of death yet is it doubtful whether St. Peter might speak only of the death of Christ or of death in general so that the sense may be that God raised him up and by his Resurrection hath loosed the bands of death with respect to others also But supposing the expression ought to be appropriated to Christ only whom indeed they do chiefly respect then by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are not to understand so much the torments and pangs in the last moments of death as those bands which followed viz. the continued separation of Soul and Body the putrefaction and corruption of the body in the Grave which two things are those which St. Peter acquits our Saviour from in the following words For however it be a great