have been better and should have made a better choice from this silfull mixture sprung the Rebellious Race of the Giants who grew grosser in obstinacy all the 120 years and waged War against Heaven as the Poets say heaping up one great Mountain upon another and from thence throwing mighty Trees and prodigious Rocks up towards the Firmament to justle Jove or Jehovah out of his Throne This Rebellious Obstinacy in this Giganto-Machia or Giants War c. called great wickedness Gen. 6.5 made the world so foul that now God saw it high time to wash it clean with a Floud Gen. 6.3 6 7 8 12. Accordingly God will shortly cleanse the World grown foul again with sin since that by streams of Fire as he did then by flouds of Water There be but two ways of cleansing foul Vessels The first is by Water the second is by Fire Wooden Vessels may not pass through the Fire for they will be burned thereby Every thing that way abide the Fire ye shall make it go through the Fire and all that abideth not the Fire ye shall wake go through the Water Numb 31.23 Vessels made of Metal may abide the Fire so will not Vessels of Wood they therefore according to this Law of Purification musf be washed with Water This Great House the World hath many sorts of Vessels in it Vessels of Gold and Silver and Vessels of Wood and Earth 2 Tim. 2.20 21. Not only those Vessels of the House must be cleansed from Defilement some by Fire and others by VVater but the House it self as having a worse Defilement than the Vessels even the Plague of the Fretting Leprosie got into the Walls of it which cannot be scraped off Lev. 14.34 41 45. must be cleansed by Fire as well as by VVater As the cursed Canaanites had defiled their Land from one end to another Ezra 9.11 So this Gigantick Race of Rebels had defiled the World which was their Land from side to side with their uncleannesses The defiled Land of Canaan spued out all her Inhabitants and the World or rather the Maker of it spued out a floud to drown all its Inhabitants Oh the defiling nature and contagion of sin it infects the very House we live in the Garments we wear and even all the Creatures we use so that to the unclean by sin all things become unclean Titus 1.13 Yea the very House of God and all his Holy Ordinances Le◠16.16 Thus sin defileth not only persons but places too yea all things as it did the World the House those Rebels dwelt in making it more foul than that Augean Stable the Poets speak of which Hercules could no way cleanse from its over-grown Filthiness but by causing a River to run through it and overflow it Thus the Great God dealt with the dirty Old World he drew a Deluge upon it to cleanse it from its prodigious Defilements Yet as an House wash'd never so clean at one time will by much egress and regress of Inhabitants and Strangers contract new and it may be worse filth in success of time so will need a new cleansing Even so this great House the World though it was wash'd clean with VVater in Noah's time yet since that 't is grown so filthy again and in our the last and so the worst of times become so full of dreggs as being almost at the very bottom of the Vessel it must shortly pass through the Fire as formerly it did through the VVater God hath resolved to Ruin it again by the other more merciless Element 2 Pet. 3.7 10 12. Then it shall not be the Earth below all under VVater but the very Heavens above shall be all on a light fire and all the Elements shall melt c. and fall like scalding Lead or burning Bell-metal upon the heads of the wicked who shall give a terrible Account while the whole World is all flashing flames of fire about their Ears 2 Thes 1.8 9. but the godly shall then be caught up into the Air above all this Affrightment to meet their Dear Redeemer 1 Thes 4.17 This last Destruction of the World by Fire as before by VVater was known in part to the very Heathens as appeareth by the Writings of Lucretius of Cicero de Naturâ Deorum and especially of Ovid singing Esse quoque in fatis Reminiscitur affore Tempus c. He remembred the Fates had decreed that the World should be burned c. But more clearly was it known to Job who lived before Moses Job 22.15 20. where those two Destructions by drowning and burning are both mentioned then shall the Fire of Hell begin to burn all over and shall never end Mark here these few things 1. Because the World was destroyed by VVater about the 1675 year of it from the Creation therefore some have taken up that Opinion that the World should be destroyed by Fire at 1675 years after Christ But this conceit Time it self that term being now expired hath sufficiently confuted Secret things belong to God Deut. 29.29 That day and hour knoweth no man c. Matth. 24.36 Sundry guesses have been given at it both by Antient and Modern Authors most of which Time the best Expounder of dark Prophecies hath already refuted 'T is sufficient for us to know that 't is known to the Lord Zech. 14.6 though it be not given to us to know that Time Acts 1.7 This Key of Knowledge wherewith to unlock this Mystery hangs only at Gods Girdle 'T is therefore our folly if not our sin to set our wits upon childishly playing in such serious and mysterious matters Eorum quae scire nec datur nec fas est Docta est Ignorantia talis Scientiae appetentia est Insaniae species Austin Ignorance of things not revealed nor lawful to be known is a learned Nescience and 't is a kind of madness to enquire after the knowledge of them Mark 2. The Time of Gods burning the World will certainly come shortly though the set Time thereof God hath hid from us For Two Reasons 1. For his own Glory that we may Admire crying Oh the depth of his unsearchable Counsels c. Rom. 11.33 what we cannot apprehend much less comprehend and acknowledge we cannot stand under that which we cannot understand This must be confess'd that we are subdued by that which we cannot subdue to our understandings and hereby we give God his due Glory 2. 'T is not known as for Gods Glory so for our good that we may watch always and not be secure as we would be if we knew it Ideò latet unus dies ut observentur omnes that one day is hid from us that every day might be improved by us as if it were our last day either for Death or Judgment The Harlot in Proverbs the 7th grew bold in her lewdness upon her knowledge of this that her Husband was gone forth in his Travel for such a time v. 18 19 20. And that evil Servant saying
slew them in their Flight Therefore 't is said The Lord fought for Israel ver 14.42 melting the hearts of their Enemies and making them run away in a Fright God Affrighted them Josh 2.11 and 5.1 The Third Remark is The Unparallell'd Trophies of this Glorious Victory even hung up in Heaven it self far more famous than those hung up in Westminster-Hall even in the very Coelestial Orbs Namely the standing still of the Sun over Gibeon and the Moon in the Valley of Aialon ver 12. while the full Conquest was accomplished This was effected by the power of Joshua's Prayer and by the force of Joshua's Faith For he was stir'd up by an extraordinary instinct of God's Spirit to pray for this Miracle unto the Lord this is call'd His speaking to God ver 12. and he had confidence of success Therefore did he venture to utter his Command upon those two great Luminaries to obey him even in the presence and Audience of the People while they were pursuing their Enemies Joshua feared that the length of an ordinary Day would not last him long enough to compleat his Conquest therefore did he beg of God to lengthen out that Day by the Sun and Moons standing still that he might have time long enough for his great Work in cutting off those Cursed Canaanites before they could reach their fenced Cities Let us as Moses did Exod. 3.3 turn aside to behold this Bundle of Wonders taking a prospect of the particulars both in the History and in the Mystery First in the History First Behold and Wonder that the Glorious Sun of the Firmament which runs its race with a Gyant-like strength Psal 19.5 should yet be stop'd in its Race-running by the Command of a meer Mortal Man saying only Shemesh Dum Sun be silent Hebr. yet these words spoke to it puts a spoke into its Chariot-wheel and hinders this Champion in his full Career and stops this Bridegroom from going down to his Bride unto whom he is said to hasten Ecclesiast 1.5 Running Six Thousand Miles in one Hour according to the Computation of Learned Artists Secondly Behold and wonder that the Primum Mobile the whole frame of the moveable Heavens should obey the voice of this Man and stand still with the Sun So that the Supreme Sphere wherein are the fixed Stars stood still also so that the whole Course of the Heavenly Bodies was altered It was no Poetical Phrase as some interpret ver 13. but it was really done though no Heathen Writers mention any such halt made in the Heavens for we have no Authentick Author among them till the Trojan War which was a Thousand Years after Joshua N. B. Note well here was a Sabbath of Heaven for such as had not kept a Sabbath on Earth which might be just so many Sabbaths of Years from the Creation as there were Days in their Solar or Lunar Year or just so many Jubilees from the Creation as be Weeks in the Year This may help to fix Chronology right as Sadler in his Olbion observeth Thirdly Behold and wonder that not only the Sun and the Heavens but also the Maker himself of the Sun and the Heavens even the great God of both Heaven and Earth did obey the Voice of a Man ver 14. This was what God promised that Man should Command God concerning the Work of his hands Isa 45.11 Oh Glorious Condescension that a Mortal Man should Command the Immortal God c. Fourthly Behold and wonder that one Day should become two Days without any Night intervening There was no Day like this ver 14. not only because God obeyed Man as above but also because of the length of this Day being as long as two Days for the Sun is said to make an Halt and hasted not to go down about a whole Day ver 13. That is for the space of a whole Artificial Day between Sun-Rising and Sun-Setting for that was the Day which Joshua both needed and desired a Day to give him Light for his Work that the Night might not come too soon to hinder his pursuit and Slaughter of the Enemy No Day was like this in length about that Climate the Comparison being so limited and not of Universal extenty for the Hyperboreans as Greenland c. have a longer Day of half a Year long no not Hezekiah's Day wherein the Sun run back ten degrees which as some compute consisted of 32 Hours but this Day consisted of 36 Hours if not of 48 according to the Opinion of others Secondly As to the Mystery First Behold and wonder How the Sun 's standing still so long over Gibeon without Variation could not but greatly confirm the Faith of those New-Converts the Gibeonites when they saw God's Glorious Candle shine upon their Heads so long together without any declining as that was the expression of Job's comfortable time Job 29.3 so this was a Confirmation of their Embracing Israel's God Secondly Behold and wonder how Joseph's Prophetick Dream was here fulfilled There it was foretold that the Sun and Moon should do obeisance to Joseph himself But here it is performed that the Sun and Moon do Obeisance to a Son of Joseph even to this Joshua as Gen. 37.9 Hereupon this Miracle was sealed with a Miraculous Day of three Days long as Dr. Lightfoot saith Thirdly Behold and wonder how great is the power of Prayer even a kind of Omnipotency is ascribed to it as Luther said It hath a Command over all the Elements As 1. Over the Air Jam. 5.17 2. Over Fire 2. Kings 1.16 and 1 Kings 18.37 38. 3. Over Water Exod. 14.15 16. And 4. Over the Earth Numb 16.29 c. Psal 106.17 Yea 5. Over the Sun and Moon here 6. Over the Angels 2 Kings 6.17 7. Over God-Man Christ the Lord of Angels Gen. 32.26 Hos 12.4 and Matth. 15.26.28 8. And Lastly Over the Great God Exod. 32.10 where God bespeaks his own freedom as if Moses's Devotion had been stronger than God's Iudignation saying Let me alone So here and Isa 45.11 Fourthly Behold and wonder How in the Gospel a more Glorious Sun than this Sun of the Firmament stood still even the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 when blind Bartimeus cryed to him 't is said expresly Jesus stood still Mark 10.49 because he had power with Christ by his strong Faith breaking through all Obstructions as the clouded Sun doth c. casting away his Coat though a Beggar he stands not upon the loss of it and above all in stopping this Sun of Righteousness in his Journey Therefore his Name is celebrated in the Gospel when many Mighty Monarchs are either passed over in silence or else lie shrouded up in the Sheet of Shame Oh that we with our cries could constrain Christ to stop his departure from us as they did Luke 24.29 crying Vespera jam Venit nobiscum Christe maneto Extingui lucem ne patiare tuam 'T is towards Evening Oh that at Evening time it may be light as
splendour put upon them than any of the Holy Patriarchs or Prophets of the Old Testament This great Truth our Lord Christ who is Truth it self John 14.6 doth positively affirm saying Amongst them that are born of Women there hath not Risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he Mat. 11.11 The meaning whereof is this as the Elements the higher they are be so much the purer the Water is more pure than the Earth the Air than Water and the Elementary Fire than the Air so the nearer to Christ's Time the more excellent was the Person this excellency had John the Baptist to be the immediate Harbinger for preparing the way of that great Prince of Peace the Lord Jesus at his first coming so became he beyond all the Antient Patriarchs and former Prophets both in Dignity and Doctrine Yet came he behind the Apostles of Christ not so much in the Dignity of his Office though he wrought no Miracles John 10.41 as Moses Elijah Elisha did before him and as the Apostles did after him as he did come behind them in the perspicuity and clearness of his Doctrine concerning the Messiah whom indeed he saw with his Eyes and pointed him out with his Finger yet declared he nothing of Christ's Sufferings or of his Dying and Rising again all which was revealed to Isaiah for which he is call'd by the Antients the Prophetical Evangelist and Evangelical Prophet or of his Ascending into Heaven c. as the Apostles do Yet farther He that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven includes every godly Gospel Minister to be greater than John the Baptist as to their Doctrine for John only Preached and could declare that Christ was come but the Ministers of the Gospel can Preach Christ as having Died for our sins and that he is Risen again for our Justification Rom. 4.25 Note This is no small comfort to Gospel-Ministers for qualifying those cutting and killing contempts that a wicked World casts upon them They are certainly some Bodies in Heaven whatever Men make of them or scorn them as no Bodies on Earth Such Scorners little consider how the great God hath threatned to strike through the loins of them Deut. 33.11 Note The Prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New call'd by the Fathers the Ante-nati and the Post-nati because born before or after the Birth of Christ may well be compared to the two Spies who bare that goodly Cluster of Canaan's Grapes upon a long Pole between them Numb 13.23 He that went before must have his back upon the Bunch so could not have such a plain prospect of it as he who followed after and had his face fully upon it Thus Christ this blessed Bunch of Grapes who hath a Cluster of Blessings in him is born betwixt the Believers of both Testaments only they in the Old saw not so much as we do in the New Note The Holy Apostles saith Chrysostom were greater than the greatest Kings of the Earth rendring this Reason Regum Leges saepè sunt abrogata etiam ipsis viventibus at piscatorum illorum etiam ipsis mortuis Ratae fuere Immobiles manebant c. The Laws of earthly Kings are oft Repealed and die while they themselves live but 't is otherwise with the Laws of those Apostles though but poor Fishermen they stand unrepealed for ever because their Laws are not so much theirs as they are the Laws of the Lord of all Acts 10.36 That the Apostles were great Persons is further demonstrated by those Kings and Emperors who out of their kind of Devotion go in Pâ—larimage to visit their Tombs who yet pay not any such Devoir to the Tombs of their own Predecessors The Twelve Apostles were correspondent to the Twelve Patriarchs as Jacob had Twelve Sons whereof one was a beloved Joseph so Jesus had Twelve Disciples whereof one was a beloved John and as the Apostles were Twelve in number so they did answer the Twelve Foundations of the New Jerusalem Jesus chused Twelve for the Apostleship but Judas one of the Twelve proved a Devil and went betimes to the Devil As bad as the World was then so full of Kill Christ's yet was it too good a place for that Traitor to abide in he was soon pack'd off and as Felo de se both went and was sent to his own place that is to Hell and Damnation the proper place of such a Son of Perdition a place of his own providing and which he had purchased with his wages of wickedness mentioned Acts 1.18 with 25. Note There seems some difficulty in Reconciling Matth. 27.5 where 't is said Judas hanged himself to that of Acts 1.18 where 't is said He falling headlong burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out for want of bowels to his kind and innocent Master We must believe that both were true because the Scripture of truth doth affirm both He was certainly Suffocated or strangled and his bowels gushed out also though the manner how is not determined in sacred writ yet may those two differing Scriptures be thus Reconciled He might be Hanged and the Rope breaking he might fall down and with the fall burst asunder thus both were true Beside The opinion of some is That the Devil strangled him and threw him down a Precipice for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 need not be translated He Hanged himself But he was Suffocated or Strangled which might be done by some disease that caused a Rupture of his Body Or grant He Hanged himself his Body by a just Judgment of God might swell and as the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His bowels might break forth with a great crack No doubt but the Devil was both in his sin and in his punishment Now there happening a Vacancy by Judas's fall in the Emphatical and Significant Number of Twelve the Colledge and Chorus of the Apostles consisting now only of Eleven Peter James John Andrew Philip Thomas Matthew Bartholomew James the Son of Alphaeus Simon Zelotes and Judas the Brother of James Acts 1.13 This Breach must be made up by ordaining one to stand up in the stead of Judas the Traitor Hereupon Matthias was chosen of God to fill up that Vacancy the Eleven are all named to shew that notwithstanding their former Apostacy in forsaking of Christ c. They were again upon their Repentance Received into their holy Apostleship And as the Glorified Saints do fill up the Room in Heaven which the Apostate Angels foolishly forsake So this Matthias makes up the Breach of the faln Judas so he made up the round number of Twelve again This number Twelve is a number which God seemeth to affect in reference to his Church both in the Old and in the New-Testament The Ancient Church God was pleased to build first upon 12 patriarchs then upon the 12 Tribes of Israel And the Gospel-Church prophecied of
that part of the Mass which came next to the former in purity and subtilty was made the Air or next Element call'd the Firmament and Heaven that is the whole Region of the Air even all that is to be seen above the Earth and under the Moon so 't is said the Clouds of Heaven Psal 147.8 Matth. 24.30 or the Fowls of Heaven Gen. 1.30 Psal 79.2 Gen. 1.6.7 8. On the Third day the more gross parts of that Mass were so distributed to their distinct and proper places that the waters being gathered into their Channels and Receptacles made the Ocean or Sea and then the dry land appear'd and was adorned with Herbs and Trees Those were the two other Elements Gen. 1.9 10 11 12 13. On the Fourth day were made those Lights of Heaven into which as into certain Vessels God as it were gathered the light which before was dispersed in the upper Horizon and did incorporate it in those Superiour Bodies to give Light to the Inferiour World v. 14 15 16 to 19. On the Fifth day were made the Fowls and Fishes those Inhabitants of the Air and Water together with the Amphibia as Crocodiles Sea-horses c. and the first blessing of Generation was pronounced upon them v. 20 21 22 23. On the Sixth day God Created the Beasts and all Creeping things of the clean sort of Beasts there were Seven Created of every kind three couple for Breed and the odd one for Adams Sacrifice upon his Fall which God foresaw and then he made Man after the Beasts c. Thus the Heavens and the Earth and all the Host of them were perfected Gen. 2.1 And on the Seventh day God rests from his Creating Work Job 5.17 ordaining that day as a standing Memorial of his Mercy God in the Creation observ'd this excellent Order in simple Bodies as to the Universe he proceeded from the imperfect to the perfect as the Elements of a simple nature were first Created and then the things made of those Elements the things without life before things with life and of things with life he made those of a Vegetative life as Plants and those of a Sensitive life as Beasts and afterwards Man with a Rational life as most perfect of them all but in particular Compound Bodies he proceeded from the more perfect to the more imperfect as he first made the Trees and then the Seed first the Man and then the Woman both more imperfect As Man was the last so he was the best of the Creation hence Man was made after another manner than all other Creatures for they were all made by the single word of God but when Man comes to be made God calls a Councel saying Let us make Man Gen. 1.26 not as in the other Let there be Light and let there be a firmament c. but here God the Father as it were consults with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit concerning the making of Man as a work of great weight and a matter of great moment his very body which was but the Sheath or Case of the Soul was curiously framed of Elementary Matter wherein there are so many Miracles from head to foot as would fill a whole Volume Galen an Heathen could not read Anatomy-Lectures upon the parts of Man's Body especially the fashion of the Hand framed in all its parts for handling work but he acknowledg'd Digitus Dei the singer of God and sang an Hymn to the Creator As Man was the last of all so he was the Epitome of all partaking of all the whole Creation in respect of his Soul and Body The Soul is an Abridgment of the Invisible World and the Body of the Visible Hence Man is call'd by the Hebrews Gnolam Hakaton and by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which do signifie the little World The Soul is set and seated in the Body as a little God in this little world as Jehovah is a great God in the great world for God made Man in his own likeness as like him as might be and to come as near him in resemblance as was possible The Idaea or Exemplar of the great world which was in God from all Eternity was as it were briefly and summarily expressed and compriz'd by God in Man as he was the little World The very Heathen Philosophers had some Notions of this as 1. Favorinus who said the greatest thing in the world is Man and the greatest thing in Man is the Soul And 2 Proclus could say The Mind that is in Man is the Image of the first Mind to wit the Image of God As God is a Spirit Job 4.24 in the Glorious Trinity so the Soul is a Spirit Indivisible Immaterial Immortal distinguish'd into three powers or faculties Vnderstanding Will and Memory which all make up one Spirit or Soul which is a resemblance of the Holy Trinity The Body which is the sheath and shell of the Soul is not onely a composition of all the Four Elements Fire Air Water and Earth but also the Compendium of all Created things as partaking of a Being with Stones of Life with Plants of Sense with Beasts and of Vnderstanding with Angels when the Soul is united to it See more of this in my Christian Walk pag. 2 3. Though the Body of man in respect of the Soul be but as a Clay-wall that encompasseth a Treasure a wooden Box that containeth a Jewel and a coarse Canvas-case that covereth a most curious Instrument yet in it selt it is Opus Phrygionicum a Phrygian or Arras-work 't is a piece of curious Tapestry Embroidered with Nerves Veins Arteries and variety of Limbs sustained with Bones and cover'd over with Flesh and Skin Psal 139.15 16. 'T was a wonderful work as may be easily demonstrated 1rst A Temple is the best of Buildings and the Body of Man is call'd the Temple of God 1 Cor. 6.19 Oh what a glorious and goodly structure was that Temple of stone which Solomon built not for Man but for God 1 Chron. 29.1 't was one of the great wonders of the World So God made the Body of Man a Temple of Flesh for himself to dwell in the Spirit or Soul of man dwells in the Body as in its House or Temple Dan 7.15 Hebr. Ruchi bego Nidneb My Spirit in the midst of my Body Nadan Translated there the body signifies a sheath and so the same word is used 1 Chron. 21.27 Put up thy Sword into its sheath intimating that the Soul is in the midst of the Body as the Sword is in the midst of the sheath now the more excellent that the Sword is the richer sheath it requires the Soul is a Sword of excellent Metal and Temper so requires an excellent Scabbard Oh then what an excellent House must that needs be which is inhabited by such an excellent Tenant as an Immortal Soul or Spirit of Man Neither is this all but also the Spirit of God dwells in it Hence 't is
sin and in promoting it when it was procreated to its Giant-like magnitude in those over-grown Giants was the Eye The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men that they were fair Gen. 6.2 Thus 't is said of Eve that she saw the Apple a beautiful Object Gen. 3.6 The Eye was the Cinqueport where sin landed both in the birth and in the growth of it Thousands have died of the wound in the Eye If sin do not find an open entrance either by the window of the Eye or by the door of the Ear it cannot well convey it self into our Hearts Beauty whether in persons or in things is a perilous Bait 'T is not safe gazing upon beautiful Objects lest the Tempter use the Eye as a Burning-glass to set the Heart on fire Lust is sharp sighted and no one means hath more enriched Hell than beautiful faces Job therefore made a Covenant with his Eyes lest they should be loop-holes of lust and windows of wickedness Job 31.1 and David prayed against the abuse of them Psal 119.37 The third Note is Although those Giants Moses mentioneth Gen. 6.4 were as overgrown in their Guilt as they were in their Bulk neither fearing God nor Man but by a Cyclopick Impudence did provoke God to his face c. yet in the midst of wrath God remembers mercy Hab. 3.2 saying Mans days shall yet be an hundred and twenty years v. 3. So long would God respite his Declared Judgments to prove Man if yet he would repent of his sin and return to his God 'T is a wonder a God of so much power to ease himself at his pleasure of his Adversaries upon the first provocation Isa 1.24 should yet be a God of so much patience as to bear with them and forbear sinners for so long a time The wickedness of man was then great in the Earth v. 5. especially in those great Giants call'd Nephilims Hebr. because they were faln from God and Godlines◠as the word Naphal signifieth and faln into the bog of wickedness Burgensis thought them to be Devils in mens shape and call'd Nephilims because they with Lucifer were faln from Heaven but the Invalidity of this Notion appeareth in this That the Deluge could not Drown Devils who are Spirits and therefore they were not Devils but Men indeed Incarnate Devils that drew down the Deluge Yet though God was wearied out in his patience with these corrupt and incorrigible ones who would have faln upon him if they could as they had faln from him insomuch that he is moved to make a final Resolution for their Utter Ruine still Mercy that is over all the works of God Psal 145.9 triumphs over Justice Jam. 2.13 and grants a Lease of an hundred and twenty years Respite from the Floud in which term of time they might by Noah's Preaching and preparing the Ark be brought to Repentance or if not to perish for ever This long-sufferance of God the Apostle extolleth 1 Pet. 3.19 20. 2 Pet. 2.5 shewing the sum and end of all the Sermons Noah Preached to them that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 that is they Repenting and Turning to God might be dead because of sin but the Spirit be life because of righteousness Rom. 8. v. 10. But alas though they had the space of Repentance they wanted the grace of Repentance Rev. 2.21 As Noah was warn'd of God Heb. 11.7 so that wicked World was warn'd of Noah concerning their approaching Peril if they did not prevent it by Repentance Noah did this by the Spirit of Christ who is said to go unto this old World as an Embassador sent by his Father he went and Preached 1 Pet. 3.19 to wit Righteousness and Repentance 2 Pet. 2 5. and the Faith of the Gospel 1 Pet. 4.6 whereby some possibly of those many that perished in the waters might be eternally saved by Christs sanctifying that Providence as an Ordinance to them and his mercifully speaking to their hearts thereby yea and inter pontem fontem he might give to them the Grace of Repentance though they had not improved the hundred and twenty year space of Repentance as he did to the penitent Thief on the Cross Nunquam serò si seriò poenitentia vera nunquam est sera If Repentance be but true 't is never too late Oh how doth this magnifie the matchless Mercy of God! that though they were judged according to men in the flesh to the Drowning of their Bodies in the Floud yet might they live according to God in the spirit their Souls being saved by the Grace of Christ even at the eleventh and last hour of their day 1. Infants were not obstinate so might be saved 2. As all in the Ark not saved so all out of the Ark not damned 3. All dying without Baptism not lost 1 Pet. 3.21 nor all Reprobate who were out of the Ark for some might be ignorant of Noah's Preaching and preparing the Ark so were not wilfully disobedient The fourth Note is As the Old World notwithstanding this long Respite of an hundred and twenty years was at last destroyed by Water so this present World after the long Lease of the Gospel shall be destroyed by Fire Those are the two most unruly and most ruining destructive Elements Ludolfus hath an excellent Observation As God destroyed the Old World by Water to quench that exorbitant Heat of Lust that was then found in it so he will destroy this present World by Fire to warm that notorious Coldness of Love that shall at last be sound in it Christ hath foretold that the love of many shall grow cold Matth. 24.12 As Moses had told how all flesh had corrupted his way with fleshly lusts making a carnal choice of beautiful Bed-fellows more out of blind Affection for lustful love is always blind than from solid Judgment without either Care or Fear of being corrupted by them Exod. 34.16 1 King 11.2 3. or any regard of either grief to the Godly or of scandal to their own Profession for they are called Sons of God at large that had called themselves by his Name Gen. 4.26 yet no better than loose profligate Professors Apostates from the Power of Godliness These Sons of Seth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.27 burned in their lust or were scalded as the Greek word signifies at the sight of the fair Daughters of cursed Cain took them to their Beds never considering while they were led by the lusts of their Hearts and by the sight of their Eyes like Solomons Yonker Eccles 11.9 the suitableness of matching 2 Cor. 6.14 nor the deceitfulness of Beauty Prov. 31.30 nor the difficulty of finding a virtuous Woman Prov. 31.10 nor observing while they chose by their Eyes that a fair Helena without may he a Railing Hecuba within or an Earthen Potsheard covered over with Silver Dross Prov. 26.23 These men were the worse because they should
that the good Will of God and a Flame of Fire from Man may consist together Yea Gods Visitation may have in it Mans Salvation Job 10.12 Psal 106.4 'T is of great use to understand this we pore too much in beholding the Flames of Fire in our Tryals and Troubles and ponder too little in believing the Good will of our God therein this makes us Harbour hard Thoughts of God with Job as if he dealt cruelly with us and was become our Enemy Job 16.9 and 30.21 with 13.24 and 19.11 we look on our Troubles as mere Streams of fiery wrath whereas indeed they are Messengers of Love and Fatherly Affection Whom God loves he chastens though he do not love to chasten Heb. 12.6 Lam. 3.33 Isa 28.21 calls it his strange Work yet out of faithfulness Psal 119.75 'T is Medicinal as well us Penal The Third Reason is from the Nature of those Troubles befalling God's Church and Children God never stirs up all his wrath therein Psal 78.38 He corrects them only with the Rod of Men Enoshim Shebet the Rod of weak Men 2 Sam. 7.14 that cannot give such a blow as the Rod of God When God comes to take Vengeance upon Babylon he proclaims this thundring Threatning I will not meet thee as a man Isa 47.3 But as a God who is consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 then Babylon which is no better than Briars and Thorns Isa 9.18 the very Curse of the Earth Gen. 3.18 cannot stand before Devouring fire nor dwell with everlasting Burnings Isa 33.14 God goes through those Briars and Thorns and burns them together Isa 27.4 but when God comes to chastize the Children of Sion He smiteth them not as he smiteth those that smote them Isa 27.7 but doth it in measure Hebr. Peck by Peck not whole Bushels at once ver 8. and Jerem. 30.11 for he comes not to them as a Judge with Severity but as a Father with Pity being himself afflicted with their Afflictions Isa 63.9 so he takes not up the Sword to them but only the Rod and that only the Rod of weak men The Rod of God that is Destruction but the Rod of men that is only Correction and 't is such a Rod as Christ hath suck'd out its Curse and Bitterness yea hath made it like Jonathan's Rod which dropped Honey taking from it the Nature of a Curse and giving to it the Nature of a Cure Though the Devil's Temptations have a tendency to Perdition yet God's are for Probation only Gen. 22.1 Deus â—a Vulnerat ut vulnerando Medetur the Chirurgeon launces his own dear Child with all tenderness cuts and weeps weeps and cuts again The wise Physician 's Rule in Pleurisies c. is Sparing then is spilling yet always maintain Nature that it may be able to grapple with the Disease c. This Vision of the burning Bush affords strong Consolation Though the Church Militant and its Members be oft in the fire for the ruling Brambles do not only scratch them but out of those Brambles cometh out a fire to scorch them also Judg. 9.15 and oft in the Water of Affliction yet the Church is preserved The Devil doth with her just as he did with the Daemoniack whom he cast sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water to destroy him Mar. 9.22 the same Power that preserv'd him from his being destroyed by those two merciless Elements even ever after his Childhood to that Day did cast out that cruel Devil and doth as miraculously preserve the Church in the like cases of Danger neither Fire nor Water hath any Power to destroy her Isa 43.2 Suppose her in the Water then is she as was Noah's Ark in that Universal Deluge which the higher that the Waters rose was thereby the nigher lift up to Heaven And as the Ship wherein were Imbarked Christ's Disciples the only Church then in the World Matth. 14.24 c. No Winds no Waves can beat her down into the Deep Though she be afflicted tossed with Tempests and not comforted yet retains she her sure foundation and her fair colours c. Isa 54.10 11 12. The very Gates of Hell in which all Diabolical fraud and force is seated cannot prevail against her Matth. 16.18 Suppose the Church to be in the Fire as well as in the Water there also the good Will of God goes along with her into the flames as here into the burnings of this bush thus the Son of God went with Shadrach Meshek and Abeduego not only to but into the fiery furnace Dan 3.24 25 c. Here the Fire consumes not the Bush as there the flame consumed only their Bonds c. No Natural Agents can act without the Concurrence of Supernatural Providence For l. Here is a suspensive Divine Act where the concourse of God's Providence is suspended there Natures must be is God's may not be The suspension and cessation of the Divine concourse is the Dissolution of the whole Universe 2. Here might be likewise a transmutative Divine Act whereby the Bush was consolidated into such a solid Substance as not to be Combustible The Boughs and Leaves say the Jewish Rabbies were made harder above the solidity of Gold so that they still retained their native greenness being fortified with a quality the flame cannot penetrate 3. Or here might be also a restraining Divine Act whereby the Fire was chained up from its Activity and Violence which it naturally hath in burning up combustible Matter into Ashes This is more than a bare Cessation of the Divine Concourse as was in the Case of the three Nobles of Caldea Dan. 3.27 'T is indeed a great truth If the first wheel in a Clock amp c. stands all the other wheels must stand with it Now God is the Primus Motor and his Providence is the Primum Mobile Hereby All live and move Act 17.28 without God's concourse neither Meat can nourish nor Clothes warm our Bodies for we live not by bread alone c. Matth. 4.4 without this the Heavens could not move nor the Sun shine nor the Earth bear fruit nor the Fire burn c. but in this Case of the Bush as it might be done by a suspensive Act or by a transmtative Act as when Christ enabled Peter to walk upon the Waters which are a fluent Element giving way to a solid Body this was done either by qualifying Peter's Body with levity or by freezing the Waters into a Pavement so more probably by a Restraining Act the God of Nature chains up Nature in its Actings God ties up the Sea in swadling bands so that it cannot overflow the Earth Job 38.8 9 10 11. God shut up the mouths of the Lions so that they could not devour Daniel in the Den Dan. 6.22 The Voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire Psal 29.7 so that they could not consume this Bush c. All this may be for Comfort to God's Church and Children thus 1. That all created Powers are annihilated by a
stood in our stead according to the Determined Counsel of the Immortal God Acts 4.27 N. B. Note well Therefore Pilate serveth God's Secret Will in Condemning Christ yet sinneth therein as it was a Disservice to God's Revealed Will which forbids to condemn the Innocent A Man may cross the Secret Will of God and yet do well in so doing as David did in Praying for the Life of his Child which was Decreed for Death 2 Sam. 12.16 18. on the other hand Pilate here serves God's Secret Will and doth Ill c. The 5th Remark is It is marvelous Incouragement to our weak Faith that our Lord Christ before he was condemned should be 1. N. B. Note well So often Absolved from all Deservings of any Death that thereby we might escape the manifold Deaths which we have so well and so justly deserved It was necessary that the Innocency of Jesus should by all ways and means be Vindicated and Testified both by Pilate often and by his Wife once that the believing Soul might the more manifestly discern that he was not condemned nor executed for his own Sins but for ours 2. N. B. Note well That he was condemned for Blasphemy which is the sum of all Sins against the first Table of the Law before the Ecclesiastick Court and for Sedition and Treason which is the sum of all Sins against the Second Table before the Civil Court whereby he bore the Imputation of and made a full expiation for all our Sins both against the First and Against the Second Table and so prevent our Arraignment and Condemnation before the Dreadful Tribunal and Justice-Seat of the great God c. N. B. Note well And 3. 'T is no less an Incouragement to our Faith when we look upward beyond those two Courts aforesaid at the Dispensation of an higher Judge God the Father exacting satisfaction to his Justice upon his own Eternal Son who stood in our Humane Nature as our Surety and in our stead for all our Sins while he stood before Pontius Pilate by whom he was Condemned and Delivered to be Crucified Divine Justice will not Acquit the Sinner without a condign Ransom not the Redeemer without a congruous Satisfaction yet Divine Mercy Accepts Satisfaction for the Sins of many from one Man in the name of all for whom he Died Mat. 20.28 The 6th Remark is When Pilate could not prevail with his three times Justifying our blessed Jesus Mat. 27.24 but the Tumultuous cries both of Priests and People prevail'd against him Luke 23.23 He willing to content them Mark 15.15 Passed Sentence upon Christ Luke 23.24 but before he could thus Act against his own Conscience He took Water and Washed his hands before the Multitude saying I am Innocent of the Blood of this Just Person See ye to it Mat. 27.24 Thus this poor Ignorant Pagan easily deceived himself thinking that himself was free of that Sin which the Priests and People pressed him to Whereas all the Water in the Sea would not be able to Wash off the guilt of that Sin N. B. Note well Water is too weak an Element for purging of that which cannot be purged but by the Blood of Christ here or by the Fire of Hell hereafter Manus Abluit Pilatus Cor polluit He cleansed his Hands indeed and grosly mistaking did as much as say the guilt of this Innocent Blood shall no more stick upon my Conscience than doth any Filth upon my Washed Hands now clean wiped off yet all this while he minded not the main and principal duty of Purifying his Heart Jam. 4.8 Jer. 4.14 He did not purge but pollute it by his following Fact in delivering up Jesus into the hands of the Jews to be Crucified Matth. 27.26 Mark 15.15 Luke 23.24 John 19.16 Though he said to the Priests See ye to it wherein they were paid with their own Coin with their own very Words for they had said to Judas See thou to it Mat. 27.4 and now ver 24. their own very words See ye to it are Retorted upon them by a just Judgment of God With what measure ye measure out to others the same shall be measured out to you again Mat. 7.2 They Reap as they Sow Drink as they Brew and are served with their own Sauce according to the Law of Retaliation Thought Pilate judged Wickedly in condemning Christ to be Crucified yet doth he Judge Righteously herein in saying to the Christ-Killers See ye to it for whatsoever be the fault of Tools and Instruments in any Wicked Fact as Pilate was the prime Authours and Insâ—â—â—tours as the Priests were have the deepest Tincture of Guilt upon them The mad multitude answered His Blood be on Us and Ours Mat. 27.25 Behold the stupefaction of their seared Consciences They bid Defiance to the Great God who said Amen to this woful Curse wherein They denounced their own direful Doom which doggs them to this very Day Let Dammes read Numb 14.28 and abhor Imprecations c. These Words Pilate spake to the Priests as some say in the Chief Priest's Hall he going thither to content them when they scrupled to go into his Common-Hall or it was as others say in some Publick Judgment Seat set up for this purpose at his own Gate where the Priests and People at the first Assembled and there patiently waited till they had their Will Now follow the four Preambles or Antecedent Circumstances of Christ's Crucifixion As First At this Gabbatha or Pavement John 19.13 of Gabbah to Raise because this Tribunal was Raised up for Pilate to pronounce the Damning Sentence upon Christ c. did the cruel Kill-Christs strip him of his Purple Robes of Mockery Mat. 27.31 Mark 15.20 when they had wearied themselves with Mocking Christ in them Yet did they let the Crown of Thorns which they had fast fixed by driving the Thorns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into his Holy Head with Batts and Blows Mat. 27.30 c. alone still upon his Head to be Crucified therein so some suppose because the Evangelists speak only of putting off the Purple Mat. 27.31 c. Secondly They put his own Raiment upon him namely his own Wearing Cloaths Mark 15.20 wherein was the over-ruling hand of God that All men seeing him to suffer in his own Habit might Acknowledge that it was the very He himself and not Another that suffered in his stead as Mahomet in his Alchoran blasphemously Asserteth though in other things he speaketh honourably of him yet dareth to Deny that Christ was Crucified but we were cheated with another for him Thirdly They led him away Mat. 27.31 c. quite out of the City unto Golgotha the place of Skulls in the posture of bearing that heavy Cross upon his Shoulders which should suddenly bear the weight of his Body as Isaac his Type had done before Gen. 22.6 bearing the Wood that was to burn him Christ was led out of the Gate fore-signified by the Burnt-offerings which were burnt without
thanksgiving is the good life of the Thanks-giver to be restless for receiving and to be careless of returning was hateful to the Heathen Ingratum si dixcris omnia The sin of Ingratitude hath all other sins in it yet 't is ten to one but we ate guilty of it in not returning with the Leper to give God the praise of our mercies Luk. 17.15 17. And in not making it our Spiritual Project and Study with David what to render to God Psal 116.12 For all his benefits he had nothing to give but what was Gods before therefore he cries What shall I render As having nothing good enough for so good a God Hence he saith v. 13. I will take the Cup of Salvation Which some render Poculum Eucharisticum the Sacramental Cup which the Apostle calls the Cup of Blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 As the whole Sacrament of the Supper is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eucharist or Thanks-giving Or according to the opinion of others this Cup David speaks of there hath relation to that Festival Cup after the Peace-offering mentioned in 1 Chron. 16.3 Which was called Calix Salutis ceu Salvationis A Cup of Health and a Cup of Happiness 'T is pity any should willingly not to say wilfully want this happy Cup This Salutiferous and Beatifical Cup. God is good so is the Object of praise and he doth good so is the Object of thanks and both these v. 4. are best done in the Cup of Blessing rightly received that Passover Cup the Blood of the Paschal Lamb. The 4. Gospel Sacrifice in a word is all the good Works both of Piety and Charity Heb. 13.16 If wrought in God Joh. 3.21 Quoad fontem quoad finem from a good principle and for a good End Such as have a feci deo writ upon them when the Soul can say what I have done I have done to God 1 Cor. 10.31 With a single Eye to Gods glory and with a sincere love to the Souls of Saints or Sinners As works of Piety done to God so works of Charity done to men and to Christs poor members whether it be more according to our abundance or less according to our Ability 2 Cor. 8.11 12. Have their high Value and Estimation with God such good works are call'd also a Sacrifice and an Odour of a sweet smell acceptable and well pleasing to the Lord Phil. 4.18 Where the Church of Philippi administring to the Apostle their Ministers wants was no less than a blessed perfume Thus likewise our Lord saith that a Cup of cold water though not at the cost of a little fire to warm it given in the name of a Disciple or of a Prophet shall not lose a Disciple or a Prophets reward Mat. 10.41 42. And that is no small reward for God is a liberal pay-master Sauls five pence given to Samuel was rewarded with a Kingdom 1 Sam. 9.8.20 and 10.1 Though the Butler forget Josephs kindness to him in Prison Gen. 40.23 Yet God is not unrighteous to forget your labours of love having them all writ in his book of remembrance Mal. 3.16 17. Which he oftner peruseth than Ahasuerus did his Chronicles Esth 6.1 that ye have shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do Minister Heb. 6.10 Hence is Inferred 1. Though we be exempted from the Sacrifices of the Law yet not from those of the Gospel Oh where then is Gospel-Sacrifice 'T is no less than three times commanded in the Law Let none appear before the Lord empty that is without an offering Exod. 23.15 and 34.20 and Deut. 16.16 17. Though that Law-Service was a chargeable and heavy service yet was it equally obliging to the Poor as to the Rich though not to offer as much as they for that Rigorous Dispensation admitted of this Divine Indulgency that he who had not a Lamb to bring unto God might bring two Turtle Doves and if he could not procure them then the tenth part of an Ephah should be acceptable Lev. 5.7 11. And 't is said further If he be poor and can not get so much let him bring such as he is able to get and it shall be accepted Lev. 14.21 22 32. Those are all gracious provisoes for poor people shewing that God respect more the mind of the giver or offerer than the worth of the gift or offering God minds more the truth of inward devotion than the measure of the outward oblation 2 Cor. 8.12 God accepts of a little where much not to be had and he will receive a very small present from him who would bring a better were it in the power of his hands so to do The 2. Inference is our Gospel Sacrifice must not only for the matter but also for the manner be according to divine prescription As we must not appear empty so we must not bring what we Phansie but what God prescribes The very Philistinâ— would not send baâ—k the Ark of God empty 1 Sam. 6.3 Oh what a shame it is then for those call'd Christians to be worse than the uncircumcised in appearing empty of those Gospel-Sacrifices as Prayer Praise Repentance and works of Piety and Charity yet were their presents Ridiculous as well as Superstitious suggested by Satan to their diviners in contempt of God and not prescribed by him who loves and likes those Services that are of his own prescribing How do the Superstitious offer God their ridiculous though Golden Mice and Emrods which could not well be figured without some shew of their Posteriorums where the Emrods break forth and so are loathsom to the Lord Isa 1.12 13 14. When our Services are not according to the Pattern shew'd us in the Mount of the Holy Scriptures Heb. 8.5 When and where we write up Service then and there God writes up sin God carefully provided that his Worship should not be corrupted saying This is the Law of the Burnt-offering and of the Meat-offering c. Lev. 7.37 And he left nothing unprescribed that the frothy exuberancy of mans foolish brain might find no Room to foist any thing into his Service Paul himself would not obtrude his own Inventions into Christs Institutiton but delivered all to the Church as he had received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 Cypriaâ— saith Adulterum impium Sacrilegium est quodcunque Humano furore Instituitur 'T is an Adulterous and Sacrilegious Act to violate a Divine Ordinance And Calvin gives this reason why God was so exact in prescribing the whole of Legal Worship nequid adventitium obreperet ex hommum Commentis ad vitianda sacrificia nihil observatu dignum deus omisit nequid aggredi auderent homines nisi ex Dei praescripto Inde colligere promptum est quantopere fugienda fit temeritas quicquam fingendi audacia Lest man should take leave to set up his Posts to Gods Post This is daring impudency Calvin on Lev. 7.37 and on Mat. 15.2.9 To do more than Goâ— Commands is to serve the
best performances even of the chiefest and choicest favourites of Heaven are but Halting Blind Blemished and Maimed all forbidden to be brought as Sacrifice Deut. 15.21 It must therefore be a transcendent favour in God to give his Euge to any of his Servants saying Well done thou good Servant c. Mat. 25.21.23 Three Reasons for Gods approving As 1. It has Christ's Image Silver though it be not throughly purified from all Dross though it be not altogether pure but have some mixt Metal in it yet having the Kings Stamp upon it this maketh it Current Coin in Court City and Country So the Religious Actions of Believers though they have many frailties accompanying them there being always some Blood of pollution to cleanse away which God hath not yet cleansed Joel 3.21 yet having Christs Image upon them this maketh them Current Coin in the Court of Heaven As a little that the righteous hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 so a little that the Righteous doth is better than the Services of many wicked for their Services are not acceptable to God though they may be materially good as Cain's here because a due respect is not observed in them but the Services of the godly are accepted of God 2. 'T is the best they can because though they cannot do what they would Rom. 7.15 yet they do what they can even in Christs own Judgment She hath done what she could Mark 14.8 therefore are their worlds said to be wrought in God John 3.21 both quoad Fontem quoad Finem from a good principle and for a good end as they do proceed from a right living Principle so they are directed to a right holy End Hence a Cup of cold Water though not at the cost of fire to warm it given in the Name of a Disciple is preferr'd before the most Magnificent Alms of the Pharisees given in Oftentation with sound of Trumpet Mat. 10.42 with Mat. 6.2 Mark 12.43 44. Luke 21.3 3. 'T is the Service of a Child Nothing is more common and better known than that small Service performed by a Child of our own is more acceptable to us that are Fathers than greater and better Services done by our Servants because desire of wages or fear of wrath is the motive in the latter but there is Candour and Filial Kindness that draws out the best endeavours in the former The Child will do his best from that noblest Obligation of Love for its Father and thus it is 'twixt the Children of God and their Heavenly Father Psal 103.13 Mal. 3.17 A Serving-Son that serves his Father with the best of his Services who would do more if he could do more whose desires and endeavours reacheth nearer God than their performances is a pitied Son a spared Son and a best beloved Son such are his Jewels 2. As God gave allowance and approbation of Abel's Sacrifice so he had delight and complacency in it This also is signified by the word respect The Services of all righteous men are as this Sacrifice of Righteous Abel well pleasing and delightful to God thus was the Sacrifice of Noah Gen. 8.21 of whom God testifieth Thee have I seen righteous before me in this Generation Gen. 7.1 and therefore the Lord did smell a sweet Savour from this righteous Mans Sacrifice Thus all the Sacrifices of Gods Righteous Ones are call'd the savour of their sweet Odours Levit. 26.31 which Expression God oft repeateth in his Law to intimate his delight in his own Institutions when performed by honest and good Hearts Thus the Prayers of Gods Righteous Servants come up before him as sweet Incense Psal 141.2 and as a precious Memorial to God Acts 10.4 He Books them all in his Day-book Mal. 3.17 yea and their Tears the Lord Bottles up as most Soveraign and Sacred Liquors Psal 56.8 As Isaac said of his Sons Raiment that Garment of the Elder Brother wherein he got the Blessing The smell of my Son is as the smell of a Field which God hath Blessed Gen. 27.15 27. So doth the Lord say of all the Services of Righteous Men if performed in sincerity then are they Odoriferous and give a Fragrant Smell to Gods Nostrils 3. God RESPECTED Abel 's Offering that is he kindled it with Fire from Heaven whereby he as it were sent for it and fetcht it up to Heaven God did not so with Cain's Offering 't was a cold Oblation no warmth heat or fire in it Cain came coldly off with God as well as carelesly as before and hereby God testify'd the acceptance of the one and the non-acceptance of the other to wit by a sign from Heaven so saith Theodotion a Greek Interpreter reading it Deus inflammavit This was Gods antient way of giving his approbation to acceptable Sacrifices Levit. 9.24 The people shouted as their Token of rejoicing at Gods Token of acceptance when he answer'd their Prayers by Fire from Heaven There is the like Token and Testimony from Heaven to David 1 Chron. 21.26 and to Solomon 2 Chron. 7.1 and to Elijah 1 Kings 18.38 Yea beside all this 't is the phrase of the Holy Ghost in the Hebrew reading for accept Oh Lord 't is in Hebrew turn it into Ashes Psal 20.3 to wit by Fire from Heaven which was the sign of acceptance thus it was to Abel But 2. Unto Cain and to his Offering God had not respect Cain had a bad success as Abel had a good In the words of that Text there is minus dictum plus intellectum a little spoken but much understood for God did not only disregard Cain's Sacrifice but he positively rejected it Whence observe The Services of the wicked are not only refused but plainly rejected as loathsom and abominable to God Prov. 12.2 and 15.8 as before 'T is here intimated that Cain did verily incense God against him and that upon a double account 1. To demonstrate the Equity of God in his dealing with wicked men his ways are always equal with us Ezek. 18.25 and 33.17 As Cain respected not God in his Sacrifice so God respected not him nor his Sacrifice 'T is but an equal and a just requital when God is careless of us who at that time have been careless of him this is the true cause why God doth so oft turn his Back upon our Persons and Prayers for they that honour him he hath said he will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 'T is but the rule of equity such as aim at their own ends only and regard neither God nor his command 't is but a fair Retaliation that God do reject them The second Account or Reason is to declare the dreadful Judgment of God upon wicked Men that their Persons and Prayers are not respected by God This is a most direful Doom hence David prays against non-acceptance Lord let my VVords and Meditations be acceptable Psal 19.14 And he complains If thou be silent O Lord and disregard my Prayers then am I
a very strong hold of him 4. To Sum up all As a Cain fails 1. Quoad Fontem Doing Duty for some by Respects 2. Quoad Finem Not with Filial Affection as before So 3. Quoad Modum He may prostrate his Body but never pours out his Heart as Prayer is called Psal 62.8 He may pour out much Speech but little Spirit he hath more Expressions on the Tongue than Impressions on the Heart 't is all but Lip-labour 4. Quoad Acceptandi Efficaciam Christ is the Altar that sanctifies the Sacrifice as before now a wicked Man wanting this Altar to sanctifie his Sacrifice therefore it having all these four defects is loathsom to God God can have no respect for it as he could have none for Cain's here Suppose he do what he can yet is he no Child of God nor has Christ or his Image concerning which some of the Antients are of Opinion that Cain's Sacrifice had a Flame of Fire as well as Abel's only with this difference Whereas the Flame of the Fire of God did lick up Abel's Sacrifice as it did Elijah's after 1 King 18.38 in Token of Acceptance but the Flame of Cain's Sacrifice rebounded upon himself and stigmatiz'd him as those that are Burn'd in the Hand for some Villany not unlike to those Flames of the Fiery Furnace into which the three Nobles of Babylon were cast They Burned those wicked Men that cast them in Dan. 3.22 Even such as had been over-forward both in their perswasion and in the Execution God over-rules the Water to be a Wall to his People Exod. 14.29 as he did the Fire there to slay his Enemies See the Consequences hereof in my Church History second Plot. CHAP. VIII Of Enoch's walking with God AS the first acceptable Worshiper of God was Abel so the first acceptable walker with God was Enoch in Scripture Record Here be two remarks upon Enoch recorded in Scripture The 1. is his Appearance in the World The 2. is his Disappearance to the World 1. His Appearance is attended with sundry considerable circumstance As 1. his Name 2. His Time 3. His Age and. 4. His Office or Employ 1. Concerning his Name Enoch which hath a double signification 1. Enoch signifies dedicated his Father Jared which signifies meek being a lowly and an Holy Man did dedicate this Son to God assoon as he had received him from God well knowing that he had given his Son Sin but he could not give him Grace and therefore he devotes him to God who must both take Sin from him and give Grace to him neither of which could the father do for the Son therefore did he dedicate him as Solomon did his Temple to the Lord to be sanctified by him and set apart for his proper and peculiar use Secondly Enoch signifies Cathechized or Instructed well knowing also that the care of the means was committed to the Father though he had committed the care of the end to the Lord. The paternal instruction must promote the dedication as Jared had marr'd him by propagation begetting a Son in his own the faln Image so he must mend him by Instruction that the Image of God might be repair'd and recover'd in him thereby we find that cursed Cain had his Enoch also a Son whose Name was of the same signification Gen. 4.17 From whence may be inferred 1. That God gives his common blessings even to ungodly men to wicked Cain as well as to godly Jared God causeth the Sun to shine on the Just and Unjust A 2. Inference is Satan can imitate God in giving significant Names to Sons c. And 3dly There is a Dedication to the Lord as that of Godly Enoch was and there is a Dedication to the World and to the possessions thereof as this of Cain was for the City which he built he call'd after the Name of his Son Enoch that his Son might be styled The Lord Enoch of Enoch as being his best portion in both Worlds Psal 49.12 NB. Righteous Abel wanted Wife Children Cities c. for his Riches lay in reversion in the City of God The 2d Circumstance is the time he liv'd in 't was in the first thousand years of the World be is call'd the seventh from Adam to wit inclusively reckoning Him and Adam to be two of the number Jude v. 14. So he is Timed either 1. to distinguish him from the other Enoch who was the third from Adam Cain once coming between Or 2. To hold out a mystery in the number of seven the 7th person some say was a Prophet as the 7th day was a Sabbath this number of 7 is much insisted on in the genealogy of Christ Mat 1.17 Abraham was the 7th from Heber and from Abraham to David twice seven and from David to the Captivity twice seven again and from the Captivity to Christ again twice seven this very number of seven was to mind them of the Creation-Sabbath and us also of our Gospel or Redemption-Sabbath yea and of our Spiritual Sabbath or Rest in Christ here and of our Eternal Sabbath or Rest with Christ hereafter Moreover the very Heathens must have the seven Stars to look upon that this number of seven in their Mouths should mind them of the mystery Or 3. God is so exact in Scripture Record stating him the 7th Patriarch not onely to declare the genealogy of Christ in a more distinct Chronology of succession than can be found of any in the best humane Histories but also to shew both his great care of his Church and his great delight in his Church 1. His great care of it in upholding it by seven descents of Holy Patriarchs 1. Adam 2. Seth though Cain and Abel were both lost as to him and it placed in their stead 3. Enosh that is sorrowful at the growth of profaneness therefore was he so called 4. Cainan that is a Mourner for the corruption of his Times 5. Mabaleel that is a praiser of the Lord for the preservation of his Church notwithstanding all the enmity of the Serpent and of his Seed against it 6. Jared which signifieth descending not only because there was a Descending from evil to worse in the black line but also because this lowly Holy Patriarch did oft descend upon his knees before the Lord in prayer to preserve his Church then the 7th Our Enoch who was dedicated to God and well instructed in the good ways of God as before Thus the Church of God was propagated from one age to another even in the worst ages of the World a filthy scum arising at the top of it soon after the Fall of Man as most filthy dregs will be found at the bottom of the World in the last of times 1 Tim. 4.1 2. His great delight in his Church above all other his concerns in the World being only all of them in order to his Church hence it is that the Sacred Record of the Scripture mentions only the posterity of Cain which was to
more solid reason of their dying within that term is rather to shew that the life of man though it be never so long yet in respect of Eternity is very short and not a day but a magnum nihil Mine age saith David my World Heb. That is my abode in the World is as nothing Psal 39.5 Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus 't is but a point and less than a point so though never so long yet far off from perfection 'T is but a small space of time that the longest liver hath on Earth compar'd with Eternity in Heaven The Phrase and he died is added at the end of all those ancient Patriarchs to shew how unalterable was that grand Stature of Heaven Thou shalt die the Death Gen. 2.17 And 't is appointed unto all men once to die Heb. 9.27 So that the youngest and strongest should be mindful of their mortality learning to die daily as Paul did 1 Cor. 15.31 And to make death familiar to us at Bed and Board for as young as we and as strong as we do daily drop down into the dust The Proverb saith assoon goes the Lambs Skin to the Market as that of the old Sheep 'T is a witty and yet a worthy saying That while Death was but a young Archer newly come into the World and unexperienced he could not hit the mark for many hundred years Hence it was that those Primitive Patriarchs most of the Ten lived nine hundred years why Death then could not hit them with his Killing Dart any sooner but now he is become a better Marks-man and can strike down right Dead within the term of one hundred nay at seventy years Psal 90.10 which number is there stated as the term of Man's Life few exceed it and fewer attain to it As mens wickedness increased so the length of their lives decreased even in Mose's time who was the Pen-man of that 90th Psalm as the title telleth Yea Death learns to hit the mark sooner now for mens lives are daily shortened and Generations are fast justled out of their Beings to give place for others Eccles 1.4 The Stage of the Earth still standing in its place while the Actors upon it are often changed that so the World may come the sooner to its End and though there be some singular Examples of a longer life yet in the general 't is observ'd that more Die before they be Ten years old since Death became such a cunning Archer than there be that live above Sixty Yea some of Mankind there be whom Death sends out of the World as soon as Life hath led them into the World whose short passage is ab Utero ad Urnam from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave There is but a little inter-space 'twixt their lying in the Womb and being laid in their Tomb Living in the former but Dead in the latter Besides how many die in their youth while their bones are full of marrow and their veins full of blood They perish in the midst of their way Psal 2.12 like the Jay pruning her self on the Tree Death shoots his Arrow and down they tumble while they hope in themselves to see many fair Summers The 4th Circumstance concerning Enoch's Appearance is the Function Capacity and Condition wherein he Appeared This is twofold 1. Publick as a Prophet of God and a Preacher of Gods Word or Will 2. Private as a Professor and a Practiser of Godliness both in the Form and in the Power of it in his walking with God 1. Of the first he appeared in the Quality both of a Prophet and of a Preacher both were publick Functions 1. Of a Prophet The Apostle Jude expresly mentioneth Enochs Prophecy Judes Ep. v. 14 15. How Jude came to this is uncertain There be two opinions concerning it the 1. is that the Apostle Jude had these two verses out of a book call'd the Prophecy of Enoch whereof Origen Tertullian Jerom Augustin Bede c. make mention That there was such a Book called by that name in those primitive times of the Fathers is not denied but all the doubt lieth 1. Whether Enoch was its Author Or 2. Whether Jude quoted those his two verses out of that Book considering 1. Because none of the Prophets either Moses Samuel or those after them in the Old Testament quotes any such book as those of Moses are by after-prophets 2. Because no such book is mentioned to be kept either in Moses Tabernacle or in Solomons Temple as the Tables of the Testimony were in the Ark of the Covenant 3. Because the Old Testament Church had no such book among all their Canonical Scriptures before their Babylonish Captivity 4. Because had there been such a book Moses could not have concealed it seeing the Creation of the World the History of all the primitive Patriarchs from Adam to himself were so distinctly revealed to him and had there been any such book in a true being he could not be ignorant of it but would have mentioned it as he doth all other things from the beginning Especially in his History of Enoch 5. Because if Enoch had indeed writ such a book then Moses had not been the first writer which all learned Authors both Protestant and Popish do acknowledge and which the words of our Lord Beginning at Moses he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luk. 24.27 do import for had Enoch writ a book before Moses Christ would have begun at Enoch and not at Moses 6. Because neither Philo nor Josephus two learned writers of the Jewish antiquities do make mention of such a book of Enoch now they both being curious observers and careful preservers of all memorable Monuments would undoubtedly have discovered such a precious treasure as could not but be in all generations of the Jews most highly valued both for the Reverend Antiquity and Eminent Piety of the Author as likewise for the sublime excellency of the matter There be indeed other various sentiments about this Enochs Prophecy some say he wrote it upon Pillars of Stone or brick that neither of those two grand destructions of the World which he foresaw by Water and by Fire might destroy it others say that he wrote it in a book which is lost as many other Books mentioned in Scripture as the book of the Wars of the Lord Numb 21.14 the Book of Jashar Josh 10.13 With many others of Nathan Semeiah Gad Ahiah Haddo Hanani c. Named in the Chronicles c. Others say that this book was preserved in Noahs Ark from the Floud or if it were lost yet was it restored by Noah thereunto inspired This was the opinion of Tertullian But all those are uncertain Conjectures having no confirmation from Scripture yea rather are a contradiction to it as it maketh Moses the first writer in the World Herewithal these following considerations introducing the 2d Opinion are worth due observation As 1.
of Violence as he did Abel for he delivers from Death whom he pleaseth Psal 68.20 And he was a Pleaser of God though a Displeaser of the World in his contrary motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gave God good Content and continued in Gods Favour John 15.11 Jer. 32.40 41. Deut. 10.15 Prov. 11.20 and 12.22 and 15.8 when he could not please God in Efficacy he would always do it in Indeavour As when the Centurion could not come himself he sent a faithful Servant so when Enoch could not reach God with his performances he breathed out to him faithful Desires and Indeavours and God accepts of the VVill for the Deed. Thus Abraham walked with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. or perfect unblameable yet rejoiced to see Christs day John 8.56 as needing a Saviour apprehended by Faith and without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Neither of those two Patriarchs pleased God by presenting to him their own Righteousness but by believing in the Righteousness of their Redeemer who fill'd up the measure of their imperfect Obedience hence God is pleas'd with their Endeavours Objettion 2. But Christ was the first that Ascended into Heaven as the First-fruirs so Enoch was not carried thither Answer 1. Christ indeed is the First-fruits of them that Slept and Rose again but so did neither Enoch nor Elijah neither of them Died or Rose from the Dead as Christ did Answer 2. That is not spoke in John 3.13 1 Cor. 15.20 Col. 1.18 in respect of Time but in respect of Power the two Enoch and Elijah Ascended not by their own power as Christ did who Ascended as a Son but they only as Servants sent before the Son therefore the Doctrine of Purgatory c. is but an idle Dream and Dotage but the Doctrine of the Ascension both of Body and Soul into Heaven is confirmed by Enoch's and Elijah's Translation this is assured to us by three Bodily Inhabitants in Heaven that this Truth may be established by three Witnesses and all their Ascensions had sundry Witnesses thereof As 1. The Seven of the Ten Patriarchs though Abel was kill'd and Adam newly dead of Enoch's Ascension 2. Fifty Men that sought Elijah and found him not 2 Kings 2.17 3. The Men of Galilee were Witnesses of Christs Acts 1.9 May we but experience our Spiritual Translation here on Earth Col. 1.13 and 1 John 3.14 this Experience will breed Hope Rom. 5.4 of a Corporal Translation hereafter into Heaven with those three Blessed Ones c. CHAP. IX The History and Mystery of Noah's Deluge The History of Noah succeedeth that of Enoch to be discoursed upon according to the Apostles method in the 11th of Hebrews wherein he amplifies the excellency of Faith as in its nature so in its Effects evidenc'd and Illustrated by many instances in the Faithful from the Creation all along down to the Maccabees Those he divideth into four Classes or Ranks The 1. Is of the Faithful before the Floud Heb. 11 4 5 6 7. The 2. Rank is of the Faithful from the Floud to Moses time from v. 7. to v. 23. The 3. Rank is of the faithful from Moses to Israels entrance into Canaan from v. 23. to v. 32. The 4. Rank or Classis is of the Faithful from Israels entrance into Canaan through the times of the Judges Kings and Prophets of Israel to the times of the Maccabees whose faithfulness he reduceth to two heads declaring 1. What they did do from v. 32. to 33 34 35. And 2. What they did suffer v. 35 36 37 38. Agreeable to this Divinely inspired method I do propose my present method of discourse and having already given a large and practical account from Adam to Noah before the Floud I come now to discuss the History of Noah which contained in it many famous and most remarkable passages of Divine Providence The particulars thereof be six 1. Gods determination to drown the World and to destroy it by Water as at last it shall be by Fire 2. The impulsive cause and occasion provoking God hereunto to wit the notorious pravity and corruption of that age 3. The Singular Piety and Righteousness of Noah in that Universal Degeneracy 4. A narrative which is double 1. Of the Ark for saving Noah 2. Of the Deluge for destroying the World 5. The Divine Deliverance of Noah by the Ark from the Deluge 6. The comfortable Covenant God made with Noah after that Divine Deliverance and Destruction Of all these in Order and first of the first 1. Gods Decree or Purpose to destroy that wicked World wherein the Negative as well as Positive part are both Remarkable for God 1. Repented he had made man Gen. 6.6 2. He resolves to ruin and marr man v. 7. Whence observe 1. Such is the poisonous and pestilent nature of sin as to provoke God who did make the World even to marr it and unmake it again The first Enquiry in the Explication of this first Observation is How did God repent of making man Answ It repented the Lord c. and it grieved him v. 6. are not spoken properly of God in whom none of those accidents common to mankind can be found for God repenteth not 1 Sam. 15.29 But parabolically and figuratively as Maimonides saith in Jesudeh Hatorah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictum sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intellectum though spoken after the manner of man yet understood according to the nature of God as the Fathers Phrase is Suitable to the aforesaid saying of the Hebrew Doctors Vajinachem Hebr. here is rendred Gods Abominating his making of man Symmachus And Humane passions are here ascribed to the Divine Nature for our better Apprehensions of Gods displeasure against mans sin hereby we are to understand that as a man when he repenteth changeth his Act he that repents him of his work is ready to destroy it So God when he changeth his Act is said to repent yet then 't is mutatio Rei non Dei effectus non affectus facti non conslii 't is not a change of Gods will but of Gods work Repentance with man is the changing of his VVill as well as VVork but repentance in God is only a changing of his VVork but not of his VVill which is unchangeable For in him there is no Variableness nor Shadow of change Jam. 1.17 Seeing there is no mistake in his Counsels no disappointment of his determinations and no deceiving of his Expectations Though God have sometimes a will to change his work yet never to change his Will His Decrees and Purposes stand like Mountains of Brase Zech. 6.1 Always Immutable God is not capable of Frailty and Fickleness as man is Accordingly is that other Phrase It grieved him at the Heart to be understood for in the Right Idiom and Property of speech God hath neither Heart nor Grief as he is a most pure Spirit and an uncompounded Being he can have no passion as he is above all composition
in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming c. upon this grew secure and notoriously extravagant Matth. 24.48 49. Even so our Lord hath his Travelling time and his Servants have their Trading time Matth. 25.14 c. And our Lord after this hath his Returning time and his Servants their Reckoning time v. 19 c. Should we know when this time will be we should misimprove the mean time Therefore seeing the coming of that Dreadful Day will be sudden and unexpected as that was upon the World we should always watch Matth. 24.37 38 39 42. and be always ready v. 44. Men are never less safe than when they are most secure Oh what manner of men ought we to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quales quanti Men even to admiration looking up and longing for Christs coming in the Clouds those Chariots which carried him up shall bring him back again We should cry with Sisera's Mother VVhy are his Chariots so long incoming Judg. 5.28 and 2 Pet. 3.11 12. Hastening to meet him upon his way Mark 3. The very Symptoms of the last and worst of times are upon us in our Day We may safely say The time is short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contracted or rolled up 1 Cor. 7.29 as Sails use to be by Mariners when the Ship draws nigh to Harbour the end of her Voyage Or as a Web of Cloth is rolled up only a little left at the end ungathered So God hath now rolled up most of his Works he hath to work in the World he hath only some few things to do a very little at the end of the World to wit four things 1. The Call of the Jews 2. The Fulness of the Gentiles 3. The Fall of Antichrist 4. The Reign of Jesus Christ and then God will say as he said Gen. 6.13 The end of all flesh is come before me The like doth Ezektel use the end it come is come and so some ten or twelve times is come is come Ezek. 7.2 3 6 c. as if he had said Destruction is at the Door If the Judge of the World were at the Door in the days of James the Apostle and the coming of the Lord did then draw nigh Jam. 5.8 9. sure I am it draws nigh much more now in our days and that great Judge who then stood before the Door is well nigh now got over the Threshold it being above a 1000 years since the Apostle said so Therefore let 1. The Persecuted be patient as v. 7. and hold a blow as we say let Patience have line enough in its perfect work the good Lord strengthen Faith and lengthen Patience when the Judge cometh he will set all to rights in the mean time grudge not v. 9. that is groan not grumble not grow not sour and sullen either to God or to one another 2. Let Persecutors Tremble though they be as tall as the great Giants in Noahs day yet God will sweep them away with a Floud of Fire as then he did them with a Floud of Water and not one of them shall escape his just indignation though the Jews feign that one Og a Giant was saved upon an High-Hill and with his own height or as some Rabbies say by getting and setting astride upon the Ark. Yet all this is said without book for the word saith expresly every man Died c. Gen. 7.21 22. no doubt but some might attempt it though in vain as we read of a fond Fryer that built himself an high house upon Harrow of the hill to save himself when an Astrologer had perswaded him the land should be drowned When this dreadful day comes there will be no flying to the Mountains unless it be a crying to them to cover us as Rev. 6.16 which yet shall be but a poor cover for Mountains shall melt and Rocks rend at this Judges presence Now the symptoms of this destruction are 1. Was there ever more burnings of unlawful lusts the fore-runner of the Floud than now when so many Pockified persons have invited so many Forreign besides Native Physicians for their cure in every corner 2. The Abounding of all manner of Iniquity as if Hell were broke loose amongst us The lost times are the loosest times The Dregs of time must needs be the worst as 't is of Liquor the sink of all the sins of former Ages seemcentred in our times 3. Coldness of love by such aforesaid Quench-Coals Dr. Latimer saw such lack of love to God and His People in his time that he verily thought Dooms-day was then just at hand much more may we think so now c. But beside and before this general Judgment-day wherein the whole World shall be burnt as before it was drown'd particular Dooms-days may come upon places and people our own Chronicles tell us of a Dooms-day-book in the Exchequer containing a survey of all England for proportioning the exactions of the Norman yoke by William the Conqueror God bless this Land from such Dooms-day-books and from such Dooms-day-times as were in the Marian days wherein so many Fires flamed out all over our Land to burn the poor Protestants The Apostle Peter saith Think it not strange concerning fiery Trials which are to try you at if some strange thing happened to you 1 Pet. 4.12 wonder not at it as at some new astonishing thing for there is no new thing under the Sun that which hath been not only may but shall be Eccles 1.9 now that there have been such Dooms-day-times and Fiery Tryals both Sacred and Civil Writings confirm it by a cloud of Witnesses 1. Sacred Frequently mentioning how God proves his people by bringing them into the Furnace or Fiery Trials God tried Job as Gold is tryed in the Furnace Job 23.10 and so he did Israel in a furnace of Iron Deut. 4.20 1 Kin. 8.51 and Jer. 11.4 The Oppression of Egypt was a furnace to Israel and so was Babylons Bondage to the Jews afterwards Those grievous afflictions wherewith they were grievously afficted both in Egypt and Babylon did most kindly melt them and made them more malleable under Gods Hammer of his Word Jer. 23.29 God tryed them as Silver c. yea brought them through Fire and Water Psal 66.10 12. Now neither Reprobate Silver nor Alchymy Gold can bear the seventh Fire as Golden Job did who as the Finest Gold is purged in the Fire and shineth in the Water but quite contrary it is with dirty Clay which the Fire Scorcheth and Water Dissolveth 'T is Gods method to gather together his Vessels and to cast them into his Crucible or Furnace as men do with Silver and Brass to melt them in the midst thereof Ezek. 22.19 20 21 22. That is a most direful Doom there I will leave you in the Furnace God deals so with his Foes bringing them into the Briars and there leaves them to be burned as Vessels of Wood only but not so with his Friends who are Vessels of Gold with those God
Salvation to some but a Savour of Death or Destruction to others 2 Cor. 2.16 Thus God did most graciously give a due warning to an evil World though he needed not to have done so for as men gave God no warning of their sins against him so God might have given as little warning of his Judgments against them but his mercy triumph'd over his Justice Jam. 2.13 and fury or revenge was not in God Isa 27.4 For such who are for revenge are all for surprize but God gives both respite and warning that his Judgments might not come as a thief in the night at unawares upon them And though this race of Rebels improv'd it not but Jeared where they should have Feared Those of Lamechs black line laughed at Noahs daily labour scoffingly asking him whether he meant to Sail upon dry ground and why he expected a wet Winter and whether much holiness had not made him mad Acts 26.24 However Noah took warning himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moved with fear Heb. 11.7 And gave warning to those that would not take it they cannot all flout him out of his Faith but he Preaches Builds and Finishes and then Enters taking Gods threatning by the right handle he feared the Judgments when the World generally jeared at them Inferences hence are 1. As Noah took the warning well at Gods hand and Feared so ought we to do being warned of God about Judgments impending The word Heb. 11.7 for warn'd of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to have dealings with God coming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 res negotium Noah was a man that did Negotiate with God and was of his Court and Counsel God will not hide what he hath to do from Abraham or Noah his Friend Gen. 18.17 Psal 25.14 Joh. 15.15 Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his Servants the Prophets Amos. 3.7 Nothing that is hardly any thing such is his Philanthropy or Love to men that he loves to fore-signify and to warn before he wound Even Pharaoh himself had warning of the First and Second Plagues but not of the Third again of the Fourth and Fifth not so of the Sixth yet again of the Seventh and Eighth but not of the Ninth and when neither warning nor no warning would work well then came that Tenth and last sweeping Plague that swept away all the first-born of Egypt As Moses was Gods Herald to warn Egypt so Noah was to warn the old World and Gods Prophets are now no less to warn this present evil World that the goodness of God might lead us to repentance Rom. 2.4 The old World had but one Preacher yet we have many God might deal with us as Absolom did with Amnon whom he designed to destroy in speaking neither good nor evil to him 2 Sam. 13.22 Or he might rush suddenly upon us and by a Thunder-stroke confound us at once as he did the Apostate Angels in the very first Act and Moment of sin No he sendeth his Heralds to proclaim War yet with articles of peace open in their hands So slow to Anger is he and so little desirous of the death of sinners that he who was but six days in making the whole World yet could be seven days in unmaking or destroying that one City Jericho Oh who would not but fear this goodness Hos 3.5 The 2. Inference is seeing God hath foretold us of Evils to come both Particular and the General Judgment we should be moved with fear as Noah was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 handling Gods warning well and making a saving use of these predictions for preventing the danger Especially considering the old World could at first say from a divine warrant that there are yet an hundred and twenty years before the general Judgment by water doth come but we can none of us say that there be yet an hundred and twenty days before the general Judgment by Fire come for of that day and hour knoweth no man Mat. 24.36 Oh God forbid that as it was in the days of Noah it should be so now v. 37. Noahs fear is opposite to the Worlds security Noah was moved with Fear but the wicked world were moved at Gods threatnings no more than a Stone The honest and good heart Luk. 8.15 is like the Pool of Bethesdah Joh. 5.3 4. If the Angel of the Covenant come down into it 't is then moved such was the heart of Daniel Dan. 4.19 And such was the heart of Habakkuk Hab. 3.16 And such was Noahs also in being moved with fear and such ought ours to be also Especially considering special and particular Judgments are Imminent over us if not Incumbent on us besides that general day of Judgment drawing nigh all Preachers of Righteousness as Noah was do tell the World that it shall shortly be destroyed by Fire as Noah did its destruction by water yet where is that Reverence and that fear which doth Spring from Faith as Noahs did Heb. 11.7 That fear which looks only at the Judgment Hell and Damnation is servile only but that which hath an Eye to deliverance also is Filial and of a right Gospel Edition This is a fear of Faith which hath always a Vein of Love running along with it For Faith doth teach to fear God as a most glorious holy God and yet to love him as a loving reconciled Father and faith teacheth also from filial fear as it did Noah here to prepare an Ark to wit Christ Jesus for our deliverance from wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 By Faith is this Ark prepared The 3. Inference is Now while our days of respire remain as Noah did in the respite of an hundred and twenty years we should prepare an Ark wherein to he saved if we be moved with a fear of Faith then shall we be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take right measures and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well busied as the word also signifies in taking right methods Oh how busie should we be in preparing an Ark as Noah was who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an Artificer or Carpenter prepared his Faith set him on work fearing the danger for Judgments in Divine Threatnings are Objects of Faith and are to be believed as well as mercies in Divine promises Noah by an Eye of Faith saw that danger approaching which was unseen by the unbelieving World so falls upon this tedious work to prevent the Danger 't was undoubtedly a very strong Faith that bore up Noah to do all according as God had Commanded him Gen. 6. last Unbelief could not chuse but Object sundry carnal Reasonings against Noah's Act of Obedience As 1. May not God save me from the Flood by Translating me out of the World as Enoch was and not put me upon this hard Service of hewing and hammering c. Or 2. If I must be reserv'd in the World for propagation cannot God Build me a Castle upon the highest
the two Seeds of the Serpent and of the Woman do mingle together without any difference If there be the sameness in sinning the same shall be in suffering The 2. Inference is The Ark must be as ready as the Deluge We should ask our own hearts two Questions 1. Whether we be an Ark so made of such materials so plaistered as well as plained c. Try by the aforesaid 2. Whether we have an Ark As there was a Material so there is a Mystical Ark for saving from evil In the general God lovingly bespeaks his Servants as he did Noah here and taking them by the hand as he did him and leading them thereby to an Ark or Hiding-place of his own providing saying to them Come my People enter into your Chambers and shut the Doors about thee Hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the Indignation be over-past Isa 26.20 Thus God shut up Noah in the Ark secured Lot in Zoar hid Jeremy and Baruch when sought for to the slaughter Jer. 36.26 and bade Daniel go away and rest himself before those great Troubles foretold came to pass Dan. 12.13 God gave him a fair and favourable Dismission from them Those Chambers may be meant the Closets of Gods Providence and Protection such as Pella was to the Primitive Christians The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous such as Noah was run into it and are safe Prov. 18.10 Thither we are exhorted to retire till the Storm be over the Enemy gone the Destroying Angel pass'd over possessing our Souls in patience See Exod. 9.20 21. 12.12 To run to God in his Attributes and Promises is our best and only Policy As there is Congruity 'twixt the Ark and the Church ut suprà so there is 'twixt the Ark and Christ into both which the Righteous run and are safe Prov. 18.10 The Door or Gate thereof is open Isa 26.2 And the same Lord that perswaded Japhet to enter into the Tents of Shem perswadeth also all Righteous ones to flie to this City of Refuge Gen. 9.27 Psal 11.1 Isa 4.5 Deut. 19.4 6. Isa 26.20 25.4 32.2 c. All that run in to Christ as in to Noah are safe We must run into Christ first and then into the Church As Noah was a Type of Christ so was his Ark also 1. Noah was a Type and Christ the Antitype in sundry particulars As 1. Noah's Name signifies Comforter and Restorer which shews Lamech's Faith to put that Name upon him Gen. 5.29 8.21 Herein he typified Christ our grand Comforter and Restorer of the New World as Noah was of the Old 2. Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 So also is Christ both preaching and purchasing yea procuring Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 3. As Noah found grace in the sight of God both for himself and for all his Family Gen. 6.8 7.1 and Heb. 11.7 so did Christ for himself Matth. 3.17 and 17.5 and for all his Houshold of Faith for so many as God hath given him Job 17.2 they are all accepted in the Beloved one Eph. 1.6 Yea he is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 4.10 Luke 2.52 4. As Noah was the Builder of the Ark so is Christ of the Church which is call'd his Workmanship Eph. 2.10 c. Is not Christ the Carpenter Mark 6.3 to hew plain cement and clinch us close together c. 5. As Noah was long in building the Ark even an hundred and twenty years so is Christ long in building his Church even some thousands of years which he buildeth upon a Rock Matth. 16.18 6. As Noah used many Carpenters that were instrumental to save others but not themselves so likewise doth Christ Matth. 7.22 23. Some Ministers Christ employs that may save 1. Others not themselves 2. Themselves not others 3. Neither themselves nor others 4. Both themselves and others 1 Tim. 4.16 7. As when Noah had finished the Ark the Destruction of the Old World by Water followed immediately So when Christ hath gathered in all his Elect and compleated his Church then will the Destruction of this present World by Fire presently pass upon it Add unto all these 8. As Noah's presence in the Ark did secure his Houshold all the time of its Tossing and landed them safely after the Destruction of the Old World in another So Christs presence with his Church while she is Tossed with Tempests and not comforted Isa 54.11 doth secure her from all evil for he keeps the Ensuring Office Christ Embarks himself in the same Bottom with his Disciples Matth. 8.23 24. only if our Saviour seem to sleep 't is our duty to awake him v. 25 26. What Caesar said to his Barge-man Quid times Caesarem vehis ejus Fortunam Christ can better say The Ship the Church shall live out all Storms for a Storm-rebuking Christ with all his Adventures are in her and therefore neither the Prince of the Air nor the God or Gates of Hell can prevail against her Matth. 16.18 He sails with contrary Winds Mat. 14.24 As there is congruity 'twixt this Type and Antitype to wit Christ and Noah So there is some disparity As 1. Noah Preach'd to the old World and Converted none but Christ Converted many in this New World so that 't is said Who can tell his Generation Isa 53.8 10. 2. Noah saved his Houshold but only Temporally but Christ saves the Houshold of Faith Spiritually and Eternally 3. Noah had no better to send out but a Raven and a Dove but Christ sent out better things such as the Law and the Gospel the former to work Fear and the latter Love 4. Noah was insufficient to compleat Salvation for his Family as he was unable of himself to shut the great Door of the Ark after him but Christ saveth to the utmost by his own power Heb. 7.25 rebuking Storms and procuring Calms all in his own Name 2. As Noah's self was a Type of Christ so was his Ark wherein alone Salvation was found from that Deluge of Waters accordingly in Christ alone can be found Salvation of all sorts Temporal Spiritual and Eternal from the Deluge of Divine Wrath and Justice of God for the sin of Man Beside him there is no Saviour Isa 43.11 And there is no Name under Heaven by which either Jew or Gentile either those of the Old World or those of the New can be saved but by Christ There is no Salvation in no other Acts 4.12 Upon this account is he called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Rev. 13.8 They are therefore gross Idolaters that set up for their Saviours the Saints Departed Seeing there are no Co-Saviours besides him none As there was but one Ark so there must be but one Mediator no Cock-Boats were to attend this Ark as Acts 27.30 And indeed we need no other Mediator or Master of Request in Heaven save only Christ who is the
the Ark was Noah's Sanctuary so the Lord is his Peoples Ezek. 11.16 and such a Sanctuary he is to them as hath four Enoughs 1. 'T is a Sanctuary High enough Psal 61.23 So as to raise us up above the reach of our worst Enemies All the Saints are in the Lords hand Deut. 33.3 his Beloved dwell in safety by him v. 12. God covering them all the Day in the Hollow of his hand and the Eternal God is their Refuge v. 27. 2. Nigh Enough The way to the City of Refuge God rook care should not be too long but it must be night that the pursuer while his Heart was hot might not overtake the man-slayer Deut. 19.4 5 6. So the Lord is such a Sanctuary as is not far from any of us Act. 17.27 could we but grope after him as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Israel had their God nigh them Deut. 4.7 and they needed none to fetch him from above or from below Rom. 10.6 7 8. He is as nigh as the Bark is to the Tree or as the Skin is to the Flesh Intimior Intimo nostro more inward with us than we are with our selves 3. Wide Enough There is room enough in this Sanctuary for all the Saints as there was room enough for all kind of Creatures in Noah's Ark None of Gods People are left out of Doors Houseless and Harbourless for want of Room within Doors Lord saith Moses thou hast been our dwelling place in all Generations Psal 90.1 for this four hundred years and upwards in all our Travels and Troubles 4. Safe Enough Salvation belongs to the Lord only Psal 3.8 John 2.9 Not to Princes or Parliaments or to Armys or Navys but to Gods Spirit Isa 59.19 God is such a Castle to his people as no Ladder can scale no Pioneer can undermine no Cannon-shot can batter down And none can take out of his hand Joh. 10.28 29. nor draw out of this House the Civil Law saith De Domo suâ nemo extrahi Debet aut in Jus vocari quia Domus Tutissimum cuique Refugium atque Receptaculum est No man ought to he drawn out of his House at the suit of another because a mans House is his Castle his safest Refuge and Receptacle How much more he that hath God for his House and Habitation and Dwelleth in him 1 Joh. 3.24 can never be unhoused because the Almighty God is mightier than all and happy is he who hath God for his Mansion-House and observable is Picus Mirandula's witty observation Man according to the order of the Creation had no other Habitation left him in as much as God Created the Earth for Beasts to Inhabit the Sea for Fishes the Air for Fowls the Heavens for Stars on the out-side and for Angels on the inside Man therefore hath no place to Inhabit according to this assignation save the Lord the Maker and Assigner of all Thus God is an Ark an House a Castle yea a Tabernacle and Temple to Man Gods Tabernacle is with Man Rev. 21.3 and Mans Tabernacle is with God Joh. 6.56 2 Cor. 6.16 he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indwell in them and they Indwell in him the Lord and the Lamb is their Temple Rev. 21.22 their Place and City of refuge a stronghold Note here two grand points of Noah's Faith Heb. 11.7 1. The Exercise of it in preparing the Ark. 2. The Effects of it 1. In the Exercise be four particulars 1. The Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he prepared it instar Artificis he plaid the Carpenter when his Faith which was not a dead but a working Faith Jam. 2.17 20 22 26. set him on work yea upon this tedious work as before his Faith was the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 He consulted not with Flesh and Blood Gal. 1.16 He disputed not but dispatched he obeyed to do all that God had commanded him Gen. 6. last His Faith transported him through all the aforenamed difficulties in the way of an universal obedience Thus Noah the tenth from Adam a perfect man as God calls him in this perfect number as the Pythagoreans call the number ten did perfect his works by a strong Faith in a perfect Obedience 2. The end for the saving of himself and of his Houshold Noah obey'd God in all things for his own good Gen. 7.5 All Gods Commands are for our advantage and not for Gods alas our goodness extendeth not to God Psal 16.3 'T is no gain to God that man is Righteous Job 22.3 'T is therefore a sanctified self love to obey God but alas we love our selves more in the way of Nature than in the way of Grace If we love our selves we must obey God seeing it is for our own good not doing some things as Jehu or many things as Herod but all things as Noah having a respect to all Gods Commandments Psal 119.6 though we cannot perfectly perform them ☞ NB. 1. Man must be timely provided of a prepared Ark before the evil day come for the Lord is not slack concerning his coming 2 Pet. 3.9 2. If Noah prepare an Ark 't is for saving himself know ye not that ye are in Christ except you be reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 3. Masters of families must be careful to save their housholds too The 3. particular is the Motive Noah fear'd the Judgment to come That fear is a right Gospel fear which puts the Soul upon preventing the danger Prov. 22.3 Some read it Reverenced Where the power of Godliness is the Heart cannot think upon God without Reverence and aweful Respect to the Divine Majesty Prophane Persons do not reverence or fear the Great God but their fears are terminated in Secondary Causes of direful Judgments The World was then told of its destruction by Water and few feared many jeared And now the World is told of its destruction by Fire but where is that fear and reverence which ought to be though we cannot say it will not be this Hundred and Twenty days as they of the old World could say It will not be this Hundred and Twenty years yet are there many scoffers or jearers 2 Pet. 3.3 and but few fearers as before The fourth particular is The Ground of Noah's fear for God warn'd him He negotiated with God and God with him they had mutual Dealings and intercourse each with other as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Gods Companions hear his voice Cant. 8.13 'T was sore displeasure on Saul when God would not answer him 1 Sam. 28.15 and on Israel when they had no vision 1 Sam. 3.1 To be warned by Gods Spirit at every turn of Imminent Danger is a most precious priviledge Isa 30.21 Such honour have all the Saints Psal 149.9 but God will have no such Dealings or Negotiations with the wicked World God would not in this Friendly and Familiar manner appear to Egypt no nor to Israel in Egypt but they must be call'd out into the Wilderness for enjoying such
one found righteous and religious to enter the Ark and to be saved with the family Would to God Masters and Mistresses of families had not so much cause to complain now that Servants of all sorts and Sexes arc almost universally corrupted and become uncomfortable to them in their Services otherwise what meaneth the bleating of the Sheep and the Lowing of the Oxen as Samuel said that I hear in so many families all over this great City which generally complain of this grievance as if it were a kind of over-spreading Plague upon many Housholds Assuredly this that no Servant was good enough to be saved in Noah's Ark must sound a loud Alarm in the Ears of Servants now and sink down into their Hearts to make them look about them lest they in this Debauching Age have no Interest in Christ the true Ark when either some particular or that general Judgment Day come upon us See more of this in my Christian Walk page 234 235. Thus Cham which signifies Hot because he dwelt in the Hot Countries entred to save the Serpents Seed which must be in the World the cursed Canaanites who descended from Cham Gen. 9.18 25. were Scourges to Israel yet afterwards were cut off c. Shem which signifies a Name entred to he the Father of the famous Jews and Japhet which signifies perswaded entred to be the Father of the numerous Gentiles God hath perswaded Japhet the unbelieving Gentiles to dwell in the Tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 The good Lord at last perswade Shew the unbelieving Jews to pass over into the Tents of Japhet or believing Gentiles 't is Gods work alone to bring them to the Faith Christs Name is a strong Tower or Ark God must perswade bath Shem and Japhet Jews and Gentiles to run into it and be safe Prov. 18.10 All these four Persons went into the Ark by pairs at the Destruction of the World by Water but it shall be otherwise when the World comes to be destroy'd by Fire then our Lord telleth us Two shall be in one Bed to wit the Man and the Wife as some do sense it the one shall be taken and the other left Luke 17.34 and Mat. 24.40 God will then separate his Saints with a most marvellous reparation to be admired of all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 And whereas the Floud in a manner swept all but eight Souls away yet at Christs coming a considerable Company shall be of such as are saved The 3. Enquiry VVhat Animals entred Answer All kind of Creatures enter Male and Female by pairs for propagation as the eight Persons did both VVild and Tame Beasts and Birds Clean and Unclean This was a Mighty Work of Almighty God The VVild Creatures Noah did not Hunt for then as Hunters do now or drive them into the Ark by force but they were all brought to hand by an over-ruling Divine Instinct as we see a common Natural Instinct will cause an Herd of Swine fore-seeing a Storm to run home for shelter The Great Creator gave out his word of command to all these Creatures and they could not but obey it leaving their Desart places they come to God and to his Servant Noah as they had all given Obeisance to their Lord Adam before to receive their several Names according to their several Natures Gen. 2.19 As to him who was the first Storer of the VVorld so how they come to their Lord Noah who was to be the Restorer and Repairer of the VVorld that with him for that end they might find safety according to 1 Sam. 22.23 Abide with me fear not for with me ye shall have safeguard Hereupon Savage Beasts came Tamely to Noah and enter obediently into the Ark. The same Hand of Almighty Power shut up their Mouths from violent Actings which shut them up after with Noah in the Ark for their safety It may easily be imagined that Tubal-Cain Jubal and those wicked Men then alive must needs be astonished when they saw the Lion the Leopard the Tyger c with all their Females running voluntarily and innocently to the Ark Yea and Jabal the Herdsman Gen. 4.20 22. could not but wonder to see seven of his best Rams and best Ewes c. run out of his Flocks and Herds into the Ark as desirous to change their bad Master into a better Jabal's Oxe and Ass knew their right Owner when he himself did not and their best Masters Crib as Isa 1.3 to wit the Ark of Noah which their bad Master knew not Hence these Corollaries may be deduced ☞ 1. That Reason Debauched in Man is worse than the very Brutishness of Beasts yea Rebels against God fall below the Stirrup of Sense as well as Reason therefore God frequently puts Man to the School of Beasts c. to learn some good Lessons from them Go to the Ant thou sluggard Prov. 6.6 to the Stork Turtle and Swallow and to the Crane Jerem. 8.7 Those with the Oxe and the Ass Isa 1.3 All despicable Creatures God placeth in the Chair as it were to read Divinity-Lectures or Divine Lessons to Rebellious Man whose Disobedience and Foolishness is against the very Principles of Nature Man was once the Captain of Gods School but he turned Truant and for his Truantly Tricks is turned down into the Lowest Form as it were to Learn his A B C again and that from the meanest of Animals they must Teach Man to use Sedulity and to take Seasons to understand when the Summer of Grace is offered and when the VVinter of VVrath is threatned NB. 2. When a Beam of Divine Power falls upon wild wolfish wicked Men it tames them and makes them come to Gods Hand and to the Hand of his Preachers of Righteousness as the wild VVolves c. came to Noah's Hand Our Maker can mollifie the very Adamant-Hearts of the maddest Men they must then leave the Tombs the Mountains and the Desert places and come to sit down at Jesus's Feet Mark 5.3 5 18. by vertue of a New Law written in their Hearts Ezek. 11.16 19. and 36.9 26 27 31. Learn from hence also NB. 3. That all Creatures groan under the Bondage of Sin and have an earnest expectation of changing their bad Masters which make them groan into better that will be more merciful to them Row 8.19 20 21 22. Prov. 12.10 Thus the Cattel by a strange Providence run over from Churlish Laban to Godly Jacob Gen. 30.37 38 42 43. and 31.8 9. 'T was God the True Proprietary who made the change dealing kindly with Jacob as a Son while Laban did unkindly to him as a Servant Eleazar was kind to Dumb Creatures Gen. 24.32 while Balaam spurr'd his Ass till she spake Numb 22.27 Thus so many Creatures both Clean and Unclean run here from their Wicked Masters unto Godly Noah but two of the latter for preserving their Kind yet seven of the former the most useful the most respectful The two Unclean must but live the six Clean
a Priest and 3. Gold as to a King The Covenant makes 1. Christs Prophetical Office ours hereupon we must go to him in all Arduous affairs in all our difficult Cases as the Israelites did to Moses Exod. 18.22 And hear him in all things Matth. 17.5 Christ is an excellent Teacher even of Ignorant Disciples Act. 4.13 'T is no matter how dull the Schollar is if Christ himself will be but the Teacher for he enlighteneth the Organ or Faculty as well as the Object opening our understandings in us as well as his Scriptures to us Luk. 24.27 31 45. And all this he doth gradually as Noah did First opening the Window of the Ark Gen. 8.6 Then he removed the covering thereof ver 13. and then he stepped out himself into the before drowned but now dryed World ver 18. Thus our blessed Noah Christ our Comforter comes and first opens the Eyes of our understandings Isa 42.6 7. Act. 26 18. Eph. 4.18 Col. 1.9 Then he removes the Vail or Covering that is upon the Heart as well as on the Head 2 Cor. 3.14 15 16 17. And then Christ steps into the Soul before drowned in sin but now dryed up by Grace that he may dwell in our Hearts by Faith Eph. 3.17 2. His Sacerdotal Office is ours wherein Christ was the Altar the Offering and the Offerer He offered himself the Sacrifice of his Manhood upon the Altar of his Godhead which did not only Sanctifie but also Dignifie the oblation putting an infinite worth into it Christ is the High-Priest of our profession Heb. 3.1 Who can have compassion on the Ignorant c. Heb. 5.1 2. All our Sacrifices or Services we must put into his hands who must bring them as well as burn them to the Father for us Lev. 1.15 This Office is the Grand Magazine of all our Grace and Comfort we have on this side Heaven as a relief against all temptations Heb. 2.17 and 4.15 When any sinner brought his Sacrifice to the Priest as the person was not to Offer it himself so the Priest was not to refuse it This should raise up our Faith to know that Christ is both able and willing he will not nay he cannot refuse our offerings he blesseth the weak as well as the strong where he finds sincerity looking more at Truth than at Measure 'T was the High-Priests Office to bless the People Numb 6.23 24. And 't is a blessed sign that our High-Priest hath blessed us when other Souls be blessed by us The Covenant gives us Interest into the merits of this incomparable Sacrifice which takes away the guilt of all sins greatest as well as least As the Red-Sea drowned the stoutest Champions in Pharaohs Army as well as the faintest and weakest Soldiers Exod. 14.13 30. His choicest Captains as well as his common Soldiers Exod. 15.4 So sins of all sizes and of all sorts of sinners are drowned in the Red-Sea of Christs Blood He shed as much Blood for Peasants as he did for Princes peccata non redeunt if once upon our Repentance our sins become drowned in the Blood of Christ we shall see them again no more as Israel the Egyptians unless Dead on the shore Christ is our Goel or near Kinsman who hath Redeemed our inheritance in Heaven which was Mortgaged by sin for us he is our Surety paying our Debt to Divine Justice 3. His Regal Office is ours also Here 's the ground both of our Assurance and of our perseverance that Christ is our King that Conquers all our cursed Canaanites our Corruptions in us Mic. 7.18 and Treads the Tempter with his Temptations under our Feet for us Rom. 16.20 Heb. 2.8 1 Cor. 15.25 He puts down all Powers opposite not only from without us but also from within us This is our Joshua or Jesus who calls upon us and capacitates us to put our Feet upon the Necks of our Enemies Josh 10.24 provided always he come as King into our Hearts in his Regal Capacity as the Psalmist intimates Psal 24.7 8 9.10 The Everlasting doors of our Souls must open to him as a King of Glory he will come in as a King or he will not come in at all Though Christ be a King yet hath he no Natural born Subjects we are all Born with War in our Hearts against Christs Kingly Office other Lords bear Dominion over us Isa 26.13 We are not born but made his Subjects Christ first makes an Holy War upon our Rebellious Hearts and must make us Subjects or he can never find us such This is done in the day of his Power Psal 110.3 not External but Evangelical to make us come in to him as true Voluntiers when he speaks to us with a strong hand upon our sturdy Hearts Isa 8.11 The Elect tast not of Death untill they see the Son of Man come in his Kingdom Matth. 16 28. Those carnal Capernaites would have Christ their King because he had been their Cook Joh. 6.15 'T was for Loaves not Love ver 26. But we must love the Lord Jesus Christ as our King Priest and Prophet or we are Anathema Maran Atha 1 Cor. 16.22 That is Cursed till and at the coming of Christ they that will not kiss his Golden Scepter his Iron Rod will make them his Footstool for rejecting his Throne Luke 19.27 Happy be such as yield subjection to him hold dependance on him and have their Acquiescence in him Matth. 11.29.30 Thirdly All the Motions and Operations of the Spirit are made ours to wit 1. The Quickening 2. The Actuating 3. The Regulating 4. The Corroborating 5. The Comforting Influences of the Holy Ghost are all made ours by the Covenant yea and 6. As he is Convincing 7. supplicating 8. Sanctifying 9. Sealing 10. Discerning 11. Witnessing 12. Adopting Spirit All this and all more that can be said concerning Diversities of Gifts or Graces all are ours by the Covenant yea all those excellent endowments for secular as well as for Spiritual employments Exod. 31.3 1 Sam. 11.6 c. Isa 28.26 All Arts and Sciences do flow from the Spirit therefore is he called the seven Spirits of God Rev. 1.4 3.1 4.5 yet the Spirit of Grace 't is said the World cannot receive Joh. 14 17. though it may the Spirit of Gifts Do we want Water Wind or Fire The Spirit is all these we cannot have clean Hearts unless washed with this Water Psal 51.10 Joh. 3.3 5. we cannot have warm Hearts unless warmed with this Fire Luk. 24.32 There is no Sailing to the Port of Heaven without this Wind Joh. 3.8 the fresh gales of this breathing Spirit must first fill the Sails of our Affections turning them into Graces and then we go off a ground roundly and pass on the Road comfortably This is a mighty priviledge to have the presence and influence of the Spirit for as God the Son made an agreement or Covenant with God the Father before all time so God the Holy Ghost doth transact the
his Father in this third Marriage that he might recover his Father's good will for recalling his Blessing from Jacob to him and that he might have a numerous Off-spring beyond his Brother not yet Married that so the Blessing might seem to be his Yet all this After-wit avail'd not he was wise too late and indeed his wisdom was but his folly for his adding Sin to Sin was no probable means to procure God's Blessing by his Prophaneness And 2. The best Practices of prophane Persons as of Esau here be to seek the Amendment of one Errour by the Commitment of another Esau's adding a third Wife to his two former some say was done as a desperate Affront to his aped Father for sending Jacob away with his Blessing but 't is more probable he did it to shew some penitency for his two wicked Marriages with two Canaanitish women whereby he would reconcile his offended Father and reap the whole of his Affections again in Jacob's absence and so peradventure recover the Blessing Thus there may be a sort of Repentance found in prophane Persons as in Esau here who wept for the Blessing when it was lost yet he found it not though he sought it with Tears Hebr. 12.17 And again being convinced how he had disobliged his Father by his former unlawful Marriages with Heathens he now takes one related to the Church yet this doing was neither acceptable to God nor satisfactory to Isaac being no better than Hypocrisie He through the Hardness of his Heart notwithstanding some Sense and Conscience of his Sin cannot truly and throughly Repent but rather Returns with the Dog to his vomit again 2 Pet. 2.20.22 Adding Transgression to Sin and heaping up one Iniquity upon another For 1. He confesses not his Prophaneness to Go◠but perseveres therein 2. He ceases not from hating his Brother when he now saw it was God's Mind that the Blessing was Jacob's not his Right 3. He wickedly catch'd at his Father's command concerning Marriage for himself whereas that command Isaac gave was not to Esau already a Polygamist having two Wives but to Jacob a Batchelour who yet had not one 4. His third Wife was one of that wicked stock which persecuted the true Church Gal. 4 29. 5. And with this third though a Kinswoman he retains his two other Canaanitish untamed Heifers which he should have dismiss'd as in Nehemiah's Reformation Chap. 10.17 Thus Hypocrites will needs do something that they may seem to be somebody and be well esteemed of by others from whom they hope for Advantage yet change they not from Evil to Good but from one Evil to another as Herod prevents Perjury by Murder Matth. 14.9 they rush on the Rocks in shunning the Sands Thus it appeareth while prophane Esau thinking to expiate one Sin by another was gratifying his Gust and satisfying his Lust upon his three Wives at Home then his better Brother Godly Jacob was toiling and turmoiling in the sweat of his brow to accomplish that long Journey of 500 English Miles all on foot to procure one Godly Yoke-fellow commended to him by both his Holy Parents that thereby he might build up the house of Israel Ruth 4.11 the Church of God Thus the Patriarch Jacob became the Father of the brood of Travellers Ps 24.6 singing Psalms That he was a great Traveller forward and backward plainly appeareth by the vast Distance 'twixt Beersheba where Isaac dwelt and Padan-Aram the Country of Syria call'd Padan which in the Chaldee and Syriack signifies a couple because its Situation was 'twixt two Rivers Tygris and Euphrates or Haran call'd Charran Acts 7.2 the City of Bethuel and Laban That these two places were very far asunder is manifest in Moses Description of Jacob's Return for He flying from the face of his churlish Father-in-Law would certainly make as much riddance and hasty flight as possibly he could to get all safe out of Laban's reach and Laban's pursuit after him must needs be made with all expedition imaginable for the more speedy recovery of his stolen Gods from him yet he could not overtake him until the seventh days Journey Gen. 31.23 at Mount Gilead computed to be about 380 Miles from Haran and still he had about 100 Miles more to go from thence to his Father Isaac Gen. 35.27 All Jacob's hard Travel and Affliction is recorded in Scripture for our heavenly Instruction Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 10.11 but it may be enquired here how it came to pass that Abraham took care to provide a Wife for Isaac in the same Country Gen. 24. yet Isaac himself is not sent to fetch her but 't was manag'd by a Proxy not in Person Eleazar his Steward must go with Camels golden Ear-rings and Bracelets and store of good things in a most Splendid and stately Equipage to negotiate the Marriage Whereas Isa … 〈◊〉 … st wealthy Father also sends his Son Jacob thither in Person like a poor Pilgrim withou◠a Beast to ride upon only with a staff in his hand Gen. 32.10 in a posture far below the honour done to his Grandfather's Servant who was styled Lord Gen. 24.18 Jacob must go all alone on foot this long Journey having only his Father's Blessing c. Comes pro vehiculo est a Companion is as a Chariot making Time and Travel less tedious by Conference which Jacob wanted Answer to this Enquiry is manifold As First in the General 'T is God's Method often to put hard Providences upon his choicest People and thereby puts them hard to it immediately after they have had the sweetest and most sensible Manifestations of his Favour Thus Hezekiah had no sooner by the good Hand of God upon him set all in Church and State into good order 2 Chron. 29. 30. 31. but Divine Providence permits that at Satan's instigation Semacherib comes up with an Army against him Ch. 32. Thus our Saviour himself was no sooner got out of the Water of Baptism but he was presently cast into the Fire of Temptation Math. 3. 4. he had no sooner heard This is my beloved Son c. but he heard also If thou be the Son c. Thus the Spouse of Christ no sooner had the greatest Enjoyments and Enlargements but presently the greatest Withdrawments yea and Persecutions came upon her Cant. 5.1 2 3 c. Thus also Jacob here was no sooner bless'd but he must be banish'd The same God who order'd him the Blessing order'd him his Banishment also but more particularly The Second Answer is Isaac had hitherto neglected his Son Jacob not finding out a Wife for him being now 77 years old as his Father Abraham had done for him at the Age of 40 at which Age Esau had found out two Wives for himself Now after this long Neglect Isaac hearkeneth to Rebekahs counsel being perswaded it came from God as his Father had been bid to hearken unto Sarahs Voice Gen. 21.12 Hereupon he dispatches Jacob away in haste without Esau's knowledge
together implies a Similitude betwixt them Dreams and Folly answer each other in the end of the Simile when all the other Senses are lock'd up by Sleep the Soul seems then to enter into the Shop of the Fancy and therein it acts and operates usually according to the Businesses and Employments of the foregoing Day Thus the Scholar who young dreams of his hard Lesson the Plowman of his holding the Plough the Seaman of his handling the Sails c. Et sic fieri videntur quae fieri tamen non videntur those things seem to be done in a Dream which yet are not seen to be done at all saith Tertullian Vain Fancies in the Night do spring from various Facts in the Day which are all but vanae jactationes negotiosae Animae the idle tossings of a busie Mind These sort of Dreams more particularly are Threefold I. Natural 2. Divine or Spiritual 3. Diabolical 1. The Natural Dreams wherein there is much vanity saith Solomon Eccles 5.7 so less to be regarded unless it be in a way of Physick for demonstrating the Temperature of our Bodies and Disposition of our Minds for those of a Cholerick Constitution do dream of Fires quick Motions as if flying with wings from place to place c. Those of a Flegmatick Temper do dream of Waters as the other of Fires and fallings down thereinto and so of the rest after So likewise in the way of Religion our Natural Dreams may discover to us our beloved Sins Thus David saith Mine Iniquity Psal 18.23 scil his Constitution-Sin otherwise they are very Deceitful as I have declared in my Treachery of the Heart the Chrystal Mirrour or Christian Looking-Glass pag. 92. Though Natural Dreams have indeed some certain Predictions as to Mens Constitutions and Dispositions yet are they full of uncertainty when applied to Publick Matters the Fata Imperii or Destinies of Countreys and Kingdoms are not discovered by common and natural Dreams as the Natural temper of the Private Mind of the Dreamer is who is over-ruled in his Phancy by the predominant Humour of his bodily Complexion As thus more fully and distinctly than before 1. In the general those Four General Humours Sanguine Cholerick Flegmatick Melancholick produce differing Dreams according to their differing Predominancy in the Bodies and Minds of Men Thus 1. The Sanguine Complexion dreams of Love lightness delightful things 2. The Cholerick of Wars Strifes Brawls c. as before 3. The Flegmatick of Waters Winds Storms c. as before 4. The Melancholy of sad Matters of Sickness Death and a thousand sorry self-affrighting Fancies But 2. and more distinctly 1. The Ambitious Dream of Honours and Advancements as Haman did sleeping and waking Esth 6.6 he dreamed the King meant to honour him above all 2. The Lascivious of Pleasures in carnal Embracements Hence come those Nocturnal Pollutions condemned Deut. 23.10 11. the Equity of which Law imports that such Dreams with such effects smell of Sin And Levit. 15.16 such are filthy Dreamers indeed as in their Dreams do defile the Flesh Jude v. 8. 3. The Luxurious dream of their dainty Dishes and Drinks wherein their Fancies are glutting themselves upon sweet Morsels and carrousing generous Cups all the time Thus the Prophet speaks An hungry man dreams that he eateth and a thirsty man that he drinketh c. Isa 29.7 8 9. notwithstanding this imaginary refreshing wherewith Epicures and Wine-Bibbers do please themselves in their Dreams of the Night-vision yet do they but deceive themselves all the time while dreaming they are not one whit filled with either when awaked for all that seem'd to be eaten and drunk in the Dream Plato hath a Divine Sentence symbolizing herewith Spes Mortalium est somnium Vigilantium The vain Hopes of most Mortals are but as doting Dreams even of waking Men. 4. The Angry dream of Quarrels to be short And 5. The Timorous of Dangers 6. The Quaint and Curious of fine Fashions And 7. Soldier Lawyer every Man dreams of his own Employ According to that old and received Rule Somnium paeteritis nascitur ex Studiis What Man designs in the Day he dreams in the Night Therefore 't is not only Folly but Impiety also to put such an Universal stress upon natural Dreams as if God always warn us in and by them concerning future Events in Humane Affairs The Vanity whereof Ecclesiasticus Chap. 34.2 which without controversie is the most profitable and excellent Book of all the Apocryphal drawing as near to Solomon's Sentences as the Spirit of Man not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or inspired extraordinarily with the Spirit of God could do thus most elegantly setteth forth laying Dreams wake fools to have wings whoso regardeth Dreams is like him that taketh hold of a shadow and followeth after the wind Supposed handfuls of either thereof are but delusive things but the Canonical Scripture saith with more Divine Authority that any good dreamed of or the Joy of a Dream is short vanishing and very deceitful Accordingly The Hypocrite shall fly away as a Dream Job 20.8 being but notorious Self-deceivers with their own groundless Dreams and empty Dotages his greatest Felicity is but merely imaginary and like the most delightful Dream quickly slideth away and as quickly forgotten the Hypocrites Joy is but as the tickling commotion of the Fancy and Affections in a Dream which soon evaporates and comes to nothing So Psal 73.20 As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image that is the Hypocrites painted Pageant of outward Pomp who walk assuredly above all other men in a vain shew Psal 39.6 or in a mere Image a wicked man's Bravery hath no tack or consistency in it such of all men hath Pindar's Motto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dream of a Shadow what are Dreams but pleasant Follies and Delusions the empty Bubbles of an airy Mind the brats and tales of a vain Fancy idle and fruitless Notions Some read when thou awakest thus when thou Lord raisest up the Dead thou shalt despise all their Pomp and Pride which is Magnum nihil a glittering nothing and only a mere Fancy Act. 25.23 great Pomp Luke calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a if no better than a Bauble a Non-entity So that forequoted Scripture Isa 29.7 8. compares a senseless People under all the Judgments of God unto a deluded and Sell-deluding Dreamer who delighteth himself with dreaming of food and fulness and when he awakes instead of a furnish'd Table and a fill'd Stomach finds himself more indigent and nearer Famishing than before The Fisherman in Theocritus dream'd that he was some Demigod and so did Mycillus in Lucian but when they awaked all their golden Hopes vanished A man that is to be hanged the next Day may Dream overnight he shall be a King The Chaldee Paraphrast readeth that Clause as a Dream when one awaketh after this manner as the Dream of a drunken Man c. whereby 't is
bare Suspension of Divine Concourse and Influence which God can and will suspend at his good leisure and pleasure 2. That God gives suffering Graces to his Servants steeling the Faces of his Prophets against the brazen foreheads of Prophane People Jer. 1.18 19 c. Job was in the Furnace which was oft heated by sad Tidings treading on the heels one of another the last heat whereof was the worst and hottest namely the loss of all his Children yet how was he steeled as this Bush here and case-hardened to bear patiently the flames of this hot Furnace without Sin Job 1.21 22. 3. That God Restrains that Rage of Man which will not turn to the praise of God Psal 76.10 He takes up some links of the Chain wherein he holds both Natural and Diabolical Instruments He lets them go forth no farther than to be Instructing Rods not Destroying Swords The Church as the Salamander lives in the fire without being burnt up the manner of her Preservation we know not for Reasons of the Operations of Omnipotency cannot well be rendred Doth God secure this Thorn-Bush much more his Vine-trees that have Blessings in the Cluster Isa 65.8 Doth God take care of the Lillies of the field Matth. 6.28 Much more of his Lilly the Church among Thorns Cant. 2.2 one Thorn will tear in pieces ten thousand Lillies yet this one Lilly is preserved among a Multitude of Thorns and could never yet be cut up by the Sword of Persecution or burnt down by the Fire of Martyrdom 'T is true Winter drives it to keep House under Ground yet that is not its Grave but Sanctuary As Christ-Personal was too hot a mouthful for either the cold Earth his Grave or the raging Sea in the Storm to hold him long or swallow him up So is Christ-mystical his Church which by him swallows up Death in Victory and which never fought with the Dragon but she either won the Day by being Victorious or gained ground by being persecuted 'T is true as she consists of particular Persons Moses dies and David sees corruption c. But still a new Phoenix is raised out of the Ashes of the old one God disappoints her Foes either in the matter of their Malice or in the manner of it and in the end turns the Fire on themselves or theirs as on Pharaoh's Water c. This burning Bush as is aforesaid is the most Graphical and lively Emblem of the Church's State in Egypts Bondage as the flame of Fire could not consume it so nor did it alway remain upon it but was at length removed from it leaving the Leaves and Branches of the Bush according to the Rabbins Relation in their Native and Genuine Splendour and Greenness Accordingly the Church in the furnace of Iron Deut. 4.20 was not destroyed by that Eminent Danger but had in God's due time her most Eminent Deliverance as the three Nobles of Babylon had out of the fiery furnace whereof we have an exact and ample Account in the four following Books of Moses namely Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy wherein is largely related the many famous Transactions relating to the Church from the Death of Joseph who died about the Year of the World 2369 until the Death of Moses which was about the Year 2553 as Dr. Usher affirms The first of these Four Books is call'd Exodus which in Greek signifieth a going forth because it relateth the Story of Israel's going forth from the House of Bondage containing a long Historical Narrative from Joseph's Death to the Time of Moses's setting up the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and God's consecrating it himself by filling it with his Glory Exod. 40. The Second Book Leviticus relateth the Story of one Month only so called because it contains the Levitical Laws or Ceremonies of the Jewish Worship relating both the substance of it as to the matter animate and inanimate offerings for Sin-offerings and Thank-offerings c. and as to the Persons concerned who were either the Publick Priests ordained for that Ministry and ordered by Divine Warrant how to manage it or the Private Persons who were to be purified by Ceremonies from Legal Pollutions and likewise instructed in their Morals about both Domestick and Politick or Civil Duties And the Accidents or Circumstances as well as the Substance of the Mosaical Worship are related also both as to Places consecrated for it c. and as to Times divinely appointed namely both festival Days and Years too in their lesser and greater Jubilees All which Leviticus containeth The Third Book Numbers giveth an Account of almost Forty years Travel in the Wilderness and is so called because it giveth the Number of all the Twelve Tribes of all their Orders Sacred and Civil both Captains and Soldiers c. only omitting the Number of the Levites of Women and Children and of all their Martial Marches in a Military Posture under the Conduct of the Cloudy Pillar through the Wilderness And likewise the many Impediments of Israel's Military March are numbred both those Internal As 1. Want of Provision in that numerous Army Chap. 11. 2. Miriam and Aaron's reproaching Moses Chap. 12. 3. The Sedition occasion'd by the ten Spies Chap 13 14 15. 4. The Conspiracy of Korah Dathan and Abiram Chap. 16 c. And those External hinderances As 1. By the Edomites Chap 20 2. By the Canaanites Chap. 21. 3. By the Moabites Threats and Wiles Chap. 22. to Chap. 26. The last Book of Moses is call'd Deuteronomy because it is a Repetition of the Law of God c. and it containeth the History of the two last Months of Moses's Life wherein Moses gave Israel a short Rehearsal of the great things God had done for them and a short Repetition of the good Laws which God had given to them as he craveth and commandeth Attention by the former so he annexeth many Arguments to the latter for inforcing their Obedience drawn from the Manifold Divine Cursings and Blessings on Obedient or Disobedient Chap. 17.28 Lastly Moses resigns his Office of Generalship gives this Book of Deuteronomy to the Levites and Commands the divinely inspired Song to be publickly Sung Chap. 31.50 with his Swan-like Song Chap. 32.33 he Dies and is Buried Chap. 34. The History of Israel's Deliverance out of Egypt where they had sustered long and barbarous Bondage falls first in order to be discours'd upon before we come to their wandring in the Wilderness c. This consists of three Heads namely The Antecedents the Concomitants and the Conseqents of it First The Antecedents as the Book of Exodus giveth the most ample Account of all those three Particulars both for Substance and Circumstances so more especially of this Point both in respect of the People oppressed and of the Person who delivered them from that Oppression The Oppression of Israel in Egypt was grievous and intolerable Exod. 1.8.14 c. God turned the Hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people c. Psal 105.24
unto you vet 14. but to this question of Pharaoh God makes a large reply till Pharaoh himself was compell'd to give this squeez'd out answer to it The Lord is Righteous c. Exod. 9.27 and God said The Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah c. Exod. 7.5 This they knew to their Cost when the Lords Hand which was lifted up in threatning as it were to fetch his blow did fall down in punishing them with ten Plagues The Prophet saith Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see c. Isa 26.11 The second Remark 'T is well and wittily said by one That God shot off his ten great Guns or Ordnance against Egypt in those ten Plagues as afterwards he drew up his Draw-bridge to let in Israel into the Red Sea when he dryed it up but let it down again upon the Egyptians when he brought them into the Noose c. The Miracle Moses wrought before Pharaoh to manifest his Mission and Commission was from the great God made no more Impression upon his hard Heart than doth the Hammer beating upon cold Iron Neither Ministry nor Misery nor Miracle nor Mercy would mollifie him then God began to pour down his Plagues which were ten in number as Philo noteth it is a number of perfection to shew that their Plagues were perfect and absolute and God will perfect his own praise in Administring his Judgments upon his peoples Oppressors The Hebrew Doctors sum up those ten Plagues by the ten first Letters of their Hebrew Names Datsak Gneresh Cheachab whereby they mean Blood Frogs and Lice a mixed Swarm Murrain that Beasts annoyed Boyls Hail and Locusts darkness thick And First-born all destroyed It was Augustin's mistake grounded upon the vulgar Latins reading of Psal 78. and Psal 105. that those Plagues there mentioned are more than ten whereas all expressed in both these Psalms are reducible to the ten Plagues The third Remark is Though the great Jehovah took up ten Plagues to take down Literal Egypt yet will he make seven Vials sufficient to take down Mystical Egypt Rev. 16. Those seven Golden Vials are Vessels exceeding capacious to contain vast measures of the wrath of God yet are they but narrow-neck'd and strait-mouth'd though they pour out slowly yet they drench deeply and distil most effectually Divine wrath until the Mystery of Iniquity be finished and great Babylon Brained with the Hail-stones that lay in the bottom as dregs of the Cup of Gods fierce Indignation Rev. 16.17 19 21. so that seven Plagues shall suffice here The fourth Remark upon these ten Plagues in general concerns the time how long they lasted which the Hebrews say took up a years time others ten Months but according to the Computation intimated in the Sacred Text which saith the first lasted seven days c. They took not up more than one months time for one follow'd at the Heels and upon the Neck of another ☞ The Hand of the Lord was strong upon Pharaoh all that time Exod. 3.19 and 6.1 in which time he sometime seemed yielding as well as hardened at other times as in the second fourth seventh eighth and ninth Plagues First he yields Israel should Sacrifice in Egypt Chap. 8.25 and then they may go into the Wilderness but not far away ver 28. afterward He would let the Men go but not the Women and Children Chap. 10.10 11. then he gives leave the Children might go but their Sheep and Cattel must stay behind ver 24. All these yieldings of this Hypocritical Tyrant were squeezed out of him by the heavy Hand of God upon him the last blow whereof made him yield to let all go Chap. 12. Though God could have destroy'd him and his people at one blow yet ' took he all this time 1. That Pharaoh c. might have time to repent in c. 2. To magnifie his own might the more c. And 3. To make the griefs of those that had so much and so long grieved Gods people the more grievous to them Praestat semel mori quà m semper metuere To die by Inches under Tortures is far worse than to die at one stroke They felt themselves dying at every of those ten strokes Exod. 12.33 This was the Misery of their Miseries Lastly Pharaoh's obstinacy and obduration of Heart was hereby the more manifest that could not be mollify'd by all those ten blows c. God has time of hardening as well as of plaguing Tyrants oppressing his People ☞ The fifth Remark is The Deliverance of the Church out of Babylon hath no such Remarks upon it in plaguing the King of Babylon and his people into a compliance thereunto upon Scripture-Record as this out of Egypt had However this is plainly Recorded that the Churches Deliverance out of Mystical Babylon shall be after the manner of Egypt Isa 10 24. and 26. God will pour out his seven Plagues upon her wherein there is a manifest Allusion to the ten Plagues upon Egypt Rev. 16. and make her willing against her will to let go his people And as the Plagues made the old Pharaoh to yield by little and little c. as before So the Vials of Gods last Plagues shall gradually as they are poured forth plague the new Pharaoh into some yieldings though all in Hypocrisie He will Repent of his Repentance as the old one did because both of them are Sons of Perditions and must both of them go into Perdition They are rais'd up for it Rom. 9.17 Rev. 19.20 The sixth Remark in the general is The diversity and various sorts of those Plagues each sorer than other The first and second were upon the water the third and fourth were upon the Earth the five next were upon the Air and the tenth falls upon the First-born of Men insomuch that their punishment was absolute not only as to the number of the Plagues which was a number of perfection but more especially in respect of their nature matter and manner all various and exquisite For First They were plagued by all kind of Creatures As 1. By all the Elements as Water Earth Air and Fire 2. By sundry Animals as Frogs Lice Caterpillars Flies and Locusts 3. By Men as Moses and Aaron were Instruments in Gods Hand 4. By the Angels who Ministred those Plagues both the evil Angels Psal 78.44 whom he sent among them and the good that were employed in destroying their First-born Exod 12.3 c. yea by the very Stars who all combined against them with the Sun and Moon in suspending their Light from that Land during the three days darkness as all ashamed to look upon such sinful Inhabitants thereof c. Secondly They were plagued in all things wherein they most delighted As 1. In all manner of their luscious and delicious Fruit by its being universally blasted or devoured c. 2. In their goodliest Cattel some of which they Worshipped all destroyed by Murrain c. 3. In their River
murmured at the first yet this Grace like good Oil at length wrought it self uppermost quell'd their Murmurings and made them follow Moses who step'd the first step into the Sea and such as continued unbelievers such fared the better for their Society with true Believers such probably were some of the mixt multitude Behold the force of Faith with the power of Prayer as it stopped the mouths of Lions to Daniel in the Den so it locks up the Sea here on both sides and saves Israel when Presumption destroyed the Egyptians Faith is 1. A God-pleasing Grace 2. 'T is a God-honouring Grace And 3. T is a God-obeying Grace therefore it shall not be drowned While Peter's Faith held tight he walks on the Waters but when he doubts then he sinks Faith keeps the head above Water David had fainted unless he had believed c. Psal 27.13 Faith carries them all along and leaves them not till it landed them on the other side They died in Faith Heb. 11.13 So nor will Faith leave us when wealth breach and life leave us till it land us safe upon the Shore of Glory puts us into possession of Heaven and then its work is done c. N.B. God has the Negative Voice the Sea must flow by Nature but may not by God's Power c. 5. It was miraculous likewise in respect of the Guide The Son of God in the Cloud takes the same fare with Israel and steps between them and danger Amalek cut off the hindmost of them in the Wilderness Deut. 25.18 but so could not Pharaoh do to them in the Sea unless he had been able to strike thorough this Cloudy Pillar In new perils God hath new protections and preservations for his People This Cloud that was their shade by day and their light by night marcheth the slow pace of their Women and Children and leads them gently down into the deepest bottom of the Sea as the Horse is led gently down the Hill by his Rider Isa 63.15 And the strongest Wind which then did blow and thundered could not move it out of its place Psal 77.17 18 19 20. where it is said Waters were poured down c. And that passage Psal 68.7 8 9. is brought in by the Learned to explain the Apostle's Assertion That Israel was baptized in the Cloud c. 1 Cor. 10.2 supposing that when the Cloud removed from before to come behind and became a black Cloud to the Egyptians as it passed over the heads of the Israelites it showred down Rain only for their Refreshment the Apostle taking this hint of the Psalmist and that they were Baptized in the Sea also in regard of the great Analogy betwixt Baptism as then used in hot Countreys persons going down into the Water and Israel's going down into the Sea the great Receptacle of Waters wherein they seemed to be buried betwixt two Walls of Water as in a vastly wide Sepulchre capacious enough for so prodigious a Camp out of which they were raised up as Rom. 6.4 And thus it may be said The Cloud baptized them with Fire too by night as Matth. 3.11 6. And lastly It was the more miraculous in this That Israel's Deliverance here ended in the destruction of the Egyptians who had no VVord of God to warrant their walking through the Sea as Israel had their motive was Presumption which if Despair has destroyed its Thousands hath kill'd its ten Thousands and not Faith which alway hath a word to warrant its Confidence Rom. 15.4 Psal 130.5 and 119.81 Isa 43.2 The Egyptians questioned not the lawfulness of the Act they tryed the can do it but not the may do it forgetting the difference God had observed in Goshen plaguing them not Israel Now finding the Sea calm the way fair to them at entrance they venture to pursue for Ruining Israel but find their own Ruine Aristotle tells of a calm at mid-night as well as mid-day when the Clouds overcome the Sun as well as when the Sun overcomes the Clouds We ought not to be confident at every calm The Sea was thus at the first to Pharaoh c. There is a false peace in the mid-night of sin which is presumptuous security Behold here 's the Dragon caught and chained up in the deep as that Dragon the Devil is said to be Rev. 20.2 3. only with this difference there it is done in the bottomless Pit but here the Dragon Pharaoh Ezek. 29.3 is shut up in the bottom of the Red Sea never to molest Israel more For now when God had got this Dragon into his Pound in the midst of the Sea then claps He him up close Prisoner The Chrystal-walls of Water do dissolve and return to their own fluid property yea with that judgment and discretion in this sensless Element as not to swallow up one Israelite and not to leave one Egyptian alive and undrowned save only such of them as joyned to Israel Exod. 12.38 The Sea was kind to those and they were saved for Israel's sake into whose communion they were now happily come Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus All out of Noah's Ark were drowned The same Spirit of God that moved upon the face of the Waters at the Creation and gathered them into their proper place Gen. 1.2 8 9 10. did here direct them to those different dispensations To conclude the Remarks upon this Red-Sea Deliverances Learn hence for Our comfort Tho' there lay a Sea of Trouble betwixt us and the promised Canaan of the New Jerusalem of the New Heavens and New Earth c. Rev. 20 21 22 chapters yet God in his good time will certainly dry it up as he did here the Red Sea for his Israel God hath promised Rev. 16.12 to dry up Euphrates to open a prepared passage for the Kings of the East that Kingdom of Priests Exod. 19.6 the Jews who reside mostly in the East in Turky Tartary call'd so of Tothar a Remnant and China call'd as Junius judgeth Sinim Isa 49.12 At whose Conversion the Sea shall be dryed up and they shall pass over dry-shod c. Isa 11.15 16. and Zech. 10 10 11. without either Boat to waft over or Boot to wade thorough c. This is the literal sense wherein our Bright-man and others expound the drying of Euphrates and which the Jews daily pray for Bimerah Beiamenu do it Lord speedily and in our day And we the more hope and pray for it because God can make a Nation to be born at once Isa 66.8 and dry bones to stand up and live Ezek. 37.4 5 11 19. Rom. 11.23 Their Blindness is not total or perpetual but in part ver 26. But to understand it mystically of Rome's See and Revenues which is the Spiritual Babylon and as Cyrus destroyed the Literal Babylon by draining Euphrates causing it to run into many cut Chanels and surprized it by this Strategem Jer. 50.38 and 51.36 and Dan. 5.30 31. Event is when all 's done and will be the best
exercised with Thirst whereas Hagar had been under the same Tryal Gen. 21.15 and the Three Kings that warr'd against Moab 2 Kings 3.10 yet were all relieved in season This was their renouncing of all Religion at once and a denying of the Deity of God There is no Divine Essence where there is not a Divine Omnipresence God is most present when he afflicts He knows our Souls in adversity Psal 31.7 8. Another wonder was this That the same Water out of this Rock was Drink for their Souls as well as for their Bodies therefore the Apostle saith They all drank of that Spiritual Rock 1 Cor. 10.3 4. They had not only Manna the Bread of Angels but also Water out of the Rock Christ They had no dry Communion as is practised in the Romish Church The Water was Spiritual Drink in the same respect that the Manna was Spiritual Meat being both of them miraculously produced and prefiguring Christ who is call'd a Spiritual Rock 9. And lastly This Rock was a figure of Christ in many respects holding most apt Congruity yet some Disparity First The Congruity betwixt them As 1. A Rock is a firm and sure Foundation for any Fabrick to stand upon Soft Stones will not bear a Superstructure but waste with stormy weather and washes away with the fluctuating Waters So Christ is a firm and unmoveable Foundation for his Church and Children to rest upon Matth. 7.24 and 16.18 1 Cor. 3.11 Isa 28. 16 c. Waves break themselves upon this Rock of Ages 2. A Rock is a dry craggy uncomely thing so is Christ to a carnal Eye having no form nor comeliness to be desired Isa 52.14 and 53.2 3. Yet as this Rock had Water within it tho' it seemed dry to Thirsty Israel so Christ hath the Water of Life within him Believe for Comfort when thou canst not behold it c. 3. A Rock is of great Relief for a shadow and shady Harbour in an hot Season and a weary Land Isa 32.2 and 25.4 So Christ shades us from the Curse of the Law and the Wrath of God from being Sun-burnt Sin-burnt or Hell-burnt as the Spouse Cant. 2.3 4. This Rock affords no Water for Refreshing Israel under Thirst till smitten with Moses's Rod So Christ was smitten of God Isa 53.4 bearing the Curse of the Law for our sins Gal. 3.13 from whence flows healing Waters for thirsty and troubled Souls Christ's side smote with a Spear gushed out in blood and water John 19.34 35. 5. The Water out of the Rock served for both cleansing of Garments from filth contracted and for sustaining of life in satisfying Thirst So the Water of Life from Christ both washes away the guilt and filth of sin and upholds Spiritual Life in Believers Joh. 4.13 14. and 7.37 38 39. 6. The Water out of this Rock followed Israel from one station to another till they came to the Land of Promise So the Water of Life follows Believers in all Ages till they come to the heavenly Canaan Secondly The Disparity 1. This Rock was but course condensed Earth Christ was Heaven-made 2. It was without motion stirr'd not out of its place but Christ came down from Heaven went about doing good Acts 10.38 and ascended thither again 3. His Water of Life perishes not with using as that did and now is not Note here 1. Israel asked water of Moses 'T is the Rock Christ must give waterings not Moses's Law 2. As this Rock was turned into water so wrath is turned into mercy by our Mediator 3. Wo to whom this Rock is a stone of stumbling Rom. 9.23 1 Pet. 2.6 such shall be broken nay grinded to powder Mat. 21.44 4. 'T is the emblem of an hard heart softened by the Law in the hand of a Mediator standing on it mollifies 5. As God led to the Rock so he draws us to Christ John 6.44 The second distress and danger Israel met with at their 11th station was War with Amalek Exod. 17.8 c. teaching us That no sooner is one Tryal over but we must expect another following at its heels while we are in the Wilderness of this lower World Velut unda super venit undae one wave of the Sea pursueth another till we come to the happy Shore and Rest in the Coelestial Canaan Acts 14.22 Heb. 4.9 God tryed Israel's Faith with penury of Food and Water and with the peril of War before from Pharaoh and now from Amalek who indeed was a Scourge from God for the unishment of their four times murmuring and repining against his Conduct of them The Remarks in this VVar are 1. The Persons waging war against Israel were the Amalekites who were the Off-spring of Esau Jacob's Brother so near allied to Israel Gen. 36.12 15 16. whereupon they should have met their near Kinsmen with Bread and VVater by the way but they met them with Fire and Sword Deut. 25.18 being Heirs of that old Hatred of Esau against Jacob and reviving likely the remembrance of that old Quarrel about the loss of both the Birth-right and of the Blessing and now beholding Jacob's Off-spring become so notably numerous and marching towards the Land of Promise they had more cause to be afraid that Isaac's blessing of Jacob was now in a way of its Accomplishment and that the elder should serve the younger N.B. Amalek signifies a licking People licking up the hindmost of Israel Deut. 25.17 18. assaulting them more by Treachery than true Valour As Pharaoh pursued Israel to reduce them back to Egypt so Amalek intercepts them in the way to hinder them from Canaan and were the first of the Nations that warred against them for which Act Balaam himself foretold their destruction Numb 24.20 in whose days Amalek and their King Agag ver 7. ruffled among other Nations in formidable Grandeur as his expression there imports who by this primary and insolent Attempt procured his own utter Ruine God permitted this VVar for other causes beside that aformentioned for punishing their former Murmurings But 2. That they should not wax wanton by Ease and Idleness 3. That they might have more experience of God's delivering Mercy 4. And grow more expert in VVar Yea 5. And better furnished with weapons and other necessaries c. The second Remark is concerning the Manner of managing the Military matters on Israel's part Moses the chief Magistrate calls Joshua to be his General in this War whom he knew should be his Successor and General in all the Wars of Canaan He must fight with his Army the Lord's Battel against Amalek below which Moses Aaron and Hur prayed together above upon the top of the Hill Moses holding up the Rod of God in his hand where the Army might behold this Ensign and be confirmed in their good Fight of Faith ver 9 10. This Hur say the Jewish Doctors and Josephus was the Husband of Miriam Moses's Sister and being an old wise and experienc'd States-man was made Moses's Deputy in his absence
Mischief to Israel might perish by the Sword of Israel among the perishing Midianites who as some say sinned that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost because so much Light in God's Mysteries was given to him as above Thus as Shimei sought his Servants and lost his life so Balaam did by seeking his Wages c. He who had said God sees no sin in Jacob now saith They have sinned and now may be cursed and conquered yet God bafflies him herein and disappoints his own desire of dying the death of the righteous he dying among the wicked as Ezek. 32.27 28. Oh that God would cause the false Prophets and the Vnclean Spirit for whom they act and by whom they are acted to pass out of our Land according to his Promise Zech. 13.2 The Sixth Remark is The great Spoil and Prey both of things Animate and Inanimate which those Conquering Israelites the twelve thousand Souldiers obtained from the whole Nation of the Conquer'd Midianites v. 9 10 11. as appeareth more largely by the distribution thereof v. 32 33 34 35. wherein one half of the Prey was given to the twelve thousand Souldiers who had hazarded their lives in the War and the other half to the vast body of Israel that staid still in the Camp v. 25 26 27. So that tho' the two parts of the Prey were made equal yet the two Parties betwixt whom they were divided were very unequal for the twelve thousand Warriours had one half of the whole Prey whereas the other half was divided among almost six hundred thousand that warred not in this Expedition David did indeed decree another Order of Division concerning the Spoils of War as his part is that goeth down to the Battel so shall his part be that stays with the stuff they shall part alike 1 Sam. 30.24 25. where that Case was differing from this for there First David's Men did go forth with minds prepared to fight but being wearied with their March sat down to refresh themselves that after a little rest they might also fall on upon the Enemy Secondly Their staying with the Carriages so nigh the Enemy did expose them to the peril of their lives as well as if they had fought yea sometimes such are in greater danger than they that manage the Battel where the Enemy is more Covetous than Valorous and wheels about to plunder the Carriages c. The Seventh Remark is Israel's Army did also burn down all the Cities of Midian and all their Castles v. 10. which the Chaldee expoundeth their Temples being places of their Idolatrous Worship and Houses of Heathenish Adoration c. Two Reasons may be rendred why those were thus destroyed The First is Lest they should make use of those places again at another time for their Superstitious services for this Cause our Henry the Eighth demolished so many Monasteries saying Corvorum Nidos esse penitùs diruendos ne iterùm Corvi ad Cohabitandum convolent those Crow-Nests were utterly to be destroyed lest the Crows should rally again and flye together to a farther employing them for their foul work The Second Reason is rather Lest Sloth or Avarice should have drawn any of the Israelites to roost themselves in any of those Crow-Nests and thereby neglect to pass over into the Land of Promise therefore their Cities Castles and Temples were all destroyed The Eighth Remark is The Expiation of the Conquerours from their Ceremonial pollution contracted by blood-shed from v. 13 to 25. As Melchisedeoh met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings Gen. 14. so Moses meets those Children of Abraham returning from the slaughter of these Kings of Midian to Congratulate their return with Victorious Revenge and to receive a Rich Present for the Camp that went not out from the hands of those Conquerors v. 12 13. yet this stop'd not Moses's mouth as Bribes do too many Judges Hos 4.18 c. for he was wroth with the Captains for saving the Women alive saying that these were the tempting tools by Balaam's Counsel unto Israel v. 14 15 16. Tho' Moses was the meekest Man upon Earth in his own Matters yet was he blessedly blown up with zeal notwithstanding his transport of joy for the Victory in the matters of his God the Lord of Hosts to whom belonged the Victory Psal 98.1 he was a Lamb in his own Cause but a Lion in God's Holy Zeal is the Cream of all the Affections from hence he passed the Sentence saying Have ye saved those alive by whom ye so lately sinned and so lately suffered let all those Women who have known Man be killed v. 17. This was the first part of the Expiation which seemeth to have Cruelty in it that all those Captive Women who had known Man should be slain after quarter was given them but 't is probable the Souldiers had spared those Women not taking notice either of God's Command for sparing the Women c. Deut. 20 13. or they had no notice that this War was God's Vengeance upon the Women for their being so mischievous to the Camp of Israel Beside Women and Children being unable for War are not feared to fight the Conquerours and therefore are usually spared But Moses in this case might have a Warrant from God to give out this Command justly since all these by their sin are liable to God's justice at all times and are to give up their lives by what kind of death the Lord pleaseth God is the Lord both of life and death and can do nothing unjustly being justice it self and their little ones must be slain as a punishment to their Parents for their heinous wickedness and lest they should live to revenge their Parents slaughter but they reserved the Virgins whose Virginity might be known 1. By inspection of Matrons on the Tokens Deut. 22.15 17 c. 2. By their Age non apta Viro. uncapable to receive Man 3. By the Revelation of God 4. A probable Conjecture and no moral certainty was requisite yet this is one of Solomon's Secrets Prov. 30.19 Those Virgins were reserved either for Wives if Converted or for Servants or for Slaves to be sold c. The Ninth Remark is The second part of the Expiation which is purely legal as the former was seemingly cruel here Persons and things were purified by Ceremony only and herein appeared more Mercy than Cruelty from v. 19 to 26. War tho' lawful and taken up upon God's Command as this was yet v. 19. shews from God it hath a polluting property at least a Ceremonial uncleanness contracted by him that killeth as well as by him that toucheth the Party killed Numb 19.14 which should teach all Men not to have feet swift to shed blood Rom. 3.15 and things taken Captive as well as Persons must be purified v. 20 c. Beside the common Ordinance of Purifying by the water of purification Numb 19.9.12 15 19. Eleazdr here declares from God a particular law of purifying by fire those Vessels
Tyranny of the Midianites They could not thrash a little Bread-Corn for the Sustentation of their Lives but presently the Midianites were upon them to rob them of their necessary Food of their Daily Bread for their Bodies and God knows we have seen of late such a Woful Day wherein we could not Thresh out a little of the Corn of Heaven more precious than our necessary food Job 23.12 but presently the Informers were upon us to take away the Daily-Bread of our Souls By this Fleece it was signify'd that Gideon pray'd herewith that as Midian had long seven years fleeced Israel so he now by the help of his God might be made able to fleece Midian and to spoil the Spoilers N. B. The Poetical fiction of Jason's going with his Argonautes in the Ship Argo his Voyage to Colchos for fetching home the Golden-Fleece might well have its foundation from this Divine History of Gideon's because it was truly Golden as it was made by God the Subject of a double Miracle in its being both wet and dry in two Mornings And this is the more probable seeing Sir Walter Rawleigh maketh this Story contemporary with Gideon's time who wittily descants upon Jasons Enterprize that it was to find out the Philosophers-Stone or rather some Mines of Gold c. so makes it a true History which I rather judge to be some Poet's Fancy grounded upon this Sacred Record because it is so strangely over-ruled to have been done in Gideon's Day Gideon desires of God in the first Sign That the Dew may be on the Fleece only and that spot of ground which encompasseth the Fleece may be altogether dry ver 37. N. B. The Dew here signifies the favour of God the Fleece represented Gideon himself who indeed was a Golden-Fleece to Israel and it may be affirmed beyond a Fable that Israel was the true Jason that found that Golden Fleece when they found Gideon who Redeemed them from Tyranny 't is said ver 38. and it was so though God had said nothing by way of a Verbal Promise that it should be If God perform our Desires when he doth not particularly promise how much more when he binds himself by a promise he abides faithful 2 Tim. 2.13 Psal 89.33 34 35. Rom. 4.21 Gideon rose up early on the Morrow as one longing for a return of his Prayers and not only so but also that he might have a truer tryal of this Experiment in coming to the place where the Fleece was spread abroad in the open Air and exposed to the Wind before the Sun was risen which otherwise might have drawn up this Morning Dew Hos 6.4 and 13.3 and he wringed or squeezed out of the Fleece a bowl full of Water this great quantity of Water did magnifie the Miracle and made the Sign more wonderful for in the common course of Nature it was not possible so much Dew should could fall in so small a compass of ground as one single Fleece of Wooll covered c. Notwithstanding all this Gideon cannot still be fully satisfied but he makes a new Address in the dress of that Lesson he had learnt from Father Abraham Gen. 18.32 Let not the Lord be angry if I tempt thee once more ver 39. The first Miracle sufficeth him not because it is the Nature of Wooll to contract Moisture therefore must he needs have another Miracle quite contrary to the former Let the Fleece be dry and the Ground round about it be wet this was more difficult and preternatural than the first because if any moisture be stirring Wooll above all things is most likely to drink it up N. B. But it may well be supposed that by the ground that surrounded the Fleece Gideon might meah his Army that surrounded and guarded his Person whom he desired might be wet with the Favour of God as with Heavenly Dew as well as himself who was the Wet Fleece in the first Miracle for this double Dew falling both upon the General and upon his Army would double his Confidence in a successful Expedition against the Midianites c. Inquiry Did Gideon sin in asking Signs from God Answer is two-fold The First is Affirmative That he sinned because First He himself suspected some sin in it saying Let not the Lord be Angry and he calls it a Tentation let me prove or tempt thee Secondly He was certain of the Victory before the Battel for God had promised it and he had acknowledged God's Promise thereof ver 36. therefore it was no less than a sin for him still to harbour any doubt of it Answer 2. Is Negative That he sinned not because First He is no where reproved for it nor was God angry with him as he feared but rather was well-pleased with him for his Importunity and readily granted to him his double Request c. Secondly He did not desire this double Sign out of any diffidence in God for now was he full of the Spirit of God ver 34. and had been so animated by the Promise of God as to overthrow the Altar of Baal c. ver 26 27. which was a dangerous and desperate Exploit so it was a clearer Demonstration of Sublime Confidence than of any sordid Diffidence or Distrust in him Thirdly Gideon stands enrolled in that Sacred Register among those Eminent Worthies that were so famous in their Day for their Exercise of a strong Faith Hebr. 11. now had this been any base Diffidence in Gideon it would have been such a blot in his Escutcheon as to have well debarred him from coming with his Name into that Renowned Catalogue therefore 't is most probable he was inspired by the Spirit to do this not only on his own account but that his Soldiers about him might more freely fight under him c. Judges CHAP. VII JUdges the Seventh contains Gideon's famous Fight with the Midianites c. The History of this Battle consists of three parts 1. Antecedents 2. Concomitants And 3. Consequents First The Antecedents of it are the preparation and double purgation God commands Gideon to make and to take in order to it The First Remark upon this first part is Though Gideon's Army which he had prepared for the Battel consisted only of Thirty two Thousand Men and the Host of Midian with their Confederates was made up of an Hundred Thirty and Five Thousand at the least Judg. 8.10 so that they were above four to one odds against Israel Yet God saith to Gideon Thy Men are too many ver 2. This was at the first Purgation they then thought-themselves too few yet God thought them too many his Thoughts being not as ours Isa 55.8 and therefore that Law of Moses every Man that is fearful and faint-hearted let him return home lest his Brethrens heart faint as well as his Deut. 20.8 must be proclaimed in the Ears of this new-raised Army upon which no fewer than Two and Twenty Thousand trips off because they feared that they were too few to grapple
with Midian's Multitudes ver 3. Now must there be a second Purgation when but Ten Thousand be left and still they were too many ver 4. N.B. God is sometime troubled with too much help but never with too little He will have all the Glory of this Miraculous Victory And therefore again he shrinks in this Ten Thousand into the small Remnant of Three Hundred ver 5 6. God knows what is in Man John 2.24 25. that he is a Self-vaunting Creature apt to Autotheism which is a Man's falling down to Worship himself and to say as here Mine own hand hath saved me ver 2. mine own Valour hath got me the Victory So prone are Men to Sacrifice to their own Nets Habak 1.16 which the Lord prevented here The Second Remark from the first part is The marvelous means God used to reduce this Army of many Thousands into so poor a Remnant as only Three Hundred The first Means was a Proclamation that because Cowardise is catching the Cowards are commanded to cashire themselves least they should infect their Brethren Deut. 20.8 and what was become of that Courage they seem'd to have in their first coming into Gideon where they had God's Promise of Conquering their Enemies who had so long oppressed them after a most grievous manner and now had a fair opportunity of recovering their Ancient Liberty which they could not but long for as much as the Rich Glutton did for a drop of cold Water to cool his Tongue when tormented in hell-Hell-fire yet away went Two and twenty Thousand Cowards and deserted their Brethren so little trust is there to be put as one saith here in the fickle and faithless Multitude N. B. The Reason why two parts of three were so timerous and returned home is supposed to be that they now understood the prodigious Multitudes of Midianites c. all well Arm'd and Disciplin'd yea and in great heart because of their long success whereas on the other hand the Army of Israel was but a small handful in comparison of their Innumerable Enemies and of such as were dispirited by long Slavery and many of them unfurnish'd with Arms and necessary Provisions Both those Considerations might probably cool that courage they seem'd to have before But the Second Means of purging the Ten Thousand into Three Hundred by the posture of drinking Water was far more Remarkable than was the purging of Two and thirty Thousand into Ten Thousand by Proclamation only which referred the matter to themselves either for going or staying as their Courage had brought them Voluntiers to Gideon so their Cowardice carried them off Voluntiers from Gideon But this Proclamation not making a thorough Purgation many that were fearful indeed yet loath to be accounted Cowardly Disserters did put on a good Face and desired the good Opinion of Gideon that he might look upon them as more Valiant Soldiers than those Twenty two Thousands that had shamefully deserted him Therefore God bids Gideon try one Trick more to make a stricter Scrutiny which made a Discovery by an Occult and Indiscernible Evidence of Nine Thousand Seven Hundred more Cowards that still remained with him as seemingly Couragious ver 5 6. All excepting Three Hundred did lay them down to drink whereas the Excepted and Accepted number only took up a little Water into the Palms of their Hands to put into their Mouths This latter posture of lapping Water like a Dog was an Indication of stoutness of Body and of Temperance of Mind they only drank a little of the Brook in the way to relieve Nature in necessity then lift up their Heads to pursue their Design Psal 110.7 Those were the fittest to follow the Lord not surfeiting with wordly Pleasures but taking only a little tast of them Whereas the bowing of the Body and falling flat to the ground which had been their posture in Worshiping Baal thrusting their Mouths into the Water as thirsty Horses do that they might drink their fill with Greediness was a sign of a weak weary Body and of an Intemperate Mind c. N. B. Gideon had ask'd of God two Signs before and both were granted him about the Fleece in an open and obvious way of Ocular Demonstration and now God gives Gideon here unask'd a third Sign of an Occult Nature and of an obscure Quality for no Natural Reasons can be rendred why so many of the Ten Thousand did fall down prostrate upon the ground to drink like an Horse and so few of them did lap Water out of their Hands like a Dog save only such as are uncertain Conjectures And therefore it is safest to say That there was an over-ruling Hand of God in this matter of disposing the Minds and Bodies of those Ten Thousand so that all of them save Three Hundred only should lay down to drink because it was his Divine Pleasure to have those over-lowly and over-liberal Drinkers dismissed home and to save Israel from Midian by the hands of Three Hundred Men only The Third Remark upon the Antecedents of the Battel is A new Confirmation of General Gideon's Faith needful enough another Sign seems to be when his Army and Auxiliaries were shrivel'd away and shrunk up into so narrow a compass of Three Hundred Men which the Midianites might scornfully call Gideon's Three Hundred Lap-Dogs How might their Army that consisted of above an Hundred Thirty and Five Thousand Soldiers ridicule this despicable handful and contemn them far more than Great Goliah did the Stripling David and no doubt but Gideon himself had he consulted with Flesh and Bloud as 't is said Gal. 1.16 must have some misgiving Motions in his Mind about his present Enterprize Surely Sense and Carnal Reason was not Gideon's Counseller in this case but Faith upon God's Promise still bears him up believing it was all one with God to save by few or by many 1 Sam. 14.6 and a little help in God's hands will help God's People to Victory Dan. 11.34 that through weaker means they may see God's greater strength Augustin saith God is Magnus in magnis nec minimus in parvis N. B. Howbeit Though Gideon was famous for his Faith upon Record Hebr. 11.32 yet doubtless his own humane Imperfection must suggest some Doubts to him 't is but rational to argue according to Christ's Parable that Ten Thousand Men may not presumptuously wage War against Twenty Thousand because two to one is great odds Ne Hercules contra duos in all probability as they are over-matched so they will be over-mastered by them Luke 14.31 How much more improbable was it in Gideon's case that his Three Hundred Men should be able to match and Master an Hundred Thousand and upwards of Midianites c Therefore we may well suppose that he here cryed out with that Man in the Gospel Lord I believe help my Vnbelief Mark 9.24 at which cry of Gideon the Lord condescendingly came and did corroborate his staggering Faith by Three Marvelous Means The First was
hired to Perfidiousness therein the Prophet told him he had done foolishly Asa's Fourth Frailty was His being wroth with the Lord's Prophet for his plain-dealing and faithfulness 2 Chron. 16.10 which might better have become an Ahah a Joash or an Herod all bad Men than such a good King as was Asa what was Hanani but God's Herald from Heaven to denounce War against him for these his sins upon Earth here Repentance was his Duty but Rage and Choler was his Sin N. B. And as Dr. Hall saith well it had been more meet that the water of godly sorrow had been found in his eyes gushing out with tears than such sparkles of fire and fury flaming forth at them upon this innocent Seer His Holy Grandfather David did not so with Nathan the Prophet in the like case of heavy tidings 2 Sam. 12.4 5 6 c. yet Asa imprisons the Prophet for delivering God's Message only His Fifth Blemish is Asa in the latter end of his long Reign is stricken with the Gout 2. Chron. 16.12 as he had laid up the good Prophet by the heels in Prison even so doth God lay him up by the heels in his Bed He should therefore have sought to the Lord principally who had Imprisoned him and with whom he had solemnly Covenanted to own for his yet 't is said of him He sought to the Physicians and not to the Lord tho' his Name Asa Hebr. signifies a Physician to mind him of Jehovah Rophekah the Almighty Healer Exod. 15.26 No wonder then that his gouty seet serv'd to carry him to his grave No doubt but before he dyed he repented of this and his other sins see 2 Chron. 15.17 and 20.32 where 't is said for his heart was perfect with God all his days c. The latter part of this Fifteenth Chapter gives an account of the two Kings of Israel contemporary with those of Judah First Nadah Reigned in the Second year of Asa even while his Father Jeroboam is alive saith Dr. Lightfoot for God smote Jeroboam with some sad Diseases that he could not Rule the Kingdom 2 Chron. 13.20 This made him resign his Crown to his Son before his death as some suppose c. Remark the Second Before he had Reigned two full Years Baasha slew him as appears from ver 28 and 33. The Lord seeing the Son as wicked as the Father saw it high time to cut him off according to the Threatning Chap. 14.10 c. for his own Sins as well as for his Father's Remark the Third Baasha traiterously slew him in his Army as he was besieging Gibbethon which the Philistines had taken from Israel but the Slaughter of the King prevented the Recovery of this Right Josh 19.44 and 21.23 therefore the Siege was renewed to recover it Chap. 16.15 Remark the Fourth It may well be supposed that this Murtherer of Nadab Baasha did cast his dead Body to be devour'd by the Dogs or Fowls as the Prophet Ahijah had fore-threatned Chap. 14.7 10 11. saith Menochius The next King of Israel was Baasha who placed himself in the Throne as soon as he had Murther'd Nadab ver 29 30 to 34. concerning this King Remark the First Baasha destroys all Jeroboam's House and Jeroboam himself was alive this Year saith Dr. Lightfoot and if he escaped the Sword of Baasha yet died he not long before Baasha destroyed his Family Remark the Second Though Baasha in all these Murthers did but aim to gratifie his own Ambition and Cruel Disposition to establish himself upon the Throne more firmly and without Emulation yet God wisely ordered Baasha's wicked both Intentions and Actions to bring to pass his own righteous and glorious Ends. God over-ruled his Pride and Malice to accomplish his own Counsel and Prediction N.B. Thus the Devil and all his Imps and Instruments are made to do God's Will not only while they are doing their own but oft sore against their own Wills Thus wise Physicians use Leeches which aim only at sucking of Blood for Cure of their Patients c. Remark the Third Though this Baasha was God's Instrument to punish the Wickedness of a wicked Father Jeroboam and of his wicked Son Nadab yet neither did he aim at any Obedience to God in those Executions of God's Justice nor was he reclaimed at all thereby from the same wicked Ways ver 34. Remark the Fourth Those very Means and Methods of Wickedness whereby Jeroboam thought to have established the Kingdom to himself and to his House namely by setting up Idolatry became indeed the true Cause of their utter Ruine Baasha is imployed in executing this divine Vengeance yet the same Sin which was the true procuring Cause of all this Mischief and Misery to Jeroboam's House he still retained in himself Remark the Fifth Baasha now settled in his Kingdom begins to bustle and disturb good Asa with Inroads into Judah though he saw such a mighty Presence of God with him in his Victory over a Million of the Ethiopian Army yet will he still be an Enemy to him God punishing Asa by Baasha for his harshness to Judah as well as to Hanani Tyrannizing over the People as well as over the Prophet in his declining Days 2 Chron. 16.10 1 Kings CHAP. XVI THIS Chapter contains the History of Five Kings of Israel Baasha Elah Zimri Omri and Ahab The General Remarks are First Good Asa notwithstanding his many Miscarriages which were not inconsistent with his Uprightness Imperfections being to be found in the most refin'd Soul did out-live not only Jeroboam and his Son Nadab but also this his worst Rival and Troubler Baasha though he Reigned over Israel twenty and four Years Chap. 15.33 for Asa's Forty and one Years of his Reign expired not until the Fourth Year of Ahab wherein Jehosaphat succeeded his Father Asa after his Death 1 Kings 22.41 42. So that while Asa held the Throne of Judah he saw many Changes in the Throne of Israel The Second General Remark is the Holy Penman of this Sacred History in the Book of Kings giveth a large Narrative of Asa's Life c. altogether Chap. 15. from ver 9 to 24. because many Kings did Reign over Israel during Asa's long Reign Asa began his Reign in the Twentieth Year of Jeroboam the first King of Israel divided from Judah and he continued to the time of the Eighth King of Israel Asa's great Work of Reformation required it and God gave him a great continuance in his Kingdom wherein to accomplish it The Third General Remark Asa wanted not God's Fatherly Chastisements for his declining from his former Goodness for beside his Gout in his Feet because he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walk uprightly in God's way Gal. 2.14 He had continual Wars and Troubles after his alteration into Acts of Vnbelief Passion against the Prophet and Oppression of the People c. which troubles we have an account of Chap. 15. both the Rise of them ver 16 17 18. and the Removal
and tired themselves in vain Elijah Jeers and Ridicules both their Persons Actions and Idols taunting them with saying Baal was so busie in pursuing his Foes that he had no leisure of attending his Friends c. N. B. Which teacheth that all Jesting is not unlawful faith Peter Martyr save that only which intrencheth upon Piety and good Manners saying that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paul condemns Eph. 5.4 is taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salt Jests and Scurrility not for an inoffensive Vrbanity or a pleasant facetiousness of Speech Mark 7. When Baal's Priests end and can do nothing with all their ridiculous Endeavours all the day long then Elijah begins at the time of the Evening Sacrifice ver 30 to ver 40. who no doubt did all by divine Direction He 1. calls the People to come away from those falle Prophets that had so long seduced them unto him the true Prophet of God 2. He repairs the Altar of the Lord which Baal's Worshippers had demolished with twelve Stones representing the Twelve Tribes thereby renewing the Covenant betwixt God and Israel now when Ten Tribes were Apostatized ver 30 31 32. 3. He orders twelve Barrels of Water supposed to be fetch'd from the Sea near Carmel when the drought had dried up all their Land-Brooks to be poured upon the Wood and Altar to avoid all suspicion of any Collusion in hiding Fire any where under such a vast quantity of Water which ran upon the Altar and filled the Trench too that the reality of the Miracle might be made the more manifest by a greater fervency of such a Fire as to lick up all ver 33 34. 4. Then betakes he to Prayer for fire c. 36 37 38. wherein though the Prophets of Baal had cried loud yet this Prophet of God cried louder saying Hear me O Lord hear me well knowing that God and not Baal was the true Prayer-hearing God N. B. The Baalites Prayers had been long and tedious to a deaf dumb and dunghil Deity but Elijah's Prayer was short and pithy charging God with the care of his Covenant of his Truth and of his Glory N. B. Nor did his twelve Stones for repairing the Altar and his twelve Barrels of Water wherewith he filled the Altar and Trenches any less rebuke the Ten Tribes for falling off from the Two in the Worship of God N. B. This is beyond doubt that his strong Crys of Faith did reach the Throne of Grace and soon discover to Israel that Elijah's God was unlike Baal neither talking nor travelling nor pursuing nor sleeping not a God of such a narrow Uunderstanding as unable to mind two things at once But as he is the Creator so the Governor of all things both in Heaven and Earth and hath the command both of Fire and of Water at all times and as an Evidence hereof at this time he first sends fire to consume Elijah's Sacrifice and not only to lick up the twelve Barrels of Water that filled the Trenches by that flash of fire but after gives abundance of Water in a plentiful Rain also to remove the Judgment of Drought and Famine insomuch that when Israel saw the first Sign that God had answer'd by Fire to the Prophet's Prayers they cry out as fully The Lord and not Baal is God the Lord is God and he can give us Water as well as Fire if our Sins hinder not N. B. They might say Oh well is it with us that this fearful flash of fire hath not consumed our own flesh for our Idolatries as it hath done the flesh of the burnt Offering and licked up our Blood as it hath all the Water in the Trench and so they might acknowledge God's Mercy as they did his Power twice over ver 39. Remark the Sixth is the Execution of Justice upon Baal's Prophets and the return of Rain after a long Drought of Three Years and six Months from ver 40 to 46. wherein Mark 1. Elijah strikes while the Iron is hot he takes hold of this Opportunity while the Peoples Hearts were warm with the fresh Conviction of this wonderful Miracle and bids them take those juggling Priests and let not one of them escape v. 40. and kill them at Kishon that their Blood might help to fill that River which their Idolatry had emptied by the Drought N. B. All this Elijah might lawfully do at God's direction and according to God's Law Deut. 13.5 and 18.20 for which like Justice Jehu is afterwards commended 2 Kings 10.28 and probably he had the consent of the King who found them Impostors and was assured of Rain when this Work was done c. indeed Luke 9.55 Our sweet Saviour rebukes that over-hot Spirit which would call Fire from Heaven to consume such as slighted him this he said was not suitable to the Gospel of Peace but Elijah was a Restorer of the Law c. Mark 2. After this Execution of Justice Elijah foretels Mercy was now coming ver 41. saying to Ahab Haste thou from Kishon up to thy Tent on Carmel and refresh thy self there after thy long fasting day The chief cause of the Drought being now removed God will send Rain therefore go eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a chearful heart c. Eccles 9.7 For Col. Haâ—non c. Hebr. I hear a Wind whistling in the Heavens and presaging abundance of Rain He heard this noise with the Ears of his Faith saith Osiander when none else did hear it Mark 3. Ahab now satisfied with news of Rain goes up to his Repast and Elijah goes up to his Prayer ver 42. minding more God's Glory in that great day's Work than his own Refreshment Josephus saith He prayed sitting but 't is otherwise expressed here He put his face between his knees the very posture saith Peter Martyr wherein the Babe layeth in the Womb with his Head between his Knees N.B. This was a Gesture of his deep Humility as unworthy to lift up his Eyes to God of his remembrance with thankfulness how he was brought to light from a miserable beginning at his Birth and now was about to be as it were born again after his three Years and half absconding in the Womb of Providence The Prophet prays for Rain in this posture which strained all the strings of his Head Heart and whole Body well knowing though God had promised Rain yet would he have his Prayer to fetch it and therefore no wonder if the Apostle say He prayed earnestly James 5.17 18. And though 't is not told us what he prayed yet this is Recorded his Prayer was so earnest that he opened Heaven by that Key Mark 4. The Prophet unwilling to break off his Prayer sends his Servant which Vatablus saith was the Widow of Sarepta's Son to watch the first rise of a vaporous Cloud out of the Sea ver 43. Elijah had pray'd saith Sanctius that the Fire might descend immediately for a speedy freeing of his own Faith and for
these straits had been prevented but this was good Jehosaphat's after-wit yet better late than never saith P. Martyr here 'T is for Women and Children to complain and lament but wise Men seek Remedies This good Man when whipt takes the right way and found good success for God ordered it so by his special Providence that as P. Martyr saith Elisha followed the Camp of those three Kings Nunquam serò si seriò not too late if true c. Jehosaphat had been wiser in consulting with God by his Prophet before he undertook his Expedition with Ahab 1 Kings 22.3 for this neglect he now suffers Remark the Fifth But God graciously provides a Remedy he is told Elisha is at band God was more careful of good Jehosaphat when he had been too much careless of himself in the beginning of this Enterprize a Prophet shall be provided to follow him and to be present in his perplexing pressures This good King tells bad Joram of this joyful Intelligence and that wicked King was made Religious by necessity at Jehosaphat's persuasion Elisha was not imperiously summoned to appear saith P. Martyr but those three Kings all went down to him ver 12. They did not majestically send up for him N.B. 'T was God's Law that the Priests should follow the Camp Numb 10.8 9 c. but the Ten Tribes had none now and therefore God provided this Prophet to pray in his Tent for the Army And this good Man who gave Intelligence of Elisha's presence if it was not Obadiah himself that hid the Lord's Prophets c. it was one of the same excellent temper in honouring them did plainly insinuate saith Dr. Hall that as he had poured out Water upon the hands of Elijah he was now invested with his Prophetick power to pour out Water to save the lives of those three Kings and their Armies taking for granted that as Elijah had power over Fire once again and again so Elisha his Successor had power over Water also Remark the Sixth Is Elisha's Reproof to Joram and his Respect to Jehosaphat ver 13 14. First His Reproof c. Joram was Generalissimo who call'd the other two Kings to him and against whom God had the greatest quarrel therefore Elisha addresses his speech first to him upbraiding him with his Toleration of such Idols as could not relieve him in his Distress he bids him in a Salt Irony saith P. Martyr go to the Calves which thou after thy Father dost now worship and to Baal which thy Mother now worshippeth by thy permission and tho' thou hast destroy'd one of Baal's Images yet doth thy heart hanker after it still Let those false Prophets now save thee N.B. How sharply doth this Subject chide his Soveraign this he did as a Man of God extraordinarily called and not as a Subject of Man We read God reproved Kings for his Prophets sake Psal 105.14 15. and they were oft authorized to reprove Kings for God's sake he stood in God's stead N.B. 2. Joram cannot justifie himself but tho' a bad man makes an ingenuous confession saith P. Martyr that he had gone too much to those false Gods which cannot now help him he promises to renounce all and to seek unto God only for help saying I see this Distress is from the Lord he only must be sought to for Deliverance from it therefore counsel thou us how this may be done and if thou cannot pity me yet do thou pity pious Jehosaphat and this innocent King of Edom and let us not all be delivered up into the hand of Moab and thus he feared the worst c. But Secondly Elisha's Respect to Jehosaphat whom he did reverence for his Piety When the Prophet saw the unsoundness of Joram's Humiliation he lays on yet more Load saying I would not thus far converse with thee were it not for the sake of pious Jehosaphat These seem words of contempt to a King but the double portion of God's Spirit was upon him and never had Elijah the Master been more bold with the Father Ahab than Elisha the Servant was here with his Son Joram N.B. Yet will God save all for the sanctity of one the other two bad Kings fared the better for the sake of good Jehosaphat Remark the Seventh The Means whereby Elisha saved all the three Kings and their Kingdoms for the sake of one was his fourth Miracle ver 15 to 20. Mark 1. Elisha calls for a Minstrel ver 15. How unseasonable seem'd Musick in such a day of deep Distress But Elisha's Spirit was disturbed saith P. Martyr for the loss of his good Master and at the sight of this bad King therefore be calls for a godly Levite likely that could sing Divine Psalms and play them upon the Harp that thereby his mind might be compos'd and made capable of the Spirit of Prophecy See Gen. 27.4 1 Sam. 16.23 c. Mark 2. Elisha thus composed began to prophesie of plenty of Water without either Wind or Rain and therefore bids them fill the Valley full of Ditches and God will fill those Ditches full of Water ver 16 17. This Water must be miraculous saith Peter Martyr given of God without either Rain or South-wind produced by a Divine Power out of some Rock or Vein of the Earth from those parts that were toward Edom. Elijah had relieved Israel with Water but it was from the Clouds out of the Sea 1 Kings 18. 44 45. but Elisha like another Moses by the help of Omnipotency must relieve them with Water out of a Rock and this must be Running Water too it Ran by the way of Edom and filled all the Ditches ver 20. Mark 3. As God was good here to preserve both Man and Beast Psal 36.6 so he was more greatly gracious to an unworthy People ver 18 19. whereas they were so weakned with want of Water that they feared to become a prey to the Moabites tho' it was a great thing in it self to have that want supplied yet this saith God is but a light thing comparatively ye shall conquer whom ye fear and Moab shall be utterly spoiled God gives more than they ask saith Piscator as 2 Kings 20.6 Mark 2.5 Mark 4. The Time when this predicted Water had its product and progress it was at the Morning Sacrifice ver 20. which was the Hour of Publick Prayer Exod. 29.39 Acts 3.1 Still all that night must they fast and exercise their Faith in expectation of Water In the morning the faithful resorted to Publick Prayer and no sooner saith Dr. Hall did the blood of the Sacrifice gush forth but the Water gushed forth also and filled both the Ditches and the Valley Elijah fetch'd down Fire at the Evening Sacrifice 1 Kings 18.36 Elisha fetch'd up Water at the Morning Sacrifice God honours both those Hours which were of his own appointment Exod. 29.38 39. At one hour God answered both Elisha's Prophecy and his People's Prayers Remark the Eighth Elisha's Prophecy of Victory was performed as
Advantage to his Church and Matters fell out far otherwise like as Paul's Persecutions at Rome fell out rather to a furtherance of the Gospel Phil. 1.12 than any hindrance of it N.B. Thus here again God overshoots the Devil in his own Bow So soon as God's House began to be Rebuilt the Devil stirr'd up his Imps to hinder it as ver 3. and now God by his Wisdom and Power makes those very means they thereby desigining to obstruct it to become effectual for promoting it as is largely proved in the next following Chapter Ezra CHAP. VI. THIS Chapter contains the Removendo Prohibentia and the Applicando Auxiliatoria the Removing of Rubbs and the Applying of Helps in the Rebuilding of the Temple Remark the First This Darius who is call'd also Artaxerxes the common Name of the Kings of Persia as Pharaoh was of the Kings of Egypt makes search for Cyrus's Decree in the House of the Rolls and found it in Echatana one of the Provinces of Babylon if taken properly or in a Coffer as the word signifies if taken Appellatively ver 1 2. The Contents of Cyrus's Decree are recited ver 3 4 5. where Wolphius well observeth that it is very improbable Cyrus should confine the Jews to an exact Longitude Latitude and profundity of their Temple but rather left it to their Power and Pleasure and to the Achitectors whom they employed He only fixed such limits that it might not be made in the form of a Strong Tower lest they should hereafter turn it into a Place of Defence against himself But this is manifest saith Masius that those proportions here differ much from those of Solomon's Temple which was but 30 Cubits High excepting the Porch which was 120 and but 20 Cubits Broad Tho' this Second Temple consists here of 60 Cubits High and 60 Cubits Broad nothing being said here of its Length yet was it less than that of Solomon's Ezra 3.12 Hag. 2.3 therefore these Cubits of Solomon were larger likely as Sacred above common Cubits Remark the Second Darius having perused this former Decree of Cyrus and resolving to make him his pattern for Imitation immediately passeth a New Decree to Reinforce the former from ver 6. to ver 12. wherein he 1. commands Tatnai c. not to come near the Builders to discourage them nor to meddle in disturbing them c. ver 6 7. 2ly The King commands moreover that those Adversaries should supply the Builders with Materials and Money out of his Royal Tribute and Treasury that it may stop no more for want of Necessaries but be compleated with Expedition that therein they might Pray for the Life of the King and his Sons ver 8 9 10. N. B. Whence Wolphius Notes well That as it is the duty of all pious Minds to pray for Magistrates so 't is the Interest of Magistrates to desire the Prayers of pious Persons both for them and for theirs c. N. B. But above all he observes how this Pagan King of Persia condemns all Will-worship in prescribing no Sacrifices for the Temple but such as the Law of God had precisely prescribed not mixing the least Dram of Persian Superstition with Godâ—s own Institution by his command Which sheweth that nothing ought to be Added to or Subtracted from God's Word and that all Divine Worship must have Divine Warrant He names Calves and Lambs only which God appointed Yea and Grotius excellently observeth here that this Darius exceeded and excelled Cyrus himself in this respect of his Royal Beneficency for Cyrus only permitted the Jews to be Contributers unto this Great Work but this King Darius Contributes himself much also out of his own Treasure as farther appeareth Chap. 7.20 21 22. and Neh 11.23 3ly This New Decree of Darius doometh all Persons both Gentle and Simple c. that dared to disturb the Builders of the Temple to have their own Houses pull'd down as a Penalty ver 11. and themselves to be Hang'd saith Vatablus upon some piece of their own Timber of the House Or it intimateth saith Wolphius that the Body of such a Transgressor shall be beaten and broken to pieces with his own Wood c. which could not but be a most cruel kind of Death yea and his House be turned into a Dunghil or Jakes exposed saith Osiander to all manner of Violence and vilest Vses c. 4ly Darius adds also a most sad Imprecation of the severest Curses to befall all Kings and People that durst presume to Discourage or Disturb the Builders of God's Temple v. 12. Here Darius saith Wolphius makes a Candid Confession of his Faith in the True God of his Power and Justice clearly distinguishing him from all false Deities N. B. There is no doubt but this True God whom Darius thus solemnly Invocated said Amen to his dreadful Curse Let all Persecutors of God's Church and Children be they high or low Tremble at this direful Imprecation for in all Ages God's Hand hath been exceeding heavy upon their Persons and Posterities Let Kings and all Princes saith Wolphius learn to be Wise and not dare to thrust their Sickles into God's Harvest the Lord of it will not see his Harvest spoil'd before his Eyes by the Wild Beasts of the Wood or World Remark the Third Behold how the Adversaries of the Jews do truckle and bow before the Authority of this Decree of Darius ver 13. No sooner had the King saith Wolphius quite excluded all Exception and universally commanded a speedy Execution but the very Toparchs or Persian Governours presently bend and buckle to promote that Building of the Temple which before they had bandied together with all their Craft and Might to Obstruct Now Tatnai and Shetherboznai did Advance it because they durst do no otherwise their Obedience is now wrung out of them as Verjuice is out of a Crab or Distill'd Waters by the force of Fire They dare not disobey the Direction of the Decree lest they should lie under the lash of the Law and Correction of it to wit Their Houses to be pull'd down c. No doubt but they undertook this Work as Aukardly as Haman did in his Honouring of Mordecai at that juncture of time when it was in his heart to Hang Mordecai up out of his way Thus those Mongrel-Samaritans were forced to sear the Lord because of his Lions 2 Kings 17.33 34. N.B. Saith Wolphius here All Humane Affairs are so over-ruled by a Divine Providence that as we cannot expect any Good by the Benevolency of Friends so nor need we fear the least Dram of Evil from the Malice of our Enemies unless it be the good-will and pleasure of our good God that it should be so God compells the Vnwilling here as he oft doth elsewhere to help his Church whose hearts were more to hinder it Remark the Fourth Now all Impediments being Removed all the Helps are Applied and the Building of the Temple goes bravely forward and in due time was finished ver
to keep it ever-burning upon God's Altar Lev. 6.12 13. besides there was Fire in other Places for Pots to boil with 1 Sam. 2.15 2 Chron. 35.13 c. so much Wood was used as also for Burning of Sacrifices but the common Store of the Temple now failing they bind themselves to provide it in their Courses that God's Service might by no means be neglected N. B. As they took great Care for fuel to nourish God's Fire here that it might not be put out So no less ought we to do to feed our Faith Love and Zeal which Solomon calls the flame of God Cant. 8.6 Waters must not quench it Cant. 8.7 10. nor must Ashes cover it 2 Tim. 1.6 we may not wiâ—h-draw the fewel of God's Ordinances or pour on the puddle-puddle-water of gross-sins but feed it as well as the Gentiles did the Vestal Fire which was never to dye out for want of fresh fuel Mark 6. The Sixth Particular Branch of the Covenant was for paying their first Fruits ver 35 36 37. that the Priests rights might be firmly assured and they not be defrauded of any part thereof all the Particulars of the first Fruits are distinctly described here that none might pretend Ignorance in withholding the Priests-due which at this Time the People were prone to Practise either through Poverty or a Penurious or a Prophane Disposition But the first-born of their Sons and of their Cattel both great and small if unclean might be redeemed Exod. 13.2 13. yea the first Fruits of their Dough that the Priest might have a Cake as oft as they Baked N. B. Thus God required the firstlings of all to shew how he highly values the kindness of our Youth Jer. 2.1 2. Mark 7. The Seventh Branch they bound themselves unto by this Covenant was the Payment of Tythes ver 37 38 39. which the Law gave the Levites for their maintenance Numb 18.24 28. and they paid the Tenth of their Tenths to the Priests all this was done by the Inspection of the High-Priest call'd here by way of Eminency the Son of Aaron saith Grotius and though they paid Tribute at this Time to the King of Persia N. B. Yet they thus solemnly bind themselves by Oath that they would not defraud the Lord of his Part but render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are Gods Matth. 22.21 and God's part was laid up in God's House which they promis'd to frequent themselves and to see that none of his Servants should forsake it for want of maintenance which yet they did out of want Chap. 13.10 Nehemiah CHAP. XI THIS Chapter is a Sacred Narrative which seemeth to divide it self into two formal Parts the First is An Account of those Persons that dwelt in the City And the Second is Of those also that dwelt in the Countrey Remarks upon the first Part are First The City is said to be large and great but the People were few that dwelt therein Chap. 7.4 therefore was it Nehemiah's double Diligence when he had once repaired it in all its Parts then his Care was to Repeople it also In Order hereunto he Orders the Rulers especially those that made up the great Council or Sanhedrim to dwell in Jerusalem This they could not well but willingly embrace saith Sanctius because 1. This was the Royal Seat and the most beautiful City and therefore the most suitable Place for the Nobles as is usual in all Nations to take up their Residences there And 2. These were Voluntiers likewise in obeying this Order that this Capital City might be better defended by their Presence and Influence whereby saith Wolphius they declared themselves brave Patriots and grateful Citizens for the Publick Good Remark the Second This Holy City as 't is call'd here ver 2. and many other Places of Scripture because the Temple stood in it with all its Holy Ordinances c. was the principal But or Mark that all the Jews Enemies chiefly shot at therefore so few of either the Princes or People durst make it their free Choice to dwell there both because of the Danger they were mostly expos'd to in that Place and because at present it was rather Chargeable than Beneficial to its Inhabitants in Repairing and Watching whereas in the Countrey they could live at more Ease Plenty and Safety therefore were there so few that offered themselves willingly to secure this so much envied City save only such as were truly publick-spirited and those were they whom the People blessed God for ver 2. that they had such Zeal for the common Cause given them and pray'd God to bless them with Safety and Success Remark the Third Because they that offer'd themselves voluntarily to dwell at Jerusalem were too few to replenish and defend that large and fair City then it was ordered say Grotius and Menochius that every Tenth Man out of the rest of the People should dwell there ver 1. and that none might rationally repine at this Order and to prevent all Murmuring the matter was manag'd by casting Lots the Dispose whereof is wholly from the Lord Prov. 16.33 that so it might appear God himself would have such and such to dwell at Jerusalem as the Apostles knew the Mind of God by the same Means Acts 1.24 26. This Oracle of God answer'd all their Doubts As 1. Of their Desires of enjoying the Profit and Pleasure of the Countrey And 2. Of their Fears to live in the City lest it should be Besieged c. then Conquered and so they Captivated again this made many loath to Adventure there to inhabite save only those few whose Faith was above their Fear and whom God enabled to Roll themselves upon his precious Promise I will be a Wall of Fire round about Jerusalem Zech. 2.5 N. B. This one of Ten or Hebr. Teshang Haiadoth nine Hands saith Montanus or Parts that were left by Lot to live in the Countrey when only one part was chosen by God to dwell in this Earthly Jerusalem is an excellent shadow and figure of the Paucity or fewness of those whom the Lord chuseth to inhabit the Heavenly Jerusalem according to Isa 6.13 Jer. 3.14 c. Many are called but few chosen Matth. 7.13 and 20.16 and 22.14 Remark the Fourth The Description of those that were chosen to reside in the City 1. Those of Judah's Tribe from ver 4 to ver 7. yea and of the Children of Ephraim and of Manasseh too 1 Chron. 9.3 where the same is set down as here but the number is greater because here only those are reckoned who inhabited Jerusalem by Lot but there the Voluntiers also as Masius well observes out of Junius and therefore the Name Israel is used ver 3. to intimate saith Menochius out of Lyra that such of the Ten Tribes as for Religion's sake were moved to leave their own Tribes and to join themselves with the Men of Judah as many did 2 Chron. 11.16 and 30.11 c. And
God for nothing that is Possible or Honourable is too hard for his Power Omnipotent Gen. 18.12 14. Rom. 4.19 20. When Moses smote the Flinty Rock Numb 20.10 't was more possible in Nature to fetch Fire out of it than Water yet was Water not Fire fetch'd from it by the Almighty Power of God The Unbelieving Lord said God's plenty promised by the Prophet could not possibly be performed though the Windows of Heaven were opened 2 Kin. 7.1 2. With Nicodemus we oft say How can these things be John 3.9 Can God prepare a Table c. Ps 78.19 Can this Corruption be mortified Can this Temptation be Resisted Can this Sin be Remitted Can our bodies be Raised Can Christ's Cause be revived Thus do we Err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Mat. 22.29 Remember to rest your Souls upon the Power of God in his Promises as Dan. 3.17 and Mat. 3.9 8.2 26.53 c. He can make a Virgin bear a Son c. He can what we cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Heathen Poet Linus could say All things are easie with God and nothing is Impossible Notewel Were we but Virgins Cant. 1.3 Rev. 14.4 Christ and his Cause may be born again of in and among us There is nothing Impossible with God c. N.B. The Second Mystery is As there must be a Spiritual Conception of Christ in the Conscience of a Christian ut suprâ so there should necessarily follow a Spiritual or Mystical Birth of Christ He must be born of us as well as conceived in us and both these are best effected in and by a Virgin Heart that is renewed so as to love Christ with an Holy Chast Virgin-love as more of that after alas there be many that seem to have Conceptions of Christ but they prove meer Embryo's Moles false Conceptions that become bare Abortives and never see the Sun Many have good Motions and good Desires kindled in their Consciences by some strong Convictions yet these come to be quenched either by withdrawing of Fuel a neglect of Ordinances or by pouring on Water in falling into soul Courses so Christ that seem'd to be conceived in the Heart comes not on to be born and brought forth into the Life they cannot say 'T is not I that live but Jesus Christ that liveth in me c. Gal. 2.20 How many fair Buds of good Desires are blasted and never Blossom into the flower of good Resolutions much less into the Fruit of good Actions Some seeming Palpitations or Pantings of Heart after good some Inquietations of Spirit and unsatisfiableness of Soul are oft stifled by Men who should not quench the Spirit 1 Thess 5.19 but be careful to add fuel to that Holy Fire Lev. 6.12 13. and 24.2 3. The neglect of this Duty should be confessed 2 Chron. 29.6 7. and we ought to blow up those sparks of the Spirit of Burning Isa 4.4 into a Flame 2 Tim. 1.6 that our Lives may shine in a dark World Matth. 5.16 Phil. 2.15 1 Pet. 2.12 If we have but the sparks of true Grace and we be but smoaking Flax Christ will not smother or quench it Matth. 12.20 God forbid we should do it our selves Therefore should we be like the Woman greatly wondred at which Travelled and was in great pain to be delivered c. Rev. 12.1 2. The New Birth will cost us strong cries and tears before we bring forth Christ into our Lives and Actions N. B. The Third Mystery is This can be done in none but in a Virgin-Heart as was before intimated effectually Christ was born of a Virgin And 't is the Virgins that love Christ Can. 1.3 that have a spiritual Chastity and are not defiled with the Corruptions that are in the World through Lust 2 Pet. 2.20 These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 and these are they that bear and bring forth Christ first conceived Mystically in their Hearts into the most conspicuous Parts of their Lives and Actions The Life that they now live in the Flesh they live by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 they are Redeemed for Royal Vse The Hebrew Word Gnalamoth for Virgins signifies God's hidden ones for so they are called Psalm 83.3 Their Life is hid in Christ Col. 3.3 Would to God such Virgins were without number now Cant. 6.8 N. B. Note well The Fourth Mystery is As Christ-lay nine Months in his Mother's Womb not Idle but eating out the Core of Corruption which cleaves to our Natures and then was borne So we under the Spirit of Bondage are prepared for the New-Birth she first received of the Holy Ghost before she conceived and brought forth Christ So must we do c. The Second Branch is The Person of whom Christ was born was as a Virgin in General so the Virgin Mary in Particular Concerning whom there is a double History and Mystery respecting 1. Her Stock And 2. Her State She was one of a very high Stock and Pedigree yet one of a very low State and Condition First The Mother of our Lord was nobly descended therefore is Christ call'd the Son of David Matth. 1.1 and 9.27 and Luke 20.41 So was Joseph his Reputed or Foster-Father of David's Lineage also Matthew shews the latter and Luke the former Matthew calls Christ the Son of David and of Abraham Matth. 1.1 2. because these two had the Promise of Christ's proceeding from their Loins This was for the Comfort of the Jews that God had made his Promise good to Abraham whom they call'd their Father And Luke derives Christ from Adam Luke 3.23 38. for the Comfort of the Gentiles who were of Adam though not of Abraham These were convincing and undeniable Testimonies that Christ was the true Messiah and the Saviour of the World This we must believe and with blind Bartimaeus cry out Jesus Thou Son of David have Mercy on me Mark 10.46 so strong was his Faith that it did not only break through but also increased by all rebuking Contradictions He cryed a great deal the more ver 48. Notewel True Faith works its way as the Sun doth through all Obstructions Yea and when he heard that the Master call'd him as he doth us daily he cast away his Garments ver 50. though but a Beggar so knew not where to get another Coat in this Case he stood not upon the loss of his Coat but for Joy of his being called cast it from him that he might hasten to his Redeemer Oh that we could cast away our rotten Rags of Sin Heb. 12.1 and that filthy Garment also of our own Righteousness Isa 64.6 let Christ tread upon it Matth. 21.8 Leave thy Water-pots and all John 4.28 All this is Recorded in the Gospel for the Everlasting Honour of this poor Blind Man when mighty Monarch's are pass'd over in silence they if not utterly forgotten lay shrouded up in the Sheet of Shame c. Secondly Though Mary was of a most
the Water of Baptism but presently that Spirit of burning so called Isa 4.4 drove him into the Fire of Temptation Mark 1.12 that is suddenly carried him who was most willing to go as the Scape-Goat under the Law into the Wilderness Lev. 16.21 Though the Spirit permitted him to be buffered there yet He so supported Him under all his buffetings there that his Valour obtain'd the Victory The Good Spirit that abode on him and in him proved too hard for the Evil Spirit that came against him This place of Temptation is suppos'd to be the Wilderness of Sinai N.B. Note well No Place more fit for Satan to Assault our Saviâ—â— than this where the Law which is the Strength of Sin was Delivered Though the Son of God was without Sin yet took he upon him the Sins of the World There did our Lord fast Forty Days and Forty Nights as Moses and Elias had done in the same place before him and all these three great Fasters met together upon Mount Tabor afterwards Mat. 17.4 5. Luke 9.30 c. when the same Voice at his Baptism was Reiterated with this Addition Hear Him and confirmed more publickly with Thundring John 12.28 In this Wilderness was Christ those forty Days and Nights among Wild Beasts Mark 1.13 yet sate He there in the midst of those fierce Brutes as Adam had done among them in his State of Innocency These furious Creatures saw in Christ the perfect Image of God and therefore reverenced him as their Lord as they had done Adam before his Fall and were we but amiable in Christ we should be in League with the Beasts of the Field Job 5.21 22. Not a Dog of Egypt dare Bark at God's Israel in Covenant with him Exod. 11.7 Yet Christ was not only among Wild Beasts but also among cursed Devils here By whose Ministry the Prince of Devils Invisibly Tempted Him as he doth other men all the forty Days and Nights Luke 4.2 striving to inject sinful Thoughts into him but could not prevail because he could find nothing in him John 14.30 The Tempter struck Fire all that Time but found nothing but wet Tinder for his Sparks to fall upon Therefore at the forty days end he takes new measures and appears visibly not in any ugly shape for Christ was not to be frighted with Phantasms c. but in an Angelical splendour thinking to deceive him in the shape of an Angel of Light as He had done our First Parents who took him to be a good Angel N.B. Note well All these forty Days Christ spent in Solitude Fasting Watching and Prayer as a Penance for our Surfeitings and other Sins and for a preparative unto His following conflict Christ was afterwards an Hungry then Satan makes his first Assault not in the time of his fasting but when he was Hungry after Fasting with which Argument he would have persuaded Him that He could not be the Son of God yet pretending friendship He proposed a way both to refresh his Humanity and to give a Proof of his Deity Hoping that his Hunger together with a desire to convince the Devil would prevail to make him get Bread before the time at the Devil 's bidding and in his way but Christ Answers God hath promised to provide for those that are Imployed in his Service and accordingly Christ had Bread brought him by Angels which was far better than what the Devil would have help'd him to The Third Place The Devil by God's leave Makes Christ go on Pilgrimage from the Wilderness to Jerusalem The Tempter by Divine Permission hurries the Humane Body of Christ violently through the Air whereof he is call'd the Prince from Mount Sinai to the Holy Temple and there placed him upon a Pinnacle reputed six hundred foot high enough to dazzle the Eyes of any mere mortal to look down from the Top to the Bottom From hence the Devil bids Christ cast himself down This was a filly suggestion and but a little of the craft of a subtle Serpent in it For how improbable it was that so Prudent and Pious a person should Tempt God to so unnecessary a Protection when there were Stairs to go down However this is the Devil's Way and one of his Methods to N.B. Raise Men up to Pinnacles of Power Pomp and the greatest of Grandeur to make them Proud and Presumptuous ut quo altius scandunt eo sublimiùs decidant that the Higher their Climbing is the Lower their Fall may be this an Heathen Author could say Height of place gives opportunity of Temptation The longest Robe though never so richly Embroidered Enamel'd and Studded with Silver Gold and the most precious Pearls contracts the foulest Soils nor are any in so great danger of falling as those that walk upon the Tops of Pinnacles Height it self makes the Brain Swim and causes a Vertigo c. Oh how many Instances have we recorded hereof both in Sacred and Civil History as Haman Herod Dioclesian c. N.B. Note well This Teacheth also that the Devil himself hath not power to cast us down from the Pinnacle either of Prosperity or oâ— Profession all he can do is to persuade us to cast our selves down The great Cerberus or Ban dog of Hell God keeps in a Chain and Muzzled This is our Mercy This Dog may Bark at us but without Divine Permission and Humane folly He cannot Bite us His Barkings are his Logick and Rhetorick whereby he persuades us to come near Him to untye his Chain and loose his Muzzle for Him that He may Devour us by making us Destroy our selves Hos 13.9 what is this compliance with that cursed Cur's Counsel but to Tempt the Tempter and to meet him the better half way to fetch in our own Destruction Can we reckon that Idolater a Wise Man who in his Worshipping Fire for his God must needs out of his Blind Zeal bestow some Busses of love upon his Idol and thereby Burnt his own Lips Nor can we reckon that Woman much wiser that wish'd to Marry a Morose Husband merely to exercise her Patience when she had her wish she found by smarting experience that even her Victory paid not the cost of her Conflicts much less of her Danger of being oft strangled in Imbraces They are Fools that dare contend with Fire c. Can we expect that the shining Sun will cure our sore Eyes Or can an heavy Burden Help and Heal a broken Back Then Tempt not the Tempter If we pray Lord lead us not into Temptation then may we not Lead our selves into it The Fourth Place was an exceeding High Mountain whither the Devil carried Christ again on Pilgrimage The Good Spirit did lead him to the two former to wit unto Jordan for his Baptism and into the Wilderness for his Temptation But it was the Evil Spirit that carried Christ both to the Pinnacle of the Temple and to this Exceeding High Mountain What this Mountain was the Evangelists mention not 't is conjectur'd
the Non-plus which is his usual time but also because as some say he Retained some part of his Glory as Moses did Exod. 34 29 30. only with this difference that of Moses was Terrible but this of the Messiah was Amiable Therefore did the People Salute him when the Scribes and Pharises did not so 2. The Father of the Lunatick Child did not only Salute him with the Rest but falls down at his Feet catches hold of his knees as 2 Kin. 4.27 and supplicates his Succour for his only Son who was possessed of a Dumb and Deaf Devil There was a Devil in the Disease of Lunacy or Falling-Sickness which ebbs and flows with the Moon complaining withal of his Disciples that he had begged this Cure of them but they could not Cure him Whence learn N. B. Note well when Men and Means fail us we must make out immediate Application to Christ 2 Chron. 20.12 The 3. Remark is Christs Reproof of their Incredulity which 1. was directed to the Scribes and Pharisees whom he had branded before with being an Adulterous and Perverse Generation Mat. 12.38 39.45 with 11.16 Sharply rebuking them for vexing his nine weak Disciples when he and the chief of them were absent saying how long shall I have to do with such seared Souls as you How long shall I be derided by you in my Disciples c 2. It concerned the Father of the Lunatick who was at least weak in Faith and begged help from Christ against his own unbelief as well as against his Childs Misery Mar. 9.24 3. It concerned the nine Disciples also who might partly be hindred from casting out this Devil for want of Faith in the Father for his Son and partly through their own unbelief Christ had given them power over Devils and over Diseases before this Matth. 10.1 Mar. 6.13 and Luke 9.1 and while that Mission and Commission lasted that power lasted but now they were out of that publick imploy Besides this was no ordinary possession it being a more Malignant Devil that had possessed this Son from an Infant which the Scribes and Pharisees did purposely bring to those Disciples in their Masters Absence to non-plus as well as puzzle them and therefore 't is less to be wondered at that their Faith was somewhat shaken in a case more strange and unusuall to them whereof they never had the like tryal before And Christs Reproof did touch them also for he tells them after that their want of Faith was the cause why they could not cast this churlish Devil out of the Daemoniack which kind could not be cast out but by Prayer and Fasting Besides this Honour was reserved for Christ himself The 4th Remark is The most Maraculous Miracle it self was wrought immediately by the Master himself when Means and Men that were imployed could not do the Cure The Patient here had a Complication of Maladies whereunto nothing of Mischief as it seemed could be added by the Devil himself The Distemper of this Son is aggravated by his Father in so many sad Circumstances Matth. 17.15 Mar. 9.17 20 21 22. and Luke 9.38 39. This only Son had not only the natural Disease of Convulsion-fits or the Falling Sickness but also Satanical impressions to mischieve himself in those two Merciless Elements of Fire and Water N. B. Note well Thus are they who are given up into the power of a Merciless Devil grievously tossed sometimes cast into the fire of Lust and sometimes into the water of Drunkenness and no less are they possessed with this Dumb and Deaf Spirit Mar. 9.25 in the things of God and this Malady they have likewise from their Infancy Now when Christ call'd the Lunatick to him to confute the scoffs of the Scribes c. The Lunatick never had such a sore fit as now when he was to be Cured N.B. Note well The nearer Christ is with his Cure the more doth the Devil Rage for then did he stretch him and tear him as if he would have torn him in pieces Mar. 9.26 and 1.26 c. when he felt the over-powering power of Christ commanding him to go out and come no more in Thus things oft go backward before they come forward Duplicantur lateres Venit Moses the Tale of Bricks is doubled on Israel when Moses is sent to save them c. Corn grows downward before it comes upward Christ shews the real casting out of this plainly violent Devil by so many signs as there was no room left for those Cavillers so much as to suspect any Collusion for the Devil cry'd out as before he had done in his Legion art thou come to Torment us before the time Matth. 8.29 Now grieving that Christ had served a Writ of Ejectment upon him and now he must no longer hold that House which he had so long held in peace Luke 11.21 22. Now he plays his last pranks miserably tortures the young Man whereby he by that fact confirmed the complaint of the Father and only kills him not outright leaves him as fallen down Dead in the Spectators Apprehensions till Christ took him by the Hand set him upon his Feet and as Luke adds Restored him to his Father safe and sound wherein Christ wrought a double Miracle 1. casting out the Devil and 2. raising him to life c. Now when Christ had this fourth time reminded his Disciples of his Approaching Death partly to drive them out of their Golden Dream they had drunk in of a Temporal Kingdom which pleased them so well and stuck like pitch to their fingers that they could hardly forget it and partly to fortifie them against the Scandal of the Cross should it come unexpected and its issue be unknown therefore as Christ tells them again of his Death so of its Issue also in a glorious Resurrection Mat. 17.22 23. then follows the History of Christs paying Tribute which only Mathew of all the Evangelists Relateth Mat. 17.24 25 c. which the Holy Spirit would have Recorded principally for two causes 1. Because it contains some famous Documents of Christs Omnisciency and Omnipotency for he both knew that the Fish which he caused to come first to Peters Angle had money in its Mouth and Created that piece of Money by his bare word causing all this so to be by commanding it so to be 2. Because this Fact of Christ in paying Tribute was a Pattern to all Christians for Rendring to Caesar the things that be Caesars Matth. 22.21 Custom to whom Custom saith Paul Rom. 13.7 and submit to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake saith Peter 1 Pet. 2.13 N.B. Note well but so doth not that great Heteroclite of Rome Peters pretended Successor who in stead of paying to Demands Peter-pence of Kings and States Here Christ by his own Example points out the Pope as by his finger to be Antichrist not only in not paying Caesar his due as Christ did though he was the Son of King David as Man and the
Hope which have a purifying property Acts 15.9 1 John 3.3 N. B. Note well 1. The Gospel of grace is Congruous to a Besom made up of many Wands or Rods as it is a Complication of many Golden Truths and when it was first preached and applyed as a Besom to the Old Jerusalem it found that place far unlike the New Jerusalem which is paved with pure Gold Revel 21.21 but was more filthy than Samaria and Sodom it self Ezek. 16.47 yet then many Thousands of lost Groats were found out in it Acts 2.41 and 4 4. and 5.14 This New Besom swept clean indeed as the hot Sunshine in the Spring time sweeps clean the Streets so did the hotter Sunshine of the Gospel from the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 at this time and in this place So in Samaria many Silver pieces were sound which had been lost in the Dirt of Simon Magus's Sorcery and Atheism Acts 8.10 to 25. Oh! Bless God this Besom still lasts and Oh that it may sweep London for lost Groats N. B. Note well 2. More especially this Besom here is that grace of the Gospel to wit Repentance and so t is explained ver 10. a Sinner that Repented 't is a Christ-finding and a Soul-finding grace there is a time for all things a time for losing while in the Wilderness of sin and a time of finding as in Jer. 2.14 In her Month they shall find her when her time of Love from Christ cometh Ezek. 16.8 Now the Soul awakes out of the Sleep of sin in Christ's Image Ps 17.15 Eph. 5.14 The old House is made new in all parts 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Pet. 2.24 Eph. 2.1 2 3. This grace of Repentance sweeps sin out of all Members of the Body and faculties of the Soul c. N. B. Note well 3. This House that is swept is either 1. The great World 2 Tim. 2.20 whereof God is the bullder Hebr. 3.4 an House made up of manifold Materials and consists of upper and lower Rooms and Christ will sweep all the Dirt of Antichrist out of this World Zech. 13.2 when his own time comes he will take to himself his great power Rev. 11.15 17. God will do it in his time Isa 60.22 N. B. Note well 4. This House is 2. Meant Man the little World who is as an House made of many Materials 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all differing Members and Faculties Doors of the Ears and Windows of the Eyes differing Rooms the Heart is the inner Room which should be the Guest Chamber for the Passover Luke 22.12 the large upper Room Mark 14 15. and for Christ's Dwelling-House Eph. 3.17 This House needs Repairing Christ is the Repairer of Breaches Isa 58.12 His Father did work he wrought in the first Creation called Creatio transiens but the Son works in the New Creation which is called Creatio continuans a continual and daily work John 5.17 This House in the fallen Estate is as Babylon Revel 18.2 an Habitation of Devils till Christ come to sweep them out Luke 11.21 22. There remains still the unrenewed part Some Blood to be cleansed away which is not yet cleansed Joel 3.21 2 Cor. 7.1 Therefore must we use this Besom of Repentance every Sabbath every Sermon especially at every Sacrament where not one crum of Leaven should be left Exod. 12.15 cleanse this House as Hezekiah did the House of God 2 Chron. 29.16 18. and Nehemiah did after Nehem. 13.7 8. and Christ also John 2.15 Matth. 21.12 N. B. Note well Take heed we sin not away God and his Gospel woe to us if God go from us Hos 9.12 we may embrace the Gospel for a while and then kick it out of doors as Amnon did Tamar 2 Sam. 13.14 15 17. the like is said John 5.35 Gal. 4.15 They then would have pulled the Preachers Eyes out 't is sad when God forsook Shiloh Jer. 7.12 having lost the Ark of Gods presence 't is sad when Gods House is left Desolate Matth. 23.38 'T is sad to live in a Land of Darkness without Gospel Light Matth. 4.16 't is sad when God saith they that are filthy let them be filthy still 1 Cor. 14.38 Revel 22.11 They shall have no more of my Candle light and See John 12.35 Oh blessed be God who now feeds us as Lambs in a large place Hos 4.16 and after the manner of Lambs Isa 5.17 even in a Fathers Bosom Isa 40.11 yea with clean Provender Isa 30.23 but 't is sad when God saith Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos 4.17 I cast him out of my care I will not feed you Zech. 11.9 't is sad when God saith so and that the Kingdom of God shall be taken from us Matth. 21.43 even that which we have and what we seem to have Matth. 25.29 Luke 8.18 't is a great loss to lose the Gospel Job preferred it above his food Job 23.12 and Luther cryed Mallem in inferno c. I had rather live in Hell with the Gospel than in Heaven without it and it was our Fathers saying brown Bread and the Gospel was good cheat Oh how may our Sun set at Noon Amos 8.9 Caution Nonpayment of Rent Dues and Customs makes a forfeiture then pay the Custom of Prayer and Praises that as we have received the Candle and Besom of this blessed Gospel from our Fore-fathers so we may continue it with us while we live and transmit it to our Posterities when we dye but if our superfluity of sin be not seen by the Candle and swept out by the Besom Jam. 1.21 if we thus improve not the Gospel of peace how may the woe of War Blood Fire and Smoak come upon us Acts 2.19 Matth. 21.41 Evertit swept was turned into Evertit swept away as the Old World by Water and shall again be by fire at last c. The 3d Parable is That of the lost Son Luke 15.12 to the end take a short prospect and paraphrase upon this Parable Remark 1. The first Mystery of it is the Man here is God who hath two Sons the Jews and the Gentiles The Elder Son the Jews do envy that God magnifies his Mercy more to the younger Brother those Sinners of the Gentiles so called Gal. 2.15 than to them which Christ reproves Matth. 20.15 Remark 2. The Second Mystery of it is to Demonstrate how God doth delight in Mercy Mic. 7.18 which is seen in his readiness to receive the worst of sinners when they return to him by Repentance even a Manasseh and a Mary Magdalen c. those two None-such sinners and so this penitent Prodigal here set forth by many seemingly mis-becoming passions and postures of a Father to such a Son ver 20. Remark 3. The main purport of this Parable is also to view the Threefold State of Man in general 1. His Righteous State in his first Generation God made Man upright Eccles 7.29 Man was then an happy Child or Son in his Fathers Family but having got
necessary it is to compare all the four Evangelists together for compleating the whole Account of the Life and Death of our Dear Lord. And this Evangelist John assures us of this great Truth as being an Eye-witness of this double Witness in the blood and Water John 19.34 35. No more than what he saw with his Eyes doth the declare to us 1 John 1.3 He saw one of the Souldiers pierce the sides of Christ after he had given up the Ghost with a Spear and forthwith came there out Blood and Water which the same Author in his first Epistle calls the two things that bore Record or Testimony upon Earth This is he that came by Water and Blood not by Water only but by Blood also 1 John 5.6 Here was the foretold Fountain opened Zech 13 1â— even the sides of our Saviour to wash away Man's sin and uncleanness The God of Nature hath in such Wisdom qualified the Natural Heat of Man's Heart that nor only the Lungs are so placed as to blow cool Air upon it but also it is Situated as in a Vessel of water called the Pericardium for the Farther cooling of it and this is a Received Rule among all Learned Naturalists that if this Pericardium or skin of water about the Heart be pierced it is impossible for the Heart which is the prâ—mum vivens ultimum Moriens the first part that lives and the last that dies in Mankind should preserve life in it any longer So that this Wound the Souldier gave our Saviour in his side was a most manifest witness of the Death of Christ and as the Water and Blood did Represent the two Gospel-Sacraments Baptism and the Lord's Supper which did properly flow from the sides of Christ all the other five Mock-Sacraments in the Romish Church flowed only from the sides of Antichrist so they Resembled the two Grand Graces the Water had the Resemblance of the Grace of Sanctification and the Blood of the Grace of Justification These two Graces this beloved Disciple would not have divided each from other Therefore he saith that Christ came by both not by Water only but by blood also To shew that we are both Sanctified and Justified by the Death of our Dear Jesus the water of our Sanctifying grace washes us from the filth of sin and the Blood of Justifying Grace cleanseth and purgeth us from the guilt of sin And seeing we are but in part and not throughly Sanctified for there is ever some remaining Corruption uncleansed Joel 3.21 c. and 't is only carryed on gradually and as it were by Inches therefore the main matter of the Joy of our Salvation consisteth more in our being Justified because the grace of Justification is one gracious Act changing our State of Wrath at one instant into a State of Favour with God and spreading a Mantle as it were to cover out of God's sight the Multitude of our black sins past present and to come by the Red Robes of our Redeemers Righteousness imputed to us So that this blood and water hold forth both the imputed and the imparted Righteousness of Christ and what our Lord hath joyned together that let no Man put asunder No Man can be truly made partaker of that Righteousness which is imputed unless he have also that which is imparted our Sanctification is a blessed Evidence of our Justification We have not need of the blood only but of the water also And tho' this Apostle in 1 John 5.8 make three Witnesses on Earth the Spirit Water and Blood yet he saith these three agrees in one for Gods Spirit doth witness with our Spirits that we are truly Justified and Sanctified by Christ Rom. 8.15 16. And this is highly Remarkable that these Kill-Christ's can do nothing against him but as God had Decreed they may kill him and wound him when killed but the least bone in this Paschal Lambs Body they cannot break as it is written Exod. 12.46 Numb 9.12 No more can Satan or his Imps break the least bone of Christ's Mystical Body his Church Let us now take a general prospect of the Death of our Dear Redeemer and make some profitable Inferences from the Sundry Circumstances thereof The 1. Inference is Oh! What an heinous Evil an only Evil Ezek. 7.5 a very bitter thing Jer. 2.19 is sin that could by no possible means admit of any proportionable Expiation or Commensurate satisfaction for it but either by the Death of the Son of God the sinners Surety or by enduring the Eternal Flames of Hell in the sinners themselves every Man as well as the first Man Adam hath eaten the Forbidden Fruit of Sin and the Divine Doom for that Crime of High Treason against the Great God of Heaven the King of Kings is dreadfully Denounced in the open Court of the Holy Scriptures to wit that the Sinner shall surely Die either by himself or or by his Surety There is an infinite offence in every Act of sin as it is acted against the Authority of an Infinite God And should the sinner live for ever upon Earth he would sin for ever against Heaven therefore Eternal Torments are appointed for that Eternal principle of sinning in the faln sinner to satisfie Divine Justice And such suitable satisfaction thereunto the Highest and most Glorious of all the Created Angels in Heaven much less any Mortal Man or the Mightiest Monarch upon Earth could not possibly undertake to make No it must be only the only Son of God that could pay down the full price of our Redemption The 2. Inference is Oh! what a sad case is this that of all Impenitent Ones and Unbelievers who have no interest in the Death of this Son of God who Dyed as the Son of Man to satisfie the Justice of God from the sins of Men These cannot say that Christ dyed for us as Gal. 2.20 c. He gave his Life a Ransom for many Matth. 20.28 But for none such as these and therefore they are like unless they Repent and Believe to bear the Eternal Wrath of God yea and it may be of Man for a while too in themselves which our Dear Redeemer hath born upon the Cross for all True Penitent and Believing Persons The 3. Inference is Oh! how Hateful and Sinful Rom. 7.13 should sin be to every Soul that cost our Saviour so much unparallel'd Sufferings to satisfie for it surely could we but take a view of sin as it lay on our Saviour's Back with such weight as to squeeze out his very Hearts blood out of his Body we should then hate it with a perfect Hatred for Torturing him whom our Souls love Nature teacheth us to avoid that Wound which is hardest to Cure and most Mortal to Life therefore do we guard to our utmost our Heads and Hearts with holding our Hands betwixt them and the Blows And should not Grace teach us to avoid sin which makes the worst Wound in the World as it wounds the Soul and
so hard to Cure that the Son of God must be killed before the Soul Stab'd by sin can be Cured No less than the warm Blood of Christ on the Cross can be a Salve Soveraign and sufficient enough to heal that Incurable Sore They are fools that think it an easie thing which Christ found so costly to Reconcile sinful Man unto an Holy God The 4. Inference is Oh! that we could do to the Cursed Body of sin so called Rom. 6.6 Col. 2.11 what those Cursed Kill-Christs did to the Blessed Body of our Saviour As they did to him so should we do to sin We should 1. Apprehhend it in its places of Retirement knowing its Haunts as Saul did David's 2. When Apprehended bind it Hand and Foot that it may not break out into any more Misbehaviour 3. Lead it bound with Hands behind away to be Judged in the Court of Conscience 4. Arraign it at that Bar not with false Witnesses but true ones whereof we need not want great Store when Process and Pleading against it are impartially managed Oh! what black large and long Bills of Inditenient may be drawn up against sin for doing us Mischief Imprimis at such a time and place Item in such a day and duty and a Thousand Items to follow that to the end 5. Condemn it therefore saying with Saul that which hath done this Deed shall Die though the Lot fall on my Son Jonathan my peccatum in Delicijs my best beloved sin 6. Then spit in its face the time would fail to Descant upon all 7. Crown it with Thorns 8. Beat it Buffet it and Scourge it yea let it be stripped as well as striped 9. Nail it to the Cross so fast that it may never stir Hands or Feet more but be Crucified The 5. Inference is Oh! that we could behold the Man how this God-Man Christ Jesus dyed with his Arms spread on the Cross as the place of his Birth was an Inn. which entertains all that come to it with great Gates wide opened So this was the posture of his Death ready to Imbrace all that come by Faith and Repentance and such as do so come he will in no wise cast them out John 6.37 The 6. Inference is Oh! how should our Consciences bleed to behold Christ bleeding to Death upon the Cross considering these following Motives as First that we were those Hard-hearted Jews and our Sins were the Nails which fastened our sweet Saviour to his suffering that worst of Deaths the most Accursed Shameful Painful Lingring and most exposed Death upon the Cross where he was Hanged thereon as our Surety in our stead Though those that beheld him then did mostly Taunt and Deride him while he was in Crucifying as above yet may not we do so when we behold Christ Crucified before our Eyes in his Word and Sacraments Gal. 3.1 1 Cor. 2.2 We must mourn over him whom we have pierced Zech. 12.10 and behold him with bleeding Hearts and not Crucifie to our selves the Son of God afresh and put him again to an open shame Hebr. 6.6 How much sorer punishment are such Sentenced to be worthy off Hebr. 10.29 c. It was we who Eat the sowr Grapes the forbidden Fruit and our Saviours Teâ—th are set on edge therewith c. Secondly That Christ Dyed the basest of Death's to teach us the Desert of our sins for which we all deserve to Die the worst kind of Deaths as he did for us whereby he hath not only purchased a more Calm Quiet and Comfortable Death that we may die in our Nests as Job saith chap. 29.18 that is at my own Home and upon my own Couch or Resting-place But also he Sanctified all sorts of Death to his Saints whether they be Hanged Drowned or Burned whether they be sawn asunder or slain with the Sword c. Heb. 11.37 Our Lord and sinless Saviour deserved to die the best of Deaths yea not to die at all seeing Death is the Wages of sin Rom. 6.23 Where no sin is found there no Death is due Yet as he became the surety for sinful Man so the worst of Deaths due to us himself dyed for us He dyed in a shameful place to purchase a better place for us to die in he died in the Field that we may die in our Houses he dyed in that base place of Skulls that we may die in the best Room of our Dwellings and he dyed on his Cross that we may die in our Beds and that among our Friends and with Ease and Comfort For Christ's dying among his Enemies and with utmost Extremity and Desertion hath purchased it for us But suppose any Saints be brought to die a Dolorous and violent Death as their Lord did and as many Martyrs in all Ages have done and still daily do and tho' they must say therein as the Penitent Thief said upon the Cross we indeed are justly in this same Condemnation for we Receive the due Reward of our Deeds Luke 23.40.41 yet hath our Saviour by suffering the bitterest of Deaths so Sanctified all sorts of such shameful and painful Deaths to his Saints that there is not one Dram no nor so much as a Grain though Deserted Souls do find a Scruple of the Poison of the Wrath of God therein Naturalists do relate that the Beasts of the Field dare not drink of the Fountain untill the Unicorn come first to dip in his Horn which sucks up all the Venom out of the Waters and then the Beasts dare drink most freely So our Saviour by his Cursed Death hath sâ—â—ked up all the Curse of every sort of Death into himself he hath drunk up the bitter part of the Cup leaving only the sweet for us Insomuch that all who die in the Faith Hebr. 11.13 though they be drown'd in Water on burn'd in the Fire c. yet do they die in the Favour of God though they die by the Frowns of Men Therefore should our Consciences be greatly concerned and our Hearts bleed freely melting kindly into Tears and Tenderness while a bleeding Dying Jesus is set before our Contemplations Oh! how melting should be our Meditations upon Christ's Death 'T is a Rule in Physick that Diverting the Circulating course of the Blood is the best Expedient for Curing any excessive bleeding in any part as bleeding a Vain in the Arm stops immoderate bleeding at the Nose Would to God we could thus correct our excessive Weepings for Losses and Crosses by Diverting that over-free because a Natural issue by giving a due Vent to our Weeping over our Dear Redeemer thus Dying and bleeding to Death for saving our Souls and making satisfaction for our sins Lastly Learn hence to love the Lord Jesus our Jonah as that Prophet Jonah could not endure the East-wind to blow and the Sun-shines Heat to beat upon his Head for himself yet could be content to be cast over board into the Sea to be Drowned for saving the Ship and its whole Crew So
a door of hope may be opened All these are only done by an Heavenly Hand But again it may be Objected If the Angel rolled not away the Stone to let the Lord out of the Tomb how could he get out Did the Lord's Body penetrate and pass through the Body of the Stone A penetration of Diameters thus is against all Rules of Philosophy Ans 1st This Question may well be answered by asking other questions of the same Nature This way of Answering is well warranted by our Lord 's own Example Mat. 21.23 c. Mark 11.28 c. Luke 20.2 c. when Assaulted with Cavillers he doth Nodum Nodo Dissipare Untye one Knot with another and Answers one Question by Asking another in stead of giving a direct Answer So here I ask 1. How Christ passed through the Womb of that Virgin Woman his Mother Mary yet she still retained her Virginity 2. How he passed through the Doors which were shut and stood in the midst of the Room where his Disciples were Assembled And 3. How his Body passed through the Body of the Heavens which some say are as solid as Brass at his Ascension into Heaven The 2d Answer If Christ in his state of Humiliation while his Flesh was mortal could miraculously make the fluid Waters to bear the weight of his solid Body when he walketh upon the weak Waves of the Sea as upon the firmest Pavement then no doubt need be made of this now in his state of Exaltation but that he could by the same miraculous power make his now glorified Body to pass through this great Stone 'T was a greater Work that Christ by his Creating Power wrought when he did hang the Ponderous Body of the whole Earth upon nothing Job 26.7 Ponderibut librata suis Hanging like a Ball in the midst of the Thin Air which compasseth it round about Christ the Creator John 1.3 did this Father Jerom who said the Manner of Christ's rising is not revealed to any mortal as before yet saith in this point that Assuredly the Creature did yield to the Creator though we know not the distinct manner how Modern Divines say it was by Rarefaction and Attenuation for now he being declared to be the Almighty Son of God Rom. 1.4 might easily ratifie his own Body or Attenuate and Dilate the great Stone what cannot the Omnipotent Power of Christ the Creator do Common experience demonstrates that the Sun of the Firmament can pierce in his Beams through a Glass Window c How much more may this Sun of Righteousness when Risen in Power make his glorified Body to pass through a solid Stone and that with as much ease as our Mortal bodies do pass through the Air or through Water and none but Atheists do doubt that such Bodies as are buried in an Iron Coffin shall be made able to rise through such Coffins at the general Resurrection Undoubtedly such is the Power of a Glorified Body that it may pass through those Bodies that are solid Natural Philosophy is no Rule for Super-natural Divinity Christ's Divine Nature did effect this for his Humane The 3d Answer Seeing the Romanists do misimprove those aforesaid Motions for palliating their Doctrine of the Real Presence though to no real or convincing purpose for Christ appeared in his own form visibly to Mary Magdalen c but so he doth not in the Popish Mass therefore we say that Christ by the mighty Divine Power wherewith he raised up his Body Ephes 1.19 might raise up the Great Stone open the Grave and shut it again This is the more probable because a Created Angel could open the Prison-Doors always of great strength and weight and shut them again with all safety as if they had not been opened at all for releasing the Apostles Acts 5.19 23. and another Angel made the Iron-Gate to open on its own Accord for Peter's release Acts 12.7 8 9 10. How much more might the Lord of Angels do this as he came in among his Disciples when the Doors were shut John 20.19 no Doors can keep Christ out from his which the Popish Doctor disputing with Mr. Robert Smith Martyr urged to prove Christ's presence in the Bread because he could pass through the Doors to his Disciples But the Holy Martyr gave the Doting Doctor this smart Repartee saying Although it be said that when Christ came to his Disciples the Doors were shut yet have I as much to prove that the Doors opened at his coming as you have Mr. Doctor to prove that he passed through the Door I know saith Job thou canst do every thing Job 42.2 2dly As the Manner of Christ's Resurrection was wonderful in respect of the Almighty Power by which he raised himself Ephes 1.19 20. where we have a most emphatical heap of most Divine and Significant words to express that which can never be fully expressed no nor sufficiently comprehended in any humane conceptions A six-fold Gradation the Apostle useth to shew what a prodigious power God putteth forth in quickening the Heart by Faith so that he useth more than a meer moral swasion contrary to the Arminian Assertion even the same Almighty Power that he put forth is raising his Son Christ from the Dead So it was wonderful also in respect of its Singularity Though Christ was not the first that was raised from the Dead yet was he first that ever was raised up in so singular a manner not only by his own Intrinsick Divine Power but also by putting off his own Grave-cloths wherewith Joseph and Nicodemus had wrapped his dead Body John 19.40 and leaving them folded together and laid in their proper places behind him John 20.7 we read of many others in Scripture who were indeed raised up from Death to Life both in the Old Testament and in the New 1. In the Old omitting other Instances the Man whom the Israelites in a fright cast into Elisha's Sepulchre to lie buried there upon the touch of the Prophet's Bones and the Dead Corpse indeed revived and stood upon his feet 2 Kin. 13.21 but we read not of any Power the Revived Man had to untye his own Winding-sheet or the Napkin that tyed up his fallen Chaps 2. In the New Testament we read of three dead persons raised up to Life one in the Chamber of Death to wit the Ruler's Daughter as she lay newly dead in the room of her dying Bed Mat. 9.24 25 c. Another that had been dead some due time and was carried forth upon a Bier towards the place of his Burial this was the Widow's Son Luke 7. v. 12 15. and a Third who had been Dead some time and even buried four days so upon the Borders of Putrefaction namely Lazarus John 11.39 44. yet as none of these Three had any power to raise or revive themselves so nor to loose off their own Bands wherewith Death had bound them when revived As the Moral or Mystery of that one Instance in the Old
Evangelist who describes here his miraculous entrance whereas this is only a cunning conveyance 2. Others are of opinion that the Phrase the door being shut John 20 19. Imports only the Evening-tide because that is the common time every where of shutting doors c. But this is to put a Tautology upon the Gospel seeing the Evening tide is expressed before this clause The 3d Opinion which is mostly received saith that he entered miraculously yet the Sentiments of the learned about the modification of this miracle are various also for 1. Some say that the doors a creature gave way to Christ the Creator as above But here Men come with natural Reason wherewith they raise a deal of Dust and Doubts Objecting How could this be a true body that came in while the doors were shut one solid body cannot pass through another body that remains solid this would be a penetration of Diameters or dimensions which rule of Philosophy rendring it impossible is repugnant to the reality and solidity of Christ's body if it so passed Answ The 1st I know the Romanists do affirm that Christ passed through the dours here for the better proving their Doctrine of Transubstantation saying as He passed through the doors so he can make his Body to pass into the Bread but suppose Christ made his Body pass through the door yet retained he the same figure proportion and dimension that He had before which the Papists as is above said cannot show us in their Waters or â—read Therefore there is a vast difference herein Answ The 2d They of the Reformed Religion do more rationally say which brings is the 2d Sentiment about iâ— modification that Christ by his Almighty power did so alter the very substance of the doors So that his spiritual body so called 1 Cor. 15.44 might pass â—orow He who so Thickened the Waters as to make them able to beâ—r his Body and to walk upon them in his state of humiliation could much more thin the Solâ—â—â—â— of those Doors so as to make them penetrable to himself in his state of exaltation 't was more easy for him to make the Wood so thin as to pass through it in his â—econd state that to make the Water so thick as to walk upon it in his first state But the 3d Sentâ—ment is that it was not passing through the Wood as the Fire passeth with the heat through the Iron and the Sun with the beams through the Glass Windows c. Both Bodies remaining intire and found but that the doors did really open and shut again unperceived by the Apostles through a Divine miraculoâ—â— power seâ—ing to more is intimated in Scripture against this opinion than against the other and this is the more probable because we have the like instance in an inferior's caâ—â— to wit that of Peter and the Apostles the Prison Doors were opened the Prisoners were brought forth and the Gates were safely shut again though the keâ—pâ—rs were present and stood before the Doors yet did not perceive either the opening and shutâ—ing of the Gates or the escape of their Prisoners Acts 5.28 to 24. So Peter's ease alone Acts 12.4 6 to 12. Answ The 3d If we knâ—w the manner how Christ came into the Room by natural reason then would it be no miracle which all acknowledg it to be yea a double miracle both that he came in when the Doors were shut and that he came in so suddenly so unexpectedly and so insensibly to all So that where reason ends and can render no rational account there 's the Room for saith to begin N.B. The Antients say of this double miracle that it was like that of Christs walking upon the Sea and coming to the Disciples whom they supposed to be a Spirit Matth. 14.25 26. And Cyril in particular saith no man need to doubt in what manner our Lord's Body passed in when the Doors were shut when he understandâ— that this is written not of a meer mortal Man such as we only are but of thâ— Omnipotent Son of God yea Augustine adds Where the deity is no bodily thing can hinder entrance see more of this point before in Christ's rising out of his Grave where a great stone my upon him As his entrance and invisible approach were both wonderful so were both his posture and situation which put the Disciples into a dreadful affright supposing he had been a Spirit Luke 24.37 which with ver 36. brings us unto The 4th Remark to wit his Actions and speeches to them herein Note 1. That his posture was a Standing and not a Sitting Posture that he might the better demonstrate how he was both alive and in health having no need of a Seat to rest on 2. He situates himself in the midst of that Assembly not only as a pastour in the midst of his people but also to convince them that he was no Spectrum or Spirit which are wont to creep into corners as they imagined him to be and that not one of the good but of the evil Spirits no better than a Devil 3. He Salutes them with Peace be unto you more like God than a Devill whose Visage is Dreadful and his Message War and Confusion but not Peace N.B. Who can but wonder that Christ should bring Peace from the Grave and proclaim it also to a company of forlorn Renegadoes that had most Sordidely deserted him and his service Yet even these very Persons must have peace propounded to them who were worthy of War only and Destruction and this he proclaimed twice for their greater comfort John 20.19 21 Oh happy they though Backsliders to whom Christ speaks peace They shall have Pacem Omnimodam all kind of Peace with their Creator with all Creatures and with their own Consciences 4. To confute their fancies and fears he shewed them his hands feet and Side marked with marks of his wounds on the Cross c. That he was no Spirit Luke 24.39 c. N. B. Here a doubt ariseth how his glorified Body could retain any wounds after his Resurrection For Paul saith that our Bodies shall be raised in glory without any blemish or deformity at all Answ Christ had not yet put on his full glory Those Skars he purposely retained to convince his Disciples that he was the wâ—ry Body which was Crucified and these were Trophee-marks of his Victors and Triumph N.B. Indeed there is a differing method in the two Evangelist's Luke's and John's Relation of this Fifth Appearance for Luke proposes the Question whether Christ were Truly risen from the Dead shewing how the Disciples doubted of it from two contrary passions Fear and Joy Luke Ch. 24 3â— and 41. Says they were afraid it was too good too Joyful news to be true Then he shews how Christ did demonstrate the Truth thereof both by Signs and by Testimonies His signs were two fold By Words in reproving their Idle Fears verse 38. In declaring that it was he he himself ver 39 And
among common Malefactors and though they were fetched out from Prison by an holy Angel yet were they after beaten by these wicked men v. 40. Note Oh the Tenderness of God to his tender Servants while these Apostles were but tender Striplings and not yet grown up to maturity God stays the Rough Wind in the day of the East-Wind and lets it out of his fist as Prov. 30.4 not whole bushels of Affliction at once but only by peck and by peck as the Hebrew word signifies Isa 27.8 as his people are made able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 They were but tender Plants at their being first filled with the Spirit Acts 2.4 so must not at the first be blown upon with the boisterous blasting and blustering Euroclydon Acts 27.14 or East-Wind of Persecution lest those Trees of Righteousness of God's planting and watering Isa 61.3 should be too much shaken or blowed down quite by the Roots But now after they were filled the second time with the Spirit Acts 4.31 and so better fitted for suffering work by the Spirit of Glory that rested on them 1 Pet. 4.14 they must now grapple with greater Sufferings at this time N.B. There is most comfortable Gospel in that Levitical Law What Vessel is not able to bear the purifying by Fire it shall suffice to rinse them by Water Numb 31.23 In God's great House there be various Vessels some of Wood as well as others of Gold c. 2 Tim. 2.20 21. The Psalmist speaks of both a passing through the Fire and also a passing through the Water Psal 66.10 12. So compassionate and tender-hearted is our heavenly Father toward us that rather than our spirit should fail in the day of our Affliction because our strength is small Prov. 24. v. 10. he will not over-afflict us with Fiery Trials it shall suffice to purifie us with brackish Waters c. He will suit the stroke to the strength he will proportion the burden to the back of the bearer Thus dealt God with David's Son gently chastizing him with the Rod of weak Men 2 Sam. 7.14 15. as tender Parents chasten their stubborn Children to break their stomachs but not their bones God will not scourge us with Scorpions nor crush us with the weight of his own mighty hand upon us The third Remark is that no Humane Misery can befal the Church and Children of God but there is a suitable Salvo of Divine Mercy They can meet with no kind of Malady upon Earth but what may have a more powerful and preponderating Remedy from Heaven Note God sometimes shifts hands and changes means and methods of his Church's Deliverance as here The first was by an Angel the second by Men he works both ways by Peter's Apology or by Gamaliel's Counsel he will be exalted in his own strength when not in the strength of the creature Psal 21.13 not by might but spirit Zech. 4.6 Here the foul Fiend of Hell the Devil by his Imps prevails so far as to cast the Apostles into Prison there he lodges and confines them But is the matter carried so No God sends an Angel who over-powers and out-pulls the Devil makes a forcible Entry with a Rescue and pulls the Prisoners out of Prison c. God could have delivered them by other means but he useth here the Ministry of Angels for the better confirmation of their new exercised Faith letting them see by experience that he had given his Angels charge over them Psal 91.11 And the same and no less is the priviledge of all that fear God The Angels incamp round about them Psal 34.7 They are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister to all Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 Suppose Satan as our Saviour saith Rev. 2.10 should cast some of us into Prison still God's hand is not shortned 't is God's Ordinance doubtless and the good we must now look for from Angels is as they are in the hands of a Mediator Gal. 3.19 They are all under Christ's Power Matth. 11.27 and 28.18 They ministred to him Matth. 4.11 and Rolled away the Stone from the mouth of his Sepulchre Mat. 28.2 They healed Bodies John 5.4 opened Prisons as here and Acts 12.7 N.B. And undoubtedly they do many signal and singular services for God's Servants still though their visible Apparitions be ceased yet their invisible Operations for Heirs of Salvation shall never cease Some have thought they have felft the touch of an Angel when they have been entring upon some evil Act and thereby have been reclaimed 'T was doubtless an Angel that spoke to Mr. Laremouth a Scotch Minister and Chaplain to the Lady Ann of Cleve and being praying in Prison in the Marian days saying once twice thrice Arise and go thy ways whereupon he arising from his knees and ending his prayer immediately a piece of the Prison-wall fell down whereby he not only was delivered from being crushed to pieces but also escaped beyond Sea c. N.B. God will now have us to live by Faith and not to walk by Sense and therefore we must not see those Ministring Angels yet ought we so to believe as to improve this Ordinance of God N. B. It may be God will make use of Angels to throw down Babylon with Violence and with a Vengeance Rev. 18.21 When Rome that Rueful Milstone which hath grounded to Powder so many Myriads of Saints shall be irreparably Ruined yea rather than the Everlasting Gospel should not be Preached perpetually but fail by the forced silence of holy Men's Ministry God may make an Angel Preach it c. Rev. 14.6 No doubt but Angels do now act for the Church and Children of God though invisibly their hands are under their wings Ezek. 1.8 They are not seen now because Christ governs his Church in a spiritual way yet have we communion with them by Christ though in an invisible manner Hec. 12.22 They are our Nurses to keep us in our way wherein while we abide they protect us c. This they do for us from our Birth to our Death and then as Nurses they carry home the Nurse-child to the Father's house at his command Luke 16.22 Holy Angels fight for us though the Devil and his Angels fight against us Rev. 12.7 This is comfort The 4th Remark is God works such convincing and such confounding Deliverances for his Church and Children that their Adversaries are non-plus'd and horribly perplexed thereby Thus was it with these Adversaries 't is said They doubted about these wonderful things that were done whereunto this Deliverance would grow Acts 5.24 The word translated They doubted is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be thrust into inextricable straits to be profoundly perplexed so 't is read of Herod Luke 9 7. They as he did stood here amuzed and amazed they as it were stuck fast in the Mud and could find no way out and knew not which way to turn themselves They were in such doubt and fear as put them to a loss what
of death till they see Christ come in this Kingdom Matthew 16.28 The seventh Comfort is Tho' the ordinary time proposed in the precious promise of Christ's coming to save Zion in the common way of Divine Providence be usually when his whole work is done upon Mount Zion namely 1. His Humbling-work for Sin 2. His Purging and Purifying work from Sin And 3. His Preparing work for her Reception of his saving mercy Isa 10.12 Then will her King come to disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon who have so long disquiet the Inhabitants of Zion Ier. 50.34 Yet by his extraordinary prerogative of free grace sometimes when Zion's King beholds unsufferable insolency in her Enemies This will bring him sooner before he can find any innocency in her self and before that Three-fold work afore said be wrought upon her Observe how the Lord argues I would scatter them c. were it not that I feared the wrath of the Enemy least their adversaries should behave them insolently and say me non voluisse aut non valuisse that I would not or could not save them c. Deu. 32.26 27. Therefore saith the Lord The feet of my Peoples Foes shall slide in due time c. verse 35. but my People themselves shall be exalted in due time 1 Pet. 5.6 If they be not weary of well doing they shall reap in due Season Gal. 6.9 God will not grant the desires of the wicked as David prays least they should exalt themselves Psalms 140 8. His Mercy Triumphs over his Justice James 2.13 and saves them with a Non-obstante with a Nevertheless and with a Notwithstanding their Sins c. Psa 106.8 and 78.38 but 't is more distinctly demonstrated in Ezek the 20. wherein we have the whole sum of the Law and of the Gospel and where mercy many times catcheth hold of the hands of Justice and keeps them from striking his Servants as appeareth from verse 4. to 44. all along God oft wrought for his own name's sake that it should not be polluted c. verse 14 21 and 43 44. when they had more highly provoked him so that he could not save them for their sake yet brought he them into the bonds of the Covenant verse 37. yea and his most gracious repentings were after all this so kindled together as to cry out how shall I give the up Ephraim I cannot find in my heart to be so unkind to thee for I am God and not man and I have holy ones in the midst of thee c. Hos 11.8 9. I will not destroy the Vine for the sake of the few Clusters that have blessings in them Isa 65.8 God would not destroy Sodom and her four Cities had there been found but ten Righteous Persons in those five Cities Gen. 18.32 We therefore do well to argue in prayer to God as Moses did What will the Egyptians say c. Exodus 32.12 and Numb 14 13 14. and as Joshua What wilt thou do to thy great Name Joshua 7.7 8 9. both those Arguments then did prevail with God and why not now c The eighth Cordial is Tho' God will and out of his very faithfulness Psal 119.75 Chastize his Childern for whom he loves he chastens yet he doth not love to chasten Heb. 12.6 7 8. Rev. 3.19 Lam. 3.33 He hath tears in his eyes when a Rod is in his hand c. Therefore he assureth us he will not chide for ever least their Spirits should fail and the souls that he hath made c. Isa 57.15 16 17 18 19. He always corrects in measure Jer. 30.11 and measures it only out by Peck and by Peck and not by whole Bushels at once as the Hebrew runs staying his rough wind in the day of his East wind Isa 27.7 8. The Lord saith I will hear your cryes for I am gracious Exo. 22.27 And even as a Father pitties his Child so the Lord pitties us Psalm 103.13 'T is well known that a little correction satisfies a kind Father for a great fault in his dear Child when the Child swoons under its scourging then the Father lets the Rod fall down on the ground takes up his Child into his Bosom and falls on kissing it to fetch life into it again thus God did to Ephraim Jer. 31.18 20. He stirs not up all his wrath Ps 78.38 but in midst of wrath remembers mercy Hab. 3 2◠〈◊〉 rule is as we are able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 And his anger is but for a very little while and then it ends in burning the Rod. Isa 10 5 25. So that we have need but of a little more patience Heb. 10.36 James 1.4 Rev. 13.10 And God will give an expected end Jeremiah 29.11 The ninth Cordial is Zion's King is not so Titulo tenus in an empty Title and no more but will come and set up his fifth Kingdom after all the four Grand Kingdoms the Assyrian the Persian the Graecian and the Roman be destroyed The Humane Philosophers do question whether there be a Quinta Essentia a Fifth Essence distinct from the four Elements Earth Water Air and Fire Yet Divine Daniel doth demonstrate that there shall be a Fifth Kingdom tho' Daniel doth obscurely compare the four aforesaid Kingdoms unto four Boysterous and Blustering Winds Dan. 7.2 the fourth whereof namely that of the Roman Caesars was more violent and more permanent than any of the other Three for first The Foundation of that Kingdom was laid in violence and blood at the beginning of it as Julius Caesar who was the first of the Caesars was violently as it were digged out of his Mothers belly when he came into the World and accordingly was his Soul as violently digged out of his Body with stabbing Bodkins when he went out of the World And secondly This last of the four blustering Winds hath lasted longest in blood and violence for near to Two thousand years But we are told of a small still Wind or Voice 1 Kings 19.11 12. which had the Lord in it whereas neither the strong Wind nor the Earthquake nor the Fire all foregoing had none of them the Lord in them This small still breathing Wind or Voice may have a relation to the Kingdom of Christ who is call'd a Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 and Peace upon Earth good will to men Luke 2.14 and whose Kingdom consists of Peace and Joy Rom. 14.17 This is the small still Voice that will at last most effectually becalm all the four violent Winds c. But Daniel doth more plainly declare the four aforesaid Kingdoms all which he expresly compared to four foul Beasts Dan. 7.3 4 5 6 7. then after the final fall of all those four Beastly Kingdoms he addeth a fifth Kingdom which he calleth the Kingdom of a Man verse 13 14. to wit of God-man the Lord Jesus whose Kingdom shall never be destroyed N.B. Christ's Kingdom hath not a finis consumptionis but only a finis consummationis Tho' it shall be