A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament
The fourth Remark is concerning Joseph in four Respects.
1. His Age, ver. 22. 2. His Off-spring, ver. 23. 3. His Last Will and Testament, ver. 24, 25. And 4. His Death and Burial, ver. 26.
First of the first of these, Joseph 's Age, he lived an hundred and ten years, ver. 22. Mark the Divine Comment God made upon Solomon 's Sapiential saying, [Prosperity is set over against Adversity,] Eccles. 7.14. and the marvelous proportion of both. He did not only receive good from the Hands of the Lord as well as evil, Job 2.10. but also his good far exceeded his evil, seeing for his about thirteen years Adversity, he enjoyed after that full eighty years of the most Honorable Prosperity, even as much Happiness as this lower World could well afford him: Thus also God dealt with Job, giving him an hundred and forty years of Temporal as well as Spiritual Blessings in abundance after the Lord turned his Captivity, Job 42.10, 12, 16, 17. Thus God Honoured Joseph in Egypt, where he had no Divine Oracle or Angel to speak to him as the other Patriarchs had, yet was he all along like a Pearl in a Puddle, keeping his Virtue still where-ever he came, as God was with him, Gen. 39.2. and last; so God's fear was before him, ver. 9. though the Iron entered into his Soul, Psal. 105.18. (or his Soul came into Iron, Hebrew) yet sin could not enter into his Heart, because it was fraught with the fear of God when it was suggested to him that his becoming a Minion to one of the greatest Ladies in Egypt would not only afford him much Carnal Pleasure, but also Release him out of Prison, and Advance him to the Highest Worldly Honor, he contemns the Temptation, furnishing the Tempter with nothing but wet Tinder to strike Fire upon, resolving to lie still in the Dust, rather than rise by any way of wickedness. This was strong Faith, and therefore is he made the tenth Exemplary Witness of Faith, Heb. 11.22.
Secondly, Joseph 's Off-spring; God blessed him for his Holiness with so long a Life after his Affliction, that he lived to see his Son Ephraim 's grand Children's Children, Gen. 50.23. yea, and to Dance and Dandle with great delight upon his Lap the Grand-Children of his Son Manasseh: This was another Branch of God's Blessing upon him for his Holiness shining forth so splendidly in him, notwithstanding his want of those helps in Egypt (of God or Angels speaking audibly to him) which his Fore-fathers had: Dr. Lightfoot affirmeth that Ephraim at Joseph 's Death could not be less than threescore and fifteen years old, and therefore that passage concerning Ephraim 's Sons being slain by the Men of Gath, 1 Chron. 7.21, 22, 23. seemeth to be not very long after Joseph 's Death, if not before it. 'It is probable (saith he) that third Generation of Ephraim (mentioned Gen. 50.23.) were the Persons so unhappily slain by the Inhabitants of the Land. In those Antient Times it was usual for one Country to Invade another Adjacent, as Philistines (or Men of Gath ) the Egyptians their next Neighbors, and to carry thence their Booties: This probably had been done upon Goshen the utmost part of Egypt, and Bordering on the Philistines. The Children of Ephraim (presuming on their Numbers and Strength) might Attempt to Requite the Plunderers, and Recover their Losses, wherein they miscarried (as is related) for which Ephraim Mourned many days, &c.
Thirdly, Joseph 's Last Will and Testament, Gen. 50.24, 25. which he delivered by Faith, Heb. 11.22. consisting of two Branches.
1. His mentioning Israel 's Exodus or departure out of Egypt, foreseeing they would be hardly used after his Decease, yet God would visit them with Grace and Mercy, after he had visited them with Justice and Anger, to wean them from the Idolatry of Egypt, that they might not carry it along with them into the Land of Promise, and because they were tainted therewith, therefore the Lord Aired and Sweetned them from the stench thereof full Forty years in the Wilderness, and then brought them into Canaan: Joseph lived with his Brethren (after his Return with them from Burying Jacob ) in Egypt fifty three years, or more, in great peace and plenty; but at his Death began their Egyptian Bondage: Their Liberty and Worldly Felicity died with Joseph, as afterwards Israel 's Prosperity died with Josiah: Yet dying Joseph foretold them by Faith, that the Promise of fetching them forth, and giving them Canaan would assuredly be Accomplished; which Prophecy of Joseph was fulfilled about an hundred and sixty years after his Death, so long did their Misery and Slavery last before Moses came.
The second Branch of Joseph 's Last Will was a command concerning his Bones, Heb. 11.22. He saith not [my Body] but [my Bones] because he foresaw that his Body would be consumed in the Coffin before their departure out of Egypt, and nothing but his Bones would then remain unchanged: This highly commends Joseph 's Faith, who though he saw the Promise afar off, Heb. 11.13. even an hundred and sixty years distance betwixt his Death and Israel 's Departure, yet he Imbraced it, neither despising it, nor doubting of its Truth.
Hence the fourth Respect is introduced, to wit, his Death and his order of the place of his Burial: His good Father left his Son a good Example. Jacob would not be Buried in Egypt, the Jewish Rabbies say, because he foresaw that the Dust of Egypt would by Moses be turned into Lice, &c. What a shame it is, that many Men are Buried quick in the World and in Sin? This shows Joseph 's goodness in imitating,
1. So good a Father, not to lay his Bones in so bad a place, hoping a better Resurrection.
2. In discharging the Duty of a dying Saint, remembering God's Promise, whereby David did still all murmurings, Psal. 77.9, 10, 11.
3. In retaining his love to the Land of Promise; it seems hereby, Egypt had not Joseph 's Heart and Affections, though he had his Honor and Grandeur therein: For he takes care his Bones shall be carried thence.
4. In providing such a standing Memorial of Israel 's Deliverance from Bondage; the sight of Joseph 's Bones did Preach Deliverance to them during that tedious time of their Slavery: Thus our Lord hath left his Body and Blood amongst us as Remembrancers of our Deliverance from Sin.
5. In resolving, when his living Body cannot go to Canaan, that his Dead Bones should be carried thither: Thus our Edward the first had a strong desire to go to the Holy Land, but being prevented, charged his Son upon his Death-bed to carry his Heart thither, leaving 32000 l. to defray charges. His Superstition shames our remissness in not sending our Hearts to those Ordinances which we cannot now come at: The want of an Ordinance may be an Ordinance, especially where there is love to it, longings and lamentings after it: We do all things when we purpose and endeavor to do all things, and mourn that we can do no more.
6. In taking such care to keep possession of the Land of Promise, even while he lived and laid in Egypt: The Amorties in Jacob 's absence had Seized on his purchased Field, yet the Title is still claimed and recovered: Oh that we could maintain on Earth good Intelligence with Heaven, and claim our Title there by just means!
The Fifth Remark is, it was during this long Interval betwixt Joseph 's Death and Israel 's Deliverance out of their Egyptian Bondage, that Joseph 's Nephews, the Ephraimites, attempted their own Deliverance before the time appointed by God, not long after Joseph 's Death, and even while their Father Ephraim was yet alive. Hasty work seldom ends well; sure I am this ended with ill success, to the great Grief and Regret of their Aged Father, who mourned for this miscarriage many days, 1 Chron. 7.22. This seems to have happened a little before the rigor of the Egyptian Slavery, and before the Reign of that new King (mentioned Exod. 1.8.) who knew not Joseph, as the five Kings of Egypt (his Predecessors,) had done: Those Ephraimites would have been carrying their Grandfather's Bones out of the Land before God's time, and before the Sins of the Amorites were full, Gen. 15.16. therefore the Inhabitants of the Land fought fiercely (pro Aris & Focis) for holding fast their own Lands and Livings, and not to be turned out of their Tenements before the time: This furious fight of the Philistines upon their own ground, the Ephraimites (because the Lord was not amongst them, as afterward among the Murm • rers, Num. 14.42.) were not able to stand before so sharp a shock, but turned their Backs in the Day of Battle, as is said, Psal. 78.9. and then was it, that it went so ill with the house of Ephraim, 1 Chron. 7.23. Notwithstanding this, Joseph 's Prophecy concerning the carriage of his Bones, was in God's time accomplished; Moses was mindful of Joseph 's last Will, and Israel 's Oath (they Swore to him, Gen. 50.25.) therefore in Conscience of Duty, the Coffin was carried out with Israel, Exod. 13.19. which was Buried in the Valley of Achor, that Door of Hope of a better Resurrection; namely, in that Field near Shechem, &c. Josh. 24.32. Thus long did Joseph willingly wait for his Burial in Canaan, being not immediately after his Death carried thither, as Jacob was, but defers his Interment to this time, because he would not disoblige the Egyptians, who would have censured him for contemning their Land, as if that which had been the place of his living in Honor were not thought good enough by him for his lying in when Dead; this would have highly incensed them against his Survivers.
The Sixth Remark, The History of Job, &c. falls in order of time betwixt Joseph 's Death in Egypt, and Israel 's Departure out of Egypt. This may rationally be concluded from these Grounds:
- 1. No mention is made in the whole Book of Job, either of the Children of Israel, or of their grievous Sufferings in Egypt, and Deliverance out of it, which had been most suitable and pertinent to the purpose.
- 2. Job is prefer'd for his Piety before any man then alive, even before his patience had given such a luster to his Piety, then the Church must be in a very low Ebb.
- 3. After the giving of the Law, Sacrificing was confined to the Tabernacle, &c. but Job Sacrificed in a Country of the Gentiles, Men after were bid to Sacrifice at God's Altar, Exod. 20.24.
- 4. After Moses time, the knowledge of God was extinct among the Gentiles, which before had been made known to divers by Dreams and Visions, but then peculiar to Israel.
- 5. Job lived near two Hundred years old, Chap. 1, 2, 3. and 42.16. whereas after Moses Man lived far shorter, Psal. 90.10. God began to cut Man's life much sooner off in Israelites, and all others.
- 6. If Eliphaz, was the fourth from Esau of Teman, as Amram was from Jacob and Levi, this shows their Contemporizing, and that Job lived when it went sadliest with Israel in Egypt.
The particular Remarks concerning Job are,
First, That the Book is no parable or poetical Fiction (as some have dotingly said) but a real History, which is clearly demonstrated both by the contexture of the whole, giving a distinct account of all circumstances of Persons, Places, Actions, &c. and by the succeeding Penmen of the sacred Scripture, more especially who mention Job as a real and eminent Pattern of Piety and Patience, as Ezek. 14.14. (where he is quoted and coupled with Noah and Daniel, two Persons that acted glorious Works in the World) and Jam. 5.11. Some suppose that Job was a Son of Nahor Abraham 's Brother, descended from him by his Son Uz, as Elihu was of his Son Buz, Gen. 22.20, 21. Job 32.2. and so Elihu came to live near to Job, who was Son of the Elder Brother, as he was of the Younger; others suppose him to be that Jobab of Esau 's Posterity, Gen. 36.33, 34. being a Magistrate and Judge in his Country, Job 29.7, 8, 9, &c. whose Name was contracted into Job by his Adversity, who before was called Jobab (at length) in the day of his Prosperity. There is an odd Story Jacobus Justus relates in the Notes to his Map of the Holy Land, that Balaam, Job, and Jethro, were Pharaoh 's Counselors when Moses was born, and found by Thermutis the King's Daughter, who brought him into the Court; Moses, while a Child, trampled Pharaoh 's Crown under his feet. Balaam said, It presaged Destruction to the State; Job would have nothing determined against him; but Jethro said, it was only a childish Trick, so not to be regarded; whence these three sped afterward accordingly, Balaam was slain, Job afflicted, and Jethro made happy by Moses affinity.
The Second Remark is, the Book of Job is a Tragi-Comedy, writ either, First, by Job himself, who wished the History were written in a Book, Job 19.23, 24. so after his Deliverance might answer his own with. Or, Secondly, Elihu, who came not from far, as the other three did, but neighboured upon him, and nameth not himself as coming with them, and who saith, [ I will show my opinion, &c. Job 32.15, 16, 17.] Or, Thirdly, By Moses in Midian, who wrote it for the comfort of Israel sorely distressed in Egypt. Whoever was the Penman, it matters not, God was its Author, and Paul quotes Job 5.19. as canonical, 1 Cor. 3.19. the whole Book setting forth Job 's fall from a very great height of Dignity into the very depth of Misery by Satan 's Malice, first against his Estate, and then against his Body: The Dialogues his three Friends held with him, were to convince him, that his Sinning had been extraordinary, because his Suffering was so: The Doctrinal part of whose Disputations was sound, but their prejudice misled them in the Application, Job vindicates himself all along, but not prevailing that way, He stops their Mouths by imprecating himself in particulars, Job 31.1. to last; then comes Elihu in as Moderator, but inclining to the same Misprision of the others, the Lord himself convinceth them all of Job 's Integrity, not only by an Oracle from Heaven, but also by reviving Job 's Prosperity, doubling all he had lost save only his Children who were with God, and making him the longest liver that was born after Terah, who died at two hundred and five years old, Gen. 11.32. and supposing Job Seventy years old when his trouble came, he lived two hundred and ten years old, having his years doubled also. Behold a Miracle here, How Job a Camel for Grandeur and Riches, passeth notwithstanding through the eye of a Needle, yea, with Six thousand Camels, &c. Job 42.12.16. He entereth that strait Gate into a Mansion of Glory, &c. his eminent Piety had eminent Misery, which yet ended in both Temporal and Eternal Felicity.
CHAP. XVI. The History and Mystery of Israel 's Bondage in Egypt, and Deliverance out of it.
THE Ending of the History of Jacob and Joseph, introduceth the Beginning of the History of Moses, who with his Sacred Pen gives an Account of those two great Patriarchs Periods, Gen. 49.33. and 50.26. before he relate his own Birth, Life, and Death, Exod. 1, &c. and Deut. 34.6.
Now come we to the most grievous part of Israel 's Bondage in Egypt, where good Joseph had left them after his Death, and where they through God's singular Blessing exceedingly multiplied, notwithstanding their cruel Oppression, according to God's Promise to Jacob, Gen. 46.3. Deut. 26.5. This Offspring of Israel, after the Death of all the twelve Patriarchs do by Degrees fall into all manner of Abominations; As,
First, They commit Idolatry, Josh. 24.14. Ezek. 20.8.
Secondly, They forget and forego Circumcision (the Covenant of their God) and this was the Reproach of Egypt, Josh. 5.9, &c.
Thirdly They joined in Marriage with the Egyptians (who were notoriously addicted to Idolatry and all Impiety) Levite. 24.10. Exod. 12.38. whereby they were infected with the Vices predominant in that Country, for this cause good Jacob seared to go down into Egypt, which not only had been some Damage to Abraham, Gen. 12.15. and flatly forbid to Isaac, Gen. 26.2. and would expose his Posterity to many Perils of both Soul and Body: Therefore was their Father afraid to go thither, till he had God's Warrant for so doing, Gen. 46.2, 3, 4. Now, as in Abraham 's Vision of a smoking Furnace at Sun-set, &c. Gen. 15.12, 17. The Sun of Religion was gone down among those degenerate Israelites, walking according to those wretched Principles and Practices aforementioned; Therefore the Lord cast them into a Furnace of Affliction, called an Iron Furnace, Deut, 4.20. 1 King. 8.51. Jer. 11.4. An horrid Darkness, as of Impiety, so of Misery came upon them, which afterwards ended in a burning Lamp (the other Branch of Abraham 's Vision) God commanding light to shine out of darkness in their deliverance out of Bondage, Psal. 112.4. and 97.11. now it was that a new King arose that knew not Joseph (who had made such vast Additions both of Wealth and Power to the Crown of Egypt ) called Busiris, a most savage Tyrant, even in Heathen Histories: This brutish Man envying the wonderful Efficacy of the Promise of God (made to Jacob, Gen. 46.3.) in Israel 's increasing so abundantly (the Strength of that Promise made the Men strong to beget Children, though over-pressed with intolerable labor, and the Women also, to have no Abortions, but to be more lively than other Women in bringing forth, &c.) This became a most grievous Eye-fore to this envious King, that to be revenged of them he falls upon them in Cruel Methods.
1. Private, in his cursed Command to the Midwives for Killing all the Males (whom he mostly feared) at their Birth, which the Midwives not daring to do, fearing God, more than the King in their contrary Commands: It put the Tyrant,
2. Upon Publishing that Public and bloody Edict, that seeing neither the Intolerable toil of the Israelites under hard Taskmasters, nor the holily refractory Midwives would suppress their spawning Procreation, It should be lawful for any of his Subjects to drown the Males as soon as Born, Exod. 1.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 22. In these bitter Times Heman and Ethan, 1 Chron. 2.6. Prophetically pen'd the Eighty eighth and Eighty ninth Psalms.
In this time also was Moses born; The first Remark concerneth his Parents who are Canonized in the Canonical Scripture for eminent Believers, Hebr. 11.23. where the Apostle, being about to bring in Moses 's Faith, speaketh first of the Faith of his Parents, Amram (Hebr. High ) and Jochebed (Hebr. God's Glory) both of Levi 's Race , and the Man rather than burn with Lust, takes God's Remedy in Marrying, though a Levite, and in Bondage, and for anything he knew, was like to beget Children either for Slavery or Slaughter, we must do our Duty and leave the Success to God; the Woman, now very old (having a Daughter Miriam able to watch Moses her Brother when cast into the River) was one of those lively Women, Exod. 1.19. that had Lady Faith for her Midwife, which delivered the grave of her Dead Children, Hebr. 11.35. much more the Womb of her quick and living: The Voice of the Lord makes the Hinds (those girtest of Creatures) to cast forth her sorrows with Joy, Psal. 29.9. Job 39.1, 2. No less than Faith could possibly be the stay and support of Jochebed in her Travelling Throws, for supposing her Burden (she was bringing forth) to be a Male, then must she think of his Birth and Death both together; whereas the Travels of other Women are mitigated with Hope, and countervailed with Joy of a Manchild being born into the World, Joh. 16.21. but alas her Pains in Travel were doubled in her with Fear it should prove a Male, the Remedy to others must be a Malady, and matter of Complaint to her; yea, the very crying of her New-born Child, she might justly fear, would call in some Cut-throat and Male-murdering Egyptian: She brought forth Moses, and when she saw he was a goodly Child, Exod. 2.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , fair to God, Act. 7.20. having a Divine Beauty upon him, or (as some read it) fair by God, as if God had in some singular manner put an extraordinary splendor upon the Child: When the Mother saw this her beautiful Babe, she would have given all the Substance of her House to save the life of her Son, she hides him three Months in her House, as she had hid him nine Months in her Womb, and when her House could hold her hidden Treasure no longer (no more than her Womb had done) she gives him a third hiding in an Ark of Bulrushes, Exod. 2.3. This the Apostle calls not an act of natural Affection only, but an act of Faith also, and commends the Father for it, as well as the Mother, who was the principal Agent, because he consented to it (as Saul did to Stephen 's Death, Act. 22.20.) and concurred with it, both of them trusting in God's blessing their means of hiding to their Sons Preservation, Hebr. 11.13. fearing nothing of the King's Command.
This is Remarkable, the Lord marked what them Faith had, but not what their Faith wanted, for it was only a weak Faith, they had only Faith in hiding Moses three Months, and when that term was expired, their weak Faith cast him then out upon the Waters; where Man ends, God begins and becomes Moses 's Keeper.
The Second Remark is concerning Moses 's Person (as before his Parents ) who was famous for his Birth, Life, and Death. (First) For his Birth, Moses was famous in many fair Circumstances, not only for his own fairness and comely features (forementioned), wherewith he was Born, (as a presage of great Undertakings) and whereby, as by an Instrument, first his Parents were moved to hide him in faith of his Safety, and then Pharaoh's Daughter was moved also to have Compassion on him, and to save him from being Drowned, Exod. 2.2.6. But likewise,
1. That he was Born as another Isaac, of Jochebed when she was very old, (as Isaac was of Sarah ) yet one of the lively Women that brought forth this fair Son without the help of those Midwives which had the cruel Decree of the King to slay all the Males at their Birth.
2. He was Born as another Enoch, who is called the Seventh from Adam, Jude, ver. 14. as Heber was the Seventh from Enoch, and Isaac the Seventh from Heber: All excellent ones among ordinary Men (as the Sabbath is among the Six ordinary Week-Days) and famous in their Generations: So was Moses Born the Seventh from Abraham: and as Enoch walked with God, so did Moses; and as Enoch was a Prophet, and a Preacher of Righteousness, so was Moses also.
3. Like a new Noah (who was saved by an Ark ) Moses was accordingly saved by an Ark of Bulrushes, when but three Months old, He lay floating upon the Waters, as Noah had done in the Deluge, and had there the Hidings of God's Power, Hab. 3.4. When neither any Friend of his, nor his own Parents dare own him, then God doth Challenge his Custody: and indeed never was Moses safer, even while All the Tribes of Israel pitched their Tents about his Tent, than he was at this time of Danger, when the Lord himself took care for his Deliverance.
4. Moses like our Blessed Messias could not be hid, Mar. 7.24. this New-born Child could not be hid in the House wherein he was Born, nor lay he long hid in the Ark by the Rivers Brink, for by the over-ruling Providence of God Pharaoh 's Daughter was brought forth to Bathe herself in the River as she designed, but as the Lord ordered it, she was brought thither to do what she little dreamed of, namely to Discover and also to Deliver the Child from perishing, Exod. 2.5, 6. She saw the Ark, bid her Maid fetch it. We (none of us) know what God hath to do for us, when we go abroad: The beauty of this weeping Babe, and its singular fairness (far beyond the Egyptian black hew) discovered it an Hebrew, and moved her Bowels of pity to it. Miriam (Moses Sister) saw all those passages afar off, with a glad Heart, hastens thither, and offers her Service to Hire a Nurse for the Child, which was its own Mother, whom the Princess pays nobly for Nursing her own Child, Exod. 2.7, 8, 9. the Nurse usually expects not Wages from the Child, but from the Parents: Thus all Pastors, when their People prove unkind or unthankful, must look up to the Father of their People in Heaven: Here God out-bids Jochebed 's Hopes as well as her Fears. She would have given all she was worth for the Child's weal a little before this, and now she shall have the pleasure of Nursing it herself (who could have been well enough pleased a Stranger of the Egyptian Women had been a kind Nurse to it) and Royal Pay too, yea, and all this with Authority: Thus God rewarded the Faith of Moses Parents in their not fearing the King's Commandment, Hebr. 11.23. because it was Unjust and Impious: The Duties of the second Table must yield to those of the first; They durst not incur the Danger of a Sin, to avoid the Danger of a Mischief; better Obey God, with whom we must live forever, than Man with whom we must stay but a very little time, said Antigona in Sophocles; we ought to obey God rather than Man, Act. 4.19. and 5.29. and Dan. 3.18. and as God rewarded their Piety, so he did their Godly Policy: Religion allows something of the Serpent as well as of the Dove; lawful Policies have from God not only liberty in the Use, but his Blessing in the Success of them, as here their hiding the Child he made Successful. They leaned upon the Lord's Providence in the use of means for Moses 's safety. Mark here first how wonderfully the most wise God qualified this Pagan Princess with many excellent Moral Virtues. As, (1.) With a tender Heart of Commiseration, ver. 6. (2.) With complaisant Affability towards the Infant's Sister, ver. 7.8. (3.) With commutative Justice in promising Wages for the work of nursing the Infant, ver. 9. (4.) With Prudence in naming the Child suitable to the Providence, calling him Moses, which signifies drawn out, ver. 10. Musaeum calls him [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] Water-sprung; because drawn (as David was afterwards, Psal. 18.17.) out of many waters: And (5.) With Princely Bounty in adopting him for her own Son, verse. 10. Hebr. 11.24. for (as Philo reports) she, though long married, had no Child of her own, and therefore treated this Child as her own, and gave him royal Education, Act. 7.21, &c.
Mark Secondly, The Congruity betwixt Moses and the Messias. As,
1. Moses 's true Father was unknown to the Egyptians, but was reputed the Son of Pharaoh; so the true Father of Christ was unknown to the Jews, but was reputed the Son of Joseph.
2. As Moses was saved from the Infanticide of Pharaoh, so Christ was from Herod 's cruel purpose of Killing him in his Infancy.
3. As Moses had the King for his nursing Father, and the Queen his nursing Mother: All this is promised, Isai. 49.23. and hath been performed in Christian Kings, &c. to Christ mystical 5 namely, to his Church under the Gospel.
Mark Thirdly, How the great God overshoots the Devil in his own Bow. Pharaoh was told by an Egyptian Priest in a way of Prophecying, that an Hebrew Child will come to be the Terror and Ruin of the Egyptian Kingdom: Hereupon he issued out that cruel Decree to the Midwives, for slaying all the Males at their Birth: The two Midwives observing a mighty helping hand of God in the Hebrew Womens lively Delivery, dare not but disobey the King's Commandment. However the Males were in great Danger by the Egyptians living among the Hebrews, Exod. 3.22. and some might be more violent for executing that bloody Edict. This appeareth by the hiding of Moses at his Birth, &c. We have no such Remarks of his Brother Aaron, (whose Name soundeth of Sorrow and Joy) either as to his Danger, or at to his Deliverance, as we have of Moses. The Wisdom of God so orders the Matters of the World, that the greatest Deliverers are exercised with the greatest Dangers, and are likewise honored with the greatest Deliverances from those Dangers: The greatest Deliverer is drawn out (as the word Moses signifies) out of the greatest Dangers: It was not so concerning Aaron; the less of Man, the more of God: Oh how wonderfully the most high God doth over-wit the seven Heads, and over-power the ten Horns of the fiery Red Dragon! Pharaoh 's Daughter must save him, who shall be the ruin of Pharaoh 's Kingdom to save Israel: Moses must be countenanced by public Authority, who had been cast out by private fear: Oh how doth the most Wise and Great God confound the Craft and Cruelty, the Fraud and Force both of angry Men and of enraged Devils: The borrowing power can never become a fit Match for the lending power; all Power proceeds from God, who will not lend either to Men or Devils anymore power but what himself can over-rule and order for his own glorious Ends: Here God makes a Destroying Power to become a Defending Power, causing it after a marvelous manner to contradict itself, for all Hearts (even the Hearts of Kings ) are in the Lord's Hands, Prov. 21.1. he is the Chief Commander, of all Mortal Commanders, and of a Persecutor, can make a Protector: God is higher than the highest of Mortals, and proud Princes are but his Creatures controulled by the power and pleasure of their Creator.
Secondly, As Moses was thus Famous for his Birth, so for his Death also: As he was hid at his Birth from Undervaluers, namely, from those that would have Murthered him, therefore did his Parents hide him: So he was hid at his Death from Overvaluers, namely from those that would have Idolized him, therefore God himself became his Grave-maker and Buried him, Deut. 34.6. either immediately, or by the Ministry of Angels, whereof Michael was the Chief or Prince, Jude, ver. 9. yet no Man knoweth of the particular place of the Valley of Moab wherein he was Buried unto this day: The Lord therefore hid Moses 's dead Body where it was Buried, because he knew the Israelites had a most notorious proneness to Superstition and Idolatry, to gratify which Diabolical Itch, the Devil made such a Devilish ado in contending with Michael to discover the place, but without Success: And seeing God would not suffer the Worship of the Tomb or Relicks of so Eminent a Man of God as Moses was, 'tis therefore ridiculous to imagine God would permit this Honor to be given to any of his succeeding Saints, who were so far Inferior to Moses, as will appear when we come to his Life, Exod. 33.11. Numb. 12.8. and Deut. 5.4. and 34.10 We read of Moses putting on a Vail, Exod. 34.33. Moses Vailed signifies the Laws Obscurity and Mans Infidelity; and as he was Vailed then in his Life, so was he Vailed both at his Birth in an Ark of Bulrushes (which being opened his Ravishing Beauty appeared, Acts. 7.20.) and he was likewise Vailed at his Death in an unknown Sepulcher, even unknown to Satan himself, whose design in desiring to know it, Jude, ver. 9. was that he might of the Body of the Dead make Idols in the Hearts of the Living, and thereby he would have set up himself there. Dr. Lightfoot 's Notion is, that Moses was Buried by the Lord, that is, by Michael, Jude, ver. 9. who is our Lord the Messias, and whose work it was in his coming into the World to Bury the Ceremonies of Moses. The Sentiments of some are, that Moses 's Body after its Burial was raised most gloriously, in which Glory he held Conference with Christ at his Transfiguration, Mat. 17.2, &c. Moses appeared to the Messias there, as the Messias or Michael appeared to Moses at his Death and Burial. The same Body that was hid in the Valley of Moab appeared to Christ on the Hill of Tabor. Thus Moses and Christ are good Friends, contrary to those that would set the Law and the Gospel at variance: Every Transfiguration or Ravishment of Spirit is no better than a Delusion, wherein Moses and Messias lovingly meet not, &c.
Thirdly, Moses was Famous mostly for his Life, more than all the other Patriarchs and Prophers, both as receiving greater Honors from God to himself, and communicating greater Privileges from him to Israel. As to the former, he was not only very oft, but also very long with God, speaking Face to Face together above all the Servants of God both before and after him; he was the Law-giver, he was a Mediator, though not of Redemption, yet of Relation as he fetched Divine Laws from God to Israel, and as he carried Devout Prayers from Israel to God: Moreover this is very Remarkable, and quite cross and contrary to that Popish Doctrine of their Monastic perfection: The Romanists affirm that the Married Estate is far less Honorable than the Unmarried, because (say they) the Apostle Paul, who was an Unmarried Man, had the Honor of going up to God in his Rapture into Paradise, but passing by his own saying, [ That he had power to lead about a Sister, a Wife, &c.] we Answer, that this Moses, who was a Married Man, had a greater Honor conferred upon him, insomuch as God vouchsafed to come down to him: 'It is much more condescension in a Mortal Prince to rise up from his Throne, and come down Stairs to his poor Subject, than if only he were called up to him. And as to the latter respect, God wrought many Miracles of Mercy upon Israel, and of Plagues and Judgments upon Egypt by Moses 's Hands, whereby the Church of God was delivered out of the House of Bondage, and carried through the Wilderness to the very Borders of Canaan: No further doth Moses or the Law go; 'tis Joshua our Jesus leads us into the Land, &c.
The Life of Moses consisted of an hundred and twenty years, so that it may most aptly be divided into three distinct Forties. In his first forty years he had his Deliverance from Pharaoh 's Infanticide, (as above) and lived all those years after as the Adopted Son of Pharaoh 's Daughter, who gave him that Advantage by the help of his Tutors (as to a Princess's Sun) to become so mighty in words and deeds, as Stephen speaketh, Acts 7.22. which Character he giveth Moses, not from any express Scripture, but by necessary consequence, for it could no otherwise be conceived concerning the Adopted Son of a King, and of a King of Egypt, a Land abundantly addicted to Learning and Study: Until he was Forty years old he lived in Pharaoh 's Court as the Son of Pharaoh 's Daughter, and (as some say) was designed • o succeed Pharaoh in the Throne: He, being now grown up to full Maturity of Stature, Authority, and all Accomplishments (both as a great Orator, and as a great Warriour) was minded to visit his afflicted Brethren, Exod. 2.11. This he did partly by Natural Inclination, having a Sympathizing Spirit towards their Relief: And partly by Divine Instigation, intimating to them that he was raised and sent of God to deliver them, Acts 7.23, 25. The signal whereof was his slaying the Egyptian, as a Judge appointed of God, his Call thereto being manifested to his own Conscience, Exod, 2.12, 13, 14. Moses had Suck'd in such a Savour of Godliness with the Milk of his Mother (who with his Father had instructed him, that he was of the Seed of Abraham the Heir of the World, &c.) that all the Court-pleasures and Treasures could not wear off, Heb. 11.25, 26. He refuseth his Courtiers Life, offers to be his Brethren's Reconciler and Deliverer; they not yet enough humbled, refuse their own Deliverance, and puts it back forty years longer: Pharaoh heard what he had done, and to secure himself (from so dangerous a Person whom he supposed to be the Man foretold by his Priests that would be the Scourge of Egypt, and the Deliverer of Israel ) sought to slay him, Exod. 2.15. upon this Moses flies into Midian, which brings us to the second forty years, which time he tarried there, when of an High Courtier he became a poor Shepherd, and of a Student in Philosophy, was turned a Student in Divinity, yea, and studied even God himself, and while he was so doing hath that famous Vision of Christ in a Bush, burning but not consumed, Exod. 3.2. by the good will in it, Deut. 33.16. In this Vision the Place, Time and End are very Remarkable.
1. The Place, 'twas not in Pharaoh's Court (where he never had such a Vision as this for full forty years he lived therein) but it was in the Wilderness: When Man is satiating himself with the Honors and Pleasures of a Worldly Court, there is no leisure to have or hold Commerce with the Court of Heaven. Felix was for his more convenient Season, Acts 24.25. Worldly Pomp and Vanity make such a noise in a Courtiers Ears, that God may speak once and twice, and he perceive it not, Job 33.14. Hence Israel was allured into the Wilderness, and there God spake kindly to her Heart, Hos. 2.14. there the Pillar of Glory came to them, and walked with them from Stage to Stage in a Familiar manner, Exod. 13.20, 21. When they were in A • tham, Hebr. hard Ground: God comes when distant from Egypt or the World. When the Soul is drawn at distance from the Distractions of the World, then is it in the fittest frame for the Visions of God, Prov. 18.1.
2. The time when; relating, 1. To Moses, and 2, To Israel.
1. As to Moses, This Vision of the Bush was at the end of his second forty years, Acts 7.30. so long had he lived a private Life as a poor Shepherd. 'It is a wonder his former forty years Life of an Honorable Courtier had not put his Mouth out of taste for so long a Dishonourable Country Life: But a good Heart is taught to condescend to all conditions, and can be abased as well as Exalted, as Paul, Phil. 4.11, 12. and David was called to be a Courtier, yet content after to become a Shepherd till his Conquering of Goliath.
2. As to Israel, both, Moses and Israel must wait long for this comforting Vision: Moses finds Israel (as the Messias did after) in the sharpest part of their misery, [ Duplicantur lateres & venit Moses. ] Though the Tyrant was dead, Exod. 2.23. yet Tyranny was not, one Pharaoh succeeds another, (as afterwards the Bloody Herod's did) and all of the same Brutish Bran: Though Israel 's Chief Oppressor was suppressed, yet were they Oppressed still, for another Pharaoh succeeded, as great in Power, and as grievous in Persecution: They changed only their Master, but not at all their Miseries, which indeed grew greater and greater; this made them sigh and groan, and (as it was with Job ) their stroke was heavier than their groaning, Job 23.2.
3. The final Cause, wherefore: This is double also, not only for comforting Israel in their Bondage, but also Moses in his Banishment, who spent not his second forty years private Life in Idleness, but in Divine Contemplations (as above) and in Writing the Book of Genesis and (as some say) the Book of Job for comforting his Country-men in Misery, teaching them thereby to lean upon the Lord, and to learn to live by Faith on the Promises made to their Forefathers the Holy Patriarchs. Men's very Miseries cry to God, as Hagar 's did, Gen. 16.11, when herself cried not: The Lord knew their Soul •• n Adversity, Psal. 31.7. God's Eye saw what the wicked did to Moses and Israel, his Ear heard their groanings (yea their Breathings, Lam, 3.56.) God not only heard and saw, but also he respected and remembered them; these four are all put together, Exod. 2. last: It was not so much Israel 's Innocency as their Enemies Insolency, that moved God's Bowels to yearn over them, Deut. 32.27. There was the Cloud of their Sins to hinder their Cries from going up to God, Lam. 3.44. and indeed the Cry of their Sins did outcry the Cry of their Prayers, yet after long refraining, God comes with this comfortable Vision of the Bush to represent, that as Moses was not quite lost in his Banishment, so nor Israel quite destroyed in their Bondage: This was an excellent Emblem that that Fire of Tribulation should not kindle upon them,. Isa. 43.2. The good will of him that dwelt in the Bush, Deut. 33.16. kept the Burning Bush from being consumed. This Angel of the Lord was the Lord of Angels, Heb. 1.6, 7. Mark 12.26. called the Eternal God, Exod. 3.4, 6, 13▪ and Jehovah, ver. 7. to whom Moses gave Adoration, which no Created Angel dare own, Revel. 19.10. and 22.9. This Son of God in the Fiery Furnace secured the three Nobles of Babylon from being Burned, Dan. 3.27, &c. hereby also Was this Bush secured, Christ suspending his concourse, without which no Natural Agent can act, or consolidating the Bush ) above the solidity of Gold, or restraining the Fire, taking away the heat, yet continuing the light thereof.
The Spiritual signification (which is the Harvest of all) of this Burning, yet not Consumed Bush is manifold, reducible unto two Heads.
1. Mystical. 2. Moral.
The first is Mystical, which is various, to be taken only with this due caution; we must distinguish herein betwixt what this miraculous Vision may be aptly applied unto, and what is the genuine Sense intended: All Parabolical Scriptures may have several Allusions, yet the Scope doth carry them but to one only: Gregory, who otherwise loved Allegories, gives this good caution, though the History of the Scriptures ought not to be bereaved of their sound and significant Mystery, yet may they not be burdened with too many Allusions; which sometime do prove (I add) the frothy Exuberances of wanton Brains: This Bush is applied by the Antient Fathers.
1. To the Virgin Mary, who was a Mother, yet a Virgin, she brought forth a Son, yet, retained her Virginity, the same Omnipotent Power wrought both this and that.
2. To the two Natures of Christ, whose Godhead was the Fire, and his Manhood was the Bush, the Luster of the Divine Nature was so accommodated to the Human, that it was not swallowed up thereby.
3. To the Resurrection of Christ's Body, on which Death furiously seized, as did the Fire upon this Bush ), yet could not consume it, though the raging fury of the Pharisees sealed up Christ's dead Body in the Sepulcher, and guarded it with Soldiers, yet saw not his Body any Corruption.
4. To the Damned Souls, which are ever Burning in Hell-fire, but are never consumed by it. The Fire of Hell differs from this Fire on the Bush in this; here is light without heat, there heat is without light.
The second is the Moral Sense, which also is manifold. As,
1. God by this Bush taught Moses how he might become a good Governor. He must give light to the people by his own Godly Life, and by the good Laws of God, but he must not Burn and Consume them by Intolerable Burdens and Tyrannical Oppression: Pastoris est tondere, non deglubere.
2. That Saints in evil Times should be as Lot in the Fire of sinful Sodom, yet preserved his Integrity, as Job also did in a sinful Generation, 2 Pet. 2.7, 8 Job 27.6. All Temptations to Sin have the Nature of Fire in them, and are therefore called Fiery Darts, Eph. 6.18. The worse that the Times and Places are, the better ought the Saints to be, that both the Times and the Places may be better, and not worse by them, they should be as the fresh Fish that live so in the most Salt Sea.
3. 'It is an Emblem of the Combat betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit in every Individual Saint: The Spirit is the Fire (called the Spirit of Burning, Isa 4.4.) and the Flesh is the Bush, which in the best is not Burnt up or Consumed, the best of Men are but Men at the best, and are as those under Legal pollutions (notwithstanding their purifications) unclean until the Evening of Death; Grace doth not annihilate Sin till then. All these be pious Allusions framed from this burning, yet not consumed Bush, yet are not to be pressed upon the Text as the proper sense of it.
Lastly, The true, proper and genuine Sense of this Vision of the Bush, is That the Church of God in general, and the Children of God in particular, may be in Fiery Tribulations, yet shall not be consumed by them: As this was performed Literally, Dan. 3.27. So it hath been, is and ever shall be Figuratively, Isa. 43.2. 2 Cor. 4.9. and 6.9. and 11.23. The Church concutitur, non excutitur, may be shaken, but not shiver'd, may be dipped and dowz'd in the brackish Sea of Affliction, but never Drowned like the Wooden Pot dipped in the Water.
This Divine Distich was sent to the grand Seignior when he was going out in his Ruffling Grandeur to over-run Christendom, &c. Accordingly saith Luther of the Romanists persecuting him, They may indeed thrust me, but they shall never throw me. The Reasons be,
1. From the Constitutive Matter of the Church, as she is made up of Immortal Seed, and of the Eternal Spirit, and partaking of the Divine Nature, so far she is Incorruptible and Unconquerable, and can never be destroyed, for the destroying Agent must have a greater Efficacy than hath the destroyed Patient, otherwise Destruction cannot prove Effectual: Now he who is in the Church and Children of God is greater than he that is in the World, 1 John 4.4▪ Christ (who dwells in our Hearts by Faith, Eph. 3.17.) is stronger than that strong man, Satan, Luke 11.21, 22. or any of his Instruments: Hereby we are made more than Conquerors, Rom. 8.37. yea, Triumphers, 2 Cor. 2.14. by his Spirit our Sweet Inhabitant: The Seed of the Serpent may nibble at the Heels of the Seed of the Woman, Gen. 3.15. but shall never be permitted to give her a fatal blow at the Heart; her Heels may be bruised, but her Heart cannot be broken; the Church may be damaged in her Branches, but her Body and Root cannot die.
The second Reason is drawn from the goodness of the Churches most gracious God, who so qualifies all her fiery Trials, as to Abstract from them their destroying property: Thus the heat of this Fire that burnt the Bush was so suspended and restrained by the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush, Deut. 33.16. that it was not consumed by the Flame: This is a Gospel Riddle, that the good Will of God, and a Flame of Fire from Man may consist together: Yea, God's Visitation may have in it Mans Salvation, Job 10.12. Psal. 106.4. 'It is of great use to understand this; we pore too much in beholding the Flames of Fire in our Trials and Troubles, and ponder too little in believing the Good will of our God therein; this makes us Harbor 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. 'It 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 thundering 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 chastise the Children of Zion, 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 'tis such a Rod as Christ hath sucked 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 • 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, Judge. 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 preserved 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 colors, &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 Chaldea, Dan. 3.27. 'It 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 swaddling 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 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 Profane 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 rendered: 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 Lilies of the field, Matth. 6.28. Much more of his Lily (the Church) among Thorns, Cant. 2.2. one Thorn will tear in pieces ten thousand Lilies, yet this one Lily 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. 'It 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: 'It 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 Egypt's Bondage: as the flame of Fire could not consume it, so nor did it always 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 called 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 Public 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 Domestic 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 numbered, 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 occasioned by the ten Spies, Chap 13, 14, 15. (4.) The Conspiracy of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, Chap. 16, &c. And those External hindrances; 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 called 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 enforcing 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 publicly 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 discoursed upon before we come to their wandering 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, 25. They must be Pharaoh 's Slaves and Drudges in Building Treasure Cities for him, Exod. 1.11. At this Juncture Moses is born, brought out of Eminent Danger, brought up a Courtier by Pharaoh 's Daughter, banished thence into Midian, and there Married, &c. Exod. 2. from Midian God calls Moses, sends him Ambassador to Pharaoh with small Success, Chap. 3.4, 5, 6. Pharaoh hardened his own Heart, adding Sin to Sin, the Devil hardened it as God's J • ilour, and as a Spirit tempting to Sin; but God hardened it in a Judiciary way as a Punishment for his Sin: Then came the ten Plagues upon him and his People, Chap. 7.8, 9,10, 11. each higher and deeper drenching than other.
Secondly, The Concomitants, when God had (by his ten strokes at Pharaoh 's hard heart) extorted a Dismission of his People out of the Tyrants hands, Israel began his Journey out of Egypt, having first the Law of a yearly Passover ordained for their Observance, Chap. 12. and the Consecration of the first-born, Chap. 13. They depart from Succoth, not the right way to the Mediterranean Sea by Palestine, but to the Red Sea by the Wilderness, thence coming to Aetham, &c. Pharaoh pursues them, Chap. 14. and is Drowned, for which was Sung a Song, Chap. 15. At their coming to the Wilderness of Sin, they want Meat, Chap. 16. at Rephidim, They want Drink and are Assaulted by the Amalekites, Chap. 17. Moses complains of the Burden that the Government of Six hundred thousand Men, &c. should lay upon his Shoulders, Chap. 18. Then they came to Mount Sinai, the place designed for meeting God, Exod. 3. and Chap. 19.
Thirdly, The Consequents are two great things; First, The Giving of the Law. And Secondly, The Erecting of the Tabernacle: As to the first, There was (1.) The Preparation for it, Chap. 19. (2.) The Promulgation of it, Chap. 20. not only of the Moral, but also of the Ceremonial and Political Laws, Chap. 21, 22, 23. Then (3.) the Confirmation of all by a Solemn Covenant, entered into betwixt God and Israel, Chap. 24. and when forseied by the Golden Calf, was again renewed with the two Tables of Stone, &c. Chap. 34. As to the Second, the Pitching of the Tabernacle; The Form, (1.) was shown to Moses in the Mount. (2.) The Matter: And (3.) The Makers of it all prescribed by God, and described in his Word, Chap. 25.26, 27, 31. (4) The Worshippers in it, the Priests Habits, Ordinations and Offices, Chap. 28, 29, and 30. Next follows the Obstruction of this work by the Idolatry of the Golden Calf, Chap. 32. but 'tis removed by a Reformation, Chap. 33. Upon which the Materials of the Tabernacle are brought together, and all placed in their due form and order for erecting the Tabernacle, Chap. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.
And Lastly, When the Tabernacle was completely Erected, God himself comes and Consecrates it, Chap. 40.
Now come we to make Remarks upon all these three Premises. The first Rank, is from the Antecedents of Israel 's Deliverance out of Egypt.
The first Remark from hence is, That Divine Compassion is the Foundation of. the Churches Deliverance out of her deepest distresses, and not any Desert on her part, &c. The Church of God had lain long (even two hundred and fifteen years) in a distressed state, God having turned the Egyptians Hearts to hate his people, Psal. 105.25. as much as they had loved them before, during all the time of Joseph 's Government. This fault we may not father upon God, as if he were the Author of this Sin, for he is not of any, Jam. 1.13, 14, 15, as it is impossible to be, so 'tis abominable to think it: Man's Inclination to Good is properly and peculiarly from God, but his Inclination to Evil is from his own depraved heart drawn out by Satan 's Suggestions, and must be ascribed to God only by Accident. God did this (saith David ) that is, not positively but permissively, in giving the Egyptians an occasion to hate his People, for by his multiplying them so marvelously through his Blessing, &c. They conceited that the Israelites would soon grow stronger than themselves, &c. Psal. 105.24.
One and the same Fire softens Wax, but hardens Clay. God did not infuse this Envy into them, the Sun setting is only by Accident the cause of the Night, whereof the shadow of the Earth is the proper Cause, &c. All Hearts are in God's Hands, who fashioneth them (as to their liking or disliking of others) at his pleasure, yet without Sin. This was a Judiciary Act in God to suffer the Egyptians thus hardly to handle the Hebrews.
1. Because some of them were fallen to Idolatry, Ezek. 20.5, 7, 8. and 23.3, 8. Josh. 24.14.
2. To wean them from Egypt, and to make them long for Canaan.
3. That by a just Title they might spoil their spoilers.
4. That God might glorify himself by pouring forth his ten Plagues upon Egypt.
5. Because the Sins of the Amorites (as well as of the Egyptians ) were not yet full, Gen. 15.16. And,
6. Because the Hebrews were not brought to a true and due Humiliation for their Sins, till their long and hard Affliction handed them to a saving sense thereof. How remiss they were in their Repentance, and how hardly wrought up to it, God's Complaint of them doth Demonstrate, Ezek. 20.7, 8. that is, I might say what I would, they would do what they list; so that God was so highly provoked with their obstinacy, as his Justice made him say [I am just ready to Resolve your Ruin in Egypt, and never Redeem you out of the House of Bondage ] God had as much ado to forbear Killing them, as he had Moses in the same Country for neglecting to Circumcise his Child, Exod. 4.24. the designed Law giver must not be a Law-breaker. But behold how God's mercy triumphs over his Justice, Jam. 2.13. [ but I wrought for my own Names sake, &c.] Ezek. 20.9, 10. No sooner were Israel brought to a right sense of their Sins, so as they sighed, groaned, and cried to God, but immediately Divine Bowels began to yern, and to be broached and bleeding over them, Exod. 2.23, 24, 25. and 3.7, 8, and 6.5. and 22▪ 23, 27. When Israel understood that God had a seeing Eye, an hearing Ear, and a commiserating Heart, together with his Promise of an helping Hand, They fall down prostrate to adore him, Exod. 4.31, &c. And then began Divine Bowels to yern, and to flow forth freely and fully in order to their Deliverance. Thus saith God, When Israel was a Child, then I loved him, and called my Son out of Egypt, Hos. 11.1. that is, not so much,
1. Because all young things be lovely, especially Children; not only for their pretty features, but for their Innocency, ignosceney, &c. But rather when Israel was unlovely, a mere Child, having nothing of worth in him to make him desirable, while he was an Infant in his Birth-blood, Ezek. 16.6, &c. the Church's Infancy takes Date from her being in Egypt 's Bondage, then was she a forlorn Outcast, as Ezekiel there describes her; yet even then (saith Hosea ) God loved this unlovely Child, when she little deserved his love, He loved her, because he loved her, Deut. 7.7. it was a spontaneous and a gratuitous Act of God, Idea dei non advenit • i aliunde, no Motives of love were in the Object outwardly, but all sprang from the Agent inwardly. God healed their Backslidings and loved them freely, as he did afterwards, when they had rendered themselves unworthy objects of his love, Hos. 10.9. and 14.4 only because he remembered his own Mercy, Luk. 1.53. then he called his Son (Israel) out of Egypt, even out of the iron furnace, Hos. 11.1. Deut. 4.20. God had no need of such a Son as Israel was: For,
First, There was no defect on God's part, He had his own natural Son by eternal Generation, Isa. 53.8. Psal. 2.6. One brought up with him, Prov. 8.22, 23, &c. so needed not to adopt any Son.
Secondly, There was no Desert on Israel 's part, who was now cast out to the loathing of his Person, &c. No Eye pitied him, &c. Ezek. 16.4, 6, 7, 8, &c. then did God's Eye pity him, and this pitiless Fatherless Child found mercy in God, Hos. 14.3. even at such a time when this untoward Child had so highly provoked his Heavenly Father, as he was just upon resolving to Ruin him, and to make his Grave for him in Egypt; yet even then God wrought for his own Names sake, that it should not be blasphemed among the Heathen, Ezek. 20.8, 9, 10. Some Godly Israelites had no doubt (within the space of 215 years) discoursed sometimes of God's Promise to Abraham, that he would bring his Posterity out of Egypt, &c. Had not this been done, it would have reflected upon God's Glory, and the Egyptians readily had reproached the God of Abraham, in whom the Israelites so boasted, &c. This whole Book of Exodus is but the fulfilling of God's Promise to Abraham, Gen. 15.15, &c. Israel God's first-born, Exod. 4.22, called out of Egypt, is a type both of Christ Personal (who when a Child, after his stay there two or three years, some say six or seven years, was called out of Egypt, Mat. 2.15.) And of Christ Mystical, 1 Cor. 12.12. his Church, which God will call out of the Bondage of Babylon (spiritually called Sodom, for uncleanness, and Egypt, for oppression, Rev. 11.8.) when the Beasts Lease of 1260 Prophetical Days is expired, God will hasten it in his time, Isa. 60.22. Christ will not leave his Son [ Israel ] to live and die in Egypt, though his Slavery in that House of Bondage may last two hundred and fifteen years: as sure as God called Israel his Son, and Jesus his Son out of Egypt, so sure will he call his Church out o • Egypt also. How long Christ staid there is uncertain: Some say, several years (as before) but others are of opinion that Herod did not live many Months after that barbarous Murder of so many Innocent Children, his bloody Butchery at Bethlehem, but fell into a foul and loathsome Disease whereof he died: If this be supposed, we must suppose also, that his Son Archelaus 's Journey to Rome (for his Inthronization in his Father's stead) must take up some considerable time; However he staid in Egypt till God sent him word, that they were dead who sought his life, Matth. 2.13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22. would to God we could be content to stay till God bring us word, &c. 'Twas a blessed Prognostick that Israel 's Slavery in Egypt was near its expiration, when God gave them Hearts to sigh, groan, mourn and cry, &c. Oh that those best Prognostics were found amongst us, could we but cry, [ Lord, we are Hell, but thou art Heaven, we are all Sin, but thou art all Grace, &c.] Alas, we are all Abjects both as to our Persons and Conditions! Oh let us now be the Objects of thy Mercies and Compassions, &c. It was one of the Emperor's Symbols or Mottos, [ Miseria est Res digna Misericordiâ ] Misery is an object that is worthy of Mercy: How much better becomes it the King of Kings to say [ My Zion is now an outcast, whom no man seeks after, but I will heal her? &c.] Jer. 30.17. He will not leave her as an Orphan, Joh. 14.18. but will hear her very breathings, Lam. 3.56. when such Kings Rule as know not Joseph, Exod. 1.8. nor know the Lord, Exod. 5.2. nor Jesus our Brother, nor his Brethren, but deal hardly with them, Deo confisi, nunquam confusi, such as trust in God shall never be ashamed, much less confounded, Isa. 28.16. Rom. 9.33. 1 Pet. 2.6.
The Second Remark is, As the Motive for Israel 's Deliverance out of Egypt, was only the mere Mercy and Compassion of a gracious God upon his groaning People under most grievous Oppressions; so the means, whereby this Deliverance was effected, were the ten miraculous Plagues which God by Moses poured down upon Pharaoh and his People, &c. for dealing so injuriously with Abraham 's Seed, &c. Note here,
1. That the Church of God may be in an evil Case, when Deliverance is at the Door. Thus it was with Israel in Egypt, [They saw how they were in an evil Case ] Exod. 5.19. because of their evil Courses, being tainted with the Idolatry of Egypt, Ezek. 20.5, 7, 8, and 23.8. Josh. 24.14. as before; 'tis writ as an heavy Curse of God [ If ye still transgress against me, I will set Princes over you, that shall hate you ] Levite. 26.17. such as are odious to God, and malicious to his People, and the more that Moses by Commission from God mediateth for Israel, the more was the Tyrant enraged, and their Affliction aggravated: as this evil Case provoked the passionate people (by mistaking Occasions for Causes, like Dogs in a Chafe ) to bark at their best Friends, as if Moses had made them stink before Pharaoh, when he had promised their Deliverance; so this startled Moses himself, being displeased with the Disappointment, and he being too short-spirited also, complains of it to God, not distinguishing betwixt God's Denying and Delaying, Exod. 5.20, 21, 22, 23. God could have cut off Pharaoh at once by his Power, but his Wisdom was to glorify himself gradually, and though he had promised Deliverance, yet had he left to himself a liberty both for the time, means and manner of its Performance: We must not awake our love, till he please, Cant. 2.7. but we must wait (saith the Lord) and we shall, we shall, we shall be delivered, Hab. 2.3. so that text soundeth.
2. Note, Now God begins to make himself known, by his Name Jehovah to the Posterity of the Patriarchs, in performing that Promise made to them who only knew him by the Name El Shaddai, in propounding this very Promise [of bringing their Seed out of Egypt ] but lived not to see the full performance of it, Exod. 6.3. Now God began to work Miracles, as the Great Jehovah, whose being is of himself, and who gave a Being to all the World, and who only can change the Beings of his Creatures at his own pleasure: Two sorts of Miracles God magnified his mighty Power by; The first were for confirming Moses's Faith against all the Objections of his Incredulity, and to quicken up his Courage and Resolution in undertaking Israel 's Redemption: The first of those Miracles was Moses 's Rod turned into a Serpent, &c. Exod. 4.3, 4, 5. This shown, how Moses should be an helpful Rod to Israel, but an hurtful Serpent to Egypt. Moses fled from it, yet at God's Command he took, the Crocodile or Dragon by the Tail (where his Sting lay;) his Faith overcomes his fear; 'twas the Messiah 's work to break the Head of the Serpent, Gen. 3.15. Tail-temptations only are our Exercise. And it shows also, Israel had been happy under Joseph 's Rod of Government. And that Rod was become a Serpent under Egypt 's Persecution; but that Serpent should become a Rod again under Moses 's Government. To change one creature into another (not in appearance only, but in Substance) requireth a Divine Power. The Second Miracle was Moses 's hand made leprous, &c. ver. 6, 7. where the same Act (of putting his hand into his bosom ) makes his hand both leprous and cleansed: Oh how easily can our Lord (the Centurion of Diseases) make them both come and go at the turning of an hand: This was to show that God by small means could effect great Matters; Moses a mean Exile shall be the Instrument of this Glorious Deliverance, yet must he be humbled, because his hand that wrought all the Miracles was but a leprous hand, which none could Cure but God himself. It shows likewise how that fretting Leprosy of Sin lurks and lodges in Man's Bosom, there Moses found Leprosy, and there he left it: Go to Christ for Cure, who only can say to the Leper, [ I will, be thou clean ] Matth. 8.2, 3. See Levite. 14.44, &c. Thus Moses was confirmed by God's making him able to work those two Miracles, which no Prophet after him nor Patriarch before him (till the Messiah came) were enabled to work: Notwithstanding all this Divine Condescension in answering all his four doubts, and vouchsafing him these two Signs (for the third mentioned, ver. 9. was not now acted, till he came into Egypt, where he turned the Water of Nile into Blood) yet the Infirmity of his Faith (in requesting God to make (as some say) the Messiah, or some other man his Messenger) did incense God to anger against him, ver. 13.14. yet not so, as to withdraw his favor from him, for immediately the Lord concurreth with Moses 's Desire in granting Aaron his Brother to be his Assistant, ver. 14, 15, 16, 17, 20. Now Moses thus fully satisfied goes down to Egypt (with the Rod of God in his Hand, v. 20. which signifies our Experience of Divine Deliverance formerly) assembleth the Elders of Israel, works those Miracles aforesaid over again in their sight. This made them believe, that now God would visit his People, and they worshipped God, ver. 30, 31. Moses and Aaron make now many unsuccessful Applications to Pharaoh for Israel 's Freedom, meet with nothing but reproachful Taunts from the hardened Tyrant, which (no doubt) would have been seconded by bloody Blows, had not the Lord (who employed them in this Embassage) tied up the Tyrant's hands, &c.
3. Note. The first Miracle Moses wrought in Pharaoh 's presence was that general Sign whereby he did demonstrate to him, that his Commission for Israel 's Dismission was from, the great Jehovah. 'It is said, [ If Pharaoh say, Shew a Miracle, &c.] Exod. 7.9. and 'tis said likewise, [ That they did as the Lord commanded them, ] ver. 10. Though it be not expressed that Pharaoh asked a Miracle, yet is it not to be doubted that Moses shown not this Sign, till Pharaoh in his Luciferian Pride first called for it (those two Texts imply no less) saying to them, [Shew me some Work above the power of Nature, &c. otherwise I shall look upon you as two Sawcy Arrogant Fellows that come in your own Name to Affront my Royal Right, and shall deal with you accordingly;] Hereupon Moses casts down his Rod before him, and it became a Crocodile, a Dragon (as the word imports) betokening desolation, and that his Country (if he disobeyed) should become a Den of Dragons, Isa. 13.22. This is the third time that this Sign was shown; once in Horeb to clear Moses 's Divine Call first to himself, Exod. 4.3, 4. again to Israel, ver. 30. and now to Pharaoh, &c.
Now when Moses had given this Testimony of his Divine Call (as his credential Letters from the great Jehovah ) in turning his Rod into a Crocodile (as some Interpret the word Tannin, not Nachash, a common Serpent) which the Egyptians Worshipped, and to whose greedy gaping Chaps they had cast out so many Hebrew Infants into Nile where the Crocodile conversed: Yet then did the Lord permit the Egyptian Jugglers (the Chief of which were Jannes and Jambres, 2 Tim. 3.8.) to turn their Rods into Serpents also, Exod. 7.11, 12. that is, by Collusion, not really such, but in appearance only, the Devil (in them) dazzling the Eyes of the Spectators so as to make their Rods seem Serpents; and though Moses did not detect the Cheat in words, yet was it done in effect by deeds, for Moses Rod swallowed up the Magicians Rods. Tertullian saith, That Moses 's Truth devoured the Magicians Lie, &c. Thus Christ (who is Life Essential) swallowed up death in victory, 1 Cor. 15.55. and these Delusions were Figures of the Lying Wonders of Antichrist, whose Church is called Egypt, Rev. 11.8. yet thus they that be of Christ shall overcome Antichrist, for stronger is he in them, than he that is in the World, 1 John 4.3, 4. However this Impostor of those Gypsie Jugglers (which God permitted to be done, and in which Story the Sacred Scripture most Impartially giveth the Devil his due of his Activity and Ability in his Instruments) served so far as to harden Pharaoh 's Heart, ver. 13, 14.
The first Remark of the Miraculous Plagues (being the second sort of Miracles for confounding Pharaoh) was; God is said (in this Book ) eight times to have hardened Pharaoh 's Heart. Thrice it is said, that he hardened his own Heart, and five times it is also said, that his Heart was hardened, to wit, by the Devil, through the just Judgment of God: Though God commanded Pharaoh to let his people go, but still hardened his Heart, that he would not let them go. Yet God herein was not contrary to himself, for by so commanding him, he requireth his Obedience, and by so hardening him, he punisheth his Disobedience, namely with a Judiciary Penal hardness: This Heart-hardened Tyrant asks Moses, [Who is Jehovah? I know him not] This proud question, Exod. 5.2. hath A long Answer to it in the • en following Plagues. When Israel asked [ What is his Name? ] Exod. 3.13. God gives a short Answer, [ I am ] hath sent me unto you, vet. 14. but to this question of Pharaoh, God makes a large reply, till Pharaoh himself was compel'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 Lord's Hand which was lifted up in threatening (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, 'It 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 dried 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 mollify him; then God began to pour down his Plagues, which were ten in number, as Philo noteth; it is a number of perfection, to show that their Plagues were perfect and absolute, and God will perfect his own praise in Administring his Judgments upon his people's Oppressors. The Hebrew Doctors sum up those ten Plagues by the ten first Letters of their Hebrew Names [ Datsak, Gneresh, Cheachab, ] whereby they mean,
It was Augustine '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-mouthed; 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 God's 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 followed 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 Cattle 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 destroyed 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 magnify his own might the more, &c. And,
3. To make the griefs of those (that had so much and so long grieved God's people) the more grievous to them. Praestat semel mori, quàm 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 God's last Plagues shall gradually (as they are poured forth) plague the new Pharaoh into some yieldings, though all in Hypocrisy: 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 raised 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 God's 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 Cattle, (some of which they Worshipped) all destroyed by Murrain, &c.
3. In their River Nile which they Adored, and for which end (it is supposed) Pharaoh was going down to pay his Homage to that Idol, when God bade Moses go meet him in the morning, Exod. 7.15. This is intimated in Ezek. 29.3, 9. where they are twitted twice for Idolizing it, but God made it loathsome to them, Exod. 7.18.
4. In their Fish, which was their daily and delicate Diet, Numb. 11.5. for the Flesh of many Beasts they (out of Superstition ) would not eat of, as abominable, Exod. 8.26. All the Fish died when their Water was turned into Blood, Exod. 7.21.
5. In their Bodies, wherein they greatly prided themselves, but the Boils (God smote them with) spoiled all their Beauties in their well-built Bodies.
6. In their Children, when in every House there was a dead Corps, and that not of a Slave or Servant, but of their First-born. All these were the Idols of Egypt, Exod. 12.12. Zeph. 2.11.
Thirdly and Lastly, They were plagu'd in all their Senses. As,
1. In their Seeing; for they lost all sight when the Plague of Darkness took away their Light for three days, unless it were horrible sights mentioned in Apocrypha, Wisdom 17.6, 7. however their comfort of Seeing they lost.
2. In their Hearing. Oh what a Consternation, Dread and Terror seized upon them, when God uttered his terrible voice in those frightful Thunders in the Plague of Hail, when Fire ran along upon the ground, yet did not melt the Hail-stones, Exod. 9.23. this must be Supernatural, and therefore the more dreadful, which might make them think that God was come to Rain Hell-fire out of Heaven upon them as he had done (before this) upon wicked Sodom, Gen. 19. How did this voice of the Lord break the C • dars, &c. Psal. 29 5, 6, &c. yea, every Tree of the Field, Exod. 9.25.
3. In their Smelling, both by the stench of the Frogs, Exod. 8.14. (which might mind them of their Sin that made them stink before God) and likewise by the stinking rotten matter that ran out of those Ulcers wherewith they were smitten, Exod. 9.9, 10, 11. As they had oppressed God's people with Furnace work in making Brick, so the Ashes of that Furnace became burning Boils that brake forth into putrid running Sores, &c.
4. In their Tasting, both by the Waters turned into Blood, because in them they had sh • d the Blood of the Male Hebrew Children: these Bloody Men had Blood to drink, for they were worthy, Rev. 16.6. Their River Nile they used to boast of to the Grecians saying in mockery to them, [ If God should forget to Rain, they might chance to perish for it, ] the Rain they thought was of God, but not their River, Ezek. 29.3, 9. therefore to confute them in their confidence, as God threatens to dry it up, Isa. 19.5, 6. so here to bereave them of all the comfortable use of it; they now loathed to drink of it, Exod. 7.18▪ 19, 20. God cursed their blessings, Mal. 2.2. and also by their thirst thereby procured. Drinking such Bloody Water did rather torture their Taste than please their Palate or, quench their Thirst.
5. In their Touching or Feeling, by their dolorous shooting pangs in their Body, when the sin of their Souls broke forth into Sores of their Bodies, which pained them so, that as they could not now sleep in a whole Skin (as hitherto they had done) so they gnawed their own Tongues for pain; this was superadded to the bitings of Flies, Wasps, Flying Serpents, &c. whereby some might be stung to death, Psal. 78.45. and the Magicians themselves (who had so insolently imitated Moses, the Devil being God's Ape) were branded with those Boils, to detect their contumacy: Besides also, the Frogs ravening upon their Bodies so irresistibly, &c. must needs be very off • nsive to their Sense of Touching.
Lastly, As if all this had been too little to fill up the measure of their Plagues and Punishments. Pharaoh and all his Forces (that hitherto had escaped) were all drawn blindfold into the noose (by fair way, weather, &c.) and then were drowned in the Red Sea, Exod. 14.8, 9, 21, 24, 28.
The seventh Remark in the General is, The marvelous correspondency betwixt the Plagues upon the old Literal Egypt with its Pharaoh, and the new Mystical Egypt with its false Prophet. When the Lord comes to plague this new Egypt, Rev. 11.8. He will deal with the Romish Pharaoh for persecuting his Gospel Churches, as he dealt with the Egyptian Pharaoh for oppressing his Antient Israel; therefore in the seven Vials, Rev. 16. there is mention made of Boils, Blood and Darkness, Frogs, &c. which is a plain Allusion to the Plagues of Egypt, only with this difference: The Vision of the Vials begins first with the sixth Plague upon Egypt, bringing a noisome Boil upon all the Worshippers of the Beast, and the reason may be, because that sixth Plague was upon Jannes and Jambres (the Magicians) that they could not stand before Moses, Exod. 9.11. so this vexing Plague that is placed first, shall fall upon the Ring-leaders of Mis-rule in the Antichristian Egypt, and shall reach Home at the first blow when Reformation begins.
The second and third of the Vials refer both to that one of Blood in Egypt, to show how it shall exceed that wherein they had some relief by digging for Water, Exod. 7.24, but this comes thoroughly Home without any relief; and the Throne of the Beast shall be darkened by the fifth Vial, as Pharaoh's Kingdom was by the ninth Plague: And the Egyptian Plague of Frogs is translated (in the Vials ) into a more dangerous tenor, &c.
CHAP. XVII. The History and Mystery of Israel 's Deliverance from Egypt.
NOW come we to the Concomitants (the second part of the Premises proposed) of Israel 's Deliverance and Departure (as the word Exodus signifies) out of Egyp: They are three.
- 1. The beginning of the year is Altered.
- 2. The yearly Passcover is Appointed. And,
- 3. The First born of Israel are Sanctified to God, Exod. Chap. 12. and 13.
The first of these hath this Remark, That Abib (which signifies opening ) or part of our March and of our April (being the time of Flowers opening) must be the beginning of Months, Exod. 12.2. at which time (some say) most probably the World was Created and Noah 's Flood began; these words therefore give not properly any new Institution, (as some say) but rather a reviving of the old Custom of beginning the year from that time, which use had been discontinued in Egypt for a long time by another use of that Country, which began their year in Autumn. At Spring all things begin to revive, the Days lengthening, and the Sun ascending; and now the whole Creation seemed to rejoice at Israel 's Release out of Egypt; this was a Figure of the Churches Redemption by the Messias, who by his Death (in this Month, John 18.28, &c. ) gave a new life and reviving to the fallen, bewintered and withered World, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. and 2 Cor. 5.17. Rev. 21.5. Thereby also is the Church taught not only to commemorate her glorious Deliverance from Slavery, but also to expect that acceptable year of the Lord which Christ Preached, Luke 4.19. This first Month in the Spring time was the time for Israel 's eating the Passover also, to teach us there ought to be a fresh Spring of Grace (as there is of Grass then on the Earth) in our Hearts when we come to the Lord's Supper, for then Christ calls us, [ The Flowers appear, &c. Arise my Love, my Fair one, and come away ] this is Christ's double Call, Cant. 2.10. to ver. 13. God chooseth the fittest Season for his Churches Deliverance, for this Month (called Abib, Hebr. Exod. 13.4. and by the Chaldees Nisan, Neh. 2.1. and Esth. 3.7.) began the most temperate time of the year for Israel 's Marching, neither too hot nor too cold; hence they began their account at it in Sacred, not in Secular Affairs. Jubil • e Releases be reckoned from September, Exod. 23.16. and 34.22. Levite. 25.9, &c.
The Second Concomitant is the Institution of the Passover, the Command whereof God gave to Moses before the Plague of Darkness came, which lasted three Days, and as soon as ever any Egyptian hath light to move out of his place, Pharaoh sends for Moses Exod. 10.24, who after some smart Repartees, telleth the King of the Slaughter of the First-born to be the very next Night, Exod. 11.4, 8. so that the Darkness was upon the Egyptians all the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth days of this Month (called Ross chodashim, the head of Months, the March -Moon after the Spring-Aequinoctial) and the Passover was upon the Fourteenth at Evening, and at Midnight all the First-born of Egypt were Slain, &c. but during these Three days Darkness, as the Egyptians were frighted with Apparitions of Evil Spirits, so the Israelites were then Circumcised (for no uncircumcised Person was to partake of the Passover, Exod. 12.48.) while their Adversaries lay under the Arrest of Darkness, &c. Thus 'tis apparent, as the Institution of the Passover was before the Plague of Darkness, so its Celebration was before the Slaughter of the First-born, which happened at the very Midnight after that Paschal Evening, and when God had now struck thus home in this last Plague, Pharaoh and his People pack Israel out hastily, looking upon themselves no better than all dead men, should they detain them Captives any longer, Exod. 12▪ 31.33. and were willing to be rid of them at any Rate, yea hired them with their Jewels, &c. to be gone that their own lives might be redeemed: How may we cry here with Ezekiel [Oh wheel!] Ezek. 10.13. The Case was well changed, the same God that had turned the Egyptians hearts to hate the Hebrews, as before to love them in Joseph 's days, so now again he gave them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, Exod. 11.3. and 12.36. Psal. 106.45, 46. Egypt was glad at their Departure, Psal. 105. Ver. 38. Herein (1.) God's Promise of bringing them out with great Wealth was fulfilled, Gen. 15.14. (2.) They had spoiled the Hebrews before, now made to refund, Ezek. 39.10. (3.) Israel is furnished for a Wilderness: And (4.) This made them pursue Israel to their Ruin.
Before the Third Concomitant be mentioned, take some Remarks upon this great subject of the first Passover, prescribed by God, proclaimed by Moses and performed by this great People, the like whereof had not been done for above two Thousand years, from the foundation of the World. Seven famous Passovers are Recorded in Scripture. (1.) This in Egypt. (2.) That in the Wilderness, Num. 9. (3.) That of Joshua, Josh. 5.10. (4.) That of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 30. (5.) That of Josiah, 2 Chron. 35. (6.) That of Ezra after the return from Babylon, Ezr. 6.19. (7.) That of our Dear Jesus, which he so earnestly desired to eat, &c. Luk. 22.15, &c. at which time that legal Passover was put to its Period, and our Lord's Supper instituted in its stead, the Memorial of Christ our Passover Sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. 5.7. In this first Extraordinary Sacramental Service, these Circumstances admit of several Remarks, (1.) The Time when. (2.) The place where. (3.) The Matter what. (4.) The Manner how. (5.) The End why. (6.) The Persons by whom this Sacrament was celebrated.
The First Remark is concerning the Time when, as to the Month thereof, this was done in the first Month, honored above all other Months, as singled out for the most suitable Season wherein the Lord works Israel 's Deliverance out of some hundreds of years continued Bondage; this is discoursed upon before in the first Concomitant; but as to the day of this Month, this is variously expressed. As,
1. The day of the Paschal Lambs Separation from the Flock was the tenth day, Exod. 12.3. which Typified, that Christ (the true Paschal Lamb ) was separate from sinners, Heb. 7.26. who also upon this tenth day Rode into Jerusalem, where he was received with Hosannahs in order to be Sacrificed, John 12.1, 12, 13, &c. And likewise on this very day, the Israelites after did pass through Jordan, and made their entrance upon the Borders of Canaan, Josh. 4.19.
2. The days of the Lambs Preparation, and they were four days, Exod. 12.6. not only that it might be duly prepared to become a sit Sacrifice (thoroughly emptied of all its uncleannesses, &c. ) but also that the people more especially might be truly prepared to become fit partakers of that Sacrament; for this cause it was a received Tradition among the Jews, that during these four days this separated Lamb was tied to their Bed-posts, that the continual sight of the Lamb might the more effectually stir their Hearts up to sanctify themselves for the Passover. Thus we read, at Hezekiah 's Passover weak, but willing preparations were accepted, 2 Chron. 30.18, 20. and at good Josiah 's Passover that they santify'd themselves, and prepared themselves and their Brethren, 2 Chron. 35.4, 6, 7. No doubt but this tied-up Lamb did oft beat and batter the Families Ears with its frequent Bleatings: It was the Speech of Samuel to Saul, [ What meaneth the Bleating of these Sheep? &c.] 1 Sam. 15.14. which discovered his lurking Hypocrisy, while he pretended his Universal Obedience: Thus our frailties Bleat in our Ears, and our Hearts art privy to them, as Solomon told Shimei, 1 King. 2.44. Oh that we may cleanse ourselves, &c. 2 Cor. 7.1. Can we prepare some days before, and trim ourselves when Invited to a Feast? How much more when we are bidden Guests to a Gospel-Passover.
3. The day of Israel 's participation of it; this Lamb was to be killed and eaten upon the fourteenth day, Exod. 12.6, 8, &c. All this was but the Type, our Lord Jesus was the Antitype in whom all was fulfilled. As this Paschal Lamb lived four days after its Consecration, and then was Sacrificed, &c. so Christ after he was Consecrated by his Baptism to his Office, continued therein about four years, and then was Crucified, and became Food to his Redeemed; see Dan. 9.27. And as this Paschal Lamb was killed at the ninth Hour of the fourteenth Day, that is, at our three in the Afternoon (as Maimonides telleth us) they calling our six in the Morning the first Hour, our nine the third Hour, the time of their Morning Sacrifice, our twelve their sixth Hour, and our three in the Afternoon their ninth Hour, the time of their Evening Sacrifice, to which Christ's words allude, [ Are there not twelve Hours in the Day? ] John 11.9.) This Lamb was slain between the two Evenings, that is, betwixt the former Evening before Sun-set, and the latter Evening after Sun-set, at which time was the Paschal Supper, and there must be time before it for the Lambs Rosting, fore-showing hereby, that the Lamb of God suffered at the Evening of time, Heb. 1.2. 1 Pet. 1.19, 20. and at the ninth Hour of the Day also, Mat. 27.46, 50. and Mark 15.25, 33, 34, 37. Christ (the Mystical Lamb of God) was in Crucifying from the third Hour of the Day to the ninth before he was Crucified, and thereby made Meat, even a Passover Supper for his purified people, but profiteth not Sinners that do persist in their uncleanness without Repentance.
The second Circumstance is the place where the Passover was Celebrated; it was in the House of an Israelite, Exod. 12.3, 4. and 46. Thus qualified:
1. It must be such an House whose Door-posts were bespripkled with the Blood of the Lamb, ver. 7. the two Side-posts, and the upper Door-post, but not the Threshold, the manner of doing it is expressed, ver. 21.13. which signified how the Hearts of Believers should be besprinkl'd with the Blood of Christ, 1 Per. 1.2. Heb. 9.13, 14. See Deut. 6.9. with Heb. 8.10. and Ezek. 45.19. Yet such a reverent Respect must ever be paid to Christ's precious Blood as not to tread underfoot the Son of God, nor to count the Blood of the Covenant as an unholy thing, Heb. 10.29 nor may we want the Bunch of Hyssop (which Piscator calls Rosemary, &c. but the Hebrew word is Eesob, from whence the Greek, Latin and English Name is derived) an humble Plant, yet of a sweet savor, l King. 4.33. representing the Grace of Faith dipped in the Bason of Christ's Blood, for sprinkling and purifying our Consciences from dead works, &c. Heb. 9.14, 19. Acts 15.9, &c. that we may serve the living God from a principle of Life (whereas our best works are dead while we are dead in sin) both by our goings out and our comings in at those Door-posts so besprinkled, &c.
Remark first, It is the work of Faith rightly to Celebrate a Sacrament, for by Faith Moses both kept the Passover, and this Blood of Sprinkling, Heb. 11.28. whereas Sense and Reason might say, [a few drops of Blood sprinkled on the Door posts are but a ridiculous Remedy against the destroying Angel, &c. but they looked at the Divine Institution which gives Value and Virtue to accomplish their appointed End, and so in our Sacraments.
2. Unless we be besprinkled with the Blood of the Paschal Lamb (our Lord, who was Sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. 5.7.) there is no other security from destruction, though one were an Israelite, and prepared for his departure next Morning, (which was an high Profession of their Faith) yet if the Lintel and Door-posts were not sprinkl'd, &c. they had no Sacramental Sign to act Faith upon, &c. ver. 13.
3. This Blood of Sprinkling (which speaks better things than that of Abel, Heb. 12.24.) holds forth our Baptism for Remission of Sins, as the Passover doth the Lord's Supper, as some do apply them, &c.
The second Qualification of the House (wherein the Passover was Celebrated) was, no old Leaven must be found in it, Exod. 12.15. This was another principal part of the Paschal Solemnity; they were enjoined to eat it with unleavened Bread, &c. ver. 17, 18, 19, 20. 'It is called the Bread of Affliction, Dent. 16.3. the reason of this (saith Mr. Calvin ) was to put them in mind of their unpleasant Servitude in Egypt, for unleaven'd Bread is not so pleasant to the Taste, as that which is a little leavened, which was their usual and daily Diet before, ver. 39. and this Feast of unleavened Bread they must keep seven days, for so long it was after this fourteenth day before that fatal overthrow or Pharaoh and his Army in the Red Sea, which completed Israel 's Deliverance from the Egyptians, Exod. 14.13. Grotius tells us, that all Physicians do concur in thinking unleavened Bread to be less wholesome and conducing to Health, yet God must be obeyed, though our Health may be impaired, &c. but the Scripture is the best Expounder of itself. Moses here, ver. 19. uses two Hebrew words for Leaven, [ Seor and Camets ] the former signifies old Leaven, as Paul expresseth it, 1 Cor. 5.7. which hath the Name of being left or remaining; but the latter signifies sourness of Taste; these two signify two sorts of Mystical Leaven, which are like Gog and Magog, the one secret and covered, this our Lord calls Hypocrisy, Luke 12.1. the other is open and discovered, and that is Twofold: The first in respect of evil Doctrine or corrupt Communication, Mat. 16.6, 12. and the second in respect of evil Manners or corrupt Conversation, as Malice, Wickedness, &c. 1 Cor. 5.8. which Paul opposeth to Saints those unleavened Cakes, ver. 6, 7, 13. and David calls malicious Men (who corrupt the Word of God, and infect others with Error) leavened and leavening Persons, Psal. 71.4, &c. hereupon all Leaven was forbid at this Paschal Feast to lead Men unto a soundness of Faith, and a Sincerity of their whole Lives: In obedience to this Law of God, the godly Father of the Family (upon the preparation of the Passover, John 19.14.) searched with a lighted Candle every corner, and would not leave one Crum anywhere.
The Third Qualification is, If the house were too little to eat up a whole Lamb, then might they call in some Neighbor-Family to join with them, that their Number might be sufficient to eat up the whole, Exod. 12.3, 4, 10, 46. The Rabbins and Josephus say, that at the fewest ten men must be counted for Communicants (whom they called Sons of the Society ) we read that Christ sat down with the Twelve Disciples to eat the Passover, Matth. 26.18, 20. Some Families might consist mostly of Women, some larger and lesser than others. Abraham had 318 Trained Servants, where a Lamb might be too little, in which case more Lambs were allowed, but where the Family had too few Persons, then other Families were added to make the Number sufficient for eating up the whole Lamb, yet everyone to have enough. Some learned Men say, that such as were large and numerous Families might well enough be sufficed with one single Lamb, because they were to feed upon it after a Sacramental manner, more than to fill their Bellies only. However, All this was to teach them Unity, which indeed is not to be found anywhere but in the Church: My Dove is but one, Cant. 6.9. that Amity found in the World is rather Conspiracy than Unity, as that of Herod and Pilate against our Lord. And it teaches also how lesser and almost scattered Churches may lawfully join themselves to other Churches that stand their ground in enjoying the Lord's Supper, &c.
The Fourth Qualification is, This House must hold the Partakers of the Paschal Lamb all the Night long until the Morning. [No man must go forth] Exod. 12.22. to mingle among the Egyptians anymore: The like Command God gives us, [to shut ourselves in our Chambers until the Indignation be over-past] Isa. 26.20, 21. Noah was saved by keeping in the Ark, and Ra • a • by staying in her House: Let such as forsake the holy Assemblies beware, that they wi • hdraw not to perdition, &c. Heb. 10.25, 39. when as Christ and his Blood preserveth those that continue in the Ap • stles Doctrine and fellowship, Act. 2.47. 1 Joh. 2.19.
The T •• rd Circumstance in the Matter of this Paschal Feast.
First, It must be a Lamb, or (in some Cases) a Kid, Exod. 12.3, 5. Qui ovem habet, Agnum Immolet; qui vero ove caret, Haedum; the Hebrew word [Sheh] signifies either of them. Such as had not Means to bring a Lamb, a Kid was allowed using the same Rites, 2 Chron. 35.7. Oh the Tenderness of Divine Goodness towards us in accepting such as we can get according to cur Ability! Levite. 5.7, 11. and 14.22. and Deut. 16, 17. where there in a willing Mind, 2 Cor. 8.12. God looks more at the willingness of the Offerer, than at the worthiness of the Offering. The Godly Jews did (notwihstanding this Divine Condescension in allowing a Kid ) more frequently and more freely offer up a Lamb: both the Lamb and the Kid were types of Christ, who as a Lamb in Innocency, Meekness, Patience, Profitableness, &c. yet was he as a Kid taken from the Goats, ver. 5. to show that he suffered as a Sinner (though in himself he was without Sin, 2 Cor. 5.21. Heb. 4.15. and was separate from Sinners, Heb. 7.26.) both by way of Imputation, as God made • ur Sins to meet upon him, and by way of Reputation, as he was numbered among Transgressors, and made his Grave with the wicked, Isa. 53.6, 9, 12. Though the Law leave it seemingly indifferent to the choice of either Lamb or Kid (only when they were now in a confused state, say some) yet Use and Custom made it more common to furnish the Paschal Supper with a Lamb, and accordingly did our Savior celebrate his last Passover; for the Lamb did more livelily represent Christ, who is the true Lamb of God, so called, Joh. 1.29, &c. and is by figurative speech called also our Passover, 1 Cor. 5.7.
Secondly, This Lamb must be [Thamim Zakor] an unblemished Male, not exceeding a year old, ver. 5. (though it might be offered within the year, even at eight days old Exod. 23.19. but being a year old, it was come to its full vigor; which typified Christ (1.) to be the spotless Lamb of God, as he is styled, 1 Pet. 1.19. and all other Sacrifices (that were Types of him) were to be without blemish, Levite. 1.3, 10. &c. that is, to have neither deficiency nor superfluity; not Blind, Broken, Maimed, Scurvy, Scabbed, &c. Levite. 22.22. Mal. 1.8, &c. And (2.) This Immaculate Lamb being a Male of about a year old, then come to its vigor signified, that though Christ was of a Lamb-like Meekness, yet had he a Masculine vigor, especially when he alone whipt such a number of sturdy Money-Merchants out of the Temple, &c. Thus likewise a Lamb at his full vigor sacrificed, did more fully express the vigor and efficacious virtue of the Sacrifice of Christ. Some say, God chose a Lamb for this Paschal-Sacrifice in detestation of the Egyptians Idolatry, who worshipped their Pagan God Jupiter in the shape of a Ram or Lamb.
The Fourth Circumstance is the manner how, namely this Paschal-Lamb must be Kill'd, roasted whole, in the night eaten up all, and nothing remaining, with unleavened Bread, and sour Herbs, &c. the Posture of the Persons in eating it, is referred to the Seventh Rite, Vers. 8, 9, 10. The manner how consists of Seven several Rites.
The first is, The Lamb was killed that his Blood might be shed, and sprinkled as before: So Christ the Lamb, Rev. 5.6. was Crucified, that his Blood might be shed (for without blood-shedding there is no Remission, Heb. 9.22.) 1 Pet. 1.2. and sprinkled also upon the door-posts of our hearts (as above, Heb. 9.14. to wit, by the Hyssop-bunch of our Faith.
Secondly, As the Lamb must be roasted with fire (this is twice commanded, ver. 8, 9.) which was not to be done, because now Israel was in haste to be gone only, and therefore the most expeditious manner was most requisite (for it would be sooner roasted than boiled) but more especially that the Type might carry a more congruous Conformity and Correspondency with the Antitype in our Savior's Sufferings; as the fire (the most Active of all the four Elements) was a figure of God's Spirit, which is compared to fire, Matth. 3.11. and called the Spirit of burning, Isa. 4.4. wherewith Christ was inflamed in his most ardent Affections towards us, insomuch that he cried [ Oh how am I straitened till my Sacrifice for you be accomplished! Luk. 12.50.] and through this eternal Spirit, he offered up himself to God for us, Heb. 9.14. So it signified how the Lamb of God was roasted in the fire of his Father's wrath upon the spit of his Cross, while he was made a Curse for us by his Death, Gal. 3.13. Jer. 4.4. Lam. 1.13. and 2.4. Wrath is called fire, &c.
The Third Rite, It must not be sodden or boiled at all, nor so much as perboiled, and then roasted; for in seething, the water mixeth itself with the matter seethed; therefore this Prohibition seemeth to signify that Holy Simplicity which was found in Christ, and which should be found in us; that we know nothing, but Christ and him crucified, 2 Cor. 11.3. and 1 Cor. 2.2, &c.
The Fourth Rite, Much less may it be eaten Raw ] which seems to be a superfluous Prohibition (as likewise was that reiterated Command [ it shall be roasted with fire, ver. 9.] were there not some more mystical meaning implied therein, which seemeth to be this: Seeing the Paschal-Lamb was a type of Christ, Joh. 19.36. As that Lamb must not be boiled, because much of the Moisture and Substance of the Meat boiled goes out into the Water (as well as much of the Water goeth into the Meat, as before) which prohibited implicitly all mixtures in Religion and Religious Worship (as Levite. 19.19.) the Inventions of Men ought not to be mingled with the Institutions of God: our own Good works must not be jumbled in our Justification with our Faith in Christ. This is forbidden, Gal. 2.16. and 3.9, 10, 11, 12. So on the other Hand this Lamb must not be eaten Raw (saith God here) as foreseeing the Popish Doctrine of eating Christ 's Flesh Raw in the Sacrament in a carnal sense, that gross absurdity he here pre-condemneth as a contradiction of the Type to the Antitype, and as contrary,
1. To Religion, in destroying the Nature of a Sacrament, as that Doctrine confounds the sign with the thing signified.
2. 'It is repugnant also to Reason, requiring carnal Nourishment to a spiritual Substance (the Soul ) to which the flesh profiteth nothing, Joh. 6.63. Yea,
3. 'It is against sense itself, and so is plain Non-sense: for the Romanists would make the Receivers believe, that they eat the very Flesh and Blood of Christ, when they see, touch, and taste nothing but a Wafer, and all their senses tell them it is no more than Bread, yet they most senselessly contradict them all.
Moreover, This prohibitive Precept [Eat not of it Raw] may prefigure also, that as we may not rudely conceive in our Minds concerning Christ in his two Natures and three Offices, &c. so we ought not rawly to receive him in the Lord's Supper without a due Preparation and Examination of ourselves, lest we come unworthily, and eat Judgment to ourselves, 1 Cor. 11.26, 28, 29. Thus Christ will be Roast-meat to us, which is much sweeter and wholesomer than is that Meat which is either raw or sodden, &c.
Fifthly, The next Rite of the Paschal Lamb was, to eat it with unleavened Bread, and sour Herbs.
First, As that Bread was the soonest made (such as Abraham, Gen. 18.5, 6. and Lot Gen. 19.3. hastily prepared to entertain the Angels) for they were to eat it in haste, Exod. 12.11, 34. and Deut. 16.3. in which place Unleavened Bread is called the Bread of Affliction, (as Isa. 30.20.) because it was to mind them of their afflicted conition in Egypt, from which they fled in such haste, that they could not stay till their Bread was leavened, Exod. 12.39. Thus the vulgar Saying is, That [Poor-folks Bread is ill-prepared, ill-leavened] therefore this Bread was called the Bread of Poverty; So [ Lechem Gnoni ] may be read, Poor People almost famished, bake a bit of Dough (hastily made up) upon hot Embers, not being able to tarry till the lump (if they have it) be leavened, and long lingringly baked in the Oven: But the Apostle Paul interprets it here to signify Sincerity and Truth, 1 Cor. 5.8. because leaven hath an operation of souring and swelling up the Dough; therefore that is used usually to signify Sin (as before) of Hypocrisy, Malice, &c.
Secondly, The bitter Herbs signified, that their bitter Affliction in Egypt must be kept in Remembrance, and to mind them what an evil and bitter thing Sin is, Jer. 2.19. the procuring cause of all that bitterness, Exod. 1.14. from which God was now delivering them, Deut. 16.3. to which the Church alludeth, lamenting, [ God had filled her to the full with bitter Herbs, &c.] Lam. 3.15. teaching us, how we may not expect such sweet meat as the Lamb of God is, but we must have with it some sour sauce, those Sufferings were bitter that Christ endured for us, and we must fill up his Measure, Col. 1.24. and be in bitterness, Zech. 12.10. weeping bitterly, Luk. 22.62. being in heaviness to mortify Sin, 1 Pet. 1.6. Gal. 5.24, &c.
The Sixth Rite was, [ They must that Night eat up the whole Lamb, and let nothing Remain till the Morning. ]
The First Type is their eating it by Candle-light in the Night season; which signifies that our Natural light cannot teach us to feed aright upon our Gospel-Paschal-Lamb, this must be done by a light super-natural, Act. 26.18. this lively light of Faith in Christ justifies many, Isa, 53.11. Joh. 17.3.
The Second Clause signifies our great need of a whole Christ; He must not be divided into pieces and parcels, 1 Cor. 1.13.30. Gal. 2.20. where Paul apprehends by Faith a whole Christ to himself, as if Christ had died for him only; as his Coat was seamless, Joh. 19.23. so is himself, and not to be rent in pieces as the Arians do in denying his Deity. The Manichees in impugning his Humanity, and the Apollinarists in saying Christ had no Soul, &c. Christ ought to be apprehended by Faith in his whole Person, Natures, Offices without any Division.
The Third Clause signifies that there must be no dallying and delaying in our apprehending Christ by Faith, for we know not what another Morning may bring forth, every night we may sleep our last sleep, which is an Image of Death, Isa. 17.14. and 2 Kin. 19.35. Beside, They were to eat up all (if they could;) what remained must be burnt, and not kept till the Morning, ver. 10. which is a plain Reproof to the Popish Practice in superstitiously reserving their Consecrated Wafer, &c. for the Sacramental sign (when out of its use for which God ordained it, during the Religious Worship) hath afterward no sacred Virtue or Property in it, nor ought Men to pay any Veneration to it, much loss such Divine Adoration, as is practiced in the Romish Church.
The Seventh R • e was their Threefold posture [ Loins girt, Shoes on their feet, and a Staff in their hands ] to which a Fourth is added, as necessarily implied, though not expressed; to wit, They ate the Passover also [in a standing posture ] as Philo affirmeth, for it was improbable they should sit with Shoes on their feet, and Staves in their hands, &c. 'It is most probable and generally received, that they ate it standing, which was a gesture of readiness for present passage (because they ate it in haste, Exod. 12.11. just ready for a matching) and is the posture of waiting Servants, and such they were while in Egypt 's Slavery: The Apostle seems to allude to this posture, Eph. 6.11, 13, 14. beginning his Christian Armory with it [ Stand therefore, &c. and when ye have done all to stand ] then follows he with this that is expressed here [having our Loins girt] as the (1st) of them for enabling us to stand our ground, and to keep our station. It was the Custom of those Oriental Countries to wear long, loose Garments, which (when not trussed up) made them very unfit for travelling, 2 King. 4.29. Jer. 1.17. This therefore Christ commandeth that we may be girt for our Journey to the Heavenly Canaan, as they here for the Earthly, Luk. 12.35, 36. and his Apostle Peter bids us [Gird up the Loins of our Minds] 1 Pet. 1.13. because a loose, discinct, and diffluent Mind is unready, unnimble, unhandy, and unhandsome for God's Service; 'tis like Thrashing in a Cloak, according to the vulgar Saying: Christ did not serve his Disciples so, Luk. 17.8. nor should we serve Christ so; To the same purpose saith Paul [ having your Loins girt about with that golden girdle of Truth ] Eph. 6.14. Nothing maketh a man more unsteady in his Profession than his want of Sincerity, and a loose life, and here, if ever, doth that Proverb [Ungirt, Unblest,] hold true, we must be pressed and intent for the Journey, especially when we are ready to depart out of the Egypt of this life, and to take Heaven by Storm, Matth. 11.12, &c.
The second Posture expressed is, [Having Shoes on your Feet,] which hath also an Anagogical Sense, as signifying,
1. A readiness for their Departure, Acts 12.8.
2. The reality of their Deliverance, for Captives were made to go bare-foot, Isa. 20.4.
3. Their gladness for their Deliverance, for in Mourning Men put off their Shoes, 2 Sam. 15.30. But,
4. And more especially, It was a Figure of our being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Eph. 6.15. that we may be able to Travel over Aetham (which signifies hard ground, and which Israel passed over in their way to Canaan, Exod. 13.20.) namely, Tribulation, Persecution, &c. that unavoidably way-lays us in our passage to Heaven, Acts 14.22. and 2 Tim. 3.12. such as are fortified with Gospel-comforts, (whereby God creates peace in the Soul) can walk unharmed amidst the Briars and Brambles of a wicked World; as such Gospel-shoes made the Spouses Feet marvelously Beautiful, Cant. 7.1. so to all Believers, their being thus well Booted and Buskin'd (