Works

SECTION XXI.

THE beginning of this Section, and the conclusion of the preceding, being laid together, the order appeareth plain and direct.

CHRIST had perambulated Galilee twice before, since he was baptized, but either altogether without, or else with very little retinue, but now attended with his Disciples and with great multitudes: and his fame is now spread throughout all Syria. Syria was exceeding numerously inhabited by Jews, and in divers things it is set in equal privilegial pace and equipage with the Land of Canaan. Insomuch that there is a controversy amongst our wise men [saith R. Menahem on Deut. 11.] whether Syria which was subdued by David were of the Land of Israel or no.

In three things, say they, Syria was equal with the Land of Israel, and in three things it was equal with heathen Countries: The dust defiles, as heathen Countries dust doth, and he that brings a Bill of Divorce out of Syria, is as if he brought it out of a heathen Land; and he that sells his servant into Syria, is as he that sold him into a heathen Country: In three things it is equal to the Land of Israel: for he that buys Land in Syria, is as if he bought it in the suburbs of Jerusalem, and it is liable to Tithes, to the year of release, and if he can go to it in cleanness, it is clean. Tosaphta in Kelim per.

SECTION XXII.

MARK and Luke do assure the order: the reason why Matthew hath placed this story, as he hath done, hath been observed instantly before: which some not having taken notice of, have supposed the story in Matthew, and in the other two Evangelists not to have been the same, but conceive they speak of two several Lepers healed at two several times: whereas the words of the Leper, and the words and action of Christ in all the three, do assert it plainly for one story; and had the reason of Matthews dislocation of it been observed, it would never have been apprehended otherwise.

Lepers in Israel might not come into the Cities, till the Priests had pronounced them clean, and so restored them again to the Congregation: for the Priests could not heal, but only judge of the malady: and whom they pronounced clean, were not healed wholly of the disease, but were enlarged only from their separation: The Leprosy continued still, though they were absolved from their uncleanness by the Priest [a very pregnant emblem of original sin,] but the danger of infection was over, and so they were restored again to human society. If this Leper had not yet been under the Priests absolution, his faith, or his earnest desire of his recovery, or both, enforceth him to break those bounds that were set him, and he straineth courtesy to come to Christ in a City, Luke 5. 12. If he were absolved by the Priests already from his uncleanness, yet seeketh he to Christ to make him clean from his disease, which the Priests could only pronounce him clean from: the Priests could only pronounce him clean to the Congregation; Christ makes him clean to himself.

SECTION XXIII.

MARK and Luke do again confirm the order: but Matthews dislocation of the same story, doth breed some scruple. For the clearing of which, let us first begin at the very conclusion of this Section, and make good the order there in the end, and that will illustrate the propriety of it here in the beginning: We have parted the story of the calling of Levi, from the story of the feast that he made for Christ after his call, although all the Evangelists that handle his story have laid them close together: The warrant upon which we have parted them, although they be so nearly joined in the Text, is from these two things: 1. From undoubted evidence, by the current of the history, and the progress of the Evangelists hitherto, which makes it plain, that Levies calling was at that time that we are now upon; or as it is laid in the end of this Section. 2. From this evidence, that his feast was not of a good while after his call, in that Matthew saith, while he was speaking, namely about fasting, and putting new cloth into an old garment, &c. [which speech both the other Evangelists place at Levies feast or presently upon it:] Jairus came unto him. See Matth. 9. 18. Mark 2. 15, 18, 19. Luke 5. 29, 33, &c. Now it is plain by the process of the history of Mark and Luke, that very many things, and a good space of time intercurred between the calling of Matthew or Levi, and the coming of Jairus: for Levies call is in Mark 2. 14. and Luke 5. 27. and the story of Jairus his coming is not till Matth. 5. 22. and Luke 8. 41. Now in that these words that Christ was in speaking when Jairus came to him, Matth. 9. 18. were spoken at Levies feast, Luke 5. 29, 33. it is apparent that his feast was a good space of time after his call: and hence have we warrant for the putting of those stories in the harmonizing of the Evangelists. The three indeed that speak of these stories do handle them together, because they would dispatch Levies story at once: and Mark and Luke do mention what occurred at his feast, but when they have done that, they return to the story and time, that properly followed in order after his calling.

Here therefore is the reason of Matthews so far dislocating the story of the palsy man that is before us as he hath done: namely because in that ninth Chapter he pitcheth upon the time of Levies feast, and from that time goes on forward with the story succeeding it: And so having pitched upon the time of his feast, he also brings in the story of his call, because he would take up his whole story in one place, as the other Evangelists have also done: and with the story of his call, he hath likewise brought in the story of the palsy man because it occurred at the same time.

Matthew is not ashamed to proclaim the baseness of his own profession before he was called, that that grace might be magnified that had called him. He was a Publican [and as it seemeth] at the Custom-house of Capernaum, to gather custom and tribute of those that passed over the water, or that had to deal on that Sea of Galilee. The Jerus. Talm. hath this Canon. Demai. fol. 23. col. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : A Pharisee [or one of the religion] that turns Publican, they turn him out of his order, but doth he leave his Publicanism? They restore him to his order again: so unconsistent did they repute this profession and religion. Maym. in Gezelah. per. 5. Men of whom it may be presumed that they are robbers, and of whom it may be presumed that all their wealth is gotten of rapine, because their trade is a trade of robbers, as Publicans and thieves, it is unlawful to use their wealth, &c. He becomes an Apostle and a Penman of the Gospel: He wrote his Gospel first of all the four; and wrote it in Greek, though he wrote it more particularly for Hebrews: for the Hebrew Tongue was so lost, that it was not ordinarily to be understood; and the Greek Bible was the readiest in the hands of the unlearned, to examine the quotations from the Old Testament, that he or any other of the divine Penmen should allege: The Prophets had been but very lately before Matthews time turned into the Chaldee Tongue by Jonathan ben Uzziel, and the Law by Onkeles a little after; and the Jerusalem Talmud tells of a Targum or translation of Job, which Gamaliel Paul's Master had. Shabb. fol. 15. col. 3. and all this because the original Hebrew was not commonly understood. And in the reading of the Law and Prophets in the Synagogues, they had Interpreters that rendered it into the Syriac, as was said a little before, because they understood not the Original; therefore it were unreasonable that Matthew should write in Hebrew, a Language then to the most unknown.

SECTION XIV.

FOR the justifying and clearing of the order in this place, these things are to be taken into consideration. 1. That the first thing that the two Evangelists Mark and Luke, who are most exact for order, have placed after the calling of Levi, is, the Disciples plucking the ears of Corn. They have indeed interserted Levies feast, and Johns Disciples questioning about fasting, but that was more for the dispatching of Levies story altogether, then for the propriety of their subsequence each to other, as hath been shown already. 2. In that the story of the Disciples plucking the ears of Corn, is joined by them next, we are to look for a Passover between, for till the Passover was over, and the firstfruits sheaf offered the second day after, it was not lawful to meddle with any Corn, to use, or to eat it, Lev. 23. 14. 3. Christ had said in the field of Shechem, that it was then four months to harvest, Joh. 4. 35. that is, to the Passover, at what time their Barley harvest began, Lev. 23. 11. &c. Now, casting up the time from that place and speech, taken up in the current of the story from thence hither, we cannot but conclude the four months to be now up, and this to be the Passover, then thought upon in those words. And we may conceive that the Evangelist hath the rather omitted to call it by its proper name, or to speak it expressly, that this feast was the Passover, because in that speech he had given fair intimation, how to understand the next feast of the Jews that he should speak of. He mentioneth indeed a Passover in Chap. 6. 4. but we shall find by the progress of the story in the other Evangelists, that that was yet so far yet to come, that it cannot in the least wise be supposed to be that which was to come within four months after Christ's being in the field of Shechem. The feast of the Jews therefore that he speaketh of in the first verse of this Chapter, must needs be that Passover referred to Joh. 4. 35. and this considered doth clear the order.

At this Passover a man is healed at Bethesda, who had been diseased from seven years before Christ was born. This was a pool first laid up by Solomon, as may be conjectured from Josephus de Bel. lib. 5. cap. 13. compared with Nehem. 3. and at first called Solomon's Pool, but now Bethesda, or the place of mercy from its beneficial virtue. It was supplied with water from the fountain Siloam, which represented David's and Christ's Kingdom, Isa. 8. 6.

The five porches about it, and the man, when healed, carrying his bed out of one of them, calls to mind the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mevuoth or Entries that are so much spoken of in the Treatise Erubbin, the carrying of anything out of which into the street on the Sabbath day, was to carry 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 out of a private place into a public, and was prohibited.

He is hereupon convented before the Sanhedrin, and there he doth most openly confess and prove himself to be the Messias: And he asserteth that all Power and Judgment is put into his hand, and that he hath the same authority for the dispensing of the affairs of the New Testament, that the Father had for the old. And this he doth so plainly, that he leaveth their unbelief henceforward without excuse.

The Jews speak of divers ominous things that occurred forty years before the destruction of the City; As▪ It is a tradition that forty years before the Sanctuary was destroyed the Western Lamp went out, and the scarlet list kept its redness, and the Lord's lot came up on the left hand. And they locked up the Temple doors at even, yet when they rose in the morning they found them open. Jerus. in Joma fol. 43. col. 3. And, Sanhedr. fol. 18. col. 1. Fourty years before the Temple was destroyed, power of judging in capital matters was taken away from Israel: Now there are some that reckon but thirty eight years between the death of Christ and the destruction of the City; and if that be so, then these ominous presages occurred this year that we are upon. It being just forty years, by that account, from this Passover at which Christ healeth the diseased man at Bethesda, to the time of Titus his pitching his Camp and siege about Jerusalem, which was at a Passover. But of this let the Reader judge.

SECTION XXV.

THE words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which Luke hath used ver. 1. being rightly understood, will help to clear the order of this Section, and to confirm the order of the preceding.

The Law enjoined that the next morrow after the eating of the Passover, should be kept holy like a Sabbath, Exod. 12. 16. and accordingly it is called a Sabbath, Lev. 23. 7, 11. And there the Law also enjoins that the next day after that Sabbatical day, they shall offer the sheaf of first fruits to the Lord: and from that day they should count seven Sabbaths to Pentecost, which was their solemn festival, and thanksgiving for that half harvest, viz. Barley harvest which they had then inned, Lev. 23. 15, 16, 17. That day therefore that they offered their first Barley sheaf, and from which they were to count the seven Sabbaths or weeks forward, being the second day in the Passover week, the Sabbaths that followed, did carry a memorial of that day in their name till the seven were run out: as the first was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the first second-day Sabbath; The next 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the second second-day Sabbath: the next 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the third secondday Sabbath, and so the rest of all the seven through. Now let it be observed, 1. That no Corn, no not ears of Corn might be eaten till the first-fruits sheaf was offered and waved before the Lord, Lev. 23. 14. 2. That it was waved the second day of the Passover week. 3. That this was the first Sabbath after that second day, when the Disciples plucked the ears of Corn, and it will plainly evince that we must look for a Passover before this story, and so it will show the warranty and justness of taking in the • ifth of John next before it.

But the order of Matthew may breed some scruple, and that the rather, because that though he hath placed this story after divers occurrences that are yet to come, yet he hath prefaced it with this circumstance, At that time: Now this expression doth not always center stories in the same point of time, but sometimes it hath made a transition betwixt two stories, whose times were at a good distance asunder: as Gen. 38. 1. Deut. 10. 8. and so likewise the phrase, In these days, Matth. 3. 1.

The latter story about healing the man with the withered hand, is so unanimously ordered by all the three, after the other, that there is no doubt of the method of it.

It was a special part of religion which the Jews used on the Sabbath, to eat good meat, and better then they did on the week days: yea they thought themselves bound to eat three meals on that day [as was said before,] and for this they allege, Isa. 58. 13. Vid. Kimch. ibid. & Tanch. fol. 1. Talm. & Maym. in Shab. &c. compare Phil. 3. 19.

Observe how far the Disciples are from such an observance, and from such provision, when a few ears of Barley [for that was the Corn plucked] must make a dinner.

The plucking of ears of Corn on the Sabbath was forbidden by their Canons verbatim. Talm. in Shab. per. 7. & Maymon. Shab. per. 7, & 8. He that reapeth Corn on the Sabbath, to the quantity of a fig, is guilty. And plucking Corn is as reaping: And whosoever plucketh up anything from it growing, is guilty, under the notion of reaping.

Christ before his healing the withered hand, is questioned by them; Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? Their decretals allowed it in some cases. Tanch. fol. 9. col. 2. our Doctors teach the danger of life dispenseth with the Sabbath. And so doth Circumcision and the healing of that. But this is a rule saith Rabbi Akibah, that that which may be done on the eve of the Sabbath, dispenseth not with the Sabbath. Talm. in Shabb. per. 19. Such was this case. Compare Luke. 13. 14. They accounted that this might have been done any other day.

SECTION XXVI.

THe connection that both these Evangelists have at this story, doth abundantly assert the order. The Pharisees took counsel to destroy him, but when Jesus knew it, he departed, &c. The Herodians join with them in their plotting, which seem to have been these learned and great men of the Nation who had gone into the service of Herod the Great, and now of his son mentioned before.

SECTION XXVII.

LUKE and Mark do methodize and fix the time of the Sermon in the Mount; which Matthew hath laid very early in his Gospel, because he would first treat of Christ's Doctrine, and then of his Miracles.

In a mount near Capernaum, he ordaineth▪ a Ministry for the Church of the Gospel, and delivereth the doctrine of the Gospel, as Moses at Sinai had done the like for the Law. The number of the present Ministers appointed, whom he calleth Apostles, was twelve, agreeable to the twelve Tribes of Israel: that as they were the beginning of the Church of the Jews, so are these of the Gentiles: and to both these numbers of twelve joined together, the number of the four and twenty Elders, the representative of the whole Church, Rev. 4. & 5, &c hath relation, Rev. 21. 12, 14.

The Text allotteth these ends of their appointment: 1. That they might be with Christ, to see his glory, Joh. 1. 14. and to be witnesses of all things that he did, Acts 10. 39, 41. Luk. 24. 48. 2. That he might send them forth to preach. 3. To heal diseases and cast out Devils.

Before they were completed in all their divine endowments, they grew on by degrees; They were auditors a good while, and learning the doctrine of the Gospel, that they were to preach, before they set upon that work: for though Christ chose them now, yet it is well towards a twelve month, before he sends them abroad a preaching, as will appear in the process of the story. So that besides the time that they had spent before this their choosing, they also spent that in hearing and learning from the mouth of their Master, what they were to teach when he should employ them: So that even the Apostles themselves at the first setting forth into the Ministry, did not preach by the Spirit, but what they had learned and gotten by hearing, study, conference and meditation.

As the Lord under the Law, and from the first founding of that Church, did set apart a peculiar order and function of men for the service of the Sanctuary, so did he under the Gospel, a peculiar order and function for the Ministry of the Gospel; and this no more to be usurped upon, then that: Now as under the Law there were several sorts of men within that function, as High-Priests, Chief-Priests, ordinary Priests and Levites, but all paled in with that peculiarity that no other might meddle with their function: so likewise at the first rising of the Gospel, there were Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, according to the necessity of those present times, but all hedged in with a distinctive ministerial calling that none other might nor may break in upon. All the Titles and names that Ministers are called by throughout the New Testament, are such as denote peculiarity and distinctiveness of order; as, Wise men and Scribes, Mat. 23. 34. Now the Jews knew not, nor ever had heard of Wise men and Scribes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but the learned of their Nation distinguished for others, by peculiarity of order and ordination: And if they understood not Christ in such a sense, namely men of a distinct order, they understood these Titles Wise men and Scribes, in a sense that they had never known nor heard of before: Ministers in the New Testament are called Elders, Bishops, Angels of the Churches, Pastors, Teachers: now all these were Synagogue terms, and everyone of them denoted peculiarity of order, as might be shown abundantly from their Synagogue antiquities: The Jews knew no Elders but men by their order and function distinguished from other men. A Bishop translates the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chazan, An Angel of the Congregation translates the title 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sh • liach isibbor, A Pastor translates the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Parnas, And a Teacher translates 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Divinity Reader: Now these terms had never been known by any to signify otherways then men of a peculiar function and distinct order.

SECTION XXVIII.

THe proof of the order doth not need to be insisted upon; Luke doth manifestly assert it. It had been foretold by the Prophet, All thy children shall be taught of God, Isa. 54. 13. which if applied to the Gentiles, they had been taught by the Devil, his Oracles and Idols: If applied to the Jews, they indeed had been taught by the Lord in his Prophets, but these were but men like themselves, but this Prophecy foretells the preaching of Christ who was God himself, he teaching and conversing amongst them, he then the great teacher of the world, Isa. 2. 2. and 51.4. doth from the mount near Capernaum, deliver his Evangelical Law, not for the abolishing of the Law and Prophets, but for their clearing and fulfilling.

He first beginneth with pronouncing blessings, as the most proper and comfortable tenor of the Gospel: and hereby he calls us to remember Gerizim and Ebal, Deut. 27. For though Israel be enjoined there to pronounce both blessings and curses upon those mountains, yet are the curses only specified by name and number, for the curse came by the Law, but he that was to bless was to come: which thing taketh place very comfortably and harmoniously here. Luke addeth that he also denounced woes; as, Blessed be the poor: Blessed are ye that hunger now, &c. But woe unto you that are rich: Woe unto you that are full, &c. according to which form the Jews conceive, the blessings and curses were pronounced by Israel from those two mountains mentioned, Talm. in Sotah. per 7. & Tosapht. ibi. per. 8. How did Israel pronounce the blessings and the curses? Six tribes went up to the top of mount Gerizim, and six to the top of mount Ebal: the Priests, and the Levites, and the Ark stood below in the midst between; They turned their faces towards mount Gerizim, and began with blessing; Blessed is the man that maketh not any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord, &c. And both parties answered and said Amen. Then turned they their faces towards mount Ebal, and began with cursing; Cursed be them an that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord, &c. and both parties answered Amen: And so of the rest.

2. He proceedeth laying out of the latitude of the Law, according to its full extent and intention, and showeth the wretchedness of their traditional glosses, that had made the Law of no effect. They understood the Law, Thou shalt not kill, only of actual murder, and that committed by a man's own hand; for if he hired another to kill him, or turned a wild beast upon him, which slew him, this they accounted not murder for which to be questioned by the Sanhedrin, though it deserved the judgment of God, Talm. in Sanhedr. per 9. Maym in Retsea per 2. but he shows that the command extends to the prohibiting of causeless anger, and that that deserves the judgment of God, that the uncharitable scornings of a brother, under their usual word Raka, deserved the judgment of the Sanhedrin, and especially the calling him fool [in Solomon's sense,] or censuring rashly his spiritual estate, deserved hell fire. They construed the command, Thou shalt not commit adultery. barely of the act of adultery, and that with another man's wife. Trip. targ. in marg. ad Exod. 20. but he tells, that it prohibits, lustful thoughts and looks, and that looking upon a woman to lust after her, is adultery in heart. Rabban Simeon delighted to look upon fair women, that he might take occasion by the sight of their beauty, to bless God. [A fair excuse.] Tal. Jerusin Beracoth. fol. 12. col. 3.

The Law had permitted divorces, only in case of fornication, Deut. 24. 1. but they had extended it to any cause, and to so loose an extent, that R. Ahiba said, A man may put away his wife, if he see another woman that pleaseth him better than she. Gittin per. 9. The Law had forbidden fo • swearing, or swearing falsely, thereupon they had made bold to take liberty of vain swearing at pleasure, so that, what they swore were not false; as see Tal. & Maym. in Shev • oh.

These cursed constructions of theirs by which they had made the Law of no effect, he divinely damneth, and stateth the proper and true intent of the Law in these cases.

3. He prescribeth Christian duties, and especially rules of piety, charity and sincerity, and condemneth the hypocritical vainglory of the Pharisees about these things. They used when they gave alms in the Synagogue, to have it openly proclaimed and published what they gave, as if a Trumpet had been sounded for everyone to take notice of their charity, Jerus. in Demai, fol. 23. col. 2. And they had an open proclaiming in the streets, for the calling of the poor to gather the corner of the field that they had left them, Id. Peah. per. 4, &c. They loved to be seen praying in the streets, especially in their Phylactery prayers morning and evening, besides other occasional Oraisons, Id. Beracoth. per. 1, & 2. They used to pray those prayers often, and often other prayers, in the Synagogue, apart and distinct from the prayers or service that the Synagogue was then upon, and so their particular devotion was the more subject to be observed, Ib. fol. 8. col. 3, &c. They used on their fasting days to use such a carriage and demeanour in face and garb, that all might observe that it was fasting day with them, Piske. Tosaph. in Taanith. per. 1, &c. And in all their devotions and demeanour they hunted after the praise of men; which he condemneth, and urgeth for sincerity and care to approve the heart to God.

Throughout all this Sermon, this great oracle of divine truth, doth not only show and hold out the sacred doctrines of faith, manners, duty and eternal life, but he evidenceth throughout, that he was thoroughly acquainted with all the learning; doctrines and traditions of those times. And to the explication of this divine Sermon, is required quick and ready versedness in the Jews Records, for Christ hath an eye and reference to their language, doctrines, customs, traditions and opinions almost in every line.

SECTION XXIX.

LUKES transition, When he had ended all his sayings, doth prove the order. The four verses that speak about the Leper in Matthew, were taken up before, and their order spoken to then.

A proselyte Captain that had so far affected the Jews religion that he had built a Synagogue in Capernaum, having seen and heard the works and words of Christ, believeth him for the Messias, and beggeth of him the healing of his servant. Which that Christ could do, he concludeth from a comparison of the power of his own word and command among his soldiers: for since they were ready to come, and go, or run at his command, much more doth he conclude, was the word of Christ of power to command away the disease of his servant if he pleased. Christ had often in his Sermon on the Mount, asserted the authority of his own word, against and above the words of their traditionaries, and equalized it with that word that gave the Law. And here is a very high and seasonable confession of the authority of that word, made by this Centurion, and an evidence of the power of it by the healing of his servant at distance. The man's faith is justly extolled though he were a Gentile, and the casting off the Jews is clearly foretold, which Christ had not so plainly spoken out hitherto.

SECTION XXX.

AS Christ yesterday recovered a young man from the point of death, so doth he another today from death itself. The words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ver. 11. do confirm the order. The day after, &c.

Joseph. Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 5. speaks of the Village Nais, as being upon the edge of Samaria, in the way as the Galileans passed to Jerusalem. And it is not improbable that Christ was going thitherward at this time to one of the Festivals; most like to Pentecost.

As he comes to Naim he meets with a dead man carried out [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Talmudic Language] for they might not bury within their Cities, no nor at the Levites Cities, within the compass of that ground without the City that was allotted for its suburbs, Maym. in Shemitah veiobel per. 13. [If Jerusalem went parallel with the Levites Cities in this, as it did in other things, Christ's Sepulcher will not prove so near the City as it hath been commonly reputed.] He raiseth this dead man openly, and in the sight of all the company there present, which was very great, and yet when afterward he raiseth Jairus daughter, he chargeth that those that had seen him do the miracle which were but five persons, that they should tell no man what was done, Luk. 8. 56. which prohibition was given rather in regard of the place where it was done, then in any other respect, it being in Capernaunt against which City he had denounced a curse before.

SECTION XXXI.

THE Transition of Luke from the Stories before, about the raising of the dead man and healing the Centurions Servant, And the Disciples of John shown him of all these things, doth confirm the order.

JOHN from Machaerus Castle where he lay Prisoner, sendeth two of his Disciples to Christ to inquire of him, Whether he were he that should come; Not that John was ignorant who he was, having had so many demonstrations of him as he had had, and having given so ample testimony of him as he had done, Joh. 1. 34, 36. & 3. 29, 30. Nor that Johns Disciples were so willfully ignorant of him as not to be persuaded by their Master that he was he, but his message to him seems to this purpose; John and his Disciples had heard of the great and many miracles that Christ had done, healing the sick, and raising the dead, &c. and it may be, they thought it strange that Christ amongst all his miraculous workings, would not work Johns liberty out of thralldom, who lay a prisoner for him, and for the Gospel he preached before him: And this, may be, was the bottom of their question, Art thou he that shall come, or look we for another? As expecting somewhat more from the Messias, then they had yet obtained. They received a full answer to their question by the miracles they saw wrought, which abundantly proved that he was he that was to come. But as to their expectation of his miraculous enlargement of John, his answer was, that his work was to preach the Gospel, and that it was a blessed thing not to take any offense at him, but to yield and submit to his wise dispensations. And accordingly when the messengers of John were returned, he giveth a glorious testimony concerning him to the people, but yet showeth how far one truly and fully acquainted and stated in the Kingdom of Heaven, went beyond him in judging of it, who looked for temporal redemption by it.

The Method of Matthew is somewhat difficult here, but he seemeth purposely to have joined the mission of Christ's Disciples and Johns Disciples together. I suppose Christ was at Jerusalem when Johns messengers came to him: and if it were at the feast of Pentecost, John had then been seven or eight months in prison.

SECTION XXXII.

BEsides Matthews continuing this portion to that that went before, the upbraiding of these Cities is so answerable to the matter contained in the end of the former Section, that it easily shows it to be spoken at the same time: See Ver. 17, 18, 19. of this Chapter.

When Christ saith, that if the things done in these Cities, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, and Sodom, and Gomorrhah, they would have repented, and would have remained till now; he understandeth not saving grace and saving repentance in them, but such an external humiliation as would have preserved them from ruin: As the case was with Nineveh, they repented and were delivered from the threatened destruction: their repentance was not to salvation of the persons, but to the preservation of their City: as Ahab's humbling prevented the present judgment, and not his final condemnation.

SECTION XXXIII.

THE continuation of this portion in Luke to that in Sect. 31. will plead for its order: and the reader will easily observe, that the interposition of the preceding Section in Matthew, is so far from interrupting the story, that it is necessarily to be taken in there, and is an illustration of it. The actings of the two several parties in this Section, the Pharisee that invited Christ to eat with him, and the woman sinner that comes and weeps at his feet for mercy; may seem to have had some rise from, or some occasional reference to the speech of Christ in the two Sections next preceding. In the former he had said, The son of man came eating and drinking, and this possibly might induce the Pharisee to his invitation: and in the latter he had said, Come unto me • e that are weary and heavy laden, and that might invite the woman to her address.

This woman was Mary the sister of Lazarus, who was also called Mary Magdalene▪ of whom there is mention in the very beginning of the next Chapter. That she was Mary the sister of Lazarus, John giveth us ground to assert, John 11. 2. as we shall show when we come there: where we shall evidence, that these words, It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, can properly be referred to no story but this before us: And that Mary the sister of Lazarus was called Mary Magdalene, we shall prove in the next Section: Christ in the story in Sect. 31. when Johns disciples came to him we supposed to be at Jerusalem, and answerably it may be conceived that this passage occurred at Bethany, where Simon the Pharisee may not improbably be held to be the same with Simon the Leper, Matth. 26. 6. where this very woman again anointed him.

SECTION XXXIV.

LUKE again is the warrant for the order. In the former story he had spoken of one woman that had found healing and mercy with Christ, and he speaks here of divers, and among them Mary Magdalene. Now that she was Mary the sister of Lazarus, let but these two arguments be weighed, not to insist upon more. The first is this: If Mary Magdalene were not Mary the sister of Lararus, then Mary the sister of Lazarus gave no attendance at Christ's death, nor had anything to do about his burial [or at least is not mentioned as an agent at either] which is a thing so incredible to conceive, that it needs not much discourse to set forth the incredibility of it. There is mention of Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Salom, Mark. 15. 40. and Joanna, Luk. 24. 10. but not a word of Mary the sister of Lazarus. She had twice anointed Christ in the compass of that very week, she had ever been as near and as zealous a woman disciple as any that followed him, and her residence was at Bethany hard by Jerusalem, and what is now become of her in these two great occasions of attending upon Christ's death and imbalming? Had she left Christ, and neglected her attendance on him, at this time above all others? or have the Evangelists, whilst they mention the other that attended, left her out? It is so unreasonable to believe either of these, that even necessity enforceth us to conclude, that when they name Mary Magdalene, they mean Mary the sister of Lazarus. And Secondly take this Argument of Baronius, which hath more weight in it then at first sight it doth seem to have, who in his Annals ad Annum Christi 32, goes about to prove this thing that we assert, and he shows how it also was the opinion of the Fathers, and those in former times. His words are these: We say upon the testimony of John the Evangelist nay of Christ himself, that it plainly appears, that Mary the sister of Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene was but one and the same person. For when in Bethany the same sister of Lazarus anointed the feet of Jesus, and Judas did thereupon take offense, Jesus himself checking the boldness of the furious Disciple, said, Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial: Now that she that brought the ointment to the sepulcher for the annointing of the body of Jesus, was Mary Magdalene, is affirmed by Mark, and that she with Mary the Mother of James and Salome did that office. When therefore neither in him, nor in any other of the Evangelists there is any mention of Mary the Sister of Lazarus, who was foretold by our Savior that she should do that office, it may easily be known that both these Mary's were but one and the same. At Joh, 12. 7. we shall show that that speech must be construed to such a sense, as he hath put on it, save only that following the vulgar Latin, he reads sine ut servet, which indeed makes his sense the fuller, but though not so read, yet will that sense be full enough.

It is to be objected indeed, that Mary was called Magdalene, from the place Magdala, of which there is mention Matth. 15. 29. and in Tal. Jerus. in Maazaroth. fol 50. col. 3. in This passage, R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simeon ben Jochai. He had two enclosures, one in Magdala, the other in Tiberias, &c. And in Beracoth fol. 13. col. 1. there is mention of one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 R. Judah of Magdala: now Magdala being in Galilee [as some seat it] or over against Galilee beyond Jordan [as others,] it was so very far distant from Bethany, that Mary the sister of Lazarus, whose Town was Bethany, could not possibly be called Magdalene from Magdala. To which we may first give Baronius his answer, who also mentioneth this objection; That though she were of Bethany by original, and the native seat of her fathers house, yet might she also be of Magdala by marriage, or some occasional residence otherwise. And in the second place, we may adduce what the Talmudicks speak of one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mary Magdalene, or Megaddala, for the word is of doubtful pointing, whom they character for a notorious strumpet in those times that Jesus of Nazareth lived. Alphez. in Gittin. fol. 605. Some man finds a fly in his cup, and takes her out and will not drink, and this was the temper of Papus the son of Judah, who locked the door upon his wife whensoever he went out. The glossaries R. Solamon and Nissim, upon this passage comment thus: Papus the son of Judah, was husband 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to Mary Magdala, and whensoever he went forth he locked the door upon his wife, lest she should speak with any man, which was a usage unfitting, and hereupon there arose discord between them, and she plaid the whore against him. Now they construe the latter word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as signifying one that broided or plated her hair, which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Peter blames in women, 1 Pet. 3. 3. Tal. Babyl, Venet. in Sanhedr. per. 7. is speaking of one that enticed to Idolatry, and how he was brought to the Sanhedrin and stoned. And thus, say they, they did to Ben Saida in Lydda, and hanged him on the Passover eve. Ben Saida was the son of Pandira. [They call our Savior blasphemously by this name Ben Saida. ] And a little after. His mother was Saida. His mother was Mary Magdalene, Mary the platter of women's hair. vid etiam Schab. fol. 104. And in Chagigah fol. 4. The Angel of death said to his messenger, Go fetch me 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mary the broider of women's hair; He went and fetched Mary Magdala, or Mary the broider of hair for young men. Now whether the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be read Magdela or Magdila, a Participle in Hiphil, which is most proper, and so warranted by Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and Kelim per. 15.] or Megaddela in Piel: either of them in a Greek dress, especially the former, come so near the sound of the word in hand, that we may very well construe Mary Magdalene in this Talmudic construction for a woman of common infamy, and that hath this nick-name of Magdila from her lascivious dress and carriage. Observe Luke's expression, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Mary which was called Magdalene: which manner of phrase is rarely used when persons are named after their Country.

SECTION XXXV.

THe series and consequence of this Section will require some clearing. 1. The reader here seeth that Mark hath not mentioned anything from the ordaining of the twelve Apostles unto this place: for the holy Ghost that held all their pens, did so dispose them, that sometimes one should speak the story, sometimes another, and sometimes more or all of them together. Now though the first clause of this Section in Mark, And they went into an house, be joined so close to the Apostles ordaining, as if that were the next thing done; yet the current of the story in the rest of the Evangelists, doth show that it is not to be taken in, at that instant: and indeed the progress of the story even in Mark himself, doth show that this is the proper place of it, as will appear to him that shall precisely observe it. 2. Matthew hath laid this story of casting out a Devil, &c. next after two stories that occurred before the Sermon in the Mount, as hath appeared in its place: the reason of which may be supposed to be, because he would take up the exceptions of the Scribes and Pharisees together: That this story in Matthew lieth in juncture to these next succeeding will readily appear in them. 3. There is a story in Luke 11. so like this, that one would think it were the very same; for there is mention of the same miracle, casting out a Devil, and the same cavil of the Pharisees, and the same answer of Christ: and yet the progress of the history of Luke thither, and especially the coming off from that story, do persuade that it was another story. For Luke chaineth such following passages to it, that cannot possibly be brought in concurrent with the current of these Evangelists now before us. And we shall observe hereafter, that Christ in his latter time did repeat over again very many of those things that he had spoken a good while before: as Moses his Deutronomy was but a rehersal of things that had been acted and spoken in his former time. The same devillishness was in the Scribes and Pharisees in all places, and it was accordingly to be met withal by Christ in more places then one: They had taken up a consent to beat down the dignity and authority of his Miracles, by asserting that whatsoever he did, he did by the power of Magic, and this corrupt blood ran up in their veins everywhere wheresoever he met them, and therefore it is no wonder if the same words be in their mouths here and there, when the same rotten principle was everywhere in their hearts. Observe how scornfully they require a sign from Heaven, when they had but newly seen a most heavenly sign.

The word Beelzebul was taken up for the more detestation, as importing, The god of a dunghill, and the sacrificing to Idols they called dunging to an Idol, R. Jose, ben R. Ben. saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He that seeth them dunging to an Idol, must say, He that sacrificeth to other gods must be destroyed. Talm. Jerus. Beracoth, fol. 12. col. 2.

What Christ speaketh about the unpardonableness of blasphemy against the holy Ghost, is in direct facing of their Tener; which held, that blasphemy was atoned for by death though by nothing else. He [say they] by whom the name of Heaven is blasphemed, repentance hath no power to save him from punishment, nor the day of expiation to atone for him, or chastisements of the Judges to acquit him. But repentance and the day of expiation atone for a third part, and chastisements a third part, and death a third part. And of such it is said, If this iniquity be purged till you die: Behold we learn that death acquitteth. Talm. Jerus. Sanhed. fol. 27. col. 3.

The Jews defamed the miracles done by Christ as done by Magic, as appeareth not only by this and other places in the Gospel, but even in Talm. Bab. Schabb. fol. 104. col. 2. R, Eliezer said to the wise men, Did not Ben Saida [ this is a blasphemous name they give to Jesus of Nazareth, as was said a little before ] bring enchantments out of Egypt in incisions in his flesh?

But when they saw they were not able to contradict and decry the credit of the great miracles that he did, and they saw that this would not serve their turn, to say he did them by the power of the Devil; the Devil taught them to betake themselves to another shift clean contrary, and that was, to say and maintain, that when Messias came, he should do no miracles at all: which they assert in Sanhedr. per. Helek. and Maym. in Melachint. per. ult.

SECTION XXXVI.

THe Order is cleared by the transition of Matthew, While he yet talked, &c. Luke hath set the coming of Christ's mother and brethren, after the Parable of the Sower [whereas the other two Evangelists have set it before and that in its proper place] thereby intimating the end and prosecution of the errand they came upon, which was to take him up from preaching: with which intention and importunity they follow him from place to place. Here is an evidence of the Virgin Mary's sinfulness, as well as other women's, if going about to stop Christ's Ministry were a sin, as certainly it was, proceed that intention from what pretence soever. Mark 3. 21. His friends went to lay hold on him, for they said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : signify that word what it will, whether he is beside himself, or he is faint, or he is in a rapture, &c. their errand and intention was to take him off from the course he was in: which he knew well enough, and therefore he gives so smart an answer, Who is my mother, &c? Compare Deut. 33. 9.

SECTION XXXVII.

MATTHEWS transition doth again clear the order here. The same day went Jesus, &c. The same day that his Mother and brethren came to him, as is apparent in the twelfth Chapter. So that this consideration helpeth to methodize the order of Luke: for whereas the other two have set the coming of Christ's mother and brethren before his uttering of the Parable of the Sower, &c. he hath set it after; and that without contrariety though with diversity. For both the occurrences were on the same day: and he hath by this order shown how the mother and friends of Christ having once found him, went along with him, whether to prosecute the intention they came upon, or better convinced to attend him and his doctrine.

CHRIST speaking of Parables, which he doth so exceeding much through the Gospel, was according to the style and Manner of that Nation, which were exceedingly accustomed to this manner of Rhetoric. The Talmuds are abundantly full of this kind of oratory, and so are generally all their ancient writers: and they commonly enter upon their Parables with this preface 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : A Parable: To what is the thing like? which style he also useth not seldom. And sometime they enter upon it more abruptly with such an entrance as this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To a man, or To a King of flesh and blood, &c. meaning, It is like to a man or like to a King, &c. I believe there are very many in the world, that have not been further acquainted with the writings of the Jews then what they have seen quoted by other writers, and yet are ready to censure them of lies and falsehoods [which indeed they are not free from] merely upon want of acquaintance with their style of Parables and hyperboles.

Very good use may be made of the Talmudic treatises, Peah, Demai, and Kilaim, which treats intentionally concerning sowing and seeds, for illustration of these Parables. In Kilaim, they dispute of sowing 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon rocks and upon stones, and of mingling 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , wheat and tares, &c. cap. 1. In Peah in Tal. Jerus. fol. 20. they speak of a tree of mustardseed, that one might climb into like other trees, &c. And in divers other passages in these Parables, some light may be fetched from those tracts: seeing Christ all along speaketh of things usual and most particularly usual among that Nation.

SECTION XXXVIII.

THe story of CHRIST'S preparing to go over the water, is evidenced by Mark, to come in here in its proper place; for he saith, The same day at even, &c. Matthews laying it where he hath done, may seem to be because of its nearness to Matthews or Levies feast, as will appear in the following current of the story; which feast he hath laid at Matthews call, and so hath accordingly brought here divers stories together, though far distinct in time; as some being near the time of his call, some near the time of his feast. But a greater scruple ariseth, namely, Whether this story in Matthew, of two that would follow Christ, and that in Luke 9. 57, &c. of three that would do so, be one and the same story, or two occurrences at several times? It is well the matter is of no more chronological import, for it is hard to resolve which way to take it. The words of the persons to Christ, and his answer to them, are so much the same, that it is hard to think two several stories should run so parallel in all circumstances: And yet Luke's laying it so far out of its place, might persuade that it is not the same story. It would be more tiresome then profitable to dispute the matter at lage; therefore to make sure and quick work, both the stories may be taken in at both places. I should rather hold them to be two stories: In both of them where it is said, by those that should follow Christ, Let me first go and bury my father, It argues not that their father was dead or very sick; but that they thought themselves bound not to leave their father whilst he was living.

SECTION XXXIX.

THe order needeth no clearing, it is so plainly asserted by all the three: only among them in relating the story thus ordered, there seems to be some difference: 1. Mark says, They took him in the ship as he was, namely as he was now in it, having gone into it to preach to the people, as ver. 1. The other two speak of his entering into the ship now, as if he had not been in it before, because they continue not this story, to the story of his speaking of the Parables out of the ship as Mark doth, but speak of this after other stories. 2. Matthews calling of the Country beyond Jordan whether he went, the Country of the Gergasens, whereas the other two call it the Country of the Gadarenes, is no great scruple, since it bare two names, ancient and modern. But 3. the main doubt lies in this; that whereas Mark and Luke speak but of one possessed, Matthew speaks of two. So I observe that Matthew speaks of two blind men begging at Jericho, Matth. 20. 30. whereas Mark speaketh but of one, Mark 10. 46. And so likewise Matthew speaks of both the thieves mocking Christ, Matth. 27. 44. whereas Luke speaks but of one of them so doing, Luk. 23. 39, &c.

It might be answered, as to this story, that it may be that these two that Matthew speaketh of were not alike furious, but that the impetuousness of the one was more then the other: and that Mark and Luke speak of him only that was in the worse case. Or for ought that Matthews Greek prohibiteth, the two might be understood for Man and Wife, whom the two other Evangelists treat of as one person. But by the other examples adduced, where Matthew speaking of two, Mark and Luke speak but of one, it is plain and satisfactory, that these two latter, writing after Matthew, and he having given the story before them, numbering the persons concerned in it, they have not been curious so much to specify the number of persons on whom the miracles were wrought, which he had done before, as careful to record the miracle done, that none of Christ's workings might be left unrecorded, as to the nature of the thing done.

The Evangelists describe the condition of these poor possessed ones, much in the same colors that the Jews do him that they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , who is one of the five sorts of persons whom they seclude from all actings of import or trust, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 say they [or a distract person] is he that goes out in the night and lodgeth among the graves, and tears his cloths to pieces, and spoils whatsoever men givehim. Jerus. in Trumoth fol. 4. col. 2.

It is of some scrupulousness to cast, how so many Swine should be in those parts, since Swines flesh was such an abomination among the Jews, and those that kept and bred Swine little less abominated. Their wise men said, Cursed be he that brings up Dogs and Swine, Maymon. in Niz. Mammon per 5. And there is a story of a Woman reviling one of their Rabbies, in these words, One of these three things is in thee, either thou art a drinker of wine, or a usurer, or one that breeds Swine. Jerus. Shekalim fol. 47. col. 3. But even Pliny may help us to an Answer and Resolution in this doubt, who tells us how rare dainties Swines flesh is accounted of by the Romans, Neque alio ex animali numerosior materia ganiae: quinquaginta prope sapores, cum caeteris singuli. Of one creature, saith he, is there made more numerous matter for luxury: Almost fifty several tastes in it, whereas in other creatures there is but one. And hence those pages of the Censors Laws; Interdictaque caenis abdomina, glandia testiculi, vulvae, sincipita verina, [A Roman Cook were fittest to english this.] And a little after he tells, that Solidum aprum Romanorum primus in epulis apposuit P. Servilius Rullus: Publius Servilius Rullus first of the Romans, served in a whole Swine to the table, the Father of that Rullus that promulgated the Lex Agraria in Tullius Consulship. Tam proprinqua origo nunc quotidianae rei est: A thing now in daily use, had its beginning no longer ago▪ Observe that it was of ordinary use among the Romans to serve in solidum aprum at their feasts. Vid. Plin. nat. hist. lib. 8. cap. 51. Now were it granted that the Gadarenes were Jews, which for the generality they werenot [and to find Swine feeding among the Heathen was no strange thing] yet when there might be such trading in Swine as the Roman cookery and luxury caused to be, the covetousness of a Jew would strain him far for his profit, especially it being not directly against the Law to deal with these Cattle alive, though so strictly forbidden to eat them dead.

SECTION XL.

MUch needeth not to be spoken concerning the order here. Why Levies, or Matthews Call and feast are set together by all the Evangelists that speak of them, we have observed before, namely because they would dispatch the whole story of that man at once or altogether: And that his call was at the place where we have laid it, the current of the story thither confirmeth past denial. Likewise that his Feast must come in here, Matthews words, ver. 18. do make it plain: for he saith, that while Jesus was speaking those things concerning fasting, &c. Jairus came to him: whose coming the other two Evangelists have clearly pitched in this place.

In Matthew the late Publicans house, when Christ is invited to dinner, many Publicans and Sinners sit down at meat with him, a thing as far contrary to the Pharisaical discipline as what was most contrary, for which the Pharisees challenge him and his Disciples. They looked upon Christ and his Disciples, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 men of Religion and Devotion, and therefore that ought to separate themselves from the vulgar sort of people; especially from such as these were, of an infamous stamp and character: A Scholar of the wise, by their Canons, might not eat with one of the vulgar, much less with Publicans and Sinners, the worst sort of all the vulgar that were.

SECTION XLI.

MATTHEW assures the order, for he saith, While Jesus was speaking: those things that are recorded in the preceeding Section, concerning Fasting, and not putting new wine into old bottles, &c. Jairus came to him to beg the recovery of his now dying daughter.

Jairus was one of the Rulers of Capernaum Synagogue, and had seen so many miracles done by Christ there, that if he were not a Disciple already, yet he belives that Christ can easily recover her, though when he came away from her she was giving up the ghost. As Jesus goeth with him in Capernaum streets, a woman with a bloody issue of twelve years continuance cometh behind him and toucheth him: Her disease and Jairus daughter, wereborn in one and the same year, for they were both twelve years old, Luke 8. ver. 42, 43.

The malady of this woman was not only of the said languishing, but it was also of a great uncleanness, according to the uncleanness mentioned in the Law. The Talmudic treatise Zavim, and Maymony in Issurei biah, cap. 4, 5, 6. would read a doleful Lecture upon her disease, as to this point of uncleanness. And this it may be was one main cause that made the woman to come trembling and fearing to Christ when she saw she could not be hid, Mat. 5. 33 because she had been so bold as to touch Christ in her uncleanness.

The story of the Pictures of Christ and this woman touching him, both made in brass [of which the Papists have made no small ado towards their worshipping of Images] hath spoken exceeding wide and far from hitting upon the right place where this woman and Christ met. The story as it is related by Eusebius, Baronius and others, is this. That in Cesarea Philippi called otherwise Paneas, the house of this woman was to be seen: and before the door of the house, a brazen Image of a woman kneeling, and before her the brazen statute of a man, in a garment down to the feet, and stretching out his hand to the woman: And that there grew there a certain strange herb, which when it grew up to touch the brazen hem of his garment, it had the medicinal virtue of healing any disease.

But why all this at Cesarea Philippi? whereas this occurrence of the woman's healing by the touch of the hem of his garment was in Capernaum: for Matthew tells, that when Jesus came back out of the Country of the Gadarenes, he came into his own City. Matth. 9. 1. which was Capernaum: and there was Matthews house, in which he was when Jairus came to him. See Sect. 23.

Before he comes to Jairus his house, his daughter is dead, and there he finds minstrels and piping in a mournful tone, for the bewailing of her. This was the custom of the Jews in such cases, as is to be seen in Talm. Jerus. in Beracoth. fol 5. col. 4. Maymony in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cap. 14, &c. vid etiam Jerus. Moed Katon. fol. 83. col. 4.

A goodwhile ago he had denounced a sad doom against Capernaum, Matth. 11. 23. at Sect. 52. O thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell, &c. which was spoken as to the generality of the City, who for the things they had heard and seen, were exalted to heaven, as that being Christ's own City, or the place of his habitation, yet they believed not. And this may be some reason why when he had raised this dead girl, he bids her parents keep the matter close: for that City had justly forfeited all such revelations of him: Yet for all the denouncing of that sad fate against her, he oft resorteth thither, and forsaketh not his habitation there; partly because he had some there, who for all the unbelief of the generality, belonged to him, and believed in him; and partly because he had no reason to remove his habitation for their unbelief, or to pass off his dwelling for other men's wickedness; for where could he go to reside, but he should reside among some of the same temper?

SECTION XLII.

THe order is clear from these two passages of connection: When Jesus departed thence, ver. 27. And As they went out, ver. 32.

Jesus from Jairus his house returned to his own home, ver. 28. and there two blind men come to him, whose eyes he toucheth, and saith, According to your faith be it to you: urgoing this upon them the rather, because of the general untowardness and unbelief of the place where he now was, Capernaum: and because of the Pharisees that were now present, ver. 34. that he might magnify faith.

As these blind men went out, they brought in a man possessed with a dumb Devil, and he also was healed, which the Pharisees still ascribe to magic, &c.

SECTION XLIII.

IT is said by Matthew, that when Jesus returned back out of the land of the Gadarenes, he came into his own City, Matth. 9. 1. that is, to Capernaum, where he himself dwelt, and Matthew, and Jairus; and the three last Sections relate stories done in their three houses: Now Mark saith, that from thence he went out and came into his own Country, that is to Nazareth: which title is used of that City again, John 4. 44.

In that Synagogue he had been abused a good while ago, and his life endangered, Luke 4. 29. and thither he is come now to try them again, and finds not much better entertainment then before, but only not so full of danger: therefore he did not many great works there because of their unbelief, which Mark uttereth, He could do no mighty works there ver. 5. which meaneth not any want of power, but it relateth to his will, and to the rule by which he went in doing his works: such another phrase see Gen 19. 22.

When it is said by the same Evangelist, He marveled at their unbelief: it meaneth not, that he marvelled because they had not saving faith, but he marvelled because they believed no more then they did.

SECTION XLIV.

MATTHEW himself joins this portion to the stories in Sect. 42. and the last words of Mark in the Section preceding, he went round about the villages teaching, are concurrent with the first words in this, and so do assert the connection.

CHRIST at his former rejection at Nazareth, begins to go abroad preaching through their Synagogues as in Sect. 18. and so he doth now: and so great multitudes resort unto him, that he now resolveth upon sending forth his Disciples to preach abroad also.

SECTION XLV.

THe order in Matthew and Mark shows and clears itself.

The twelve had been ordained for Apostles a great while since, and all that while, had been with Christ as probationers, to see his works and to learn his Doctrine: and since their pointing out to be Apostles it is observable, how much Christ hath applied himself to Doctrine, that they might learn the Gospel of the Kingdom, and be stored with what to preach, when he should send them forth. Hitherto they had been learners and as for the gifts of the Spirit they as yet differed nothing from the rest that followed him, but now he gives them power of healing and casting out devils, [and now is the power of miracles restored.] So that they cured diseases by the Spirit, but they preached not by the Spirit; but taught that only which they had learned from the mouth of Christ.

He sendeth them out by two and two, and so it is like the twelve spies divided themselves when they went to search the Land. It may be the Apostles went in these couples that Matthew had reckoned them in.

What Christ forbiddeth them to take with them for their journey, was 1. to inure them to depend upon his protection and not upon their own carefulness: And 2. He hereby intimates that they should find such good entertainment in their Ministry, that they should find safety and maintenance wheresoever they came. Therefore when in Luke 22. 6. Now take purse and scrip, &c. he thereby would not signify that his care of them was any whit abated of what it was now, but that they should meet with worse times and worse entertainment then they had had now.

Whereas in Matthew and Luke they are forbidden to take staves, in Mark it is said, they should take nothing for their journey save a staff only: not staves for weapons or for their defense, but a staff for their resting on for their ease in the journey: as Gen. 32. 10.

They are confined to preach to Israel only, [though many Gentiles dwelt intermixedly with them in their Cities] because the Lord would own the peculiarity of the Nation in the first preaching of the Gospel, as he had done all along in the Economy of the Law: when they had forfeited their privilege of being a peculiar people, by crucifying him that sent the Gospel amongst them, then is the Apostles commission enlarged to go to the Gentiles. Matth. 28.

SECTION XLVI.

MARY and Luke do justify the order, for both of them have laid this story next to the story of Christ's sending forth his Disciples. Matthew when he saith At that time, he useth the word in its latitude, as it is often used in Scripture, not precisely or determinately for the very day or season when a thing wasdone, but in the current of time then in being. And yet in this expression he seemeth also to have respect to the story that he had related next before, though that were some reasonable space of time before this: For there he had told that Christ coming into his own Country, was slighted and undervalued, and they were offended in him, yet Herod was amazed at the wonders that he heard of him.

Here are two times regardable in this Section, namely the time of John Baptists death, and the time of Herod's hearing of the fame of Jesus: and the juncture of the stories is very close. As the Disciples were preaching up and down according to Christ's mission, Herod beheaded the Baptist: and by their preaching in the name of Jesus, the fame of Jesus cometh to Herod's hearing; and the Disciples again hearing of the murder of John, get in to their master. So that the story of Johns death, is related here in the proper place and time when it did occur. And from one passage in John the Evangelist in the next following Section, there is the ground of a fair conjecture of the time of his beheading: For we shall see in the beginning of the next Section, that all the four do speak of Christ departing privately into a desert place: Matthew particularly gives the reason, namely because he had newly heard, by Johns Disciples, of the death of their master. Now John the Evangelist in giving that story of Christ's retiring, hath inserted this passage, And the Jews Passover was nigh, whereby we may conclude that the Baptists death was a little before the time of the Passover. And from hence we may take up the whole space of his Ministry and imprisonment. He began to Preach and Baptize in the year of Christ, 29, at the spring of that year or about Easter. Half a year after Jesus is baptized by him, about the Feast of Tabernacles. Till after the Feast of Tabernacles come twelve month, viz. in the Year of Christ 30, he is still abroad baptizing in Bethabara and Aenon: About October in that Year he is imprisoned, and so lieth in restraint till almost Easter twelve month, which was in the Year of Christ 32. And so his story is of three years space, the better half of which he preached at liberty, and the other half he lay in prison.

Herod upon the hearing of the fame of Jesus, is struck with horror of conscience upon thought of the murder of John: and if the leaven of Herod was Sadduceism, his horror makes him deny his Sadducaical principles, and to think that John was Risen from the dead.

SECTION XLVII.

ALL the four speak the same story of Christ's miraculous feeding many thousands in a Desert: Mark and Matthew do plainly link this story to the preceding, as is conspicuous to the eye of whosoever shall view in them the last verse of the foregoing Section, and the first of this,

Johns Disciples with the tidings of their Masters death, and Jesus Disciples from their Preaching abroad, came in to Jesus much about the same time: and it may be Johns Disciples clave to him and depart no more from him. Upon the tidings Jesus withdraws into a desert place, over the Sea of Galilee, Joh. 6. 1. not over to the other side beyond Jordan, but he coasted by Sea from one place to another on the same shore; namely from Capernaum to the Desert of Bethsaida: for it is said, the people followed him afoot and came up to him: and when his Disciples return by Sea again, they are said to go over to Bethsaida, Mark 6. 45. and from thence over to Capernaum, John 6. 17. coasting still upon the same side.

John in this story hath mention of the Passover near at hand, verse. 4. because he only of all the four hath undertaken to give account of all the Passovers, betwixt Christ's Baptism and his death, for the better reckoning of the time of his public Ministry. It may be the coming on of the Passover had brought all the Apostles in, to attend their Master thither. They fall in at Capernaum his own City whether it is like he had appointed them to come in at such a time.

When Christ intends to feed the multitude, he propounds to Philip among all the Disciples, Where shall we buy bread? for this was in the Desert of Bethsaida, which was Philip's City, John 1. 44.

SECTION XLVIII.

THe first words in the Section, The day following, asserts the order.

Divers of those that had been feed by Christ miraculously in the Desert of Bethsaida, remained upon that ground all night, expecting Jesus to come again among them, who was departed away from them, but, as they saw, not with his Disciples; therefore they the next morning follow him to Capernaum, and there find him. It was Synagogue day there, namely either the second or fifth day of the week, and in the Synagogue Christ speaketh of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, which seemeth a Doctrine so monstrous to many, that divers that had followed him, do now depart from him.

What would these people have? They had been fed miraculously yesterday, and yet today they say to him. What sign showest thou that we may see and believe? ver. 30. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, &c. ver. 31. They looked for a continued miraculous feeding as Moses fed Israel with Manna in the wilderness: and to that the words of Christ refer, ver. 26. Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye ate of the loaves.

It is said, When they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, they said This is of a truth the Prophet that should come into the world, and they went about to make him King, ver. 14, 15. They thought they saw in this miracle the sign of the Messias they looked for, who should feed his people miraculously as Moses had done, and therefore when they now require a sign to be still shown in that nature, Christ tells them they must expect no other food to be provided for them by him, then his own flesh and blood: which sounds so coldly in some of their ears, that they will follow him no more.

SECTION XLIX.

BEtween the time of this Section and that preceding, we are to imagine the Passover to have passed, of which there is mention, John 6, 4. So that after this passage in Capernaum Synagogue, Christ goeth up to the Passover at Jerusalem, and there the Jews, that is the Sanhedrin sought to kill him. At the passover the last year they convented him before them, to answer for his violation of the Sabbath in healing the man at Bethesda. John 5. and he plainly affirms and proves himself to be the Messias, and he comes off with safety, but after what manner is not expressed.

But now the increase of his Disciples, the spreading of his frame and Doctrine by the preaching of the twelve, and it may be the example of the murdering of the Baptist, had so stirred them up to seek his life, that he perceiving it, gets away from Jerusalem into Galilee, and will not yet come into Judea again.

SECTION L.

THese two Evangelists join this portion to the end of Sect. 47. Now what we have laid between in Sect. 48. & 49. is of so plain subsequence and order, that no more needeth to be said of this or them.

Certain Scribes and Pharisees that were sent purposely from Jerusalem, [as may be conjectured, because the Sanhedrin there sought to destroy Jesus ] seeking to entrap and oppose him, and to make a party against him, quarrel his Disciples for not washing before meat. Their preciseness about this matter may be seen in Talmudic Treatise Jadaim, and in Maymony in his Tract Mikvaoth, and occursorily almost in every place in the Jewish Writers, where they have occasion to speak of their meals and of their manner of eating.

1. Washing of the hands or dipping of them, is if the institution of the Scribes: they are the words of Maymony in Mikvaoth, per. 11.

2. Hillel and Shammai decreed about washing the hands: But R. Jose the son of R. Ben saith, The tradition about it had come to their hands, but they had forgot it. These therefore decreed but according to the mind of those that had gone before them. Talm. Jerus. in Schabb. fol. 3. col. 4.

3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The eating of their common meat in cleanness, is very much spoken of in their Writings and most highly extolled: Insomuch that the Gloss upon Chagigah per. 2. doth determine a man of Religion by this, that He eats his common meals in cleanness: and the Gemarists in the place of the Jerusalem Talmud last cited have this saying, Whosoever hath his dwelling in the Land of Israel, and eats his common meals in cleanness, and speaks the Holy tongue, and says over his Phylacteries morning and evening, that man may be confident that he shall obtain the life of the world to come.

And again in Challah. fol. 58. col. 3. R. Jesi in the name of R. Shabeai and R. Cajashin the name of Simeon Ben Lachish say thus, A man should walk four miles to the washing of his hands. It is a tradition, that washing before meat is arbitrary, but after meat it is duty. Only that at his washing before, he says over some prayer, but after, not. R. Jacob bar. R. Isaac, hereupon retorted, Dost thou say he washeth and saith over a prayer, and yet dost thou say that washing is arbritrary? It is said he should go four miles to the washing of his hands, and yet dost thou say it is arbitrary?

How they prized this and other traditions of the Elders above the word of God, and so by and for them made that of no weight, may be read too numerously in them, in such like blasphemous passages as these: The words of the Scribes are more lovely then the words of the Law, and more weighty then the words of the Prophets.

And, He that saith there are no Phylacteries, and in so saying transgresseth against the words of the Law, he is not guilty: but he that saith there is five Phylacteries, and in so saying, addeth to the words of the Scribes, he is guilty. Jerus Beracoth fol. 3. col. 2.

The written Law is narrow, but the traditional is longer then the earth and broader then the sea. Tanchum, fol. 4. col. 4.

Our Savior damning these cursed Traditions, doth instance only in that unnatural tenet of theirs, that extinguisheth all filial assistance to needy Parents: as if a son said to his father or mother, It is Corban, &c. Their Canons set down the duty of a son to his father, as, to give him meat and drink if he stood in need, and to clothe him, to wash his hands, feet and face, and if he need, to lead him in and out. Tosapht in Kiddushin per 1. And yet with this superinduced Tradition, they destroyed all such duty. About the word Corban in the sense in which it is used here, the Talmudic Treatises, Nedarim and Nazir and the Tosaphtoth upon them, are good explications, where it is often used.

His resolving the case about meats not defiling the man, overthrew a great part of Pharisaism: for this washing before meat was merely out of their Traditions, and it was a great part of their sanctimony. Moses indeed had forbidden divers things as unclean to be touched, and by the touching of which the person was legally defiled, but that with this reference, that he was unclean as to God's service, or to the Congregation, but this pretended uncleanness of theirs, for which they appointed washing before meat, had respect simply neither to the one nor the other.

Christ to a Heathen woman that begged the dispossessing of her daughter, calls the Heathens Dogs, and she readily understands his meaning, as that being a common title that the Jews put upon them, Midr. Till. fol. 6. col. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Nations of the world are compared to Dogs.

No sign given to the Pharisees when they demand one, but the sign of Jonah the Prophet: whereby Christ doth not only intimate his own burial and resurrection, but he chiefly intendeth to hint the calling of the Gentiles after his resurrection, as the Ninevites were after Jonahs, which was a thing the Jews could not endure to hear of.

SECTION LI.

MARKS authority warrants the connection here: especially it being considered that in the preceding Section Christ and his Disciples are crossing over the Sea, and here they are arrived at Bethsaida. A journey by sea thither they had, when Jesus fed the the five thousand in Sect 47. and now being come up to that place where that miracle was wrought, it was a strange construction the Disciples made of the words of their master▪ Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, when they thought he blamed them for not bringing bread: the very place where they were, might have confuted their misprision.

Christ openeth the eyes of a blind man, but will not do it in Bethsaida, but leads the man out of the Town, nor will he suffer him to go into the Town when he is cured, nor to tell it there. He had a good while ago, as hath been said, denounced woe against Bethsaida, Matth. 11. 21. and for her perverseness he will no more strive with her for her good: He had gathered out of her those that belonged to himself.

SECTION LII.

MATTHEW and Mark establish the order.

Upon Peters confession that Jesus was The Christ the Son of the living God: 1. He promiseth to build his Church upon the Rock of that Truth, and the Rock confessed in it, from Isa. 28. 16. Psal. 118. 22, &c. 2. He promiseth the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter only, of all the Apostles: meaning thereby, that he should be the man that should first unlock the door of faith, and of the Gospel unto the Gentiles, which was accomplished in Act. 10. And 3. he giveth him power of binding and loosing, and this power the other Disciples had common with him, Matth. 18. 18.

Binding and loosing in the language and style most familiarly known to the Jewish Nation [and it can little be doubted that Christ speaketh according to common and most familiar sense of the language] did refer more properly to things then to persons: Therefore he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And in Matth. 18. 18. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

The phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To bind and to loose in their vulgar speech, meant, to prohibit and to permit, or to teach what is prohibited or permitted, what lawful, what unlawful, as may appear by these instances; a few produced, whereas thousands might be alleged out of their writings.

Talm. in Pesachim per. 4. halac. 5. Our wise men say that in Judah they did work on the Passover eve till noon, but in Galilee not at all: And as for the night 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The School of Schammai bound it, that is, forbad to work on it, or taught that it was unlawful: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but the School of Hillel loosed it till sun rising, or taught that it was lawful to work till sun-rise.

Jerus. in Shabb. fol. 6. col. 1. They are speaking about washing in the Bathes of Tiberias on the Sabbath: and they determine how far this was lawful, in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They bound washing to them, but they loosed sweating: meaning they taught that it was lawful to go into the Bath to sweat, but not to bathe for pleasure.

Ibid. fol. 4. col. 1. They send not letters by the hand of a Gentile on the eve of the Sabbath, nor on the fifth day of the week: Nay on the fourth day of the week 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The School of Schammai bound it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But the School of Hillel loosed it.

Ibid. fol. 7. col. 4. Women may not look in a Looking glass on the Sabbath: but if it were fastened upon a wall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rabbi loosed the looking into it, but the wise men bound it.

Id. in Jom. tobh. fol. 60. col. 1. R. Jochanan went from Tsipporis to Tiberias, he saith, Why brought ye to me this Elder 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For what I loose he bindeth, and what I bind he looseth.

Maym. in Hhamets umatsah. per. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Scribes have bound leaven, that is, they have prohibited it.

Tanchum. fol. 1. col. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They have upon necessity loosed salutation on the Sabbath: that is, they have permitted it, or taught that it was lawful.

Thousands of instances of this nature might be produced, by all which it is clear that the Jews use of the phrase was of their Doctors or learned men's teaching what was lawful and permitted, and what unlawful and prohibited. Hence is that definition of such men's office and work, in Tosaphta ad Jebamoth per. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A wise man that Judgeth Judgment, maketh unclean and maketh clean, bindeth and looseth: that is, teacheth what is clean and unclean, what is permitted and prohibited. And Maymony in Sanhedr. per. 4. giving the relation of their ordaining of Elders, and to what several employments they were ordained, saith thus, A wise man that is fit to teach all the Law, the Consistory had power to ordain him, To Judge, but not to teach Bound and loos, or power to teach Bound and loos, but not a Judge in pecuniary matters: or power to both these, but not to Judge in matters of mulct, &c. So that the Ordination of one to that Function which was more properly Ministerial, or to teach the people their duty, as what was lawful, what not, what they were to do, and what not to do, was to such a purpose, or in such a tenor as this, Take thou power to bind and loose, or to teach what is bound and loose, for they use both the expressions 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

By this vulgar and only sense of this phrase in the nation, the meaning of Christ using it thus to his Disciples, is easily understood; namely that he first doth instate them in a Ministerial capacity to teach, what bound and loose, what to be done and what not, and this as Ministers, and thus all ministers successively to the end of the world. But as they were Apostles of that singular and unparelled order, as the like never in the Church again, he gives them power to bind and loose in a degree above all Ministers that were to follow: namely, that whereas some part of Moses Law was now to stand in practice, and some to be laid aside, some things under the Law prohibited, were now to be permitted, and some things then permitted, to be now prohibited, he promiseth the Apostles such assistance of his Spirit, and giveth them such power, that what they allowed to stand in practice should stand, and what to fall should fall▪ what they bound in Earth should be bound in Heaven, &c.

SECTION LIII.

MATTHEW and Mark link this story to the preceding with this link, After six days &c. which Luke hath uttered, About an eight days after, which is but the same in sense: Six days complete came between the day that Christ had spoken the words before and the day of his transfiguration: So that the day of his Transfiguration was the eight day from the day when Christ said, There are some standing here that shall not taste of death till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.

This story of Christ's Transfiguration relateth to that prediction concerning the great Prophet, Deut, 18. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, &c. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. A Prophet, that is, a succession of Prophets till the great Prophet should come who should seal Vision and Prophesy.

Christ had been sealed for the great Priest at his Baptism, when entering into his Ministry at the same age that the Priests entered into their Office, he is attested from Heaven, This is my wellbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He is sealed for the great Prophet here, by the like attestation from Heaven, with the same words, This is my wellbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased, but withal it is added Hear him, answerable to those words, Whosoever will not hearken, &c. Deut 18. 19.

Moses the first Prophet had all his Oracles out of a Cloud: and a Cloud of Glory that lead Israel in the Wilderness, departed at his death: think of that when you see a cloud here overshadowing and a Divine Oracle given out of it, at the sealing of the Prophet greater then he.

Moses was the first Prophet of the Jews, and Elias the first Prophet of the Gentiles, and they both now appear to attend their Master. Christ and the three Disciples were in this mount of his Transfiguration all night: for Luke saith, It came to pass the next day when they were come down, &c. ver. 37. Compare Christ transfigured and his face shining with the shining of Moses his face, and so compare that first Prophet and this great Prophet again together.

The Disciples that had authority and power given them over all Devils, Luke 9. 1. are not able here to cast one out: and their Master showeth a double reason why, namely, because of their unbelief, and because that kind went not out but by Fasting and Prayer: Now, that their unbelief should be anymore then it had been before [for they had cast out Devils before this, Matth. 6. 13.] it might seem strange, but that here were some concurrents towards that, more then they had met with before now: and that we may observe especially in these two things: 1. There were divers diseases, which in their own nature, were but natural diseases, which yet the Jews did commonly repute as seizure and possessing by the Devil, especially those that distempered the mind, or did in more special manner convulse the body: and according to this common language and conception of the Nation, the language of the Gospel doth speak exceeding frequently: Examples of this kind of Dialect among the Jews we might produce divers: as that in Maym. in Gerushin. per. 2. A man which is troubled with an evil spirit, and saith when the sickness [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] begins upon him, Write a bill of Divorcement to my Wife, he saith as good as nothing, because he is not compossui: And so likewise a drunken man, when he comes near the drunkenness of Lot, &c. He calls the evil spirit [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or] a sickness, and by it he means Lunacy or Distractedness that had its lucida intervalla.

So the Jews speak of a man 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is possessessed by Cordicus: which they interpret to be a spirit that seizeth on him that drinketh too much Wine out of the Winepress. Talm. in Gittin. per. 7. Vid. R. Sol. and Nissim ibi. And to spare more, because the story in hand is of a Child, take but this example of an evil Spirit which they conceived did seize upon Children: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Shibta, say they, is an evil spirit that seizeth upon Children by the neck, even upon the sinnews behind the neck, and drieth them up from their use and strength till it kill him. And the time of it is from the Childs being two months old, and the danger of it is till the Child be seven years old. Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Which seemeth to mean nothing else but Convulsion fits or shrinking of sinnews, or some such like thing, a natural malady.

Now in this Child there were not only these fits of Convulsions or the Falling sickness and the like, but he was really possessed with the Devil indeed. So that though the Disciples had healed several persons of maladies, which the Jews in their language and conceptions called possessings with evil Spirits, and the Evangelists speak their language, yet this is a subject to work upon of a further difficulty by far, the devil being bodily in this Child indeed. 2. Granting [for we dare not deny] that they had cast out Devils indeed before, yet this case carried some extraordinary matter in it above other times. They were then preaching up and down, and their Commission gave them power to cast out Devils to confirm their Doctrine, but now they were not in that employment. They were also now set upon by the Scribes and Pharisees, with a possessed person of an extraordinary example, as being possessed from an Infant, purposely that they might puzzle them, and that in the fairer opportunity, when their Master and three of the chief of their company, Peter and James and John were absent. Therefore if by all these concurrents of disadvantage, their Faith were somewhat shaken, it is to be the less wondered at, by how much the more the ease was more strange and unusual to them, and they had not been put to such a trial before.

SECTION LIV.

MARKS words in the beginning of the next Section, laid to the first verse of this will be evidence sufficient for the order of both.

Christ is demanded the half shekel that every Israelite was bound by the Law annually to pay for the redemption of his life, Exod. 30. 13. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 speaks that. Now the proper time of collecting that began a little before the Passover, as we have observed before out of the Treatise Shekalim: And though it were now almost half a year past the Passover, yet is this the first time that Jesus had been at his own house in Capernaum, since the time of gathering that Money had come in. This half shekel that every Israelite paid yearly, went to the repair of the Temple, and to the buying of things needful for the service there; Christ pays his Church Duties, therefore here, though, as his own words argue, he being the Son of the great King for whom that Tribute was demanded, might have pleaded immunity: for Kings take Tribute of strangers, not of their own Children. His paying it by a miraculous compassing of it out of a Fishes mouth, showeth at once his Divine power that could make all things serve his ends, and his great care to discharge his due paymentss and to avoid offense; and withal, his poverty, when he is put to a Miracle for such a little sum of money, for he would not work Miracles where there was not need. His paying for Peter with him, was because he was of the same Town, and so was under the same demand of payment, and he knew that he was in the same want of money. The other Disciples were to pay in the places of their several houses. When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The Jews were commanded to pay this half half shekel yearly to Jupiter Capitolinus, Xiphilin. apud Dion. lib. 66. Joseph. de Bell. lib. 7. cap. 27.

SECTION LV.

THe order needeth no demonstration: the seeming difference between Matthew and Mark in the beginning of the Section needeth animadversion rather: Mark saith their dispute who should be greatest, was as they went in the way towards Capernaum, and when Christ asked them at Capernaum what their discourse had been, they held their peace. But Matthew saith, At the same time, namely while Christ was at Capernaum, the Disciples came to him and asked him, Who is the greatest, &c. in which relation he briefly coucheth the two stories that Mark speaketh of into one, namely, their talking by the way who should be greatest, and this question coming before Christ.

It may be Christ's so lately taking Peter and James and John into the mount apart from the rest, gave occasion to this debate, which he determineth by setting a Child in the midst, &c. They that have held this Child to have been Ignatius in his infancy, who was afterward the Martyr, [as see Niceph. lib. 2. c. 3. Baron. ad Annum Christ 71. Marg. de la Bign. in Ignat. in Biblioth. Patr. tom. 1.] sure did not well observe his own words, if they be his own, in his Epistle to the Church of Smyrna, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And I do not only know that Christ is come in the flesh, by his being born and being crucified, but I saw him in the flesh after his resurrection. For so the Latin renders it, Vidieum in carne: or be it, I knew him in the flesh after his resurrection, it may seem very strange, that he that was so very a Child as Christ to take him in his arms this year almost at the feast of Tabernacles, and the next year at Easter, which was but within half a years space, to become so intelligent as to take notice of his being risen.

Upon Christ's speaking of receiving those that come in his Name, John propounds a dubious case of one that they had met with that went about indeed in his Name, and in his Name cast out Devils, and yet would not own himself his Disciple, nor follow him: which raiseth to us a further scruple, How this man came to this miraculous power? for that it was so, and not Magical exorcizing in the Name of Jesus, as divers enemies of the Gospel used afterward, may be gathered by Christ's answer, who calls it doing a Miracle in his Name, and speaks of this man as not being against him but for him. Whether he did these Miracles in the Name of Messias or of Jesus we will not question: the original of this power to him, we may resolve much into the same principle from whence Caiaphas prophesied, John 11. 51. This he spake, not of himself, but being High priest that year he prophesied: There is an emphasis in That year: For now was the fullness of time, the year of expectation, and accomplishment of Vision and Prophesy, and the time of the pouring out of the Spirit as never before: and if in that full meal of this provision that Christ had made for his own, some crumbs fell besides the table that others gathered up, or were partakers of, it doth the more magnify the diffusion, and doth so much the more point out and give notice to observe the time. For Christ did so little leave himself without witness, and did give so clear evidence that this was the great and signal time spoken of by the Prophets in all generations, that Miracles wrought not only by himself and his Disciples, but even by the Jews own Children, as Matth. 12. 27. give abundant testimony to it.

Matthews text in this Section runs parallel with the other to ver. 10. and so far the Reader may take them up together: then goeth he on with Christ's speech and the story alone.

The number of a hundred divided into ninety nine and one, ver. 12. is according to the usual and ordinary manner of the Jews speech, with whom this very division is very common.

Talm. in Peah. per. 4. halac 1. & 2. When a man is dividing nuts among the poor, though ninety nine call on him to divide them, and one call on him to scatter them, to him they must hearken. With Grapes and Dates it is not so, though ninety nine call on him to scatter them, and one to divide them, to him they must hearken, &c.

Jerus. in Shab. fol. 14. col. 3. Rabh, and R. Chaijah Rabbah, both of them said, If ninety nine die by an evil eye, and one by the hand of Heaven. R. Chaninah and Samuel both of them said, if ninety nine die by cold and one by the hand of Heaven, &c.

The rules that Christ giveth about dealing with an offending brother, were very well known in the Nation, and such as were practiced, at least prescribed in their own Discipline.

• 1. Admonition privately betwixt the party offended and the party offending. Of such Maymony speaks in his Treatise Deah. per. 6.
• 2. Admonition, two witnesses being present. Jerus. in Joma fol. 45. col. 3. He that sinneth against his fellow, it is necessary that he say unto him, I have offended against thee. If he receive him, well: If not, he must bring two men and appease him before them, &c. Only Christ raiseth his lesson to a higher charity, namely for the offended party to try the amendment of the offending. So the jealous Husband admonished his Wife before two. Sotah. per. 1. and the Sanhedrin by two Scholars of the wise admonished an Israelitish City that fell to Idolatry, before they made war upon it. Maym in Avodah Zarah. per. 4.
• 3. If he will not hear them, tell the Church. They used the open proclaiming of an incorrigible person in the Synagogue, A woman that is rebellious against her husband, that she may vex him, and says, Behold I will thus vex him because he did so and so to me: they send to her from the Judicatory or Bench, and say to her, Know thou that if thou persist in thy rebelliousness, though thy Jointure be a hundred pound, thou hast forfeited it; and afterward they make Proclamation concerning her in the Synagogues and in the Schools every day for four Sabbaths together, saying, such a Woman rebels against her Husband, &c. Maymony in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per. 14. And likewise Ibid. cap. 12. If a man will not provide for his Children, they rebuke him, and shame him, and are urgent with him; and if yet he will not, they proclaim him in the Synagogue saying, Such a one is cruel and will not nourish his Children, &c. Here was telling the Church, by open Proclamation.

SECTION LVI.

MATTHEW and MARK both relate that when Jesus had ended these sayings, which are contained in the preceding Section, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan, Matth. 19. 1. Mark 10. 1. which is not to be understood as if he departed thither presently, but they say no more of his actions till his departure thither: and so pass over almost half a years story in silence, which Luke and John do make up. These bring Jesus out of Galilee beyond Jordan, and presently back to Jerusalem to his passion: but these as we shall see, bring him twice to Jerusalem, before his last coming up, namely this to the feast of Tabernacles, and another to the Feast of Dedication.

The Brethren, that is, the kinsmen of Jesus urge him to go up to the feast of Tabernacles, that his Disciples in Judea might see his works, ver. 3. remember here John 3. 22. & 4. 1. His brethren themselves believed not on him, ver. 5. and that the rather, because they thought his privacy that he desired to keep in, was not answerable to the port and state of the Messias: therefore they desire that he would appear in the power of his miracles in Judea the center of the Nation, that if he were the Messias, he might carry it out there, as they expected the Messias should do.

SECTION LVII.

THat this journey of Christ towards Jerusalem that Luke speaketh of in this Section, is the same with this in John, namely his going up to the Feast of Tabernacles, is plain by this, that Luke mentioneth two journeys of his to Jerusalem more; namely in Chap. 13. 22. which was to the Feast of Dedication, and Chap. 17. 11. which was to the Passover and his Passion.

The words of Luke then, When the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, mean, that now being come within half a year of the time of his death, he resolved to be more constant at Jerusalem then he had been; having avoided the place and Country, once and again, because the Jews sought to kill him.

The stories of several men in this Section, that take upon them to follow Christ, but they had something else to do first, have been spoken to before, at Sect. 38.

SECTION LVIII.

AS to the order of the story, First, It is to be observed, that Luke saith, It was after these things mentioned in the former Section; that is, after Christ was sent out from Galilee towards the feast of Tabernacles. Secondly, that it is said John 7. 10. That Jesus went up to that Feast, not openly, but as it were in secret, whereupon it may be concluded, that he had dispatched the seventy Disciples away before he came there. He giveth them the same instructions that he had given the twelve, and the same power to heal the sick: only whereas the twelve went at large to any of the Cities of Israel, these were to go to those places where Christ himself should come, to make way for him, and to prepare the places for the receiving of him against he came: so that now Christ disposeth for the full revealing of himself for the Messias, the Seventy beforehand proclaiming him and preaching in his Name, and he afterward coming and showing himself to be he of whom they preached. The numbers 12, and 70, cannot but call to mind the Twelve Tribes and the seventy Elders of Israel. The Seventy were but a little while abroad [for thirty five couples would soon dispatch a great deal of work:] and they return again to their Master before he departs from Jerusalem, Luke. 10. 17, 38.

He again accuseth Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, which he had done before at Sect. 32. for having at any time occasion to speak of contempt of the Gospel, they may justly be introduced as having the most tender of it, and yet despised it.

SECTION LIX.

THe pregenancy of the order here, speaks itself: In the two preceding Sections, Jesus was in the way up to the Feast, and now he is come there.

Now is the year of the World 3960, and the year of Christ 33 begun: both entering in this very month in which the Feast of Tabernacles was. The great year of the world, the fullness of time, the year of redemption and pouring down of the Spirit. It was indeed the year of Jubilee, however the Jews would jumble their account [as see Maymon in Shemiatah veiobel. per. 10.] whether ignorantly or willfully let them look to it. For count from the 7th. year of the rule of Joshua, when the wars of Canaan ended, and Jubilees began, and you have 1400 years to this present year that we are upon, just eight and twenty Jubilees: this year the last that Israel must ever see. It is the confession of Zohar in Lev. 25. that the Divine glory should be freedom and redemption in a year of Jubilee. Compare the sending out of the seventy Disciples near upon the very instant when this Jubilee began, with the sounding of the Trumpet for the proclaiming of the Jubilee, Lev. 25. 9. and there is a fair equity and an answerableness to that type, in that very thing.

From this Feast of Tabernacles to the Passover at which time Christ suffered, was that last half year, of the last half seven mentioned Dan. 9. which compare with the last half year of Israel's being in Egypt, in which time Moses did his Miracles, and which ended also at the Passover.

Among the many varieties of solemnity and festivity used at the Feast of Tabernacles▪ of which we have given account at large in another volume, there was the pouring out of water fetched out of the fountain Siloam, with the wine of the drink-offering, and at night their most transportant joyfulness, expressed by their singing, dancing and the like jocund gestures, for that pouring out of water: which by some, in Jerus. succah. fol. 55. col. 1. is interpreted to signify the pouring out of the holy Ghost: The consideration of this illustrates ver. 37, 38. where it is said, that on the last and great day of the Feast, Jesus cried, If any thirst, &c. He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of water, &c. Upon which words many believed him, because they had seen already so fair evidence of the gifts of the Spirit, in the powerful works of himself and his Disciples: and yet the text saith here, The holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified: a far greater gift of that being yet behind.

The Sanhedrin would fain have been meddling with him to have tried him for a false Prophet, as may be gathered from their words ver. 52. but his hour was not yet come.

SECTION LX.

THe observing of the beginning and end of this Section, will clear the subsequence of this to the preceding, and the order of all the stories comprehended in it. It begins with the seventy Disciples returning from the employment upon which their Master had sent them. Now that they returned to him at Jerusalem whither he was gone to the Feast of Tabernacles, appears by this, that after they are come up to him, he is in Bethany in the house of Mary and Martha, Luke 10. 38, 39.

The Section ends with this relation, And he went through the Cities and Villages teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem, Luke 13. 22. So that in Chap. 10. 17. he is at Jerusalem, having come thither to the Feast of Tabernacles, And in Chap. 13. 22. He hath been abroad and is now travelling up to Jerusalem again to the Feast of Dedication. Therefore this whole Section is the story of his actions from the one Feast to the other.

Chap. X. Upon the Disciples relating that the Devils were subject to them in his Name, he answers, I saw Satan fall from Heaven like lightning. Which referreth partly to his death shortly to be, by which Satan was overthrown, and partly [if Heaven mean the Church of the Jews, and the state of Religion there as it means not seldom] to the power of the Gospel this very year and forward, among them, casting him out. With these words of Christ, and the consideration of the time they refer to, we may fitly compare several places which give and receive light mutually with it: As Matth. 12. 45. where Satan cast out of this nation returns again, 1 Cor. 6. 3. Rev. 12. 9. & Rev. 20. 1, 2. &c.

Unto a Lawyer Christ defineth who is a Neighbor, by the Parable of the wounded man and the good Samaritan, vastly differing from the Doctrine of the Pharisees in that case. Take these two or three assertions of their own Schools for some illustration of this Parable.

• 1. They accounted none under the term Brother, but an Israelite by blood, and none under the term Neighbor, but those that were come into their Religion. Aruch in voice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . By using the word Neighbor are excluded all the Heathen. Maym. in Retseah per. 2. An Israelite that slayeth a stranger sojourning among them, is not to be put to death by the Sanhedrin for it, because it is said, If a man come presumptuously upon his Neighbor: By which it is apparent they accounted not such a one a Neighbor.
• 2. They have this bloody and desperate tenet: Heretics, that is, Israelites that follow Idolatry, or such as commit provoking transgressions, as to eat a carcass, or to wear linseye woolsey for provocation, this is an Heretic. And Epicurians, which are such Israelites as deny the Law and Prophets, it is commanded that a man kill them if he have power i • his hand to kill them; and he may boldly kill them with the sword: but if he cannot, he shall subtly come about them till he can compass their death. As if he see one of them fallen into a well, and there was a ladder in the well before, let him take it up and say, I must needs use it to fetch my Son from the top of the House, and then I will bring it thee again. But Heathens betwixt whom and us there is no war, as also the feeders of small Cattle in Israel, and such like, we may not compass their death; but it is forbidden to deliver them, if they be in danger of death. [Observe this] As if one see one of them fall into the Sea, he shall not fetch him up, for it is said, Thou shalt not stand up against the blood of thy Neighbor. But such a one is not thy Neighbor.
• 3. Of all other people in the World they abhorred Samaritans▪ as appeareth by John 4. 9. & 8. 43. and by exceeding many expressions to that purpose in their own writings: and therefore our Savious urging for clear and free charity in this Parable, exemplifieth in a Samaritan the unlikeliest man in the world to do any charitable office for a Jew: and he a Neighbor, though so remote in blood, religion and converse.

Christ is at Bethany, ver. 30. in the house of Mary and Martha. Martha was an usual Woman's name in the Nation. Joshua the Son of Gamla married Martha the Daughter of Baithus, Juchas. fol. 57. Abba the Son of Martha. Id. fol. 72. and Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Isaac bar Shemuel, bar Martha. Jerus. in Shab. fol. 3. col. 4. &c. And now let the Reader cast his eye back from hence, and calculate, when or how it was, that Christ came so acquainted with this family, and he will find no time or occasion so likely, as when the Womansinner washed his feet, Luke 7. which we proved there was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who was also called Magdalene.

Chap. XI. ver. 2. The Lord's prayer rehearsed: Christ had taught it, almost a year and a half ago, in his Sermon in the Mount, and now being desired to teach them to pray, he gives the same again. They that deny this for a form of prayer to be used, either know not, or considered not, what kind of prayers the eminent men among the Jews taught them: John had taught his to pray, after the same manner and use of the Nation; and Christ being desired to teach the Disciples as John had taught his, rehearseth this form which he had given before. They that again deny this Prayer is to be used by any but real Saints, because as they say, none but such can call God Our Father; either know not or consider not, how usual this compellation was among the Nation▪ in their devotions, and Christ speaketh constantly according to the common and most usual language of the Country.

At ver. 14. and forward, there is a story of casting out a Devil, so like that in Sect. 35. the Jews cavil, and our Savior's words about it are the very same: and yet the current of the history evinceth them for two several stories: for as the Jews always carried the same malicious construction of his Miracles▪ so doth he justly always return them the same answer, as hath been observed already.

At ver, 27. there is a link that chains the time and stories, As he spake these things: and another at ver. 29. If compared with ver. 16. and again at ver. 37. where his denouncing woe against the Pharisees, although it be much the same for sense with that in Matth. 23. yet that they were uttered at two several times and upon two several occasions, will appear by that time that we come to that Chapter.

In Chap. XII. He rehearseth many things that he had spoken before: the same doctrine being needful to be inculcated over and over, though to the same audience: much more when new auditors were still coming in. Therefore Christ towards his latter end, did like Moses, making his Deuteronomium rehearse the doctrine that he had taught before.

Chap. XIII. The first verse beareth this link of connection, and continuance of story: There were present at that season, &c. Pilate's bloody Act in mingling some Galileans blood with their sacrifices, cannot be looked for so properly in any place, as at the Temple. Josephus his story in Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 5. is far from it. Siloam was in the midst of the City, Jerus. in Chagigah fol. 76. col. 1. a place of great concourse, where the fall of the Tower slew eighteen men.

SECTION LXI.

THat this healing of the blind man was at Jerusalem, appeareth by this, that Christ sends him to the pool of Siloam to wash, ver. 7. which lay upon the western part of the City. For Christ was now come up to the Feast of Dedication, Chap. 10. 22. so that this cleers the order and time.

He cures blind eyes on the Sabbath, by putting clay upon them made of his spittle, a ready way one would have thought to have put seeing eyes out. Maym. in Shabb. per. 21. Fasting spittle is forbidden to be put so much as upon the eye on the Sabbath.

Maladies of Children that were extraordinary, the Jews did very much ascribe to some sin of the Parents: and the traditionaries used this conceit as a means to awe men to the observance of their traditions. So they conceit of this man. Chap. 9. 2, 34. Thou wast altogether born in sins. We alleged before, their fancy about Shibta an evil Spirit that seised upon Children by the neck and shrunk up their sinnews: And whence, say they comes this? And they give this answer. If the mother come from the house of office and give the Child suck presently, &c. A fetch merely to awe women to wash after such occasions, and to put the more repute upon their traditions about washings.

The man upon whom the miracle is wrought taketh Jesus to be a Prophet upon it, but as yet doth not know him for Messias. ver. 17. And when he saith to the Jews, Will ye also be his Disciples? ver. 27. he speaketh it seriously and from a good heart, urging them to own him for a Prophet as he did: And when he was vehement with them in this pious asserting, they cast him out of the Synagogue. For they had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was the Messias, he should be cast out of the Synagogue, ver. 22. A passage very well worth observing, both towards some discovery of the nature of their excommunication, and for illustration of several matters in this divine history.

Chap. X. Christ from Ezek. 34. and Zech. 11. asserteth himself the great Shepherd, and condemneth the evil shepherds that undid the flock: especially the three that his soul loathed. Zech. 11. 8. The Pharisees, Sadducees and Esseans: He feeding his flock with two shepherds staves, called Beauty and Bands: at the last breaketh them: His staff Beauty, dissolving the Covenant of Peculiarity, once made with Israel, by which they alone were his people, but that peculiarity now gone, and the Gentiles taken in. And his staff Bands, dissolving the brootherhood twixt Israel and Judah, that now there is a difference betwixt a true Israelite and a Jew; and Israelites owning Christ, and they that own him not are no more brethren.

It was at Jerusalem the feast of the Dedication, ver. 22. Under the second Temple when the Grecian Kings decreed decrees against Israel, and abolished their Law, and suffered them not to practice the Law and Commandments, and laid their hands upon their goods and upon their daughters, and went into the Temple and made breaches in it, and defiled the pure things, and Israel was in exceeding great straits because of them, and they afflicted them with great affliction, until the Lord God of their Fathers had pity on them, and delivered them out of their hand: and the Asmonean high Priests prevailed against them, and slew them, and delivered Israel out of their hands: and set up a King of the Priests, and the Kingdom returned to Israel more then two hundred years, even to the second destruction: And when Israel prevailed against their enemies and slew them, it was the five and twentieth day of the month Cisleu: and they went into the Temple, and found not of pure Oil in the Sanctuary but only one bottle, and there was not in it so much as to light above one day: yet they lighted the Lamps with it for eight days, until they had beaten their Olives and got pure Oil. And because of this, the wise men that were in that generation, ordained that those eight days, beginning from the 25 th. of Cisleu, should be days of rejoicing and thanksgiving: and they light up Candles on them in the evening at the doors of their houses, every night of the eight, for the declaring and setting forth of that miracle: and those days are called the Dedication, &c. Maym. in Channuchah. per. 1. See 1 Maccab. 4. 59. These eight days of Cisleu fell about the middle of our December. And so by this intimation John hath kept the Clock of time going, that we may tell how the story goes. Since Christ's being at the Feast of Tabernacles hitherto, was about two months and somewhat more.

The three last verses of this tenth Chapter, which mention Christ's going beyond Jordan, speak the same thing with Matth. 19. 1. and Mark 10. 1. and might very properly be set collateral with those texts, but since it was somewhat longer after Christ's departure from Jerusalem to his arival beyond Jordan, these may be taken in here, and understood, as spoken of his setting forth from Jerusalem, and showing whether he intended to go.

SECTION LXII.

THe order here is somewhat obscure, and that especially from these two things. 1. Because of the first verse of all the Section, which may seem to be linked to the time of the verse preceding it in Luke. He went thorough the Cities and Villages teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then said one to him, &c. 2. Because of that passage in Chap. 17. 11. And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem, he passed through the mids of Samaria and Galilee, which might seem to be the same journey with that Chap. 13. 22. and that all the occurrences in these Chapters were in that journey.

But for the proof and clearing of the order, to be as we have laid it, these things are to be observed. 1. That this story wherewithal this Section beginneth, One said to him Lord, are few to be saved? &c. was on the same day that he crieth out, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem▪ &c. ver. 31. 34. Now that this was when Christ was no more to come up to Jerusalem till his last coming up thither, is evident from his words, ver. 35. Ye shall no more see me till the time when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: So that this was after his coming up to the Feast of Dedication. And those words were spoken, whilst he was yet at Jerusalem, before he went away thence from the Feast to go beyond Jordan: The word Then therefore wherewith this Section beginneth in our English translation, doth not enforce the necessary conjunction of the times, for in the Original it is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . 2. Whereas it is said, in Chap. 17. 11. That as he went to Jerusalem, he passed through Samaria and Galilee, it is to be understood his last journey thither: and the manner of expression doth help to confirm of our order, as we shall see there. Herod was now at Jerusalem, as compare ver. 31. and 34. and it may be, he being Ruler of Galilee, had helped forward the death of these Galileans whom Pilate had slain as they were Sacrificing: and an intimation of such like danger from him is given Jesus: And this may be conceived one cause that sets him out of the City, and to go beyond Jordan, which is recorded in the last verses of the preceding Section, John 10. 40. and how the order of story is to be cast in the readers thoughts it is easy to see. Christ being at the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem, one comes and asks him, Lord, are few to be saved: Luke 13. 23. And the same day, ver. 31. some Pharisees tell him of danger from Herod. He answers, that it was true indeed that he was to die at Jerusalem, for a Prophet could not be tried but by the great Council there [ Talm. in Sanhedr. per. 11.] but he had yet some time to walk and work miracles before, and so he goes away from Jerusalem.

Chap. XIV. He healeth the Dropsy on the Sabbath, and pleadeth the lawfulness of the action, from their own pity to their beasts, to pull them out of a Pit on the Sabbath, of which Maym. in Schabb. per. 25.

R. Abuhabh in praefat. ad Ner. 7. hath a Parable somewhat like that passage at ver. 8. and forward. Three men, saith he, were bidden to a feast, A Prince, a wise man, and an humble man: The Prince sat highest, next him the wise man, and the humble man lowest. The King observed it, and asked the Prince, why sittest thou highest? He said, Because I am a Prince▪ To the wise man, Why sittest thou next? He said, Because I am a wise man. And to the humble man, Why sittest thou lowest? Because I am humble. The King seated the humble man highest, and the wise man still in his place, and the Prince lowest.

Chap. XV. By three eminent and feeling Parables, is set forth God's readiness to receive sinners, &c. in the last of which is a clear intimation of the calling of the Gentiles.

Chap. XVI. The Parable of the unjust steward, of the rich man and Lazarus, from Psal. 49. Lazer is used constantly in the Jerus. Talm. for Eleazar. The word signifies God help me, or God is my help, a fit name under which to personate a beggar. Abraham's bosom, a phrase used by the Jews. That day that Rabbi died, R. Ada ben Ahava said, This day he sits in Abraham's bosom, Juchasin fol. 77. col. 4. That the tongue of the damned in hell thirst for water, as ver. 24. is also their conception. Talm. Jerus. in Chagigah. fol. 77. col. 4. is relating a story of a good man and a bad man that died: And the good man 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , had no burial rites, but the bad man had. Afterward one in a vision saw the good man walking in gardens, and among pleasant fountains of waters: but the bad near a river, and his tongue reach after water, but could not reach it.

Chap. XVII. At ver. 11. it is said, As he went through Jerusalem, he passed through Samaria and Galilee. This meaneth his last journey thither; but the expression is somewhat strange: Had it been as he went to Jerusalem he passed through Galilee and Samaria, this had set his face towards Jerusalem: but uttered as it is, it seems to set his back upon it: But by this passage the Evangelist helpeth to explain what John and the other Evangelists speak of his journey from Jerusalem beyond Jordan, but that he went not to Jericho, and so the next way to the next place beyond Jordan, namely that he went through Samaria up into Galilee, and there crossed over Jordan to Bethabara, which was over against Galilee.

From ver. 20. and forward, there is a speech of Christ much like that in Matth. 24. which still giveth us occasion to observe how Christ rehearsed things over and over.

Chap. XVIII. By two Parables he showeth the needfulness and efficacy of fervency, constancy and humility in prayer. In the Pharisees prayer ver. 11. we may observe what kind of Faith in God the Judaic Faith was. He waited for good from God, but grounded this in himself, because of his own righteousness. But in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, and that from faith to faith. In the Publicans posture in his prayer, two of their Canonical gestures in prayer are exhibited; standing and looking downward. Maym. in Deah per. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A scholar of the wise must look downward when he stands praying. The Pharisees fasting twice a week, may be explained from Jerus. Taanith fol. 64. 3, & Maym. Taanith per. 1.

SECTION LXIII.

MATTHEW saith, When Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan. Which sayings that he speaketh of, were finished a long while ago, at Sect. 55. but because he setteth down nothing betwixt that time and this journey over Jordan, therefore he thus joineth their stories together: The time and actions that he hath omitted, we have seen how Luke and John have supplied.

Were there any Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan? Either the conjunction And is to be understood, He came into the coasts of Judea and beyond Jordan, as it is understood Psal. 133. 3 Acts 7. 16, &c. or by Fines Judaeae trans Jordanem, is meant Fines Judaeorum, because the Syrians also dwelt in the coasts beyond Jordan.

Moses at the very same instant of time gave a Law to put an adulterous Wife to death, Deut. 22. 22. and a Law to divorce her Deut. 24. 1. in the former showing the desert of the fact, in the latter permitting to mitigate of the rigor of that Law, and as our Savior here interprets it, to prevent those cruel effects that their hardness of heart might have produced, had there been no mitigation. They brag of that Law of divorce as if it favored them, as a peculiar privilege, Jerus kiddushin fol. 58. 3. R. Chaijah Rabbah said, Divorces are not granted to the nations of the world, meaning not to the Gentiles as they were to the Jews: whereas truth here informs us, that it was permitted only because of the hardness of their hearts and to avoid greater mischief. When permission of divorce was given, after a Law to punish adultery with death, for a mitigation of it, it requires most serious weighing, whether a Law to punish adultery with death should be undispensable now, after the Law of Divorce given, and continued by our Savior in case of Fornication.

SECTION LXIV.

MATTHEW and Mark do evidence the order, and as Luke hath helped out their briefness before, so do they also again help us out about his order.

Whose Children were these that were brought to Christ? Not unbelievers doubtless, but the Children of some that professed Christ: Why did they bring them? Not to be healed of any disease doubtless, for then the Disciples would not have been angry at their coming: for why at theirs, more then at all others, that had come for that end? Their bringing therefore must needs be concluded to be in the name of Disciples, and that Christ would so receive them and bless them: And so he doth, and asserteth them for Disciples, and to whom the Kingdom of Heaven belonged; taking the Kingdom of Heaven in the common acceptation of the Gospel.

Observe Mark 10. 19, &c. that mention being made by Christ of the Commandments, as if he spake of the whole Law, yet he instanceth only in the second table. And see the like again, Rom. 13. 8, &c. James 2. 8, 9, 10, &c. The demeanour of men toward the second table is a sure trial how they stand to the first.

It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle. An expression common in the Nation. Talm Bavamenia fol. 38. facie 2. It may be thou art of Pumbeditha where they can bring an Elephant through the eye of a needle.

SECTION LXV.

THe first word For makes plain the order and connection, joining this speech to that before.

The Jerus. Talm. in Beracoth hath a Parable somewhat like to this, but wildly applied to a far different purpose: A King hired many workmen, and there was one of them hired for his work, for more then what was enough: What did the King? He took him and walked with him up and down. At the time of the evening the workmen came to receive their wages, and he also gave him his full wages with them. The workmen repined and said, We have labored all the day and this man labored but two hours, and thou hast given him full wages with us: The King said to them, This man hath labored more in two hours then you have done all day. So R. Bon labored more in the Law in twenty nine years, then another in a hundred, &c. fol. 5.

SECTION LXVI.

AT Sect. 63. Christ goeth beyond Jordan: the occasion of his coming back, was the message of Mary and Martha to him, to desire his help to their sick brother: The story of this therefore is necessary to be related before the story of his coming thence, which is the next thing that the other three Evangelists fall upon, after they have done with what is set down in the preceding Sections.

The words of the second verse, It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, are most generally construed as pointing to that story in the next Chapter, Joh. 12. 3. Then took Mary a pound of Ointment of Spikenard very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: Which seemeth very improper and unconsonant upon these reasons. 1. To what purpose should John use such an anticipation? It was neither material to the story that he was entering on, Chap. 11. to tell that Mary anointed Christ's feet a good while after he had raised her brother: nor was it any other then needless to bring in the mention of it here, since he was to give the full story of it in the next Chapter. 2. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is of such a tense as doth properly denote an action past, and is so to be rendered, if it be rendered in its just propriety, It was Mary which had anointed. 3. Whereas no reason can be given why John should anticipate it here, if he meant it of an anointing that was yet to come, a plain and satisfactory reason may be given, why he speaks of it here, as referring to an anointing past, namely because he would show what acquaintance and interest Mary had with Christ, which did embolden her to send to him about her sick brother, for she had washed and anointed his feet heretofore. The words of John therefore point at an action past, and indeed they point at that story of the woman-sinner washing the feet of Christ with tears, and anointing them with Ointment, and wiping them with her hairs, Luke 7. It is true indeed that John who useth these words that we are upon, had not spoken of any such anointing before, whereunto to refer you in his own Gospel, but the passage was so well and renownedly known and recorded by Luke before, that he relateth to it as to a thing of most famous notice and memorial.

SECTION LXVII.

THe message from Mary and Martha, about their sick brother, inviteth Christ from beyond Jordan into Judea again. He stays two days after he had received the message in the same place where the messenger found him, and in the story of this Section he is set forward. And being now upon his last journey to Jerusalem he foretelleth to his Disciples what should become of him there: They followed him with fear and amazement before, foreseeing that he went upon his own danger, and yet when he had spoken the thing out to them at the full they understood him not.

SECTION LXVIII.

THe order is plain of itself: and yet the connection is somewhat strange: for in the last words before, Christ had foretold of his death, yet the Sons of Zebedee here desire to sit on his right hand and left in his Kingdom. Galatius resolves it thus, Discipuli in error aliquando fuerunt, credentes Christum illico, post resurrectionem terreni regni sceptro potiturum: unde & quidam eorum, super caeteros primatum ambientes, &c. The Disciples sometimes were mistaken, conceiving that Christ presently after his resurrection should obtain the scepter of an earthly Kingdom, whereupon some of them ambitious of priority above the rest, desired to sit on his right hand and left, &c. lib. 4. cap. 1. It is true indeed that the Jewish Nation, and the Disciples with them erred in judging about Messias his Kingdom, Act. 1. but they erred as far also about Messias his Resurrection, till experience had informed them better. Therefore it cannot well be imagined, that the Wife and Sons of Zebedee thought of Christ's Resurrection in this their request, but conceived of his temporal Kingdom according to the notions of the rest of the Nation about it: What therefore our Savior had spoken instantly before of his being scourged, crucified, killed, and Rising again, they understood in some figurative sense or other; but the Evangelists plainly tell us, they understood it not in the sense that he spake it. It may be his naming these two The sons of thunder, gave them some blind encouragement to such a request. Christ foretells his own death and their suffering Martyrdom under the title of Baptism, in which sense the Apostle also useth the word 1 Cor. 15. 29. The Jewish baptizings or dippings in their purifications, was a very sharp piece of Religion, when in frost and snow and wind and weather they must over head and ears in cold water, from which the phrase was used to signify death and the bitterest sufferings. The Jerusalem Gemarists do tell us, that the Women of Galilee grew barren, by reason of the cold in their purifyings. R. Aha in the name of Tanchum bar R. Chaia saith, In the days of R. Joshua ben Levi, they sought to abolish this dipping, because of the women of Galilee which were made barren by reason of the cold. R. Joshua ben Levi saith, Do ye seek to abolish a thing that fenceth Israel from transgression? &c. Beracoth fol. 6. col. 3.

SECTION LXIX.

CHRIST in his journey from beyond Jordan to Bethany for the raising of Lazarus, passeth through Jericho: and he healeth one blind man as he entereth into Jericho, of which Luke speaketh, and another as he goeth out, of which the other two. Matthew indeed speaketh of two healed as he came out of Jericho; comprehending it may be, the story of him that was healed on the other side of the Town, and this together in one story, for briefness sake: Or if there were two healed on this side of the Town, Mark only mentions one, because he rather aimeth at showing of the manner or kind of the miracle, then at the number: as we have observed the like before, at Sect. 39.

SECTION LXX.

THe order lies plain in ver. 1. Christ was passed through Jericho before he met with Zacchaeus, &c. Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai, hath made the name Zaccai or Zacchaeus renowned in Jewish writings: his Father Zaccai might very well be now alive, and for any difference of the times might well enough be the Zacchaeus before us, but that some other circumstances do contradict it. Whosoever this man was, it is observable, that though his name Zacchaeus speak him a Jew, yet Christ reputes him not a Child of Abraham till he believe, ver. 19.

Ver. 11. They thought that the Kingdom of Heaven should immediately appear. Observe this: this they had learned from Dan. 9. where the time is so punctually determined, that they that looked for the consolation of Israel could not but observe it, and they that observed, could not but see it now accomplished.

SECTION LXXI.

NOw is Christ come up to Bethany. Whether 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 mentioned by Talm. Bab. Pasachin fol. 53. facie 1. [where they speak of the figs of Bethhene, and the dates of Tubni ] be the same with this Bethany, we shall not dispute here: Both a Town, and some space of ground about it was called by this name Bethany.

As he had stayed in the place where he was when he heard of Lazarus sickness, purposely that he might die before he came to him, that God might be the more glorified by his raising, ver. 15. so did he make sure to stay long enough after he was dead before he came, that the glory might be the more. He had been four days dead, ver. 39. Compare with this these sayings of the Jews. Maym. in Gerushin. per. ult. If one look upon a dead man within three days after his death he may know him, but after three days his visage is changed.

Jerus. in Moed Katon fol. 82. col. 2. Three days the Soul flies about the body as if thinking to return to it: but after it sees the visage of the countenance changed, it leaves it and gets it gone.

Upon the miracle wrought, the Jews seek to kill Jesus and Lazarus both: whereupon Jesus goeth to a City called Ephraim, ver. 54. Talm. Bab. in Menachoth fol. 85. fac. 1. Juchne and Mamre [ Jannes and Jambres ] said to Moses, Dost thou bring straw to Ephraim? Gloss. Ibi. Juchne and Mamre were the chief Sorcerers of Egypt: they when Moses began to do miracles thought he had done them by magic: they said, Dost thou bring straw to Ephraim? Ephraim was a place that exceedingly aboundeth with corn, and darest thou bring Corn thither? meaning, Dost thou bring Sorceries into Egypt that abounds so with Sorceries?

Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ephraim was a City in the Land of Israel where there was abundance of Corn. Where is the chiefest provision for Offerings? The chiefest for fine Flower are Micmash and Zanoah, and next to them Ephraim in the Vale.

SECTION LXXII.

JOHN maketh the connection plain, when he saith, On the next day, &c. And showeth that as Christ went up at this time, in the evidence and accomplishment of that Prophesy, Zech. 9. 9. so he also went up in the equity and answering of that Type, of taking up the Paschal Lamb on the tenth day, Exod. 12. 3. for this was on that very day: and the Lamb of God doth now go in, as giving up himself for the great Paschal.

John telleth us that he lay at Bethany the night before this, and yet the other Evangelists have related it, that when he came to Bethpage and Bethany, he sent two of his Disciples for the Ass, &c. The Jews Chorography will here help us out: They tell us

• 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Two thousand cubits was the Suburbs of a City. Maym. in Schabh. per. 27.
• 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Two thousand cubits were the bounds of a Sabbath, or a Sabbath days journey. Talm. in Sotah per. 5.
• 3. Bethpage was of this nature: it was not a Town upon mount Olivet as it hath been very generally supposed, and accordingly placed in the most Maps, but it was some buildings and that space of ground that lay from Jerusalem wall forward towards mount Olivet, and up mount Olivet to the extent of two thousand cubits from the wall, or thereabout; and hereupon it was reputed by the Jews of the same qualification with Jerusalem, as a part of it, in divers respects.

Talm. Bab. Pesachin fol. 63. fac. 2. He that slays a Thanksgiving Sacrifice within, while the bread belonging to it is without the wall, the bread is not holy. What means without the wall? R. Jochanan saith, Without the wall of Bethpage. The Gloss there • aith, Bethpage was an outer place of Jerusalem. And the same Gloss useth the very same words again upon the same Tract, fol. 91. fac. 1. And again in the same Treatise fol. 95. fac. 2. the Mishna saith thus, The two loaves and the shewbread are allowable in the Temple Court, and they are allowable in Bethpage. Nay the Gloss in Sanhedr. fol. 14. fac. 1. saith, Bethpage was a place which was accounted as Jerusalem for all things. So that the place so called, began from Jerusalem and went onwards to and upon mount Olivet, for the space of a Sabbath days journey or thereabout, and then began the coast that was called Bethany. And hence it is that Luke saith that Christ when he ascended into Heaven, led forth his Disciples as far as Bethany, Luke 24. 50. which elsewhere he showeth was the space of a Sabbath days journey, Acts. 1. 12. which cannot be understood of the Town Bethany, for that was fifteen furlongs, or very near two Sabbath days journey from Jerusalem, but that he led them over that space of ground which was called Bethpage, to that part of Olivet where it began to be called Bethany, and at that place it was where Christ began his triumphant riding into the City at this time.

It is observable that he is entertained with the solemnity of the Feast of Tabernacles: for carrying of Palm branches and crying Hosanna was never used but only at that Feast, but now translated to this occasion: which may help somewhat to the explaining of Zech. 14. 16.

Count from hence the days to the Passover, as the Evangelists have reckoned them, and you will find that this was the first day of the week [the Lord's day afterward] and this day seven night he rose from the dead.

In the midst of his triumph he weepeth over the City, though he knew that within five days she would be his death.

SECTION LXXIII.

THe order is plain in the Text of John, and needeth no illustration.

Christ was thrice attested from Heaven, according to his threefold Office, King Priest and Prophet. At his Baptism, for the great High priest, when he was anointed and entered into his Ministry. At his Transfiguration for the great Prophet to whom all must hear. And now for the great King, when he had newly fulfilled this Prophecy, Rejoice O Zion, behold thy King cometh, &c.

The Bath Kol or heavenly voice that the Jews commonly speak of, is in the most, if not all the instances that they give of it, but a fiction of their own brain, to bring their Doctors and their Doctrines into credit.

SECTION LXXIV.

THe order is clear in Mark ver. 11. 12.

Christ after his riding into Jerusalem, having spent all the day there goeth at even to lodge at Bethany: and in the morning going for Jerusalem again and hugring seeth a Fig tree, and finding no Figs on it curseth it, and yet the Evangelist telleth that the time of Figs was not yet.

Why then should Christ look for Figs, when he knew the time of the year was not yet for them?

Answ. He looked not for any Figs that he thought could be grown ripe and fit to eat, that spring, it beign now at the furthest but about our April, but he looked for those that grew the last summer, and had hung on the trees all winter, It is true indeed that some trees had shot forth their fruit by Passover time, for so Maymony tells us in Kiddush Hhodesh per. 4. but neither to ripeness; nor was the Fig tree any of them. For to those words of our Savior, Matth. 23. 32. When the Fig tree putteth forth her leaves ye know Summer is nigh, lay these of Jerus. in Sheviith fol. 35. col. 4. Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith, From the putting forth of the Fig tree leaf to the green Figs appearing are fifty days: and from the first appearing of the Fig to the fall of the blossom fifty days, and from thence to the ripe Figs fifty days more: five months in all.

There were several kinds of Fig trees in that Land, as the Jews tell us in the Treatises Demai and Sheviith, where they have special occasion to treat of that matter, [besides those Fig trees that were in their Orchards and Vineyards.] As 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which they say were Figs of the Wilderness. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which were baser Figs likewise. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Fig trees that brought their fruit to ripeness but once in two years. And 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which they say grew in the fields and bare white Figs. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from three years to three years. The Gemarists dispute, What? Do they bear their fruit every year, or only once in three years? They bear their fruit every year, but it is not ripe till three years end. How doth a man know its time, or what year it is with it? R. Jonah saith, by binding a list about it. It is a tradition of Samuel, that he hung some pendants upon it. The meaning of the matter is this: There was a Fig tree growing in the fields of this nature, that the Figs that it shot forth one summer, it was two summers more before they came to ripeness, so that they hung upon the tree [unless hands or wind hindered] three summers and two winters before their maturity: Now because the strange nature of this tree, different •• omothers, caused that the seventh year, or year of release could not so easily be remembered and observed concerning it as concerning other trees, therefore they tied some cords or lists about it, or • ung something upon it, that might give notice, and keep in remembrance what year it was with it, and whether the fruit, if any, were of the first, second or third years growth. So likewise the figtrees mentioned before, called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 were two summers in ripening their fruit. So that of such a tree as one of these Christ might well look for figs of the last years growth, old figs under new leaves, if so be the leaves were new. Yet could not this properly be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 [as there are that would change the reading of the original, and instead of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the time of figs was not yet, would have it read (but I question whether with the consent of any one copy in the world) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , For where he was, was the time of figs. ] For that phrase, The time of figs, meaneth the common time that generally figs were ripe, which was ordinary and commonly known, and which was not of well near five months after Passover time.

Christ cometh to the Temple and casteth out buyers and sellers as he had done three years before: this was four days before the Passover. At Even he goeth and lodgeth in Bethany.

In the morning he cometh again to Jerusalem. This was three days before the Passover. As they came, the Disciples observe the fig tree withered, whereupon he saith,